Easy Peasy Potato Salad

I'm back!

So here's a really simple recipe, inspired by a good friend.

Easy Peasy Potato Salad

What you need:

1 can of whole mushrooms
Light sour cream
A couple of russet potatoes

What to do:

1. Clean potatoes and chop them into cubes, leaving the skin on.

2. Sprinkle some salt on the potatoes, mix them up and chuck them into a steamer. Steam for 10-15 minutes or until just cooked.

3. Once cooked, leave potatoes to cool. Put into fridge.

4. Open the can of mushrooms and slice them thinly. Take potatoes out and mix mushrooms in.

5. Add 2-3 tablespoons of light sour cream. Add some salt and pepper to the mixture and mix well. Return salad to fridge until it is ready to be served.

Tadah!

Prawn 'Bisq'

Yes, I know it's spelled 'bisque' but given that this recipe's a budget version I thought it might be appropriate because I had to replace some of the more pricey ingredients with more budget friendly ones - prawns instead of lobster, and milk instead of cream. Pardon the lack of recipes there days - it's been a pretty hectic year and my meals have tended to be simple.

Prawn 'Bisq'
(Serves 1-2)
300g small-medium prawns, with shell - about 10-15 prawns
1 medium onion, chopped
3 shallots, minced
1 litre water
1 tsp tomato paste
Milk
salt
pepper
Greens for garnish

1. Peel the uncooked prawns and reserve the shells. Optional: cut prawns into smaller chunks.

2. In a pot, sweat the onion with a little salt in a little oil until translucent. Turn up the heat, add prawn shells and fry until fragrant.

3. Add water, bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Reduce liquid to half - about a couple of hours

4. Remove shells (Or just strain the entire stock) and set aside. In the same pot, sweat the minced shallots in a little oil. Return the prawn stock to the pot and add tomato paste. Bring to a boil.

5. As soon as the water starts to boil, kill the heat and put the prawn meat in. Cover, and leave for two minutes (One, if you've cut up the prawns into chunks) - the residual heat will do the cooking for you.

6. Serve in large bowl, add milk and season to taste. Garnish with greens and a little olive oil.

Breakdown
Total cost: RM4.50
Cost per serving: RM2.25

Dhal Curry

A perfect, cheap and easy curry to make when you're missing Malaysian food.

This recipe was adapted from my mother's classic never-goes-wrong Charmaine Solomon cookbook. It is one of the easiest and fuss-free dhal recipes I have come across.

Dhal Curry

200g split yellow lentils
1 large onion (finely sliced)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1-2 potatoes (optional)
1 carrot (optional)
3 cups hot water

1. Wash the lentils then leave to soak in a bowl of water for a few minutes. Discard those that float on the surface. Drain well and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a fry pan or pot then fry onion, garlic and ginger until the onion softens and turns golden brown.

3. Add turmeric and mix well. Add lentils and fry for a minute or two. Add in carrots and potatoes if using.

4. Add hot water, bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer.

5. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are half cooked. Add salt to taste and garam masala.

6. Continue cooking until lentils are soft, some water is evaporated and the consistency is similar to porridge. If the curry is too watery, continue boiling without the lid.

Done! Make sure you serve it up with some nice crispy roti. Mmmmm.