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.




 

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.

Ladies Fingers in Olive oil

This is a delicious and versatile vegetarian dish that takes only 10 minutes to prepare and cook. Plus rich in nutrition and fiber needed to control cholesterol and weight.

Ingredients

• 15 to 20 ladies fingers - sliced diagonally
• 3 cloves of garlics - chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• a piece of old flatbread diced fine

Direction

• Take the flatbread and spread on a baking tray
• Drizzle some olive oil, bake the bread till crispy and set it aside
• Take a frying pan and place it on heat
• Pour the olive oil and heat it
• Add garlic and cook till transparent
• Add the ladies fingers
• Stir it occasionally until all the slime has dissapeared from the vegetable 
• Add pepper and then finish off with a bit of butter

Take it off the heat and sprinkle the crispy bread pieces. Serve with pan fried fish with flatbread or white rice.

Happy cooking and don't forget to post your twist on it!!!