‘India is going to burn and we are all going to die! My classmate told me.’ Kiddo informed me, while travelling to my home town for Christmas Vacation. (That was his classmate’s version of the Mayan Calender).

‘What else did he say?’ I asked.

‘My friend told me that we will die, but God will bring us back.’ : Kiddo

‘Why do you want to come back, Shreyas?’: Me.

‘So that I can play with my toys!!’ Silence, lost in deep thought and then ‘Mummy, is God powerful?’

‘Yes, Shreyas. God is very powerful.’ : Me.

‘Is He more powerful than Way Big?’ ,asked the Ben 10 fan.

‘Oh Yes! God is there everywhere – just like air! Why, God is there inside everyone. All you have to do  is listen to your mind and God will tell you what is right and wrong.’ Me.

Kiddo got busy with some other things, but he hasn’t forgotten the conversation yet. Because, even now, I get  a lot of ‘Mummy, God is telling my mind that I need to eat chocolate (or play in the park or not to go to school and what not!)’.

But then, the God inside the mother always wins ;-)

Blogging Marathon 24 is here and so here I am. This week’s theme is Cooking From Restaurants. Its an interesting theme with the participants having to choose from one of the online take away menus. I have chosen starter, noodles and a side dish all from the Chinese menu section of ‘Akbar’s Indian Restaurant’.

The virtual menu card and the real meal experience was a nice, since I hardly make a whole meal in restaurant style at home. The menu for the day was Spring rolls, Veg Hakka Noodles and Veg Manchurian.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for more themes and more recipes from the participants.

Making of the dishes turned out to be more easier than I thought it to be. I did take some short cut methods, by keeping the spring roll filling and the vegetable Manchurian balls the same. I did the deep frying of the balls and the rolls also together, so I could finish both the dishes at the same time.

Vegetable Manchurian Recipe, adapted from Tarla Dalal.

Serves Two

Ingredients:

Filling:

• Bean sprouts                                     :        1/2 cup
• Minced Mixed veggies                  :        2 1/2 cups (Carrot/Cabbage/Capsicum)
• Spring onions                                    :        1/4 bunch (1/4 cup each of white and green)
• Corn Flour & AP Flour                  :        2 tbsp each ( Will have to adjust a bit if the balls don’t come together)
• Salt & Pepper & Chili flakes
• Oil for deep fry

For Sauce:

• Spring onion white                                   :        1/4 cup 
• Capsicum, chopped fine                        :        1/4 cup
• Green chilies                                               :        2 (I didn’t add)
• Ginger                                                            :        1″ piece, shredded (I didn’t add)
• Water                                                            :         1 cup
• Maida/Corn flour                                    :         2 tsp mixed with 1/2 cup water
• Soya sauce                                                   :        1 tbsp
• Salt & Pepper
• Oil

Method: 

1. First prepare the balls. Heat a pan and add a tbsp of oil. Saute the vegetables and the sprouts for 3-5 minutes. This step is optional, but since I was using the same filling for spring rolls, I did it. Add chili flakes, salt and pepper. Check the seasonings.
2. Take off the heat and once cool, add the corn flour, AP flour. Take a spoonful of the mix and shape it into a ball. You can sprinkle a little of water to bring it together.
3. Heat oil for deep frying and fry these balls till they are cooked. Set aside to drain.
4. Prepare the sauce. Saute the spring onion whites in 2 tsps of oil in a pan. Add the shredded ginger and after a couple of minutes of sauteing, add capsicum and chilies. Cook for two minutes and add one cup of water.
5. Add the soya sauce, salt (be careful here since the soy sauce may have salt in it!), corn flour mix and bring it to a boil. Do a taste test and adjust the seasonings. Drop the manchurian balls into the gravy and cook for a minute or two. Serve hot with Noodles or Fried rice.

Veg Hakka Noodles:

• Cook noodles per the packet instructions and keep it aside.
• Heat a tbsp of oil and add two tsp of crushed garlic in it. Add one tbsp of chili flakes and cook for a few seconds. Add shredded vegetables – I used a combination of cabbage, carrot, capsicum and spring onions, and cook for 2-3 minutes. The vegetables should not loose its crunchiness, but since we like it a bit soft, I cooked these a bit more. 
• Add salt and the cooked noodles. Mix nicely. Add spring onion greens. Serve with veg manchurian on the side.