Asia Recipes
Based on a recipe by Keith Floyd from his book Floyd’s China, “Chinese Beef and Carrots” is an ideal meal to cook in a thermal cooker.
Cuisine from Sichuan include a number of beef dishes as they are very popular amongst the Chinese Muslims and this was one of the areas Floyd visited during his TV series on China.
I have made a few alterations to the original recipe but it basically stays the same. Like all of my recipes they can be used in a slow cooker but you will not have the same energy saving as when cooking in a thermal cooker.
Happy thermal cooking,
Mr D
ingredients
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 slices of peeled fresh ginger root
- 5 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 750g stewing beef, cut into 1cm cubes
- 40ml dark soy sauce
- 1 beef stock pot or stock cube
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (Chinese cooking wine) or dry sherry
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 450g carrots, cut into batons
- water
method
- Heat the oil in the inner pot over a medium heat.
- Add the garlic, ginger and spring onions and cook until golden brown.
- Add the beef and all the remaining ingredients except the water. Stir well.
- Pour over water to cover the meat and carrots.
- Bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and place the inner pot into the vacuum-insulated outer Thermal container, shut the lid. Leave while you start the rice in the top pot. If not using a top pot leave to cook for a minimum of 3 hours.
- Add the rice and water to the top pot and bring to the boil. Stir then turn down the heat and simmer for 1 minute.
- Turn off the heat, open the vacuum-insulated outer Thermal container and place the top pot into the inner pot.
- Put the lid on the top pot and shut the lid of the outer container.
- Leave to thermal cook without power for a minimum of 3 hours.
- Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed
- Serve with the rice and some stir fry vegetables
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PDFContinue reading about Mr D’s TV – Chinese Beef and Carrots cooked by Mr D in his Thermal Cooker
This weeks recipe is to celebrate Dewali. Mr D’s curried lamb chops cooked in his Thermal Cooker have great depth of flavour created by the cloves, cardamoms and bay leaves.
If you like your curries slightly hotter add more chilli but not too much to overpower the other spices.
ingredients
- 2 Tbs ghee or vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 cm fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 400g tin of chickpeas
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 7 cloves
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 400g tin chopped plum tomatoes
- 8 small lamb chops
- 125 g baby spinach leaves
- Salt to taste
method
- 1. Heat the oil in the inner pot. Add the bay leaves, cardamoms and cloves. When they sizzle, add the onion and cook until translucent and soft.
- 2. Stir in the ginger and garlic and fry for two minutes.
- 3. Add the spices, tomatoes and lamb. Cover the lamb with hot water, bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.
- 4. Add the chickpeas and bring back to the boil and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- 5. Turn off the heat and place the inner pot into the vacuum-insulated outer Thermal container, shut the lid. Leave while you start the rice in the top pot. If not using a top pot leave to cook for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Cooking the rice in the top pot.
- 1. Add the rice and water to the top pot and bring to the boil. Stir then turn down the heat and simmer for 1 minute.
- 2. Turn off the heat, open the vacuum-insulated outer Thermal container and place the top pot into the inner pot.
- 3. Put the lid on the top pot and shut the lid of the outer container.
- 4. Leave to thermal cook without power for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Before serving
- 1. Check the curry for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed.
- 2. Add the spinach, stirring the spinach leaves into the curry until they wilt.
- 3. Serve on a bed of rice that you either cooked in the top pot or a separate pan.
This dish is based on a recipe from one of my favourite cookbooks “curry, curry curry” by Ranjit Rai. I have made a few alterations and added the potatoes.In his book Ranjit Rai says that he is not sure if the dish came from Spain or went to Spain but no matter, if you like saffron this is certainly one try.
Happy thermal cooking,
Mr D
ingredients
- 1.6 kg chicken jointed
- 75 ml cooking oil
- 20 g saffron
- 35ml warm milk
- 300 ml coconut milk
- 165 g yogurt
- 2 onions. roughly chopped
- 1½ tsp turmeric
- 3 cm fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 20g blanched almonds
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 250 g small potatoes, halved
- 1½ cups of basmati rice
- 3 cups of water
method
- Add the saffron to the warm milk and set aside.
- Put the coconut milk, yogurt, chopped onions, turmeric, ginger, salt, almonds and chili powder in a blender and liquidize.
- Heat the oil in the inner pot and add the chicken pieces in batches. Fry until they are light brown.
- Add the contents of the liquidizer to the chicken in the inner pot and bring to the boil stirring occasionally.
- Turn down the heat, pour over the saffron and milk. Simmer for 5 minutes with the lid on.
- Place the inner pot into the vacuum-insulated outer Thermal container, shut the lid. Leave while you start the rice in the top pot. If not using a top pot leave to cook for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Add the rice and water to the top pot and bring to the boil. Stir then turn down the heat and simmer for 1 minute.
- Turn off the heat, open the vacuum-insulated outer Thermal container and place the top pot into the inner pot.
- Put the lid on the top pot and shut the lid of the outer container.
- Leave to thermal cook without power for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Serve with nan bread. You can also add a vegetable curry on the side.
The other day I sold a thermal cooker to Dave White and his family. Here is his update on how he is getting on with it.
Hi Dave,
we tried your recipe for Lamb Shanks on Saturday whilst away in our Motorhome.
The result was very good! The lamb was lovely and tender. I think we need to cut the carrot into smaller pieces next time.
Thai green curry
Yesterday’s dinner was Thai Green Curry, again taken from your book. It was excellent. The rice was really fluffy!
We look forward to trying many more of your fine recipes!
Thank you!
- Lamb Shanks
Continue reading about Dave tries out his new Mr D’s Thermal Cooker.
