Tag: Experiments

Stir-Fried Black Bean Sprouts

~ Sophie ~ 15 Comments

 

Happy September! I have a feeling this month will be filled with blessings because I am happy to announce that we made and ate overly grown bean sprouts (insert a hundred exclamation marks). In fact they weren’t bean sprouts at all. They were actual plants that had sprung up from the ground. Thinking back I realize the insanity of it all. If I told a random person this, they would be absolutely surprised, would not believe me at all or would think there is something missing in my head. That is why I wanted to blog about it first because this is what this blog is about! It all started when we were overly hyped to plant beans because, well, it is planting season in some parts of the country and we wanted to feel that ecstatic moment of harvesting fresh beans…again. So we got planting with absolutely no clue on how to space the beans. The information we got from one source was wrong although at the time, we didn’t know that. We planted and half way through, beautiful bean plants started sprouting from the ground and we were excited (because I have tried planting many things but a few have actually gotten out of the ground). As we were basking in the glory of being planters (is this a word?), someone with a history of planting told us “those beans will not grow! They are too close to each other!” You can imagine the disappointment we felt. We did as advised and uprooted the excess little plants with heavy hearts. They were so young,  and so tender and we wondered if they could be edible because we could not imagine throwing them away. Our Dad said there is no way those grown beans would be edible. Either they would be bitter or poisonous. We gave up. In the meantime, we put then in a container with water and then next day, the conviction to cook these bean sprouts and eat them was even stronger because we just couldn’t see them going to waste. And we did without looking back.  OK it was mostly my sister who, by the way, makes great stir-fries. Amazing is an understatement because we made these stir-fried bean sprouts three times in a row. We are even contemplating the idea of just planting beans only to uproot them five days later just for cooking. Sounds legit? It is moments like this that make food experimenting fun and fulfilling. I have asked her to share the recipe with us all.

What you will need:

4 handfuls of bean sprouts

1 Large onion, finely sliced (lengthwise)

2 Carrots, thinly sliced (lengthwise)

1 Tsp. Finely chopped ginger

2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. Vinegar

3 Tbsp. Water

1 Tsp. Sugar

oil

1 Tsp. Salt

Roasted simsim (sesame) for garnish

Method

Clean the bean sprouts in cold water to get rid of the dirt and tiny stones. Remove the roots and the cotyledons (the beans on the sides) and set aside.

For the sweet sauce:

Put a pan on fire, wait for it to become hot. Put the sugar in the pan. Wait for it to become a light brown. Pour 3 tablespoons of water and let the browned sugar dissolve. Remove from fire immediately and pour she sauce in a small bowl.

In the same pan, on high heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and wait for it to become really hot. Add garlic and ginger  and onions and just before they become brown, add half of the sweet sauce which will change the color of the onions. Add the salt and carrots and stir constantly. Add the vinegar and keep stirring.  Next add the bean sprouts and keep stirring till  they become a bright green color and make sure the heat is evenly distributed so they can cook. Get the rest of the sweet sauce and keep adding bit by bit till it is finished while stirring. Once the sweet sauce  is dissolved in the pan, remove it from fire. This will take 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot. They go well with rice.

The sprouts and carrots should have a crunchy bite to them but at the same time still retain all the flavor from the garlic, ginger, vinegar, salt and sugar.
In as much as we were excited to plant beans, the disappointment ended up being a fun discovery.

What fun thing have you discovered lately?

🙂

Sophie

Sautéed Fresh From The Garden Maize (Corn)

~ Sophie ~ 8 Comments

 

I have found out that there are a million and one ways to make maize(corn). We have maize growing in the backyard and boiled maize has been on the menu a lot these days(A LOT!) that I realized I haven’t shared a recipe here. This is my father’s signature recipe (among many others). It is a special one really because it only happens when ever there is an abundance of fresh maize! The fresh kernels have a slight sweetness to them and when they are sautéed in oil and other spices, the flavor intensifies while at the same time leaving the maize soft. It even has a natural meaty taste. Seriously! The next time you find yourself with more than enough fresh maize, try this.

 
What you will need

10 Fresh ears of maize/ 3 C. Maize kernels

2 Tomatoes, finely chopped

2 Green pepper, finely diced

2 Carrots, finely diced

1 Large onion, finely diced

A handful of green onions, finely chopped

2 Cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

Ginger, crushed and chopped

Cooking oil

Salt to taste

Black pepper (optional)

Method
Using a sharp Knife, cut the kernels off the cob and set aside. On medium fire, Add oil and wait for it to get hot. Add the Garlic, ginger and onions. Let them brown a little. Add salt and tomatoes. Let the tomatoes soften. Add the maize kernels and stir. Add the green peppers and carrots and stir well.  Keep stirring. Add the black pepper and keep stirring. Once all the kernels  are translucent, and a savory flavor is wafting in the air, remove from fire. This might take 20-30 minutes. Add the chopped green onions and serve hot.

Observations

The size of maize  and kernels vary. On some ingredients, I did not put any specific measurements because everyone has personal preferences.

I hope you get to try this.

 

🙂

Sophie

Easy Rice Balls

~ Sophie ~ 19 Comments

Who likes rice balls? Better yet, have you ever tried making them? I have this endlessly long list of food I would like to try and these rice balls are not missing on the list. Don’t you think these would be awesome at a party? Although everyone has their own way of making rice balls, I think what matters in the end is the ability to retain flavor  and still be a crowd pleaser especially if you are making them for parties. I did achieve the desired flavor, so that is a win for me. You will be surprised at how easy they are to make.

What you will need

3 C. Rice, boiled

3 Medium Irish potatoes, boiled

1 Tbsp. Water

2 Eggs

1 C. Baking flour

1 Green pepper, finely chopped

1 Onion, finely chopped

½ C. Green onions, finely chopped

1 Tsp. Ground ginger

2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

Salt

Chilli flakes (optional)

Oil for frying

Method

In a bowl, loosen the rice using a fork. In the rice bowl, add the green pepper, onions, ground ginger and garlic and mix together. Set aside. Mash boiled potatoes and add the tablespoon of water.  Add the mashed potatoes in the rice mix. The mashed potatoes act as a binder. Mix in the salt and chilli flakes. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs together while adding a pinch of salt. Using your hands, form bite-sized balls and dip them in the egg mix one by one. Dip the egg coated ball in the cup of flour till they are fully covered. Fry the balls till golden brown. The result is a super crunchy exterior and a flavorful interior.

Observations

  1. I recommend short grained rice that is slightly sticky (don’t use long grain rice as it tends to be too loose and dry)
  2. You may add more or less water in the mashed potatoes.

 

I would like to know, what dip/sauce would you eat these rice balls with? Please share in the comments below.

🙂

Sophie