Egg Rendang

Rendang is a spicy meat dish which is generally prepared by the people of Indonesia and Malaysia during ceremonial occasions. It originated in Indonesia and immediately became immensely popular in Malaysia and Singapore . Rendang is generally made with meat and it includes a lot of spices such as ginger,galangal,lemon grass,garlic,chillies and turmeric leaves and the meat is slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices for hours. Rendang Ayam (Chicken Rendang) is my favourite and I love to cook it but this time I decided to experiment with eggs.I used instant rendang paste instead of preparing the traditional rendang paste at home.Here's my recipe "EGG RENDANG".

INGREDIENTS:

* 5-6 boiled eggs.
* 1 pkt Adabi Rendang Paste (120 g).
* 1 Cup coconut milk.
* 1/2 cup hot boiling water.
* 2-3 shallots(chopped).
* 2-3 cloves garlic (chopped).
* Salt and turmeric to taste.
* Curry leaves (optional).( I used curry leaves while preparing this dish but generally curry leaves are
                                           not used in preparing rendang).
* Cooking oil.

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in a wok and add the boiled eggs and saute for 2-3 minutes in a low to medium flame.Add a pinch of turmeric powder. Remove and keep aside.

2.Now, in the same wok,add the chopped shallots,garlic,turmeric powder and salt and fry until slightly brown. Add rendang paste and curry leaves  and stir fry until aromatic.

3. Add the eggs,coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil and continue cooking until it's boiling.

4. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.

5. Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot.
 

Fried Onion Rings

I love Fried Onion Rings.They are  crispy,spicy and delicious to eat and can be served as an easy and fast party appetizer. The batter should be smooth and while making it you can also use milk instead of water and add a lot of spices and seasonings if you want. I fried them using a frying pan as I am more comfortable using frying pans.You can use a deep fryer if you wish.Here is my recipe :):)

INGREDIENTS:

* 3-4 onions,peeled and thinly sliced into rings.
* 1 cup plain flour.
* 1 egg , well beaten.
* 1/2 tbsp Baking powder.
* 1/2 tbsp Chilli powder.
*  Salt to taste.
* Oil for deep frying.
* Water / Milk.

METHOD:

1. In a bowl, combine flour,egg, chilli powder,baking powder,salt and water. Mix everything well to a smooth batter.

2. Heat oil in a pan.Dip onion rings into batter .(Put a light coating of flour on the onion rings before dipping them in the batter as it helps the batter stick to them better).

3.Fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

4.Serve immediately with ketchup.

Stir-Fried Vegetables with Fish

STIR- FRIED VEGETABLES WITH FISH  is a really simple dish that anybody can prepare at home and can be served as a side dish.The simplicity and flavour of this dish are fantastic.The most important thing about this recipe is that it requires a lot of vegetables and therefore it is extremely healthy.I have used some of my favourite vegetables in preparing this dish.You can add more vegetables if you want and if you make it once,I am sure you are going to love it and make it again.So, enjoy this delicious blend of vegetables and fish.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR FISH:

* 4-5 (steak) Pieces of Fish (cleaned).
* 1 tbsp Fish curry powder.
* 1 tbsp Turmeric powder.
* Cooking oil.
* Salt to taste.

FOR VEGETABLES:

* 1 cup French beans (chopped).
* 1 cup Sliced cabbage.
* 1/2 cup Fresh peas.
* 2 large tomatoes (chopped).
* 2  onions (chopped).
* 2 stalks spring onions (Chopped).
* 2-3 cloves garlic (minced).
* 1 tbsp ginger (minced).
* 1 Bellpepper (chopped)
* 2 tbsp Soy sauce.
* 1 tbsp Vinegar.
* 1/2 tbsp Fish sauce.
* 1 tbsp Freshly squeezed lime juice.
* 1 tbsp Turmeric powder.
* 1 tbsp Coriander powder.
* 1 tbsp chilli sauce.
* Salt to taste.
* Cooking oil.
* 4 tbsp water.

METHOD:

1.At first,rub the fish with turmeric,fish curry powder and salt and leave it for 20 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a pan.Fry the  fish until golden brown. Keep it aside.

3.Again,heat oil in a pan and add minced garlic , ginger,tomatoes,onions, salt,turmeric powder,and coriander powder.Stir- fry for 2 minutes.Then add cabbage,peas,beans,spring onions,bellpepper, soy sauce ,chilli sauce , fish sauce and stir- fry until tender.

4. Now, add the fish , 4 tbsp of water  and vinegar.Let it simmer until the water gets absorbed.Then add 1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lime juice and serve hot.

Spicy Chicken Curry

I am sharing a very nice and simple way of preparing SPICY CHICKEN CURRY.The recipe is very interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed it while cooking and eating as chicken is my all time favourite.It goes well with steamed rice,fried rice and chapatis.So,here is my recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 whole chicken (cut into pieces).
* 3-4 onions (Chopped).
* 3 tomatoes (chopped).
* 2 stalks Spring onions (chopped).
* 1 tbsp ginger (minced)
* 3- 4 cloves Garlic (minced).
* 2 tbsp Chilli powder.(You can add more if you want).
* 2 dried Chilli peppers.
* 2 Green chillies (Chopped).
* 2 tbsp Chicken curry powder.
* 1 tbsp Coriander powder.
* 1 tbsp Cumin powder.
* 1 tbsp Turmeric powder.
* 1 tbsp Fennel powder.
* 3-4 tbsp Curd.
* 1 tbsp Fresh cream.
* 2 Cinnamon Sticks.
* 3-4 pieces Anise star.
* Coriander/Mint leaves for garnishing.
* Cooking oil.
* Salt to taste.
* Water.

METHOD:

1.At first,marinate the chicken pieces in curd,coriander powder,chilli powder,chicken curry powder,cumin powder,fennel powder,salt and refrigerate for 25-30 minutes.

2.Place the tomatoes,dried chilli peppers,chillies in a blender and make a fine paste.

3.Heat oil in a wok.Add  cinnamon sticks, anise stars,minced ginger,garlic ,chopped onions, spring onions,turmeric and salt.Stir - fry for 3 minutes.Add in the paste. Stir -fry until aromatic.Keep aside.

4. Add 3 tbsp of oil , marinated chicken and fresh cream. Stir fry for 15-20 minutes. Add in the paste and mix well.Add water and let it simmer until the chicken pieces become tender.

5. Garnish with chopped coriander /mint leaves and serve hot.

 

Stir-Fried Glutinous Rice (Sticky Rice)

Stir-Fried Glutinous Rice (Sticky Rice)

I am sharing a recipe that is made with glutinous rice. As far as I know, glutinous rice comes in five different colours ---- white, black, yellow, purple and red. The five colored glutinous rice is usually homemade and can be found in the supermarket as well. Chinese people make a lot of delicious and mouth-watering recipies with glutinous rice.The recipe that I am going to share now is called " Stir-fried Glutinous Rice "

However, I am not using the traditional Chinese way of cooking glutinous rice as I am not that expert and it's time taking.I am using two different types of rice and following my own way of  cooking it with some vegetables and chicken sausages.

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 cup Glutinous Rice (soaked for 3-4 hours).

* 1 cup any other rice ( soaked for half an hour).

* 2 stalks spring onions (chopped).

* 2 onions (chopped).

* 1/2 cup Fresh peas.

* 6-7 chicken sausages (diced).

* 1 bell pepper (chopped).

* 2 cloves garlic(Chopped).

* 1 tbsp ginger(minced).

* 1 tbsp light soy sauce.

* 1 tbsp Oyster sauce.

* 1 tbsp shrimp paste.

* 1 tbsp sugar.

* 1/2 tbsp Turmeric powder.

* 1 tbsp sesame oil.

* 3 tbsp cooking oil.

* Salt and Pepper.

* Water.

* Mint leaves (for garnishing).

METHOD:

1.Drain the soaked rice and keep aside.

2.Heat oil (cooking oil) in a wok. Add sugar, salt, turmeric,ginger, garlic, onions and bell pepper. Stir-fry until aromatic.

3.Add the peas,chicken sausages,soy sauce,oyster sauce,shrimp paste ,spring onions and sesame oil.Stir-fry for 3-4 mins. Add in the rice.Mix well.

4.Add water and let it simmer until the rice becomes soft and absorbs all the liquid and everything gets cooked.

5.Garnish with mint leaves and serve hot.

Mango Pudding

I am sharing a very easy dessert made with mangoes.Mango pudding is quite easy to prepare as it requires just a few ingredients that are easily available.Enjoy this delicious homemade MANGO PUDDING that anyone can make.

INGREDIENTS:

* 500 ml Fresh Mango Puree.
* 200 ml  Milk.
* 2 tbsp Gelatin Powder.
* 100 ml water.
* 4 tbsp Sugar.
* 1 tbsp Butter.
* 1 tbsp Fresh Cream.

METHOD:

1.Heat water in a saucepan.Add sugar and gelatin.Let it boil.Stir well and add butter.

2.Add mango puree,cream and milk.Stir well until it thickens and everything gets mixed.No lumps should be formed.Once the pudding becomes thick,remove immediately from the heat.

3.Pour the mixture into moulds,refrigerate for 3-4 hours and serve.

4.Garnish with grated chocolate.

Steamed Fish in Soy Sauce

I am a big seafood lover and that's one of the obvious reasons why I am happy to be living in Malaysia.There is no dearth of fresh seafood here.When I first came here in 2009, I was almost surprised to find an enormous variety of fresh seafood that most of us have never seen or tasted before.Some seafood restaurants here also display tanks of live seafood so that you can pick one out  and they will immediately cook it for you.No matter what your taste,you will never want for variety here and that's what I love about this country.

I am sharing a Chinese recipe called STEAMED FISH IN SOY SAUCE.My recipe is slightly different from the original Chinese recipe as I used two ingredients (coriander powder and Fish Curry powder) which are not used by the Chinese people in cooking this recipe.So,here's my recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

* Fresh Fish (1or 2).
* 1 Bell Pepper (chopped).
* 2 tbsp Fresh Ginger(grated).
* 1 large tomato (chopped).
* 3 stalks Spring Onions(chopped).
* 1 tbsp Sesame oil.
* 2 Green Chillies(chopped).
* 1 tbsp Fish Curry powder.
* 1/2 tbsp Coriander Powder.
* Salt and Pepper.
* 1/2 tbsp lemon juice.

FOR SAUCE:

* 2 tbsp Soy Sauce.
* 1 tbsp Fish Sauce.
* 1 tbsp Corn Starch.
* 1 tbsp Vinegar.
* 1/2 tbsp Sugar (optional)
* Salt and pepper to taste.
* 1 tbsp Sesame oil.
* Water.

METHOD:

1. Clean the Fish and pat dry.

2. Marinate the fish with Fish Curry powder,Coriander powder,Salt,Pepper and 1 tbsp Sesame oil.

3.Now,place the fish in a steamer and steam it for 10 minutes.

4.In the mean time,heat oil in a pan.Add  salt,turmeric,chopped spring onions,tomatoes,chillies and bell pepper.Stir-fry until until aromatic.Keep it aside for garnishing.

5.In order to prepare the sauce,heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a pan.Add sugar,salt,pepper,soy sauce,vinegar,fish sauce, corn starch and water.Mix well and let it boil for sometime until the sauce thickens.

6.Once the fish is cooked,place it on a serving plate.

7.Pour sauce over the cooked fish.Garnish with Stir fried spring onions,tomatoes,chillies and bell pepper and grated ginger.Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the fish.Serve hot.

Red Beans Curry (Rajma)

I am sharing a very popular Indian recipe called RAJMA (RED BEANS CURRY).It is an immensely satisfying recipe and can be served at all occasions.Some people like to use a lot of spices to cook Rajma as they go well with it's creamy texture.I prefer to use only a few standard spices.So,here is my simple homemade and healthy vegetarian recipe-----RAJMA.

INGREDIENTS:

*200 g Red Kidney beans(rajma).
*2 tomatoes(chopped).
*2 large onions(chopped).
*2 green chillies(Chopped).
*2 dried Red Chilli peppers.
*3-4 cloves garlic(chopped).
*1 tbsp ginger(chopped).
*1 tbsp coriander powder.
*1/2 tbsp turmeric powder.
*1/2 tbsp garam masala.
*1 tbsp Cumin powder.
*1 tbsp Chilli powder.
*1 tbsp sugar.
*Pinch of Asafoetida(hing).
*3 tbsp cooking oil.
*Salt to taste.
*Lime wedges for garnishing.

METHOD:

1.Wash and soak the red kidney beans(rajma) overnight.

2.Pressure cook the rajma and keep aside.

3.Place tomatoes,ginger,garlic,green chillies in a blender and make a paste.

4.Heat oil in a wok.Add the dried red chilli peppers followed by chopped onions,salt,sugar and turmeric.Stir-fry until the onions turn golden brown.Now add the paste,coriander powder,cumin powder,chilli powder.Stir-fry until they they become aromatic.

5.Add rajma and water.Mix well and simmer for about 10 minutes.

6.Add garam masala and asafoetida.Cook for another 10 minutes until a thick gravy is formed.

7.Garnish with sliced onions and lime wedges or coriander leaves and serve hot.

Kailan in Oyster Sauce

Kailan (also known as Chinese Broccoli) is one of my favourite vegetables.Although I am a die- hard non- vegetarian,someone who is not very fond of green leafy vegetables,yet I love Kailan.What I like most about this vegetable is it's crunchy texture.The recipe that I am going to share now is called "KAILAN IN OYSTER SAUCE". I tasted this dish for the first time in Hongkong and loved it so much that I couldn't resist the temptation of trying it again and again.While cooking this recipe at home,I did not use the Hongkong style of cooking Kailan in which mushroom is considered to be an important ingredient as I don't like mushrooms.I tried the simpler version of this recipe without using mushrooms and chicken stock. So,here I am sharing a very simple and healthy recipe that will hardly take 5 minutes to cook.

INGREDIENTS:

*250 g Kailan(also known as Chinese Broccoli).
*2 cloves garlic(chopped).
*2 tbsp cooking oil.
*1/2 tbsp sesame oil.
*Salt and pepper to taste.

FOR SAUCE:

*2 tbsp Oyster sauce.
*1 tbsp sugar.
*1 tbsp soy sauce.

METHOD:

1.Boil half a pot of water.Blanch Kailan in the boiling water for about 30-40 seconds until they become tender yet crunchy.Drain them and place them on a plate.

2.Heat oil in a pan and stir- fry the chopped garlic until they change their colour.Set them aside as they will be used for garnishing.

3.Now add sesame oil and the sauce ingredients.Let them boil for sometime until the sauce thickens.Add salt and pepper.

4.Pour sauce over blanched kailan.Garnish with stir-fried garlic and serve hot.

Papad Rolls

Is there anyone who doesn't like to eat rolls? Well,I don't think so.We all love to eat rolls.Roll is considered to be a popular fast food specially in India.I love all kinds of rolls such as veg roll,meat roll,egg roll,sushi roll,seaweed roll etc..I love cooking and eating them and they make for a tasty appetizer.I am sharing a very simple Indian appetizer recipe called PAPAD ROLLS.It's very easy to cook.Here is my non-fried version of Papad Rolls.

Happy Weekend :) :)

INGREDIENTS:

* 10 Papads.
* 200 g Potatoes(boiled).
* 2 big onions(chopped).
* 2 Stalks Spring onions(chopped).
* 2 tomatoes(chopped).
* 2 tbsp Coriander leaves(chopped)
* 2 cloves garlic(minced).
* 1 Bell pepper (chopped).
* 2 Chillies(chopped).
* 1 tbsp chilli powder.
* 1 tbsp Ginger(grated).
* 1/2 tbsp Chat masala.
* 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder.
* 1/2 tbsp Garam masala.
* 1/2 tbsp cumin powder.
* Salt to taste.
* Cooking oil.

METHOD:

1.Once the potatoes are boiled,peel and mash them.

2.Heat oil in a pan.Add in the chopped onions,chillies,salt,garlic,ginger,turmeric,cumin powder,coriander powder,chilli powder,garam masala and mashed potatoes.Stir-fry for some time.Let it cool and add chopped coriander and chat masala.Mix well.

3.Wet the papad slightly and put some filling on one side of the papad and roll it.

4.Once the rolls are ready,place them on microwave safe plate and set the microwave  on high for 1-2 minutes.

5.Garnish with stir-fried spring onions,bell pepper,tomatoes  and onions and sliced lime..Serve with chutney/ketchup.