Chickpea and lentil curry

A really simple curry that you can get on the table in 20 minutes with the help of some pre-blended curry spices. You can get curry pastes in jars, or powders – I had Sharwood’s medium curry powder in my pantry which I used. Look for a spice mix with coriander, cumin, tumeric, paprika, cinnamon, fennel, cardamon – the usual Indian spices.

Ingredients makes 4-6 portions

1. 3 tbs neutral oil, I use macadamia
2. 1 onion, chopped
3. thumb sized piece of ginger, thinly sliced
4. 1-2 cloves garlic, sliced
5. 5 tbl curry powder
6. 400ml coconut cream
7. 1 tbs concentrated chicken stock (or 1 stock cube if you don’t have access to the concentrated stuff)
8. 6 kaffir lime leaves, sliced into thin strips
9. 1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
10. 200g cooked lentils (I used 100g brown lentils that I cooked to make 200g but you could also used tinned lentils – just drain and rinse them too)
11. For garnish, big dollop of plain yoghurt, chopped fresh coriander and sliced red chilli

Method

1. Fry the onions in the oil till translucent
2. Add ginger and garlic and fry for 3 minutes
3. Add the curry powder (or paste if you’re using this) and fry on high heat for 3 minutes
4. Add the coconut cream, chicken stock and kaffir lime leaves, bring to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes
5. This next step may seem odd but I actually think it’s necessary with this type of vegetarian curry where you want to eat everything in the bowl – strain the curry
6. Use the back of a spoon to push the ingredients through the sieve – you want to extract as much flavour from the cooked ingredients as possible
7. Pour the strained curry back into the pot, season with salt to taste
8. Add in the chickpeas and lentils and bring to a gentle simmer
9. Serve hot with the yoghurt, coriander and chilli and you can either eat it on it’s own or over some basmati rice

My Mum’s Penang Loh Bak

My mum’s Penang loh-bak – Chinese five spice pork rolls

It’s actually my granddad’s recipe, which my grandmother used to cook with my mother, but this was the first time I had ever made these delicious strips of pork, marinated in Chinese five-spices, rolled in beancurd skin and then deep fried. Served with sliced fresh cucumber and chilli sauce these tasty, crispy morsels are totally more-ish.

Loh bak is a very traditional Penang Nonya dish and as with most of these types of dishes, the actual cooking is minimal – it’s all in the preparation.

As with a lot of traditional Nonya recipes, my mum cooks like my grandmother – everything is to taste, and I was so enjoying spending time with her in the kitchen that we both forgot to even try to guesstimate the quantity of the ingredients. Ah well, it just gives me more reason to do this again with her in the future and make sure this recipe is recorded for posterity.

Chocolate pots with toasted marshmallow

I had no idea what a s’more was until I read this gorgeous post from Kay at Pure Complex. A quick search online told me that it was a traditional American campfire snack of chocolate with toasted marshmallow, sandwiched between two graham crackers.

There was something appealing about the combination of textures and flavours, and the pictures were too damn cute for me not to want to try it.

My recipe below pretty closely follows the recipe and recommendations from Raspberri Cupcakes to make espresso cup-sized rich, creamy chocolate pot de crèmes with a fluffy meringue topping that has been toasted, served with digestive biscuits. You really don’t need any more than this size, and it’s a really lovely end to dinner.

Before I was let loose with my blowtorch

Ingredients makes 6 espresso cup-sized desserts

1. 100g dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70% cocoa)
2. 150ml pouring cream
3. 1 tbsp freshly brewed coffee
4. 2 egg yolks
5. 25g caster sugar
6. pinch salt

For the marshmallow fluff:

1. 2 egg whites
2. pinch of salt
3. 80g sugar

Digestive biscuits to serve

Method

1. Heat chocolate, cream and coffee in a saucepan on low heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth
2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a separate heatproof bowl placed over simmering water for 5 minutes or until thick and pale
3. Slowly pour the chocolate and egg/sugar mixture and whisk on high for 5 minutes or until mixture is thick and cool
4. Pour into serving cups and chill in the fridge for at least two hours
5. To make the marshmallow:
6. Making sure your bowl is clean and dry, whisk together the egg whites and salt until foamy and at least doubled in size
7. S-l-o-w-l-y incorporate the sugar, continually beating after each addition, to make sure the sugar has dissolved and you get stiff glossy peaks
8. I have made meringue so many times and the only time I can control it, especially in such small cups, is to pipe it over the chocolate, but if you are feeling a bit on the wild side, go nuts doing this freehand
9. Using a blowtorch, carefully toast the marshmallow and enjoy that comforting smell
10. Serve with digestive biscuits either cut to shapes/soldiers or crumbled over the top

Chocolate brownies

A simple recipe from Bill Granger that will fill your home with the wonderful aroma of molten chocolate. You should always have all the ingredients already in your pantry. Which actually means you could (or should) always make brownies. Crispy on the top and soft and almost gooey in the centre, this basic recipe is also very adaptable (check out Rufus’ food and spirit guide to make them alcoholic).

Ingredients makes 16 squares

1. 2 1/2 cups Caster sugar – I actually use half a cup less because I like them less sweet (and to make them healthier??)
2. 2/3 cup Cocoa powder (no sugar just pure cocoa powder)
3. 1/2 cup plain flour
4. 1 tsp baking powder
5. 4 eggs, beaten
6. 200g butter, melted
7. Generous pinch of salt if you’re using unsalted butter, small pinch if using salted butter. I am a firm believer that everything sweet tastes better with salt.
8. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
9. 200g dark chocolate buttons

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160C (315F)
2. Stir the sugar, cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking powder together in a bowl
3. Add the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract and mix until combined
4. Mix in the chocolate buttons
5. Pour into a lined 22cm square tin and bake for 80 – 90 minutes. Stick a skewer or a raw stick of pasta in to the middle and if it comes out clean, it’s ready.
6. While the block is still warm, cut into 16 pieces
7. Dust with cocoa powder and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream

Basil pesto

A wonderfully fresh and versatile sauce that you can simply toss through some pasta, or add a touch of cream to tszuj up pan-fried chicken. One jar will keep in the fridge for two weeks. Easy-peasy as pie to make as well.

Ingredients makes enough to fill a jam-sized jar

1. 60g basil leaves
2. 60g toasted pine nuts
3. 60g grated fresh parmesan
4. 1-2 garlic cloves
5. 1/2 – 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
6. Generous pinch of salt

Method

1. Pop the basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan and garlic into a food processor and slowly add the olive oil to help loosen the mix until you have a thick sauce consistency
2. Season to taste with salt
3. Store in a airtight jar in the fridge or freeze portions so you always have something fresh and green when you want

Pappardelle with braised pork belly

A slight variation on my usual pork belly in red wine, this just takes a few hours on the stove. I finished the sauce with a few nobs of butter to give it a silky texture that coats the pappardelle.

Ingredients for two

1. 200g pork belly
2. 1 onion, finely diced
3. 1 small carrot, finely diced
4. 2 stalks celery, finely diced
5. 1 tomato, roughly diced
6. 2 glasses red wine
7. 2 cups chicken stock
8. fresh thyme
9. 1 bay leaf
10. couple of nobs butter
11. Pappardelle pasta

Method

1. Brown all edges of the pork belly in a hot pan. You want to get the natural sugars in the meat caramelising. Remove from pan and set aside
2. In the same pan, add some oil and gently sweat the onions, carrots and celery until they are tender
3. Add the pork belly back into the pan along with the wine, tomato, herbs and enough chicken stock to just cover the meat
4. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the temperature to a simmer. Let lightly bubble away for 2 hours. The liquid will reduce a bit so you may need to check now and then that the pork is still covered. I started to shred the pork after about an hour so that ever bit of the pork gets to release its flavour, and also  take on the flavours in the pan. Season to taste
5. After a couple of hours the liquid in the pan should have reduced by about a half and the pork tender enough to shred into meaty chunks.
6. Cook pappardelle until just cooked in salted water. Reserve some of the cooking water before you drain the pasta – that starchy salty water helps to make the sauce loose and helps the pasta from sticking
7. While the pasta is cooking, add a few nobs of cold butter to the sauce. It really gives another dimension to the sauce, making it silky and helping to coat the pasta
8. Pop the pasta into the pan with the sauce, adding a few tablespoons of the cooking water to help the sauce really coat each ribbon of pasta
9. Serve hot with a good handful of freshly grated parmesan

Chicken quesadillas

Chicken quesadillas with jalapeno peppers and Monterey Jack cheese

Quesadillas are so quick and simple. You can even use leftover chicken or  beef for these, which makes them even easier, and of course add whatever you want or have in the fridge. I would have added in slices of red capsicum and avocado but my fridge is bare and it’s late.

Ingredients for one serving (one quesadilla)

1. 2 wraps or similar round flatbread – I use wholemeal
2. 1 single chicken breast
3. sliced jalapenos
4. Moneterey Jack cheese slices
5. salt and pepper

Method

1. Butterfly the chicken breast at the thickest part so that it’s an even thickness, season well on both sides and pan-fry till cooked through and golden brown
2. Slice and arrange on one of the wraps, along with the jalapenos and any other fillings you fancy
3. Top with a few slices of cheese
4. Cover with the second wrap
5. Heat up a skillet on high
6. Pop the wrap sandwich into the middle of the pan and cook for about 2 minutes – you want to get the cheese melting
7. Flip over with the help of a flexible spatula and toast the wrap on the other side for 1-2 minutes until the wraps are crispy and golden
8. Slice and enjoy while still warm so the cheese is still gooey

Delicate piped shortbread cookies

I have had a bit of an obsession with shortbread since I made Christmas cookies, and I have found a recipe that makes a cookie lighter than air and that literally dissolves on your tongue.

Ingredients (makes about 25 cookies)

1. 125g butter at room temperature – get the best you can buy because you can really taste it
2. 35g icing sugar
3. 50g cornflour
4. 90g plain flour
5. Good pinch of salt if using unsalted butter

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy
2. Add the flours and mix on low speed till you get a soft dough
3. Pipe shapes on to a cookie tray lines with parchment paper
4. Put into the fridge for 30 minutes to help them keep their shape while they bake
5. Heat oven to 180C while cookies are in the fridge and bake straight from the fridge for 20 minutes until golden brown

RIP Grandma Khoo 1918 – 2012

Grandma Khoo’s chilli paste in action in a beef rendang

It seems like ages since I posted anything. I was excited a few weeks ago to share some of the fab eats I managed to squeeze in while in New York for work, and then en route home to Singapore I found out the sad news that my grandmother had passed away on the first day of Chinese New Year.  Highs and lows like I’ve never experienced before.

I do understand that she was just part of a generation that I just think was made of tougher stuff than mine, but I am still in awe of who she was – growing up in the small island of Penang in Malaysia, uneducated and not that well-off, she managed to raise eight children, one of whom she “lost” in the war, and three who passed away before their time. She taught herself English enough to get by when she came to stay with us in Sydney, and looked after my sister and I with both my parents working at the time.

And of course, she cooked.

My grandmother was Nonya, so the food she cooked – Peranakan – had influences from Chinese and Malay cuisines. I have some of her recipes which she shared with me years ago, but trying to replicate when she gave measures like “a few eggshells of water” or “enough liquid to cover your first finger knuckle” (no matter how much rice was being cooked) truly tested my ability to taste but allows for true personalisation.

I’dlike to share a few recipes with you that remind me of her. Because she cooked them with love, for my family and I.

Chilli paste used to make chicken curry

Grandma Khoo’s famous sambal chilli paste blend

This is one of those chilli pastes that forms the basis of sooo many Peranakan dishes and can strangely take on different flavours if you add stock or coconut cream, additional spices, and even the type of protein you use. Make sure you have plenty of good ventilation before frying this paste up or you’re house will smell of curry for days after – it’s potent stuff. I’m going to try to give you some measurements as close as I could come by.

Ingredients

1. 2 large handfuls dried red chillies, soaked in warm water for at least an hour
2. 1 cup shallots, peeled
3. 2 thumb sized pieces of galangal
4. 6 stalks lemongrass
5. 1 head of garlic, peeled
6. good pinch of salt
7. good pinch of sugar
8. thumb-sized piece of belacan - dried shrimp paste *optional – this is pungent stuff and may put many people off but it actually adds a mellow savoury undertone similar to anchovies that makes all the difference

Method

Pull the stalks off the chillies and remove as many seeds as possible. Pop all the ingredients in a blender (grandma used to blend all of these painstakingly with a mortar and pestle before she blenders) and store in an airtight container. It should keep in the fridge for up to 10 days and in the freezer for 3 months. You can use this as a base for dishes like chicken curry with coconut cream, or assam fish curry, with tamarind stock. Experiment and let me know how you go !

Acar (pronounced a-char)

This is a nonya pickle that is great accompaniment to balance out the heaviness of a lot of nonya dishes.

Ingredients

1. 1 large carrot, 2 radishes, 1 medium cucumber (skinned and deseeded) – juliened to similar sized sticks
2. 1 red and 1 green chilli, sliced on the diagonal
3. 2 tbl white sesame seeds
4. 1 thumb sized piece of tumeric root – cut into think sticks (use ginger if you don’t have access to this and add 1/2-1 tbl tumeric powder)
5. sugar and salt to taste
6. enough white vinegar to cover the vegetables in whatever you decide to store them in
7. you can also add in cauliflower florets and pineapple to the dish

Method

1. Blanche the carrot, radish and cauliflower with boiling water. They need to stay crunchy, so I would almost cover them with boiling water, let them sit for 30 seconds then strain
2. Fry the tumeric root in some oil until fragrant. Remove and discard
3. Add the vinegar to the pan and bring to the boil
4. Add the vegetables, stirring regularly for 4-5 minutes
5. Store in a glass container (not plastic or metal) in the fridge for a few hours before serving to allow the flavours to develop

Pork sausage and puy lentil casserole

As I didn’t get to finish my main course from Latteria Mozzarella Bar, I thought I would make something from the leftovers/doggy bag the following night. I had bought some lovely puy lentils which my supermarket just started stocking, and adding them to a casserole with my sausages made perfect sense.

I also had leeks and swiss brown mushrooms in my fridge, so in to the casserole they also went, to make a good earthy, warming meal.

You can just as easily use fresh sausages for this dish, but I would then add a garlic to the casserole (see recipe below).

Ingredients for 2 servings

1. 4 good quality pork sausages
2. 1 glass dry white wine
3. 4 cloves garlic (optional, see note above)
4. 1 large onion, sliced
5. 1 cup swiss brown mushrooms, halved
6. 2 large leeks, rinsed and sliced
7. 1 cup puy lentils, rinsed
8. 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
9. 2-3 sage leaves, chopped if fresh, or 1 tsp dried sage
10. 1-2 bay leaves

Method

1. In a heavy-based saucepan, heat some oil and brown the sausages – they don’t need to be cooked through at this point if you’re using fresh sausages. Remove from pan and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1” slices
2. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, pour into a jug, set aside
3. Heat more oil in the pan and gently sweat the onions until translucent
4. Add garlic next if you are using them
5. Add leeks and mushrooms and fry until soft
6. Add the sausages and white wine
7. Add lentils and sage and bay leaves and enough stock to cover all ingredients and bring to a boil
8. Lower heat and gently simmer for 1 1/2 hours till lentils are cooked through
9. Serve with crusty bread