Nyonya Prawn & Pineapple Curry 🌶 🇲🇾

I love Nyonya (also known as Peranakan) cuisine, a culinary tradition originated in southeast Asia which has evolved over time, characterised by a blending of Chinese cooking methods with local Malay ingredients and spices.  This mouth-watering Prawn and Pineapple Curry is a fine example of it.  Like most Nyonya curries, it begins with a 'Rempah' or wet spice paste made from fresh herbs and the very pungent 'balacan' or Malaysian shrimp paste, fried in oil.  The addition of coconut milk yields a creamy gravy while chunks of fresh pineapple contribute to sweetness and tanginess.  Whole prawns (unpeeled with heads on carrying all the lovely juices) go in last to simmer until they are succulently tender and finger lickin' good.   I think this curry tops the chart as the tastiest one on my blog.  Serve with steamed rice but don't wear white cooking or eating this dish!

Check out also my Nyonya chicken curry and Nyonya pork curry.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 18 large prawns in shell with heads on
• 250g / 9oz fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 270ml / 9fl oz tinned coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 makrut lime leaves, torn into pieces with the tough stems in the middle removed
• a handful of coriander leaves, for garnishing

For the Rempah (wet spice paste):

• 130g / 4½oz purple shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 10 large dried red chillies
• 20g / ¾oz fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced
• 20g / ¾oz fresh galangal, peeled and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 2 stalks lemongrass, white parts only, sliced
• 2 candlenuts
• 1 tablespoon belacan (Malaysian shrimp paste)

Notes on the ingredients:

• Use best quality prawns you can find.  If preferred, you can remove their heads, peel and devein, but the flavour of the curry would not be as rich.
• Fresh pineapple is best, but can be substituted with tinned pineapple.
• Large (finger sized) dried red chillies are not as hot as the smaller ones so don't be afraid to use lots of them.  Do not substitute them with fresh chillies as they don't impart the smokiness of flavour and depth of colour required for this dish.
• Fresh turmeric can be substituted with ground turmeric, though the colour of the curry is not going be as vibrant.
• Galangal can be substituted with ginger.
• If 'balacan' is not available, you can use Chinese dried shrimps.
• Candlenuts give the curry a nutty flavour and creamy consistency.  If unavailable, they can be substituted with macadamia nuts.
• 'Makrut' lime leaves add a fragrant top note to the curry.

METHOD

1. Deseed the red chillies by snipping them into quarter segments with scissors over a colander with largish holes and then shake the seeds out.  Soak the chillies in 1 cup of boiling water for about 15 minutes until softened.  Drain and set aside.  Reserve soaking liquid.
2. To make the Rempah, process shallots, red chillies, turmeric, galangal, garlic, lemongrass, candlenuts, belacan and 2 tablespoons of the chilli soaking water in a blender until a fine paste is formed.
3. Place the Rempah in a large heavy based saucepan over medium heat.  Add oil and   sauté for about 10 minutes until very fragrant.  Reduce heat if the paste is starting to burn.  You will know the paste is ready when it darkens in colour and the oil begins to separate from the mixture.
4. Add pineapple and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes until they are coated with the paste.
5. Stir in water and coconut milk.  Bring to a gentle simmer.  
6. Add the prawns.  Let them simmer in the curry until they begin to curl up and change colour. 
7. Season with sugar and salt, to taste.  Add more water if the curry looks too thick.
8. Toss in the lime leaves and simmer for another minute.
9. Remove from heat.  Garnish with coriander leaves.  Serve with steamed rice.

Asian Style Omelette with Fresh Herbs

Living in a land of abundance such as Australia, we do sometimes take things for granted.  Due to an outbreak of bird flu in the eastern states this year, there has been a shortage of eggs on supermarket shelves, which suddenly makes me appreciate them more.  Nutrient rich and versatile, eggs are so much a part of our daily diet that it is difficult to do without.  Flavoured with fish sauce, this Asian style omelette is packed with fresh herbs, just warmed through as the eggs cook in the pan to highlight their flavour and crunch.  Skip the red chilli if you don't like the heat.  A simple, light meal in minutes or serve as a side dish when you want something extra to go with rice or congee.  

Serves 1-2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ teaspoon fish sauce
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped, white and green parts separated
• 1 red cayenne chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
• a handful of fresh herbs such as Thai basil, coriander or mint, roughly chopped

METHOD

1. Season the beaten eggs with fish sauce and white pepper.
2. Heat oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium high heat until not.  Add the white parts of the spring onions and the chopped chilli, if using.  Sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
3. Pour in the egg mixture.  Tilt and swirl the pan to spread it into an even layer.  
4. When the bottom of the omelette has set but the top still a little runny, top it with the green parts of the spring onions and herbs.  Fold half of the omelette over with a spatula and let it cook for another 30 seconds or so for the herbs to warm through.
5. Serve the omelette whole or let it cool slightly and slice into sections.

Tofu Puffs with Tomatoes 🇻🇳

Grab a pack of tofu puffs when you are at the shops next for a quick and delicious vegetarian meal.  These are cubes of tofu that have been deep fried with a crispy crust and spongey interior, available from the refrigerated section of supermarkets as well as Asian grocers.  Simply open the bag and add them to a soup, braise or stir fry.  Very convenient.  They hardly need any cooking and suck up all the flavours and sauces you put into the dish.  In this recipe, I stir fry them Vietnamese style with tomatoes and serve over steamed rice - a different take on my braised tofu with tomatoes.

Serves 2-3

INGREDIENTS

• 150g / 5¼oz tofu puffs or fried tofu
• 350g / 12oz cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup water or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped spring onion, for garnishing

METHOD

1. Cut tofu puffs diagonally in half into triangles.
2. Heat oil in a wok or a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes.  Stir fry for a few minutes until they begin to soften.
4. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and water/vegetable stock.  Mix well and bring the mixture into a gentle simmer.
5. Add the tofu puffs.  Mix well with the sauce.  Cover and cook over low heat for 2 minutes or so until the sauce has thickened.  Check the seasoning of the sauce.  Add more fish sauce, sugar or water as required.
6. Garnish with spring onions.  Served with steamed rice.

Homestyle Lamb Biryani 🇮🇳

I am flying an Indian flag for this popular dish with an understanding that biryani has an ancient origin from Persia and there are different ways of making it.  This homestyle version showcasing tasty Australian lamb and aged, extra long basmati rice promises a delectable meal with authentic flavours.  There are a few steps involved, and you need to gather a variety of spices from your pantry.  Be generous with the saffron to create those beautiful golden streaks on the rice.  Other key ingredients include yoghurt for tenderising the lamb, ghee for its enriching, nutty flavour, and onions to be fried patiently until they are caramelised.  What I enjoy most is assembling the dish at the end, layering the carefully prepared ingredients in the pot before steaming them up to perfection, then digging in to reveal all the treasures.  Serve with a simple raita or a kachumber salad.

Serves 4-6

 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g / 1lb 2oz boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cut into cubes
• 2 cups basmati rice*
• 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons ghee
• a big pinch of saffron
• ⅔ cup milk
• ½ cup fresh coriander leaves
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves

*For best results, use aged, extra long basmati rice.

For marinating the lamb:

• 2 thick slices of fresh ginger, roughly chopped 
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ½ cup yoghurt

For cooking the rice:

• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 3 cloves
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

For the raita (optional):

• ½ cup yoghurt
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves

METHOD

1. In a mortar and pestle, pound ginger, garlic with salt into a smooth paste.
2. In a bowl, place lamb with the ginger and garlic paste, chilli powder, garam masala, coriander, turmeric, oil and yoghurt.  Mix well and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.
3. In a large frying pan over medium low heat, add 2 tablespoons ghee and fry onions, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes or until they are well caramelised.  Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
4. In a large heavy-based pot, add 2 tablespoons ghee over medium high heat.  Add the marinated lamb and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the lamb start to brown.  Add ½ cup water.  Cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook for 1½ hour or until the lamb is very tender.  Check once or twice in between and add more water if it is looking dry to retain a gravy.
5. While the lamb is cooking, place rice in a large bowl and cover with cold water.  Swirl the rice with your hands until the water becomes cloudy, then drain the water to remove the starch.  Repeat this process 2 more times or until the water runs clear.  
6. Soak washed rice in 3 cups cold water in a large bowl for 20 minutes.  Drain well into a sieve.  
7. Bring a large pot of water (about 8 cups) to the boil together with the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom pods, cloves and salt.  Tip the rice in and parboil for 4 minutes or until the rice is about 80% cooked.  Drain the rice into a sieve and keep the whole spices in the rice.  Set aside.
8. Place saffron with milk in a small saucepan.  Warm the mixture over low heat for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to infuse until ready to use.

To assemble:

1. In the heavy-based pot where the cooked lamb awaits, add half the fried onions, half the coriander and half the mint leaves.  Spread them evenly on top of the lamb.
2. Place the rice and the whole spices on top of the lamb mixture and pack down firmly into an even layer.
3. With the end of a wooden spoon, poke 10 holes into the layer of rice.  Spoon the saffron mixture into the holes (which will give you streaks of yellow and white grains of rice at the end.)
4. Scatter the remaining fried onions on top of the rice. 
5. Cover with a lid and cook gently over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the rice is tender but not mushy.  Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
6. Just before serving, scatter the remaining coriander and mint leaves on top. 

To make the raita (optional):

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Shakshuka

My favourite way to poach an egg is to do it Shakshuka style - in a simmering spiced tomato and capsicum sauce.  This North African/Middle Eastern dish made with simple pantry ingredients  is nourishing and comforting, fit for breakfast, lunch and dinner.   This recipe cooks 2 eggs in a small frying pan.  Double the recipe and use a larger pan to cook up to 4 eggs.  Serve with crusty bread or toasts to mop up every bit of the delicious sauce. 

Serves 1-2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small red capsicum, seeded and chopped
• 1 green chilli, seeded and chopped (optional)
• 1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 200g / 7oz tinned crushed tomatoes*
• 2 eggs
• sea salt, to taste
• a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or coriander, for garnishing

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onion, capsicum and chilli (if using) and sauté with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until the onion becomes translucent and the capsicum begins to soften.
2. Add garlic, paprika and cumin. Sauté for another minute.
3. Add the tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring the sauce to a simmer.
4. Make 2 small craters in the sauce with the spoon and add the eggs into each crater.  Cover and poach the eggs in the sauce over low heat for 3-5 minutes or until the whites are firm and yolk is still runny.  (Alternatively, you can leave the pan uncovered and let the eggs cook sunny side up.)
5. Garnish with chopped parsley or coriander.  Serve immediately.

*Fresh ripe tomatoes can also be used.  You might need to cook them a little longer before they turn into a sauce.

Easy Cream Puffs

Cream puffs are irresistible.  These light and fluffy little pastries filled with sweet cream make great desserts and treats for morning or afternoon tea.  I dust them with icing sugar, then garnish with a sprinkling of edible flower confetti just to make them even more adorable.  Easy to make, they are in fact the first thing I ever learned to use my oven for.

Makes 6

INGREDIENTS

• 50g / 1¾oz butter
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup plain flour
• 2 large size eggs
• a pinch of salt
• 1 cup fresh cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• edible flower confetti (optional)

METHOD

1. Grease or line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add water and bring to a boil over medium heat. 
3. Add flour and salt all at once.  Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball.
4. Remove from heat.  Add eggs, one at the time, stirring vigorously until fully incorporated before adding another.  The dough is ready when it is smooth and shiny.
5. Drop heaped spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared sheet, slightly apart.  Makes 6.
6. Bake in a preheated 200°C/400°F oven for about 10 minutes until they puff up, then turn down to 180°C/350°F and bake for another 5 minutes or so until they are golden brown.
7. Transfer puffs onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. In a mixing bowl, combine fresh cream, sugar and vanilla extract.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy with stiff peaks, about 1 minute. 
9. Split each puff in half and fill in with cream.
10. Dust puffs with icing sugar.  Garnish with edible flower confetti (optional).  Serve immediately.

*You can also fill puffs with vanilla ice cream instead of fresh cream.

Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs 🇨🇳

This is a sequel to my recently published Chinese braised whole beef shin recipe.  Boiled eggs are cracked slightly, then simmered and steeped in the aromatic broth from cooking the beef shin together with a few tea bags for added flavour. The process creates darkened lines and pretty marble-like patterns on the surface of the eggs.  Commonly sold by Chinese street vendors in Asia, they are a wholesome snack to have any time of the day, which also go well with rice and noodle dishes.  I know someone who makes and put them in little packages to give to friends during Chinese New Year.  What a delicious and heartwarming gift!  With Easter coming up, consider this alternative to shop-bought chocolate eggs perhaps?

Makes 6

INGREDIENTS

• 6 eggs
• 2-3 cups of braising broth from my Chinese braised whole beef shin recipe
• 2 black teabags

METHOD

1. Place eggs in a medium saucepan.  Add enough water to cover the eggs.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the eggs are hard-boiled.
2. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl of cold water to cool for a few minutes.
3. Tap the eggs gently with a spoon to crack them evenly all over.
4. Bring 2 cups of the braising broth (from Chinese braised whole beef shin recipe) together with 2 teabags to a boil in a medium saucepan.
5. Lower cracked eggs into the broth.  Reduce heat to low.  Let the eggs simmer gently in the broth for 1 hour.  Turn off the heat and let the eggs steep in the hot liquid for another hour to intensify colour.
6. Remove eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon.  Peel and serve the eggs immediately with a little of the liquid if you like, or store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

*If you do not have the master broth from the beef shin recipe but simply want to make the marbled tea eggs, this is what you do:

• Follow steps 1-3 as above.
• In a medium saucepan add in ¼ cup of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, 2 tea bags and enough water to cover the eggs.  Bring it to a boil.
• Proceed to steps 5 and 6.

    

 

Chinese Braised Whole Beef Shin 🇨🇳

Braising a whole beef shin in a fragrant soy based broth is an absolute delight.  As the beautiful aroma fills the kitchen, you can expect thinly sliced, melt in the mouth pieces of beef to be enjoyed at the end.  It's easy to do - just put everything in the pot and simmer.  Usually served cold as a first course in a formal Chinese banquet with other delicacies, I love having slices of them over rice or noodles with some greens for a meal. The braising liquid can be reused as a master broth when you want to make it again or something else such as the classic Chinese marbled tea eggs.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1.1kg / 2lb 5 oz whole beef shin
• ½ cup Chinese Shaoxin wine
• ½ cup light soy sauce
• ¼ cup dark soy sauce
• 4 thick, thumb size pieces of fresh ginger
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 star anise
• 15g / ½oz rock sugar or brown sugar
• a few pieces of dried tangerine peel
• 4 dried chillies
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

METHOD

1. Bring a large pot of water into the boil.  Blanch the beef shin for 3-4 minutes.  Remove and rinse with cold water.
2. In a heavy based pot that allows the beef shin to sit snugly, add in wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, ginger, garlic, cinnamon stick, star anise, sugar, tangerine peel, dried chilli and water.  Bring it to a simmer.
3. Add blanched beef shin and bring it to a boil.  Turn the heat to medium low and braise the meat, covered, for 1½ hours, turning it around once or twice for even colouring.  The beef should be very tender but not overcooked to a point that it loses its texture.
4. Let the beef rest in the pot for 10 minutes, then take it out and brush with sesame oil.  Let the beef cool completely, covered, before slicing thinly.
5. Serves beef slices with generous spoonfuls of the braising broth.

*Beef shin can be put back into the braising broth after it has been completely cooled and kept covered in the fridge overnight to keep it moist and intensify the flavours.  Slices can be served cold or slightly warmed up in the microwave oven.  

*Drain the braising liquid and discard all the spices.  Keep the master broth in a large clean lidded jar and store in the fridge to use again for the same or another recipe within 3 weeks.  Add soy sauce, water and new spices as required and bring to a boil before use.