Chinese Special Fried Rice

From: http://www.cookitsimply.com/recipe-0010-0833n0.html

Chinese Special Fried RiceThis recipe combines a tasty mixture of chicken, prawns and vegetables with fried rice.ingredients

• 4175 g (6 oz) scant 1 cup long-grain white rice
  
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) groundnut oil
  
• 350 ml (12 fl oz) 1 1/2 cups water
  
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
  
• 4 spring onions, finely chopped
  
• 115 g (4 oz) cooked chicken, diced
  
• 115 g (4 oz) cooked prawns, peeled
  
• 50 g (2 oz) frozen peas
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
  
• 50 g (2 oz) lettuce, shredded
  
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) light soy sauce
  
• pinch of caster sugar
  
• salt and ground black pepper
  
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped roasted cashew nuts, to garnish
  
• method1. Rinse the rice in two to three changes of warm water to wash away some of the starch. Drain well.
  

2. Put the rice in a saucepan and add 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the oil and the water. Cover and bring to the boil, stir once, then cover and simrner for 12 - 15 minutes, until nearly all the vater has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and leave, covered, to stand for 10 minutes. Fluff up with a fork and leave to cool.

3. Heat the remaining oil in a preheated wok or frying pan, add the garlic and spring onions and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

4. Add the chicken, prawns and peas and stir-fry for 1 - 2 minutes, then add the cooked rice and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the egg and stir-fry until just set. Stir in the lettuce, soy sauce, sugar and seasoning.

5. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl, sprinkle with the chopped cashew nuts and serve immediately.

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Sweet And Sour Chicken

Video link: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-sweet-and-sour-chicken

How To Make Sweet And Sour ChickenSweet and sour chicken is a delicious and wildly popular dish found in most Chinese restaurants. Asian food instructor Chef VanRoo will show you a step by step easy way to make sweet and sour chicken.

You will need Units:                               

• ½ kg chicken breast
• ¼ cups (60ml) corn starch
• 1 green pepper
• 4 pineapple slices
• 1 medium onion
• Sauce:
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp ketchup
• 5 tbsp water
• 2 tsp corn starch
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 2- 4 cups corn oil , for frying
• large wok or skillet
• large chef knife
• strainer

1. Step 1: Prepare The ChickenStart by slicing the chicken into one inch cubes and placing the cubes into a clean bowl. Now add a half cup (64 g) of corn starch into the bowl and thoroughly coat the chicken cubes. The corn starch acts as a sealing agent, keeping the chicken moist on the inside during the frying.
   
   
2. Step 2: Oil Blanch The ChickenNow oil blanch the chicken cubes, which essentially means deep-frying for a very brief time. Place the chicken cubes in a few inches of pre-heated vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet. The oil should be between 325o - 350o (163o- 177o C). You will know when the oil is hot enough when you start to see smoke or little squiggly lines in the oil. 
   
   Take care not to overcrowd the chicken when placing in the wok. Oil blanching is intended only to seal in the chicken's moisture, not to fully cook the chicken. So when finished, the chicken is still raw inside. You will know when the chicken is done when it turns a golden brown, which will take between 30 and 60 seconds. Upon removing from the oil, drain the chicken on a paper towel and repeat the process with the remaining chicken.
   
   
3. Step 3: Prepare The VegetablesTake your green peppers and seed it by either using your knife to cut out the stem or by placing three fingers on the stem and pushing down hard. In either method, you want to remove the pepper's stem and seeds. Also, remove the white ribs of the green peppers as they have a bitter flavor. Cut the green peppers into one inch cubes. Now dice the pineapple and a small to medium sized onion into similar sized cubes.
   
   
4. Step 4: Stir FryAfter first pre-heating your wok until it starts to smoke, add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil around the sides of the wok. When the oil is hot, add the cut onions, green peppers, and pineapple to the wok. Next, pour in your sauce ingredients starting with your vinegar, sugar, ketchup and the sesame oil. Stir all this around for at least a minute then add the oil-blanched chicken to the mix and let cook for a couple of minutes to thoroughly cook, stirring occasionally.
   
   
5. Step 5: Thicken The SauceMix together five tablespoons of water and two tablespoons of corn starch in a small bowl with your finger. Now add this slurry to the ingredients cooking in the wok, stirring constantly so that this slurry mixture will not clump. The slurry will thicken the sauce.