spicy Archives - Page 2 of 22

Bang Bang Chicken Salad

Bang bang chicken is a spicy shredded Chinese chicken salad that we first tasted at the humble but iconic “Chinese Noodle Restaurant” in the Prince Centre in Sydney’s Chinatown. As well as their delicious handmade noodles, their shredded chicken salad is always on one of our menu choices when we visit. It’s been a family favourite since the early 90’s!

Over the years I have also tried to recreate it at home. It’s a great weeknight dinner which can be served with lettuce cups, steamed greens and some jasmine rice if you like, or just delicious on it’s own.

It has the name “bang, bang” because it was traditionally banged with batons to loosen the chicken fibres before shredding. I use a mallet to do this and it works a treat!

Add chopped steamed green beans and lots of cucumber to add a bit more bulk to it as a meal in itself! It’s a great for lunch the next day too.

Ingredients
2-3 poached chicken thigh fillets
Glad wrap and a meat mallet
2 teaspoons Chinese chilli oil (I use Chiu Chow style)
2 teaspoons Szechuan pepper crushed
1 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ginger pounded to a paste (optional)
1 teaspoon Chinese Chinkiang vinegar
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup sliced spring onions
1 cucumber sliced and cut into chunks

Method:

1. Place glad wrap over poached chicken laid flat on a chopping board. Use mallet to lightly flatten, then shred into long strips into a bowl.

2. Whizz or pound Szechuan pepper in a spice grinder to a (not too fine) powder, place in bowl, mix with sesame oil, vinegar, chilli oil, sugar and soy sauce.

3. Add spring onion to chicken, then dress, mix well, taste to see if you want to add extra chilli oil or Szechuan pepper, or soy sauce if not salty enough.

4. I add the cucumber last and lightly toss.

January 21, 2023

Shanthini2 Comments

Pork Larb with Green Beans #larb #salad

This classic Thai inspired salad is a great weekday summer dinner that is very tasty.

We are currently using herbs from pots in our courtyard that are thriving through the Sydney summer. Mint, coriander, chilies and basil are essential for this recipe and luckily close to hand at the moment.

I serve this with lettuce cups and some jasmine rice making for a quick but satisfying lunch or dinner. Also perfect for leftovers for lunch the next day.

Ingredients:

Ingredients
500g lean pork mince
3-4 cloves of garlic finely sliced
2 tbspoons Vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup of lime juice
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon white sugar
2 red chillies finely chopped (and 2 left whole optional)
1 small red onion finely sliced
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1/2 cup basil leaves
1 small Lebanese cucumber cut into sticks
4-5 lettuce leaves trimmed to create cups
Lettuce trimmings
1 cup frozen or fresh green beans

Method:

1. Slice onions and garlic and set aside

2. Trim lettuce to create cups, place in freezer to crisp up, keep trimmings to add to salad.

3. Chop chillies, coriander and make cucumber sticks. (do not chop basil and mint as these are better torn and scattered into the salad at the last minute)

4. Squeeze lime juice and set aside.

5. Blanch green beans until just tender if using fresh green beans.

5. Heat vegetable oil in a wok, add sesame oil, add garlic and fry till just golden.

6. Add pork mince (and whole chillies if using) fry until browned. (I put the whole chillies in as they are there for extra spice if required for chilli heads without making the whole salad too hot to handle)

6. Add fish sauce, 1/2 the lime juice, pepper, sugar, chillies and stir through, then add green beans and allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes until beans are heated through. Add some water here if required but not too much as you don’t want too much liquid.

7. Add all other ingredients to wok, including rest of lime juice, and tearing in mint and basil leaves. Gently toss. Taste to see if balance is how you like it, as you can always splash in more fish sauce or lime juice….or chop up one of the whole chillies if not spicy enough for you.

8. Serve with lettuce cups and jasmine rice.

January 14, 2023

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#Booji Breakfast: spicy Indian scrambled #eggs

A favourite Indian breakfast and famous street food which is just as good for a quick lunch or dinner. There are lots of different versions and you can experiment by adding chopped bacon bits, tomatoes or even finely diced boiled potato.

I made this today for Father’s Day breakfast served with crunchy sourdough toast and sausages.

Ingredients:

1 small onion very finely diced
1 large mushroom finely diced (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 or 2 cloves garlic smashed to a paste
2 green birdseye chillies finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon cummin powder
1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cummin seeds
2-3 curry leaves (optional)
1 tablespoon diced coriander
3 large eggs beaten

Method:

1. Heat oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a non stick frying pan over medium heat.

2. Add cumin seeds and curry leaves if using. Heat until fragrant.

3. Add onions and cook slowly over gentle heat until translucent, then add garlic and sauté for a minute.

4. Add turmeric, cumin and chilli powders and sauté until cooked into onions, about 1.5 minutes. Then add green chilli and mushrooms or other ingredients you may choose to add, like cooked bacon bits or finely diced boiled potatoes. Add a sprinkle of salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through.

5. Add the other tablespoon of butter, add eggs and scramble until egg is cooked to your liking.

6. Toast bread and pile on booji, garnish with coriander and enjoy!

September 4, 2022September 10, 2022

Shanthini1 Comment

#Buttermilk Brined and Fried Chicken #southernstyle #juicy

After the inspiration of Charles Raymond’s Buttermilk Cereal Chicken I investigated some recipe options and made up my own version, which turned out well and proved to be a hit at our NYE lunch picnic in Sydney’s beautiful Centennial Park.

Served with Japanese Coleslaw from our local Charcoal Charlie’s chicken shop and my newly created Tequila Black Bean Salsa Saladand crusty soft rolls from Taste Providore in Woollahra, who sell some of the best bread in the Eastern Suburbs. A fabulous combination! Way better than KFC if I say so myself, but staying on the treats list rather than becoming a staple.

The brining of the chicken in the buttermilk tenderises and marinates the chicken and then acts as a brilliant “glue” for the spice crust.

Adding Panko breadcrumbs into the flour mixture makes the crust more crispy and “craggy” making for a delicious outer layer.

By putting the fried chicken in the oven, dried the crust and allows excess oil to leech off. Or so I found. Obviously you need to play around to ensure the first batch and last batch ge5 around the same time in the oven.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Black Bean Salsa Salad

Prep time including “brining”: 6-8 hours. Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

Buttermilk “Brine”
300ml carton of buttermilk
14 “mini” chicken drumsticks (the drumettes of chicken wings” or small chicken thigh cutlets, skin on
1 teaspoon good quality paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chicken spice (I use Robertson’s South African spice mix)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Spice Crust:

2 cups self raising flour
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground oregano powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups vegetable oil for frying
Wok or deep frying pan

1. Place chicken in large bowl, then add all the spices and mix well. Then cover with buttermilk and mix well again. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 6 hours.

After 6 hours of brining in buttermilk and spices

2. Put Spice Crust ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Pre-heat oven to 225 degrees Celsius.

3. Heat oil until shimmering. I used a wok as it creates a well for semi-deep frying without having to use as much oil.

4. Drop a few dollops of the buttermilk brining mixture into the flour mixture. This will create some clumps of flour and bread crumbs to create more “cragginess” on the chicken coating.

5. Add 3-4 chicken drumsticks to the spice crust mixture and coat thickly. This will be easy as the buttermilk coating on the chicken acts like a glue for the flour breadcrumb crust mixture

6. Put battered chicken into oil and fry on each side side for 3-4 minutes, lowering heat a little to enable chicken to cook through and the crust to go golden brown rather than burn.

7. Place first batch of fried chicken on baking paper lined oven tray and put into oven whilst you batter and fry the rest. Repeat steps 5-7 for rest of the chicken., frying the last batch slightly longer as the6 won’t have as much time in the oven.

8. Remove chicken from oven 3-4 minutes after the last batch is fried. You can remove first tow batches earlier if you like so they don’t get overcooked

9. Serve immediately with salads or wrap in foil to transport to picnic after allowing to cool slightly so crust doesn’t become soggy.

December 31, 2021June 20, 2022

Shanthini1 Comment

#Buttermilk Cereal #Chicken

Thinking of making something like this with black eye bean salad for our New Year’s Eve picnic. Black eye beans are a traditional Southern American NYE tradition and are meant o bring you luck, so i figured what’s the harm in jumping on the bandwagon? And then I saw the photo of buttermilk chicken which made my mouth water!,

The combination of the buttermilk chicken and black eye bean salad is very traditional, no doubt for good reason!

Now I just need to find a good recipe!! Thanks Charles Raymond for the inspiration!

Buttermilk Cereal Chicken
Buttermilk Cereal Chicken

December 29, 2021December 29, 2021

Shanthini1 Comment

#Bengali inspired #Prawn Curry #nigellaseeds

The combination is inspired by Bengali curries that use of Panch Phoran Five spice mix, except I substituted some of the spices with fresh ingredients to add zing, and added a “Tadka” style garnish for an extra layer of flavour.

The Nigella seeds are key to adding their unique almost maple syrup tones complementing the sweetness of the prawns.

So, the key ingredients for this curry are fresh prawns, nigella seeds (kalonji in Hindi), fennel seeds, lemon, fresh coriander and lots of ginger. I add two whole red chillies to impart some heat but they can be removed or allocated to the spice lovers!

I finished the prawns by adding my version of a Tadka, by slow frying thinly sliced onions in butter and adding fresh ginger and coriander. This “garnish” added another layer of flavour to the dish, resulting in quite a scrumptious outcome.

Can be served in lettuce cups, naan and/or with rice.looks great on a bed of turmeric rice.

Prep time: 30 minutes. Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

500g shelled and deveined green prawns
2 brown onions
3 cloves garlic, double that amount of ginger
2 large ripe tomatoes
3 red chillies
2 Handfuls of curry leaves (or use 2 bay leaves)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons butter
Fresh Coriander and ginger for Tadka

Method

1. Prepare all the fresh ingredients: a) shell and devein prawns, b) finely dice only 1.5 of the onions and finely slice the other half into thin half moons (keep seperate), c) finely dice the tomatoes, d) pound to make a paste the garlic, equivalent amount of fresh ginger and 1 red chilli together with 1/2 teaspoon salt, d) zest lemon and juice it.

2. Heat oil in shallow wide saucepan, add cumin seeds, add 2 red chillies left whole and curry leaves and cook on low heat until fragrant and leaves stop sputtering. Add diced onions only (not the sliced half moons), cook over low heat until just transparent.

3. Add ginger and garlic paste, nigella seeds and fennel seeds, mix through the onion mixture and cook until just fragrant, taking care so it doesn’t stick to the pot.

4. Add tomatoes and mix through, add the other 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 cup of water. Simmer with lid on until tomatoes break down, adding small amounts of water if necessary.

5. While tomatoes are cooking, make the onions for the “Tadka” garnish: in a seperate pan, melt butter add sliced onions and cook slowly until caramelised. Chop 2 handfuls of coriander, finely slice ginger into matchsticks together with coriander. Set aside

6.When the tomatoes have broken down into a saucy consistency, add 1/2 lemon juice, the prawns and cook for 6-10 minutes, simmering until as much excess water that might come from prawns has evaporated but ensuring prawns don’t over cook. Pour over rest of lemon juice.