Egyptian Chicken Rice

"Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook."

A few weeks back while I was browsing through the library (my favourite place), when I accidentally hit upon an interesting book on rice lying on the 'return' rack. Just wanted to share a little of what I read.

In the past Africans were considered to be intellectually incapable of domesticating rice and technologically unable to develop its complicated irrigation system. Instead, scholars contended that the Portuguese introduced the crop from Asia as well as the irrigation techniques needed for growing it.
However botanical and historical evidence (some dating back to 1068),demonstrate that Africans in Upper Guinea developed "an elaborate food production system that displayed acute knowledge of landscape gradient, soil principles, moisture regimes, farming by submersion, hydrology, and tidal dynamics, and the mechanisms to impound water and to control its flow" long before European contact. This knowledge enabled Africans to produce rice in three distinct ecosystems. The upland or rain-fed system was reliant on precipitation; the inland swamp system was dependent on high groundwater levels. The tidal floodplain method entailed situating rice fields on tidal waterways, which could require the construction of sizable levees and extensive and elaborate irrigation systems.

It is such a wonder that what was considered true yesterday becomes false today. We are continuously evolving...re-discovering,breaking myths...and even sometimes creating new ones ...I love being alive!! I love this Earth and all she houses.

Inspired by this, I decided to make a dish from the continent of Africa; and what better way than to use rice in my dish. Rice with a little of past English influence on the continent(and a little of my influence too) !



Egyptian Chicken Rice

Ingredients-
1 cup ground beef ( I skipped this, as I do not eat beef)
1 cup diced chicken fillets( I used chopped chicken sausages instead)
1 small red onion, chopped
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 jar finely sliced mushrooms (any)
1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp dried ginger powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp red chilli-garlic paste
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup raw rice
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste


Method-
In a deep pan, heat oil. Add the cumin seeds.
Once they splutter,add the onions.
Once the onions sweat, add the tomato paste, red chilli-garlic paste, ginger powder, bell-pepper,mushrooms, and chicken (and beef, if using). Saute for a minute.
Add the soy and worcestershire sauce. Add the raw rice and mix well. Add the salt and water.
Seal with the lid and cook for 20-30 minutes, till chicken/beef is tender and rice is cooked.

Serve with slivered almonds and sour cream/yougurt (if desired).

I share this with Trupti of Recipe Center for her Winter Treat Events.

Cheesy Udon with spicy sausages

Just returned from the library. Had finished reading "Map of Bones" by James Rollins and had to return the book. Awesome book. Although I read all sorts of books, I prefer thrillers and lately the genre has been biblical and historical, say the Dan Brown style. This book takes it to an all new level. The book kept me on the edge throughout. So, that leaves me with so little time to cook and lots of stomach rumbling. Hence the easiest options are always noodles. Since I am currently in Hong Kong, wanted to try out their famous udon here. Had purchased the udon but since my hubby doesn't really like the look of the thick noodle (almost worm like...as he puts it), had not cooked it yet. Udon is a kind of Rice noodle, generally on the thicker side. I added cocktail sausages and a little mozarella cheese in the end to give it an Italian-American twist and ofcourse to make it edible for my darling. And my husband surprised me by finishing the entire plate. Was it the dish or the hunger....? Thats' a mystery! '-)

Cheesy Udon with Spicy sausages
Ingredients-
2 packets udon
4 small cocktail sausages sliced (if going for the larger size, make it 2)
a dash of soy sauce
a dash of sesame oil
2 tbsp garlic infused oil (plain oil will also do..garlic just adds another flavour)
a little lemon zest ( about a pinch)
2 tsp Tabasco chilli sauce (depending on how hot you want it)
2 tbsp Tomato sauce/ketchup
1 tsp chopped chives (optional)
salt (to taste)
grated mozarella (as cheesy as you desire) :-)

Note: I have added no vegetables here, as hubby didn't want any today and I had neither the time nor the inclination. But you can add-capsicum and carrots.All julienned. Add them just after the sausages.

Method-
First boil the udon in a separate pan with enough water to immerse the noodles.
Strain and set aside.
Now, in a wok/kadai heat the garlic infused oil. Add the chives and lemon zest. Now add the sausages and the dash of sesame oil. Stir.
Add the noodles/udon and stir fry. Now add the soy sauce, ketchup and chilli sauce. Mix well so as to coat evenly all the noodles with the sauce. Add little salt. Sprinkle with the cheese while still hot and serve.

I served it with red wine, which was a birthday gift from friends here in HK. Guess the wine could be the reason my hubby ate all his udon. (I know I am quite filled with humility)..lol.

N.B. Remember that the sausages and the cheese will have some salt so be miserly with the salt.
The lemon zest adds a zing to the dish and sesame oil takes the flavour another notch up.