Spicy Cauliflower Roast

Sometimes I get bored of the usual cauliflower stir-fry or the onion-tomato based curry and make this simple yet tasty roast. All you need to do is marinate the cauliflower with few spices and grill it in the oven until brown. Some roasted cauliflower along with a salad and grilled fish makes a tasty but low-carb meal :).

Ingredients

Serves - 2

Spice level - Medium

Prep time - 15 min

Cook time - 20 min

1 Large cauliflower head - broken into medium sized florets

Turmeric - a pinch

Salt - as per need

Red chilli powder - 2 Tsp

Curry Powder - 2 Tsp

Cumin powder - 2 Tsp

Olive oil - 1 Tbsp

How do you do it

1. Bring a large pan with water to boil, add few tsp of salt and a pinch of turmeric and toss in the florets inside. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Stir well and drain. Pat with paper towels multiple times to remove excess water from the cauliflower pieces. This step is to remove worms from the cauliflower if any.

2. Put all the florets in a bowl, add required salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, curry and cumin powder, oil and mix well. Let it stand for 30 min.

3. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil and spread all the marinated pieces on it. Pre-heat oven to 400 F.

4. Broil on high for about 20-30 minutes until the florets brown.

Serve with any salad on the side and some ketchup if you like.

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Veg Hakka Rice

One of my favorite experiments when it comes to cooking is to try different kinds of variety rice. Variety rice according to me is the easiest lunch box food without having to skip the inclusion of all kinds of veggies. So this veg hakka rice was from one such experiment which became a good hit at home. This is similar to the recipe of Veg Hakka Noodles that I have posted here, but much simpler, quicker and delicious.

Ingredients

Serves - 2
Spice Level - Moderate
Prep Time - 15 min
Cook time 10 min

Basmati Rice - 1 cup, washed well and soaked for 15 min.
Spring onion white part - 4 bulbs
Spring onion greens - 1 Tbsp
Garlic - 4-5 cloves, chopped finely
Green chilli - 2 chopped finely
Carrot - 1, diced finely
Capsicum - 1/2 diced finely
Cauliflower - 5-7 florets, cut into medium sized pieces
Green Beans - 6-7. chopped finely
Soy Sauce - 3/4 Tbsp
White Vinegar - 3/4 Tbsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1 Tbsp
Ground Cayenne pepper - 1.5 Tsp
Sweet paprika powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - as per need or 4 Tsp
Oil - 1/2 Tsp + 2 Tbsp

How do you do it

1. First cook the basmati rice with 1.5 cups of water, 1/2 tsp oil and 3 Tsp salt. Once cooked, spread the rice on a plate, mix well and cool. The rice has to be cooled before mixing with the veggies for it to not get mashed up.

2. Whisk together the say sauce, vinegar, paprika powder and ground cayenne pepper in a small bowl and keep aside.

3. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a wok. Add garlic and saute until lightly browned. Add the spring onion white part and green chillies and saute for 3-4 minutes. Now add all the veggies, 1 Tsp salt and mix well, saute in high flame until the veggies are 3/4 cooked yet crunchy. This should take about 10 minutes.

3. Now add the sauce mix from step 2 into the wok and mix well. Saute for a minute. Lower flame completely and add the prepared white rice slowly and mix well.

4. Switch off flame, add spring onion greens and mix the rice and veggies well and make sure they are wrapped well.

Serve this yummy veg hakka rice with a favorite side dish of yours.

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Potato Bajji | Potato Fritters

If only potato bajjis were a healthy thing, I would make them for snack everyday :), its one of my most favorite tea time snack. Ginger chai and potato bajji is an awesome combo. Especially when the weather outside is gloomy and rainy I long for these. So after a really long time I made these last weekend and savoured each and every piece and wishing with each piece that it doesnt get over soon ;). Potato bajji is a very famous South India snack and all the tiny road-side chai shops make them during the evening time. It reminds me of all the chit chat times we have had outside our office in bangalore hogging these bajjis along with chai :). Good Old times.

It is a very easy snack to make, thin slices of potato dipped in a spiced chickpea flour mixture and deep fried until golden brown, in and out of the kitchen in 20 min :). Enjoy these perfect weekend snack soon!

Ingredients

Serves - makes about 15 pieces
Spice Level - Medium
Prep Time - 10 min
Cook time - 5 min

Potato - 2 medium sized, peeled and sliced into thin pieces
Chickpea Flour/Besan/Kadalai maavu - 1 cup [sieved/sifted and keep aside]
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 2 Tsp
Salt - 1 Tsp
Corn Flour - 1 Tsp
Baking soda - a pinch
water - as per need
Oil - to deep fry the bajji

How do you do it

1. First mix the sieved besan, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, baking soda, corn flour well in a bowl.

2. Add water slowly and make a not too thick, not too thin paste. The consistency of the paste is important, the potato slices must be able to coat well without the paste dripping off it completely. See picture below.

3. Heat oil in a pan to deep fry these pieces. When the oil is medium hot, drop a few coated potato pieces and fry until golden brown. Make sure the oil is not too hot, not warm, it needs to be medium hot for the potato to get cooked as well.

4. Drain on a tissue paper to remove excess oil.

Serve with ketchup or green chutney and chai. :)

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