Seared Tiger Prawns and Garlic, Chilli and Lemongrass

There's nothing more delicious than fresh prawns cooked simply like in this Gordan Ramsay recipe. 

Tiger prawns are really costly locally so I only bought six of them. The prawns are marinated in flavourful ingredients for half a day and that really made it that especially delicious. Sweet juicy prawns imbued with aromatic lemongrass and garlic and the spiciness of chilli!

Though Gordan Ramsay recommended that these are to be dipped into mayo or salsa, I think that's not necessary as that would cover the flavours of the marinade. I'd eat the prawns as it is!

Seared Tiger Prawns (Serves 4)

Recipe by Gordon Ramsay

Ingredients

• 12 large raw Tiger Prawns peeled and deveined - tail shell on
• 3 peeled Garlic Cloves
• 2 deseeded red Chilli's
• 2 Stalks Lemongrass
• 2.5cm piece fresh root Ginger peeled
• 5 tablespoons Olive Oil
• sea salt
• Pepper

Method

• Put the tiger prawns in a shallow dish.
• Pound the garlic, chillies, lemongrass and ginger together using a pestle and mortar, gradually adding the olive oil until you have a rough paste (or whiz briefly in the blender).
• Season with salt and pepper. Baste the prawns with the spice paste and leave to marinate in a cool place for 2-3 hours.
• Cook the marinated prawns on the hot barbecue for 4-6 minutes, turning, until they turn pink and feel slightly firm to the touch – don’t overcook.
• Serve at once, with a flavoured vinaigrette, soured cream or tomato salsa.

This is for Cook Like A Star hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake. 

Lemongrass Curry Chicken

It's been raining every day since about two weeks back - and according to the weather forecast, this cloudy and rainy session is here to stay till January!

With such chilly weather, I'm into warm food or anything that would drive the cold away. This Lemongrass Curry Chicken is really perfect for such days. I don't normally see Curry Chicken with lemongrass added - but Bill Granger's idea is really good as the aroma of the lemon grass really accentuates the taste of the curry. 

I couldn't resist dipping some bread into the hot curry!

Lemongrass Curry Chicken (Serves 4)
A Bill Granger Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 skinless chicken thighs, cut into quarters (or 1 whole chicken)
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped (deseeded first, if you like)
• 1 lemongrass stalk, crushed with the back of a knife and split
• 5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 500g potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 400ml chicken stock
• 250ml coconut milk

Method

• Put the chicken and curry powder in a bowl and toss to coat well. Season with sea salt.
• Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add the onions and chilli and fry for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until sealed and browned all over.
• Add the lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce, sugar, potatoes and stock to the pan.
• Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium–low. Simmer for 15–
• 20 minutes.
• Stir in the coconut milk, then cover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Scatter with red chilli to taste and serve with steamed rice.

This is for Cook Like A Star hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake. 

Thai Chilli Roast Chicken with Coconut Gravy

I was looking for a Thai recipe from among Bill Granger's collection and this Thai Chilli Roasted Chicken immediately caught my eye. I love to roast chicken with stuffing as the aroma of the stuffing somehow permeates the chicken flesh from inside out, making it extra delicious. 

The filling is made of a chilli paste consisting of garlic, chilli, coriander and coconut which is stuffed inside the chicken as well as smeared all over the skin. When I was grinding the paste, I could already tell how delicious this dish was going to be. 

The chicken goes along well with a sauce made of Thai green curry paste and coconut milk. My kids love the dish and they kept asking for more of the sauce. 

Thai Chilli Roasted Chicken (Serves 4)

A Bill Granger Recipe found on Baby Mac

Ingredients

• 1.6kg chicken

For the Chicken Stuffing

• 1 bunch coriander
• 2 red chillis
• 50 g desiccated coconut
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 large limes (juiced) - I stuffed the juiced limes inside the chicken as well
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar 

For the Coconut Gravy

• 1 tablespoon green curry paste
• 250 ml coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce

Method

• In a food processor throw in the ingredients for the stuffing and chop finely
• Take half of the stuffing and place under the chicken skin and the other half inside the chicken cavity.
• Rub a little oil, salt & pepper over it’s back and into a 180 degree oven for 1.5 hrs  or till its cooked through.
• Take the pan with all the juices in it, add in the curry paste scraping the cooked bits off the bottom.
• Add in the coconut milk, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and simmer away whilst carving
• Serve up and drown in that delicious gravy over it’s back.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest ( Thailand ) November 2013 hosted by frozen wings

This is for Cook Like A Star hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out and Mich of Piece of Cake. 

Vietnamese Prawn and Mango Curry

It's mango season now and I have been buying and eating many sweet juicy mangoes from the supermarket at such reasonable prices. This time of the year is the best time to experiment with all sorts of mango dishes and desserts and this Vietnamese Prawn and Mango Curry is one of those lovely recipes which I came across. 

I have never had a Vietnamese curry before and thought that the ingredients used actually resemble Thai ingredients. The curry was easy to make and aromatic from the use of shallots, lemongrass, lime leaves and basil leaves. The flavours of these ingredients are infused into the coconut milk curry and leaves a lingering fragrance as you eat it. 

The mangoes add a sweet note to the curry and goes very well with prawns (or other seafood). I'll definitely be making this again!

Vietnamese Prawn and Mango Curry (Serves 4 to 6)

Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
• 4 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass (I used 2 sticks and chopped them into large chunks, smash them for extra fragrance)
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder (I used 1.5 tbsp)
• 300 ml coconut milk (I used 500 ml)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (I used 1/2 tbsp)
• 1 kg raw king prawns, peeled but tails left on
• 300g mango flesh, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• 10 pieces of Kaffir lime leaves, torn (my own addition)
• 10 pieces of basil leaves, torn (my own addition)
• 200 ml water 
• More basil leaves to garnish

Method

• Fry the garlic, shallots and carrots in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until soft.
• Add the lemongrass, chilli and curry powder and cook for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, 200ml (7fl oz) water, fish sauce and basil leaves to the pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes and then stir in the prawns and mango. 
• Simmer, partially covered, for 3-4 minutes or until the prawns are pink and cooked through. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

COOK'S TIP: Try adding 1kg mixed diced seafood - such as monkfish, cod, salmon and mussels - instead of just prawns

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Miss B from Everybody Eats Well in Flanders, at this post.

Pineapple Fish Curry

A friend of mine, Kirsten, shared this unique Pineapple Fish Curry recipe on Facebook, that uses fresh pineapple juice instead of coconut milk to flavour the dish. Being a big fan of the fruit and using it in savoury dishes, it's one of those healthier recipes that I was keen to try out. 

Instead of a rich and creamy sauce, the pineapple juice makes a lighter and refreshing fruity curry base for the fish. The lingering taste of the pineapple goes well with fish and I love to eat the chunks of pineapple and other vegetables that have been stewed in the sauce. 

This is definitely one of those curries that gives the spicy kick but without the calories and guilt. Even my daughters enjoyed the dish very much. 

 Pineapple Fish Curry (Serves 4)

For the spice mix

• Ready made curry paste 2 tbsp (You can reduce this if you want it less spicy)
• Shallots 75 g
• Pineapple cubes 230 g

For the curry

• 1 tsp of oil 
• 500 g of fish head or fillet 
• 300 ml of stock or water
• 180 g of cherry tomatoes (cut into halves or left whole)
• 1 capsicum
• 200 g of pineapple, cut into cubes
• Fish sauce, salt to taste

Method

1. For the spice mix, puree the shallots (75 g) and pineapple cubes (230 g) into a fine and smooth paste.

2. Wash the fish head/fillet, and marinate with salt.

3. Heat up 1 tsp of oil, and stir fry the curry paste till fragrant. Add in the blended shallots and pineapple mixture. Add in the water or stock and let it boil. 

4. Add in the fish and cover the pot. 

5. When the fish is almost cooked, add in the capsicum, cherry tomatoes and the remaining pineapple cubes and allow the vegetables to soften.

6. Season with fish sauce or salt, if desired.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Miss B from Everybody Eats Well in Flanders, at this post.

Curry Buns

When I saw Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids post these Chicken Curry Buns which were her childhood favourite, I had to make them for myself as well. I, too, grew up eating these from the neighbourhood bakeries. 

What is so delicious about these buns is really the sweet bread which encases the curry filling. The soft and fluffy bun, encasing a curried filling, is too good to resist. The recipe for the buns produced a bread that is soft and almost cotton like when freshly baked. It is exactly like the one I know from the bakeries. 

As I did not use the dough improver, the buns were not quite as soft the next day. However, they were still absolutely delicious. The sweetness of the buns contrasts well with the spicy curry filling.

Curry Buns (10 pieces)
Adapted from Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, who adapted from I Can Bake by Agnes Chang

Basic Sweet Bun Dough 

Ingredients
 
A: 

• 400 g high protein flour, sifted (Bread flour)
• 100 g low protein flour, sifted (I used cake flour)
• 1 tsp bread improver, optional (I did not use)
• 10 g milk powder
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tbsp instant yeast
• 100 g castor sugar (I used 50 g)
• 1 egg 
• 220 ml water

B: 

• 75 g butter / margarine (I used 75 g of olive oil)

Glaze

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1/8 tsp salt 

Decoration

Pandan leaves cut into 1 cm strips, 10 pieces

Method

• Put all ingredients A into a bowl or breadmaker and mix into a smooth dough (I mixed for 20 mins in the breadmaker)
• Add B (the butter or oil) and continue to knead until gluten has developed and it can be stretched into a very thin layer. 
• Cover with a piece of damp cloth and leave to rise until it doubles in bulk. (1 hour)
• Punch down and knead again until smooth. 
• Divide into desired portions (85 to 90g) and shape into balls. 
• Cover with damp cloth and rest for 10-15 mins
• Fill with the curry filling (recipe below) and shape into rounds. Tie each bun with 1 strip of pandan leave.
• Leave to rise till double (about 30 mins).
• Egg wash, and bake at 200*C for about 15 mins. 

Chicken Curry Filling

2 tbsp oil 

A: 2 tbsp curry powder, mixed with 3 tbsp water
1 big onion, chopped
1 sprig curry leaves 

B: 200 g chicken meat, cut into small cubes (I replaced with 200 g potatoes)
2 boiled potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 tsp chicken stock granules (I used mushroom seasoning)
1/2 tsp salt 
3 tbsp water 

For the filling, heat up oil, saute A until fragrant. Add B, stir well and cook until dry. Taste. Dish up and leave to cool. Put aside. 

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Miss B from Everybody Eats Well in Flanders, at this post.

Sayur Lodeh (Curry Vegetables) and Lontong

Don't forget to take part in the Food Panda vouchers giveaway, if you haven't done so. This giveaway is open to all residents of Singapore and Malaysia. 

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And now for the today's recipe: Sayur Lodeh, or vegetables in a curried soup, is a popular dish locally and in the region. Occasionally, I would have cravings for this spicy and aromatic dish. It's very easy and fast to whip up because we can find the curry paste or powder in the supermarket. All one needs to do is add the coconut milk and boil the vegetables till softened. 

As convenient ready-made curry paste is, I don't think anything beats making it from scratch. So when the craving hit, I decided that was what I was going to do. It takes a little time and effort to prepare the ingredients for the curry paste but once you take a sniff of that lovely aroma, you'll think its all worth it! My mouth was already watering when I was frying the paste. 

The Sayur Lodeh turned out to be wonderfully fragrant and delicious. It is fairly spicy for those who are not used to strong tastes but I absolutely love it! I made the Sayur Lodeh for a gathering with friends and along with it, I served Lontong - compressed rice cooked inside a banana leave. Sayur Lodeh with Lontong is a very common dish found in the hawker centres locally and its makes a filling and appetising one-dish meal. Everyone gave the dish a thumbs up!

Sayur Lodeh (Curry Vegetables) and Longtong (Serves 4 to 6)

Recipe adapted from 3 Hungry Tummies

Curry Paste

• 10 dried chillies, soaked in hot water til soften, seeds removed
• 3 red chillies, chopped
• 6 candle nuts (macadamia nuts and brazil nuts are good substitute)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 6 shallots (150 g), chopped
• 1.5 tbs of turmeric powder
• 1 cm piece of shrimp paste, toasted (I used 10 g)
• 30 g of dried shrimp, soaked in hot water and chopped
• a 5 cm knob of ginger
• a 5 cm knob of galangal or 1.5 tbs of galangal powder
• 2 lemongrass (white parts only), chopped

Sayur Lodeh

• Curry paste from above recipe
• 350 g of long beans or green beans, cut into 5 cm length
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 5 cm strips
• 1/2 a head of cabbage, cut into strips/pieces
• 1 eggplant or 3 oriental eggplants, cut into chunks
• 10 fried tofu puffs, halved
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 1 cup of stock 
• Extra 300 ml of water (my addition as I wanted more gravy)
• 3 kaffir lime leave, torn for extra fragrance
• Seasoning to taste 

To serve

• Ready-made Lontong, steamed for 15-20 minutes till hot. Serve topped with the Curry Vegetables and boiled eggs.

Method

• Place the curry paste ingredients into a blender and blend everything to a fine paste.
• Prepare and set aside the vegetables and tofu puffs.
• Saute curry paste til oil separates (For some reason, I wasn't able to get the oil to separate even after dry frying it for about 15 minutes).
• Add coconut milk, stock and kaffir lime leaves and bring it to a boil.
• Add in the vegetables gradually and cook til tender (I added an extra 300 ml of water to the curry while its cooking as I found the sauce too thick. I cooked for about 40 mins)
• Season to taste with salt or other types of seasoning (I used 1 tsp of mushroom seasoning).
• Serve as part of a Malaysian meal. You'll need plenty of steamed rice with this.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Miss B from Everybody Eats Well in Flanders, at this post.

This is for Made with Love Mondays by Javelin Warrior.

Satay Ayam Goreng / Food Panda Vouchers Giveaway

Even as a mum who cooks all the time, there are times I really don’t want to and neither do I want to go out for dinner. In such cases, food delivery options can be limited very much to fast food and pizzas delivery, which is definitely not ideal.

I’ve recently come to know about a food delivery service called Food Panda where you order and get food delivered from a large number of eateries and restaurants. And the choices of cuisine is mind boggling – from India, Italian, Chinese to Mexican!  All you have to do is to enter your postal code, choose the restaurant, and browse through the menu and order. It is that simple.

Food Panda is now giving two food vouchers worth S$25/RM$60 each to two readers residing in Singapore and/or Malaysia. With these vouchers, you’ll be able to try out their service for yourself!

Here’s how it works:

1. Enter the following line in the comment box of this  below: I would like to try (Indonesia, Thai, Mexican, or whatever your choice of cuisine is) food through Food Panda! 
2. You can find out what cuisine is offered through Food Panda on www.foodpanda.sg and www.foodpanda.my.
3. Giveaway runs from June 5, 2013 to June 14, 2013. The lucky winners will be picked at 10pm on June 14, 2013. (Contest is now closed - winners will be notified on week of June 24 as my contact in Food Panda is away on vacation at the moment, sorry for the delay!)
4. How winners will be notified: If you are a blogger, I'll leave a comment on your blog. If you are not a blogger, please ensure that you leave your email address in the comment box so that I can contact you easily. 
5. The Food Panda Giveway is open to all residents of Singapore and Malaysia.

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And now for the curry recipe that I want to share. Since I went for Violet Oon's cooking class, I've been wanting to try out her easy and delicious Satay Ayam Goreng at home. I've been busy cooking many other things and did not find time to do so till last week when I was looking for recipes to match Little Thumb's Up curry related theme. 

When I tried this dish at the cooking class, I fell in love with the aromatic gravy served with the chicken. Quite unlike other curry chicken recipes where there is a large amount of sauce, this recipe calls for the gravy to be cooked till it is thickened and reduced such that what's left is the wholesome goodness of the spices and fresh ingredients used in the sauce.  

What I really like about this recipe is that I didn't use any oil, or salt and sugar and it turned out really delicious. The dried chillies, fresh chillis, candlenuts and shallots form an amazingly fragrant spice mix which is then gently stewed in the coconut milk with an infusion of lime leaves and lemon grass. 

The result is a tender chicken pieces that is moist and flavourful and coated with that oh-so-good gravy. Perfect to serve with rice or bread. 

Satay Ayam Goreng (Serves 4 to 6)

Recipe by Violet Oon

Ingredients

• 1 chicken cut into pieces of 1.2 kg of cut up thighs and breast of a chicken
• 3 cups of thick coconut cream or freshly squeezed coconut cream from 2 coconuts
• 1 - 1.5 tsp salt (I omitted)
• 2 - 4 tsp sugar (I omitted)
• 1 stalk lemongrass smashed, to allow flavours to infuse curry
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, broken up, to allow flavours to infuse the gravy
• 1 tbsp coriander powder* (I used ready-made coriander powder)

Spice/Curry Mixture

• 5 dried chillies or 1 tbsp dried chilli paste
• 5 candlenuts, washed and drained
• 3 red chillies, sliced roughly
• 150 g shallots, peeled, sliced roughly
• 1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste) 

*Dry fry coriander seeds in frying pan till light fragrant. Grind in a coffee grinder and sieve to get dine powder. Discard the rough bits. Alternatively, buy ready-made coriander powder. 

Method

1. Wash dried chillies, soak in hot water for about 1 to 2 hours till softened. Cut the stalks off and cut the chillies into small pieces.

2. Pound the candlenuts till semi-fine. Add the fresh chillies and pound till semi-fine. Add the dried chillies and pound for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp paste and pound well. The last ingredient to add is shallots. Pound till the mixture is very fine. Alternatively, you can grind the ingredients in a food processor till you get a smooth paste. Grind all the other ingredients first before adding the shallots for further grinding.

3. Mix all the ingredients (spice mix, coconut milk, lemongrass, lime leaves, chicken) in the sauce pan and bring to boil. Sprinkle the coriander powder into the pan and then add salt and sugar to taste. Simmer till the liquid is reduced and the gravy is thick. 

4. If the chicken is cooked (45 mins to 1 hour) and can be easily pierced with a fork, remove the chicken and further thicken the gravy till desired consistency.

5. Serve with rice, first removing the lemongrass and lime leaves.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Miss B from Everybody Eats Well in Flanders, at this post.

Kim Chi Mushroom Dumplings

I recently learned that wrapping dumplings isn't quite as difficult as it seems - all thanks to the Youtube tutor and the multiple dumpling wrapping tutorials. 

I've been on this Korean food craze and one of those days, I had a Kim Chi craving and made these Kim Chi dumplings after seeing recipes of Korean Dumplings online. Korean Dumplings are normally steamed but I prefer to eat it the Japanese Goyza style with the bottoms pan fried and then steamed cooked by pouring water into the pan and covering it. 

The Korean dumplings recipe I saw were mostly made with meat and Kim Chi. Instead, I decided on a mushroom and tofu filling to replace the meat since I was trying to encourage the whole family to eat more vegetables. 

These dumplings, though meatless, turned out extremely delicious with the tofu and mushroom adding the much needed texture. It isn't as "meaty" as you bite into it but we didn't  miss the meat. Even my kids enjoyed these dumplings which is both slightly spicy and sour.

Kim Chi Mushroom Dumplings (Makes 20-25)

Dumplings

Ingredients

• 100 g Kim Chi, drained and squeezed dry of all liquid
• 3 dried Shitake mushroom, soaked to soften and diced
• 50 g of Enokitake or Golden Needle Mushrooms, cut
• 25 g of glass noodles, soaked and blanched and cut
• 1 piece of firm tofu (firm tau gua about 200g), pan fried whole and then mashed
• A few stalks of spring onions, chopped
• 25 pieces of dumpling wrapper
• 1 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 tsp soya sauce
• A little water for sealing the dumpling
• Oil for frying the dumplings and water for steaming the dumplings

Method

• Stir fry the Shitake and Enokitake mushrooms with a little oil till cooked.
• Mix the mushrooms with the tofu, glass noodles, Kim Chi and spring onions and mix well.
• Put a little of the mixture onto the dumpling wrapper and seal up with some water. Watch the video below for demo:

• Heat up a little oil in a frying pan. Place the flat side of the dumplings onto a heated frying pan and pan fry till golden at the bottom. Make sure the dumplings do not touch each other. 
• When the bottom of the dumplings are golden, pour a little water into the pan and close it with a lid and allow the dumplings to steam cook for a couple of minutes.
• Serve with the sauce.

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• Juice of 2 small limes
• 1 tsp rice vinegar or black vinegar
• Pepper
• Chopped spring onions

Method

• Mix the above together and serve with dumplings.

I'm linking this post to Little Thumbs Up event, organized by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen for my little favourite D.I.Y., and hosted by Joyce, kitchen flavours.