Mock Chicken 65

I'm back, baby. Better than ever. Since becoming vegetarian, I have often craved meat dishes that I once enjoyed. Tofu is a good substitute, but it never has the texture satisfaction. Mock meats are plenty to be found in the freezer section, but I enjoy cooking, so I was always looking for ways to make my own.

I recently discovered yuba (also known as tofu skin or bean curd skin). Legend has it that vegetarian Buddhists use yuba in making the many mock meat dishes coming out of China. Yuba is basically the "skin" from boiled soy milk.

I've made a few things from yuba, and have found that baked and fried dishes taste best. The following is a yuba rendition of the ever indulgent Chicken 65. Don't be married to the ingredient amounts below because this dish (and the use of yuba instead of chicken) requires some flexibility. Enjoy.

Marinade Ingredients:

1 lb Yuba, hydrated for 30 mins in vegetable stock (you should end up with about 2 lbs; you may need to adjust the rest of the ingredients based on how much yuba you have, otherwise it will taste bland)

2 or more eggs

1/2 tsp salt (or per taste)

1 tbs crushed ginger

1 tbs crushed garlic

1-2 tsp ground black pepper

1-2 tsp red chile powder

2-3 tsp corn starch

2-3 tsp all purpose flour

Sauce Ingredients:

1 tsp cumin seeds (optional; for a more Indo, rather than Chinese, taste)

1 tsp crushed ginger

1 tsp crushed garlic

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Soya sauce (per taste)

Sambal Oelek (per taste)

20-30 curry leaves

3-4 slit green chiles

1/4 cup or more buttermilk (or 1/8 cup yogurt + 1/8 cup water)

2 drops of red food color

Chopped cilantro, green onions, and lime wedges for the garnish.

Instructions:

Cut the rehydrated yuba into bite size pieces. Place in a large work bowl, and add in the remaining marinade ingredients. Mix gently, and set aside for 30 mins to an hour in a cool place.

After the yuba has marinated, deep fry until golden brown. Place on cookie cooling sheet (rather than paper towel lined plate) to keep yuba crispy.

While frying, get a large wok or walled pan to medium heat with some oil. Add in the cumin, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. Then add the green chiles and curry leaves, and stir for a few seconds longer. Now lower the heat a little, and add the black pepper, soya sauce, and sambal oelek. Mix well and add the buttermilk (or yogurt and water) and a couple of drops of red food color. Mix well, and keep warm.

Once all the yuba has been fried, turn off the heat to the sauce, throw the yuba into the wok, and mix rapidly to ensure that all the yuba is coated with the sauce. Garnish with cilantro and green onion, and serve immediately with lime wedges.

I understand that an ice cold beer will greatly enhance your Chicken 65 experience. :)

Spicy Corn Bread with Roasted Red Pepper Chutney

I've been craving corn bread for some time. It's pretty easy to make. A cast iron skillet ensures a golden crust. Feel free to tweak this recipe to your liking. The roasted red pepper chutney provides a fresh balance to the spiciness of the bread.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2 cup yogurt
6 tsp corn oil or any vegetable oil
1/2 tbs minced green chiles
1/2 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Most ovens do not have an accurate temperature gauge, so hang an oven thermometer on the middle rack and use it to determine when the oven is preheated.

Grease an 8 in. cast iron skillet (do not place it in the oven).

Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cheese together in a bowl. Whip together the yogurt, egg, oil, and chiles in a cup. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well to obtain an even consistency. Then, pour the batter into the skillet and immediately place into the oven.

Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown on top. Insert a toothpick to see if the bread is done (nothing should stick when you pull the toothpick out). Serve with red pepper chutney and black bean soup.

Basil Tofu

Wow. It has been a while since I've posted on here. My apologies for the two people reading this blog. Ha. Well, the other day I had a hankering for some Basil Tofu. I can never get my Thai food to taste like our favorite restaurant's dishes, but I try anyway.

Basil Tofu is something that we really came to love while traveling in Thailand. It is simple in preparation, but packs a unique and addictive flavor. No heavy coconut curry here. Key is to use Thai Basil (no other kind will do) and some Nam Pla. I have heard that you can use mushroom sauce as a substitute for the Nam Pla, but it does not have the same pungency. Still, if you're a pure vegetarian, you'll have to make do.

Ingredients:

1 20 oz. package frozen tofu, thawed (freezing tofu makes it chewier)
1 small onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup vegetable stock (or less if you want it drier)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced bird's eye chilis
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp black soy sauce (it must be black for the sweetness; adjust to taste)

2 tsp Nam Pla (or less to taste)
3/4 cup thai basil leaves

Instructions:

Heat a large pan with some oil on medium-high. While it is heating up, cube the tofu into bite size pieces. Saute the tofu in the heated pan until golden brown all over. Push tofu to the side.

Heat some oil in the same pan. Add the garlic and chilis. Saute until you smell the garlic (ten second or so), and then add in the onions and bell pepper. Mix the tofu in with the vegetables and cook for a couple of minutes.

Now add the stock, sugar, and soy sauce. Be careful with the soy sauce - if your stock is salty, the soy sauce may make the overall dish too salty. Use your judgment. After the stock reduces a little (after a few minutes), turn off the heat. Throw in the basil leaves, stir well, and serve immediately with fragrant jasmine rice.

The Secret of The Best Kala Channa Ever.

Everyone has their own take on kala channa. After scouring the web for some great recipes, I came up with my own. If anyone wants the recipe, just stick a comment here and I'll post it (too lazy to do the details right now).

What's important though is to use strong ingredients and let the channa soak up the juices. Some tricks include pressure cooking the channa with bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon to maximize flavor absorption. Reserve the channa liquid for thinning out the gravy later. Also seal the pot with foil when simmering to keep the flavors inside.

Gulab Jamun

Soft syrupy goodness for the sweet-tooth in you. A drop of rose essence makes these distinctive.

Bateta Vada (Fried Spiced Mashed Potatoes)

To be enjoyed with a date-tamarind chutney. I wish we didn't finish them all!

Mango Basil Pesto

The basil bush was looking sad with the recent cold front. It was time to get one more harvest out of it. This time, I went for a new twist on the classic pesto. This pesto features dried mango powder, toasted almonds, pureed garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. The mango adds a nice tang and slight sweetness to the pesto, accentuating the peppery basil.

Enjoy.