Chinese 5 Spice Beef stir fry with Soy and Ginger...dump and crop!!

Chinese 5 Spice Beef stir fry with Soy and Ginger…let’s face it, there is only so much steak and potatoes I can have before the craving for a curry starts…something that I could top my rice with, dump into a bowl and dig in without having to worry about sides and salads and plating and knives and forks…

Chinese 5 Spice Beef stir fry with Soy and Ginger

Ingredients:

• Beef Steak, cut into strips against the grain, 500 gms

For the marinade:

• Dark Soy Sauce, 1 tsp
• Shaoxing Rice Wine/Chinese Rice Wine, 1 tsp
• Honey, 1 tsp
• Chinese 5 Spice Powder, ¾ tsp
• Red Chili flakes, 1 tsp
• Corn starch/Corn flour, 1 tsp
• Baking Soda, a pinch
• Sesame Oil, 1 tsp

For the sauce:

• Dark Soy Sauce, 4 tbsp
• Shaoxing Rice Wine/Chinese Rice Wine, 2 tbsp
• Honey, 1 tsp
• Corn starch/Corn flour, 1 tsp
• Chicken Stock or water, ¼ cup

For the Stir-fry:

• Fresh Ginger, cut into matchsticks, about an inch long piece
• Fresh Ginger, grated, 1 tsp
• Garlic cloves, finely chopped, 1-2 cloves
• Fresh Green chilies, finely chopped, 1-2
• Spring Onions/Scallions, cut into ½” pieces, white and green parts separate
• Oil, 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves, a handful

Instructions:

Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large flat dish. Add the beef to the marinade and mix well to coat. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.Whisk well and keep aside. 

Heat 1 tbsb oil in a wok or a large pan. Once the oil is smoking hot, fry the marinated beef in batches, spreading it out in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for about a minute till lightly browned on one side. Once done, toss and cook the other side as well till lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside. Heat another tablespoon of oil and cook the remaining beef (normally two batches and 2 tbsp oil should suffice – remember to use the largest pan you have)

Once all the beef is cooked, add the julienned ginger to the pan and cook for about a minute or so till it slightly crisps up. Transfer to the cooked beef bowl.

Wipe out the pan; add the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Once the oil is hot add the white portion of the scallions, garlic, chilies, ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant.

Add the beef and fried ginger juliennes back to the pan.

Stir the sauce combined earlier and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring and tossing constantly for a couple of minutes till the sauce thickens up to a coating consistency.

Add in the green portion of scallions. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust.

Switch off the heat Serve immediately with steamed rice topped with coriander leaves.

Asian style Garlic Broccoli...good girl!!

Asian style Garlic Broccoli…B, this one is for you - proof that I do eat my greens…this is my lunch or 4 p.m. snack at least once a week…well, this or broccoli drizzled with a little butter and lemon juice…I eat my greens, I am a good girl J (and no the last bit is not up for discussion!!)

Asian style Garlic Broccoli

Ingredients:

• Purple Sprouting Broccoli OR Tenderstem Broccoli/Broccolini OR Broccoli Rabe OR Chinese Broccoli/Gai-lan OR Regular Broccoli, 200 gms (I used purple sprouting this time)
• Garlic, Thinly sliced or finely chopped/minced, 2-4 (I like sliced garlic here, but chopped/minced goes well too as it gets into the florets)
• Red chilli flakes or sliced fresh chillies, ¼ tsp or 1-2
• Dark Soy Sauce, 1tbsp
• Rice Vinegar, 2tsp
• Sugar, ½ tsp
• Sesame Oil, ½ tsp (optional)
• Oil, 1tbsp
• Salt, to taste, if required

Instructions:

Trim off any hard ends from the stalks as well as any very coarse leaves. Rinse the broccoli under cold water.

Cook the broccoli till tender but still crisp – al dente is the key! Time will depend of the kind of broccoli you are using so keep on eye on it. 

You can either:

• Steam: Put the broccoli in a steamer basket or a colander over a pan of simmering water. Season lightly with salt and then cover and steam for 4-8 minutes.

• Sauté/Stir fry: Heat a wok with a tsp of oil. Add the broccoli and fry for 2-3 minutes tossing around to cook evenly.

• Microwave: Cover lightly and zap for a minute or two.

• Boil: Put the broccoli in a large pan of salted boiling water. Let the water come to a boil again and simmer for 2-4 minutes. Drain thoroughly.

(The above methods are in the order of my preference. Boiling is my least favourite method of cooking any vegetable and I avoid it like the plague!! )

Mix the dark soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar in a small bowl.

Heat a large wok on high heat for about a minute.

Swirl in the oil and heat it till it starts to shimmer.

Add in the garlic and chilllies and stir fry until fragrant (if using sliced garlic, wait for it to start turning slightly golden at the edges)

Add in sauce mix and broccoli. Toss around for no more than a minute – just so that stalks are warmed up and sauce is well coated.

Check for salt and drizzle with sesame oil.

Serve immediately!

Chicken Noodles with Chili Bean Sauce...finishing up the bottle!!

Chicken Noodles with Chili Bean Sauce…July seems to be an Asian inspired month for the blog (and needless to say for us!)…cook a couple of times and then post throughout the month seems to be my new strategy…actually come to think of it, I should have just called it an Asian week or month…oh well, next time…but honestly, I needed to finish that bottle of chilli bean sauce in cooked food instead of buying some more crackers to use it as my movie time dip!! J

Chicken Noodles with Chili Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

• Thin or wide noodles, fresh around 300gms or dried around 180gms
• Mixed vegetables of your choice, 300gms (I used carrots, mushrooms, onions, cabbage, mung bean sprouts, baby spinach)
• Chicken breast, thinly sliced, 300gms
• Garlic, finely chopped, 2-3
• Ginger, finely grated, 2 tsp
• Salt, if needed to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
• Sesame oil, to drizzle (optional)

For the Sauce:

• Chilli beans sauce, 2tbsp
• Sugar, 2 tsp
• Dark Soy sauce, 2 tsp
• Shaoxing rice wine, 2 tsp
• Chicken stock, ¼ cup

For the marinade:

• Light Soy sauce, 1 tsp
• Shaoxing rice wine, 1 tsp
• Oil, 1 tsp (preferably sesame oil)
• Corn starch, 1 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Garnish:

• Spring/Green onions/Scallions, only the green portion, 2-3

Instructions:

Marinate the chicken with light Soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, sesame oil, salt, pepper, to taste in a medium size bowl. Sprinkle with corn starch, toss to coat well and leave to marinade in the refrigerator for about half an hour to overnight. Get the chicken back to room temperature before cooking.

Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.

If using dried noodles, boil the noodles in well salted water per instructions given on the packet. Drain well, toss with 1 tbsp oil and keep aside.

Heat a large wok on high heat for about a minute.

Swirl in 1 tbsp oil and heat it till it starts to shimmer. Stir fry the marinated chicken for 3-4 minutes till done. Remove the chicken and keep aside

Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the wok. Add in the garlic and ginger and stir fry for about 10 seconds.

Add the onions and carrots and stir fry for another 10 seconds.

Add the mushrooms and stir fry for a minute or two. All vegetables should still retain some crunch.

Add the sauce mix to work and let it come to a quick boil.

Add in the noodles, spinach, cabbage, mung bean sprouts and reserved chicken to the wok. Stir fry for another minute or two till everything is coated well with sauce. Taste and add salt if required.

Drizzle with a tsp or two of sesame oil.

Top with the spring onions. Serve hot.

Notes:

Chilli Bean Paste is also known as “Toban Djan”. I use the Lee Kum Kee brand which is a little more garlicky than a couple of other brands that I have tried. A really good and must have addition for your kitchen if you cook Chinese often. If you don’t, you can try substituting with Sambal Oelek or any other Asian Chilli sauce.

Asian Style Roasted Potatoes...don't wonder, plate up!!

Asian Style Roasted Potatoes…ever wondered why there are no or rather almost any dishes using potatoes in Chinese food? Except one with shredded/matchstick cut potatoes and I there was NO WAY I was going through all that cutting/dicing trouble today or maybe EVER!! Take the easy route…put up an Asian style/ Asian inspired dish instead!! J

Asian Style Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Baby Potatoes, peeled and quartered, 500gms (or regular ones diced into bite size pieces)
• Red Chilli flakes, ½ tsp
• Garlic powder, ½ tsp
• Chinese 5 spice powder, ¼ tsp
• Dark soy sauce, 1-2 tsp (just enough to lightly coat all the cubed potatoes)
• Oil, 1 tsp

For the sauce:

• Scallions/Spring onions, only the white portion, very finely chopped, 2-3
• Celery, very finely chopped, ½ -1
• Garlic, thinly sliced, 2-3
• Light soy sauce, 1 tbsp
• Honey, 1 tbsp
• Salt, if needed,
• Oil, 2 tsp
• Celery leaves or Scallion/Spring onion greens, a handful

Instructions:

Soak the potatoes in cold salted water for about 15-20 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with a kitchen towel.

Take a medium size bowl and whisk together the garlic powder, Chinese 5 spice powder, red chili flakes, soy sauce and oil. Add the potatoes and toss well. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the potatoes flat on the sheet. Roast in the oven till potatoes are done – about 45 - 60 minutes. Remove and shuffle around the potatoes once after about 20-25 minutes.

Keep everything chopped and ready for the sauce. Start with the sauce the second you switch off the oven.

Heat the oil in a wok or pan at medium heat. Add in the sliced garlic, scallions and celery and cook till they soften.

Add in the light soy sauce, mix well.

Dump in the roasted potatoes and toss around to coat well.

Switch off the heat and drizzle over the honey and celery leaves.

Toss well to ensure all the potatoes are well coated. Check seasoning.

Serve HOT right off the stove!

Fried Rice with Celery (stalks and leaves) ...from head to toe!!

Fried Rice with Celery (stalks and leaves)...when there is enough Celery salt in the kitchen to last us a lifetime and we are not in the mood for soup, this is one of the things where the leaves go...two options, take your pick J

Fried Rice with Celery (stalks and leaves)

Ingredients:

• Cooked day old rice, 2 cups (if using freshly boiled rice, ensure it is only about 95% done, water is drained out and it has cooled completely)
• Green peas, 1 cup ( if using frozen,thaw them first; if using fresh, blanch them for a minute or two in hot water) OR Bean Sprouts, 1 cup
• Garlic, finely chopped or minced, 1-2 cloves
• Scallions/ Spring Onions/Green Onions, finely chopped, 2-3, only the white portion
• Celery Stalks, finely chopped, 2-3
• Celery leaves, chopped, 1 cup
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Option 1: 

(The one pictured here is this option)

• Chilli Bean sauce, 1 tbsp for every cup of rice
• Brown Sugar, ½  tsp for every cup of rice
• Salt & White Pepper, to taste

 OR

Option 2:

• Light Soy sauce, ½ tsp for every cup of rice or Regular Soy sauce, ¼ tsp for every cup of rice
• Brown Sugar, a little less than ¼ tsp for every cup of rice (optional)
• Salt & White Pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Break up any large clumps of rice before you start cooking.

Heat a large wok on high heat for about a minute.

Swirl in the oil and heat it till it starts to shimmer.

Add in the garlic, scallions and chopped celery stalks and stir fry until fragrant.

Add the peas and quarter cup of celery leaves. Stir fry for a minute or so.

Add the sauce (chilli bean sauce or soy sauce) and sugar. Stir and let it cook for about 5-10 seconds.

Add the rice and the rest of the celery leaves (reserve some aside) and toss everything well together.

Stir and toss to mix until rice is well coated and heated through. Taste and add salt and pepper.

And done!! Top it up with the reserved celery leaves and serve hot!! 

Notes:

• Chilli Bean Paste is also known as “Toban Djan”. I use the Lee Kum Kee brand which is a little more garlicky than a couple of other brands that I have tried. A really good and must have addition for your kitchen if you cook Chinese often. If you don’t, you can try substituting with Sambal Oelek or any other Asian Chilli sauce.

Stir Fried Chicken in Chilli Bean Sauce...not just chocolate!!

Stir Fried Chicken in Chilli Bean Sauce…You know what?!! Some recipes are magical. They just know what your soul needs and hit the spot – whether you are feeling down and out or feeling on top of the world. Abracadabra!! and it is taken care of at the first bite (and all this while you thought only chocolate had that magical power!! tch tch!! J)…adapted from one of Jeremy Pang’s recipes, hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Stir Fried Chicken in Chilli Bean Sauce

Ingredients:

• Chicken, boneless and skinless, diced into bite sized pieces, either all breast or all thigh pieces, 300gms
• Garlic cloves, finely chopped, 3-4
• Onion, cut into wedges and petals separated, 1 medium size
• Bell Peppers, chopped into large cubes, ½ large yellow pepper and ½ large green pepper
• Spring Onions/Scallions ,only the green portion, tops finely chopped , middle portion cut into about an inch and a half long pieces, 3-4
• Cashews, 100-150gms (I had roasted unsalted cashews so I used those. You can either roast the cashews in a preheated oven at 180C for about 5 minutes or toss around with ½ tbsp oil in the wok on low heat till pale golden.)
• Oil, 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
• Pepper powder, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh Chillies, thinly sliced, as few or as many as you want (I used the fat red ones which impart flavor but don’t have any heat)

For the marinade:

• Chinese 5 spice powder, ¼ tsp
• Sesame Oil, ¼ tsp
• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Light Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp
• Cornstarch, 1 tbsp

For the sauce:

• Chilli Bean sauce, 2 tbsp
• Oyster sauce, 1 tbsp
• Light Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp
• Rice Wine Vinegar, 1 tbsp

Garnish:

• Fresh chillies and spring onions, reserve a few from cooking

Instructions:

Marinate the chicken with sugar, Chinese 5 spice powder, sesame oil, light soy sauce in a medium size bowl. Sprinkle with corn starch, toss to coat well and leave to marinade in the refrigerator for about half an hour to overnight. Get the chicken back to room temperature before cooking.

Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and keep aside.

Heat a large wok on high heat for about a minute.

Swirl in 1 tbsp oil and heat it till the oil starts to shimmer. 

Stir fry the marinated chicken for 3-4 minutes till done. Remove the chicken and keep aside

Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the wok. Add in the red chillies and garlic and stir fry for about 10 seconds.

Add the onions and stir fry for another 30 seconds or so.

Add the peppers and the long cut scallions. Stir fry for a couple of minutes. All vegetables should still retain some crunch.

Add the chicken back into the wok with cashews, finely chopped green onions, crushed pepper and the sauce mix. 

Stir fry for another minute or two till everything is coated well with sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Top with the reserved spring onions and chillies. Serve hot.

Notes:

• Chilli Bean Paste is also known as “Toban Djan”. I use the Lee Kum Kee brand which is a little more garlicky than a couple of other brands that I have tried. A really good and must have addition for your kitchen if you cook Chinese often. If you don’t, you can try substituting with Sambal Oelek or any other Asian Chilli sauce.

• You can replace sugar with honey. Add honey right at final stage of tossing.

Chinese style Eggplant in Sweet and Spicy Sauce...Trimurti!!

Chinese style Eggplant in Sweet and Spicy Sauce…completes the Chinese trilogy...Gong Xi Fa Cai!! J

Chinese style Eggplant in Sweet and Spicy Garlic Sauce

Ingredients: 

• Japanese Eggplants, cut into 3 inch by ½ inch long batons/wedges, 3 (or 1 large round Eggplant)
• Dried Red chilies, 2-3, broken into 2-3 pieces each, 1-2
• Fresh Red chili, finely chopped, 1-2
• Garlic, finely chopped, 3-4 cloves
• Shaoxing rice wine, 1 ½ tsp (you can substitute with equal amount of vinegar)
• Vinegar, 1 ½ tsp (preferably Chinese black vinegar, you can substitute with either balsamic vinegar or even regular white vinegar)
• Soy sauce, 1 tbsp
• Honey, 1 ½ - 2 tsp or brown sugar
• Spring onions/Scallions, finely chopped, 1-2, (use both white and green portion)
• Oil, 2tbsp + ½ tbsp

Instructions:

If using the large round eggplant, sprinkle the batons with salt, mix well and leave to drain in a colander for about half an hour.

Heat a wok or a large pan over high heat. I prefer using a large pan as so that I can cook eggplants in a single layer without tossing around too much. If using a wok or a smaller pan you may have to fry in batches.

Once the pan is hot, pour in 2 tbsp oil and swirl around to coat the base.

Drop in the eggplants and fry for about two minutes on each side – till eggplant is nice and golden and soft without losing its shape – don’t stir or toss around too much. Remove the eggplants and keep aside.

In the same pan, add in ½ tbsp oil. Add in the broken dried red chilies and fry for 4-5 seconds. Add in the garlic and the fresh red chilies (keep some aside for garnishing later)

When the garlic starts to change colour, add in the spring onions (keep a few greens aside for garnishing later).

Sauté for a couple of minutes and add in the Shaoxing rice wine, vinegar, soy sauce and honey/sugar. Mix well and add in the eggplant.

Toss around and let the sauce coat the eggplant well.

Serve immediately topped with the spring onions and red chilies kept aside.

Notes/Options:

• You can deep fry the eggplant – needless to say deep frying enhances the taste J

• Add in minced ginger along with the garlic.

• Skip the honey though it gives a nice glaze and balances the flavor.

• Use shallots instead of spring onions.

• Skip the vinegar and Shaoxing wine and use 1 tbsp chili bean paste or black bean paste.

• Make it saucier by adding some veg or chicken broth along with 1 tsp of corn starch mixed with 1 tbsp of cold water. Add these along with the rest of the sauces. Once everything comes to a boil and the mix thickens up, add in the fried eggplant.

Chinese 5 Spice Chicken with Soy and Honey...cluck cluck!!

Chinese 5 Spice Chicken with Soy and Honey…as promised…the chicken!! Another regular at home – sometimes with rice but more often with a huge salad on the side

Chinese 5 Spice Chicken with Soy and Honey

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken thighs and 2 drumsticks, bone in and skin on, ( you can go without skin and/or use chicken breasts if you want to go low cal, just adjust cooking time accordingly), weighed around 600 gms
• Scallions/spring onions or Chives, finely chopped, to garnish (optional)

For the marinade:

• Chinese 5 spice powder, ½ tbsp
• Soy sauce, 1 tbsp
• Honey, 1 tbsp
• Shaoxing rice wine or white wine, 1 tbsp
• Garlic powder, ½ tbsp OR Garlic cloves, finely chopped, 3-4 cloves
• Ginger paste, 1 tbsp (please don’t substitute with ginger power, it has a completely differently flavor profile)
• Red Chili flakes or Pepper powder, ½ tbsp or to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Instructions:

Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large flat dish. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well to coat.

Cover the dish and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2-3 hours or up to overnight.

Bring the chicken back to room temperature and preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

You can...

EITHER:

Lightly grease the baking rack with place it on a foil covered baking dish. Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on the rack.

Cook uncovered, basting once or twice with the marinade, until the chicken is done, about 50 minutes with last 10 minutes at 200 degrees C.


OR:

If you want a little sauce to go along with rice, place the chicken with the marinade and 1 tsp of oil mixed in in a baking dish. 

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes and then uncovered for the last 15-20 minutes at 200 degrees C. 

The juices from the chicken along with the marinade will give you just about enough sauce to drizzle over the rice.

Notes:

• Chinese 5 spice powder is readily available in markets and is normally a blend of equal quantities of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground star anise , roasted and ground fennel seeds and roasted and ground Szechuan peppercorns. Some blends may also contain nutmeg and ginger. 

• 5 Spice blend is quite potent and may leave a slightly bitter taste if use in excess. Always use a small quantity. ( just like our very own Garam Masala) 

Chinese 5 Spice Pork with Soy and Oyster sauce...oink!

Chinese 5 Spice Pork with Soy and Oyster sauce…part of our lunch this past Sunday and luckily the man was out in the garden inspecting (or rather smirking at J) all the plants that I have managed to kill so far and I could get to click in peace…this is yet another one of Mo’s recipe (slightly adapted) and like all of her other recipes it has become one of the regulars at home…

Chinese 5 Spice Pork with Soy and Oyster sauce

Ingredients:

Pork, diced, 500 gms

For the marinade:

Shaoxing rice wine or white wine, 2-3 tbsp

Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp

For baking:

Corn starch, 2 tbsp

Chinese 5 spice powder, ½ - ¾ tsp

Salt, to taste

Pepper, 1 tsp

For the stir fry:

Onion, cut into wedges and petals separated, 1

Garlic, finely chopped, 6-7 cloves

Celery, finely chopped, 1-2 stalks

Green chilies, finely chopped, 1-2 (remove seeds if you want)

Soy sauce, ½ - 1 tbsp

Shaoxing rice wine or white wine, 1 tbsp

Oyster sauce, 1 tbsp

Spring onion/Scallions, whites and greens separated, whites cut into inch long pieces and greens finely chopped, 4-5

Oil, 2 tbsp

Instructions:

Marinate the pork with wine and soy sauce. Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight or a minimum of 4-5 hours.

Bring the pork back to room temperature and preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.

Discard all the marinating liquid from the pork and sprinkle the pork with the corn starch, Chinese 5 spice powder, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly so that all the pork pieces are covered properly.

Arrange the pork pieces on a well greased baking tray and cover with foil.

Bake covered for 30 minutes and then remove the foil and bake for another 10-12 minutes uncovered. When baking after removing the foil, turn the sides a couple of times to ensure all sides brown up nicely.

Once the pork is done, heat the oil in a wok.

Add garlic and fry for a about a minute or so. Add in the green chilies, celery, onions and white spring onions. Toss around and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

Add in the baked pork, wine, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Toss and mix everything well together. Let the veggies and pork cook together with the sauces for 3-4 minutes.

Garnish with green spring onions. Serve hot.

Notes:

• Chinese 5 spice powder is readily available in markets and is normally a blend of equal quantities of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground star anise , roasted and ground fennel seeds and roasted and ground Szechuan peppercorns. Some blends may also contain nutmeg and ginger. 

• The blend is quite potent and may leave a slightly bitter taste if use in excess. Always use a small quantity. ( just like our very own Garam Masala)