Baked Schezwan Coins

One of my favorite foods to cook is an appetizer. I love finger foods...they are so easy to make and plate and so much fun to eat. I just don't wait for parties and invitations. I can make them anytime, and sometimes they are a meal by itself!! If you feel your family/kids should eat whole wheat chapati and veggies as they are healthy options, what do you think about this recipe?

After a wonderful week of eating healthy and watchfully and exercising, I wanted to treat myself. The treat was indeed wonderful as it was loaded with veggies, baked, and low on carbs :) Yes, made
these deliciously baked, spicy, veggie coins to satisfy my indochinese urge without compromising my health. When we think on Manchurian balls or veggie coins they are usually deep fried. But I like to bake them. Even for my veggie manchurian recipe for indochinese meals, I bake veggie balls. They taste just as delicious as fried and you don't feel guilty at all. The other advantage is that they can all be cooked at the same time in the oven without standing in front of the stove and frying each batch. So easy that is!

Here is Manchurian Gravy recipe which can be replace with healthy baked balls instead of deep fried ones.

Ingredients (serves 3-4 people)

To make veggie coins:
10-12 green beans
8-10 baby carrots
1/4 medium bell pepper
1 medium onion
3-4 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
1 cup roughly chopped cabbage
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 to 1 cup whole wheat flour
Oil to grease the baking tray.

For sauce:
2 tbsp. oil
1 cup spring onions
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2-3 tbsp schezwan sauce
1 cup water
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Spring greens to garnish

• In a food processor drop all roughly chopped veggies to finely chop/ mince them. You could use veggies of your choice too.
• Remove in a bowl. Add salt and pepper and let the veggies stand for 10 minutes till they give out all the liquid.
• Add whole wheat flour and baking soda to make a soft dough.
• Make into small balls or discs and line them on a greased baking tray. lightly brush each veggie disc with some oil
• Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour till it gets golden brown in color. Keep it aside.

• In a wok heat oil. Add spring onions, minced ginger and minced garlic.
• Add schezwan sauce and water. Bring to a boil. (to make it sweet and spicy add some tomato ketchup to it.)
• Add cornstarch dissolved in water and let the sauce come to a boil.
• Add baked veggie discs/coins and mix them well.
• Garnish with spring greens and serve!

Step-by-step pictorial recipe:

In a food processor drop all roughly chopped veggies to finely chop/ mince them. You could use veggies of your choice too.

Remove in a bowl. Add salt and pepper and let the veggies stand for 10 minutes till they give out all the liquid.

Add whole wheat flour and baking soda to make a soft dough.

Make into small balls or discs and line them on a greased baking tray. lightly brush each veggie disc with some oil

Bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour till it gets golden brown in color.

Delicious!!