Meet Chef Steve Lee, the Chef who introduced Indo-Chinese Cuisine to the UK
To celebrate the Chinese New Year (10th February 2024) we visit Hakka Garden Restaurant where Chef Steve Lee reveals his recipe "secrets" for 4 of his Indo-Chinese restaurant recipes:
1). Veg Manchurian Dry
2). Hakka Noodles
3). Tai Pai Paneer
4). Kung Pao Veg
BASE INGREDIENTS FOR VEG MANCHURIAN DRY & KUNG PAO VEG:
* Sliced White Onion
* Chopped Carrot
* Chopped Cabbage
* Sliced Green Beans
* Salt
* Water
* Corn Flour
* Plain Flour
FOR VEG MANCHURIAN DRY:
THE ABOVE BASE INGREDIENTS ARE HAND ROLLED INTO PAKORA SIZED PIECES, FRIED AND THEN WOK STIR FRIED:
* Deep fried Pakora sized Fritters
* Oil
* Fresh Chopped Garlic
* Finely Chopped Green Chillies
* Chopped Ginger
* Dark Soy Sauce
* Water
* Salt
* Corn Starch (Cornflour & Water mixed together)
* Chopped Coriander
KUNG PAO VEG RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
* The base ingredients are hand shaped to make a large patty shape & half fried taken out of the frier, cut into cubes and then fully fried
* Oil
* Dry Red Chillies, broken in half
* Fresh Chopped Garlic
* Finely Chopped Green Chillies
* Tomato Ketchup
* Green Capsicum Pepper
* Spring Onion
* Chopped Green Chilli
* Dark Soy Sauce
* Fried Cashew Nuts
* Spring Onion
TAI PAI PANEER RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
* Oil for frying
* Paneer Pieces sprinkled with Water
* Cornflour
* Green & Red Capsicum Pepper
* Dry Red Chillies
* Garlic
* Crushed Red Chillies
* Tomato Ketchup
* Dark Soya Sauce
VEG HAKKA NOODLES RECIPE:
* Vegetable Oil
* Onion
* Garlic
* Cabbage
* Carrot
* Green Beans
* Noodles
* Salt
* Light Soya Sauce
* Dark Soya Sauce
* Spring Onion
Some Indian recipe books that you may perhaps like:
* Vegetarian Wok Meal Prep Recipes: How To Prepare Quick & Tasty Veggie Meals Asian Style: https://amzn.to/3d9SK1D
* The Veggie Chinese Takeaway Cookbook over 70 Vegan & Vegetarian Takeaway Classics: https://amzn.to/3tUNCEK
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(Disclosure: The above links on this page are affiliate links to Amazon, meaning that if you decide to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you, I will earn a small commission).
Note that; in Indian & Indo-Chinese restaurants, dishes are cooked on a very high heat which delivers a slight smokiness to the cooked food and gives that distinctive restaurant flavour and character to a dish.
A special thank you to Chef Steven Lee, who welcomed us and graciously allowed us such a privileged glimpse into their kitchen to do the videoing.
Hakka Garden address is: 248 Streatfield Road, Harrow HA3 9BY
If you have any questions you can call them on: 020 3235 2060
KITCHEN'S AMBIENT INGREDIENTS:
* Fresh Chopped Garlic
* Finely Chopped Green Chillies
* Chopped Ginger
* Sliced Green Chilli
* Chopped White Onion
* Crushed Red Chillies
* Tomato Ketchup
* Green Coriander
* Chilli Flakes
* Dark Soy Sauce
* Salt
* Sugar
* Light Soya Sauce
* Cooking Oil
* Curry Powder
VIDEO CHAPTERS:
00:00 Coming Up / Video Highlights
00:30 Walking into restaurant
00:50 Ordering from the Menu
01:02 Walking into the Kitchen & greeting Chef Steven Lee
01:21 Chef telling us his Ingredients
01:39 Chopping Onion & Chopping Skills
02:32 Kung Pao Veg & Veg Manchurian Recipes
06:44 Water Cooling & Cleaning Stove explained
07:24 Kung Pao Veg Recipe
10:40 Tai Pai Paneer Recipe
13:02 Hakka Noodles Recipe
15:16 Tasting & Commenting on the cooked dishes
16:05 Steven Lee telling us Nelson Wang invented Manchurian
17:03 The key to a Quick Stir Fry is using an Iron Wok & a High Flame
17:16 Chef Steven Lee telling why he introduced Indo-Chinese cuisine to the UK
18:35 Chef naming some of the famous celebraties that he has cooked for
Steven Lee was born in Kolkata in India to Chinese parents and worked in for 14 years at the famous China Garden in Mumbai. So it was a natural progression for Chef Steven Lee to learn & develop his skills in Indo Chinese restaurant kitchens.
Chef Steven Lee’s father had migrated to India in the 1940s from Guangdong province of China.
Steven Lee was born in Kolkata and grew up in Tangra, the Chinatown of East Kolkata that once housed tanneries and now been converted to restaurants.
Steven Lee had introduced this ‘Tangra’ type Indo-Chinese cuisine at a Wimbledon based restaurant named ‘Dalchini’ around 22 years back.
Keeping the multi-cultural diversity of UK in mind, Lee had introduced Indo-Chinese dishes like Hakka Noodles, Crispy Okra Pepper Salt, Tai Pai Paneer, Soya Chilli Paneer and a lot more...
In 2016 he went for his maiden business venture ‘Hakkaland’ at Harrow.
After a five-year stint as a co-owner of Hakkaland, Lee has now started his latest business venture Hakka Garden in Harrow.
Lee has also showcased his Indo-Chinese delicacies in various popular UK cookery shows on Zee TV and Colors TV.
(This video was recorded on Saturday 20th January 2024)