Olan

Ingredients:

Ash gourd - 2 cups, cubed
Red beans - 1 cup - soaked overnight and cooked with salt
Coconut milk - 1 cup (preferably fresh, not canned)
Green chillies - 3 - 4, slit in half
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

Cook red beans with some salt and keep aside.
Cook ash gourd with very small amount of water and salt, covered on medium heat.
Once half cooked, add the red beans and cook uncovered until almost all water has evaporated.
Add coconut milk, leaves and cumin powder. Continue heating until it just starts to boil. Stop the heat and take it off the stove.
Heat coconut oil and splutter mustard seeds.
Add the oil into the olan. Serve with rice.

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Chinese chicken dumplings

Ingredients:

Minced chicken - 1 lb.
Shitake mushrooms (dried, soaked and squeezed dry) - 1/4 lb. (half a packet)
Napa cabbage - 5 leaves, shredded (marinated for 20 mins with salt and squeezed)
Sambal - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 1 clove, minced fine
Ginger, minced - 2 tbsp
White pepper powder - 2 tsp
Scallions - 2 stalks, minced fine
Hoisin sauce - 2 tbsp
Light soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Lime zest - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil - 2 tsp
Gyoza wrappers - 1 packet

Method:

Mix all ingredients except wrappers. Marinate in refrigerator for at least half an hour.

Fill a small bowl with water.
To assemble dumplings: Spoon 1 teaspoon of chicken mixture and place into center of wrapper. Dip the tip of your finger into the small bowl of water and run your finger along the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over to create a half moon shape, or a triangle if using square wrappers. Pinch the edges of the wrapper starting in the middle to seal, making sure all air has been removed.

To cook dumplings: Place a steamer lined with baking paper over simmering water.
Cook dumplings, in batches, for 15 minutes or until tender and cooked through. Serve.

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Chinese dumpling sauce

Ingredients:

Low sodium light soy sauce - 3 tbsp
Tamari - 2 tbsp
Coconut aminos - 1 tbsp (optional)
Sesame oil (i used chilli sesame oil) - 2 tbsp
Malt vinegar - 2 tbsp
Coriander root and stems, chopped fine (cilantro) - 2 tbsp
Ginger, minced fine or grated - 2 tbsp
Green onions, finely chopped - 2 tbsp (1 stalk)
Sweet chili sauce - 1 tsp.

Method:

Mix all ingredients and let marinate for at least half an hour before serving.
Taste and adjust as per your liking.
For an extra kick, I also ground some sichuan pepper corns and sifted it to let a small sprinkling of it into the sauce.
If you have regular sesame oil, then use 2 tbsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp chilli oil or to taste.
I was making dumplings too, so sprinkled a small amount of garlic in the sauce too (that I was going to use for dumplings).
Sprinkle some toasted white sesame seeds on it too if you like.

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