Feline Musings

Yes, I am back with more matrimonial settlement issues. Now this is one issue that my mom had warned me about - the striking of the perfect culinary chord between an herbivore and a carnivore. Hubby is a vegetarian (he eats egg – thank God for small mercies); I am a hardcore carnivore.  

In the good old single hood days, I would concoct a quick meal in a variety of flavors with ready-to-fry kebabs, prawns, fish, chicken drumsticks … and what not! Weekends were party time with the aroma of mutton curry and chicken dishes, and my most favorite mutton kaleji (liver) fry filling my single-dom. Snacking was almost always salamis in a sandwich or chicken/mutton seekh/shammi kebabs with lots of fried onions and coriander chutney. Those lip-smacking days are passé. I am now facing severe protein-deficiency and in this state of utter malnutrition I have to concoct savory vegetarian dishes for my hubby. 

When the hubby says he wants something light and different for dinner, I have my mental horses bracing full speed. Now, at this time of the year the veggies are in a state of rebellion. The winter veggies are begging to be taken off the shelf – they are shriveling up and bland; the summer veggies are angry to be shaken off their slumber – they are not as succulent as they should be! So the real culinary challenge is to make the veggies taste good.

I took up the gastronomic challenge in good spirit yesterday and decided to serve something different and delicious. The fridge was filled with small portions of various raw veggies and I had to use them all, as we are traveling this weekend. I took out the whole lot, washed and chopped them into bite-size bits and was all set to make:  

Stir-fried vegetables in Manchurian sauce to be accompanied with Cheese-Corn boiled rice 

And here’s how you go about making this tasty dish: 

Ingredients for the stir-fried vegetables (you can use all or some of these, I didn’t have carrot and mushroom languishing in my refrigerator and begging for redemption.):

1.       Cabbage

2.       Cauliflower

3.       Peas (frozen or fresh)

4.       Fine potato slices

5.       Capsicum

6.       Mushroom

7.       Carrot

8.       Spring onions with succulent stalk

9.       Garlic cloves – shredded (in a meal for two, I used three cloves)

10.   Ginger – small piece shredded

11.   Green chilies as per taste

12.   Cooking oil

13.   Just a pinch of salt, as the ingredients in the sauce and seasoning have salty taste

14.   Pepper (optional) 

Ingredients for the sauce

1.       Tomato paste seasoned with a teaspoon of Soya sauce (I used one tomato for the paste)

2.       Ching’s Manchurian sauce (half cup mixed with half to one cup water) depending on the gravy consistency desired. 

Seasoning

1.       Maggie vegetable stock cubes (in a meal for two, I used three cubes)

2.       Domino’s oregano seasoning (now you know why you should always ask the pizza delivery boy for extra seasoning.) 

Ingredients for the Cheese-Corn Rice:

1.       Amul cheese (grated)

2.       Corn kernels from Mother Dairy

3.       Rice

4.       Pinch of salt for taste (remember not too much, as the cheese is also salty) 

The method:

1.       Heat oil in a deep wok and then simmer.

2.       Add a dash of asafetida, fenugreek (methi seeds) and mustard seeds.

3.       Add shredded garlic and ginger and within a minute add the chopped spring onions.

4.       Put in the potato slices as potato takes the longest to cook.

5.       In quick succession add the other vegetables depending on the cooking time of each vegetable, for example capsicum and cauliflower will go in after the potatoes and peas and cauliflower will go in later.

6.       Stir fry till the vegetables are greasy and soft.

7.       Add the powdered Maggie vegetable stock cubes, with a pinch of salt, and pepper, if using.

8.       Stir the vegetables and then add the tomato-soy sauce.

9.       Stir again and when you are sure the vegetables are cooked, turn of the heat. 

To serve:

1.   Boil rice in a pan with corn kernels and salt.

2.   Grate cheese over the hot steaming cooked rice and mix it well into the rice. 

3.   Just before serving the vegetables add Ching’s Manchurian sauce mixed with water, and on low heat mix the sauce with the vegetables.

4. Season with Domino’s Oregano. 

5.   Garnish the rice with spring onions. 

Your authentic Manchurian dish is ready and it smells good. But if you thought this is the end of the “different-meal-a-day” story, then you are wrong. Just wait and watch for the next edition on clever paratha fillings.

 PS: If I was single, I would have replaced all the veggies in the dish with boiled chicken pieces.

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