From the land of warriors

King Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, wanted to leave his legacy of holding the greatest warrior dynasty behind with his grave. He ordered the creation of a huge army of terracotta statues to be buried with him, to accompany an emperor into immortality. He believed that these Terracotta Warriors would protect him in his afterlife, just like they did during his rule.

The Chinese Warriors of Qin’s dynasty tended to be romantic and had a very distinct personality. The same reflected in the way they ate. Their food was made with passion, with the use of earthy flavours of bamboo shoots, ginger roots, scallions and a variety of local and fresh ingredients found in their land.

The two Terracotta warriors guarding the doors of ‘China Bistro’ in Hyderabad seem to be protecting these recipes too! Here are a few of the recipes that the chef shares with us.

Crispy Fried Vegetable Konjee Naro

Ingredients:
Carrot 40 gm
Cauliflower 40 gm
Mushroom 40 gm
Baby corn 40 gm
Eggplant 40 gm
Potato 40 gm
Oil 30 ml
Ginger 10 gm
Garlic 10 gm
Onion 10 gm
Celery 10 gm
Chilli paste 50 gm
Tomato ketchup 30 gm
Hoisin sauce 30 gm
Salt (as per taste)
Veg broth powder 10 gm
Vinegar 10 ml
Spring onion 20 gm

Method:
Dice the carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, baby corn, eggplant and potato. Deep fry all of them along with corn flour added. Heat oil in a pan and add the rest of the ingredients (Ginger, garlic, onion, celery, chilli paste, tomato ketchup, Hoisin sauce, salt, veg broth powder, vinegar, spring onion) to make a mix. Add all the deep fried vegetables to this. It is ready to serve.

Mixed Vegetable Chilly Basil Sauce

Ingredients:
Carrot 30 gm
Mushroom 30 gm
Broccoli 30 gm
Zuchini 30 gm
Snow peas 30 gm
Cauliflower 30 gm
Baby corn 30 gm
Red pepper 20 gm
Yellow bell pepper 20 gm
Oil 30 ml
Ginger 10 gm
Garlic 10 gm
Fresh shredded chilly 10 gm
Vegetable stock 500 ml
Soy sauce 30 ml
Light soya 20 ml
Lemon juice 30 ml
Basil leaves 30 gm
Potato starch 50 gm

Method:
Dice all the vegetables and then boil them for 5 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and add the following to make a mix. Add all the vegetables together in the wok; stir fry and then it is ready to serve!

Lemon Coriander Soup

Ingredients:
Chop all the vegetables in small cubes:
Carrot 20 gm
Cabbage 20 gm
Chinese cabbage 20 gm
Beans 20 gm

Method:
Boil all the vegetables in water for 5 minutes. Separate the vegetables from the water.
Make a stock with:
Vegetable stock 500 ml
Coriander paste 50 gm
Salt as per taste
Put all vegetables in the stock and add the following:
Lemon juice 20 ml
Potato starch 30 gm
The Lemon Coriander soup is ready to serve.
Mixed Vegetable Rice

Ingredients:
Boiled rice 450 gm
Corn 30 gm
Carrot 30 gm
Beans 30 gm
Vegetable broth powder 10 gm

Method:
Cut the vegetables into cubes. Heat oil in a pan, add rice and heat it. Season with salt as per taste. Add vegetable broth powder and all the vegetables to it. Toss and serve!