Wipe the Oyster Mushrooms with a wet paper towel. Heat a pan and add 2 tablespoons of butter and fry the mushrooms on one side for three minutes. Turn over and fry other side for another three minutes. Remove. Add another two tablespoons butter and fry the second batch of mushrooms and remove.
In the same pan with the remaining butter add the crushed garlic and the chopped onion and fry for a minute. Add minced ginger and fry for another 30 seconds. Now add the fried mushrooms, spring onion, rosemary, thyme and stir fry for another 3 minutes. Now add the rock salt and crushed pepper and mix and fry for a minute. Sprinkle chilli flakes, fry for a minute and take off flame.
6 Big Shrimp or 18 small Shrimps (Shelled, deveined and tail on)
2 tsps Butter
2 tsps Olive oil
2 tsps Cilantro or coriander leaves
1.5 cloves chopped garlic
few Cilantro for garnishing.
Avocado Relish:
1 ripe Avocado, skin and seed removed
1 Jalapeno chopped
1 small chopped onion
1/2 clove garlic
Juice of lime or lemon 4 tblsp
salt and pepper (1/4 tsp each)
Mash the avocado flesh, add the rest of ingredients and mix well and make a paste…keep aside.
Method:
Sprinkle some seasoning on the shrimps, mix and keep aside. You can add any seasoning..Cajun/Portuguese/Moroccan or just salt and pepper.
Peel the green banana’s carefully by cutting along the ridges on the banana skin till you reach the flesh. Then slowly remove the skin. Cut the banana into 1 inch pieces (if making flat Tostones) or 2 inch pieces (if you are making cups).
Put the cut pieces into a bowl of salted water. When ready to fry, remove from water and wipe them dry before frying them in a pan with Canola or Vegetable oil in it. Fry on medium heat. First fry one side for two minutes and then turn over and fry the other side. Remove onto paper towels and let them cool slightly.
Place the 1 inch fried banana piece on a paper towel, cover with another paper towel and then taking a cup or flour measure gently press down the banana piece. You will obtain a flattened Tostone. To make cups, take the 2 inch banana pieces and place inside a lemon squeezer and press down. Slowly remove the cup from the lemon squeezer.
Heat the oil again and then fry the flattened and formed cups of banana pieces on both sides for two minutes each. You will have golden Tostones. Remove onto paper towels.
Heat a Pan and add butter. When butter has melted add 3/4 clove chopped garlic. Fry for 30 seconds and then add the marinated shrimps. Fry on both sided till you get a light brown texture. Remove.
To the same pan add 2 tsp Olive Oil and the remaining 3/4 clove chopped garlic. Fry for 15 secs and add the 2 tsps of Coriandr leaves, 1/4 tsp salt and mix well. Add the fried Shrimps, mix and fry well, so the shrimps are well coated. Remove.
Take a spoon of Avocado Relish and drop onto the cups and flattented Tostones. Add a Garlic Prawn on top of the Avocado Relish. Garnish with Cilantro.
200 gms of minced chicken (chicken breast or thighs)
1/4 tsp of chilli powder
1/4 tsp of pepper powder
1 tblsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 Egg white
2 tblsp of cornflour
Mix well the above and keep in refrigerator for 45 minutes. Add 1.5 tblsp of rice flour and mix.
Heat a deep pan with oil for deep frying. When hot fry the chicken pieces on medium heat. When the bubbles reduce remove them onto paper towels.
Keep a pan on stove, add 2 tblsp oil. When hot add 2 tsp of ginger garlic paste. 1 chopped onion or white of spring onion. Fry for 3 minutes. Add 1 capsicum cuts into cubes.
Manchurian Sauce:
2 tblsp of Soy Sauce
2 Tblsp of Tomato Sauce
3 tblsp of Chilli Sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
Make into a paste.
Make of paste of 2 tsp of cornflour and water.
Add the two sauces to pan and mix well. Allow to cook for 2 minutes.
Make a stock of chicken from two cubes of Chicken Stock and water (1 cup). Add to mixture and allow to bubble. Add 1 tsp of vinegar and when it starts thickening add the chicken balls and mix. Sprinkle Chopped spring onions.
If you put in more chicken stock you will have a gravy preparation, less stock will make it dry
Cut the tube into rings. Dip the rings in the white of egg, then dip in seasoning and keep on a plate.
Heat oil in deep pan and when hot, drop the seasoned calamari rings and fry for 3 minutes. Remove onto paper towels. Fry the Calamari rings in batches and remove.
Have with Tartar Sauce and lemon Wedges. Sprinkle lemon juice on the Calamari Salt and Pepper Rings
6 Squid Tubes (already cleaned). Or fresh squid to be cleaned, remove the tentacles, which can be used for stuffing.
200 grams prawns (cleaned, deveined) cut into small bits.
300 grams squid tubes cut into small bits
Method: Heat a pan. Add 2 tblsp coconut oil or any oil. Add 2 to 3 chopped onions and fry for some time. Add 3 chopped green chillies and 2 inches ginger chopped. 3 cloves chopped garlic. Fry for some time. Add salt and chilli paste. (1 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 3/4 tsp salt and little vinegar). Fry for couple of minutes. Add 2 chopped tomatoes and fry till you get a nice paste mixture. Add the prawns and squid and mix well and cook for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.
After this has cooled down, fill the tubes (washed, pat dry). Close the ends with toothpicks. Apply little salt and chillie paste to the stuffed squid tubes. Heat a pan. Add little oil and panfry the stuffed calamari tube till it is fried on all sides. Serve as it is or with gravy (below)
Gravy:
Fry three chopped onions for minutes. Add 3 green chillies, 3 tsp ginger garlic paste. Fry for two minutes. Add 2 chopped tomatoes and two tsps salt and chilli paste. Fry till it is all mushy. Add masala water and the fried stuffed calamari and cook for 5 minutes. Add garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves.
Peel the Prawns, devein, wash and then cut along the spine of the prawn (not cut through) and then flatten it. You can say butterfly the Prawns.
Make a paste of Chilli Poder, Turmeric Powder, Salt and Vinegar. Dip the prawns in this paste and keep aside for 10 minutes. Peel and slice the onion into thin rings. Slice the green chillies into two. Heat up a frying pan and add little oil. When it is hot add onions and chillies and slightly fry and remove them (only to remove the rawness). Add little oil and fry the prawns. Dip the prawns in Rice Flour and fry each side for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the fried prawns into a serving dish. Add the fried onion rings and green chillies. Add little salt and little lime juice and mix.
This can be served as a hot dish or cold dish. If you want to serve as cold dish, place in refrigerator for some time before serving.
1 Chicken ( cut into eight parts) or a mixture of chicken parts (breast, drumsticks)
Remove the skin and make cuts/slits (2 or 3) on the pieces
Marinade:
1 Cup Yoghurt
2 tblspoon ginger garlic paste
1.5 tblspoon Olive oil
2 tblspoon Red Chilli Paste (see my recipe for Red Chilli Paste)
3 tblspoon Tandoori Masala Powder (see my recipe)
1 tsp salt
Mix the above and apply to chicken. Make sure to insert the marinade into the cuts/slits. Cover and keep the marinated chicken in the refrigerator overnight or at least eight hours.
Remove from refrigerator, mix the chicken well and place the chicken on a tray. Apply a little oil on the chicken pieces or spray with Canola or any other vegetable oil. Preheat the oven at 250 degrees fan bake and bake for 25 minutes. Remove, apply the remaining marinade to the chicken, turn over and bake for 10 minutes.
Cut an onion into rings, add a little of the marinade to the rings. Place the onions rings on a tray and place in oven and bake it along with the chicken, when you turn over the chicken.
Remove the chicken and the onions. Keep onions aside for Garnish.
Change the oven setting from Fan Bake to Fan Grill. Apply little oil to the chicken and place the chicken under the grill for 5 to 7 minutes. Check and see that it does not burn. Remove and turn over the chicken and place it back under the grill for another 5 minutes.
Remove- Tandoori chicken is ready.
Serve with baked onions rings, lemon/lime wedges or pieces, coriander leaves. You can serve with mint chutney or tamarind chutney.
15 Chicken Wings ( cut them at the joints to separate into three parts- throw away the tip of the wing)
Remove thin bone from the part that has a thin and thick bone. Pull the flesh to one the end of the thick bone, to form lollipops. The other part of the wing, pull the flesh to one end of the bone.
Marinade:
1 spoon of Red Chilli paste (see Recipe)
1 tsp of Soy Sauce
8 cloves Garlic and 1 small piece ginger (paste)
1 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
Marinate the lollipops with the above marinade for an hour.
Batter:
1 cup Cornflour
1 cup Standard Flour or Maida
1 egg
3 tblsp oil
1 spoon Red Chilli Paste
1 tsp salt
Add Sufficient water to form thick batter of pouring consistency. Keep aside for half hour
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Frying
Heat sufficient oil in a deep pan. Dip the lollipops in the batter and drop them in the hot oil. Do not crowd them. Fry in batches on medium heat. Keep turning them so that they are fried on all sides. Remove onto paper towels to absorb the oil.
Serve with Schezwan Sauce (see recipe). Garnish with chopped onions leeks and lemon wedges. Cover the tips with pieces of Aluminium Foil. This is only for presentation.
Mix all the flours and water to form smooth batter. Not too thin or too thick. Keep it overnight (10 to 12 hours). Just before frying the dosa’s remove the required batter or all of it, add salt. Heat Dosa Pan. Sprinkle water to test the pan. Don’t apply oil to pan. Spread a ladle of batter and then little ghee on to dosa. Close for a minute. Check if dosa is ready (the sides will start coming off the pan). Remove. Have the dosa with white coconut chutney, green chutney, sambhar.
Cooking With Dexter 