Tag Archives: Entree

Pasta Salad


Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

  • Elbow macroni, 2to 3 cups, cooked
  • cherry tomatoes
  • cucumber
  • mint leaves
  • basil leaves
  • lettuce
  • green olives
  • black olives
  • Feta cheese (optional)
  • Salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice
  • Ingredients and quantities vary according to availability and taste

Mix everything together and and chill 30 mns. before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Keeps for 3 to 5 days well refrigerated. Raw onion may be added just before serving.

Chicken Satay


Chicken Satay

A versatile dish that can be served on the wooden skewers as a main entree or remove the chicken pieces to a plate and serve as a snack or appetizer.  Plate it, put tooth-picks on the meat and serve with cocktails. Don’t forget the dipping sauce!

Use only chicken thighs.  Any other meat like boneless chicken breast (though easier to prepare) would not achieve the same results.

 Ingredients

  • 8 Chicken thighs
  • 1 package wooden skewers

Satay Marinade

  • ¼ cup minced lemongrass, fresh or frozen
  • 2 shallots or ¼ onion, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1-2 fresh red chillies, sliced or ½ to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 thumb size pc. Galangal or ginger, thinly sliced
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 2 tbsp. ground coriander
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 3 tbsp. dark soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp. fish sauce
  • 6 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Peanut dipping sauce to serve

Method

  1. Place all marinade ingredients in food processor and grind to a smooth paste.
  2. Taste-test the marinade – you should taste sweet, spicy, and salty.  The strongest taste should be SWEET and SALTY in order for the satay to taste its best.  Add more sugar or more fish sauce (in place of salt) to adjust the taste.  Add more chilli if you want it spicier.
  3. Remove skin and debone the thighs (or use boneless thighs if available) and cut meat into small pieces or strips – thinner is better. 
  4. Place in a bowl and pour marinade over. 
  5. Stir well to combine. 
  6. Allow at least 2 hours for marinating, or longer (upto 24 hours refrigerated). 
  7. Simultaneously, place the wooden skewers in water and leave to soak until required.
  8. When ready to cook, thread meat onto the skewers.  Fill upto 3/4  of the skewer.
  9. Grill the satay, turn over and grill over all sides of the skewer till well roasted and brown, about 15 to 30 minutes.
  10. Serve with satay sauce for dipping.

Satay Sauce (Thai Peanut sauce)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup dry roasted peanuts, unsalted
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp. dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 ½ tbsp. tbsp. fish sauce (substitute with soy sauce)
  • ½ tsp. tamarind paste or 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. thai chilli sauce or cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • ¼ to ½ cup water (as required)

Method

  1. Process all the ingredients in a food processor until sauce is smooth.
  2. Adjust, salty, sour, sweet and spicy taste by adding fish sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and cayenne pepper, respectively as required.
  3. If you require more salty add fish sauce, if more sweet, add sugar.
  4. Serve warm or at room temperature as dipping sauce for veggies, spring rolls, chicken satay, etc. 
  5. Keeps well in the refrigerator for two weeks.

Momos Dumplings


Momos – Dumplings

Momo is a type of steamed dumpling with some form of filling. Traditionally, momo is prepared with ground/minced meat filling, but in the modern era, this has changed and the fillings have become more elaborate. These days, momo is prepared with virtually any combination of ground meat, vegetables, tofu, paneer cheese, and vegetable and meat combinations. Momo are traditionally steamed but can also be deep fried or pan fried. Momo is usually served with chili garlic sauce and pickled daikon ((i.e. pickled raddish) in Tibet whereas in Nepal popular dipping sauces include tomato based chutneys or sesame based sauces – source – wikipedia

A simple white-flour-and-water dough is generally preferred to make the outer momo covering. I have used store bought pastry wrappers. You get packs of 24 wrappers.  This recipe makes 35 momos.

Chicken Momos
Ingredients

  • 1 lb. Chicken mince, drained well
  • 1 Carrot, chopped fine (or celery)
  • 2 spring onions with greens, chopped fine (shallots or normal onions can be subs)
  • 1” pc. Ginger, chopped fine or 1 tsp. ginger paste
  • ½ bunch fresh coriander leaves, chopped fine
  • 1 ½ tsp. salt or to taste
  • ½ tsp. cumin powder
  • 2 tsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tsp. olive oil

Method

  1. Mix all the above ingredients and add a little water if you feel the mixture is too dry. 
  2. Take a pastry sheet and moisten the edges.
  3. Place a tsp. of chicken mixture and crimp the edges of the pasty to form a crescent shape or a round shape. 
  4. Set aside
  5. Can be frozen at this stage

To cook:

  1. Steaming:

Grease a steamer plate or container (or use bamboo baskets) and steam the momos for 15 to 18 minutes.

I thought the below method are quicker and easier, so used these two methods.

  • Frying+ Steaming:

Place a batch of momos on a frying pan with a little oil.  When all sides are brown, add some water to the pan and cover with a lid and let seam cook till the water dries up.

  • Boiling :

Place a vessel, quarter filled with water.  When it starts boiling, put the momos and bring to a boil.  Then add cold water (room temp) and let it boil.  Once again add cold water and let it boil.  Repeat this 3 times.  Then remove with a slotted spoon.

Serve hot with dipping sauce or chutney.

To make dipping sauce:

Add ¼ cup soya sauce to a bowl and add ½ the quantity of lemon or chilli sauce in vinegar.  Mix and use to dip the momos or drizzle over the momos in individual bowls and serve.

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