TFC Chicken Curry

A good chicken curry can fix almost anything. For those not accustomed to spicy food, you need to understand the science behind why this darling dish is Asia’s most favourite. Almost every home has a well protected family recipe.

The chili that is used in the curry (or capsaicinoids in it) binds to the receptors in the lining of the mouth. This receptor registers pain from heat, creating sort of a burning feeling, resulting from the flow of calcium ions between the cells. This molecule has an electron poor area, which is attracted to the electron rich area of the receptor protein. Regular intake of  spicy food can deplete these receptors, enabling you to eat hotter chillies with the same effect. The burning sensation causes our body to release endorphins,  the natural painkillers, resulting in a feeling of happiness and well being.

Ingredients
• ½ chicken cut into moderate pieces
• 3 tablespoon of vegetable or cooking oil
• 1 cup of fresh coconut milk
• Some coriander leaves chopped roughly
• 2 Potatoes diced into big chunks
• 1 medium tomato, cut into quarters
• 1 cup water
• Whole spice
o 1-2 Star anise
o 3 cloves
o 1 cinnamon
o 2 cardamon
o 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• Salt

Paste 1
• 6 garlic cloves
• 3.shallots (small red onions)
• 1” ginger
• 1 lemon grass ( peel the outer layer), slice them ( don't use the green more woody part at the top )
• ½” blue ginger/ galengga
• ¼” yellow ginger
• Water enough to blend the paste

Paste 2
• 2 – 3 tablespoon chicken curry powder
• 1 tablespoon plain Chili powder
• 2 candle nuts
• Water enough to blend the paste

Directions
• Blend paste 1 and 2. Set them aside.
• Place a heavy pot on medium flame and pour oil.
• Throw in the whole spice into the hot oil. Temper until spices releases fragrance.
• Next add paste 1 and cook till translucent and fragrant.
• Add the chicken and mix evenly till all the chicken pieces are coated with the paste.
• Add the tomato and a dash of salt. Let everything cook for just a few minutes.
• Now add paste 2, potatoes, and mix evenly.
• Turn the flame slower if needed and cover for 4 minutes. Keep watch, so that the paste doesn't burn but gently cooks with the chicken and the potatoes.
• At this point the chicken should start to release it’s juices into the paste and lighten it a bit.
• Add sufficient hot or warm water to the curry to the consistency that you wanted. Still keep it thick so that you can add the coconut milk last.
• Let everything simmer till the potatoes are perfectly cooked.
• Lastly add the coconut milk and let it come to a simmer.
• Taste and adjust salt.
• Lastly add the coriander leaves and turn off the flame.

Notes: Serve with white rice, noodles, flat bread or toast. Goes well with a fresh cucumber and pineapple salad on the side.

Chicken Sausages in Sweet Soy Caramel Sauce

Sausages are not the healthiest of food choice, but we all have our own cravings for dirty food. My advice, choose something fresh from your butcher, preferably chicken sausages. Leave the grill, mustard and ketchup that is usually associated with sausages. Pick a frying pan and wooden spatula, this is a delicious sweet and spicy 10 minutes stir fry that goes with bread, rice or on its own.

Ingredients
• 4 – 6 sausages sliced diagonally into 3mm thickness pieces.
• 1 potato cut into 5mm thickness chips
• ½ green bell pepper, sliced diagonally into chunky pieces
• 1 big red onion, sliced into 5mm thickness rings
• 2 garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, cut into fine julienne
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy caramel sauce
• 4 to 5 tablespoon water
• 1 to 2 tablespoon oil
• Pinch of salt

Direction
• Heat a heavy frying pan on the stove (medium flame)
• Pour oil and heat it gently.
• Add the sausages, potato chips and just a dash of salt (but not enough to season just yet). Cook them till both the potato chips and sausages are starting to brown. The chips usually are somewhat half cooked at this point.
• Add the paprika and white pepper powder. Give a quick stir.
• Add mince garlic and ginger. Let it cook till translucent and then stir evenly.
• Drizzle both the dark and light soya source.
• Pour water and mix everything evenly.
• Add the onion and cook for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Lastly add the bell pepper, give a quick stir and remove pan from stove.
• Add salt to taste.

The heat from white pepper and paprika is perfect when combined with the thick sweet soy caramel sauce. The potato chips and crunchy bell peppers soaks up the sauce and completes the dish with all the nutrients you need in a single dish. Make you feel a lot less guilty.

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.

Spicy Fried Chicken

A Sunday picnic without some old fashion fried chicken is just a complete bore. How else would one spoil themselves and their loved ones. Pick a healthy free range chicken and you will certainly notice the difference in the meat quality and overall taste. This recipe is pretty straight forward and the coconut cream is optional, but does add a tropical tone to the chicken.

Spicy Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 chicken cut into medium size pieces (4 to 6 minutes cooking time roughly)
• 2 tablespoon coconut cream (optional)
• Salt
• 3 eggs beaten
• Canola oil for frying

For the Marinate

• 8 cloves garlic
• 1 shallot
• 1 inch ginger
• ¼ cm yellow ginger
• 6 to 8 dried chillies, seeded and soaked in water
• ½ teaspoon fennel seed
• ¼ teaspoon coriander seed
• ¼ cumin seed

For Coating

• 1 ½ cup flour
• ½ cup corn flour
• 2 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 1 inch cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon paprika powder
• 1 tablespoon white pepper
• Salt to taste

Direction

• Blend all the items for the marinate with a bit of water to form a fine smooth paste.
• In a big bowl, mix the chicken pieces with the paste mentioned above, salt and coconut cream thoroughly. Set it aside to marinate for 2 hours minimum (best 5 hours).
• In the meantime dry blend the clove, star anise, cinnamon and white pepper to form a fine powder.
• In a rectangle baking tray mix flour, corn flour, paprika powder, salt and the dry blended spice powder evenly. Set it aside for coating the chicken later.
• In another bowl, beat the eggs till light and smooth.
• Once chicken is ready (marinated enough), heat the deep fryer on medium heat.
• Take the chicken pieces, dip into the beaten eggs, coat generously with flour mix and place it carefully into the fryer.  
• Let•it fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Once chicken is golden and crispy, take the chicken out and drain it on a paper towel.
• Repeat the dipping, coating and frying of chicken pieces until all the chicken pieces are fried.

Serving Notes: Pack it for your Sunday picnic, brunch, or lunch. Serve by itself, or with home made chili or mayo sauce. Also goes well with rice mix, or to complement noodles.

Okra and Patatoes Stir Fry

This is kind of Indian but improvised to suit current taste and somewhat nostalgic to me.  Tasty and packed with stuff that is beneficial to health, but you can totally go away with the mustard, fennel and black gram seeds if you wish too.  It’s a great side dish for fish or prawn curries. Best of all you can whip this up in 10 minutes.

Okra and Potatoes Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 15 to 20 ladies fingers, sliced diagonally into ¼ cm thickness
• 2 potatoes peeled and diced thin
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin, crushed roughly
• ½ teaspoon coriander seed, crushed roughly
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 5 shallots minced
• 2 to 3 red chillies minced
• 1 cm ginger minced
• 1 tablespoon of mustard seed, fennel seed, and black gram seed mix
• 4 to 5 tablespoon canola oil  
• Salt to taste

Directions

• Mix the diced potatoes with salt,cumin, coriander seed, turmeric and paprika powder in a bowl. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a wide pan and sauté the potatoes. Potatoes need not be crispy, but must be soft and starting to brown at the edges (if needed sprinkle a bit of water till potato softens). 
• Move the potatoes to the side of the pan and add the mustard–fennel-black gram seed mix. 
• Once the mustard has popped, add the garlic, shallots, chillies, ginger. Cook till translucent.
• Add the ladies finger and stir the mix in high heat, till the slime is gone.
• Salt to taste and remove from the stove.

Serving note : Serve with fragrant rice, bread, or savoury crepes. Elevate this simple stir fry into a wrap using flatbreads or crepe; or as a side dish for seafood courses.

French Beans with Almonds and Cashews

Stir Fried French Beans with Almonds and Cashews

Sometimes, all I want is a delicious 10 minutes dish that is versatile enough to complement main course and is highly nutritious. Furthermore, I eat meat or any form of animal protein only on an occasional basis. Maintaining a predominantly vegetarian lifestyle helps to maintain good health, age gracefully and keep a sharp mind, as my grandmother put it.

Ingredients
• 15 to 20 french beans stringed and sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 3 garlic minced
• ½ onion minced
• 5 almonds crushed roughly
• 5 cashews crushed roughly
• One or two grate of nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoon canola oil or olive oil
• Salt to taste

Directions
• Heat oil in pan
• Add garlic, onion and cook till translucent
• Add the nuts and sauté till light golden
• Add the french beans
• Add white pepper, stir for 2 minute (or till beans are cooked)
• Add salt and remove from stove

Serving note : Serve with fragrant rice, bread, or savoury crepes. Elevate this simple stir fry into a wrap using flatbreads or crepe; a side dish for your main course. Goes well with seafood, meat or tofu.

Coconut Candy Bars with Muscovado Sugar

Coconut Candy Bars

A good sweet treat at the end of a meal is a ‘delish’ to complete any culinary experience. This treat is between a cookie and a candy that melts in your mouth almost like a sugar cookie. The bars are full of fresh toasty coconut, covered with dark muscovado sugar, rich in molasses and laced delicately by the black sesame that makes it exquisite nutty fragrant candy bars. Each scrumptious bite makes you feel deserving and I strongly believe anything in moderation will only lift your spirits (And yes, this includes sugar).

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 cups freshly grated coconut 
• ½ cup muscovado sugar
• ½ cup castor sugar
• 1 cup condensed milk
• 1 cup hot water 
• ½ teaspoon expresso coffee
• 10 tablespoon black sesame seed, toasted lightly and grind into a fine cakey powder (without any water)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Directions

• Prepare a ‘20 x 20 x 4cm’ square baking tin and set it aside.
• Mix the sesame powder with the fresh coconut evenly in a bowl and set aside.
• In another bowl, add the muscovado sugar and pour hot water. Stir the mix until sugar is completely dissolved, then strain it to remove impurities or lumps.
• Heat a heavy wide pan on low medium flame. Pour the muscovado sugar syrup, and the castor sugar into the pan. Let it simmer until the syrup is thick and slightly sticky (avoid stirring).
• Next add coffee, salt, and condensed milk to the syrup. Give the syrup a good mix and simmer for couple more minutes. 
• Followed by the coconut and sesame mix into the simmering syrup. Stir the mix until syrup has covered the coconut evenly. 
• At this point you can add the vanilla and keep stirring until mix is thick, sticks together and comes away from the pan. This may take about 30 to 40 minutes.  
• When the candy mixture is done, spoon it into the baking tin and use a spoon to level and smooth it out. 
• Let the coconut candy to set for 10 to 15 minutes and use a knife to cut it into squares in the pan.  Leave the coconut candy bars, for further cooling and setting.
• Once completely cool, (at this point you will be able to remove the bars but it may be still a bit moist), leave overnight in the fridge.
• Take the candy bars out of the pan the next day and store them in a jar. 

Serving Note: You can have this coconut bars as dessert after a meal, or for tea, crumbled on ice creams and puddings.

Happy cooking !

Creamy Yellow Lentils

The lentil and rice duo are nostalgic, a reminder of childhood, affectionate love, innocence, happiness and self awareness in its purest form. A plate of lentil and rice, creates a warm loving place to hide from all the troubles of the world. At least that’s what it means to me. Lentils are available in many types, from black, green, orangey red to bright yellow. It is the perfect base for soups, gravies or deep fried snacks. High in protein, starch that breaks down slower than rice, vitamin B, iron, phosphorus and zinc makes it a wholesome, diabetic friendly food.

The lentils in this recipe are sweet and creamy but without being overwhelming to the palate,  as they are perfectly balanced by the spicy, citrusy, minty and zesty flavours of the coriander, cumin and lime juice. The tempered agents adds smokiness that is sweet, warm, fragrant and nutty. The crispy potato garnish subtly complements the lentils with a bit of saltiness and crunch that lifts sophistication of this ordinary dish.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup yellow lentils, soak in water for 1 to 2 hours
• 3 cloves garlic, skin removed
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon cashew and almond paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and crushed or broken
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed, toasted and crushed or broken
• 2 to 3 tablespoon coriander leaves
• 1 tablespoon lime juice or tamarind
• 1 tablespoon cream (or coconut cream)
• 1 teaspoon molasses sugar/palm sugar
• Salt to taste

     For Tempering

• 1 teaspoon mustard seed+black gram+fenugreek seed+fennel seed mix
• 8 shallots or 1 big onion diced roughly
• 1 inch ginger, cut into thin julienne
• 2- 3 dried red chillies, cut into 1 inch length
• 1 tomato diced into 8 pieces (optional) 
• 1 to 2 coriander roots
• 1 teaspoon molasses sugar/palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon ghee (optional)
• 3 tablespoon coconut oil

     For Garnish

• 1 Potato, cut into thin strips (or diced thin and filmy)
• 1 teaspoon chilli/paprika powder
• 5 shallots, sliced thin
• Salt to taste
• Canola oil for frying

Directions

• In a bowl mix patatoes, onions, chili powder and salt.
• Fry the potatoes and onion mix till crispy and set it aside for garnishing later.
• In a pot, cook lentils on medium heat with 4 cups water (or a bit more), few drops of oil, garlic, salt and turmeric till almost mushy (This stage is important, lentils must be yellow, cooked and soft).   
• Once lentils are cooked, turn flame to low, add a bit more water as needed and let it come to a simmer.
• Add cashew, almond paste along with sugar, cumin and coriander seeds, let it simmer.
• In the meantime, in a frying pan, pour two or three tablespoon of oil and caramelise the sugar.
• Add onions, cook till it start to turn slightly golden.
• Next, add the mustard seed mix and let it pop.
• Followed by ginger, coriander root and dried chillies.  Cook till the ingredients start to turn light golden.
• Add the tomatoes and ghee, cook for a minute.
• Remove the pan from stove and pour tempered items with oil, into the simmering lentils.
• Add the coriander leaves, lime juice, salt to taste and let it simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Lastly add the cream to finish.

Serving Note : Serve hot with white rice (or single boiled white rice) and garnish the lentils with fried potato-onion mix. Alternatively, serve with flatbreads or savoury pancakes work well too. You can accommodate vegan friends by replacing the cream with coconut cream, and leaving the ghee out altogether.

Happy Cooking!

Rice Abundance - Fish and Asparagus

Asparagus is packed with vitamin K, folate, riboflavin, thiamine and minerals such as iron which promotes bone health and prevents cardio related hazards. Whereas, fish is a great source for protein and oils to carry fat soluble nutrients (vitamin A, D, E and K) such as the one found in the asparagus. Making this combination a great match when together.

The somewhat slightly chewy red rice, tender bits of fish and the crunchy asparagus with the undertone of cumin, coriander and lemon bound by the coconut oil makes each bite satisfying and guilt free. As such, leaving you feeling so torn as to which between the fish and the asparagus gets the credit.  I suppose, you’ll thank the red rice later.

Ingredients

• 1 white pomfret, filleted and sliced thin, around ¼ cm thickness
• 1 cup red rice, cooked and completely cooled (Rice cooked the previous day is ideal)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 10 asparagus diced into ½ cm pieces
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 3 shallots sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon white pepper powder 
• ½ teaspoon of cumin seed, crushed roughly
• ½ teaspoon of coriander seed, crushed roughly
• ½ teaspoon red chili or paprika powder
• 3 tablespoon of coconut oil
• Salt to taste  

Directions

• Heat the oil in a wide pan under medium flame. 
• Once oil is hot, turn down heat to low and fry the onions till golden crisp. Drain it on a paper towel and set aside.
• Place the fish fillet on a paper towel to remove excess moist. Rub the fish fillet thoroughly with chilli powder, cumin, coriander and salt.
• Turn heat up to medium (re-use the oil used for frying the shallots in the previous step). Carefully add the fish pieces into the pan and stir quickly to avoid the fish from sticking to the pan.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, till fish is cooked and liquids have evaporated. 
• Add the garlic, cook till light golden. 
• Next, add the lemon juice to the fish.
• Followed by the asparagus and cook for just 30 seconds.
• At this point, turn heat up to high, add the red rice, stir the mix quickly while it traps steam for 1 to 2 minutes more.
• Turn off heat, add fried onions, white pepper and salt, give everything a good mix.   

Serve with a clear soup, shrimp chili sauce, ginger or daikon pickles. Feel free to experiment with other white fish too.

Happy cooking !

Chicken in Black Sesame Sauce

This is an ancient recipe tweaked to fit current times. The dish uses black sesame for the base of the sauce, that is packed with nutritional goodness to protect liver, kidney and blood production. It’s sweet and peppery flavours are both comforting and warm to the stomach. The nutty aromas create an almost carefree, blithe atmosphere that can nurture anyone back into high spirits after a hard day’s work. The results are best when the chicken is marinated accordingly. As such this recipe does require a bit of pre-planning and prepping. However, the cooking process is pretty straight forward and is easy to follow.

Ingredients

• ½ kilo boneless chicken
• 2 tablespoon black sesame
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 2 green chillies
• 6 cloves garlic made into paste
• 1 inch ginger made into paste
• 6 shallots diced finely
• ¼ cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar (or molasses sugar)
• Salt to taste

Directions

• Mix chicken, garlic, ginger and salt in a bowl. Marinate for 2 hours.
• Heat oil in pan and once oil is hot add the sugar or molasses into the oil. Let it caramelised a bit and then add the onions.
• Cook the onions till they caramelise, then add the chicken. Let it cook.
• In the meantime blend sesame, pepper and chillies into a fine paste (use 1 to 2 tablespoons of water)
• Once chicken turns brown just slightly (but still juicy), add the sesame paste and let it thicken (add a bit of water if needed but not more than 2 or 3 tablespoon).
• When chicken is almost done the sesame paste will start to cover and stick to the chicken.  Oil too will start to separate. At this point the chicken is ready and you can dish them out on a plate.  

Serving note: Serve with plain white/brown/red rice or bread.

Happy Cooking!

Rice Abundance - Tofu and Sprout

Vegetarian food could be as delicious if we are just willing to try.  This highly aromatic, and nutty rice dish is based on fresh soy tofu and beans sprout. The baby corn is an effective extra added for sweetness and crunch to provide another dimension. The soy based tofu, acts like a white canvas that takes on the flavours of the tempering ingredients and binds the rice mix together. The sesame finish releases a pleasing and inviting aroma till the last bite.

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of fresh soy tofu blocks (not silken)
• 1 cup brown rice, cooked and completely cooled (yesterday’s leftover is just fine)
• 3 tablespoon of white sesame, toasted and crushed roughly
• 6 shallots diced 
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon palm sugar
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 table spoon of light soy sauce 
• 3 tablespoon coriander leave chopped fine
• 1 cup fresh beans sprout
• ½ cup baby corn cut into ½ cm pieces
• 3 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 tablespoon butter
• Salt to taste

Directions

• Crumble the tofu with your hands or a fork. Add a few drops of soy sauce in it and set it aside.
• Heat the pan with oil, add garlic and onions. Cook till translucent. 
• Add the crumbled tofu, chilli powder, palm sugar, soy sauce, and a pinch of salt. Mix them in the pan evenly and cook away all the liquid till oil starts to separate.
• Add the baby corns and char it slightly in high heat.
• Next, add the cold white rice, sesame, butter and coriander leaves and mix evenly for about 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle a pinch of salt and continue mixing the rice. 
• Lastly, add the beans sprout, stir it In quickly into the mix for about 1 minute and remove from heat. The bean sprout will continue cooking in the residue heat of the rice and retain it’s crunchiness.

Serving Note: You can style this dish up for lunch or dinner with chilli pickles, clear soups or even grills. Tweak the recipe for vegans by simply replacing butter with oil.

Happy Cooking!

Vegetarian Snacks - Fried Cucumber / Bitter Gourd

Cucumber is a fresh vegetable, often taken raw with spicy Asian dishes, juices, salads, and pickles. When taken fresh, cucumbers are well known for its high content of vitamin K and other nutritional values that packs it with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits.

This recipe however involves pickling of the cucumber ahead of time and then fried with a light batter with garlic and herbs.

Crispy Vegetable Chips

Ingredients

for the pickle
* White vinegar
* couple of cucumbers
* salt
* two crushed garlic

for the batter
* 1 cup flour
* 2 cups water
* salt to taste

for Frying
* cooking/vegetable oil

Preparation
For the Pickle
* Slice the cucumbers real thin
* Add them to a jar
* Pour in the vinegar
* Add salt
* Add crushed garlic
* Leave a whole day in a cool place
(You could also leave sprigs of mints or other fresh herbs of your choice in the jar)

For the batter
* Add water to flour
* Add salt to taste
* Beat till batter is smooth, light and runny
( add more water if batter is too thick )

For Frying
* Last step is to heat the fryer or pan with oil
* Dip the pickled cucumbers in batter and fry till crisp
* Drain them on paper towel before serving or storing

Serve with fish or prawn meals or as a snack on its own.  You can also do the same with bitter gourds or melon. Both vegetables taste great served as snacks.

Happy Cooking!

Fish in Coconut Cream and Soya Sprout

Ginger, lemon grass, yellow ginger in coconut cream brings the best out of the sweetness of the coconut cream. Use any white fish for this recipe and it will turn out good and best served with red rice in my opinion. If you are not a big fan of the soya sprout, you can always use egg plant in replacement without making any changes to the recipe. There is no replacement to the fresh cocunut cream unfortunately. After all, fresh cocunut is crucial in delivering many benefits to our health, that it is totally worth looking for.

Fish in Coconut Cream

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 Slices of Red Snapper (or any other white fish)
• Some Soya Sprout ( washed and dried)
• 1 cm yellow ginger
• 2 cm ginger sliced thinly
• 2-3 cloves of garlic sliced thinly
• 2-3 lemon grass bruised in a mortar
• 2-3 small red chillies bruised in a mortar
• 2 shallots sliced thick and then bruised in mortar
• slices of lime peels 
• 2-3 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt to taste
• 2 to 3 tablespoon cooking oil

Directions

• Heat the pan with some oil and pan fry the fish until both sides are golden brown (skin side first). Once done, set the fish aside in the serving dish.
• Keep the same oil for the next step.
• Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, yellow ginger, chillies and the lime peels to the oil and cook till translucent.
• Add the tomatoes with a bit of salt to break it down in the heat. 
• Once tomatoes are soft add 1 cup of water and let the mixture simmer for couple of minutes.
• Once mixture starts to simmer add the coconut cream.
• Wait for the first simmer, add salt.
• Turn off the heat and add the soya sprout.
• Spoon the sauce onto the pan fried fish and its ready for serving.
• Garnish with fried ginger and garlic.

Happy Cooking!

Boneless Chicken with Cabbage in Sweet and Spicy Soy Sauce

I love fresh ingredients found all over Asia; aromatic and high in value to your physical and mental health. Fresh lemon grass, ginger, yellow ginger, screw-pines ( or 'Pandan' as it's called in Asia) all inspires me, as they bring benefits to your well being from curing depression to keeping you looking young and vibrant.

Chicken in Sweet Spicy Soy Sauce

It's a rather a moderate Sunday here in Singapore with no sun at all. So I decided to go for something light yet spicy for lunch.

Ingredients

• 2 Chicken Legs (deboned and cut into pieces)
• 3 pieces of screw-pine (tear it into pieces)
• Some Cabbage ( cut into large pieces )
• 1 - 2 tablespoon dark soya sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soya sauce
• Mix the dark and light soya sauce above with 1/4 cup water and set aside
• Salt to taste
• 2 to 3 tablespoon cooking oil 

To be pound in Mortar into a PASTE

• 5 clove garlic 
• 1/2 thumb size ginger 
• 1/4 cm yellow ginger 
• 15 green chillies ( pick your spice level)
• 5 red chillies ( pick your spice level)
• 1 lemon grass (slice it)
• 2 red shallots
• 1 teaspoon of roasted shrimp-paste (or 'Belacan', this is optional)

Directions

• Heat the pan with the oil and add the paste.
• Cook till translucent and fragrant.
• Add chicken pieces, stir to coat the chicken with paste and close the lid to cook for a minute or two.
• Open the lid and add the screw-pine pieces and leave to cook with lid on for 2 to 4 minutes (the chicken cooks fast so adjust according to your environment).
  
• When oil has separated, pour the soya mix, let it simmer for couple of minutes. 
• Add salt to taste, and finally turn off heat.
• Add the cabbage, stir (cabbage will cook with the heat of the dish) and plate it.

Best served with white or red rice and you have both meat and vegetable in the same dish. You can replace chicken with white squids if you prefer, just remove ginger from your paste.  This is a 30 minutes dish to prepare and cook. If you prepare the paste, you can ready this in under 15 minutes. 

Happy Cooking !

Steamed Fish in Sweet Soy Sauce

Been a long time since I updated and just returned from my trip. Here is a old simple fish recipe that I have tweaked.

This menu is light and you can use any white fish e.g. snapper, white pompret or even white water fish. The fish melts in the mouth with flavours locked in the sauce. With this menu, it is best to keep it simple and simply celebrate the fish. The meat near the cheek and head of the fish is the best part of the dish.

Steam Fish in Soy Sauce

Ingredients

• A whole red snapper ( cleaned and fins trimmed)
• 2 clove garlic chopped
• 1/2 thumb size ginger julienned
• 2 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• Mix 2 tablesppon water, 2 tablespoon light soy sauce and 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce 
• A splash of chinese cooking wine or white wine
• I tablespoon sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 bunch of spring onion julienned
• 1 tablespoon oil

Directions

• Place fish in steamer for 8 minutes (will have to be adjusted based on the size and type of the fish).
• In the meantime heat oil in pan.
• Add garlic and ginger and cook till translucent.
• Add the tomato with a bit of salt to melt it quickly. 
• Pour the soy mix.
• Add sugar, pepper and salt(if need) to taste.
• Add the wine, let it simmer then remove from stove.
• Once the fish is cooked, remove from the steamer and pour the soy sauce that has just been prepared (must be still hot) over the steamed fish (don't remove the liquid from the steam fish ...it will add flavor to the sauce)
• Garnish with spring onion

You can serve it as is with vegetables or with white rice. If you prefer boneless fish, reduce the steam time by 2 or 3 minutes. Most important of all, the dish shouldn't take anything more than 30 minutes to prepare and cook. 

Happy Cooking !

Semolina Pudding with Roasted Cashew Nuts

Every now and then I like to take a traditional dish and update it. This pudding reminds me of my childhood when our Nona makes them for us for tea in the weekends with nuts, raisins, saffron and cardamon. I loved her version and now have created a variation of this express dessert dish without losing its traditional appeal that I loved so much in the first place. Hope you'll like it too.

Semolina Pudding

Ingredients

• 2 cups semolina
• 1 cup coconut cream
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 125grams butter
• 1 tablespoon clarified butter
• 6 to 8 pods of cardamon (crushed) 
• few strands of saffron (or 1/2 teaspoon safron powder)
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 2 tablespoon raisins

Directions

• In a bowl mix milk, coconut cream, water, sugar and safron. Let everything dissolve and set aside.
• Place a big pot(or pan) on the stove (on medium to low fire) and melt the clarified butter.
• Add about 2 tablespoon of the cashew and raisins to the clarified butter and let it brown. 
• Once cashew starts to brown add the cardamon and the butter.
• Once butter melted, add the semolina and stir.   
• Keep stiring until you can smell the fragrance of the semolina sligthly browning in the butter(at this point the semolina is well coated in butter and has abosrbed the butter).
• Next, add the liquid mix prepared in step one and keep stiring to avoid lumps.
• Keep stiring until the mix comes off of the pan (sort of rolls off from the the pan and does not stick to the sides of the pan).
• At this point take the pudding of heat and spread it in a tray. Use a metal spoon to smooth the top evenly.
• Cool it and garnish with cashew nut roasted in salt.

Takes about 25 minutes for me to prepare and takes me back each time to a beautiful place that I come from. In addition, I can always prepare this dessert one day in advance for brunch or dinner parties. Try it.

Happy Cooking!

Red Cabbage, Black Eye Pea and Prawn Salad

Looking for something which goes easy on your waistline and yet taste delicious? Try this salad, one of my all time favourite. This is an excellent salad as a meal by itself or with your sunday afternoon lunch. The tanginess of the sauce is excellently balanced by the sweetness of the pea and prawns, while the slight bitterness of the cabbage just makes you go for another mouthful.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked Black Eye Pea (I usually boil them in advance and keep them ready in the freezer in seperate packages)
• 6 medium size prawns 
• 1/4 cup of dried apples and cranberries (soak in 1/2 lemon juice and a teaspoon of balsamic)
• 1/4 of a pickled lemon (or lime) chopped fine and mixed to the dried fruit mentioned above
• 2 cloves garlic chopped fine
• 1/2 red onion diced fine
• 10 to 12 leaves of red cabbage cut into rough squares
• A handful of sage
• 2 table spoon of olive oil (or coconut oil)
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/2 lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Directions

• Heat olive oil in pan and add the prawns with a bit of salt and pepper to cook.
• Add the garlic and onion and sweat it slightly.
• Then add the black eye pea and stir for two minutes on heat.
• Take the beans and prawn off the heat and place it in the salad mixing bowl.
• Add the fruit mixture and combine lightly.
• Add the red cabbage, drizzle some olive oil, squeeze half a lemon , sprinkle salt to taste 
• Mix till everything is incorporated and serve right away

Fifteen minutes and done. Who said cooking is cumbersome?

Happy Cooking!

Lemon Rice with Curried Squid

Nothing can go wrong when you mix butter and lemon. Rice coated lightly in a lemony sauce with fresh herbs can satisfy any picky palate. In addition, you can pair it with fish, vegetable curries in cashew sauce and grills. Highly nutritional and easy to prepare, I have intentionally chose to share a 'under 30 minutes' pairing with squid in dry curry for the busy bees.

For the Lemon Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups cold  rice (stored in fridge overnight)
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
• 1/8 teaspoon white gram seed
• 1 coriander root sliced thin
• 1 bunch of coriander leaves chopped
• 2 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of butter (or clarified butter)
• 3 shallots, fried till golden
• Pinch of turmeric 
• pinch of salt (coarse crystals are best)

Directions

• Take the cold rice and place it in a bowl (make sure they are separated and not lumpy).
• Heat the pan and add the butter to melt.
• Then add the mustard, white gram and coriander root along with tumeric. 
• Once mixture starts to sizzle take it off the heat and add the lemon juice.
• Pour the sauce into the rice and stir till rice is covered. 
• Add some salt (very lightly) and mix.
• Place the rice in the rice cooker to cook (and warm).
• When the cooker switches to 'warm', take it off the heat and  mix the fresh coriander leave and fried onion.

For the Squid in Dry Curry

Ingredients

• 2 Medium Size Squid (Cleaned and Cut)
• 2 Shallots
• 3 Clove garlic
• 1 Thick slice of ginger
• 5 Dried chilies (soak in water)
• 1 Teaspoon coriander seed
• 1/4 Teaspoon fennel
• Blend shallot, garlic, ginger, chilies, coriander seed, fennel seed into a paste
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions

• Heat oil in pan and pour the paste.
• Cook till fragrant.
• Add the squids and a bit of salt ( be careful not to add to much as this is a dry curry).
• Cook till oil separates and sauce thickens.

Serve it hot with the lemon rice.

Happy Cooking!