Seasaltwithfood

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 ar

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

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

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

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

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

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, p

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 sauc

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 chu

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.

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 nei

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.

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

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 an

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.

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, toget

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