Lemon Grass Rice

Lemon Grass Rice I was invited to attend a food workshop early last month and was very excited to know that the menu featured Malaysian recipes.  The host was awesome and the food she cooked so delicious that I nearly forgot my manners in my haste to get to the table.  The dish I liked best was Nasi Beringin or Lemon Grass Rice as I prefer to call it.  It is so aromatic and delicious. Truly, we eat it thrice- with our nose, eyes and last but not least our tongue. The Recipe: 1 cup basmathi rice, washed and drained; 1 cup low fat milk or evaporated milk; 1 cup warm water; 1/2 inch piece ginger, minced; 1 inch of galangal, sliced- this is optional; 5 stalks lemon grass- use only the whilte part - slice each stalk into two; 2 medium onions sliced; a few spring onions, cut fine;  1 stick cinnamon; 3 cloves; 3 cardamoms; 1 star anise; 1 tsp ghee; 1 tbsp olive oil;  salt to taste. For Garnish:  Fried shallots and a handful of coriander leaves and hard boiled eggs ( my added twist which is optional) NB:  Actually shallots or sambar onions are used for this recipe.  I was in a hurry to make it and preferred to use the ordinary onions. Galangal is a fragrant ginger that I love to use in my cooking. Heat ghee and olive oil in a non stick pan.  Saute the spices, onions or shallots, spring onions, ginger, galangal and lemon grass until onions are glazed.  Add the rice and gently stir fry till grains are glazed.  Transfer to rice cooker and add the water, milk and salt to taste.  Adjust the settings.  When the rice is cooked the light will go off.  Fluff up and cool for a few minutes to let the steam escape.  Remove the lemon grass, spices and galangal.  Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves, fried onions and boiled eggs. To Attend My Eat For Beauty And  Lifestyle Classes CLICK HERE

Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey Mustard Chicken

A while ago, we received a festive hamper that contained a large bottle of organic honey and some delicious looking mustard.  It remained in my kitchen cupboard, waiting for me to get inspired to use it in my culinary endeavours.  Well, last week was the auspicious day and I finally used the honey and the mustard extravagantly to create a memorable baked dish.

900gms skinless chicken, jointed, washed and drained; 1/4 cup prepared mustard; 1/4 cup honey; 2 tbsp curds; salt and pepper to taste; 2 cloves garlic, minced; a few basil leaves- I used Italian basil which grows in my garden, chopped; salt to taste; 1 tbsp olive oil.

Garnish: More Basil Leaves according to taste.

Whisk the honey, mustard, curds, olive oil,  salt and pepper to a smooth consistency.  Stir in the garlic and chopped basil leaves.  Place the chicken in a baking dish and pour the mixture over the chicken.  Make sure all the pieces are covered.  Cover and keep aside for 20 minutes.  Bake in preheated oven at 175 degrees C for 45 minutes to 1 hour until chicken is cooked and juices run clear.  Garnish with the basil leaves.  Rest for 10 minutes. Serve with a salad for lunch or dinner. 

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Vindaloo Pie

                                                                      Vindaloo Pie

Whenever I eat a pie I feel it could do with being a little more spicy.  So when I was in the mood for experimenting, I came up with this which was a bit rich, yet flaky and delicious.

The Recipe: For a 20 cm or 8 inch pan:  Recipe for Pastry from  http://www.fussfreecooking.com

200g  flour + extra to dust the rolling pin & bench; Salt to taste; 6 tbsps of olive oil + extra to grease the pan;1/4 cup of cold water

Other: cling wrap, rolling pin, tart pan, fork, pastry brush & at least 30 minutes refridgeration time

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the olive oil and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.


Stir in the salt, then add  water and mix to a firm dough. Knead the dough briefly and gently on a floured surface. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least one hour or overnight while preparing the filling.

Meat Filling:

500gms boneless meat, cubed; 2 medium potatoes, boiled and cubed; 2 tbsp. Cornflour; 1 tbsp plain flour;  2 onions sliced fine; 1 or two spring onions, cut fine; 2 stalks of celery with leaves, cut fine; a small nunch of coriander leaves, cut fine; 2 medium tomatoes, diced; 2 tbsp masala powder of your choice; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 inch piece ginger minced; salt to taste; 1 tbsp oil.

1 medium egg beaten- this is the egg wash for the pie.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Wash and  dry the meat.  Mix with the corn flour and keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan and stir fry the onions, spring onions, celery, coriander, ginger and garlic for a few minutes until the onions are glazed.  Add the tomatoes and cook till mushy.  Add the masala powder and salt to taste and cook for a few minutes until thick.  Add the meat and mix well to coat all the pieces with the masala mixture.  Add two cups water and pressure cook for 15 minutes till thick an bubbly. Remove from heat and keep warm.

To Assemble:

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide into two equal parts. Return one half to the refrigerator till required.   Roll dough out to fit a 8 inch pie plate. Place crust in oiled pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Gently put the warm filling into the pie crust. Roll out the second piece of dough and place over filling. Pinch the edges together and make decorative patterns on  the edges if desired. Make holes in top with a fork for steam to escape.
Brush the top generously with the beaten egg. Bake in preheated oven at 200 C for 45 minutes or until metal skewer inserted in centre comes out clean. Rest pie for 10 minutes, cut into wedges and serve with salad of your choice.

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Lontong

Lontong- Mixed Vegetable Coconut Milk Stew

I first had this delicious dish a few months ago at a party and I was struck by the similarity in appearance and taste to one of my favourite Mangalorean recipes- Coconut Milk Stew.   So I requested my hostess to pack up the remaining and we enjoyed it for our Sunday lunch.  After that, I made it for friends and make it whenever I feel like eating something made with lemon grass.

The Recipe:

1 small piece firm tofu, sliced into 8 pieces and fried golden brown;2 pieces tofu puff, cut into triangles; few long beans, cut into 3 pieces each;  a small piece of cabbage, cut into chunks; 1 small carrot, sliced; 1 chicken soup cube; 1 cup water; 1 packet coconut milk powder mixed with 1 cup warm water; sugar & salt to taste; 2 tbsp oil.

Spices - blend into paste

1 tbsp dried shrimps, soaked in 2 tbsp hot water; 1 red chilli; 1 medium onion; 3 cloves garlic;1" ginger; 2 stalks lemongrass, use white part only; 1 candlenut; ¼ tsp turmeric powder

            Heat oil in wok. Saute spices until fragrant. Add water and chicken cube and bring to a boil.  Add the vegetables and tofu.  Cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked.  Add the coconut milk, salt & sugar to taste. Serve hot.

NB:  I added hard boiled eggs.

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Almond Mint Rice

Almond Mint Rice

The cooking classes featuring Mangalorean Protestant Cooking that I started as a hobby is gaining in popularity and I now have people coming from all over the world to learn from me.  It's very exciting and I love meeting people with similar interests.  It's so nice to talk with those who share your passion and love food as much as you do.  This is one of the recipes I taught Marthijn and Anna from the Netherlands.

The Recipe:

2 cups basmathi rice; 1 large onion sliced fine; 2 inch piece of ginger, minced; a salt to taste; 2 tbsp olive oil; a handful of mint leaves; 3 cloves, 3 cardamoms and a piece of cinnamon;  a few nuts- almonds or cashew nuts for garnish.

Wash the rice in running water 3 times and drain.  Heat oil in a pan and saute onions and ginger for a few minutes. Add the rice and stir fry gently till dry and grains are coated with the oil.  Add salt to taste. Transfer to rice cooker , add mint leaves and cook till done.   Garnish with nuts and serve piping hot with the rest of the menu.

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Two Ingredient Dulce de Leche Yoghurt Pudding

Two Ingredient Dulce de Leche Yoghurt Pudding

A light bulb went off in my mind a couple of days ago while browsing through my blog.  I

wanted to make an easy dessert to die for with limited ingredients.  I had some left over dulce de leche and a lot of yoghurt or curds as we call it.  So made a minute pudding for taste and another when we had guests over for a cooking class.

The Recipe:

50 gms thick yoghurt (curds); 50 gms condensed milk; a few toasted nuts for garnish.

Whisk the curds and dulce de leche together.  Place in a heat proof mixing bowl.  Cover tightly and steam over boiling water in a cooker or steamer for 20 minutes.  Garnish with nuts just before serving hot or chilled.

That's it.  Simple, quick and absolutely to die for.

NB:  Make sure the yoghurt is thick for a gorgeous, melt in the mouth pudding.

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Rice Wine Chicken

Rice Wine Chicken

A few months ago I realised that I had accumulated extra points over the years thanks to our credit card purchases in different places.  I had no idea that I could exchange the points for a variety of things.  So, I went through the catalogue and was really excited to see that one of the items available was a roaster.  To cut a long story short, I went and got it and this is the first recipe I made using my Roaster Oven and everyone loved it.

The original recipe is from http://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/masterchef/recipes/tequila-and-lime-chicken-with-chilli-ginger-garlic-sauce-and-baked-potato

I had this really old bottle of home made rice wine given by a friend and decided to use  whatever ingredients I had in my kitchen.  So here goes...

The Recipe:

1 whole skinless 2 kg chicken- clean, wash and thoroughly drain;  1/2 cup Chinese Rice Wine; zest and juice of 2 lemons; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp crushed Pink Himalayn salt.

Mix ingredients together and marinade the chicken overnight.  Next day, bring it to room temperature, preheat the Roaster Oven for 5 minutes at 200C, place chicken in a shallow pan with marinade in the roaster and roast chicken for 40 minutes or till done.  Follow instructions given in the manual.  Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with ginger- garlic sauce and any flavoured rice.

Ginger Garlic Sauce:

4 red chillies- fresh because we prefer less than spicy food; juice of 1 large lime; 2 cloves of garlic; 1 inch piece ginger; 1 tsp brown sugar; 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste; 4 tsp olive oil.

Grind all ingredients to a smooth paste maintaining a liquid consistency.  Transfer to a glass bowl and keep aside till require.  Refrigerate the left over s and use with any roast meat or fried eggs.

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