Spicy Chili Prawn

In one of entry, I cooked spicy chili prawns with egg tofu using Singlong Chili Crab sauce. But I didn't have that yesterday, so I whipped out my own chili crab sauce. 

Ingredients

Marinate for the shrimps

• 25 medium size shrimps

• 2 tbsp of shaoxing wine

• a pinch of salt 

• 2 to 3 dash of white pepper

• 1 tbsp of corn flour

For chili sauce

• 2 slice of a inch ginger

• 4 garlic cloves

• 2 white part of scallion

• 3 tsp of Spicy Chili Bean Paste

• 3 tbsp of tomato ketchup

• 2 tbsp of chili sauce

• 2 chili padi

• 1/2 cup of chicken broth

• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine

• 2 tsp of sugar

• 2 tsp of sesame oil

• 2 eggs

For thickening

• 1 tbsp of corn flour + 2 tbsp of water

For garnish

• scallions

Directions

1. Wash, deshell and devein the prawns.
2. Pat dry the prawns and marinate them with the above mentioned marinate ingredients for prawns. Set a side.
3. Mince the ginger, garlic and the scallion. Set aside.
4. Slice the chili padi and remove all the seeds. Set aside. 
5. Pan fry the prawns on each side. Remove once it turn orange. *Note: It is okay if the centre is grey. Set aside. 
6. In a pan, heat a tsp of sesame oil over medium heat, fry the mince ginger, garlic and scallion till fragrant. 
7. Lower the heat and add in the chili bean paste and tomato ketchup. Stir well. 
8. Pour in the chicken broth, shaoxing wine and sugar. Mix well.
9. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes. Add in the half cooked prawns. Coat the prawns well. 
10. Add in the slice chili padi and 1 tsp of sesame oil. Thicken the sauce with the corn flour mixture. 
11. Beat 2 eggs and pour them onto the sauce. Over the pan with a lid for a few minutes and turn off the heat. 
12. Dish up. Garnish and serve it hot. 

Note: my family loves spicy food, that's why chili padi was added. 

Spicy Chili Prawns with Egg Tofu

Having to organise a makan session for my family, I was a mess!

I wasn't focus as to what dish to prepare and what to buy in advance. I need something quick but delicious. I saw this bottle of chili sauce at Cold Storage with a tiny recipe tag on top of it. So I decide to try this.

Oh well...its like playing russian roulette. Either it is a hit or miss. Luckily for me, it was a hit!

It was well liked by all except those who doesn't take spicy food.

Be warned, Singlong Chili Crab sauce is indeed spicy. Not for children.

I made a few changes to this recipe such as adding egg tofu, chopped garlic and tomato ketchup. 

Ingredients

• 700g of prawns deshelled *I didn't manage to get any fresh big prawns, I decided to use frozen ones. 
• 2 tube of egg tofu
• 5 tbsp corn flour *for coating the egg tofus
• 3 gloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 bottle of Singlong Chili Crab sauce - weighing 380g
• 1 bottle of water - 380g *I used the singlong bottle
• 3 tbsp of tomato ketchup 
• 1/2 tbsp of corn flour 
• 1 egg
• Cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Deshell and devein the prawns. Set aside
2. Cut the egg tofu in to a inch thick. Coat them with corn flour. 
3. Pan fried the egg tofu till golden brown. Set aside on a kitchen towel.
   
4. Using the same pan, fry the chopped garlic till fragrant. Add in the prawns. Fry each side fot he prawn. Once both sides turn orange but the centre is still grey, dish it up. 
5. In a pot, pour in the bottle of Singlong Chili Crab sauce, tomato ketchup and the bottle of water with the 1/2 tbsp of corn flour. Stir well.
6. Add in the prawns with the garlic in to the pot.
7. Add in the fried egg tofu and mix it with the sauce. 
8. Beat an egg and pour in. Once it is boiling, off the heat. 
9. Dish up and garnish with cilantro.

Sze Chuan Ma Po Tofu - 四川麻婆豆腐

This is my second time cooking this. My brothers prefer my cooking over my mom, so whenever I go back to my parents', I will be the cook for the day. hahaa...it pissed my mom sometimes. Oops. 

Anyway my 麻婆豆腐 recipe is here to share:

四川麻婆豆腐 

Ingredients

2 box of chinese tofu

200g minced pork

2 tsp szechuan peppercones, ground *

5 dried dry chilies, coarsely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 slices of a inch ginger, finely chopped

1 tsp fermented black beans, mashed

1 tbsp chili bean paste

Corn flour mixture - 2 tsp corn starch with 2 tbsp room temp water, set aside

1 stalk spring onions, chopped

* For a more fragrant peppercorns, toast them in a oven before grounding. Sieve the ground peppercorns before adding them into the wok. 

Seasonings

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

A pinch of salt, or to taste

Marinate for pork

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

2 tsp hua tiao wine

1/2 tsp corn flour

1/2 tsp cooking oil

Preparation

1. Marinate minced pork and set aside for 15 minutes. 
2. Cut tofu to your desired size. Bring water and a tsp salt to a boil, add in the diced tofu.
3. Once the water boils again, simmer over low heat. Drain tofu.
4. Over medium flame, heat oil in wok. Toss in the finely chopped garlic and ginger, fry a few minutes. 
5. Add in the mashed fermented black beans, dried chilies and chili bean paste. Saute till fragrant.
6. Toss in the marinated pork; mash any big meat lumps while stir frying. When the pork is semi-cooked, gently add in the drained tofu. 
7. Lower the flame and carefully stir the tofu into the sauce.
8. Add in the ground szechuan peppercorns and seasonings. Gently mix them well.
9. Thicken with the corn flour mixutre. 
10. Add in half a handful of chopped spring onion and stir. 
11. Dish up and garnish with the remaining chopped spring onion. 

Note: 

1. Add more dried chilies and chili padi if you like it spicy.

General Tso Chicken

I can consider myself as a meat lover. Chicken is one of the meat I love to cook with. It is easy to prepare.

After cooking this dish for dinner, I am sold. It is one of my favourite chicken dish. 

Try cooking them at home. Its alot cheaper than having it at a restaurant. Yes it may be fuss free to have at the restaurants but when you can cook at home, you can control the oil. I tend to use minimal oil when cooking, its healthier. And I get to choose the meat part I prefer, removing the skins, bones and fats before cooking them. 

This dish may be a little tedious because of the deep frying but its worthwhile. With the sticky tangy taste, it goes well with a steamed white rice. 

For those who prefer chicken breast, feel free to replace the chicken thighs. I am biased towards chicken thighs! So pardon me here. :P

For those who prefer spicier food, you can increase the number of dried chilies. Well, I have added chili padi (bird's eye chili). Hot & spicy!!!

Here is the recipe, General Tso Chicken

Ingredients

4 to 5 pieces of boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite size

1/2 tbsp hua tiao/shaoxing wine

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 tbsp oil

4 slices of peeled ginger (finely minced)

1 garlic clove (finely minced)

5 dried red chilies (rinsed and seeds removed)

2 stalks of scallion or spring onion for garnish

Sauce

3 tbsp of chinese rice vinegar

2 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce

1/2 tbsp of dark soy sauce (for colouring)

1 tsp of hoisin sauce

1/4 cup of water

2 1/2 tbsp of sugar

1/2 tbsp of chinese wine

1 tbsp of cornstarch (for thickening)

Method

Marinate the chicken meat with chinese wine and salt for 15 mins. Mix all the ingredients for the Sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

Coat the chicken pieces generously with the 1/2 cup of cornstarch.

Heat up the oil for deep frying. Deep fry the chicken until they turn light golden brown.

Dish out with a strainer. To remove those excess oil, lay the chicken pieces on a dish lined with paper towels.

Heat up another work with 1 tbsp of oil. Add the minced ginger, garlic and dried chilies in and stir fry until there is a spicy fragrant.

Pour the Sauce into the wok. When the sauce boils and thickens, add in the chicken.

Stir and combine them well with the sauce.

Add in the scallion and stir a few times.

Dish out and serve immediately.