WOYP Day #31 Sesame Scallion Fried Rice with Chili Garlic Paneer

I often make Indo-chinese food at home. We enjoy mildly seasoned simple Fried rice to full on spicy versions like this Thai Basil Fried Rice and I’m constantly looking for ways to change things up with the humble fried rice. This is a mildly seasoned version amped with the nuttiness of the sesame oil which also adds a slight hint of heat. Paired with pungent scallions, it made it a little more than simple fried rice. We had it with Chili Garlic Paneer which I intentionally made spicy so it made a good combination. 

I use Brown sugar and like how it cuts the acidity and adds a mellow after taste which makes everything more yum :D Its totally optional and can be left out. 

 
Sesame Scallion Fried Rice
You will need:
1 cup Jasmine Rice or any long grained rice like Basmati
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 tbsp Hot Sesame oil
2 tsp Garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped Onions
1/2 cup finely chopped Green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped Carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped Cabbage
1/4 cup chopped scallions (Spring onions)
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Black Pepper powder
1 tsp White Vinegar
2 tsp Soya sauce
2 tsp Brown sugar

Cook rice as per package instructions. Spread on a plate and allow to cool. 

Heat vegetable oil and sesame oil in a wok. Add the minced garlic and sauce for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped carrots and bell peppers and stir fry until done. Now add the onions and lastly the cabbage. Saute until done. Season with salt and pepper. Save a tablespoon of scallions and add the remaining. Add the cooled rice and combine with the veggies. Drizzle the vinegar, soya sauce and add the brown sugar. Combine well and cook for a few minutes on low heat until the rice is heated through, 2-3 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed. Top with the saved scallions and serve.

Chili Garlic Paneer: 

 
You will need:

1 cup cubed Paneer
1/2 cup cubed Green bell pepper
1/2 cup cubed Red onion
6 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 tsp Sambal (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste
2 tsp Brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped Scallions
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
Water as needed.

Whisk together:
2 tbsp Ketchup
2 tsp Soya sauce
1 tsp Sriracha
1 tbsp Cornstarch

Heat oil in pan. Add the chopped and cook until fragrant, taking care not to brown it. Add the cubed bell peppers and onions. Cook for a minute until 3/4th done. Add the whisked sauce and 1/2 cup water. Combine and add more water to make a thick sauce.Stir in the cubed Paneer.  Bring to a simmering boil. Lastly stir in the sambal and turn off heat. Top with chopped scallions and serve.

What's on Your Plate? Day #4 - Egg Hakka Noodles

My boys love eggs & noodles and this makes it easy to sneak some veggies in as well. This makes for a quick meal any day. The eggs can be left out to make an all vegetarian version. We enjoy Indo-Chinese dishes at home, and I do like the texture and taste of Ching's Hakka noodles (available at Indian/Asian stores) 

Ingredients:

2 packs Ching’s Hakka noodles (Veg. or Egg)
4 tbsp Oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup cabbage, shredded
3 Garlic pods, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Black pepper powder

1/4 tsp Red chili flakes (optional)
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsp light Soya sauce
1/4 tsp White Vinegar
1/2 tsp Sesame oil
2-3 eggs
Chopped scallions (green onions)

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Break the eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once the oil is hot, add the eggs and stir to scramble. Cook on low heat, once done, remove into a clean bowl.

Cook noodles as per package instructions. Drain and drizzle little oil on the noodles. Toss and set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a Wok (or a wide pan). Add the chopped garlic and sauté for a few seconds until fragrant. Now add the carrots & bell peppers. Sauté on high heat for 2 mins. Now add the onions and lastly the cabbage. Cook until done. My boys don’t like it crunchy so I cook them through but you can cook until partially done. Now add the salt & pepper, vinegar and soya sauce. Combine and then add the cooked noodles & sesame oil. Toss well to combine. Lastly add the scrambled egg & toss. Turn off heat. Top with chopped scallions.

Spicy Basil Fried Rice - Restaurant style

This is one of our favorites at any Thai restaurant. Fried rice with lots of garlic and basil, spicy enough to make you cry! We used to order home-delivery on those odd days when I had no mood to cook, but the fried rice used to be disappointing. The fried rice would never be spicy enough. So there began my attempt to replicate restaurant style Spicy Basil Fried Rice. I've had to make this over and over to get the exact restaurant taste, trying different ingredients. One fine day I hit upon the right combination, here it is.


You will need:

1 cup Jasmine Rice (or Basmati Rice)
3 tbsp Oil
½ cup sliced onions
½ cup sliced green peppers
½ cup sliced red peppers
¼ cup frozen peas
½ cup carrot strips
5 cloves garlic, minced
1” piece ginger, grated
3 tbsp Sambal (red chilli paste)
2 tsp Sriracha (Asian Hot sauce)
2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 ½ tbsp Brown Sugar
1 cup packed Thai basil leaves, washed and dried (or American basil)
Salt to taste



Prepare jasmine rice as per package instructions. Spread on a plate to cool and set aside.

Heat oil in a large pan. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger. Saute for a few seconds until fragrant. Now add the onions, bell peppers and carrots. Cook for 4-5 minutes until veggies are tender. Add the frozen peas. Saute for a minute and then add the sambal. Combine until veggies are coated. Now add the cooked cooled rice. Stir and then add the soy sauce and sriracha. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat.


Add the brown sugar. The sambal and the soy sauce makes the fried rice taste salty and acidic, the brown sugar balances out by adding a little bit of sweetness. This leaves a very pleasant after taste without taking away the heat from the sauces. Lastly, add the chopped basil leaves.


Combine well, cover and cook for a minute. Turn off heat. Serve hot.

Wheat Noodles in a Schezwan Sauce

The weather has been crazy these past few days. We had the third snowfall of the season which is pretty unusual. Gloomy and cold weather prompted me to make something spicy. I had a packet of wheat noodles, so I whipped up some spicy schezwan style noodles.

Slurpy spicy goodness!


You will need:

Wheat noodles /Egg noodles
1 tsp Oil
1 quart of water

1 tbsp Sesame oil
1 tbsp minced Garlic
1 tbsp minced Ginger
1 large onion, sliced
1 large Red bell pepper, sliced
½ cup shredded Cabbage

For the Schezwan Sauce:
2 tbsp Ketchup
1 tsp Dark soy sauce (low-sodium)
½ tsp Light soy sauce (low-sodium)
½ tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Chili Sambal (Chinese red-chili paste)
¼ tsp White pepper
¼ tsp White distilled Vinegar

Salt to taste
Chopped Scallions for garnish



Bring the quart of water to boil. Add the wheat noodles and break up the rolls to loosen the noodles. Stir and cook for 8 minutes or until noodles are done. Drain noodles and run under cold water. Toss with 1 tsp of oil and set aside. This is to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other as they cool.


Heat the sesame oil in a wide pan. Add the minced ginger and garlic and sauté till fragrant. Now add the sliced bell pepper. When they are half done, add the onions and shredded cabbage. Saute till all the veggies are cooked but not browned. In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and pour over the veggies. Stir to coat the veggies. Cook for 2 minutes. Now add the cooked noodles, breaking large clumps, if any. Toss with the help of a pair of tongs to evenly combine the noodles, veggies and sauce. Cook till the noodles are heated through. Season with salt.


Top with chopped scallions before serving.

Chilli Baby Corn

A few days back I was flipping through old photo albums, memories from school and college. Back then we didn't own a digital camera and so the pictures are not only limited, but are a pleasant few. There is one picture of my friends and I eating at a roadside "chaineese" gaadi. This was one place we frequented, anytime hunger pangs hit. Much that this gaadi wala's menu was fun to read - bcoz of all the various ways you can spell (read misspell) 'chinese' dishes, his food was to die for! I don't quite remember eating Baby corn there, but mom made Baby Corn Manchuri or Chilli Baby corn at home.

With all these thoughts of yummy manchuris I simply had to make some right away. We like our food spiccyyyy, so if you want to try this and are not up for a heat attack on your tastebuds, tone it down to the way you like it.

You will need:

15-20 Babycorn, cut lengthwise and into one inch bits

½ Cup Cornflour

Water as required

Oil for deep frying

2 tbsp Oil

1 Bellpepper, cut into 1” strips

1 Onion, cut into 1” strips

4 cloves garlic, chopped

½ tsp grated Ginger

12 Green chillies, cut lengthwise

2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce

1 tsp Hot chilli paste

½ tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

Make a paste of cornflour using water. The consistency should be enough to coat the babycorn. Drop in hot oil and fry till golden brown, drain on paper towels.

In a non-stick skillet, heat the 2 tbsp of oil. Add the green chillies, chopped garlic, grated ginger, onions and bell pepper. Saute on medium heat, till the onions are translucent and bell pepper is soft. Add the soy sauce, hot chilli paste and sugar. Cook for 30 seconds and then stir in the fried baby corn. Coat the baby corn with the sauce and veggies.Cook for a minute and season with salt.

Mmmmm, this was lip smacking good!!

Veggie Spring Rolls

My hubby and I were off to Vegas over the weekend, and now we are in sunny California. The weather is perfect and so are the places to visit here. We are not back until this coming weekend, and I am making the most of my time away from the kitchen.After all I do need a break don't I? :)

I had made Veggie Spring Rolls last week, the Indian way. Here Spring rolls are made with the ready to use wanton wrappers, but the spring rolls back in India are made with thin crepes, which are filled, rolled and then deep fried. The outer layer is crisp and soft at the same time, and makes the roll heartier compared to the very crisp wanton wrapper.

You will need:

For the Crepes:

1 Cup All purpose flour

½ Cup Corn flour (Corn starch)

1 Egg, lightly beaten

¼ tsp Salt

Water as required

Cooking spray

For the Veggie filling:

1 Cup Green cabbage, shredded

1 Cup shredded carrots

½ tsp Garlic, minced

½ tsp Ginger, minced

½ cup Scallions, chopped

1 tsp Dark soy sauce, low-sodium

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

1 tsbp Hot chilli sauce or Sriracha (adj. acc to taste)

Oil for deep frying

2 tbsp All purpose Flour

Make the Crepes: Mix all of the ingredients for the crepe using water as required to make a smooth batter. The batter should be of pouring consistency.

Heat an 8” wide non-stick skillet, spray with cooking oil, pour about ¼ cup of the batter in the centre of the pan. Lift pan and gently swirl it around in an anti-clcokwise direction, to help spread the batter evenly across the pan. Cook on medium heat, for a minute or two on each side. Prepare all crepes. Store crepes in between paper towels.

Make the Filing: Heat the sesame oil in a pan. Add the minced ginger and garlic. Saute till fragrant. Now add the shredded cabbage and carrots. Cook till cabbage and carrots have wilted down and are soft. Stir in the soy sauce and the chopped scallions. Saute for a minute, adjust seasoning and turn off heat. Let filling cool before using.

Heat oil in a deep pan. Take a crepe; place 3 tbsp of filling breadth wise on the crepe. Take the edge closest to you and flip over the filling tightly; now take the right and left edges and bring over the first fold to close the edges. This ensures the filling stays inside when frying. Roll all the way till it forms a tube. Moisten the open edge with the flour paste, and seal. Drop in hot oil sealed side down. Fry until light brown, flip once to cook both sides.

Remove and drain on paper towels. Cut across at an angle and serve with more hot sauce or a sweet dipping sauce.

Vegetable Fried Rice with Veg. Balls in Garlic Sauce

I first made this for a candle night dinner on our first wedding anniversary last year. My hubby loved it…whenever I want us to relive that special night I make this dish. Hope you find it as special as I do…

Vegetable Fried Rice:

You will need:

2 cups cooked long grained rice -- cold
1 ½ cups vegetable medley – carrots & scallions(small chop), babycorn (sliced), corn kernels
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp chopped Garlic
1 tsp chopped Ginger
1 tsp Soya sauce
1 onion chopped
Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a pan. Add the chopped onions and fry till soft. Season with little salt and pepper. Add the vegetables and cook on medium heat till carrots are cooked through.

Now add the rice and break up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Mix well and season with more salt and pepper. Now add the soya sauce. Mix and let rice sit for a minute or two undisturbed so that it becomes slightly crisp. Serve hot with Veg. Balls in Garlic Sauce.

Vegetable Balls in Garlic Sauce:

You will need:

For the Veg. Balls ---

½ cup fine chopped Carrots
½ cup fine chopped Green Beans
½ cup fine chopped Cabbage
1 medium sized boiled potato
Salt to taste
1 tsp Green chilli paste
½ tsp Ginger Garlic paste
2-3 tbsps Cornflour
Oil for frying

For the Garlic Sauce:

4 cloves Garlic chopped
½ cup tomato ketchup
½ cup tomato puree
¼ tsp Ajino moto
1 tsp vinegar
½ tsp White pepper powder
1 tsp Sugar
Water as required
Cornflour to thicken the sauce

Boil the carrots, cabbage and beans. Mash along with the boiled potato. Add salt, ginger garlic paste and chilli paste. Mix well and roll into small balls. Make a paste of the cornflour with water. Roll balls in the paste and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside.

Take a pan. Add tomato ketchup and tomato puree. Add water to make a sauce like consistency. Add the chopped garlic. Add ajini motto, white pepper powder, vinegar and the sugar. Bring to a boil. If the sauce is too thin then add cornflour mixed in little water. This thickens the sauce. Taste for seasoning and add more sugar if it tastes too acidic.

Just before serving add the vegetable balls to the garlic sauce and serve with hot Vegetable Fried Rice.