Kung Po Chicken

I tried this recipe few days ago..always hear about it and know that most people love it but have not tried it even once.. I think I did pretty good thing of it. My kids love it, especally Nathan.. :-)

Ingredients:

600 gr (1lb 4oz) chicken tigh fillets, cut into 1 cm (1/2 in) cubes

2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

2 tbsp shao hsing wine2 tbsp peanut oil

10 small dried red chillies

2 tbsp peanut oil, extra

5 cm (2in) piece ginger, cut into thin strips

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar

pinch Sichuan pepper and salt

Direction:

Combine chicken with cornflour and shao hsing wine in a bowl. Cover, place in refrigerator and leave to marinate for 1 hour.

Place oil and chillies in a cold wok and then turn heat to low. Cook for about a.5 minutes or until chillies begin to darken slightly. Using a slotted spoon, immediately remove chillies and drain on kitchen paper.

Leaving chilli - infused oil in wok, turn heat up to high and stir-fry half the chicken cubes for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add extra oil to wok with remaining chicken and stir-fry 3 minutes. Return all chicken to wok, along wuth the ginger and reserved chillies and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Add sugar and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add peanuts, soy sauce and vinegar and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Sichuan pepper and salt.<

Ma Po Tofu

This food is one of my husband's favourite of chinesee food. We could easily find this food in every Chinesee restaurant anywhere in Australia. But while our travel back to Indonesia last year and had an opportunity to eatgain in Cristal Jade Restaurant (one of our favo place) in Takashimaya in Singapore...well, I could not find this food. But as requested..they were willing to prepare it for us. And I just found out there are 2 types of them, with the fried tofu or just the steamed one as we usually have.

Here is the recipe...enjoy..:-)

Ingredients:

1 x 300 gr (10 oz) packet silken tofu2 tbsp peanut oil

200 gr (6.5 oz) fatty pork mince ~ or fatty beef mince

2.5 cm (1 in) piece ginger, cut into thin strips2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp salted black beans

1/4 cup shao hsing wine

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp brown sugar1 cup water

1/2 tsp Sichuan pepper n salt

1 large red chilli, finely sliced on the diagonal - optional

Chilli Paste

1 large red chilli

1 tsp sea salt1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Direction:

First, make the chilli paste. Cut chilli in half lengthways and scrape out seeds using a spoon. Finely dice chilli and pound to a fine paste with salt, chilli flakes and peppercorns using a mortar and pestle, blender or small food processor. Stir in vegetable oil and set aside.

Gently remove tofu from packet and invert onto a plate. Carefully cut into 20 cubes by cutting lenghtways into four equal slices, then widthways into five slices, drainning off any excess liquid.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a hot wok until surface seems to shimmer slightly. Add meat and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Remove meet with slotted spoon and set aside.

Add chili paste to wok with ginger, garlic and black beans, then reduce heat and stir-fry on low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Return meet to wok with wine and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add soy sauce and sugar and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Pour in water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer and carefully slide tofu into wok, gently separating the cubes as they fall into the meet mixture. Simmer, covered, for 3 minutes.

Spoon into a shallow bowl, sprinkle with Sichuan pepper and salt. Garnish with sliced chilli, if desired, and serve immediately.