For best results, south-east Asian cuisine should be cooked in a wok. So bring out the pan and stir-fry to your heart's content

For best results, south-east Asian cuisine should be cooked in a wok. So bring out the pan and stir-fry to your heart's content

Ginger Garlic Pak Choiu00a0

Ingredients

250 gm pak choiu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tbsp oilu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
2 inch piece ginger, slicedu00a0u00a0u00a0
10 garlic cloves, slicedu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tbsp cornflour, dissolved in
1 cup water
1 tbsp soy sauceu00a0Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
u00bd tbsp sugaru00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tbsp sesame oil
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Method

Wash the pak choi well.

Heat a wok. Add a little oil. Add ginger and stir fry for half a minute. Add garlic and continue to sate.

Add pak choi and toss.

Blend cornflour in a little water.

Add soy sauce, salt, sugar and half a cup of water to the wok and cook. Remove the pak choi pieces and place them in a serving bowl.

Add cornfour to the wok and cook till the sauce thickens.

Pour over the pak choi. Drizzle sesame oil and serve hot with steamed rice.

Stir Fried Aubergine

Ingredients

2 long aubergines (brinjals)u00a0u00a0
Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
3 tbsp cornflouru00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tbsp soy sauceu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 medium red capsicum, seeded, slicedu00a0
3 tbsp oilu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
4-5 spring onions, roughly choppedu00a0u00a0
10-12 garlic cloves, choppedu00a0u00a0
1 tbsp oyster sauceu00a0u00a0u00a0
1u00bd tsp red chilli sauceu00a0u00a0
1 tsp sugaru00a0

Method

Peel and cut the aubergines into batons.u00a0 Soak them in water for 15 minutes. Drain and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle salt, two tbsp cornflour and soy sauce and mix.

Remove seeds and slice red capsicum.

Heat oil in a wok and stir fry the aubergine batons on high heat till browned.u00a0u00a0

Take the remaining cornflour in a bowl, add half a cup of water and blend.

Add spring onions and garlic to the wok and stir-fry.u00a0

Add oyster sauce, chilli sauce, sugar and two tbsp of water and stir fry.

Add red capsicum and stir.u00a0

Add the blended cornflour and cook for a minute or two.

Serve hot.
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Noodles with Stir Fried Vegetablesu00a0

Ingredients

200 gm noodlesu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
5 tbsp oilu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 medium onion,
u00bd inch cubesu00a0u00a0
u00bd small broccoli, small floretsu00a0
6 babycorns, diagonally slicedu00a0u00a0
2 medium carrots,
u00bd inch diamondsu00a0u00a0Salt to tasteu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
8-10 garlic cloves, choppedu00a0u00a0u00a0
2 cups vegetable stocku00a0u00a0u00a0
2 fresh red chillies, diagonally slicedu00a0u00a0
u00bd tsp MSGu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
1 tbsp soy sauceu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
2 medium green capsicums, u00bd inch diamondsu00a0u00a0
2 tbsp cornflouru00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
u00bc cup bean sprouts
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Method

Boil noodles in six to eight cups of salted water to which one tbsp of oil has been added and cook till almost done. Drain, refresh in cold water, drain again and spread on a large plate to cool.u00a0

Heat two tbsp oil in a wok. Heat two tbsp oil in another wok.

Add onion, broccoli, babycorns, carrots and salt to one wok and sautu00e9.u00a0

Add chopped garlic to the other wok and sautu00e9.

Add stock to the vegetables along with fresh red chillies, MSG and soy sauce.

Add boiled noodles to garlic and toss.

Add green capsicum to the vegetables and stir. Add cornflour blended in half a cup of water and stir.

Place the noodles in a serving plate.

Add bean sprouts to the vegetables and mix. Pour the vegetables over the noodles and serve immediately.
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Stir Fried Chicken with Chillies and Basilu00a0

Ingredients

600 gm boneless chicken, skinned and cut into thin strips
6 fresh red chillies
40 fresh Thai basil leavesu00a0
2u00bd tbsp cornflour
1 egg
Salt to taste
u00bc tsp white pepper powder
2u00bd tbsp olive oil/ rice bran oilu00a0u00a0u00a0
6 garlic cloves, sliced
3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp dark soy u00a0
u00a0
Method

Slice four red chillies, remove seeds and chop. Slice the remaining two. Set aside.

Add cornflour, egg, salt and white pepper powder to the chicken strips and mix well.

Heat oil in a non-stick wok and sautu00e9 30 fresh Thai basil leaves. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.

In the same oil, stir-fry the marinated chicken pieces on medium heat until crisp.u00a0 Drain and set aside.

In the same oil, add garlic and chopped red chillies and stir-fry for half a minute or until golden.

Add chicken, fish sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar and stir-fry for three to four minutes or until cooked.
Add the remaining Thai basil leaves and mix.u00a0

Serve hot garnished with sliced red chillies and fried Thai basil leaves.

Shopping list for next week

CHILLI HOPPERS
250 gm refined flour, 200 gm mozzarella or processed cheese, 16 small Bhavnagri green chillies, 1 bunch fresh parsley, 1 packet cornflouru00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

CHICKEN AND PRAWN LAKSA
200 ml coconut milk, 100 gm boneless chicken, 100 gm bean sprouts, 50 gm peanuts, 15 shallots, 12 medium prawns, 2 stalks lemon grass, 1 inch piece fresh turmeric, 1 packet noodles, 1 bunch fresh mint leaves, a few dried red chillies

GARLIC AND PARSLEY BREAD
1 French loaf (baguette), 2 pods garlic

PEAR AND MULBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKEu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
100 gm mulberries, 100 gm butter, 2 pears, 2 eggs, 1 bottle honey or golden syrup, 1 packet brown sugar, 1 packet vanilla custard powderu00a0u00a0u00a0