Finally, after eons and eras of being dormant, I am here making up for the lost time. I can tell you for sure that I missed being my old self and my own virtual space but I couldn't help much in between all the wedding preparations.

Learn how to make Punjabi kadhi pakora.



This recipe has been in my to-do list  for quite some time now. Bitten by lazy bug always, I never tried my hands. I always felt it was too complicated. Mr.P never liked Kadhi Pakora. He always used to respond that it is Khatta. Read he is anti tamarind or anti khatta guy home. I find it very difficult to cook sambar without much of tamarind pulp or pulihora without too much tamarind. Thanks to his Bangalore days, he developed liking towards Kadhi Pakora. I now have a reason to make kadhi pakora instead of dishing up 2 different dishes. One lazy afternoon when I realized that I ran out of basic vegetables stock and I was still scratching my head that what our lunch is gonna be. I remembered Kadhi Pakora. I had Besan just about the right amount.



I prepared this flavorful crunchy kadhi pakora. Let the pics do the talking.

Procedure:
1) Mix all the ingredients required for pakora except water. Once done, add 1/2 cup of water and make a batter of medium consistency.
2) Meanwhile heat oil. Drop a small ball of pakora batter and see if it rises up immediately. If it rises up, hang on that's the right temperature.
3) Drop a spoonful of batter and make small pakoras.
4) Fry until golden brown and crisp. Do not keep the flame high. You may end up getting not cooked pakoras.



5)  Meanwhile, whisk curd until smooth, add salt, chilly powder, turmeric powder and besan. Make a smooth paste. Now add water and combine all the ingredients.
6) Now bring this mixture to a boil. It will take about 8-10 mins and you will get nice aroma.
7) Taste a bit and check, you shouldn't be getting the raw taste of besan.
8) Once it is slightly runny, switch off the flame.
9) Once this mixture cools, it will thicken.
10) You can dunk pakoras right away or just before serving. I like mine crunchy though.
11) Heat oil in a small tadka pan and fry all the ingredients listed under to temper. Now add this to the prepared kadhi.



Notes:
1) I don't like sour kadhi so I use fresh curd. if you like a little sour, then use sour curd.
2) Switch off once nice aroma wafts when you boil the besan curd mixture. The more you boil, this mixture will thicken. Leave it at pouring consistency.

Learn how to make Bisi Bela Bhaat - Kannadiga style.

Bisi Bela Bhaat has always been my infrequent love. Yeah, you read it right. Like I forget about its existence for some time and then all of a sudden I'd read about this on some random blog/website and then I am all gaga over it. For next few weeks, this makes it to my every week's menu and then all of a sudden I forget about it and then the same story repeats.

I love Noodles... Like I can have them as if there is no tomorrow. My mom often smirks at me and tells me that I should have been Chinese. I love to carry Noodles for lunch and eat the same thing for dinner and next day for breakfast as well and still not get bored of it. I'm happy to share my life with a North East guy(read North East which is almost close to China according to my terrible geography). He is more like me or should I say we click together because of our love towards Chinese/Indo-Chinese food. So I can give him Schezwan Noodles, Veg Noodles or Chilly Butter Noodles in a week and he will happily complete his dabba.



When I went to Mainland China like a year back, Mr.P ordered Chilly Butter Garlic Noodles.  I loved it to the core - it was buttery, garlicky and very mildly spiced.I wanted to replicate the same at home and went by  what I could guess. My first 3 attempts were bad. After a couple of trial and error methods, I was able to come up with this dish and it is pretty much close if not there.



This recipe is surely a keeper and a winner as well.

Chilly Butter Noodles
Ingredients
Noodles - 2 packets (200 gms each)
Oil- 1 tbsps
Water - as required for boiling

For Masala
Butter - 1/2 stick (You gotta be liberal if you are watching your waistline carefully then replace it with olive oil or regular oil)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 2-3 tbsps finely chopped
Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Schezwan Paste - 2 tbsps
Salt- as per taste
Tomato Ketchup - 2 tbsps
Soy Sauce - 1 tsp
Green Chilli Sauce - 1 tsp
Sugar - a pinch
Oregano - 1 tsp (optional)
Spicy Garlic Powder - 1/2 tsp (Optional)
Pepper Powder- 1 tsp

Vegetables - 1 and 1/2 cups (Capsicum, Carrot and cabbage (cut into strips), beans cut into 1-inch pieces, cauliflower florets, green peas, baby corn)
Onion - 1 medium cut into squares



Procedure:
1) Cook noodles as per packet instructions. Drain and add little oil and mix it. This prevents sticking.
2) In a pan, melt butter and add oil as well.
3) Fry ginger and garlic until the pungent smell subsides.
4) Add onions and fry for 30-40 secs. They need to be crisp not soft.
5) Add remaining vegetables and turn the flame to high. Fry for a min.
6) Now add Schezwan paste + sauces, salt, pepper powder, garlic powder, oregano.
7) Fry for 2-3 mins. Now add noodles. Combine all the ingredients well so that vegetables and masala coat the noodles.
8) Check salt and serve hot.



Notes:
1) I used Chings Veg Noodles. You can even use Egg Noodles.
2) If you don't like too much of garlic just reduce it to 1/2 tsp.
3) You can even minus the schezwan paste and add red chilly paste instead

I have been thinking of getting back to blogging like before with a decent number of posts to brag about every month. I really hope to stick...But you never know when work kicks in and I'm all under the weather.