Curry Udon

Whenever I cook Japanese Curry, I like to serve it with flavored rice for one meal and use the leftovers to make the soup and serve with Udon. I love soups and this is one of my favorite ways to eat Udon. Udon is a thick noodle, mainly made of flour and has a chewy texture which sets it apart from other types of noodles. I usually buy the frozen kind so that I have it handy whenever I need them.

For the soup base, I usually like to make Kombu Dashi (Kelp Stock) and add curry and bring it to a boil but if I’m out of Kelp then I would just use water to make the soup.

Curry Udon

Serves: 1
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 – 3 inch piece of Kombu (Dried Kelp) – wiped clean with damp cloth
1 1/2 cups Water
1 1/2 cups prepared Curry (recipe here)
Salt to taste (optional)
1 serving of Udon – cooked per package instructions
1 Green Onion – thinly sliced or shredded

Directions:

1. In a pot, place Kombu and water and let sit for about 15 minutes.
2. Bring water to a boil and just before boiling, remove Kombu and discard.
3. Add Curry to the water, stir and bring it to a boil. Add salt if desired.
4. In a bowl, place Udon and pour the soup over. Garnish with green onions and serve hot.

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Japanese Curry with Chicken

Japanese Curry is quite different from the Indian Curries. It is quite mild compared to Indian Curries but I like both of them. It does taste better when cooked with beef but when you’re short with time, chicken is a good option. It is quick and easy to prepare as I’m using the readymade curry spice cubes (Java Curry Sauce Mix). I usually like to serve this with Curry flavored rice (recipe here) wrapped in an omelet and pour the curry sauce over the egg wrapped rice.

Japanese Curry with Chicken

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
14 ounces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast – cut into bite size pieces
Black Pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon Oil
1 large clove Garlic – finely chopped
1/2 box of Japanese Curry Sauce Mix (about 4 ounces)
1/2 large Onion – cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium Potatoes – cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large Carrot – cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 Sweet Apple or Asian Pear – peeled and grated
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Honey (adjust to taste)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with black pepper and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pot over high heat and once hot, add garlic and sauté for few seconds.
3. Add chicken and sauté for few minutes until lightly browned. Add about 1 tablespoon worth of Curry Sauce Mix to the pot and stir till dissolved.
4. Add onion, potatoes, & carrots and continue cooking for further minute.
5. Add 2 cups of water, cover the pot and bring it to a boil.
6. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and let it simmer covered for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
7. Add the remaining Curry Sauce Mix and stir well until it is all dissolved.
8. Add apple and honey and let simmer over low heat for about 8 minutes until the sauce has thicken and chicken & vegetables are cooked through.
9. Serve hot with steamed rice or curry flavored rice.

Note:

• To make wrapped omelet, use about 2 large eggs per omelet, season with salt & pepper and 1 teaspoon of milk or cream. Cook just until the egg is set but little wet. Fill rice in middle of omelet, wrap and serve with prepared curry sauce.
• If I’m making Curry Flavored Rice the same day, I keep one cube of Curry Sauce Mix for the rice and use the remaining for Curry Sauce. 

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Clay Pot Chicken Rice (Without Clay Pot)

Clay pot chicken rice is one of my favorite dishes that I used to eat while living in Malaysia. This recipe is from a mini cookbook, “Malaysian Favourites” by Wendy Hutton. Since I don’t have a clay pot, I’m using a regular pot to make this. With clay pot, you’ll be able to get the crunchy rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot, good presentation and overall a good experience to eat out of the pot. However, it works out pretty well without it as well.

It is quite simple to prepare as it is a one pot meal. The original recipe uses some Chinese sausage and chest nuts but since the version I used to eat didn’t have these ingredients, I left them out. I also remember eating Shitake mushrooms in the dish so I added them as I love mushrooms. Other than that, I followed the recipe as written and served with some soy and fish sauce with fresh chilies on the side.

Recipe updated: Apr 30, 2012
Amount of Chicken, Rice and Water has been updated.

Clay Pot Chicken Rice (Without Clay Pot)

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
For Marinate
8 ounces Boneless Skinless Chicken – cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 tablespoon Rice Wine (Chinese Cooking Wine)
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 teaspoon Corn Flour/Corn Starch

Other Ingredients
6 Dried Shitake Mushrooms – soaked in warm water for 20 minutes to soften, discard stems and cut in quarters
2 tablespoons Oil
1 cup Rice – washed and drained (I use Basmati Rice)
1 1/2 tablespoons Ginger – finely shredded
2 tablespoons Fried Shallots (I use store bought readymade fried shallots)
2 Green Onions – thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Roasted Peanuts (optional)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine chicken with all marinate ingredients and keep aside for 20 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a pot over medium high heat, add rice, stir and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Add 1 3/4 cups or enough water to cover rice by about 3/4 inches, increase heat to high and let cook uncovered until water is partially absorbed and “craters” or “holes” start appear in the surface of the rice, for about 5 minutes.
4. Add ginger, marinated chicken, mushrooms and stir once. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, fluff the rice with fork. If there is still water left and chicken it not cooked through, cover and continue cooking over low heat until all water is absorbed and chicken is cooked through.
6. Garnish with fried shallot, green onions and roasted peanuts before serving.
7. Serve with either sliced Red Chilies with Soy Sauce or sliced Thai Chilies with Fish Sauce.

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Chicken Marsala

I like Chicken Marsala but I don’t really recall when I first had this dish. When I first heard of it, the name to me sounded like an Indian dish as I mistakenly thought ‘Marsala’ as Indian Spices ‘Masala’. Later I found that it has nothing to do with Indian cuisine or has any spices in it but I was still interested to try it out. I found this Emeril’s recipe which has really good reviews so decided to give it a try. It is really tasty and easy to prepare. I also like the fact that he uses his spice blend to flavor the chicken. It is a mild dish and for mushroom lovers you can’t go wrong with this dish.

I did few changes according to ingredients I have on hand and increased the amount of mushrooms and liquid. I also left out salt in ‘Essence’ seasoning so that I can use as much or as little as I want without having to worry about saltiness; and season salt according to my taste while cooking. For wine, I’m using Sweet Marsala Wine because I like the sweetness it brings to the dish.

 
Chicken Marsala

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 (6 to 8-ounce) Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – split in half horizontally and pounded thin
2 tablespoon Essence (recipe follows)
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Butter
1 1/2 pounds Assorted Mushrooms (Cremini, Oyster, Shiitake, King Trumpet) – thinly sliced
2 cloves Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 1/2 cups Sweet Marsala Wine
1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh Parsley – finely chopped

Directions:

1. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of Essence and salt to taste, evenly over both sides of chicken pieces.
2. In a shallow dish, combine remaining Essence, flour, a big pinch of salt and mix well. Dredge chicken in flour mixture and shake to remove excess flour.
3. Heat a large skillet with oil over medium high heat until hot. Add 1 tbsp of butter and cook chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides for about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep aside.
4. Add remaining 1 tbsp of butter to the pan and cook the mushrooms stirring frequently. Once mushrooms have given off their liquid and start to brown around the edges, add garlic and cook for about a minute more.
5. Add Marsala wine, bring to a boil and cook for few minutes until the liquid is reduced by half.
6. Add chicken stock and continue cooking for few more minutes until the sauce has slightly thicken.
7. Add chicken, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.
8. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir. Garnish with parsley and serve over pasta.

Essence
Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
2 tablespoons Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
1 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper or any Red Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Dried Leaf Oregano
1 tablespoon Dried Thyme

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

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Crispy Fried Chicken

This fried chicken is the way my Mom used to make for us and I love this type of crispy fried chicken. They are so crispy that you can even chew off most of the bones. I believe this method of preparation is quite common in Burma. First to cook the meat with flavoring and later deep fried. I like to use smaller size chicken where one chicken weights about 2 to 2.5 pounds, but no bigger than that. I usually buy one whole chicken and tell the butcher to cut it up into approximately 2 inch pieces. Sometimes, I like to use just the drumsticks. It is good to be paired with some Burmese sour soup or Dal and rice as a meal.

Crispy Fried Chicken

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
2 pounds Bone-in Skinless Whole Chicken - cut into 2 inch pieces
  or Skinless Chicken Drumsticks
2 tablespoons Garlic - pressed or finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons Ginger - grated or finely chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons Turmeric Powder
2 tablespoons Vinegar or Lime Juice
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot, mix well to coat chicken with all ingredients.
2. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until chicken starts to release liquid.
3. Depending on the amount of liquid, adjust heat medium or high and cook until all water is evaporated and chicken is cooked through.
4. Let this cool and deep fry over medium heat in couple batches for few minutes until it is golden brown and crispy. Serve hot.

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Chicken Tikka

There are different ways of making Chicken Tikka but this is a simple yet tasty version that my sister usually makes. I marinate it overnight if I plan ahead but sometimes I just let it sit for a while and cook right away and they taste pretty good as well. You can serve it with some dal, rice and kachumber or top it up on your favorite salad.

Chicken Tikka

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes to overnight
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients:
Marinate:
2 tablespoons (about 7 cloves) Garlic - pressed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Ginger - grated or finely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons (about 1/2 lime) freshly squeezed Lime Juice
1/2 cup plain Yogurt
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless Chicken Breast - sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
Oil Spray for cooking

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine all marinate ingredients, mix well and make necessary adjustments to taste.
2. Pour marinate over chicken and mix well to coat all chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes to overnight in fridge.
3. When ready to cook, heat a large skillet over medium to medium low heat and spray it with oil. Place chicken pieces keeping about 1 inch space in between each piece and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until it is cooked through and browned nicely. (Do not overcook or it will be dry. You might need to cook in two different batches as you do not want to over crowd the pan. Try not to move the pieces too much while cooking to get even brown color.)
4. Once cooked through, transfer to a plate and serve hot with dal, rice and kachumber.

Note: If there is a lot of marinate liquid left after cooking the chicken, reheat the skillet with few drops of ghee or oil spray and add the marinate liquid. Add some water and cook over high heat until all water has evaporated, it starts to sizzle and brown slightly. Pour it over chicken and serve.

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Greek Chicken

This is quite easy and quick dish to prepare. You could either put it in skewers and grill or just cook it on a skillet indoors. Pair it up with some Lemon Rice, Tzatziki, Roasted Potatoes, Greek Salad, Hummus and Pita bread and you've got yourself a feast :). Or just chopped it up and put it over Greek Salad and serve with some pita bread as a light meal.

Greek Chicken

Serves: 2
Preparation and Marinating Time: 35 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast - sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 tablespoon garlic – pressed or finely chopped
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon dry oregano
Salt to taste
Oil spray for cooking

Directions:

1. Combine chicken with all above ingredients, mix well and let marinate for about 30 minutes.
2. Spray a large skillet with oil and heat over medium to high heat.
3. Once the pan is hot; place chicken pieces keeping about 1 inch space in between each piece and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until it is cooked through and browned nicely. You might need to cook in two different batches as you do not want to over crowd the pan. Try not to move the pieces too much while cooking to get even brown color.
4. Once cooked through, transfer to a plate and serve hot. 

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Shan Khauk Swe (Shan Noodles)

Shan is one of the states in Burma bordering China, Thai and Laos. Their regional food has different types of noodles that are well known throughout the country. This dish is originally from there but I got to taste it when my sister was visiting us and she cooked for us. We loved it so much that I have been making this few times after her visit.

There are different versions of this dish and is usually served with some chicken broth soup and sour mustard greens. This is a dry version and I usually eat it by itself as it does taste pretty good on its own. During her time living in Loikaw (capital of Kayah State, neighboring state of Shan), my sister got this recipe from a lady that sells these noodles.

Recipe updated: Apr 10, 2012
Amount of Red Chili Powder used has been updated.

Shan Khauk Swè (Shan Noodles)

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
For Gravy
2 pounds Tomatoes – slit a cross-shape just through the skin with a sharp knife, at the bottom of each tomato
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
3 tablespoon Soy Sauce (adjust to taste)
3 tablespoon Oil
8 cloves of Garlic – crushed or finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1/8 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
4 teaspoons Red Chili Powder (adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
2 teaspoon Fish Sauce (adjust to taste)

Other Ingredients:
1 pound fresh Vietnamese Flat Rice Stick Noodle (Banh Pho)
1/2 pound Chinese Greens (Yu Choy) – discard few inches off the bottom; cut into 2 inch pieces and wash well
1/2 cup Roasted Peanuts – coarsely grounded
4 teaspoons Soy Sauce (adjust to taste)

Directions:

1. In a pot big enough to fit all the tomatoes; fill it with 1 cup of water and add salt. Stir and add the tomatoes, cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once water comes to a boil, cook for about a minute or two, just to loosen up the skin but not to cook the tomatoes.  Remove from heat, pour out the water and leave the tomatoes to cool uncovered.
2. Meanwhile, chop the chicken into as small as you can or about less than 1/4 inch pieces. It will look almost like minced chicken. Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce mix well and keep aside. (I find that partially frozen chicken is easier to work with when chopping it.)
3. When the tomatoes are cool, remove the skin and discard. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove as much seeds as possible without removing any pulp. Discard the seeds, chop the tomatoes finely and keep aside.
4. Heat a pot with oil over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic, turmeric powder, chili powder and cook for few seconds till fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
5. Add chicken, increase heat to high and cook stirring frequently until all chicken pieces turns opaque and it starts to release water. Stir for few more seconds and add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, fish sauce and the remaining 1 tbsp of soy sauce.
6. Stirring occasionally, cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes until all tomatoes are crushed and the oil starts to separate from gravy. You should not need any water but if it is too dry, add some water. Turn off the heat and is ready to be served.

How to serve:
Have all ingredients ready before serving. You will have to work with one serving batch at a time.

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. The pot should be big or deep enough with enough water for noodles to be dipped in with a noodle-strainer or any strainer that you will be using.
2. Once water comes to a boil, place a handful of Chinese greens into the strainer and dip the strainer in the boiling water for about 10 to 20 seconds for the greens to wilt.
3. Remove strainer from water, place a big handful of noodles into the strainer. Dip the strainer in boiling water for 3 to 5 seconds. Noodles will cook right away and you don’t want to overcook them, so work quickly.
4. Place the cooked noodles along with the greens to a serving bowl. Ladle couple scoops of chicken gravy on top. Top it up with peanuts, crushed chili and 1 tsp of soy sauce (adjust to taste) and serve immediately.
5. Mix everything before eating.

Note:

• If you cannot find the fresh noodles, dry noodles will work as well. Soak them in cold water for couple hours and cook as mentioned above.
• Since vegetables take little longer than noodles, start with vegetables and add noodles. However, they both can be cooked separately but having vegetables at the base while cooking noodles will help with not overcooking the noodles. 
• If noodles are all over the place and not able to fit neatly into the strainer while cooking, remove from boiling water and make sure that they are not dipped into water while gathering them.  
• Make gravy spicy enough so that you don’t need to add more chili at the time of serving. If not, serve with toasted crushed red pepper.

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Vietnamese Spring Roll

Few years back, a friend of mine made these for us and we all loved it. I have tried few store bought versions but I prefer the home-made ones. By making at home, you can add any type of vegetables you want and adjust flavor according to your taste. She gave me the recipes for the sauces but other than that, there is really no fixed recipe on variety of ingredients you choose. You can add as much or as little as you like.

It is fun to make these especially when everyone get to roll on their own. Of course, you’re supposed to fill a little of each ingredient and not over stuff it so that you get a beautiful looking roll. But then again, the fun part for us comes from piling up as much filling as we like, to the extent that the rice wrapper can barely hold it and end up with more of a burrito looking rolls rather than spring rolls. :)

Vietnamese Spring Roll

Makes: 15 to 18 rolls
Preparation Time: 30 to 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast – cut into 2” pieces
18 medium shrimps – peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (divided), I use Mae Ploy brand
4 cloves of garlic – crushed or finely chopped (divided)
Oil spray
5 ounces rice noodles – cooked according to package instructions
1 whole romaine lettuce – cut few inches from bottom and separate leaves
1 carrot – cut into match stick size pieces
2 Persian cucumbers or cucumber of your choice - cut into match stick size pieces
5 green onions – cut into 3 equal parts
1 cup loosely packed mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro – chopped (optional)
1 Jalapeño or Serrano - cut into match stick size pieces (optional)
15 to 18 dry rice papers
Asian Chili Garlic Sauce
Serve with Peanut sauce or Spring roll dipping sauce or both (recipes follow)

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine chicken, 2 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce and 2 cloves of crushed garlic.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with some oil. Panfry the chicken pieces for few minutes per side until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and let it cool. Once it is cool, slice it into small strips.
3. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp with remaining sweet chili sauce and garlic.
4. Wipe the same skillet and spray it with some more oil. Heat over high heat and add shrimp. Sauté on high heat for few minutes until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and let it cool. Once it is cool, split the shrimp in half horizontally.

How to Serve:

1. Fill a large bowl or wide opening pot with few inches of hot tap water.
2. Dip a rice paper sheet in the water for few seconds. Remove and place it on a plate (preferably, ceramic or glass plate)
3. Place vegetables, noodle, chicken and shrimps to your preference in bottom 2/3 of the rice paper.
4. Fold the bottom over, fold in the sides and roll to form a tight spring roll.
5. Dip with peanut sauce or Spring roll dipping sauce.

Note: I sometimes like to add the peanut sauce and Asian Chili Garlic Sauce while wrapping the spring rolls. Or, sometimes, I leave out all the sauces while wrapping and later dip it with Spring roll dipping sauce while eating.

Peanut sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons Asian Chili Garlic Sauce (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon preserved tofu (optional)
3/4 cup chicken stock or water (divided)

Directions:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, combine all ingredients for Peanut sauce with 1/2 cup of chicken stock and microwave on high for 1 minute.
2. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken stock and stir well to combine.
3. Microwave for 1 more minute and mix it well until it is smooth and creamy. Adjust according to taste and desired sauce consistency.

Note: Sauce will get thicker once cool.

Spring roll dipping sauce
Ingredients:
1 red jalapeno pepper – seeds removed and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well till sugar is dissolved. Adjust according to taste and serve.

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Mini Chicken Spring Roll

Few years back, my sister gave me recipe for these super addictive mini spring rolls. It is best served hot but we like to make these for our road trips. I usually make about 40 spring rolls per batch for the two of us because once we start, we can’t stop eating them.

It is best to eat with Maggi’s Masala Chilli Sauce but any of your favorite sauce will do. You can buy the Masala Chilli Sauce in Indian grocery stores. I’ve tried making these in regular size spring rolls but they don’t taste as good as the smaller ones. It just requires a bit of patience and time but worth every effort.

Mini Chicken Spring Roll

Makes: 20 mini rolls
Preparation Time: 30 to 45 minutes
Cooking and Frying Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1 boneless skinless chicken breast (about 0.6 lbs), cut into 3” chunks
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (adjust to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated or finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1/4 cup cilantro leaves and stem – finely chopped
4 Thai chilies or any green chili – finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon butter or grated cheese
6” square spring roll sheets
1 tablespoon any type of flour (all purpose, wheat, rice etc.)
Oil for frying

Directions:

1. In a pot, add chicken, lime juice, ginger, garlic, black pepper and salt and mix well.
2. Add about 1 to 2 tablespoon of water, cover the pot and boil on medium heat until chicken is cooked and all water has been evaporated. It will take about 10 to 15 minutes. If there is too much of water, leave the lid open and turn the heat on high for water to evaporate.
3. Let the chicken cool, and chopped it very finely.
4. Mix finely chopped chicken with cilantro, green chilies and black pepper. Taste and add salt if needed. Add butter or cheese and mix well. The filling is ready.
5. In a small bowl, mix the flour with little water and make a thick paste. This will be used as glue to close the spring rolls.
6. To make the spring roll, take one wrapper and place it diagonally on a board such that the corner faces you. It should look like a diamond. (Keep the unused spring rolls sheets covered with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out)
7. Place one heap tablespoon of filling just up from the edge of the corner. Shape the filling into a log shape. This will make it easier for wrapping the roll.
8. Fold the corner tightly over and fold in the sides.
9. Brush the open edges of the wrapper with the glue mixture made above, and continue rolling to form a tight roll.
10. Keep it seam side down on a plate and cover with lightly damp towel while preparing other rolls.
11. Once everything is rolled, deep fry them on medium heat until golden brown.
12. Serve hot with Masala chilli sauce or any dipping sauce of your preference.

Note:

• Spring roll sheets can be found in Asian supermarkets in frozen section. Follow package directions for defrosting.
• Un-fried Spring rolls can be frozen. Freeze them in one layer in a zip-loc bag. When ready to use, heat them in microwave for 45 seconds or so and deep fry them till golden brown.

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Tawa Boti

Tawa Boti is a specialty dish of my mom. She used to make this for us every now and then. It is always served with freshly made chapati and it is one of my favorite dishes of childhood. Although I’ve cooked this dish many times and did improve over time, I’m still not able to make it as good as hers. Nonetheless, it is still a tasty dish and I enjoy eating it.

Tawa Boti

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes to overnight

Ingredients:
For Marinate:
1 lb bone in or boneless chicken – cut into bite size pieces
2 inches of ginger – grated or finely chopped
7 cloves of garlic – pressed or finely chopped
3 Thai chilies or any green chili – minced or finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
1/3 cup plain yogurt
Salt to taste

Other ingredients:
2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or butter
1 medium onion – finely chopped
1 medium onion – cut into 1/4 inch rings
1 large or 2 medium tomato – cut into 1/4 inch circles
Salt to taste
3 Thai chilies or any green chili – slit it lengthwise while stems intact, for garnishing
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves for garnish
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala powder for garnish

Directions:

1. Mix all the marinate ingredients and let chicken marinate for 30 minutes to overnight.
2. In a large skillet, heat ghee on medium high heat. Add chopped onions, pinch of salt and sauté for few minutes until onions are lightly golden brown.
3. Add marinated chicken, stir well, cover the pot and cook for a minute or so to brown the chicken. Cook for few more minutes covered, stirring occasionally so that chicken is browned on all sides.
4. Once brown, reduce heat to low, add couple tablespoons of water, if needed, cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, for about 15 to 20 minutes.  
5. Increase heat to medium and add onion rings, cover the pot again and cook for about 5 minutes.
6. When onion is almost wilted, add tomato, cover and cook for further 2 to 3 minutes until tomatoes are slightly soft. Taste and add salt if required.
7. Garnish with green chilies, mint leave and sprinkle Garam Masala powder. Cover the pot immediately and let sit for a minute before serving.
8. Stir once and serve hot with Chapati, Naan or Paratha.

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Chicken Korma

Chicken Korma is an easy and delicious dish. This is a dry version that my mom used to make and is usually paired with Dal, rice and some vegetables. Traditionally, it is made with good amount of oil and because of the amount of oil used; this dish can be kept in room temperature for about a day. It can be served warm or room temperature, so it is a good dish for picnics, the Burmese way.

It is good to use bone-in chicken as it will taste better, but boneless chicken will work as well. Dark or white meat of the chicken will depend on your preference. Because it is cooked on low heat, the chicken is quite tender.



Chicken Korma

Serves: 2 – 3
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb bone-in chicken – cut in big chunks
1 tablespoon ginger – grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 tablespoon oil
Whole spices – 2” cinnamon, 4 cardamom, 3 cloves, 1 star anise, 1 big bay leave, 4 peppercorns
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. In a pot, combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Cover the pot with lid and cook on very low heat.
3. Chicken will produce enough water on its own.  Cook until all water has evaporated and chicken has cooked through.
4. Serve with Dal and steam rice.

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Chili Chicken

Chili Chicken is a pretty common Indo-Chinese dish in India. I’m not very familiar with the Indo-Chinese food but since my husband is from India, he likes the Chinese food made there. Since I’ve never tasted before either, I just have to go with the online versions of this dish. This is one of the recipes of VahChef that I found few years back while exploring new cuisines. I often refer to his recipes for Indian Cuisine.

Most of the recipes call for deep frying the chicken first, and then stir fry the vegetables and combine the two. As much as I love deep fried food, when it comes to frying at home, I try to avoid it as much as possible. This is mainly because I don’t enjoy the frying process and also because of the amount of oil that gets wasted. Of course, the deep fried chicken will have much better texture with a crunch, so experiment and play with it to see which one you prefer. This recipe is a stir fry version, which is much healthier and I believe is a good compromise.

Chili Chicken

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 to 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
For marinate:
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast or thigh – cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons corn flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon light soy/soya sauce
Salt and black pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:
3 tablespoons oil (divided)
1/4 cup cashew nuts
10 dry red chilies – cut in half and seeds removed (adjust to taste)
1 inch ginger – grated or finely chopped
5 to 6 cloves of garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 medium onion – cut in 1 inch cubes
2 cups mixture of green, red and orange bell peppers or 1 green bell pepper – cut into 1 inch squares
1 celery stalk – roughly chopped
1 green onion – thinly sliced
Black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
3 tablespoons light soy/soya sauce
2 teaspoon Asian chili garlic sauce (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 to 1 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon of corn flour mixed with 3 tablespoons of water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Few sprigs of cilantro – roughly chopped for garnishing

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine chicken with all marinate ingredients, mix well and keep aside while preparing other ingredients.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat and fry cashew nuts for few minutes until lightly golden brown.  Remove from oil and keep aside.
3. In the same skillet, add 1 more tbsp of oil and heat it over high heat. Once hot, add chicken, spread it around and let stand for a minute or so. After a minute, stir chicken and cook for few more minutes until lightly golden in color and almost cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
4. Have all ingredients ready as stir frying goes pretty quick. Heat the same skillet with remaining 1 tbsp of oil over high heat. Add the dry red chili and stir. Add ginger, garlic and stir for few seconds.
5. Add onion stir few times and cook for a minute.
6. Add bell peppers, celery and green onion and stir.
7. Season with pepper and add chili powder, soy/soya sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar and stir well.
8. Add water, vinegar and chicken and mix well. Season it with salt if necessary.
9. Add prepared corn flour liquid 1 tbsp at a time adjusting to the desire thickness of the gravy.
10. Add sesame oil, fried cashew nuts, stir once and garnish with cilantro.
11. Serve hot with steam rice.

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Chicken Lettuce Wrap

I love chicken lettuce wraps. Few years back, we tried this in one of the restaurants and ever since then, I have been making it at home. Although it is an appetizer, I like to serve it as a light meal with steam rice. We usually take the lettuce, top it up with rice, chicken and pour some sauce, wrap it up and eat. Below recipe is adapted from Rachel Ray’s, Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wrap.

Chicken Lettuce Wrap

Serves:  2 - 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
For Spicy Peanut Sauce :
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 tablespoon soy/soya sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce (adjust to taste)
1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 clove garlic - crushed
1tablespoon fresh cilantro - chopped
1 green onion – thinly sliced

For Lettuce Wrap:
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves of garlic – crushed -divided
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast – cut into very small pieces
12 to 15 fresh shitake mushrooms – stems removed and thinly sliced – about 2 1/2 cups
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 inch ginger – grated – about 1 teaspoon
1 orange zest
1 small red bell pepper – diced small – about 1 cup
3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
3 green onion – thinly sliced
1 iceberg lettuce – quartered
2 oranges – cut out the segments and reserve the core

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk peanut butter and hot water together. Add the remaining ingredients for the sauce and mix well to combine. Add more water if needed and keep this aside.
2. Heat a skillet on high heat and add oil. Add half of the crushed garlic and stir for few seconds.
3. Add chicken, stir and cook for a minute or two. Add mushrooms and cook for another two minutes.
4. Add the rest of the garlic, ginger, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Stir few times and cook for about a minute.
5. Next, add orange zest and red bell pepper and cook for further minute.
6. Add Hoisin sauce, and squeeze out juice from the reserved orange cores into the pot. Mix well and cook a minute more. Turn off the heat and add green onions and stir.
7. To serve, pile few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture on lettuce leaves, pour some peanut sauce and top it up with orange segments. Wrap and eat.

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