Manchurian

My name is Gurinder and I was in the weblog group “Photography”, I just switched to the weblog group “Food” as cooking is my other favorite thing to do. I love to cook, try new dishes and enjoy the company of my family and friends and laugh while we eat.

Last week, I was preparing dinner for my family and decided to make Manchurian. Manchurian is a dish classified as a Chinese dish but is quite unique to India. In fact, it is a really popular dish in India and really easy to make. It took me just 20 minutes to prepare and then 20 minutes to cook. Basically there are two separate parts when making the Manchurian dish. The first part includes making the vegetable balls and the second part includes making the sauce or gravy.

The ingredients for vegetable balls are:

• 2 cups finely chopped cabbage

• 2 cups of finely chopped broccoli

• 2 cups of cauliflower

• 1 ¼ cups grated carrot

• ½ grated salary

• 1 grated green/red or yellow pepper

• 2 tablespoons of corn flour

• 2-3 tablespoons of plain flour (Maida)

• Oil for deep-frying

• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green pepper, and salary and mix them well in a bowl
2. Squeeze the vegetables and keep this vegetable juice or stock to use in preparing sauce
3. Add salt, black pepper, corn flour and plain flour into vegetables and mix the
4. Add little bit water and make small round balls and then deep fry in vegetable oil until they are golden brown
5. Drain these balls on absorbent paper and keep aside

Now the ingredients for the sauce or gravy are:

• 1 tablespoons of chopped garlic

• 1 tablespoons of finely chopped ginger

• 1 cup chopped onions

• 2-3 tomatoes

• 1 small bowl of tomato sauce

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green chilies

• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

• 1 tablespoons of hot sauce

• Vegetable juice or stock

• 1 tablespoon of corn flour

• 1 cup of water

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Vegetable oil to make gravy or sauce

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in the frying pan on medium heat
2. Add the garlic, ginger, and onions in the pan and cook them until golden browl
3. Then add tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilies, soy sauce, hot sauce, corn flour, vegetable stock, salt and black pepper and little bit of water (to thin down the sauce) and cook for 15 minutes and simmer for a few minutes
4. Once the sauce is ready, add the vegetables balls in sauce and garnish your dish with chopped coriander or spinach.

The Manchurian dish is ready to serve!

Most important thing I like about this dish is that it has many vegetables in it which has different flavor and is really good for health. These vegetables are good source of calcium, iron, and zinc and help to maintain good health. There are varieties of Manchurian like Gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian, broccoli Manchurian etc. Enjoy this recipe!

This picture is from following website:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/foodista/4050693808/

Super foods

I love fruits and vegetables! I am currently taking a nutrition course in which I am learning about the benefits of vegetables and fruits. So I decided to discuss something about superfoods.

Superfoods are foods especially rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. A nutrient-rich food is considered to be good and beneficial for health and well-being. Superfoods are foods that contain a higher level and broad range of nutrients than other foods. Also, the consumption of superfoods is safe and effective. Berries, green tea, cruciferous vegetables, green foods, eggs, green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, oats, olives oils, fish rich in omega-3fatty acids, seeds, tea, tomatoes, turkey, whole grains, and yogurt are all considered as superfoods. The foods all have different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients that help the body fight diseases, maintain good health and fulfill deficiencies in the body. Following are descriptions of a few superfoods:

Green tea: Green tea is considered a superfood for lowering cholesterol and inhibiting cancer. It contains some kind if polyphenols, which may reduce heart diseases, cancer and stroke risks. Also, green tea has a compound called EGCG (epigallocatechin) which can enhance the immune system and reduce the chances of tumors.

Berries and pomegranates: Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, and pomegranates are all colorful fruits and are loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C, phytonutrients, low in calories, and are high in water and can reduce the risks of heart diseases and cancer, and help maintain short-term memory. Pomegranate juice also helps to reduce the risk for hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis.

Walnuts and almonds: All these nuts reduce the risk of developing heart diseases, reduce cholesterol and protect against inflammation. Almond is a good source of calcium, fibre, zinc, and iron. Eating a handful of mixed nuts is really good for your health.

Whole grains (oats, whole wheat, and barley): Whole-grain foods such as oat bran breakfast cereal (like Cheerio’s), oatmeal and wholegrain breads are beneficial for health as they help lower cholesterol and increase fibre intake. Also, for vegetarians, whole grain foods are a good source of protein and fibre. Barley’s fibre helps the colon to protect against colon cancer and cleans the liver. Whole grains contain vitamins B and E; the minerals magnesium, selenium and zinc; phytonutrients; and many other important nutrients that perform different functions in the body and also work together in powerful ways. Processed foods and some cereals can be excellent sources of whole grains in the diet.

Garlic and onion: Garlic, onions, turmeric, and honey, these all foods are really good for health. Garlic and onions contain sulfur compounds that may protect against heart diseases and some cancers. Garlic and onions can be cooked in food to get their flavor, can eat in the salad and can eat raw too. Garlic has ability to prevent the development of many diseases such as breast, skin, colon, stomach, prostate, and esophagus cancers. Onion juice is really good for poor eyesight but the taste is really bitter.

Crucifers (broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and turnips): Green vegetables have abundant nutrients that guard the body against certain diseases. They are antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and also high in fibre. These cruciferous vegetables are great cancer fighters, immune boosters, vegetarian protein sources, and bone-building calcium sources.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes contain lycopene (the red pigment in tomato), this pigment is a powerful antioxidant that can fight cancer cells, and help to stimulate the immune system. A large consumption of tomato can help improve skin texture. It is also a natural antiseptic that can protect against infections.

Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate is also considered as a healthy food. It is a source of phytonutrients flavonols that helps to protect our DNA and inhibit the growth of unwanted blood vessels.

These all for some of superfoods that perform different functions in the body, boost immune system and help fighting against diseases. It is really important to adapt healthy eating habits to prevent ourselves from diseases. Also, last but not least, drink lots of water. Although technically it is not a food but the body is completely depend on water for survival. In addition, if we are eating lots of vegetables and fruits, which have fibres, then it is really important to drink water every day.

Here are some other good websites that has information about some other superfoods and their benefits:

http://www.slice.ca/dish/SliceBlog/BlogPost.aspx?sectionID=36&postID=119697

http://www.bestveganguide.com/top-super-foods.html

http://startcooking.com/blog/350/12-Superfoods-You-Need-to-be-Eating

http://www.homemakers.com/food-and-recipes/cooking-tips-and-advice/top-10-superfoods/a/26326

Garlic

Garlic

I really liked Raman’s idea about discussing turmeric. According to our culture, we use garlic, ginger and turmeric in everyday cooking. So I decided to write something about garlic in relation to her idea.

Garlic is an onion like plant of southern Europe having a bulb that breaks up into separable cloves with a strong distinctive odour and flavour. Garlic has been used as both food and medicine in many cultures for thousands of years. Garlic is rich in antioxidants, which help destroy free radicals; radicals are particles that can damage cell membranes and DNA, and may contribute to aging process as well as development of number of conditions such as heart diseases and cancer. Many older people use garlic as a herb for health benefits. Garlic may prevent heart diseases, slow down atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries), and lower blood pressure. Garlic may strengthen the immune system, helping the body to fight diseases such as cancer and the body’s defence against allergies. People who eat more raw or cooked garlic are less likely to develop certain diseases particularly colon and stomach cancer. Also, it stimulates the production of nitric oxide in the lining of the blood vessel walls; nitric oxide is a substance that helps the blood vessels to relax. In addition, garlic also prevents weight gain and also plays a major role in balancing a stressful life. In the ancient time, garlic was a life saving herb that helped resist diseases and restore energy. In this way, garlic is really important and helps to minimize the effects of diseases and important medicine for body.

I use raw garlic in many of my recipes; it’s usually chopped or crushed garlic in my cooking. In our culture, we cook garlic, and ginger with many dishes. When I was a kid, my grandmother always told me to eat garlic whenever I was sick. She believed that garlic may prevent colds. Sometimes she boiled water with garlic and gave it to me. According to her, garlic is a natural and powerful antibiotic that is effective against toxic bacteria, viruses, and fungus. This means garlic available in pills, capsules, liquid and actual raw cloves is one of the most popular healthy herb. Everyone should take 1 or 2 garlic cloves daily as a preventative measure from potential diseases.

I took this picture from

http://www.freefoto.com/preview/1549-29-11/Garlic

Spring Rolls

Homemade Spring Rolls

One day we, me and my sister, decided to make spring rolls, one of our favourite foods. I know, the easiest way is to get pre-made frozen spring rolls from the store, but I have never really liked the taste of readymade, frost bitten vegetarian spring rolls and do prefer the FRESH HOME MADE ones instead! So I thought I would share the spring roll recipe with you.

The ingredients for noodles (filling) are:

• 500 grams of noodles
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
• 1 table spoon of grated ginger
• 1 onion cut into long pieces
• Each ½ cup portions (beans, carrots, green pepper, mushroom, zucchini, and corns) cut into small pieces
• 1 chopped green chilli
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce
• ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• And a little bit of chopped coriander

The method to cook the noodles is

1. Boil the noodles
2. Once they are cooked, let the water drain and keep them on the side
3. Heat some vegetable oil in a pan on medium heat
4. Add garlic, ginger, and onions in the pan and few minutes later add turmeric and then cook them until light brown
5. Then add all the vegetables into pan. Cook all the vegetables for 10-15 minutes
6. Add green chilli, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, salt and black pepper
7. Once it is cooked well, add boiled noodles and mix
8. Finally, garnish with coriander.

Now the ingredients to make the wrappers are:

• 1 bowl of fine flour (Maida)
• tablespoons of semolina
• 2-3 pinches of baking powder
• Salt, grounded cumin to taste
• Prepared noodles Vegetable oil to fry

Method to cook the pastry or cover for spring rolls:

1. Take a bowl and mix all the ingredients and add little bit water to form the batter
2. Make thin round pancakes then place some filling on a pancake end to end
3. Fold the ends and hold, then roll in a tight roll
4. Seal the edges with water (or a paste of cornflour and water) to prevent it from opening
5. Deep fry till golden brown
6. Cut into convenient sized pieces

Like magic! The spring rolls are ready to serve with tomato, hot or chilli sauce, YUMMY!

The alternative, if you don’t like to eat fried foods, then you can bake them in the oven.

If you want to add something special or have some recommendations for the recipe, please let me know!

I took this picture from following website

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosy102/124175179/sizes/m/in/photostream/