Mustard Leaves

SCHEZUAN FRIED RICE

Ingredients:
2 cups short grain rice – cooked
½ cup green beans,
½ cup green cabbage- shredded/julienned
½ cup cauliflower + broccoli florets
½ cup carrots – julienned
½ cup fresh green peas (thawed if frozen is used)
½ cup sliced sweet peppers (green, yellow, red- or a combination of all 3)
½ cup sliced onion
1 table spoon grated or finely chopped ginger
1 table spoon garlic – chopped fine
1 table spoon red chilli paste (ready paste is available in local groceries- You can also make it by soaking a few dry red chillies in hotwater until they become soft. Grind to a paste with a little salt, add vinegar or lemon juice if required)
1 table spoon tomato ketchup
1 table spoon chilli garlic sauce
1 table spoon soya sauce
1 tea spoon white vinegar
2-3 green chilli peppers- finely chopped
Salt to taste
White pepper powder- to taste
1 small bunch green onions- chopped fine

Method:
1. Cool the rice completely so that each grain is separate
2. Heat oil on high heat, and fry the garlic, ginger and green chilli peppers for 1 minute.
3. Add onions and the sweet peppers and cook till just soft
4. Add tomato ketchup, soya sauce, chilli paste, chilli garlic sauce, pepper powder, vinegar and salt and mix well.
5. Add the vegetables and cook in the sauce for about 2-3 minutes
6. Add the cooled rice and toss until mixed well.
7. Check for seasoning and garnish with chopped green onions.
8. Serve hot with Vegetable Manchurian on the side.

VEGETABLE MANCHURIAN WITH HOT GARLIC SAUCE

Ingredients:
1 cup cabbage- very finely chopped or finely grated
1 cup green beans – finely chopped
1 cup carrots – grated
4-5 florets- grated cauliflower
1 small bunch green onions- finely chopped
2 table spoons white corn flour
1 tea spoon soya sauce
1 tea spoon finely chopped garlic
1 tea spoon white pepper powder
Salt to taste
Water as required
Oil for Frying
Method:
Mix all the vegetables with salt, corn flour, soya sauce and white pepper powder.
If it is too dry, add a little water and mix well to form into small balls.
Heat oil in a wok or a fry pan and deep fry these vegetable balls until golden brown.
Can be consumed as is or with the accompaniment of any ketchup or sauce.

For the Hot garlic Sauce:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic
1 table spoon finely chopped ginger
1/3 cup red chilli paste
¼ cup tomato ketchup
1 table spoon soya sauce
1 tea spoon white pepper powder
1 pinch MSG (Mono sodium glutamate) – Optional
2 table spoons oil
1 table spoon chopped sweet green peppers
1 table spoon sliced onion
1 table spoon green onions
1 table spoon corn flour dissolved in 2 table spoons of cold water
Salt and according to taste
Sugar- optional
Method:
1. Heat oil and fry the ginger and garlic on high heat
2. Add sliced onions and green peppers and fry again for 2 mins until soft
3. Add pepper powder, MSG (if using), salt, soya sauce, tomato sauce, red chilli paste and fry for 1-2 minutes
4. Add ½ cup water and let it boil; check for seasoning; add sugar if needed and if it is too spicy.
5. Add the corn flour slurry and adjust the consistency
6. Remove from fire.
7. Garnish with chopped green onions.

To serve:
Arrange the vegetable balls on the serving dish, and pour the sauce on top. Serve hot, garnished with chopped green onions with a side of schezuan fried rice.

Variation:
As mentioned above, prepare the vegetable balls and set aside. Prepare the sauce without the water. Add the fried vegetable balls in it and toss so that it coates them. Do not fry or mix for a long time as they become soft and soggy. Just toss for less than a minute on high heat and remove from fire. Garnish with green onions and serve immediately to retain the crunch.

MAKKI ROTI WITH SARSON KA SAAG

For the Rotis:
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups Maize flour
½ cup Wheat flour
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil + oil for shallow frying the rotis
Water as required (preferably warm water)
Optional- Chilli powder according to taste and 1 tea spoon thymol seeds (Ajwain)

Method:
Mix all the ingredients with warm water to form soft dough. Divide into small balls and roll out into rotis carefully into circles and toast on a hot griddle with oil on both sides.
NOTE:
1. These rotis are generally done by hands and it needs a lot of experience. It can also be rolled with a rolling pin if done carefully.
2. These rotis are generally eaten hot as it tends to harden when cold.

For the Sarson-ka-Saag:
Ingredients:
1 bunch Mustard leaves (Rapini can be substituted)
1 bunch Spinach
1 table spoon butter+ 1 tea spoon oil
1 large onion – chopped fine
1 tomato- chopped fine
1 inch piece ginger- chopped fine
2 cloves garlic – chopped fine
3-4 green chillies- Finely chopped
3 tablespoons maize flour
1 tea spoon ground coriander
1 tea spoon garam masala
1 tea spoon red chilli powder
Salt to taste
Lemon juice, if required
Method:
1. Boil the Mustard leaves/ Rapini and spinach in Salted water to remove the bitterness of Rapini; cool and mash the greens, set aside
2. In a pan, heat butter and oil together so that butter does not get burnt
3. Fry the chopped green chilli, ginger, garlic for 1 minute and then add onion and fry until browned.
4. Add the maize flour and fry until the flour is browned (about 3-4 mins). There should not be any raw smell of either the onion or the flour
5. Now add the tomato and fry for 2 mins until the tomatoes are soft. Mash the mixture with the back of the spoon if there are any lumps formed during the process
6. Add ground coriander powder, garam masala, red chilli powder and salt.
7. Add the ground rapini+spinach mixture and mix well and boil till thick.
8. Check for salt, and add lemon juice if required.
9. Serve hot with the corn rotis (Makki rotis)