Indo-Chinese Fried Rice

The rich flavour of chicken stock gives this fried rice its appetizing gloss, aroma and a "I cannot stop at one helping" taste!

You will need these..

For 5 cups of stock:

500 grams chicken

2 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Pepper

3 Bay leaves

For fried rice:

2 and half cups of basmati rice (soaked for 1 hour before cooking)

300 grams of mixed vegetables of your choice (cube carrots, onions, capsicum, and shred cabbage)

2 green chillies chopped

3 spring onions chopped

2 tablespoon soya sauce

2 tablespoon tomato ketchup

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon tobasco sauce

The procedure:

First wash the chicken well. Prepare the stock by boiling chicken with bones in 6 cups of water, salt, pepper and bay leaves.

Collect 5 cups of stock and cook the rice in it. Do not add any more salt as there is enough in the stock. Once cooked spread the rice on a tray and let it cool so that the grains retain their shape when mixing with sauce.

Shred the boiled chicken and keep aside.

Simultaneously you can start preparing the vegetables and sauce for the rice. Heat oil in a pan, saute onions and green chillies for 2 minutes. Then add the vegetables and stir fry for another 4 minutes. Now add the sauces and vinegar and finally the shredded chicken. Check for salt and add only if needed.

Once the rice has cooked mix the sauce into it evenly. Warm it again just before serving.

Variation:

For strict vegetarians substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock using the same procedure; simply semi boil the vegetables you plan to use with the rice.

Paneer Puffs

These are the most delicious puffs I have eaten till date! I like to call the masala 'When China meets Goa'. Yes yes I will tell you why... In my Prawn n Corn recipe I had used Rechad masala which is a typical goan masala. This time I combined it with a Chinese sauce called Hoisin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoisin_sauce) and trust me they make a great couple! ;) While Rechad is a red, spicy sauce, Hoisin is a brown sweet and salty sauce, so they kind of compliment each other. And to top it like most of my recipies this one is also very easy.

You need, (for 4 puffs)

Puff pastry sheets (you will find these in the refrigirated section of your supermarket)

1 medium finely chopped onion

Half a bell pepper, sliced or chopped

180 grams of grated paneer

1 tablespoon of Hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon of Rechad masala

Get started....

In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients and mix well. When adding the sauces, add less than a tablespoon. Mix well, check the taste and add more only if needed. Turn the oven on to preheat at 220 degrees C. Now cut the pastry sheets into about 31/2 inch squares and slightly fold it at the diagnal such that the square gets divided into 2 triangles. Add a spoonful of the paneer mixture onto one triangle, fold over and seal the ends using a fork. Once all the puffs are done the oven will be ready for baking. Place the puffs on a tray with baking paper and palce it over the middle rack and let it bake for about 15 to 20 minutes at 200 degrees C. Take them out of the oven, let them cool to room temperature and they are ready to be served.

Wat can I get you?

I have been doing a lot of stuff to decorate our living room and bedroom and even the passageway, but I realised our kitchen was feeling a bit left out. So I got some paper and colours and made this!

Materials needed are, (size of cardboard and paper depends on your preference)
Recyclable cardboard (I used thin but firm cardboard from clothes packaging)
Colourful gift wrapping paper
Pattern
Scissors
Box cutter
Glue
Satin ribbon
Black Acrylic paint
Paint brush and palette
Gluetack or two sided tape

Follow these step by step instructions:
Select a pattern you want to draw. Draw it out on the piece of cardboard. The outline is important so don't bother about the details.

Now using a box cutter cut the figure carefully. Paint the figure black and leave it to dry.

Get back to the cardboard. Cut a piece of gift wrapping paper to the size of the cardboard and stick it to the back of the cardboard with glue. Remember the blank side of the gift paper must be seen from the back and the printed side from the front as in the picture.

Cut a piece of ribbon which you need to stick along the waist line on the main cardboard.

Cut a piece of gift paper in the shape of an apron and stick it on the silhouette.

Cut another piece of ribbon to make a small bow and stick it at the waist side of the silhouette.

Now to slightly elevate the silhouette use either little bits of cardboard or gluetack or two sided tape and place it over the cardboard as shown in the picture.

Now the final task is to paint the words “Wat can I get you?”

Paste in on your kitchen wall or door using cellotape Or frame it!