estaurant based out of South Extension, New Delhi, specialising in delicacies from China's Hunan province shares two popular dishes from their menu with our readers. Try making them at home on an occasion, and you'll manage to surprise everyone.Steamed pork belly Hunan style
Ingredients:
• 1/2 pound pork loin roast, boneless, cut into thin slices
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus 4 teaspoons, divided
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 pound fresh broccoli, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, slivered
• 1 onion, chunked and separated
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Hot cooked rice
Preparation:
Coat pork strips with mixture of 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and soy sauce, sugar and garlic. Let it stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine remaining 4 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoon soy sauce with red pepper flakes and 1 1/4 cups water. Cut broccoli into bite-size florets and stems into thin slices. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet. Add pork and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then remove. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same pan. Add ginger, and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add onion and broccoli and then stir fry for 4 minute. Set everything in a small bowl with sliced pork belly cover and steam it for 25 minutes, add soya from the top, garnish and serve hot.
Water boiled fish Hunan style
Ingredients:
• 800-1000 g fish fillets (preferably river or lake fish, Sole)
• 250-300 g cooking oil
• 3 tbsp hot bean sauce
• 1 chunk ginger root, sliced
• 8 clove garlic, sliced
• 3 stalk scallion
• 2 handful Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 rice bowl Sichuan dried chilli
• 2/3 tbsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp rice wine
• 2/3 tbsp soya sauce
• 700-800 ml stock
• 1/3 tsp pepper powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• Chicken powder to taste
Marinade:
• 1 egg white
• 2/3 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
Salad base:
• ½ head iceberg
• 1 rice bowl black fungus, soaked in water
• 150 g cucumber, sliced
Preparation:
1. Rinse the fish fillets and cut each into 3 pieces. Dry the fish well with a clean kitchen cloth. Combine the fish with the marinade in a large bowl and set aside for about 30 minutes. Prepare the salad base in a bowl. Heat up some oil in a wok or heavy skillet and slowly stir in the marinated fish. Cook until fish just starts to turn white, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
2. Pour off the frying oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add in hot bean sauce and stir until fragrant. Stir in ginger, garlic, half scallion sections, chilli flakes, half of each Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilli. Stir over the medium heat until their fragrance is fully released. Drizzle in rice wine and soya sauce. Continue stirring. Pour in stock, adjusting the heat to high and bring to a boil. Season it with pepper, salt, chicken powder and white sugar. Return fish to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and pour the fish stew into the prepared bowl with salad.
3. Heat up 200 grams of oil in another pan. Add in another half peppercorns and dried chilli. Stir till fragrant over the slow heat. Pour over the fish and garnish with the curled, drained spring onions or coriander leaves.
