ASIAN FISH CURRY

One other thing to remember is that Northern Sub-Continental curries are traditionally eaten with bread but Southern curries such as this one, which involve Seafood are always eaten with Rice. These just don't go well with bread and rice is highly recommended. That said, the rice itself does not need to be fancy. In fact, plain boiled rice is preferable to seasoned or flavored rice that may overpower the curry itself

Ingredients:

• 1 Fish (whole or filleted), sliced
• 1/2 Fresh Coconut (scraped) or 1/2 can of Coconut Milk
• 1 medium sized Onion, finely chopped
• 1-inch piece of Ginger
• 4 cloves of Garlic
• 2-4 Whole Red Chillies (adjust according to taste)
• 1 green chili
• 4-6 Kaffir lime leaves
• 10 peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Coriander
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• Salt (to taste)

Preparation:

• Clean and slice the fish. Rub a mix of salt, turmeric and red chili powder on the fish, and set aside.
• Use a grinder to make a smooth paste of the ginger, garlic, whole red chillies, green chili, peppercorns, coriander and cumin.
• Heat some oil in a pan. Cook the onion and saute until translucent. Add the kaffir lime leaves and saute for about 2 minutes or until fragrant.
• Next, add the spice paste prepared above and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the fresh coconut and water OR coconut milk and bring to a boil.
• Now, add the sliced fish and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked.
• Serve over steamed rice. Voila! Dinner is ready.

Grilled Garlic-Stuffed Top Sirloin Steak Recipe

The garlic used in this sirloin steak recipe calms down during the two stages grilling, adding a nice richness to the top sirloin. Top sirloin is a more tender and leaner cut than bottom sirloin.

This sirloin recipe works best grilled over charcoal and mesquite chips. It can also be cooked inside in the oven, although you will not get the same smoky flavor.

1 3-pound boneless top sirloin steak (about 2 inches thick)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Garlic Filling:
1 medium garlic head (baked in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped scallions

On an outdoor grill, get enough charcoal lit to have a single layer coals below the meat. At the same time, soak a few handfuls of mesquite chips in water.

In making the filling, break the garlic head apart, then squeeze each soft garlic clove from its skin. In a small skillet or frying pan, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the garlic, and mash it into the oil with a fork until you form a rough paste.

Stir in the scallions, and cook for a minute or two, until the onions are soft. Remove the pan from the stove top, and let the filling mixture cool while you get the meat ready.

Trim off any fat from the sirloin, and cut a horizontal slit along the length of the steak to make a pocket. Be sure not to cut through to the other side. Spread the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil thinly over the sirloin.

After allowing the charcoal to become gray, spread the soaked mesquite chips on top of the coals. Lay the steak on the grill over the coals. Cover the meat with the grill lid, or make a foil tent to lay over the sirloin.

Grill the meat on one side for about 15 minutes, then turn it. Grill for another 10 to 15 minutes, until reaching your desired doneness. Serve immediately.

Grilled Steak Recipes for Your Next Cookout

There's nothing quite like getting a rip-roaring fire going to grill up some steaks that brings out your inner caveman. With these grilled steak recipes, you will be able to make easy, healthy, and delicious dinners at any time.

Steak Is Healthy!

First off, I want to allay your fears. I used to feel bad about eating steak because I thought that all red meat was inherently bad. With all the cholesterol and fat, it just had to be unhealthy, right?

Well, it turns out that fat isn't bad for you. From the French to the coconut-devouring Tokelauans, many cultures have thrived on high fat diets without the high rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other maladies that we suffer from today, so that can't be it.

Additionally, cholesterol shouldn't be a concern of yours either. Your body will produce cholesterol to make up for any that you cut out of your diet, and besides, half of heart attack patients have been found to have normal cholesterol levels.

My point is that steak is actually a health food. So get some red meat and fire up the grill!

The Ingredients

• Steak of your choice
• Salt and pepper

The Recipe

1. Set up your grill for high direct heat. You want to be able to put your hand over the grate and need to pull it away after 2-3 seconds.
2. Rinse and pat dry the steak. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides.
3. Throw the steak on the grill, turning once. Here's a guide for how long each side should be:

• 1" thick steak: 6-9 min first side, 3-6 min second side.
• 1 1/2" thick steak: 7-11 min first side, 4-8 min second side.
• 2" thick steak: 9-13 min first side, 6-10 min second side.

The Variations

I always urge people to learn the basic recipes first, so that they can improvise to add new things to it and come up with literally hundreds of new recipes. Here's some things you may want to try with your steaks:

• Marinate the steak overnight in the refrigerator in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, pepper, and herbs.
• Cover the steaks in a dry rub before grilling. You can use a pre-made variety or simply make your own with the dried spices you have on hand.
• Top off the steak with olive oil and lemon juice or a compound butter by mixing softened butter, parsley, and garlic.

With these grilled steak recipes, you will be able to make the most out of your grilling time before the snow starts to fall.

Seared Steak With Pan Sauce

Let me tell you about a magical little thing called searing. You heat a little bit of oil on high heat until it starts smoking, then you place the meat in. Once you do this, the meat will stick to the pan. Just wait for it. Wait. When it's done searing on that side - and this is so magical, I want to kill myself - it will naturally "unstick" itself from the pan. It's the food's way of saying, "I'm ready for you to turn me. Please turn me. Please, will you? I love you."

If that's not enough, there's another magical something called a pan sauce. When meat is done cooking, it needs to rest to allow the juices to redistribute, otherwise the moisture will just run out of it when you cut through it. This resting time is the perfect amount of time to make a sauce in the pan the meat just cooked in, and guess what? After searing the meat, some brown bits of caramelized meat - called fond - remain stuck to the pan. When you turn the heat up to high and throw a healthy portion of red wine into the pan, the brown bits will allow themselves to absorb into the sauce. All you have to do is scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, and the sauce has now become an obvious compliment to the meat. Sauce, meet steak.

A few things about searing, however: The meat must be completely and totally dry. Find a cut of meat that you can get by without a marinade with. Next, the oil must be incredibly hot. Olive oil has a wonderful flavor, but will not get hot enough before it starts smoking. I suggest to mix it with canola oil for searing, because canola oil will get much hotter before it starts to smoke. Lastly, when you set the meat in the pan, you must commit to it being there. Don't try to move or touch it until it lets you know that it's done. If you like your steak medium or well-done, place the pan in a preheated oven to finish cooking.

Ingredients:

4 (1) inch thick bone-in rib steaks or boneless rib-eye steaks
1 Tbsp. blended oil - 1/2 olive oil, 1/2 canola oil (you may use just canola oil, but do not use just olive oil)
1/2 Pound cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
1 shallot, minced
1 Clove garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. sage, minced
1/2 Tbsp flour, more if needed
1 1/2 Cups dry red wine
1 Cup beef stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. chilled butter

Directions:

Allow the steak to come to room temperature.

On the fat side of the meat, cut two slits through the fat about an inch apart to prevent the meat from curling in the pan. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

Heat a 12-inch stainless steel skillet (do not use cast iron as it will react and be ruined by the acidity of the red wine, and do not use non-stick as the steak won't produce any fond for your sauce) over high heat until incredibly hot. Pour the oil in and shake the pan gently to distribute evenly over the bottom of the pan. When the oil starts exuding smoke, place the steaks in but do not allow the steaks to touch - otherwise they will just steam. Allow to cook without disturbing for about 3-4 minutes until the steak naturally "unsticks" itself from the pan. Flip the steaks. They should be incredibly brown and caramelized and delicious looking. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Allow to rest.

While resting, throw the mushrooms in and allow them to boil in the liquid they exude. Once their liquid has evaporated, pour a little oil into the pan and add the shallots, garlic, and sage. Cook for about 45 seconds longer until fragrant. Add the flour and a little more oil if needed. Stir together to incorporate. Allow to cook for about a minute to rid the flour of its raw taste. Add the wine and de-glaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan. Reduce to about half and add the beef stock. Boil quickly and reduce until thick. Season with salt and pepper. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and pour over the steaks.

Fried Fish Indian Style

Fish is a very regional cuisine in India. India's many rivers, ponds and the surrounding oceans provide it with an continuous supply of rich seafood. Fish is eaten in North India, East India and along the Eastern and Western Coasts. An interesting study is that of the cultural effects on fish preparation throughout the country.

North and Eastern Indians eat mostly river fish, which is bonier than ocean fish and other people on the coasts eat sea fish. Fish are increasingly being reared in farms by some enterprising businessmen to satisfy the demands of a increasing and much more wealthy middle class. This practice has increased the efficiency and lowered the prices of fish production and consumption and has brought fish to the tables of many Indians.

The recipe that I am about to show you is a very simple fish fry that most men may make to eat with their drinks at night while they are hanging out with their friends or watching TV. So it is very basic and rustic.

Ingredients:

Use Smaller Whole fish or filets
Mustard Cooking Oil
Garlic
Ginger
Red Chilli Powder
Turmeric Powder
Salt

Method:

First it is time to make the marinade. Finally chop up the ginger and garlic (you can even use pastes) into a bowl and add a generous helping of turmeric powder, a little bit of red chilli powder and salt to taste along with some mustard oil. Add fish to the mixture and coat both sides and leave to marinate for about an hour.

Heat up some mustard oil in a non stick pan and wait for the oil to get nice and hot. Then, gently place the fish in the hot oil and cook for about 5 minutes until the fish starts flaking or the skin starts coming off. Flip the fish being careful not to break it. Cook on the other side for the same amount of time. When it is done, remove the fish on to some kitchen paper.

This fish is best enjoyed at night with some drinks and boisterous company. Deliciousness is known to increase with sports on the television and copious amounts of spirits.

Chinese Steamed Fish

Steaming is one of the favorite ways of cooking fish in china, especially when it is very fresh; and the usual way is to steam it buried under a variety of vegetables, while the inside cavity of the fish is stuffed with dried, smoked, pickled or salted ingredients; these latter ingredients seem to impart an additional dimension to the flavor. Here is one of the common cooked recipe :

Steamed Whole Fish (trout, salmon, bream, haddock, carp, mullet, pike, large herrings)

Ingredients:

6 medium Chinese dried mushrooms
2-3 rashers bacon
3-4 slices root ginger
1.5-2 kg fish (or mixture of fishes)
2-3 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3-4 stalks leek
3-4 large onions
4 tablespoons soya sauce
pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons chicken stock
2 tablespoons sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter

Preparation

Soak mushrooms in water for 30 minutes. Cut mushrooms and bacon into shreds. Mince ginger. Clean the fish thoroughly, rub both inside and out with salt, ginger and oil and leave to marinate for 1 hour. Stuff the fish with the chopped bacon and mushrooms. Clean the leeks thoroughly then slice both leeks and onions thinly. Mix soya sauce, pepper, vinegar, stock, sherry and sugar until well blended.

Cooking

Heat butter in a saucepan. When melted add onions and leeks and turn them in the butter over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in the mixed sauce, and stir with the vegetables for 2 minutes over medium heat.
Place a quarter of the vegetable and sauce mixture in the bottom of the large oval-shaped heatproof dish spreading it out evenly. Lay the fish on top of this 'carpet' of onion and leek. Pour the sauce form the saucepan over the length of the fish, and smother the latter with the remaining onion and leek. Place the dish in a steamer, and steam vigorously for 20-35 minutes (depending upon the size, thickness and quantity of the dish).

Serving

Serve in the same dish. (The dish should be excellent for consuming with rice or other bulk foods, supplemented by one or two other savory dishes

Honey Baked Chicken

Chicken is such a versatile meat and baking it is one of the simplest ways to cook it. If you want to try a delicious baked chicken recipe, what about using honey to add sweetness to the bird? There are lots of different ingredients you can use if you want to bake your chicken but honey is certainly one of the most flavorful.

Actually, this ingredient is used in a lot of similar recipes to add a distinctive flavor as well as the sweetness you would expect. If you have never made a savory recipe with it, try this one. Most people have tried savory foods with honey in them. If you enjoy honey mustard dressing for example, you will love the flavor of the following recipe. It is also great in sweet recipes like honey cake or honey cookies.

The Difference Between Baking and Roasting

The two cooking methods are similar but baking usually refers to chicken pieces whereas roasting refers to a whole bird. The meat can be boneless or bone-in, skinless or with the skin on. Baked chicken is usually coated before you bake it and you can use various sauces, herbs, spices, or breadcrumbs.

Some baked meat or poultry recipes also call for potatoes or vegetables. You can use a whole chicken cut into pieces or just breast or just thigh. Thigh is usually more moist and succulent than breast, since it contains more fat, but it depends what you like. Some people only like the breast meat and if you cook it properly it will not dry out.

Tips for Beautiful Baked Bird

The pan you use for cooking needs to be big enough for the meat pieces not to touch one another. This lets it cook and brown evenly. Some recipes will call for the meat to be turned once during the cooking process and others will not.

The poultry must cook until the juices run clear when you pierce it with a knife. The cooking time depends on the recipe, the amount of meat and the other ingredients used. If some pieces are cooked before others, you can remove those and keep them warm by putting aluminum foil over them until everything is done.

The Recipe, Step by Step

The following recipe makes enough for six people and you can serve it with mashed potatoes or rice. There are only six ingredients in this recipe but do not be deceived by that. The taste is perfectly balanced and really mouthwatering. Use mild or hot curry powder depending on your personal preference.

What you will need:

• 3 lbs chicken pieces
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the chicken skin side up in a shallow baking pan. Stir together the honey, butter, curry powder, salt and mustard and pour this over the meat. Bake for about seventy five minutes, basting the bird every fifteen minutes until it is golden brown and tender.

Chengdu Chicken - An Authentic Chinese Chicken Recipe

This Szechuan dish is named after Chengdu, which is the capital of China's Szechuan province. This recipe serves three people as an entree or six if you are serving another dish with it. The hot bean paste gives the dish plenty of flavor. This ingredient is made with crushed chilies and soy beans.

Szechuan cuisine is famed for its bold flavors. Garlic, Szechuan peppercorns, and chilies are widely used in recipes from this recipe and ginger, sesame paste and peanuts also feature in a lot of recipes. As well as Chengdu recipes, there are Chongquig recipes, Zigong ones and Buddhist vegetarian food from the Szechuan region. The word is sometimes spelt Szechwan or Sichuan.

What you will need:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 bunch spinach
• 1 green onion
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon Szechuan pepper or coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 slices ginger
• 1 tablespoon hot bean paste
• 1 clove garlic
• Salt, as needed

For the marinade:

• 1 tablespoon dry sherry or rice wine
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry or rice wine
• 2 teaspoons red rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon white sugar

How to make it:

Wash the chicken and pat it dry on paper towels. Discard any fat. Cut the meat into strips and then cut the strips into one inch cubes. Combine the sherry or rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce and black pepper to make the marinade, and then stir in the cornstarch. Marinate the meat in this mixture for twenty minutes in the refrigerator.

Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, rice wine or sherry and sugar to make the sauce. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water in another bowl. Smash and peel the garlic. Chop the ginger and garlic. Wash the green onion and chop it finely. Wash the spinach and drain it.

Heat the wok, and then add a tablespoon of the oil. Add the spinach and some salt. Wilt the spinach for a few seconds, and then remove it from the wok. Clean out the wok and add four tablespoons of oil to it. Add the chicken and fry it, stirring all the time. When it is almost cooked, take it out of the wok, leaving two tablespoons of oil in there. Add the hot bean paste, garlic, and ginger and fry for half a minute. Put the chicken back in the wok and stir the mixture.

Push the meat up the wok sides and add the sauce to the center. Stir the cornstarch mixture again and mix it into the sauce, stirring it fast so it thickens. Stir the chicken into the sauce and add the sesame oil and green onion. Sprinkle the Szechuan pepper or coriander over the top and serve it with the wilted spinach and perhaps some rice or egg noodles.

Pepper Chicken with Fermented Beans

Pepper Chicken with Fermented Beans
Serves 6

9 ½ meat, 2 vegetable, 1 ½ fat, ½ starch, ¼ sugar

Protein 97g
Fat 60g
Carbohydrate 43g
Total Calories 1100

Ingredients:
800g chicken pieces
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chopped aged orange peel
2 Tbsp (30g) black fermented soya beans/miso
3 green peppers (cut into bite sizes)
2 red peppers (cut into bite sizes)

Seasoning:
1 tsp Chinese rice wine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 ½ Tbsp dark soya sauce
2 tsp corn flour
3 Tbsp water

Chop chicken into bite-size pieces and rub in the salt, set aside to drain. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick wok until smoke forms. Add chopped garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Next, add chicken pieces and fry until they start to turn brown. Remove the chicken pieces, leaving some of the oil behind. Stir fermented beans and orange peel into the remaining oil. Stir fry for 1 more minute. Finally add in peppers and saute briefly until they are cooked buy still crisp. Return the chicken to the wok, sprinkle rice wine and pour in seasoning mixture. Cover and cook for 30 seconds over high heat. Serve immediately.

Thai Green Chicken Curry

Looking for a change of taste? What we have here is Asian flavored Indian chicken recipes and Chinese chicken recipes. These recipes are also suitable for diabetics. Now, you can prepare more varieties of delicious and healthy food for your family. Below you will find a few different healthy chicken recipes.

Thai Green Chicken Curry
Serves 4-6

10 meat, 4 fat, 2 vegetable
Protein 100g
Fat 86g
Carbohydrate 30g
Total Calories 1280

Ingredients:
1 small chicken (cut into large pieces)

Curry paste:
5 large green chilies
1 bunch spring onions (washed and trimmed)
1 bunch mint leaves
2 bunches fresh coriander including roots
2 stalks lemongrass (sliced)
5 cloves garlic
2 tsp lemon rind
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp shrimp paste or powder
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1 cup baby eggplants (optional) /lady fingers/orca
Citrus leaves or curry leaves
Fish sauce to taste

Garnishing:
½ cup chopped coriander
½ cup chopped green chilies

Cooking Methods:
Place all spice ingredients in a food processor and grind into a fine paste. Gently simmer the coconut milk in a non-stick pan until reduced to half. Add curry paste and stir-fry in the reduced milk for about 20 minutes until the paste is thick and the oil separates out. Add chicken pieces and eggplants/lady fingers, cook uncovered until chicken is cooked through. Season with fish sauce and curry leaves. Garnish with chopped green chilies and coriander before serving.

Asian Coleslaw Recipe

Cabbage is one of those vegetables that I put in my cart every time I go to the grocery store. It is available year-round and is a good value for the money. It is also very versatile; you can add it to soup, fry it up as a side-dish, make cabbage rolls, just to name a few of my favorite ways to serve it. Cabbage is a nutritional powerhouse; one cup (shredded and boiled) provides 91% of the RDA for vitamin K (potassium) and 50% of the RDA for vitamin C! It is also a good source of dietary fiber as well as an assortment of other important vitamins and minerals. Cabbage is a cruciferous vegetable (in the same family as kale, broccoli, collards and Brussels sprouts) and studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables appear to lower our risk of cancer more effectively than any other vegetables or fruits.

When selecting cabbage, look for heads that are firm and heavy feeling with shiny, crisp leaves. Avoid heads with cracks, bruises or other blemishes. To ensure the maximum health benefit, resist purchasing pre-shredded cabbage because once cabbage is cut, it quickly loses its vitamin C content.

Below I share my family's favorite recipe using cabbage; this Asian style coleslaw recipe is a staple in our household. It is crunchy and flavorful, with just the right amount of tang. The dressing is made with toasted sesame oil instead of mayonnaise and is lower in fat than traditional coleslaw recipes. For some extra zing, you can add chili oil!

Ingredients
- 1 large head green cabbage
- 2 large carrots

Dressing:
- 1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dark-roasted sesame oil
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 2-8 drops hot chili oil (optional)

Optional Garnishes:
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds

Instructions

1. Discard the outside leaves of the cabbage head, cut in quarters and remove the core. Slice the cabbage quarters into thin shreds, discarding thick ribbed sections, if you wish.

2. Peel and grate carrots.

3. Combine chopped cabbage and grated carrots in a large bowl.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. To keep from over spicing the dressing, add the chili oil one drop at a time until the dressing is to your taste. Note: The sesame oil should always be stored in the refrigerator so it does not spoil. It thickens when cold, so let it sit on the counter while chopping the vegetables so that it can warm up slightly before mixing into the dressing.

5. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and carrot mixture and toss until completely mixed. Let chill for a few hours (if you can leave it alone that long). Toss again just before serving and garnish with the chopped green onions and slivered almonds.

This recipe is delicious and is the perfect accompaniment to Asian style dishes. It is low-fat, low-calorie and suitable for many diets including low-carb, vegan and vegetarian diets. It is also quick and easy to make in a matter of minutes; the hardest part is chopping the cabbage. To speed this up, you can use a spiral vegetable slicer to process both the cabbage and the carrots.

Fried Rice Chinese Recipe - How to Cook Egg Fried Rice Chinese Style?

Successful rice cooking is essential for Chinese meals. Fried rice is very popular in the west, but it is not served in restaurants in China, and rarely in the home.

There are many different methods for cooking rice, but one of the most important things to remember is to wash the rice thoroughly before cooking, this helps to prevent the grains of rice from sticking together during cooking.

In this fried rice Chinese recipe, you need 2 cups (350g) of long grain rice, 4 eggs (beaten), 2 minced garlic cloves (optional), 2 spring onions, sliced (optional), 2-3 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 3 tablespoons oil, 4 cups of water, and pepper.

First, you need to wash the rice thoroughly under cold running water, then soak in cold water for about 30 minutes. And place the rice in a pan with 4 cups of water, bring the rice to the boil, wait the liquid almost absorbed, cover and simmer in very gently heat for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the lid to let the steam out and set the rice aside. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok, pour the eggs into the wok, stir gently until the eggs is set, transfer it to a bowl and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon oil back to the wok, then add the spring onions (green onions) and minced garlic to fry for a few second if using. Add the rice, cooked eggs into the wok, and pour 2-3 tablespoons dark soy sauce over the rice, mix well and heat through over a medium heat. Season with some black pepper and serve hot.

Chinese Style Chicken With Vegetables

Chinese cooking recipes can be hard to find and this is a recipe that hasn't been publish on-line to my knowledge. It is very simple and requires only a little preparation time.

Ingredients

- 1 pound of uncooked, boneless and skinless chicken breast
- 1 can of sliced water chestnuts
- 1 can of bamboo shoots
- 1 can of baby corn (cut in half)
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup bean sprouts
- 2 dried red chili peppers (optional for spiciness)

Chicken Marinade

(30 minutes to 8 hours before)
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoons of corn starch

Chinese sauce

(can be made just before you start cooking)
- 2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon of water
- 1 tablespoon of corn starch

Preparation

Cut the chicken into 3/4 inch cubes and place in a zip-top bag with the chicken marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Place 2 tablespoons of sesame oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. Empty the seeds from the red chili peppers and break them up into the oil (leave them whole if you want to keep them in the meal).

Let the oil warm up until it starts to shimmer and moves easily around the pan. After 1 minute remove the bits of chili peppers. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in the oiled pan. Stir this constantly to ensure the chicken does not stick to the pan.

Once the chicken and marinade has thickened, add the bamboo shoots and broccoli into the pan. Increase the heat to high and stir every minute or so for 3 to 4 minutes.

After 3 or 4 minutes, put in the water chestnuts and baby corn. Keep stirring every minute or two until everything looks cooked through, another 4 or 5 minutes.

Add the bean sprouts and pour the Chinese sauce over the food and start mixing it with the other ingredients. Take the pan off the heat once everything is coated well.

Serve with rice and this becomes one more recipe in your collection of Chinese cooking recipes.

This serves 4 people and could be stretched with more rice to serve 6.

Oriental Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

This stir fry could be made in either a black iron skillet, (which is my preference), or it could be made in the traditional sir fry vessel, the WOK. When I make this recipe it reminds me of the one and only similar dish my mother made when I was growing up, chop suey. I think it is pretty well established that chop suey is not really Chinese, but actually and American recipe. This stir fry uses flour as the thickener because it's convenient. You could use a tablespoon of corn starch instead of flour, but you may be sacrificing some of the flavorful "brown bits" left in the bottom of the skillet that the flour will pick up. It's your choice. Either way IMHO this is a great tasting recipe!

8 oz of chicken tenders cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 cup broccoli florets, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup water

Instructions:
1 - Heat olive oil in iron skillet, then add onion, celery and broccoli.
2 - Sauté vegetables on medium high, then remove and set aside.
3 - Mix flour, salt and pepper together on a plate and dredge the chicken
pieces, shaking off the excess.
4 - In the same skillet as above, add the chicken and cook over high heat
with stirring for 3-4 minutes, until chicken is starting to brown.
5 - Add back the vegetables, then add the soy sauce, lemon juice
and water to deglaze the pan.
6 - Simmer at low heat setting until chicken is cooked through (about 10 minutes)

Comment - This oriental stir fry is great over cooked long grain rice!

I am a retired Chemical Engineer, investor and property manager for several multiunit properties as well as sing family homes.

Chinese Food - Peking Duck Recipe

Peking Duck is one of the most famous Chinese foods originating from the ancient royal courts. For centuries, the best Chinese chefs trained extensively in order to make sure that they could present this delicacy properly to the Emperor. In fact, their very lives depended on it. Today, no chef will lose his life for messing up his Peking Duck recipe but his self-esteem will be sorely dented. However, with attention to detail, a modern day Peking Duck can be a feast fit for royalty. Here's just one of the many up to date Peking Duck recipes:

Ingredients

1 3.5 - 4 lb duck (fresh or frozen)
2 pints water
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
5 fl oz rice wine (you can use dry sherry)
1 lemon

To serve:

8 - 12 Chinese Pancakes
4 - 6 tbsp hoisin sauce
16 - 24 spring onions (cut into thin slivers lengthwise or into brushes)

In China, ducks are specially raised on a diet of soybeans, maize, sorghum and barley for just six weeks, when they are ready for cooking.

Normally, the preparation of Peking Duck is rather time consuming and complex. The duck must be cleaned and plucked thoroughly, then air should be piped in to separate the skin from the flesh which let the skin roast to a lovely crispness. While the duck dries a sugar solution is brushed over the duck and it is then roasted in a wood fired oven. However, with our modern life styles being what they are, this Peking Duck recipe is rather less complicated.

Rinse and dry the duck thoroughly, blotting with kitchen paper.

Mix the water, dark soy sauce, honey and rice wine together and combine with the lemon cut into thick slices and bring to the boil then simmer for about 20 minutes. Ladle the mixture over the duck several times, ensuring that the skin is thoroughly coated. Hang the duck up to dry somewhere cool and well ventilated with a roasting tin beneath it to catch any drips. When the duck is properly dry the skin will feel like paper.

Roast the duck on a rack over a roasting tin in which you have water to a depth of about two inches (this stops the

fat splashing), in a pre-heated oven 475ºF, 240ºC, Gas 9 for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 350ºF, 180ºC, Gas 4 and continue cooking for 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Let the duck rest for about fifteen minutes before serving. You can carve the meat and skin into pieces using a knife or cleaver or you can shred it with a spoon and fork.

Serve the duck with warmed Chinese pancakes, spring onions and hoisin sauce.

Each diner takes a pancake, spreads on a little hoisin sauce then tops that with some meat and crispy skin followed by a spring onion brush or some strips of spring onion. The pancake and contents are then rolled up into a tube and eaten either with one's fingers or with chopsticks.

Even this simple version of the classic Peking Duck makes a very special dinner party dish, fit for an Emperor.

Authentic Chinese Food - Mandarin Cuisine

If you're interested in authentic Chinese food rather than the monosodium glutomate filled junk that some western restaurants have the nerve to try and pass off, then why not give Mandarin cuisine a try?

Mandarin cuisine is wonderful to look at as well as being a delight to the taste buds because in Mandarin cooking, presentation is as important as flavour. This is a stylish cuisine as witness the typical dishes of Peking Duck and Mu Shu Pork.

Mandarin cuisine originated in the Chinese royal courts way back during the Qing Dynasty, which could be any time from 1644 to 1912. Delighting the Emperor and the other royals took a great deal of effort, leading to the best chefs creating the most elegant and tasty dishes. Failure to do so could result in a fate far worse than mere unemployment! The legacy of these chefs is reflected in modern Mandarin cookery.

Being the cultural centre of China, Mandarin cookery combines influences from all the other Chinese provinces in its own individual style. Colourful vegetables are married with mild spices and contrasting flavours and textures such as sweet and sour or crisp and smooth are combined to produce a marvellous mixture of colours and scents.

Even snack food is presented in a fancy way. For example spring onions (salad onions) may be coated with dark soy paste and arranged on a platter with sliced boiled egg yoke to look like a flower or elaborately carved carrots and beetroot might be used for colour and texture.

The appearance of breakfast too must delight all the senses and this might be a healthy stir fried tomato dish served with scrambled eggs.

The staple of Mandarin cuisine is wheat rather than rice so pancakes or wraps often feature, containing spiced beef or pork. The pancakes, although simply a mixture of water and flour will be flavoured, maybe with chilli or sesame oil.

One of the best known and simplest to make Mandarin dishes is hot and sour soup. That staple of the Chinese takeaway combines bamboo shoots and a variety of mushrooms for texture with chillies for heat and vinegar for sourness. Another favourite is the Mandarin equivalent of a fondue, which is a pan of simmering beef or chicken stock which you can use to cook shredded chicken or beef, prawns, leafy green vegetables, mushrooms and egg noodles, while you sit at the table.

So, for a truly royal and authentic Chinese food experience, treat yourself to a Mandarin feast, whether home cooked or at a restaurant.

Authentic Chinese Food - Hunan Cuisine

Authentic Chinese food is not the sort of food that you get from your local takeaway restaurant. Authentic Chinese food is regional, provincial and one of those regional cuisines is from the Hunan province.

More than sixty four million people live in the Hunan province of central China where the cooking has been influenced by all sorts of cuisines. The region has vast areas of agricultural land producing plentiful crops as well as being home to one of the largest freshwater lakes in China, which naturally has had its own influence on the cuisine.

There are so many ingredients from which to choose that Hunan chefs can't just make a simple meal by chucking meat and vegetables into a wok. No, Hunan cuisine consists of complex flavours and is prepared very carefully, taking as long as necessary to get the results absolutely perfect.

One typically elaborate dish is Orange Beef - beef which has been left to marinate overnight in wine, white pepper and egg whites then deep fried in very hot oil, drained then fried again until crisp. The beef is then added to stir fried dried chillies, ginger, garlic, fresh chilli, spring onions and orange peel. A sauce mix of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, Chinese white rice vinegar, chicken stock and ground white pepper is then added to coat the beef.

Another characteristic of Hunan cooking is the liberal use of chillies. Dishes are often made using lots of fresh chillies, complete with seeds, so if you're tasting Hunan cookery for the first time, be sure to have plenty of yoghurt or bread to hand to mitigate the heat or you may find that beer is more pleasant and equally effective. Oh and you'll need paper handkerchiefs to mop up the tears as well....... tears of delight, of course.

Rice is prevalent in Hunan province, so unlike other Chinese cuisines, such as Mandarin which uses more wheat, Hunan cookery features rice as well as beef and pork which are abundant here.

Naturally, the Dongting lake is home to fish and seafood as well as ducks. Shellfish is often served dressed with shallots and garlic while the duck (and chicken too) is often seared before being simmered or fried, giving it a wonderful crispy skin, also typical of this region.

Steamed and stewed meat are also typical of Hunan cooking which together with the use of chilles, result in a tasty and healthy meal. Often, the meat used is smoked, cured pork which is a local speciality and results in a delicious dark gravy.

Hunan cuisine is very varied, depending on the season. In summer the climate is very hot and humid so spices are used liberally to open the pores and allow sweating. In winter a dish called Lover's Hot Pot is frequently eaten which is part spicy and partly mild.

Whatever you eat of this cuisine, you're bound to love it.

Regional Cuisine Hunan Cuisine

Hunan cuisine shares many commonalities with its close, more well-known cousin, Szechwan cooking, Both cuisines originate in the Western region of China. The climate there is sub-tropical – humid and warm enough to encourage the use of fiery spices to help cool the body, and to require high spicing of food as a preservative. With similar climate, the two regions also share many ingredients – rice is a major staple in both diets, and chili peppers are an important part of most dishes. The two styles of regional cuisine are similar enough that many restaurants and cookbooks lump them together under ‘Western Chinese cooking’ or simple refer to both as Szechwan cuisine.

There are some important differences, though. Hunan cooking is, for one thing, even more fiery than most Szechwan dishes. Szechwan dishes often include chili paste for rubbing into meats, or including in sauce. Hunan chefs include the entire dried chili pepper, with its intensely spicy seeds and rind.

The differences in the actual land of the two regions also has an effect on the differences in their cuisine. The Szechwan region is mountainous jungle, with little arable land for farming. The Hunan region, by contrast, is a land of soft rolling hills and slow rivers. Because of its fertile hillocks and valleys, the Hunan region has access to an amazing variety of ingredients that aren’t available to Szechwan chefs. Seafood and beef are both far more common in Hunan cooking, as are many vegetables.

The land, and the hardships associated with it, also give the Hunan more time to concentrate on food. Hunan cooking features complex and time-consuming preparation time. Many dishes begin their preparation the day before they are to be served, and may be marinated, then steamed or smoked, and finally deep-fried or stewed before they reach the table. The same attention is paid to the preparation of ingredients, and it is said that Hunan cuisine is the most pleasing to the eye of all Chinese cuisines. The shape of a food in a particular recipe is nearly as important as its presence in the final dish. Hunan chefs are specialists with the knife – carving fanciful shapes of vegetables and fruits that will be used in preparing meals, or to present them.

Hunan cuisine is noted for its use of chili peppers, garlic and shallots, and for the use of sauces to accent the flavors in the ingredients of a dish. It is not uncommon for a Hunan dish to play on the contrasts of flavors – hot and sour, sweet and sour, sweet and hot – pungent, spicy and deliciously sweet all at once. Hunan chefs are noted for their ability to create a symphony of taste with their ingredients. A classic example is Hunan spicy beef with vegetables, where the beef is first marinated overnight in a citrus and ginger mixture, then washed and rubbed with chili paste before being simmered in a pungent brown sauce. The end result is a meat that is meltingly tender on the tongue and changes flavor even as you enjoy it.

More and more, restaurants are beginning to sort out the two cuisines, and Hunan cuisine is coming into its own. Crispy duck and Garlic-Fried String Beans are taking their place alongside Kung Pao Chicken and Double Cooked Spicy Pork. But there is no battle between the two for a place of honor among Chinese Regional cuisines – rather, there are only winners – the diners who have the pleasure of sampling both.

The actual Asian Tea Customs

In early 17th century, a Nederlander Far east India Small business introduced Chinese language program tea in control of that will The european union. By its mid-17th millennium, mid-day tea previously had come to be an ordinary routine of the United kingdom nobility. It's helpful to notice which the 2 distinctive pronunciations to get "tea" most familiar within languages who pilfered the expression through Chinese-cha in addition to tee-originate coming from completely different dialects associated with Far east.

Far eastern people are thought to be possess demonstrated tea taking in for more than several,500 long time. Story includes the following in which Yan Di, certainly one of a few rulers inside medieval, tasted all types of herbal plants to discover professional medical systems. Someday,for the reason that the guy was being diseased from various plant he had assimilated; the discontinue regarding water in a tea forest dripped in to his / her estuary anf the husband was basically unspent. For long periods, tea was utilized being an organic and natural medicinal drugs. Outside Western Zhou Dynasty, tea became a strict that offer. While in the Planting season not to mention Autumn Period, many people consumed new tea renders mainly because veggies. When using the popularization regarding Buddhism within the Some Kingdoms on the N . along with The southern area of Dynasties, tea's fresh new result made it a popular among the monks inside Za-Zen relaxation.

Chinese tea as being a take in prospered through Tang Empire, and then tea retail stores had become famous. An important affair of that time was initially the conclusion connected with Tea Classics, a cornerstone in Offshore tea civilization, simply by Kamu Yu, Tea Sage in China's websites,. This very little e book particulars procedures the topic of a number of tasks of tea, that include emergence aspects for the purpose of tea trees, own products not to mention necessary skills for the purpose of finalizing tea, tea tasting, your history in Oriental tea as well as written estimates out of various data, remarks in tea by a number of sites, and also sounds on what circumstances tea own products have to be accomplish as a lot of wares could possibly be overlooked.

Information on how Chinese language program tea is pronounced

Tea is made from the fresh, inexperienced renders of this tea tree. All the variations one of many different types of tea available depend on the seller's methods familiar with system typically the renders. The real key to the whole methods is a roasted plus fermentation. Through fermentation, the particular first heavy green retains develop into reddish-brown with coloring. All the more that fermentation, typically the darker massive. According to the length of your roasted and even degree of fermentation, the particular scent can range away from flowered, to be able to fruity, that will malty.

Cultivating teapots

This percentage among tea finds to help water too relies on you obtain tea grass used. This teapot is probably brimming via one-quarter that will three-quarters complete through tea results in, based upon generally on what firmly curled the particular tea results in tend to be by reason of this moving together with roasting systems. All the teapot might be in that case stuffed with water. Steeping moment goes at one minute, then again deviates out of tea to help tea. The time requested to get using brews within the same finds must be proportionally extented. The actual perfect teapot make use of on most fermented teas is often a purple clay courts porcelain grass. The figures on that cooking pot could be within perfect quantity in order to how large this cups. Will, the particular cups need to have bright white interiors, so that you can assist in adequate evaluation of large of your tea.

Different kinds of tea

Far eastern tea is probably classed as in line with four sorts of teas according to the different strategies through which it's always prepared.

Green tea

Green tea is definitely the variety which keeps very first shade of the tea results in not having fermentation in the time of control. This particular range includes lots principally from Longjing tea regarding Zhejiang State, Maofeng about Huangshan Hill around Anhui Land and Biluochun produced with Jiangsu.

Black tea

Black tea, called "red tea" (hong cha) within China based online shop, would be the course which is fermented just before the baking; this is the afterward vast array evolved on the basis of any green tea. The most impressive choices in black tea happen to be Qihong involving Anhui , Dianhong regarding Yunnan, Suhong about Jiangsu, Chuanhong of Sichuan and then Huhong in Hunan.

Indian Food Basic Ingredients

India has been known as the land of spices. In fact had it not been for the famous “spice route”, India would not have been the preferred destination for the Portuguese, British, Persians and other people from all over the world.

Spices form an essential part of the Indian cuisine. However, the term “Indian Cuisine” is quite a misnomer since there are millions of cuisines in the country. Each region has its own cuisine and staple dishes. Hence, each region and state uses different spices to prepare their food. For example, the southern part of India is known for preparations made of rice flour like “dosa” and “idli” and the excessive use of tamarind. The northern part on the other hand uses more cumin seeds and other spices. Similarly while the eastern part is known for its preference to fish and rice, the western part is more partial to dishes made from chickpea flour.

However, there are certain spices that every Indian kitchen must have. These spices are used in different permutations and combinations for preparing a vast variety of Indian dishes:

•Turmeric or Haldi powder: Haldi powder or turmeric is an essential part of all Indian curries. The yellowish reddish color of the Indian curries and other preparations is due a combination of turmeric and red chili powder. This powder is made from grinding turmeric root. Turmeric is well known as an antioxidant and as a natural cure for cough, cold and even cancer.

•Jeera or cumin seeds: Almost all Indian dishes (barring some south Indian dishes) start with a tempering of cumin seeds in heated oil. Cumin seeds are used for flavor and also help in enhancing digestion.

•Salt: No Indian food can be complete without a dash of salt. Salt (sodium chloride) is an essential part of the Indian cooking because it adds to the flavor and also helps in balancing the flavors imparted by the other spices.

•Red Chili Powder: This is another essential ingredient of all kinds of Indian recipes. Contrary to the popular belief, red chili powder is not “hot”. It depends on the kind of red chili used to make the powder. Some are not very hot but have a rich color and the others may be hot.

•Amchur or dry mango powder: Amchur powder is another very essential part of the Indian cooking since it adds a tangy flavor to the dish.

•Red Onion: Most Indian dishes like curries and other vegetarian and non-vegetarian preparations usually start with a tempering of cumin seeds followed by onion in heated oil. Onions are also rich in anti oxidants and have cholesterol-lowering properties.

•Garlic and Ginger: A combined paste of ginger and garlic adds a zing to all kinds of Indian dishes. Garlic and ginger are known for their anti oxidant properties and also used in various herbal preparations.

These are some of the basic ingredients used in Indian recipes that make the Indian food truly Indian.

Food In South East Asia

The rich culture of South East Asia lies at the tastiest food in the world. Once known as the land of the spices, the food of the Thais, Filipinos, Vietnamese, and Indonesians are among the most famous exotic creations. Much of the identity of South East Asia lies on the different food that come from unique, yet common backgrounds following the influences of Indian, Chinese, and the European colonizers along with the local flavor.

The food has both common and binding ingredients. These include coconut milk, lemon grass, sugar, basil, fish paste, and chili. To an outsider's taste buds, this food is described as spicy, tangy and sweet, all mixing together to present a unique taste. Curry, which is an Indian food, has evolved to be a staple dish in South East Asia.

Thai food is the most popular cuisine coming from South East Asia. It takes in five different flavors from the different regions in its traditional kingdoms which are sour, salty, sweet, spicy, and bitter. The famous southern curries are traditional Indian adaptations that have local ingredients like coconut milk. Thai food uses generous servings of fresh spices and fish sauces. Like any other Asian country, rice is the staple food of the Thais. If you travel to Thailand, you will encounter a very unique experience in tasting the different variety of Thai food. The most famous dishes are Pad Thai, and Red Na.

Filipino food meanwhile offers a range of different flavors all scrambled together to present a bulk taste. It is the most unique among South East Asians because it took more foreign influences from their colonizers as compared to their neighbors. As an example, it has more meat than Thai food or Vietnamese food. It also has fewer spices. Instead they use the taste of the meat just like the Spanish and the Americans. Filipino food as compared to South East Asian food is roasted more just like the Western style. This makes Filipino food a popular choice among American and Western tourists.

Like other South East Asia cuisine, Vietnamese cuisine follows the tradition of the Indians and Chinese. It uses a lot of soy sauce and fish sauce, which is both an Indian and Chinese influence. Religion plays a large part on Vietnamese cooking as most dishes are vegetarian as compared to Filipino foods which are very meaty.

Vietnamese food follows the spicy and sweet taste and like any other South East Asian country, rice is the popular choice. Vietnamese cuisine is also known for their rich soup concoctions. These soups along with the countless dishes are very popular in North America, France, and Russia.

CHINESE FOOD

Need Easily Make Fast Chinese Food??

These days many of us are out of our home for over ten hours in a day, and there is little time to prepare a good and rather healthy meal. I’m going to review some tips that will save you time in preparation your Chinese meals. Here are some great quick ways to cook your Chinese food fast:

1. Use common ingredients as substitute for hard-to-find ingredients. Some Asian foods may not be available in your local grocery store. You may substitute other foods when cooking your meals. If you need Asparagus in your dish, you can substitute broccoli, string beans, and other green vegetables. Another example would be substitution for black mushrooms. You can use fresh American mushrooms.

2. Buy food ingredients in larger quantity. A) Buy a whole chicken. Remove the bones or debone the chicken and use the bones for soup stock. Use the chicken meat for your Chinese dishes to be stir fried with vegetables for your refrigerator. B) Another technique is to buy a fresh fish like walleye or tilapia. Remove the bones from the fish known as filleting the fish. Save the bones for soup stock and use the fillet part of the fish for stir frying. As you can see there are numerous ways, use food when buying in bulk.

3. Make several meals from bulk purchase. For the chicken that is not used in your large quantity purchase, keep it in an aluminum foil, and place in the freezer for your next meal. For a fast and easily thawing technique, place the aluminum foil with fish between two pieces of meat.

4. Use leftover food for your meals. If you could a Chinese vegetable dish for the previous night, you can easily as some noodles or rice to make it meal one day or two later. Or, you may a few pieces of steak with some spices to give your new meal a bit more flavor. I would advise using food as meal if it’s been there for several weeks since you may get ill from eating it.

5. Make some quick bites if you’re really pressed for time. Buy some frozen steam buns from the store. It comes in a variety of flavors from red bean paste, black bean paste, and chicken or meat filling. Steam a few extra buns for breakfast and leave a few cooked one in the refrigerator. Microwave the steam buns for an afternoon or evening snack.

6. Save energy and fuel by using your equipment efficiently. When you’re steaming those buns, you can use the other layers of the steamer to steam other food items too. Most good steamers have two or three levels to steam food. Buy a three level steamer if plan buy one. You can steam a variety of food for your meals like meats, vegetables, and even cooked rice.

7. Prepare sauces in advance. Put your favorite sauces together in a jar, and store them for later use. We have a 12 oz. jar of black bean sauce, but put it away in the refrigerator to store away for up to 3 weeks. When we need that right flavor in our meals, we take a few teaspoons and put in right into our wok. We're ready with our meals within minutes.

Indian Food

The right way to Enjoy The Flavour
Asian food tastes better when it is eaten using chopsticks. Similarly, the flavors of Indian food are better experienced when it is eaten using your fingers. Most often flat hard breads or rice is served with different spicy curries and other side dishes. While a spoon and fork can be used to eat the rice, the only way to eat the flat bread is to tear it with your fingers and use the pieces to scoop up the flavorful curries. However, purists say both rice and flat bread tastes better when you use your fingers.

As far as Indian food is concerned it is more important how much you eat than how you eat it. Westerns are more accustomed to meals with meat or fish as the main dish. However, rice or flat bread is the main dish in an Indian meal and the meat or fish curries and other accompaniments are to be consumed in much smaller quantities. The spicier the dish, the smaller the amount to be eaten and rice or flat bread serves to neutralize their strong flavors. Another indication of how much to eat is the size of the serving spoon provided for a spicy dish. Some very spicy dishes are provided with coffee spoons. However, it is always better to warn an unsuspecting guest about how hot or spicy a particular dish is to avoid discomfort.

Pappadams or crisp lentil wafers are always to be served in separate plates to preserve their crispiness.

The right way to serve a meal is to first serve the rice in the middle of the plate and then serve the curries and other accompaniments around it in relatively smaller amounts. Contrary to general assumption that all the accompaniments have to be mixed together with the rice, each side dish has to be savored separately with a piece of flat bread or a spoonful of rice.

Cool sparkling water is probably the most complimentary drink for a spicy Indian meal. If you must have alcohol then a light ale drink like cold beer would be good. If you prefer wine then go for a light wine punch. Fine wine, particularly dry wines are not very good with Indian food.

The best drink to accompany any spicy and delicious indian food is mango juice or you can just sip rose flavored syrup with crushed ice.