Gobi Manchurian

So one day, I was sitting around and thinking about food (as usual) and suddenly, I had this bad craving for gobi manchurian. Gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian is an Indian-Chinese dish made with an Indian, spicy sauce with Chinese-inspired flavors.The first time I ate gobi manchurian was when I was in Manchester and my friend, Kanika forced me to go eat at a vegetarian restaurant. Gobi Manchurian was one of the dishes she ordered and it was sooo good. Well I decided to make it at home and it turned out pretty good! Here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

For Gobi

1 medium cauliflower, broken into medium-sized florets

1 cup all-purpose flour

oil for deep frying

1/2 cup corn starch

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 inch piece of ginger, finely grated

1 green chili, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely grated

1 teaspoon pepper

salt to taste

water to make batter

For Sauce

1/2 cup minced garlic

1/3 cup finely grated ginger

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 Serrano Peppers (or green chili), slit

1/3 hot sauce (I used Sriracha)

1 bunch spring onions (separate the green and white parts)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3/4 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 tomato paste 

3 tablespoons sesame oil (or whatever oil you have. Sesame will be best)

1 teaspoon corn starch

salt to taste

Method:

1. In a pan of salted water, cook the cauliflower florets for only a few minutes. Don't let it cook all the way, otherwise, it'll lose its crunch. Pat dry with a towel and set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine flour, corn starch, salt, ginger, garlic, pepper, Serrano peppers and soy sauce.

3. Add enough water to make a thick paste.

4. Now take a pan or wok and heat enough oil for deep frying the florets. To check if the oil is ready for frying, put in a drop of the batter. If the batter swims right up to the surface, then it's ready. 

5. Now dip the florets into the batter and make sure it is well coated. Then place the florets into the oil for frying. 

6. Fry them in batches. Don't try to cook them all together. Fry them until golden brown. I would suggest cooking them between high and medium heat. If you think the oil is getting too hot, decrease the heat a little because we need to make sure that it is being cooked from the inside too. Switch between high and medium accordingly. 

7. Remove and drain them on an absorbent paper.

8. Now make the sauce. In a bowl, combine tomato paste, hot sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, salt and one cup of water.

9.Heat three tablespoons of oil in a pan (with a wide base to hold all florets in a single layer). Add minced garlic and grated ginger. Stir fry on high heat for a minute. Add the white parts of the spring onion, the chopped onions and Serrano peppers. Stir fry everything together until the onions become transparent.

10. Now add the sauce to this and simmer for about three minutes. Then mix corn starch with two tablespoons of water and add it to the pan. Simmer for another minute. Then add the florets to the pan and cook them at high heat while tossing them frequently until they are nicely coated with the sauce.

11. Turn off the heat when you start hearing a sizzle. Garnish with the green part of the spring onions. Serve immediately as an appetizer or as a side with noodles. 

I ate it with hakka noodles :D

Have a lovely day :)

xx

Mango Ice Cream Recipe

A friend of mine taught me how to make delicious homemade mango ice cream. It is super quick and simple to make. You'll be surprised at how yummy the ice cream turns out to be. It'll last over a month (if you don't eat it all up before that).

Ingredients:

30 oz/850 grams of mango pulp (I bought the tin can)

14 oz/396 grams of condensed milk (the little tin)

8 oz/226 grams of whipped topping (from the ice-cream section)

Method:

1. There's only one method. Mix all three ingredients well in a freeze safe box and let it freeze for five hours. 

The thing you need to make sure of is to taste check the mango pulp. If you think it is sweet, only pour half of the condensed milk. If its a little sour, add more. Taste check along the way. Don't pour the entire tin of condensed milk, it might get too sweet. Mix it up into a nice and smooth paste.

Let it rest in the freezer for five hours and then enjoy the yummy goodness :p

I made sponge cake and ate it with mango ice cream. Yummy yummy!

Have a nice day! 

xx

Chhole Bhature

Chhole Bhature (pronounced chho-ley bh-uht-oo-rey) is one of the most popular Punjabi dishes. The first time I had chhole bhature was when I was six years old in a shopping place, in Janakpuri, New Delhi. My brother took me out for breakfast and we had chhole bhature. I have been in love with it since. I never thought I could make this dish because I always thought it was too complicated to make bhature, but living in Utah, (where you can't get chhole bhature anywhere) I figured it was about time I brought some satisfaction to my cravings for it. So I decided to make it and I was pleasantly surprised with the results. The recipe below should serve four.

Ingredients:

For Chhole:

4 cups of garbanzo beans (safed chhole), soaked overnight 

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 large Roma tomatoes

5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped

1 Serrano pepper or green chili, finely chopped

3 tbsp oil 

2 bay leaves

2 cloves

6 peppercorns

3, 1-inch stick of cinnamon

1 black cardamom

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp chana masala

2 tbsp garam masala

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp dry mango powder (aamchur)

a pinch of asafoetida 

salt to taste

For Bhature:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 packet of dry-active yeast

1 tsp sugar 

1 tbsp salt

1/2 cup of yogurt

3 tbsp oil

lukewarm water as needed

Method:

Preparing the Dough:

1. The first thing to do would be to make the dough for bhature. I would suggest making the dough six hours before cooking. Dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm water and let it sit for ten minutes or until the mixture becomes frothy.

2. In a large bowl, add all-purpose flour, salt and oil and mix it well.

3. Then add the yeast mixture and mix again.

4. Add yogurt and start kneading to form a smooth and soft dough. Add water if required. 

5. Now cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 5-6 hours. The longer, the better.

Chhole Bhature:

1. Boil the garbanzo beans with ginger, two tsp of salt and asafoetida with four cups of water until soft.

2. In a separate pan, heat oil and add cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, and bay leaves.

3. Once the spices begin to give off aromas, add cumin seeds. They will begin to crackle immediately. Then add the Serrano pepper and chopped onions and cook until transparent.

4. Now add chana masala, garam masala, coriander powder and dry mango powder and mix everything. Cook for about a minute, then divide the pan with onions on one side and add chopped tomatoes on the other side.

5. Cook the tomatoes until they begin to disintegrate. Keep mashing them until they begin to look like a paste. Then mix onion and tomatoes all together and cook for ten minutes. Keep stirring to make sure nothing burns.

6. Now add this mixture to the boiled garbanzo beans and bring to a boil. Add the chopped garlic after the first boil then let it simmer for half an hour until the curry becomes slightly thick. If you notice that there isn't enough water in the pot to simmer, then add some and let the water reduce as it simmers. Taste check and add salt accordingly. If you want it to be more spicy, add some paprika.

7. While the curry simmers, check the dough. It should have risen to double its size. Poke it with your fingers and it should release air and go back to its original size.

8. Now take some dough depending on how big you want your bhatura to be. I don't have a  very large frying pan so I made comparatively small bhature than what you get in restaurants. Roll them out into whatever shape you like. I made long oval shaped bhature. Remember to roll them out longer because they tend to retract. I would say rolls them to be thin like a roti.

9. Now heat some vegetable oil in a pan for frying. Test if it is hot enough by putting a tiny little piece of dough. If the piece rises back up then the oil is ready. 

10. Put your rolled out dough into the oil and it should immediately float to the top and begin rising. Hold it down from one side with a spatula and it should be puffed with air. Cook on both sides until light brown and then put them on a plate covered with tissue paper to drain out the excess oil. These taste just like the bhaturas you get in the restaurants in India. 

11. While you make these, your chhole should also be done. Chhole Bhature are eaten with onions, thinly sliced with lime juice and salt sprinkled over them. 

...And you're all set to enjoy a perfect Punjabi meal. 

The next day, I had some bhature left over so I just put them in the microwave and they were as soft as the night before. 

Enjoy!
xx

Makaha Beach Cabanas

Hello, beautiful people.

Sorry for taking forever to write in here. I keep getting lazy. I have a lot of recipes to write about because I've been trying new things in the past few weeks. Today, I'm going to write about the condo we stayed at while we were in Hawai'i. The place pleasantly surprised us so I think it deserves a post of its own.

Makaha Beach - View from the lanai

Makaha Beach Cabanas is located on the west side of the island of Oahu. The building is right on the beach so all the condos are ocean view. We stayed at the Makaha Beach Cabanas at property #250185 while on a 10-day trip to Oahu. The condo belongs to Tara and Joe. This was by far the best deal we found on the island after weeks of research. Tara was super nice. Although we never actually got to meet her, she was very friendly and helpful over the phone and quick to respond to emails.

The Lanai (Veranda)

The condo was clean, beautiful and had everything we could possibly need to feel at home (pots, pans, cutlery, dishes, flatware, spices, tape, toilet paper, umbrellas, snorkeling equipment, TV, DVD player, DVDs, books, microwave and oven, lots of towels, boogie boards, chairs, bed sheets, pillows, extra mattress, alarm clock, even nail polish remover!). The list goes on. I mean, you'll be surprised at how convenient the condo is. It is a short drive away from 7/11 and the local Tamura Market which has pretty much everything you'll need.

Living Room

The cool thing about the condo is that the entrance faces beautiful green mountains and the lanai from the master bedroom faces the ocean. You couldn't find a better ocean front property than this. Sunrise from the mountains and sunset on the beach. It is absolutely gorgeous. This condo is on the 6th floor so it's perfect because you get a much more beautiful view and the beach is just an elevator ride away. I found myself waking up at 4 am to see the moon over the ocean. The view is breathtaking.

Moonlight over the Ocean at 4:00 AM

We loved hanging out at the beach. The property is well gated with a security guard, so it feels safe. You need a security system to open the front gate, then the building gate and then to operate the elevator (also to open the beach entrance). Couldn't get safer than that! The beach is private and not crowded and noisy. We used to drive to all the touristy locations in the day and then come back in the evening to relax at the beach. We didn't have to worry about our things being stolen like we would otherwise at the public beaches. The beach is absolutely gorgeous and great for snorkeling.

Barbecue night! :)

There's a barbecue by the beach and a great place to make friends with other people living there. There's a place to do laundry as well which was very helpful because we did a lot of hikes and got pretty dirty. The locals were very friendly and you'll find strangers on the street smiling at you saying "Aloha! Welcome to Hawai'i."

View of the ocean from the kitchen

We spent an entire week here and it really was Paradise. I haven't felt this liberated in a long, long time. If I was given a chance, I would come back here in a heartbeat. This trip was, by far, the best trip I have ever had. I would seriously recommend this place to anyone who wishes to make a trip to Oahu for a relaxing and stress free holiday. Mahalo, Tara and Joe, for a lovely holiday! 

Thank you, dear Husband, for showing me how beautiful the world is.

Go to this website, to see more pictures and for booking information: http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p250185

Makaha Beach Cabanas

Big Island of Hawai'i

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and the Lava Tour were the main highlights of our trip to the Big Island. We did, however, drive around the whole island and stopped to check out some cool locations. 

The Island of Hawai'i is also known as Big Island or Hawai'i Island. It is larger than all the islands in the archipelago combined and located in the Southeastern most tip of the United States of America. The largest city on the island is Hilo. We landed on the Western side of the island, in the city of Kona. We had booked our rental car from Alamo and thought their service was great. We didn't have to wait at all. We got the keys and the car immediately. The car was in good shape.

From Kona, we drove to Volcano (South of the island) and spent one night and one day there. From Volcano, we drove to Hilo (East of the island) and spent one night and one day there. From Hilo, we drove back to Kona and spent a night and day there. Driving counterclockwise we got to see all parts of the island as well as a short trip to the middle where Mauna Kea (a million year old volcano) is located.

I've already spoken about my first stop at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Our next stop was Hilo. Hilo is closest to the park so if you ever plan to visit the park, Hilo could be a good place to stay. Although, many people drive down from Kona as well. Driving from Kona is a 2.5 hours drive. 

Hilo is the rainy part of the island. It rains all the time. I can't remember any time of the day when it wasn't raining. But because it rains all the time, Hilo is a lot greener than any other part of the island. Hawai'i Tropical Botanical Garden is also located in Hilo. It is a 40-acre valley of natural green house and is a museum of living plants that attracts photographers, gardeners, botanists, scientists, and nature lovers from around the world. 

There are lots of waterfalls in Hilo. My husband went off one morning to check these out. I was wayyy too exhausted after the lava tour to want to walk anymore so I slept the morning off. 

Rainbow Falls

Wailuku River State Park is home to the 80-foot Rainbow Falls and Pe'epe'e Falls which feeds the beautiful pools called Boiling Pots. Rainbow Falls is probably the more famous one because it is right in the middle of the city. Akaka Falls is another gorgeous waterfall that should be on the 'must see' list.

Pe'epe'e Falls and Boiling Pots

While you are in Hilo, do check out the Liliuokalani Gardens. I didn't get to go all the way in but just seeing it from the outside, it looked so gorgeous. If I had more time, I would've stayed here longer. The beach parks are beautiful. There was a cruise ship parked right outside our hotel. The food wasn't anything great. We tried a few places; we didn't like the food at all.  

There was this one breakfast place which we went to. We thought it was better than other food places we checked out. It is called Just Cruisin' Coffee. Although, it is famous for its variety of coffees but I thought their milkshakes were way better than the coffee. It is a drive-through coffee shop with very limited seating in the shop itself. There are a few breakfast options but whatever we ordered was good. 

Veggie croissant at Just Cruisin' Coffee

We read in a guide book that the best place to get good and cheap local cuisine was Cafe 100. We didn't like the food at all. Overall, I can't remember one good restaurants that I thought was worth spending money at.

From Hilo, we decided to take the Saddle road and drive to the summit of Mauna Kea. However, much of Mauna Kea is below sea level; when measured from its oceanic base, its height is 33,500 ft (10,200 m)—more than twice Mount Everest's base-to-peak height of 3,650-4,650 meters (11,980-15,260 ft). Mauna Kea is about one million years old, and thus passed the most active shield stage of life hundreds of thousands of years ago. Today, Mauna Kea's summit is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical observation because a number of factors create favorable observing conditions. We didn't have enough time to visit Mauna Kea in the night for star gazing (for what it is famous for) so we just went in the day and came back. Mauna Kea is one of the only places in the world where you can drive from sea level to 14,000 feet in about two hours.

Also, if you are wondering if it is safe to drive on the Saddle Road-- It is perfectly paved and there is nothing wrong with taking your rental car and driving down this road. It is the shortest connection road between Hilo and Kona. 

At Wailoa River State Park

While you're in Hilo, check out the statue of King Kamehameha. It is located at the front of the Wailoa River State Park. Kamehameha I, also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1810. He was one of the most striking figures in Hawaiian history, a leader who united and ruled the islands during a time of great cultural change. 

Also, if you are in Hilo and have some time, go check out the Punalu'u Black Sand Beach. It was once wiped out by a lava flow and now there is black sand. Literally, black sand. I've heard it's gorgeous. I got to drive by it but didn't have enough time to stop and click some pictures.

Walking along Alii Dr.

Our next stop was Kona, where it was sunny, busy and touristy. Kona side is very different from the Hilo side. We heard that the Hilo people don't go to Kona and the people from Kona don't go to Hilo. Apparently they don't like each other and both sides think they are superior than the other. We left our hotel and walked along the street and it was filled with tourists and little souvenir shops. I thought it was gorgeous. 

If you get time to do kayaking, I'd suggest to go to the Kealakekua Bay and kayak across to get to the Captain Cook Monument. This monument was built where Captain Cook died. To get there you can go by boat, kayak or hike down a mountain. I've heard the hike is hard. But I've heard snorkeling there is absolutely gorgeous. We only had three days at the Big Island and with a heavy heart, I had to chose to skip this.

I think my husband liked Hilo better and I liked Kona better. I would've liked Hilo more if it didn't rain there all the time. I feel happy where I can hold my camera in my hands and click pictures without worrying about it getting wet. I think the rain factor was the only thing that kept me from enjoying Hilo more, but I do agree that Hilo is way prettier than Kona. I'm a green lover; I love anything rich in the color green.

Hawaiian Shave Ice

While walking around, we decided to try the famous Hawaiian shave ice. I looooved it! I loved how there were just endless flavors that we could try. My best combination yet was litchi, mango and watermelon with lilikoi sauce. Condensed milk will also taste really good on the shave ice.

The next day, we went to check out Hapuna Beach. It is north of Kona and is considered one of the popular beaches of the Big Island. I really wanted to see the Mauna Kea beach as well. Apparently it is the only white sand beach here. But it was further north and had very limited parking space. 

At Hapuna Beach

Hapuna Beach was beautiful and the waves were easy enough for a quick swim in the sea. The water was beautiful and crystal clear. The sea was this gorgeous color of blue. Very picturesque. There were some tourists but it wasn't awfully crowded either.

Ankit + Akoo = Ankoo

There are loads of gorgeous beaches on the Big Island. It all depends on how much time you have and what your priorities are. After a brief swim in the sea and soaking up the sun, we headed back to Kona and got packed up for our flight to Oahu. 

I loved every moment spent on this island. I wish we had more time here. 

Loads of love!

x