On A Rainy Day

Paneer Shanghai Rolls

Ingredients
125 gm paneer, grated
2 potatoes, boiled and mashed
5-6 french beans, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
2 tbsp besan/gram flour 
1 tsp red chili powder  
 ½ tsp cumin powder  
 ¼ tsp garam masala  
 Salt to taste
 ¼ tsp turmeric 
 2-3 tbsp cashew nuts, chopped 
 5 spring roll sheets 
 Oil to deep fry 

Method
Add the paneer, potatoes, beans, carrot, green chilli, coriander, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt, turmeric powder, and cashew nuts into a mixing bowl. Mix all the ingredients together and keep aside. Heat oil in a kadhai for deep fry.

Place a spring roll sheet, take small portions of the filling, and start placing in the bottom portion of the sheet, leaving about an inch from the bottom. Bring the sides to the center, pull up the bottom and start rolling. Just before rolling it all up, apply a slurry of flour, in the top area and roll it. Keep aside, covered with damp cloth. 

Repeat for the rest of the filling. Once the rolling is done, dice up diagonally with a sharp knife in a swift motion. The rolls are ready to fry. Fry until golden. Once done, get this down to a kitchen towel lined plate. 

Serve hot with green chutney.

Chilli Momos

Chilli Momos

Ingredients 
for momos
1 cabbage, grated
2 onions, chopped
3” ginger, grated
Salt to taste
½ tsp pepper 
1 tbsp oil 
Dough as required for the chili momo
Oil for frying 
6 green chili
10 garlic cloves, pressed for red chutney
4 tbsp 
¼ tsp vinegar 
1 tsp red chili paste 
2- 3 drops soy sauce 
6 tsp ketchup 
1 onion, chopped
Salt to taste
A pinch MSG 
¼ tsp sugar 
18-20 fried momos
Chopped coriander to garnish

Method 
For making the filling for momos, add the cabbage, onions, ginger, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix really well. After two to three minutes, the mixture will start oozing moisture.

Take some mixture in your hands, squeeze hard and put the mixture into another bowl. Take out excess moisture from the mixture. To the cabbage mixture, add the oil and mix well. 

Grease steamer plates with oil. Roll out the momos dough into 4” circles then place about one tsp of filling. Make the plates and close the momos. Steam for 10 minutes on medium flame. Once done, keep aside and cool the momos.

For the chili momo, heat the oil in a pan and fry the momos until golden. Keep aside.

In a bowl mix red chutney, vinegar, chilli paste, soy sauce and ketchup. Heat oil in a wok and add the slit green chilli, garlic and onion. Toss for a minute and add a pinch of salt and MSG.

Pour the sauce and ¼ tsp of sugar and cook for a minute. Add the fried momos, stir until momos are coated. Sprinkle a bit of coriander and serve hot. 

Imli ki khatti meethi chutney 

Imli ki khatti meethi chutney

Ingredients 
1 cup tamarind pulp 
½ cup sugar 
1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted
1 tsp roasted fennel seeds
1 tsp carom seeds
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp melon seeds
Black salt to taste
Salt to taste 

Method 
Coarsely grind the cumin, fennel and carom seeds in a in a mortar and pestle, and set aside. In a non-stick pan, add the tamarind pulp, sugar and two cups of water and bring it to boil.

Add all the dry ingredients powdered cumin, fennel and carom, red chilli and black pepper powder. Season it with black and normal salt according to taste. Cook till the consistency is thick. 

Now, add the melon seeds. Serve as dip with pakoda, dahiwada, panipuri or any other snack.

Chicken onion pakoda

Chicken onion pakoda

Ingredients 
200 gm boneless chicken
2 onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp green chilli, finely chopped 
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 bunch coriander, finely chopped
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Method
In a bowl, add the boneless chicken, onions, green chillies, coriander, corn and rice flour, ginger-garlic paste, black pepper powder and season with salt and mix all the ingredients.

Heat oil in a frying pan, drop the batter little by little and fry the pakodas till golden. 

Serve hot with green chutney or sauce.