How To Cook Sweet and Sour Pork

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin, cut into bite size pieces 
  
   
• 1/2 green bell pepper and cut into pieces 
  
  
  
• 1/2 red bell pepper and cut into pieces 
  
  
  
• 2 stalks scallions only the white part, cut into 2 inch length
• 1 piece fresh / canned pineapple ring, cut into small pieces 
  

  
  
  
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• oil for frying

Marinade

• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon corn starch / flour
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine or apple cider vinegar

Frying batter

• 2 oz. all-purpose flour
• 1 oz. corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• 1 pinch salt

Sweet and Sour sauce

• 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 1 teaspoon plum sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon Chinese apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon corn flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and marinate with the ingredients for 15 to 20 minutes. 
   

   
   
   
2. Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well and set it aside. 
3. Strain the dry ingredients of the frying batter and then add in the egg, water and cooking oil to form a thick batter. 
4. When the pork is well-marinated, transfer the pork pieces into the batter and make sure they are well coated. 
   

   

   
   
   
5. In a deep skillet, add in the cooking oil enough for deep-frying. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the pork pieces untill they turn golden brown. 

   

   
   
6. Dish out and drain on paper towels. 

   

   
   
7. Heat up a wok or pan and add in some cooking oil.
8. Add in the chopped garlic and stir-fry it untill it turns light brown. 

   

   
   
9. Add in the bell peppers and pineapple pieces. 

   

   
   
10. Stir them untill you can smell the peppery aroma from the peppers. 

    

    
    
11. Add in the sweet and sour sauce. 

    
    
12. As soon as the sauce thickens, transfer the cooked pork into the pan and stir well with the sauce. 

    

    

    

    
    
13. Add in the chopped scallions and do a quick stir. 

    

    
    
14. Do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice. 

    
    

    
    

    
    
    

How to Cook Thai Basil Fried Rice

 

Ingredients

• 150 grams chicken breast meat
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 bird's eye chillies
• 1 tablespoon Thai chilli paste 
  (I used 1/2 tablespoon shrimp sauce & a little lime juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cup left-over rice
• 1 tablespoon ground basil leaves
• 1 egg
• vegetable or sunflower oil for frying

For Stir-fry Sauce

• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon of water

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken breast meat into thin slices about 1.5 inches in length. 
   
   
   
2. Marinate the chicken meat for 30 minutes with light soy sauce and salt. 

   

   
   
3. Stir-fry the chicken with some oil in the pan untill it turns lightly golden.

   
   

   

   
   
4. Cut off the stem of the bird's eye chillies. Remove the seeds. 
5. Grind the garlic and chilli together, using a food processor. 

   

   

   
   

To fry an egg, add sufficient oil into the wok enough to cover it. Heat the oil to medium heat. Crack it and place it gently at the centre of the oil. Let it fry undisturbed untill the edges bubble up and turns crispy. 

Frying the rice

1. Heat the oil in the pan. Add the leftover rice and use the spatula to break up all the lumps. Gradually increase the heat from low-medium to medium-high. Continue stir-frying it untill they jump and pop in the pan. 
   
   
   
2. Add the stir-fry sauce gradually and continue to stir-fry it at medium high untill the rice absorbs all the seasonings. 

   

   

   
   
3. Heat some oil to saute the ground garlic and chilli. Add some chilli flakes and Thai chilli paste to the pan when it turns aromatic. 

   

   

   
   
4. Return the cooked rice to the pan. Stir-fry it over medium-high untill the chilli paste is incorporated with the rice thoroughly. 

   

   

   
   
5. Add in the cut onion and chicken to the rice and mix it all well together. 

   

   
   
6. Finally, add in ground basil leaves and stir-fry it together over high heat. 

   

   
   
7. Remove the pan from heat. Serve the dish with the fried egg and garnish it with chopped spring onion. 

   

   

   
   

   
   

How to Cook Indian Mackerel in Sweet Soy Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 pieces Indian mackerel
• 5 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced 
  
  
  
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced 
  

  
  
  
• 2 cm ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 lemongrass stalk, remove the outer layers, bruised and cut into 3 cm pieces
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 salam (bay) leaf
• 1 tomato, chopped 
  
  
  
• 10 bird's eye chillies, remove the stalk (if you like it spicy)
• salt to taste
• 4 tablespoons kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 200 ml water
• Enough cooking oil for deep frying and sauteing

Instructions

1. Gut and clean the fish thoroughly. Then marinate in a little bit of salt and lime juice or vinegar for 15 minutes. 
   
   
   
2. Wash the fish one more time over running water to remove the lime juice and excess salt. Pat dry with a paper towel. 
3. Heat enough oil for deep frying in a pan or wok over medium heat. 

   

   
   
4. Deep fry the fish untill golden brown for around 10 to 15 minutes and set it aside. 

   

   
   
5. Remove the oil from the deep frying and clean the wok.
6. Put 1 tablespoon oil in the pan and heat it over medium high heat.
7. Sautee the shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and 1 bay leaf untill fragrant about 4 minutes.

   

   

   
   
8. Add the chopped tomato. Fry it for 1 minute. 

   

   
   
9. Add water to it. 

   
   
10. Add the salt and sweet soy sauce. 

    

    

    

    
    
11. Add the chillies if you wish to. 
12. Add the fishes and cook them over medium heat for about 15 minutes untill the liquid is mostly reduced and the sauce thickens. 

    

    
    
13. Transfer the dish onto a serving plate and garnish it with chopped spring onion.