condiments

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Hawaii has a lot of good green mango that is solid and green throughout.  When in season, my cousin and I would scour neighborhood trees and make this delicious chutney.  There are many recipes and many schools and churches sell mango chutney at their country fairs in time for Christmas. On the mainland, "green" mangoes look green but they are already yellow and ripening.  It is very hard to find truly green mangoes for chutney and some pickles.

 Ingredients: 

16 cups or 1 gallon of peeled, diced or sliced green or half ripe mangoes 

1 T salt 

3 c sugar 

3 c brown sugar 

3 c apple cider vinegar 

2 c chopped onion (1 large) 

1/4 c minced ginger 

1/2 c chopped candied ginger

 1/4c minced garlic 

5 small chilies, chopped 

 2-15 oz boxes of raisins 

1 t cloves 

1 t nutmeg 

2 t cinnamon  

Directions:

In a large pot, combine vinegar, sugars, spices and chili. Boil and simmer 30 minutes. Add onions, garlic, ginger and raisins and cook 30 minutes. Add mangoes and cook 30- 60 minutes until thickened to desired consistency. Transfer to bottles or can them for gift giving or storage. Makes about 12-8 oz jars of chutney.   

Easy and inexpensive to make.  Better tasting than the bottled type with less ingredients.  So delicious.  This is one of my daughter's favorite dishes.

 Ingredients: 

2 lb, 10 oz can of long bamboo shoots, cut into bite size pieces 

1/2 c oil 

1 T chili pepper (Korean type for kim chee, cayenne or others) 

2 t sesame oil 

2 T sugar

 2 t salt  

Directions: 

Heat pan, then add oil till hot.  Add bamboo shoots and saute 5 minutes until well mixed.  Add rest of ingredients.  Let come to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.  Let cool.  Store in bottle and refrigerate. 

So easy to make.  It graces the tables of all Hawaiian restaurants, luaus and parties.  We use this in place of hot sauce and many also eat the chilis too.

Ingredients: 

2 c water 

1 T coarse salt 

2 t vinegar 

1/2 c or more of small fresh chili peppers 

1 t minced garlic 

Directions:

 Fill a pint sized jar with the chilis. Heat water, salt and vinegar. Stir until salt dissolves. Cool and pour over chilis. Refrigerate at least a week before using.   

  5 Spice powder is an important ingredient in many Chinese dishes.  In my videos, 3 recipes use this ingredient:  prune mui, kau yuk and char siu.  some people use it  in pot roast chicken so there is no rule, depends on your taste.  This spice can also be used for braised meats, vegetables, rice, noodles, even cakes and desserts.  You only need a little as the mix is pretty pungent.  Sometimes it is hard to find in grocery stores and that's why I decided to make my own.  Do not substitute black peppercorns for the Szechuan peppercorns (available only in Chinatown).  

Ingredients:

 3" cinnamon stick 

1 1/2 t cloves, whole 

1 T fennel, whole 

1 T Szechuan or Sichuan peppercorns 

3 star anise  

Directions: 

Break up the cinnamon stick and put it in a coffee grinder with the rest of the spices.  Grind until smooth.  Only takes seconds.  Store in a small jar in your pantry. 

Serve this unusual and delicious side dish.  People will be oohing and aahing and wondering what this is.  It is crunchy, sweet and slightly hot.  Most people have never seen this vegetable.  It only appears in late summer, around the end of July.  The stems will pop up from the chive leaves and form a white bud.  If you wait too long to pick the stems, the bud will open and black seeds will form.  The stems will be too tough to eat then.  Only the Chinese and Korean stores sell the stems.

 Ingredients: 

 1/2 lb garlic chive stems

 2 T Chinese plum sauce

 1 T finely shredded ginger  

Directions:

Blanch bunch of garlic stems in boiling water for about 2 minutes until color changes to a dark green and stems are limp. Drain and cut into 2" pieces. Put into bowl and mix in plum sauce and shredded ginger. Plate and serve.  

This is a very delicious, crispy condiment from Burma (Myamar) made with dried shrimp, lots of fried onions and fried garlic.  This is very popular and is eaten with rice but many westerners eat it with toast.  My children and all the grandkids love this and can hardly wait till I make it and send them some.  They have all learned to make it and now they have the video and can make it themselves.

Ingredients: 

2 lbs good quality dried shrimp, ground fine in Blendtec or food processor

1 1/2 c oil

1/4 c tamarind water (soak 1/4 dried fruit in 1/2 c water until softened.  Squeeze and press through strainer.  Discard pulp.

2 t Chinese shrimp paste (hahm ha)

1T fish sauce

1 T sugar

1 T vinegar

1 t turmeric

1 t paprika

1 t or more chili flakes

8 oz bottle of fried garlic

8 oz bottle of fried onions

Directions:

Heat oil in a very large wok or 2 very large skillets.  When  a pinch of shrimp is dropped in oil and it sputters and foams, oil is ready.  Pour all of shrimp in and constantly mix and scrape bottom with a wooden spoon or it will burn.  Keep stove on medium or less if on propane gas stove as it is hotter than a kitchen stove.  Shrimp will absorb all oil but keep stirring.  Do not leave for a second or it may burn. Keep stirring until shrimp is dried, nicely browned and crispy (may take about 30 minutes).  Add rest of ingredients except garlic and onions and mix well.  Keep stirring until everything is dry and crisp (about 10 minutes).

Transfer shrimp and spread onto 2 large trays to cool.  When 100% cooled, mix in garlic and onions.  Pack into jars.  Keep refrigerated.  Keeps a very long time and will remain crispy.