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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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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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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Kheema Paratha (Ground Meat Stuffed Flatbread)

Kheema Paratha is basically a flat-bread that is stuffed with ground meat mixture. In Burma, when we use the word Paratha, we are referring to flour based (instead of whole wheat) flaky, layered and crispy type of Paratha, also known as Lacha Paratha or Roti Canai in some other parts of the world :). It is mostly sold by road-side vendors and usually in the evenings, people either set up cooking area in-front of their restaurants or just in some corner of the road and start making and selling these. There are different varieties of fillings that you can order but the meat filling is mostly made with beef. You can choose from meat only, meat and egg or egg only. The meat version goes really well with some sour salad or even with just a wedge of lime. Sometimes, I like to order egg only version and sprinkle some sugar on top or spread condensed milk and eat it as a sweet dish.

Back home, people usually don’t make these at home mainly because it requires some skill in making these types of Parathas. Not only does the dough need to be quite smooth and elastic but the actual technique of pulling the dough paper-thin, requires some skills. It is certainly not impossible to make it at home, but back then at that time; when fresh Parathas are so readily available, why would anyone bother making them at home :).

That being said, now that I’m living in a totally different environment, I would love to make these from scratch one day. For now, I’m using the frozen Parathas and so far they have worked out pretty well for me. I don’t like to use oil when cooking the Parathas because I think the frozen Parathas already have enough oil in them. The filling used here is pretty versatile and can be used to fill; puff pastries, Samosas or spring rolls. I’ve used ground turkey below but you can make with any type of ground meat; such as, chicken, beef or lamb. However, you might have to use more or less spices depending of the type of meat used.

Kheema Paratha

Makes: 6 Paratha
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 to 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
5 cloves (about 1 tablespoon) garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger – grated or finely chopped
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup cilantro – finely chopped
1/2 cup mint – finely chopped
1 Jalapeno or any green chili – finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup red onion – finely chopped
6 frozen uncooked plain Paratha (I use, Kawan brand) – keep at room temperature in one layer for about 15 minutes before using

Directions:
Filling

1. Combine ground turkey with chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, mix well and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a wide pan over high heat, and add garlic and ginger. Stir for few seconds and be careful not to let it burn.
3. Add ground turkey mixture and stir well to combine. Stir frequently and break up the meat with spatula to prevent big lumps. Continue to cook on high heat until the meat starts to brown.
4. Add black pepper at this point and make necessary adjustments according to taste. Stir for few more seconds and turn of the heat and remove pan from the heat.
5. Add chopped cilantro, mint and jalapeno and mix well to combine.
6. When the meat mixture is quite warm but not hot anymore, add the chopped onion and mix well. Let this mixture cool completely before warping in the Parathas.

Wrapping and cooking the Parathas

1. On a smooth surface or countertop, place one Paratha and roll it out as thin as you can without breaking or tearing approximately about 11 inches in diameter. (I use the back of a round tray as surface for rolling the Parathas.)
2. Place about 1/2 cup of filling in the middle of the rolled Paratha and shape the filling into approximately 5 x 6 inch rectangle.
3. Fold over the bottom and top of the Paratha circle to the center. Fold over the sides to the center as well. You will end up with a rectangle shaped Paratha at this point.
4. Place the Paratha on a sheet of plastic that comes with the Paratha package, keep aside or in fridge while wrapping the remaining Parathas.
5. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium to medium low heat. Place one paratha, seam side down and cook for about 5 minutes in total flipping once or twice until both sides are golden brown in color and crispy.
6. Keep the cooked Paratha on a wire rack in a warm place. Continue to cook the rest of the Parathas and serve hot with wedges of lime and onion salad.

Note:

• You can also add an egg during the wrapping process. After placing the filling in the center, crack one egg open and lightly spread the egg with a fork over the filing. Wrap the Paratha as stated above and cook.
• While cooking the Parathas, sometimes, I like to open up the top folds, and brown the inner side for few minutes and fold back to its shape so that it can thoroughly cook inside.
• If frozen Paratha are too hard and breaks when you roll, leave it out few minutes longer for easier rolling. If they are out too long, it will be too soft, so put back in fridge or freezer to chill them a bit. 
• You can lightly grease the work surface if Parathas are sticking or too soft.

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Turkey Seekh Kabab

The weather in Southern California has been great lately. Mostly sunny and we even hit 80 degrees F past week. With this beautiful weather, of course BBQ came to my mind. When we BBQ, we usually go all-out grilling different types of meats and vegetables in one shot. BBQ for us is more of a feast then keeping it simple :). However, this time, I controlled my urge of making a feaster and just made some Seekh Kababs and Tandoori Chicken. It was quick and effortless for me since I don’t do the grilling part :).

Seekh Kabab is a popular dish and there are many different variety and versions of this dish. I came across the video from VahChef few years back and tried few different techniques that he has mentioned in this video. They are all good but his method requires grinding meat on your own. Since I wanted it to be simpler and quicker, I came up with below version.

Turkey Seekh Kabab

Makes: 5 Kababs
Preparation Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients:
0.8 pound (364 grams) ground turkey
1 tablespoon ginger – grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/8 cup fried onion or shallots (I usually use readymade one)
1/4 cup grated extra sharp cheddar or cheese of your choice
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro – finely chopped
1 jalapeno or any green chili - finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1/2 egg – lightly beaten
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
5 BBQ bamboo skewers – soaked in water for 30 minutes wiped dry
Oil Spray
1 large yellow or white onion – cut into 1/4 inch thick rings
Few red or green whole jalapenos for grilling

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Divide the meat into 5 equal portions.
2. Take one portion of meat and starting from the center of the skewer; wrap the meat around and shape it into a uniform cylinder shape (sausage shape) along the skewer leaving few inches empty from top and bottom. Place the shaped Kabob on a plate and continue with the rest of the meat.
3. In a separate dish, place the onion rings in one layer and drizzle some olive oil or spray some oil on them. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Turn the onions over and do the same thing with the other side.
4. When ready to grill, spray some oil on an outdoor grill and grill the Kabobs, for few minutes until nicely browned rotating few times for even browning on all sides. Grill the onions and Jalapenos alongside while grilling the meat.
5. Alternatively, if you want to make it indoors, use a griddle skillet or a plain skillet, spray some oil and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked through, rotating few times for even browning. Grill the onions and Jalapenos on the same pan as well.

Note: The meat needs to be free of moisture for making the kabobs. Dry the green chili and cilantro well before adding. If the mixture is mushy, add some bread crumbs to firm it up. If the meat is sticking too much to your hands, oil your hands while shaping them.

Serving Suggestion:
To serve as an appetizer: remove skewer, cut into half or 3 portions of each kabab and serve with lime wedges and green (cilantro) chutney.
To serve as a meal: serve with Jeera Rice, Naan, Raita, Kachumber, grilled onions and grilled fresh chilies. If you don’t like your meals dry, serve some type of Indian curry along with it.

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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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Bell Pepper with Ground Meat

This is one dish that my sister used to make for us often. It is quick, easy, simple and delicious. Whenever I’m little tired to cook and if I have bell peppers on hand, I like to make this dish. It is a quick stir fry dish but, she uses fish sauce instead of soy/soya sauce and which sets this dish apart from other stir fry dishes. You can either use ground beef or turkey but I usually make it with turkey.

Bell Pepper with Ground Meat

Serves: 2 to 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
9 to 10 cloves of garlic – whack with knife
1 medium onion – 1/4 of it finely chopped and 3/4 of it cut in chunks
1 lb ground turkey or beef
1 large or 2 small bell peppers green or mixed – cut in 3/4 inch squares
Fish sauce to taste
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a wok or a wide frying pan over high heat and add oil.
2. Once the oil is hot, add garlic and quickly stir for few seconds. Add chopped onions and continue to stir for about a minute until onions are translucent.
3. Add ground meat, stir and break the meat chunks apart. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until the meat is cooked through and almost all the water has evaporated.
4. At this point, add the onion chunks and continue to cook for another minute.
5. Add bell peppers, stir and season it with fish sauce and cook for another minute or so. Do not overcook the bell peppers.
6. Crack some black pepper, stir once and serve hot with steam rice and hot sauce of your choice.

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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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Akha Murgi (Whole Chicken Curry)

Akha Murgi is a special occasion dish that I grew up eating. It is not a difficult dish to make but does require a little preparation. I got this recipe from my sister and this is my first time making it. It turned out better than expected. The chicken was falling apart tender and moist. The taste was little sweet and savory at the same time. This brings back good old memories.

Traditionally, it was cooked on stove top and heated charcoals were placed on top of the pot to give even heat from top and bottom. Dough from wheat flour is also used, to seal the edges of the pot so that it is air tight and no steam will escape. Technically, it is not a curry because it is prepared without much gravy. It is somewhat in between curry and a roast. I’ve made few changes by using oven for cooking, foil for sealing the pot and made it with a bit more gravy (more like curry) since I’m not preparing many other dishes to accompany this. Serve with some rice, naan and light salad.

Akha Murgi (Whole Chicken Curry)

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 30 to 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Marinating Time: 2 hours to overnight

Ingredients:
1 whole skinless chicken – 3 to 4 lbs
1/2 lb baby potato – boiled - divided
3 eggs – boiled and shell removed -divided
Few drops of yellow food coloring
3 tablespoons of clarified butter (ghee) or butter -divided
3 tablespoons of oil -divided
1 1/2 to 2 medium onions – chopped
Whole spices (4 cardamom pods, 2” cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 1 star anise, 5 pepper corns)
3 tablespoons of raisins
3 tablespoons of whole cashew nuts

For marinate:
1 inch ginger – peeled and cut in pieces
9 cloves of garlic
4 Thai chilies or 1 Serrano pepper – roughly chopped (adjust to taste)
4 teaspoons cumin seeds – rinsed with water and drained
3 tablespoons white poppy seeds – lightly toasted
10-15 cashew nuts – grind to powder
Few drops of yellow food coloring or few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp of water
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Remove any innards from the chicken, rinse with cold water inside out and pat dry with paper towels. Poke the chicken gently with sharp knife in few places. Don’t over poke the chicken as it might fall apart when cooked. Just poke a little, here and there.
2. In a food processor or blender grind ginger, garlic, chili, cumin and poppy seeds to a fine paste. Transfer the grinded paste to a big pot or container and add the remaining marinate ingredients and adjust according to taste.
3. Add chicken to the marinate paste, rub all over inside and out with the marinate paste and let it marinate overnight or at least 2 hours in the fridge.
4. When ready to cook, rub the boiled potatoes and boiled eggs with yellow color. Stuff, 2 to 3 of the potatoes and 1 boiled egg into the cavity of the marinated chicken.  Cross the chicken legs, tie with a string and tug the wings.  If there is chicken neck attached, tug it into the cavity. Tie the whole chicken with one long string, wrapping across few times starting from the legs all the way up to the wings. This will prevent the chicken from falling apart to pieces while cooking. Set this aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Heat an oven proof pot large enough to hold the chicken, on medium high heat and add 1 1/2 tbsp butter and 1 1/2 tbsp oil. When hot, add whole spices and stir. Add chopped onion and pinch of salt and stir. Continue to cook stirring occasionally until onions are slightly brown.
7. Add the chicken along with marinate paste. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for few minutes. Every few minutes, stir and flip the chicken few times. Do this for about 2 to three times.  If chicken it not oozing out any water, or if it is too dry, add little water.
8. Once chicken is lightly browned on all sides, seal the pot with aluminum foil, cover with the lid and bake it in the preheated oven, for total 1 hour.
9. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp of butter and sauté raisins and cashew nuts on low heat until cashew nuts are light golden color. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.
10. In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp of oil and fry the remaining potatoes and 2 boiled eggs till golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towel and keep aside.
11. After 40 minutes of baking the chicken, remove from oven and add fried raisins, cashew nuts, potatoes and eggs to the pot. Stir once, seal and put back in the oven and continue cooking for the remaining 20 minutes.
12. Serve with Naan or Paratha, Pulau (rice) and Salad.

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Thai Duck Curry

If there is ready made or leftover roasted duck, this dish comes together fairly easy and quickly. You can either use a store bought can curry paste or make curry paste from scratch at home. Since I was short of time that day, I just used the can version, which was pretty tasty as well. I like this dish to be on a little sweeter side, so I added 2 tsp of sugar. Taste first before adding full 2 tsp.  This dish is creamy, little sweet and tangy from the pineapples and has a kick from all spices from the curry paste.  Overall, this is one of my husband’s favorite dishes.

Thai Duck Curry

Serves:  4
Prep Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon oil
2 oz (1/2 a can) Maesri red curry paste
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 roasted duck – cut in chunks
1/2 cup pineapple – cut into bite size pieces
4 to 6 kaffir lime leaves – torn with hand
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes –cut in half
Fish sauce to taste
2 teaspoon sugar (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves

Directions:

1. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and sauté red curry paste for 1 min or so until fragrant.
2. Add few tablespoons of coconut milk and stir. Add few more tablespoons of coconut milk until it becomes thick gravy consistency.
3. Add the roasted duck, stir and cook for further minute.
4. Add pineapple, kaffir lime leaves and cherry tomatoes. Season it with sugar and fish sauce to taste.  Stir well and cook for few more minutes.
5. Add the rest of the coconut milk and some water to adjust the gravy consistency. Cook for further minute.
6. Turn off the heat and add basil leaves. Stir once and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with few more basil leaves.

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Roast Duck

I’ve been craving for a good roast duck for some time now. I’ve made duck couple times in the past but haven’t been very satisfied with the results, until I found this Roast Duck recipe online. This recipe is a bit time consuming but you’ll get a really flavorful and crispy skin duck. I’ve added some spices for flavor. Leftover duck (if there’s any) can be made into Thai duck curry with red sauce and coconut milk.

Roast Duck

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time:    4 hours and 30 minutes   

Ingredients:
1 whole young duckling, 5-6 lbs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
1/8 teaspoon cloves powder
1 tablespoon soy/soya sauce
1 celery stick – cut in big chunks
1 medium onion – quartered
Kosher salt

For Sweet & Spicy Glaze
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon light soy/soya sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce (adjust to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Prepare the duck by removing all the innards from the cavity. Cut off the tail and any excess skin and discard. Rinse the duck inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.  Using a sharp knife, score diamond pattern onto the duck’s breast area, slicing through the skin and fat. Cut on an angle without cutting into the meat.  Pull out quills if any. Poke the duck all over with a sharp knife without going through the meat. 
3. In a bowl, mix spice powders, cinnamon, ginger, white pepper and cloves. Sprinkle half of this inside the duck’s cavity. Add soy/soya sauce to the remaining spice mixture, mix well and rub all over the outside of the duck. 
4. Stuff the duck with celery and onion, tie the legs and fold the wings under. Place the duck breast side up in a roasting pan mounted with rack, sprinkle some salt and roast for 1 hour.
5. After first hour, poke the skin all over with a sharp knife, flip over so it is breast side down and roast in oven for 1 hour.
6. After second hour, repeat the process, poke and turn the duck breast side up and roast for 1 more hour.
7. After third hour, poke and turn the duck breast side down and roast for 1 more hour.
8. While the duck is roasting for its last hour, make the glaze. In a medium size saucepan, combine all of the glaze ingredients and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk continuously for few minutes until it gets syrupy and coats the back of the spoon. Set this aside.
9. After the fourth hour, remove the duck from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.  Flip the duck over so that it is breast side up. Once the oven temperature reaches 400 degrees F, put the duck back in and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.  At this point, the skin should be golden brown and crisp.
10. Remove from oven and brush on with glaze all over. Put back in the oven and bake for another 5 to 7 minutes, keeping a close eye on it as it can burn easily at this point.  Let it rest, out of oven for 10 minutes before carving.

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Spice Rubbed Roast Turkey

Few years ago, I saw Rachael Ray making Pressed Herbs and Spices Turkey Breast on TV and ever since then, I have been wanting to try this recipe but never actually got a chance to do so. This year, I decided to give it a try, but instead of using just the turkey breast, I wanted to make a whole turkey for thanksgiving. I've never cooked whole turkey before but have heard enough stories of things that could go wrong, so I know that I need to research more on how to cook the bird without drying it out. I came across Alton Brown's Roast Turkey recipe which seems fairly easy and has many good reviews, so decided to give it a shot. I used both the recipes and came up with this below version.

I'm very pleased with this turkey recipe. It is a little lengthy process but worth every minute and effort, as it was probably the best turkey we've ever tasted.  It was very juicy, tender, tasty and at the same time, the skin was crisp and flavorful. For beginners like me, I would highly recommend the probe thermometer cause with this, you won't over or under cook the meat.  The only thing I would pay attention to is, when the turkey first goes in the oven at 500 degrees F, keep a close eye on it cause with spices, it will brown faster than the original recipe. I put a sheet of foil after 30 minutes of cooking since my bird was already browning enough and I didn't want more color on it. I'm looking forward to re-make this in near future.

Spice Rubbed Roast Turkey

Ingredients:
1 (10 to 15 lbs) fresh young turkey – if frozen, thawed

For the brine:
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoon allspice berries
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
A pinch of dry sage
1 gallon heavily iced water

For spice rub:
1 tablespoon Montreal Seasoning by McCormick
2 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoon coriander powder

For herb and nut paste:
8 sprigs of fresh thyme – stems removed
1/2 cup cilantro
1 cup flat-leaf parsley
1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios

Other ingredients:
1 red apple – sliced
1/2 medium onion – sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Oil to brush on turkey

One day before roasting:

1. In a pot, combine vegetable stock, kosher salt, brown sugar, black peppercorns, allspice berries and bring it to a boil over medium high heat stirring occasionally. Turn of the heat and add crushed red pepper, fresh thyme and sage; and stir to combine. Let the brine cool completely and refrigerate to chill.

Night before roasting:

1. Combine the brine and iced water in a large double layered trash bag set inside a foam ice box or a bucket large enough to hold whole turkey.
2. Prepare turkey by removing all innards and rinse inside and out under cold water.
3. Immerse the turkey breast side down in the brine and tie the trash bags if using any and weight it down if necessary.
4. Refrigerate or keep it in a cool place for 8 to 16 hours, turning the turkey once half way through brining

When ready to roast:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F
2. In a microwave safe bowl, combine apple, onion and cinnamon stick with 1 cup of water and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Let this cool a bit, drain and set aside.
3. Prepare the spice rub by mixing all the spice rub ingredients in a bowl and set aside
4. In a food processor, combine all the herb and nut paste ingredients and process into a paste and set aside
5. Remove the turkey from the brine and rinse inside and out under cold water. Discard the brine liquid.
6. Set the turkey on a roasting rack layered over roast pan and pat dry with paper towels.
7. Loosen up the skin on the breast area with a sharp knife.  Stuff the herb and nut paste between the skin and the meat. Spread it evenly around both breasts area going as deep as you can without breaking the skin.
8. In the turkey’s cavity, place the apple, onion and cinnamon mixture along with fresh rosemary.
9. Coat the skin liberally with oil and sprinkle the spice rub mixture all over the bird.
10. Tuck the wings underneath, tie the legs and roast it in the lowest rack of the oven for 25 - 30 minutes. Check once in between to make sure the skin is not burned.
11. After 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Insert the probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and set the thermometer alarm to 161 degrees F.  Put a sheet of foil on top to prevent the skin from burning and continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches to 161 degrees F.
12. My 10 pound bird took me about 2 1/2 hours of roasting time.
13. Once the bird is cooked, remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.

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