EGG TOFU WITH VEGETABLES

     Tofu, also called "bean curd," is a fresh, cheese-like product made by curdling fresh soy milk. It is found in different variations in the market. Silken Tofu, Firm Tofu, Egg Tofu, Deep Fried Tofu. Though of Chinese origin, the idea of healthy eating easily bought Tofu into Western countries.
     Tofu has long been the most widely used soy food in the world. In China, South East & East Asian Countries, Soy Food along with Tofu are considered as a major protein intake as that of dairy products in another part of the world. Tofu is a versatile food from both nutritional and health perspective. Tofu is a good source of protein and contains essential amino acids. It is also an excellent source of Iron, Calcium, Manganese, Selenium, Phosphorous Magnesium, Copper, Zinc and vitamin B.
      Tofu has a neutral taste and a range of consistency which makes it compatible with most of the flavours and food. Egg tofu is a type of  Tofu flavoured with egg. It is usually available packaged in the tube form. Egg tofu has a pale yellow colour due to the addition of eggs in it. Egg Tofu has a silky soft texture and a fuller, less beany flavour than silken tofu. Egg Tofu is a creamy & softer compared to Firm Tofus and has a great taste too. They are commonly used in Chinese and Asian cooking - steamed or fried, or used in soups.
    Egg Tofu can be converted into a variety of dishes. They taste great as such, dust them with some Corn Flour, Deep fry and simply serve it with Thai Sauce or prepare a hot plate of Sizzling Tofu in an Egg Base, or simply Stir Fry and add them with any Vegetable or Spinach of your choice for a wonderful combination of  Egg Tofu Recipes.

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Cuisine : Chinese, South East Asian
Course : Side Dish
Difficulty : Low
Spice Level : Low
Serves : 3-4
Author : SM

Preparation Time : 10-15 Minutes
Cooking Time : 10 - 15 Minutes

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HOW TO MAKE STIR FRIED EGG TOFU WITH  VEGETABLES

INGREDIENTS:

To Deep Fry:

For Stir Frying:

Sauce Mix:

Light Soy Sauce - 1 Teaspoon
Oyster Sauce/ABC(Kicap Manis) Sauce -1/2 Tablespoon
Water - 4-5 Tablespoons

For Glazing: 

 EGG TOFU WITH VEGETABLES - STIR FRY

EGG TOFU WITH VEGETABLES

METHOD:

To Deep Fry Egg Tofu:

• Cut the Egg Tofu tube at the centre and carefully squeeze out the Tofu from the package.
• Gently slice the Egg Tofu.
• Dust the sliced tofu with Corn Flour.
• Heat oil in a Wok and deep-fry the Egg Tofu until they turn into a light golden brown colour. 
• Remove the Egg Tofu from oil and drain it on a paper towel.

Preparation:

• Clean, Wash and Slice the Carrots, Cut Broccoli into florets and snap the Sweet Peas into two. 
• Clean the Mushrooms and keep it aside(If using dry Shitake Mushrooms, soak them).
• Add all the ingredients mentioned under 'For Sauce Mix' in a bowl and mix well.
• Mix Corn Flour with Cold Water and mix well until there are no lumps and keep it aside.

For Egg Tofu and Vegetable Stir Fry:

• Heat oil in a pan, sauté finely chopped Garlic Cloves until fragrant.
• Add all the Vegetables along with a dash of Salt and Sugar.
• Stir-fry on a high flame for a few minutes until the vegetables are half cooked.
• Add the fried Egg Tofu and give a quick stir.
• Pour in the Sauce Mix and cook until all the Vegetables and Egg Tofu slices are well coated with the sauce mix.
• Finally, pour in the Cornflour mix to glaze the Vegetables and Egg Tofu.
• Allow it to boil on a high flame for a few minutes.

NOTES:

• Can add any Vegetable of your choice in this recipe along with Egg Tofu.
• Can prepare the same recipe with Vegetables alone.
• Adjust the amount of Salt accordingly(Sauces can make your dish salty)
• Adding a pinch of Sugar while cooking will help retain the colour of the vegetables. 
• Do not overcook the Vegetables.
• Dusting the Egg Tofu with Corn flour yields crispy Tofu Slices.
• Carefully toss the ingredients during the whole process, so that the ingredients are well coated with the sauce mix and glazed well.

STORAGE:

• Store unopened tofu in a refrigerator. 
• Once opened, store it in an airtight container in a refrigerator.
• Once opened, do not store it for long(use within two days or sooner).

CHINESE VEGETABLE & CHICKEN STIR FRY

    I love to cook the local way, the Malaysian Style, Thai, Chinese, all greatly influenced by my 15 years of living in Malaysia -the Food Haven. I am amazed by the simplicity of the dishes and all the more what I love about cooking Chinese food at home is, It is rather easy, and we can incorporate it in no time.

    This Chinese Style Vegetable & Chicken Stir fry is quite similar to the Vegetable Stir Fries, and the only difference is that we add some boneless Chicken pieces along with it, which gives an overall fullness to the dish.

    All the more, these recipes are inspired from the Chinese Restaurants we dine at, in Malaysia.  Initially, when we used to dine at such places, we loved to try different Stir-fries. Stir-fries with Veggies, stir-fried vegetables with Tofu or Chicken or Sausages. Veggies like Eggplants, Brocolli, Long Beans Stir fried  Stir-fried Greens like Baby Kailan, Bok Choy, Napa Cabbages Kang Kung etc., The introduction to these recipes gave me a new way of cooking and combining vegetables, egg, meat, salted fish, shrimps, or tofu into these stir fries.  And also these recipes gave me a total new revelation to cooking vegetables, the way it has to be, retaining the colour, texture, and nutrition.

    Chinese Style Vegetable & Chicken Stir Fry is a quick & easy Chinese dish, with a simple addition of seared Chicken pieces into it.  This style of cooking vegetables & chicken together adds a whole new dimension to the all plain vegetables.  

    But the secret behind perfect Chinese Style Stir Fry is the techniques you need to follow to get it right.  Keep in mind that the vegetables in the stir-fry should retain the colour, crunchiness, and freshness of the vegetables.  When perfectly done, this Chinese Style Vegetable & Chicken Stir Fry is going to be lustrous, gorgeously beautiful, presenting itself with a cornucopia of colours with a remarkable texture.  I love this stir-fry whatsoever.

CHINESE VEGETABLE & CHICKEN STIR FRY

    Just follow these simple tips and techniques for perfectly cooked Vegetable & Chicken Stir-fry.

VEGETABLES:

    As we need to stir-fry the vegetable in one quick movement in a high heat, it is always advisable to keep all the needed items ready side by side.  First clean, peel & cut the vegetables and when it comes to the Vegetables which you can add into this stir-fry, I mostly use Carrots, Mushrooms, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Capsicums & Snow peas. Can add Baby Corn too. If using mushrooms, use varieties like Button Mushrooms, Crimino Mushrooms, Shitake, or Oyster Mushrooms.  Small Beech or Bunapi Mushrooms also suits well for Vegetable stir fries.

BLANCHING THE VEGETABLES:

    Then I blanch the vegetables before stir-frying them.  Blanching shortens the time required for stir-frying.  And also the vegetables are cooked half way, retaining the shape & colour.  Then, while stir-frying, the idea is just to mix them up with the sautéed garlic and the sauces on a high heat.  This way the Stir Fry turns out to be perfectly cooked through, retaining the texture, colour, and all the more the nutrition. Once the Vegetables are blanched, you can straight away go with the stir-frying process.

    Then mince the Garlic, Cut the Onions into big pieces and then thinly slice the bird's eye chillies.  Well, I do add a Bird's eye chilli into this Stir Fry.  After all, the taste buds of Indian ethnicity asks for a bit of heat in everything.  You can totally skip it in this recipe.

SEARING THE CHICKEN:

    Well, any Chinese restaurant style Chicken recipes, habe an extremely tender and silky texture.  Soft & Succulent Chicken pieces.  The secrfet behind this velvety texture is that, most Chinese Chefs "treat" the chicken with baking soda.  Baking Soda removes the "meaty" odour and also tenderizes it at the same time.

    Searing a Chicken/Meat is a simple cooking technique where the meat is tosses in hot oil (a litlle amount just to coat the pan) until the colour changes.  This method changes the chemical composition in the meat creating an intense flavour and develop a perfect texture.  And the main point is that they are not deep fried.

SAUCE:

    The next step is to get the sauce ready.  The idea of a sauce in a stir-fry is to add taste and flavour into the bland vegetables.  So you can get easy with the type of sauce you use.  Commonly Oyster Sauce is used along with seasoning like salt, sugar and a dash of white pepper powder.  I love to add the popular locally available ABC Sauce, which is a sweet thick soy sauce with caramelized palm sugar in it. Alternatively, can add Dark Soy Sauce.  I have added the Corn Flour slurry into the sauce mix.  So, you do not need to add ‘cornflour slurry’  during stir-frying.  Corn flour slurry glazes & gives a sheen to the stir-fried vegetables. 

STIR-FRYING:

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Cuisine – Chinese; Southeast Asian
Recipe Type – Stir Fry
Spice Level – Low
Difficulty – Easy
 Serves - 2–3
Author – SM

Preparation Time - 15–20 Minutes
Cooking Time - 5–10 Minutes
 

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HOW TO MAKE CHINESE VEGETABLE & CHICKEN STIR FRY

CHINESE VEGETABLE & CHICKEN STIR FRY

INGREDIENTS:

Vegetables:

Carrots – 1/2 Cup
Broccoli – 1/2 Cup
Cauliflower – 1/2 Cup
Snow Peas – 1/2 Cup
Mushroom – 1/2 Cup 

VEGETABLE STEW

        "Vegetable Stew" is a combination of classic Vegetables slow-cooked in a liquid particularly on a very low flame. But when it comes to "Kerala Style Stew" colloquially called "ISHTU" it is cooked with Coconut Milk which results in a creamy, rich textured stew. Kerala Stew is usually not allowed to boil, but simmered to perfection, that the essence of Meat, Vegetables, Seasoning and Flavourings get infused into the dish. A dish which took twists & turns and which finally got confined to the taste buds of a typical Keralite.
     

    This Vegetable Stew is totally a vegetarian version of a typical Kerala Stew, but authentically Vegetable stew stands as a base to all other stews originating from the region.  Basically, a vegetarian dish slowly adapted into using Chicken, Lamb/Mutton, Beef or Duck in it.  The base for a Kerala Stew is Coconut Milk.   The mild usage of local spices and condiments enhances the flavours with only a subtle note of the ingredients and all the more perfectly retaining the white colour which is synonymous to Kerala stew. Creamy and light on Masala, this dish stands out for its unique & versatile flavours. Add Mutton for a "Mutton Stew" & Chicken for "Chicken Stew" to this basic Vegetable Stew.  Yet another version of unique "Minced Meat Stew" can be prepared with Minced Meat too.
     

    Stew is usually served along with Appam, Idiyappam or Puttu.  It goes well with Bread too.  It is one of the most frequented dishes in a Kerala household. And especially, on the day of Christmas and Easter, it is an unavoidable breakfast dish in our household, a tradition picked up from my MIL. Mutton/Beef Stew is quite famous among the Christian families of Kerala and is served for festivals like Christmas, Easter, and special occasions like Weddings, Christenings, Anniversaries... Not an exaggeration, but any special occasion calls for the combination of Appam, Stew & Cutlets, at home.

      So, an all good Vegetarian version of a Kerala Stew made only with vegetables, like Carrots, Green Peas & Potatoes. Add classic vegetables like Beans, Cauliflower or any other vegetables of your choice along with the above for a whole lot of Veggie filled Kerala Stew.  If you are in a mood for a Vegetarian Version of this classic stew, then this recipe is for you and I make this Vegetable Stew when I am in a mood for a light Stew.


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Cuisine - Kerala
Recipe Type - Stew
Course - Side Dish
Spice Level - Low - Medium
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 4- 6
Author - SM

HOW TO COOK VEGETABLE STEW

VEGETABLE STEW

INGREDIENTS:

Spices:

For Vegetable Stew:

Carrot - 1 Cup
Green Peas - 1/2 -3/4 Cup
Potatoes - 1 Cup
Onions - 1 No.
Ginger 1" Piece - 1 No.
Green Chillies - 5-6 No's.
Garam Masala - 1 Teaspoon
Thick Coconut Milk - 1 Cup
Thin Coconut Milk -  2 - 21/2 Cups
Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs
Salt - To Taste
Coconut Oil - 2 Tablespoons

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To Garnish:

Coriander Leaves - a few

VEGETABLE STEW

METHOD:

For Vegetable Stew:

• Clean, Peel and dice Carrots and Potatoes.
• Extract Coconut Milk and keep it aside.
• Cut Onion into thin Slices, slit the Green Chillies and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter the ingredients mentioned under 'Spices' on a medium flame.
• Sauté Onions and Curry leaves along with the spices until onions turn translucent.
• Add slit Green Chillies and finely chopped Ginger to the above and sauté for a while.
• Sprinkle Garam Masala and fry this on a very low flame until fragrant(optional).
• Add Carrots, Peas and Potatoes to the above and mix well.
• Sprinkle some salt and a pinch of sugar.
• Add enough water for the Vegetables to cook.
• Once the Vegetables are cooked, pour Thin Coconut Milk and mix well.
• Leave this to boil on a very low flame, stirring occasionally.
• Finally, pour in the Thick Coconut Milk and give a quick stir.
• Leave this on a low flame for a few more minutes.
• Finally, garnish it with Coriander Leaves.
• This Creamy Vegetable Stew is ready to be served with Appam, Idiyappam, Puttu or any dish of your choice.
• Goes well with Bread too. 

VEGETABLE STEW

NOTES:

• Adjust the number of Green Chillies to suit your spice level.
• If you want spicy stew, can add a few more Green Chillies, or finally sprinkle some white pepper over the stew (this is to retain the white colour of the stew).
• If cooking this Vegetable stew along with any meat, adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• Can add Mutton/Lamb, Beef or Chicken to this Vegetable Stew. 
• Can try making Stew with Minced Meat too.  
• But we add a combination of Vegetables along with Meat while making Stew at home.
• Some Stew recipes just add Potatoes along with the Meat.
• Use any preferred classic Vegetables for this recipe.  Normally Carrots, Potatoes, Green Peas, beans etc., are used.
• If cooking the Vegetables in a pressure cooker, just cook it for a whistle.  
• Adding Garam Masala is totally optional. 
• Can use any vegetable oil for the recipe. But Coconut Oil gives an authentic touch to this typical Kerala Stew.
• I usually add about 3-4 teaspoons of Milk Powder along with Coconut Milk, which gives you a creamy white coloured Stew.  But it is purely optional.
  

     "Summer proclaims its arrival with a Midas touch" - Bunches of Golden Shower Flowers drooping out from the trees - Kani Konna Poo.  Shredding the beauty and bounty announcing the arrival of New Year in South India. Tamil New Year otherwise called as Tamizh Puthandu/Tamizh Varusha Pirappu also has different names like Chithirai Kani, Chithirai Puthandu as it falls during the Tamil month of Chithirai(April).  The beginning of Chithirai(mid of April) month is considered as the beginning of New Year in different cultures in India.  The same festival is celebrated with different names like Vishu in Kerala, Ugadi in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Gudi Padwa in Maharashtra, Pana Sankranthi in Odisha etc.,

VELLIRIKKA MORU CURRY/PULISSERY

     Moru Curry/Moru Kootan is a simple Kerala Style Curry prepared with Curd(Yogurt) /Buttermilk.  Moru Curry can be prepared with or without Coconut. 'Moru' means 'Buttermilk' in Malayalam, but more or less the recipe usually calls for sour Curd/Yogurt as a base for Moru Curry/Moru Kootan.
 

    Moru Curry is one must-have item served under Ozhichu Curries in Kerala Sadhya(banquet) i.e. the ones normally mixed along with rice and eaten. Moru Kootan is normally prepared with Coconut(Kerala Dishes without Coconuts?) ground to a fine paste along with Green Chillies, Ginger/Garlic, Cumin Seeds, and then it is mixed along with Curd/Yogurt. The flavour of Moru Curry is enhanced with its mild seasoning, normally with Mustard seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Dry Chillies and Curry Leaves.  Some recipes call for Shallots while seasoning, but when it is prepared for a Sadhya/Banquet, shallots and garlic are avoided in the dish.   

    You can find a wide range of Moru Curry or colloquially called Pulissery when it comes to Kerala Cuisine. Moru Curry/Moru Kootan is a commonly & frequently prepared side dish in a Kerala household.

Prevalent Moru Curry/Pulissery from God's own Country:

• Kumbalanga/Ash Gourd Moru Curry
• Simple Moru Kachiyathu/Morukoottaan (with no Vegetables/fruits)
• Chena(Elephant Yam) Moru Curry
• Chembu(Taro) Moru Curry
• Nendhra Kaya Moru Curry
  
• Vellirikka(Yellow Cucumber) Moru Curry 
• Vendakka Moru Curry
  
• Mathanga Pulissery
  
• Mambazha Pulissery
• Pineapple Pulissery
• Nendhra Pazha Pulissery

    The list is long enough, but the recipe remains the same irrespective of the type of Vegetable or Fruit used for this Curry. In this recipe, I have used fresh Cucumber slices.  I have not cooked the Cucumber, and I love the freshness and crunchiness of fresh Cucumbers in this Moru Curry.  Just add a few slices of fresh Cucumber when the Moru Curry is still hot and leave it aside until you serve.

VELLIRIKKA MORU CURRY/PULISSERY

    Fresh Cucumbers & Moru Curry would be one best dish for Summer and also would suit well to be served in a Sadhya for the upcoming Vishu.  It is quite common in an Indian household to cook accordingly during seasons and in summer you can find a wide range of recipes with water laden vegetables and body cooling ingredients. Vellirikka Moru Curry along with Yogurt/buttermilk and mild seasoning is an absolute treat when served with hot white rice/Kerala Rose Matta Rice. Apart from being a wonderful and soothing curry, this fresh Cucumber Moru Curry also serves best for digestion.

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Preparation Time - 7 - 10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 15 - 20 Minutes

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HOW TO MAKE VELLIRIKKA MORU CURRY/YOGURT CURRY WITH FRESH CUCUMBER

VELLIRIKKA MORU CURRY/PULISSERY

 INGREDIENTS:

FOR MORU CURRY WITH FRESH CUCUMBER:

To Grind:

For Seasoning:

METHOD:

• Whisk the Curd/Yogurt with a pinch of Salt and keep it aside.
• Wash, and cut off the ends of the Cucumber and then cut it into big pieces. Keep them aside.
• Grind grated Coconuts with Green Chillies, Garlic clove and Cumin Seeds to a fine paste, adding 1/4 Cup of Water.  If required, adjust the water needed to grind the paste.  
• Pour the ground coconut mixture into a pan, add turmeric powder & salt to it and mix well.
• Cook this on a very low flame until the Curry is just about to boil.
• Pour in the beaten Curd/Yogurt mix and give a quick stir.
• Keep this on a very low flame and cook for a brief moment, stirring continuously.
• Switch off the flame.
• For tempering, heat Coconut Oil in a pan, splutter Mustard Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Dry Red Chillies and Curry Leaves in it.
• Pour the tempering into the Moru Curry
• Now add fresh Cucumber pieces and give a quick stir.
• Cover and keep it aside until you serve. 
• Serve Vellirikka Moru Curry along with steamed white Rice/ Kerala Rose Matta Rice.
  

VELLIRIKKA MORU CURRY/PULISSERY

NOTES:

• Sour Curd/Yogurt serves best for the recipe.
• Let the Curd/ Buttermilk be at room temperature before adding it into the Curry.
• Do not over boil after adding Curd/Buttermilk to the Curry.
• Otherwise, the curry may curdle and become watery.
• Stir continuously while boiling the coconut mix and after adding Curd/Buttermilk.
• Coconut should be ground to a fine paste with the required amount of water. Make sure not to pour in more water, which can make the Moru Curry Watery.
• I have used fresh cucumber(green tender variety) pieces in this moru curry.  I have not cooked it.
  
• Can cook the same Vellirikka Moru Curry with Yellow Cucumber.  
• While using Yellow Cucumber, Cook the Vegetables with very little water, just enough to cook them and make sure the water is dried up before adding the Coconut Paste.  Otherwise, the Moru Curry would tend to become watery.
• Can add a pinch of Sugar, if preferred.
• Coconut oil gives an authentic flavour to the dish, can use any other vegetable oil for the purpose. 
• If preparing for Sadhya can avoid adding the garlic clove.

Christmas Bliss - Fruit Cake & Homemade Wine

Why Kerala is the Ultimate Destination for Christmas and New Year Celebrations

     If there's one place I always dream of visiting during the festive season, it’s Kerala — especially during Christmas or Onam. The charm of Kerala's celebrations is undeniable, and it truly feels like "home" no matter where I am in the world. After all the travel restrictions and the pandemic, I’ve found myself missing India more than ever. As my husband often says, “The true spirit of Christmas can only be felt once you step into God’s Own Country.”