Homemade Sizzler

Being busy doesn't necessarily mean being productive but it surely does involve being mentally fatigued and it is after a week full of days where I juggle between court rooms, rushing to office, managing overenthusiastic clients, demanding seniors and piled up work of all-is-important and all-cases-are-urgent-files that when I finally approach the weekend, all I crave for is a day of doing absolutely nothing. However the one thing with which I don’t mind busying myself on such weekends is – Cooking! Although I end up eating a lot of extra calories the pleasure that it gives me is immeasurable just like my BMI :D

 So one such weekend I decided to treat myself to an extra-large size sizzler! Though it is time consuming but when the aroma of sautés and burnt butter fills up your kitchen you know that all the elaborate preparation are absolutely worth it!

For me sizzlers are a combination of all the things that I love to eat, potato wedges, sautéed veggies, the scrumptious veggie cutlet, pastas and sauce and that is what I have done in this recipe (refer pictures). I've combined all the things that I love to eat. You could substitute them with garlic sauce noodles, rice and Manchurian, or a steak or satay and your choice of stir fried veggies, you can add mashed potato and peas if you aren't a fries fan, a side salad, spaghetti instead of macaroni, stuffed capsicums or tomatoes, cottage cheese with gravy, or maybe you can have a Mexican version with nachos, tacos, bean salads and rice. The list of variations is endless! For now I hope you enjoy my version of made-to-choice sizzler J

It took me quite some time, lots of cups of coffee and patience to pen down this five-in-one recipe as it has a lot of elements to it, hope it’s worth the amount of trouble and caffeine. Hearty Cooking J

For the stir fried veggies:

Ingredients:

1 cup of baby corn, par-boiled carrots, green beans, red and yellow bell peppers cut in thick juliennes

1 ½ tbsp butter

Salt and pepper as per taste

1 small cup of broccoli, cauliflower florets and baby onions and baby tomatoes (optional)

Method:

1.    Melt some butter in a thick bottomed pan and then add all the veggies and sauté till all the veggies have softened but still maintain their crunch.

2.    Add some salt and pepper as per taste.

For the veggie cutlet:

Ingredients:

2 cups boiled and mashed potato (4-5 potatoes)

1 cup very finely chopped/grated boiled veggies (carrot, beans, peas)

A small handful of some chopped coriander

½ - 1 tbsp cornflour

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 pinch of turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp ginger and green chilli paste

1 tsp minced garlic (optional)

1 tsp garam masala

 Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method:

1.    In a bowl add the mashed potato, chopped/grated veggies, all the masalas  ginger chilli paste and minced garlic. Mix all the ingredients uniformly.  

2.    Now once the mixture is ready, divide the same in equal portions and make medium sized round flatten cutlets out of it or you can give it an oval shape like I have done for my sizzler.

3.    Take a flat bowl and pour in some water and the cornflour to make a thin paste of the cornflour and take another flat bowl and put in the breadcrumbs in it.

4.    Now carefully drop the cutlets in the cornflour paste, coat it well and then drop it in the bowl with the breadcrumbs, make sure that the breadcrumbs get applied on all sides of the cutlet.

5.    After all the cutlets are nicely coated with the cornflour paste and the breadcrumbs, turn on the flame and in pour in some oil in a wok.

6.    Carefully deep fry all the cutlets till they turn golden brown and drain out the excess oil on a tissue paper.

 Tips:

ü  In order to get crispy breadcrumbs what you can do is first toast the breads in a toaster or an oven and then crumble/grind it.

ü  Do not overmix your potato and veggie mixture or else it will turn sticky.

For the pasta in arrabiata sauce:

Ingredients:

1 – 1 ½ cup penne pasta

5-6 medium sized tomatoes

1 medium sized onion diced  

5-6 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 tsp ginger and green chilli paste

1 tsp red chilli powder

Salt as per taste

Oregano, mixed herbs and red chilli flakes

Some Oil (vegetable/olive)

1 tsp sugar

Method:

1.    Begin the blanching of the tomatoes by cutting an ‘X’ on the bottom of the tomatoes skin. Heat some water in a pan, add the tomatoes into the water once it starts to boil.

2.    After about 5 minutes the skin of the tomatoes will start to loosen and peel, once that starts remove the tomatoes from the pan and immerse into ice water for about two minutes to stop the cooking process. Peel off the skin of the tomatoes and cut them horizontally into two halves and scoop out the seeds. Thereafter roughly chop the tomatoes.  Puree 1/3 of the chopped tomatoes and leave the rest as it is.

3.    Simultaneously boil some water in a stockpot, add 1 tsp of salt to it. Once the water starts boiling add the pasta to it. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Check if the pasta is cooked by tasting it. Once cooked, drain out all the water with a colander pour about a tbsp of butter/oil on the pasta, shale well and put aside so that the pasta doesn’t stick to each other.

4.    Now heat some oil in a wok, add the chopped garlic, sauté for a while and then add the diced onions to it, sauté till softened. Add the ginger-chilli paste, stir.

5.    Now add the diced tomatoes to it, stir. Then add the pureed tomatoes, red chilli powder, salt and sugar and let it cook till the tomatoes gain a saucy consistency.

6.    Once the sauce is ready add the red chilli flakes, oregano and mixed herbs to it. Now throw in the pasta, mix gently and garnish with oregano.

For the Baked Macaroni:

Ingredients:

1 cup macaroni

500 ml Milk

2-3 tsp All purpose flour

1 tbsp Butter

½ tsp Sugar

½ cup Cheese

Salt and black pepper powder as per taste

Method:

1.    For the white sauce: mildly heat up a thick–bottomed pan, add the butter and let it melt. Once the butter is melted add flour to it and whisk it well (do not let the flour brown).

2.    Once the butter and flour is whisked properly and forms into a smooth thick paste, start to add the milk slowly (preferably your milk should be warm). Stir the milk and the mixture nicely till no lumps remain.

3.    Once the milk is added whisk the mixture and dissolve all the lumps that may get formed. Use an electronic whisk for great results. Once the sauce is smooth, let it simmer on medium heat to thicken to your desired consistency. Next add some salt to taste, some pepper to taste as well, about ½ tsp sugar.

4.    Now cook the macaroni pasta. Cook the pasta as shown in the recipe of pasta in arrabiata sauce. Once the macaroni is cooked pour it into the white sauce and mix gently.

5.    Now take an oven proof bowl. Pour the macaroni in white sauce in it and top with some grated cheese. You can also add some canned pineapple to it if you desire.

6.    Bake in the oven for about 5-10 minutes till the cheese turns golden brown.

For the potato wedges:

Ingredients:

2-3 par boiled potatoes cut into thick wedges

some Salt, black salt, red chilli powder & black pepper powder, as per taste

Method:

1.    Cut the potatoes into thick wedges and place in a bowl of cold water.

2.    Now heat some oil in a wok, once the oil is hot, fry the potato wadges in it till golden brown.

3.    Now throw in all the spices in a bowl and mix it up. You can also add some garlic powder to it.

4.    Take the wedges out of the wok and drain the excess oil on a tissue paper, sprinkle the spice mix on it. And that’s it!

The Final Plating:

ü  Take a sizzler plate, in case if you don’t have one then use a large flat bottomed frying pan, place some cabbage leaves on it, nicely arrange the sautéed veggies, potato wedges, veggie cutlets and pastas on it.

ü  If you want your home made sizzler to sizzle, you’ll have to use a hot iron plate (sizzler plates are easily available in the markets). Heat up the iron plate till very hot, plate the dishes on a cabbage leave and then put a blob of butter on the really hot iron plate and that should make it sizzle.

ü  Be really careful so as to not burn your fingers! And in case you do, apply some white toothpaste on the burns, it’s a quick healer.