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.

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 !

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!!!