It has been a chaotic with cooking classes and parties to attend. I wanted to be served, rather than serve anyone any food, be it frozen or even sticking in the microwave, so off we went to our favorite hole in the wall Mexican resturant and that immediately gives me the boost I want and then off to cooking in our tiny kitchen.

We have recently begun to buy vegetables and fruits from here and it is such a delight that we do not have to go shopping to any store, forget saving gas, we save some moolah from not buying spices and “stuff” that has to patiently wait for it’s turn.

We got some cauliflower in our box last week and decided to make Cauliflower Manchurian. Now, we have a spice mix that we got from Salem. The vegetable vendor, who carries a large basket over her head is quite the entrepreneur, when you buy a Cauliflower, she asks if you would like the Manchurian mix and sells that as well. Kind of like Amazon saying, “if you buy this, you may also like this”

We mixed a batch of some blanched cauliflower with that spice mix and baked it in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes and then broiled for 5. With no oil, we must say the results were fantastic, but the spice mix was SPICY!

Another batch, here is what we did

AP Flour – 1/4 cup
Corn Starch – 2 T
Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Ginger – 1 T (minced)
Garlic – 1 pod (minced)
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Water – a couple of tablespoons

Make a smooth batter and add the cauliflower & mix till they are well coated. Let it sit for atleast 30 minutes.

In the meanwhile do this..

Onion – 1/2 cup thinly sliced
Green Chillies – 1 slit in two
Bell Pepper – 1 (chopped)

Heat about 2 T oil in a pan, and start shallow frying the cauliflower until it turns dark brown. Flip it over and do the same. Repeat the process for the entire batch and set it aside on a paper towel.

In the same pan, add the onions, green chilly and bell pepper and saute for a few minutes.

Add

Regular ketchup – 1 tsp
Hot Ketchup – 1 tsp
Soy Sauce – a sprinkle
Red Chili paste – 1 tsp

Combine the sauces with the cauliflower and serve!

This is all we had for dinner last night – two different versions of the cauliflower along with some fruits.