Thursday, October 8, 2009

Indonesian Chicken Satay with peanut souce


Ingredients

Marinade:

  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 20 wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
  • Vegetable oil, for grilling
  • Butter lettuce leaves
  • Fresh cilantro leaves
  • Peanut sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a shallow mixing bowl, stir to combine. Place the chicken strips in the yogurt marinade and gently toss until well coated. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at up to 2 hours.
Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers working the skewer in and out of the meat, down the middle of the piece, so that it stays in place during grilling. Place a grill pan over medium heat and brush it with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Grill the chicken satays for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until nicely seared and cooked through. Serve the satays on a platter lined with lettuce leaves and cilantro; accompanied by a small bowl of peanut sauce on the side.

Peanut Sauce:

  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons red chili paste, such as sambal
  • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish
Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, red chili paste, brown sugar, and lime juice in a food processor or blender. Puree to combine. While the motor is running, drizzle in the hot water to thin out the sauce, you may not need all of it. Pour the sauce into a nice serving bowl and garnish with the chopped peanuts. Serve with chicken satay.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Indian Mutton Curry

By: Nirupa

I love spicy cooking once in a week. Its not only mouth watering and makes you feel like you ate a hearty meal. This is obviously only for those who like a little spice in their dishes. You can eat this with rice, chappati, dosa, idli, puttu, kappa. This meal can be made easily in a pressure cooker which is the way i have instructed. However cooking the normal way takes a little longer and its adds more to the flavours. You can also preserve this dish in the fridge for about 3 days.

SERVES 6 (change servings and units)

Ingredients
* 300 g mutton, cleaned, chopped and fat removed
* 4-5 tablespoons oil
* 2 medium onions, sliced
* 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
* 1/4 cup coriander leaves
* 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1 tablespoon coriander powder
* 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
* 4-5 green chilies, whole
* 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
* 3 inches cinnamon sticks
* 2 cardamom
* 3 cloves
* 3 garlic, mashed
* 1/2 inch ginger, mashed
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons yoghurt
* 2 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 large potato, deskinned & cubed
* 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
* 1/4 teaspoon cumin seed
* 1 cup water
* 1 hard-boiled egg (optional)

Directions
1. In a pressure cooker heat the oil on a medium flame.
2. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and heat till mustard seeds start splattering.
3. Add the onions and sauté till golden brown.
4. Add turmeric powder and sauté for another minute.
5. Add mashed ginger, garlic and green chillies and sauté for about 1 minute.
6. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cloves and sauté for about 2 minutes.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomato smell disappears and mash the tomato with your stirring spoon.
8. Now add the potatoes and stir for 1 minute.
9. Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, garam masala and sauté for about 1 minute.
10. Add the potatoes and stir well for about 1 minute coating the potatoes with the mixture.
11. Add the cleaned mutton pieces and stir till mutton turns slightly pale on the outside - approximately 3 minutes.
12. Now add the yoghurt, lime juice and salt and stir well mixing all the ingredients in the cooker. Let it cook for about 2 minutes.
13. Now add the water and coriander leaves and stir well.
14. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it cook for about 3 whistles and then off the gas.
15. Let the pressure escape from the cooker and then open it.
16. Check if the mutton is cooked thoroughly. If not switch on the gas and let it cook on medium flame till the mutton is cooked.
17. You may add additional water if you want more gravy or if you need more water for the mutton to cook.
18. Check for the salt content and add salt if required.
19. You may chose to add one boiled add cut into two halves at the end to the curry for those who love boiled egg.
20. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve warm.
21. Serve with rice.

source: http://www.recipezaar.com

Chinese Fried Rice

This is a basic recipe for fried rice that you can add to as desired. If adding other ingredients, increase the number of eggs to 3.





Ingredients:


* 1 - 2 green onions, as desired
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon salt
* Pepper to taste
* 4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
* 4 cups cold cooked rice
* 1 - 2 tablespoons light soy sauce or oyster sauce, as desired

Preparation:
Wash and finely chop the green onion. Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.

Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.

Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. Stir in the soy sauce or oyster sauce as desired.

When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the green onion. Serve hot.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Beef Rendang

This is a very close representation to what I have had in restaurants. But beware because it can be quite spicy depending on the heat of the chiles you use. The beef should be almost falling apart. Serve with steamed white rice and Achar. From Secrets of Slow Cooking.
SERVES 6 -8 (change servings and units)

Ingredients

* 3 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-2-inch pieces (I use a chuck roast & cut it up)
* 8 red chilies, stemmed and coarsely chopped (you can take out the seeds to reduce the heat level)
* 1/2 small onion, chopped
* 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, tender insides finely sliced
* 1/3 cup tamarind paste (combined with 1/3 cup warm water)
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (ground chiles, not the chili pepper spice blend)
* 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* salt

Directions
1. Put the beef in the slow cooker.
2. In a blender or food processor combine the chilis, onion, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, tamarind
paste, 1 cup warm water, and the spices.
3. Puree until smooth, then pour over the beef.
4. Stir in the coconut milk and cook, covered, on the low setting for 5-6 hours.
5. The beef will be tender and the sauce will be dark brown.
6. Ladle most of the sauce into a small saucepan and cook over medium high heat to reduce
until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.
7. Pour the sauce back in the cooker and cook on high for 30 minutes to 1 hour longer.
8. Stir in the sugar and season with salt to taste.
9. Serve over steamed rice.