Szechuan Fried Rice is a blend of spices and tastes so much better than the regular fried rice. Normally, this recipe is prepared with a szechuan sauce but I make it without one. The key to cooking a good fried rice is to have a nice crunch to the veggies that are added, makes it more appetizing that way.
For the Szechuan fried rice, you'll need:
2 cups cooked basmati rice or long grain rice
1 cup of cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup of carrot, chopped
1 cup of beans, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp of red chilli flakes
2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Ajino moto (MSG)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp raw chilli garlic sauce (optional)
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
Method:
Steam cook the beans and carrot for 5 minutes and keep aside.
In a wok or deep pan, pour the oil and after it heats, add the chilli flakes. Now, add the chopped onions and minced garlic and saute well till translucent. Add the semi-cooked beans & carrots, chopped cabbage and cook for few minutes.
Add the cooked rice to the vegetables and stir it to blend well and reduce to medium-low heat. Mix the ajinomoto, vinegar, soy sauce, and salt (if required). Stir all the ingredients well and cook for 3-4 minutes. If you like spicy food, you can add some chilli garlic sauce and mix the rice well. Finally, add chopped spring onions as garnish and serve. Usually, I make sweet and sour vegetables with fried rice or noodles, since I am in a hurry, maybe next time.
You can also add scrambled eggs to this recipe before garnishing with spring onions.
Makes 4-5 servings depending on how hungry you are :)
Ivy Gourd is an indian vegetable consumed by many. Also known as Tindora, it's mostly prepared as a dry roast but can be cooked as a gravy too.
Tindora can be cut in many ways, some cut it into slices or lengthwise. You can use fresh or frozen tindora for this recipe. I have used frozen to make my cooking easy.
Ingredients:
1 pack (12 oz) frozen tindora
1 onion - finely chopped
1 tomato - finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder (optional)
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp curry powder
2-3 tbsp tamarind pulp or paste
Salt to taste
Cilantro - finely chopped
For seasoning:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dhal
Few curry leaves
Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add the seasoning. After mustard seeds splutters, add the chopped onions and crushed garlic and fry till it turns transparent. Now, add the tomato and allow it to get pulpy.
Add the turmeric powder and chilli powder and cook till the raw smell subsides. Now, add the tindora pieces and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, curry powder,salt and little water to the tindora and allow it to cook till the vegetable becomes tender. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or chappatis.
Makes 2-3 servings.
