Cauliflower Egg Pakora/Bhaji/Fitters

This is yet another simple easy snack to make and yet so tasty that you don't want to stop with a few. Thanks to the filling nature of cauliflower which will help from packing on the calories. I liked it so much the first time my husband made this for a light evening snack. Since then "poor man", he ends up making this for me whenever I have a urge to snack on this. I had always expressed my love for cauliflower in this blog. So here is another addition to my cauliflower list.

A simple starter, with very minimal ingredients and ease to make. Doesn't require any dipping sauce or condiments. Can be eaten just like that, to enjoy the flavours better.
With a gentle seasoned covering of crisp egg on the outer and mild soft vegie inside, this is indeed a treat for me.

Ingredients :
1 small Cauliflower, separated into 10 - 15 florets
2 Eggs beaten
1 tsp Red chilly powder
Salt to taste.
A pinch of black pepper powder (optional)
Oil for deep frying

Method:
Wash the cauliflower florets and dry them with paper towel.
Prepare the covering mixture, with beaten egg, red chilly, salt and pepper powder
Heat oil in a deep fry pan
Dip the cauliflower florets one by one into the egg mixture to coat evenly and thick and gently slide into the hot oil
Fry on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or till the florets turn brown and the cauliflower is cooked.
Once done remove the florets from the oil and place on paper towel to remove excess oil.
Serve warm with ketchup or just as it is.

Gobi(Cauliflower) Manchurian

Though this is such a famous dish, some how I never got a chance to taste it. So I decided to make it myself...My version here is not too dry...perhaps if we can reduce the amount of sauces that go into it we'll get a more dry version.

I don't have any story to recite with this dish...so lets go the recipe straight.

Ingredients :

to deep fry :
1 small cauliflower cut into florets
1/2 All purpose flour
Oil for deep frying
black pepper dust
salt to taste

for thick tempering sauce :
2 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup Red chilly sambal or sauce
1/4 cup Tomato ketchup/sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Oil for tempering
6 pods Garlic minced
1 small onion chopped
2 Green chillies cut into diagonal pieces
salt to taste

Garnish:
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Spring onions chopped

Procedure :
Prepare the cauliflower florets
In a container mix flour with enough water, salt and pepper dust to form a thick batter to dip the cauliflower florets keep aside
In a wok or shallow wide pan heat oil and add minced garlic, slit chillies and onion and fry till golden.
Now add the sauces, salt and cook till the raw smell is turned into nice aroma from the sauces.
Meanwhile heat up oil for deep frying and dip the cauliflower florets in the flour batter prepared and deep fry till golden brown and florets are cooked.
Add corn starch mixture to the thickening sauce mixture so that the sauce mixture will stick to the florets, and then add the fried florets to this mixture and coat the florets evenly with the sauce mixture.
Stir for a minute or two and garnish with chopped coriander and onion leeks.
Remove from heat and serve hot with roti or any fired rice.

Cauliflower Masala / Gobi Masala

This a simple veggie dish, which goes well with rice with sambar or rasam or even with roti or dosa.

As I mentioned earlier in my blog, I cauliflower is one of my favorite veggies. It is one must vegetable in my fridge all the time. Hubby is not so fond of though. But he doesn't mind it, as long as it is accompanied with some other main course dish. As u can see in the picture below.


Ingredients:
Cauliflower medium size - 1 (broken into small florets)
Tomatoes - 3-4 or Tomato Puree - 1 cup

Tempering:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Channa Dhal - 2 Tbsp
Onion - 1 small
Green Chillies - 2 slit
Curry leaves - 8 leaves
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Vegetable Masala Powder or Chat Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves - a small bunch

Procedure :
Heat oil in a Kadai/Pan,
Allow mustard to splutter.
Add channa dhall, and stir till color changes.
Add cut onions, green chillies, curry leaves and saute til onions turn slightly brown.
Add the Cauliflower florets, red chilly powder, salt, and mix well to give an even coat of all ingredients.
Now add the tomato puree or the crushed tomatoes, mix well.
Add the Vegetable or chat masala and mix it evenly.
Add some water if needed and cook the florets for about 15- 20 minutes, mixing occasionally.
Add the finely chopped coriander leaves just before removing from heat.

Gobi Aloo in Tomato Sauce (Cauliflower Potato)

Cauliflower(Gobi) is one of my favourite vegies. And who won't like Potatoes(Aloo), in any form they are cooked. So combine both of these is a perfect match, be it with rotis, plain Rice, Pulav, or fried rice, Aloo Gobi makes good combination.
I use to cherish this preparation made by my GrandMother(Bhanu Aunty) thats what she was called by most of the people, and for me and my brothers she was much more than a Mother figure. This blog is dedicated to her. Because most of my dishes are inspired by her simple but yet tasty cooking. No doubt is always had that one secret ingredient "Love" in all her recipes.
Apart from regular times this dish was most cherished at christmas lunch. Though we had all those great Non-veg dishes my GM use to make this specially for me and I remember how she use to say "rina likes it".

Vegetables like Cauliflower, Broccolli, and Brussel sprouts carry the properties of Vitamin B6 useful to help the liver to metabolize xenoestrogens and help to boost immunity.
Now coming to the recipe:

Here are the Ingredients:

Cauliflower medium size - 1
Potatoes - 3-4
Tomatoes - 3-4 OR Tomatoe Puree - 1 cup
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1 small
Green Chillies - 2 slit
Curry leaves - 1 reem
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves - a small bunch
Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure :1. Peel the Potatoe skin and cut into medium size cubes.

2. Make the Cauliflower into small florets

3. Add oil in a heated Kadai/Pan, allow msutard to splutter and then add cut onions, green chillies, curry leaves adn saute til onions turn slightly brown.

4. Add the Cauliflower and Potatoe peices, red chilly powder, salt, and mix well to give an even coat of all ingredients.

5. Sprinkle some water and cover with lid to cook the vegies in steam for about 15- 20 minutes.

6. Keep mixing periodly to add more water if reqiured.

7. Once the vegies are almost cooked add the tomatoe puree, mix well.

8. Cook for another 5 minutes or till the vegies absorb the tomatoe flavour into them.

9. Add the finely chopped corainder leaves just before removing from heat.

Allow this preparation stand for some time till all the combinaton sets, to really enjoy that soury taste of tomatoes.Serve with rotis or rice.