Pasta with Dried Chilli and Seafood

I love localising pasta dishes according to regional taste (Asian or Chinese inspired). This version is one of my favourites. It’s spicy and can be accompanied by any white fish, squids or prawns. Best, the chilli paste can be pre-prepared and used over a period of two weeks for a variety of dishes. Means, meals can be prepared in record time.

 

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot (small red onion)
• 10 dried red chillies, seeded and soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
• 10 prawns, skin removed and deveined
• ½ carrot, thin swirls (or just Julien it)
• Some cabbage thinly sliced
• Pasta for two servings
• 1 to 2 Kasturi limes (or quarter of a lime), extract the juice
• 3 to 4 tablespoon of coconut oil (cold press or virgin is best)
• Salt to taste  

Directions

• Boil water with a bit of salt and few drops of oil. Cook the pasta till al dente and drain it (overcooking the pasta will spoil the dish).
• In the meantime, take a mortar, add the garlics, shallot and soaked chillies. Pound till it becomes a paste (but still coarse). You can also store the paste if there is leftover.
• Take a large sauce pan, pour the oil and heat it on medium flame. Add the chilli paste into the oil and let it cook for 2 minutes. 
• Then add the prawns and cook for 2 to 4 minutes. Add lime juice and a bit of salt.
• Once ingredients have amalgamated, turn off the flame.
• Add the pasta, carrots, and cabbage into the prawn and chilli. Mix evenly. 
• Adjust salt and acidity.

Serving Note: Goes great by itself and with sparkling wines. You can also replace the carrot and cabbage with zucchini swirls. If you can't get coconut oil, use good quality sun flower oil.

Pandan infused Beans Sprout

The humble beans sprout is hardly a dollar a bag in Asia. Widely used by the Chinese and people of the Indo-Cina region in their soups, stir fries and spring rolls, this sprout is highly nutritious, packed with Vitamin C, B and other nutrients that keeps your body young. I love this vegetable just the way it is – crunchy, hydrating and sweet. The mix of soy sauce, white pepper and honey along with ‘pandan’ infused shallot oil, only enhances its already naturally fragrant and fresh taste.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 cups beans sprout (mung bean sprouts), roots removed, washed in cold water and drained
• ½ a carrot finely julienned
• 4 to 5 shallots finely sliced (smallest red onion)
• 3 to 4 tablespoon chicken stock ( or just use water)
• ½ teaspoon of white pepper powder
• 2 to 3 tablespoon light soya saucer
• 1 tablespoon honey (or sugar)
• 1 pandan leaf cut into 4 pieces and squish then
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil (or canola)
• Pinch of salt

Direction

• Prepare a low depth dish (2 to 2.5 inch) for the beans sprout (so that you are not scrambling for a dish later).
• Boil water in a deep pot.
• Turn the stove off, after water starts to boil.  Blanch the beans sprouts and julienned carrot together for a minute or two (don't let it get soggy, vegetables must still be crunchy when you take them out).
• Drain the water from the blanched vegetables and place it on the serving dish prepared earlier.
• Mix light soya sauce, honey, chicken stock, salt and white pepper powder in a pan on lowest heat. The mix should never boil, just heated gently until everything is amalgamated smoothly. Once sauce is ready, pour it over the beans sprout on the dish.
• In another sauce pan heat the oil and fry the sliced shallots along with the squished pandan (screw pines) leaves together.
• Once onions are golden brown, turn the stove off and scoop the oil and pour over the beans sprout.

Serving note: This is a great dish to go along with any spicy fish, chicken or tofu dishes. I also often have it, all by itself with just brown or red rice. For vegans and vegetarians, you just have to replace the chicken stock with water. You will still get satisfactory results.




 

Yogurt Gravy with Thai Eggplants

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We start 2017 with a yogurt gravy that is somewhat Indian of origin but modified to suit current times. This is also a great dish after all that partying we did to usher the new year. It relaxes the body system and energises for all that is coming. It cures hangovers, flu and even an upset stomach. Best of all, it is packed with nutrients and takes only 10 to 15 minutes to get done. If you are a vegan, you can use black gram water (1 tablespoon black gram powder added to 1 cup water) with almost the same result but tasting equally divine.

Yogurt Gravy with Thai Eggplants

Ingredients

• 3 cups yogurt
• 6 shallots diced
• 3 clove garlic minced fine 
• 2 green chillies chopped
• 1 inch ginger, cut into thin julienne
• 1 bunch coriander leaves chopped fine
• 1 coriander root sliced thin
• 4 thai white eggplants sliced into ½ cm thickness disks
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seed
• ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seed
• ¼ teaspoon fennel seed
• ½ teaspoon black gram seed
• 5 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 Tablespoon clarified butter
• Salt

Direction

• Pour yogurt in a bowl and whisk the yogurt lightly with a fork until the mix is silky and free of lumps. Add a bit of water if necessary.
• Place the eggplants in another bowl and mix it evenly with turmeric, paprika and salt. 
• Pour 2 to 3 tablespoon of oil in a pan, on medium flame. Pan fry the eggplants till both sides are golden. This might take between 2 to 3 minutes max. Once done set the eggplants aside.
• Use the same pan and turn flame to medium low. Pour 2 tablespoon oil in the pan.
• Once oil is hot, add the black mustard seed, fenugreek seed, fennel seed and black gram seed. Let it pop. 
• Next add the onions, chillies, ginger, garlic and coriander root. 
• Add clarified butter and let the onions caramelised while everything becomes fragrant.
• Add the yogurt mix and stir constantly until it comes to a soft first boil.
• Add salt to taste.
• Add the coriander leaves and the eggplants into the sauce.
• Give it a light mix and remove the stove.

Serving Note : Serve with hot white rice. Best eaten during lunch with other accompaniments such as fried potatoes, or even grilled fish, prawns or squids.