Tag: East Asian
Ground Pork Curry
Ground Pork Curry
Many Asian cultures have their version of a ground meat curry. This recipe is a Japanese version using Golden curry cubes; the same used in Japanese curry. But this type of ground meat curry is closer to an Italian ragout in appearance; just with Japanese flavors. You can use any type of ground protein; beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, or even impossible meat substitute. I’m always partial to ground pork. You can serve the curry over steamed rice or noodles. Both are equally good. To make this curry even better, top with a poached egg.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground pork or any ground protein of your liking
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 medium carrot finely chopped
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 4 oz Golden curry cubes
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste
- poached eggs 1 per serving
Garnish
- parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Brown the ground pork for 6-7 minutes.
- Add in the carrots, onions, ginger, and garlic. Cook for 4 more minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock, water, curry cubes, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
Savory Sweet Potato Pancakes
Savory Sweet Potato Pancakes
These aren’t the traditional pancakes that you’re used to eating for breakfast. Chinese sweet potato pancakes are eaten as a savory appetizer and/or side dish. They get dipped in a simple soy/rice vinegar/sugar/sesame oil sauce. What’s unique about these pancakes is the use of glutenous rice flour. It gives them a chewy, slightly gummy texture; not cake-like whatsoever. If you want to make these a sweet flavored pancake, swap out the salt for sugar and leave out the green onions.
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet potato peeled and cubed
- 1 1/2 cups glutenous rice flour
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- vegetable oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a steamer and steam for 15 minutes until soft.
- Let the sweet potatoes cool. Mash with the back of a fork.
- Mix the sweet potatoes with the glutenous rice flour, green onions, and salt until a dough forms.
- Flour your hands and roll out the dough into 2” balls.
- Flatten with the palms of your hands.
- Heat up a 1/4 cup of vegetable oil on a griddle over medium heat. Add the pancakes to the griddle, making sure to not overcrowd.
- Cookfor 3 minutes a side.
- Heat all of the dipping sauce ingredients in a small sauté pan until the sugar dissolves.
Chinese Gravy Noodles
Chinese Gravy Noodles
Da lu mian, also known as Chinese gravy noodles, is northern Chinese comfort food that is unfamiliar to most people outside of China. The gravy sauce is tomato based, using dried ingredients such as lily flowers, shiitake, and wood ear mushrooms to add an unami flavor. The original recipe had little pork and no shrimp, since the concept was to use the cheapest ingredients that you had in your pantry. This version is a little more suped-up and luxurious with the copious amounts of protein. You can also make this dish vegan by omitting the pork and shrimp. Lastly, the gravy is served over shanxi noodles, which is the Chinese equivalent of fettuccine.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs shanxi flat noodles prepared according to package directions
- 1 cup dried lily flower
- 1/2 cup dried wood ear mushrooms
- 10 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 lb pork sirloin thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
Gravy
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 4 green onions chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Rehydrate the mushrooms and lily flowers in hot water for 60 minutes. Save 2 cups of the water from the lily flowers. Drain the water from the mushrooms and slice.
- Marinate the shrimp and the sliced pork in the cooking wine, cornstarch, and salt for 30 minutes.
- Heat up the cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the mushrooms and lily flowers for 1 minute.
- Add in the ginger and green onions. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Add in the canned tomato. Sauté for 1 minute,
- Pour in the chicken stock, lily flower water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and pork. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Make a slurry with the cornstarch and water. Whisk the slurry into the gravy to thicken. Drizzle the sesame oil over the gravy.
