Gobi Manchurian

Preparation time: 25-30 minutes

Serves: 4 people

You will need:

1. Cauliflower: 1(large) - cut into florets
2. Onion: 1 no. - chopped
3. Capsicum/Bell peppers: 1 no. - finely chopped
4. Garlic pods: 2-3 nos.
5. All purpose flour/Maida: 2 cups
6. Corn Flour: 1/2 cup
7. Cooking Oil: 2-3 tbsp
8. Soya Sauce: 1 tbsp
9. Tomato ketchup: 1/2 cup
10. Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
11. Water
12. Salt - according to taste

Gobi Manchurian

Gobi:

• In a bowl, add the maida, corn flour, red chilli powder, salt and water until you get a smooth batter. Mix well so the flour doesn't form lumps. Do not make the batter too watery. 
• To this, add the cauliflower florets.
• In a wide bottomed pan, add the oil and let it heat. 
• Then deep fry the flour covered florets until they turn golden brown. Once all the florets are done, set them on a tissue paper to drain excess oil. Then set them aside.

Sauce:

• In a wok, add 1 tsp oil, chopped onions and garlic.
• Once the onions turn translucent, add the peppers and stir until they are al dente. 
• Then add the tomato ketchup and soya sauce and mix well. I don't add salt here since the soya sauce is salty enough!
• To this, add water and 1 tbsp of corn flour so that the sauce thickens. You can add more water if you would like the sauce to be of gravy consistency.
• Once the sauce is cooked, add the fried cauliflower florets and let it simmer for approx. 5 minutes. 
• Serve it hot as an appetizer. Perfect with a cup of chai!

Okra Raita - ಬೆಂಡೆಕಾಯಿ ರಾಯಿತಾ

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4 people

You will need:

1. Okra / ಬೆಂಡೆಕಾಯಿ: 1 cup - diced into small pieces
2. Green chilies: 2 nos
3. Coriander
4. Curry Leaves: 2 nos
5. Coconut: wet - 1 tbsp
6. Salt: according to taste
7. Yogurt: 4 cups
8. Peanut powder: 2 tbsp - optional
9. Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp 

Okra Raita

 To cook:

• Heat oil in a pan and add the diced okra and saute until they are cooked. Keep this aside.
• In a blender, add green chillies, coriander, curry leaves, coconut and salt and blend into a paste (chutney)
• In a bowl, add yogurt, the above paste and the cooked okra and mix well. Peanut powder can also be added for some extra taste
• Serve it with rice or chapatis!

Corn and Carrot Kosambri

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2 people

You will need:

1. Sweet Corn: 1.5 cups
2. Carrot: 1 cup - grated
3. Salt: according to taste
4. Lime Juice
5. Cooking
6. Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
7. Curry leaves: 2-3 nos

 Corn Carrot Kosambri

To cook:

• Mix the sweet corn and grated carrot in a bowl
• Add salt and lime juice
• Temper it with mustard seeds and curry leaves
• Goes well as a side dish or salad!

Vada Sambhar - ವಡೆ ಸಾಂಭಾರ್

Preparation time: 35-40 minutes

Serves: 2 people/10 vadas

Vada - ವಡೆ

You will need:

1. Urad dal/ಉದ್ದಿನ ಬೆಳೆ: 3/4 cup
2. Pepper seeds: 8-10 nos
3. Salt: according to taste
4. Green chillies: 2-3 - chopped
5. Cilantro: chopped
6. Cooking oil: 4-5 tbsp (for frying)

To cook:

• Soak the urad dal in water for at least 4-5 hours. Once soaked, grind it along with the pepper seeds and salt in a mixer/blender until you get a smooth paste. 
• Add 1-2 tbsp water if required. The batter should NOT be watery. 
• Once nicely ground, add chopped cilantro and green chillies to the batter. 
• Heat the cooking oil in a wok.
• Wet your palm and place some batter on it. Make hole in the middle and shape it like a donut.
• Drop this batter onto the heated oil and fry it until you get a nice golden brown colour.
• Serve hot with sambhar!

Vada Sambhar

Sambhar - ಸಾಂಭಾರ್ 

You will need:

1. Toor dal: 1 cup
2. Onions: 2 nos - roughly chopped
3. Curry leaves: 4-5 nos.
4. Mustard seeds: 1 tspn
5. Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp
6. Hing/Asafoetida: a pinch
7. Sambhar powder - 1 tbsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Water

To cook:

• Pressure cook the dal and keep it aside
• Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Add hing once the seeds start spluttering.
• Add the curry leaves and chopped onions and saute until they turn translucent. 
• To this, add the cooked dal, water, salt and the sambhar powder. 
• Bring this to boil and serve it hot with idlis or vada!