Pork Pot Stickers

I don't think I have met anyone who does not like pot stickers.  What's great is these can be either fried or steamed.  And the dipping sauces to choose from can vary (dumpling sauce, soy sauce, Ponzu, sweet & sour).  The sauces can work on either steamed or fried versions of the pot stickers.  You can either buy the skins at your Asian grocery store, or make it yourself (I've included the recipe).  For a light dinner we do the pot stickers with egg rolls and fried rice.  Yummmmmmm!

Ingredients for filling:
1lb ground pork
3 tblsp ginger (minced or grated)
6 cloves garlic (minced)
4-5 stalks of green onions (minced)
1/2 napa cabbage (finely chopped)
1tblsp salt
1 tsp sugar
6 tblsp sesame oil
Ground pepper to taste

Ingredients for skin:
2 cups water
4 cups all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Cooking options:
6 tblsp Canola or olive oil for frying and 1/2 cup water
Steamer with pot of water

In a bowl, combine the finely chopped cabbage and 1 tblsp of salt. Set aside for approximately 20 minutes.  Transfer the cabbage to a clean kitchen cloth or paper towel and gently squeeze out the excess water.  Mix the cabbage with the rest of the ingredients for the filling.  Mix well to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated.

To make the skin:

Bring water to a boil.  In a bowl mix the flour with the pinch of salt.  Slowly add the boiling water in 1/4 cup increments, mixing with chopsticks until a vall is formed and the dough is no longer too hot to touch or handle. All the water may not be needed to create the ball of dough.  Sprinkle some flour onto a work surface and knead the dough for approximately 15 minutes. Return the ball of dough to the bowl and cover with a cloth. Let it rest for 1 hour.

Roll the dough into a long baton approximately 1 inch in diameter.  Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand until you form a circular disk approximately 3 inches in diameter and 1/16 inch thick.  Repeat with remaining dough pieces.

Creating pot stickers:

To fill each pot sticker, get 1/2 teaspoon of filling and place into the center of one of the skins.  Fold the skin over the filling creating a half moon.  Gently press the ends together to seal the filling in the skin.  Press the the non sealed side gently on the surface to create a flat bottom. 

When all the pot stickers are done, choose one of the cooking methods. 

Frying:  Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add pot stickers with the flat side down.  Rotate pot stickers. Cook in batches.  Allow the pot stickers to brown, then add 1/2 cup of water.  Cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Drain liquid and refry to crisp up the bottom for another  2-3 minutes.  Remove from pan and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Steamer:  Heat a deep pot or stock pot until water come to a boil. Reduce heat to a slow roiling boil. Line steamer basket with lettuce leaves or parchment paper.  Place pot stickers in steamer basket leaving room so they do not touch.  Place steamer basket over the pot of boiling water.  Steam for 6-8 minutes.  Server in steam basket with your favorite dipping sauce.

Tandoori Fish

This is absolutely incredible.  I got this recipe from Nita's husband when he returned from a trip to India.  I decided to try it with fresh fish. What's great about this dish it has fabulous flavors but it is not spicy hot. I served it to the dance troupe before we did a performance. If you can, use fresh fish instead of frozen if at all possible.   Asian and ethnic grocery stores have large fish tanks with a good assortment of live fish to choose from.  Have your local fishmonger scale and clean the fish for you.

Ingredients:
2 whole fishes (cleaned) trout, sea bass or tilapia
2 inches of fresh ginger root (peeled and minced)
10 cloves of garlic (minced)
3 tblsp olive or canola oil
1/2 lime (juiced)
3 tblsp tomato puree
1 tblsp paprika
1 tblsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
salt and pepper

Cut diagonal slits on each side of the fish.  Make sure you cut deep enough to expose the meat, but not all the way through the bones.  Place fishes in a glass or ceramic plate.  Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix until it creates a paste.  Rub the paste all over the outside of fish on both sides.  Make sure some of the paste get between the diagonal cuts.  Rub some of the paste inside the cavity of the fish.  Use all the paste.  Cover the fish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinade.

Set oven to broil and preheat in low.  Cover a baking dish or deep tray with foil.  Place fish in the foil covered dish and broil in the oven uncovered.  Broil one side for approximately 8 minutes.  Turn fish over and broil the other side for another 8 minutes.  Increase the setting to medium or high to allow the skin to crisp.  Watch carefully so as not to burn for appoximately 4 minutes; flip fish and do the same on the other side. Remove from the oven and serve with basmati rice and Tomato, Onion and Chilli salad (recipe available on this blogsite).

Tandoori Chicken

This is probably one of the most famous dishes from India.  This is absolutely wonderful. The spices add so much flavor, but not with heat. 

Ingredients:

3lbs chicken (assorted pieces)

1/2 lemon

2 tblsp melted butter or ghee

salt and pepper

Masala Paste:

1 tblsp ginger paste

2 tblsp garlic paste

1 1/2 tblsp paprika

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3/4 cup yogurt

Few drops of edible red food coloring

In a small bowl, mix lemon juice and butter.  Rub the lemon juice and butter mixture all over the chicken pieces.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  In a separate bowl make the masala paste by combining all the masala ingredients and mix until all have been incorporated.  Using your hand, rub all the chicken pieces with the masala paste.  Make sure all the chicken pieces are well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours, preferably overnight. 

Preheat oven at 400 degrees.  Lay chicken pieces on a roasting rack and tent (lightly cover) with foil, place in oven and cook for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil. Change the oven setting to either broil or roast in a low setting.  Continue cooking the chicken for another 15 minutes or until chicken's juice runs clear.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes, serve garnished with cilantro and lemon slices.  This is great with the vegetable pulao on this same blogsite. Enjoy!