Desi Chinese ( Chicken Manchurian modified)

This dish is super tasty, very easy to make, it takes me about 35 minutes to cook this + Egg fried rice as the side dish, for my egg fried rice recipe CLICK HERE

3/2 tbsp oil

sugar 1 + 1/2 tsp

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

2/3 yellow onion cut into cubes, not too small, about 2/3''squares

1 bell pepper (your choice, can use red, yellow or green). Cut into cubes

boneless chicken, about 2/3 of a chicken breast, cut into bit size pieces.

salt (to taste)

soysauce (to taste) ---> I add about 3-4 tbsp. for the quantities above)

chinese salt (ajino moto)

crushed red pepper (to taste).

Tomato sauce ---> you can buy canned sauce from the market, or you can make your own. See How

3/4 tbsp corn flour. 

1. Fry onion in 1 tbsp oil on high heat for 1 minutes in a wide bottom frying pan. Add chicken + garlic powder+ salt + crushed pepper. Fry for about 3-4 minutes. Stirring constantly. on high heat.  then add bell pepper. Fry for no more than 1 minute. 

2. Set the fried mixture (onion, chicken and bell pepper)  aside in a bowl. now put 1/2 tbsp oil in the pan. Add tomato sauce to it. cook on medium to low heat. It is cooked when oil separates from tomatoes. Add soy sauce + sugar. 

3. Stir the mixture (onion, chicken and bell pepper) into the tomato paste in the pan. Now add about 1/4 cup of water. Mix in. 

4. Mix cornflour in 1 tbsp water (add a little more if all doesn't dissolve). While stirring, pour it into the pan. Make sure all of the powder dissolves in water before pouring it into pan (other wise it will form clumps). And also, it is important to keep stirring, in order to avoid clumps. 

5). You will see the consistency getting thicker, if it is too thick for you, add a little water, if not thick enough, add a little more cornflour (NEVER add cornflour directly, always mix it in water before adding). 

6). Do not cook much longer, other wise your bell peppers will all turn soggy (I like'em crunchy!)

7). Taste. If you think it does not have a chinese taste, you haven't added wnough soysauce, add some more. If it is too tangy  (tomatoes make it tangy, some tomatoes are more tangy than others), add a little more sugar. If you think it is not hot enough for your taste buds, add some more crushed pepper. 

8). When you are satisfied  with the taste, pour it into a serving dish. Serve hot with Egg Fried Rice

Egg Fried rice

I was kinda out of spring onions today, so my rice has less greenery than usual.

The rice go very well with my version of Chinese Chicken Manchurian (desi style). Ha ha!! i know, this recipe has a funny name

1+ 1/2 cup of basmati rice (pre soaked in water then drained)
3/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 egg (beaten by hand)
about 1/2 cup of carrot cut into small cubes
1/2 cup of peas
1/2 cup of corn
1 + 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/3 tsp of ajino moto (chinese salt)
1 pack of spring onions, cut into small pieces.
1+ 1/2 tbsp oil

Use a wide bottom pan with a lid.
1. Heat oil. High heat. Add peas, corn and carrots, stir continously. Fry for about 2 - 3 minutes. Add salt + pepper + chinese salt + soysauce. Also add the egg. cook.

2). add about 2 + 3/4 cups of water, and then add rice. Let it cook on medium heat. Cover only half the mouth of the cooking pan (to avoid rice from boiling over). let it cook. Rice will absorb most of the water. when you see pits forming in the rice, they are ready for DUM.  To know what is DUM, CLICK HERE

3). reduce heat to lowest on your stove. add spring onion (pre cut) and yellow food color. Cover and let it cook for about 8 - 10 minutes.

4). turn off the stove. Put the pan on a cool surface. Open the lid. Carefully mix the rice. It will let  all the steam out and prevent rice from clumping. But be gentle to the rice while mixing or it will break an donot look nice by the end!!


Serve with Chinese Chinese Chicken Manchurian (desi style)

DUM

So what exactly is DUM?

Well, it is a process that gives rice their perfect softness, prevents them from clumping, or being too soft, it also incorporates the taste of various ingredients added to rice.

For giving dum to any type of rice dish,  follow the following procedure. Make sure to use a wide bottom cooking pan with a nice tight fitting lid.

Cover with a lid. Put the pan on the stove, under the minimum possible heat. This process is called "dum." The idea is to create a steam filled environment for the rice to cook,and also, for the flavor of the gravy to be incorporated into rice. Make sure the lid is closed properly, and the heat is low. Too high heat will cause the rice to stick to the bottom of the pan and it will be a pain to wash later on.

Let the dum go on for 10-15 minutes depending on your stove. For gas stoves, and coil top electrical 15 is ok, but for smooth top 10 minutes is enough, after that the rice starts sticking to the pan.

Time also depends on the amount of rice and the width of the bottom of the pan. If pan has a wide bottom (therefore good concuctance) you can open the dum in lesser time. Similarly, lesser the quantity of rice being cooked, lesser the time required for dum).  for example for 1- 1+1/2 cups of rice, I find that 8 minutes is enough for my smooth top stove. If I leave it any longer, it gets stuck to the pan... very nasty!!

I think giving your rice a perfect dum, is  a skill that can only be mastered by experience. All stoves are different, even rice is different, so it really is up to you to figure out the optimum time, temperature etc!! 

Good luck!!

CHICKEN HANDI MAKHNI

For some other great recipes CLICK HERE

5 chicken thigh fillets (cut into bit size pieces)
2 tbsp oil
1 yellow onion
4 cloves of garlic + 1 inch ginger root --->(combine to make paste)
2 round tomatoes
1 jalapeno pepper (big)
2/3 tsp salt (or to taste)
3/2 tsp zafarani garam masala
1/2 tsp dhaniya (corriander) powder
1/3 tsp black pepper
2/3 tsp white cumin powder
2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp plain yogurt
fresh cilantro for garnishing


Directions:
1. Heat oil on medium heat. Cut onions (think slices) perpendicular to the fibre. Fry onions until golden/slightly white. Add salt while frying onions. Please do not over cook, dark brown to black onions have no nutrition value. Tip: I try to fry my onions on medium to low heat. It takes time, but onions turn out crisp and golden with no "burned taste."

2. Add ginger garlic paste to onion. Fry, until the paste turns slightly golden. Now increase heat, add chicken. stir continuously as it fries. Chicken will start to turn golden in a  minute or so.

3. When chicken has good golden color, add tomatoes, cut into small cubes. Add zafrani garam masala, black pepper, corriander powder, cumin powder and cut jalapeno pepper. Stir. Now cover. Reduce heat to medium low. Let it cook for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the lid. Smell..... Ahh!! you will see plenty of water let it dry ny removing the lid. Increase the heat, but stir occasionally. If curry is sticking to the bottom of the pan, reduce heat.

5. When tomatoes have cooked, the curry will leave oil. You will see oil coming out. At this point add heavy cream and yogurt.

6. Yogurt will leave water. Cook until water dries and oil separates. Add chopped cilantro.

7. Garnish with cilantro and ginger. Serve hot. Tastes best when served with hot naan bread.
 Naan bread is available in all major grocery stores in the bakery/ bread section.


For some other great recipes CLICK HERE

Feel free to leave comments + suggestions

Macys 25% off/ Ulta $5 off $10 purchase

CLICK HERE for more coupons

USE COUPON CODE : MACYSFF for 25% off + free shipping

Free shipping only for orders $99 and up!

Take this survey on ULTA, and get $5 off your $10 purchase. 

New York and Company in store + Online Coupon exp 05-02-11

CLICK HERE for more coupons

Added 05-01-2011

EXPIRES 05-02-11 SO HURRY UP!!

Buy 1 get 1 50% off + $40 coupon.

New York and Company in store coupon 40 off 100 coupon.......CLICK HERE

For online shooping enter code 3793. ENJOY....