Ma Po Do Fu is probably the most popular (or at least the gentrified version is a permanent item in the Chinese take out menu) of Sichuanese cuisine. As many of you know, the “ma” refers to the hot and numbing spice, not some old lady with pock marked face, which the dish is sometimes referred to.  It’s truly a Chinese comfort food.

Chef’s tip: The steps below may look laborious but frankly, I am just trying to line out in great detail the steps in wok cooking.  It literally takes about 5 minutes or less to cook the dish.  This dish employs the classic steps in working with a wok.  The wok is designed so that the hottest part of the pan is the bottom part, that’s where you brown the meat, etc.  The sides of the pan serves as the in between placeholder, where you park parts of the dish while you cook the other parts, before tossing them all back together.  That way, ingredients that need different cooking times get their own special treatment and you come out with the perfect crunch and tenderness.

8 oz ground beef
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1 lb silken tofu
4 tablespoon scallions, white part, chopped

Sauce
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, finely minced
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon chili bean paste
1 tablespoon fermented black beans (optional)

1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar

½ tablespoon cornflour, plus 2 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons scallion, green part

Preparing the meat
1. Mix ground beef with 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce and shaoxing wine.  Set aside

Preparing the vegetable
2. Dry fry the Sichuan peppercorn. Lightly grind peppercorns
3. Chop scallion (white part), ginger and garlic finely, set aside separately
4. Cut bean curd into 1 inch cubes.

Cooking the dish
5. Heat the wok over high heat.  Add the peanut oil followed by the marinated meat.  Drizzle remaining shaoxing wine around the side of the wok.  Fry for 1 minute until meat starts to brown.  Push the meat to the side of the wok.
6. Add chili bean paste, fermented black beans, and fry till the oil is separated, about half a minute.
7. Add chopped garlic, ginger and scallions (white part).  Fry till fragrant – about 30 seconds.  Toss with the meat.
8. Add broth, soy sauce, and sugar
9. Add tofu, stir lightly and bring to boil.  Then lower the heat and simmer 5 minutes.
10. Combine cornstarch with water to make a slurry, add to the sauce, toss to cook until sauce thickens.
11. Add chopped green scallions and crushed Sichuan peppercorns, toss to coat.
Serve immediately.

Serves: 6

Tags: Chinese, Sichuanese, tofu.

This is a classic chicken curry, Chinese Malaysian-style.  It goes really well with tumeric sticky rice.

Chef’s tip: Curry powder is commonly used in Malaysia, the concoction is similar to Sri Lankan curry powder.  Here’s a recipe to make your own curry powder.

Ingredients
6 pieces chicken legs with thighs, bones and skin on
2 tablespoons curry powder

3 small Russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch wedges
2 cups canola oil

Spice paste:
5 red jalapeno chilies, seeded
8 shallots
3 stalks lemon grass
1 inch galangal
1 inch fresh turmeric / 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon roasted belacan
5 candlenuts

Sauce:
¼ cup canola oil
5 sprigs curry leaves
1 cup water
3 cups coconut milk, reserve 1 cup of the cream
2 tablespoons kosher salt, to taste

Marinating the chicken:
1.    Rub the curry powder over the chicken
Preparing the potatoes
2.    Peel the potatoes and cut each into 4 pieces. Pat dry.
3.    Heat a skillet with about 2-inch of oil.  Fry the potatoes till it is golden on the outside.  Remove and set aside.  The potatoes need not be cooked through.
Preparing the spice paste
4.    Roughly chop up all the spice paste ingredients (except lemongrass and galangal that needs to be finely chopped).
5.    Place all spice paste ingredients in a food processor and grind into a fine paste.
Cooking the curry
6.    Heat about ¼ cup of oil in a pot on medium high.  Add the spice paste and curry leaves fry till fragrant and red, about 5 minutes.
7.    Add the marinated chicken and fry for about 3 minutes.
8.    Add 1 cup water and 2 cups of coconut milk and salt.  Simmer for about 10 minutes
9.    Add the fried potatoes and reserved 1 cup coconut milk, and simmer uncovered until chicken is tender and gravy has thicken, about 30 minutes-45 minutes.  Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves: 6

Tags: curry, Malaysian.

Fancy dinner nachos, or some call it a “chilaquiles.”  This is how we eat at home   Marco, my DH, makes the best dinner nachos – and he makes it often too, especially when the chef in the house is too lazy to cook!  Seriously, I have tried to imitate his dinner nachos and have yet to succeed.  This is HIS recipe!  Adding a dash of lime juice at the end sparks up the flavors.  This is a good comfort food!

Chef’s tip: To make avocado slices, run a knife around the avocado middle lengthwise and twist it to split it into two. Using the heel of your knife, make a small stab into the pit, twist to remove the pit. Discard the pit. Then using a paring knife, score the half avocado right down the middle, and then down the middle on each quarter. Do not cut into the skin. The avocado should still look like a half avocado. Using a spoon, scoop out the slivers.

Also, if you can find it, get the Primavera hand-made corn tortilla.  It’s thicker and soaks up the sauce.  And the sauce, I prefer the Las Palmas brand which is less starchy.

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 small red bell pepper, julienned
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 pieces handmade corn tortilla, cut into 1 X 2 inch strips
1 14-oz can Las Palmas medium hot enchilada sauce
2 medium tomatoes, cut into medium dice
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup Monterey jack, shredded
1 avocado, sliced into 8 slivers
1 cup cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 cup sour cream

1. Heat some olive oil in a skillet under medium heat.  Saute the red onion, about 2 minutes till the onion is limp and slightly browned.  Add red bell peppers and saute another 2 minutes.
2. Add add more oil, add the cut tortilla and toss to brown, about 2 minute.
3. Pour in the enchilada sauce, cover and simmer for a minute.
4. Add in the tomatoes and kidney beans.  Cover and simmer another minute.
5. Sprinkle on the cheese, cover for half a minute until the cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.
6. Gently lay the avocado on top, garnish with cilantro and serve with wedges of lime and some sour cream on the side.

Serves: 2

Tags: Mexican, tortilla.