Stir Fried Pak Choi in Garlic, Ginger & Chillies

Went next door to the Asian fresh vegetable shop and found pak choi, it's amazing the availability of variety of Asian vegetables in our local and large supermarkets. It just makes us want to try out new recipes, that we may only find in restaurants.

So here is my take on one of my favourite vegetables, pak choi, baby Chinese cabbage, stir fried in garlic, ginger and red chillies. Though a Chinese dish, this vegetable dish can go with any cuisine.

Ingredients

Serves 2

250gm Baby Pak Choi, separate stalks and leaves

3 cloves garlic, finely sliced into strips

1 small piece of ginger, finely sliced into strips

2-3 fresh red chillies, finely sliced

200ml vegetable stock

1tsp sugar

1tsp salt

1tbsp dark soy sauce

1tsp fresh lemon juice

1tbsp sesame oil

4tbsp olive oil

Cooking

In a small bowl, pour in the sesame oil, soya sauce, lemon juice, salt, sugar, stir and leave a side.

Heat the olive oil on a high heat in a wok or deep frying pan.

Once hot, throw in the garlic, ginger, chillies and stir fry for a minute.

Add the stalks of the pak choi and stir fry for 2 minutes.

Add the leaves and stir fry for a further 2 minutes.

 Pour in the vegetable stock and soya sauce mixture, stir and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, before serving.

Semolina Pudding

Gujarati style semolina pudding, sprinkled with toasted fresh desiccated coconut and almonds.

A straight forward Indian dessert made from coarse semolina which is roasted in ghee (clarified butter), until slightly brown. Boiled saffron flavour milk is added, sugar or condensed milk as I have above and then vigorously stirred until the milk has evaporated.

Garlic Chicken Curry

Murgh Lasuni in other words, what you might see on a menu in any top Indian restaurant, chicken curry with loads of garlic.

I myself just love garlic and tend to throw loads of the stuff in many of my dishes. This particular recipe is quick and simple to make, which is as authentic and absolutely delicious for garlic lovers.

Ingredients

750gm small boneless chicken cubes

6tbsp olive oil

2 small white onions, finely chopped

8-10 black peppercorns

1 ½ tbsp crushed garlic

2-4 fresh green chillies, finely crushed

6 medium ripe tomatoes, liquidised

2tbsp natural plain yogurt (Bio Pot), whipped

1tsp garam masala

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp ground coriander

1 ½ tsp salt

Preparation

In a large frying pan, preferably one with a lid, heat up the olive oil on a medium heat. Once the oil is hot, throw in the peppercorns and allow to crackle for 20 seconds. Add the onions, garlic, chillies and allow too sauté until dark brown.

Add the chicken and stir fry until all the pieces of chicken turn white.

Mix the blended tomatoes and yogurt well and pour in, stir, lower heat and cook for 30 minutes with a lid on, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle in all the dry spices, stir and cook for a further 15 minutes.

I garnish this dish with fried flakes of garlic for that extra feel.

Serve Hot with Naan bread & rice.

Sweet Corn Curry

A Gujarati favourite sweetcorn in a spicy rich tomato creamy sauce.

Serves 6

Ingredients

750gm sweetcorn

500gm tinned chopped tomatoes, blended in a liquidiser

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1tbsp crushed garlic

1tbsp crushed ginger

2-3 fresh green chillies, finely chopped

3tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

6tbsp red peanuts, coarsely grounded

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp garam masala

1tsp pomegranate powder

2tsp salt

100ml single cream

8tbsp sunflower oil

Preparation

In a fairly large pot, heat up the oil on a medium heat, once hot sprinkle in the cumin seeds and allow to crackle for 20 seconds. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, crushed chillies and saute until light brown.

Sprinkle in the coarsely grounded red peanuts and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the blended tomatoes, sweetcorn and the also the dried spices, stir well and allow to simmer for 30 minutes with a lid on, stirring occasionally.

Finally pour in the single cream, sprinkle in the coriander, stir and cook for a further 10 minutes before serving hot, goes well with naan bread.

Spicy Butter Mushrooms

Very very naughty, though taste's divine.

Ingredients

600gms open cap mushrooms

4tbsp natural plain yogurt, whipped

2tbsp fresh lemon juice

6tbsp olive oil

75gm butter

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

½tsp ground black pepper

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp salt

2tbsp crushed garlic

3-4 red chillies, finely chopped

3tbsp fresh coriander finely chopped

Preparation

In a fairly large bowl pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle in the dry spices and stir well.

Pour in the yogurt, lemon juice and whisk in well.

Throw in the mushrooms, stir in well, coating all the pieces with the marinade, allow to marinate for a few hours or use straight away.

In a medium frying pan or wok, add the rest of the olive oil and butter, allow to heat over a medium heat, once hot, add garlic, red chillies, fresh coriander and saute for a minute.

Add the mushrooms and stir fry for 15-17 minutes, until cooked.

Serve hot with warm bread of you're choice.

My Cocktail Paneer Tikka

Indian cottage cheese, marinated in a selection of spices, herbs and a few special ingredients, to make this mouthwatering appetizer.

Indian cottage cheese, called paneer has a love hate relationship with people, you either love the stuff or you won't go near it. The cheese is a bit like halloumi, unsalted, which can be grilled or fried. Made from curdling heated milk, by adding lemon juice, the curds are separated, put into a muslin cloth, hung up and allow to be drained for a few hours. It's then moulded into the required shape and again pressed, chilled and their you are, the other alternative is to buy the ready made stuff you find in Asian grocery stores.

Pick up My Cocktail Paneer Tikka recipe instore now. 

Gajar Ka Halwa

Some say it's called the Indian carrot cake, though it is in fact more like a dessert. The Gajar Ka Halwa must be one of the most favourite Indian desserts of all time, served hot. My particular recipe is not to sweet as other versions and I have added fresh coconut, with a serving of cream and topped with flake almonds to finish it off.

 

Coastal Fish Curry

Fish and rice is a stable diet through many parts of the world, specially throughout Asia, in particular coastal areas. In India such regions like Kerala and the areas around the Bay of Bengal are popular with fish and rice dishes, though the style's of dishes vary when it comes to fish and the sauce. Below is my version of a coastal fish curry, hope you like it.

Ingredients

400gms Fish Fillets (Cod or Tilipia)

2 medium red onions

1tbsp ginger paste

5 medium ripe tomatoes, de-skinned and blended

400ml coconut milk

1tsp mustard seeds

50gm cashew nuts, coarsely grounded

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp garam masala

1tsp ground turmeric

1tsp chilli powder

½ tsp ground black pepper

1tsp mango powder

10-12 fresh curry leaves

2-3 fresh green chillies

Preparation

In a fairly large frying pan, preferably one with a lid, heat up the oil on a medium heat, once hot throw in the mustard and allow to crackle for 30 seconds. 

Add the onions and saute until light brown, throw in the grounded cashew nuts, ginger paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.

Pour in the blended tomatoes, lower heat and sauté for a further 10 minutes, stirring.

Sprinkle in the dry spices, stir in well, pour in the coconut milk, add the curry leaves, green chillies and stir again. Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes on a low heat.

  Place the fish fillets in and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes until fish is cooked. 

Serve hot with rice.

Lamb Korma

Just look at the colour, this is the colour curry's should be, not red, full of tomatoes and colouring, that you might get at your local curry house. Brown it should be! This is one of my favourite dishes of all time, my dad's Lamb Korma, a simple dish to make consisting of yogurt, herbs, spices, nuts, spring leg of lamb, de-boned, fat removed, cut into large chunks and a couple of hours cooking. Perfect with naan bread and plain rice, totalling divine!

Masala Chicken Wings

Ingredients

1kg baby chicken wings

1tbsp crushed garlic

1tbsp crushed ginger

1tsp fresh green chillies finely chopped

1tsp turmeric powder

1tsp ground black pepper

2tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground star aniseed

1tsp pomegranate powder

2tbsp whipped natural plain yogurt

½ juice of a fresh lemon juice

1tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander

2tsp salt

4tbsp olive oil

 Preparation

In a large mixing bowl add the whipped yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil and whip well. Add all the other ingredients including the salt and whisk again. Add the baby chicken wings and stir in well, marinate for at least 3 hours. Place in an oiled roasting tray in the middle of a pre-heated oven at 200°C degrees, for an hour rotating the pieces half way.  

Tomato Dall Fry

The Tomato Dall Fry is one of the most popular dall dishes in India, mostly made popular by the motorway service restaurants used by the truckers. A simple and tasty dish made by split yellow lentils cooked in water until their soften. A spicy thick gravy is made using oil, onions, herbs, tomatoes and spices, this is then added to the lentil soup, stirred and cooked for a little longer. Traditionally eaten with Indian flat bread, onions and a lime to squeeze over.