i 'm back with hot and spicy tofu fry

Well I have been missing in action for quite some time ....it was my  holiday to Switzerland which was keeping me busy !!!A dream vacation to the most beautiful place..truly heaven on earth!!!Everything and everyplace there was picture perfect that we just could not stop clicking pics...so much so that our camera has close to 1000 pictures ....!!!

Here is a one for my blog friends !!!

Coming back to food ...as you know that I have been experimenting with tofu for sometime ...here is another version of  tofu which can be served as an appetizer as well as a side dish .

This dish tastes very similar to Hakka chilli paneer. I lately had this in an Indian restaurant here in London called Roti Chai .If you are looking for authentic Indian street food you must go there..Will be sharing the reviews very soon !!!

But for now here' s the recipe for hot and spicy tofu fry !!!It does takes tofu to a new level and I bet you'll start relishing tofu from now on....as it is not the same bland tofu anymore !!!

Ingredients

150 gm Tofu (cubed)
1/4 cup cubed bell pepper
1 large onion (cubed)
1 small carrot (chopped)
2 spring onions (chopped)
2 tsp ginger garlic and green chilli  paste 
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp tomato paste  ketchup

1/3 tsp sugar

1 tbsp cornflour + 3tbsp water 
Salt to taste
Black pepper 
Oil 

Marinade:
3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp corn flour / corn starch
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
A pinch of salt
Water 

Method 

 Make a thick paste with the ingredients for marinade. Marinate  the tofu  pieces for about 10 minutes. 

Add  oil in a pan and shallow fry the tofu pieces, turning them over when the cooked sides are brown.

In the same pan, add chopped onions, green chillies, carrot and capsicum. Cook until the onions turn transparent for 2-3 mins.  Next, turn the flame to high and add soya sauce, green chilli  ginger garlic paste, sugar and tomato sauce. Stir-fry  until well blended and turn the flame to medium-low.  Add the fried tofu cubes and the cornflour-water paste. Taste and adjust salt. Stir and cook for another 3-4 mins until the sauce comes around and thickens due to the cornflour. 

Serve hot with noodles or rice  and say yes to healthy TOFU !!!!

 

its raining again: time for hot samosas !!!

This is what I read in the morning newspaper today

Get ready for a month’s worth of rain overnight and 70mph winds

Yes its raining again !!!

So that's an excuse for savouring this fried and tempting delight called samosa !!!!

There is something so magical about the combination of rain chai and samosa..!!

Samosas are the most popular appetizer not only in India but all over the world.Its surprising to see the craze for samosas here in London ...even the English people love it !!!

...But I don't like the samosas we get here  which are wrapped in filo pastry...they just don't taste like our authentic samosas.So I tried making  this homemade mini samosa which was worth the effort !!!

Ingredients

All purpose flour/Maida – 2 1/2 cups
Rice flour – 1/4 cup
Ajwain (carom seeds) – 1 tsp
Ghee – 4 tbsp
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Water – about 3/4 cup(lesser the better)
Oil – for deep frying


For the stuffing

5 Medium Potatoes(boiled)
1/4 cup peas
 1 tbsp Coriander seeds 
1 inch ginger chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp amchur powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp anardana powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste


Method 

• Mix the flour, salt, carom seeds, ghee until the dough resembles coarse sands.
• Now sprinkle the water slowly and form a soft but really stiff dough. Lesser the water better it is.
• Knead the dough well for about 5 mins.Keep the dough covered with plastic wrap or a moist towel and let it rest for an hour.
•  For the stuffing heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and then ginger.Add boiled and crushed potatoes and peas.
• Add amchur,coriander powder,garam masala,red chilli powder ,anardana powder and salt.
• Roast coriander seeds and grind using a rolling pin.Add this crushed coriander to the potato mixture.
• Cook till thee mixture turns light brown and let it cool.
• Make large lemon sized balls of the dough.
• Dust the dough with flour and roll it out thin, about 1/8 inch in thickness, into an oval shape.
• Using a knife cut the rolled dough to make two equal portions.
• Wet the edges and make a cone  and fill it with the stuffing. Seal it using a flour and water paste.
• Deep fry the samosa till they turn golden all over. Please note that the oil should not be too hot and fry them on medium low heat.
• Enjoy with tea !!!