Thursday, October 28, 2010

SPICY PRAWN CURRY



Ingredients:
Prawns ........ 250 gms.
Onions ........ 2 small
Green chillies .. 2 (slit)
Tomato .......... 1 (chopped)
Ginger garlic paste .... 1 tbsp.
Fenugreek seeds/methi seeds .... 1 tsp.
Black pepper seeds ............ 1 tbsp.
Coconut (grated) ............ 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies .......... 2
Coriander seeds ......... 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder .......... 1/4 tsp.
Mustard seeds ............ 1 tbsp.
Tamarind juice .......... 2-3 tbsp.
Curry leaves .............. 1 sprig
Salt ........................... to taste
Coriander leaves ...... to garnish
Oil

Method:


1. Clean the prawns and marinate them with salt and turmeric powder.


2. Heat a table spoon of oil roast methi seeds, black pepper, red chillies and coriander seeds. Add the grated coconut and one sliced onion, keep stirring till the colour changes. Add turmeric powder. Grind this masala adding a little water and set aside.


3.Heat a little oil in a pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the curry leaves and the remaining sliced onion, slit green chillies and saute a little. Add the ginger garlic paste, tomato and prawns. Keep stirring till the prawns change the colour and all the water is dried up.


4. Now stir in the ground masala paste and the tamarind juice and salt. Add sufficient water to cook and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

This dish goes well with plain rice, dosas and appams.

If you like it less spicy you can reduce the quantity of peppers.

Fiendishly Hot, Gruesomely Garlicky, Halloween Ghoulash


We are three days short of Halloween, the night of the year loved most by Ghosts, Ghouls, Vampires and Witches of all types. Sunday is the night that they have free reign on an often defenceless world...or do they? What defences do we have against them? What can we do to ward off the evil spirits and entities that invade our domain? It is well known that vampires do not like daylight, crucifixes, or wooden stakes - but we can hardly incorporate any of them in our Halloween dinner! So what else can we try? Although I have eaten many wooden steaks (yes, I know) in my time - or at least steaks that have all the taste of wood - there is a better alternative. We can turn to Mother Nature herself and borrow her oft cruelly labelled, "Stinking rose." Picture the scene... Count Dracula is about to plunge his unforgiving fangs in to the neck of the fair and seemingly defenceless maiden when she turns and lets him have it with both barrels: garlic breath!!!

As Halloween is on a Sunday this year, more people are likely to have the time to prepare a special dinner to mark the occasion. Although the actual dinner is not traditionally an integral part of Halloween, I tend to think that anything and everything is an excuse for a special dinner! I am posting this recipe today, therefore, to give you a bit of time to assemble your ingredients, make your plans and join me in a feast of Fiendishly Hot, Gruesomely Garlicky, Halloween Ghoulash.

Goulash (as it is of course in fact spelled) is a Hungarian recipe by origin and not a Romanian recipe, where this version would perhaps be more effective against Count Dracula and his kin in Transylvania. Nevertheless, I hope that you will try it out and enjoy it every bit as much as I did.

Please note that this is probably the hottest dish I have ever featured on this blog and although it is not exactly in the vindaloo category, if you do not like overly spicy food, you may wish to use only one red chilli pepper.


This dish takes about two hours to make from start to finish. The main reason for this is that I like to use shin of beef in rich stews. This is not only because it is considerably less expensive but because, provided it is cooked for the alloted period of time, I genuinely believe it produces better results. If you do choose to use a better quality steak for some reason, you can reduce the overall cooking time by half.

Ingredients for Two People
1/2lb shin of beef
2 red bell peppers (one green and one red)
1 small onion
1 medium potato
14oz can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
6 small closed cup mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
2 red chilli peppers (please remember point above!)
1 pint of fresh beef stock
1/2 tsp ground paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Method

The first step is to get the shin of beef started cooking. Cut it in to bite sized pieces but do not cut away or discard any of the fat. Fat and marbling are not only flavour, in a long cooking stew of this type, they are essential to stop the meat from drying out and becoming tough. Brown the beef in a large, dry pot, before adding the beef stock and the potato. The reason I am adding the potato so early is because I want it to break down and essentially assist in thickening the liquid component of the finished dish.

While the stock is heating towards a simmer, very finely chop the garlic and the chilli peppers. They should then be added to the simmering stock, along with the tinned tomatoes and the paprika. The mixture should then be left to simmer gently for one hour, stirring occasionally.


The onion, the mushrooms and the bell peppers are essentially going to form the body of the goulash, along with the beef. After the beef, tomatoes and potatoes have been simmering for an hour, the onion should be peeled and quartered, the bell peppers deseeded and chopped and both added to the pot with the de-stalked only mushrooms.


The ingredients should all now be given a thorough stir and left to simmer for a further half hour. Note that I do not season dishes of this type until the very end, as salt draws the moisture from meats during long cooking processes and makes it tough. At the end of the cooking time only, therefore, season, taste - and if necessary, season again.


Goulash is very often served with rice but because I have included potato in this recipe to give it extra body, I prefer to simply serve it with a plate of fresh, crusty bread, for diners to help themselves.

I gave the dish a final garnish of some roughly chopped basil and one more closed cup mushroom.

Persian Pomegranate and Lamb Soup

 
  

The Hotel Les Merinides sits on a hillside overlooking the ancient, exotic Moroccan city of Fes.  Below, the historic medina of Fes el Bali, established in 789 AD, is a sea of white-washed buildings punctuated by the green-tiled roofs of the University of Al-Karaouine, the oldest continuous university in the world, and its Karaouine Mosque, one of the largest and oldest in Africa.  These emerald jewels in the city reflect the jewel Fes long represented to the Western-world as a center of science and learning for medieval Muslims and Christians alike.  Within the medina, one can step back into the time of camel trains delivering gold from Timbuktu, spice traders selling their goods among towering cones of cumin, coriander and turmeric, the leather souk where hides are still tanned and colored by foot in open pits.  A walk through the maze-like narrow alleys of the medina will pass by a boy taking dough to the neighborhood communal bakery, a farmer pushing a cart of Clementines for sale, or a sweets-maker carrying a tray piled high with candies and cookies. 

Few of these things were making an impression on me as I sat on the hotel’s terrace after the long drive in from the coast.  The way this city is cradled by its surrounding Atlas mountain range hills was how I wanted to be cradled in bed to nurse the aches and chills of the cold I felt.  Learning this, they served me Morocco’s classic harira soup, a lentil and tomato soup with turmeric and cinnamon, cilantro, parsley, celery, onion and sometimes chickpeas.  The chill went away and I was filled with zesty, warming goodness.  It was that same feeling I wanted to feel last night after a cold and rainy day.  Fall is setting in, night is coming earlier, and I wanted to feel the warmth from the inside.  My remaining pomegranate I needed to use sent me to the opposite end of the Muslim world, but even though I looked through recipes from Persia, I remembered that Moroccan harira soup from that day in Fes.  This Persian pomegranate and lamb soup has many of the same characteristics.  It starts with lentils, onions and garlic, and is added upon with cilantro, parsley and turmeric.  Of course, pomegranate juice is mixed in, and lamb meatballs along with rice also provide a hearty and Middle-Eastern flavor reminder.  Try this soup on a chilly day when brightness can come from a pomegranate and warmth from the inside out.  Serves 4.
    
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup lentils
4 cups water
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped scallions
½ cup basmati rice
½ lb ground lamb
1 small onion, grated
1/2 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 slice white bread, broken into pieces
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups pomegranate juice with a handful of seeds for garnish
2 tbsp lemon juice
    
Directions:
In a heavy pot over medium heat, warm the oil and soften the sliced onions.  After a few minutes, add the garlic and continue to cook until golden.  Add the lentils and cook, stirring for a minute to coat.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook partially covered for 10 minutes.  Add the salt, pepper, turmeric, parsley, cilantro and scallions.  Continue cooking partially covered for another 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the meatballs by combining the bread and milk.  Squeeze out any excess milk and add to a bowl with the lamb, salt, pepper, parsley and grated onion.  Mix together thoroughly and form into small meatballs.  Add the meatballs and rice to the soup, return the soup to a simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes.  Stir in the pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice.  Adjust the seasoning if desired, and serve.
     

2 hari penuh pengembaraan menyeronokkan :P

selamat malam kawan-kawan! :D

eh starting mcm ending kan? -__-'' tahu tak, 2 hari ni saya belajar banyakkkkkkk benda. banyakkkk sangat. lantaklah org lain pandang benda tu tak penting pun. buekkk :P

okay. semalam kan, siap kerja di office dlm 3pm. tah dtg gila mana, SMS nora. tup tap, last minute ajak dia jumpa. pukul 330pm, nak chaw, boss panggil suruh tnggu dlu sbb nak kasi cek gaji. muahaha. maka tunggu lah. 340pm, minta diri lagi. sekali boss kasi cek terus, and rush driving maybank setiawngsa mcm x de hari esok. HAHA. alhamdulilah, sempat cash kan cek. wee. sengih ta leh blah!

rush balik rumah. dah 430pm lah! gi toilet menunaikan kewajipan kecik, tukar baju, terus turun balik. mama tunggu, hantar pergi LRT.

27 oktober - genap 3 bulan tak naik train. genap 3 bulan tak tgk movie. *WINK*

call namin dlm LRT. bgtaw keluar pergi KLCC jumpa nora. sedeyh dgr suara namin demam! sampai KLCC, daniel pun ade. org NTV7 yg comel2 bulat2 tp dah makin kurang comel sbb tak bulat da. haha :P tgk ticket movie -- the other guy. oh, selepas 3 bulan tak tgk movie. finally!


best. lucuuuu. tapi...
sy tak puas. tak berjaya buat sy gelak besar lg.


lepas beli ticket wayang, pergi makan dulu sementara tunggu showtime. pekena ayam penyet mmg best lah kan setelah... setelah entah berapa bulan jgk ta mkn ayam penyet! tapi ade terbatuk time makan, which is mmg KEJAM-SAPE-NGUMPAT-AKU haa? pedas, then terbatuk, mmg terbaeklah! berair mate, mcm menangis kepedasan plak! tak cool lah. :P


daniel bajet kenyang lah air ribena die tuh?
lepas tu die tibai ayam penyet jgk. muahaha.


then abis movie, serang toilet AGAIN. kinokuniya - as usual. beli buku BILLI LIM. sila baca buku beliau ye, sgt penuh dgn motivasi yg membuat awak rasa wayyyyy better. skeee sgt! lepas tu pergi quiksilver, beli present utk namin :) and lastly, KLCC park.

ini adalah nora yg ajar tangkap udang d KLCC. sekian.
yer sy taw, dah abis sopan sy duduk, still TERKANG-KANG.


28th october 2010 - kerja. still rase pelik - nightmare. kosong. risau. sebak.

habis kerja cepat2, balik rumah kejap, drive pergi CP. jmpe namin! huwaaaaaaaaa. alolololo. sian die demam. wuwuwu. lame kot ta jmpe. i mean, mmg jarang jmpe since last week. CEHHH. muntah lah. yer lah org lain ta jmpe bertahun2, berbulan2, ni seminggu 2 da kecoh. KEPOHCI!

jmpa just about 2 hours. but, more than enough. :)

namin time webcam dulu.
aloloolololo :D


malamnye tadi... semuanya da selesai. i feel much better, dengan izin-Nya. alhamdulilah :)

hopefully no more nightmare & fikiran melayang etc. insya Allah. doakan yg baek2 saja utk kita semua ye.

and kawan-kawan tlg jgn tunjuk hebat sgt -- SILA BACA DOA & BISMILAH tak kira nak buat apaaaa je especially keluar rumah, driving, makan, tidur, toilet. ingat, bukan kita je makhluk Allah dkt bumi ni.



Great Christmas Gift Ideas for Cooks 2010: Knife Sharpeners

A good cook or chef knows the importance of having a good set of knives with which to prepare food. No matter the quality of the knives, however, usage of them will eventually cause them to lose their sharpness and this will have to be addressed if the knives are to retain their effectiveness. If you know someone who loves to cook and is passionate about it, the chances are they will already have a good set of knives - but what about a quality knife sharpener?

Below are just some of the knife sharpener ideas you may wish to consider as a Christmas gift in 2010. Click on any image to order, for further details, or to browse similar items for yourself.

Pork Sausages with Mashed Banana Stuffing


There is no doubt that this will seem like a strange combination to many but it is actually truly delicious and is only a very slight variation of a dish I used to enjoy as a child. I remember eating big bangers (sausages,) stuffed with mashed banana and homemade tomato chutney and decided to revisit the concept. I did not have any homemade tomato chutney available but have served the sausages stuffed with mashed banana along with some sweet pickle, which complemented them very well.

Ingredients per Person

3 pork sausages
1/2 small banana
2 tbsp frozen peas
Half a tomato for garnish
Spoonful of sweet pickle

Method

It is necessary to first of all fully cook the sausages, prior to stuffing them with the banana. The way I like to do this is in a very little sunflower oil in a frying pan, over a low heat. The size of the sausages will determine the cooking time but be sure to cook them gently or they will burst, spoiling not only their final presentation but allowing a lot of their juices (ie, flavour) to escape in to the pan and be lost. These fairly small sausages took about twenty minutes to cook in this way.


When the sausages are cooked, the banana should be mashed with a fork in a small bowl or dessert dish. The banana should be fairly ripe to make it easier to mash. The sausages should then be cut along their length to a depth of abour two-thirds of the way down and carefully stuffed with the banana. A teaspoon is the best tool to use, I find, for this job. The sausages should then carefully be transferred to a grill tray and placed under a hot grill for two or three minutes.


The peas which I have served with the sausages and banana in this instance were frozen and simply cooked in some boiling water for two and a half to three minutes while the sausages and banana were under the grill.