Idli chilli : Yenna Rascala

Indian- Chinese : A common cuisine in India, where chinese food is adapted according to Indian taste. Not only Chinese, but even pizzas and burgers at popular food-joints like Mcdonalds, Pizza Hut or Dominos are made in such a way that they suit the taste of us Indians...Yes, we like spicy food and yes, we love the way we are :))) I remember a lot of my relatives and friends staying abroad, on their visit to India, want to visit Mcdonalds once, to see how the Burger tastes here and are surprised to see the Maharaja Mac and Paneer Salsa wrap..!!! Though they find the burger too spicy, they would still want to eat it with water running down their nose, for the enjoyment of taking back home memories of eating at Indian-Mcdonalds :) 
Similar way, they are surprised to see the Chinese- thelas ( open-carts ) at every nook and corner, selling chinese noodles, manchurian and American Chopsuey. Indian chinese is definately spicy ( lot of spicy sauces ), more vegetables and i think, they add more of ajinomoto ( seasoning ). There are authentic chinese restaurants too which serve the perfect dishes as they should be ( Dimsums served in covered baskets keeping it warm and soft, Noodles served with the right amount of spice and correct seasonings, and always a green tea or a jasmine tea refill throughout your meal).. But just as we love dining here, we also love the thela-wala's taste :)))

South indian-chinese combo : How Indian can you get, that you think of making idli in a chinese style...It's just impossible to think about... we have heard about chilli chicken, paneer chilli or even veg chilli... but Idli chilli? The name itself sounds strange...
Just as Rajnikant ( the south Indian super star who is also THE "God" for many ) is capable of doing any action stunts (To name a few...his cigarette stunts are the most famous, he travels faster than light, he defies gravity and he doesn't need a bullet-proof jacket because he can stop bullets with his mind!). Rajnikant is known for all his unbelievable and impossible action sequences that he acts. So here is a humble tribute to Rajnikant ( Rajni-anna as we call him ), a terrific actor and full-on entertainer!!! Just as he makes impossible things possible, does fusion-acts and it always turns out to be a super combo, we tried making this south indian-chinese combo and turned out to be a hit!!!

My friend had made this recipe for her grandmother who was a strict vegetarian and didn't like paneer...She highly recommended it to me and i decided to give it a try.... Trust me, it turns out to be a great starter recipe or even as a snack... You can even pack this in a tiffin for breakfast or lunch... Its healthy, its yummy and its easy-to-cook :)))

Ingredients :

Idlis - 4

Capsicum - 1 small

Spring onions - 2 

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2 ( or according to taste ) - Chopped finely

Corn flour - 1 tbsp

Soya sauce - 1/2 tbsp 

Chilli sauce ( i used the thai chilli sauce, and because i like spicy i added 1 tbsp... You adjust according to taste )

Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp

Salt - To taste

And of course....

Pepper - According to taste

Oil - to fry

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Recipe :

Cut each idli into 4 parts and deep fry them till they are golden brown. Remove on a kitchen tissue that takes out excess oil.

Slice the capsicum and spring onions lengthwise. Also use the green leaves of the spring onions, they are healthy and add taste.

Mix 1 tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp of water well and keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan. Add ginger garlic paste, and saute for 30 secs. Now add the green chillies and saute for 15 secs. Add the capsicum and spring onions and let them cook for 10 mins. Don't cover the pan. Let it cook in open, stirring occasionally. This maintains the crispiness of the vegetables.

Now add the cornflour- water mixture to this and immediately throw in salt, pepper and mix it all properly.

Now add the soya sauce, tomato ketchup and chilli sauce.

Mix all the ingredients well and let it cook for 1 minute.

Finally, add the idlis and mix well.

Happy Cooking :)

Zapeeta Karela : Bharwan or Stuffed Bitter Gourd

Karela is one vegetable which not many people are fond of, just because it is bitter and doesn't have a pleasant taste of its own. But Karela has immense nutritional benefits. Karela is also known as Bitter gourd or Bitter melon. It surely prevents lot of diseases and people also have it in juice form for the health benefits it provides. Karela is actually a fruit, but is commonly used as a vegetable. Karela has very less number of calories and is rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.
Karela helps in digestion and also plays a key role in preventing ageing and cancer. In Africa and some other parts, people eat karela to treat stomach problems. They eat them raw or also soak them in olive oil or honey and then eat. The best way to buy Karela is to look out for bright and dark green coloured ones. Young, fresh karelas are less bitter. They grow bitter as they mature. 

Fusion Dish : Karela should be eaten once a week or once in 15 days for all the health benefits mentioned above. The best way is to cook it in a way it doesn't taste so bitter. These days, we don't get too bitter karelas in market, but there is always a solution to make them less bitter. And this filling is surely going to make things just right for your taste buds :) I am uploading 2 versions here... One is the traditional dish that my mother cooks at home... and another is a fusion dish that i had read somewhere and tried it... Its a fusion dish and i am sure you will start loving karelas once u make this :

Ingredients :

Karelas - 3

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 medium ( chopped finely )

Salt - to taste

Green chillies - 2 ( chopped finely )

Oil - 4 tbsp ( preferred olive oil )

Olives - 10-12 Green or black of your choice( cut into halves )

Garlic - 2/3 ( chopped finely )

Ginger - 1 inch piece ( chopped finely )

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp ( crushed or powdered )

Corriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Recipe :

Cut the Karelas from between and remove all the seeds and pulp from inside.

Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder to this and let it remain for 15 minutes. This removes the bitterness from the Karelas and also they get marinated well.

After 15 minutes, wash the karelas thoroughly with water.

In a pan, add 3 tbsp of oil. Add onions and green chillies and fry for a minute. Add garlic and then saute it all for 3-4 minutes.

Now add the cumin seeds, corriander powder, garam masala, salt and ginger and saute for another minute. 

Now add the olives. Put off the gas and let the pan remain on the gas for a while. Let the mixture cool.

Now, add the mixture to the karelas with a spoon ( like a filling ) and try to close the opening of the karela as close as you can. 

Add 1 tbsp of oil to the same pan, and place karelas carefully. Cover with a lid. Turn the karelas in between, so they get cooked all over. You can even cook them in microwave mode ( on high ) for 5-6 minutes.

Serve this with hot parathas and daal :)

Another traditional version of making stuffed karelas, how my mother makes them is :

Ingredients :

Karela - 5

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Hing - a pinch

Corriander powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Amchoor powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp ( we like it spicy, but adjust according to taste )

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp ( you can even use 1/2 tsp of powdered form )

Salt - to taste

Recipe :

Peel the skin of the Karelas and wash them well. 

Cut the Karelas from between, leaving the bottom part.Cut in such a way that the bottom should be joined. You can even cut it in two halves but this way the filling is stuffed better inside and doesn't fall out when cooking.

Take out the seeds and pulp and keep it aside. 

Now apply some salt on the karelas ( inside and outside ) and leave them aside for half an hour. Wash them under running water after half an hour, and squeeze all the water from it. This eliminates all the bitterness.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add hing, cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add turmeric powder, corriander powder and fennel seeds to it. Saute for a minute and then add the pulp.
Saute for about 30 secs and then add the masalas - red chilli powder, amchoor powder and salt.
Let it cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Make sure you don't burn the masala.
Now, add this masala into the karela, like a filling.
Press the masala into karelas and tie the karelas with a thread ( cooking thread ), so the masala doesn't come out. You can even cook it without the thread, but adding thread makes sure that it is tied properly and the masala doesn't come out... This is how my mom always makes it :)))
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in the same pan and add the karelas. Cook covered for 5-6 minutes, then turn the karela and cook covered again for 4-5 minutes. Cook till all the sides are brown.
You can serve this with roti or paratha... Tastes awesome :)))
Don't forget to remove the thread before eating ( the picture above shows thread still tied )

Happy Cooking :))