Monday, March 27, 2006

Peanut Flavored Vegetable Fried Rice & Stir Fried Vegetables In Peanut-Chilli Sauce

Over the weekend,I cooked a very simple, visually appealing,wholesome, comforting ,nutritious meal with loads of vegetables and which didnt take in too much of cooking time.I really wasn’t in an adventurous mood and decided to play safe with the ingredients used in making a Indo-Chinese fusion meal, comprising of a vegetable stir fry and fried rice dish ,since we had an elderly guest visiting us for lunch.He is the typical Andhrite who loves his rice and chepa pulusu (fish cooked in a tangy spicy sauce) and whose meal has to have spice,definitely not bland.It was a challenge to me with hubby dear wanting to eat a meal with a Chinese flavor and a relative (with an uninitiated palate to Chinese cuisine)who loves spice and was willing to eat whatever I served him.

What I like about Indo-Chinese fusion cooking is, you have enough room to experiment from scratch,don’t have to follow any particular cookbook method,less cooking time though the preparation time is much more than the actual cooking time..:)and the recipes are not traditional in the sense that they haven’t been passed down by our grandmothers.Indo-Chinese fusion cooking is versatile(free-style) in the fact that you can mix and match different foods and ingredients,flavors and textures to suit your palate and gives you the freedom to concote your own recipes.
So here it is, my creation Indo-Chinese medley of a simple and easy ,yet flavorful and nutritious peanut flavored vegetable fried rice and vegetable stir fry in peanut-chilli sauce where the cooking style or technique is primarily Chinese and infused with Indian ingredients.

Peanut Flavored Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked basmati rice or any long grained rice(each grain should be separate and the rice should be completely cool)
1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil
1 bunch of chopped spring onions
2 green chilli slit length wise
1 small cup of chopped carrots
1 small cup of chopped french beans
1 small cup of chopped cabbage
1 small cup of boiled green peas
½ tsp white pepper powder
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsps of coarsely pwd roasted peanuts
salt to taste

Heat peanut oil to a smoking hot pan or wok and add the carrots and beans and stir fry them for 2 minutes and then add the cabbage, capsicum,green chillis and onions and stir fry on high heat tossing them about till the vegetable get tender.Now add the green peas.
Immediately add the cold cooked rice ,salt,white pepper powder and peanut pwd and stir fry for sometime till rice and vegetables are nicely mixed together.
Add the vinegar and stir in everything till well mixed and then sprinkle the chopped spring onions and stir it in and serve hot.Remove the green chillis from the rice before serving.

Stir-Fried Vegetables in Peanut-Chilli Sauce

Ingredients:

1 green capsicum, cut into big pieces
1 red capsicum, cut into big pieces
2 onions (quartered)
2 carrot thinly sliced (diagonally)
1 bunch of spring onions,finely chopped
1 small cup of boiled green peas
1 cup cabbage cut into big pieces
1 tsp freshly minced ginger
2 tbsp peanut oil (I prefer peanut oil for the flavor it imparts to the food and it holds up to the hot-pan temp which is vital to chinese cooking)
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed in 3-4 tbsps of water

For sauce:
7-8 tbsps of water
7-8 garlic flakes (fry in a tsp of oil till rawness disappears)
4-5 dry red chillis (deseed and soak in water for 10 minutes so that the pungency is reduced)..you can reduce the chillis if you want less spice
3 tbsps roasted peanuts
1 tbsp of grated jaggery (or brown sugar or panela)
Grind all the above ingredients for the sauce to a paste.
Heat a pan or wok to smoking hot and then add oil.Add minced ginger and stir fry for a few seconds and let the aroma permeate the kitchen.Now add carrots and stir fry for a minute and then add the cabbage,capsicum and onions.Now stir fry all the vegetables constantly till tender.Dont over cook them.They should be crunchy and crisp and not mushy.
Now add the peanut chilli sauce and soya sauce and stir fry till the vegetables are well coated.Add 2-3 tbsps of water and salt, if your find the the sauce is getting stuck to the vessel.Dont fret.Its natural and keep stir frying for a few minutes and then add the cornstarch with the water and let it combine with the vegetables till your get a glazed look to the vegetables.
Garnish with scallions and serve hot with any fried rice or noodles.

Indeed,the vegetable fried rice generously flavored with peanuts and stir fry vegetable dish in a very flavorful sauce was delicious and had my guest asking for more.I knew my tyrst with Indo-Chinese fusion cooking was successful in initiating his palate to a totally new taste.I had earlier blogged about some of my adventures with Indian-Chinese fusion cooking like Sprouts Fried Rice,Spiced Fish Fillets and Sweet and Sour Chicken Legs,and they were devoured even before they reached the dining table..:).

Since this fusion meal is loaded with nutritious vegetables,it makes an apt entry to Sweetnicks Anti-Oxidant Rich Foods ARF 5 Day as well as Meena's "From My Rasoi" March theme Fusion Foods.

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20 comments:

Lakshmi said...

good to see u back.
i will try this Stir Fried Vegetables In Peanut-Chilli Sauce

Vineela said...

Hai,
Awesome!!
I will try stir veg fry definetly.
I too make friedrice but stir fried veggie is nice accompany .
vineela

Kitchenmate said...

I love this combu, looks so yummy esp stir fried vegetables:)I am definitely trying this out:)

Unknown said...

Looks very delicious and very healthy.
U have reminded me of the Malaysian peanut gravy now.

Unknown said...

Good one, shall try out the peanut flavoured rice! Have add you to my list of fav links.
Great going Sailu

Anonymous said...

Sailu, what a delicious spread ...:) I have included this for this friday menu...One word...I can think of....It's yummmmm.

Shammi said...

Ooooh, Sailu - the rice looks so gorgeous, so professional! I'll be making this very soon, I think! :)

sailu said...

Thanks guys for all your nice comments.I loved the Indo-Chinese fusion meal and am sure you will too..:)

BDSN said...

It sure does look appealing and very mouth watering..well u made me crave now..

Vineela said...

Hi Sailu,
HAPPY UGADI TO U AND UR FAMILY.
VINEELA

Stephanie said...

Sailu...this sounds fantastic! We love fried rice, and your version, with the powdered peanuts, sounds like a real winner.

Sandra said...

I love rice and chili sauce!!!
In italy we used a similar spicy..called "peperoncino"!!!
Great sailu!!
Bye from Turin ( Italy)
Sandra

Kitchenmate said...

Happy ugadi Sailu :)

FooDcrazEE said...

hmmmm....nice touch there..with the peanuts flavour

Anonymous said...

Looks really good. What is that you served the rice on? A papad?

sailu said...

Thanks for dropping by,gourmet.I love Italian food and look forward to learning more from you.

Gini,the rice is served on cabbage leaf.

Happy Ugadi everyone and thanks for your nice comments and wishes for the New Year!

Anonymous said...

ur blog gives authentic recepies well appreciated, high quality pics and detailed discription and hope ur hubby enjoys aswell, i feel u shd generate more fusion foods abd let us know.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sailaja,

Love this recipe, it sounds really scrummy! I'm looking forward to trying it along with a host of your other delicious sounding & looking food!!

Keep those great recipes coming :o)

Hope you don't mind but I have linked to your site.

Anonymous said...

I am trying to find a recipe. We went to a chinese restraunt and had some peanuts that were covered in what seemed like powdered sugar. I would like to make some for the up coming holidays.
Thanks,
Lou
lourdesfay@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I like all your recipes sailu. Really they r very good. Your husband is really lucky to have u.