I just dug out of my memory, and made for the first time in ages, a recipe I made up a long, long time ago. It’s not much like anything I’d ever had before or since, though of course all the elements are things common to real-world cuisines. It has received generally favorable reactions over the years.
I think I got all the ingredients listed, and I think I even avoided depending too much on time-travel when writing the directions, but note that this is more like notes from somebody who has cooked a fair bit over 40 years than it is like complete and detailed instructions for a beginner. In particular, you need to know how to stir-fry, and how to prepare meat for stir-frying.
- Couple-three tablespoons minced fresh ginger (piece a bit bigger than your thumb).
- 1 lb. beef (for stir-fry; flank steak, brisket, round), sliced across the grain into 3/16″ pieces.
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce.
Marinate the sliced beef in the soy sauce and ginger.
- 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/8″ rounds.
- Curry powder; 3-4 tablespoons of Sun Madras, or whatever you feel like.
- Raisins, a handful or two (so about 3/4 cup maybe).
- Oil for stir-frying (meaning 2-3 tablepoons peanut or canola oil).
- 8oz. (dry) medium-width egg noodles.
- Salted water to cook the noodles in.
Start heating the water for the noodles enough in advance that you can add the noodles to the water about the same time you begin stir-frying (the noodles probably call for about 7 minutes of cooking time after the water boils).
Heat the oil in a wok. Stir-fry the beef pieces until nearly done. Add the carrot slices and stir-fry until done. (If done at home, in a too-small wok with not enough heat under it, you’re likely to get a lot of liquid in the middle by the end of this, and it’s tempting to overcook the beef and make it tough, so buy the flank steak.)
Add the curry powder to the wok. Stir in well. (In addition to flavoring the dish, it also acts to bind the liquids into a sauce that sticks to the ingredients).
Add the raisins. Stir in quickly.
Serve over noodles, which ought to be done about now.
Health-nuts might claim this isn’t a complete meal, due to having inadequate vegetables. If you want, serve with a vegetable dish, a salad, microwaved frozen vegetables, or whatever else you want.
I’m pretty sure I ran across the original of that recipe when I was looking for the frosting recipe for your birthday cake. It would be interesting to compare it with the reconstructed one.
I wanted to add that this recipe also works very well with wheat gluten, though you don’t get as much liquid at that point in the cooking process.
P.