Desi Chinese

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and me had a real hankering for Desi Chinese.We love to eat chinese takeouts but whenever we invite friends over for dinner, we end up cooking indian food.So this time my son's friend (read girlfriend) and her folks came over for dinner and we decided to try our desi-chinese cooking on them.Since my hubby D almost always is gung-ho about joining in on the cooking (yeah yeah lucky me...),he did actually cook all the food for the party and i was but the "mundu-boy" getting him chillies from the fridge , search for ingredients in my pantry and doing a bit of
chopping and dicing.The food turned out amazingly delicious and we actually began with soup and ended with fortune cookies.cool na !

Hot and Sour Soup


chilli garlic paste:
2 dry red chillies -deseeded and soaked in water for 10 mins
2 flakes garlic
other ingredients:
3 tbsp tomato puree
4 tbsp maggie tomato ketchup(any ketchup will do)
1 tbsp finely sliced french beans
1/2 cup carrot sliced into rounds
1-2 tbsp dried mushrooms
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1-2 tsp soy sauce
3 cups vegetable stock
4 1/2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1/2 cup water

soak dry red chilles in water for 10 mins
for the chilli garlic paste, drain the red chillies.Grind red chillies,garlic to a paste.
if dried mushrooms are available,soak them in water for 1/2 hr to soften
Heat 2 tbsp oil.Add chilli garlic paste.Stir.
Add the tomato puree
Add beans,soaked mushrooms and carrots.Stir well.
Add all the other ingredients except cornflour paste.Boil for 2 mins.
Add corflour paste,stirring continously.Cook for 2-3 mins till the soup turns thick.Serve hot.

Desi Egg Fried Rice


1 1/2 cups basmati rice- boiled and spread on a tray to cool
2 flakes garlic crushed
2 green chillies chopped finely
2 green onions chopped till the greens,keep greens seperate
1/2 cup chopped french beans
1 carrot diced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 eggs beaten
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Heat 2 tbsp oil.Add garlic,green chillies and wjites of onions.Stir
Add beans,stir for a min.
Add carrots .Stir fry for a min
Add capsicum.Stir to mix.
Add salt,pepper.Mix well.
Add rice.Reduce heat.Sprinkle soya sauce on the rice.
Add the eggs and stir well.
Mix well using 2 forks.Add greens of onions.
Stir fry till eggs are done.Serve.

Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce


4 Chinese eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch strips
olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Saute eggplant in a pan with oil.Add water and cook till tender

Meanwhile in small saucepan heat 1/3 cup oil over medium heat.
Add ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute until brown.
Add hoisin sauce and stir.
Quickly add sugar, broth, soy sauce.
Bring to a boil.
Stir cornstarch into water until dissolved.
Add to sauce and stir until thickened.

Pour sauce over vegetables; toss to coat.


Veg Chow Mein

100 gm noodles
2 flakes garlic crushed
1 onion sliced
1 carrot shredded
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 capsicum shredded
salt
1 tsp white pepper
2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 chilli sauce

Make noodles as per instructio on the packet.I used the Hakka noodles from the local indian store.
Wash with cold water several times.Strain
Shred all vegetables into thin long strips.To shred onions, peel and cut into half.Cut each half into thin semi circles to get long strips of the onion.To shred carrots, grate on the thick side of the grater.
Heat oil.Add sliced onion.Stir fry for 1-2 mins.Add garlic.Mix.
Stir fry carrots for a min.Add cabbage and capsicum.
Add salt,pepper.
Add boiled noodles.Sprinkle soy sauce and mix well with 2 forks so that all the ingredients are mixed well.
Add chilli sauce.Stir fry for a min.Add more soy sauce for a darker colour.