Nasi Goreng

Another of my simple and frugal recipe if you want something light but at the same time filling. I guess anyone can cook it and all it needs is a little patience.

The ingredients for this nasi goreng which means fried rice is as follows:

1. 200 grammes chicken breast piece or more
2. Light soya sauce 3 tsp
3. Chilly powder 1/2 tsp
4. Garlic 3 pods cut into tiny pieces
5. Large onion cut into wedges
6. Green chilli cut into thin slices
7. Spring onions cut finely for garnishing
8. Capsicum cut into thin slices
9. Dark Soya Sauce (optional)
10. Salt to taste
11. Cooked cooled rice of your choice but I prefer Basmati or left over rice ( a plate full of rice )
12. Cooking Oil 2 tbs
13. Shredded cabbage (1 cup)
14. Egg
15. Tomato
16. Lettuce
17. Cucumber

Marinate

1. Marinate the thinly cut slices of the chicken breast in light soya sauce of 2 tsp

Set it aside for 15 minutes

Cooking process

In a wok, add cooking oil and when the oil is hot, place in the garlic and stir fry for a few minutes until the garlic becomes slightly brown. Then add in the marinated chicken and stir fry for 10 minutes. Then add the chilly powder and stir fry for awhile. Push the stuff inside the wok to a side and add a few drops of oil and then break in the egg. Let the egg get cooked and then add the shredded cabbage, wedged onions and stir fry for a few minutes. Then add in the rice, salt to taste and add dark soya 1 tbs and mix the fried rice throughly on high flame and after that on low flame.

Serve the fried rice on a plate and garnish with slices of cucumber, tomato, lettuce and spring onions. You can have the fried rice with pickled green chillies which can be marinated with light soya sauce for 15 minutes prior to making the fried rice.

See I told you, this is a simple recipe and if you really want it hot and spicy, then instead of chilly powder, use chilly paste or sambal. And to give that tangy taste, you can squeeze 1/4 a lime on it.

Sardine Sambal

Looks yummy right. It’s very simple. I had my sardine sambal with an omelette and some cut cucumbers as can be seen below. The sambal is very simple to make:

Soak about 20 red dried chillies after deseeding in hot water and then blend in a blender with tomato, onion, 2 pod of garlic and a dash of soya sauce with some salt to taste with 2 teaspoon of oil.

In a wok with some oil, add green chillies, tomato(like in the pic) and fry the sambal paste until it is fragrant and then empty the sardine and then put in the onions which is cut into wedges. Don’t forget to add salt. Cook for sometime on high flame and after that simmer until the oil comes out. Garnish with corriander.

Voila and it’s ready.

Simple right, food for the God’s or lazy humans like us. Serve it with steamed rice and the omelette( see my blog on steamed omelette). I love basmati, the aromatic rice from India. It is heavenly and words just can’t describe it…it melts in your mouth…..

Like they say, cheap and best………..except for the basmati…but you can use any other variety of rice…
P.S Jean this recipe is for you…………

Chicken sambal

Doesn’t it look yummy but it is really potent (pungent). The redness is due to the chillies but as they say, chillies makes you lose weight, so the more the merrier. Seriously, it was yummy what I cooked, chicken sambal and I was sweating profusely from my head and that is an indicator that it was hot. If you want the recipe, please let me know and I will post it in my next posting as it is one of the simplest recipe there is.

Steamed Omelette

Steamed omelette, what in the heavens is that? Well that is how I like to make my omelette. The recipe is very simple. Let me give it to you.

Ingredients

1. Cut a medium size onion into tiny pieces

2. Cut a green chilli into tiny pieces

3. 1/2 tsp salt

4. 1 or 2 eggs beaten in a small bowl with a folk or egg beater until it is fluffy (then add item 1, 2 & 3)

5. Oil (2 tsp)

6. Black pepper powder

7. Red chilli powder (optional)

Cooking process

In a non-stick frying pan, add oil and let it get heated up, then on a slow flame, add the beaten egg (with onions and chilli)and cover it up with a lid as shown in the picture above (after a few minutes, you can open the lid and sprinkle some black pepper powder and chilli powder). Let it cook over the slow flame and when it starts to brown lightly, flip the omelette over and close the lid. After a few minutes remove the omelette from the pan. The picture below shows the omelette made with one egg.

Bon Appétit.

©sukku2008

Raita

Raita
This is a very simple recipe and raita is usually eaten as a side dish with chicken curry, mutton curry, sambar or just have it as a dessert. A dish by it’s own, if you are on diet!
I will list down the ingredients for you below:

1. Yogurt or curd - 100 grammes or more
2. Onion - medium or large
3. Capsicum - small
4. Green chilly - one
5. Tomato -one red small
6. Cucumber
7. Black salt/salt
8. Chat masala (optional)
9. Corriander leaves

Preparation

Cut the onion into tiny bits (lengthwise and then perpendicular)
Mince a small green chilly(seedless)
Half a capsicum would do for the amount of yogurt I mentioned above, cut it to tiny pieces
Use quarter a cucumber, peel the skin and deseed it and cut into tiny pieces
Place all of the above in a small bowl and mix with the yogurt. Add the Black salt/salt according to your taste. To make it healthy, you can also add a teaspoon of virgin green olive oil.
Top it with the fresh cut corriander leaves( a small bunch minced finely) and finally sprinkle the chat masala over the raita and refrigerate it until it is ready to be served.

Bon Appétit.

Rasam (Indian soup)

It’s defined in the web dictionary as “Thin soup made out of tamarind and spices”. And today I was looking at the web for an easy rasam recipe but I somehow found that it was rather complicated. I made rasam for lunch and have enough of it for a couple of meals. Rasam is very easy to make and I guess you can say that it is a “bachelor’s soup or broth”. You can have this soup with plain steamed rice and maybe with some fried papads. I like it with omelette or “ikan bilis” (anchovies) and maybe some cucumbers.
I took the photo of the rasam as it was boiling and I would like to share my version of the rasam recipe for you to try it.

Ingredients
1. A stalk of curry leaves
2. A handful of sambar dal (tavur dal)
3. 5 red dried chillies
4. 3 green chillies
5. 4 pods of garlic
6. 1 teaspoon of black peppercorn
7. 1 teaspoon of mustard
8. A pinch of asafoetida
9. 3 large ripe tomatoes
10. A bunch of coriander leaves cut into tiny pieces
11. ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
12. 1 teaspoon of chilli powder
13. 2 teaspoon of coriander powder
14. 2 teaspoon of rasam powder (MTR)
15. Tamarind paste (1 teaspoon) or a ball size soaked in hot water.
16. Cooking oil 3 tablespoon
17. Salt to taste

I am going to divide this preparation into 3 parts.

1st part

Boil the tomatoes in a pot of water, say about 1 litre until the tomatoes are soft and the skin can be peeled off. Now remove the skin and place the tomatoes in a blender, with 2 pods of garlic, the green chillies and blend it to a paste. Alternatively if you are not going to put in the blender, then smash the tomatoes until they become a paste.

2nd part

With the water that you used to boil the tomatoes, add the following powders listed from item 11 to 14 and mix the solution well and then add the paste from the 1st part into the pot to the solution. Don’t forget to mix the tamarind paste into this solution.

3rd part

Take a handful of tavur dal (sambar dal) in a pressure cooker, after washing it well; add a few drops of oil, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional) and a pinch of asafoetida. Put in 1 cup of water and then pressure cook until you hear about 4 whistles or until the dal is totally cooked into a pulp.

Cooking process

In a wok heat some oil of 3 tablespoon (preferably gingerly oil) and when the oil is hot, throw in the red dried chillies and let it cook for a 1 minute, then add in the mustard seeds, and after awhile add the remainder of the garlic(which is minced) and the curry leaves. Add the ground peppercorn now.
As the aroma rises, pour the 1 litre solution (part 1) into the wok and also add the dal (part 3) which was made to a pulp and diluted with a cup of water into this broth. Add salt (2 teaspoon) and add another cup of water and let the broth boil for 15 minutes or more. If you find that the water had evaporated, add in another cup or more. Let it boil again.

Then simmer for 5 minutes and add the chopped coriander leaves into the broth.

Keep aside the rasam for 10 minutes.

Serve this rasam with steamed white rice and papads. Or you can drink the broth for good health.

I hope that I have explained this in a very simple manner for you try it out. Do let me know about your feedback on this recipe or any queries.

Bon Appétit.

Stir fried vegetable

This post is for a very good friend of mine, Lynette who asked me over the phone for the chinese stir fried vegetable recipe as she had the pleasure of eating what I had cooked over dinner. So I am posting my recipe for her on this blog and also for others who would like to venture into some quick and healthy food.
Ingredients
1. Half a caulifower ( 150 grams)(cut the florets in to small pieces about 1 inch)
2. 1 carrot - sliced thinly
3. 3 Baby corn- cut lengthwise 1 inch
4. 1 capcicum- cut into lengthwise 1 inch
5. 4 pods garlic minced finely
6. 1 medium onion trimmed and cut into 4 wedges, layers separated
6. 1 inch ginger(optional)thinly sliced
7. Cooking oil (1 tablespoon) or more
8. Black Pepper either freshly grounded or use the standard black pepper powder, adding based on your preference, I sprinkle a couple of dash
9. Salt to taste
10. 2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with a cup of water(optional)
11. Maggie chicken stock 1 cube(optional) mix with little water
Cooking process
Heat up the wok first and then add the cooking oil of your choice. Then put in the ginger and after a minute, add the minced garlic, I usually like the garlic to burn a little, so the fragrant is strong, then add in the cauliflower and carrot, add salt and grounded pepper,stir fry and cover with the lid, let the steam from the wet cauliflower do the cooking for 4 minutes, if needed, add 1 tablespoon water, then add the baby corn,onions and stir fry for another 3 minutes. Now add the capcicum and stir for 1 minute and (you can add the chicken stock for 2 minutes - optional)immediately pour in the cornstarch and let the starch give you the texture. Lets say for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remember the chicken stock and the cornstarch is optional, as you can do without it.
And now you can remove the stir fried vegetable and serve it with steamed rice. By the way I use high flame for cooking as heat and timing is very important in stir fry dishes….
©sukku2007
I would like to share this stir fry tips for chinese cuisine(this was taken from the internet) with you as I found that it was very informative:
1. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need ahead of time.
2. Make sure all the food is cut according to directions before you start. Never try to prepare food while stir-frying.
3. For even cooking, cut all the ingredients the same size.
4. If not following a recipe, cut all the ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
5. Heat the wok on medium-high to high heat for at least a minute before adding oil. (You may want to skip this step if you have a nonstick pan - it can damage the coating.)
6. Add the oil (up to 2 to 3 tablespoons depending on the dish; peanut, canola or other vegetable oils are good) drizzling it so that it coats both the sides and the bottom of the wok. The oil heats faster this way.
7. Before adding other ingredients, season the oil by cooking a few pieces of garlic and ginger. (Note: you may want to reduce the heat at this point to keep them from burning).
8. If the recipe calls for meat and vegetables, cook the meat first and then set it aside. Add the meat back when the vegetables are almost cooked. This ensures that the meat is not overcooked, and that the meat and vegetables retain their individual flavors.
9. Meat is normally stir-fried on high heat to seal in the juices (individual recipes can differ).
10. Never add more than a cup of meat at a time to the wok. Lay the meat out flat to cook.
11. Remove the meat from the wok when it changes color - for example the redness in the beef is gone. At this point the meat is approximately 80 percent cooked.
12. Stir-fry vegetables according to density, with the densest vegetables being stir-fried first and for the longest time. Denser vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and eggplant require more cooking time than green leafy vegetables such as bok choy.
13. If you’re uncertain about the order in which to stir-fry vegetables, the simplest solution is to stir-fry them separately, one at a time.
14. If possible, wash the vegetables ahead of time to ensure that they have drained and are not too wet.
15. Alternately, if the vegetables are too dry, try adding a few drops of water while stir-frying.
17. When stir-frying meat, wait a few seconds before tossing so that it has a chance to brown; when stir-frying vegetables, begin moving them immediately.
18. When adding sauce to vegetables and/or meat, form a “well” in the middle by pushing the ingredients up the sides of the wok. Add the sauce in the middle and stir to thicken before combining with the other ingredients.
19. Once the dish is completed, taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
20. Serve the stir-fried dish immediately.
Finally, a few words about cooking temperatures. Some recipes give instructions on whether to cook a dish at high, medium-high, or medium heat, but others don’t. In Chinese Home Cooking, Helen Chen suggests starting to cook at medium-high heat and then adjusting the temperature up or down as needed on your model of stove. Another option is to have a second burner set on medium heat that you can quickly move the wok to if you feel the food is cooking too fast.

Malaysian Chicken Curry

I would like to share with you my chicken curry recipe which I had posted on my Opera blog last year. I am going to write it down in simple steps so that you can try this simple recipe out. The photo that I posted along with this blog is taken from the web and you would see that it is floating in oil……..but I can assure you that my recipe would be with less oil and also fat free with the exception of coconut milk that I would use which is optional.

Here it goes….
I usually buy my chicken from the supermarket, the dressed version without the skin and I spent a great deal of time actually removing what ever fats that are on the chicken. I throw away the neck piece and the bishops nose. I would serialise the ingredients with its narration.

Ingredients
1. A medium size chicken of about 1 kg. Use about half the chicken and keep the rest for next time.
2. Remove all fats and cut the chicken into small size, keep the drumstick whole and the wings you can cut the mini-drumstick.
3. Ingredients
a. Oil 2 tablesppon or more(your preference)
b. 1 medium onion cut length wise
c. 2 medium tomatoes(cut into small pieces)
d. 1 medium size potatoe cut into small size.
e. 2 green chilies deseeded and cut into small size
f. Spices like Star Anize (1 or 2), Cardoman (2), Clove(2) and Cinnamon stick(2 inch - broken into pieces)
h. Curry leaves - 4 to 5 leaves
i. Coconut milk ( 1 or 1/2 coconut) - Optional
j. Tumeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
k. Chilly powder - 1/4 teaspoon or more (depending on your preference)
l. Mutton/chicken masala powder - 3 tablespoon (I use Baba’s)
m. Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
n. Salt to taste
o. Corriander leaves (a bunch)
p. 1/2 a lime

4. Actual cooking
Heat the wok (should have a cover for later) and when the wok is hot, pour in the oil(preferably Sunflower Oil/Rice Bran oil) and while it is heating up, put in all the spices (f) and once the fragrant rises up from the spices(make sure that you don’t burn them) add in onions with curry leaves and saute till the onion turns slightly brown, then add in the ginger garlic paste and stir for 1 minute. Add in the tumeric powder and the chilly powder at this stage. Then add in the 2 tomatoes and the green chilles. Stir till you see the oil coming out from the tomatoes.
Add the cut chicken(about 500 grams) and keep stir frying until all the spices are mixed throughly. At this stage you can add 1 teaspoon of salt or more if you prefer. You can add the cut potatoes here. Close the wok with the lid and cook for 3 minutes until the water comes out from the chicken.In a bowl, make a paste with the mutton/chicken curry powder with a little water. Add this paste into the chicken and mix it thorougly and after 3 minutes, add 400 ml of water. Now you can close the lid and cook the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes under high flame.
Check to see whether the potatoes are cooked and also poke the chicken with a fork, to see whether it is cooked. Then add the 1 or 1/2 coconut milk, which is optional and simmer the chicken curry for 10 minutes on a very low flame until the oil/juices from the chicken comes out.
Just before taking the chicken curry out from the stove, squeeze the 1/2 lime juice into it and mix througly. Then transfer the curry into a casserole and garnish with the corriander leaves……..
Voila! You have chicken curry and you can eat it with steamed basmati rice or chapattis and I usually have it with raita or cut some cucumbers.
I hope the recipe is simple enough for you to cook and if you have any queries, please do hesistate to post your comments.
Bon appetit.

Mamak Mee Goreng (Stir fried noodles)

Well guess what I made for dinner…it’s Mamak Mee Goreng…but then I had to improvise on my recipe as I am in Hyderabad and I couldn’t get some of the ingredients. But what I made is basically something that is simple and for anyone to prepare….it is yummy of course….so I am going to share my recipe here….for you to try it out…

Boil some eggs noodles….I used half a packet…for a person and maybe for 2 meals
In a pot…add water…and then a teaspoon of salt…and then some cooking oil…a few drops…so that the noodles doesn’t become sticky…
Boil the noodles for about 10 minutes…till you feel it is cooked…then strain it on a strainer…and then immerse it in cold water…room temperature actually…now this will stop the noodles from becoming soggy…
Now keep that aside…

Next the ingredients for the fried noodles:
1. Cut an onion wedge wise
2. Smash 5 pods of garlic…I mean 5 pieces…with your knife…the handle of the knife
3. 1 red tomatoe…cut into wedges…
4. Oil….about 3 table spoon..
5. Cabbage….3 leaves shredded
6. Half a carrot…cut very thin slices
7. Half a cucumber cut into thin slices
8. 1 green chilly….cut into slices
9. 2 spring onions cut into very tiny pieces
10. 1 egg beaten with a little salt
11. 250 grams of chicken fillet cut into thin lengthwise…
12. Light soya sauce to marinate the chicken ….like 2 teaspoon
13. Dark soya sauce….2 teaspoon
14. Chilly paste….1 teaspoon
15. 2 wedges of lime…to bring out the taste of the hot noodles
16. 1 teasppon of vinegar
17. Maggie chicken stock….1/2 a cube diluted with 4 tablespoon of boiling water

Now the cooking starts….
Pour oil into the wok….let it get heated up first…
Throw in the garlic….let it change it’s colour a bit….
Then throw in the chicken…..cook and stir fry for 5 minutes on high flame…..then put in the red chilly paste….till the smell comes out…and then put in the onions…cook for 2 minutes…and then add the tomatoes which was cut wedgewise….pour a little light soya sauce and the vinegar…and some thick soya sauce….keep stirring…and then put in the beaten egg….let it set for a couple of minutes..and then stir….after that add the shreded cabbage with the carrot…..stir fry for sometime(about 3 minutes)…then add in the chicken stock(1/2 a cube)….which was diluted with boiling water….don’t forget salt to taste….
Now add in the noodles and stir fry on low flame….till all the sauce is mixed with the noodles…cook for about 5 minutes….
Now squeeze some lemon juice….and then garnish with spring onions, cucumbers and green chilly….

Your Mee Goreng is ready…..Bon Appetit….