Idli Manchurian | Leftover Idli Recipes

Contrary to many of our friends,we love idli.A relaxed breakfast of idli and piping hot sambhar with some thick coconut chutney on the side is surely our idea of a comfort breakfast.Ever since acquiring a wet grinder,I've been whipping up idli batter in bulk so that we can have dosa any time we fancy and of course those cold leftover idlis which open up so many possibilities for a probable snack.

Remember DK's Idli fry which we talked about a while back?Well,I had planned to try it when suddenly this idea popped up.I remember having chilly idli and podi idli in Sangeetha which was actually made with mini button idlis.So slowly the idea of manchurian came up.

I am sure many of you have heard about or tried this dish,this is my take on it.It is made in a similar way as how you'd go about making a Gobi/Baby Corn Manchurian.

Idli Manchurian

Ingredients

Cold Idli - 5-7,chopped into small cubes

For the batter

All purpose flour/Maida - 1 cup
Cornflour - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Water to mix the batter
Oil to deep fry

For the Manchurian sauce

Oil - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 big,finely chopped
Green chilly - 1,finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Capsicum - half of one big,chopped
Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp(you could add chilly sauce as well)
Salt to taste
Cornflour - 1 tbsp,mixed with 1/4 cup of water

Method

 
Make a batter using the ingredients mentioned-starting with flour,cornflour,salt,pepper and water.
 
In a kadai add enough oil to deep fry.Dip the chopped idli into the batter and deep fry till golden brown and crisp.Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.
 
In a non-stick pan add oil and saute the onions and green chilly till golden brown.
Mix in the ginger garlic paste and saute for 3-4 minutes or till the raw smell goes.
 
Add the chopped capsicum,tomato sauce,soya sauce,vinegar,sugar,chilly powder and salt to taste and stir well.
 
Now add the cornflour slurry and mix well till you get a thick manchurian sauce.
 
Mix in the fried idlis and stir well till the idli gets coated with the sauce and turns crisp.
Switch off the flame,garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Notes

• It is easier to chop the idli when it is cold,so leftover idli works best for this recipe.Cold idli doesn't soak up oil too while frying.
• Though it tastes great as a starter,I had it as a meal by itself and was too full after the 5th piece.Perfect for those gossip sessions with your girlfriends:)

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Now for the giveaway winner.So many of you wrote in to say what you wished for and now my wishlist is getting bigger and bigger:).I chose the random generator to pick the winner and the winner is

Siri Pulipaka - Congrats Siri! Please send me your shipping address to divyakudua@gmail.com at the earliest and your prize would be on its way!

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Tangerine,Chennai | Restaurant Review

There is a proverb in Malayalam which says "poochakkendha ponnurukkunadathu kaaryam" which roughly translates to what business does a cat have in a gold smith's place.Still didn't get it?Let me explain.Tangerine is a restaurant which specializes in Steaks and Sizzlers and what job does a vegetarian like me have there.Got it now?Phew that was tough.
 
Tangerine is primarily a Steak speciality restaurant and it has been a very popular one at that too.It is one of our favorite jaunts since hubby is a hardcore non-veg who loves indulging in steaks every once in a while.I have not had very good experiences when it comes to sizzlers since vegetarian sizzler is a rare special and most of the times we get served some sauteed vegetables with mash potatoes and a big cutlet with some gravy.

I am glad to say Tangerine has been a wonderful experience for even a vegetarian like me.

 
WeI started the meal with Garlic Bread with Cheese and it didn't disappoint.Crusty garlic flavored bread topped with cheese,I guess is a hard one to flaw.
 
My vegetarian friend ordered Mixed Vegetable New Orleans and it looked yummy indeed.Mixed vegetables in a cajun spiced tomato gravy served on a bed of herbed rice with sauteed vegetables and jacket potatoes on the side.She felt the quantity was a bit more for a single person,but hey what are friends for;)
 
I ordered a Vegetarian Mixed Grill and got the best of their 3 sizzlers in one plate.
 
It had a Vegetable shashlik which had potatoes,onions,carrots,mushrooms and tomato marinated in a yogurt based sauce,grilled to perfection and slathered with a curry sauce.The only complaint I have about the dish is the size of the vegetables.The potatoes and onions were halved and were quite a big size.Flavourwise though,absolutely no complaints.
 
My favorite was the cottage cheese steak.For a Paneer lover like me it cannot get any better.Two thin slices of cottage cheese stuffed with mushrooms and grilled,accompanied by a creamy herb and cheese paprika sauce-YUM!
 
The mixed vegetable steak was also delicious.A mash of mixed vegetables grilled and served with a creamy spicy sauce.

To say I am addicted to Tangerine Sizzlers would be putting it mildly.I've had their Walnut Brownie with Vanilla Ice-cream and Vanilla Ice-cream with Chocolate sauce and Praline earlier,but this time was too full to even think dessert.
 
A meal for two with Starters,Drinks,two Sizzlers (Veg and Non-Veg) and Dessert would cost anywhere between 1200-1500 rs depending on your orders.

Food - 9/10
Ambience - 8/10
Service - 8/10
Value for money - 8/10

Tangerine is at Murray's Gate Rd, Alwarpet  Chennai,Tamil Nadu 600018.
Phone - 044 42110888.

Disclaimer - This is not a paid review.

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Rachel Allen's Chocolate Cake,a Product Review & Giveaway!

I don't know how many times I've admitted it here,but saying it again anyway.I love a good chocolate cake.Any occasion which demands a cake has to be chocolate for me.Very rarely do I enjoy being a non-chocoholic when I bake stuff like these,but however it is chocolate all the way for me.(tell me how many times I've said chocolate in this paragraph and you'll win this giveaway-hehe,just kidding!)

Rachel Allen's Bake is one show I never miss on TLC.Though at times I feel she overdoes it a bit,her recipes are awesome.Her cooking classes even better.This chocolate cake featured in one of her cooking classes and the ease at which it could be made tempted me.I wrote down the recipe and planned to try it at the next opportunity.Sadly,it was forgotten soon after.

Few days back,I saw a re-run of the same episode and I told myself I shouldn't delay baking this any further.Any cake recipe which calls for a good amount of frosting makes me sit up.I try not to put too much frosting on my cakes,but what is a good chocolate cake without a great amount of chocolate frosting on it anyway.

I got the perfect reason to indulge when Neelam of Urbandazzle sent me this beautiful cake platter to review.I've always wanted to own a cake platter to show off the cakes I bake,but due to the limited options available,had to resort to dessert plates.This Palladio Footed Cake platter solves the misery for me by being the perfect platter to showcase this sinful chocolate cake.

Rachel Allen's Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate - 125gms / 4 1/2oz
Milk - 3 tbsp
Butter,softened - 150gms / 5oz
Caster Sugar - 150 gms / 5oz
Eggs - 3
Flour - 200gms / 7oz
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.Grease/Line two 8' pans.
 
Place the chocolate and milk in a microproof bowl and microwave on full power for 1 minute.Stir well to get a smooth mixture.
OR
Place the chocolate and the milk in a bowl sitting over a saucepan of gently simmering water and heat until then chocolate has melted.
 
Sift together flour,baking powder and baking soda.Reserve.
 
Beat the butter till soft and then mix in the caster sugar and beat together till creamy.
Mix in the eggs one at a time beating well for one minute after each addition.
 
Fold in the melted(and cooled) chocolate.
Add the flour mix and fold in gently to mix.I did this in three lots and used my hand mixer for the first two lots and then used my spatula for the last lot.
Divide the mixture between two tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
 
Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before turning them out of their tins and placing on a wire rack to cool.

 
Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

Softened butter - 1/2 cup/100 gms
Icing sugar - 2 cups(I used powdered sugar which makes the frosting a bit grainy)
Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
Boiling water - 2 tbsp

Method
 
Mix together cocoa and boiling water to a smooth paste.Let it cool.
Beat together butter and icing sugar till creamy.Fold in the cooled cocoa paste and mix together to form a smooth icing.

Assembling the cake
In a cake platter place one of the cakes and apply 1/3 of the frosting on top.Place the other cake on top and put another 1/3 of the icing to cover the top and use the rest to coat the sides.
Top with sprinkles or silver dragees.

Urban Dazzle Product Review & Giveaway 

Much has been written about how difficult it is to procure bakeware and baking tools in India.Not anymore.Check out Urban dazzle for some amazing collection of bakeware,which includes Ramekins,Springform tins,Brioche tins,Silicone pans,Glassware etc.They also have in store Cheese Domes,Tiered plates(perfect to showcase those pretty cupcakes!)and not to forget those pretty Cake plates I've longed to own.

They have a wide variety of Kitchen essentials too.Non-stick cookware,Mixing bowls and a Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker too.

The packing is immaculate.Makes sure what you've ordered for doesn't come in bits and pieces(what a horror!)

And here's the most interesting part.Urban Dazzle is offering a Giveaway to one of the lucky readers of Easycooking.

All you have to do is comment on this post.You can say a word or two about what you wish to own or what you wish to see in the bakeware list or just anything.

The lucky winner gets a Devnow Ceramics Ramekin with Cover(set of 3 pieces).So what are you waiting for-start commenting!

I will be picking a random winner on 7/08/12.  Giveaway is closed.

Disclaimer - The Cake platter was sent to me by UrbanDazzle as part of a product review.The Giveaway too is sponsored by them.

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