Tag: asian
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Peanut Oil
Peanut oil has a lovely nutty aroma and a very mild taste. It imparts this flavour to the food and is excellent for shallow frying crumbed meat, vegetables and the humble potato chip.
Commonly the oil is highly refined (and filtered and bleached) and that gives it a high smoking point like sesame oil.
Commercially the oil is either extracted from the shelled and peeled peanuts using two techniques. These fall into cold press methods and solvent extraction. It can then be further refined.
I have some recipes using peanut oil for you in the links below. 🙂
Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free. I have read that even refined, those with peanut allergies should avoid.
This particular cooking ingredient is in PK’s Essential Pantry Cupboard Contents.
Enjoy,
PK
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USING PEANUT OIL
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PK’s Cheaters’ Pork Chow Mein
You will be totally surprised how quick and yummy this take on chow mein is. My kids loved it and I bet you will too. 🙂
It fed a growing family of four for dinner and I even got several frozen lunches too.
Dietry note: A quick search of the internet suggests you can replace the sauces for vegan alternatives and use dried mushroom and tofu to replace the pork.
Steps
- Preparing everything
- Stir frying
- Serving
Ingredients
- 500g pork mince
- 400g Singapore noodles
- 1/3 cup oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup stock (any will do, I used vegetable)
- A good slug of peanut oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1 capsicum, sliced however you like
- 1 carrot, however you like
- 1 cup of peas or corn kernels
- 1 cup spring onions, sliced diagonally
- 1/2 head Chinese cabbage, rough chopped
Equipment
- 1 fry pan
- 1 large bowl
- 1 small mixing bowl
Preparing everything
- Bring the pork mince out of the fridge so it is not still chilled when it hits the pan.
- Chop and slice the:
- 1 capsicum
- 1 carrot
- 1 cup of peas or corn kernels
- 1 cup spring onions
- 1/2 head Chinese cabbage
- 2 garlic cloves
- Throw a slug of peanut oil into the fry pan and bring it to a high heat (the peanut oil can handle it but lower the heat if it smokes).
- Add the noodles to a large bowl of boiling water for the time specified on their label (we want to time the noodles’ readiness for the pork’s).
Stir frying
- Add the 2 cloves diced garlic and the 500g pork mince to the hot fry pan.
- Keep moving everything around until the pork is cooked.
- Add the vegetables and let them soften somewhat.
- Add the oyster and soy sauce above and the 1/2 cup of stock.
- Mix everything quickly then add the now soft and drained noodles.
- Gently fold the noodles through.
Serving
Serve hot with lots of condiments on the table such as Sriracha hot sauce and fish sauce.
How about a side of broccoli cooked in sesame oil too?
Enjoy,
PK
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PK Makes Heng’s Brand Nyonya Chicken Curry
Malaysian cuisine features some of my favourite comfort food. I was in my local Asian grocer last week and saw a Chicken Nyonya Curry ‘ready to cook’ paste made by the Heng’s brand.
I love making Nyonya rempah from scratch but I thought I would give this product a try. I was thinking forward to times I might need a comfort curry but can’t be bothered cooking one from scratch.
It was amazing and I am going to stock up this and their other flavours. The colours and fragrances balanced perfectly and there was just the right amount of chili kick.
Heng’s has posted a youtube video here and I am going to show you what I did too.
Note: This is not a paid post.
First I parboiled about 600g of peeled chunky sliced potatoes in boiling water with a pinch of saffron. I misunderstood the label’s directions and thought I needed 1.5kg of chicken pieces and potatoes combined. It is actually 1.5kg of chicken pieces and additional potatoes. No problem, it still worked out fine and the paste didn’t miss a beat.
While I was doing that I heated the paste until the oil started to separate out.
I very gently mixed in my ~900g chicken pieces, coating every bit of them with the paste.
I added the potatoes and a generous handful of fresh curry tree leaves.
After gently mixing everything, I added 500ml of water (taking care not to wash the paste off the chicken and potatoes).
I slowly brought everything to a gentle boil and then simmered, covered, for about 15 minutes. Just look at the colours!
I then added 100ml of coconut milk and let the sauce simmer for a few more minutes. You can certainly skip this step if you want a runnier sauce.
Serving
Gently place the chicken and potato into serving bowls and then spoon lots of sauce over everything.
White rice and plenty of roti wouldn’t go amiss either. 🙂
Enjoy,
PK
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MORE MALAYSIAN DISHES
SOUTHEAST ASIAN CUISINE
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Junmai Sake Rice Wine
I use this Japanese style rice wine in my stir fries and sauces. It is made in Australia from Japonica rice and really packs a taste punch with a dry finish. This type of sake hasn’t had any spirits added to it and is around 13% alcohol.
Depending on the recipe I might use it instead of dry sherry or Chinese style rice wine for a different flavour. See PK Makes Beef in Oyster Sauce for example.
If you don’t want to cook with any alcohol however, you can substitute an equal amount of water in its stead.
Related Links:
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Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin sauce is used in Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine, either as an ingredient in the main dish or as a dipping sauce. It has a lovely bean taste that builds to a slightly spicy plummy after taste.
I use it in a number of ways:
- in sauces for stir fries
- as a condiment alongside Pho (see PK’s Cheaters Pho Ga For One)
- as a dipping sauce for spring rolls and the like
Related Links:
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PK Cooks Sticky Poached Asian Chicken Thighs
I saw this recipe online here http://www.taste.com.au/ and just had to try it. I also proved along the way that you don’t have to follow recipes exactly to get a great result. I did some steps out of order accidentally and had to rapidly reduce the sauce before everything went south.
Everything worked out well though and I hardly had enough left over for lunch the next day :).
The chicken was so tender and the sticky sauce had an amazing balance of citrus, salt and sugar. I will definitely be making this again but I intend to follow the instructions to the letter.
You will be:
- Preparing your ingredients.
- Poaching the chicken
- Grilling the chicken and reducing the sauce
- Serving.
You will need:
- Ingredients:
- 1kg boneless chicken thighs
- 1 cup chicken stock (see PK’s Slow Cooker Chicken Stock)
- a few slugs of olive oil
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1/4 cup raw sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 2cm fresh ginger root, grated (or 1 tsp store bought minced ginger)
- 1 stalk lemongrass, grated
- the rind from 1 lime, finely grated
- 2 Tbsp (or more) lime juice
- Â Equipment:
- a long sharp knife
- a chopping board
- a grater
- a citrus juicer
- a mixing jug
- a whisk or fork
- an oven dish
- a large strainer
- a medium saucepan
Prepare your ingredients
- Lay the 1kg boneless chicken thighs out in an oven proof dish.
- Peel and dice the 3 garlic cloves, add to the mixing jug along with the 1 cup chicken stock.
- Finely grate the 2cm of ginger and add to the jug.
- Finely grate the 1 lemongrass stem (use the tender parts only and not the thick outer leaves) and add to the jug.
- Grate the rind from a single lime and squeeze 2 Tbsp of lime juice (I used my frozen lime cubes from last season). Add both to the jug.
- Add the 1 Tbsp fish sauce to the jug.
- Add the 1/4 cup of raw sugar to the mixing jug and give everything a good mix (make sure the sugar has dissolved fully).
Poaching the chicken
- Pour the liquid mixture over the chicken and cook for an hour in a fan-foced oven pre-heated to 180C.
- Turn the chicken half way.
Grilling the chicken and reducing the sauce
- Strain the sauce into a saucepan and start reducing it.
- Return the chicken to the oven tray and turn on the grill to brown the chicken.
- When the sauce is very reduced, pour it back onto the chicken a grill for a little bit longer.
Serving
Serve with your favourite rice, some fresh spinach (the heat of the meal will blanch them) or some asian vegetables and a few sprigs of coriander.
Enjoy,
PK
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PK Cooks Taste.com.au’s Sticky Poached Asian Chicken Thighs
I saw this recipe online here http://www.taste.com.au/ and just had to try it. I also proved along the way that you don’t have to follow recipes exactly to get a great result. I did some steps out of order accidentally and had to rapidly reduce the sauce before everything went south.
Everything worked out well though and I hardly had enough left over for lunch the next day :).
The chicken was so tender and the sticky sauce had an amazing balance of citrus, salt and sugar. I will definitely be making this again but I intend to follow the instructions to the letter.
You will be:
- Preparing your ingredients.
- Poaching the chicken
- Grilling the chicken and reducing the sauce
- Serving.
You will need:
- Ingredients:
- 1kg boneless chicken thighs
- 1 cup chicken stock (see PK’s Slow Cooker Chicken Stock)
- a few slugs of olive oil
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1/4 cup raw sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 2cm fresh ginger root, grated (or 1 tsp store bought minced ginger)
- 1 stalk lemongrass, grated
- the rind from 1 lime, finely grated
- 2 Tbsp (or more) lime juice
- Â Equipment:
- a long sharp knife
- a chopping board
- a grater
- a citrus juicer
- a mixing jug
- a whisk or fork
- an oven dish
- a large strainer
- a medium saucepan
Prepare your ingredients
- Lay the 1kg boneless chicken thighs out in an oven proof dish.
- Peel and dice the 3 garlic cloves, add to the mixing jug along with the 1 cup chicken stock.
- Finely grate the 2cm of ginger and add to the jug.
- Finely grate the 1 lemongrass stem (use the tender parts only and not the thick outer leaves) and add to the jug.
- Grate the rind from a single lime and squeeze 2 Tbsp of lime juice (I used my frozen lime cubes from last season). Add both to the jug.
- Add the 1 Tbsp fish sauce to the jug.
- Add the 1/4 cup of raw sugar to the mixing jug and give everything a good mix (make sure the sugar has dissolved fully).
Poaching the chicken
- Pour the liquid mixture over the chicken and cook for an hour in a fan-foced oven pre-heated to 180C.
- Turn the chicken half way.
Grilling the chicken and reducing the sauce
- Strain the sauce into a saucepan and start reducing it.
- Return the chicken to the oven tray and turn on the grill to brown the chicken.
- When the sauce is very reduced, pour it back onto the chicken a grill for a little bit longer.
Serving
Serve with your favourite rice, some fresh spinach (the heat of the meal will blanch them) or some asian vegetables and a few sprigs of coriander.
Enjoy,
PK
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Mizuna
This fancy looking asian green is a nice compliment or alternative to rocket in your green salads. It is so easy to grow and I used seeds from a mixed sprouts pack. It is also prized in Japanese dishes.
Taste/Aroma:
Tender texture and mildly peppery.
Plant:
Harvesting Months:
- All year
Planting/Care:
I planted them a spot that gets full sun (in both summer and winter) and has well draining rich soil. I have them planted intermingled with Choy Sum and english spinach.
Simply harvest the leaves as you need them and new shoots continue to come up.
Related Links:
- see more mizuna posts here
- see more asian greens here
- go to all meal ingredients
- go the Grow It Perth calendar
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Welchy’s Wonton Noodle Soup
And so I’m back
From out of space
I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face …the sad face I am referring to is that of my older brother’s. I have been a bit busy and whilst I have been taking lots of photos – I then never got around to writing the actual blog. So here goes…
My boyfriend loves Wonton Noodle Soup and will only eat it from one place (International Food Court in Morley if you ever get a chance). It’s divine – with slivers of pork, crunchy bok choy for texture, a gorgeous broth and then these silky full of flavour wontons… it’s basically Heaven in a bowl. And to top it all off they scatter crumbled pork crackling over the top.
I finally convinced him to let me have a go at cooking my own and suffice to say the results were amazing. Like most men (my younger and ‘opinionated about food even though he never cooks’ brother is one) if he goes for a second helping then you know you are onto a winner. It’s a little fiddly so unless you make it on a weekend, try and make the wontons ahead of time as they can sit in the fridge until you are ready 🙂
Ingredients:
For the Soup- 2½ cup chicken stock
- 2½ cup water
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 to 4â…›-inch thin fresh ginger root slices (approximately 1 oz.)
- 2 green onions, cut in halves
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Wonton Filling- 4 oz. ground pork
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 tsp. Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine, you can substitute with dry sherry)
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- ÂĽ tsp. sugar
- ÂĽ tsp. sesame oil
- ÂĽ tsp. ground fresh ginger root
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- small pinch of black or white pepper
- 20 square wonton wrappers
For the Garnish- chopped green onion
- Cilantro leaves
Method
1. In a medium/large pot, add all ingredients for the soup. Cover, bring it to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let all the flavor come together. Meanwhile, let’s make wontons!
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the wonton filling and mix well with a spoon until cornstarch incorporated with other wet ingredients.
3. Take a wonton wrapper on your left hand(if you are right handed) and paint edges of square lightly with cold water using your finger tip. Put ½ teaspoon of filling in centre of wrapper. Fold in half, triangle shape and seal it tightly by pinching edges together with your fingers. Paint one of lower side corners of triangle with water and bring right and left corner together (water painted side down) and press well to make traditional curved wonton shape. Place wontons 1 to ½-inch apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat until you finish with wonton filling and wrappers.
4. When your wontons are ready, discard solid ingredients from soup base and bring it to boil.
5. Carefully add wontons and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. wontons will be fully cooked in 3 minutes, but cook it longer so all flavour from wontons will melt in to soup. Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste at this point.
6. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with green onion, cilantro and pepper to your taste.
And then…being super sneaky…I fried a couple of the wontons while the wontons were cooking in the soup. So totally worth it! Would be amazing on a cold night, but no matter the weather I’d eat this haha.
Katie
Related Links:
- see more Welchy posts here
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PK Makes Ching He Huang’s Beef in Oyster Sauce
My hat off to the BBC chef Ching He Huang and her simple but flavoursome Beef in Oyster Sauce recipe.
This dish caught my eye because it calls for tenderising, with a mallet or rolling pin, beef eye fillet (tenderlion) steaks. I can see you shaking your head but trust me it is a transformational part of the recipe. The meat literally melts in your mouth!
Ching’s “…Â approach is to demystify the notion that Chinese cooking is complicated and time consuming by demonstrating traditional recipes that can be easily adapted for the home cook…”.
Mission accomplished!
You will be
- Bashing and flash seasoning the beef.
- Stir frying the vegetables
- Stir frying the beef
- Serving
You will need
- Ingredients (as the only main it served 2 adults and a hungry toddler very well):
- 350g beef eye fillet steaks
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1.5Â Tbsp oyster sauce
- a pinch of raw sugar
- ground rock salt and ground black peppercorns
- 2 slugs of peanut oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 300g baby spinach leaves
- 1 carrot, chopped into matchsticks
- a handful of snow peas, sliced or whole
- 1 Tbsp dry Sherry
- 1 cup of your favourite rice (mine is basmati)
- Â Equipment
- a chopping board
- a long sharp knife
- several sheets of baking paper
- a bowl for marinading the meat
- a tenderising mallet or a rolling pin
- a wok or deep fry pan
- a serving dish
Steps:
Bashing and flash seasoning the beef
-  Place the eye fillet steaks in between two sheets of baking paper and bash the stuffing out of it with a rolling pin or tenderising mallet. I know right :).
- Thinly slice the bashed beef and place into a bowl.
- Season with the:
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1.5 Tbsp oyster sauce
- a pinch of raw sugar
- ground rock salt and black peppercorns to taste.
Stir frying your vegetables
- Chop and slice all of the vegetables.
- Add a slug of peanut oil to the frypan and get it nice and hot.
- Add the 3 cloves garlic (finely diced) and chopped chili to taste if you like it hot.
- Add the 1 carrot (sliced into sticks).
- Add the handful of snow peas.
- Keep everything moving all the time and then when you think it is time chuck in the 300g baby spinach leaves.
- As soon as the spinach leaves wilt and become warm put the whole lot into a serving dish. I sometimes cover them to keep everything piping hot.
Stir frying the beef
- Add another slug of peanut oil to the frypan and get it nice and hot again.
- Add the now seasoned beef slices and stir fry for a few minutes at most, remember that they will continue to cook after you take them out of the pan. We don’t want them to be chewy.
- Pour the 1 Tbsp dry Sherry over the meat and quickly toss everything.
- Add the now cooked beef to the cooked vegetables waiting in the serving dish.
Serving
Serve from a central dish and let everyone take what they need. Make sure there is plenty of rice and good conversation. 🙂
Thanks again to Ching,
PK
Here are some more Chinese and asian fusion posts:Â
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