Whilst some takeaways around the country remain open... our local is sadly not! But fear not, as I actually do love nothing more than trying my hand at making a takeaway at home, I just don't usually have time, hence, you know... takeaway!
Anyway, this little set is perfect for weekend feast for two. It is a little work, but get yourself a glass of wine and donate an hour or so of your afternoon to prepping, and it's well worth the effort. I was laughed at for serving in takeaway pots, but I feel like it adds to the fun and justifies your hard earned labour!
As ever, it's easy to tweak where you fancy; I last made the black bean dish with some steak strips, but supplies and newly pescatarian boyfriend made for a veggie version this time. You could also add some cooked chicken, duck or prawn to the spring roll mix if you liked.
The recipes are all listed below for each of the five elements - you could add or remove dishes, but I like the balance of this little set: the saucy main dish, egg fried rice, the fresh salad, and of course two types of snack, fried and steamed (balance, you see!).
Smacked Cucumber
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2/3 cucumber
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
½ tsp lazy chilli
Handful black sesame seeds, optional (and normal white will be fine!)
Method:
- In a small dish, mix together all the dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Take the cucumber and lay on a chopping board, then using a rolling pin, bash it firmly all over, until it buckles and cracks start to appear throughout the length of the cucumber. You don’t want it mashed up, just bruised enough to help it absorb all the dressing!
- Once cracked, half the cucumber lengthways and chop into rough chunks.
- Pop the sliced cucumber into a bowl along with any juice which has escaped, then add the dressing and stir so that all pieces are coated.
- Pop into the fridge for at least an hour (but you could go longer if you wanted to prepare earlier in the day) so that the cucumber an absorb all the flavour and remove to come up to room temp 10 mins before serving.
Aubergine & mushroom in black bean sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 tbsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
4 tbsp fermented black beans, ground to a rough paste
1 tsp lazy chilli or one fresh chilli, finely chopped (optional)
100g mushrooms, halved (we used chestnut, but button or larger flat mushrooms would be fine)
200g aubergine, chopped into inch chunks (about ½ an average aubergine)
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
350ml beef stock (or the same amount of boiling water and 2 tsp marmite!)
1 tsp cornflour, mixed with a couple of tsp water
Small handful coriander, to serve
Method:
- Heat the sesame oil in a large casserole dish on a high heat. Once hot, add the onion wedges.
- Once beginning to colour, add in the garlic, ginger & black bean paste, season with pepper, then fry off for 2-3 mins.
- Once sizzling, add in the aubergine and mushrooms. Fry for 5 mins or so, until beginning to soften, stirring to stop it sticking to the bottom of the pan!
- Next, add the sugar, followed by the vinegars and soy sauce and allow to bubble away for a couple of minutes, until becoming sticky, then add the beef stock and cornflour.
- Leave to bubble away for 20-30 mins until rich, reduced and glossy then serve immediately with the coriander sprinkled on top.
Vegetable Spring Rolls
Makes 16 spring rolls (which serves 2 right?! They do freeze well if you have any left...)
Ingredients:
1 white onion, finely diced
150g peppers, chopped into 5mm thick strips
150g beansprouts or cabbage, finely shredded
1tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp soy sauce
16 sheets Wanton pastry
Method:
- Fry off the onions in a large pan or wok, in 1tbsp sesame oil. When starting to soften add the peppers and continue frying, until the vegetables colour.
- Add the garlic, ginger and beansprouts or cabbage and fry for 4-5 more mins before adding the soy sauce for the final minute.
- Remove from the heat and spread across a large plate to allow to cool for around 10 mins.
- Next, get the oil on for frying – you’ll need about 1cm deep in a wide frying pan.
- Once the mixture has cooled, assemble the spring rolls. Take one sheet of wanton pastry and place around tablespoon of mixture at the bottom edge, keeping about a centimetre free either side;
- Placing your fingers under the mixture, roll up tightly folding the edges in after one roll;
- Keep rolling until about 1cm of pastry remains, then brush this with water, then roll and press down to seal.
- When you’re ready to fry, test the oil is hot enough by dropping a small piece of leftover onion or beansprout in and watching it sizzle.
- When you’ve reached this point, carefully place the spring rolls in and cook for 3 mins, turning regularly, until an even golden-brown colour all over.
- Carefully remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and place on kitchen roll to drain any excess oil.
- Serve immediately.
Prawn and Spring Onion Dumplings
Makes 10-12 dumplings (which again, definitely serves 2!)
Ingredients:
For the dumplings:
200g cooked prawns
3 spring onions, finely chopped
1 heaped tsp of garlic paste
1 tsp of ginger paste
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
10-12 Won Ton papers, defrosted if frozen
For the dipping sauce:
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
1/2 tsp honey
Method:
- Using a large knife, finely chop prawns until mince-like and add to a large bowl. You could use a blender for this but only on the pulse setting, so as to retain some texture!
- Into the prawn mix, add the garlic, ginger, spring onions and vinegar then season with salt and pepper
- Using either a spoon or preferably your hands, mix together until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the dumplings
- To assemble, take 1 paper and place a dessert spoon of mix in the centre. Brush 1cm around each edge of the pastry with water, then bring the sides up around the mix, starting by matching diagonal corners in the centre. Once you’ve got those 4 corners in and a partially closed parcel, bunch up the excess and lightly squeeze together to close the dumpling.
- Pop onto a plate which will fit into a deep saute pan, (you’ll need to pop it in to steam), which has been liberally oiled so the dumplings don’t stick.
- Now to steam, place a small plate upside down in the bottom of a deep saute pan with a lid. Pour boiling water into the base of the pan, about 1-2cm depending on the depth of your pan and set heat to medium. Carefully place the plate of dumplings on top of the upside-down plate and put the lid on. Allow to steam for around 4-5 minutes or until the filling is heated through and the pastry is translucent.
- If you have a bamboo steamer, adapt timings accordingly.
- Serve immediately.
Egg Fried Rice
Serves 2
Ingredients:
150g white rice
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Method:
- Boil rice for 10-12 mins, or according to pack instructions, until just cooked through.
- Once cooked, drain and allow to steam dry in the sieve for a couple of minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a non-stick frying pan; add the rice and fry for a minute or so.
- After a minute, push the rice to one side of the pan and add the egg into the space. Allow to set slightly before starting to break up and stirring into the rice. Keep stirring the mixture for a couple of minutes as the egg cooks and spreads throughout the rice.
- Remove from the heat and toss through 2/3 of the spring onions, reserving the rest to sprinkle on top.
- Serve immediately.
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