Schezwan Egg fried rice

Another recipe to use up leftover rice. Easy and quick chinese meal at home..

Ingredients:

Cooked rice - 2 to 3 cups
Finely chopped Garlic - 1 to 2 tsp
Onion - 1 small, chopped fine
Chopped mixed veggies - I used carrots, capsicum, beans
Spring onions chopped - 2 tbsp
Schezwan stir fry sauce - 3 or 4 tbsp  (I used ching's secret)
Eggs - 1 or 2
Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a wok and add garlic. When you start getting the aroma, add chopped onions and veggies and fry it till veggies are cooked and crisp. Add spring onions and fry for a minute. Add the schezwan sauce and enough salt and combine well.
2. In another pan, scramble the eggs with a little salt. Add the scrambled eggs to the wok along with rice and toss well on high fire for a few minutes.

Serve hot...

Sending this to Anyone can cook: Series 40

Also to my own event ABC Series: EGG recipes

Veg Noodles and Chilly Chicken

A perfect weekend meal combo for us - Sweetcorn Chicken soup, Veggie Noodles and Chilly Chicken. Can it get any better for someone who loves Indo-Chinese food !

  

Recipe for Veg Noodles

Chinese Noodles - 3 nests

Carrot - 1, peeled and cut to thin strips

Capsicum - 1, cut to thin strips after discarding the seeds

Onion - 1, sliced fine

Minced garlic - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp

Chinese 5 spice shake - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Pepper powder - 3/4 tsp or more to suit your taste

Soy sauce - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

1. Cook the noodles as per the pack instructions and drain to a colander. Keep it under running water for a few seconds and let it cool.

2. Heat oil in a wok or wide pan and add garlic followed by onion, carrots and capsicum. Saute for a couple of minutes, till they are crunchy.Add salt and pepper and mix well. Add soy sauce and spice shake and combine. 

3. Keep the stove on high, add the cooked noodles to the wok and toss well for a few minutes . 

Notes:  Use more veggies like green beans, cabbage and green peas.

Recipe for Chilly Chicken

For marination

Boneless Chicken - 500 gms, cut to strips or bite size pieces

Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Corn flour - 2 tbsp

Soy sauce - 1.5 tbsp

Egg white (beaten) - of 1 egg

Chopped ginger and garlic - 1.5 tbsp each

Green chillies - 3 or 4

Salt to taste

For the sauce

Onions - 2, chopped

Green Capsicum - 1, diced

Finely chopped ginger and garlic - 1 tsp each

Kashmiri chilly powder or Paprika - 2 tsp mixed in a cup of water

Soy sauce - 1 tbsp

Tomato ketchup - 1 to 2 tbsp

Salt for the sauce

Oil for deep frying

Spring onions sliced - for garnishing

1. Grind together ginger garlic and green chillies with a little water to a smooth paste. Add all other ingredients for the marination to this paste and keep aside for minimum 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Fry the chicken pieces till golden brown, do not fry more as chicken gets dry and hard. Drain and keep aside.

3. Take 1 to 2 tbsp of oil used for frying and heat it in another pan. Add onions, capsicum and salt and saute for a couple of minutes. Add ginger and garlic and saute again for 2-3 mins. Pour the chilly powder mixed it water. If you have a little marinade left over, add it too.When it starts boiling add, soy sauce and tomato ketchup. Combine well and add the fried chicken. Simmer for few minutes, till gravy thickens and chicken is coated well with sauce. Garnish with spring onions. Serve hot.

Recipe source: Chilly chicken from Maria's Menu

Sending this to What's For Friday dinner

Tomato and Garlic Chicken

I tasted this dish at my friend Mridula's home on her daughter's birthday party and I just loved it. She has a lot of yummy recipes in her Facebook Page - Mila's Kitchen. Do check it out...

If you like tangy and saucy chicken, you are sure to love this recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Boneless chicken - 500 gms cut to bite size pieces

    Chilly powder - 2 tsp

    Soy sauce - 2 tsp

    Finely chopped  garlic - 1 tsp

    Salt

2. Corn flour - 3 tbsp

     Oil for shallow frying chicken

3.  Finely chopped Garlic - 1 tbsp

     Green chillies - 3, finely chopped

     Soy sauce - 1 tbsp

     Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp

     Tomatoes - 2

      Chilly powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp

      Spring onions - to garnish

Preparation:

1. Marinate the ingredients in item 1 for about 1-2 hrs.

2. Add some water and pressure cook the marinated chicken for 1 whistle. When the pressure is released, drain the chicken peices from the stock and coat it with corn flour. Reserve the chicken stock for the gravy.

3. Heat oil in a pan to shallow fry the chicken. Fry till the chicken is cooked, but still soft. Drain and keep aside.

4. In the same pan and oil, add  garlic and saute till you get the aroma. Add green chillies, soy sauce and tomato sauce and combine well. 

5. Blend the tomatoes in a food processor or mixer and  add it to the pan along with chicken stock. Add a little chilly powder. Bring to a boil.

6. Add the left over cornflour used for coating the chicken. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for few minutes. Do a taste check and adjust salt and spiciness and the gravy consistency. Garnish with spring onions.

Tastes great with Fried rice, paratha and naan.

Sending this to Anyone Can Cook: Series 29 

Also sending to Iftar Nights

Linking to Joy from Fasting to Feasting-IV at Yummy Food

Hot and Sour Veggie Soup

It was a perfect cold evening for a hot and sour soup and I had lots of veggies in the fridge that I could use. Hot and Sour is my favourite soup and when we were in Bangalore, everytime we eat out I used to order this, either veggie or with chicken. My husband tells me to try something different, but I don't bother. The perfect balance of spiciness and sourness makes the best hot and sour soup. I know many of my friends who do not try to make this at home, as they feel it is time consuming. But the recipe is very simple, only chopping the veggies take some time.This is a basic recipe and you may add egg or  chicken(cooked and shredded) to customize this.

Ingredients:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Finely chopped ginger - 1 tbsp

Finely chopped garlic - 1 tbsp

Carrot - 1 small

Beans - 4 or 5

Cauliflower - 2 florets

Capsicum/Bell pepper - half, I used yellow.

Cabbage - 1/4 cup, shredded (As I didn't have green cabbage in stock, I used purple)

Mushroom  - 1 or 2

Spring onions - 1 tbsp for cooking and 1 tbsp for garnish

Veg Stock cubes - 1 pack(I used Maggie and one pack has 2 cubes)

Water - 1 litre

Soy sauce - 1 tbsp

Red chilly sauce - 1 tsp (Adjust based on the hotness)

Tomato ketchup - 3 tbsp

Vinegar - 2 tsp (I used White Wine Vinegar)

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Corn flour - 1 tbsp or more (adjust to the consistency you need)

Chinese 5 spice shake - 1/2 tsp (optional, but it gives a very nice flavour)

Salt

Use the above quantities as a guideline and adjust as per your taste. I like it to be spicy and sour.

Getting ready

1. Chop carrot, beans and capsicum to small pieces. Chop the cauliflower florets and mushroom and cut the cabbage and spring onion into thin strips.

2. Boil 1 litre of water and add the 2 stock cubes. Follow the instructions on the pack as the amount of water differs for other brands stock cubes. The cubes dissolve and the stock is ready.

3. Mix corn flour in 1/4 cup of water.

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large pan and saute ginger and garlic till you get the aroma. Now add carrot, beans,capsicum,cauliflower and cabbage and saute well for a few minutes.

2. Add the prepared stock and bring to boil. Add mushrooms and spring onions.

3. Now add all the sauces, vinegar and salt and let it boil. Do a taste check.

4. Check if the veggies are cooked. They shouldn't get mashed. Add the cornflour and bring to boil. Add some pepper powder and chinese spice shake. Turn off the stove.

5. Garnish with spring onions.

Serve piping hot with some breadsticks.

Linking to Anyone can cook: Series 27

Also sending to Iftar moments at Taste of Pearl City

Linking this to Life is Green Event 

Fried Rice

This is a basic fried rice recipe which you can customize by adding veggies of your choice, scrambled egg, prawns, chicken/mutton etc. If you are adding chicken/mutton/prawns, cook them before adding to rice. I have chosen french beans, carrots, capsicum/bell pepper and scrambled eggs. The choice is yours...

Ingredients:

For the rice
Rice – 2 cups
Butter – 2 tbsp
Lemon Juice – 2-3 tsp
Hot Water – 4 cups
Salt


Eggs - 3 scrambled
Chopped Onion – 1
Chopped Carrot – 1/2 cup
Chopped Beans –  1/2 cup
Capsicum cubed – 1/4 cup ( I used half capsicum)
Celery – 1 tbsp, chopped
Finely chopped Garlic – 1/2 tbsp
Finely chopped Ginger – 1/2 tbsp
Soya sauce – 2 tbsp
Green chilly sauce – 2 tbsp (adjust as per spice level of the sauce)
Butter – 2 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp to sprinkle (optional)

Preparation:
1. Heat 2 tbsp butter in a pan. Add rice & fry it for 5 minutes or till it starts cracking.
2. Add lemon juice, salt & hot water and cook till the rice is done.
3. Once the rice is cooked spread it on a clean towel or tray and let it cool.
4. Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a pan. Add onion, ginger & garlic.
5. When onions are soft, add carrot, beans, capsicum, celery and salt.Cover and cook till the veggies are done.
6. If you are adding cooked chicken, mutton or prawns add at this stage .
7. Add soya sauce & green chilly sauce and combine well.
8. Add Scrambled eggs and rice. Sprinkle pepper powder. You may also add Maggi Veg/Chicken cubes if you like. Combine well and cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot...

Suggested servings
Chilly Gobi
Mushroom Manchurian
Chilli Baby Corns

Chilli Baby Corns

The other day when I saw Baby Corns at Tesco, I couldn't resist buying it. It was so fresh and tender. But I was not sure what  to make and baby corns were lying in a corner of the fridge for 2-3 days :-( . Then I remembered the baby corn manchurian that we used to have from the office cafeteria. It used to be so yummy(the only yummy thing I could find in the cafeteria), but I didnt have a recipe. Finally, I decided to tweak the Chilli Gobi recipe and made Chilli Baby Corns...The baby corns were very crunchy and tender. Do try it out...

Ingredients:

Baby corns - 12
Capsicum - 1 small, cubed
Chopped Onions - 2
Finely chopped Green chillies- 2
Finely chopped  Ginger - 1 tsp
Finely chopped Garlic - 1 tsp
Finely chopped Spring onion - 1/2 cup (only the white portion)
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp
Tomato sauce - 2 to 3 tbsp
Green chilly sauce - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil

For the batter:
Plain Flour/Maida - 3 tbsp
Corn Flour - 2 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Salt

Preparation:

1. Make a thick batter with the ingredients above. Cut each baby corn horizontally and vertically into 4 pieces. Marinate them for about 10 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying the marinated baby corns. When they turn golden brown, drain and keep it aside. The fried baby corns are so crunchy and tasty that you cannot stop munching it.
3. Heat a tbsp of oil (same oil used for deep frying) in another pan.
4. Add the onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic and saute well.
5. Add capsicum and spring onions and saute again till capsicum is almost cooked.
6. Add the soy sauce, tomato sauce, green chilly sauce and salt and combine well.
7. Add the baby corn fries and combine well. Note that baby corns should be added just 5 minutes before serving. If they remain in the sauce for more time, they lose the crispness. This is applicable to all manchurian dishes as well.

Serve hot with Fried Rice

Chilly Gobi

Cauliflower/gobi dishes are my favourites in vegetarian cuisine. Chilly Gobi tops the list. I never thought home made chilly gobi would taste so good until I tried it out after finding the recipe on Mariasmenu website. I've made a few changes to her original recipe.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

Cauliflower florets – 2 cups

For Marination

Plain flour (maida) – 3 tbsp

Cornflour – 2tbsp

Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt

Oil – 1 tsp

Water

Onion – 1 big, chopped

Ginger – 1 tbsp, chopped

Garlic – 1 1/2 tbsp, sliced

Green chilly – 1-2

Soya sauce – 1 – 1/2 tbsp

Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp

Red chilly sauce – 1 1/2 tbsp

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Salt

Oil

Preparation:

1. Boil cauliflower florets in salted water for 3-5 minutes and drain the water completely.

2. Make a thick batter with the marination ingredients. Dip the cauliflower florets in the batter & shallow fry it till the florets become golden brown. Keep it aside.

3. In the same oil, add ginger, garlic, green chilly & onion. Cook till the onion becomes soft.

4. Add all the sauces, pepper powder and salt. Mix well.

5. Add the fried cauliflower & combine well. Make sure that the florets are well coated with the sauces.

6. Garnish with spring onion, coriander leaves etc; Serve hot.

Notes: You can use red chilly paste instead of red chilly sauce. To make red chilly paste, add 1 tsp of vinegar to 2 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder.

Recipe Source: www.mariasmenu.com

Mushroom Manchurian

Hey, I'm all excited. This is my first blog post.

A perfect way to get started is with a starter :-) And here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

Closed cup or button mushrooms - 250 gms
For the batter
Plain flour/maida - 1 cup
Cornflour - 1/2 cup
Egg -1 (Optional)
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt

For the masala
Sunflower oil - 1-2 tbsp
Finely chopped Ginger, Garlic and Green Chillies - 1 tsp each
Finely chopped Onion - 1 big
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp
Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp (or more to suit your taste)
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
spring Onions and Coriander leaves chopped - a handful

Method of Preparation:

1. Beat the egg and add flour/maida and cornflour. Add Pepper powder and salt. Mix well and add a little water to make a thick batter.
2. Clean and cut mushroom to bite size pieces. Dip them in the batter and deep fry till they turn golden brown.
3. Drain and keep it aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute for a minute.
5. Add the chopped onions and saute till it becomes soft.
6. Now add soya sauce, tomato ketchup, chilly powder and pepper powder and mix well.
7. Add the fried mushrooms and give it a good stir. Make sure that the mushrooms are coated well with the masala
8. Add the chopped spring onions and coriander leaves and mix well.
9. Serve hot :-)

This dish tastes best when served piping hot. Best paired with fried rice