Stewed Rice

 

One of our favourite dish is hot stewed rice with loads of vegetables and chicken or prawns. Easy and quick to make, the dish has to be eaten with steamed rice and has to be steaming hot.. 

Vegetables like bok choy, mushrooms, capsicum, zucchini, carrot, broccoli, baby corn etc can be added.. I have added vegetables that was available in my kitchen.. 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup cleaned medium size Prawns 

1 big bowl of cut vegetables - Few  Spinach leaves, capsicum, carrot, mushroom and broccoli and onion cut into cubes 

1 tbsp chopped Garlic 

1 tsp chopped Ginger 

2  Green Chillies slit

Few chopped Spring Onion leaves 

1 Vegetable stock cube

2 tbsp light Soya sauce 

1 tbsp Fish Sauce 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1 1/2 tbsp Corn flour 

2 cups Water

2 tbsp Sesame Oil 

Method 

Take 2 cups of hot water, add the vegetable stock cube and stir well until the vegetable cube has dissolved in water, add the soya sauce, fish sauce, salt and  pepper powder in the water and keep it aside. In another small bowl mix the corn flour and water. Take a wok, add 1 tbsp oil, let the oil heat, add prawns and stir fry until the prawns changes its colour, remove the prawns and keep it aside. Now add the remaining oil, add the chopped Ginger and garlic, sauté for few seconds, add the onion and carrot, stir for few seconds, add the broccoli and spinach continue to stir for few seconds, add the mushrooms and capsicum, stir for another few minutes, add the prawns and the vegetable stock water. Cover and let the stew cook until the vegetables are half cooked, add the corn flour water and cook on high flame until the gravy becomes thick. Sprinkle spring onions and serve the stew with steamed rice. 

Home Style Spicy Chicken and Veggie Stewed Noodles

Summers are really hot and entering the kitchen is like a punishment... I love to cook one pot meal or something really quick in summers.  Here is a brunch dish which is very easy to make, wholesome and tasty.. any vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, baby corn, carrots, coloured capsicums can be added. 

Instead of chicken, tofu. sprouted mung beans or prawn can be used. 

Ingredients 

1 Packet of Hakka Noodles 

Few pieces of boneless Chicken cut into small cubes 

1 or 2 Boiled Eggs cut into halves 

1 medium size Onion cut into cubes 

1 medium size Tomato, seeds discarded cut into cubes 

2 to 3 Mushrooms cut into halves 

4 to 5 Green Chillies slit into halves 

3 to 4 medium size Garlic cloves chopped 

1 small piece of ginger grated 

Few chopped garlic leaves or spring onion leaves 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

1 1/2 cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock 

1 tbsp Soya Sauce

2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup 

1 tbsp Red Chilli Sauce 

1 tbsp Sesame Oil 

Ingredients 

Take a pot, add oil, add the chopped garlic and grated ginger , sauté for few seconds. Add the chicken cubes and sprinkle some salt, stir and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, add the vegetables - mushrooms, onion, tomato and green chillies. Stir and sauté for a minute on full flame. Add 1 cup of water, let the water simmer, add the pepper powder, soya sauce, tomato ketchup and chilli sauce. Add the chicken stock. Break the haka noodles into 3 parts, add the Hakka noodles in the simmering  liquid, let the noodles cook until it’s soft, Switch off the flame, before serving garnish it with garlic leaves or spring onion leaves and eggs. 

Gua Bao / Steamed Bao Buns stuffed with Sticky Chicken and Pickled Vegetables

 

Gua bao also known as Bao bun or Pork belly buns or lotus leaf buns are very popular all over China. It’s very popular street food of Taiwan.  It’s a complete meal, the soft fluffy buns are served usually with pork belly but it’s also served with chicken and pickled vegetables. 

For Steamed Bao Buns 

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour 

1 tbsp Active Yeast

2 tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Powder 

1/4 cup Lukewarm Water

1/2 cup Lukewarm Milk 

2 tbsp Oil

Method 

Take a cup, add the warm water, 1 tbsp sugar and active yeast. Stir and keep the yeast to rise. Add the milk and 1 tbsp oil in the yeast. Whisk the yeast. Take a bowl add flour, salt, baking powder and remaining sugar. Mix all the ingredients together. Add the liquid. Mix all the ingredients together and knead the dough for 10 minutes. If required add little more water, it should be a soft - stretchy dough. Apply the remaining oil on the dough, cover and keep it aside for 1 to 2 hours or until it rises doubled in size. Open the lid of the bowl, punch the dough and gently knead it for a minute. Roll out the dough into a disc, take a round cutter, and make medium size round disc. Remove the excess dough. Now fold the disc into half, and gently press the bun, with the roller. Repeat the process for other buns. Place the buns on a small butter paper, cover the buns and let the buns rest for 30 minutes. Take a steamer, add water and let the water boil. Place the buns into the steamer vessel along with the butter paper, keeping little distance between the 2 buns. Cover the steamer and let it steam for 10 minutes. Once done switch off the flame and open the lid, let the buns remain in the steamer for 2 minutes before removing the buns from the steamer. 

Pickled Vegetables 

Ingredients 

A small piece of Carrot cut into thin strips 

A small piece of Cucumber cut into thin strips 

A small piece of Capsicum cut into thin strips

A small piece of Red Cabbage sliced 

Few Coriander leaves 

2 tbsp White Vinegar 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

Method 

Mix all the ingredients together and let it marinate for 2 to 3 hours 

Sticky Chicken 

Ingredients 

200 grams Boneless Chicken cut into pieces 

1 tsp Garlic minced

1/2 tsp Ginger minced 

1 tbsp Soya sauce 

2 tsp Red Chilli sauce 

1 tsp Tomato Ketchup 

1 tsp Fish Sauce 

1 tsp Vinegar 

2 tbsp Honey 

1 tbsp Sesame Oil 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1/2 tsp 5 spice powder 

1 tsp Roasted Sesame seeds 

Method 

Take a bowl and mix all the above ingredients, together, except sesame seeds, keep it for an hour. Take a wok, add the marinated chicken, and cook the chicken until the chicken has become soft and the juices has dried up. Switch off the flame. Add the sesame seeds over the chicken. 

To Assemble - 

Take a bun, add a tbsp spoon of the chicken in the middle of the bun, add some pickled vegetables and some coriander leaves or spring onions. Serve the buns and enjoy! 

DescriptionParchment paper, and place it on a tray, cover the buns and let it rest for 30 minutes. Take a steamer, boil the water in the steamer. Place the buns along with the butter paper into the steamer. Cover the lid and steam the buns for 10 minutes. Once done, switch off the flame and open the lid and let it stand for 2 minutes before removing the buns from the steamer. 

Bird’s Nest

Every time I visited Singapore, I was very inquisitive to see and know more about Bird’s nest, but didn’t get the chance. I had seen it on National Geographic Channel. So this time, while roaming in one of the local market, I happened to enter a Chinese store. As you enter the Chinese store you will find many varieties of herbs, ginseng, dried mushrooms, dried fish, bird’s nest and many more products.
 Bird's nests is one of the expensive animal product that is edible and are made from the saliva of the Swiftlet bird. This bird’s nest are harvested and it holds a prized possession in Chinese culture due to its high nutrient value and flavour. Chinese believe that it promotes good health.
It’s extremely a difficult task to get this bird’s nest. In nature these are found high up in the caves. It’s a very dangerous task for the harvesters. They climb the top with the help of the rope and ladder. It takes lots of effort cleaning them, before it’s sold in the market.
It is categorised as per the type, shape, colour etc and then priced as per the category.  Now a day you get fake ones too, so you have to be aware about the product before you buy it.
While speaking to the shopkeeper, I came to know that it’s like gelatine, after it’s cooked it becomes thick and is used mostly for making sweet soup, but it’s also used as a ingredient to make other dishes due to its gelatinous texture. Bird nest soup is a delicacy for the Chinese people.

Chilli Fish

The Chinese origins who have successfully settled in some parts of Kolkata have highly influenced the local community with their food. The early Chinese settlers adapted and cooked the dishes as per ingredients availabled in the local market which gave birth to Indian Chinese Cuisine. The Indian Chinese food which has less similarities with the original Chinese food is now very commonly sold at every corners of the street in Kolkata and spread across India.

Some of the common Indian Chinese dishes that are sold are chow mein,Hakka noodles, fried rice, chilli chicken or fish, manchurian,  Schezwan etc.

Last time when my husband and myself had been to the fish market, we had picked up various types of fish. After our trip back home, I found a packet of Bhetki fillets in the freezer.

My husband said, How about making Chilli Fish? - to which I agreed.

He too is a good cook, and loves to help me in the kitchen. He chopped all the vegetables required to make the dish and here is the recipe.....

For the Marinate and Fried Fish

Ingredients

400 grams Boneless Fish cubes

1 tbsp Garlic minced

Salt to taste

1/4 cup Cornflour

1/4 cup All Purpose Flour

1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

1 Egg beaten

1/2 cup Oil to fry

Method

Marinate the fish cubes with garlic, salt and soy sauce. Keep it aside for 15 minutes. Add the egg and mix well. Add corn flour and all purpose flour and mix well until all the fish cubes are coated well in the batter. Add oil in to a fry pan and heat it. Add the marinated fish cubes in batches and fry them until golden brown. Remove the fish on the paper towel. Keep it aside.

For the Chilli Fish

Ingredients

Fried Fish

1 Onion sliced or cubed

1 Green Capsicum sliced or cubed

8 to 10 Green Chillies cut into halves

1 tbsp Garlic minced

1 small piece Ginger cut into julienne

1 tbsp chopped Spring Onion

2 tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Green Chilli Sauce

2 tbsp White Vinegar

2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Cornflour

4 tbsp Same Oil in which the fish has been fried

Method

Take a pan, heat the oil. Add garlic and ginger, sauté for few seconds. Add the onions and capsicum and continue to sauté for a minute. Add 3/4 cup water and let it simmer for a minute. Meanwhile take the corn flour in a small bowl, add 2 tbsp water and mix it. Now add the salt, soy sauce, vinegar, chilli sauce and tomato ketchup into the gravy and stir. Let it simmer for a minute. Add the fish and let simmer for few seconds. Add the green chillies and stir. Add the corn flour mix into the gravy, continue to cook till the gravy thickens up. Switch off the flame. Garnish it with chopped spring onions. Serve it hot with  noodles or fried rice.

Braised Cottage Cheese / Tofu, Spinach and Dried Mushrooms.....

This time during my trip to Singapore, I happened to pick up different varieties of Dried Mushrooms which are very popular like shiitake, oyster, flower shiitake, portobello and needle mushrooms. Before cooking the mushrooms, you need to soak the mushrooms in hot water for several minutes, squeeze the excess water out and then used them. Mushrooms have a meaty flesh and a woody flavor. If you don't have dried mushrooms, use fresh mushrooms which are available at your place. I have added cottage cheese, but tofu can also be used. Other ingredients that I have used are spinach, onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, bird eye chillies and seasonings. This dish can be served as a starter for vegetarians... 

Ingredients

1 bowl of mix variety of dried Mushrooms soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and then squeezed them out from the water

6 to 8 pieces of cottage cheese / tofu cut into triangle shape 

1 big Onion cut into cubes

 6 Garlic cloves sliced

 1 small piece of Ginger sliced

2 Green Chillies cut lengthwise 

4 to 6 Bird eye Chillies 

A handful of spinach leaves along with it's stem broken into half 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder

¼ cup of Oil

2 tbsp Soy sauce

1 tbsp Honey 

1 tsp Vinegar

Method 

Take a wok, add oil. Then fry the cottage cheese / tofu until brown on both sides. Keep it aside. In the same Oil sauté the garlic, ginger and chillies for a few seconds. Add the onions and saute till translucent. Add the spinach and sauté on high heat for a minute. Add the mushrooms, add the soya sauce,vinegar,honey, salt and pepper powder. Add the cottage cheese / tofu. Stir it. Cover let it simmer in it's juices for 2 minutes. Serve it hot.

Cantonese Style Chicken Sausage and Green Garlic Vegetable Stir Fry...

Cantonese cuisine is a simplified traditional Chinese cuisine which comes from Guangdong province and is one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of Chinese cuisine. The ingredients used in Cantonese cuisine, are spring onion, sugar, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, cornstarch, vinegar, scallion oil, and sesame oil, to enhance the flavour, garlic is heavily used in some of the dishes. Ginger, chilli peppers, five-spice powder, black pepper powder, star anise and a few other spices are also used. 

Net source... 

This dish is good for starters. The sugar balances the flavour of the sourness. Love the flavour of the garlic. 

Ingredients 

10 pieces of Chicken sausage cut into pieces

1 cup Yellow and Red Capsicum cut into cubes

1 Onion cut into cubes

2 to 3 Green chillies slit into 2 halves

6 to 8 whole Garlic cloves 

1 cup Green Garlic leaves cut into pieces 

1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar or White Vinegar

1 tbsp Soya Sauce

1 tsp Chilli Sauce

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Pepper powder

1/2 tsp Sugar 

2 tbsp Sesame seed Oil 

Method 

Take a wok or a fry pan, add oil. Heat up the oil. Add the sausages and stir fry for a minute. Add the whole garlic, green chillies and onions. Stir fry on high flame till the onions are light pink in colour. Add the capsicum and stir for 2 minutes. Add the green garlic leaves. Stir for a minute. Add the vinegar, soya sauce, chilli sauce, sugar, salt and pepper powder. Stir for a minute and serve it hot.

Butterfly Fried Prawns....

This is a Chinese style Butterfly fried Prawns. It can be served as a starter. Eat it hot and enjoy the crispy fried prawns with any sauce of your choice.

For Marinating the Prawns

Ingredients 

12 Medium or Large size Prawns

2  tsp  Garlic Cloves minced 

1  tsp Ginger minced

2 tbsp Soy sauce

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

Method 

Shell the prawns, leaving the tails. Slit the prawns lengthwise cutting through the back, leaving a think layer of meat till the tail. Add the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper powder to the prawns and mix it. Let it marinate for 1 hour. 

To Fry the Butterfly Prawns 

Ingredients 

Marinated Prawns 

1 Egg beaten with a pinch of Salt 

1/4 cup Corn Starch 

1/2 cup Bread Crumbs 

Oil for deep frying 

Method

Take a pan, add oil and heat it. Dip the marinated prawn into corn starch. Then dip the prawn into the beaten egg. Coat the prawn with bread crumbs. Fry the prawn properly until it is golden brown in colour and crispy. Remove and keep the fried prawn on an absorbent paper. Repeat the same process with the remaining prawns. Serve it hot with sweet chilli sauce or any sauce of your choice. 

Garlicky Chilli Cottage Cheese and Veggies Stirred Fried....

Garlicy Chilli Cottage Cheese and Veggies Stirred Fried....

This is a vegetarian starter dish. I love this dish for its garlicy flavour and spiciness.

For the Sauce 

Ingredients 

2 tbsp Soya sauce 

2 tbsp Green Chilli sauce

2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup 

2 tbsp Vinegar

2 tbsp Cornflour 

Salt to taste 

4 tbsp Water

Method 

Take a bowl and mix all the above ingredients together.

For the Stir Fried Cottage Cheese and Veggies..

Ingredients 

500 grams Cottage Cheese cut into cubes 

2 Onions cut into cubes 

1 Green Capsicum cut into cubes 

1/2 Red Capsicum cut into cubes 

1/2 Yellow Capsicum cut into cubes 

2 tbsp Garlic minced 

6 Green Chillies cut lengthwise  

Sauce 

1/4 cup Water 

1/4 cup Oil

Method 

Take a wok. Heat the oil. Fry the cottage cheese in batches till brown in colour. Remove it from the oil and keep it aside on an absorbent paper. Keep 2 tbsp of oil in the wok and remove the excess oil out. In the same oil add the garlic. Stir fry it for 1 minute. Add the onion. Stir fry it till the onions are translucent. Add the capsicum and green chillies. Stir it for 2 minutes. Add the Cottage cheese. Stir it and cook for 2 minutes on high flame. Add the sauce. Stir it for another 1 minute. Add the water, stir fry it on full flame till the sauce incoperated with the veggies and cottage cheese well.  Serve it hot as a starter.

Stirred Cottage Cheese and Veggies with Jew's - ear Fungus....

Stirred Cottage Cheese and Veggies with Jew's - ear Fungus....

During my husband's recent visit to China, one of his Chinese business associate had gifted him this dried Fungus... I was curious to try it out..loved the spongy.. rubbery texture. 

Auricularia auricula-judae, also known as the Jew's ear, wood ear, jelly ear or by a number of other common names, is a species of edible Auriculariales fungus. It has ear-like shape and brown colour, it grows on elderly woods. The name derived from the belief that Judas Iscariot hanged himself from an elder tree and is known as Judas's ear... And eventually became Jew's ear, while today jelly ear and other names are sometimes used. The fungus can be found throughout the year in temperate regions worldwide, where it grows upon both dead and living wood. It is popular and used in many Chinese dishes, such as hot and sour soup, and also used in Chinese medicine. It has a rubbery texture and no flavour of it's own... 

Ingredients

1 bowl  Cottage cheese cut into cubes

12 Jew's ear Fungus soaked it hot water for 2 minutes, till double in size, drain out the water and then slice it

1 Onion cut into cubes

1 tbsp Garlic cut into strips

1 tbsp Ginger cut into juliennes

2 Green Chillies slit into to half

1 cup Mix colour Capsicum cut into cubes

Sauce

2 tbsp Oil

Method

Heat oil in a wok. Add the garlic and chillies. Sauté it for a minute. Add onion and stir fry it for 2 minutes. Add the capsicum. Sauté it for a minute. Add the fungus and the cottage cheese. Stir it. Add the sauce and ginger. Stir fry it for 2 minutes. Serve it hot. 

To make the Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp Soya sauce

1 tbsp Chilli Vinegar

1 tbsp Honey

1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Corn Starch

1/4 cup Water

Method

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl.

Chinese Bird's Nest

Chinese Bird's  Nest

For the Nest

Ingredients 

1 bowl of Rice Vermicelli boiled (1/4 packet of Rice Vermicelli boiled in water with salt and 1 tsp Oil and drained )

Oil for frying 

Method 

Take a round steel strainer. Adjust the rice vermicelli  in the strainer. Press another similar strainer on top. Heat oil and deep fry the vermicelli till brown. Keep it aside till the filling is made.

For the Filling 

Ingredients 

3 Eggs boiled

1 cup Corn boiled

1 Onion cubes

1 tsp Garlic chopped 

1 Carrot roll cut

1 Green Capsicum cubes

1cup Cabbage shredded 

1/4 cup Spring Onions chopped 

2 tbsp Soy sauce 

1 tbsp Chilli sauce 

1 tbsp Vinegar 

1 tsp Honey 

1 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

Salt to taste 

2 tbsp Oil

Method 

Take a wok, add oil and heat it. Add the garlic and onion. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the vegetables one by one ( save little cabbage and spring onion for garnishing) and stir fry on full flame for a minute or two. Add the all the sauce, vinegar,  honey, ketchup and salt. Stir it for a minute and the filling is ready.

To make the bird's nest, take the fried vermicelli  bowl. Add the filling and decorate the egg to look like a bird and add the egg bird on top. Garnish with cabbage and spring onions. Serve immediately. 

Vegetable Soup with Crispy Rice

Vegetable  Soup with Crispy Rice

A hot bowl of soup is always welcomed on any day. Tried, sick or dieting. In this recipe I have made a very simple vegetable soup which is delectable and easy to make. It is a soul food. I have attached a video to show the steps. Please do encourage me as this is my first self made video.... Thank you....
Ingredients
2 tbsps of each Vegetable minced
Onion
Garlic
Capsicum
Cabbage
Carrot
Broccoli
French Beans
Spring Onion
1 tsp Ginger minced
1/2 tsp Green chilli minced
2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
2 tbsp Light Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Lemongrass sauce
Salt to taste
3 tbsp Corn flour
2 tbsp Sesame seed oil 

Method 

Take a deep bottom pan, add oil. Add the garlic, ginger, green chilli. Saute it for a minute, add the onion and capsicum, saute it for a minute. Add rest of the vegetables one after the other, saute it for 2 minutes. Add the salt, rice wine vinegar,  light soya sauce and lemongrass sauce, stir it. Add 4 cups of water and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp of water in the corn flour, mix it. Add the corn flour into the soup. Let it simmer till it thickens. Serve the hot soup with some chopped spring onions and  crispy rice. 

To make Crispy Rice
Take cooked rice, add in hot oil and fry it. 

Chinese Pineapple, Cottage Cheese With Cashewnuts

Chinese Pineapple, Cottage Cheese With Cashewnuts

For the sauce
Ingredients
2 tbsp Rice wine (optional)
1 tbsp Vinegar
2 tbsp Soya Sauce
2 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1/4 cup Water
2 tbsp Cornflour
1⁄4 tsp  Chinese five spice powder
Salt to taste

Method
Mix all the above ingredients together.

For the Chinese Pineapple Cottage Cheese With Cashewnuts
Ingredients
250 grams Cottage cheese cubes
1/2 cup Spring onions chopped
1 Onion cut into cubes
1 Green Capsicum cut into cubes
1 cup Pineapple cut into cubes 
1 tsp Ginger finely chopped
4 Garlic cloves chopped
1 tbsp Red Chillies sliced
1/2 cup roasted Cashew nuts
3 tbsp Sesame seed Oil

Method
Fry the paneer in the oil, remove and keep it aside. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute till the onions are translucent. Add the capsicum, chillies and pineapple. Stir for 3 minutes, add half of the spring onions , cottage cheese and cashew nuts, stir for 2 minutes.  Add the sauce and on high flame stir fry till the sauce thickens up. Add the remaining spring onions to garnish. Serve hot.