Chinese Bhel

Chinese Bhel is a favorite appetizer for us. We never miss this whenever we go to an Indo-Chinese  restaurant. It's very quick and easy to make at home also. Just make sure you buy the crispy wonton strips that are mixed in with the bhel.

 Here I have given three methods where you can use the wonton strips. Choose whichever is easy for you. It can be served as a starter in parties; can be served instead of salads or as an evening snack for your kids to make them eat their veggies. Go for it, I promise you, you won't regret because it's so light and refreshing. 

INGREDIENTS:

Serves : 4

1/4 portion of a small red cabbage

2 Carrots

2 Lettuce Leaves

2 Spring Onions

1 Celery Stick With Leaves

2 Cups Chinese Wonton Strips (Recipe follows)

Sauce:

4 Tablespoons Soysauce

2 Tablespoons Ketchup

1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1/8 Teaspoon Salt

METHOD:

 Mix all the ingredients for sauce.Place a pan over low flame and heat until sugar dissolves and everything is mixed through. Keep aside.

   Clean and cut all the vegetables into thin strips.

  

 In a mixing bowl place all the vegetables along with the wonton strips. Pour the prepared sauce and mix them thoroughly. Check for salt now and add if you prefer. Plate and serve. 

This serves well as a starter or can be served instead of salad. 

Wonton Strips:

1 Cup All Purpose Flour 

1/6 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Cup Oil

1/4 Cup Water 

    In a mixing bowl, mix together flour and salt along with a teaspoon of oil. Now add water little by little to make a firm ball and knead well.

Roll them into thin discs and cut them them into thin strips.

Heat oil in a deep pan and keep the flame at medium. When the oil is hot enough throw the strips into the oil and fry until light golden about 4 minutes stirring them inbetween. Drain them in a paper towel layered bowl and let it cool.

OR

5 Sheets Frozen Egg Roll

1/4 Cup Oil

   Unfold the frozen egg roll sheets and cut them into thin strips. Heat oil in a pan and fry them until light golden. Drain off the excess oil and let it cool.

You can also bake them to crisp at 350 degree farenheit for about 8 mins. Time varies depending on your oven.

OR

Buy any chinese wonton strip packs from your grocery isle. The job is pretty quick.

Asian Pepper Chicken

In one of our trips to Chennai we had a similar dish made with shrimps. After months I remembered this and thought of recreating the recipe with chicken. It turned out good but I still thought something was missing. After a try or two, I came up with this recipe. With very few and simple ingredients, it is easy to make but is still rich in taste . It can be a side dish for any meal and as a dry dish it serves well as a starter. It sure is a crowd-pleaser. When thought of blogging this dish, my girls chose the name Asian Pepper Chicken.

INGREDIENTS :

  Chicken Breasts -3
  Chicken Bouillon - 1 cube
  Ginger  -2" piece
  Garlic  - 6pods
  Spring Onion  - 3 nos
  Green Chilly   - 2 nos
  Coriander Leaves - 7 sprigs
  Corn Flour - 1 tsp
  Soy Sauce - 3 tblsp
  Crushed Black Pepper - 2 tblsp
  Salt - to taste
  Olive Oil - 2 tblsp

METHOD:
Clean and cut the chicken breasts into small cubes (I usually cut them into thin strips which I prefer). Chop the ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander leaves and the spring onions and keep aside.
In a sauce pan over medium heat add one tablespoon oil and add the chicken cubes. Give it a stir and cover with the lid and let it cook.You don't have to add water because the chicken gets cooked from the heat from the oil and the liquid oozing from the meat. Cook until the meat is no longer pink in the center, giving them a stir or two in between. Remove the chicken pieces and discard any liquid in the pan.
In the same pan add the remaining oil and fry (give a quick stir, you don't have to actually cook them)  the chopped veggies adding them in the order as ginger, garlic, green chilly and spring onion (save some of  the green spring onion for garnishing). Add the chicken stock cube and let it get mixed. Now add the soy sauce and fry for a minute, then add the cooked chicken pieces and fry them well to get coated with the sauce.
Season with freshly crushed black pepper and check for salt. Now mix the corn flour in a tablespoon of water and add to this and give it a good stir and finally add the chopped coriander leaves. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the reserved spring onion.