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.

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 - 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!

Gourd Soup with Chicken for a Rainy Day

A rainy day and I am looking for a warm and comforting clear soup...So making my ridge gourd (luffa) soup with chicken. Ridge gourd is another beautiful vegetable belonging to the cucumber family. It's rich in fiber and other nutritional values such as vitamin C, zinc, iron, riboflavin, magnesium and even insulin like peptide and alkaloids to control sugar levels.

I love the taste of this vegetable as it is and this recipe celebrates this humble vegetable that you can find in any Asian markets. If you can't find ridge gourd don't fret it, you can use any luffa type of gourd too, will work excellently.

Ingredients

• 1 ridge gourd - remove skin, cut into half lengthwise,  remove the core, then slice into small half circles
• 1 carrot - cut into lengthwise and slice into 2 to 3 mm pieces 
• 3 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1 thumb of ginger (Julien) 
• 3 shallots sliced thin in rounds
• 2 to 3 cups of chicken broth
• Some coriander leaves chopped fine
• clean the coriander root and slice it thin
• Some chicken fillet ( or you can use prawns or squids)
• 2 to 3 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon of white pepper

Direction

• Pour oil in pan and heat
• Add the sliced shallots and fry, remove once  golden and set aside
• In the same oil, add garlic, ginger and coriander root and cook till translucent
• Add the chicken and cook for 30 second to 1 minute
• Add the chicken broth and let it come to a simmer
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Lastly add the vegetables (carrot and the gourd) and cook for just few minutes (just till the gourd is cooked)
• Take the soup of the heat and add the coriander leaves
• Sprinkle with fried shallots before serving

Have it as it is or along some white rice. You will forget that it is raining.

Happy cooking :) !!!!

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!!!