Saturday, June 15, 2024

Indian Chinese Egg fried Rice

 This is an Indian street food called as 'Chinese egg fried rice'.




we can use any veggies like carrot, scallion, beans, peas, corn also.





Ingredients:
Jasmine Rice - 1 (uncooked)
Sesame oil - 4 Tbsp
Egg - 2
Broccoli - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Onion - 1/2 cup (Diced)
Green Bell pepper - 1/2 cup (Diced)
Red Bell pepper - 1/2 cup (Diced)
Garlic - 2 cloves
Salt - 1/2 tsp
White Pepper powder - 1 Tsp
Soy Sauce - 2 Tbsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1 Tbsp
Hot Sauce - 1 Tsp

Method:
Rinse rice. Soak the rice for 10 mins in room temperature water. 
Bring 5 cups water to boil.
Add rice and cook 10 mins till it is 3/4 th cooked (grainy).
Add 1 tsp butter or oil to make it non stick.
Drain water , let it cool.
Keep inside fridge until we are ready to prepare fried rice.
Chilled rice is best suitable for fried rice.
Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in a pan.
Dice / cube the veggies to small pieces 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch cubes. Add chopped veggeies.
Saute at high heat for 1 min. Don't cook it well. They should be crunchy.
Peel and chop garlic. Add garlic to veggies.
Mix well.
Push them aside.
Add 2 tbsp sesame oil to the pan.
Break the eggs and add. Scramble the eggs. 
Sesaon with salt (1/4 tsp for each egg).
As soon as the egg gets cooked mix it with vegetables.
Sprinkle pepper powder and mix well.
Add soy sauce, tomato sauce, hot sauce and mix well.
Cook at high temp for 2-3 mins to brown / caramelize the ingredients.
If needed add 1 or 2 tsp sugar to get the color.
Add the cooked rice (2 cups). 
Mix well.
Cook at high temp for 2-3. mins, by continuosly tossing and mixing.

Indian style 'Chinese egg fried rice' is ready !

Serving Suggestion:
Makes 2 small size servings or one large platter.
Serve with grilled chicken, hot sauce , tomato sauce or any sauce that is suitable.
Sprinkle spring onion.







Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Kadanja Keerai or mashed spinach

 Kadanja keerai / Keerai masiyal / Mashed spinach in Indian style. This is one of my favorite versions of spinach which I used to enjoy growing up. My amma used to make this type of spinach almost on every other day along with fish curry. She used to buy arai keerai for preparing this dish. But I have used flat leaf spinach we usually get from any American grocery store. (Malabar spinach or Indian spinach is not suitable for this recipe)   






Ingredients:
Arai keerai / US Spinach - 1 bunch
Shallot - 1
Green chili - 2
Garlic - 2 cloves
Water - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Remove big stems off the spinach if any.
If using arai keerai, then use leaves and tender stems only. Discard the peelable matured stems.
Rinse the spinach well (see video). Remove water completely.


Heat 1/4 cup water in a cooking vessel.
Add peeled shallot, garlic, green chili. Boil for 5 mins.

Add spinach to the boiling ingredients. Cook uncovered for 5 mins. Stir after 3 mins and cook completely.
Switch off. Add salt, cumin.
Mash to a coarse semi thick gravy. In the video I have shown 'how to use kitchenaid blender' to mash spinach. We can use a 'kal chatty' an earthern vessel studded with coarse stones to mash this too (that is the authentic way).

Mashed spinach is ready !

Serving Suggestion:
Serve as side dish or as curry over rice.
Makes a healthy food for kids and adults.
1 lb spinach may be good enough for a 4 member family.
1/2 lb (1/4 kg) spinach / keerai would be more than enough for 2 adults.