July 2013 Daring Bakers - Moo Shu Chicken

Has it really been 6 months since my last post? Wow, that is a real long time and I am entirely to blame for this. I have neglected this space all this while and now I need to make up for it. And in order to do that, I bring you this fabulous Moo Shu chicken. How can Moo Shu chicken be a daring bakers callenge you ask? Let me explain. This month our challenge was to take any past Daring Bakers or Daring Cooks challenge that we wanted to try and complete it. With a million things to choose from I decided on something that would double up as dinner. Win-Win!

This dish is incredibly easy to make and all the ingredients are also readily available. Ofcourse, I did swap out a thing or two but that is the beauty of this dish. The pancakes do take some time to make but you could substitute store bought chapatis or tortillas if you are in a rush.

Let's make some Moo Shu!

Recipe - Makes a lot! I did not use the quantities specified below, just scaled them to our requirements.

Ingredients
For the pancakes
4 Cups All purpose Flour (I used whole wheat Atta)
1 1/2 Cup Boiling Water
1 Tsp Vegetable Oil

For the Moo Shu Chicken
2 Cups Thinly sliced Mushrooms
4 Cups Thinly sliced Cabbage
500 Grams Chicken Breast (Boneless and Skinless) - Marinate in pinch of salt and 1 Tsp Ginger garlic paste for 1 Hour
4 Large Eggs
4 Scallions
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Vinegar
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil  (Divided)
2 Tsp Sesame Oil
Salt to Taste
Pepper

For the Hoisin Sauce
4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp Honey
2 Tsp Vinegar
1/8 Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tsp Sesame Oil
20 drops Chinese Style Hot Sauce
Pinch of pepper

Make the Pancakes

1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Gently pour in the water, stirring as you pour, then stir in the oil. Knead the mixture into a soft but firm dough. If your dough is dry, add more water, one tablespoon at a time, to reach the right consistency. Cover with a damp towel and let stand for about 30 minutes.
2. Lightly dust the surface of a worktop with dry flour. Knead the dough for 6 - 8 minutes or until smooth, then divide into 3 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a long sausage and cut each sausage into 8 - 10 pieces. Keep the dough that you are not actively working with covered with a lightly damp dish cloth to keep it from drying out.
3. Roll each piece into a ball, then, using the palm of your hand, press each piece into a flat pancake. Dust the worktop with more dry flour. Flatten each pancake into a 6 to 8 inch (15 cm to 20 cm) circle with a rolling pin, rolling gently on both sides.

4. Place an un-greased frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, lower the heat to low and place the pancakes, one at a time, in the pan. Remove when little light brown spots appear on the underside. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to serve.

Make The Chicken

1. Lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
2. Heat about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil in a preheated wok and scramble the eggs until set, but not too hard. Remove and keep to one side.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil. Stir fry the marinated chicken till no longer pink in the middle. Remove to a plate and shred finely.

4. In the wok, add the mushrooms and cabbage. Stir fry for about 2 - 3 minutes, then add the remaining salt, pepper, soy sauce and vinegar. Blend well and continue stirring for another 2 minutes.

5. Add the scrambled eggs, stirring to break them  into small bits. Add the sesame oil and blend well. Add the chicken and heat through.

Make the Sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl till well blended.

Serve 

Place about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of hot Moo Shu in the center of a warm pancake, add one Tsp sauce and roll it into a parcel with the bottom end turned up to prevent the contents from falling out. Eat with your
fingers.

Happy Eating!!