Stirfried Beef with oyster Sauce

                     

Ingredients : 

1. Tender cut of beef sliced thin - 2 cups
2. Red and Green chilly - 2 each (reserve few as rings for garnish and finely chop the rest)
3. Onion - 2 medium sliced in the same size as beef strips
4. low sodium Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
5. Oyster Sauce - 2 tbsp
6. Garlic - 8 cloves chopped fine
7. Ginger - 1 inch piece julienned
8. vinegar - 1/2 tsp
9. Spring onion - 1 tbsp chopped
10. Oil - 2 tbsp
11. Chicken or Beef Stock - 4 tbsp

Method:

Heat a cast iron pan on high heat .Add in the oil and heat .

Add the garlic,ginger and chopped chillies and stirfry on high heat for 1 minute.

Add the beef slices and fry on high heat until it gets a char on the outside (about 2 minutes)

Add soy sauce and fry for a minute.

Add in the onion slices and stir fry for 30 seconds.

Add in vinegar,spring onion and oyster sauce , mix well. fry until beef is cooked (steak cut thinly sliced will only take few minutes to cook)

Remove the stirfry to a serving dish .

Add the stock to the pan and deglaze it.Add this sauce back to the reserved stirfry .

Serve with white rice , fried egg and cucumber slices.

                        

Mixed Chinese Hakka Noodles

Ingredients:

1. Noodles - 400 gms
2. Carrots - 100 gms (cut into long thin strips)
3. Beans - 100 gms(cut into long thin strips)
4. Cabbage - 50 gms(cut into long thin strips)
5. Capsicum - 50 gms(cut into long thin strips)
6. Egg - 2
7. Chicken - 1 chicken breast
8. Spring Onion - 5 stalks
9. Pepper - 1 tsp
10. Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
11. chilly sauce - 1 tsp
12. Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
13. Oil - 1/2 cup
14. crushed garlic - 4 cloves
15. ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp 
16. salt - to taste

Method:

 

Keep a large pan with salted water to boil.

Add in 1/4 cups oil and 400 gms uncooked noodles and cook until done. 

Do not cook until mushy , the noodles should still retain a bite.

rinse in cold water several times and keep aside.this removes the starch and stops cooking the noodles.

Heat a large wok and add 1 tbsp oil . 

Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper powder and make an omelet.

Remove from pan cut into strips or shread and keep aside.

In the same wok - add 1 tbsp oil and crushed garlic , saute for a minute.

Add the thinly sliced chicken breast and saute until looked (about 5 minutes)

add it with the eggs and keep aside.

Add remaining oil into the wok and add ginger garlic paste and saute until raw smell is gone.

Increase the flame to high , Add in the shredded  vegetable (carrot,cabbage,beans) and saute , add 1 tbsp soy sauce and mix well.

Add in the capsicum and remaining sauces and vinegar and mix well.

Add in the cooked and drained noodles , stir until combined.

taste for salt and spice and adjust as needed.

Add in cooked egg and meat , sprinkle pepper powder and mix well.stir until the noodles are warmed through.

Soy Pepper Braised chicken ( pressure cooker method)

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1 medium sized , skinned and cut into 6- 8 pieces
2. Light/ low sodium Soy sauce - 1 cup
3. Vinegar - 2 tbsp
4. Fresh cracked pepper ( not powdered) - 2 tbsp
5. Ginger - 2 inch piece crushed
6. Garlic - 1 pod , around 12 cloves crushed
7. Cornflour - 3 tbsp mixed in 1/2 cup water
8. Oil - 1/2 cup
9. Vegetables of your choice - Onion, Carrot, Tomatoes , Potatoes, cauliflower , broccoli , mushroom, Squash ,baby corn etc are good choices.

Method:
Add the washed and drained chicken pieces along with soy sauce , vinegar , black pepper, garlic and ginger into a ziplock bag or a container with lid that can be refrigerated.
Keep it aside to marinate in the fridge for 4-5 hours.
When ready to cook , add the chicken and marinating juices into a pressure cooker and cover and cook for 1 whistle. Lower flame and keep cooking for another 3 minutes.
Turn the flame off and keep the cooker aside until the pressure is released.
When it has slightly cooled down - pick out the chicken pieces from the gravy and keep aside.
strain the gravy to remove any pieces if you like the sauce very fine , if you prefer a chunkier sauce just remove the ginger, garlic and big pepper pieces with a slotted spoon.
Keep the gravy aside.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the cooked chicken pieces until it starts to brown slightly.Keep aside.
In the same oil saute the vegetables that you want to use and keep aside.
Discard the remaining oil.
Add the strained gravy into the pan and bring to a simmer.
Pour in the cornflour mix and boil until the gravy thickens to your desired consistency .
You can serve the chicken with the sauteed vegetables and the gravy on the side OR
Add the fried chicke back into the gravy and braise it for another 5 minutes and serve .
It goes well with bread.

Indo Chinese Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1 kg (use broiler chicken)
2. Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
3. Chilly powder - 2 tbsp
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Vinegar - 2 tbsp
6. Soysauce - 4 tbsp (increase or decrease to taste depending on how salty the soysauce you use is)
7. cornflour - 3 tbsp
8. pepper powder - 1 tsp
9. curry leaves - 5 springs
10. Oil - 1 cup to fry

Method:

Add the chilly,turmeric,pepper powder , ginger garlic paste, soysauce and vinegar into a container .
Add in the chicken pieces and mix well.
Keep aside for an hour or up to 3-4 hours.
When ready to fry , heat oil to medium heat .
Add the cornflour to the marinated chicken and mix well.
Shallow fry the chicken pieces in hot oil with curry leaves - fry in batches and dont crowd the pan .

This helps the chicken stay crispy on th eoutside and moist on the inside.

Garnish with sliced Onion and Lemon.Serve hot as a snack or with rice/roti

Broiled Sea Bass

Broiling is one of the simplest methods of cooking fish .Try and get the freshest fish possible.The only spices added are salt , pepper , ginger slices and lemon ,You are not marinating the fish for long for the spices to really flavor the flesh so you need the freshest fish .I have used Sea bass ,which has white , sweet delicate tasting flesh.

Ingredients:

1. Sea Bass or any fresh Fish - 1 whole medium sized
2. Lemon - 1 sliced
3. Ginger - 2 inch piece sliced into thin rings
4. Salt - to taste
5. Pepper - to taste
6. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Clean,make cuts ,wash and pat dry the fish .
Coat the oven proof dish with oil and place the fish in the dish and season with salt and pepper .
Insert lemon and ginger slices into the cavity and cuts on the flesh.
Squeeze some lime juice on top.
Broil on high until the fleash starts flaking and turns opaque.
Serve with sirracha hotsauce and more lime .

Chicken Lolipop

Chicken lollipop is an appetizer that is made from the two segments of chicken wings. The middle segment has one of the two bones removed, and the flesh on the segments is pushed to one end of the bone, giving it the typical lolipop appearance.The meat is then marinated and drenched in a batter and deep fried. It is a popular item in Indian Chinese cuisine.

The most time consuming or difficult part in making chicken lolipop is prepping the chicken wings.
To do this first you have to Divide the chicken wing into 3 parts by slicing through the joints.
1. part closest to the chicken breast that resembles a small drumstick
2. The actual wing that has 2 thin bones running through it
3. The wing tip

Set aside the wingtip for other possible uses and work with the other 2 segments.
You need a sharp knife with a pointed tip - Start by Separating the meat from the bone by sliding a sharp knife around the tip of the bone where meat is still connected (do not cut through the bone).Gently push downward while gripping the bone with your thumb and index finger until the meat slides down.Arrange the meat by inverting the inner part until a lollipop shape is formed.(This is the tough part)
Do the same procedure for each of the wing sections when you are working with the segment with two bones. you need to first detach the smaller bone and remove it off completely before proceeding to form the lolipop.It is not complicated once you start working on it - it is just time consuming and messy.


Ingredients:

1. Chicken wing segments - 10
2. Egg - 1
3. Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
4. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
5. vinegar - 1/2 tsp
6. Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
7. sugar - 1/2 tsp
8. All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
9. salt - 1/2 tsp
10. Oil - for deep frying

Method:
Make a marinade out of the beaten egg, soy sauce, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, vinegar and sugar and mix it with the formed wings. Keep this aside for an hour to marinate.
Mix together the all purpose flour and salt to taste and spread it on a plate.
Heat oil to deep fry the wings.
Remove each wing segment from the marinade and drip it in the flour mixture and roll to coat lightly.
Shake off the excess flour and deep fry the wings until it is cooked.
Fry on medium flame for about 8-10 minutes.
Serve hot.

NOTE: There are several variations to this dish. Instead of dusting with all purpose flour you can make a batter of all purpose flour,gigner garlic paste, soysacue,chilly powder etc and dip the chicken in this batter and deep fry.
You can make a thick manchurian type gravy and toss the fried lolipops in it for a change.

Chicken and Vegetable Eggdrop soup

Sweet corn chicken soup is one of my favorite soups from an Indo chinese restaurant.The canned creamed sweet corn that you get here in the US is really sweet that the end result tends to be on the sweet side.SO instead of using sweet corn I have used vegetables here.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Breast - 1 piece
2. Lime Juice - 1 tsp
3. Crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp
4. Eggs - 1 whole
5. Chicken Stock - 3 cups (I used 3 herb-ox chicken bullion cubes dissolved in 3 cups of warm water)
6. thinly sliced vegetables - 1/2 cup (I used mushrooms ,baby corn ,carrots ,celery, shallots)
7. Corn flour - 3 tbsp dissolved in 1/4 cup water
8. Oil/butter - 1 tbsp
9. Soy sauce - to taste

Method:
In a pan place the chicken breast and add the lime juice and black pepper and salt to taste , pour in 1/2 cup water and cover the pan .Turn the flame on and let the chicken poach in the water for 15 minutes , turn it around every 5 minutes so that it cooks evenly.Remove the chicken from pan and keep aside to cool.
To the same pan add the 1 tbsp oil or butter and the chopped vegetables and saute until it is soft .
Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil .
Simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
Meanwhile shred the poached chicken breast using 2 forks into thin long pieces and keep aside.
Break and beat the egg in a saucer until it is fluffy.
Bring flame to high and get the soup to a rolling boil.
Slowly pour  the beaten egg into the hot soup in a thin stream while stirring continuously in a circular motion- the egg protein cooks on contact with the hot liquid and forms strings that give the typical egg drop look.
Keep the soup boiling and pour in 3/4'th of the cornflour liquid and boil until it starts thickening.
If you like it thicker add the rest of the cornflour liquid.
Add the shredded chicken pieces and simmer for a minute .
Serve hot with chilly and soy sauce.

Dragon Chicken

Ingredients:

1. Boneless chicken – 1 lb cut into cubes
2. Cornflour – 4 tbsp
3. Egg white – of 1 egg
4. Pepper powder –  1/2 tsp
5. Soy sauce – 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
6. Vinegar - 1 tsp
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
8. Bell pepper - 1/2 cup diced (I used green and red)
9. Onion - 1 diced
10. Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp
11. Oil - 1/2 cup
12. Spring Onion - 2 stalks
13. Crushed red pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp
14. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp(optional)

Method:
Add the cornflour,egge white,pepper powder, 2 tbsp Soy sauce, vinegar and  Ginger garlic paste to the chicken pieces and marinate for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken pieces and keep aside.
Pour out most of the oil and keep about 1 tbsp in the pan and add in the diced onion, bell pepper and spring onion and saute for 2 minutes.
Add in chilly powder, 1 Tbsp Soy sauce ,tomato ketchup , crushed red pepper flakes and any remaining marinade from the chicken and stirfry for another 5 minutes.
Add in the chicken pieces and mix well.
Serve hot garnished with spring onion.
It goes well with Fried rice or as a snack with drinks.

Boiled Edamame

Edamame The star legume !!

These are nothing but baby Soy beans .They are rich in carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, omega fatty acids and micronutrients, particularly folic acid, manganese and vitamin K - Just Half a cup really boosts up the fiber, protein and vitamin/mineral content of your diet.

A half-cup serving of shelled edamame contains 9 grams fiber(about the same amount you'll find in 4 slices of whole-wheat bread or 4 cups of steamed zucchini),
10% of your daily requirements for Vit C and Iron(for a plant food, it's quite high in iron and packs in about as much as a 4-ounce roasted chicken breast), 8% for Vit A and 4% for Calcium


Ingredients:

1. Edamame - 2 cups
2. Salt - 1/2 tsp
3. Water - 2 cups

Method:
Wash the Edamame and remove the ends if desired.
Add to a pan with water and salt and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 5 minutes.Drain and serve warm.

Soy Ginger glazed grilled Salmon

Ingredients:

1. Skinless Salmon steaks or fillets - 1 lb
2. Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
3.  Lime juice - 1 tsp
4.  Ginger - 2 tsp grated (squeeze the juice and throw the solid parts)
5.  Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
6.  Onion powder - 1/2 tsp
7.  Crushed pepper - 1/2 tsp
8.  Dry red chilly flakes - 1/4 tsp
9.  Brown sugar or honey - 1/2 tsp (optional - I did not use it)
10.  Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Wash and pat dry the salmon steaks and place of a plate.
Mix together the soy sauce, ginger juice,lime juice, garlic,onion,pepper,red chilly flakes and sugar/honey if you are using it.
Taste the marinade for salt, spice and sourness and adjust according to taste.
Pour this on the fish and coat well on both sides, refrigerate for 30 minutes to few hours(up to 3 hours , not longer - Lime juice is acidic and will start cooking the fish)
Heat a pan on high and add the Oil and saute the fish until cooked.
Start with high heat this will help sear the outside and hold the moisture in .
Do not overcook the fish as it will get dry.about 4 minutes per side should be good for a medium thick steak.
Towards the last 1 minute pour the remaining marinade into the hot pan. It will bubble and become a glaze you can pour this over the fish and serve.

Chicken Fried Rice

Fried Rice is a great way to use up leftover bits of vegetables, meat and eggs in the refrigerator.You can use whatever veggies and meats you have on hand.
Some tips on making the perfect fried rice.
#1 - Always Use rice that has been cooked and refrigerated .Freshly cooked rice is moist , soft and sticky which is a big no for fried rice.
If you want to make fried rice and don’t happen to have day-old rice on hand, you can cook and cool the rice and only the proceed to make fried rice.
#2 - Instead of salt use Soy sauce to season the rice and vegetables.
#3 - Cook on high heat

Ingredients:

1. Cooked Basmati/Biriyani/Jasmine Rice - 3 cups
2. Bell pepper - 1/2 of a medium cut into small pieces(I used red)
3. Spring Onion - 1 bunch chopped
4. Onion - 1/2 chopped
5. Ginger - 1/2 tsp grated or crushed fine
6. Garlic - 4 cloves grated or crushed fine
7. Cabbage - 1/4 cup chopped
8. Carrots - 1/4 cup chopped
9. Beans - 1/4 cup chopped
10. celery - 1 stalk chopped fine (optional)
11. Eggs - 3
12. salt - to taste
13. Pepper - to taste
14. Soy sauce - to taste
15. Chicken breast - 1 whole
16. Sambal olek - 2 tbsp (optional)
17. Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
18. Oil - 3 tbsp

Method:
Add the whole boned-skinned chicken breast and the 2 tbsp of sambal olek/chilly sauce to a pan and add 2 tbsp of water and cover and cook until chicken is cooked (About 10 minutes).
Shred this chicken with 2 forks or cut into small cubes and keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wide nonstick pan/wok and add in the ginger and garlic and stir fry until fragrant.
Add in the chopped onion and stir fry for a minute.
Add in the rest of the chopped vegetables and enough Soy sauce to taste and stir fry on high flame for a minute.
Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add in the 1 tbsp oil to the pan.
Break in the eggs and sprinkle salt and pepper and scramble in the center of the pan until the eggs are cooked.
Stir in the veggies and add the cooked rice to the mixture and stir well.
Add more soy sauce to taste (until the salt is balanced) , add in the vinegar and few pinches of crushed pepper.
Add in the cubed/shredded chicken and mix well.Stir fry on a high flame stirring constantly until the rice is warmed through and turns toasty.
Serve hot.

Cream of Wheat Porridge

Porridge is a traditional breakfast in much of Northern Europe and Russia often with the addition of salt, sugar, milk or cream.


Indians have their own version of porridge - the uppma - a fried semolina (sooji) porridge traditional in southern India; flavored with clarified butter (ghee),ginger, fried onions, toasted mustard seeds, curry leaves; often mixed with vegetables and toasted peanuts or cashew nuts.

My kids love it for breakfast where they pretend to be "Goldilocks" from Goldilocks and the Three Bears story. My little one always wondering how Mamma bear made the porridge :).When it is served they always say ...
"This porridge is too hot!"
"This porridge is too cold!"
"Aaahhh This porridge is just right!"

Ingredients:

1. Cream of wheat/Rava/Sooji - 3 tbsp
2. Milk - 1 cup
3. Sugar - 2 tsp
4. Salt - a pinch

Method:
Add the milk to a saucepan and sprinkle the rava on top .
Add in the sugar and salt and bring to a simmer.
Cook on medium flame until the porridge starts to thicken (about 7-8 minutes)
Serve hot adding more sugar if you like it sweeter.

Beef with lotus root

 

I have been wanting to try Lotus root for a while now and found some fresh ones in the local store.They are very pretty to look at once peeled and sliced.Taste and texture wise it is very similar to potato. It turns Grey when exposed to air, has the same crunchy texture like a raw potato and doesn't have any strong flavor as such.It turns mushy when over cooked , it is best to stir fry them lightly so that they retain a slight crunch.

Ingredients:

1. Beef - 1 lb sliced into thin strips
2. Onion - 1 large cut into thick slices
3. Lotus root - 1 small peeled and cut into rings
4. Baby corn - 5
5. Enoki mushroom - 1 bunch
6. Spring onion - 1 stalk
7. Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
8. Corn starch - 1 tsp
9. Sambal olek - 2 tsp
10. Garlic - 2 cloves crushed
11. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Marinate the beef in 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp sambal olek and 2 cloves of crushed garlic and keep aside for 30 minutes.
Right before you are ready to fry the meat sprinkle a tsp of corn starch and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan , add the marinated beef and lotus root and stir fry on high flame for 5 minutes.
Add in the remaining ingredients and fry for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve with rice.

Pork with Fennel

Fennel or Perum Jeerakam as we call it in Malayalam is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal uses,The bulb, foliage, and seeds of the fennel plant are widely used for cooking.The leaves are delicately flavored and similar in shape to those of dill. The bulb is a crisp, hardy root vegetable and may be sauteed, stewed, braised, grilled, or eaten raw.

I tried the bulb raw and it was too strong flavored for my liking, once it was sauteed it turned really sweet and mild and if you didn't know what it was - it could easily pass off as onion.I just made this recipe up with what I had on hand.It came out good.



Ingredients:

1. Pork sliced into thin strips - 2 cups
2. Fennel bulb - 1/2 of 1 sliced thin
3. Spring onion - 2 stalks
4. Onion - 1 medium cut into half inch thick slices
5. Corn flour - 2 tbsp
6. Soy sauce - to taste
7. sambal olek OR crushed pepper - to taste
8. vinegar - 1 tsp
9. Garlic - 1 tbsp chopped
10. Ginger - 1 tsp chopped
11. Oil - 2 tbsp
    

Method:
Mix together the sliced pork and sambal olek , vinegar, and soy sauce and keep aside for 10 minutes.
Add in the cornflour and toss to coat.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non stick pan and saute the ginger and garlic until light golden brown.
Add in the Pork strips and stir fry on high heat until the pork is cooked.(Since we slice it really thin it gets cooked pretty fast in about 5 to 8 minutes)
Remove the fried pork on to a plate and add 1 tbsp oil to the pan .
Add in the fennel slices and onion and a splash of soy sauce and saute for a minute.
Pour in 1/2cup water or chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
Add the fried Pork into the mixture and stir well.
Add in more Sambal olek/Crushed pepper to taste and add the sliced spring onions.
Remove from heat and serve as a snack or with rice.

Hot and Sour soup

Ingredients:

1. Chicken or beef bullion cubes - 4
2. Water - 5 cups
3. Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
4. cooked chicken or pork - 1/2 cup
5. fresh or dried mushroom - 5
6. chilly garlic sauce - 1 tsp
7. Tofu - few slices
8. Canned bamboo shoot - 2 tbsp sliced long
9. cornflour - 2 tbsp
10. Vinegar - 1 tsp
11. Egg white - 1 beaten well
12. Spring onion - 2 stalks

Method:
Combine the corn flour with 2 tbsp or cold water and keep aside.
Bring the water to a boil and add in the bullion cubes(you could use stock instead).
Add soy sauce, shredded meat, mushrooms and garlic red chili paste and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add in vinegar, bamboo shoots and tofu and simmer.
Add cornstarch mixture to soup and stir well and simmer until the soup thickens to your desired consistency.
Beat egg white well and Pour beaten egg slowly, in a fine stream into simmering soup. Stir well.
Add sliced green onions .Remove from heat and serve hot.

Chicken with Ginger, Garlic and Soy Sauce

Ingredients:

1. Whole skinless chicken with bones cut into big pieces - 1 (3 to 4 pounds)
2. Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
3. Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
4. Coarsely crushed Pepper -2 tbsp
5. Soy sauce- 5 tbsp (if using full sodium soy sauce reduce the quantity or it becomes too salty)
6. Vinegar - 1 tbsp
7. Oil - 2 tbsp
8. corn flour - 1 tbsp
   

Method:
Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients except the oil and cornflour and leave it aside for few hours hours.
Add the chicken along with the marinade into a large nonstick pan and cover and cook for 30 minutes - stirring in between.
The chicken will give out quite a bit of gravy.
Turn the flame off and pick the chicken pieces out of the gravy and keep aside .
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and saute the chicken pieces for 2 minutes on high heat until the outside gets a bit caramelized.
Mix the cornflour in 1/2 cup of water and keep aside.
Skim the fat off from the top of the gravy and use this to roast the vegetables.
bring the gravy to a simmer and pour in the cornflour mix and stir until the gravy thickens .


Serve the chicken with the gravy and roasted vegetables

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

1. chicken breast or thighs - 3 cut into cubes
2. Roasted or fried Ground nuts/Peanuts - 3 tbsp
3. Dry red chilies - 8 to 10 broken
4. Ginger - 1/2 inch piece chopped
5. garlic - 5 cloves sliced thin
6. Spring onion - 3 stalks sliced at an angle
7. oil - 2 tbsp

to marinate the chicken:

1. 1 tbsp corn starch
2. 2 tsp soy sauce
3. 1 tsp vinegar
4. 1 tsp oil

For the Kung Pao sauce:

1. 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2. 1 teaspoon sugar
3. 1/4 tsp vinegar
4. 2 tbsp water
5. 1 tsp corn starch

Method:
Mix the Kung Pao sauce ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.
Marinate the chicken cubes in the marinade mixture for 1/2 an hour.
Heat a frying pan and add one tablespoon oil ,add in the garlic ginger and dry red chillies and stir fry until lightly brown.
Add in the marinated chicken cubes and fry in high flame until the chicken is almost cooked (around 5 minutes)
Add in the roasted peanuts and the Kungpao sauce and bring to a simmer until the cornflour thickens the gravy .
Sprinkle with spring onions and serve with white rice or fried rice.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1. Cooked rice(day old rice is better or cooked and cooled down) - 4 cups
2. vegetables diced -2 cups (carrots,beans,bell pepper,spring onions,baby corn,cabbage etc.)
3. ginger/garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
4. onions - 1/2 chopped fine
5. pepper powder - 1 tsp
6. soy sauce - 4 tsp
7. eggs - 2 scrambled with salt(optional)

Method:
You need a flat large pan so that you can spread the rice well and get it fried.
Add oil to the pan and then the chopped onion and saute,add the ginger garlic paste and saute until raw smell is gone.
Add in the chopped veggies - add the ones that require more time to cook first in that order(my personal preference is not to over cook the veggies for texture and colour)
Add in the soy sauce it should be salty enough.
Add in the rice and mix well.
Stir fry it on a low flame for some time and sprinkle soy sauce and pepper powder to taste.
Garnish with fresh spring onions.

Tofu with a Spicy dipping sauce

This recipe is based on a sample dish that we had at one of the Korean stores.My kids are always excited about the tiny sample dishes that they give out to taste at the stores and come home asking me to make it .This is one such recipe that was made up .


Ingredients:

1. Medium firm tofu - 1lb(16 oz box) washed drained and cut into cubes
2. Egg - 1 beaten
3. Salt -to taste
4. Oil - to shallow fry

For the dipping sauce

1. Spring onion - 2 stalks chopped fine
2. Shallots - 2 sliced fine
3. Green chillies - 2 chopped fine
4. sesame seeds - 1/2 tsp (optional)
5. vinegar - 1/2 tsp
6. Soy sauce - 4 tbsp
7. fish sauce - 1 tsp
8. Korean BBQ sauce - 2 tbsp(I found a sauce made up of molasses, pear,garlic, sesame seeds etc in the Korean store)

Method:

Marinate the cubed tofu in the beaten egg and salt to taste.Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the tofu dipped in egg until it is lightly brown.Drain on paper towel and serve with the dipping sauce.

Chicken with vegetables in Kungpao Sauce

I started off making Kungpao Chicken. After heating the oil to fry peanuts ,I realized that I did not have any on hand. This is a quick dish that was made using ingredients that I had on hand and the sauce for the kungpao chicken that I had mixed up.So the dish has a long weird name :) since I don't know what to call it.

Ingredients:

1. Boneless Chicken - 2 cups cut into cubes
2. Red bell pepper - 1/2 of one slices
3. Baby corn - few
4. Mushroom - few cut into same sized pieces as the chicken
5. Shallots or Onion - 3 tbsp chopped
6. Dry red chillies - 8 broken in two
7. Corn flour - 1 tsp
8. Soy sauce - 3 tsp
9. Tomato ketchup - 1 tsp
10. Vinegar - 1 tsp
11. Ginger - 1/4 th tsp chopped fine
12. Garlic - 4 cloves sliced thin
13. Spring onions - 4 stalks sliced at a diagonal
14. Parsley - 1 tsp chopped fine
15. Oil - 2 tbsp

For Marinade

1. soy sauce - 2 tsp
2. oil - 1 tsp
3. 1/2 tsp sugar
   
4. corn flour - 2 tsp
5. vinegar - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Mix together the 3 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp ketchup , 1 tsp corn-flour and 1 tsp vinegar together with few tbsp of water and keep aside.Marinate the chicken in the marinade ingredients for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the broken dry chillies,when it starts turning brown add the chopped ginger and garlic and stir fry until it starts turning brown.

Add the Chicken with the marinade and stir fry on high flame until the chicken is 75% cooked (about 5 minutes) Add the Mushroom,bell pepper , onions, half of the spring onions and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add in 1/4 th cup of water or chicken stock and bring to a simmer.Add in the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer until the sauce thickens with the corn-flour.Add the rest of the spring onions and sprinkle the chopped parsley on top. Serve with white rice or Chinese fried rice.