Stir-fried Shrimp with Sugar snap peas

Chinese cooking is very simple and easy to make. In authentic Chinese cuisines, the use of meat is more for flavoring than being main ingredient and the emphasis is on locally grown vegetables. The authentic Chinese cooking bear no resemblance to the salty & greasy sauce floats we normally see in restaurants across US.

The background star of this dish is Shallots. These have this sweet delicate flavor  when cooked that reminds me of the onions that we get back in India. Until very recently, I used to think, like many, that shallots are a variety of onions. But shallots grow in clusters like garlic versus single bulb like in onions. Shallots are very commonly used in South Asian cooking. Although these are little pricey compared to onions here in US, its worth trying them. Anyways, most recipes call for small quantities of shallots only.

The sweet, delicate flavors of shallots and sugar snap peas compliment the kung pao sauce and shrimp.


What you need:

20-25 large uncooked Shrimp, cleaned, de-veined
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3 or 4 fistfuls sugar snap peas, cleaned
1/2 cup baby corn, cut into 1 inch pieces (optional)
1/4 - 1/3 cup kung pao sauce
1/4 cup scallions, chopped
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons good quality sesame oil
Salt, if needed (i.e, if the salt is not enough from the sauce)
Freshly ground black pepper for taste

Prep Work:
Bring four cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Add sugar snap peas, cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, drain well and place sugar snap peas in ice water to stop further cooking. Once cooled well, drain and keep aside.

How to make:

• Heat oil on high heat. Add garlic and shallots. Stir-fry for few seconds until the sweet aroma comes out of shallots.
• Add cleaned shrimp. Stir-fry until the shrimp is opaque. Add the sauce, baby corn and ground pepper. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Note: Add sauce in a quantity that is suited your taste.
• Add sugar snap peas, mix well. Check for salt and add if required. Stir fry for few more seconds, add the scallions (green onions) and remove from heat.

Note: As you can notice, my sugar snap peas are cooked a little too much. I've adjusted the time in the recipe given here. The peas should be crunchy and should not form wrinkles (an indication of overcooking).

Kung Pao Tofu

Cold winters call for warm meals. Few days back, I was craving something spicy, filling, healthy, all the good things one can ask in a meal. Oh, of course, it has to be easy and quick to make :-)
Once you make this dish, you'll agree with me that it has met all those expectations!  Caution though! This will spoil you to an extent that the salty-greasy sauce laden kung-pao dishes in restaurants will be of a thing in the past!

What you need:

1 pack firm Tofu, drained well, cubed into bite sized pieces
2 egg whites (optional)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 dry red chillies
1/2 - 3/4 cup Kung Pao Sauce
1 cup carrots, cut into bite sized pieces. (I used baby carrots)
1/2 cup spring onions (scallions), chopped
two fistfuls unsalted roasted peanuts
Salt and ground pepper for taste


How to make:

• Make Sauce following the recipe or use one that was made before. If the sauce is cold, heat it on low heat.
• Whisk egg whites, and pour it over tofu pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a wok, heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil on high heat. Add tofu pieces. Saute until they are crisp outside, but soft inside. Take tofu out and keep aside. Coating with egg whites gives Tofu a velvety appearance and a delicate taste.

• In the same wok, heat rest of the oil, add red chillies. Add tofu back, add carrots, kung pao sauce, peanuts. Mix gently and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add shallots, saute for 10-15 seconds.
• Serve hot with steamed rice. Yum!!

Kung Pao Sauce

Many weeks back, I watched Chef Ming Tsai stirring up this wonderful Kung Pao sauce. I got this immense urge to try the sauce immediately and made this Kung Pao Tofu. Ever since, I might have made different Kung Pao dishes many times. The sauce is "Simply" magical!

What you need to make this tasty sauce:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 inch ginger, minced well,
2 tablespoons sambal oelek
8 medium sized garlic cloves, mincedgarlic
2-3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup soy sauce (I've used Lee Kum Kee's)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Salt and pepper to taste

• In a wok or saucepan, heat canola oil over high heat.
• Add ginger, garlic, saute for a minute. Add sambal oelek. Mix well for 10 seconds.
• Add soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. Bring to boil quickly.
• Slowly add the cornstarch mix, whisking continuously. Cook until the sauce thickens.
• This makes about 2 cups sauce.

Steamed bean-leaf with sesame dressing

Bean Leaf

This is a very straight-forward dish, easy to make, and full of flavor. As I posted in my last post, steaming is ideal way to bring out earthy flavors from greens.
I got the snowpea leaf from Hong Kong Market in Houston. Ever since I tasted this two years ago, I'm hooked on it. Up until recently, I used to saute it with garlic and soy sauce. Once I started steaming, I liked it, and finally bought the steamer.

What you need to make this dish:
3-4 handfuls of snowpea leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
soy sauce to taste
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 -2 teaspoons sesame oil

Method:
Wash the leaves and drain well in a drainer or on a kitchen towel.
Wash the steamer with water.
Arrange the leaves in both levels of steamer. Pour 1/2 cup water in a wok and place steamer in a wok. Heat on medium heat.
Let the water boil for 3-5 mins or until the greens are done. Keep adding water little by little, but never leave the wok dry.
Remove steamer from wok. Take the greens into a serving dish.
Heat oil in a small skillet, add garlic, sesame seeds, red chili flakes. Saute for 30 seconds. Add soy sauce. Saute for another 30 sec. Pour over greens. Mix gently. Serve with steamed white or brown or fried rice.

Egg Fried Rice

This is a very common dinner item for me as it is easy to prepare and whole meal itself.I love eggs in any format. Baked, poached, scrambled, curried, fried, or just raw ;-) (its been a while since I tried it raw).


What you need to make this Fried Rice:

4 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
2 cups mixed vegetables (broccoli florets, baby corn, carrots, sugar snap peas, bell pepper strips)
3 large eggs
1+1 tbsp sesame oil (or other cooking oil of your choice)
1 spring onion, diced2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp pepper powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
1 tsp tomato ketchup (optional) 1

How to do:

1. Optional step: Blanch vegetables. (Keep vegetables in hot water for 4 minutes and transfer into cold water. The result is cooked, but crisp vegetables)
2. Beat eggs and keep aside.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok on medium-high. Add beaten eggs. Scramble eggs well. Once cooked, remove and keep aside.
4. Heat remaining oil, add garlic and vegetables. If blanched, no need to saute more than 1/2 minute. Otherwise, saute until the vegetables are done.
5. Add soy sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, hoisin sauce, pepper powder. mix well
6. Add rice and spring onions, eggs. Keep stirring with delicate hand until mixed well.
7. Remove and serve hot.

When I was in Chennai the cook would make something called Bull's eye. He breaks an egg and drops (literally) it on a moderately hot, well greased tava. He cooks only one side. Sprinkles some salt and pepper before throwing it carefully on the plate. The outcome is just delicious. The white would almost be done, but the yolk is warm and creamy. Dip a piece of toast in the yolk. Yum!