The Steaming Wok

Nepalese Peanut Salad (Badam Sandheko)

by Leave a Comment

I immediately fell in love with this simple salad after encountering it at a rooftop bar in Pokhara.  It pairs exceedingly well with beer, which is why it is often featured on bar menus throughout Nepal.  This salad is spicy, mouth tingling, sour, crunchy, and is a perfect foil for drinks.  This recipe makes enough for a crowd.  If you are doing this ahead of time, mix everything together and add the peanuts at the end so that they don’t get soggy.  Also, if you aren’t a fan of mustard oil, you can substitute with olive oil or another cooking oil, though I urge you to try it as is the first time.

 

Badam Sandheko

3 cups roasted peanuts

2 medium red onions, minced

6-9 cloves of garlic, minced

6 red chilies, minced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped

2 limes, juiced

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

2 Tbsp mustard oil

1 tsp salt

1. Mix onion, garlic, chilies, tomatoes, cilantro, juice from the two limes, cumin, coriander, mustard oil, and peanuts.  Toss and season with salt.

Every time I make this salad, I’m reminded of the beautiful lake filled with colorful boats in the center of Pokhara.

 

Stir-fried Fenugreek Leaves

by Leave a Comment

Nepal was totally transformational for me.  I could go on and on about my experience there, but one of the most surprising revelations was the food.  All I had heard from friends who had visited or trekked there was that the food was monotonous and boring with days on end of beans and rice.  Though these are staples for many Nepalese, the food there is anything but boring.  With over twenty ethnic groups and a varied climate, it shouldn’t be surprising that the cuisine is as diverse as Nepal’s people.  There is an interesting mix of influences from India, China, and Tibet and it really shows.  This dish below uses many of the spices common in India, and is perhaps one of my favorites.  Fenugreek is wonderfully bitter, though it can also be a bit tough.  Look for tender stalks and make sure to trim away all of the tough bits before cooking.  This is equally delicious with other greens.  I sometimes do this same preparation for spinach or kale.

Stir-Fried Fenugreek Leaves

3 bunches of fenugreek – look for bunches that are not too woodsy

1-2 Tbsp oil

1 handful of dried chilies

1 tsp fenugreek seed

1 onion, minced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp tumeric

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp coriander powder

2 Tb butter

1. Remove the woodsy stems of the fenugreek and wash thoroughly.  Fenugreek tends to have a lot of sand so I usually swirl it around in a sink of water.  Keep repeating until there is no longer any sand and dry.

2. Heat the oil in a fry pan until hot and add your dried chilies and fenugreek and toss for about 1 minute until fragrant.  Be careful as the chilies easily burn.

3. Add the minced onion and garlic and fry until they begin to brown.

4. Add tumeric, cumin, and coriander, and fenugreek leaves and stir-fry over medium heat until the leaves begin to wilt.  Toss in the butter and stir to coat and season to taste with salt.

Enjoy

Dali Grilled Eggplant with Chili bean sauce

by Leave a Comment

One of the first impressions I had of Dali in Yunnan Province was the freshness and variety of vegetables and produce.  Local restaurants competed for customers with colorful displays of all of the seasonal produce on offer.  Some establishments would have up to 20 varieties of mushrooms, others would focus on green vegetables and herbs, and so on.  This variety extended into the street food.  Perhaps the best meal I had was at a small sidewalk cafe that cooked everything over a charcoal grill.  This dish is my own interpretation.  I was trying to capture the smoky silkiness of the grilled eggplant they had to offer.

 

Recipe for Dali Grilled Eggplant with Chili Bean Sauce

3-4 small eggplants or Japanese eggplants ( You can also use large Italian eggplant, though they tend to be a bit more bitter)

1 cup raw peanuts

1-2 Tbsp cooking oil

2-3 Tbsp Sichuan Chili Bean paste

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

soy sauce

1. Prick the eggplants with a fork or skewer to allow steam to escape as they cook. Grill whole  eggplant on medium heat.  I like to use a charcoal grill with the lid closed.  Grill until the skins turn a mahogany brown.  The skin should start wrinkling.  The aim here is for the inside of the eggplant to be fully cooked and soft.

2. While eggplant is grilling, heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over medium high heat.  Once hot, add the raw peanuts and lightly toast.   Be sure to keep a close eye on the nuts as they easily burn, adjusting the heat as necessary.  I usually agitate the pan to insure the nuts move and are evenly browned. Once they start emitting a toasted aroma, remove them from heat.  At this point, I usually remove them from the pan to stop them from browning further.

3. Remove the eggplant from the grill and split them down the center.  Smear each half with chili bean paste to taste.  Check to see how salty your paste is.  If necessary, drizzle a little bit of soy over the top.

4.  Top the eggplants with cilantro, green onions, and peanuts and serve while still hot.

It couldn’t be simpler!

Coconut Glazed Ube Donuts

by Leave a Comment

Since it is National Donut Day, I figure it would be fitting to post my recipe for coconut glazed ube donuts.  I’m always looking for dessert ideas inspired by Asian ingredients and this one seemed to be a no-brainer.  When I was in the Philippines, it seemed like purple sweet potatoes, or ube,  popped up everywhere.  There were ube cakes and cupcakes, ice-cream, bread, even chocolate bars with ube.  Although I didn’t spend enough time in Manila to sample many of these treats, it did give me the idea to devise this recipe.

I have been a bit of donut kick after visiting Federal Donuts in Philadelphia.  I figured it was time to try out this variation of a spud nut or potato donut.  I also adapted a basic glaze recipe to incorporate coconut.  I was pleased with the initial result, but should you have left-overs, be careful with storing these donuts as the glaze tends to get soggy if it is too warm or humid.  I recommend storing these in the refrigerator.  I still have a notebook full of donut ideas and will have to slowly whittle it down.  Vietnamese coffee, Thai ice-tea, pandanus, tamarind, lychee and white chocolate, matcha green tea, chestnut, rose petal, and cardamom.  What do you think?

Coconut Glazed Ube Donuts

3/4 frozen purple sweet potatoes

2 1/2 cups flour, plus flour for dusting work surfaces

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

…

Read More

Xinjiang-style Lamb Skewers

by Leave a Comment

While studying chemical engineering as an exchange student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, I would often look to the music collection at the campus library as a respite to the heat and frenetic pace of Hong Kong.  It was through this collection that I discovered Kitaro’s Silk Road recordings and became enamored with China’s Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.  This region which borders Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia Pakistan, and Tajikistan is home to a large population of muslim Uighurs whose cuisine reflects a mix of Central Asian influences that make it want of my favorite cuisines.  Uighur food is gaining in popularity and small street stalls are popping up all over China’s largest cities serving lamb skewers or chuar. During summer evenings in Beijing, smoke from the charcoal grill ofmy local street stall would filter up to my apartment and at less than $.50 per skewer, they were always an irresistible treat. Luckily they are super easy to prepare.  I have shared my own version for lamb skewers, but this works equally well with chicken or beef.  I like to toss the meat in all the seasonings ahead of time to allow the spices to really adhere to the meat, but if you are running short on time, it’s not absolutely necessary.

Xinjiang-style Lamb Skewers

2 lbs. boneless lamb (I like to use leg of lamb)

2 -3 Tbs whole cumin

1 Tbs sea-salt

1-2 Tbs whole coriander

1-2 Tbs minced garlic

1 Tbs chili flakes

1. Slice the lamb into small bite-size cubes.  I prefer cubes on the smaller side since I feel this allows for more of the surface to char while being grilled. Be sure not to trim off all of the fat.  You want some of the fat on the skewers to keep the meat from drying out.  In fact, when I asked my local street stall owner, he insisted that 1/4 of the meat should be fat.  Much of the fat melts away during cooking and when the liquid fat drips on to hot charcoal it smokes and adds a lot of flavor to the meat.  So please, don’t trim all of the fat off.  If using chicken, I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs which also have a higher fat content and stay moist on the grill.

2. Lightly pound the cumin, salt, and coriander in a mortar and pestle to break down the spices a bit.  This will release some of the flavors, however, you don’t want to completely pulverize the spices.  You want to insure that you have some whole pieces of spices.  They will form a delicious crust on the meat.  Mix the remaining spices with the lamb and toss to coat.  I sometimes add a little bit of olive oil if the meat looks dry or is really lean.

3. Threat the meat on to bamboo skewers.  Be sure not to leave gaps and try to make the skewers even so that the meat all cooks at the same rate.  It helps if you soak the skewers for an hour beforehand so that they don’t burn on the grill.

4.  Grill over medium to high heat.  Depending on the size of the skewers and the heat of the grill, this can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy!  I like to serve these with some steamed rice, yogurt, and salted tomato slices.

Shoyu Koji with Cucumbers

by Leave a Comment

This isn’t really much of a recipe, but I think it deserves mention anyway.  Everytime I have this dish, it takes me back to the hot muggy summers in Kesennuma when all of the hotels opened up roof-top beer gardens and served simple grilled dishes and beer.  These beer gardens would be denoted by bright red lanterns, but before even approaching, the first signs of the beer garden would be the laughter and music streaming down.  My favorite beer garden would serve chilled spears of cucumber with miso and vinegar or occasionally a small dish of Shoyu Koji.  This in my mind is the perfect match to a frosty mug of beer.

Although these cucumbers are great with miso and vinegar, the miso can be a bit salty.  If you do decide to go that route, buy a good quality organic miso. I prefer the red or brown miso (Sendai style) which tend to be a bit more robust than the yellow or white misos that you will occasionally see.  Add just a few drops of rice vinegar to thin out the miso and add some acidity.

Although it can be difficult to find, Shoyu koji, the pre-cursor of soy sauce, is a bit sweeter and is my favorite.  Shoyu koji is actually a mix of fire roasted grains, soy beans, salt, spring water, and koji culture which is the starter for kicking off the fermentation of soy sauce.  Look for it in the refrigerated section of your local Asian market.  It is often hidden between tubs of miso and Japanese pickled vegetables (tsukemono).

 

Yunnan Pineapple Salad

by Leave a Comment

Although Yunnan, a Southwestern province of China that borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam, does not have a cuisine that is very well known outside of China, it is becoming increasingly popular in Beijing and Shanghai, and it is only a matter of time before the West catches on to the unique flavors that Yunnan has to offer.  Yunnan is largely tropical and subtropical and borrows many of the same ingredients used in neighboring Southeast Asia.  In addition, Yunnan is home to many of China’s ethnic minorities insuring that a diversity of influences has helped shape its cuisine.  This refreshing salad exemplifies this diversity and mixes salty, sour, spicy and sweet flavors tthat will literally set your tongue on fire.  This recipe is my own attempt to replicate one of my favorite dishes at Yunnan restaurant In & Out in Beijing.  There is nothing better than this simple salad that takes less than 15 minutes to prepare on hot summer day.  The acidity of the salad also pairs really well with grilled meat skewers.

 

Recipe for Yunnan Pineapple Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

3 Tablespoons good quality fish sauce

1 Tablespoon sugart

3-4 red chilies, seeded and minced

1 pineapple – trimmed and cut into bite size wedges

3 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves, finely shredded.

1. In a medium bowl, mix the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chilies, making sure that sugar completely dissolves.

2. Toss in the pineapple and fold in the mint.  If you arre going to make this in advance, mix the dressing and the pineapple and refrigerate.  Just before serving, toss in your mint so that it doesn’t discolor.

Poached Asian Pears

by Leave a Comment

 

When I entertain, I’m always looking for a simple dessert to finish the meal.  Though meals in Asia do not typically include a dessert course, I think fruit makes the perfect choice.  Whether it is perfectly ripe tangerines that are sliced into wedges, fried banana spring rolls, lychee sorbet, or these poached pears, the options are limitless.  I like these pears because they are redolent of cinnamon and anise and are sweetened with palm sugar.  They are super simple and pair well with vanilla ice cream or yoghurt.

I usually use Japanese pears, sometimes referred to as Nashi, apple pears, or Asian pears because the are very firm and hold up well to being poached.  They also have  a nice crisp and juicy texture and have a very sweet, almost honey-like flavor.

Poached Japanese Pears

4 Japanese pears (you may substitute with any firm pear)

2 cups water

2 cups palm sugar (you may substitute dark brown sugar)

4 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

Zest of 2 oranges

  1. Combine the water, palm sugar, star anise, cinnamon, and orange rind in a small saucepan and bring to  a boil.
  2. While your poaching liquid is coming to a boil, peel, halve, and core your pears.
  3. Add pears to the liquid.  If they are not completely covered by liquid, add more water to insure that the surfaces of the pears are submerged.  I sometimes use a lid to weight down the pears.
  4. Reduce the heat so that you have a gentle simmer and continue poaching the pears for 30-45 minutes.  (Depending on the ripeness and variety of pear, your cooking time can vary.  Test the pears to see if they are fork tender)
  5. Remove the pears from the pan, but reserve your poaching liquid.  Simmer the syrup until slightly reduced and thickened.
  6. When ready to serve, place poached pears in serving dishes (with ice cream or yoghurt if desired) and drizzle with reduced syrup.

 

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mian)

by Leave a Comment

 

I was thumbing through some old copies of Saveur Magazine recently and found their recipe for Taiwanese beef noodle soup (牛肉面）and thought I should experiment a bit in the kitchen.  As a student in Taiwan, I would often stop by the small street vendors at the night markets to pick up a steaming bowl of chewy egg noodles in spicy broth.  I always knew how to find the best vendor by following the slurping noises from happy patrons.

It seems like every Asian country in the region has their own version of this dish, but even within Taiwan it is possible to find many different types of beef noodles with each cook putting their own personal stamp on the dish.  Some cooks will braise the beef in soy sauce and make (hong shao niu rou mian) or red braised beef noodles, but my favorite version involves stir frying the beef with chili bean paste before serving with the soup.  Although the dish is thought to have originated with Muslim Hui Chinese, it has become one of Taiwan’s national dishes.

This version is my own adaptation of Saveur’s recipe.

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Serves 6

4 lbs. bone-in beef shank portions

1/4 cup Chinese rice wine (I use Shaoxing wine) or sherry

2 tbsp. black peppercorns

10 cloves of garlic, crushed

8 plum tomatoes, quartered

6 whole star anise

3 yellow onions, quartered

2 dried red chiles de arbol, or other fragrant red chiles

4″ piece of ginger

3 tbsp. Chinese black vinegar

12 baby bok choy

1 lb. Chinese egg noodles

Pickled mustard to garnish

3 tbsp Chinese chili bean paste (look for paste that has broadbeans)

thick black soy sauce to season

cilantro to garnish

  1. Put the beef in a pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then remove the meat and rinse out the pot and start over with clean water to cover.  This will help to remove any impurities and insures a clean, clear tasting broth.
  2. Add wine, peppercorns, garlic, tomatoes, star anise, onions, chiles, and ginger and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2 hours.
  3. Remove meat from broth and shred.  Strain remaining broth, removing solids.  You may also want to skim the surface of the broth of excess fat.
  4. Add vinegar, and season with soy sauce.  You may also want to season with pepper if necessary.
  5. Bring fresh pot of water to a boil and add bok choy to briefly par-boil.  This should only take a few minutes.  Then add noodles and cook until softened.  Cooking time will vary depending upon the thickness of your noodles.  Place a portion of noodles in each bowl and top with bok choy.
  6. While noodles are cooking, briefly stir fry meat in skillet or  with chili bean paste until fragrant.
  7. Top each bowl with a portion of shredded meat.  Garnish with pickled mustard and cilantro if desired.

Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)

by Leave a Comment


I was fortunate enough this past Thanksgiving to receive a container of homemade cabbage and radish kimchi from one of my mom’s friends in Atlanta.  Although this meant making the 11 hour drive back to DC with a bucket of kimchi in the back seat,  it was well worth it.  Young’s kimchi was pungent with chili and garlic and was perhaps the best kimchi I have had the pleasure of eating.  This includes all of   the kimchi I sampled last year while in Seoul.  I’m still working on getting her secret recipe, but until then I will share one of my favorite recipes for using kimchi.

Whenever I have an abundance of kimchi I like to make kimchi Jjigae or stew.  This works particularly well with kimchi that you have had in your fridge for a while.  The more pungent and sour it is, the better.

Korean Kimchi Jjigae

Serves 4

2 tablespoons Sesame oil

1 pound thinly sliced pork belly (this also works well with thinly sliced beef sirloin)

2 tablespoons Korean chili paste

4 cloves garlic thinly sliced

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 cups cabbage kimchi coarsely chopped – liquid reserved

2 cups chicken broth

1 pound tofu chopped into cubes

5 green onions thinly sliced

  1. Toss meat with chili paste and garlic and let rest for 30 minutes so some of the flavors of the paste can infuse into the meat.
  2. Heat the sesame oil in a pan  over medium-high heat until hot and add pork and cook for a few minutes until the meat is browned.  Throw in the onions and briefly fry until the onions have softened a bit, the intent here is not to brown the onions but to let them soften a bit.
  3. Add the kimchi, including all the liquid to the pan and stir in chicken broth.  Let this mixture simmer for 5-10 minutes.
  4. Add the tofu and let the mixture simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes to insure that the flavor from the kimchi has permeated the tofu.  Taste at this point for salt and pepper.  I find that it rarely needs additional salt as the kimchi tends to have enough salt.
  5. Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions.