Cook Without Book

Jalapeno Stuffed Baked Potato Baked potato in a hot sauce mellowed with mayonnaise Cooking Time:  1-2 hours Servings:  4   Preparation Time:  10-15 minutes   Category:  Veg Ingredients • Potatoes 4 large • Jalapeno,chopped 2 • Sea salt 1 cup • Cornflour/ corn starch 2 teaspoons • Oil 1 tablespoon • Onions,chopped 2 medium • Soy sauce 1 tablespoon • Tomato ketchup 2 tablespoons • Mayonnaise 2 tablespoons Method Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the whole potatoes on a bed of sea salt in a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven at 220°C for thirty to forty minutes or till done. You can also boil the potatoes but take care that they become completely dry after that. Blend cornstarch in half a cup of water. Heat oil in a pan. Add half the onions and sauté till translucent. Add soy sauce and one cup of water and mix. Add jalapeno peppers and mix. Add the blended cornstarch and cook stirring continu...

Honey Glazed Beans Cook the beans in sesame oil with honey and serve garnished with sesame seeds. Cooking Time:  15-20 minutes Servings:  4   Preparation Time:  15-20 minutes   Category:  Veg Ingredients • French beans,stringed 250 grams • Honey 2 tablespoons • White sesame seeds 1 tablespoon • Ginger,grated 1 tablespoon • Soy sauce 1 teaspoon • Lemon rind a little • Salt to taste • Red chillies 1/2 teaspoon Method Dry roast sesame seeds in a non stick pan till they turn a light brown. Put them into a bowl. Heat some water in the pan. Cut the beans diagonally into 1 inch pieces and add to the water. Add salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. Heat sesame oil in a non stick wok. Put some ice cubes in a bowl of water. Drain the beans from the pan and put into the iced water. Add grated ginger to the oil left in the wok and saute for 1 minute. Add soy sauce. Grate a little lemon rind. Drain and add the chille...

Bean Sprouts Fried Rice Relish this chinese delicacy, while also getting a health boost from the sprouts. To keep the rice grains separate, spread the cooked rice on a tray and allow it to cool. Then, rub a little oil on the cooked rice and keep aside till you require it. Preparation Time:  15 mins Cooking Time:  7 mins Makes 4 servings Ingredients 3/4 cup   bean sprouts  (readily available in the market) 2 cups   cooked brown rice , refer handy tip 2 tsp   oil 1/2 cup  finely  chopped spring onions whites 1 tbsp  finely  chopped celery 1/2 cup  thinly  sliced capsicum 1/2 cup  thinly  sliced carrot 1/2 cup   french beans  , cut into 1” strips and parboiled salt  to taste 1 tsp   vinegar 1 tsp   soy sauce For Serving 1 tbsp  finely  chopped spring onion greens Method Heat the oil in a broad non-stick pan, add the spring onion whites and celery ...

Broccoli and Water Chestnut Stir Fry Ta feisty preparation of nutritious vegetables, which are otherwise rarely used in everyday cooking in india. The broccoli and water chestnut stir-fry also looks very appealing because of the multi-coloured capsicums used in it. Another tasty twist to this recipe is the use of fresh red chillies, not dried ones as always. This lip-smacking oriental delicacy can be prepared in minutes, thanks to the robust stir-frying technique, so go on, treat your tongue to this sweet and sour treat. Preparation Time:  15 mins Cooking Time:  10 mins Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 cup   blanched broccoli  florets 2 cups  peeled and blanched  water  chestnuts 2 cups   blanched capsicum  (red , yellow and green) cubes 3 tbsp   oil 2 tsp  finely  chopped garlic (lehsun) 2 tsp  finely  chopped ginger (adrak) 1 tsp  finely chopped fresh  red chillies a pinch of  suga...

 Ingredients 4 dried Chinese fungi (about 1 ounce), such as wood ears or cloud ears 2 tablespoons canola oil 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1 tablespoon red chile paste, such as sambal oelek 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, sliced 1/4 pound barbecued pork, shredded 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground white pepper Pinch sugar 2 quarts Chinese Chicken Stock, recipe follows 1 square firm tofu, drained and sliced in 1/4-inch strips 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water 1 large egg, lightly beaten Chopped green onions and cilantro leaves, for garnish Directions Put the wood ears in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes to reconstitute. Drain and rinse the wood ears; discard any hard clusters in the centers. Heat the oil in a wok or large pot over medium-high flame. Add the ginger, chili paste, wood ears, bamboo shoots, and pork; cook and stir for 1 minute to infuse the f...

HOT AND SOUR SOUP RECIPE Hot and sour soup is one my most favourite soup,  but i never attempted to do it at home , as i feel certain dishes will taste super yum in restaurants. During our trip to India in December, i bought a Knorr Hot and sour veg soup  packet and made it after coming to Singapore. We all enjoyed it but hubby was insisting me to try it at home. So i searched for the recipe in google and finally made my own of making Hot and Sour vegetable soup. Thank you  Nags  for introducing me to the Chinese celery , else i would have ended up buying the bigger one with thick stems. INGREDIENTS: CARROT 1/4 PORTION CABBAGE(FINELY CHOPPED) 4-5 TBLSP SPRING ONIONS FEW CELERY FEW GREEN CHILLI 2 SUGAR 1/2 TSP SALT AS NEEDED LEMON JUICE 1 TSP GARLIC 4-5 CLOVES CAPSICUM 3-4 TBLSP SOYA SAUCE 1 TBLSP OIL 1 TSP CORN FLOUR 1 TBLSP PEPPER POWDER TO TASTE METHOD: Chop the celery, spring onion, carrots, capsicum, cabbage finely. Sepa...

The traditionally non-vegetarian dish viz. Chilli chicken is modified for vegetarians. This melt in the mouth starter flavoured with all the ethnic chinese flavours is an all time favourite that is really easy to prepare. Serve it as a starter or even as accompaniment for your main meal. Preparation Time:  10 mins Cooking Time:  30 mins Makes 4 servings Ingredients 3/4 cup   paneer (cottage cheese)  , cut into 12 mm. ( 1/2") thick strips oil  for deep-frying For The Batter 1/4 cup   cornflour 1/4 cup   plain flour (maida) 1 tsp   soy sauce pinch of  baking powder salt  to taste Other Ingredients 1 tsp   grated ginger (adrak) 2 tsp   garlic (lehsun)  , chopped 2 tsp   chopped celery 1/4 cup   chopped spring onions 2 to 3   green chillies  , cut into 25 mm. (1") pieces 1/4 cup   capsicum  , sliced 1 tsp   soy sauce 1 tsp   sugar 1 tbsp   cornflour  mixed with 3 tab...

Tom Yum Kung is the most famous of all Thai soup recipes. If you want authentic Tom Yum Kung soup (without coconut milk), this is the one! Featuring all four of the famous Thai spices - salty, sour, sweet and spicy - this Tom Yum Kung recipe provides a pungent and zesty feast of flavors with every slurp. An excellent remedy for a cold or flu bug, this spicy Thai soup will instantly clear your sinuses and warm you up. It's also highly nutritious and is sure to impress at any dinner party. Note: this recipe allows you the choice of adding coconut milk (Tom Kha) or leaving it out. If you prefer a richer-tasting soup, I recommend adding it; whereas if you prefer a clearer soup, try it without. ENJOY! Prep Time:  10 minutes Cook Time:  10 minutes Total Time:  20 minutes Yield:  SERVES 3-4 Ingredients: 6 cups good-quality chicken stock 2-3 kaffir lime leaves (can be purchased at most Asian food stores), OR 1/2 tsp. lime zest 2 stalks m...

Ingredients For The Vegetable Balls 3 cups  finely  chopped cabbage 1 1/4 cups   carrot  , grated 1/2 cup   chopped onions 2 tbsp   cornflour 5 tbsp   plain flour (maida) 3 to 4  clove of  garlic (lehsun)  , finely chopped 1   slit green chilli  , finely chopped salt  and  freshly ground black pepper powder to taste oil  for deep-frying For The Sauce 1 tbsp   garlic (lehsun)  , finely chopped 2 tsp  finely  chopped green chillies 2 tsp  finely  chopped ginger (adrak) 1 cup  clear  vegetable stock  or  water 1 tbsp   soy sauce 1 tbsp   cornflour  mixed with 1 cup of  water 2  pinches of  sugar 2 tbsp   oil salt  to taste Method   For the vegetable balls Combine the cabbage, carrots, onions, cornflour, plain flour, garlic, green chilli, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well. Shape spoonfuls of the mixture into...

Ingredients For The Chilli Oil 1/4 cup oil 5 whole dry kashmiri red chillies , broken into pieces For The Noodles 2 cups boiled noodles 2 tbsp oil 1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions whites 2 tsp finely chopped garlic (lehsun) 2 to 3 whole dry kashmiri red chillies , broken into pieces 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots 1/4 cup shredded cabbage 1/2 cup thinly sliced capsicum 1 tsp soy sauce Salt to taste A pinch of black pepper powder 2 tbsp finely chopped spring onion greens Method For the chilli oil Heat the oil in a deep pan on a high flame till it smokes. Add the red chillies, cover with a lid and switch off the flame. Allow it to cool for some time and strain it using a strainer. Keep aside. For the noodles Heat the oil in a wok, add the spring onion whites, garlic and red chillies and sauté on a high flame for 30 seconds. Add the carrots, cabbage, capsicum and sauté on a high flame for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the noodles, soya sauce and salt, mix well and toss on a high flame...

Ingredients for Chilli Paneer with Gravy: 250 gms. Paneer (Cottage cheese), cut it into medium sized cubes 1 medium sized onion, cut it into four pieces 1 large capsicum, cut into slices (Shimla mirch) 4 table-spoon Corn flour 3 t-spoon Maida 10 Green chillies, cut it into long slices 10 Garlic pods (Lahsun) 2 t-spoon Salt 1/2 t-spoon Ajinomoto (optional) 3 t-spoon Vinegar (sirca) 1/2 t-spoon Sugar 1/2 t-spoon Black pepper (Kali mirch) 4 t-spoon Soya sauce 5 t-spoon Tomato sauce 2 table-spoon Chilly sauce 1/2 t-spoon black pepper (Kali mirch) Oil for deep frying How to make Chilli Paneer with Gravy: Take a medium sized bowl and add maida, 3 table-spoon cornflour and 1 t-spoon salt. Add some water and mix them well to form a thick paste, add more water if needed. The thickness of the paste should be such that it can coat paneer cubes properly. Now, take a frying pan and add oil to deep fry paneer cubes, heat it on medium flame. Then, dip paneer pieces in t...