Tag: appetizer
Nepali Chicken Momo
Nepali Chicken Momo
Momos are steamed dumplings found in various forms all over South Asia in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and the Himalayan region of India. The dumpling are typically made out of a basic flour dough, filled with ground meat (lamb, chicken, beef, and even yak), herbs, and spices. They get steamed in a bamboo steamer and served with harissa and a tomato pickle relish. They require a little work, but are still fairly simple to make. I recommend making a large batch, freeze down in a single layer on a baking sheet, then store in a gallon sized freezer bag. That way, you can have momos anytime you want.
Equipment
- rolling pin
- bamboo steamer
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 lb ground chicken thigh
- 1 cup white onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp ginger minced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 dried red chili grohnd
Wrapper Dough
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix all of the filling ingredients together. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before filling the momos.
- Mix all of the dough ingredients together. Knead for 5 minutes. Cover with a wet paper towel and let sit for 30 minutes.
Assembly
- Portion out 1” dough balls on a well floured surface.
- Using a rolling pin, flatten out the dough balls into a 4” disc. Place a tbsp of the filling in the center.
- Crimp over the edges to seal.
- You should yield at least 30 momos.
Cooking
- Bring 2” of water to a boil in a pot. Rub oil on the grates of the bamboo steamer. This will keep the momos from sticking. Place the momos in the steamer, making sure that they don’t touch one another.
- Steam for 15-20 minutes.
Sichuan Crispy Beef
Sichuan Crispy Beef
What makes this stir fried beef so tasty is the Lao Gan Ma fried chili crisp. This chili oil contains fried shallots, garlic, fried soy beans, fried peanuts, chili flakes, and fermented black beans. The beef is stir fried, then tossed in this chili crisp oil with green onions. It looks a lot spicier than it really is. The flavor is bursting with aromatics and umami, making this a quick and easy go to any night of the week.
Ingredients
- 1 lb flank or skirt steak thinly sliced on a bias
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
Stir Fry
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup fried chili crisp Lao Gan Ma brand
- 4 green onions cut into 2” pieces
Garnish
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Marinate the beef with salt, vegetable oil, and cornstarch for 15 minutes.
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan or wok over high heat. Add in the beef in a single layer.
- Cook for 90 seconds a side. Remove from the pan.
- Add the chili crisp oil and green onions into the pan. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Toss the beef back into the pan, coating in the chili crisp oil. Turn off the heat.
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Honey walnut shrimp is commonly found on Chinese American menus. While it was created to appease the American pallete, it is nothing short of tasty. It is also really easy to make at home and will cost you half the price. Serve the shrimp as an appetizer or main course.
Equipment
- electric beater
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1 lb 26/30 ct. shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Bring the sugar and water to a boil.
- Add in the walnuts. Boil for 3 minutes.
- Place the walnuts in a single layer on parchment paper to cool.
- Using an electric beater, beat the egg whites until frothy.
- Mix in the cornstarch.
- Dip the shrimp in the batter.
- Heat up 1/2” of vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Fry the shrimp for 1-2 minutes a side.
- Drain the grease on a rack.
- Mix the mayonnaise, honey, and sweetened condensed milk together.
