Beetroot Apple salad 

1 Boiled Beetroot

100 gms Paneer/ cottage cheese

1 Red apple

10 walnuts broken

1 tblsp lemon juice

Salt/ pepper to taste

Julienne beetroot and apple. Season with lemon juice , salt pepper. Sprinkle with crumbled paneer or cheese. Top with walnuts. 

Gajarachi Koshimbir / Carrot salad

 Koshimbirs are an integral part of a Maharashtrian meal. Just a small part of the Thali ensemble, yet there was so much variety. Some were raw vegetables blended with yoghurt, or just seasoned with lemon juice, some had cooked  vegetables like beetroot, while some were tempered. An accomplished cook or housewife (Sugran) often used the salads to showcase their creativity, 

This salad is as visually delightful as it is easy to make. 

2 washed and peeled carrots, finely grated

1 medium onion finely chopped ( I prefer the white onions which have a milder taste) 

1 green chilli slit or finely chopped ( this is completely optional, but I love the bite of finely chopped chillies ) 

chopped green coriander leaves

lemon to be squeezed

salt to taste

Crushed roasted peanuts or any other toasted nuts 

For tempering:

2 tsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard

a pinch of asafoetida

Mix the grated carrots, chopped onions, coriander leaves and chillies. Add lemon juice and salt. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, switch off the flame add the asafoetida. Garnish with the nuts and enjoy it as it is or chilled. 

Garam Masala Powder

It feels like living on the edge , when you decide on the spur of the moment to grind a batch of fresh garam Masala , just an hour away from leaving for work. But once you're done , you have a song on the lips and a spring in your step.

Recipe for Garam Masala

50 gms Whole Dhania seeds/Coriander seeds

25 gms  Jeera/ Cumin seeds

20 gms Dalchini/Cinnamon

10 gms Hari Elaichi/green Cardamom

10 gms Laung/Cloves

10 gms  whole Kali mirch/ Black Pepper

25 gms Saunf/ Aniseed

10 gms Badiyan/Star aniseed

5 gm Tej patta / Bay leaf 

25 gms dry Kashmiri Red or Byadgi Chillies

20 gms white Til/sesame seeds 

1/2  Jaiphal/ nutmeg 

Deseed the red chillies and discard the seeds and the stems. Open the  cardamom pods and remove the seeds ( both seeds and skin will be used). Crush the nutmeg. Lightly roast all the masalas ( can be done together if done in a frying pan instead of Kadai) . Cool the whole spices before grinding to a fine powder. Store in an airtight jar .

This is a pretty mild version and the red chillies will give the dish a lovely colour. 

Succotash Salad

Hot summer days need a cheerful cool salad. This one is colourful, crunchy, non fussy and so easy to put together.

1 green cucumber
1 small red pepper
1 small yellow pepper
1 small capsicum
1 onion
1 cup boiled sweet corn
1 cup chopped lettuce
1 small tomato

Dressing:
2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tblsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
Salt to taste
Chop all the vegetables approximately the same size at the corn. Mix and pour the dressing
 over it. Chill and serve

Ragi Upma

Nutritious Ragi Rawa Upma. Made in the usual way you make Upma , just cooked the upma in a pressure cooker for 1 whistle and then added steamed mixed vegetables. Tastes delicious and healthy too.

1 cup coarse Ragi sooji/ rawa ( sooji)
 2 tbsp oil
 1 tbsp ghee
 1/4 tsp mustard seeds ( rai)
 urad daal
pinch of asafoetida
 salt to taste
1 tsp sugar
 2 dry red chillies
1 green chilli slit
 5-6 curry leaves
 1 tsp grated ginger ( optional)
 cashews broken
 dessicated / shredded fresh coconut
 corriander leaves

Heat oil in a heavy bottom wok / kadhai. When the oil is hot add urad dal, mustard, asafoetida, curry leaves, cashews. Fry till cashews turn a pink colour.
Remove and keep aside. In the hot oil add red and green chillies, grated ginger and ragi sooji. Roast on a slow flame till the sooji turns it gives off a roasted aroma.
Meanwhile boil 1 1/2 cups water.Gently add the hot water to the roasted sooji. Add the salt, sugar. Stir , cover and cook on a low flame.Stir in the ghee.
Garnish with corriander & fresh coconut. Add fried cashews and serve.

Muthiya

We learnt to eat some otherwise bland vegetables like Bottle Gourd , Sponge Gourd . These Muthiyas are a mainstay in a Gujarati Thali. They can be eaten steamed with a sesame tempering , or shallow fried in a frying pan , deep fried to a crispness or  used in a rich vegetable gravy. Steamed Muthiya rolls can be stored in the fridge for upto 3-4 days or keep well in the freezer for longer. They need to be brought o room temperature before cooking

Ingredients
2 cups Bottle Gourd / Lauki grated.
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1 cup sooji/ semolina (rava)
1/2 cup besan (bengal gram flour)
2 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)
2 pinches of soda bi-carb
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
salt to taste
3 1/4 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1 tsp sesame seeds (til)
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

Squeeze out excess water from the grated bottle gourd and onions and keep the liquid aside to knead the dough if required.
Combine the bottle gourd, onions, whole wheat flour, semolina, besan, ginger-green chilli paste, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, lemon juice, sugar, coriander, soda bi-carb, asafoetida, salt and 1 tsp of oil in a bowl, mix well and knead into a soft dough adding water if required (use th
Apply ¼ tsp of oil on your hands and divide the mixture into 4 equal portions.
Shape each portion into a cylindrical roll approximately 150 mm. (6") length and 25 mm. (1") in diameter.
Arrange the rolls on a greased sieve and steam in a steamer for 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove, cool slightly and cut into 12 mm. (½”) slices and keep aside.
For the tempering, heat the remaining 2 tsp of oil in a non-stick kadhai and add the mustard seeds.
When the seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds and asafoetida and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
Add the muthia pieces and sauté on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes or till they turn light brown in colour and crisp.
Serve immediately with coriander leaves.

Steamed Muthiya Rolls 

Thepla

We Indians love our food. And the closer to home our foodstuff is , the happier we are. The most enterprising and experimental Indian community is the Gujaratis. They explore , experiment and then openly welcome any kind of food , into their kitchen and make it their own. However , being largely vegetarian, they have limited choices when travelling abroad. Little wonder then that they carry large amounts of foodstuff with them on holidays abroad. Larger groups also tale along a "Maharaj" or family cook. 10 out of 10 times the one food item that is packed in large quantity is the Thepla. It lasts well , is flexible enough to be enjoyed hot or cold . Congenial enough to get along well with yoghurt , pickles, cheese, left over vegetables, gravies, dal, chutneys or just hot tea. Every mother wants to pack a weeks quota of Theplas for students going abroad. Little do they know , that once the kids are let loose , they want to indulge in the fancy foods of the country they are travelling too. Once the novelty and the money runs out , they start looking for the familiar , comforting Theplas , Mummy had so lovingly packed . Been there , done that.
So whether you are a Gujarati , or a Gujarati food lover or just looking for a travel snack , a thepla will hold you in good stead.

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup finely chopped fenugreek
1 tsp green chilli paste
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp jaggery
1 tsp coriander-cumin seeds powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1tsp toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp chick pea flour /besan
2 tbsp jowar / sorghum flour
salt to taste


Mix all ingredients from wheat flour to salt. Crumble well till the oil and the pastes are evenly mixed with the dry ingredients . Adding a little water at a time , knead into a soft dough. Cover and keep for half an hour.
Divide the dough into 24 equal portions and roll out into a thin roti .
Heat a griddle and cook each circle, on a medium flame, using oil, till it turns opaque and gets brown spots on both sides.

Roasted Poha Chivda

Since Diwali brings about lots of Sweets and fried snacks , this one takes the pressure off the weight watchers. This is made from Roasted poha ( available at lots of Chana Sing Shops). However one does not have to wait for Diwali to serve this light snack. Its great for tea time , round the year.

250 gms Roasted poha
 50 gms broken cashews
 75 gms of sliced dry coconut
 slightly roasted
 100m gms salted roasted peanuts
, 75 gms raisins,
1 tblsp sauf roasted and crushed,
1 tsp each of red chilli powder ,
garam masala,
aamchur powder ,
salt ,
1 tblsp powdered sugar ,
2 tsp turmeric or haldi ,
sliced green chillies ( optional) ,
few karipatta leaves,
1/2 tsp mustard seeds,
4 tblsp oil.

Heat oil , fry the cashew pieces and the raisins. Keep aside . To the hot oil , add mustard seeds , karipatta leaves and sliced green chillies. Add haldi , chilli powder and garam masala . Add the coconut , cashews, peanuts and raisins. Add in the salt , sugar , aamchur and badishop powder. Add the poha and mix well. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Keeps well for a fortnight. If it feels a lightly less crunchy after a week or so , just spread out on a tray and bake in a moderately  hot oven for 10 minutes. 

Besan Laddoo

 At my in laws house, Besan Laddoos are made differently. The Besan is coarser and the sugar is grainy ( it's called Tagar in UP, and usually homemade , but I have used caster sugar this time) Thus made , the besan does not stick to the upper palate. The grainy texture of these laddoos make it tastier. The key to making these well is the slow roasting of the besan. As a hack I dry roast the besan for nearly 20 minutes before adding it to the hot ghee. This ensures even roasting and lesser effort. 


500 gms Besan ( coarse)
 400 gms caster sugar, 
1 cup ghee 
1 tsp crushed cardamom
 sliced/crushed nuts as per taste. 
1/4 cup raisins. 

Heat the ghee and roast the Besan on a low flame till you get the aroma of Besan.( Alternately as suggested , you can dry roast the besan and then add to the ghee)  It takes about 20 -30 minutes. Then increase the flame and roast till the colour changes to reddish brown. Let it cool down a bit. When still warm add the crushed cardamom , sliced nuts and raisins. When it cools completely add the sugar , mix well and shape into Laddoos.

Sonth Pakodi

This is a quick fix dish for surprise Guests. Since its different , they will definately want to try it . You can use any sweet and sour chutney , even the store bought one or the one you get with samosas etc. I have even given the recipe for a basic Sonth chutney , which keeps well in the fridge for 15 days. Can be served with almost any hot snack even spread onto sandwiches ( My favourite sandwich is patra/ pathrado inside bread with this tangy chutney on it)

PAKODI : 1 cup besan ,
a small pinch baking soda ,
salt to taste ,
oil for frying.
Water for the paste.

Sieve besan , then add the salt and mix while adding water to make a thick paste , which when dropped from a spoon , falls in clumps. Now whisk it well till it becomes light . When added to the hot oil , it should float. Add the soda and mix well. Keep aside. Heat the chutney and make sure it is the consistency of thin sugar syrup.As you fry the pakodas , drain them and put them directly into the chutney . Let them soak till required. After that to assemble , just place the soaked pakodas in a plate, garnish with green chutney and whipped yoghurt. Top with finely chopped green coriander and sev.
SONTH CHUTNEY : Its a sweet and sour chutney with the flavour of rock salt.
1 cup tamarind paste
 1/2 cup jaggery
1 tsp rock salt
1 tsp jeera powder
1 pinch Asafoetida
1/2  tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
1 tblsp oil

Optional ( To be fried and added to the chutney)
1 tblsp julienned ginger
1 tblsp raisins
1tblsp julienned dried dates ( soaked in water , then fried)

 Take 1 cup tamarind paste , dilute with 1 cup water. Add the  jaggery to it.Once the jaggery dissolves well , add rock salt , jeera powder and boil it.Make a tempering with a tsp of oil , a pinch of hing and 1/2 tsp red chilli powder . Add it to the chutney and take off flame. (Optionally youi can add fried ginger juliennes , fried date juliennes and fried raisin to the chutney and use it as a relish with meals)

Spicy Potato Discs - Batatya Phodi

The days are getting cooler. And a simple vegetarian  Konkani meal feels perfect.  While I say simple it is delicious. Any Konkani foodie , will gladly give up a non vegetarian feast to sit down to this comfort meal with family. Today's special for dinner is Hot Daali thoy , Spicy Batate Song, steaming  rice and BATATYA PHODI.....

4 large potatoes , peeled and thickly sliced. Make a paste of 3 tsp Red chilli powder , 1 tsp haldi , 2 tsp ginger garlic paste , salt to taste , tamarind paste . Add a few drops of water so that the paste coats the potato slices. Cover with rice flour ( alternately you can coat them with sooji ) and deep fry till crisp . Heaven....

Serving Suggestion :

Puliyadore - Tamarind Rice

Rice 2 cups
Tamarind Paste 1 1/2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Dried red chilli 1-2
Split Bengal gram (chana dal) 1/2 teaspoon
Peanuts 2 tablespoons
Curry leaves 8-10
Jaggery (gur), freshly made 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Sesame oil (til oil) 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Split Bengal gram (chana dal) 2 teaspoons
Coriander seeds 2 teaspoons
White sesame seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons
Dried red chillies 2
Asafoetida a pinch
Dry coconut (khopra), grated 2 tablespoons
Method

Step 1

For the puliyogare powder dry roast mustard seeds, chana dal, coriander seeds and sesame seeds lightly in a non-stick pan. Add red chillies, asafoetida and dry coconut and roast till lightly coloured. Cool and grind to a powder. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a deep non-stick pan.

Step 2

Add mustard seeds, red chillies, chana dal and peanuts and sauté for a few minutes. Dilute tamarind paste in ¼ cup water. Add curry leaves and tamarind water to the pan and mix well. When it comes to a boil, add jaggery and red chilli powder and mix.

Step 3

Cook on medium heat till the raw smells disappear and the mixture thickens. Add 1½ tsps puliyogare powder, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add rice and mix gently till the rice gets heated through. Add salt and mix well. Drizzle til oil, mix and serve hot.

Recipe Credit : Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Shakarkand Halwa - Sweet Potato Halwa

Looking for an easy quick fix snack during Navratri ? Try this simple and light Halwa.

2 medium boiled sweet potatoes
1/4 cup grated jaggery 
1 cup coconut milk
pinch of crushed cardamom
chopped nuts , dessicated coconut for garnish


 Peel and mash the boiled sweet potato. Melt the jaggery in coconut milk. Add the mashed sweet potato/ shakarkand to the sweetened coconut milk. Season with crushed cardamom. Cook till it thickens like halwa. You can add sliced nuts, dessicated fresh coconut or dried coconut. Serve hot , cold or at room temperature. It's easy and fat free. Just the goodness of sweet potato and jaggery. 

Bhuna Gosht

For a hard core non vegetarian , Mutton is the meat of choice. Whatever way you serve it , the dish just rises above itself just with the juices from Lamb or Goat. This is a semi thick gravy , you can choose to serve it a little dry as well.

1/2kg mutton
4 tbsp oil
1tsp each
2 med onions grated
1/4 tsp each hing , nutmeg powder
1 teacup tomato puree
1 1/2 chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 cup thick curds
1 tbsp chopped green chillies/ coriander
Wash and drain mutton pieces . In a non stick pan heat oil. Lightly fry garlic & ginger . Add in the onions & fry to golden brown colour. Transfer this into an ( preferably iron ) kadai. Add the mutton pieces till opaque. Mix in the hing and nutmeg powder. Add the dry masalas and mix well. Now put in the tomato puree and cook till the oil separates.
Add the beaten curds , green chillies, coriander leaves and fry till dry. At this point either cook in the kadai with 2 cups water , or transfer to a pressure cooker and give 4-5 whistles. The iron kadai gives the meat a lovely dark brown colour.

Vali Ambat - Curried Malabar Spinach

Every so often I walk in my little vegetable patch. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a thick bush of climbing Spinach. Now I am part GSB and that part suddenly goes into over drive. I can smell the fragrance of the spicy and sour curried spinach , cooked with this particular variety. This one is a creeper with thick juicy stems. The leaves and stems are coked together , sometimes with shell fish meat or with shrimps. Time to get into action. I gathered an armful and marched down to the kitchen. I had to have it for Lunch. Since konkani food is so simple to cook , its just a matter of assembling the ingredients and off I go .
Here's the easy version of the Vali ( Malabar Spinach greens) Ambat ( Sour curry)

1 cup soaked Toor Dal
2 cups roughly chopped vali bhaji ( stems to be slightly scraped and cut in inch long pieces and added with the chopped leaves)
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 cup fresh coconut
1 tblsp coriander seeds
5-6 byadgi chillies
1 heaped tsp tamarind pulp
1 tsp turmeric powder
Small lump jaggery
Salt to taste
Oil for tempering
4 garlic cloves sliced

In a pressure cooker cook together dal, bhaji, turmeric, onion and salt.
Heat 1 tsp oil and sauté corriander seeds and chilled. Grind together coconut , coriander seeds , chillies and tamarind.
Heat 1 tsp oil and fry garlic. Put in the boiled dal and vegetable and mix well . Add the coconut mixture , adjust salt and add jaggery. Enjoy hot with steamed rice or roti.

Beans and Feta Salad

Summer months completely wreck havoc on the appetite. Yet certain foods , flavours and colours are so tempting. Anything white , cold or raw falls in this category. And if its simple to make , you have a winner on your hands. This simple salad is east , exotic and cool. Make it for your dinner or serve it as a salad with a heavy feast . Its a big hit either way.
250 gms , french beans , cleaned and blanched
50 gms feta cheese
2 medium onions thinly sliced
pepper to taste

Mix together cooled , blanched beans , sliced onions. Crumble the feta cheese and season with pepper. since the feta is extra salty , adjust salt only if required.
Chill and serve either with a cold soup or a hearty meat dish.

Gavhlyachi Kheer

Gavhalyachi Kheer. Its a ancient Maharashtrian delicacy. Gavhale are tiny handrolled bits.
They look like rice grains , but are made using rawa and maida. I was sent these by my Aunt's
daughter in laws family from Belgaum. They make these and vermicelli by hand for personal use.
 I love the effort and the love with which they make and send them.So in short its a labour of love.

The preparation of the kheer is

1/4 cup gavhale ,
 2 cups milk ,
1 tblsp pure ghee,
2 tblsp sugar ,
a large pinch powdered cardamom,
2 tsp finely chopped nuts.

Roast the gavhale in the ghee on a low flame till pinkish in colour.
Add the cardamom powder and hot milk. On low flame cook till the gavhale absorb the milk .
Add sugar and further cook for a couple of minutes till the kheer is well cooked.
Garnish with finely chopped nuts. Can be enjoyed cold or hot. On its own or with Puris/ parathas.

Gavhale

Gavhale texture after cooking.

Amarendra has kindly permitted me to use his recipe to make the gavhale. 

It is indeed a dying skill and some of us are lucky to have had a chance 

to sample this delicacy and continue to enjoy it because of the benovelance of some lovely ladies.

Ingredients :

1/2 cup fine semolina or rawa

1/2 cup maida / flour

1 tsp desi ghee/ brown butter

a pinch of salt

milk

Method: Mix the semolina , salt and flour in a bowl. Add in ghee. using a little milk at a time , knead into a hard dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for 2-3 hours. Knead it once Break off a small ball at a time and start rolling it into a long thin roll. As you roll , 

it should start getting a thick twine like shape. At that point start pinching and breaking 

off small pieces like long grain rice. Leave in a draughty place to dry. ( Amarendra suggests that you do not dry it under the sun as it could get an unpleasant smell) Once dry and hard , store in the refrigerator untill needed. 

Credit for recipe for making Gavhale : Amarendra  at http://amusrecipes.blogspot.in/2009/08/gavhle.html#.WCXbWS197IU

THALIPEETH - spiced crisp Indian pancakes.

After the numerous fasting days since Navratri , come the five days of Diwali , which are all about feasting. Starting with Vasubaras , the day we worship the Cows . Next is Dhanteras . A special breakfast on Dhanteras is Thalipeeth. Spiced crisp Pancakes made with a pre spiced flour made from mixed pulses and cereals. It is usually store bought . The fragrant crisp thalipeeth is usually served with homemade white butter anda dry garlic chuteny. Alternately you can serve it with a dip made by mixixng a 1/4 cup of yoghurt and 1/4 tsp red chilli powder ( per portion serving)

2 cups Bhajani Peeth , 2 tblsp oil, 1 large onion finely chopped, 2 green chillies finely chopped , 1 tsp each haldi, red chilli powder, garam masala, dhania powder , crushed jaggery , chopped garlic , salt , 2 tblsp green corriander leaves chopped.Water to bind into a soft wet dough.

Bind the dough till its sticky and soft, Divide into portions the size of a tennis ball .

 Take a wet thin cotton napkin. Using your hands flatten the dough into a round chapatti , but thicker than a chapati. Poke 3-4 holes into it .

 Remove from the cloth and put onto a hot tawa or frying pan .

Put a few drops of oil into the holes and around the thalipeeth.

Cook covered on both sides for 5-7 minutes , on low flame.Then brown the 2 sides on a high flame. Serve with fresh butter and lasoon chutney. If making for guests , cook on low flame and keep aside. Then you can just apply a little oil and make the thalipeeth crisp just before serving.

Badam Phirni

Every once in a while , the sweet cravings kick in . Sometimes you have the privilege of time and leisure to indulge in it. Or sometimes a quick stroll down 2 blocks brings you to a street with 3 Mithai Stores ( Yayyyyyy) . But sometimes a lovely sweet treat is just at hand. You have soaked some rice for dinner and are in the kitchen for another 15 minutes. All you need is to sneak out a bit of the soaked rice and get to work. This simple yet delectable sweet is so easy to make.

B for Badam Phirni.
1 litre milk
1/4 cup raw rice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
12 pieces almonds , blanched and coarsely crushed.
1 pinch of kesar

Wash and soak the rice for an hour. Then drain and
allow to dry slightly. Using 1/2 cup water grind the
rice to a coarse paste. In a heavy bottomed pan ,
Bring the milk to a boil. Add the wet rice paste to the milk ,
lower heat and cook for about 15 minutes , stirring frequently
so that the rice doesnt form lumps ans stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add sugar and cardamom powder . Cook till the rice is soft and mushy.
Add the crushed almonds , and take off the heat.

Crush or soak the kesar in 2 spoons of hot milk. Add to the phirni.
Serve hot or cold .

P.S: I have been rescued once at a dinner party , where till 6.30 I had not figured out what I was going to serve for pudding. A nick into the soaking rice , came up with a cupful , ground and into some boiling milk. Voila. There was a dessert , just around the corner!

Crunchy Stir Fry

Light Fragrant Oriental vegetable preparations are always preferred for dinner. We mix and match fresh vegetables which we pick on our way back from work. The kids too enjoy this process and end up chipping into cooking dinner. Water chestnuts , when is season are consumed by the kilo at home. Sometimes , we'll sneak them into soups and momos , but this is a bold and beautiful dish dominated by fresh water chestnuts and supported by other greens .


100 gms peeled fresh and tender water chestnuts ( Sliced or chopped into chunks)
6-8 leaves of Bok Choy
1 small zucchini sliced
1 cup coarsely chopped Chinese cabbage
1/2 cup bean sprouts ( Optional)
1 tblsp each julienned ginger and garlic
3 dried red chillies
salt , pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tblsp Sesame Oil


Heat the oil . Toss in ginger then garlic and dry red chillies. Add the vegetables and toss on high heat for 2 minutes. Add in the salt , pepper, sugar and soy sauce. Mix well and serve. The vegetables should still be firm and crunchy. Enjoy on its own or with vegetable / chicken tossed hakka noodles.