Indulge if you may…A deep fried delight. Aloo = Potato; Vada = Dumpling (well deep fried in this case).

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Cute button mushrooms soaked and bathed in olive oil, seasoned with herbs and spices all ready to be picked up and popped. These are so totally awesome!

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The popular golden, crunchy, bite sized popcorn chicken goes all vegan in our kitchen.

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Late afternoon – a few jingle of the  Ghungroo/Ghungur ( Images of  Ghungroo) & a holler ” Garam Chanachur” (Hot Spicy Mix) ,would draw all the kids in the neighborhood out of their front door to the iron grilled entrance gates of their houses, the little ones clamoring & climbing over the horizontal bars of the gates for a better view.

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Pepper jack cheese is a derivative of Monterey Jack, that has the intensity of spicy hot peppers for a zesty flavor. Spicy, delicate, soft & with a slightly tart flavor, pepper jack cheese is my very favorite.

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These look like Khandvis,  because they are Khandvis… only I have layered them & stuffed them. Basic old recipes are treasures, however sometimes when that adventurous itch rears it’s head, I need to give in to my temptations to the looming who knows what will happen. Sometimes the adventure is a disaster, other times quite fulfilling. This was during those times, when I got a little itchy… & the itchy witch was pretty daring for I had never made Khandvis before!  Along with the” first time”  of making Khandvis, came the desire to deviate. I must say & as you can see – I was happy to hop this time. So why shy away from trying something new & delicious from the traditional base recipes?

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This is probably the easiest recipe resulting in a beautiful, delicious & healthy treat. After I made these, I was wondering why the restaurants do not go beyond Meat & Paneer in their Tandoori options.

The above picture is for CLICK! Cheese/Tofu hosted by the Jugalbandis.  None of us are particularly cheese lovers in our family. We do very limited things with cheese. So when I saw the theme of CLICK at the beginning of the month, I was doubtful whether I would participate this time. I would be lying tho’ if I said I did not try to shoot some “Cheese”….However we have pretty well embraced the Vegan Paneer: Tofu.  This might not be a so Terrific CLICK!, but I promise you that it does taste Terrific.

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This is being sent to Jugalbandi’s Click:Crusts.

The arrival of fall here, with crisp air, and wide fluffy clouds in the deep blue skies reminds me very much of Durga Puja. Having grown up in the West Bengal, in the eastern regions of India, this is the biggest religious festivals for the Bengalis. The festivities continues for a month, but the actual ceremony lasts for 5 unique days characterized by unique tastes for each day.

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Have you ever wondered how a certain dish can bear similarities, not just in various regions of one country but all over the world?  One time I was going to make some instant Dhoklas-(a steamed fluffy bread made of chick pea flour/besan), and I realized I had no citric acid/fruit salt, without which the instant Dhokla was not going to happen. But I did mix in some onions, hot peppers, tomatoes, spice and herbs and made a crepe out of the chick pea batter. This version is also called a “Vegetarian Omlette” or “Chila” in some parts of India.

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It is Indo Chinese. It is Chinese ingredients given a strange but lip smacking Indian twist. Chinese Bhel is Crispy Noodles with vegetables, tossed with sauce.

College crowd grouped in street corners and Chinese Bhel remind me very much of the street side food stall culture in India and how everything is prepared at lightning speed to cater to so many waiting in the line. And that’s where it tastes the best!!  It is also a great quick fix snack for unannounced guests in the evening. So here it is – the crunchy, munchy Chinese Bhel. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups noodles (Any kind noodles like small bags of Hakka noodles, Ramen or Maggi Noodles are good to use).
2. 2 tablespoon chopped red onion
3. 2 Serrano peppers chopped (Optional)
4. ½ cup cabbage very finely shredded
5. 1 Roma tomato chopped
6. 2 tablespoons green bell pepper chopped
7. 2 tablespoons Cilantro very finely chopped
8. 2 stalks of green/spring onion chopped
9. 1/2 teaspoon very very finely julienned fresh ginger
10. 2 tablespoons Oil

Optional:

Any vegetable of your choice (Shredded carrots, chopped baby corns etc)

For the sauce:

1. 1.5 teaspoon chunky peanut butter
2. 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce
3. 1 tablespoon ketchup
4. 1 teaspoon vinegar
5. 1 teaspoon Sriracha or any hot sauce (Optional)

Preparation:

Break the noodles in to pieces (Do not crumble them), so they are separated, and not in clumps. Heat oil and fry the noodles at low heat, frequently tossing it around so all the noodles are cooked. It should look light brown and should be crispy to taste. Set aside.

Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce.

Place the fried noodles in the serving bowl and add all the above ingredients except the sauce. Toss.

Spoon the sauce uniformly over the noodles and toss again.