I prepared this for dinner last night. It is not a pure Oriental recipe, but a modified one. Lots of fresh vegetables in a thick tangy, garlicky and spicy sauce served with Garlic Noodles or Fried Rice. I bet you’ll love it, so try it out today!

Ingredients: (Serves 4-5)

1 cup scallions or spring onions with the greens,

1 cup broccoli/cauliflower florets; parboiled ,

1 cup mushrooms; sliced,

1 cup shredded cabbage,

1 cup Bell Peppers (green, red and/or yellow); deseeded and diced,

1 cup baby corn; parboiled and diced,

1 cup carrots; sliced or diced,

15 cloves of garlic; minced,

1/2 inch fresh galangal, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices,

2-3 dry red chillies; broken into pieces,

1 tbsp dark soy sauce,

2 tbsp chilli sauce/paste,

1 tbsp mushroom oyster sauce,

150-200 grams readymade tomato puree,

2 tbsp corn flour mixed with some water to form a paste,

1 tbsp white wine vinegar,

1/2 tsp sugar,

Salt, pepper and dry chilli flakes to taste,

Sesame oil or Olive oil for roasting.

Water as required.

Method:

Heat oil in a wok on medium flame. Add minced garlic, sliced galangal and red chillies and sauté until garlic is fragrant and lightly browned. Then add carrots, peppers, baby corn and broccoli/cauliflower. Stir fry them for few minutes on medium-high flame, stirring occasionally. Then add mushrooms, cabbage and stir fry. In the end add scallions, season with some salt, pepper and chilli flakes and cook for a minute.

Add tomato puree, stir, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, chilli sauce, mushroom oyster sauce, vinegar, sugar and mix until sugar dissolved. Then stir in the sauce mixture into the vegetables. Cook for a minute. Then add around 2 1/2 – 3 cups water and bring to boil. Once the gravy boils, add the corn flour paste to it and stir immediately. At this stage you will find the gravy has begun to thicken. Put off the flame and transfer the vegetables with the sauce into a serving bowl. Serve hot with Garlic Noodles or Fried Rice.

I had some friends over for dinner last night. Since I wanted to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with them, I thought of preparing something authentic Oriental and which could be prepared quickly. I served them garlic noodles with stir fried vegetables and Thai Golden Prawns and Crackling Spinach.

Garlic Noodles have a flavor of garlic, brown sugar and oyster sauce.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

200 gms or 7 ounces noodles,

2 tbsp minced garlic,

1/2 cup scallions (green onions); chopped,

1 carrot; thinly sliced, (optional),

1 1/2 tbsp brown or plain sugar,

1 tsp soy sauce,

1 tbsp oyster sauce,

2 tbsp olive oil.

Method:

Boil around 10-12 cups of water and cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Drain them and toss with some oil. Set them aside.

Heat a wok, add olive oil and let it heat. Then add garlic and saute for a minute on low flame. Do not burn the garlic else it will impart a bitter taste into the oil. This is will infuse the garlic flavor into the oil. Then add the green onions and carrots, fry on medium-high flame until fragrant. Stir continuously to avoid burning. In a small bowl add brown sugar, stir in soy sauce and oyster sauce, mix well. Add this sauce mixture to the wok, give it a stir. Now add the noodles and toss to evenly coat them with the sauce. Serve them with chilli sauce, Sichuan Shrimp in Hot Chilli Sauce, Assorted Vegetables in BBQ sauce, Stir Fried Broccoli and Mushrooms, Steamed Vegetables with Tomato Garlic Sauce, Stir Fried Prawns, Stir fried chicken or any other sauce/gravy.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
A handful of flat rice noodles,
10-12 chicken strips,
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic,
2 spring onions; thinly sliced,
1/2 cup long shreds of cabbage,
1/2 yellow and 1/2 red pepper; shredded,
1/4 cup sprouts,
1 tsp red chillies; thinly sliced,
1 tbsp lime juice,
1 tbsp tamarind paste,
1 tbsp sugar,
1/4 cup peanuts,
1 tbsp fish sauce,
Salt to taste,
2 tbsp olive oil,
Water.

Method:
Boil water and set it aside for few minutes. Then add the noodles to it and let them cook in this water. These noodles should not be overcooked.

Heat a pan, add olive oil, add garlic, saute till  it turns pink. Then add chicken strips, cabbage, spring onions, peppers, sprouts, salt and stir well.

Cover and cook for few minutes till the chicken is cooked. Add chillies and mix. Now add a beaten egg to the pan, keep mixing till it is cooked. Add the noodles, lime juice, tamarind paste, sugar, peanuts, fish sauce and stir fry the noodles. Transfer to a serving dish and serve with chilli sauce.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup noodles; cooked al dente,
1 tbsp olive oil,
1 cup juilennes of red, green and yellow bell peppers,
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms,
1/4 cup chopped spring onions,
1/2 cup shredded cabbage,
Few leaves of iceberg lettuce; shredded,
1/4 cup roasted peanuts,
Oil for deep frying.

For the dressing-
1 tbsp honey,
2 tbsp vinegar,
1/2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce,
1/2 tbsp soy sauce,
1/2 tbsp Tabasco sauce,
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:
Heat oil for deep frying in a wok. Fry the noodles on low-medium flame till crisp and then drain them on paper towels. Transfer them to the salad mixing bowl.
Heat olive oil in a pan, turn the flame to high and saute vegetables starting with peppers, mushrooms, spring onions, cabbage and then add peanuts. Cook them for not more than 2 minutes. Then transfer them to the salad bowl with noodles. Add shredded lettuce to the bowl too. Mix together the ingredients of the dressing, pour it over the vegetables and noodles and toss the salad. Serve immediately.

This recipe is my innovation. I keep thinking about recipes that are delicious but healthy as well. This recipe could be categorized as specially for kids, since usually they do not want to eat green leafy vegetables. So for all those troubled moms here is a creative recipe. 

Ingredients:
For the manchurian balls-
1 cup spinach leaves; chopped,
1/2 cup cabbage; finely shredded,
Salt and pepper to taste,
1/2 tsp finely chopped green chillies (if you like),
1 tsp soy sauce,
Cornflour as required for binding,
Oil for frying.

For the sauce-
1/2 cup chopped greens of scallions (spring onions),
2 scallions; finely chopped,
1 green chilli; deseeded and slit lenghtwise,
1 tbsp cornflour,
1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce,
1 tsp chilli sauce,
Salt and pepper to taste,
Olive oil,
Water.

Method:
Mix together all the ingredients for the manchurian balls and knead well. Make small round balls. Heat oil in a wok for deep frying, lower the flame to low-medium and then drop these balls into the oil in batches. Fry till they turn reddish-golden in color, drain and set aside.
To prepare the sauce-
Heat olive oil in a skillet, add scallions and fry for a minute. Then add the greens, chilli and again saute for 2 minutes. Now add soy sauce, chilli sauce, salt, pepper, water (enough to form a thin gravy) and let it boil. Meanwhile mix cornflour in 1/2 cup water to form a paste and pour into the gravy. Keep stirring. Soon the gravy would start thickening, then drop the manchurian balls into it, cover and put off the flame. Serve with boiled noodles or steamed rice.