Crispy Golden Broccoli In Chili Honey Sauce & Sesame Garnish

Broccoli is very low in calories, provides just 34 cal per 100 g. However, it is rich in dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that have proven health benefits. Broccoli is an important calcium source for those who don't consume dairy products. With so many benefits and much more this dish is super quick to make and is really tasty to accompany any of your rice or noodles.

Adapted from Kai Asia

Ingredients:

Broccoli Floret:                    150 grams
All purpose flour:                  2 tablespoon
Corn flour:                            2 tablespoon
Pimentos:                            30 grams ( Substitute:  Red bell pepper)
Sesame Seed:                     11/2 teaspoon (toasted)
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste

For sauce
Dry chilli Flakes:                  1 teaspoon
Black peppercorn:               1/2 teaspoon (crushed)
Garlic:                                 1 teaspoon (chopped)
Honey:                                1 tablespoon
Vinegar:                              1 teaspoon
Tomato ketchup:                 1 tablespoon

Method:

1) Blanch the broccoli florets and drain well.
2) Sprinkle the broccoli with flour and corn flour. Toss well. Heat some vegetable oil and shallow fry till crisp. Else you can bake it as well.
3) Combine all the sauce ingredient except garlic.
4) Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil and add garlic. Add diced pimentos/ bell pepper on high flame.
5) Toss the crispy broccoli and sauce with pimentos. The sauce will have a sweet, spicy and tangy flavour.
6) Toss the sesame seed dry in a hot pan. Mix a little with the crispy broccoli and preserve few for final garnish. Check the seasoning.
7) Arrange on a serving plate and garnish it with remaining sesame seed.
8) Serve hot.

BON APPETIT..

Steamed Bok Choy in Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

Sign up for a Chinese Cooking classes and at some point you're likely to find yourself happily shredding leaves and chopping up the stalks of a bok choy plant. It is cultivated in China since ancient times, bok choy is found in soups and stir-fries, appetizers and main dishes. Bok choy is one of the popular leafy-vegetables very low in calories; it is very rich source of many vital vitamins, minerals and health-benefiting anti-oxidants. 100 g of bok choy provides just 13 calories. It is one of the recommended vegetable in the zero calorie or negative calorie category of foods which when eaten would add no extra weight to the body but in-turn facilitate calorie burns and reduction of weight. Let's get cooking  :)

Adapted from Kia Asia
Serves:      2
Preparation time 25 minutes

Ingredients:

Bok Choy:                       200 grams
Butter:                              1 tablespoon
Garlic:                              1 tablespoon (finely chopped)
Corn flour:                        25 grams
Salt to taste
White Pepper:                  1 teaspoon
Lemon Juice:                    2 tablespoon
Flakes of garlic fried golden for garnish

Method:

1) Blanch the Bok Choy.
2) Heat some butter, saute garlic . Dilute the corn flour in water and add.
3) Keep stirring to make a sauce of thick consistency. Add more water if required.
4) Season it with salt and pepper.
5) Add fresh lemon juice and mix well.
6) Arrange the bok choy on a serving plate. Spoon the sauce over it.
7) Garnish it with golden fried garlic  flakes and serve hot.

BON APPETIT...

Crispy Tofu In Thai Chilli & Basil

This week will be great for all diet food followers and south Asian food lovers. I will be experimenting with south Asian food in my blog. Today's basic ingredient is "Tofu", also called bean curd, is a food made by coagulating soy juice and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. Tofu originated in ancient China. Tofu and its production technique were introduced into Korea and then Japan. Tofu has a low calorie count, relatively large amounts of protein, and little fat. It is high in iron, calcium and/or magnesium.

Recipe minimally adapted from Kai Asia by The Gateway Hotel

Ingredients:

Tofu:                       100 Grams
Corn Flour:             2 tablespoon
Thai chilli paste:       1/2 tablespoon
Sugar:                     1/4 tablespoon
Garlic:                     1 tablespoon (finely chopped)
Sweet Chilli Sauce:  1 tablespoon
Onion:                     1 medium (diced)
Basil leaves:             1 sprig (few of them fried)
Vegetable oil

Method:

1) Cut tofu into small dices.
2) Coat with corn flour and shallow fry till crisp.
3) Heat some oil in a pan and add garlic, toss diced onion basil leave for 1-2 minutes.
4) Add chilli paste, sugar, sweet chilli sauce.
5) Mix well and garnish with fried basil leaves.
6) Serve hot.

BON APPETIT..

Italian Orange Polenta Cake

Polenta is coarsely or finely ground yellow or white maize used as a foodstuff. It is cooked by boiling to a paste in water or a liquid such as soup stock, and may be eaten with other ingredients. After boiling, it may be baked, fried or grilled; leftover polenta is often used this way. Polenta is originally an Italian word, derived from the Latin for hulled and crushed grain, especially barley-meal; maize was not cultivated in Europe until the early 16th century. It also comes from the same base as "pollen".
This cake is moist with a pleasantly crumbly and grainy texture; try these cake recipes using popular Italian ingredient polenta/ cornmeal. Give your sweet tooth an Italian flavour with this moist, golden, shiny and fruity polenta cake.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour:                     1 cup
Polenta/ corn flour:                   3/4 cup
Sugar:                                      1 cup
Butter:                                     4 tablespoon
Vegetable oil:                          1/4 cup
Vanilla essence:                       1 teaspoon
Orange zest:                            2 tablespoon
Fresh Orange Juice:                 1  cup
Egg:                                         3 medium
Baking powder:                       1 tablespoon

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of a round 23cm cake tin with baking parchment.
2) Cream the butter, oil and sugar (1 cup leaving 4 tsp for glaze) together until light and fluffy using a whisk.
3) Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly.
4) Sieve all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
5) Add all the dry ingredients and the zest.
6) Add half a cup juice to the mixture.
7) Transfer the mixture to the tin, spread evenly, then cook for about 35 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
8) Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
9) To make the glaze, put the remaining juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Let it simmer for 5 mins, then remove from the heat and allow cooling.
10) Drizzle the orange glaze over the top of the warm cake. Serve with cold vanilla ice cream.

BON APPETIT....

Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup

As promised in my earlier post I am here with the Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup. This is a perfect time to share this warming recipe since we are now ready to set in the winter soon. Red lentil soup is a Turkish/ Greek favorite and served in most restaurants. Most households in Mediterranean region consume this soup. This is another simple, yet delicious recipe. Red lentils are a good source of protein, dietary fibre and iron similar to beans. Lentils are great soup material, adding wonderful richness and protein.

Ingredient:
For two serving


Red lentils:                               1/2 cup               
Onion:                                     1/2 medium sized
Carrot:                                    1 small
Tomato or pepper paste:         1 tablespoon (substitute:  1 small tomato)
Garlic:                                     1 small clove
Butter:                                     1/2 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Crushed white pepper
3 cups of water
Lime juice

For the garnish sauce:
Olive oil/ butter:                         1 tablespoon
Paprika Powder:                       1 teaspoon

Lemon wedges

Method:

1) Heat some butter in a saucepan/ pressure cooker. Add garlic, onion and toss for a minute till it sweats. Add tomato or its paste.  Stir it for half a minute.

2) Add the other ingredient like carrot and red lentil. Season it with salt and pepper. Add water and let it cook till soft. In pressure cooker the process is faster.

3) Let it cool and blend it in a food processor. 

4) Adjust the consistency of soup if required. Boil it in the pan again. Add lime juice.

5) Before serving garnish it with the chilli oil. 

6) For the garnish heat some butter in a pan. Once fuming close the flame and add paprika powder. Spoon it over the hot soup. Serve it hot with some lime wedges.

BON APPETIT...