Dragon’s Zongzi - Food for Health

Name a festival celebrated by many but with different stories of its evolution? There are a lot of them and this goes on to prove that though we have different stories, we reach the same end or a beginning, may be. However, in China you call it “Duanwu Festival” AKA The Dragon Boat Festival. Chinese have this ancient thing with Dragons - I guess we all do. According to Chinese mythology, Dragons are evolution ancestor of humans and control Water, Rainfall, Hurricanes and Floods. They are the symbol of power, strength and good luck. If we look closely, we realise that every important thing which can affect our lives is either controlled or represented by Dragons- they do matter a lot. Stories behind Dragon Boat Race fest are quite amusing. One story says, “Qu Yuan”, a poet and minister committed suicide by drowning in river due to a disagreement with the King. 

 

His followers searched for him with their boats - hence the Dragon Boat race- and threw rice dumplings - the food of this blog- so that fishes won’t eat Yuan and go for rice instead. Other one says a girl named “Cao E” jumped in river to save her drowning father but both of them drowned instead. So this day is to remember her sacrifice. I see Duanwu as a festival to celebrate and respect sacrifice. On this day people go for the Dragon Boat race(obviously!), wear perfumed medicine bags, MAKE AN EGG STAND at Noon and eat ZONGZI with realgar wine. Even you should try to make an egg stand at noon and get good luck for the next year! All in all people pray for a healthy and happy life. Chinese food is my all time favorite. Since this festival is in June, let’s try Zongzi for a healthier, safer and a ‘Food Full’ year.

Ingredients:-

4 Strings,

4 Mushrooms,

100 gms Abalone,

4 salted Egg Yolks,

4 Japanese Conpoy,

600 gms Green Beans,

600 gms Glutinous Rice,

4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce,

280 gms chopped Pork Belly,

1/2 Tablespoon Five-spice Powder,

4 dried round large size Lotus Leaves.

Preparation Method:-

1. Soak rice and green beans for 5 hours. Then drain. Now soak mushrooms and Japanese conpoy for 2 hours. Drain well.

2. Marinate the pork belly with five-spice powder plus soy sauce for 2 hours. Lay down the lotus leaf on table with stem side facing down. Place rice in the centre of the leaf.

3. Add the marinated pork, Japanese conpoy, mushroom, abalone, salted egg yolk and green beans on top of rice. Add glutinous rice until the filling is covered.

4. Carefully wrap four sides of lotus leaf over the filling in a cone shape. Tie tightly with help of a string. Place zongzi in boiling water. Cover and cook for 3 hours. Serve hot!

Enjoy the fest!

Stuffed Apple and Cranberry Pork for Mother’s Day

You filled my days with rainbow lights,

Fairy tales and sweet dream nights,

A kiss to wipe away my tears,

Gingerbread to ease my fears.

You gave the gift of life to me

And then in love, you set me free.

I thank you for your tender care,

For deep warm hugs and being there.

I hope that when you think of me

A part of you, you'll always see. 

 

Hey pals, how was your Mother’s day? Mine was really a special one. Hope you enjoyed the Strawberry Layered Crunchy Cake on Sunday. I and my sister gifted mom tiny but an elegant pair of diamond earrings and a red color silk scarf on this auspicious occasion. What did you gift your mother? Both gifts were adored by her. To make the day even more special, I prepared her favorite recipe, Stuffed Apple and Cranberry Pork. The dinner table really looked sumptuous with tangy Pork, mushy Cake, seasoned Garlic bread and blood Red Wine. Here it goes..

Stuffed Apple and Cranberry Pork

For the Pork Loin

Salt to taste,

4 lbs Pork Loin,

Pepper to taste,

1 tablespoon Olive Oil,

2 minced Garlic Cloves,

Sliced bacon as required,

1 tablespoon chopped Thyme,

1 tablespoon chopped Rosemary.

For the Sauce:-

1 cup Vinegar,

1/4 teaspoon salt,

3 diced red onions,

olive oil as required,

1/2 bottle Lager Beer,

1 1/2 cup Brown sugar,

1 teaspoon Cinnamon,

1/2 cup chopped ginger,

2/3 cup dried cranberries,

1 teaspoon Mustard Seed,

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves,

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper,

3 lbs peeled and chopped Granny Smith Apples.

Preparation Method

1. Cut a pocket through one end of the tenderloin. Place the centrist downwards. Don’t slice through the other end. Season in and out properly with salt and pepper.
2. Mix rosemary, thyme, garlic and oil in a bowl. Spread the mixture over pork. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. For the sauce, heat olive oil in saucepan, add onion and cook until brown. Add ginger and apples. Cook for 2 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients and lower heat.
4. Allow to cook. Reduce until thickened. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stuff sauce into tenderloin. Wrap with bacon.
5. Using a roasting rack and baking sheet, put pork into 350 D. F oven. Remove from oven. Don’t remove foil till 10 minutes. Slice and serve with red wine.
   
   
   

Happy Mother’s Day!

Celebrate Nepali New Year with Pork Choila

Bisket Jatra marks the starting of the Nepali New Year, AKA Navavarsha. The celebration of the festival goes on for a week. The festival is celebrated with great pomp and show accompanied by parades, parties, family get together and ofcourse huge family dinner. Infact, for a foodie like me, that's the best part, haha! Bhaktapur looks beautiful that day as it is sponsors the most exciting annual events right at the Kathmandu valley. A huge chariot, that carries the idols of Bhairab God, is dragged by number of villagers to the Khalna Tole. The tug of war competition takes place between the Eastern and Western sides of town, accompanied by huge applause.

Hope you enjoyed my meat recipe, red meat gravy, which was an authentic recipe of Rajasthan, India. Now here I am with one more traditional recipe called Choila. Choila is very popular dish in Nepal and relished by the localites. Choila can be made with any kinda meat, be it chicken, duck, beef or pork. I've tried the one with pork. The recipe is very spicy but you can make minor alteration as per taste. Traditionally served with the local beaten rice, the dish is definitely a winner in all respect. So let’s celebrate the Nepali New Year with Pork Choila.

Ingredients:-

For Curry

3 lbs. boneless Pork,

1 teaspoon Turmeric,

Salt and Pepper to taste,

1 tablespoon Chili paste,

1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida,

2 tablespoons Mustard oil,

1 tablespoon Garlic paste,

1 tablespoon Ginger paste,

2 tablespoons Lemon juice,

1 tablespoon Cumin powder,

1/4 teaspoon grated Nutmeg,

1/4 teaspoon Sichuan pepper,

3 medium diced, boiled and fried potatoes.

Marinade for Choila

1 inch sliced ginger,

5 sliced Red chilies,

3 minced Garlic cloves,

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric,

Salt and pepper to taste,

1/8 teaspoon Asafoetida,

3 tablespoons Mustard oil,

1 tablespoon toasted Cumin seeds.

For Garnish

1 teaspoon Fenugreek,

2 minced Garlic cloves,

2 tablespoons Mustard oil,

1/2 chopped Green onion,

Handful chopped Coriander.

Preparation Method:-

1. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for curry into a paste.  Add pork chops to the paste and mix to coat thoroughly. Set aside for two hours.
2. Then, grill the chops until cooked thoroughly. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes when done. Now prepare a smooth paste of marinade for Choila.
3. In a bowl, mix the smooth paste, of marinade for Choila, with the grilled pork cubes. Pour two tablespoons of mustard oil, toss it well to coat thoroughly.
4. Add into a wok, along with potatoes, and cook thoroughly till the paste blends well with the pork. This will take 20 minutes on slow. You can simply use boiled potatoes or boiled and fried potatoes here.
5. For garnishing, in a pan, heat two tablespoons of oil, splitter fenugreek till it turns dark. Add garlic and fry till light brown.
6. Pour this oil mixture over the cooked meat. Add green onions and coriander. Toss the meat. Serve with steamed rice. 

Happy New Year!

Enjoy Vietnamese New Year with Coconut Pork Curry

Did you know that Tet is the common term for the Vietnamese New Year? It is held on the first day of first month according to the Lunar calendar. Tet marks respect and remembrance for Vietnamese. People celebrate New Year with their dear ones. Tet calls for celebration during the agricultural year. Tet is a party time similar to Christmas and New Year. People invite their close friends and relatives for dinner, decorate their houses with  branches of peach blossom, kumquat tree and colorful flowers. Everything is decked up in yellow and red color as it denotes good luck.

There are lot of goodies prepared on this day. These include banh tet, pickled onions, boiled chicken, mung bean pudding, Vietnamese sausage, red sticky rice, thit heo kho etc. Thit heo kho is recipe consisting of pork and eggs in coconut juice. Coconut water is the clear liquid inside the coconut. It helps in losing weight, gives glow to our skin, reduces effect of hangover, facilitates digestion, boosts hydration and reduces blood pressure. Moreover pork is good for you, full of life-preserving nutrients and vitamins. It's combination with coconut water and hot spices is superb. I would love to pair it up with traditional sticky rice. This recipe is a breakdown of New Year food staples right from Asian cultures.

Ingredients:-

4 star anise,

375 ml water,

60 ml fish sauce,

½ chopped onion,

750 ml coconut juice,

60 ml light soy sauce,

1 kg pork belly cubes,

2 chopped garlic cloves,

2 chopped spring onions,

2 tablespoons brown sugar,

4 chopped French shallots,

1 tablespoon vegetable oil,

Green onion for garnishing,

8 hard-boiled and peeled eggs,   

1½ tablespoons dark soy sauce,

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Preparation Method:-

1. Combine shallots, spring onion, pork, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauces, pepper, sugar and star anise in a bowl. Stir to coat the pork. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Fry until golden then remove the pork from the marinade and add to the pan. Seal over high heat.
3. Add the marinade, coconut juice and water. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Gently simmer for 1 hour, skimming occasionally.
4. Add the eggs and simmer for a further hour. Garnish with coriander and serve with jasmine rice.
   

Happy New Year!

Enjoy Pig Festival with French-Style Roasted Pork

I can feel the tempting aroma of roasted pork for this porcine fest. The festival is not only accompanied by yummy pork recipes, but there are various funny and enthusiastic competitions and engaging activities like piglet race, best pig outfit, best sausage eater etc. There is a competition called Black-Pudding-Eating Competition. In this the competitors eat congealed blood, stretching over 1m. The criteria is pretty simple, how much and how fast. The main events include Pig Imitating Competition and aural extravaganza. In this, the competitors squeal like a pig. However the festival gives a boost to the declining pig-farming industry. So here I go with the luscious French-Style Roasted Pork recipe to keep up the spirit of the fest at the par. 

French-Style Roasted Pork Recipe

Ingredients:-

1 Bay leaf,

1 teaspoon Sugar,

2 teaspoons Herbs,

Pepper as required,

3 Lbs Pork loin roast,

2 tablespoons Butter,

2 sprigs Fresh thyme,

3/4 cup Chicken broth,

1/3 cup Dry white wine,

1 finely chopped Onion,

Kosher salt as required,

6 cloves thinly sliced Garlic,

2 tablespoons Vegetable oil,

1 tablespoon chopped Parsley,

1 tablespoon Unflavored gelatin,

1 thinly sliced Granny Smith apple.

Preparation Method:-

1. Preheat oven to 225 D. C and place oven rack in lower middle position. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add half of garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden. Now set aside to cool.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt over both sides of butterflied pork loin and rub into the pork. Sprinkle sugar over inside of pork, and then spread with cooled garlic mixture. Fold roast back together like a letter, Keep the fat portion outside and tie with twine at one-inch intervals.

3. Sprinkle tied roast evenly with herbs and season with pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven over medium heat until very hot; add roast, fat side down for 8 minutes. Transfer the roast to a large plate.

4. To the dutch oven add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, apple and onion. Cook, stirring frequently until onion is softened and browned for 6 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, thyme, and bay leaf; cook for another 30 seconds.

5. Return roast to pot, fat side up. Place a large piece of aluminum foil over top of pot and cover tightly with a lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until pork at 140 D. C for 90 minutes. Transfer roast to carving board, tent loosely with foil, let it rest for 20 minutes.

6. While pork rests, sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup of chicken broth and let sit until gelatin softens, for 5 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf; pour just into 2 cup measuring cup and; if necessary, add chicken broth to measure 1-1/4 cups.

7. Return to pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk softened gelatin mixture, remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, and parsley and season to taste; remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

8. Slice pork in ½ inch slices, adding any accumulated juices to sauce. Serve pork, pass sauce separately. Enjoy with wine of your choice. :)

Enjoy the Pig Festival!

Sweet and Sour Pork with pineapple

Pork is the staple food of various countries. It is rich source of vitamin B1, which is vital for growth and repair of muscles. It has riboflavin that helps to maintain skin and health problems. Vitamin B6, present in pork meat helps in increasing metabolism. Iron, on the other hand, gives you energy. Despite of being sweet and delicious, pineapple is blessed with number of health benefits like boosting up the immunity system. Hence, pineapple is considered more than a delicious tropical-fruit treat. Fresh and crisp bell pepper is a tasty vegetable that can be included in regular part of healthy eating plan. It is low in calories and contains no fat and is a good supply of vitamins and minerals. Soy sauce has strong umami flavor and is used in number of Asian cuisine. So lets try our hands at mouthwatering sweet and sour pork with pineapple.

Ingredients:-

20 ounces pineapple chunks,

1/4 cup vinegar,

2 tablespoons light soy sauce,

1 1/2 teaspoons salt,

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger,

1/2 cup water,

2 pounds boneless pork loin,

1 large diced onion,

1 medium diced green bell pepper,

1 medium diced red bell pepper,

3 tablespoons cornstarch.

Preparation Method:-

1. Drain juice from pineapple and pour juice in a Dutch oven. Add vinegar, soy sauce, salt, ginger, and 1/2 cup water. Stir until smooth.

2. Add pork and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour, or until meat is tender. Add onion, green pepper, red pepper and pineapple chunks.

3. Simmer 10 minutes longer, or until onion and peppers are just tender. Put cornstarch in a cup and stir in 3 tablespoons water.

4. Stir into pork and juices. Then heat to boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer the sweet and sour pork for 1 minute. Serve sweet and sour pork with rice.

We have lot more yummy yummzzz!!!