An assortment of pineapple, shrimp, colourful vegetables and tangy, spicy chicken are spun around oriental flavours by Chef Zakir, while the entire menu gets a Hawaiian twist when spicy, grilled shrimp and zesty Kung Pao chicken are rounded off with a sweetly tropical and richly delicious, pineapple chiffon pie. The essence being on a quickly prepared, light yet complete meal.
Pineapple chiffon pie
Ingredients
Pineapple 1 cup
Gelatin powder 2 tbsp
Sugar ½ cup
Icing sugar 2 tbsp
Water 1 cup
Egg white 2
Lemon juice 4 tbsp
Fresh cream 1 cup
Method
Dissolve sugar in boiling water and add gelatin powder. Let it cool. Beat eggs to a foam in another bowl. Add the sugar syrup to this foam and beat some more. In a glass dish, make a base layer of chopped pineapples, topped by a layer of sugar syrup. Add icing sugar to fresh cream and mix well. Add a layer of this mixture on top of the sugar syrup and chopped pineapples base.
Garnish with chunks of pineapple.
Country Kung Pao chicken
Ingredients
Chicken 1 kg
Capsicum 1
Spring onion 1
Water 1 cup
Dry red chillies 4-5
Garlic 6 cloves
Ginger 1 medium-sized piece
Cornflour 1tbsp
Soya sauce 2 tbsp
Oil 3-4 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Method
Heat some oil in a pan. Add garlic cloves, ginger pieces and dry red chillies, and stir fry. Add chicken in it. When the colour of the chicken changes, add capsicum pieces, spring onions, soya sauce and one cup of water. As it comes to a boil, pour some cornflour in it and let it cook for a further five minutes.
Tasty Country Kung Pao chicken is ready.
Indonesian grilled prawns
Ingredients
Jumbo prawns 300gm
Yogurt 1 cup
Egg 1
Carom seeds 1 tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tbsp
Red hot pepper 1 tbsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Fresh cream 2 tbsp
Lemon juice 2 tbsp
Crushed coriander leaves as required
Salt as per taste
Method
In a bowl, mix together the ginger garlic paste, egg, salt, lemon juice, carom seeds, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, red pepper, some turmeric, crushed coriander powder, fresh cream and yoghurt. Marinate prawns in this paste for 15-20 minutes. Grill the prawns on a heated grill pan.
Tasty Indonesian grilled prawns are ready.
Steamed fish with ginger sauce
Ingredients
Fish ½ kg
Ginger 1
Spring onions 1
Green chillies 4
Lemon 2
Cornflour ½ cup
Black pepper as per taste
Salt as per taste
Oil 4 tbsp
Water ½ cup
Method
Marinate fish with salt and black pepper and put it in a steamer pan. Take another pan and stir-fry green chillies and ginger. Add half-a-cup of water and spring onions. Let it come to a boil and add some cornflour. Cook for a minute or two until sauce thickens to the desired consistency.
Serve the steamed fish with ginger sauce.
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, January 17th, 2016