Vegetarian Chinese Fried Rice Quinoa

Know What You Eat: Quinoa "the superfood of universe" is food of high protein quality and is typically regarded as an adequate source of all essential amino acids, including lysine and isoleucine.

Quinoa is a perfect food to include on a gluten-free diet, since it not only lacks gluten but doesn't even belong to the same plant family as wheat, oats, barley, or rye. 

Interest in quinoa has recently spread to India and many other Asian countries. Veg. Chinese Fried "Rice" Quinoa is just an inspiration for those taste buds looking for Asian flavor to try this new grain.

Quinoa is generally available in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. Whether purchasing quinoa in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure that there is no evidence of moisture. When deciding upon the amount to purchase, remember that quinoa expands during the cooking process to several times its original size. If you cannot find it in your local supermarket, look for it at natural foods stores, which usually carry it. Here is where I purchase in bulk. 

Veg. Chinese Fried Rice Quinoa

How to cook basic Quinoa:

1 C uncooked quinoa

2 C water or vegetable broth

Method:

1. Bring quinoa and liquid to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Yield: 3 cups cooked quinoa

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Ingredients for Chinese Fried Quinoa

3 C Cooked Quinoa

1/2 C Boiled Peas

1/2 C Chopped Carrot

3/4 C Chopped Red/ White Onion

1/4 C Chopped Spring Onion

1/4 C Chopped French Beans

1 C Finely shredded Cabbage
1/2 C Chopped Red/Yellow/Green/Orange Bell Pepper (adding green bell pepper tastes equally good)

4-6 Pods Chopped Garlic

1     inch Chopped Ginger

1/2  tsp Black Pepper powder

4-5 Tbsp Sesame/Canola Oil

Fresh chopped cilantro

Salt to taste

Sauces:

1 Tbsp Dark chili Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp green chili sauce

2 Tbsp White Vinegar

Method to prepare Chinese Fried Quinoa:

1.. Prepare Quinoa and keep it aside.

2.. Chop all the veggies finely and keep aside, you can also blanch them before use. (carrot and beans take more time to cook)

3.. Heat oil in a wok or a pan. 

4.. Add chopped onions and cook till translucent, now add garlic & ginger and saute for few seconds. Do not turn brown.

5.. Time to add chopped french beans, carrots and bell peppers, now increase the flame on a high and stir fry the veggies on a high flame while continuously toss and stir them. Make sure all veggies are cooked well yet they are crispy.

6.. Add soy sauce, chili sauce, salt, pepper & vinegar. (Soy sauce do have salt in it, so add less salt than you would usually do)

7.. Stir well and add shredded cabbage spring onion greens & cooked quinoa.

8.. Gently mix everything well. Garnish with cilantro.

                       
                   Enjoy Veg Chinese Fried Rice Quinoa with or without other gravy.

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Indo-Chinese Vegetable Spring-rolls for Spring & A Blog Vacation!!

Know What U Eat: Popular Indo-chinese vegetable spring-rolls, a quick and easy to make anytime snack. How did it got its name?? In China, spring rolls are closely associated with the Spring Festival, which explains the origin of their name. The Spring Festival celebrates the new year and new growth, and many foods are served during the multi-day festival to get celebrants in the mood. Traditional spring rolls have fresh vegetables, green shoots, and light wrappers so that they have a delicate flavor and a light texture which is meant to evoke spring. We too celebrated 1st day of spring this year, making these easy to make spring-rolls.

Ingredients:
12 Spring roll wraps (available in any grocery store)
1Tbsp all purpose flour + water for paste to seal edges
1 C Green/White Cabbage, finely shredded;
1 C Carrot, cut into thin long strips;
1 C French Beans, finely chopped lengthwise;
1/2 C Red onions, finely sliced;
1/2 C Bean sprouts;
1 Medium Bell pepper, cut into thin long strips
3 Green chillies, chopped (add chilly sauce, optional)
1/2 tsp Ginger, minced
1 tsp Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Soya Sauce
1/2 tsp White pepper
1-2 tsp of vinegar
Salt to taste
Oil for frying


Method:
1.  Defrost springroll wraps, untill 30 mins or follow instructions of label.
2.  Meanwhile, in a broad pan, add all the veggies + sprouts with some water, cover and cook for a 3-4 mins. Do not over cook. Once done, remove all the excess water by pouring all the veggies in a muslin cloth,  tie & twist it, to remove all the water.
3.  Now to these veggies combine, ginger, garlic, chillies, soya sauce, salt, pepper, vinegar, mix thoroughly. Divide these mixture into 12 portions. Set aside.
4. Once spring roll sheets are thawed, separate each sheet carefully, and place it on a board. Cover the rest of the sheets with damp towel if necessary.
5. Place the veggie mixture over the sheet in the center. Fold in the sides and form a tight horizontal roll see the picture, sealing the edge with a little flour and water paste. Similarly make all the twelve wraps.
6. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Put them on a tissue paper and cut them into 1 inch pieces. Serve the vegetarian spring roll hot with a mixture of red-garlic sauce with some ketchup.

One Successful Year: A big thank you to all our readers and who wished for our 1st Blog Anniversary, soon until we realized, it was one complete year of blogging, March 29th of last year when I and my co-blogger Sadhana, thought of starting a blog which not only have "recipes", but also put some focus on our day to day eating habits, Our "Know what U Eat" section always lets us understand the nutritional value, and let us keep a close watch on what we eat and serve to our families..Beside sharing some home-made recipes & participating in ongoing events, we also put efforts in collecting important information regarding some products available in market, which are being used in almost all the food we prepare here at home. For eg: we talked about xylitol, msg, natural sweet-ners, diabetic diet, gluten free diet, range & benefits of healthy baking, lots of other things &overall vegetarian cooking. Also hosting complete series of Home Remedies 1, 2 so on - A forgotten Ayurveda- to pass on to our next generation. Email us at a2zvegetariancuisine (at) gmail (dot) com, if you are interested in guest hosting next available series...Not to forget made so many blog-pals, well-wisher's & anonymous along the way..your comments, suggestions are always appreciated.. 

Blog Vacation: Am all set for my NET test due in the month of April..and still preparing..w'll be on a short break for a while, but will soon resume..Until then take care, and please continue your ongoing love & support.

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Vegetable Manchow Soup

Weather is just getting perfect for soups like this..Vegetable Manchow soup is our family's favourite among different soups I make, where it becomes just perfect to have most of the veggies..with very little cornflour, just enough that it looks almost looks more clear than thick...Enjoy this perfect winter & health treat..

MSG is it safe for you ? Your opinions/ suggestions/pros-cons welcome..

Most of us know Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and processed meats. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified MSG as a food ingredient that is "generally recognized as safe," the use of MSG remains controversial.

MSG has been used as a food additive for decades. Over the years, the FDA has received many anecdotal reports of adverse reactions to foods containing MSG. But subsequent research found no definitive evidence of a link between MSG and the symptoms that some people described after eating food containing MSG. As a result, MSG is still added to some foods. A comprehensive review of all available scientific data on glutamate safety sponsored by the FDA in 1995 reaffirmed the safety of MSG when consumed at levels typically used in cooking and food manufacturing. The report found no evidence to suggest that MSG contributes to any long-term health problems, such as Alzheimer's disease. But it did acknowledge that some people may have short-term reactions to MSG. These reactions — known as MSG symptom complex — may include: Headache, sometimes called MSG headache, Flushing,Sweating,Sense of facial pressure or tightness,Numbness, tingling or burning in or around the mouth, Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations),Chest pain,Shortness of breath,Nausea,Weakness,Symptoms are usually mild and don't require treatment. However, some people report more severe reactions. The only way to prevent a reaction is to avoid foods containing MSG. When MSG is added to food, the FDA requires that "monosodium glutamate" be listed on the label — or on the menu, in restaurants. Please let us know about anything you might know about MSG..which could be beneficial to our readers...

Ingredients:


1 Tbsp Canola Oil
2 Tbsp fresh garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 C spring onions, finely chopped, set aside white & green separately
5 C Vegetable stock/water
2 C mixed vegetables (carrot, bellpepper, french beans,cauliflower & cabbage), finely chopped
1 Tbsp Ming's dark soya sauce
1 Tbsp red chilli sauce/ OR Tomato ketchup & avoid adding sugar
1/4tsp sugar if using red chilli sauce
2 Tbsp cornflour (thickening agent)
1 Tbsp vinegar/ fresh lemon juice
1/2 C coriander, chopped
2 pinches of black pepper powder
Noodles can also be added, just boil it, deep fry when cold. (optional)
Salt to taste


Method:


1.. Heat oil in a pot. Add ginger, garlic, green chilli and spring onion the whites & black pepper powderfor approximately 2 mins.
2.. Add vegetables then the stock/water,now add salt and bring to a boil. Add soya sauce,chilli sauce, sugar, and simmer for 4-5 mins.
3.. In a cup mix cornflour in 2-3tbs water mix it well, avoid any lumps, now add this mixture to soup. Let it cook untill it gets slightly thick.
4.. Remove from flame, now add vinegar and garnish with spring onion greens,fried noodles and serve hot with Vegetable Chinese Rice.

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Jain Indo Chinese Manchurian

No Onion No Garlic
Jain Indo Chinese Manchurian

(discard carrots,ginger if you want to make pure Jain)

Ingredients:

2 C grated cabbage
2 C grated carrots (optional)
1/2 C chopped cauliflower
1 Tbsp chopped ginger & green chilli
1 Tbsp chopped coriander
1 Tbsp Corn Starch
1 C cooked / leftover rice
1 Tbsp Ming's Dark Soya Sauce
1 tsp Pepper Powder
1 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

For Gravy:

2 Tbsp tomato ketcup
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 Cup chopped cabbage/cauliflower/cilantro
3 tsp Soya Sauce
1/2 tsp vinegar
Salt to taste


Method:

1. Mix grated cabbage and carrots and squeeze the water out from them.
2. Now in a bowl take the squeezed cabbage and carrots, cauliflower, cilantro, cooked rice, soya sauce and mix 1 tbsp. corn starch and add few chopped ginger & chilies acc. to how hot can you handle, little salt and sugar to it.
3. Make small balls (like koftas) of the mixture .
4. On a medium high flame, heat the oil in a kadhai / wok and deep fry the balls till golden brown, drain and keep aside.
5. Now in a separate pan heat 2 tbsp oil.
6. Sauté chopped cabbage cauliflower, green chilies and coriander.
7. Add tomato ketchup, water, salt, pepper powder,sugar and soya sauce.
8. Bring it to a boil. Add vinegar.
9. Mix 1 tbsp corn four with half of a cup of cold water and stir into it. the gravy starts to become thick. Gently add the fried balls to the gravy.
10. Cook the vegetable manchurian for 3-4 minutes and serve hot garnished with chopped coriander.


Note: Best served with Plain / Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice

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Chinese Vegetable Brown Rice

Know What you Eat - Green Onions, Scallions are actually baby onions picked before a large bulb has formed. Don't confuse them with spring onions, which have larger bulbs.

Cooking Time - 15-20 min

Preparation Time - 15 min

Serves - 4 to 6

Ingredients

Brown rice - 2 cups

Broccolli florets - 1 cup

Bell pepper(Red & Green) - half each

Carrots(big) - 2

Scallion - 1 bunch
Onion - 1

Water

Salt to taste

Soy sauce - 1 1/2 table spoon

Vinegar - 1 table spoon

Red chilly sauce - 1 table spoon (or to desired spiciness)

Oil - 2 table spoon + 1 tsp

Method

1) Soak rice in water for 30 mins.

2) Boil water in a pan(for each cup of rice I used 1 3/4 cups of water) add rice, 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp of salt and wait for few minutes for it to cook.

3) Watch carefully and once the rice is cooked, remove from stove and pour cold water and put in a colander for it to drain completely .

4) Make sure the rice is not overcooked and each grain is separate, if it is overcooked this dish will not come out properly.

5) Heat a pan add 2 table spoons of oil and stir fry on high Onion first for 2 mins, Carrot and Broccolli for 3 mins and Bell pepper for 1 minute.

6) Now add the chopped scallion soy sauce, vinegar and red chilly sauce and add the rice.

7) Combine gently so that the rice is coated with all the spices and switch off the stove.

8) Now taste the rice and if desired you can add some more salt and oil if you need more greasy rice.

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