Bok Choy and Carrot Stir-Fry: A Taste of South East Asia

CAULIFLOWER STIR-FRY

    Recently, my daughter wanted a few quick fix recipes.  Happy to know that she is using my recipes from the blog while cooking, and also she's coming up with a lot of comments to perfect it though - perfect in the sense of recipes and also in terms of blogging. Well, in the process, we found that I had missed a few most frequented and family favourite dishes missing from the blog.  As such, it should have been conveniently forgotten to be added in due course of blogging.  So as a quick action coming up with a few of her favourites and for her reference.

    The idea also creeped into my mind that such quick fix, easy to make recipes could be used by people who are in their learning process.  Especially it could be useful for `Bachelors and Spinsters, Students and office goers staying away from home or for beginners. 

    This Cauliflower Stir Fry recipe is one style which I cook at home, and it is a family favourite.  A simple and quick fix recipe which goes well with both Roti and Rice.  What you need are a few Cauliflower florets cut into small pieces, simply toss them in oil, add salt and cook on a low flame until it wilts and turns soft.  Then add simple spices like Turmeric Powder and Red Chilli Powder, enough... these two spices does more justification to the dish and if at all you need some intricate flavour for this stir-fry, you can go ahead with your whims and fancies and add pepper powder or garam masala or fennel powder etc., & etc., The choice is yours.

    When I say Cauliflower Stir Fry you can see a wide range of recipes around the globe and yet another one which I frequent at home is the Chinese Version with other vegetables like Broccoli, Carrots, Mushroom, Sweet Peas etc., And yet another one with Scrambled Eggs. But this Cauliflower stir Fry is purely a version suitable for an Indian palate.  This is a simple and easy stir-fry made with less oil and minimum spices.  

    This Cauliflower Stir Fry recipe goes well with any type of rice dish, especially it is compatible with Curd Rice.   Whenever we make variety rice like Coconut Rice, Lemon Rice, Tomato Rice, Puliyodharai, Moong Dhal Khichdi or Arisi Paruppu Sadham.  This Spicy Cauliflower Stir Fry can be served as a side dish for Roti, Chapati, Parathas etc.,
     

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Course : Side dish
Spice Level : Moderate
Difficulty : Easy
Serves : 4
Author : SM

Preparation Time - 5 Minutes
Cooking Time - 10 - 15 Minutes

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HOW TO COOK CAULIFLOWER STIR-FRY

CAULIFLOWER STIR-FRY

INGREDIENTS:

For Cauliflower Stir-fry:

Cauliflower - 2 Cups
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder - 1–2 Teaspoons
Oil - 1 Tablespoons
Salt - To Taste.

METHOD:

• Clean and cut the Cauliflower into florets
• Wash the Cauliflower florets and soak the florets in warm water with a pinch of Turmeric & a dash of Salt in it for a few minutes.
• Allow it to dry in a colander.
• Cut the Cauliflower florets into small pieces or into desired size.  
  
• Heat oil in a pan over a high flame.
• Reduce the flame to a low level and allow it to cool down for a few minutes.
• Add the Cauliflower florets into the oil, sprinkle some salt over it and give a toss.
• Leave this on a medium-low flame until cauliflower florets wilts & turns soft, stirring occasionally.
• When Cauliflower florets wilt and are 3/4 done, add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder and toss them up well until all the pieces are coated well with the spices.
• Allow it to fry on a low flame until Cauliflower florets turn slightly crispy.
• Serve Cauliflower Stir-fry hot as a side dish with Rice, Sambar, Rasam or as a side dish for Variety Rice.

CAULIFLOWER STIR-FRY

NOTES:

• Small pieces of Cauliflower florets tends to get cooked soon and also aesthetically looks good .
• I have used just the Turmeric Powder & Red Chilli Powder in this recipe. 
  
• Can also add Curry Masala Powder/Mutton Masala/Garam Masala Powder.
• Adjust the spices to suit your spice level.
• I like to cook Cauliflowers until they wilt and turn soft. 

CHINESE VEGETABLE & CHICKEN STIR FRY

    I love to cook the local way, the Malaysian Style, Thai, Chinese, all greatly influenced by my 15 years of living in Malaysia -the Food Haven. I am amazed by the simplicity of the dishes and all the more what I love about cooking Chinese food at home is, It is rather easy, and we can incorporate it in no time.

    This Chinese Style Vegetable & Chicken Stir fry is quite similar to the Vegetable Stir Fries, and the only difference is that we add some boneless Chicken pieces along with it, which gives an overall fullness to the dish.

    All the more, these recipes are inspired from the Chinese Restaurants we dine at, in Malaysia.  Initially, when we used to dine at such places, we loved to try different Stir-fries. Stir-fries with Veggies, stir-fried vegetables with Tofu or Chicken or Sausages. Veggies like Eggplants, Brocolli, Long Beans Stir fried  Stir-fried Greens like Baby Kailan, Bok Choy, Napa Cabbages Kang Kung etc., The introduction to these recipes gave me a new way of cooking and combining vegetables, egg, meat, salted fish, shrimps, or tofu into these stir fries.  And also these recipes gave me a total new revelation to cooking vegetables, the way it has to be, retaining the colour, texture, and nutrition.

    Chinese Style Vegetable & Chicken Stir Fry is a quick & easy Chinese dish, with a simple addition of seared Chicken pieces into it.  This style of cooking vegetables & chicken together adds a whole new dimension to the all plain vegetables.  

    But the secret behind perfect Chinese Style Stir Fry is the techniques you need to follow to get it right.  Keep in mind that the vegetables in the stir-fry should retain the colour, crunchiness, and freshness of the vegetables.  When perfectly done, this Chinese Style Vegetable & Chicken Stir Fry is going to be lustrous, gorgeously beautiful, presenting itself with a cornucopia of colours with a remarkable texture.  I love this stir-fry whatsoever.

CHINESE VEGETABLE & CHICKEN STIR FRY

    Just follow these simple tips and techniques for perfectly cooked Vegetable & Chicken Stir-fry.

VEGETABLES:

    As we need to stir-fry the vegetable in one quick movement in a high heat, it is always advisable to keep all the needed items ready side by side.  First clean, peel & cut the vegetables and when it comes to the Vegetables which you can add into this stir-fry, I mostly use Carrots, Mushrooms, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Capsicums & Snow peas. Can add Baby Corn too. If using mushrooms, use varieties like Button Mushrooms, Crimino Mushrooms, Shitake, or Oyster Mushrooms.  Small Beech or Bunapi Mushrooms also suits well for Vegetable stir fries.

BLANCHING THE VEGETABLES:

    Then I blanch the vegetables before stir-frying them.  Blanching shortens the time required for stir-frying.  And also the vegetables are cooked half way, retaining the shape & colour.  Then, while stir-frying, the idea is just to mix them up with the sautéed garlic and the sauces on a high heat.  This way the Stir Fry turns out to be perfectly cooked through, retaining the texture, colour, and all the more the nutrition. Once the Vegetables are blanched, you can straight away go with the stir-frying process.

    Then mince the Garlic, Cut the Onions into big pieces and then thinly slice the bird's eye chillies.  Well, I do add a Bird's eye chilli into this Stir Fry.  After all, the taste buds of Indian ethnicity asks for a bit of heat in everything.  You can totally skip it in this recipe.

SEARING THE CHICKEN:

    Well, any Chinese restaurant style Chicken recipes, habe an extremely tender and silky texture.  Soft & Succulent Chicken pieces.  The secrfet behind this velvety texture is that, most Chinese Chefs "treat" the chicken with baking soda.  Baking Soda removes the "meaty" odour and also tenderizes it at the same time.

    Searing a Chicken/Meat is a simple cooking technique where the meat is tosses in hot oil (a litlle amount just to coat the pan) until the colour changes.  This method changes the chemical composition in the meat creating an intense flavour and develop a perfect texture.  And the main point is that they are not deep fried.

SAUCE:

    The next step is to get the sauce ready.  The idea of a sauce in a stir-fry is to add taste and flavour into the bland vegetables.  So you can get easy with the type of sauce you use.  Commonly Oyster Sauce is used along with seasoning like salt, sugar and a dash of white pepper powder.  I love to add the popular locally available ABC Sauce, which is a sweet thick soy sauce with caramelized palm sugar in it. Alternatively, can add Dark Soy Sauce.  I have added the Corn Flour slurry into the sauce mix.  So, you do not need to add ‘cornflour slurry’  during stir-frying.  Corn flour slurry glazes & gives a sheen to the stir-fried vegetables. 

STIR-FRYING:

    Then, the stir frying - keep in mind, you need to stir-fry in a high heat, in quick movements.  Sauté, the garlic, Onions, bird's-eye chillies, briefly sauté the Capsicums & then pour in the sauce and cook for a few minutes, then add in all the vegetables and mix it well in quick movements over a high flame.  Once the sauces all coated and the vegetables are glazed, switch off the flame and serve immediately.

 

For more VEGGIES & STIR FRY Recipes, Click here...


Cuisine – Chinese; Southeast Asian
Recipe Type – Stir Fry
Spice Level – Low
Difficulty – Easy
 Serves - 2–3
Author – SM

Preparation Time - 15–20 Minutes
Cooking Time - 5–10 Minutes
 

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HOW TO MAKE CHINESE VEGETABLE & CHICKEN STIR FRY

 

 

PLANTAIN FLOWER AND RED BEAN STIR FRY

    Vazhappoo Thoran/Upperi is a simple Kerala Style stir-fry prepared with finely chopped Plantain Flower, usually seasoned with mild spices and condiments and finally topped up with few spoons of grated coconut. This recipe, in addition to the Plantain Flower, has Red Bean in it. I have not seen anybody in the family cook this way and when I ate it at Shreedhareeyam Ayurvedic hospital, it was an all new combination for me.  They used to serve thorans like Vazhakoombu cooked along with Red Bean.  Raw Papaya cooked along with Green Gram etc.,
     If you have a lot of patience and all the more if you are health conscious, then Plantain Flower/Banana Blossom/Vazhaipoo would prove fruitful for your meticulous effort. Vazhaipoo - Plantain Flower is rather one item usually neglected in most of the kitchen. You literally need some time and patience to clean and prepare Plantain Flower.  But according to me, it is not a messy job, except that you may get your hands stained due to the black sap in Banana Blossoms.  Rub your hands with some oil or use a glove before handling the blossoms.   
     Thoran/Upperi is a predominant Sadhya Item served along with various other dishes in a Kerala Sadhya(Banquet). And we can find a combination of a Dhal/Bean & a vegetable cooked in the form of Thorans, Kootu, Erissery etc., in Kerala Cuisine. Vazhapoo when combined with Red Bean goes hand in hand in terms of colour, taste & texture.  It is a wonderful combination, equally nutritious and delicious.  Try this combo thoran in your Vishu Sadhya spread out this year.

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Cuisine - Kerala (South India)
Course - Side dish
Spice Level - Low - Moderate
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 5 -10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 5 - 7 Minutes


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HOW TO MAKE  VAZHAKOOMBU & VANPAYAR THORAN - PLANTAIN & RED BEAN STIR FRY

PLANTAIN FLOWER AND RED BEAN STIR FRY

INGREDIENTS:

For Vazhakoombu & Chuvanna/Van Payar Thoran:

Plantain Flower/Banana Blossom - 1 Flower 
Red Bean - 1/4 Cup
Shallots - 4-5 Nos.
Garlic - 1-2 Cloves
Green Chillies - 2 Nos.
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon 
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 Teaspoon
Coconut - 2-3 Tablespoons
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - a Pinch

For Tempering :

Mustard Seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
Coconut oil - 1 Tablespoon.

METHOD:

To soak & cook Red Bean:

• Clean, wash and soak Red Bean with ample of water overnight.
• Discard the water used for soaking.
• Pour about 3/4 - 1 cup of water to the soaked Red Bean.
• Pressure-cook the soaked Red Bean on a high flame for 3 Whistles and for 3-4 Whistles on a low flame.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.      

For more details on How to cook Beans Lentils and Pulses, click here ...

To clean & cut Plantain Flower/Banana Bloassom:

• Meanwhile, clean the Banana Blossoms, finely chop them and soak it in acidic water. 
• Drain and squeeze out the excess water from finely chopped Banana Blossoms

For How to clean Plantain Flower/Banana Blossoms, Click here...

 

PLANTAIN FLOWER AND RED BEAN STIR FRY

For Plantain Flower & Red Bean Thoran: 

• Finely chop Shallots, Green Chillies & Garlic.
• Heat oil in a pan, splutter Mustard Seeds and Curry Leaves.
• Add finely chopped Shallots, Green Chillies, Garlic and sauté until Shallots turn translucent.
• Add in the Turmeric  Powder, Cumin Seeds and give a quick stir, fry this on a very low flame for few minutes.
• Now add chopped Plantain Flower/Banana Blossom along with a dash of Salt & a pinch of Sugar.
• Cover and cook briefly.
• Once, the  Plantain Flower/Banana Blossom turns soft & cooked, add the cooked Red Bean along with grated Coconut and mix well.
• Cook for a while on a low flame.
• Vazhakoombu & Chuvanna Payar(Vanpayar) Thoran can be served as a side dish for Rice.

NOTES:

• Some do not add Onions & Garlic while cooking for a Sadhya.
• Adding Garlic is truly optional.
• I have used Coconut Oil in the recipe, can use any other vegetable oil.  
• Can substitute Red Bean with Green Grams too.  Cook accordingly.
  

CHAKKA AVIYAL - JACK FRUIT AVIYAL

     "Summer proclaims its arrival with a Midas touch" - Bunches of Golden Shower Flowers drooping out from the trees - Kani Konna Poo.  Shredding the beauty and bounty announcing the arrival of New Year in South India.  Vishu - Malayalam New Year & I have loads of memories celebrating this festival as 'Vishu' at home.  Vishu is round the corner and many of us have already been thinking what could be prepared for the special day's Sadhya spread out - Vishu Sadhya.

    When the Summer hits, the seasonal fruits like Chakka & Manga(jack fruit & Mango) could be found in abundance in the households.  A Kerala backyard would surely have a Jackfruit & a Mango Tree by default, and it is the season when the produce finds its peak.  Even the market would be loaded with Jack fruit & Mangoes.  Vishu which comes during the Season and a Vishu Sadhya would mostly showcase dishes with Raw or Ripe Jack Fruit & Mangoes.  Dishes like Mango Pachadi, Mambazha Pulissery, Manga Curry, Chakka Aviyal, Mambazha Pradhaman or Chakka Pradhaman would be cooked for Vishu Sadhya when Mangoes and Jack fruits are in season.  So, why not try out a dish with the seasonal produce for this year's, Vishu Sadhya?

    In a long list of side dishes served in a Sadhya, 'Aviyal'  takes a special place. It is a wonderful combination of cooked Vegetables in a Coconut-Curd (Yogurt) Mix, mildly spiced and seasoned to perfection.  Mostly local Vegetable are used to while preparing Aviyal. Here comes, a dish with a twist to the traditional Aviyal - Chakka Aviyal.  Chakka Aviyal is one of the most traditional methods of cooking Raw Jackfruits along with Jack fruit Seeds & Mangoes.  It is normally prepared with Raw Jack fruit & Mangoes.  Though the seeds from Raw Jackfruit are added, the Seeds from Ripe Jackfruit tastes great in this Chakka Aviyal adding an overall texture to the dish.  

CHAKKA AVIYAL - JACK FRUIT AVIYAL

    Raw/unripe Jackfruits have a neutral flavour and more or less it tastes like a root. You can add it to a variety of dishes, such as curries, Chakka Aviyal, Stir-fries or prepare Chips(Chakka Chips) etc.,   The idea of cutting into a massive, thick-skinned rind is quite intimidating. And if you have no experience doing such chores like me, then it is absolutely a feat which needs some help.   Jackfruit is green when unripe, with soft and not so-yellow interior.  Choose a Jackfruit which is Raw but not very tender and immature for Chakka/Jackfruit Aviyal.  It should have Fruit Pods and the seeds should be soft too. 

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Cuisine - Kerala (South India)
Course - Side Dish
Spice Level - Low - Moderate
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 4
Author - SM 

 

Preparation Time - 15 - 20 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 - 30 Minutes

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HOW TO MAKE CHAKKA AVIYAL - JACK FRUIT AVIYAL - VISHU SADHYA SPECIAL

CHAKKA AVIYAL - JACK FRUIT AVIYAL

INGREDIENTS :

For Chakka Aviyal:

Unripe/Raw Jackfruit - 2 Cups
Jack Fruit Seeds - 1 Cup
Raw Mango - 1/2 Cup
Turmeric Powder - ½ Teaspoon
Water - 1/4 Cup
Salt - To Taste 
Sugar - a Pinch 

To Grind :

Green Chillies - 4–5 Nos.
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
Coconut - 1 Cup
Coconut Oil - 1 Teaspoon

For Final Seasoning:

Curd - 1/2 Cup
Coconut Oil - 1 Tablespoons
Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs

METHOD:

To Clean & Cut the Raw Jack Fruit:

• Cut open the unripe/raw Jackfruit, remove the centre core(which has latex).
• Cut through the rags and remove the Fruit Pods along with the Seeds.
• Can use few soft rags sticking on to the fruit pods for cooking.
• Cut open the Fruit Pods and remove the seeds from the pods, discard the soft seed shells, then clean & peel the Jackfruit Seeds.
• Chop the Fruit Pods and the soft Seeds & keep them aside.
  

To Clean & Cut the Jack Fruit Seeds:

• Use a handful of Jack fruit seeds from fully ripe Jackfruit pods.
  
• Peel off the white shell from the Jackfruit Seeds.
• Soak the Jackfruit Seeds in Water for at least 3–4 hours or overnight.
• Scrape out the brown skin from the Seeds (Soaking helps you to scrape out the skin easily)
• Cut the Seeds into small pieces, wash and keep it aside.
  

For Chakka Aviyal: 

CHAKKA AVIYAL - JACK FRUIT AVIYAL

• Cook the chopped Jackfruit Pods, soft jack fruit seeds & Jack fruit seeds (from Ripe Jack fruit) in 1/2 a Cup of Water along with Turmeric Powder and a dash of Salt. 
• Alternatively, can cook the above ingredients in a Pressure cooker for a Whistle or two.
• Cover the pan & cook the ingredients on a medium-low flame, stirring occasionally.
• Once the Jackfruit Pods and Jack fruit Seeds turn soft and tender, switch off the flame.
• Now add chopped Raw Mangoes and cook this on a low flame until the mangoes turn soft & cooked. 
• Meanwhile, heat 1 Teaspoon of Coconut Oil in a pan, add slit Green Chillies and sauté in a very low flame for few seconds.
• Immediately add Grated Coconuts, Curry leaves and give a quick stir.
• Fry this on a very low flame for about a minute.
• Grind this coarsely and keep it aside.
• Add the coarsely ground Coconut Mix and mix well.
• Leave this on a low flame for a few minutes, or until the raw flavour goes.
• Pour in the Curd and give a quick stir.
  
• Add a pinch of Sugar and mix well.
  
• Simmer the mix for about 2–3 minutes, or until it turns semi-dry.
• Finally, finish off the dish with a drizzle of Coconut Oil and garnish it with Curry Leaves.
• Chakka Aviyal goes well with Kerala Rose Matta Rice or steamed Rice. 
• Aviyal is one must-have dish when it comes to a Kerala Sadhya/Banquet.
  

NOTES :

• Do not overcook the ingredients for this Aviyal.
• I have used Raw Jack fruit, soft jackfruit seeds, Jack fruit seeds from ripe Jack fruits and Raw Mangoes in this Chakka Aviyal.  
• Can also add Nendhra Kaya (Raw Nendhra Banana), Vellirikka(Yellow Cucumber), Drumsticks et., into this Aviyal.  Some even add a few pods of Ripe Jack Fruits into this Aviyal, which gives a slight sweetness to the dish.
  
• Adjust the amount of Raw Mangoes to suit your preference of tanginess.
  
• Do not over-fry the Coconut, the idea is to just give a quick stir in Coconut Oil, which would enhance the overall flavour of the dish and also removes the raw flavour from Green chillies and Coconuts. This is how my Mom does it.
• Chakka Aviyal is a semi-dry dish.  Adjust the consistency accordingly.
• Adding Sugar helps to balance the overall taste of this dish, but it is truly optional.
• Fresh Coconut Oil & Curry Leaves gives an authentic taste to Aviyal, can use any oil of your choice.

    One dish which fascinated my whims the very first time we dined at a Chinese Restaurant in Malaysia was the Chinese Vegetable Stir Fry.  The moment I tasted it I knew it was a bit under cooked for our preference then, later, realizing and strictly following the way it is cooked with almost all the vegetables I cook at home.  Literally speaking, this Vegetable Stir Fry gave me a total new revelation to cooking vegetables, the way it has to be, retaining the colour, texture and nutrition.  From then on, I have never looked back, I still cook most of the vegetable even while making Indian style stir fries like Poriyals/Thorans, Sabzis etc., a bit under cooked. 

    Chinese Style Vegetable Stir Fry is a quick & easy Chinese dish.  This style of cooking vegetables adds a whole new dimension to the all plain vegetables.  But the secret behind perfect Chinese Style Stir Fry is the techniques you need to follow to get it right.  Keep in mind that the vegetables in the stir-fry should retain the colour, crunchiness and freshness of the vegetables.  When perfectly done, this Chinese Style Vegetable Stir Fry is going to be lustrous, gorgeously beautiful, presenting itself with a cornucopia of colours with a remarkable texture.  I love this stir-fry whatsoever.

    Just follow these simple tips and techniques for perfectly cooked Vegetable Stir-fry.

CHINESE VEGETABLE STIR FRY

VEGETABLES:

    As we need to stir-fry the vegetable in one quick movement in a high heat, it is always advisable to keep all the needed items ready side by side.  First clean, peel & cut the vegetables and when it comes to the Vegetables which you can add into this stir-fry, I mostly use Carrots, Mushrooms, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Capsicums & Snow peas. Can add Baby Corn too. If using mushrooms, use varieties like Button Mushrooms, Crimino Mushrooms, Shitake or Oyster Mushrooms.  Small Beech or Bunapi Mushrooms also suits well for Vegetable stir fries.

BLANCHING THE VEGETABLES:

    Then I blanch the vegetables before stir-frying them.  Blanching shortens the time required for stir-frying.  And also the vegetables are cooked half way, retaining the shape & colour.  Then, while stir-frying, the idea is just to mix them up with the sautéed garlic and the sauces on a high heat.  This way the Stir Fry turns out to be perfectly cooked through, retaining the texture, colour, and all the more the nutrition. Once the Vegetables are blanched, you can straight away go with the stir-frying process.

    Then mince the Garlic, Cut the Onions into big pieces and then thinly slice the bird's eye chillies.  Well, I do add a Bird's eye chilli into this Stir Fry.  After all, the taste buds of Indian ethnicity asks for a bit of heat in everything.  You can totally skip it in this recipe.

SAUCE:

    The next step is to get the sauce ready.  The idea of a sauce in a stir-fry is to add taste and flavour into the bland vegetables.  So you can get easy with the type of sauce you use.  Commonly Oyster Sauce is used along with seasoning like salt, sugar and a dash of white pepper powder.  I love to add the popular locally available ABC Sauce, which is a sweet thick soy sauce with caramelized palm sugar in it. Alternatively, can add Dark Soy Sauce.  I have added the Corn Flour slurry into the sauce mix.  So, you do not need to add ‘cornflour slurry’  during stir-frying.  Corn flour slurry glazes & gives a sheen to the stir-fried vegetables.  You can prepare this sauce and refrigerate it for a few days.  The same sauce can be used while stir-frying Chinese greens like bok choy, choy sum, kai lan, napa cabbages etc., 

STIR-FRYING:

    Then, the stir frying - keep in mind, you need to stir-fry in a high heat, in quick movements.  Sauté, the garlic, Onions, bird's-eye chillies, briefly sauté the Capsicums & then pour in the sauce and cook for a few minutes, then add in all the vegetables and mix it well in quick movements over a high flame.  Once the sauces all coated and the vegetables are glazed, switch off the flame and serve immediately.

 

For more VEGGIES & STIR FRY Recipes, Click here...


Cuisine - Chinese; Southeast Asian
Recipe Type - Stir Fry
Spice Level  - Low
Difficulty - Easy
 Serves - 2- 3
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 15 - 20 Minutes
Cooking Time - 5-10 Minutes
 

HOW TO MAKE CHINESE VEGETABLE STIR FRY

CHINESE VEGETABLE STIR FRY

INGREDIENTS:

Vegetables:

Carrots - 1/2 Cup
Broccoli - 1/2 Cup
Cauliflower - 1/2 Cup
Snow Peas - 1/2 Cup
Mushroom - 1/2 Cup 

 

For Blanching:

Water - 4-5 Cups
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - a Pinch  

 

For the Sauce:

Oyster Sauce/ABC Sauce - 2 Tablespoons
Salt - to Taste
Sugar - 11/2 Teaspoons
White Pepper Powder - 1/8 Teaspoon
Corn Flour - 1/2 Teaspoon
Cold(Ice) Water - 4 Tablespoons

Sautéing:

Garlic - 6-8 Cloves
Onion - 1 Big
Bird's eye Chillies - 1-2 Numbers
Capsicum (Green) - 1/4 Cup
Capsicum (Yellow/Red) - 1/4 Cup 

 

For Vegetable Stir-fry:

Oil - 2 Tablespoons
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - a Pinch

 

METHOD:

Preparing the Vegetables:

• Carrots - Peel, wash and cut Carrots into Wedges or thick slices.

• Snow peas - Wash & then remove the ‘string’ of the snow peas on both the sides and snap it off into two or three pieces.  No need to cut it, just snap it off using your hands.

• Broccoli - Wash & then cut the florets into medium or large sized ones. Discard the lower part of the stem, which is hard & fibrous. Use the tender part of the stem, cut them into slices or wedges. The tender stem is full of flavour, so do not throw them away.

• Cauliflower- Wash & then cut the cauliflower into florets, preferably into medium or large florets.

• Mushroom - Cut off the ends, wash them and then cut the Mushroom into slices.
  

• Capsicum - Wash & then snip off the tip and then remove the core and seeds. Cut the capsicum into large slices.

• Onions - Peel, wash and cut Onions into fours and then cut them into small cubes.  We need some square shaped Onions in this Vegetable stir-fry.

• Garlic - Peel, wash and mince the garlic cloves and keep them aside.

• Bird's eye Chillies - Remove the stalk and then cut it into thin slices. Alternatively, you can mince it.
  

 

Blanching the Vegetables:

• Boil enough water in a large pot, let the amount of water be good enough to cover the vegetables.
• Add a dash of Salt and a pinch of Sugar into it.
• Let it boil.
• First add the Carrot Wedges into the water and cook them for about 2-3 minutes.
• Once the Carrots are cooked halfway through,  add Cauliflower & Broccoli florets and blanch them for about 2 minutes.
• Then follow it with snow peas, mushrooms and blanch it for about a minute.
• I usually do not blanch Capsicums.
• Once done, drain it through a colander and keep it aside.

For the Sauce:

• Mix all the ingredients mentioned under "For the Sauce" in cold water & keep it aside.
• Make sure there are no lumps in the sauce.

CHINESE VEGETABLE STIR FRY

Sautéing & Stir frying the Vegetables:

• Heat oil in a Wok/Pan over high heat.
• Add minced Garlic and Bird's-eye Chillies, stir-fry for about 10 seconds until fragrant(should not be browned).
  
• Then add Onion chunks & Capsicums and sauté it for a while. 
• Now add, the blanched Vegetables and give a quick stir.
  
• Immediately pour in the Sauce and mix well.
• Let it cook for about 2 minutes or until it thickens
• Stir-fry until well combined on a high flame, & the vegetables are glazed.
• Immediately, serve Chinese Vegetable Stir Fry hot.
• Chinese Vegetable Stir Fry goes well with Fragrant Rice or any Rice/Noodles recipe.
  

NOTES:

• 
  
• Use your preferred combination of vegetables in this stir-fry.
• Do not cover the pan while cooking.
• Once the sauce thickens, stir-fry the vegetables on high heat for a short time.  This will retain its nutrients & texture.
• Do not brown the garlic, as they would tend to give a bitter taste to the dish.
• Adding Bird's eye Chilli is purely optional.
• Cook the vegetables to suit your preference. I like to keep it crunchy & tender, and mainly love to retain the colours in the vegetables.

CHAKKA KURU CHEERA THORAN

      Recently my Husband was speaking to his Mother, she was saying that she had cooked Chakka Kuru and Cheera Thoran.  She was selling off the recipe to him saying that it is one popular recipe in Kerala and how you need to slice the Jackfruit seeds for it etc., And as usual I knew my hubby is going to ask me for this recipe.  Luckily I had both the ingredients and the next day I went along to make this Thoran for the very first time.  Combination Thorans are quite prevalent in Kerala, and I was even amused by the combination of Red Bean & Plantain Flower Thoran, Green bean & Plantain Stem Thorans they used to serve at Shreedhareeyam Ayurvedic hospital. 

      This Thoran recipe is a simple Kerala Style stir-fry prepared with finely chopped Amaranth Leaves or Spinach & along with it goes thinly sliced Jackfruit Seeds alias Chakka Kuru.  This thoran is seasoned with mild spices and condiments and finally topped up with few spoons of grated coconut. Chakka Kuru and Cheera Thoran required two types of cooking, one for the Jackfruit Seeds, which has to be peeled, washed and cut into thin slices.  Jackfruit seeds need some extra cooking time whereas Amaranth Leaves can be cooked within minutes.  So I pre-cooked the Jackfruit seeds in a Pressure cooker for a whistle and then did the tempering, added the seasoning and cooked finely chopped Amaranth Leaves, finally I toss it up with pre-cooked Jackfruit seeds and finished cooking the Thoran with a few teaspoons of freshly grated coconuts.

     Though Onam seasons are not for Jackfruits, if you have some leftoverJackfruit seeds from last summer, then this Thoran is a wonderful add-on to your Sadhya Vattom.  Thoran/Upperi is a predominant Sadhya Item served along with various other dishes in a Kerala Sadhya(Banquet). This quick & easy Chakka Kuru and Cheera Thoran can easily be squeezed into your long list of Sadhya items.

Few other Thoran/Upperi which can be served in a Sadhya or a simple Lunch Menu:

• Cabbage Thoran
• Cabbage, Carrot & Beans Thoran
• Achinga Payar/Long Beans Thoran 
• Cheera/Spinach Thoran 
• Beetroot Thoran/Poriyal 
• Vendakka/Okra Thoran
• Pavakka/Bitter Gourd Thoran
• Cheru Payar Parippu/Yellow Moong Thoran
• Cheru Payar/Green Moong Thoran
• Kovakka/Ivy Gourd Thoran
• Padavalanga/Snake Gourd Thoran 
• Mathanga/Yellow Pumpkin Thoran 
• Vazhakoombu/Plantain Flower Thoran 
• Chena Thoran/Chena Upperi 
• Raw Papaya Thoran/Pappanga Thoran
  

For more  SADHYA Recipes, click here...


Cuisine - Kerala(South India)
Course - Side Dish
Spice Level - Low - Moderate
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 25 -30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 15 - 20 Minutes

HOW TO COOK CHAKKA KURU CHEERA THORAN

 

CHAKKA KURU CHEERA THORAN

INGREDIENTS:

To Cook the Jackfruit Seeds:

Jackfruit Seeds(Chakka Kuru) - 1 Cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tspn
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - a Pinch

For Chakka Kuru Cheera Thoran:

Amaranth Leaves - 2 Cups
Shallots - 4-5 Nos.
Garlic - 1-2 Cloves
Green Chillies - 2 Nos.
Coconut - 2-3 Tbspn
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - a Pinch

For Tempering:

Mustard Seeds - 1 Tspn
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
Cumin Seeds - a Pinch.
Coconut Oil - 1 Tbspn.

 

METHOD:

To Cook the Jackfruit Seeds:

• Peel off the white shell from the Jackfruit Seeds.
• Soak the Jackfruit Seeds in Water for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
• Scrape out the brown skin from the Seeds(Soaking helps you to scrape out the skin easily)
• Cut the Seeds into small pieces, wash and keep it aside.
• Add Turmeric Powder to the Jackfruit Seeds, along with a dash of Salt and a pinch of Sugar.
• Cook this along with 1/2 Cup of Water until the Seeds turn soft.
• Alternatively, can cook the above ingredients in a Pressure Cooker for a whistle.
• Do not overcook the Jack fruit Seeds. 
  

For Chakka Kuru Cheera Thoran: 

CHAKKA KURU CHEERA THORAN

• Chop off the Roots from the Stalks.
• Clean and wash the Amaranth Leaves through running water for at least 3-4 times
• Drain the washed Amaranth Leaves in a colander and keep it aside.
• Finely chop the Amaranth Leaves and keep it aside.
• Finely chop Shallots, Green Chillies & Garlic.
• Heat Oil in a pan, splutter Mustard Seeds and Curry leaves.
• Add finely chopped Shallots, Green Chillies, Garlic and sauté until shallots turn translucent.
• Now add a pinch of Cumin seeds, followed with finely chopped Amaranth Leaves.
• Sprinkle Salt & Sugar and give a quick stir.
• Cover and cook briefly.
• Add in grated coconut and mix well.
• Cook Cheera Thoran/Spinach Stir Fry a while on a low flame.
• Finally, add pre-cooked Jackfruit seeds and give a quick stir. 
• Serve Chakka Kuru Cheera Thoran hot with steamed White Rice/Kerala Rose Matta Rice.
• Can be served along with any Curry and Rice, it goes well as a side dish with Moru Curry/Moru Kachiyathu.
• Can serve this Raw Papaya Thoran as one side dish in the long list of Sadhya Items or along with Kanji(Rice Porridge)/Paal Kanji.
  

For more RECIPES WITH JACK FRUIT, Click here... 

NOTES:

• Can add a pinch of Turmeric to the Cheera Thoran, if preferred.
• Some do not add Onions & Garlic while cooking for a Sadhya.
• Adding Garlic & Cumin Seeds are truly optional.
• I have used Coconut Oil in the recipe, can use any other vegetable oil.