Restaurant style gobi manchurian

Whether you call it Gobi manjoori or gopi manjurien, this is one dish that you'll be hard put to find in an authentic Chinese restaurant. In fact, I clearly remember the patronizing look that a waiter gave me at one of the popular Chinese restaurants here when I asked if they had this dish. He then went on to tell me that they only serve "authentic" Chinese food.
So, how did this Indo-Chinese fusion food that is unique to India originate? A google search yields several viewpoints on how this dish came into being. One site, though, hits the nail on the head when it says that this is one dish that is not South Indian, not North Indian and most certainly not Chinese. Be that as it may, there is no doubt about the popularity of this dish.
I usually follow Meena's recipe that I've talked about in this post, but when I saw a different way of making it in a recent TV show, I just had to try it out.

What you need:
Cauliflower - cut into small florets, 1 cup
Cabbage - 1/2 cup, shredded into long pieces
Onion - 1, chopped
Ginger - a small piece
Garlic - 4-5 cloves
Green chilli - 2 (adjust to taste)
Spring onions - a few, chopped (chop the leaves as well)
All purpose flour - 3/4 cup (I may have used a little more 'coz I just kept adding flour until I felt the consistency was right. So use your judgement)
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Salt
Soya sauce - 3 tbsp (use more if the batter is too dry)
Red chilli sauce - to taste
Oil - for deep frying

Grind the ginger, garlic and chillies into a smooth paste.
Take the cabbage, cauliflower, spring onions and onions in a large, wide mouthed bowl. Add the ground paste to this. Add salt and let it rest for a few minutes. Now add the sauces and mix well. Add the flours little by little, mixing well until the flour is just moistened. The dough should not be very smooth like chapati dough.....it should be more like the batter that you make for pakodas. You will not need to add any water as the salted vegetables would have released some water and the sauces will also help to bind the flour. Keep this covered until you are ready to make manchurian.
Remember, the longer you let the mixture stand, the more pronounced the flavours will be and the tastier the manchurian. However, if you live in a very hot place, let it stand for an hour or two and then if needed, refrigerate until you are ready to make it.

To make manchurian:
Heat oil in a kadai. Take small portions of the batter and deep fry it in oil until well browned on both sides.
Garnish with spring onion leaves before serving.


Note :
It is very important that the flour should only just be well moistened.....it should not be watery. The vegetables will give out water while the batter rests and this will make it just the right consistency before frying.
While deep frying, keep the flame low so that both the inside and outside are evenly cooked.
This mixture can be refrigerated for up to two days.

Hyderabadi cauliflower

Diwali is just around the corner and Chennai streets, as is usual during this time of the year, are teeming with people who are shopping for new clothes, crackers and sweets. It is also the time of year when everyone starting from the watchman to the milkman and the maid stand around after they've done their work, scratch their head and smile sheepishly.......all indications of the fact that they expect you to give them a little "something". The maid asking for some money is understandable but what I don't get is why postmen (it has been ages since I went to the post office or received snail mail) and corporation workers (that's the biggest oxymoron ever........have you ever seen them work???) drop by and expect me to shell out the sums that they ask.
Oh....well.....I suppose that's the way things always are.....there are always little irritants that you have to deal with.
On to food now......
I've said in some of my previous posts that there's a cookery show that I watch every week on Jaya TV. All the recipes shown are very, very doable and turn out really well. The recipe for this curry is from that show and despite the long list of ingredients, once you get started, it is quite easy to make and flavourful.

What you need:
A medium sized cauliflower separated into florets
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 large, ground into a fine paste
Tomato - 3, pureed
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Thick curd - 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder
Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cashew - 1/4 cup, ground into a fine paste
Salt

Add salt and boil cauliflower for a few minutes. Drain excess water.
Heat some oil and fry the boiled cauliflower until lightly browned. Arrange this on your serving dish and set aside.

To make the gravy:
Heat some oil. Add cumin seeds. When it sputters, add onion paste and fry well on a low flame. Then add ginger paste and fry for a few minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and fry until the raw smell goes away and most of the moisture evaporates. Add half a cup of thick curd and mix well. Heat on a low flame until oil separates from the gravy. This will take 7-8 minutes. Add red chilli powder, amchur, and garam masala. Add cashew paste. Heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly and taking care to see that it doesn't get burnt. Add salt, and enough water to make a thick gravy. Let it boil for 5-10 minutes until thick. Pour this gravy over the cooked cauliflower. Garnish with corriander or spring onion leaves.