SPICY MANCHOW SOUP / INDO-CHINESE CUISINE

 

Manchow soup is a very popular one from Indo-Chinese Cuisine as it has a hot and spicy taste. It may be veg or non veg. The origin of this soup is said to be Meghalaya which is well known for it's spicy cuisine.

This soup is dark brown in colour. It is prepared with finely diced vegetables, chicken or sea food (for non veg version) and sauces. Before serving some crispy fried noodles are added to it. 

Ingredients:

Cabbage ................ 1/4 

Carrot ................... 1/2

Mushrooms ......... 3-4

Capsicum / bell pepper ...  1/2

Radish ............................ 1/2

Spring onions ................. 1 or 2 

Ginger ........................... 1 " piece

Garlic ............................ 2-3 cloves

Red chilli sauce ............ 1/2 or 1 tbsp as you prefer

Dark soy sauce .............. 1 tsp (little less or more adjust while cooking)

Corn starch ................... 2 tbsps + 1 tbsp 

Salt ................................. to taste

Noodles ........................ 1 cup

Oil ............................... for cooking 2 tbsps and 1 cup for frying the noodles

Method:

1. Boil the noodles adding little salt. Drain them and set aside for cooling. Add little oil so that they don't stick and become mushy.

2. When they are cool enough sprinkle 1 tbsp of corn starch. Coat them well and separate them. 

3. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the noodles adjusting the flame until crisp. Do not make them brown. 

4. Now dice all the vegetables that you are using very finely.

5. Peel and crush the garlic and ginger. 

6. In a wok heat 2 tbsps of oil and saute the ginger and garlic.

7. Next add the diced vegetables, white part of spring onions and toss them well. Keep a crunchy texture and do not over cook them.

8. Stir in the sauces and add salt carefully as the sauces already contain salt.

9. Dilute the remaining 2 tbsps of corn starch with water and add it to the vegetables.

10. Give it a stir and add 2 cups or little more water according to the consistency you like.

11. Give it a nice boil. Check the flavours and adjust if required. 

12. Add some spring onion greens towards the end. 

13. Serve the soup in individual bowls and garnish with crispy fried noodles and spring onions. 

14. Keep some extra noodles to add while having the soup. 

15. Make some fried rice as an accompaniment and enjoy a simple Chinese meal.

Yield - 2 servings.

 Check out the video

About the group:

Shhhhh Cooking Secretly is a monthly challenge in a facebook group where we are paired with a different partner every month. Two secret ingredients are  chosen by each partner for the other one and we prepare any dish with those ingredients based on the selected theme of the month which was " HOME MADE RESTAURANT STYLE FOOD " This was suggested by Aruna Saraschandra who blogs at Vasus Veg Kitchen 

This month I am paired with Kalyani Sri and she gave me RADISH and  CORN FLOUR (STARCH) as my secret ingredients. I chose to make this delicious Indo-Chinese Veg Manchow Soup which is my favourite.

Check out Kalyani Sri's Instant Pot Darshini Style Veg Pulao. It is so delicious.

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BURNT GARLIC MUSHROOM FRIED RICE

Try out this simple aromatic fried rice with just mushrooms, egg and an extra dose of burnt garlic for the amazing flavour. You can add any other veggies if you prefer but I just love it this way. It is a complete meal on its own and you don't really need any accompaniments. If you like it spicy go ahead and add some chilli sauce or chilli infused oil.

Ingredients:
Cooked rice .... 2 cups
Garlic .......... 8-10 cloves
Mushrooms .. 200 gms
Eggs .............. 2
Black pepper ... 1/2 tsp (freshly crushed)
Red chilli flakes ... 1 tsp
Salt ...................... to taste
Oil ..................... 3 tbsps

Method:
1. Cook the rice adding salt. Drain and set aside.
2. In a pan fry the sliced mushrooms adding a little salt. Spoon out in a bowl.
3. Scramble the egg in a tbsp of oil adding salt. Remove from the pan.
4. In a wok heat the remaining oil and fry the garlic until golden brown and crisp.
5. Add the black pepper and red chilli flakes.
6. Mix the drained rice, fried mushrooms and scrambled egg.
Serve hot.

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GAI MEI BAO / CHINESE COCKTAIL BUNS / CHINESE COCONUT BUNS

This month in our baking group we’re baking Chinese Cocktail/ Coconut Bunsor Gao Mei Bao. This bun has its origins in Hong Kong and is a sweet bun that is filled with a buttery, milky sweet coconut paste. This bun was supposedly created some time in the 1950s in Hong Kong, when the proprietors when the owners of a local bakery were left with quite a few unsold but perfectly good buns.

 The enterprising owners ground them up with sugar to make a filling which was put into freshly baked buns the next day. While the original buns were made with filling made only from left over buns and sugar, more creative bakers eventually added more flavour to the new buns by adding coconut, butter and milk to the filling. This has now become the accepted filling for these Chinese Cocktail/ Coconut Buns.

The “Cocktail” in the name is thought to be a comparison of the rather ‘interesting’ mixture of unusual filling ingredients in the buns to a bartender’s mixture of exotic ingredients that go into creating a cocktail!!

These Buns are typically topped with two stripes and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. ( I had some extra piping mixture so made three stripes) While they’re quite easy to make, you need to make sure the filling is sealed well inside the dough. Otherwise, the seams will open up when the buns rise and the butter in the filling will leak out during baking.

Some recipes call for these buns to be brushed with a sugar or honey glaze as soon as they come out of the oven, but I skipped it as the buns are already sweet and I did not want to make them any more sweeter. If you want to use the glaze, mix together about half a tablespoon each of caster sugar and hot water for the sugar glaze or a tablespoon of honey and half a tablespoon of water for the honey glaze.

Ingredients:

For the Bread Dough:
All purpose flour ..  2 cups
Warm milk ............ 2/3 cup or little more as needed
Eggs ..................... 1
Sugar .................... 1/4 cup
Corn starch .......... 1 and 1/2 tbsps
Instant yeast ....... 1 tsp
Salt ..................... 3/4 tsp

For The Filling:
Butter ....... 50 gms (soft at room temperature)
Castor sugar ... 1 and 1/2 tbsp
All purpose flour ... 1 and 1/2 tbsp
Milk Powder ......... 1/8 cup
Fresh grated coconut ... 1/3 cup

For the Topping:
All purpose flour ... 2 tbsps
Butter .................... 25 gms (soft at room temperature)
Castor sugar ......... 2 tsps

For Brushing:
Milk or egg wash

For Sprinkling:
Sesame seeds .... 1 tbsp

Method:

Mix all the ingredients mentioned in the first list for making the bread dough in a large bowl.

Knead them into a soft dough. You can use the machine if you have it.

Remove the dough on a floured surface and knead it little more if it is sticky adding a little flour.

 Knead well for a couple of minutes to make it smooth.

Make a round ball and place it in a greased bowl covered with cling film.

Allow it to rise until double. This takes about an hour and half. (maybe little more in winter)

Meanwhile make the fillings and topping. Mix the ingredients mentioned in the second list to make the filling.

For the topping whisk together the ingredients mentioned in the third list. Set aside.

Now remove the risen dough on the working table or platform and deflate it kneading it lightly a couple of times..

Roll it into cylindrical shape and cut into 6 equal portions.

Take each portion and roll it into an oval shape about 4" by 3" long. Divide the filling into 6 equal portions. Spoon a portion on the rolled dough as shown in the picture.

Pinch together the longer sides of the oval dough together and seal the edges. Make sure you pinch it well to avoid the mixture from oozing out while baking.

Make all the buns and place them on a greased or lined baking tray with the pinched side down.

Allow the buns to rise for about 45 minutes.

Now brush them with the egg wash or milk. Pipe out 2 or 3  lines on the buns with the prepared topping.. If you don't have a piping bag you can just put the mix into a plastic bag making a conical shape, cut the tip off and use it. Sprinkle some sesame seeds.

Bake the buns in a pre-heated oven at 180 C ( 350 F) for about 20 - 25 minutes or until done. Remember that the temperature may vary a bit depending on the type / size of the oven. So keep checking.
(if you are using a glaze brush it as soon as they are out of the oven)
Serve warm or at room temperature.




We Knead to Bake - Bread # 38 @ My Diverse Kitchen hosted by Aparna Balasubramanian

(Adapted from http://thewoksoflife.com/2015/07/coconut-buns-cocktail-buns/)

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CHINESE DEEP FRIED WHOLE FISH WITH BLACK BEAN SAUCE

Deep fried whole fish topped with spicy black bean sauce is a classic Chinese side dish to enjoy with plain rice or fried rice. Select any fish that is flat and thin with center bone.

Ingredients:
Fish ... one whole  (300 - 400 gms)
Rice flour .... 1 tbsp
Red chillies .. 1-2 (sliced)
Black bean sauce ... 2 tsps
Soy sauce ............. 1 tbsp
Rice wine vinegar ... 1 tbsp
Chilli sauce ............. 1 tbsp
Sugar .................... 1 tsp
Ginger ............... 1 inch piece (juliennes)
Garlic ............... 1 tbsp (crushed)
Spring onions .... 2-3
Corn starch ..... 1 tsp
Salt ... to taste
Oil .... for deep frying use any cooking oil.
For the sauce ..... 2 tbsps sesame oil.

Method:
1. Wash the fish well. Remove scales if there are any. Slit it carefully on the side.
2. Sprinkle salt on it and set aside until you fry it.
3. Pat it dry with a kitchen tissue.
4. Sprinkle rice flour on both sides.
5. Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the whole fish turning the sides carefully until it is done. Inside should be cooked well and outside crispy. It takes about 10-12 minutes depending on the size of the fish. Keep adjusting the flame.
6. Now to prepare the sauce heat sesame seed oil in a wok.
7. Add the red chillies, crushed garlic and half of the ginger juliennes. Saute.
8. Add all the sauces one by one. Add the sugar and salt. Be careful with the salt as the sauces already contain salt.
9. Add the spring onions and cook for half a minute..
10. Now mix the corn starch in half a cup of water and stir it in the sauces. Simmer until it thickens and the sauce is ready.
11. Place the fried fish on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over it  just before serving.
.12. Garnish with spring onions and ginger juliennes. Serve with plain or fried rice.

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SPRING ONION RINGS

This snack brings back old memories of Nigeria. This was a popular snack served in the Chinese restaurants there. The snack is very bland in taste with no tempering at all except salt and ajinomoto. Hence it is always served with hot chilli sauce

Ingredients:
Spring onions ....... 2 bunches
White flour ............ 2-3 cups
Salt ........... to taste
Ajinomoto .... 1/4 tsp
Oil ... to fry

Method:

1. Cut the spring onion finely. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. salt. Mix and leave it for 5 minutes.

2. Knead the flour adding 1/2 tsp ajinomoto, salt, 2 tbsp. oil and the required quantity of water to a soft dough.

3. Squeeze out the water from the spring onion completely. The quantity now will be half. Mix 1/2 tsp of ajinomoto.


4. Roll out the dough into long strips, place a little filling as shown in the picture, close it like a long roll sealing the edges.

5. Tie a knot and seal the ends by pressing firmly.

6. Deep fry and serve with chilli garlic sauce.

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