RECIPE: MANGO CHICKEN CURRY

I was very surprised with the reaction of the household (and mine too) when I made this dish. I thought it would be quite sweet and sickly actually….well, as it turned out, it is sweet yet not sickly and altogether yummy! The original recipe did not call for chillies or nutmeg but I added some. Maybe it was the chillies…. and freshly ground pepper that did the trick…..


Ingredients

600g skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into cubes
Vegetable oil
2 large brown onions - diced
2 cloves garlic – diced minced
Thumb size ginger - grated
2 tbsp English style curry powder such as McKenzie’s
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg - optional
2 ripe mangoes or 1 large tin mango pieces – pureed (see my GLOSSARY post on MANGOES)
2 tbsp cider vinegar or white vinegar
Water
5 to 6 dried chillies - optional
‘Hard’ vegetables such as carrots, celery, capsicum or zucchini (I used carrots and celery)
Small handful of raisins - optional
1/2 cup cream or coconut milk – I used coconut milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Coriander or celery leaves to garnish

Method

Heat some oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté about 5 minutes (or until soft and golden. Add in the garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute.

Add in the curry powder, cumin, nutmeg with ½ cup of water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar, 1 cup of water and the pureed mango. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a low simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pan from heat and using a hand held blender, puree the sauce. Alternatively, pour it into a blender and puree, then return the sauce to the pot. Simmer gently and add more water if required.

In a frying pan (with minimum oil), lightly brown the chicken along with the dried chillies and add to the sauce. You may omit this stage and add the chicken pieces and chillies straight into the simmering sauce*. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the vegetables (however, if using celery, add it only about 2 minutes before lifting - I prefer my celery crunchy so I only add it into the pot just before lifting it off the heat).

Stir in the cream or coconut milk (along with raisins, if using) and cook until it starts to come to the boil (without actually boiling as this may curdle the cream). Season with salt and pepper, lift, garnish and serve over a plate of freshly cooked rice. Hmmmm…..

PS: If the dish is too sweet, add a little more vinegar. If not sweet enough, add a dash of sugar.

Note: You may also make a few batches of the sauce and freeze them for later use. The sauce works well with just vegetables too.

*The original recipe called for the chicken to be added straight into the sauce without browning it in the first instance.

VG’s rating: 3.5 stars

RECIPE: FRAGRANT COCONUT CHICKEN (OPOR AYAM)

My version of the OPOR AYAM, adapted from the “SHIOK!” cookbook. Hope you like it. I know my household did!


Ingredients

4 tbsp veg oil
1 tin thick coconut milk
2 small free range chicken or 12 assorted chicken pieces
4 large dried chillies - soaked
2 stalks lemon grass – bruised
4 whole lime leaves
Salt to taste
1 tsp sugar

Spice paste – ground into thick fine paste

3 slices galangal
Thumb size ginger
6 candlenuts
12 small shallots or 2 large red onions
Thumb size fresh turmeric
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground fine black pepper (see my GLOSSARY post on BLACK PEPPER)
*8 large dried chillies – soaked (this is optional)

Method

Heat oil in a pot and fry spices for 6 to 8 mins until thick and fragrant. Add 2 tbsp of the coconut milk and cook for a further 2 mins.

Add in the chicken pieces, whole chillies, lemon grass, lime leaves, coconut milk and ½ cup water. Simmer for 20 to 25 mins, stirring occasionally.

Add salt and sugar and cook for a further 10 mins until gravy is very thick. Serve hot.

Note: If you want a pale curry, you may omit the turmeric. You may also omit the chillies in the ground spices if you want a very mild curry.

RECIPE: COCONUT GINGER PRAWNS AND SQUID WITH LEMON GRASS CURRY (UDANG DAN SOTONG MASAK LEMAK DAUN SERAI)

I love seafood, especially prawns, squid and crabs. The sweetness of the coconut milk and the spices used in this dish truly enhances the taste of seafood. The original recipe calls for prawns only but I added squid this time. If desired, you may also add any firm fish pieces to the curry.

If using prawns only, increase the weight to 1 kg to compensate for the ingredients.


Ingredients

500 g green prawns in shell – peeled and shells/heads reserved
500 g cleaned fresh squid
5 cm fresh GINGER – sliced into thin strips (see my GLOSSARY post on GINGER)
3 tbsp Veg oil
3 stalks LEMON GRASS – bottom 1/3 only, hard outer layer removed and the stalks bruised (see my GLOSSARY post on LEMON GRASS)
5 whole kaffir lime leaves
1 cup water
1 cup thick COCONUT MILK (I used tinned COCONUT MILK) (see my GLOSSARY post on COCONUT MILK)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Grind the following:
5 cm fresh TURMERIC or 1 tsp TURMERIC powder (see my GLOSSARY post on TURMERIC)
8 cm fresh GINGER (see my GLOSSARY post on GINGER)
8 finger-length red fresh chillies
10 shallots or 2 large red onions
10 cloves garlic

Method

Heat oil in a pot and add in the ground ingredients. Cook for 2 mins and add in the prawn heads and shells, lemon grass and lime leaves.

When the shells turn pink, add in 1 cup of water and simmer for 5 mins. Then add in the coconut milk and simmer on low heat, uncovered, for 10 mins. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and strain the curry. Discard all the solids and return the curry to the pot and onto the fire. Add in the prawns, squid and sliced ginger and cook until the seafood is done. Serve immedietly with rice and side dishes of vegetables such as STIR FRIED PAK CHOY AND WOMBOK and salad such as CUCUMBER, TOMATOES AND ONION SALAD (recipes to follow in the next few days).

NOTE: You may also add some firm fish pieces to the dish or make this dish with prawns only.

RECIPE: CHICKEN AND BUK CHOY COOKED IN COCONUT CREAM WITH CHILLIES AND TURMERIC (AYAM DAN SAYUR MASAK LEMAK CILI API DENGAN KUNYIT)

A really simple dish to cook and goes beautifully with any sambals or fried fresh or dried fish. I was so impressed with the GOLDEN FRAGRANT CRABS that I decided to make GOLDEN FRAGRANT FRIED EGGS to serve with this dish. The recipe for the eggs is in the next post.


Ingredients – serves 6

1 bunch buk choy – cut to desired length (see my GLOSSARY post on BUK CHOY)
500 g chicken thighs or breast – cut into large cubes
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 large onion – sliced
5 to 8 bird’s eye chillies – sliced or pounded
½ tsp turmeric powder or half inch fresh turmeric pounded
½ tin coconut milk (see my GLOSSARY post on COCONUT MILK and also my post on COCONUT SCRAPER in GADGETS AND UTENSILS)
½ to 1 tin of water (measure using the coconut tin)
Salt to taste

Method

Heat some oil in a pot and saute the garlic for 30 secs. Next add in the chicken and the onions and saute until the chicken is nearly cooked. This should take around 4 to 5 mins. Add in the chillies and cook for a min.

Next add in the vegetables and cook for another min. Add in the coconut milk, water and turmeric. Stir constantly over medium low heat until the coconut milk starts to boil. Simmer for a min, add seasoning, lift and serve hot with rice and side dishes such fried fish, sambals such as SQUID SAMBAL or GOLDEN FRAGRANT FRIED EGGS.

RECIPE: VG’S CHICKEN CURRY II

Mr G found some free range chickens (‘kampong’ chickens as it is called in Malaysia and they make the best curry) and had asked me to prepare a curry. We had this for NYE, with some ROTI CANAI cooked on the BBQ and we set up the outdoor setting underneath a nice shady tree in our backyard. We chased it down with a couple of Apple Ciders. Pure Bliss!!! Here’s the recipe for the chicken curry.


Ingredients


2 small free range chickens (approx 1.6 kg)
3 large potatoes – peeled and cut into large pieces
1 tsp whole cloves (see my post on CLOVES)
1 tbsp whole cardamoms (see my post on CARDAMOM)
2 stalks lemon grass – cut into 3 pieces each and bruised
6 tbsp meat curry powder
1 tbsp cardamom powder (see my post on CARDAMOM)
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tin coconut cream/milk
1 large tomato – diced
1 coriander plant and 2 spring onions – sliced for garnishing
Water
Veg oil


Grind the following to a paste using minimal water:
300 gm shallots or small red onions
½ a large head of garlic
Thumb size fresh ginger
2 coriander plants
Large handful fresh mint
1 large tomato

Method

Heat oil in a large pot (about 4 tbsp) until hot and add in the cloves and cardamom. Fry for 30 secs. Next add in the ground ingredients and render to a thick paste. Add in 1 cup of water and repeat the process. You want your paste to cook well.

Now add in all the powders (curry, cardamom and coriander powder). Add in 2 cups of water and render this paste until the oils seeps through and the water has evaporated. Repeat this process.

Next add in the chicken and lemon grass and coat well with the masala (spice paste). Whilst stirring occasionally, cook for 5 mins or until the chicken has changed colour. Add about 2 cups of water and cook for 15 mins, on medium heat, stirring occasionally.

When the chicken is half cooked, add in the potatoes and check the liquid in the dish. If it is too dry, add another cup of water. When the chicken and potatoes and nearly done, add in the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 mins and just before lifting, add in the tomatoes and garnish. Mix well and serve hot with rice and breads such as ROTI CANAI.

RECIPE: CORIANDER PRAWN CURRY WITH EGGPLANT, OKRA AND POTATOES

Prawns – What can I say…..except that I love them! I can eat them any day and any way. I have never known a prawn that I never loved and I sympathise with everyone out there that are allergic to prawns. You poor things!

Anyway, yesterday I made prawn curry. There are many different ways that I make my prawn curry and this time I made it using plenty of coriander (fresh, seeds and ground) as my base. The ground ingredients will look very green but don’t worry; once you add your masala (curry powder in Hindi/Punjabi), it will be looking very much like a curry! Here’s how I made CORIANDER PRAWN CURRY WITH EGGPLANT, OKRA AND POTATOES.


Ingredients

1 kg green prawns – peeled but heads and tail left intact
2 large potatoes – cut into large cubes (normally I quarter the potatoes and then half each quarter)
1 large eggplant/aubergine or 2 to 3 Lebanese eggplants – cut into large cubes the same size as the potatoes.
Large handful of okra/ladies fingers – if using large okras, slice into half, cross ways
2 spring onions and 1 coriander plant – chopped for garnishing
2 to 3 tbsp veg oil
2 tsp coriander seeds
Sufficient water for cooking
3 to 4 heaped tbsp ‘seafood’ curry powder/masala – see HINT below
1 heaped tsp coriander powder
2 to 3 tamarind pieces
½ to 1 tin coconut milk – according to your taste
Salt to taste

Spice paste: Grind TOGETHER the following with one cup of water
8 to 10 shallots or 3 medium red/brown onions
½ head of garlic
Thumb size fresh ginger
3 large coriander plants
2 spring onions

Method

In a large pot, heat oil and add in the coriander seeds. Sauté for 30 secs then add in the ground ingredients. Cook and stir continuously (you don’t want your paste to burn) until most of the water has evaporated and the paste has a slight golden tinge to it.

Add in the curry paste and coriander powder and about 1 cup of water for starters. Mix the paste well. If it is too dry, add another cup of water. Cook on medium low heat until the paste is slightly dry and you can see oil seeping through the surface.


Now add in the tamarind pieces and the potatoes and just enough water to cover the potatoes. You don’t want too much water as it will make your curry too runny. It is better to add more water if needed than to cook the curry for longer to ‘evaporate’ the water. On medium heat, cover and cook for 5 to 8 mins or until the potatoes are half cooked.


Next add in the eggplant and cook for another 3 to 5 mins. Your curry may be slightly dry at this stage but try not to add much water at this stage. Now add in the coconut milk (start with just half the tin – the prawns and vegetables are ‘sweet’ so you may not need that much coconut milk), prawns, okras, about ½ a cup of water and salt. Gently stir the curry (you don’t want your vegetables and prawn to ‘crumble’). Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. Check the seasoning. Lift, garnish with the chopped spring onions/coriander and serve with bread or rice and a side dish of vegetables such as STIR FRIED OKRA WITH TAMARIND.

However, when you are checking the seasoning and feel that the curry is too ‘hot’, add in more coconut milk to tone it down. Don’t forget that when you eat it with rice or bread, you will lose some of the heat. Bring the curry to a boil again, lift, add garnish and serve.

HINT: If you can’t find a Malaysian brand ‘seafood’ curry powder, use normal Malaysian curry powder (such as Yeos or Ayam Brand) or any good Indian curry powder. Do not use a western style curry powder (Keen’s or Clive of India); this will totally ruin your curry!

FYI: I use either Baba or Parrot brand seafood and meat (yes there are specific curry powders for seafood and meat) curry powder. You can find these brands at most Asian grocers in Canberra.

NB: This is another one of those dishes that taste better the next day. I always make extra to have with any type of bread (yes, sliced white bread or any stick bread) or roti canai the day after.

RECIPE: NYONYA CHICKEN CURRY WITH KAFFIR LIME LEAVES (AYAM LIMAU PURUT)

I have always loved the nyonya style of cooking and this dish is one of my favourites - the piquancy of the tamarind, kaffir leaves and lime just adds to the flavour of this dish. We normally eat this with rice or crusty bread and served with stir fried vegetables and accompaniments such as ASIAN STYLE CUCUMBER AND PINEAPPLE SALAD (AJAD).

Ingredients

Veg oil
1 chicken – cut into pieces (I used a 1.5 kg chook)
2 to 3 slices dried tamarind pieces (asam gelugur) – optional (see picture below)
½ to 1 cup water
1 cup thick coconut milk or ½ tin large coconut cream mixed with ½ tin water
6 to 8 Kaffir lime leaves
Salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Spice Paste – chopped and ground to a fine paste (if using blender or processor, with minimal water or oil)
4 cm galangal (lengkuas) root
1 stalk lemon grass – thick bottom third only
10 red chillies
3 medium red onions
5 cloves garlic
1 tsp turmeric

Method

Heat oil in a wok and stir fry the ground spices over medium heat for 8 to 10 mins until fragrant.

Add in the chicken, tamarind pieces and water and simmer for 10 mins until the chicken is half cooked.

Add in the coconut and lime leaves and simmer uncovered, on medium heat until the chicken is cooked (another 10 mins or so). The gravy in this dish is fairly thick so don’t add too much water. Season with salt, add in the lime juice, lift and serve immediately.

RECIPE: VG’S DRY MEAT CURRY

This dry curry works well with pork, lamb and beef. Another one of those ‘spur of the moment’ concoctions. Add more dried chillies or curry powder if you like your dishes ‘warm’. I had to compromise because of the kids.

Ingredients
1 kg meat (I used pork) – diced
3 tbsp meat curry powder
Salt to taste
Water
3 tbsp veg oil
Grind the following to a fine paste with just enough water to turn the blades :
10 large shallots or 4 large red onions
½ head of garlic
Thumb size fresh ginger
2 stalks lemon grass
Handful of long (as opposed to short) dried chillies – deseeded and soaked in hot water to soften

Method
Heat oil and fry ground ingredients until oil seeps through and the paste is relatively dry. Add in the curry powder with 1 cup of water and repeat the process.

Add in your meat, coat well and cook for 2 to 3 mins, stirring constantly until the meat changes colour. Add in a cup of water and cook until the meat is done. You may need to add in more water during this process but make sure that the end result is a very dry curry. Serve with breads such as CHAPATTIS, PURIS or with rice such as CUMIN AND CARROT RICE.


VG's Thali (Platter): Eggplant and Mint Chutney, Pak Choy with Mustard and Egg, Dry Meat Curry with Cumin and Carrot Rice

RECIPE: SOUR PRAWNS AND PINEAPPLE (GULAI UDANG DAN NENAS)

If your household is anything like mine, my kids go through fads – one day they like something, the next day it’s poisonous! So I have to come up with ideas to ‘trick’ them into eating things. My latest trickery is to do with pineapples.

It must be pineapple season up north in Queensland, as we can get them quite cheaply here in Canberra. Unfortunately, the kids seemed turn off already with pineapples, and I was going to make pineapple jam (for jam tarts). Unfortunately I am quite time poor at the moment. So, I had this dilemma of what to do with the couple of pineapples that Mr G bought last weekend.

So, in line with the STOP FOOD WASTE Campaign, I decided to use half the pineapple to make SOUR PRAWNS AND PINEAPPLE and the rest to make THAI STYLE PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE. I’ll post the recipe for the fried rice in the next few days.

One lesson to learn from going shopping, and any shopping – something is only cheap if you need it and are going to use it. The pineapples may have been cheap, but if they were commissioned to the bin, that would have defeated the purpose, wouldn’t it???

Ingredients
½ kg green prawns – shelled with heads and tails left intact
2 heaped tbsp tamarind mixed with ½ cup warm water – extract juice but do not discard the pulp
2 tbsp oil
1 cup water
¼ pineapple – cut into bite sized pieces
Salt
Sugar – optional
Grind the following with minimal water or oil
4 slices galangal/lengkuas
8 candlenuts (or substitute with macadamia nuts)
1 cm fresh turmeric or ½ tsp turmeric powder – fresh is nicer
1 tsp belachan
6 to 8 large red fresh chillies – halved and deseeded but you may leave some seeds intact if you want the dish to be a bit spicy
10 shallots or two large red onions

Method
Heat oil in a heavy pan (I used a clay pot) and fry the ground spices until aromatic (around 5 to 7 mins).

Add one cup of water and the pineapple and cook uncovered for 5 mins. Add the tamarind juice and simmer for 2 mins. In the mean time, extract another ½ cup of juice from the left over pulp and set aside.

Add in the prawns and salt and cook for 2 mins. Taste and if the dish is not sour enough (remember it should be sour), add more of the tamarind juice. Lift when the prawns are done and serve hot with rice.

RECIPE: CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES IN COCONUT MILK

I used the same recipe as the BUK CHOY IN COCONUT MILK but I used chicken instead of the anchovies. You can omit the chicken and make it into a vegetarian dish.

RECIPE: MR G’S BEEF CURRY

I got my usual 1.00 pm phone call at work yesterday from Mr G, “Who's cooking today and What’s for dinner (did not wait for answer)….. I bought some nice rump steak….. what do you want me to do with it….would you like me to cube it or slice it…..by the way, what’s for dinner again?”

Well, we haven’t had curry for some time so I made a suggestion that I could make some curry but dinner would be late as I had quite a bit to do and could be late getting over unless ‘somebody’ could make dinner. The hint obviously got through as there was a lovely curry waiting for me when I got to see the kids . So all I had to do for my share was fry the vegetables. Here is how Mr G made his Asian style beef curry.

Ingredients
1 kg rump steak – diced
3 large potatoes – quartered
2 large tomatoes – quartered*
Thumb length and thick ginger*
½ a head of garlic*
3 large red or brown onions* (shallots would be better but they are currently nearly $10 a kilo in the supermarket, so normal onions it is!)
2 cinnamon sticks
3 large black cardamom pods
2 sprigs curry leaves
4 to 5 tbsp Malaysian meat curry powder
1 to 2 tsp chilli powder - optional
1 cup natural or Greek style yoghurt (or substitute with tinned coconut milk)
3 tbsp veg oil
Water
Coriander – for garnishing

Method
Grind together * ingredients with 1 cup of water.

Heat oil in a cooking pot; add in the curry leaves, cinnamon and cardamom pods. Next add in the ground ingredients and fry until the water has nearly evaporated.

Next add in the curry and chilli powder and about 1 cup of water. Cook for about 4 to 5 mins or until the water evaporates again and oil has seeped through the paste.

Add in the beef and cover the meat thoroughly with the spices and continue stirring to avoid the meat from sticking to the pot and until the meat changes colour. This seals the meat.

Add about 1 to 2 cups of water and the potatoes and cook until the meat is tender and the potatoes are nearly done. Add in the yoghurt and render the gravy if you like your thick; or add more water if you like your curry runny. Serve with rice, crusty bread or Indian breads such as puris, naan or CHAPATTIS. Also with stir fried vegetables like okra or cabbage such as STIR FRIED CABBAGE WITH TURMERIC.

RECIPE: VG’S LAMB CURRY

This is one way I make my lamb. I will share other versions later. Whenever I cook Asian dishes, Mr G always looks on and make me write the recipes. So today I present VG’s Lamb Curry recipe but cooked by Mr G. Here tis’.

Ingredients
1 kg lamb or mutton – cubed. FYI, Malaysians call goat meat mutton. Here in Australia it is older sheep (over two years old)!
10 shallots – sliced thinly (or substitute with 2 to 3 onions)
2 inches ginger*
6 cloves garlic*
2 sprigs curry leave
1 can coconut milk
5 heaped tbsp Malaysian style meat curry powder (available at Asian grocers)
Salt to taste
2 cinnamon sticks#
4 cloves#
4 whole star anise#
2 big potatoes – quartered
Water
2 tbsp oil or ghee/clarified butter

Method
Grind * and coat the cubed meat. Set aside for half an hour.

Heat oil/ghee and fry # for 30 secs. Add in curry leaves and the onions. Cook for 2 mins.

Add in curry powder and 1 cup water and cook on medium heat until the oil releases in the paste. This may take up to/more than 5 mins.

Add in meat and coat well and cook until the meat changes colour. Add in coconut milk and salt and simmer until meat is cooked and the gravy has thickened. Half way through this process, add in the potatoes.

Dish and serve hot with rice, Indian breads (such as CHAPATTIS or naan) or crusty bread.

RECIPE: VG'S CHICKEN CURRY I

We had chicken curry with STIR FRIED CHINESE CABBAGE for dinner tonight. This is a version of my chicken curry.

Ingredients
2 big coriander plants #
3 spring onions #
3 large red onions #
1 very large tomato #
Half a head of garlic #
Thumb size ginger #
1 chicken - cut into bite sized pieces
4 medium sized potatoes - quartered
1 large cinnamon stick *
6 cloves *
6 cardamoms *
2 sprig curry leaves *
1 tomato - cut chunky
1 large sprig coriander and 2 spring onions - sliced thinly
1/2 to 1 can coconut milk
3 heaped tablespoons Malaysian made MEAT curry powder (Parrot or Baba Brand) - can be found at Asian grocery shop. The reason I stressed meat is that there is a different curry powder blend for seafood. If you like your curry hotter, you can add more curry powder.
Salt to taste
Water
2 to 3 tbsp veg oil

Method
Grind together in a blender or processor all the # ingredients in a bit of water – make sure you don’t put too much water it would take a longer time to render the mixture down.

Heat oil until hot. Add spices and curry leaves (*). Then add ground ingredients (#). Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until ground spices form a paste.

Add in curry powder. Mix well. Add about 1 cup of water. Turn heat down to medium, stir constantly. Cook until oil releases from the paste and the paste is slightly dry (around 5 mins or so).

Add chicken. Coat well with paste. Cook for about 3 to 4 mins. Add about 1 cup of water and salt, and cook till chicken is nearly tender (half way through this process, put in the potatoes - you don't want your potatoes to crumble, or do you?). You may want to add more water if you like your chicken curry to be runny. Add coconut milk. This depends if you like your curry hot or mild. The more coconut milk you add, the milder it will be. Cook till chicken is tender. Before lifting, add in tomatoes. Cook for a minute. Add in coriander/spring onions.

Serve with rice or bread.

I normally have a side dish of stir fried vegtable and a cucumber/pineapple/onion salad or cucumber raita with this.
I know the process is long……but the experience is pleasurable! Happy trying!