Chinese recipes

Chinese Fried Rice

1 cup raw Basmati rice

2 onions/spring onions finely chopped

1 capsicum chopped

1 carrot chopped

Cabbage shredded (1/2 cup)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Method:

Boil 4 cups of water and salt and tsp of oil in the water. Add the rice and cook till rice is 90% cooked. Drain the water and keep the cooked rice aside.

Heat oil, add onions and fry till they turn transluscent, add a bit of salt at this stage. Add other vegetable and stir fry on high flame. Once the vegetables are glossy, add the rice salt, pepper and mix well.

Tips:

Do not overcook the vegetables.

The vegetables should be finely chopped.

Add spring onion greens at the end.

Variations:

 You can prepare this with any other rice variety like Jasmine rice or Ponni raw rice.

 You can add ginger garlic paste with the onions.

 You can a tsp of soya sauce in the end.

 You can substitute carrot and cabbage with just capsicum (all colours)

 You can add finely chopped beans.

 You may add a pinch of ajinomoto.

Chilli Paneer

Ingredients:

Paneer – 200 gms

Onion – 1 chopped, bigger pieces

Capsicum – 1 chopped, bigger pieces

Ginger – finely chopped 1 tbsp

Garlic finely chopped 1 tbsp

Red chilli paste – 1 tbsp or depending on how spicy you want the dish to be(see tips)

Cornflour 1 tbsp – mixed in 200 ml or 1 cup of water

Chilli garlic sauce or Tomato ketchup – 1 tbsp

Soya sauce – 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat a tava, add oil and spread evenly. Place the paneer block and fry till it turns golden brown on both sides. Cut into pieces and keep aside.

Add oil and fry onions, ginger and garlic till it turns brown. Add capsicum and fry for a few minutes. Add chilli paste, ketchup/sauce, soya sauce, salt and cornflour solution. Let the gravy boil and thicken. Finally add the paneer pieces. You can add more water and adjust salt as per your taste preference.

Tips

 Red chilli paste:

Soak 10 to 15 red chillies in hot water for 1 or 2 hours, the long variety (Kashmiri or Byadige). Grind to  a paste. This can be stored in the freezer and used as required. Keeps well for upto a month. Add oil if required.

 You can replace paneer with baby corn and broccoli for an exotic dish. But remember to keep your vegetables crisp in Chinese dishes. Do not boil, only stir fry.

Simple Snacks

Cheese and Paneer crispies

Cheese grated (mozzarella or processed) – ½ cup

Paneer grated – ½ cup

2 big green capsicum/bell pepper

Cajun spice – 2 teaspoon (available in nuts & spices – else you can use dhania-jeera powder and dried oregano)

Salt to taste

Oil for cooking

Method:

Cut bell pepper into square shapes and keep aside. Mix cheese, paneer, Cajun spice and salt as required. Heat a non stick tava. Put a teaspoon of the paneer/cheese mixture on the the capsicum slice and place it on the tava. Add some oil to cook the capsicum. Once the cheese melts a little, remove and serve hot.