Mushroom Fried Rice

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Ingredients:
Long grained rice                      -            1 cup
White button mushrooms           -            250 g.
garlic cloves, finely chopped     -            3
Onion, finely chopped               -            1
Chopped celery                          -            1 Tbsp.
Soy sauce                                   -             1 Tbsp.
Olive oil                                     -             3 Tbsp.

salt & black pepper as required

Method:

1. Wash the rice and cook in adequate amount of water with little salt until just done(the rice should not be too soft). Drain the rice and keep aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile heat oil in a wok, add the chopped garlic  and onions & stir fry for a couple of minutes.
3. Stir in the chopped button mushrooms and saute on a high flame till the mushrooms becomes a bit  brown. (not to worry the water will evaporate gradually)
4. Now add the chopped celery(or coriander leaves) and stir fry for a minute or two, add the soy sauce, black pepper , required amount of salt.
5. Add the cooked rice to the stir fried mushrooms and  combine well (gently) for 4 minutes or so. Remove from flame.
6. Garnish with spring onion greens or coriander leaves and serve hot with any Manchurian side dishes.

Kung Pao Chicken

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 Ingredients:
Boneless chicken    -   500g., cut in small cubes
Corn starch             -   3 tbsp.
Salt a pinch or two
Oil                           -   4 tbsp.
Dried red chillies     -   6 no., broken
Onion                      -    1 no., diced
Red bell pepper       -    1 no., diced
Zucchini                  -    1 no., diced
Pepper                     -     1 tsp.
Roasted peanuts      -     4 tbsp.

For the sauce:
Oil                     -   1 tsp.
Garlic                -   3 tsp., sliced finely
Ginger               -   3 tsp., sliced finely
Brown sugar     - 3 tsp.
ground pepper    -  ½ tsp.
White distilled vinegar  - 3 tsp.
Soy sauce           - 3 tsp.
Hoisin sauce (or soy sauce)  -  2 tsp.
Corn starch        - 2tsp. dissolved in ½ cup water


Method:
Sauce Preparation:

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add the garlic and ginger and saute for 3 mins. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce and mix well.
2. Add the corn starch dissolved in water, brown sugar, vinegar and pepper powder and stir until the sauce thickens. Set aside.

Chicken Preparation:

1. Toss the chicken cubes with 3 tbsp. of corn starch and salt and set aside for 5 mins.
2. Heat oil in a wide pan at medium heat and add the chicken pieces and fry until chicken is cooked well. Remove excess oil from the chicken on to a paper towel and set aside.
3. In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp oil at high heat add the dried red chillies and stir-fry until for 2 mins. 
4. Add all the required vegetables along with a pinch of salt and required amount of pepper. Stir-fry for a few minutes until they are  ¾th done(do not overcook).
5. Combine the fried chicken pieces and the prepared sauce. Mix well and cook until the sauce coats the chicken and vegetables. 
6. Add in the roasted peanuts and mix well. Garnish with chopped spring onion and serve hot.

Dragon Chicken

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 I first had dragon chicken at "The Rock" restaurant at Chennai. It was very good and I ended up eating the entire plate. It was sweet ans spicy. 

   I searched for the recipe for a long time, there were many versions of the same and my first attempt was a failure. I finally found a recipe which I tried and I nailed it.

Unfortunately the person who submitted this recipe left no name. The original recipe did not have any vegetables or nuts, but I added both.

Ingredients:

1/2Kg.          -     Chicken(boneless) cut in long strips  

1 tsp.            -     Ginger(finely chopped)

1 tsp.            -     Garlic(finely chopped)

1 1/2 tsp.      -      Red chilly flakes 

1/2 Cup         -    Tomato sauce (adjust the quantity)

2 tsp.            -     Soy sauce

1/2 tsp.         -     Sugar

Oil for deep frying
8 Nos.          -      Split cashews

1 No.            -     Carrot  sliced into thin strips
1/2 Cup        -     Green Capsicum sliced 
1/2 Cup        -      Cabbage sliced
* All the vegetables should be cut as you would do for a fried rice

For marination:

1 tsp.            -     Ginger paste

1 tsp.            -     Garlic paste

1 1/2 tsp.       -     Pepper powder  

1 No.             -    Egg white 

2 tbsp.            -    Corn Flour  

Method: 

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with the above mentioned marination ingredients and set aside for 2 hrs.
2. Fry the marinated chicken in oil until golden brown and crispy.(Refer notes
3. Pour 2 tsp. of oil used for frying in a skillet.
4. Saute the finely chopped ginger, garlic followed by red chilly flakes and tomato sauce.
5. Add Soy Sauce and sugar.
6. Add the cashews and vegetables and saute for 2 minutes.
7. Add the fried chicken pieces and mix well.
8. Cook for some more time until everything is mixed well.
9. Garnish with spring onions and coriander leaves.

NOTES:

* If sugar added is more, add more of tomato sauce to compensate the sweet taste.
* I did not deep fry the chicken instead I used a frying pan to cook the marinated chicken by   turning the pieces time to time to cook evenly.
* Do not over cook the chicken else it will be hard to bite (remember you will be cooking it again with the sauce). You would probably only require 5 to 10 minutes to cook the chicken.
* Do not over cook the vegetables.

Vegetable Fried Rice

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Ingredients:

1 Cup  -  Basmati Rice
1 Cup  -  Cabbage finely sliced strips
1 No.   -   Carrot 
1 No.   -   Capsicum 
7 Sprigs -  Spring Onion
1/2 tsp.   -  Pepper powder(Adjust the amount)
1 tsp.    -  Soy Sauce
3 to 4 Tbsp.  - Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cook and cool the basmati rice.
2. Cut the vegetables in thin strips and chop the spring onion.
3. Heat oil in a broad pan on high flame and saute the cut vegies one by one each for a minute.(Do not overcook the vegetables)
4. Add the pepper powder and soy sauce and saute well.
5. Transfer this along with the required amount of salt onto the cooled rice and mix well and Serve hot.

Hot Chilli Chicken

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Ingredients: (serves 2)

300g chicken meat from drumsticks, cut into thin strips
2 tbsp. red chilli paste
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 egg, beaten
20g cornflour
20g flour
5 tbsp oil
50g garlic cloves
15g red and green chillies, sliced vertically
Salt and white pepper

Method:

• Mix together chicken, chilli paste, lemon juice, egg, cornflour, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Heat oil in a wok and add the chicken. Stir well until chicken is cooked and then add whole garlic cloves and fresh chillies.
• Toss well for a couple of minutes and serve hot.