Chinese rice and beef dish

The Chinese have probably not heard of this!

Pardon me China,for taking your name in vain.But that is the title given for this recipe in my Amma's old,torn and tattered,yellow pages almost falling apart,yet a million dollar worth recipe book.And she is going to state in her will that this book,along with the other precious recipe books(the dark blue binder and the orange german note book)has to be rightfully handed down to her first born and favorite daughter...;p Did the other daughter get the message clear?
Well,I'm assuming that some old grand aunt of mine would have cooked up this dish in her Indian kitchen and since it uses a few Chinese ingredients,she called it 'The Chinese rice and beef dish'.But it is so yum that I don't think the Chinese will ever complain!
For me it is pure comfort food.Perfect for the weather.Enjoy it piping hot on a cold,rainy day.Bliss!!

CHINESE RICE AND BEEF DISH

Rice 2 cups
Beef 500 gms(cut into small chunks)
Cornflour 2 tbsp + enough to thicken gravy
Onion 1(cut into fairly big cubes)
Green chillies 2(finely chopped)
Garlic 4 cloves(finely chopped)
Capsicum 1/2(cut into big cubes)
Pepper
Salt
Soy sauce 1 tbsp or more
Salad oil
Spring onion(finely chopped)

Method:
Cook the rice and keep aside.
Pressure cook beef with enough salt and pepper till just tender.Separate the stock and the meat.
Mix cornflour with cooked beef and leave aside for sometime.
Fry the beef in salad oil until nice and brown.Do not over cook.
In a pan,heat salad oil and fry the garlic and green chillies for 30 secs.
Add onion and stir fry until just translucent.
Add the fried beef and stir well.
Add soy sauce and enough pepper and salt.
Now mix enough cornflour(I added a tsp)into the stock and pour it into the pan.
Wait for it to boil and thicken.The gravy should be nice and thick not runny.So pour the stock accordingly.
Put some rice in a plate and pour the beef gravy generously over the rice.
Garnish with spring onion and serve hot.

HOMEMADE MEAT CUTLETS

Mmmm.....Homemade cutlets for lunch!!!

Making cutlets is no more an ordeal.Gone are the days when you had to start things from scratch like getting chunks of meat, cooking it, removing the fat and then mincing it before the actual work began.Things are a lot easier as you can get fresh, clean, fatless, beef mince from your local butcher.Here in Bangalore, we have Frosty's for the loveliest of meat and fish cleaned and cut in anywhich way you want.I had bought some of their special beef mince the other day and since I had this sudden urge to eat some homemade cutlets, I defrosted it and got ready to make some.But once I got started, it seemed like the perfect "wrong day" to make cutlets.......The maid turned up late,the milkman came with his coupons, the ironing wala for clothes, the neighbour for a chat and of course my little girl was all over the house,enjoying her holiday!!

Phew......it was no fun as I had thought it to be.I found myself,working on the cutlets till kingdom came.It seemed like eternity before they were done.But as I fried the first batch,the wonderful aroma of warm, homemade cutlets wafted in the air.It reminded me of my mother's home back in Kerala.I looked at the remaining batch of unfried cutlets ready to go into the chiller and smiled to myself.Hee hee hee....Easy lunch for a couple of days!!

MEAT CUTLETS(makes about 15 cutlets)

Beef mince-1/2 kg

Onion-1 medium

Ginger-1 inch piece

Garlic-4-5 flakes

Green chillies-3-4

Curry leaves

Garam masala-2tsps

Pepper powder-1 tsp

Coriander powder-1 tsp

Salt-enough

Vinegar-2tsps

Soyasauce-2tsps

Chilli sauce-2tsps

Tomato ketchup-2 tsps

Potato-2 medium

Egg-1

Bread crumbs

Oil

Method

Wash meat well and drain.

Finely chop onion, ginger, garlic, greenchillies and curryleaves.

Pour oil in a kadai and when it boils add the above and saute.

Add garam masala, pepper and coriander powder.

When the aroma rises, put in the minced beef and mix well.

Add enough salt and vinegar and mix with a fork, removing the lumps.

Cook for sometime on low fire.Dont add water.

When the meat is well cooked, add the sauces and mix well.

Off flame when the stock almost dries up.

Add boiled and mashed potatoes and mix again.

When cool,divide into small equal balls.Flatten it into desired shape(round or oval).

Dip in beaten egg and coat with bread crumbs.

Deep fry in oil and serve hot.