May's happy dry indian curry

*Err..not yet. Let me tell you a little something about myself first*

You know the funniest thing? Nearly a year ago I couldn't cook. Didn't want to. A year down the line and I'm posting recipes. Hmm.

Moral of story? Anybody can cook.

I must admit that I can be quite weird when I cook. For one, I'm bloody picky about who I cook for (exceptions in potluck parties). I don't cook for bastards. And certainly not pricks. So if you're a bastard, or a prick...too bad. If you're nice to me, I'll cook for you.

My second quirky habit is that I like to talk to my food. Yes you heard right. Even when I cook for myself. But most of the time, I start having this full-on conversation (in my head) when I prepare a meal for an exclusive bunch of friends. Or for my partner. A normal in-may's-head conversation goes something like this:

Okays...be nice...today we're cooking for ****, so let's see. What do we have here? Hmm. Okay, okay...looking good...let's taste it...hmm....

I know it sounds wrong but hey. :D

I discovered something interesting yesterday; if I don't talk to my food, there's bound to be disaster. Yesterday I made bak kut teh. Didn't talk to it and sure enough, I forgot the dark sauce. Bak kut teh looked murky brown. Oopsie.

Anyways....

May's happy dry indian curry! (finally.)

I love Indian food. I also like showing it off when I know it looks, tastes and smells authentic. Picture above was taken by dear prettyhazy during a party.

Now now...vat you need:

Chicken (duh...use chikadoo drumstick!)
Potatoes (chopped roughly)
Tomatoes (sliced thinly)
Red onion(nice red ones that can make you cry when sliced)
Garlic (crushed and chopped into bits)
Ginger (just a tiny bit)
Dry chilli
Fresh curry leaves (from Safeway. Bloody expensive but worth it!)
1 teaspoon of black mustard seed (this you can get at any good asian grocer)
Aniseed star (just one would do; too much of it and your dish would taste like colgate)
Cinnamon stick (just one!)
Kunyit (yellow powder thingy; don't really know how to describe it)
Chilli powder
Baba's meat curry powder

*Unless specifically mentioned, I haven't put any measurement/quantity on most ingredients. I’m a happy believer and follower of estimation. Just talk to your food.*

Okay! Let us start!

The night before:

Marinate chicken/s. Cut drumstick into smaller pieces so that it's easier.

1. Add in a dash of kunyit
2. Lots of chilli powder
3. And lots of meat curry powder.
4. Then add salt. Add a tiny bit of water and marinate the whole thing.
5. Place chikadoo in fridge overnight.

Then on the day itself:

1. Put oil in pan and fry potatoes. Once cooked, place aside.
2. Put a little more oil in pan. Wait till heated then throw in black mustard seed. Fry.
3. Throw in cinnamon and aniseed star.
4. Add garlic, onion, curry leaves, dry chilli and ginger. Fry until fragrant.
5. Once satisfied with smell (it would smell divine at this stage), add in chicken pieces.
6. Once cooked, add in tomatoes.
7. You'd be able to see a tiny layer of oil rising on the top. This means you're nearly done!
8. Turn fire down to low and add the potatoes.
9. Stir, stir, stir, stir, stir. Talk to your curry. Befriend it.

Done!

Tags: curry dry chicken budget recipe

soba salad

As seen on real life! Serves 8! Here's what you need:



Got that? No? Okay, in words and numbers.

400g soba (green tea flavour preferred for colour)
sesame oil
sesame seeds
seaweed
seafood salad/fish sticks, shredded
light soy sauce
dark soy sauce

First, the soba. Boil the soba noodles as per packet instructions. Drain, and wash immediately in cold water. Place on dish and mix well with sesame oil so that they don't stick.



Mix in two tablespoons of light soy and one tablespoon of dark soy. Stir and mix well. Add and mix the sesame seeds and seafood salad seperately. Garnish with more seafood salad and seaweed. Serve cold.



Tags: soba salad cold noodle budget recipe

Me "mee-hoon-that-tastes-like-mee-siam"

Some people commented that my mee hoon tastes like mee siam...i give up lar...i shalll call it "mee-hoon-that-tastes-like-mee-siam"...and to overcome my craving for some air time...i shall reveal one of my back-home recipes...this one quite budget lar hor if you cook lots of chinese food like me...got ingredients lying around already...can last few days also...unless you eat a lot like me...i must say the flavour was nicer after a day in the fridge...haha

What you need ar?man...this is quite a long list but heck...
250g of rice vercimelli or mee hoon
250g tauge (beansprouts)...i used less cause i don't like my veges...
350g prawns...proud me only use tiger prawns...but shrimps for budgeting times...
lots of tofu...cause i like tofu...oh...i mean the fried beancurd puffs
1/4 cup oil...i use vege oil
2 cups of chicken stock/water mixture for relatively wet version...if you want it dry...cut by half...
3 cloves garlic,6 shallots(i used much less though...i think 3 only),1 1/2 tbs black bean paste,50g dried prawns/shrimps,12 dried chillies(for those who like spicy like me...use 18...haha)
1 ts sugar,generous amount of dry chicken stock(i used about 6 tbs),1/2 ts pepper(again...only sarawak pepper is the best...hehe),3 tbs fish sauce

How ar?
Soak the vercimelli till nicely puffed...should only take about 5 minutes lar...then strain until quite dry.Season the vercimelli with the sugar,chicken stock,pepper and fish sauce.Leave aside...let the seasoning do its work lar.While waiting,pound the garlic,shallots,black bean paste,dried shrimps and dried chillies together...don't need until all mash lar...just to blend the flavours together.Heat oil in wok(preferably wok hor but i guess big saucepan also can)...and stirfry the pounded stuff until you can smell the wonderful fragrance...then add prawns and chicken stock/water mixture...bring to boil then simmer for a while...about 5 minutes will do...Now add the seasoned vercimelli and tauge to stir fry again...then mix in beancurd puffs and toss well...Finally,if you're particular about presentation like me,chop some spring onion and coriander and fresh chilli to put on the vercimelli and decorate your dish or bowl with 2 halved hard boil eggs and some lime wedges that'll be squeezed in for taste because the lime complements the chilli flavour...shiok...of course to keep,pop lar in the fridge...wahaha...enjoy :)

Tags: noodles mee siam budget recipe

wurst and bierkraut

In the spirit of Oktoberfest!



Celebration food for my post-essay season. Actually, bierkraut doesn't really need a reason. I cheated a lot for this recipe, buying store-bought canned sauerkraut and sausages. But it's the flavor extention that makes it count, right?

Half-can sauerkraut
1 cup of beer (i used VB)
1 small onion, sliced
1 rasher bacon, cut in bits
2 - 3 sausages, of your choice. Of course, bratwurst is recommended. Weisswurst also can.
A little oil or butter

Heat the oil or butter in a heavy pan and fry the bacon until all the fat is rendered onto the pan. Move the bacon bits onto the side of the pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the sauerkraut and mix in the bacon and onions well. Place the sausages on top of the sauerkraut mix and top with beer. Cover the pan and simmer, letting the beer boil the sausages, making sure to turn the sausages occasionally. Boil until the beer simmers off, leaving a slight gravy. Serve with mustard and more beer. Prost!

Tags: sausages wurst beer bierkraut sauerkraut budget recipe

Long & Green

500-800g of Long Beans
1 tblspn Garlic
3 tblspn Dried Shrimps
1 tblispn Oyster Sauce
3 tspn Sugar

1) Soak dried shrimps in hot water for a couple of minutes, till it expands and softens. Dice the shrimps to small bits
2) Brown garlic and shrimps with splash of oil
3) Put in Long Beans (1-inch cuts), stir through and cover to keep the heat in. (DO NOT add water). Toss the vege and do this till veg is cooked.
4) Put in the sugar and oyster sauce. Stir it in thoroughly before serving.

Apologies: No Photo
PS: An alternative to shrimps could be pork floss


Tags: long beans stir fried budget recipe