in my studio | category | in my kitchen

Sep
17
2011

chicken and veg salsa dip

As part of my healthy and balanced diet, I bought some plain rice crackers. I have been munching on them with some sliced cheese and tuna or cream cheese and cucumbers. A few weeks later, I was getting a bit bored with that combination and wanted something a little sexy and spicy. As I was making the Mexican Inspired Rice, I got the idea of a homemade salsa dip. That would be a perfect combination for a healthy lunch snack, with proteins too. Yum.

RECIPE FOR CHICKEN & VEG SALSA DIP
Inspired by this post

Makes: 1 medium sized serving bowl
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients

1 small ripe tomato, diced
1 small green capsicum, diced
1 small red capsicum, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp corn (or a handful)
1 chicken thigh fillet, fat and skin removed then cut into small cubes
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 small onion, diced finely
1 tbsp corriander powder
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp sweet paprika
0.5 tsp chilli powder
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Saute onions, garlic and chicken in some oil. Stir until chicken is just cooked.

2. Then add spices and stir until aromatic. Add in the tomato paste, vegetables and water.

3.Put on a low heat and cook until softened and gravy has thickened a bit.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Click ‘Read More’ below to print this post and leave a comment.

No comments
Category: chicken, entree, in my kitchen

Sep
15
2011

chicken curry laksa

I love noodles. I could eat them everyday. Stir fried or soup based noodles. Both are Yum! Curry laksa is one of my all time favourite meal. Whenever I dine out in a Malaysian restaurant, this is what I’d order. There were times where I have been so dissapointed and times where I’d go back again just to eat laksa. My family knows I’m a crazy laksa girl. Sometimes they would stop me from ordering it and tell me to try something else. I should write a post about these laksa joints, where to get yummy laksa and where not to order not-so-yummy laksa.

In Malaysia, there are so many kinds of laksa. Curry laksa (uses curry powder), Asam Laksa (uses fish), Johor Laksa (uses fish too but very dense and has coconut milk) and so on. Just do a google search and you’ll find heaps of variants. My sister made laksa using this recipe and I loved it. So I tried it at home for some lovely guests we had coming from Sydney and they loved it too. Once you try this recipe (from scratch) you’ll never want to buy the laksa paste at the supermarket again. This tastes no where near that bottled stuff.

RECIPE FOR MALAYSIAN CHICKEN CURRY LAKSA
Adapted from Almost Bourdain, with slight modifications

Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 50 mins

Ingredients

For the paste:
20 Asian shallots
10 cloves garlic
10 dried chillies, soaked in warm water for 30mins
3 tsp toasted belacan
3 tbsp dried shrimps, soaked in warm water for 5 mins
6 candlenuts (buah keras)

Other ingredients:
2-3 tbsp curry powder (I used Baba’s Meat)
1 kg egg noodles (hokkien noodles), blanched
24 shelled prawns, deveined
2 chicken thigh fillet, cooked and sliced
2 big bunch of choy sum, cut
3 stalks lemon grass, bruised
1 sprig curry leaves
3 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut cream (use coconut milk for a lighter version)
200 g tofu puffs, halved
300 g bean sprouts, blanched and tail removed
3 hard boiled eggs, halved
1 packet fried fish cakes, sliced thinly
5 tbsp oil
salt to taste
Fried shallots, for garnishing
Spring onions, for garnishing

Method

1. To make the paste: Mix all ingredients and pound into a paste using a blender.

2. Heat up oil in a medium sized pot, and stir the prawns for 5 mins until cooked evenly. Remove prawns and set aside.

3. Saute the blended paste, lemon grass and curry leaves until the oil separates and is fragrant. This should take about 7 – 10 mins.

3. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes.

5. Add the coconut cream/milk and bring to a boil again, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling.

6. Turn of the stove and add tofu puffs, fish cake, choy sum and some salt to taste then give it a final stir to coat all the ingredients.

To serve: Divide noodles into individual bowls. Pour the hot curry laksa evenly ontop of the noodles into each bowl and then spread the prawns, chicken, eggs and the garnishes. Serve immediately.

Click ‘Read More’ below to print out the recipe and leave a comment.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 1-2 hours

1 lovely comment
Category: asian, chicken, in my kitchen, noodles

Sep
13
2011

mexican inspired rice

I’m always here when I need a quick and healthy meal. This blogs owner is a friend of mine. She does healthy stuff, which I like. And easy too, double like. I saw this recipe and instantly fell in love. I have never tried Mexican apart from Doritos and Buritos, so I wanted to give it a go. I had all the ingredients too which made it even better. So do check out her blog for amazing recipes.

MEXICAN INSPIRED RICE
Adapted from My Recipe Stash with slight modifications

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients

2 cups rice (I used medium grain)
1 large ripe tomato, diced
1 small green capsicum, diced
1 small red capsicum, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
2 chicken thigh fillets, fat and skin removed then cut into small cubes
3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 large onion, diced finely
1.5 tbsp corriander powder
0.5 tbsp cumin powder
3 tsp sweet paprika
1 chilli (or 0.5tsp chilli powder – both optional)
1/4 cup long beans,cut into 2cm long
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup corn
3 cups water
salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Saute onions, capsicums, garlic and chicken in some oil until fragrant.

2. Then add spices and stir again until fragrant.

3. Add tomatoes and cook until softened. Then add rice, water and all the vegetables. Cook for 30 minutes until the rice is done.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: You can add more tomatoes or tomato paste for a more intense colour and flavour.
Click ‘read more’ below to print out this recipe and leave a comment.

2 lovely comments
Category: in my kitchen, rice

Aug
31
2011

raya madness // malaysian vegetarian lontong

Yet another Eid/Raya favourite, a vegetarian soup dish with rice cubes (I only say vegetarian as its served with no meat pieces but theres shrimps paste and chicken stock in it!).

My version is a little bit red as I went a bit nuts with the chilli, but technically the colour of the soup is supposed to be yellow. Usually I’d make the rice cubes/nasi impit myself, but ever since I found them at the asian grocers, I no longer make them. I don’t usually take shortcuts, but its just rice and they all taste the same, no?

RECIPE FOR MALAYSIAN VEGETARIAN LONTONG
Adapted from 3 Hungry Tummies, with slight changes

Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients

For the paste:
5 dried chillies, seeds removed and soaked in hot water for 30mins
2 red chillies
6 candle nuts
4 garlic cloves
6 shallots
1.5 tbsp turmeric powder
1cm piece of shrimp paste (belacan), toasted
30g dried shrimp, soaked in hot water for a couple of mins

Other ingredients:
15 small packets of rice cubes
1 cup long green beans, cut into 5cm long
1 large carrot, cut into 5 cm thin strips
1/2 cabbage, cut into pieces
400ml coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 packet bean curd sticks, softened with boiling water for 5mins
3 tbsp oil
salt, to taste

Method

1. In a medium size pot with water, boil rice cubes for an hour (follow instructions on packet). Remove and leave to completely cool before refrigerating for 2 hours. Rice cubes need to set firmly before cutting.

2. Cut all the vegetables and blend the ingredients to make the paste.

3. In a medium pot, heat up oil and saute the blended ingredients until oil separates.

4. Add coconut milk, chicken stock and kaffir lime leaves and bring to a boil.

5. Put the vegetables and bean curd sticks; and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. Season well with salt.

6. Serve with some cut rice cubes for a one pot meal.

Click ‘Read More’ below to print out the recipe and leave a comment.

No comments
Category: asian, in my kitchen, vegetarian

Aug
30
2011

raya madness // malaysian chicken curry rendang

‘Rendang?, Errr..’ That’s what I would say a couple of years back had you told me to make it. It never crossed my mind to even have a go at making rendang. Then one day, after picking my sister up at the airport (her trip back from Malaysia), she casually mentioned that she had written down a rendang recipe from our cousin’s grandma, Tok Ye, whilst she was staying with them. My reaction; “what? where? pleaseee give it to me!”. We all know she’s a good excellent cook. I tried it straight away. Kinda failed the first time. Tried again. Getting better. Third time, ‘wow nice’, forth attempt, ‘I have mastered this dish’ *insert proud face*. You’re probably wondering why it took me a few go’s before perfecting it? It aint easy! No two rendangs taste the same. Once you make this, you’ll never want to eat from a packet again. An original, from scratch, this rendang is truly authentic. And please don’t take any shortcuts or leave out any ingredient. Rendang is a sensitive dish. Have I scared you off?

This aromatic-absolutely-delicious-mouth-watering-jam-packed-full-of-flavour dish originated from Malaysia/ Indonesia. The usual rendang is made with tender juicy beef, but since I was cooking for mum and she doesn’t like beef, I made it with chicken instead. It taste just as good if you’re into chicken. Who isn’t :p

CHICKEN RENDANG
Adapted from Tok Ye, with slight modifications

Serves: 4
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 1-2 hours

Ingredients

Part A (Blend till it forms a fine paste)
12 small shallots
7 cloves garlic
1 knob ginger, 4 cm
1 knob galangal, 4cm
3 lemongrass, end part only and sliced thinly

Part B (Dry fry the first 3 ingredients untill fragrant, and then blend all together)
2 tbsp ketumber (coriander seeds)
1 tsp jintan manis (cummin seeds)
1 tsp jintan putih (fennel seeds)
15 dried chilli, soaked in hot water for 30 mins

The rest of the ingredients are:
1 kilo chicken curry pieces, with bones
2 tsp ginger paste (to marinate the chicken)
2 tsp garlic paste (to marinate the chicken)
2 tsp salt
2 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp black pepper
1.5 tbsp curry powder (brand:baba’s meat curry powder)
3-4 kaffir lime leaves
100g kerisik (dry fry shredded coconut untill golden brown)
1 can coconut cream
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water

Method

1. Marinate chicken with a bit of salt and the ginger & garlic paste. Stand for an hour.

2. Put oil and add the ingredients from Part B, fry until fragrant and you see the oil separates. Should take about 7-10 mins.

3. Add part A, turmeric, tamarind and curry powder then fry again until oil separates. Another 7 mins.

4. Put the chicken and water in then cook covered for an hour on low heat. Stir regularly to make sure it doesn’t burn.

5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, coconut cream, kerisik (shredded coconut) and season generously with salt, pepper and sugar.

6. Cook for another half hour or so until it dries out and the colour has darkened.

7. It is usually served with any type of rice- rice cubes, steam rice, sticky rice.