Asian style meatballs...

The list of favorite food in my family is quite long. It extends from simple humble alu sedho (mashed potato) bhat (rice) to mutton biryani. Every now and then I get requests to prepare something special for lunch or dinner. The requests mostly come from the little one in my house. I respect my daughter's food preferences and try to introduce her with variety of food. Thankfully she loves to try new food. And whenever I cook up something new or different from the usual she gladly accepts to play the part of the food critic. I find it amusing the way she tastes the first bite from her plate or licks the gravy or chew few little grains of rice. I think she is profoundly influenced by all the judges of cookery shows on TV, specially Masterchef. Fortunately she is a very lenient judge, most of the time I pass with flying colors with a request to make that particular dish again for her. She is the most important reason that motivates me to create something new in my kitchen.

So on a note to impress her while preparing some meatballs to go with the pasta, I thought to give it an Asian twist. Instead of basil, cheese etc I used soy sauce, ginger, garlic to flavor the meatballs and it came out so good and replaced pasta with fried rice. I shallow fried the meatballs. The meatballs can be baked in oven or deep fried, as per choice. I glazed the meatballs with sweet and spicy combination of sriracha, honey and soy sauce. The result was finger licking good.

The ingredients for this recipe are easily available. I used minced chicken to make the meatballs, you can use any other meat of your choice. Depending on one's taste the amount of red chili sauce and honey can be altered. If you like the meatballs to be very spicy add chopped green chilies or red chili flakes to it. These delicious meatballs can be served either as a starter or a side dish.

Things needed to make Asian Style Meatballs:

(Serves 3-4)

For the meatballs:

• Minced chicken: 300 gm
• Onion (very finely chopped): 4 tbsp
• Ginger (grated): 1/2 tsp
• Garlic (minced): 1 tbsp
• Sesame oil: 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
• Egg: 1
• Corn starch: 2-3 tbsp
• Black pepper powder: 1 tsp
• Salt to taste

For the glaze:

• Soy sauce: 3 tbsp
• Sriracha or red chili sauce: 2 tbsp
• Honey: 2 tbsp
• Rice wine vinegar: 1 tbsp
• Ginger (juice): 1/2 tsp [grate the ginger and squeeze the juice out] 
• Garlic (grated): 2 tsp
• Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp
• Water: 1/2 cup
• Corn starch: 3-4 tsp
• Salt to taste

Other ingrdients:

• Vegetable oil: 3-4 tbsp
• Sesame seeds and spring onion to garnish

Steps of making Asian Style Meatballs:

1. In a bowl take all the ingredients for meatballs, mix well and make 14 equal size balls. 

2. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan, when the oil is hot shallow fry the meatballs till nicely brown from all sides. Take out the meatballs and keep aside.

3. Mix all the ingredients for the glaze in a cup. Taste and adjust salt, honey and chili sauce accordingly.

4. Wipe off excess oil from the pan. Add 1 teaspoon of oil in the pan, when the oil is hot pour the glaze mix and let it boil. As it starts to boil add the meatballs, cook over medium heat and keep coating the meatballs with the glaze.

5. Transfer into a serving plate or bowl, garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green part of the spring onion. Serve hot. Pour the excess glaze in a small bowl and serve it as dipping sauce.

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Thai basil fried rice...

I love one pot meals. A balanced dish with lean meat and carbohydrates with a simple crunchy salad perfectly suits my mid-week dinner plan. Last Wednesday I prepared fried rice, but not the usual one. It was Thai style fried rice. (Here you can check my better than take out fried rice recipe.)

When it comes to Thai food, first thing comes to our mind is the explosion of flavour from lemongrass, kaffir lime, thai basil, holy basil, and the strong sharp smell of fish sauce and of course the heat from fresh red chilies.

Fried rice...

Quick, easy, delicious.... Fried Rice is a life savior for me. Whether I'm not in a mood to cook something elaborate or preparing a special dinner for my family, in several occasions I end up with this simple fried rice. Add loads of veggies and meat, it is a dish in itself. Or keep it simple and serve with chilli chicken, sweet and sour chicken or chilli fish. It is versatile. Vegetarian or non-veg, it tastes good either way. And it is a great way to end up your leftover rice.

I use cooked jasmine rice to make fried rice. If you do not get jasmine rice, use good quality long grain rice. It is better if you are using cooked rice made last night or cooked at least 6-8 hrs before preparing the fried rice. To know to how to cook jasmine rice click here.

Things needed to make Fried Rice:

• Cooked jasmine rice: 4 cups
• Carrot: 1/4 cup
• Green pea: 1/4 cup
• Bell peppers: 1/4 cup
• Onion: 3 tbsp
• Garlic: 1 tsp
• Spring onion (the green part): a handful
• Egg: 2
• Soy sauce: 2-3 tbsp
• Sesame oil: 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Black pepper powder for seasoning
• Oil to cook

Steps of making Fried Rice:

1. In a wok heat 2-3 table spoons of oil. When the oil is hot add finely chopped garlic, cook for 1 min over high heat, do not burn. Add chopped onions, cook till transparent. Add carrots and cook till tender. Add other vegetables, salt, sugar and cook for 3-4 min. Do not overcook the vegetables, keep them a bit crunchy. You can use any vegetables of your choice.

2. Push aside the vegetables on a side of the wok. Lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add a teaspoon of oil and when the oil is hot, add the beaten eggs. As the egg sets a bit, mix it with all the vegetables. Cook for 2 min.

3. Add cooked rice, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, sesame oil and mix well. Break the lumps of cooked jasmine rice before adding. Cook for 3-4 min over high heat, keep tossing the rice. If you are using chicken or other meat or seafood, add the pre-cooked meat or seafood along with the rice(see note below). Take care not to burn the rice, adjust the heat accordingly.

4. Sprinkle chopped spring onion and serve immediately.

NOTE: To add chicken, cut chicken breasts into thin strips, fry the chicken strips with a little salt and black pepper powder. Keep aside. Add it along with the rice. Same way you can add shrimp, fry the shrimps and keep aside, add along with the rice.

Check these recipe to go with the fried rice:

• Chilli chicken
• Chilli fish
• Sweet n sour chicken
• Orange chicken
• Cashew chicken

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Chili chicken...

Chinese food is extremely popular world over. And  I am sure many of you must have noticed that it tastes different in different parts of the world. Keeping the basic essence in place, Chinese restaurants all over the world modify their dishes blending it with locally available ingredients and  make it suited to palate of the local populace.

Chinese restaurants in my home town Kolkata, India is no different. One of the most popular dishes in Chinese restaurants in India is Chili Chicken. You can't find 'Chili Chicken' any where else other than India and  Indian restaurants outside the sub-continent. Chili Chicken is stir fried chicken pieces cooked in a spicy soy sauce based  gravy and is the most popular Chinese dish in India.

And Chinese food in India comes with something special, a bowl full of green chilies soaked in vinegar. I personally think my Chinese dinner or lunch is incomplete without that bowl of vinegar soaked chilies. It is very easy to make, chop fresh green chilies and soak them in white vinegar for 6-8 hrs. You can store that in an air tight glass jar for months.

I often make Chili chicken and other Chinese dishes at home. Not only we all love it,  they need very little cooking time too. The 'wok to plate' time being small for Chinese dishes,  makes it very convenient when you want to treat your family with something other than the usual fare but do not want to break too much sweat.

Things needed to make Chili Chicken:

• Chicken breasts: 2
• Onion: 1/2
• Bell peppers: 1 small
• Green part of the spring onion: to garnish
• Oil to cook

For Marination:

• Corn starch: 3-4 tbsp
• Egg white: of 1 large egg
• Vinegar: 1 tbsp
• Garlic (paste): 1 clove
• Light soy sauce: 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste (freshly ground)

For the gravy:

• Green chilies: 6-8
• Dry red chilies: 3-4
• Garlic (sliced): 2-3 cloves
• White part of the spring onion (finely chopped): 4 tbsp
• Sesame oil: 1 tbsp
• Rice wine (or sherry): 2 tbsp
• Chicken stock (or water): 1/4 cup
• Corn starch: 1 tbsp
• Dark soy sauce: 2-3 tbsp

Steps of making Chili Chicken:

1. Cut onion and bell peppers into triangles, keep aside.

2. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts. Cut into bite size pieces.

3. In a bowl mix all the ingredients for marination. Careful while adding the salt, as soy sauce itself is very salty. Marinate the chicken pieces in the mix for 15-20 min.

4. In a wok or deep pan, heat 2 tablespoon of oil, preferably peanut oil, or any vegetable oil is good. When the oil is hot fry the onion and bell peppers. Keep the heat high, cook till the surface turns brown and blisters appear on them. Do not overcook, the onion and bell peppers should remain crunchy. Take out and keep aside.

5. In the same wok add more oil if needed, when the oil is hot fry the marinated chicken pieces in batches. Do not overcrowd the wok or pan, keep the heat to high. Cook for 3 min. Take out and keep aside. Repeat till all the chicken is done.

6. In the same wok add a tablespoon of oil, when the oil is hot, reduce the heat and add dry red chilies and sliced garlic, cook till the garlic turns brown, take out the red chilies and garlic with a slotted spoon. In that oil add the white part of the onion and cook over high heat for 2 min. Add the fried chicken, reduce heat to medium and cook for 2-3 min. Add green chilies, mix well and cook for another 1 min. Add rice wine (or sherry), dark soy sauce, sesame oil, mix well. Add the fried onion and bell peppers. 

The chili chicken can be served like this, the dry version. Garnish with chopped spring onion and enjoy dry chili chicken.

If you like to have gravy in your chili chicken, then add chicken stock after step 6, and let it boil. Mix corn starch with some water. As the chicken boils add corn starch mix and switch off the heat. Garnish with chopped spring onion (scallion), only the green part, serve immediately.

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Chilli fish....

Chinese food is popular world wide. India is no exception. The influence of Chinese cuisine is quite obvious, from fried rice to Hakka noodle, and chiili chicken to gobi manchurian. The Chinese seasoning and cooking technique blended with Indian taste developed these popular Indo-Chinese delicacies.

Orange Chicken

Though not an authentic Chinese dish, but very popular in American restaurants, Orange chicken can be found in every single Chinese restaurant in the US. This Hunan style dish is flavored with orange juice and spiced up with dry red chilies. So it was Orange chicken for my weekend dinner. I adapted it from Rasa Malayasia's orange chicken recipe, and it came out very well.

Ingredients needed to make Orange Chicken:

• Chicken breast (cut into cubes): 200 gm
• Dried red chilies:7-8
• Orange zest(minced):1/2tsp
• Garlic (minced):1tsp
• Ginger julienne: few
• Spring onion (chopped):only the white part:1tbsp
• Oil for deep frying

Note: When using orange zests, only use the orange part, do not use the white part of the orange peel, that will make your dish bitter.

To marinate the chicken:

• Orange juice:1tbsp
• Ginger (grated):1tsp
• Chinese rice wine:1tsp(can be substituted by dry sherry)
• White pepper powder:1/8tsp
• Salt a pinch

For the Orange Sauce:

• Freshly-squeezed orange juice:1/4cup
• Dark soy sauce:1tbsp
• Chinese rice wine or dry sherry:2tsp
• Sesame oil:1/2tsp
• Rice vinegar:1tsp
• Sugar:4-5tsp
• White pepper powder:1/8tsp(can be substituted by 1/4tsp of black pepper powder)
• Corn starch:1tsp
• Salt to taste

For the Batter:

• Flour:4tbsp
• Corn starch:2tbsp
• Baking soda:1/2tsp
• Egg:1
• Cooking oil:1tsp(preferably peanut oil)
• A pinch of salt

How to make Orange Chicken:

1. Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Cut into bite size cubes. Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients under 'To marinate the chicken'. Cover with a cling film and marinate for 30min.

2. Mix all the ingredients for the 'Orange sauce', cover and keep aside. If the orange is sour then you will need more sugar, where as if the orange is sweeter then use less sugar. Just taste and decide.

3. Mix all the ingredients for the 'Batter'. Heat oil in a pan. Dip the marinated chicken pieces in the batter, shook off excess batter and deep fry till nicely brown and crispy. Keep them on plate lined with paper towel. Keep heat to high and do not over cook the chicken, that will make the chicken hard.

4. In a wok heat 2-3tsp oil. When the oil is hot add garlic and julienned ginger and dry red chili. Cook for 1 min. Add the chopped white part of the spring onion, cook for 1 min. Add the fried chicken and orange zest. Mix well. Keep the heat to highest through out the cooking.

5. Add the orange sauce, cook till the sauce thicken. Transfer to serving plate and garnish with julienned orange zests and green part of spring onion.

Above is the image I clicked more than a year back, when for the first time I cooked orange chicken in my kitchen.

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