Gobi / Paneer Manchuria

If it is the weekend, you got to treat yourself with something extra special. Manchuria is the one for you. Once you taste it, you will crave for more and you will make it again and again. This recipe serves 6 people.

Ingredients:
1 large red bell pepper - cut into strips (optional)
1/2 medium onion - sliced length wise (optional)
1/2 pound paneer - cut into 1 inch by 1/2  inch paneer pieces
1 small head cauliflower, around 16 florets
oil for deep frying (I used canola oil)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

for sauce:
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons oil (canola or olive)(1 teaspoon if you not using red bell peppers and onion)
1 cup water
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vine vinegar
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional, adjust to your spice level)
4 cloves garlic - sliced
1/4 teaspoon Ajinomoto (you can find it in any chinese, vietnamese or thai grocery store, this is optional)

for batter:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn flour
water

Method:
Mix all the ingredients under the batter. The batter shouldn't be too thick or too thin. You are looking for something of pan cake batter consistency. Coat the cauliflower and paneer with the batter, let any extra batter to drip off (we just need light coating, else it will be too doughy) and deep fry them on medium high heat until they turn golden brown. Take them onto a paper towel to remove any excess oil and keep them aside.

In a separate pan on medium high heat, add oil and saute onion for 4 minutes, or until the onions just starts to turn translucent. Add red bell peppers and saute for another couple of minutes (or just until the way you want the peppers to be). Add garlic, saute for another minute until fragrant. Add ketchup, soy sauce, chili powder, rice vine vinegar, ajinamoto, water and stir well. Bring to a boil and let it reduce a bit, or just until the sauce is enough to coat all the fried pieces. Add the paneer cauliflowers pieces to the sauce. Combine well, check on the seasoning, and add some salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy.

Tips and More:

• Corn flour  is a must in this recipe to achieve crunchy texture to the paneer and cauliflower pieces.
• You can make paneer manchuria alone or gobi manchuria alone instead of mixing both.
• You can make the same recipe with baby corn. Try green bell peppers instead of red.
• Add some green onions for more flavor.

Fish Po Boy

Its time not to order a fish po boy at a restaurant. Because this recipe is so simple to make and taste equally delicious. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
4 burger buns - cut in the middle
lettuce
thinly sliced tomatoes
thinly sliced red onion
4 4oz tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon butter

spice rub:
1/4 teaspoon salt
couple pinches of pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
couple pinches of cayenne pepper (optional)

for sauce:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon finely minced dill (pickle relish)
pinch of salt and pepper
a splash or 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

Method:
Mix all the ingredients under sauce and keep it aside. Apply the spice rub to the fish and keep them aside. Heat a pan on medium, add butter to it. Toast the buns on the cut side for couple of minutes and take the buns on to a plate. In the same pan add oil and when the oil is hot, add fish and cook the fish for 3 minutes on each side.
Assemble the burger. On the base bun, put lettuce, tomato, onion and fish. Apply teaspoon of sauce to the cap bun (the remaining piece of the bun) and top the burger. Enjoy the delicious fish po boy.

Tips and More:

• You can use your favorite white fish like halibut, catfish etc. instead of tilapia.
• Also, play with the spice rub. Try the fish with blackened seasoning, cajun spice, grill seasoning etc. for different variations of fish po boy.
• Entertain your friends outdoors with this recipe by cooking the fish on a grill.
• The fish will be juicy and tender if you use fresh fish over a frozen fish.

Ginger Chicken

A party appetizer and a delicious way to eat chicken. This Indian recipe is packed with flavor and is irresistible. The following recipe serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
5 table spoons corn flour
2 table spoons all purpose flour
1/2 tea spoon + 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tea spoon pepper
1 tea spoon soy sauce
1 table spoon ginger paste
1 table spoon garlic paste
1/2 medium onion -very finely chopped
4 shallots finely chopped
4 inch ginger root finely minced
6 scallions finely chopped- both greens and whites
1 table spoon ketchup
1/2 table spoon rice wine vinegar
couple of pinches or 1/4 teaspoon ajinomoto (optional)
1/4 cup chicken stock or water
1 tea spoon + 1 tea spoon chilli powder (adjust to your spice level)
5 tablespoons cilantro
6 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon canola oil

Method:
In a bowl, mix chicken pieces, corn flour, all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 tea spoon pepper, ginger paste, garlic paste, and soy sauce (water is not needed, the moisture in the chicken will bind everything together). Mix until the chicken is coated well with the flour mixture. Take a large pan and put it on medium heat with 6 tablespoons of oil in it. When the oil is hot, layer the chicken in the oil (you should fit the chicken in the pan in single layer, do not over crowd the pan. If your pan does not fit all the chicken pieces, fry them in two batches). Fry the chicken on both sides, 5 minutes on each side, until the chicken turns golden brown. Take the chicken pieces onto a paper towel to remove the excess oil and keep them aside.

In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion, shallots and saute them for 2 minutes. Add chili powder, ginger, scallions and saute for another one minute, until the ginger is fragrant. Add tomato ketchup, ajinomoto, vinegar, chicken stock and stir them just until everything combines. Add chicken pieces to the sauce and combine well. Put the lid on and let the chicken cook 5 to 10 minutes stirring for every 2 minutes. Finally, add cilantro and mix well. Delicious ginger chicken is ready to serve.

Tips and More:

• Add bell pepper (red, green or yellow) for added flavor and additional veggies.
• Serve with fresh lemon juice and red onion and you cant stop eating this appetizer.
• The above recipe is the dry version of ginger chicken. For more sauce or a wet version, double the quantities of ketchup, vinegar and chicken stock and add 1/4 teaspoon of soy sauce. This is best when served with fried rice.

Greek Chicken Kebabs

Greek food is very flavorful and satisfying too, yet very healthy. It is one of the recipes to take onto the outdoor grill and entertain your friends. The following recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:
wooden skewers around 8-9 soaked in water for 20 minutes


for chicken -
2 chicken breasts - cut into cubes
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 garlic cloves grated
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional or adjust to your spice level)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
juice from half a lime

for vegetables -
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic grated
2 pinches of chili powder (optional)
1 medium zucchini - cut 1/2 inch thick
1 medium red bell pepper - cut into squares
1 medium green bell pepper - cut into squares
10-12 broccoli stems

for tzatziki sauce -
1/2 cup greek yogurt 
1 garlic clove grated
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime
couple of pinches of pepper
4 inch cucumber grated (no seeds, skin can be on if it is an english cucumber)
1 tablespoon of fresh mint or 1 pinch of dried marjoram or 1 pinch of dried/fresh dill

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all the ingredients (under "for chicken") except chicken. Add chicken to the marinade, mix well and keep aside. Chop all the vegetables, drizzle olive oil, add all the ingredients under vegetables and mix until the vegetable are evenly coated. Now skewer the chicken and the vegetables alternatively on to the skewers. Place the skewers on the rack and place the rack on a baking sheet to collect any juices from chicken. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Mix all the ingredients under tzatziki sauce for dipping.

Tips and More:

• To the above vegetables, you can also add red onions. If you don't have marjoram in hand, replace with dried oregano, it tastes almost the same. 
• Also, you can make the same recipe with fish or lamb. However, the cooking time is a little less for fish and little long for lamb.
• You can buy pita pockets from any grocery stores, add these kebabs, fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, feta cheese and the tzatziki sauce for gyros.
• Geek yogurt  is a thick and creamy yogurt. You can find it at any regular grocery store. Usually it is high in fat content as they use whole milk. So, to make low fat greek yougurt at home, place the yogurt (low fat) in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• This particular recipe has lot of ingredients but is very simple to prepare. It will not take more that 30 minutes. First marinate the chicken, keep aside. Now preheat the oven, chop the vegetables and coat them with the marinade. Vegetable don't have to marinate, so immediately skewer the chicken and veggies onto the skewer and pop it into the oven. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce :)
• Just to avoid hard scrub cleaning, line the baking dish with an aluminum foil.