Review: Amritsari Express

Address: Amritsari Express
South City Mall,
375Prince Anwar Shah Road
Kolkata

One of the most perquisite advantages that the modern era offers us is a Shopping Mall – a place to live up to a shopper’s dream to indulge in an exquisite utopia. Apart from exhibiting the renowned fashion brand chains and bringing the bare necessary living essentials under one roof, the main attraction is always the junctions where the food meets the foodies. The Food court is proliferating with high demand as this one place brings up the flavours from different region, encompassing a diverse array of cultures, countries and cuisines. Recently, after almost a decade, the food court of South City Mall, Kolkata, is refurbished and reopened with new offerings.

Chur Chur Parantha with Dal Makhani and Onion Salad

It’s been just a month and half that not all but few food stalls in the Food Court of South City Mall, Kolkata, have opened. Apart from the well known food joint chains, few stalls strive to partake the regional cuisine of India. One such is Amritsari Express. As the name suggests, there is no need to explain what cuisine is on offer.  They vouch to bring on plate the authentic Punjabi flavours picking up the most praised dishes that a Punjabi cuisine is respected for. The menu offers a plethora of pure vegetarian varieties of Paranthas/ Stuffed Paranthas with lip-smacking sides, Naan and Kulcha platters, Biriyani and rice combos, Flavoured lassis and many more.

Paneer Kulcha

The dishes, we tried, were Chur Chur Parantha along with Dal Makhani and Onion Salad,  Aloo PyaNj Kulcha with Rajama Curry and Onion Salad and Paneer Kulcha with Butter paneer and salad. The ghee slathered Paranthas/Kulchas are well made, very filling, well stuffed and tasty. The curries were silky smooth which were drown out by the flavours of nose prickling aroma. It flooded all my senses with heady froth of perfect blending of all spices that a Punjabi dish called for.

Here I should correct myself a bit. When people question about the authentic taste of a dish belongs to a particular cuisine, it becomes too judgmental. Like here, I have never been to Punjab or can’t vouch that I know exactly how authentically a Punjabi Dal Makhani or Rajma curry should taste. But I really rely on my sensual coherence that has already cooked up the dish in my mind with all the experiences, I have gathered so far. And if my taste bud approves, my heart smiles back with satiation. Here the dishes from Amritsari  Express have made no exception. Really enjoyed their food which are perfect pinch to value money. 

Specially to mention about their flavoured Lassis. Five types of chilled Lassis were served - Mango Lassi, Kesar Lassi, Strawberry Lassi, Rose Lassi and Sweet Lassi. It is so difficult to mention which one tasted better than the other. All were equally tasted good and won over my quenched soul - thick and perfectly balanced.

Happy to mention that Kolkata has one more destination to head ahead to enjoy pure vegetarian Punjabi meal. Food Plazas or Food courts always stay near to my heart. This is one place that you will never get bored trying out the same menu. So many food stalls with so many varieties, will always keep your taste bud changing. A place to succumb yourself with your near ones and let the flavours to seduce you. 
Happy Eating and Happy Blogging.

[Disclaimer: This is not a paid review but an invited on. Whatever experience got plated was served honestly.]

Celebrating Bengali New Year with Phulkopy Posto/ Cauliflower with Poppy Seeds

Bengali New year is heading and this time, I always feel nostalgic because I miss those wonderful days of my student life, my friends, and my teacher and above all my family. We cherish the different phases of our life. But I bet everyone will echo the same that the student life is the best time that everyone wants to get back it again and again. On this context, sharing few of my childhood memories which are engraved in my heart so deeply that every year on this very day I feel profoundly nostalgic and sad to get those days back.

I always felt exceedingly blessed when I thought that I had completed my education from Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, a place founded by Rabindranath Tagore. The natural beauty of the place infuses its elegance through the mode of education. The freedom of creativity and ideas always evince through the various festivals celebrated on the auspicious occasions of special calendar events. During my school days, this Bengali New Year celebration used to start a week ahead. Those days are crystal clear to me. I can still visualise the little girl holding her mother’s or father’s hand heading towards the crafts shop to buy a bunch of white blank cards with full of excitement. The next few days passed within a fraction of moment with full concentration on filling the blank cards with all those imaginary creative mentation. In our school, the best part of Naba Barsho (New Year in Bengali) celebration is the exchange of these self-created cards. Each and every student used to create cards by his/her own hand and would gift it to his/her friends or would make friends by exchanging the cards. The new day becomes emblematic for inviting new friends, divulging one’s talent through the cards and a learning process of acculturation. Now coming at this age I realise the hidden truth of the festivity. But then that was only a satiated fun to amplify the friends’ group and also an exhibition of talents. Self-written short poems used to be scripted in the cards too.

Another fun of this day was to stand in a long queue in the scorching heat only to get a Kachori and two sweets. In our school premise, this snack used to be distributed to the students on this day. These most common bites used to become too tasty and sumptuous only on this very day. Now I am never going to get back those days, the tastes. Only what I have the fragrance of the sweet retention and an urge to make alive few of those memories through my daughter. My father has few of those New Year cards made by my sister and me in his collection. Sometimes I will surely share those with you all.

True Bong nature defines us as the epicureans who are head over heel in love with food. And when it comes to cleanliness Bengalis are very particular to keep their kitchen Clean to maintain the hygiene, not just looking clean and sparkling we make sure there is not a single cockroach in the kitchen. I grow up seeing my mother using Godrej LAL HIT. And I follow her steps too. It has become a ritual to use LAL HIT at least once a week to keep my Kitchen an anti-cockroach zone. Now LAL HIT even comes with deep reach nozzle, due to which I can easily spray it in places where cockroaches hide like a sink outlet, under the fridge, under the dustbin, under the cylinder etc. Say it Non Veg or Veg dishes, Bengalis will be always seen smacking there fingers and burping with utter satisfaction. I have shared most of the time Non- Veg delicacies. But this time I am going to share a Veg-Bengali Dish. Posto/ Poppyseed is one of the important ingredients and also very common in the daily meal mostly in the west Bengal cuisine. Last time I have shared Chhana Posto/Cottage Cheese with Poppy Seeds, where I got a raving feedback. Many tried it in the following days and my inbox got flooded with appreciations. I always feel like a blessed blogger when I get the feedback from my readers considering the true success of blogging. So now let us move to the recipe with out wasting much time:

Phulkopy Posto/ Cauliflower with Poppy Seeds

Ingredients:

Cauliflower: 1 medium size

Poppy Seed - 3 tbspn heaped

Mustard Seeds- 1/2 tspn

Ginger paste: 3/4 tspn

Tomato: 1 small (Optional- See Note)

Salt & Sugar : As per taste

Mustard Oil: 4 tbspn + 1 tbspn (If needed)

Raisins: Handful Soaked (Optional)

Ghee: Few drops.

Method:

1. Cut the cauliflower in to semi small florets. Clean nicely. 

2. Boil water desolving a tea spoon full salt. Pour the florets in to it and boil for 3-4mnts. Staring and reserve.

3. Soak the poppy seeds for 5-10mnts then make a smooth paste out of it.

4. Heat 4 tbspoon of  oil in a Kadai or a deep dense pan. Make sure that the oil is hot enough. Add the cauliflower in small batch and fry till they turn brown. Strain the excess oil and then reserve them on a kitchen towel/Tissue. Repeat the same with the remaining batches.

5. Check how much oil is remaining the pan/Kodai. If more oil needed then add. Temper the mustard seeds till those sputter then add the tomatoes (If adding) and the ginger paste. Saute nicely till oil starts to separate. Add the cauliflower florets and mix nicely. Add the poppy seed paste and 1/2 cup water. Cook till the Cauliflower is cooked and the the juice dried up. Add the raisins and few drops of ghee. Fold gently and then take it off the flame and serve with hot rice.

Note:

1. You can add potato along with the Cauliflower. If potato is added then fry how you have fried the Cauliflower.

2. Tomato I hardly use. So I felt it tasted better without the Tomatoes.

This recipe is off to the ongoing online event: Poila Baishakh with Veg-Bengali Dishes by Kolkata Food Bloggers:

(Disclaimer: This Post is in association with Godrej LAL HIT)

#BookReview: The curse of Damini by Debjjani Mohanty

"Damini is not a name, and the curse is no supernatural power. Damini symbolizes the vulnerability of women in our society. Damini exists within our minds. She lives in me and in you." 

(The curse of Damini, Chapter: 34, page: 179)

Title: The Curse of Damini

Author: Debjani Mohanty

Published by: Partridge India 2015

Price: Rs. 399

Pages: 185

Rate: 4/5

The Curse of Damini is the debut novel by Debjani Mohanty. First a glimpse on the summary of the book as the blurb reads:

"The world seemed not enough for free spirited Renuka, when she married the highly educated Shashank hailing from the mightiest Zamindars of Bengal. However, soon her life turned upside down when a neighbor revealed her of their sinister past.

It is a mysterious supernatural curse cast on their family almost a century back. Generation by generation, Damini's enraged curse had passed on, declining their family clan from hundreds to a handful few. Who would be Damini's next victim? And why innocent lives are at a stake for a crime committed by an ancestor a hundred years back? Renuka would not settle until she finds an answer and in her quest she struggles to eradicate all the evils that come in her way. Would she ever win a battle against an unseen enemy? Would the wrong done to Damini be ever avenged?

Set against the nostalgic era of 1940s, the story narrates the arduous journey of Renuka Pal, the protagonist, from a rash teenage freedom fighter to the seasoned writer of the 21st century India. In this thrilling saga of death, betrayal and power play the narrative would cover a large chunk of twentieth century history. The passing of time, historical events and the changing country is so well-woven to the story that one would hardly differentiate between fact and fiction."

I was quite pulled in after reading the plot and decided to review the book - The Curse of Damini. . After reading the prologue, I thought it was a kind of haunted stories and found the dialogues pretty cinematic. But as I dug deep in more, the book took me no time to finish it. After a long time, I read a novel with such a free flowing grip that can't be left in-between. Each chapter entices to move on to the next to find out what surprise is waiting for us. Debutante Debjani Mohanty skilfully delineated the focus on the struggle of the women, their fight for existence and the search for Identity which was warmly wrapped up with a fervid romance in between the two main leads. The main protagonist Renuka is the epitome of existence with whom the womanhood has been empowered to fight against the odds. The whole story evolves around her with her encounter with different incidents that a patriarchal society exemplifies as the oppressed ruler where women are the subjects to suffer. Damini turns out to be the silent protagonist who throughout the novel haunted the women of the Roy Choudhury family as a curse but at the end, Renuka elucidates the truth of Damini who is none but the prototype of female subjugation.

                                                   The fiction started from the very backdrop of pre-independence and early independent India  when Renuka’s journey for existence started right as a freedom fighter at the age of fifteen. Slowly the story built up with a confrontation of teenage love at first sight in between Shashank (the son of Roy Choudhury family) and Renuka. Then after few years, incidentally, they got conjugally knotted against some odds where the dreams of two hearts elated with joy. The curse that haunted the Roy Choudhury family started haunting Renuka too. But Renuka with her education and rationality spiflicated the curse and established her own institution. Renuka proved herself that financial independence not only gives an identity to a lady but the power to fight back against the male dominated society. Though the half of the credit goes to her success to her husband whose constant support and understanding helped her to surmount the success. Papiya, Ichamayi, Catherine, Mandira who all are the victim of the patriarchal society, became the strength of Renuka to fight back and stood against the norms and ordinances that a patriarchal society tabooed for women. The book floated with a great acquisition denoting the women struggle in terms of rape, prostitution, several childbirth and miscarriages leading to a depression, fate of a girl child etc. The fiction covered an era starting from the pre-independence India till 21^st century remonstrating that the female struggle for existence remained more or less same. The book even ended up with the Nirbhaya rape case and Renuka’s cogitation how rape could be demolished from this society.

What I liked most, is the way the author described with minute detailing the era of Zaminder, their culture and the rituals, the riot after the partition. Being a Bengali, I very much float with the memory line that many of us may have heard the stories from our grandmothers. The author has delimitated romance as the main drive that made the readers to get hooked till the end. The character of Mandira, I found too bold and plain spoken considering the time when she was born.  Renuka’s mentation on how to stop rape broke the rhythm how the novel was flowing freely. I also wished if the Title of the book would be more theme-centric as the title is not justifying the theme of the novel. But I would really like to appreciate the way being an engineering graduate and working as a senior IT professional with one of the biggest MNCs of India, Debjani Mohanty presented her debut novel. I will be surely looking forward to her next fiction.

Macher Dimer Bora or Fish Roe Fritter

I have never thought that I will document the pure Bengali dishes in my blog. Yes, it must sound weird, as being a Bengali how come one can utter those words so easily! But to be honest, I was never a Bengali food lover. Mainly fish was not in my favourite list except Hilsa and Prawns. My taste bud always forced me to love the continental style of cooking. But once you become a mother you become aware of all the tiny little things. I became more aware to teach my daughters the root of our culture and found food is one of the most interesting contributions of it. I wanted my children to know their culture well and loved the way our each Bengali dish interweaves the memories and the stories trailing to us from our great great grandmothers. I love the way the authentic traditional recipes float to us without any change and give us the identity of who we are by birth, by food, and by culture. What was my outlook or my food habit that got lessened because maturity makes us to understand, that unless you know your root well you will be standing in a no man's land. I understood why my Father relocated back in India with us, leaving behind a promising job and a comfortable life. My father is a strong puritan when it comes to his culture and motherland. He wanted his daughters to grow as an educated lady bearing their Bengali culture as their ornaments. I am not sure how much I was able to bear it through to fulfil his dreams, but now the same dream I have woven for my daughters too. I keep on documenting the traditional household Bengali recipes for my daughters, so that when they will grow up they will not miss them out. I also realised that there are so many traditional recipes got lost with the people whom I missed so much to stay in this world alive and help me out in documenting those with the stories related to it. I miss the memories of my grandmother how she used to make each dishes so skillfully, tasty that was also using the less ingredients that a recipe calls for. I missed my Elder Mashi (Maternal Aunty, whom I used call Mamoni). She was a brilliant cook and till her death I saw her using homemade masalas made by her own. I never thought of documenting those when she was alive. But now I realised what treasure she has taken with her and what I missed.

Macher Dimer Bora or Fish roe fritter is something that is one of the most common dishes of any Bengali household cooking. My MIL makes a sumptuous curry out of it. Please check the note for the recipe. I thought of documenting this recipe for the fiture reference for my kids.

Ingredients:

Machher Dim or Fish roe: 100gm (Rohu /Katla)

Onion finely chopped - 1 small

Ginger finely chopped / paste - 1/2 tspn

Coriander Leaves finely chopped - 2 tspn

Turmeric powder- a pinch

Flour - 1 - 2 tbspn (More or less - As per requirement)

Green Chili finely chopped - 1 (More or less - as per your taste)

Salt and pepper as per taste.

Mustard Oil - As much needed for deep frying

Method:

1. In a bowl mix all the ingredients except the flour and mix nicely. 

2. Heat enough oil for deep frying in a Kodai. Make sure the oil should be piping hot.

3. Slowly mix the flour in small amount unless it is ready to hold for frying. To test it, take a tiny portion from it and put it in the hot oil. If it is floating then it is ready.

4. Now take small portions from the dough giving a roll in shapes of a ball by your one hand only and then put it in the piping hot oil. In the medium flame keep on frying unless the fritters turn brown. Serve hot with Rice and Dal.

Note:

1. You can add chopped spring onion, a pinch of cumin and coriander powder to make it more tasty.

2. My MIL often makes a curry out of it. Just adding ginger paste and chopped tomato in little oil. When the tomato is well blended she adds a paste of cumin, turmeric, coriander and red chili powder. If one wants potato cane be added too. Then she adds water and it comes to boil the fritters are added. She adds salt to taste and a some whole chilies. That's all.

Lau diye machher matha (Fish head with Bottle gourd)

I was a fussy eater and completely made my mother's life miserable with my crabby food habit. Every day I would want some tasty and new dishes (Read -the options were though very less). Most of the healthy fortified foods were exscinded from my comestible list. But there were two fixings that my mother used to apply as her weapons to tame down my choices. Those were coconut and fish head. I used to eat anything that was cooked with coconut or fish head. So my mum used to feed me green leafy vegetables, Bottle gourd, pumpkin or mixed vegetables cooked with fish head. Or papaya, raw banana, ladies finger etc cooked with coconut. Thinking of - my mum is a magician who can make any dish sumptuous, I didn't realise then that these were the common Bengali household recipes. You must have understood that I used to dislike all the above-mentioned vegetables. But the fish head or the coconut used to work as the catalyst for me to make the dish edible and of course, tasty to me. In this respect, my daughter is showing some of the reflections of her mother. Though I must appreciate, she is much better than me as she hardly makes her mama's life miserable. But she does have some restricted food habits hidden in her mind too.
                           After becoming a mother and a Food Blogger, my mindset towards food got changed. The anxious mum started to understand the value of healthy food in our life and the curious and creative soul started experimenting different dishes from different cuisines. My sole concentration turned to provide the proper diet that should supply soundly nourishment to my girls. I often travel back to the memory line and envision the stubborn little girl throwing tantrums to the food was served to her and the mother trying her best to plead her. I feel sorry at times realising the trouble I caused to my mother. It was so well said that ' food escorts us back in time and shapes our memory'. With this Lau diye machher matha I had a fond memory attached to it. This  is one such dish that my mother used to cook for me and I happily used to devour it without any second thought. Same as for my daughter she likes it very much and every time demands to make it often. Maturity making me inclined more towards cooking Bengali dishes, and to experience the root more significantly. I realised that food typifies everything that is different about another culture and gives the most authentic insight into how people live. Ask a Fish lover Bengali like us who will answer back that except scales and the bones we eat almost the whole fish. Now let us move to the dish and enjoy:

Ingredients:

Lau or Bottle gourd - 1 medium size

Fish Head - 1 big ( Rohu or Katla) {See note 1}

Ginger paste - 1 tspn

Tomato - 1 small

Fenugreek Seed - 1/2 tspn

Turmeric Powder - 1/2tspn + 1/2 tspn

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tspn

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tspn

Red Chilli Powder - As per taste

Mustard Oil - 2 tbspn + whatever needed

Green Chilli as per taste

Ghee - few drops

Salt & Sugar As per taste

Method:

1. Skin the Bottle gourd. Roughly chop the Lau or Bottle gourd into small pieces. Keep aside.

2. Add 1/2 tspn Turmeric powder and salt to taste to the fish head. Rub thoroughly.

3. Heat 2 tbspn oil in  a Kadai or deep dense pan. Add the fish head and fry both sides till it turns brown. Take out from the fish head from the Kadai leaving behind the excess oil.

4. Now if you have enough oil (approx 1 tbspn) then no need to add more oil. If required then please add more. Heat the oil and then add the fenugreek seeds.

5. Soon after add the chopped lau and cook for 5 minutes on high flame. Add chopped tomato. Cover it up and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on high flame.

6. The bottle gourd tends to leave a lot of juice (See Note). Take the lid off. Add all the other spices (Not the green chillies and ghee) including  the fish head. Mix nicely and keep on cooking until the juice gets completely evaporated. Keep on stirring in intervals breaking the fish head into as many small pieces as you can with the ladle.

7. The dish will look done when the lau or the Bottle gourd is soft and tender, the juice is totally dried up and the dish is coming out clean from the Kadai. Add ghee and green chillies and serve hot with rice.

Note:

1. When you wil buy the fish head, tell the seller to cut in to small pieces. It will be easier for you to cook. 

2. The bottle gourd tends to leave a lot of juice. So always be cautious not to turn the dish soggy. Keep on controlling the levels of the flame.

Product Review: Assam 1860 Tea

“I say let the world go to hell, but I should always have my tea.” 

― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes from Underground

To be honest, I am not a tea lover. I love Iced Tea though, that is also very rare. Then you must be wondering why I am reviewing a product which I didn't taste or experience. On a different note, apart from me all my family members are ardent Tea Lovers. Or more or less I can say I have 'Tea-addicted' people all around me. I grow up seeing my Mom and Dad, if they do not get their morning tea on time the whole world will turn topsy-turvy and a bad headache will clumsily off their mood. I have seen my husband spending hours in the isle of the Tea sections of the Hypermarkets choosing the right flavour that could match his taste bud, and keep on trying and tasting them. He is very particular about the tastes and flavours and it is very difficult to satisfy his taste bud. 

So when I got a mail from Team Assam 1860 to sample their tea, I reverted back with a confession that I don't drink tea. I should appreciate their gentle approach for sending me a well packed tea leaves for my family with a congratulations note. What melts down my heart is, the first two lines from the letter they sent me. Thanks for the Lovely lines Assam 1860 tea.

Now let us come to the Tea. I created a tea Tasting session at my home where my parents, my parent-in-laws and my sister-in-law were invited over a tea party. Before I approach what they said and how much they liked the tea, let me say few words about Assam1860 Tea:

The first thing they ensure that will please your senses is the flavour of the CTC black tea. Now, what exactly the CTC means? (I learnt it too)-

“Crush, Tear, and Curl is a method of processing black tea, similar to that of orthodox tea manufacturer. Instead of the leaves being rolled as a final stage, like Oolongs, they are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers with hundreds of small sharp "teeth" that crush, tear, and curl the tea.” 

And this is what Assam 1860 Tea ensures:

“Assam 1860 is a black tea that celebrates tea itself. It is made only from leaves plucked in the picturesque Thowra Estate, a Chai Bagan set up in 1860. We ensure that the phrase ‘garden fresh’ lives up to its every promise.

The leaves are plucked, processed and packed in the estate itself, ensuring quality and freshness that is unparalleled. So wherever you are, you might as well be drinking your cup of Assam 1860 on the verdant verandah of the Thowra Bungalow, overlooking graceful rolling greens on our lush terraces.

We can’t wait for you to try our new offering. The plucking of tea leaves has begun in earnest!”

Now let me share the experiences of Assam 1860 that my family had. 

My parents – in – law and my Husband:

They drink black tea without sugar. So I prefer to experience them the tea bags, came along with the pack. My parents- in – law shared one tea bag and my Husband one full. According to them, the flavour of the tea is a perfect blend of taste and aroma that can brighten up the lazy mornings and the moods.

To my husband who first inhales the aroma. If the aroma touches his heart then he will next go for the colour. The colour of the tea should be faint brown. So when he senses the aroma of Assam 1860 I saw a pleasing smile brushed his face. After tasting it, he nodded his head and just smiled. That means the tea passed the sensory tasting journey. He asked me more detail about the tea. :)

My Parents and my sister-in-law:

They love their tea most of the time with milk, brewing for a longer time with some extra tea leaves than the moderate portion. It should have sugar and served piping hot when sipped. This time, I used the loose tea leaves sent along. To them, the taste gives a flush to gain all the lost energy and one goes back to a time to play with his/her old memories. That was what my dad said.

To my sister-in-law after tasting few she found it a perfect one which she can enjoy sitting on a lazy couch with a book to experience the aromatic flavour. She would love to add some ginger in it or few drops of lemon. A perfect “Kadak ” masala tea could be justified the tea as well.

So what I have learnt from them that when someone is tasting a tea one should know it is a sensory journey where the aroma plays one of the important roles. The aroma gives a peace in your mind and then the taste that should beatify your sensory buds and drove you down to the memory lanes to regain the energy and to lighten up your days. And no need to say Assam 1860 tea passed all these to prove – “Let us try it again”….

Kung Pao Chicken

Chili Chicken, Chicken Manchurian, Hakka Noodles, Sweet corn Soup, Hot and Sour soup, and Chicken lolly-pops or Drums of heaven, these were the ultimate dishes which used to comprise the whole Chinese Cuisine for us. My sister and I both die for the Chinese delicacies, make sure as told earlier, for us (To be true, as per our knowledge), mainly Chili Chicken and Hakka Noodles meant all for Chinese cuisine. Whenever we used to visit any Chinese restaurant with our parents, we would order only the items among those. Once for a change we ordered for a new dish called Chicken China Town. We were pretty excited and anxiously waiting to taste a new dish. What we were served, was a dish tasted same like Chicken Manchurian. Only it was covered with an egg poach. Huh, so whether there were 30 odd items listed on the menu of a Chinese restaurant in India, say about 20 years back, the dishes tasted more or less the same. The present scenario has now totally changed. People gained a good knowledge on different cuisine about the varieties and authenticity of the tastes. But at the time of our childhood authentic taste of a cuisine only limited with the high end Restaurants which were not always affordable for us. Spending 250/-INR for a dish was mere a luxury nothing else. So we used to choose our comfort zone where each dish costs 100 to 150/- or less. To be honest once or twice we have visited such places but those Chinese dishes didn't tickle our taste buds for the mildness in the tastes, as we were used to with the dash of Ajinamoto, spicy and full of soy sauce gravy dishes.

It had only opened the whole arena of the versatility of Chinese Cuisine then, when I visited USA. Though not the authentic one, I at least came out from a world where Chilli Chicken and Hakka Noodles were not available. Rather I was introduced with Honey crispy Chicken, Mince Chicken with eggplant, Kung Pao Chicken or Gong Bao Chicken, Hunan Chicken, Wantons, Dumplings, Peking Roasted ducks etc. The variety in taste and flavour in-fixed my mind to What actually Chinese Cuisine is. I was introduced with the varieties of Sauces and spice in the Chinese local stores. The taste of Soy Sauce was so different from the one available in India.  I had never heard about the Sauces like Hoisin sauce or Oyster Sauce. I had never seen so many different varieties of Chili Sauce. The different kind of vinegar and et al. Thankfully now at this age we almost get most the global continental food items in the market. So one can easily delve in luxury to make different types of international dishes at home. Only you have to find out the proper recipe and give a try. Now Kung Pao Chicken is one of the dishes that we love from the traditional Chinese Cuisine. The recipe I have shared is not entirely the authentic one, but a near to it. So enjoy Kung Pao Chicken... 

This Magazine look I created inspired by my very talented friend Chandrima. Check out her blog Not out of the box for delicious recipes and eye catching food photography.

{Recipe partially adapted from HERE}

Ingredients

Marinade

Soy Sauce: 1tbspn

Chinese rice wine or dry sherry – 2 tspn (I used rice vinegar)

Cornflour – ½ tbspn

Boneless Chicken – 250 grams (Cut in to cubes)

Sauce

 Chinese black vinegar or substitute good-quality balsamic vinegar – 1 tspn (I used Balsamic vinegar)

Soy Sauce – 2 tspn

Hoisin sauce – 1 tbspn

Sesame oil – 1 tspn (I didn’t use)

Sugar – 1 tspn

Corn flour – 1 tspn

Ground Sichuan pepper – ½ tspn (See notes - #1)

For the final part:

White oil – 2tbspn + 2 tbspn

Dried red chilies – As per your taste

Spring onion – Finely sliced ¼ cup

Coloured bell pepper  diced -  1 & 1/2 cup

Garlic – finely chopped – 1 tbspn

Fresh ginger – grated 1 tspn

 Dry - roasted Peanuts – ¼ cup

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients written under Marinade. Fold it nicely so that the cornflour gets mixed evenly.

2. Prepare the sauce, combine all the ingredients written under Sauce. Rest for a while so that the sugar gets dissolve.

3. Heat 2 tbspn oil a wok or a Kadai. Pour the chicken and fry for 4 - 5 minutes on high flame. Take them out and reserve in a bowl.

4.  Add the remaining 2 tbspn oil with the excess oil. Add garlic and let it turn light brown. Add the bell peppers and the chicken. Give a good stir on high flame for  2- 3 minutes. Then add the sauce and the dry red chilies (See notes - #2). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more then add the peanuts. Cook for couple of minutes more. Then take it off the stove sprinkling the spring onions. Serve hot with rice / fried rice / noodles.

Note:

1. I didn't have ground Sichuan pepper. So what I did, I cut the dry red chilies in strips and added it.

2. Basically the recipe asks for tempering with the Dry Red chilies. I avoided it because of my kid. If your hot tolerance appreciates a good amount of chilies then go for it. Make sure to put your exhaust fan on high and keep your kids away from the kitchen while tempering the chilies.

3. #Tips : Don't cook the chicken for longer time otherwise it will kill the softness of the chicken and will make it hard and rubbery.