Tofu Dumpling Stir-fry

Well the Foodie Monday Blog Hop group of this week has come up with 152th theme as 'Asian cuisine'. Asia, being the largest and most populous continent, has many different influences, flavors and cultures and many of which have their own characteristic cuisine. The whole Asian cuisine includes several major regional cuisines as East Asian, Southeast Asian, Western Asian, Central Asian and South Asian. Ingredients common to these regional cuisine include ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, soy, rice, tofu etc. Stir frying, steaming are the most common cooking methods.

Among all the Asian cuisines, Chinese cuisine is my all time favorite which falls under East Asian cuisine. Even the Chinese dishes are very popular in most Asian countries. Chinese food includes a large variety of ingredients. The emphasis is on fresh, seasonal ingredients, prepared with a minimum of fuss and beautifully balanced for color, texture and presentation. Some staple foods of this cuisine are rice, chow mein, tofu etc where as under vegetables Chinese cabbage, spinach, lettuce, cauliflower, eggplant etc comes. Also pork, beef, mutton, chicken, duck, pigeon as well as many other animals falls under 
non-vegetarian category. 

So when the theme of the foodie Monday group is decided to make from Asian cuisine, hence I chose my favorite Chinese food for contribution. With the use of tofu, I have come with Tofu Dumpling Stir fry. Tofu is a food of Chinese origin. It is basically made from soy milk, water and a curdling agent. Tofu contains little fat and is high in protein, calcium as well as iron. Since ancient times, this has been a staple of Chinese and Asian cuisine and has recently become a popular ingredient used in Western vegetarian dishes too.

The whole method of preparation of these stir fried dumplings is bit time taking still easy and one'll surely enjoy overall. First a filling of tofu along with cabbage I have prepared. Then some cute dumplings are created having those fillings. Those dumplings are then fried and steamed a little bit and then finally fried along with some sliced baby corn and carrot and seasoned with some sauces. These stir fried vegetarian dumplings are so delicious. These are the perfect snack, side dish or appetizer. These dumplings are totally vegan, but any other meat fillings can be opted too. 

So do try these Tofu Dumpling Stir-fry for your next party appetizer. If you tried my recipe and enjoyed fully, then please share some pictures of your creation with me. Also kindly give your valuable feedback either in the comment box below or tag me as #firsttimercook on Instagram. You may also follow me on Facebook,  Pinterest,  Twitter,  Google+,  Instagram and can subscribe for free to get new recipes directly into your inbox 😊

Preparation Time : 1 hr  |  Cooking Time : 30 mins

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
Dumpling wrap
All purpose flour	¾ cup
Warm water	¼ cup
Salt	1 pinch
Dumpling filling
Tofu (well pressed & crumbled)	1 cup
Cabbage (diced small)	¼ cup
Ginger (finely grated)	¼ tsp
Garlic clove (minced)	1 no
Spring onion (white part) (finely chopped)	1 no
Soy sauce	1 tbsp
Red chili flake	1 pinch
Salt	As needed
For stir frying
Carrot (sliced)	½ cup
Baby corn (sliced)	½ cup
Spring onion (chopped)	2 no
Ginger (grated)	½ tsp
Garlic clove (minced)	1 no
Vinegar	1 tbsp
Hoisin sauce	¼ cup
Soy sauce	1.5 tbsp
Salt	As needed
Oil	2 tbsp
Sesame seed (roasted)	As needed

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Method :

Dumpling Wrap :

1. In a mixing bowl first take all purpose flour and salt. Mix well.
2. Pour the warm water and start stirring using a fork or chopsticks until a dough like structure will form.
3. Using hand knead for around 10 minuted or till a smooth texture of the dough comes out.
4. Cover the bowl and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

Filling of dumpling :

1. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan.
2. Add in finely grated ginger, minced garlic and saute a bit.
3. Then add finely chopped white part of the spring onion, well crumbled tofu, finely diced cabbage and saute for a few minutes.
4. When the tofu is perfectly cooked add soy sauce, red chili flakes, salt and mix everything well.
5. Again cook for 1-2 minutes minutes.
6. Turn off heat and allow to cool the filling completely.

Dumpling :

1. Now take out the resting dough on a work surface dusted with flour.
2. Knead a bit and make 1 inch size balls out of the dough.
3. Take 1 ball and roll into 3-4 inch round shape on a floured surface.
4. Put 1-2 tsp of filling on the center of the round wrap.
5. Then fold the edges of the wrap in a pleated manner to give any desired dumpling shape.
6. Similarly prepare dumplings from rest dough balls.
7. Take a pan and heat 1 tbsp oil.
8. Place all the dumplings in the pan, but don't overcrowd. These can be fried in batches if pan size is small.
9. Allow to fry for 3-4 minutes over low-medium heat.
10. Then pour few tablespoon of water into the pan until the bottoms of the dumplings are just covered.
11. Cover the pan with a lid and steam over low heat until the water is evaporated.
12. Now transfer the dumplings to a plate and keep aside.

Stir frying :

1. Wipe out the pan and heat 1 tbsp oil.
2. Add sliced carrot and fresh baby corn.
3. Saute a bit and then add 3-4 tbsp of water into the pan.
4. Cover the pan and allow to cook until veggies become tender a bit.
5. Then remove the lid and add minced garlic cloves, freshly grated ginger, salt, dumplings and saute for 1 minute.
6. Next add soy sauce, hoisin sauce and vinegar. 
7. Gently flip everything a few times so that the dumplings and vegetables are well coated with the sauce.
8. Turn off heat and sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds.
9. Serve and enjoy immediately !

Notes :

• The dough must not be too soft, otherwise it will be difficult to make the wrapper of the dumplings.
• Do not add too much salt to the filling, because the salt'll extract liquid from the vegetables and the fillings'll turn too wet.
• Addition of roasted sesame seed is optional. I like the roasted flavor, so added. But the normal sesame seed work well too.
• Some finely chopped spring onions can be sprinkled before serving.

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Meetha Amba Khatta | Raw Mango Relish (sweet version)

In any festival or function of Odisha, Khatta is a must to be prepared dish. The odia word 'Khatta' means tangy. Actually there are a variety of khatta from Odia cuisine like sapuri (pineapple) khatta, tomato khatta, tomato khajuri (dates) khatta, meetha amba khatta, kakharu (pumpkin) khatta etc. And when mangoes are in season, then mango / amba khatta is a common culinary affair in each odia household.

Meetha amba khatta is so easy, quick to prepare and also without onion-garlic one. Even it tastes much better on next day of the preparation. I can have along with roti, paratha, steamed rice or simply licking my finger which is used as a spoon from a bowl containing this khatta 😋. Here I have used the raw mangoes to prepare this. The tempering part is so flavorful which is a combination of grated ginger, curry leaves, green chili along with cumin seed and mustard seed. Though the authentic one uses pancha phutana / panch phoran (cumin, mustard, saunf, fenugreek and nigella seeds), but I have used only the cumin and mustard seeds to make this dish. This amba khatta is prepared keeping a sweet taste in mind. The sourness of the raw mangoes are well balanced with the addition of sugar / jaggery. You may adjust the sweetness as desired totally.

So do try Meetha Amba Khatta or Raw Mango Relish (sweet version). If you tried my recipe and enjoyed fully, then please share some pictures of your creation with me. Also kindly give your valuable feedback either in the comment box below or tag me as #firsttimercook on Instagram. You may also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and can subscribe for free to get new recipes directly into your inbox 😊

Preparation Time : 5 mins  |  Cooking Time : 20 mins

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
Raw mango (medium)	3-4 no
Jaggery / sugar	½ cup
Ginger (grated)	½ tsp
Cumin seed	¼ tsp
Mustard seed	¼ tsp
Dry chili	1 no
Green chili	1-2 no
Curry leaf	1 sprig
Turmeric powder	½ tsp
Chili powder	½ tsp
Cumin-chili powder (roasted)	2 tsp
Oil	2 tsp
Salt	As needed
Water	3-4 cup

Method :

1. Wash and clean the raw mangoes.
2. Chop all the mangoes into cubes and discard the seeds.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Add red chili, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and allow to splutter.
5. Next add grated ginger and finely chopped green chili along with curry leaves. Saute a bit.
6. Then add mango cubes, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and mix everything well.
7. Add water and allow to boil.
8. Then lower the heat and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes.
9. Next add sugar / grated jaggery and mix again well.
10. Again allow to cook till mango pieces are soft enough.
11. Switch off the flame and sprinkle roasted cumin-red chili powder.
12. Serve hot / cold along with steamed rice or roti !

Notes :

• I don't like to peel the mangoes. But if desire, then just peel the mangoes before chopping into cubes.
• Adjust the consistency of the khatta as per choice by cooking for more time after the mango pieces are soften a bit.

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Corn Manchurian (Gravy Version)

Today is Monday. And I have been dedicating a post to the foodie group, Foodie Monday Blog Hop on each Monday since a long time. This time the theme of the group (151th) is decided as 'Corn Recipes'. Well, in India monsoon is now started in full phase. Corn is a food which is easily available during monsoons and all most all people love eating corn during monsoon with a dash of salt and lemon. It is the healthiest snack that one can have in monsoon rather than any other fried ones. I have already a post regarding this snack (Grilled corn on the cob).

Corn also known as Maize is a food grain which is very rich in minerals, fibers and vitamins. It is also a great source of energy as it contains dietary fibers and carbohydrates. Apart from this, it has many health benefits too as

• Good for digestion
• Boost energy since a starchy one
• Helps to lower bad cholesterol levels
• Stops anemia
• Reduces cancer risk (colon, breast cancer)
• Helps to keep our eyes healthy etc.

Corn can be used in our diet in many forms. Those varieties may be like Grilled corn on the cob, Corn Chat, Pizza loaded with corn kernels, Corn patties and lots more. Today here I have come up with Corn Manchurian Gravy. Sweet corn kernels are used to make this dish. Instead of deep frying the Manchurian balls, I have fried them in an appe pan with a healthy note. First some balls are prepared from the coarse mixture of corn kernels along with some spices and then fried in an appe pan. Finally those fried balls are added to the typical Manchurian gravy. This gravy dish can be thoroughly enjoyed along with fried rice, noodles or even with plain roti / chapati. The Manchurian balls taste a little sweet and are soft from inside crisp from outside.

So do try these Corn Manchurian (Gravy Version) in this monsoon. If you tried my recipe and enjoyed fully, then please share some pictures of your creation with me. Also kindly give your valuable feedback either in the comment box below or tag me as #firsttimercook on Instagram. You may also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and can subscribe for free to get new recipes directly into your inbox 😊

Preparation Time : 15 mins  |  Cooking Time : 20 mins

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
Manchurian Ball
Sweet corn kernel	1 cup
Onion (finely chopped)	¼ cup
Garlic (finely chopped)	½ tbsp
Green chili	1-2 no
All purpose flour	2 tbsp
Cornflour	1-2 tbsp
Black pepper powder	As needed
Salt	As needed
Water	As needed
Red chili-cumin powder (roasted)	1 tsp
Coconut (grated)	1-2 tbsp
Oil	1 tsp
Salt	As needed
Water	As needed
Oil	For greasing
Manchurian Gravy
Corn flour	1 tbsp
Onion (finely chopped)	¼ cup
Garlic (finely chopped)	1 tbsp
Ginger (finely chopped)	1 tbsp
Green chili	1-2 no
Black pepper powder	½ tsp
Soy sauce	½ tbsp
Tomato sauce	1 tbsp
Red chili sauce	1 tbsp
Vinegar	1 tsp
Sugar	¼ tsp
Salt	As needed
Water	As needed

​
Method :

Manchurian Ball :

1. In a blender jar, put all the corn kernels and blend into a coarse mixture.
2. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add in chopped onion, finely chopped garlic, black pepper powder, salt, all purpose flour and cornflour.
4. Mix everything well and start making balls (around 2 inch size).
5. Now heat an appe pan with greased holes.
6. Keep one ball in each hole and allow to cook over low-medium heat.
7. Using a spoon, flip each ball to cook the other side.
8. Once the balls turn light brown color in all around, turn off heat.
9. Transfer all the Manchurian balls into a plate lined with paper towel and keep aside.

Manchurian Gravy :

1. In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp cornflour along with 2 tbsp water and make a smooth mixture. Keep aside.
2. In another small bowl, take all the three sauces and mix very well. Keep aside.
3. Now in a pan, heat oil.
4. Add finely chopped onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies and stir fry over medium heat till the onions turn translucent.
5. Next add the sauce mixture and stir well.
6. Then add the cornflour mixture along with 1-1.5 cup water and give a stir.
7. Next add salt, black pepper powder, vinegar, sugar and mix everything well.
8. Allow to cook till the gravy starts thickening while stirring in between.
9. Now add the fried corn Manchurian balls to the gravy and gently coat each ball with the gravy.
10. Turn off heat and sprinkle some chopped spring onions.
11. Serve immediately these Corn Manchurian Gravy along with any noodles or fried rice or roti.

Notes :

• Adjust the thickness of the gravy as desire by adding more or less water.
• Addition of sugar is optional.

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