Chicken Soup

Chicken manchurian

NORTHEAST INDIA | RAJIV PRASAD

Chicken Manchurian was my all-time favourite during COVID lockdown. It is liked by my daughter and wife as well. It’s a quick recipe with Indo-Chinese fusion and a great taste.

Cooking Time: 20–25 minutes Serves: 3–4

Ingredients Method

500g boneless chicken* 2 eggs

Marinating 1. Dice the chicken into small pieces 2–3 green chillies, and keep it in a bowl. sliced (optional) 2. Add the eggs, 2 tablespoons each of corn flour 3 tbsp corn flour and plain flour, 1 tablespoon dark soya sauce, 2 tbsp plain flour 1 teaspoon vinegar and salt to taste, and mix 6–8 garlic cloves, well together. Keep in fridge for 30 minutes. finely chopped 2 medium onions, diced Cooking 2–3 spring onions, chopped 1. Heat cooking oil in a frying pan and ½ of each—green, red, and deep fry the chicken pieces. Drain on yellow pepper, chopped kitchen towel to remove excess oil. ½ tsp MSG/Chinese salt 2. Take another pan and add 2–3 tablespoons ½ tsp black of oil on medium flame. peppercorns, crushed 3. Add chopped green chillies and garlic to 2 tbsp vinegar pan. Now keep flame high and add onions 2 tbsp dark soya sauce and peppers, then cook until soft. • 1 tbsp chilli sauce • salt to taste • oil for deep-frying 4. Add some salt, dark soya sauce, chilli sauce, and MSG or Chinese salt, mix well, then cook for 2–3 minutes.

5.

6. Take a small bowl or cup, add 2 tablespoons corn flour, and mix with water. Add some of this mixture and sauté; keep some for adding before final step. Now add fried chicken pieces to pan with remaining vinegar and dark soya sauce and mix well until sauce coats the chicken pieces.

7. Add remaining corn flour mix and chopped spring onion and mix finally again for 1 minute. Finish with crushed black peppercorn before serving.

* For vegetarian version, replace chicken with paneer (cottage cheese) and exclude eggs while marinating.

* For vegan version, replace chicken with tofu and exclude eggs while marinating.

Poda Pitha

Poda pitha is our traditional cake-making process. During my childhood, our grandmother used to prepare it on the occasion of any festival. Once cooked it will stay good for a couple of days to eat later.

Cooking Time: 60 minutes Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

½ cup black gram lentil (also called urad dal) 1 cup rice 1 cup jaggery (an unrefined sugar, for best results, but other sugar can be substituted) 1 cup shredded or desiccated coconut 2 tbsp chopped raisins 1 tsp of green cardamom powder

Method

1.

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4. Soak the rice and black gram lentil overnight in a bowl. In the morning, use a grinder to make a smooth paste using a little water. Keep the batter for at least 6-7 hours in a warm place to ferment. Add green cardamom powder, cashew nuts, raisins, jaggery (or sugar), and shredded coconut. Use a spoon or spatula to mix well all together. Pre-heat oven to 170°C . Use butter paper or grease a baking tray with clarified butter. Transfer the batter from your mixing bowl to the baking tray and bake for 45 minutes. Once cooked, keep the tray outside to cool down. Make small pieces of the poda pitha to serve.