RECIPE: PARPU

I am not sure what the correct name for this dish is but it has always been called PARPU in my family. I believe that this dish is a fusion of Indian and Malay cooking and is delicious with CHAPATTI, ROTI CANAI or rice.

Here’s the recipe.


Ingredients

2.5 cups yellow lentils – preferably soaked for a few hours in cold water (this will hasten the cooking process)
6 to 8 dried chillies – torn into a few pieces to release flavour
1 tsp turmeric powder (see my glossary post on TURMERIC)
1 tsp chicken stock powder (optional)
‘Hard’ vegetables of choice eg potatoes, carrots, beans, eggplant
1 heaped tbsp tamarind pulp – soaked in 1 cup hot water and juice extracted (see my glossary post on TAMARIND)
½ to 1 cup coconut milk (see my glossary post on COCONUT MILK)
Salt to taste
Coriander - to garnish

Tempering Spices (‘Tadka’)
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 medium red or brown onions – diced
3 cloves garlic – minced
Thumb size fresh ginger – minced (see my glossary post on GINGER)
1 large tomato – diced
2 to 3 tbsp curry powder
Oil/Ghee or a mixture of both

Method


Wash the lentils until the water runs clear. Put in a large pot with 8 cups of water, along with the chillies and bring to a boil. Add in the turmeric and chicken stock powder and simmer on medium heat until the lentils start to split.

Add in the vegetables, salt and the tamarind juice. Cook until both the lentils and vegetables are done.

Note: You may need to ‘stagger’ your vegetables here, depending on their cooking times. Always add the hardest vegetables first and allow to cook for a few minutes before adding the softer vegetables. In this instance, start with the potatoes, followed by the carrots, eggplant and beans.

Add in the coconut milk and allow to simmer on very low heat while you prepare the tempering spices. Stir occasionally.

In a frying pan, heat 2 to 3 tbsp oil/ghee on medium heat and add in the curry leaves followed by the onions. After a min or so, add in the ginger and garlic and fry until the mixture is golden. Add in the curry powder and about 1 cup of water and cook until the oil seeps through the top of the paste (cook the paste for at least 3 to 4 minutes). You may need to add more water if the paste thickens too much.

Add in the tomatoes and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and pour this paste directly into the simmering lentils. Turn up the heat, mix well, and allow the lentils to come to the boil again. Garnish with coriander leaves, turn off the heat and serve.

RECIPE: SIMPLE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

I may be of Indian heritage but that does not mean that I know everything Indian. Being a fourth generation Malaysian born, it’s no wonder why….and especially for one that has never been to India too! I have always wondered what TIKKA meant and while researching for this post, I found out that TIKKA actually means ‘pieces’ or ‘bits’. So, there you go....you learn something new everyday!


The traditional way of making CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA is to pre marinate the chicken pieces, then the pieces are grilled and finally, it is added to a thick creamy sauce/gravy. The result is a lovely smokey flavour mingled with the cream.

This however is a simple way of cooking CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA, when you have had a hard day at work and don’t really have the time to BBQ your chicken. My version uses fresh, non marinated boneless chicken thigh pieces. You still get the beautiful flavour from the spices in the sauce, minus the effort and cooking time!


Ingredients

1 kg chicken thighs or breast – cut into cubes
2 medium-sized onions finely chopped
4 to 5 cloves garlic chopped fine
5 pods cardamom (see my GLOSSARY post on CARDAMOM)
1 tin (400 gm approx) chopped tomatoes
1 tbsps garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp soft brown sugar
1 cup cream (see my GLOSSARY post on CREAM)
3 tbsp almonds blanched and ground to a paste
Cooking oil or butter (or a combination) to seal the chicken
2 tbsp butter or cooking oil (or a combination)
Salt to taste
1 fresh tomato - diced
Coriander – for garnishing
Freshly ground black pepper - optional

Method

Heat some oil in a deep pan on a medium flame and seal the chicken in batches. You only want to seal the chicken here, not fully cook it. Remove from the pot and set aside. Drain the oil but there is no need to wash the pot.

On a medium heat, now add 2 tbsp of butter to the pot. Add the onion. Cook till soft.

Add the cardamom and the garlic. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the garam masala, ground cumin and paprika and moisten with a tbsp or two of water if required. Cook the spices for 2 mins.

Now add the brown sugar, tomatoes, and almonds and mix well. Cook till the tomatoes are soft and a thick paste forms.

Add in the cooked chicken and stir. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add the cream and mix well. Add in half of the fresh diced tomatoes. Mix well.

Lift and serve the dish garnished with chopped coriander leaves and the diced tomatoes. Sprinkle some freshly cracked black pepper.

Serve hot with naan, CHAPATTIS or rice such as my CUMIN AND CARROT RICE.

RECIPE: RAJ KORMA

Recently I bought Meena Pathak’s (yes, of the ready made Patak sauces fame) cook book (picture attached below) and tried her RAJ KORMA recipe. I have to say that for a ready made sauce, it was really nice and so it should be, with the extra ingredients that went into the dish. Do I recommend it? Whole heartedly! Here’s another keeper for all we time poor people.

NB: I changed the recipe slightly to accommodate the extra chicken I used and my love of garlic and spices.

Ingredients


3 tbsp veg oil
2 large onions – finely sliced
3 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic – chopped finely
6 cardamom pods – bruised (I gave it a ‘whack’ with my pestle)
2 coriander plants – chopped
1 kg chicken breast – diced
1 small jar Patak’s Korma Curry paste
1 medium tomato – diced
Salt to taste
1/3 cup thickened cream
1/3 cup natural yoghurt
1 tbsp desiccated coconut – optional

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add the onion and bay leaves. Cook until the onions are golden brown. Add in the garlic, cardamom and half of the coriander. Cook for 30 secs and add in the chicken. Mix well and cook for about 5 mins or until the chicken is well sealed.

Add in the korma sauce and mix well. Cook for 4 to 5 mins, then stir in the tomatoes and salt (put 1 tsp to start – you can always adjust later). Cook for another 5 mins.

Stir in the cream and yoghurt and bring to the simmer. Sprinkle the coconut, mix well and add in the coriander. Lift and serve with rice or bread.

BTW, Happy Halloween to everyone. Don't let the Ghoulies get you!

RECIPE: GULAB JAMUN

As Diwali is not a public holiday here and I don’t have any of my side of the family in Australia, I don’t really celebrate the occasion. I do tend to get quite nostalgic during this time and wish that I was back home in Malaysia, celebrating with my family and friends. Unfortunately, it is not meant to be. Oh well, such is life.


Anyway, I do make a few cookies and sweets for the kids and nearly every year, I get a request for Gulab Jamun, especially from my eldest. Funny, she doesn’t eat much sweet stuff but she sure likes Gulab Jamun. Word of warning: this is a very sweet and rich dessert!

In the next few days, I will posting the few goodies that I made for Diwali. For now here’s the recipe for GULAB JAMUN.

Ingredients


Syrup
6 cups water
6 cups sugar
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick

Jamun
2 cups full cream powdered milk
½ cup Self Raising flour
¼ tsp baking powder
½ cup ghee
1 cup evaporated milk
Light veg oil such as canola or sunflower for deep frying

Method


Put all the syrup ingredients in a pot and boil until the syrup slightly thickens about 10 mins on a rapid boil. Leave to cool.

In a large bowl, mix the powdered milk, flour and baking powder together. Add in the ghee and rub into the mixture.

Add the evaporated milk and mix lightly into stiff dough. Do not knead heavily. Roll all the mixture into balls, the size of a small marble. Place on a plate.


Line a colander or basket with paper towels (you don't want condensation to build). Heat sufficient oil in a small wok (remember you are deep frying the balls), on medium heat. If your oil is too hot, the outside will cook and the insides will still be raw. If your heat is too low, the batter will absorb too much oil. So do a test run to get your temp right.


Fry your jamun in batches and drain on the paper towels. When you have finished frying, put all the jamuns into the syrup, making sure that they are submerged. Allow the jamun to absorb the syrup (preferably overnight) before serving either at room temperature or you may refrigerate your jamuns and serve them cold. Enjoy.

RECIPE: MUNG DHAL

I think this is a favourite dhal with all Punjabis in Malaysia. It is also Mr G’s favourite as he reckons this is the most flavoursome of all the dhals he has eaten. I beg to differ…I like all dhals. I think he likes this version because it is spicier than the rest.

Anyway, this is how I make Mung Dhal. I am sure that the version that is made in India is different from how I make this dish. I guess the Malay culinary influences have seeped into my dhal making too! Also, I prefer to use Chinese Celery as the garnish to this dhal. If you can’t find Chinese celery, you can substitute with coriander leaves. You can find Chinese celery most of the time at LAE Asian Grocer in Southlands Shopping Centre Mawson, Canberra.


Ingredients


1.5 cups mung beans* – soaked overnight in 2 litres of water. This will quicken the cooking process
1 tsp turmeric powder*
1 tsp salt*
1.5 litres of water*
5 to 6 dried chillies* – torn into two (optional)
2 red onions – diced
4 cloves garlic – minced
Thumb size ginger – diced
2 sprig curry leaves
2 tbsp Malaysian made meat curry powder e.g. Baba or Nuri Brand or Ayam Curry Powder
2 spring onions and 1 small bunch Chinese Celery/Fresh Coriander – chopped thickly
Oil or Ghee

Method


Wash the beans and put in a pot with * ingredients. Cook until the beans have split/collapsed. You may need to top up your water during this process. When cooked, turn heat to very low and allow to simmer whilst you prepare the ‘tadka’ or spices.


In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp oil or ghee and add in the curry leaves, followed by the garlic, ginger and onions. Cook until the onions are golden.



Add in the curry powder and 1 cup water and cook until the oil seeps through. Turn off the heat and pour the ‘tadka’ into the dhal.

Mix well, check the salt and add in the celery/coriander leaves and spring onions. Cook for 1 min, lift and serve hot with rice such as CUMIN AND CARROT RICE or breads such as CHAPATTIS, PURIS or ROTI CANAI.

RECIPE: INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN

This is one of my favourite Indian dishes but I am not sure if it is authentic butter chicken. Since I have started blogging and checking out dishes that my Indian cyber friends have prepared, I have found that most of the recipes that I consider to be Indian, have had some Malay influence. As my friend SWEETBITES recently commented, it must be the fact that Malaysia is so cosmopolitan, that most of the food has also become cosmopolitan! So, I hope that I am not ‘insulting’ any of my Indian friends from the subcontinent by calling this dish INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN. What I can say is (it is not my intention to brag here, or as they say in Malay, “masuk bakul angkat sendiri”) in my opinion, it tastes a heck site better than some good Indian restaurant that I have eaten in.


This is how I make my Indian Butter Chicken.


Ingredients

1kg chicken breast or boneless thigh fillets – cut into large cubes
125g roasted cashews
50g butter
1 tbsp ghee (optional) – if not using ghee, add an extra tbsp of butter
1 tbsp veg oil
2 medium onions – finely diced
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 to 2 cinnamon stick/s
1 Indian bay leaf* or normal bay leaf
2 tsp sweet paprika
425g can tomato puree*
125ml (1/2 cup)chicken stock – I mixed 1 tsp chicken stock powder with 125ml hot water
250ml (1 cup) thickened cream

Marinade – combine the following in a large bowl
125ml (1/2 cup) natural yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp turmeric
2 to 3 tsp garam masala
2 tsp chilli powder (lessen to 1 tsp if you don’t want it hot)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, crushed

Method

Add the marinade to the cubed chicken and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Reserve half the cashews and place the remaining cashews in a food processor. Process until finely ground.


Heat the butter, ghee and oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and cook for 2 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Reduce heat to low, add the chicken and marinade, paprika, tomato puree, ground cashew and stock. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in cream and cook for a further 10 minutes.


Garnish with cashews, chopped coriander and serve with rice.

Hints:

Begin this recipe the day before. The longer you marinade the chicken, the nicer the dish! If you can’t wait, make sure that you leave the marinade for at least 2 to 3 hours.

You can find Indian bay leaf at Indian grocers in Canberra.

Use only tomato puree. Do not substitute with tomato paste or tomato sauce/ketchup.

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: CUMIN AND CARROT RICE

A nice change to the normal steamed or boiled rice. Delicious and very easy to prepare.

Ingredients – serves 5 to 6
4 cups uncooked rice
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 large carrot – grated
1 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)

Method – I used a rice cooker
Wash your rice to remove any starch and put in water as you would do to make normal boiled rice (rule of thumb – 1 ½ cups of water for every cup of uncooked rice).

Heat the ghee on medium heat in a small saucepan and fry the cumin until it is slightly brown. Add in the carrots and fry until the ghee has absorbed into the carrots. You don’t need to cook the carrots, just coat them with the ghee. Pour into your rice, place in rice cooker and turn on the switch. Easy peasy! Enjoy with curries.

RECIPE: EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) AND MINT CHUTNEY

My mother used to make this all the time to have with either curries or dhal. I have since made this as a dip to have with either samosas or pita bread or as a sauce (warmed) with lamb roast. This dish of Indian origins (I think) does not clash with the traditional Western lamb roast – in fact I think it highly compliments it. It makes the meal very cosmopolitan; like my household!

I could eat this by itself with hot PURIS or CHAPATTIS but there would be a riot in the house if I did – the G carnivores would go on strike!

I therefore made a DRY MEAT CURRY, STIR FRIED PAK CHOY WITH MUSTARD AND EGG and CUMIN AND CARROT RICE to go with the chutney. I will post the recipes in instalments this week.

Here’s the recipe for EGGPLANT AND MINT CHUTNEY.

Ingredients
2 medium or 1 large eggplant/aubergine (see picture below)
3 medium red onions (try not to use brown onions)
8 fresh large red chillies – I left half of the seeds intact and chopped it roughly
1 heaped tbsp tamarind pulp mixed with scant 1 cup of water. Sieve the tamarind juice but don’t discard the tamarind pulp. You may need a second extraction (make with only half cup of water) if the chutney is very thick or not sour enough.

Method
On a high open flame, grill the eggplant until the skin is completely charred (see picture). Leave to cool on a plate. Do not discard any juices that may develop on the plate. Use it in the blending process.

Using a small sharp knife, scrape off the skin (like scraping burnt toast), rinse briefly under a cool tap to remove any leftover charred skin.

Place the onions, chillies and 1 cup of tamarind juice in a blender and blend until nearly fine. It doesn’t have to be too fine at this stage because you are going to add the eggplant in now with any of its juices. Add a tsp of salt and blend until fine. Add 2nd tamarind juice extraction and more salt if required. Refrigerate until cool and serve as desired.



PS: I asked Mr G to buy me some ‘big’ eggplants from the supermarket (as opposed to the Lebanese eggplants) and this is what he brought home. I guess it’s my fault for not being specific. Aren’t they humongous???

RECIPE: STRING HOPPERS (PUTTU MAYUM)

For a change, I made some STRING HOPPERS (aka PUTTU MAYUM in Malaysia and Singapore) to go with my SAMBAR (see previous post). It may look complicated but it is actually very easy to make; more so if you get the premixed string hopper flour.

FYI: The string hopper, is made from rice flour. It is traditionally served for breakfast in Sri Lanka with a thin fish or chicken curry, containing only one or two pieces of meat, a dhal (lentil) dish, and a spicy sambal or fresh chutney. String hoppers are made from steamed rice flour made into a dough with water and a little salt, and forced through a mould similar to those used for pasta to make fine vermicelli like strings. They are cooked by steaming. (Source: WIKIPEDIA)

In Malaysia and Singapore, these hoppers are sold very cheaply in coffee shops or road side stalls. It is however served with grated fresh coconut and palm sugar as a breakfast food or snack.

This is how I make my STRING HOPPERS.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups rice flour
1/2 cup bread flour
OR use 3 cups premixed String Hopper flour
1 teaspoons salt
Scant cup of luke warm water (approximate only)

Method
If using your own flours, warm the flours in a cool oven or in a sauce pan on low heat. Add salt.

If using premixed flour, skip this stage. Just add salt to the premixed flour. For both flour versions, slowly add water to the flour and work into a soft dough. The mixture must not be gooey.


Place the dough into a string hopper press and squeeze onto hopper mats (available at Indian grocers – In Canberra, go to SPICE WORLD which is located at 28 Colbee Court, Phillip).


Place the mats into a steamer and steam until strings are fully cooked and springy, about 7 to10 minutes.


Serve hot with curries or dhal dishes such as SAMBAR. Alternatively, serve with freshly grated coconut (mix with some salt – go easy here) and sugar (such as jaggery, palm sugar or ordinary white sugar).

FYI: You can use fresh banana leaves in place of the hoppers mat. Cut banana leaves into 8 cm squares and press you hoppers onto these. If you can’t find a hopper press, check your cookie/icing press gadget (if you have one). You may find a vermicelli mould in it which you could use to make the hoppers. My Avanti Cookie Press and Icing Set has this.

RECIPE: EASY SAMBAR

As promised yesterday, this is a quick version of SAMBAR, using a premixed SAMBAR curry powder. You can find this at any Indian grocers.

SAMBAR is a vegetable and lentil (toor aka toovar lentil is usually used) dish common in South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines. As the ancestry of the Indian population in Malaysia and Singapore is predominantly from this region, it is also very popular there.

The toor dal is cooked until it crumbles. Tamarind pulp is soaked in water to extract the flavour and then the pulp is discarded. A mixture of ground spices known as SAMBAR powder (which contains roasted coriander seeds, chillies, lentils, and other spices), the tamarind and vegetables such as okra, carrots, aubergines, etc are added to the dhal.

Ingredients
2 cups toor lentils – soaked overnight if possible (this quickens the cooking process)
1 tsp turmeric powder
8 dried chillies – torn into 2
6 to 8 cups water
1 tsp oil
Salt to taste – around 1 tsp
1 heaped tbsp tamarind pulp – mixed with 1 cup water to extract juice
4 tbsp sambar curry powder
Vegetables of choice – I used carrots and aubergines
1 cup desiccated coconut – dry pan fried until golden brown
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 tbsp mustard leaves
Extra oil – about 2 tbsp

Method
In a deep saucepan, put the dhal, water, chillies, turmeric and 1 tsp oil and bring to the boil. Skim off any scum and cook the dhal until it is soft and has split.

Add in the vegetables, tamarind juice and sambar powder. When the vegetables are nearly cooked, add in the coconut. Check seasoning and turn the heat down (not off).

In a small pan (with a lid), heat the extra oil on medium heat and add the curry leaves and mustard seeds. Cover immediately as the mustard seeds will start popping (and make a mess everywhere!). When the mustard seeds have stopped popping (around 30 secs or so), turn off the heat and add this mixture to the dhal. Mix well, turn the heat up and bring to the boil for 2 mins. Turn off the heat and serve hot with ROTI CANAI or STRING HOPPERS.

RECIPE: ROTI CANAI

I used to make this from scratch years ago when premade roti canai were not available. Now, they are easily accessible all over Australia from any Chinese or Indian grocery shops in the freezer section. This is a popular 'anytime' meal for Malaysians and Singaporeans. Just for reference, here are some pictures of the premade rotis cooking process. As you can see, Mr G (the designated ‘roti man’) makes it on the hot plate on our barbie. Just follow the directions on the packet. It’s pretty self explanatory. I served mine with an EASY SAMBAR. Recipe of the SAMBAR and STRING HOPPERS (another Malaysian/Sri Lankan favourite) to follow tomorrow.

FYI: Roti canai (pronounced "chanai," not "kanai") is a type of flatbread found in Malaysia. It is identical to the Singaporean roti prata.

The dish is composed of dough containing copious amounts of fat, egg, flour and water. The form of fat used is usually ghee (clarified butter). The entire mixture is kneaded thoroughly, flattened, oiled and folded repeatedly. It is then allowed to proof and rise, and the process is repeated. The final round of preparation consists of flattening the dough ball, coating it with oil, tossing it and then cooking on a flat iron skillet with a lot of oil. The ideal roti is flat, fluffy on the inside but crispy and flaky on the outside.

Traditionally, it is served with dhal (lentil curry) but nowadays, it is served with any types of curries, such as chicken, beef or lamb. (Source: WIKIPEDIA)

Check out this video I found on YouTube (source HERE). It shows the roti making process. If you want to try to make this at home, there are some pretty good recipes you can find doing a Google search on this topic. Good luck!

RECIPE: LAMB KEEMA (MINCED LAMB WITH SPICES)

Keema is a traditional dish of the Indian subcontinent. Originally this word meant minced meat. It is typically minced-lamb curry with peas or potatoes. Keema can be made from almost any meat, can be cooked by stewing or frying, and can be formed into kebabs. Keema is also used as a filling for samosas or naan. (Source: WIKIPEDIA)

This is how I make my Keema. The ingredients may be intimidating but you can find it at almost any supermarkets. We used to have a friend in Malaysia who could ‘sniff out’ when I made Keema and he would turn up with a loaf of white bread. Most of the time he would just bring some fresh mince meat over and asked (actually demanded) that I cooked him some Keema. I wonder where you are now, J and V van der Wetering?

Ingredients – serves 6 to 8
1 kg minced lamb
Salt to taste
2 tbsp ghee or veg oil
Large handful frozen peas
Around 2 cups of water
1 cup milk
1 cup plain or Greek style yoghurt
A
2 cinnamon sticks
8 cloves
4 whole star anise
B – grind in a processor with a little water
3 large red onions
½ a large head of garlic
Thumb size fresh ginger
½ thumb size fresh turmeric or 1 tsp turmeric powder
C
3 tsp chilli powder
3 tsp cumin powder
6 tbsp meat curry powder
1 tsp ground white pepper

Method
Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Fry A ingredients until aromatic. Add in B and fry till the water has nearly evaporated and the paste is slightly browned.

Add in C and a cup of water. Mix well and add the other cup of water. Cook until the water evaporates again and the oil has seeped through the paste.

Next add in the meat and coat well with the spices. You may need to add a little water at this stage. Make sure that the meat is not lumpy and is well coated with the spices. Cook for around 5 mins then add in the milk and salt. Simmer until the liquid evaporates and the meat is dry in texture. Add in the peas and the yoghurt. Mix well and cook for another 3 mins.

Lift and serve hot with fresh bread such as CHAPATTIS OR PURIS.