RM#2 : Day 4 - Idli Manchurian

Idli Manchurian is one of my favourite dish. Once when I had gone to a hotel in Chennai I ordered for this dish. I liked the name very much. Indian-Chinese Combo. And it tasted very good. We liked it very much. But then my husband told me that he thinks its made from old idli. So we didn't want to eat it in a hotel next time. But we liked the dish very much and decided to make it home myself. What I did was, I adapted the manchurian recipe which I already knew to suit this one. And it was yummy and lip-smacking.

Idli Manchurian
Ingredients  
Quartered Idlis - 2 cups

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Chopped Onion - 1 medium
Chopped Bell pepper - 1
Chopped Spring Onions - 3
Green Chillies - 3, chopped finely
Garlic - 1-2 tsp, minced
Soyasauce - 2 t.sp
Chilli sauce - 1 tsp, ( I used Tabasco)
Ketchup - 2 tsp
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
Oil
Salt - to taste

Method
Marinate the Idlis with the mixture of chilli powder, 1 t.sp soya sauce, 1 t.sp ketchup, salt and cornflour. Add water only if needed. Ensure that the idlis are well coated with the mixture. Cover and keep it for about 15 to 20 min. 
Heat a non-stick pan and shallow fry the idlis till golden brown and crisp. Remove and keep aside. Heat some more oil and saute the chopped onion and garlic. Till the onion becomes translucent. Add the chopped bell pepper and saute for a min or 2. Then add rest of the ingredients. Cook for a min. Keep aside. 
While serving, heat the gravy a little add the crispy idlis and garnish with spring onions.
It is easy right. And yummy way to use old idlis rather than the usual Idli uppuma.

Submitting this post to Srivalli's Rice Mela. 

Now lets see what's cooking up in my fellow marathoner's kitchen ?

1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga

20)Sripriya

21)Viji

Saucy Soya Manchurian

Soya is good for health in many ways. It improves bone health, relieves menopausal symptoms, reduces risk of heart diseases, prevents cancer and above is very nutritive, full of rich proteins.
Moreover my children like soya chunks more than any other soya product. And so I made this Saucy Soya Manchurian for them.

Saucy Soya Manchurian
Ingredients
Soya chunks - 100 gm
For Marinating Soya Chunks
Gram Flour - 1/4 cup
Maida - 1/4 cup
Cornflour - 1/4 cup
Red Chili powder - 1/2 t.sp
Soya Sauce - 1 t.sp
Chili sauce - 1 t.sp
Tomato sauce - 1 t.sp
Salt to taste
For the Sauce
Big Onion -  1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Garlic pods - 5 (finely chopped)
Capsicum - 1 (optional)
Cornflour - 2 t.sp
Red Chili powder - 1/2 t.sp
Salt to taste
Soya Sauce - 1 t.sp
Tomato Sauce - 2 t.sp
Spring onions green for garnishing

Method
Cook the soya chunks in salted boiling water for about 5 min. Drain the water and let it cool. Squeeze the chunks and repeat the above process about 2 - 3 times.
Add all the ingredients given for marinating & marinate the squeezed soya chunks for about 1/2 hr. Add water only if needed. In the meantime chop the capsicum, onions & garlic finely. Heat oil in a pan for frying the marinated soya chunks. Fry the soya chunks till they are golden brown in colour. Heat another pan with 1 tb.sp oil. Add the chopped onions, garlic. Saute for 2 min. Add the capsicums and saute. Add the red chilli powder and all the sauces. And salt. Add little water and let the gravy boil for about 1 min. Now add the cornflour mixed in 1 tb.sp water to the gravy. Allow the sauce to thicken. In the end add the fried soya chunks. Garnish with Spring Onions & serve.

It can be taken as it is or as a side dish for chappathis, parathas etc.

And this post is going to the event FIC : Brown hosted by Sunshinemom of Tongue Ticklers.