The Way Rice Should Be

Monday, November 9, 2015

Pantry Essentials

I try to only use ingredients that I can find here in the midcoast for my recipes I've been sharing here on the blog. Our local grocery store here in the midcoast does carry a lot of ingredients to make pretty many kinds of cuisines from all around the world. But whenever I have a chance to make it down to Portland, I stock up on all kinds of spices and specialty food at the Asian grocery stores down there.

A few days ago, I went on a huge shopping spree when we went down the Chinese, Korean, Thai, Indian, and African grocery stores in Portland. I thought I'd share with you some of the things I've got which are basically my pantry essentials. For those who want to really get into Asian cooking, here are some of the ingredients that are just always useful to have on hand:

First Stop: the Indian grocery.

Left to right: Ajwain seeds, curry powder, whole green cardamon, bay leaves, red lentils, whole nutmeg, hot spicy powder, cardamon seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds. Other spices that are my pantry essentials are garam masala and turmeric which I didn't get this time because I have still have two big bags of them at home already.

Most of these spices you can also find at local grocery stores in the mid coast. However, a few items you might be unfamiliar with are the Ajwain seeds, fenugreek seeds and hot spicy powder.The Ajwain seeds are a family of bishop's weed and they look just like the seed of bishop's weed. This is a common spice they use in India and you will often find them in the samosa shell. It actually tastes very close to thyme, so if you can not find them, you can substitute it with thyme. Fenugreek seeds are another spice I use a lot, but it's more commonly used in East African dishes and gives them that very distinctive scent and flavor. As for the hot spicy powder, I really just bought it out of curiosity. It's basically garam masala and also added saffron and chili powder.

Second Stop: the Chinese grocery.

Left to right: Sesame oil, cooking wine, soy sauce, white pepper, dried shiitake mushrooms, szechuan pepper, beef stew spice pack, chicken and pork stew pack and coriander seeds.

Most of these are very common Chinese ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry as well. The only thing you probably don't have are szechuan pepper corns, which is a little hard to find around here. It has a very distinct flavor. It's not very hot but it will make your tongue feel numb. It is also one of the main spices in Chinese Five Spice, so if you don't have these pepper corns, usually five spice will do. Obviously, Chinese Five Spice is another essential I always have in my pantry which I already have.

Someone had asked me before what brand of soy sauce I use. I usually stock up on Jin Lan Chinese soy sauce or the Korean soy sauce when I go to Portland. Korean soy sauce usually is very dark and has a strong and slightly sweet flavor. If I do go to one of our local stores for soy sauce I get the Kikkoman brand (not the low sodium kind) because it is the brand that has the most authentic flavor. The store brand soy sauce is what you really don't want to get because it doesn't taste anything like soy sauce to me.

Left to right: Dried mung bean, dried red beans, rice flour, glutinous rice flour, soy beans, fries shallots, unsweetened coconut flakes, cinnamon sticks, chili powder. You are probably familiar with rice flour, but are wondering what glutinous rice flour is. Glutinous rice is also known as sweet rice or sticky rice and it's what we use to make mochi rice cakes.

Left to right: dried chili, bonito fish flakes, star anise and frozen pork belly. Bonito fish flakes are great to for making the base for Japanese noodle broth, such as Udon. It's also commonly used for garnish on noodles and street food as well. I've also bought some frozen pork belly because we love pork belly but it's a little hard to get them around where we live unless get them at the butcher, which is great but can be a bit pricey. Unfortunately, you can't always depend on the English label at Chinese grocery stores...

Now I question what did I buy at the store?

Third Stop: Thai grocery.

Left to right: fresh Thai basil leaves, Pandan extract and fresh lemon grass. We usually plant our own Thai basil in the garden, but this time of the year we can only get them from the store. Pandan is a leaf commonly used in south east Asian cuisines and has a very distinct aroma. They often infuse the fresh leaves in rice and desserts. Another great Thai essential ingredient to have is obviously fish sauce, again it didn't make it on my shopping list because I still have a bottle of it in my refrigerator.

Last stop: Korean grocery.

Left to right: Nuruk power, Gochujang ( Korean chili paste), dried kelp and Korean pepper flakes. Nuruk is a starter culture for making makgeolli (Korean rice wine). Makgeolli is a milky sweet and sour rice wine that is usually home brewed which is why some call it "Korean Moonshine." It's very delicious and unique, so I'm very excited to make it myself for the first time this winter. Kombu (dried kelp) is great for making the base for Korean and Japanese broth. This variety of pepper flakes is what I used to make kimchi in my first recipe on this blog.

One more Korean cooking essential I always have in my refrigerator is Dashida (Korean beef stock).

I hope this blog will give you a little guide for what you can have in your pantry if you are interested in cooking Asian meals.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Xinjiang Lamb Rice

Rice is such a staple dish at our house that we eat it for almost every single meal. But recently it dawned on me that I have not shared a rice recipe yet, despite the name of this column. It’s time to change that! - See more at: http://freepressonline.com/Content/Top-Scrolling-Area/Top-Scrolling-Area/Article/The-Way-Rice-Should-Be-Xinjiang-Lamb-Rice/126/724/42203#sthash.IHkvmDBw.dpuf

Recently, I have been exploring a lot of Western and Central Chinese cuisines. One of the cuisines I fell in love with is the food of Xinjian, a land-locked region located in the heart of the silk road and bordering nine different countries including India, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. With its long history as a route for the spice trade, it’s no wonder Xinjiang’s food is so unique and flavorful. This week I’d like to share with you a very delicious Xinjiang dish that I’ve been making and absolutely loving this fall. Xinjiang Lamb Rice is a very simple rice dish with meat and vegetables and it’s perfect for those evenings when you feel like just throwing everything in one pot.

You will need:

Rice is such a staple dish at our house that we eat it for almost every single meal. But recently it dawned on me that I have not shared a rice recipe yet, despite the name of this column. It’s time to change that!

Recently, I have been exploring a lot of Western and Central Chinese cuisines. One of the cuisines I fell in love with is the food of Xinjian, a land-locked region located in the heart of the silk road and bordering nine different countries including India, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. With its long history as a route for the spice trade, it’s no wonder Xinjiang’s food is so unique and flavorful. This week I’d like to share with you a very delicious Xinjiang dish that I’ve been making and absolutely loving this fall. Xinjiang Lamb Rice is a very simple rice dish with meat and vegetables and it’s perfect for those evenings when you feel like just throwing everything in one pot.
- See more at: http://freepressonline.com/Content/Top-Scrolling-Area/Top-Scrolling-Area/Article/The-Way-Rice-Should-Be-Xinjiang-Lamb-Rice/126/724/42203#sthash.IHkvmDBw.dpuf

The Way

Ingredients (Serves 3-4 people)

1 cup basmati rice
2 cup water
1 large red onion
1 large carrot
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. ginger
1 lb. lamb shoulder chop
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1-3/4 tsp. course salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
3/4 cup raisins

Directions:
Start by soaking the basmati rice in the water. Let it soak for 20 minutes

Meanwhile, cut the onion and carrot into thin slicks.

And mince the garlic and ginger.

Cut the lamb into small bite-size pieces and season with 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. white pepper and 1/8 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper.

Using a deep pot on high heat, brown the meat along with 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil for about 1 minute until the meat is golden brown on the outside. The meat will not be fully cooked at this point.

Take the meat out of the pot and turn the heat to medium then toss in the onions and carrots. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.

Now throw in the minced garlic, ginger, ground cumin and coriander seeds. I prefer using the coriander seeds because I like the crunch. But if you don’t have them, you can also use ground coriander seeds. If you do so, I’d suggest only using 1/4 tsp. instead of 1/2 tsp. Cook and stir for a minute. Then pour the meat and any excess juice back into the pot along with the remaining salt and vegetable oil. Cook for another minute. Don’t worry about the bottom of the pot browning — that’s just the vegetables and meat caramelizing. Once you pour in the rice and water, it will all be deglazed.

Now pour in the soaked rice along with all of the soaking water into the pot. Keep stirring until it comes to a boil. Then turn the heat to low, cover the pot up and let it cook for 20 minutes. Check the rice after about 15 minutes to make sure the bottom is not burned, but try not to stir it too much.

Once the rice is cooked, turn the heat off and stir in the raisins quickly but very gently. Cover the pot up with the lid and let it sit for five minutes to allow all the flavors to infuse. I used a variety of regular and golden raisins here. The raisins not only give the rice an extra layer of sweet and tangy flavor, but they also balance out the greasiness from the meat.

After the rice has sat for five minutes, crack the lid open slightly and let it sit for another 5 minutes right before serving. This will allow the steam to escape and dry the rice out a little bit.

Serve it warm in a bowl.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Bulgogi (Korean BBQ)

One of my favorite parts about fall is apple and pear picking, which is something I had never experienced before I came to Maine.

Pears are a delicious fruit of the cold seasons, but they are often outshined by apples in savory dishes. This week I am sharing with you my Bulgogi (Korean barbecue) recipe, which uses pears as its key ingredient. This recipe is adapted from my Korean mother’s recipe that I grew up with. It’s very simple but very delicious. So let’s get started!

You will need:

Serves 2 to 3 people
Ingredients:

1 lb. thin steak

1 Bosc pear

1 large onion

1 carrot

3 cloves garlic

2 scallions (plus more for garnish)

1/2 cup beer

2 T soy sauce

1 T ginger

1 T brown sugar

1 T granulated sugar

1 T sesame oil

1 t sesame seeds (plus more for garnish)

1/8 t black pepper

pinch salt

directions:

Start by slicing the steak into very thin, bite-size pieces. Try to get the ones that have a little marbling with some nice fat on them. The bulgogi will be juicier that way.

Peel and core the pear and roughly chop it up along with half of the onion into chunks. Use a food processor or a blender to puree the chopped-up pear, onion, ginger and garlic. Julienne (cut into strips) the scallion, carrot and the remaining half of the onion.The pear will not only naturally sweeten the meat, but it also tenderizes the meat as it marinates. Toss the steak, onion, pear puree and the julienned vegetables and mix in the rest of the listed ingredients.

Beer is not a traditional ingredient that you will find in bulgogis. this is a trick I learned from my mom. It the out come of the bulgogi will be even more juicy and tender plus it give the meat a nice aroma after it's marinated. Try to use a light beer, any cheap est beer you can find would work great in here. Now cover it up and keep in the refrigerator for at least for to six hours but preferably
overnight.

Use a large non-stick skillet on high heat. Spread the marinated meat evenly along with any excess liquid in the skillet. Let it cook for 8 to 10 minutes. You don’t want to stir it or the juice will evaporate as it cooks. Just let it go and keep an eye on it. When most of the liquid has been cooked and the meat looks golden brown, your bulgogi is ready.

One of the traditional ways to eat bulgogi is to wrap it up in perilla leaf leaves or lettuce along with chili paste, rice and kimchi. Perilla grows really well here in our front yard, but the frost unfortunately wiped it all out last weekend! You can also use iceberg lettuce if you don’t have any perilla.

Serve it over a hot bowl of rice along with some kimchi and other pan chan (side dishes) and enjoy!

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Deep Fried Pumpkin Swirl Steamed Buns with Curry Fried Pork Cutlets

Pumpkin is an iconic ingredient for the fall and it’s great for both sweet and savory dishes. Another very versatile food I love making is Chinese steamed buns. I’ve always said that the steamed bun is like a blank canvas — it’s great just on its own but you can also get really creative with it. This week I’d like to share with you my sweet and spicy curry fried pork cutlet in a deep fried pumpkin swirl steamed bun sandwich.

You will need:

Ingredients (serves 4-5 people)

For white steamed buns:

2 cups bread flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp instant dried yeast

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup lukewarm water

For the pumpkin

steamed buns:

2 cups bread flour

1-1/2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp instant dried yeast

1 T vegetable oil

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup lukewarm water

For the curry fried pork cutlet marinade:

4 - 5 pork cutlets

1 clove garlic

1 scallion

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp curry powder

1-1/2 tsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 Tbsp cold water

2 tsp corn starch

pinch white pepper

pinch dried pepper flakes

For the pumpkin curry chili paste:

1Tbsp vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ginger

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp curry powder

2 Tbsp pumpkin puree

1 Tbsp water

1 tsp sambal chili paste

1 Tbsp honey

1 wedge of lime

For the toppings:

handful of baked kale chips

fried eggs

cilantro

For frying:

3 cups vegetable oil

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:
Start by marinating the pork cutlets. Dice garlic and scallion into small pieces and mix in rest of the marinade ingredients. Coat the pork cutlets evenly, cover it up and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Mix all the ingredients for the white steamed buns. Kneed for five minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly coat the dough with vegetable oil and cover it so it doesn’t dry out. Do the same with the pumpkin steamed bun dough. I used canned pumpkin puree for this recipe but you can also make your own pumpkin puree. Depending on how moist your pumpkin is, you may need to add in more water or more flour. The dough should have a slightly tacky consistency. Let both doughs proof in a warm and draft-free place for an hour until they double in size.

Pumpkin curry chili paste: In a saucepan heat up the vegetable oil on medium heat. Toss in the minced garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Then whisk in soy sauce, curry powder, water, pumpkin puree and sambal chili paste. Cook for one to two minutes and whisk in the honey until combined. Turn off the heat and squeeze in lime juice. Let it cool to room temperature.

Once doughs have doubled in size, roll each out into flat rectangle shapes.

Place one dough on top of the other.

Roll the dough into a log shape starting from the bottom to top.

Cut the log into eight pieces for sandwich buns or twelve small dinner roll buns.

Cover the buns up and let them rest for 15 minute.

Steam buns on high heat for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes turn off the heat and crack open the lid of the steamer and let the buns sit for five minutes before taking them out.

The buns will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks and in the freezer for up to three months and microwave up nicely. These buns are delicious just as it is. you can eat them plain or make sandwich with them at this point. But I want to take it to the next level by frying them and get a nice crispy. Heat the vegetable oil to 350 F and fry place the bun in the oil in batches. Fry each for 15 to 20 seconds on both sides, just until it's golden brown and crispy. Let it cool on a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, mix flour and panko bread crumbs together and bread the marinated pork cutlets in the mixture. Fry the pork cutlets in the oil for four to five minutes on each side until golden brown.

o make the kale chips, preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut up a handful of fresh kale to bite sizes. Spread them on a baking tray, drizzle a little olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne for extra heat. Bake for 10 minutes. Fry up some eggs to make your sandwich extra yummy.

Slice the steamed bun in half horizontally, but not all of the way. Assemble the pork, kale, fried egg and fresh cilantro in the bun, then spoon a generous amount of the pumpkin curry chili paste in the sandwich .

This is my ultimate fall comfort food. I hope you’ll enjoy this pumpkin recipe with an Asian twist.