A restaurant special brought home - Salt n Pepper Vegetables

Go to Salt n Pepper Vegetables Recipe

If there was one cuisine Ayah really relished other than South Indian, it was Chinese. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, pre-globalisation in India, there were very few restaurants in Madras that specialised in “Chinese” (it was only years later that the term Indian Chinese was coined), and it was at these restaurants that Ayah and Aiyah chose to celebrate special occasions, and a dish that was their particular favourite was Salt n Pepper Vegetables, usually baby corn and / or mushroom. The recipe made its way to the Muthiah household courtesy of this darling daughter’s internship at one of those restaurants. The version we present here though, one relished by many a visitor to her homes across three continents, is Ayah’s own version of the popular dish. Interestingly, four of the five grandchildren (my littlest brat was too little to remember) were unanimous in their declaration that if Ayah had a signature recipe, it would be this one.

Talking of internships makes me reminiscence about my time in the hospitality industry and Aiyah and Ayah’s role in my choice of career. Social media reminded me a few days ago that this time last year was a cause for much celebration – a posthumous release of Aiyah’s last book, Tamil Nadu’s Quest for Gold, followed by a weekend of fun and frolic at my 25th year college reunion. Roll forward a year and what a different world we live in! So, folks, bear with me if this post is more nostalgic than most of my others...

So, the hospitality industry... Many moons ago, a long overdue trip, my first overseas one, to Aiyah’s beloved Ceylon led us to a hilltop restaurant, where a rather patient waiter amused a bored 10-year old with the art of napkin folding. The name and location of the restaurant have long been forgotten, but that waiter inspired an unorthodox career choice in said youngster — one that raised many brows and caused much angst amongst teachers and extended family, but Ayah and Aiyah stood staunch in their support. Remember, those were the days when the only career of repute was as an engineer, a doctor or a lawyer and if you were a girl, accountancy was permissible! So, this fairly bookish female student from a conservative South Indian family, albeit with rather progressive parents, ventured out into the big bad world of hospitality. If all the noise around us was to be believed, on the one hand, all I was training for was dishwashing and, on the other, for a high-flying life of glamour! Of course, neither was true, but working longer hours than doctors was good for the soul, as was the experience of a lifetime in customer service, all for a pittance. Ayah, Fair Lady that she was, vacillated between being proud mother hen of a child who’d chosen an unconventional path and a protective one fearful of the big bad world she’d unleashed upon her thus far protected darling daughter. And so, for every single night that I worked late, she worked late too for fear that I would not come back home in one piece... Given recent events, it is a fear that seems to be as relevant now, as it was then. Today, life comes a full circle, as my 14-year old expresses a secret hope to walk in my shoes, maybe... Time will tell. Oh, and there is a similar story for the kitchen master too, who also chose to follow a path less trodden, but that’s a story for another day.

Now, back to more important things – our salt and pepper vegetables, the dish that introduced us to the then luxuries of babycorn, mushrooms and, on occasion, water chestnuts. Vegetables that will forever be etched in my mind as Chinese vegetables, just as carrots and cauliflower and beans are English vegetables. The apprentice, and the young photographer, were in seventh heaven when we tested this recipe – their only condition was that we include broccoli (!) and lots of it... Wonder of wonders, the young lads’ favourite vegetable is broccoli – I remember a time when, as a babe of two, the young apprentice effortlessly recited the recipe for the broccoli poriyal (South Indian stir fry) that his mother made. His passion began young, it seems. And so, while restaurants don’t usually list it on their menus, here is our version of Salt and Pepper Vegetables with lots of broccoli.

Salt n Pepper Vegetables Recipe

Note:

1. Ayah usually made this recipe with fresh baby corn and button mushrooms, however, in honour of the apprentice, she added broccoli to the list of vegetables she used.

2. If you can't find fresh babycorn, substitute with another vegetable or alternatively use canned. See recipe notes if using canned.

3. This recipe makes 4 generous portions. If you'd prefer to make less, you can halve the recipe too. Any leftover coating flour can be stored in an airtight container for a month.

Ingredients:

10 baby corns, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces and parboiled
10 button mushrooms or swiss brown mushrooms, cut into quarters (or 6 if big) and parboiled
½ a Broccoli, cut into florets and blanched
~ 3 cups water to boil / blanch vegetables
Salt to taste (~2 teaspoon)
~400 ml oil for frying

For the coating:

12 tablespoons of corn flour (corn starch)
6 tablespoons of plain flour
1 tablespoon of cracked black pepper (add more if you want it spicier)
2 teaspoons salt
1 vegetable stock cube or 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
Optional: 1 tablespoon of chilli powder

Optional for a restaurant style dish:

1 teaspoon cooking oil
2 pods garlic, minced
1 fresh red chilli, minced
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 sprigs spring onion greens, sliced
A pinch of salt
A pinch of cracked black pepper
A pinch of freshly ground sichuan pepper (omit if not available)

Method:

1. Preparing the vegetables:

i) Cut the baby corn, mushrooms and broccoli into bite sized pieces as mentioned above.

10 baby corns, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces
10 button mushrooms or swiss brown mushrooms, cut into quarters (or 6 if big)
½ a Broccoli, cut into florets

ii) Heat some water in a pot (~3 cups). Once it boils, add the salt and baby corn to it.

~ 3 cups water to boil / blanch vegetables
Salt to taste (~2 teaspoon)

iii) Once the baby corn is half cooked add the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are half cooked, turn off the flame.

iv) Keep enough water to cover the vegetables, drain the rest of the water – this can be used as stock for soups.

Note:

1. If using canned baby corn, boil it separately (without salt) for five minutes to remove the briny taste then discard the water.

2. Storing the vegetables in the liquid helps hold the coating mixture better. If you like a thinner coating, you can skip this and drain the vegetables before using them, just ensure that there is some moisture in the vegetables.

v) To blanch the broccoli florets, add them to a large bowl of boiling water. Cover for a minute. Then drain and rinse the broccoli in cold water.

vi) Add the blanched florets to the rest of the vegetables, make sure there is enough water to cover the vegetables.

vii) While the vegetables are cooking, take a large bowl and mix the ingredients for coating. This is a dry coating mixture, so do not add water.

12 tablespoons of corn flour (corn starch)
6 tablespoons of plain flour
1 tablespoon of cracked black pepper (add more if you want it spicier)
2 teaspoons salt
1 vegetable stock cube or 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
Optional: 1 tablespoon of chilli powder

2. Coating and frying the vegetables:

i) Heat the oil in a deep frying pan.

~400 ml oil for frying

ii) While the oil is heating, set up your coating station with:

The assorted vegetables in water in a bowl
The coating mixture in a bowl
A large bowl with a medium sized fine sieve to dust off the excess flour
A smaller sieve to drain the vegetables

iii) To coat the vegetables (watch video), first drain some of the assorted vegetables, using the small sieve – make sure there are no drips.

iv) Next, transfer the vegetables to the larger sieve and add some of the coating mixture to it.

v) Shake well until the vegetables are well coated and the excess flour is sieved into the large bowl. Make sure all the excess flour is dusted off, else if will settle into the oil and burn.

vi) Using a dry hand, drop the coated vegetables into the hot oil.

vii) Fry on a medium flame until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain.

viii) Taste the first batch and adjust seasoning as required.

ix) Coat the next batch of vegetables and continue to fry until all the vegetables are done. The excess flour that has been dusted off can be reused to coat the vegetables.

x) Serve hot as is, which is what Ayah did. Alternatively, turn it into a restaurant style dish with additional flavouring of garlic, chillis, soy sauce and garnish with spring onions.

3. Additional flavouring and garnishing:

1 teaspoon cooking oil
2 pods garlic, minced
1 fresh red chilli, minced
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 sprigs spring onion greens, sliced
A pinch of salt
A pinch of cracked black pepper
A pinch of freshly ground sichuan pepper (omit if not available)