If you’ve read my blog, then you would know that mostly I am inclined towards baking. However, I love anything and everything food and though baking is my passion it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy cooking different cuisines.
I love experimenting with all kinds of recipes in the kitchen. My adventures in the kitchen started as an attempt to make a meal for myself. I have come along way since then I would say…
So yea… primarily am all about baking… but once in while (like last night) I enter the kitchen to just whip up a quick meal for myself that a bit different than my daily food and yet doesn’t demand hours of my time.
Last night, it was just my brother and I at home and we were pretty fed up of ordering take out every second night…considering my parents were out of town. So I decided to cook us up a hearty healthy meal. Debating over senseless ideas with my brother… I choose to ignore any suggestions he had to give regarding food and decided to just go with a oriental dish. I would like to call it a Chinese dish… but my friend in China (Shiyu Yu) seems to disagree with anything us Indians call Chinese food… hence to be on her safe side, I would just say I cooked up a some what Oriental bowl of food.
The recipe was a culmination of a lot of different recipes…, which is why the name is somewhat undecided, but I like to call it ‘Soupy Noodles w/ chicken, Pak Choi and Mushrooms’. Honestly, I had been to the grocery store in the day and bought some really fresh Pok Choi, which kinda just influenced my decision to make this dish. The combination of flavors turned out to be gorgeous and the whole meal pretty wholesome.
If you love oriental food (… like my entire family) you are bound to have these basic ingredients in you store cupboard and refrigerator. If not then you could find them at gourmet food stores in India (Nature’s Basket, Le Marche or even Modern Bazaar).
Everything can be simplified… such as if you don’t have time to make fresh chicken stock, just buy those little cubes available in the market, where all you have to do is add hot water to a cheese cube look alike and Voila you have ready Chicken stock.
What you will need:
Utensils:
A large Wok, 2 large saucepans, a chopping board, a set of knives, a wooden spatula, a ladle, a set of measuring spoons, measuring cup.
Ingredients:
Egg Noodles, packet (such as Ching’s) 1
Chicken Stock 2 cups
Star Anise 2
Dried Red Chilli 2
Honey 2 Tsp
Five-Spice Powder 3 Tsp
Soy Sauce 1 Tbsp + Extra
Chicken Breast, sliced 2 or 250 gms
Onion, sliced in rings 1 large or 2 small
Shitake Mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced 5-6
Garlic, Minced 4 cloves
Ginger, minced 2 Tsp
Pak Choi 1 bunch
Shaoxiang Rice Wine 2 Tsp
Chinese Hot pepper Chilli paste 1 Tbsp
Sesame Oil 3-4 Tsp
Chilli Oil 2 Tsp
Salt and Pepper to taste
Spring Onion, rings to garnish
How to Start:
Don’t be scared looking at the length of the list of ingredients… Oriental food, like in Indian food, is very flavorful and has a lot of ingredients and spices, but is pretty simple to make.
Start by marinating your chicken with some five-spice powder and chilli oil. Then start preparing the noodles as per packet instructions, which would usually be boiling it in a saucepan with 2 cups water until al dente. Drain the water and set aside.
Next, in another saucepan, add the chicken stock, star anise, dried red chilli, soy sauce and honey and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to the boil, lower the heat and add half the sliced shitake mushrooms and simmer for about 2 minutes. Next add the five-spice powder and season with some pepper. Add half the Pak choi leaves and let the stock simmer on low heat while you prepare your chicken.
In a Wok, heat the sesame oil and chilli oil together. Add the minced ginger and garlic and sauté for 1 minute and then add the sliced onions. Sauté until the onions are tender, about 1-2 minutes, and then add the marinated chicken slices. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink.
Add the left over shitake mushrooms and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the hot pepper paste and miz everything together until well combined. Next add the remainder of the pak choi leaves and let it cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add some Five-spice powder, shaoxing rice wine and cook until chicken is well cooked.
I love experimenting with all kinds of recipes in the kitchen. My adventures in the kitchen started as an attempt to make a meal for myself. I have come along way since then I would say…
So yea… primarily am all about baking… but once in while (like last night) I enter the kitchen to just whip up a quick meal for myself that a bit different than my daily food and yet doesn’t demand hours of my time.
Last night, it was just my brother and I at home and we were pretty fed up of ordering take out every second night…considering my parents were out of town. So I decided to cook us up a hearty healthy meal. Debating over senseless ideas with my brother… I choose to ignore any suggestions he had to give regarding food and decided to just go with a oriental dish. I would like to call it a Chinese dish… but my friend in China (Shiyu Yu) seems to disagree with anything us Indians call Chinese food… hence to be on her safe side, I would just say I cooked up a some what Oriental bowl of food.
The recipe was a culmination of a lot of different recipes…, which is why the name is somewhat undecided, but I like to call it ‘Soupy Noodles w/ chicken, Pak Choi and Mushrooms’. Honestly, I had been to the grocery store in the day and bought some really fresh Pok Choi, which kinda just influenced my decision to make this dish. The combination of flavors turned out to be gorgeous and the whole meal pretty wholesome.
If you love oriental food (… like my entire family) you are bound to have these basic ingredients in you store cupboard and refrigerator. If not then you could find them at gourmet food stores in India (Nature’s Basket, Le Marche or even Modern Bazaar).
Everything can be simplified… such as if you don’t have time to make fresh chicken stock, just buy those little cubes available in the market, where all you have to do is add hot water to a cheese cube look alike and Voila you have ready Chicken stock.
Oriental Soupy Noodles w/ Chicken, Pak Choi and Mushrooms
What you will need:
Utensils:
A large Wok, 2 large saucepans, a chopping board, a set of knives, a wooden spatula, a ladle, a set of measuring spoons, measuring cup.
Ingredients:
Egg Noodles, packet (such as Ching’s) 1
Chicken Stock 2 cups
Star Anise 2
Dried Red Chilli 2
Honey 2 Tsp
Five-Spice Powder 3 Tsp
Soy Sauce 1 Tbsp + Extra
Chicken Breast, sliced 2 or 250 gms
Onion, sliced in rings 1 large or 2 small
Shitake Mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced 5-6
Garlic, Minced 4 cloves
Ginger, minced 2 Tsp
Pak Choi 1 bunch
Shaoxiang Rice Wine 2 Tsp
Chinese Hot pepper Chilli paste 1 Tbsp
Sesame Oil 3-4 Tsp
Chilli Oil 2 Tsp
Salt and Pepper to taste
Spring Onion, rings to garnish
How to Start:
Don’t be scared looking at the length of the list of ingredients… Oriental food, like in Indian food, is very flavorful and has a lot of ingredients and spices, but is pretty simple to make.
Start by marinating your chicken with some five-spice powder and chilli oil. Then start preparing the noodles as per packet instructions, which would usually be boiling it in a saucepan with 2 cups water until al dente. Drain the water and set aside.
Next, in another saucepan, add the chicken stock, star anise, dried red chilli, soy sauce and honey and bring to a boil. As soon as it comes to the boil, lower the heat and add half the sliced shitake mushrooms and simmer for about 2 minutes. Next add the five-spice powder and season with some pepper. Add half the Pak choi leaves and let the stock simmer on low heat while you prepare your chicken.
In a Wok, heat the sesame oil and chilli oil together. Add the minced ginger and garlic and sauté for 1 minute and then add the sliced onions. Sauté until the onions are tender, about 1-2 minutes, and then add the marinated chicken slices. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink.
Add the left over shitake mushrooms and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the hot pepper paste and miz everything together until well combined. Next add the remainder of the pak choi leaves and let it cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add some Five-spice powder, shaoxing rice wine and cook until chicken is well cooked.
I used this Hot pepper paste.
To get the whole dish together, firstly drizzle some chilli oil over the noodles and work with your hand to make sure they aren’t sticky anymore.
In a medium round bowl or any serving bowl you prefer, firstly place a handful of the now oily noodles in the centre. Next add 1 ladle of the infused stock on top of the noodles (make sure you get a bit of everything… the mushrooms, pak choi and even chilli). Lastly place the spicy chicken on top of the noodles… Now at this stage, if you want the noodles to be soupier you can add another ½ ladle of the wonderful soup. Drizzle some soy sauce and sprinkle some chopped Spring onion and there you have it… a wholesome meal in a bowl.
Bon Appetite!
In a medium round bowl or any serving bowl you prefer, firstly place a handful of the now oily noodles in the centre. Next add 1 ladle of the infused stock on top of the noodles (make sure you get a bit of everything… the mushrooms, pak choi and even chilli). Lastly place the spicy chicken on top of the noodles… Now at this stage, if you want the noodles to be soupier you can add another ½ ladle of the wonderful soup. Drizzle some soy sauce and sprinkle some chopped Spring onion and there you have it… a wholesome meal in a bowl.
Bon Appetite!
That looks great!!!
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