Vegetable Spring Packets

Today I was planning to make Chinese Vegetable Noodles and ended up chopping more veggies than required. So decided to try a spring roll. After kneading the dough, I realized that the maida we bought from a Little India store here is totally different from the ones available in India. (Infact it is marked as "wheat flour" on the packet :-)) and the store boy said that it is actually maida but folks here call it wheat flour)!! After this revelation, it takes double the time to shop for groceries here (actually 2+ hours much to the agony of PK who has to manage Ad during those times) as I read every packet thoroughly!.

So the "wheat flour alias maida"dough didnt allow me to roll out bigger "chappathis" for the spring roll. Thus was born the improvised cousin of the spring roll - Spring Packets. You can use any kind of vegetables - even left over poriyals to make this tasty evening snack.

Spring Packets

Ingredients:

For the Packets:

1 cup maida / all purpose flour

1 teaspoon oil

a pinch of salt

For the Stuffing: - Cut all these veggies into thin strips

1 Carrot

1/2 Capsicum

1/4 Cabbage

1/2 Onion

1/2 teaspoon finely shredded Garlic

1 teaspoon Soya Sauce

1 teaspoon Tomato Chilly Sauce (any store brought brand like Maggi / Kissan)

a pinch of pepper

salt to taste

1 teaspoon oil (I always prefer sesame oil for chinese dishes. Any oil can be used)

2 tblspoon oil for frying the packets

Method:

For the Packet: Mix all the ingredients into a dough and roll it into a round chappath shapei. Cut the chapathi into two halfs (semi circle).

For the Stuffing:

1. Heat Oil in a pan and add the shredded garlic. Fry for a minute.

2. Add the onion and fry for a bit.

3. Add the cabbage, carrot and capsicum and fry till soft but crunchy.

4. Mix in salt, soya sauce and pepper and fry for a minute.

5, Remove from fire and cool the mixture.

For the Packets:

1. Roast the chappathi on a tava on one side only with a little oil.

2. Remove and cut into two halfs (semi circle)

3. Place a little stuffing on the cooked side and fold the packet and seal it with the raw side of hte dough.

4. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, fry the sealed packets until cooked.

Serve with hot tomato sauce.

You may also like to:

• Add cooked chicken pieces / mushroom / noodles
• This can be deep fried as well for indulgent folks



A Simple Corn Salad

It has been quite sometime since I have posted or even opened my blog. The last couple of months have been hectic with huge winds of change blowing our way. I have finally quit my job and packed my bags and we have moved "lock stock and barrel" to Penang where PK has taken up a new job. (Well actually it is lock stock and two pressure cookers to be exact!!.

A new country, a new house and lots of time on my hand. The initial bouts of homesickness have settled down a bit (I am sure it wont go away at any time :-( - and we would just get used to it). So I am back with a bang and hopefully would be able to post a lot of my cooking experiments and a little bit about the food here in Malaysia.

Sweet Corn became a rage in good old Chennai a few years back with a stall in every corner. Today's snack is one of my favorites and brings sweet memories of rainy Chennai and shopping expeditions with my sis. Here is my version of a healthy corn salad.

Simple Corn Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup Frozen or fresh corn kernels
1 teaspoon olive oil (I use butter i/o olive oil when I make this for the kids). You can also use amul lite for a tasty but healthy version.
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 green chilly or dried red chilly - finely diced
1 big pinch of oregano
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste


Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan
2. Add the garlic and chillies. Do not brown the garlic but let it fry mildly.
3. Add the corn. If you are using frozen corn, the water content would be sufficient to cook the corn. Else sprinkle a little water.
4. When the corn is cooked (and looks plump and yellow!) add the salt and fry for a bit until there is no water remaining
5. Garnish with oregano and lemon juice.

You may also :

• add capsicum / mushrooms / diced tomatoes / lettuce / Spring onions and make it into salad for a main course.
• substitute chaat masala / chilly flakes  for oregano
• also add grated ginger with or without the garlic
• garnish with little bit of grated cheese

 It is an good snack when you have surprise guests as it can be whipped up in a jiffy. Serve hot / warm or cold. In our house it does not get served - it vanishes straight from the pan :-)