Cumin [whatever]

What you need
8 oz meat or equivalent (I've tried tilapia, swai, and bacon, all good)
1 tspn sesame oil

marinade
1 tbspn Shaoxing wine (or cooking sherry)
1/2 tspn salt
1 tsp light soy sauce (or regular)
1 tsp regular soy sauce
1 tbspn water

flavoring
2 tbspn cumin
2 cloves garlic
4 red chilis (red jalapenos good)
1 tblspn dried chili flakes

optional
2 stalks celery
~ 1 bunch green onions

How to do it

Chop meat or equivalent into thin strips (thin enough that will cook fast - probably the thinner the better). Put in bowl, add marinade ingredients (one at a time is fine). Mix so everything coated in marinade. Set aside.

Crush cumin. Chop garlic fine, put in mortar with cumin. Chop chilis into smallish pieces, put in mortar. Put chili flakes in mortar.

If using celery, chop into thin slices, put in 3rd bowl. Chop scallion whites and put in that bowl (if you aren't using celery, but are using scallions, put the whites in mortar. Put scallion greens to the side for now.

Put enough peanut oil into pot or skillet so that the meat would be about half covered when it is added. Get it very hot. Pour contents of meat bowl in. This won't take long, but you'll have long enough to chop the scallion greens (no bowl for them needed, leave chopped greens on cutting board). Once meat is cooked enough to eat but not overcooked, remove from pan/pot and put aside.

If there's too much oil left, pour some out. If using celery, cook that and scallions now. Cook until it's still crunchy, but a little softer and has that cooked celery taste (like 1-2 minutes). Remove celery (you can put that in the serving plate).

May need to add oil now. Put flavoring in pan/bowl. Cook briefly, 20 seconds maybe, just to get it smelling good. Add meat. Stir until everything is coated in flavoring. Won't take very long. Turn off fire. Add scallion greens, and stir once or twice. Add 1 tspn sesame oil. Put on plate and mix with celery.


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