PORK & SHRIMP POTSTICKERS

Potstickers. Can I have a plate of Potstickers? Cheta, Dumplings? These are our usual requests when we eat out. I am a die hard fan of potstickers and I can live on it for the rest of my life. Ian is another one. The minute the server comes by,he would say,'Cheta,Dumplings?'. He doesn't know the difference between a Potsticker & a Dumpling,so prefers to call them Dumplings. A Potsticker is first pan fried on it's flat side and then steam cooked in either chicken broth or water. Whereas a Dumpling is cooked by steaming alone. Simple,right?

We used to buy Pork & Vegetable Potstickers from Trader Joes, Whole Foods etc all this while. Everytime we buy it, I make a mental note to try my hand at it soon. It never happened until we ate some Momos at our local Indian restaurant. Momos are a Tibetian / Nepali version of Dumplings. I've made them many years ago when I was in Kannur and they were my favourite things to eat out in Bangalore.We would go to the Taste Of Tibet on Brigade Road and order so many plates of Momos because we could never get enough of it!

When I researched about the kinds of fillings,I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of them were the same. Some used different sauces to flavour the pork while some stuck to the basics. I preferred sticking to the basic recipe because I knew the ones we've been eating so far didn't taste like it had a blend of sauces. I was right. These potstickers proved to be the best!This recipe called for 64 Wonton wrappers but,if you are using Potsticker wrappers,which is thicker than the Wonton wrappers,you will have to buy an extra packet. There are only 48 Potsticker wrappers in one packet.

This is such an easy thing to make and must be made ahead of time,if you are planning.They are best when frozen,just like how it is when we buy. When I tried cooking them as soon as I made it, it became a bit too soft. I mean,it was good but,it was not the way I had wanted.You need to lay them on a cookie sheet and leave it in the freezer till they are frozen,rock solid. After that, transfer them to a ziptop bag and leave it in the freezer till needed. This works as the best appetizer when you have some visitors at the last minute or,in my case,when me and Ian need something to munch on during tea time.

PORK & SHRIMP POTSTICKERS
Makes 64

Ingredients:
2 cups green / napa cabbage,chopped very fine
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound shrimp,cleaned and finely chopped
1 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine /sherry
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons chopped ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
64 Potsticker / Wonton wrappers

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chicken stock / water

Dipping sauce:
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
a small slice of ginger

Method: In a large bowl,toss the cabbage with salt and set aside for 20 mins. Transfer the cabbage to a cheesecloth and squeeze out all the water. You will be amazed to see the amount that will ooze out. Make sure you squeeze the daylights out of it ;)

Mix together all the ingredients from cabbage through garlic,well. You can refrigerate the mixture,covered,at this point,for upto 6 hours. When you are ready,put one teaspoon filling on each wrapper,shape and seal with some water brushed on the edges of the wrapper. You can use a cornstarch slurry too,if you'd like it that way. Place all the shaped dumplings on a cookie sheet and freeze till rock hard. Transfer to a ziptop bag and freeze until needed.

How to cook: In a large saute pan, heat the oil on medium high heat. When it is hot, add the dumplings,flat side down and let it get golden brown on that side,1-2 minutes.Then,lower the heat to medium, add the chicken broth,cover the pan and let it cook for 3-5 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.

For the dipping sauce: Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and serve alongside potstickers.

This was seriously, out of this world good! If you have the patience,make a bigger batch and stash it away in the freezer and you can thank yourself,later,when you enjoy them! Ian was sleeping when I made these and when he woke up and saw them,he went crazy for it! I have made another batch already and they are sitting very pretty in the freezer :) You should try it too!

HONEY CHILI POTATOES

I am back with another recipe using honey! This time it's paired along with a favourite ingredient of mine, Potatoes! I can eat anything made with potatoes,any time of the day! It's such a versatile ingredient and is an instant favourite with most people. I tasted this dish 11 years ago at Mainland China,Bangalore. One of my closest friends,Vasu, is a vegetarian and she had ordered this as her appetizer. The entire plate vanished in no time and it was just the two of us!

A few months later, I spotted this recipe in a book Mamma gave me.I noted it down in my navy blue diary. You should see the condition of that diary now. It's falling apart but at the same time, it's filled with delicious recipes too! So, I have kept it safe. Have you ever come across people who steal other's hand written cookbooks? I have and it's not a good experience at all! The number of years and effort you put into writing that book is just too precious! So,wherever I am now, all my books are kept safe! If someone wants a recipe and asks for it, I will be more than happy to share it with them.It's better to be safe than sorry!

The original recipe calls for blanching sliced potatoes and then frying it. Instead,you can use frozen fries and skip a step. I am giving you the recipe from the book but feel free to substitute it. It will yield the same result. There's some joy in skipping steps in a recipe,isn't it? Especially if they give the same results!
This is a delicious appetizer and tastes best when eaten immediately. Fried potatoes retain some crunch when served alone but, when they are tossed in a slightly sticky sauce, they get soft faster.So,if you are planning to take this appetizer with you,to someplace, it will taste just the same but they will be a bit soft.

There are a few things that you need to be careful about while making this recipe. We are adding the sauces directly to the oil,which means,it can get burnt very very easily . Once burnt, no amount of modifying can rescue it. It will taste bad.So, reduce the heat to low before you add the sauces. It's applicable for all recipes containing sauces &  powders. This recipe calls for chili paste and since I didn't have it on hand, I substituted it with red chili powder / cayenne. Feel free to increase or decrease the amount to suit to your tastes. Try to have the fried potatoes ready on hand before you make the sauce, so that way you can toss it immediately. The sauce will thicken a bit as it sits and might not coat the potatoes as much as it would,when hot.

HONEY CHILI POTATOES
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
250 grams potato (or frozen fries)
50 grams cornstarch
Salt & pepper
Oil for deep frying
2 tablespoon oil
3 dried red chilies
2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon green onions
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Method:
IF you are using store bought frozen fries,fry as mentioned behind the packet and toss them in the sauce.
IF you are making the fries at home,wash,peel & cut the potatoes into fingers. Blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes and let it drain completely. Once cool, toss it with cornflour,salt and pepper.Shake off the excess flour & deep fry in hot oil (350F) until golden brown in colour.

For the sauce: Heat oil in a large saute pan and add the ginger garlic paste. After 30 seconds, add the dry red chilies and mix well. Decrease the heat and add the remaining ingredients and stir it well.Add the fried potatoes and toss well to coat. Serve right away garnished with green onions, cilantro and white sesame seeds.

Ian loved it! Just like his Appa & Amma,he loves potatoes in any form. He took his share and sat on our rocking chair to eat them peacefully. Every now and then he would ask us to get him water because it is a bit hot for him.These days he calls Jobin,'Jobi'. So it was very funny to see him call out to 'Jobi',for water!  I hope you try this sometime,it really is a quick one to pull together and tastes fabulous!Next time, I will use the readymade fries. We usually don't stock fries in our freezer. So, it's going to need some planning next time on!