Stir-fried Chicken and Beancurd with Crispy Ginger Shreds Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

Home-cooked Stir-fried Chicken and Beancurd with Crispy Ginger Shreds

With shreds of crispy gingery goodness spread on top of the dish, this reminiscent of postpartum meal I had two years ago. Resting beneath this mound of deep-fried ginger shreds is heap of tender chicken morsels mingled with deep-fried firm beancurd cubes. With crackly-crunchy deep-fried basil leaves and some sliced red chillies interspersed within, the dish is redolent of heady fragrance of basil and the right amount of piquancy in the sauce which is rounded up together with sweet and salty notes. Homey, dainty and absolutely scrumptious!

This easy to prepare dish is also served as a confinement meal. You can adapt it the way you fancy. Just add an extra amount of ginger for its wind-dispelling goodness, then you are good to go. Here's the how-to recipe for you to cook stir-fried chicken and beancurd with crispy ginger shreds at home.

Ingredients :
200g deboned chicken thighs, cubed

2 pieces firm beancurds / tofu (known as taukua in Hokkien dialect), cubed

140g ginger, shredded

2 sprigs basil leaves, stems discarded

2 red chillies, sliced diagonally

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp sesame oil

A pinch of salt

Oil for deep-frying

Chicken Marinade :

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)

1/2 tsp pepper

1 egg white

3 tbsp corn flour, for dusting

Seasoning (Sauce) :

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp fish sauce

3/4 tsp sugar (or to taste)

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)

1 tsp minced bird's eye chillies

100 ml water

Thickening agent :

1 tsp potato flour mixed with 2 tbsp water

Method :

1. Marinate chicken with marinade for 15 minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the beancurd and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a deep skillet and deep-fry beancurd until golden. Dish up and drain on several pieces of absorbent kitchen paper towels. With the remaining oil, deep-fry half portion of ginger shreds until golden crispy. Then put in basil leaves and deep-fry for 10-20 seconds. Remove and drain off the excess oil using a fine steel sieve.

3. Reheat the oil and fry the chicken until lightly golden brown. Drain excess oil using an absorbent kitchen paper towels.

4. Then heat up 2 tbsp of oil and 1/2 tsp of sesame oil in a clean skillet. Add the remaining half of the ginger shreds and saute under low heat. Add in chillies, sauce mixture, pre-fried chicken and beancurd. Bring to a quick boil and then simmer for 1-2 minutes. Thicken with potato flour mixture. Dish up and garnish with pre-fried crispy basil leaves and ginger shreds.

Home-cooked Stir-fried Chicken and Beancurd with Crispy Ginger Shreds

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Chicken with Lemongrass and Asparagus Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

I have a few calorie-laden staple dishes for the past few days and to alleviate this gnawing guilt, there's some internal urges from myself to adopt a healthier diet since after. I try to ration and minimize the intake of greasy fat and unhealthy seasonings and opt for low-fat and high-fibre ingredients in my next prepared meals. Hence, below oriental Chinese dish - chicken with lemongrass and asparagus seems gratified my need. A good source of dietary fiber, asparagus is an alkaline food which is rich in protein but low in calories and carbohydrates. It is an excellent source of potassium, folic acid, vitamins A, C and K, traces of vitamin B complex, niacin, phosphorus and very low sodium. Highly dense in healthful nutrients that help various ailments, asparagus is used as a tonic to relieve arthritis and rheumatism, cleanses the tissues and muscles of waste, provides regular bowel movement, provides diuretic effect, prevents the progression of cataracts and other eye problems, treats diabetes and heart disease, prevents the dreaded cancer, prevents or dissolves kidney stones and even treats toothache as believed in folk medicine.

This is a Thai-influenced dish, with a generous concoction of lemongrass, ginger, onion, garlic and basil leaves. The addition of vine-ripened tomatoes moistens the dish and lends a taste of the Mediterranen. Cooked quickly to a crisp-tender texture, the crunch of the asparagus contrasted with the chewy texture of the cooked chicken and is tinged with the mild pungency of black pepper, and more dominated by the refreshing lemony essence of lemongrass.

To prepare chicken with lemongrass and asparagus, you'll need below ingredients :

1 tbsp olive oil or grapeseed oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass

2 tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger

1 onion, sliced

600g chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tomatoes, chopped

350g asparagus spears, halved length- and widthways

Chicken marinade :

A pinch of salt

A dash of freshly ground black pepper

Seasoning :

1 tbsp shoyu or tamari sauce (types of Japanese soy sauce, darker in appearance and richer in flavour )

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

A handful of Thai basil leaves, to garnish

Ingredients for Chicken with Lemongrass and Asparagus

Method :

1. Marinate the chicken cubes with a pinch of salt and a dash of freshly ground black pepper for about 30 minutes.

2. Heat up olive oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat until the oil is swirling hot. Toss in minced garlic, lemongrass, ginger and onion. Stir-fry for about 4 minutes.

3. Add in chicken and stir-fry for about 4-6 minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked through.

4. Add in the chopped tomatoes, asparagus, shoyu sauce and freshly ground black pepper. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes. Garnish with Thai basil leaves.

Cooking Tips :

Q : Should asparagus be peeled?

A : Peeling asparagus is recommended for the asparagus with thicker stalks to get rid of woody and fibrous strings. Chop off the bottom inch of the stalk and peel downward from the spears. This process however, can be omitted with the properly selected, thin and fresh asparagus. 

(Refer to About.com for more Asparagus Cooking Tips)

Chicken with Lemongrass and Asparagus

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Deep-fried Fish Fillets in Breadcrumbs with Basil and Lemon Mayonnaise Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

With dory fillet and basil leaves in fridge, I scoured the world wide web combining these ingredients and eventually this online recipe in delicious magazine caught my eyes. It was well enough for a Friday night dinner, but did little to help me turn last week's languishing basil leaves into something better. 

In contrast to crispy brown breadcrumbs coating outside, the fork-tendered dory fillets were juicy and succulent inside. This entree is not the unusual dish that I'd like to rave and rant about, but the mayonnaise-based dipping sauce which flavors is perked up by lemon zest, fresh basil leaves and lemon juice. The chopped basil leaves interspersed within infuse a hint of pungent flavor which complement well with the intense citrus flavor of the lemon zest.

Step through below recipe to learn how to make deep-fried fish fillets in breadcrumbs with basil and lemon mayonnaise.

Ingredients :

800g dory fillet, sliced into bite-sized pieces (alternatively you can use skinned plaice, lemon sole, flounder, megrim, witch sole or dab fillets)
50g plain flour
2 large eggs, beaten
100g breadcrumbs
30g finely grated Parmesan
1 tsp fresh red chilli pepper (cayenne pepper), chopped
Lemon wedges
Sunflower oil, for deep-frying

For the dipping sauce :
6 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest (the rich outermost part of the rind of a lemon)
25 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded

Method  :

1. Start off with grating lemon zest (the outermost part of the rind) using a grater. Before zesting, scrub the lemon with a sponge and warm water. Rinse it well and dry it with a paper towel. To zest with fine-toothed grater, just rub the lemon in one direction against the little blades and turn the lemon as you go so that you remove only the yellow part. Carefully zest the lemon leaving the pith (a white, fibrous membrane directly below the zest) on the lemon. This is due to the white pith will give a bitter undertaste.

Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together and season to taste. Cover and chill.

How to grate lemon zest and make dipping sauce using a grater

2. To prepare dory fillets' coating,
(i) In a plate, put the flour and set aside.
(ii) In a second shallow plate, pour in the beaten eggs.
(iii) In a third large mixing plate, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, chopped red chilli pepper (cayenne pepper) and a pinch of salt, stir well.

Coat each dory fillet on both sides, one at a time, first in the flour, then the beaten eggs and finally the breadcrumbs (as below sequence, from left to right).

Dory fillets coated in the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs

3. Half-fill a large, deep skillet with sunflower oil and heat up to 190C (To test it, add a cube of bread to the oil. At the right temperature, it will brown in 30 seconds).

4. Deep-fry two pieces of coated dory fillet at a time for two minutes until they turn crispy and golden. Drain on plenty of kitchen paper towels to discard excess oil.

5. Serve hot with the prepared mayonnaise-based dipping sauce and white steamed rice.

Deep-fried Fish Fillets in Breadcrumbs with Basil and Lemon Mayonnaise

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Thai Style Deep-fried Fish Fillet Recipe | Easy Asian Cooking

The heady pungent smell of Thai basil leaves and the mild flavor of dory fish make this Thai deep-fried fish fillet with basil leaves coating an exquisite Thai specialties.

My eyes and ears perked when I read basil leaves used in deep-fried fish fillet. With lovely pictures and straightforward instructions in Chef Phang Fah's cookbook, it make me wish I could seriously devour the food within! Hence, I picked some home-grown Thai basil leaves from my hometown yard days ago and decided to give it a whirl!

Basil is a culinary herb prominently featured in Italian cuisine and also in Southeast Asian cuisines (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos), with a strong, pungent and sweet smell. As opposed to Mediterranean basil (sweet basil) that is commonly used in Italian cuisine, Thai basil have a anise-like flavour, with more assertive and stronger taste. My mum call it 九层塔 (literally "nine-layer-pagoda") in Chinese. To be frank, we have no idea on chinese origins of "basil leaf".

I used basil leaves in its raw state, as it provides the more dominant flavour in the finished dish. But if you find yourself in dire need and without fresh basil, use 1/3 the amount of dried basil substituted for fresh. But do keep in mind that you will never get full flavor when using dried basil.

A white fish such as dory or cod works well because the mild flavour of the meat allows the basil to showcase its attractions, where the addition of basil can leave the dinner spellbound. Or you can use any fish fillet or frozen fish instead.

If you are a basil-fanatic, or just wondering on the flavours that basil leaves will impart, you may want to give the below recipe a try!

泰式脆鱼条食谱

Ingredients： 材料
1 tbsp shredded ginger 1大匙姜丝
30g Thai sweet basil leaves, shredded 30g九层塔，切成丝
500g fish fillet 500g鱼肉，切成粗条状
1 egg 1粒蛋

Marinade： 腌料
1/2 tsp salt 1/2小匙盐
1/2 tbsp shaoxing wine 1/2大匙绍兴酒
Dash of sesame oil and pepper 少许麻油和胡椒粉
1 tbsp corn flour 1大匙粟粉

For Coating : 干粉料
5 tbsp plain flour, mixed with 5 tbsp corn flour 5大匙面粉，加入5大匙粟粉拌匀
5 cups oil for deep-frying 5杯炸油

Method : 做法

1. Combine all ingredients and marinade, season for 30 minutes.
将全部材料和腌料拌匀，腌30分钟。

2. Coat seasoned fish fillet with flour mixture and deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Dish and drain.
腌好的鱼条沾上干粉，放入热油中炸至金黄色及香脆，捞起沥干油分。

3. Serve hot with Thai chilli sauce.
趁热配上泰式辣椒酱享用。

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