Chinese Steamed Chicken

Recipe from http://www.chinasichuanfood.com/chinese-steamed-chicken-recipe/

Ingredients

• 1/2 of whole chicken with skin, about 750 grams
• 2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped 
• 2 tbsp spring onion white, chopped 

For Marinating sauce:

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp white cooking wine
• 1/2 tsp salt

For Dip sauce:

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 big garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp spring onion green, chopped
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Preparation

• Clean the chicken and spread the marinating sauce on all sides.
• Spread the chopped ginger and spring onion over the chicken and place on a steamer rack. Steam for about 20 to 30 minutes on high flame until soft. (A fork should easily be inserted)
• Transfer to a plate and cut into chunks. Decorate with green onion.
• In a sauce pan, heat sesame oil and stir fry chopped garlic and green onion until fragrant. Add oyster sauce, light soy sauce and water. Bring to boil. Transfer to a dipping bowl and cool.
• Serve steamed chicken with dipping sauce.

Banana Foster

Recipe from http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-bananas-foster-11474

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, sliced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Salt to taste

Preparation

• Melt butter in a pan over medium heat
• Add sliced bananas and stir for 2 minutes.
• Add brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
• Continue to stir for 2 more minutes at low heat.
• Serve over vanilla ice cream.

Goong Raad Prig Manao (Steamed Prawn dressed with Lemon Juice sauce)

After having tasted the dish at Absolute Thai, Chennai, I went on a hunting spree for the recipe on the internet and finally found one closer to the dish: http://www.joysthaifood.com/seafood/goong-raad-prig-manao-steamed-big-shrimp-wlemon-sauce/. I tweaked it a little to try the Absolute Thai dish and it came out pretty well! 

Ingredients:

• 15 medium or big prawn, deveined and cleaned 
• 1 small bitter gourd
• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• 2 or 3 red chili peppers
• 4 shallot, minced
• 10 big garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp brown sugar (adjust to taste)
• 5 or 6 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 to 5 tbsp fish sauce

Preparation:

• Cut the bitter gourd lengthwise, remove the inside part and clean well. Cut the ends and remove them. Dice the halves into 1/2 cm pieces.
• Soft boil in water and drain.
• Place the prawn in a steamer rack and place the ginger on top.
• Steam for about 5 minutes, remove from flame and keep aside.
• Dress the bitter gourd around the dish.
• Mix all other ingredients and adjust for taste. It must have a mix of bitter, sweet, salty and sour taste.
• Pour over the steamed prawn and serve.

Thai Green Mango Salad

This is another dish from Absolute Thai, Chennai. Absolutely delicious! Found the recipe on: http://www.noobcook.com/thai-green-mango-salad/

Ingredients:

• 2 raw mangoes, julienned
• 1 big garlic clove
• 2 red chili pepper, slit lengthwise, (remove seed if less spice is required)
• 5 big shallots
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup syrup of jaggery
• Juice of 2 lime
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 cup dried shrimp, washed and microwaved
• Coriander for garnish

Preparation:

• Add all ingredients except mango and coriander in a mortar and pound lightly with a pestle for a minute. Add in batches if the mortar and pestle is not large enough and transfer to a large seasoning bowl.
• Add the julienned mango. 
• Season the salad dressing to taste accordingly - it should be a balance of hot, salty, sour and sweet.

Goong Manao (Prawn Steamed in Lime Chilli Sauce)

This is a slight variant of Goond Raad Prig Manao. Made with a combination of a couple of recipes.

Ingredients:

• 15 medium sized prawn, deveined with shell on tail
• 5 big cloves garlic, chopped and pounded
• 10 shallots, pounded with a pestle
• 3 tbsp lemon juice (adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce (adjust to taste)
• 2 red chili peppers, slit lengthwise (remove seeds if less spice is required)
• 3 spring onions, green part chopped
•  1 tbsp palm sugar (adjust to taste)
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Preparation:

• Mix all ingredients ingredients except the prawn and adjust for taste. There should be a balance in salty, sour and sweet taste. Place in a steamer rack.
• Clean prawn and add in a steamer rack. 
• Steam for about 5 minutes.
• Serve hot with the sauce.

Pazham Nirachatu (Coconut Stuffed Banana Fry)

Recipe from: http://feminavaz.blogspot.in/2013/07/pazham-nirachathu-coconut-stuffed.html

Ingredients:

• 5 ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 2 1/2 tbsp
• 10 to 15 cashews, broken
• 3 tbsp flour 
• Oil
• 1 tsp ghee

Preparation:

• Heat 1 tsp ghee. Fry cashews and add coconut and sugar. Saute for a couple of seconds. Remove from flame and set aside.
• Mix flour with 2 to 3 tbsp water and make a thick paste.
• Peel the bananas and make slits lengthwise. Make the slits bigger curves with your thumb.
• Fill the coconut mix into the bananas, pushing the filling with your hands.
• Fill the gap with the flour paste.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the bananas on all sides until golden brown. Remove from oil.
• Cut into 2 pieces and garnish with coconut filling.
• Serve hot.

Chemmeen Undaputtu (Prawn stuffed Rice Dumplings)

Recipe from: http://feminavaz.blogspot.in/2013/07/chemmeen-undaputtu-prawns-stuffed.html

Ingredients

For Undaputtu:

• 1 cup rice powder 
• 1 cup water 
• Salt - to taste
• Shredded Coconut

For Prawn Masala:

• 10 medium sized prawn (about 50 count per kilo)
• 3 onions, chopped
• 2 green chilli, diced
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 
• Curry leaves
• 3/4 tsp chilli powder ( add less or more as per your taste)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder 
• 1/2 tsp garam masala 
  

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a pan. Saute onion till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste, curry leaves, green chilli and salt. Saute well.
• Add chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala. Saute over low flame.
• Add prawn and mix well. Add 2 tbsp water and saute till prawn cooks, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Boil water with salt. Add the rice flour and stir well. Remove from flame and knead to form a soft dough.
• Roll into small and smooth balls. 
• Flatten each ball, fill with 1 tsp prawn masala.
• Pull the edges and roll back into a neat ball.
• Roll each ball in shredded coconut.
• Steam for 10 to 15 minutes or until done. 
• Serve hot.