chinese Special

CHILLI CHICKEN
Ingredients
Boneless chicken, finger sized pieces: 400 grams
Green chillies, chopped: 6-8
Cornflour: 2½ tablespoons
Salt: To taste
Black peppercorns, crushed: ½ teaspoon
Egg: 1
Dark soya sauce: 2 tablespoons
Oil: 1 tablespoon + to deep fry
Garlic, chopped: 8-10 cloves
Onion: 2 medium
Red chilli sauce: 2 tablespoons
Chicken stock: 1 cup
Vinegar: 2 tablespoons
Green capsicums, seeded, thick strips: 2 medium

Method
1.Take chicken pieces in a bowl. Add half the cornflour, salt, crushed black peppercorns, egg and mix. Add a little dark soya sauce and mix.
2.Heat sufficient oil in a wok and deep fry the chicken pieces till golden. Take care not to overcook. Drain and set aside.
3.Heat oil in another wok. Add garlic and sauté for half a minute. Add green chillies and continue to sauté. Add onion, green capsicum and sauté.
4.Add the remaining dark soya sauce, red chilli sauce and stir. Add a little chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil.
5.Blend the remaining cornflour in a little stock. Add fried chicken pieces to the wok and toss. Add blended cornflour and mix. Add salt and cook for a minute.
6.Add vinegar and stir. The starter is ready.
7.If you want gravy add some more stock and let it come to a boil.
8.Serve hot.


CHINESE JASMINE RICE
Ingredients
Basmati rice: 1½ cups
Jasmine flowers: 20-25
Oil: 2 tablespoons
Onion, finely chopped: 1 small
Yellow capsicum, seeded and finely chopped: ½ medium
Red capsicum, seeded and finely chopped: ½ medium
Salt: To taste
Spring onion greens, finely chopped: 3-4 stalks

Method
1.Soak rice in four cups of water for half an hour. Drain.
2.Boil five cups of water with salt. Add soaked rice. After a while make a potli of jasmine flowers and add to the water for a short time. When the rice is half done remove the potli, drain the water and keep the rice aside.
3.Heat oil in a pan. Add onion and sauté. Add yellow and red capsicums and sauté. Add rice and stir gently. Add salt, spring onion greens, cover and cook till the rice is fully done but the grains remain separate.
4.Serve hot.

Note: If you want you can substitute yellow and red capsicums with one green capsicum.

CHINESE STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES

Ingredients
Carrots, thinly sliced: 2 medium
Green capsicum, 1 inch triangles: 1 medium
Red capsicum (optional), 1 inch triangles: 1 medium
Yellow capsicum (optional), 1 inch triangles: 1 medium
Cashewnuts: 6-7
Fresh button mushrooms, sliced: 4-5
Spinach: 6-7 leaves
Cabbage, 1 inch cubes: ½ small
Oil: 1 tablespoon
Garlic, crushed: 2 cloves
Spring onions, quartered: 2
Dark soy sauce: 3 teaspoons
Vegetable stock: 1¼ cups
Cornflour: 2 teaspoons
Bean sprouts: ¼ cup
Salt: To taste

Method
1.Heat a wok. Add oil and heat. Add garlic and sauté till lightly browned.
2.Add spring onions and stir. Add carrots, green capsicum, red capsicum, yellow capsicums and salt and toss.
3.Add cashewnuts, mushrooms, soy sauce and one cup of vegetable stock and stir.
4.Chop off the stems and roughly chop spinach.
5.Dissolve cornflour in the remaining vegetable stock and add to the wok. Stir and cook. When most of the moisture has evaporated add spinach, cabbage, bean sprouts and a little salt. Stir. Cook for two minutes.
6.Serve hot.


VEGETABLE HAKKA NOODLES
Ingredients
Noodles: 400 grams
Oil: 6 tablespoons
Onion, sliced: 1 medium
Carrot, cut into strips: 1 medium
Green capsicum, seeded, cut into strips: 1 medium
Cabbage, shredded: ¼ small
Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon
MSG (optional): ¼ teaspoon
Salt: To taste
White pepper powder: ¼ teaspoon
Bean sprouts: 1 cup
Spring onion greens, chopped: 1 stalk

Method
1.Boil noodles in sufficient water. Drain, remove and cool.
2.Heat oil in a wok, add onion and stir-fry briefly. Add carrot, green capsicum, cabbage and stir-fry for two minutes, stirring and tossing continuously.
3.Add noodles, soy sauce, MSG, salt to taste, white pepper powder and cook on high heat for a couple of minutes or until the noodles are heated through, tossing continuously.
4.Add bean sprouts, mix well and serve hot garnished with spring onion greens.