Balti house ready meals...

Balti House Biryani are stocked in the supermarket under ready meals in the fridges... These are 325g pots which in my opinion will give you two dinners if you bulk it up with veg as you're rice is included in these OR perfect for a Friday night take away at home without all the added bits!

I've tried the chicken one and its really yum! 

Veggie biryani - 12PP for the 325g pot

Chicken biryani - 15PP for the 325g pot

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Prawn Satay recipe...

Here's the recipe for the Prawn satay as promised from Friday … Part of my ongoing homemade Chinese experiment! 

I LOVE satay.. and a chicken satay from my local Chinese is 18 (EIGHTEEN!!!) ProPoints… and a skewered chicken satay from the starter is 5 PP for ONE! so I had to do something… after many attempts this is the best I've come up with… don't forget to add your rice…  10g = 1 PP

First up you'll need prawns, you can use chicken or beef too… Most of the packs you buy all work out roughly 3 PP for about 12 prawns…  

Birds Eye 280gm pack = 5 PP 
Young's King Prawns 190gm pack = 3 PP 
Frozen 250g bag from Tescos = 3 PP for half the bag 

Get those in the hot wok with a few squirts of spray oil and lash in loads of veg… add some soy sauce, sweet chill sauce and a drop of red wine vinegar… Try a little lemon grass or Chinese five spice if that's your thing… I used red bell peppers, courgettes and red onions all finely chopped… but you can add any veg you like… mushrooms are lovely and will bulk it up too!  


The satay sauce works out at 2 PP and will serve 4

You'll need… 

2 tbsp smooth or crunchy peanut butter

2 tbsp creme fraiche 
(the recipe used coconut milk or evaporated milk but creme fraiche does the exact same job without the extra saturated fat!)

1 tsp canderel 
(I've found this to be optional… it you caramelize your onions it can be sweet enough) 

1 tsp sweet chilli sauce

1 small onion finely chopped

1 clove of garlic crushed 

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp lemon juice   

1/2 cup water

Then… 

Combine the onion, garlic, sauces, sugar, lemon juice, peanut butter and water in a small saucepan then bring to the boil. Simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes continuously stirring or until the sauce thickens. Allow it to cool slightly then stir in creme fraiche. You can thin it down with a little more water and then add it to your stir fry. 

Et voila! 

6 PP of prawns and 2 PP of sauce makes a large portion of this for just 4 PP 

just add your rice…  

The lowest ready-made packet satay sauce is from AMOY…

6 PP for the full packet which serves two 

but its full of flavor so you will easily get 3 dinners out of it… 

I found it a little thick so I water it down… Most of the rest are ridiculously high! 

Enjoy! 

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Sushi...

I know chinese new year is over and technically Sushi is a japanese thing… but here's the PP for those still counting! These are freshly made with no additives and won't last in our cupboard till 2015! If you like sushi you'll love them… and if you don't try the veggie box to start you off you'll be hooked before you know it … DELISH! 

Hoisin Duck Sushi - 200g pack of 8 its 6 PP

Includes 8 duck maki with carrot, cucumber & hoisin sauce… 

comes with a very cute little bottle of soy sauce & some wasabi… 

Chicken Teriyaki Sushi - 200g pack of 8 its 6 PP

8 chicken maki marinated in Oishii Teriyaki sauce with red pepper & chives… 

again with a very cute little bottle of soy sauce & some wasabi… 

Sushi salad bento box 230g  - 10 PP

Includes 2 fresh salmon nigiri, 3 smoked salmon maki, vermicelli noodle salad… 

soy & sweet chill sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger… very filling for lunch!

Sakana fish sushi box 205g  - 6 PP

Includes 1 salmon nigiri, 1 crabstick nigiri, 2 inside-out smoked salmon maki,

2 inside-out tuna maki with carrot & mayo … 

soy sauce, wasabi & pickled ginger…

Vietnamese Springrolls 140g  - 9 PP

2 cooked prawn & pork spring rolls with ponzo sauce … 

Note: one spring roll is 4 PP but it rounds up to 9 PP if you have em both! 

ggrrrrrrrr!

Yasai Vegetarian Sushi 180g  - 6 PP

1 tamago nigiri, 1 sweet tofu nigiri, 1 red pepper nigiri, 

4 tofu maki with carrot & wakame, Soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi too! 

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Happy new year…

I know it's only Tuesday and the weekend seems like AAAAAAGGGGGGGGEEEEEEESSSS away… but who here loves they're weekly take out?!? go on… fess up! Big friends of Mao and the local Chinese in Casa Doll! 

Friday is Chinese New Year… the year of the horse… and funnily enough that's how I eat my chinese… I horse it down! Chopsticks are the best way of eating and probably the most frustrating for ambidextrous people! But chasing a pepper around your plate will give your stomach time to digest what you've eaten and for your brain to realize you're actually full!

Portion control is the one to watch as every Chinese is different… but with a little common sense and you can have your favs without the guilt… 

More noodles and Asian foods coming this week!

so, here's what you're looking at for those of you pointing…   



Chinese...
Beef with green pepper in black bean sauce = 12 pp
Boiled rice = 12 pp
Char Sui Pork = 11 pp
Chicken chow mein = 9 pp
Chicken & cashew nuts = 9 pp
Chicken in black bean Sauce = 11 pp
Chicken with mushroom = 8 pp
Chicken and sweetcorn soup = 6 pp
Chicken Balls (portion of 8) = 13 pp
Chips - half bag (210g) = 14 pp
Chips point at 24pp for a whole bag, 
I weigh mine out 210g = 14 pp, 400/420g = 26/27 pp
Curry Sauce (per tub) = 8 pp
Egg fried rice = 16 pp
Fortune Cookies (per cookie) = 2 pp
Hot and Sour Soup = 4 pp
Lemon chicken = 10 pp
Lychees (6) = 0 pp
Mushroom Chow Mein = 6 pp
Mushroom Foo Yung = 6 pp
Mixed veg in oyster sauce = 6 pp
Prawn crackers = 9 pp (average portion)
Roast Pork Cantonese Style = 10 pp
Seaweed (deep fried) = 9 pp
Sesame prawn toasts = 3 pp (each)
Special chow mein = 9 pp
Special fried rice = 23 pp
Spring rolls = 9 pp (each) 
Sweet and sour chicken (balls or peking style) = 13 pp
Szechuan Prawn with Vegetables = 12 pp
Toffee Banana = 15 pp (I KNOW!!!!)
Vegetable Curry = 8 pp

Be very careful with Chinese values, do not treat them like Mcdonalds points which are standard sizes. e.g. in my local Chinese I would get 10 chicken balls, each at least twice the size as a Mcdonalds chicken nugget, and then with sweet and sour sauce on top there is no way they are 13pp if 9 nuggets are 11pp.

A special chow mein in one chinese could be approx 850g and serve 2, so it can't be the same value as a single spring roll! let common sense prevail!!


Thai...

Starters
Chicken Satay - Satah Gai = 8 pp
Fried spicy Fish cake, each - Tod man Pla = 5 pp
Fried Spring Roll, each = Popia Tod = 4 pp
Fried Won Ton, each - Keau Krob = 2 pp
Glass Noodle Soup = 8 pp
Hot & Sour Chicken Soup - Tom Yam Gai = 7 pp
Mussels with coriander & bean sprouts - Hoi Tord = 5 pp
Prawn crackers, 30g =  pp
Prawn Satay - Goong Sateh = 8 pp
Red radish soup = 2 pp
Steamed watercress & beansprouts = 0 pp
Sweet chill dipping sauce, 30g = 2 pp
Thai Dumpling, each - Ka-Nom-Jeeb = 1 pp
Thai Noodle soup - Gange Chud Woon Sen = 8 pp

Main Courses
BBQ Pork Spareribs - Sikrong Mu Ping = 22 pp
Beef, chicken or pork Green Curry - Gaeng Keo Wan = 20 pp
Beef, chicken or pork Red Curry - Gaeng Phed = 23 pp
Beef with oyster sauce - Neau Pad Namman Hoi = 14 pp
Chicken with cashews - Gai pad Med Ma-Muang = 15 pp
Chicken with mushrooms - Gai pad Hed Sod = 12 pp
Duck with tamarind & honey - Ped Makham = 20 pp
Garlic fried prawns - Goong Tod Gratiem Prik Thai = 9 pp
Steamed Fish Curry - How Mok = 12 pp
Stir fried vegetables in oyster sauce - Pahd Pak Namman Hoi = 11 pp
Sweet & Sour Beef - Priaw Wahn Nuer = 15 pp
Sweet & Sour Chicken - Priaw Wahn Gai = 12 pp
Sweet & Sour Fish - Priaw Wahn Pla = 11 pp
Sweet & Sour Pork - Priaw Wahn Moo = 13 pp
Sweet & Sour Prawns - Priaw Whan Goong = 11 pp
Vegetable green curry - Gaeng Keo Wan pan = 12 pp
Green Papaya Salad = 9 pp
Curry Puff = 6 pp

RICE & NOODLES
Crispy Fried Egg Noodles with Thai sauce - Ba-Mee grob ranah = 24 pp
Egg Fried Rice - Kow Pahd = 19 pp
Egg Fried Rice with cucumber, coriander & lemon - Kow Pahd Khai = 23 pp
Egg Fried Rice with Pork - Kow Pahd Moo = 23 pp
Egg Fried Rice with Prawns = Kow Pahd Goong = 23 pp
Fried Egg Noodles - Goi See Mee = 15 pp
Pad Thai with Chicken = 24 pp
Pad Thai with Prawns = 21 pp
Prawn or crab fried rice - Khao Pad Goong, Pu = 21 pp
Steamed rice - Khao Suay = 12 pp
Stir fried Rice Noodles with chicken - Phad See Lew Gai = 15 pp
Stir fried Rice Noodles with pork - Phad See Lew Moo = 20 pp
Thai Fried Noodles - Kuaytio Pad Thai - 20 pp

DESSERTS
Lemon sorbet (1 scoop) = 2 pp
Sweet sticky rice with banana = 14 pp

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