I'm always a bit of a nerve-wreck when writing about food. I kinda envision the Goddess of Food to float from above into my messy kitcken, you know Goddess-style, and say, "Foolishness! Thou art no food expert! That Dal Makhani you maketh this eventide....One word...catastrophe!" And then she goes on to invite me for a cook-off with her junior apprentices while the other Gods trash-talk the life out of me....
[Pinches herself back to reality.]
I mean to say there are so many talented culinary artists out there and I'm just one in the making with a few (Alright, many) inconsistencies to my repertoire. There are days when I can perfectly flip an omelette and watch in narcissistic admiration while its palor embraces marvellously a warm, sun-kissed, perfectly circular form, and other days... well, let's just say it resembles a tan gone horribly wrong, for lack of a better euphemism ...However, I'm a great taster and that's what's served me well in my culinary expedition. In fact, it's kinda like one of my neuroses. It's annoying that I can point out exactly what's missing in a curry everyone finds flawless or what's that magic ingredient that would shroud an unexpected mishap.Yea, bit of a genius there!
And here's what happened the other day. For my birthday, we went out for some outrageously expensive Chinese food at one of the Michelin-starred restaurants that everyone's been raving about. The ambiance was to die for! While I loved the food and paid the chef my compliments and everything, during dessert, I was, rather unexpectedly, shoved inside a time capsule only to emerge in one of my most favourite restaurants as a kid.
Fang Fang. It was this upmarket restaurant in Kampala city rendered highly popular by its dainty hostess and owner of the restaurant who hobnobbed with all the creme-de-la-creme of the city. Her glib charm and gracious smile drew people from all over the country. To us, it became something like visiting an aunt.
Of course, my brother and I were kids back then and also notorious for being picky eaters. By some stretch of imagination or maybe just plain instinct, we ordered this delicacy, which was just one of the many crowd-pleasing delights concocted in her magical kitchen. I'm sure. (Errr, we never got on to trying much else.)
Babycorn Stir-fried with Cashewnuts...
Nothing seductive in the title itself. I don't even know if there was a rationale to ordering it. Like did we ask the hostess if she'd say it's nouvelle cuisine? Did we think it had a rich Oriental undercurrent? Or a rare reinterpretation of something classically ubiquitous, perhaps? Oh for God's sake, I was 12! (And Masterchef Australia hadn't made it to TV back then.). Guess it was a gut feeling then. Whatever; from that day on, it was lodged in my mind.
Like a grappling hook.
And this strange visit down the memory lane brought with it that indomitable urge to resurrect it from the corners of my mind. How do I recall it? Crisp, greaseless, airy babycorn tempura mash up with succulent, sweet cashew morsels bathed in a vivid mahogany, subtly spiced, ginger-fragrant sauce. Yup, no pyrotechincs involved here, as is the norm in the Indo-Chinese nuptial of flavor.
And thus began the quest for reliving this warm memory. The end result was prett-ay, prett-ay, pretty good. I took the liberty to jazz it up with my all-time favorite pantry product - fresh basil. We ate it with some egg-fried rice. Sublime!
And if I've managed to pique your curiosity enough, here is the recipe:
(Chef's Note: It goes without saying but remember to use absolutely fresh ingredients. Quite an ordeal if you live in a big city but make the extra effort to hunt it down, beyond your local subziwaalas . I find organic stores to be the best. Fresh ingredients are very important in order to cook up a good Chinese meal)
Babycorn Stir-fried with Cashewnuts in Chilli-Basil Sauce
Serves 2
150 gms babycorn, parboiled and cut into thick circles
75 gms cashew nuts, halved
3-4 fresh red chillies, broken
9-10 fresh basil leaves, torn
1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped (whites and greens separated)
3 fat cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
2-inch ginger, minced
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Ching's red chilli sauce (can also use Hoisin for a sweet-sour taste)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
Salt to taste (I used celery salt for flavor)
For the Tempura batter:
100 gms cornflour
150 gms plain flour
10 gms baking powder
Water (Alternatively, you can use iced soda water to get it extra crispy)
Preparation:
I. Babycorn Tempura
1. In a large bowl, whisk together cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and just enough water to get a thick, pancake batter like consistency.
2. Stir in the parboiled babycorn chunks into the batter until well-coated.
3. Heat enough oil in a pan for the babycorn tempura to swim freely in it and get it to a smokey-hot temperature.
4. Flash-fry in the pan for a minute. Scoop it out and remove any excess oil.
II. Honey-Caramelized Cashew Nuts
1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan.
2. Add the cashew nuts and saute them lightly.
3. Pour enough honey over them until the cashews are coated. The coating should be thick and a little sticky.
4. Saute for another 5 minutes over medium flame until the caramelized honey is absorbed.
III. Cornflour Mix:
1. In a small bowl, add cornflour to one and a half cups water. Add salt to taste. (You can also use celery salt as it blends well with the sauce.) Stir till you can no longer feel the cornflour lumps.
Method:
1. Heat a wok or a non-stick iron skillet over high heat. The wok is ready when you put a drop of water into the wok and it evaporates immediately.
2. Add oil in the wok and swirl it around. Now add the spring onion whites, ginger and garlic and stir-fry vigorously for a minute on a high flame.
3. Add the broken red chillies and toss the pan until you see the seeds disperse.
4. Stir in the babycorn tempura and honey-caramelized cashews. Toss them around gently.
5. Now, add to the pan soy sauce, chilli sauce, salt to taste, vinegar and the cornflour mix. Mix well.
6. Stir-fry on medium heat until the sauce thickens.
7. Garnish with torn basil leaves while the pan is still on heat and place the lid over it for a minute. Remove from heat.
8. Serve hot on a bed of egg-fried rice.
Note: This is mildly spiced. You can fire it up some notches with more chillies to your preference.
Do you have any food memories that have lingered long enough for you to bring them to life? I'd love to hear from you in your comments below :).
[Pinches herself back to reality.]
I mean to say there are so many talented culinary artists out there and I'm just one in the making with a few (Alright, many) inconsistencies to my repertoire. There are days when I can perfectly flip an omelette and watch in narcissistic admiration while its palor embraces marvellously a warm, sun-kissed, perfectly circular form, and other days... well, let's just say it resembles a tan gone horribly wrong, for lack of a better euphemism ...However, I'm a great taster and that's what's served me well in my culinary expedition. In fact, it's kinda like one of my neuroses. It's annoying that I can point out exactly what's missing in a curry everyone finds flawless or what's that magic ingredient that would shroud an unexpected mishap.Yea, bit of a genius there!
And here's what happened the other day. For my birthday, we went out for some outrageously expensive Chinese food at one of the Michelin-starred restaurants that everyone's been raving about. The ambiance was to die for! While I loved the food and paid the chef my compliments and everything, during dessert, I was, rather unexpectedly, shoved inside a time capsule only to emerge in one of my most favourite restaurants as a kid.
Fang Fang. It was this upmarket restaurant in Kampala city rendered highly popular by its dainty hostess and owner of the restaurant who hobnobbed with all the creme-de-la-creme of the city. Her glib charm and gracious smile drew people from all over the country. To us, it became something like visiting an aunt.
Of course, my brother and I were kids back then and also notorious for being picky eaters. By some stretch of imagination or maybe just plain instinct, we ordered this delicacy, which was just one of the many crowd-pleasing delights concocted in her magical kitchen. I'm sure. (Errr, we never got on to trying much else.)
Babycorn Stir-fried with Cashewnuts...
Nothing seductive in the title itself. I don't even know if there was a rationale to ordering it. Like did we ask the hostess if she'd say it's nouvelle cuisine? Did we think it had a rich Oriental undercurrent? Or a rare reinterpretation of something classically ubiquitous, perhaps? Oh for God's sake, I was 12! (And Masterchef Australia hadn't made it to TV back then.). Guess it was a gut feeling then. Whatever; from that day on, it was lodged in my mind.
Like a grappling hook.
And this strange visit down the memory lane brought with it that indomitable urge to resurrect it from the corners of my mind. How do I recall it? Crisp, greaseless, airy babycorn tempura mash up with succulent, sweet cashew morsels bathed in a vivid mahogany, subtly spiced, ginger-fragrant sauce. Yup, no pyrotechincs involved here, as is the norm in the Indo-Chinese nuptial of flavor.
And thus began the quest for reliving this warm memory. The end result was prett-ay, prett-ay, pretty good. I took the liberty to jazz it up with my all-time favorite pantry product - fresh basil. We ate it with some egg-fried rice. Sublime!
And if I've managed to pique your curiosity enough, here is the recipe:
(Chef's Note: It goes without saying but remember to use absolutely fresh ingredients. Quite an ordeal if you live in a big city but make the extra effort to hunt it down, beyond your local subziwaalas . I find organic stores to be the best. Fresh ingredients are very important in order to cook up a good Chinese meal)
Babycorn Stir-fried with Cashewnuts in Chilli-Basil Sauce
Serves 2
150 gms babycorn, parboiled and cut into thick circles
75 gms cashew nuts, halved
3-4 fresh red chillies, broken
9-10 fresh basil leaves, torn
1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped (whites and greens separated)
3 fat cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
2-inch ginger, minced
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Ching's red chilli sauce (can also use Hoisin for a sweet-sour taste)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
Salt to taste (I used celery salt for flavor)
For the Tempura batter:
100 gms cornflour
150 gms plain flour
10 gms baking powder
Water (Alternatively, you can use iced soda water to get it extra crispy)
Preparation:
I. Babycorn Tempura
1. In a large bowl, whisk together cornflour, plain flour, baking powder and just enough water to get a thick, pancake batter like consistency.
2. Stir in the parboiled babycorn chunks into the batter until well-coated.
3. Heat enough oil in a pan for the babycorn tempura to swim freely in it and get it to a smokey-hot temperature.
4. Flash-fry in the pan for a minute. Scoop it out and remove any excess oil.
II. Honey-Caramelized Cashew Nuts
1. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan.
2. Add the cashew nuts and saute them lightly.
3. Pour enough honey over them until the cashews are coated. The coating should be thick and a little sticky.
4. Saute for another 5 minutes over medium flame until the caramelized honey is absorbed.
III. Cornflour Mix:
1. In a small bowl, add cornflour to one and a half cups water. Add salt to taste. (You can also use celery salt as it blends well with the sauce.) Stir till you can no longer feel the cornflour lumps.
Method:
1. Heat a wok or a non-stick iron skillet over high heat. The wok is ready when you put a drop of water into the wok and it evaporates immediately.
2. Add oil in the wok and swirl it around. Now add the spring onion whites, ginger and garlic and stir-fry vigorously for a minute on a high flame.
3. Add the broken red chillies and toss the pan until you see the seeds disperse.
4. Stir in the babycorn tempura and honey-caramelized cashews. Toss them around gently.
5. Now, add to the pan soy sauce, chilli sauce, salt to taste, vinegar and the cornflour mix. Mix well.
6. Stir-fry on medium heat until the sauce thickens.
7. Garnish with torn basil leaves while the pan is still on heat and place the lid over it for a minute. Remove from heat.
8. Serve hot on a bed of egg-fried rice.
Note: This is mildly spiced. You can fire it up some notches with more chillies to your preference.
Do you have any food memories that have lingered long enough for you to bring them to life? I'd love to hear from you in your comments below :).
