Sizzlers are my favorite. I like the sizzling sound and the smoky effect that it gives while serving. The smell makes me nostalgic. Sizzlers are one whole meal consisting of different cuisines. Sizzlers can be a combo of different courses of a selected cuisine. So basically it will have one portion of rice, noodles or pasta or tortilla, (as per cuisine), some cutlets/manchurian/paneer/ falafel (as per cuisine), french fries, boiled or tossed veggies, some sauce made as per the cuisine selected and some sizzlers even have something in desserts like fried pineapple or apple fritters . They all are arranged on a nice hot iron plate which is covered with the cabbage leaves . The different courses are assembled on the cabbage leaves and then while serving, a sizzling and smoky effect is given by pouring butter and mixture of ice cold water with a tablespoon of oil in it (around and under the cabbage leaves on the hot iron plate). The cabbage leaves when burnt generates nice aroma and enhances the taste of the food on it. The hot tray is then put on the wooden tray and served immediately.
The sizzler plate has to be super hot, so while making the sizzler it is generally preferable it to heat the plate for around 45 mins prior to serving. The first serve will require more heating time. If you want to serve for more than four people then it is preferable to have two to three plates.
If we have some pre-preparation done then it is easy to make the sizzlers
1. Decide the cuisine to be made for the sizzler (chinese, italian, mexican, lebanese, oriental, etc)
2. The sizzler consists of a main course dish like noodles, rice, pasta, tortillas,etc. This is the main dish in the plate.
3. The other dishes can be some stir fried vegetables, boiled vegetables, french fries.
4. It can have some cutlets, grilled paneer cubes,falafels or manchurian.
5. Make the appropriate sauce which goes with the cuisine.
I have selected the east asian cuisine.
The main dishes are noodles and fried rice.
I have made some boiled veggies (cauliflower florets, french beans, carrots, peas). Stir fried veggie in soya sauce (onions, bell peppers, tomato) and some french fries.
Marinated triangle grilled cottage cheese.
The dishes all are having very mild and natural flavour. So the sauce has to be a little spicy one. I have made the Szechwan sauce and have followed Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe for the same. I have then have made my own shashlik style sauce. This sauce when poured on the assembled sizzler gives a nice taste.
Sauces can be made a day earlier.
Different types and sizes of sizzler plates are available. The big plates are usually used to serve the main course. The small plates can be used to serve small portions to kids or for desserts. They can be oval, rectangle, octagon or square shape. Now a days even cast iron thick bottom pans are available.
Paneer Steak Szechwan Sizzler
Ingredients
Szechwan Sauce
- 12 dry red chillies paste Boil the red chillies in water and then make a smooth paste of it. Save the water which is left here to add to adjust the sauce consistency. (I have used Kashmiri dry chilli as it is less spicy and gives a nice red colour to the sauce)
- 0.5 cup oil
- 10 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
- 2 spring onions (finely chopped)
- 0.5 tbsp dry mixed herbs (the recipe has 2-3 inches celery stalk chopped but i have used dry herbs)
- 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- salt as per taste
Shaslik Style Sauce
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp ginger (finely chopped)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 4 spring onions (finely chopped)
- 1 capsicum (finely chopped)
- 1.5 tbsp cornflour
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp black pepper powder and salt as per taste
- 1 tbsp soya sauce as per taste
Noodles
- 150 gm noodles Boiled
- 2 tbsp oil
- 0.5 cup spring onions
- 1 tsp soya sauce
- 2 tsp black pepper powder
- salt as per taste
Fried Rice
- 1.5 cup long grained rice (basmati rice) 80 -85% cooked
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
- 4 tbsp french beans (chopped)
- 1 cup cabbage (finely chopped)
- 0.5 cups bell peppers (red, yellow, green chopped)
- 4 tbsp carrots (finely chopped)
- 0.5 cup spring onions (finely chopped)
- 4 tbsp coriander (finely chopped)
- 2 tsp black pepper powder
- salt as per taste
Boiled Vegetables
- 100 gms cauliflower florets
- 50 gms carrots cut in sticks
- 50 gms french beans cleaned from both the ends
- 1/4 cup red and green bell pepper cut in strips
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- salt as per taste
Stir Fry Veggies
- 1 onion sliced in squares
- 1 bowl bell peppers green and red sliced in square and yellow in strips.
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- salt as per taste
Grilled Paneer
- 200 gms cottage cheese (paneer)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- salt as per taste
- oil for grilling
Assembling The Sizzler
- 1 sizzler plate
- 6 big cabbage leaves
- all the above dishes
- 1 bowl ice water
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
Szechwan Sauce
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the chopped garlic to it.
- Add chopped green chillies, spring onions and ginger.
- Add the red chillies paste to the mixture and saute.
- Add mixed herbs, tomato ketchup and salt and mix well. Add the left over water if required here to adjust the consistency.
- Add vinegar and simmer for a minute. The oil will rise up here after the vinegar is added.
- The sauce is ready and can be stored in the refrigerator upto a month. It can be used for making many chinese dishes.
Shaslik Style Sauce
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the ginger and garlic and saute . Add the onions and saute them till translucent
- Add the capsicum and saute. Add the spring onions.
- Add the Soya sauce and mix well. Dissolve cornflour in a cup of water . Add this water gradually to the above mixture and make sure no lumps are formed. next, add the seasoning. Finally, add the remaining water and boil the mixture till it thickens.
- Remove in a bowl. This is a mild sauce.
Noodles
- Heat oil in a pan. Add spring onions to it and saute them. Add the boiled noodles, soya sauce, salt and pepper. Mix them well. They are done.
- Remove in a bowl.
Fried Rice
- Heat oil in a pan. Add green chillies to it when it is hot. Add the vegetables (french beans, cabbage, all colour bell peppers, carrots). Saute them.
- Add the cooked rice to it. Add salt and black pepper. Add spring onions and coriander to it. Mix well.
- Remove in a bowl.
Boiled Vegetables
- Parboil the vegetables (cauliflower, french beans and carrots) and then put them in cold water so that the cooking process stops and they remain firm.
- Take butter in a pan. Add garlic to it.
- Add the bell peppers. Saute. Then add the boiled vegetables.
- Add salt and pepper to it and mix well and remove in a bowl.
Stir Fry Veggies
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and all the bell peppers and stir fry them on high heat for two to three minutes. Add the seasoning and mix them well.
- Remove in a bowl.
Grilled Paneer
- Cut the paneer in triangle shape. Marinate them with lemon juice, salt and pepper for 30 minutes.
- Grill them on a non stick or a grill pan by applying oil till golden brown.
Assembling The Sizzler
- Heat the sizzler plate on a gas till red hot. Heat only the iron plate.
- Get all the dishes ready. Heat the noodles, rice and boiled vegetables in the microwave before placing on the sizzler plate so that they remain hot.
- Place the cabbage leaves on it.
- Arrange noodles on one side. Fried rice on the other side. Place both in equal proportions. Place all the boiled vegetables and stir fried veggies in the middle.
- Place the grilled paneer pieces and french fries as shown. Pour the shaslik sauce on the vegetables. Place the sizzler plate on the given wooden tray.
- Now apply butter all sides of the plate. It will make the sizzling sound . Then pour the oil and ice water mixture on all the sides of the heated plate. This will produce smoke and give nice sizzling and smokey effect.
- Pour the szechwan sauce over it and the sizzler is ready to serve.
French Fries
- Parboil the cut potatoes. Then drain them and dry them on a dry kitchen towel. Sprinkle cornflour over them and then place them in the freezer for about 15-20 min. Heat oil in a wok and fry them on the medium heat till golden and crispy. Remove on the absorbent paper and sprinkle salt over them.
very tasty recipe. Thanks for sharing it step wise.