Spicy Korean Shrimps

How am I not making shrimps in this season? is a question asked to me by many. 

Well get ready for a number of different shrimp recipes and I am not going to hold myself on the spice.

If your life is not spicy at least your food should be. That's what I believe in and I believe in nothing.

This time around I made Spicy Korean Shrimps and they almost burned me to the ground.

INGREDIENTS:

500 grams large shrimps with tail on

1 tablespoon red pepper paste OR Gochujang, Korean red pepper paste

(click on this link http://chefshamsher.blogspot.com/2015/09/thai-red-curry-chicken.html to seehow to make red pepper paste)

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes or Gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes for people living in US or UK

1½ tablespoon Soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon cornflour

¼ teaspoon black pepper

6 garlic cloves chopped

1 medium onion cut in 1/2 inch slices

1/2 small cabbage cut in 1/2 inch slices

1/2 small carrot finely sliced

2 chopped green onions

1 green chili to taste

I HATE CUTTING VEGETABLES BUT SOMETIMES I imagine I am doing it to the people I despise so it is all good.

Let's start this with making the sauce.

Add red chili paste, pepper flakes, cornflour, black pepper, honey, soy sauce and chopped garlic cloves in a bowl and mix it properly.

If this seems too spicy for you or your family you can add a tablespoon of ketchup to make it a bit more tangy.

Add this sauce to the shrimps.

Coat the shrimps with the sauce properly and set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok and start by frying carrots, followed by cabbage, onions and green chilies.

Season these vegetables with salt and pepper.

Add the shrimps with the sauce in the wok and fry until the shrimp changes colors.

Add the green onions, turn off the stove and give it a good stir. Spicy Korean Shrimps are ready to be served.

Have the shrimps with white boiled rice or egg noodles and keep a gallon of cold water besides you just to keep yourself ready for any kind of emergency.

Holy Guacamole

The first time I had Guacamole was in this restaurant in Islamabad and just like most of the food in Islamabad is tasteless, that Guacamole was also pathetic. Had a chance to eat it in Lahore but was a bit reluctant , all thanks to the prior experience. Then I tried it in a couple of authentic Mexican restaurants in USA and I loved it.

This recipe is specially for the vegans because OH  MY GOD they complain so much about me not catering to their recipe requests. Not only for vegans but normal people (LOL) can also use it in burgers instead of mayo or as a dip for nachos or chips.

It is an expensive one because Avocados are like 1000 Rs. per kilogram but if it is used properly then one batch last more than a week or probably two.

INGREDIENTS:

4 avocados

4-6 green onions (the white part mostly will be used)

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tomato (1/2 if it is a big one)

2 jalapeno (people in Pakistan can use pickle jalapenos)

half a bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon salt

juice of one lime

There is no rocket science in making Guacamole. Just a lot of cutting, chopping and mashing.

Make sure the avocado is ripe because then it will be quite hard to mash it. Cut it from the middle and remove the seed. Take out the avocado flesh with a spoon carefully in a big bowl.

Finely chop the garlic. Add the garlic to the avocado flesh and add juice of one lemon or lime as well.

Mash the avocado and garlic with a fork to the point where no big chunks are visible.

Chop tomatoes, jalapeno, green onions and coriander leaves separately.

Add all of the above chopped vegetables in the mashed avocado mixture with cumin powder and salt.

Mix it properly. that is it and that is all. Guacamole is that easy to make.

Eat it with tortilla chips, nachos or any type of chips and my friend you are going to have a good time.

KUNG PAO CHICKEN

This is my retake on Kung Pao Chicken because the first I made it I was not much experienced and I ended up adding cashew nuts because Mom loved them. Then I got lectured by someone about how cashew nuts are not Kung Pao which made me so furious that I met a Chinese living in Lahore to confirm.

FYI - KUNG PAO CHICKEN CAN BE MADE WITH ALMONDS, CASHEW NUTS AND BASICALLY ANY TYPE OF NUT. This is a Schezuan cuisine and the type of nuts does not have to do anything with the authenticity.

In Pakistan we don't know any other Pao than "beta zara ghr atay hovey aik pao dahi le ana." Kung Pao Chicken is literally one of my all time favorites.

INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKEN:

500 grams boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in 1/2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon red chili paste

pinch of salt and pepper

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoons baking powder (it tenderizes the chicken)

INGREDIENTS FOR SAUCE:

1 tablespoon of finely chopped ginger

6 garlic cloves finely chopped

10 dried red chilies cut in 1/2 inch pieces (you can skip or lessen them to adjust spice)

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons white vinegar

3/4 cup of chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornflour

4-5 green onions chopped

1/4 cup of salted peanuts (you can also add more or less)

Really easy and simple to make.

First we marinate the chicken by adding salt, pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce and baking powder to it.

Mix it and keep it aside.

Now we let the chicken marinade and we slice green onions and dried red chilies.

Now let's prepare the sauce by putting soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, chicken stock and cornflour.

Mix it well and keep it aside.

Now we heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok on high heat and fry the chicken.

After the chicken is cooked take it out separately.

Now we heat a another tablespoon of oil in the same wok and stir fry garlic, ginger and dry red chilies for 1 minute.

Give the sauce a stir in a bowl and add it to the wok. Turn up the heat to medium.

As soon as the sauce starts boiling stir the dry ingredients and mix them together.

Now we add chicken and stir it in the sauce for a minute.

Time to add the peanuts and give them a good stir for 30 seconds.

Quickly add the green onions and stir for another minute and TADA. Kung Pao Chicken is ready to serve.

KUNG PAO CHICKEN

EVERYONE !!!