Dry Potatoes With Ginger And Garlic

Try this simple potato recipe for a change. These potatoes are just full of flavor with a slight hint of spiciness. If you enjoy spicier food, simply add extra cayenne pepper to it. Enjoy!


Recipe adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking

Dry Potatoes With Ginger And Garlic
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

625 g (1 lb 6 oz) Potatoes
Piece of Fresh Ginger, about 5 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm( 2 x 1 x 1 inches), peeled and coarsely chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, peeled
3 Tbsp Water
1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
5 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Fennel Seeds (optional)

Method

Boil the potatoes in their jackets. Drain and let them cool completely. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2-2.5 cm (3/4-1 inch) dice.

Put the ginger, garlic, 3 Tbsp water, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper into the container of a food processor or blender. Blend until you have a paste. Put the oil in a large, preferably non-stick frying pan and set over medium heat. When hot, put in the fennel seeds if you are using them. Let them sizzle for a few seconds. Now put in the ginger garlic paste. Stir and fry for 2 minutes.

Put in the potatoes. Stir and fry over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes or until the potatoes have a nice, golden brown crust on them.

Dry Okra

The recipe had called for an ingredient called Amchoor; but, I did not have time to look for it. So, instead I used some lemon juice as suggested in the cookbook. I'm not sure how much difference the okra would have turned out if I had adhered to using Amchoor. In any case, the okra turned out very delicious with the lemon juice substitute.


Recipe adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking

Dry Okra

Ingredients

450 g (1 l) Fresh Okra
8 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
175-200 g (6-7 oz) Onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp Salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Ground Amchoor or Lemon Juice
1/8-1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Method

Wipe the okra pods with dampened kitchen paper. Pat dry. Cut off the conical top and the very tip or each okra pod and then cut the pods, crosswise, into 7mm-1 cm (1/3 - 1/2 inch) segments.

Put the oil in a large, preferably non-stick, frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. Let the seeds sizzle for 10 seconds. Put in the onions and okra, spreading the okra out evenly in the pan. Fry, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes, spreading the okra out evenly in the pan each time you stir. The onions should begin to brown by this time. Turn the heat to medium and continue to stir and fry the same way for another 5 minutes. Be gentle as you stir. Put in the salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, amchoor or lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring or tossing gently as you do so.

Leavened Oven Brean (Naan)

Any of you ever considered to make your own naans? I did, turned out to be quite effortless and it actually tasted pretty good, I have to admit. :-) According to excerpt from the cookbook, if you decide not to use eggs, just increase the portion of yogurt by about 4 Tbsp. The dough will be very soft, so it's easier to just use a mixer instead of kneading it by hand. Well, if you are having naans, you should have some curry based dishes to go along with it. I will post the rest of the dishes' recipes tomorrow and over the next few days. In the meantime, please check out the Chanal Dhal and Curry Chicken recipes which I had posted earlier. Those two curry dishes will compliment these naans very well.


Recipe adapted from Madhur's Jaffrey's Indian Cooking

Leavened Oven Bread (Naan)

Ingredients

150 ml (5 fl oz) Warm Milk
2 tsp Caster Sugar
2 tsp Dried Active Yeast
450 g (1 lb) Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil plus a little extra
150 ml (5 fl oz) Natural Yoghurt, lightly beaten
1 Large Egg, lightly beaten

Method

Put the milk in a bowl. Add 1 tsp of sugar and the yeast. Stir to mix. Set aside for 15-20 minutes or until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture is frothy.

Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the remaining 1 tsp sugar, the yeast mixture, the 2 Tbsp vegetable oil and the yoghurt and egg. Mix and form a ball of dough.

Empty the ball of dough on to a clean work surface and knead it for 10 minutes or more, until it is smooth and satiny. Form into a ball. Pour about 1/4 tsp oil into a larger bowl and roll the ball of dough in it. Cover the bowl with a piece of cling film and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in bulk.

Preheat your oven to the highest temperature. Put the heaviest baking tray you own to heat in the oven. Preheat your grill.

Punch down the dough and knead it again. Divide it into 6 equal balls. Keep 5 of them covered while you work with the sixth. Roll this ball into a tear-shaped naan, about 25 cm (10 inches) in length and about 13 cm (5 inches) at its widest. Remove the hot baking tray from the oven and slap the naan on to it. Put it immediately into the oven for 3 minutes. It should puff up. Now place the baking tray and naan under the grill, about 7.5-10 cm (3-4 inches) away from the heat for about 30 seconds or until the top of the naan browns slightly. Wrap the naan in a clean tea towel. Make all the naan this way and serve hot.

Orange Chocolate Muffins

Do you remember the Orange Berry Muffins that I posted earlier? Well, this a slightly tweaked version, using chocolates instead of berries. Not sure if you agree with me; but, I personally think orange and chocolate is such a perfect combination!


Orange Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients

Grated zest of 2 Orange
Juice of 1 Orange
About 3/4 Cup Buttermilk
2 Large Eggs
3 Tbsp Honey
1 Stick (8 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped or
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Method

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400˚F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey and melted butter.

In a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough - the batter will be lumpy and bubbly, and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the chocolates. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. If you want to top the muffins with decorating sugar, sprinkle on the sugar after the muffins have baked for 10 minutes. When fully baked, the tops of the muffins will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Roasted Asparagus With Lemon

These are some great tasting roasted asparagus! I served them as an appetizer. To me, the white variety of asparagus looks pretty but I still prefer the green variety better. What do you think?


Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Roasted Asparagus With Lemon

Ingredients

2 lb. asparagus
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

Method

Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 450°F.

Snap off the tough stem ends from the asparagus spears and discard. Arrange the spears on a baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic and lemon zest. Brush the asparagus evenly with the oil, turning the spears to coat well, and season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange the lemon wedges around the asparagus.

Bake until the asparagus is tender and just turning golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a warmed serving platter and drizzle with the pan juices. Serves 8.

Kusshi Oyster With Pineapple Mignonette Sauce

Fancy having some oysters? I bought this cute little oyster variety called Kusshi. They are small but very meaty. I made some Pineapple Mignonette Sauce to go along with the oysters. Yummy!


1 Dozen Freshly shucked Oysters

Pineapple Mignonette Sauce

Ingredients

1 Piece Dried Pineapple, minced
1 Small Red Chili, finely sliced or minced
1 Small Stalk Fresh Mint Leaves, finely chopped
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp Lime Juice
3 - 4 Tbsp Water

Method

Mix all the sauce ingredients and chill. Serve with chilled oysters.


Note: Dried Pineapple

Classic Banana Bundt Cake

This banana bundt cake recipe is definitely a keeper. As usual, I'd decided to alter the recipe a little by using less sugar (about 1/2 cup) to bake the cake. The cake turned out great! Do try the recipe. Enjoy!



Recipe adapted from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Classic Banana Bundt Cake
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Sticks (8 oz) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
2 Cups Sugar
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs, preferably at room temperature
About 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (you should have 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups)
1 Cup Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt

Method

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350˚F. Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. (If you use a silicone Bundt pan there’s no need to butter it.) Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven’s heat to circulate through the Bundt’s inner tube.

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (don’t be disturbed when the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to de-bubble the batter and smooth the top.

Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes - if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature.

Stir-Fry Bitter Gourd With Black Bean Sauce

Remember the Deep-Fried Bitter Gourd that I posted earlier? Well, you can also stir-fry bitter gourd with black bean sauce. I would, however, recommend to soak the bitter gourd into a lightly salted water mixture for about 15 minutes prior to cooking, to reduce it's bitterness. Okay, happy cooking :)


Stir-Fry Bitter Gourd With Black Bean Sauce
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1 Medium Size Bitter Gourd (about 200 g), sliced
150 g Peeled Prawns, chopped
4 Tbsp Black Bean Sauce
1 Cup of Sliced Mixed Color Bell Peppers
1/2 of Medium Size Red Onion, sliced
3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Red Chili, sliced

Seasoning Sauce
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
1 Tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine
2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
1 tsp Cornflour mixed with 1 Tbsp Water
2/3 Cup or 150 ml of Water or Chicken Stock

Method

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the garlic until fragrant. Then add the chopped prawns and black bean sauce and give it a quick stir.

Mix in the peppers, onion, chili and stir-fry for about a minute. Add the seasoning sauce and bring it to a quick boil. Lower the heat and cook until the sauce is thickened. Serve immediately.

Fish-Fragrant Eggplant

Eggplant or aubergines is one of my favorite vegetables. There are so many ways to cook it. Whether you grill, bake, stir-fry, deep-fry, or just steam aubergines, it will taste great. This is another simple recipe that goes very well with steamed rice. Enjoy ;)


Recipe adapted from Sichuan Cookery By Fuchsia Dunlop

Fish-Fragrant Eggplant (Aubergines)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

600-700 g Eggplant (2 decent-sized eggplant, or a good handful of slender oriental eggplant)
Sea Salt
Peanut or Corn Oil for Deep-Frying
1 1/2 Tbsp Sichuanese Chili Bean Paste
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Ginger
1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic
150 ml Chicken Stock
1 1/2 tsp White Sugar
1/2 tsp Light Soy Sauce
3/4 tsp Corn Flour or Tapioca Flour, mixed with 1 Tbsp cold water
1 1/2 tsp Chinkiang or Chinese Black Vinegar
4 stalks Scallions, green parts only, sliced into fine rings
1 tsp Sesame Oil

Method

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and then crosswise. Chop each quarter lengthwise into 3 or 4 evenly sliced chunks. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp salt and leave for at least 30 minutes to draw out the bitter juices. If you are using the oriental eggplant, simply slice them in half lengthwise and then into 7-8 cm sections - there is no need to salt them.

In your wok, heat oil for deep-frying to 180-200˚C (at this temperature it will just be beginning to smoke). Add the eggplant in batches and deep-fry for 3-4 minutes until slightly golden on the outside and soft and buttery within. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Drain off the deep-frying oil, rinse the wok if necessary, and then return it to a high heat with 2-3 Tbsp of oil. Add the chili bean paste and stir-fry about 20 seconds until the oil is red and fragrant; then add the ginger and garlic and continue to stir-fry for another 20-30 seconds until they are fragrant. Take care not to burn the flavorings - remove the wok from the heat for a few seconds or turn down the heat if necessary.

Add the stock, sugar and soy sauce and mix well. Season with salt to taste if necessary.

Add the fried eggplant to the sauce and let them simmer gently for a few minutes to absorbs some of the flavors. Then sprinkle the corn flour mixture over the eggplant and stir in gently to thicken the sauce. Next, stir in the vinegar and scallions and leave for a few seconds until the scallions have lost their rawness. Finally, remove the wok from the heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve.

Steamed Mussels With Prosecco

This is a simple and yet very delicious Steamed Mussels recipe. Just make sure you have plenty of bread to soak up all the lovely broth. Enjoy!


Steamed Mussels

Ingredients

650 g Mussels
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
3 Slices Ginger, minced
2 Kaffir Lime Leaves, thinly sliced
2 Lemongrass, thinly sliced
5 Thai Bird's Eye Chilies, chopped
1 Cup Thai Basil
3/4 - 1 Lime, juiced
1 1/4 Cup Prosecco
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Sea Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

In a large saucepan on high heat, add the olive oil. Toss in the garlic, ginger, lime leaves, lemongrass, chilies and gives it a quick stir.

Mix in the mussels and basil and give it another quick stir. Then add in the Prosecco and close the saucepan with a lid. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until all the mussels are cooked. Season the mussels with sea salt, lime juice and some black pepper. Serve immediately.

Orange Berry Muffins

Some of you may probably notice that I have been baking quite regularly the last couple of months. The effort have been worthwhile, as I think I'm getting better at it now. Still lots to improve no doubt. Going forward, I'll still attempt to bake at least once a week so that my kids can have some home baked goodies. :-)


Recipe adapted from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Orange Berry Muffins

Ingredients

Grated zest and juice of 1 Orange
About 3/4 Cup Buttermilk
2 Large Eggs
3 Tbsp Honey
1 Stick (8 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Blueberries-fresh, preferably, or frozen (not thawed)
Decorating sugar, for topping (optional)

Method

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400˚F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Pour the orange juice into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl and pour in enough buttermilk to make 1 cup. Whisk in the eggs, honey and melted butter.

In a large bowl, rub the sugar and orange zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough - the batter will be lumpy and bubbly, and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the blueberries. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes. If you want to top the muffins with decorating sugar, sprinkle on the sugar after the muffins have baked for 10 minutes. When fully baked, the tops of the muffins will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins will come out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Stir-Fry Long Bean With Preserved Radish

Fancy having some simple stir-fried vegetable for dinner? If yes, do try this simple and easy stir-fried dish. If you can't get hold of long beans, you may consider using some french beans (green beans) instead. Have a go and happy cooking ;-)


Stir-Fry Long Bean With Preserved Radish

Ingredients

200 g Long Beans, sliced (about 3/4 inch)
200 g ( 1 Packet) Firm Tofu, diced
3 Tbsp Chopped Preserved Radish
3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 tsp Oyster Sauce
2 tsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Peanut Oil
A few drizzle of Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Water

Method

In a wok, heat the peanut oil and fry the tofu until light golden brown in color. Drain well on a paper towel.

Then add the garlic and preserved radish and cook until fragrant. Mix in the long beans and tofu and continue frying for 2 minutes.

Add the oyster sauce and soy sauce and give it a quick stir. Then add the water and adjust the seasoning with sea salt. Continue stirring until the long beans is cooked and drizze some sesame oil before serving.

Caesar Salad

I'm so pleased with the result of my Caesar Salad. It's light and not too creamy. I had chosen to omit the cheese this time, but, increase the yogurt portion from 1 1/2 Tbsp to 4 Tbsp instead. You can always top the salad with some cheese later, if that is what you prefer. Anyway, I served the salad with some crunchy croutons and some turkey bacon. Simply delish!


Recipe adapted from Celebrating The Pleasures Of Cooking by Chuck Williams

Caesar Salad
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1 Large or 2 Small Heads Romaine Lettuce, preferably with small leaves
3 or 4 Slices French or Italian Bread, cut each into 1/2 inch thick
3 Tbsp Plus 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves
Sea Salt To Taste
6 to 8 Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil, drained
1 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp Plain Yogurt
1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

Method

Discard any tough or discolored outer leaves from the lettuce heads. Separate the leaves and reserve the large ones for another use. Rinse the smaller inner leaves and dry thoroughly. Break the leaves into halves or thirds. Place in a salad bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes to crisp.

Remove the crusts from the bread slices and discard. Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. You should have about 2 cups.

In a large fry pan over low heat, warm the 3 Tbs. olive oil. Meanwhile, using the flat side of a chopping knife, smash 1 of the garlic cloves. When the oil is hot, add the garlic to the pan and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bread cubes and fry, stirring and tossing, until crisp and golden on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Discard the garlic. Sprinkle the bread cubes with a little salt. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Set the croutons aside to cool.

Chop the remaining garlic clove and combine with the 1/2 cup olive oil in a blender. Puree until smooth. In a small bowl, using a fork, mash the anchovies until they form a paste. Add to the oil and garlic in the blender along with the mustard, lemon juice and yogurt. Blend at high speed until a smooth emulsion forms. Add 2 Tbs. of the Parmesan cheese and blend again. Season with a little salt, remembering that anchovies are salty, and a little pepper.

Add three-fourths of the dressing to the lettuce and toss to coat well. Add about half of the remaining cheese and toss again. Add more dressing or more seasonings to taste. Sprinkle with the croutons and the remaining cheese. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt Cake

This must be the easiest cake recipe to bake, even a novice baker will succeed! Best of all, the cake is moist and tastes so good! I got the recipe from one of my fellow Foodbuzz publisher, The Food Librarian. Do check out her wonderful blog with loads of mouth-watering recipes and not to mentioned great pictures too:)




Recipe adapted from Vintage Victuals via The Food Librarian

Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a large bundt pan with cooking spray. Put butter, water, oil, and cocoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. Then, add the buttermilk and baking soda.

Mix together the eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small bowl, and add to the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 25 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan.

Note: I need extra 15 minutes to bake the cake.

Deep-Fried Bitter Gourd

How about some deep fried bitter gourd for appetizer? It's true, we had some while waiting for the curry to cook. Interesting, huh?


Deep-Fried Bitter Gourd (Bitter Melon)

Ingredients

1 Medium Size (about 250 g) Bitter Gourd, sliced
10 Tbsp Chickpea Flour
3 Tbsp Rice Flour
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
A pinch of Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
A handful of Curry Leaves
1 tsp Smoked Paprika and Sea Salt for sprinkling
Oil for deep frying

Method

Soak the sliced bitter gourd in the water with 1 tsp of sea salt for about 10 minutes. Drain well.

Combine the chickpea flour, rice flour, chili powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, sea salt and some curry leaves.

Toss in the bitter gourd and deep fry on a high heat until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle some paprika powder and sea salt. Serve immediately.

Curry Chicken

This is a great version of Curry Chicken using a ready packed curry powder mixture. It's easy to prepare as most of the ingredients are available from any Asian grocers. Word of caution, this is spicy! If you can't stand the heat, I suggest omitting the chili powder for a milder version of this curry.


Curry Chicken
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breast (about 650 to 700 g) Bone In, cut into smaller pieces
4 Medium Yellow Wax Potatoes
6 Large Eggs, boiled
60 g Chicken Curry Powder
10 g Chili Powder
2 Sprigs Fresh Curry Leaves
1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Can (400 ml) Coconut Milk
1 1/2 Cup Water
5 Tbsp Of Peanut Oil
Sea Salt To Taste

Method

Cut the chicken into smaller pieces and marinate with 1 Tbsp of curry powder. Marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Boil the eggs, cool and shelled. Then boil the potatoes until they are cooked but still firm. Peel and quarter.

In a heavy pot, heat the oil and add the chopped yellow onion, together with the curry leaves. Cook until the onions are lightly brown.

Add the curry and chili powder. Cook until they are fragrant. Mix in the marinated chicken and cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked.

Add the coconut milk with 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring the curry sauce to a boil and then lower the heat and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, add the eggs and potatoes and cook further, for about 15 to 20 minutes. Season the curry with sea salt and serve warm or at room temperature.

Braised Chicken With Asian Basil

We have had some weird weather here for the past week. Few days of sunshine with highs of 19˚C , just nice for outdoor cooking. Then the temperature plunged to about 9 to 12˚C, accompanied with rain! Oh well, guess it's time for comfort food again. I dished out some tasty homey meals for the family and one of them is this Braised Chicken with Asian or Thai Basil. Do try my recipe ya??


Braised Chicken With Asian Basil

Ingredients

750 g Chicken Drumsticks & Breast, cut into smaller pieces
8 Cloves Garlic, lightly crushed
8 Slices Ginger
1/3 Cup Sesame Oil
1/3 Cup Chinese Rice Wine
1/4 Cup Light Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Cup Asian (Thai) Basil

Method

Heat the sesame oil in moderate to high heat, browned the chicken pieces.

Then add in the garlic and ginger. Stir until the garlic is light golden in color and fragrant.

Mix in the light soy sauce, rice wine and the dark soy sauce and continue stirring for about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat and gently simmer the chicken until they are fully cooked and the sauce is thicken. Finally, add the basil and cook for another minute. Serve immediately.