Tag: main course
Singapore Curry Noodles
Singapore Curry Noodles
While this stir fried noodle dish isn’t really from Singapore, you can find it on just about every Chinese take out menu. While there’s nothing difficult in cooking these noodles, there are a lot of steps to completion. It is all worth it in the end.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 12 shrimp 16/20 ct, peeled and deveined
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tsp fish sauce
- 8 oz rice stick noodles
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1/4 lb bbq pork sliced
- 1/2 medium onion sliced thin
- 1 small red bell pepper sliced thin
- 12 snow peas sliced
- 1 small carrot julienned
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Marinate the shrimp with 1 tsp vegetable oil and 1/2 tsp of fish sauce. Set aside.
- Pour boiling water over the rice noodles. Let sit for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Mix together the garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, shaoxing wine, white pepper, and sugar. Set aside.
- Heat up 1 tsp of cooking oil in a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Pour in the eggs and let set for 10 seconds.
- Scramble and set aside in a bowl.
- Wipe the pan clean. Add in 2 tsp of cooking oil. Toss in the shrimp and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add in the pork and onions. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add in the bell pepper and snow peas. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add in the carrots and 1 tsp of curry powder. Sauté for 30 seconds. Season with salt. Remove everything in the pan to the bowl with eggs.
- Wipe the pan clean. Add the remaining cooking oil. Sauté the noodles for 30 seconds.
- Mix in the rest of the curry powder.
- Add back in the stir fried eggs, meat, and vegetables. Season with salt. Stir fry for 1 minute.
- Turn off the heat. Add in the green onions. Drizzle with sesame oil.
Bengali Cholar Dal
Bengali Cholar Dal
Bengali cholar dal is traditionally eaten during celebrations. Chana dal is used in it’s preparation. Chana dal is actually a yellow split pea. When cooked and mashed, it adds a creaminess to the dal. It is also full of complex flavors from the coconut, golden raisins, cardamom, and chilies. Serve this dal with puris, which are kinda like mini fried pita, or parathas.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Spice grinder
- bean masher
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup chana dal
- 5 cups water
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 green bird’s eye chilies slit length wise
- 1/3 cup coconut grated
- 1 tbsp golden raisins
Spice Mix
- 1 cinnamon stick 1”
- 6 green cardamom seeds
- 2 dried Kashmiri chilies
Garnish
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Pour the water into a pot with the chana dal. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Add in the turmeric, cloves, salt, and sugar. Simmer for 75 minutes, occasionally stirring.
- Turn off the heat. Mash with a bean masher.
- The dal doesn’t have to be completely smooth as a purée. It is good to have a little texture. Set aside.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, lightly dry toast the spice mix spices for 5 minutes.
- Grind in a spice grinder and set aside.
- Heat up cooking oil in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the cumin seeds, bay leaf, and green chilies for 30 seconds.
- Add in the coconut and fry for a minute.
- Pour in the dal. Give it a stir. Bring to a boil. Add in the spice mix and golden raisins. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Black Bean Soup with Chorizo
Black Bean Soup with Chorizo
This is a real simple black bean soup with chorizo. I prefer to use dried black beans instead of canned. I prepared my black beans in an Instant Pot, which took 30 minutes without soaking. The bean stock that it creates will be the main stock of the soup, so don’t pour it down the drain. My favorite part of this soup is all of the toppings: fried tortillas strips, crumbled queso, Mexican sour cream, avocado, and cilantro.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb chorizo
- 1/2 cup white onion
- 1 large poblano pepper seeded and chopped
- 2 serrano peppers seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- 4 cups cooked black beans with it’s broth
- 1 cup water
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Toppings
- queso fresco crumbled
- 4 corn tortillas cut into strips and fried
- avocado sliced
- Mexican sour cream
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Brown chorizo in a pot over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes.
- Add in the onions and continue to sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add in the poblano and serrano peppers. Sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes. Season with salt. Cook for 8 minutes.
- Add in the beans with it’s juices and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, cut 4 corn tortillas into strips. Fry in vegetable oil until crispy and drain grease on paper towel.
Mexican Chorizo
Chorizo is one of my favorite sausages. I’ve made thousands upon thousands of pounds of it as a butcher. Chorizo’s main flavor comes form ancho chili powder, which is very mild. If you are looking to have a spicier chorizo, add cayenne pepper to the mix. Chorizo is great in tacos, eggs, soups, with potatoes, and much more. If you happen to have a Kitchen Aid mixer with the sausage attachment, you can make this into links. Chorizo is even better smoked, like myself.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs ground pork, medium grind
- 20 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 medium white onion grated
- 6 tbsp ancho chili powder
- 3 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp Mexican dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp coriander
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp cloves
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together.
- If not using within 3-4 days, wrap in freezer paper and toss in the freezer.
