Spaghetti Amatriciana - Italy

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces guanciale, cut in 1/4-inch strips
2 large onions, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
2 (28-ounce) cans San Marzano tomatoes, passed through the food mill
1 pound bucatini or perciatelli
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for garnish

Method

Coat a large saucepan with olive oil. Add the guanciale and saute over low heat. Cook until it is brown and crispy and has rendered a lot of fat. Remove and reserve 1/3 of the guanciale for garnish. Bring the pan to a medium heat and add the onions and crushed red pepper. Season generously with salt, to taste. Cook the onions until they are translucent, starting to turn golden and are very aromatic. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for about 1 hour, tasting periodically. Adjust the salt, as needed.

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions on the package. Remove 3 or 4 ladlefuls of the sauce from the pot to a bowl, as an insurance policy. You can always add it back in but it's harder to take out once the pasta is in the pan. You're looking for the perfect ratio between pasta and sauce. Drain the pasta from the water and add to the pot of sauce. Stir to coat with the sauce. This is how you always finish pasta; you cook it in the sauce to perform the marriage of the pasta and the sauce. Add more sauce, if necessary. Add in the cheese and drizzle with olive oil to really bring the marriage together. Toss to coat and serve in shallow bowls garnished with cheese and the reserved guanciale.

Serve & Taste the Joy...

Karaikal Chicken Curry -South India

Ingredients

For the curry

• 6 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
• 3 green chillies
• 6 finely grated or crushed garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp peeled, finely grated root ginger
• 2 medium red onions, halved and finely sliced
• 2 medium white onions, halved and finely sliced
• 0.5 tsp turmeric
• 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 whole chicken, about 1.6kg, skinned and portioned into 10 pieces (drumsticks, thighs, wings and halved breasts)
• 120 ml (4.2fl oz)coconut milk
• 4 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

For the spice paste

• 4 tbsp freshly grated coconut
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 4 dried chillies
• 25 fresh curry leaves

Method:

For the spice paste: set a karhai, wok or small frying pan (about 18 cm in diameter) over a medium heat and add the coconut, stirring until it browns.

Add the cumin, coriander and fenugreek seeds, the peppercorns and dried chillies. Continue to stir for 3 minutes.

As the spices release their aromas, drop in the curry leaves. Stir for 30 seconds, then cool.

Grind in a clean coffee grinder, spice grinder or pestle and mortar to a fine, slightly oily powder.

For the curry: set a large pan (about 25 cm in diameter) over a medium heat. When it's hot, pour in the oil.

Drop in one whole green chilli. Stir and allow the skin to blister for 30 seconds. Add the garlic and ginger. Fry for 3 minutes, until the garlic just starts to brown.

Tip in the onions and sauté for 18 minutes, until soft and golden. Add splashes of boiling water to prevent any sticking. Stir in the turmeric. Tip in the spice paste and incorporate thoroughly for 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing the tomatoes into the sauce and reducing the heat if the tomatoes seem to catch.

Add the remaining green chillies, slit lengthways, and 2 teaspoons of salt.

Mix well, then add the chicken. Brown the meat for about 10 minutes. Pour in 400ml of water and combine well.

Add the coconut milk and coriander. Stir, cover and cook over a low heat for 35 minutes. 

Then Karaikal Special Chicken Curry is ready to be serve...

Kerala Fish Curry - South India

Ingredients


Fish-medium size pieces- 500 gms
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
Shallots-sliced- 4 to 5 nos
Ginger-crushed- 1.5 tsp
Garlic-crushed- 1.5 tsp
Kashmiri chili powder- 1.5 to 2 tbsp( see notes)
Coriander powder- 1/2 to 1 tbsp( see notes)
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek powder- 1 pinch
Fish Tamarind(Kudampuli)-soaked in water- 2 to 3 small pieces
Water- 1 cup(more if required,see notes)
Salt- to taste
Oil- as required

Heat oil in manchatti ( clay pot) and add mustard seeds,let it splutter.Add fenugreek seeds and saute for few seconds.

Add curry leaves,shallots,ginger and garlic.Saute until shallots turn golden brown.

Reduce the flame to low and add kashmiri chili powder,coriander powder,turmeric powder and fenugreek powder.Mix well.Saute for about 5 minutes ,stirring continuously until the colour changes to a deep maroon.( make sure you do not burn the masala,or else the curry will taste bitter)

Add water and fish tamarind ( kudampuli),bring it to a boil.

Add fish pieces and salt to taste.

Cover and cook over a medium heat ,until fish is cooked and gravy is thick.
Remove from heat and keep covered for at least one hour for the flavors to blend in.
Serve with rice or kappa (tapioca) vevichathu .

NOTES
If you feel that the curry is a bit too tangy,remove the kokum pieces.
Adjust the spice level according to your taste.Kashmiri chili powder gives a nice red colour to the curry without being too spicy.I used about 2 tbsp of kashmiri chili powder.If you are using regular chili powder,use according to your spice level.
If you want to keep the curry for more than one day,avoid using coriander powder.

Adjust the quantity of water according to amount and consistency of the gravy that you require.I used about 1 and 1/4 cups of water.

Chettinad Chicken - South India

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken - 1 kg
• Grated coconut - 1½ cup
• Poppy seeds - 2 tsp
• Fennel seeds(perumjeerakam) - 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
• Jeera - ½ tsp
• Red chilli - 6-8
• Cinnamon stick - 1 medium size piece
• Cardamom - 4
• Clove - 3
• Star anise - ½
• Ginger & garlic- ½ tbsp each
• Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Onion- 2
• Tomato - 3 medium
• Lemon - 1
• Curry leaves
• Salt
• Oil

Method

1. Clean the chicken and cut into medium size pieces. Fry the coconut with ingredients listed from poppy seeds to star anise, till it turn golden brown. Let it cool. Grind this with ginger and garlic. (Do not add water while grinding). Add ½ - ¾ cup of water to the ground coconut mix and make it a thick paste.
2. Heat oil in a bottom heavy pan and add sliced onions and fry it till it becomes golden brown. Add coconut mixture and curry leaves and stir it continuously for a few minutes. Add tomato and turmeric and chili powder and mix well. Once the powders are fried well add chicken pieces & salt, combine well and cook for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and 2 cups water and cover and cook till the chicken is done. This curry has a thick gravy.
3. Serve hot with rice, roti etc...

Chilli Grab - Singapore

Ingredients

Ingredients

2 1kg crabs cleaned

3 tblsp veg oil

10 Thai style shallots, diced fine

3 cloves garlic, diced fine

1 lrg knob of ginger (50g) grate on micro plan

1 cup of water

1 tblsp tomato ketchup (recipe follows)

2 tblsp caster sugar

60g ground roasted peanuts

Rempah (recipe follows)

Crusty bread to serve and mop up the juices

Tomato ketchup

15 ripe tomatoes, cored

500ml peanut oil

1 red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, fine diced

2 knobs ginger, fine diced

roast tomatoes in oven until soft (180 for 10 min) and force

through a food mill. 

Heat oil in Pan and fry paste until fragrant

Add tomato puree and simmer for 40min, until it is reduced so far 

that it is frying in the oil.

Store in sterilized Jars until needed.

Rempah

5 red chillies

10 dried chillies (rehydrate)

1 tblsp shrimp paste

1 stalk lemongrass

1 knob galangal

4 candle nuts toasted

roast shrimp paste in oven for 3 min to release oils, slice and pound all

ingredients to a fine paste in mortar and pestle – just add hardest to 

softest ingredients.

Method

Clean crab well and cut into 6, also keeping the head and coral, crack the claws and legs

 with a pestle.

Heat oil in a wok until very hot, fry shallots, garlic, and ginger for 2 min, then add Rempah

 and stir fry for 1 min.

Add crab and stir fry, add water, stir and cover until crab is cooked (10min) topping

the water up if needed so the crab is steaming in the Chilli sauce.

Reduce the water down to original paste and add sugar, stir fry until lightly caramelized,

 then add the tom ketchup. Simmer to combine the flavors, then add

the crushed peanuts.

To serve

Place in a large bowl, top with Chiffonade of kaffir lime leave, coriander and basil, a

nd of cause the crusty bread to mop up

Chicken Afritada With Pineapple - Phillipines

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken drumsticks, skin on
• 3-4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 (14 oz.) can tomato puree
• 1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained (reserve syrup)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 dried bay leaves
• ½ cup green peas
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 tablespoons cooking oil, divided

Instructions

1. In a big pan over medium heat, heat 4 tablespoons of oil. Add potatoes and cook for about 1 minute. Then add carrot and cook for about 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for about 1 minute. Remove all vegetables from pan and drain on paper towels.
2. Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add chicken and brown it slightly. Add the tomato puree, pineapple syrup, soy sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is almost tender. Stir occasionally.
3. Add potatoes, yellow bell pepper, carrots, and pineapple chunks and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked. Add the green peas, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes more. Serve hot. Enjoy!
   
   

Singaporean Ice Cream SandWich - SINGAPORE

Ingredients

• 525 g(3½ cups) plain flour
• 7 gsachet dry yeast
• 80 ml(⅓ cup) milk
• 110 g(½ cup) caster sugar
• 50 gunsalted butter, chopped
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tspeach of yellow and pink food colouring
• assorted ice-cream flavours, to serve

Instructions

Proving time overnight and 3 hours 10 minutes

Cooling time 40 minutes

Combine 75 g flour, ½ tsp yeast, and 100 ml water in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature overnight.

Heat milk and 80 ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat until lukewarm. Stir in sugar and remaining 1½ tsp yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes or until mixture bubbles.

Transfer to an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add ½ tsp salt, remaining 450 g flour and reserved yeast mixture, then beat on medium speed for 6 minutes or until a smooth dough forms. Add butter, one piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Add oil and beat until combined.

Halve dough and colour one portion with yellow food colouring and the other with pink. Knead each portion until evenly coloured (it can take up to 5 minutes). Transfer to separate lightly greased bowls, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Roll pink dough into a 20 cm-long log. Roll out yellow dough, between 2 sheets of baking paper, to form a 20 cm x 24 cm rectangle. Place pink log in centre of yellow dough and roll up to enclose log. Place in a lightly greased 9.5 cm x 20 cm loaf tin, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Trim loaf, then cut into 12 thick slices and serve topped with 2–3 scoops of ice-cream.