Showing posts with label Video. Show all posts

Achari Bhindi Dahiwali | Spicy Okra Curry with Yogurt [Video]

Pan fried okra cooked in a curry made with pickle spices and yogurt.

There are 2 kinds of people in the world, one who love Okra or Bhindi and one that wouldn't be caught dead eating it. I was a latter, I hated bhindi all through my childhood - I mean which kid really enjoys the slime? Until about 5 years ago, when I had run out of veggies to cook for the day, I picked up some fresh bhindi and decided I could try to convert the hate to at least a tolerable feeling. Frankly, all I needed to do that was learn how to cook the okra correctly. See my tips below.

I have the following tips to cook the okra, just right:

The first tip for cooking okra, if you don't like slime, is to never cover it while cooking. Cook the okra in an open pan, always.
Preferably use a flat pan and do not crowd it. A wok or a kadhai, ends up steaming a few pieces of okra at least, and when steamed, okra tends to get slimy.
Be liberal with the oil. If cooking on a stove, use sufficient oil. The oil helps make the okra crispy and stops it from steaming. If you want to use less oil, grill the okra in a pan in the oven. This recipe tastes equally delicious with grilled okra.
Cook okra on medium to high heat stirring regularly. Okra cooked in low heat, again, tends to get slimy.
Avoid adding water to the okra while cooking. Okra loves oil, let it cook in oil alone. Don't add any water or any ingredients that may leave their juices (like tomatoes) until the okra is almost cooked.

Once I had mastered the art of cooking okra, there was no turning back. I've made okra innumerable times since then, and loved it.

This Achari Bhindi Dahiwali translates simply into Pickled Okra in Yogurt. This curry uses the pickling spices used in North Indian pickles. While the okra is not pickled, it is cooked with a spice blend made inspired by the pickles. Pickle spices usually include - fennel seeds (saunf), carom seeds (ajwain), mustard seeds (rai), fenugreek seeds (methi dana), asafoetida (hing) and dried mango powder (amchur). I have reduced the quantity of fenugreek seeds as they are bitter in taste.

To make this recipe vegan, use vegan yogurt like cashew yogurt or coconut yogurt.

To make Achari Bhindi Dahiwali, we first slice the okra lengthwise. You can chop it how you please, lengthwise just made it visually appealing to me. The okra is pan fried with oil. I've made it before by grilling the okra in the oven, the curry tastes the same and uses a lot less oil.

Then the gravy is made by cooking onions and tomatoes with the pickling spices and blending it. Whisked yogurt is added to the gravy to finish it off. Toss in the cooked okra and serve it hot with rotis.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook, tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo #oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com. I'd love to see what you are upto.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

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Achari Bhindi Dahiwali

Okra cooked with Indian pickle spices and whisked yogurt. Bhindi curry made with North Indian achaar masala and dahi.

Recipe Type:  Main
Cuisine:   North Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield:   2-3 Servings

Ingredients:

25 small Okra (bhindi)
1 Onion
1 Tomato
1 cup Yogurt (dahi)
4 Tbsp Oil
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Fennel Seeds (Saunf)
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Carom seeds (Ajwain)
4-5 Fenugreek Seeds (Methi dana)
1 tsp Dry Mango Powder (Amchur)
Pinch of Asafoetida (Hing)
Handful of Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Dry roast the fennel seeds, mustard seeds, carom seeds and fenugreek seeds.
2. Grind them to a fine powder along with the asafoetida and the dry mango powder. Keep aside.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp Oil in a flat pan and add the chopped bhindi to it. Saute until the bhindi are soft and cooked. Never cover the bhindi while cooking, it will tend to get slimy. Remove and keep aside.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp Oil in the same pan and add the ginger garlic paste.
5. Once the ginger-garlic is fragrant, add finely chopped onions and fry until translucent.
6. Add in chopped tomato and stir well.
7. Mix in the achari spice blend we made earlier along with salt and turmeric powder and cook until the tomatoes are soft.
8. Blend into a fine paste with little water once cooled slightly.
9. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds.
10. Once they brown slightly, add the blended paste and cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes.
11. Stir in whisked yogurt and red chilli powder. Adjust seasoning if required. Cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat.
12. Add the pan fried bhindi and mix well. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Lahsuni Methi Mushroom

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Tomato Curry with Okra

Punjabi Dum Aloo

Bread Pizza Cups [Video]

Pizza in a cup - cups made with bread, filled with your favorite pizza toppings and sauce, topped with cheese and baked until the bread is crisp and cheese is oozy.

cups made with bread, filled with pizza toppings,sauce and cheese and baked

Tell me, do you love Pizza? Did you just say yes??? Then you will LOVE this recipe.

So, since you asked for more snacks, I've been sharing recipes for snacks here. Just early this week, I shared the recipe for Masala Bread Toast - a popular bakery item in Bangalore. And today, I bring to you Pizza in a cup. Cute, right?

These Pizza cups are straight out easy to make and they are highly customizable. All you need are fresh bread slices, your favorite pizza sauce, toppings - again just use what you love or you have leftover in the fridge, and cheese. Yes, lots of cheese. I say the cheese is never enough.

Okay, so there is a reason I mentioned fresh bread slices up there. The fresher the bread, the softer and easier to work with. The bread won't crumble when you try to shape them. I had a few slices that just crumbled on touch, so bad for the pizza cups. Use wholewheat bread to make it healthier.

Next, the Pizza Sauce. I made my own sauce following an older recipe of Eggplant Pizza, and I think this Basil Almond Pesto will also go famously. You can get creative and use this Manchurian Sauce instead or you can just buy the Pizza Sauce. If you don't want to go through all the fuss, just use Ketchup and add some Italian seasoning or Oregano to it.

The best part of any Pizza is the toppings. I kept mine super simple - chopped tomatoes, capsicum and sweet corn. It tasted delicious. But this is where you want to get creative and add what you love or as I suggested before, just use up leftovers. Also, a brilliant way to sneak in those healthy veggies your family won't eat.

I topped my Pizza Cups with Mozzarella cause I love the way the cheese melts and gets all stringy. Use any cheese you love, but remember, for cheese, less is never more!! Add more cheese, always!

So where all can you show these Pizza Cups off, let see:

High Tea - These Pizza cups will perfectly complement those cute little pastries you have for high tea
Kid's birthday parties - What's more fun is you can make the kid's add their own toppings.
Cocktail Parties - let's just agree, these are perfect for any party, really!
Snack boxes?? I wouldn't highly recommend this, cause the bread may get soggy, but if you have non-fussy family, I say go ahead. I actually kept aside a few for 2-3 hours and ate them later and they still held and were just as tasty.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family!

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Video Recipe

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Bread Pizza Cups

Cups made with bread, filled with your favorite pizza toppings and sauce, topped with cheese and baked until the bread is crisp and cheese is oozy.

Recipe Type: Snack
Cuisine: International
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 Pizza cups

Ingredients:

6 slices Bread
6 tsp Pizza Sauce
2 Tbsp diced Tomato
2 Tbsp diced Capsicum
2 Tbsp Sweet Corn, boiled
6 Tbsp shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 tsp Olive Oil
1-2 tsp Italian seasoning / Oregano (Optional)
1-2 fresh Basil leaves(Optional)
Water as required

Method:

1. Lightly sprinkle the bread slices with water and tap to wet the bread slightly.
2. Flatten the bread using a rolling pin.
3. Cut the bread into a circle using a bowl or a box cover.
4. Grease the muffin tray generously with olive oil.
5. Carefully place the bread into the muffin tray in the shape of a cup. See video above for reference.
6. Spoon in the pizza sauce.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes, capsicum and boiled sweet corn.
8. Sprinkle Italian seasoning or oregano if using.
9. Top each cup with 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese.
10. Top with a little bit of sauce and chopped basil leaves.
11. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes at 200 degree Celsius.
12. Serve hot/warm.

If you liked this, you may also like:

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Dahi Bread Chaat

How to make chutney sandwich recipe, coriander chutney recipe, vegan sandwich, easy sandwich recipe

Coriander Chutney Sandwich

Iyengar Bakery Style Masala Bread Toast [Video]

Simple delicious masala bread toast made by topping bread with fried onions, carrots and spices in Bangalore Iyengar Bakery style!

You asked for snacks, so here goes - Masala Bread Toast made in full Banglore's Iyengar Bakery style!!

So I recently posted a poll on my Facebook Page. Have you liked it yet? Go on, like it so you never miss out on what's cooking on One Teaspoon Of Life!! Anyway, so while not many of you voted, the choice was waaay too clear. All you ever want to eat is snacks. There is no satisfying you folks out there, is there? But you are my kinda people. I would have voted snacks too! To say I love snacks would be an understatement. I am forever hungry for snacks, just like you.

Today I'm sharing an extremely simple recipe. This Masala Bread Toast is an extremely popular product in Banglore's famous Iyengar Bakeries. And something I buy regularly. Every evening as I travel home from work, I have just one thought on my mind - "What do I eat for evening snacks today?". Sometimes, it is just leftover breakfast (I always make extra), or a dosa or pakoras, but a lot of times, it is this Masala Bread Toast from the bakery right behind my apartment complex.

So when you guys asked for snack, I thought this recipe was perfect. It is quick, it is filling, it is healthy if you use the right bread, and it is vegan too. But above all, it is delicious and your family will love it. It is also an excellent way to add veggies to your snacks. Although I have used some spice mixes like garam masala and chaat masala, you can skip them if making for kids or if you don't have access to them. The masala tasted perfectly tasty without any spices too.

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Iyengar Bakery Style Masala Bread Toast

Simple delicious masala bread toast made by topping bread with fried onions, carrots and spices in Bangalore Iyengar Bakery style.

Recipe Type: Snack
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: Makes 5 toasts

Ingredients:

5 slices Bread
1 large Onion, roughly sliced
1 medium Carrot, grated
1 small Tomato, diced
2 Tbsp chopped Coriander
8-10 Curry leaves
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
0.5 tsp Sugar
0.5 tsp Mustard Seeds
0.5 tsp Cumin seeds
0.25 tsp Garam Masala
0.25 tsp Chaat Masala
2 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds
2. Once the mustard splutters, add in the cumin seeds.
3. Once the cumin browns slightly, add the curry leaves and allow them to crisp up.
4. Now add the onions and saute them until they are lightly browned.
5. Toss in the grated carrot and mix well.
6. Add the diced tomatoes and mix.
7. Add the salt, chaat masala, garam masala and sugar. Mix well. Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.
8. Cook for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.
9. Add the chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
10. Dry toast the bread. You can add butter or oil while toasting if you like.
11. Spread the masala on the toast and serve it immediately like an open sandwich.
12. You can make the masala before and store it in the fridge, just heat it up before serving and top on the freshly toasted bread.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Honey Cake

Dahi Bread Chaat

Coriander Chutney Sandwich

Vegan Zucchini Spaghetti and Lentil Meatballs in Roasted Pepper Sauce [Video Recipe]

Spaghetti made from zucchini tossed in a spicy roasted red pepper sauce with pan fried vegan lentil meatballs.

So Summer is pretty much out of here. The fruits are going off the shelves. And pretty soon, so will the veggies. So I wanted to use up some gorgeous summer zucchini before it goes out and this Zucchini Pasta definitely improved my mood, and let's hope, my health too.

I am a stress eater. I wish I was the other kinda of person who feel no hunger when stressed, aka Gee. But unfortunately, I am drawn to food when I am stressed. Just yesterday, I downed 2 aloo parathas with so much butter. I was in a buttery heaven but I definitely bid goodbye to my diet.

Recently I have been under quite a bit of stress. I also read somewhere that STEM careers are in the top of careers that cause a burn out in women along with medicine and journalism. So it's an accepted piece of the job. But all that stress is making me crave carbs - bread, rice, pasta. Just give it to ME!

So today, I was very reasonable. I cheated my stressed inner foodie. I had Quinoa Tava Pulao for lunch where I took this recipe and replaced the white rice with quinoa. Just healthifying my lunch. But that wasn't enough and I did it again for dinner. But honestly, I'm very happy, cause I did not miss my carbs at all.

So my dinner today is this ah-mazing Vegan Pasta where the pasta is actually just fine strips of zucchini. I don't own a spiralizer, so I just use my potato peeler to make fine ribbons of zucchini and then I cut it into thin strips with a sharp knife. This pasta done not really need to be cooked, I just tossed it in hot sauce and let the heat from the sauce soften it slightly. I have been considering investing in a good spiralizer for some time, so if you have suggestions on which product is good, leave me a comment. It will be really appreciated.

The sauce - well, you can use ANY sauce you want when it comes to Pasta. But I LOVED this roasted red pepper sauce. And it is so simple. I wouldn't say quick, unless your roasted pepper came out of a bottle. But roasting your own peppers is not difficult at all. I rubbed the gorgeous red peppers with some good olive oil and roasted them in the oven. Keep turning them once in a while so that it chars throughout. Once you remove them from the oven, cover the peppers and keep aside for some time. Covering makes it very easy to peel. I just removed the peel and the stalk and seeds. I left the char on the pepper as is, cause I love the smokiness it adds to the sauce. Once you are done roasting all you do is cook it with some onions and garlic and blend it into a sauce. Add oregano or thyme for added taste. I kept it simple and just added red chilli flakes for heat.

The star of this dish is really the vegan meatballs made from red lentils, chickpeas and walnuts. It is so delicious, I'd suggest you make a lot more than what the recipe calls for. The below recipe made around 10 and I can tell you they were not enough. I could eat them just like a snack with tea. So take my advice and make more. You won't hate it. This is the only part of the meal that needs some planning. Especially since you have to soak dried chickpeas. While you could use canned one, the soaked dried ones give more texture to the meatballs, much like falafels. The flax egg, is optional if you are frying the meatballs, but they definitely made it moist. So I'd recommend it. You can also bake the meatballs.

Finally just toss everything together and enjoy guilt-free!

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Video Recipe

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Vegan Zucchini Spaghetti and Lentil Meatballs in Roasted Pepper Sauce

Spaghetti made from zucchini tossed in a spicy roasted red pepper sauce with pan fried vegan lentil meatballs.

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: International
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 Hour 30 minutes
Total time: 10 Hours
Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the Lentil Meatballs

0.5 cup dried Red Lentils
0.5 cup dried Chickpeas
1 Tbsp Flax seeds
4 Walnuts
4 Garlic Cloves
1 small Onion
1 Tbsp Flour
0.5 tsp Paprika
0.5 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil to fry the meatballs

For the Roasted Pepper Sauce

3 Red Peppers (capsicum)
1 small Onion
4-5 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp Red Chilli Flakes
1.5 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Sugar (Optional)
Salt to taste
Water as required

For the Zucchini Spaghetti

2 medium Zucchini (around 6")

Method:

To make the Lentil Meatballs:

1. Soak the dried chickpeas in water for 8 hours.
2. Wash the dried red lentils and soak them in water for 30 minutes.
3. Heat 4 cups of water in a pan and allow it to come to a rolling boil.
4. Drain the lentils and add to the boiling water.
5. Cover and cook until the lentils are cooked through. Drain out the excess water and keep the lentil aside to cool.
6. Coarsely grind the walnuts.
7. Drain the chickpeas and coarsely grind them.
8. Grind the flax seeds into a powder. Mix in 2 Tbsp of water and keep aside.
9. Saute finely chopped garlic and finely chopped onion in 2 tsp olive oil until the onions are translucent.
10. Once the lentils have cooled, add the walnuts, ground chickpeas, sauteed onions and garlic, garlic powder, paprika, flour and salt and mix well.
11. Chill for 2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes. If the batter is still very wet to form balls, add a spoonful of flour or breadcrumbs.
12. Divide the batter into 10 equal parts and roll into balls using your palms.
13. Take a shallow pan and add oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs.
14. Keep turning the meatballs when one side browns. Continue to cook until the entire meatball is browned.
15. You can also bake the meatballs.

To make the Roasted Pepper Sauce:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degree C.
2. Coat the red peppers with 0.5 tbsp of olive oil.
3. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn the peppers after every 10 minutes.
4. Remove the peppers from the oven and place in a bowl. Cover and keep aside.
5. Once the peppers have cooled, peel the peppers and remove the stalk and the seeds. Chop roughly and keep aside.
6. Heat the remaining oil in a pan.
7. Crush the garlic and chop them roughly. Add the garlic to the pan.
8. Once the garlic is fragrant, add finely chopped onion and fry until translucent.
9. Add the red pepper and mix well.
10. Add the red chilli flakes, salt and 0.5 cup of water.
11. Cook until the water reduces.
12. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
13. Grind into a smooth puree with little water.
14. Add the puree back to the pan and allow it to heat up.
15. Add more salt, paprika or sugar if required at this stage depending on your taste.
16. You can store this sauce in a clean glass jar in the fridge for 2-3 days after it cools.

To make the Zucchini Spaghetti and assembling:

1. Use a spiralizer to make zucchini spaghetti or slice the zucchini into fine strips.
2. Heat up the roasted red pepper sauce.
3. Add the zucchini to the sauce and mix well. Leave it on the heat for 2-3 minutes until the zucchini is cooked to your liking.
4. Add the meatballs and mix well.
5. You can top the pasta with parmesan.
6. Serve hot with crusty bread.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Roasted Vegetable Torte

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Vegan Zucchini Kale Lasagna

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Vegan Pumpkin Sauce

Lahsuni Methi Mushroom | Mushrooms in Garlic Fenugreek Masala [Video Recipe]

A vegan curry made by simmering mushrooms in a fragrant garlic and fenugreek flavored masala gravy.

Do you all have a case of Monday blues? I definitely do, a very strong one. I would love if there were no Mondays. I'm just back from a long weekend, so Monday blues were a lot stronger yesterday. But there was one shining hour that kinda got me out of it. We had potluck at work today and what a blast it was. I took Pani Puri and while it was tasty and all, it is so difficult to carry in a bus. I had to double pack my puris so they would be intact by the time I reached in the bus. Every little hump and bump on the road freaked me out. Luckily, none broke. So hey, all's well that ends well.

I also learnt some very interesting recipes that my friends got, that I hope I can recreate for you guys pretty soon!

Also, can you guys believe its been more than a month that I shared a curry recipe? I checked, it's true. I'm such a curry person, that it surprised me. I've been so lost in making Tofu and cooking with Tofu, like this Chilli Tofu that I shared last week, that I'd completely left the curry train.

So today I present to you - Lahsuni Methi Mushroom. This literally translates to Garlic Fenugreek Mushroom, so you understand what's the dominant flavor here. This recipe is inspired from Prash's Lahsuni Methi Paneer. I loved the idea of adding coconut milk over cream. It kept the recipe rich yet surprisingly light and non greasy.

If you love garlic, this curry has a strong potential to become you favorite. For once, don't count the cloves of garlic you add. The more the merrier in this case. So garlic is the first dominant flavor here and it is something all of us are familiar with and have easy access to.

The second dominant flavor here is Methi Leaves or Fenugreek leaves. This is easily available in India and probably the middle east where it is used in cooking. However, this may be a little tricky to find in the rest of the world. If you cannot find fresh fenugreek leaves, use dried ones. Dry methi leaves are sold as "Kasuri Methi" and should be available in Indian stores. Since the dried leaves are more potent in taste, use half the quantity and add more later if required. You can also replace methi leaves with any other herb that is fragrant.

Lastly, if you don't eat mushrooms, you can make the same curry with potatoes, cauliflower, paneer or tofu.

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Video Recipe

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Lahsuni Methi Mushroom

A vegan curry made by simmering mushrooms in a fragrant garlic and fenugreek flavored masala gravy.

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: North Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

200 gms Mushrooms
12 cloves Garlic
1.5 cups Methi leaves, loosely packed
0.5 cups Coconut Milk
1 Onion
1 Tomato
0.5 tsp Garam Masala
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
3 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Clean the mushroom and cut them in half or quarters.
2. Chop 10 of the garlic cloves finely.
3. Roughly chop the methi leaves.
4. Heat 1.5 Tbsp oil in a pan and add the finely chopped garlic.
5. Once the garlic is fragrant, add finely chopped onion and fry until it is translucent.
6. Add finely chopped tomato and half of the methi leaves. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.
7. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and cook for 1 minute.
8. Remove from heat and keep aside.
9. Once it is cool, grind to a fine paste using little water.
10. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil and add the garam masala to it.
11. Immediately add the ground paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
12. Add the coconut milk, mushrooms and remaining methi leaves.
13. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked.
14. If the curry is too thick, add more coconut milk. Adjust the salt as required.
15. Slice the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and fry in 0.5 Tbsp oil and top the curry with it.
16. Serve hot with rotis.

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Chilli Tofu [Video Recipe]

Batter fried tofu tossed in a spicy Chinese influenced sauce

Batter fried tofu in a spicy chinese sauce with green capsicum

Has the football fever caught up with you? I know I'm reeling with it. How exciting was last night's match, the match swung the Portugal side and then the Spain side and unfortunately ended up a draw. An exciting match always demands exciting food to accompany it. And this Chilli Tofu is definitely as exciting as it gets. Batter coated Tofu fried crispy and added to a sweet, sour and spicy sauce influenced by Chinese flavors along with some green Capsicums or peppers.

In my last post, I showed you How to make Tofu at home!! And I made this Chilli Tofu following that exact recipe for Tofu.

Firstly, how do you like your Tofu? I personally LOVE fried Tofu. The first time I ate tofu, I disliked it. But when I had it fried I was so hooked on. I now eat it in any form with relish. This Chilli tofu will convert any Tofu hater. Tofu is dipped in a simple batter made from corn flour or corn starch, ginger-garlic paste and red chilli powder or paprika. Pan fry the dipped Tofu. You can also deep fry it, but you know how I steer away from deep frying anything, so pan fried it was for me.

The sauce is an extremely easy sauce. It is heavily influenced by Chinese flavors. It starts with sauteeing onions, garlic and green capsicum. In goes Soy Sauce and Sriracha Sauce. I like the tang and heat that Sriracha sauce brings in. If you don't have Sriracha Sauce, just use regular chilli sauce or tomato ketchup and increase the amount of red chilli powder you add. Thicken the sauce with cornflour and mix in the fried tofu.

Who says Vegan food has to be boring? Serve this to all those who think so!!

You can make this with Paneer if you want a vegetarian option following the same recipe.

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Video Recipe

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Chilli Tofu

Batter fried tofu tossed in a spicy Chinese gravy.

Recipe Type: Snacks
Cuisine: Asian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

For the battered fried Tofu:

200 gms firm Tofu
3 Tbsp Corn Starch / Corn Flour
1 Tbsp All Purpose Flour (Maida)
1.5 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder or Paprika
Salt to taste
Water as required

For the gravy:

2 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce or Tomato Ketchup
2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 Capsicum
3-4 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
1.5 cups Water
1 finely chopped Onion

Method:

To make the battered fried Tofu:

1. Take the cornflour in a large bowl.
2. Add in flour, 1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste and 1 tsp red chilli powder.
3. Add half cup of water and mix well to form a thin batter. Add salt to taste.
4. Dice the tofu into bite sized pieces.
5. Dip the tofu in the batter until each piece is fully coated.
6. Heat 3 Tbsp Oil in a pan.
7. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu.
8. Flip the tofu when it browns on one side. When all the sides of the tofu are brown, remove from oil and keep aside.
9. If you are using a small pan, you can fry the tofu in batches.
10. Remove from pan and keep aside.

To make the gravy:

1. In the same pan that we fried the tofu, there will still be some oil left. Add finely chopped onion to it and fry until translucent.
2. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry until fragrant.
3. Add diced capsicum and saute for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the soy sauce and sriracha sauce. Mix well.
5. Add 0.5 red chilli powder.
6. Add 0.25 cup water and boil for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Add the remaining batter used for dipping the tofu. Add it by the spoonfuls as the corn flour will instantly thicken the gravy.
9. If the gravy is thick, add more water, if it is thin, add 0.5 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 Tbsp water.
10. Boil the gravy for 3-4 minutes.
11. Add the fried Tofu and mix well.
12. Simmer for 2 minutes and serve hot.
13. This can be enjoyed as an appetizer or served as a side with fried rice or noodles.

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