Thursday, March 19, 2015

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...

    Wednesday, March 18, 2015

    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...

    Tuesday, March 17, 2015

    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!

    Friday, March 13, 2015

    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.

    Singaporean Noodles - SINGAPORE

    Ingredients

    • 300 grice vermicelli
    • ½ cupvegetable oil
    • 250 ggreen (raw) prawns, shelled and deveined
    • 1medium onion, chopped
    • 1red capsicum, cut into fine strips
    • 2eggs, lightly beaten
    • 4–6 tsphot curry powder
    • 2 cupsbean sprouts
    • 3 tbsplight soy sauce
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 tbspsesame oil
    • sprigsof coriander, to garnish

    Instructions

    Soaking time 15 minutes
    In a large bowl, soak the vermicelli in enough cold water to cover for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or very large frying pan until hot without smoking. Stir-fry the prawns for 1 minute until they turn pink. Remove and set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the wok and stir-fry the onion and capsicum for 1 minute. Remove and set aside with the prawns.
      
    Add the beaten eggs to the wok and cook in a sheet, rather like an omelette. Remove and cut into thin slices before setting aside.
    Add the remaining oil to the wok, stir in the curry powder mixed to a paste with a little water, and the noodles, which have been scooped from the water and drained. Stir-fry until thoroughly combined. Add the prawns, onion and capsicum mixture, omelette strips and bean sprouts, seasoning the mixture with soy sauce and salt and pepper. Stir-fry for 4–5 minutes until the noodles are just cooked.
    Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with coriander.

    Tuesday, March 10, 2015

    Feijiada - Brazilian Black Bean Stew - Brazil

    Ingredients
    1 pound (450 grams) dry black beans
    4 Tbsp olive oil
    1 pound (450 grams) pork shoulder, cut into chunks
    2 large onions, sliced
    1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped
    1 pound (450 grams) carne seca or corned beef, cut into chunks
    1/2 pound (225 grams) fresh sausages, such as chorizo or Italian sausage
    1 pound (450 grams) smoked sausage, such as linguica or kielbasa
    1 smoked ham hock or shank
    3-4 bay leaves
    Water
    1 14.5 ounce can (411 grams) of crushed tomatoes
    Salt

    Method
    1 Pour boiling water over the black beans and let them sit while you prepare the rest of the stew.
    2 Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork shoulder. When it has browned, remove the meat from the pot, set aside and add the onions to the pot. Brown them, stirring occasionally, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle a little salt over the onions and add the garlic. Stir well and sauté 2 more minutes.
    3 Add back the pork shoulder, and the other meats and add enough water to cover. Add the bay leaves, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 1 hour. Drain the black beans from their soaking liquid and add them to the stew. Simmer gently, covered, until the beans are tender, about an hour and a half.
    4 Add the tomatoes, stir well and taste for salt, adding if it's needed. Simmer this, uncovered, until the meat begins to fall off the ham hock, which will probably take 2-3 hours.
    Serve with white rice and hot sauce. A classic side dish would be sautéed collard greens.



    Curd and Treacle - Srilankan

    Ingredients

    • 500 gplain Greek-style yoghurt
    • 375 ml(1½ cups) pouring cream
    • 110 g( ½ cups) caster sugar
    • 3gold-strength gelatine leaves
    • palm sugar treacle (see Note)
    • shaved and toasted coconut
    • freeze-dried pineapple or mango, to serve
    • Place the yoghurt into a muslin- lined sieve over a bowl and stand for 1 hour to drain the excess liquid.
      Place the cream and sugar in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to just below the boil, then remove from the heat.
      Meanwhile, soak the gelatine in cold water for 2-3 minutes or until soft, then drain and squeeze out the excess water. Add to the cream mixture and stir until dissolved, then whisk in the yoghurt until well combined. Divide the mixture among serving glasses, cover and refrigerate overnight or until set. Serve the curd scattered with shaved toasted coconut and freeze dried pineapple, then drizzle with a little palm sugar treacle.

    Gai Med Ma Muang - Thai Special

    Ingredients

    • 1/4 Cup Sliced Chicken
    • 1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic
    • 1/4 Cup Crispy Fried Cashew Nuts or Almonds
    • 4 Leaves Jelly Mushroom (thinly sliced)
    • 2 Dried Red Chiles (slice 1 inch thick)
    • 1/2 Large Onion (thinly sliced)
    • 2 Baby Corns, cut diagonally
    • 1/4 Cup Spring Onion (slice into 1 inch width)
    • 1 Teaspoon Sugar
    • 1/2 Tablespoon Fish Sauce (Veg: Soy Sauce)
    • 2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce (Veg: Mushroom Sauce)
    • 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
    • Put oil in the wok

    • Fry garlic until golden, then add dried red chiles

    • Add chicken and fry until chicken is cooked

    • Add jelly mushroom, large onion and baby corn

    • Combine oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar, stir constantly

    • Add spring onion, cooked cashew nuts, Serve with Rice
    & Enjoy