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 !