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.

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 !