Fruit and Cinnamon Quesadilla

 Ingredients

• 1 Mission Light or Fat Free Flour Tortilla
• 2 Tbsp. fat free Cream Cheese
• 1/3 cup Strawberries thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. Sugar
• a dash of Cinnamon

 Method

Spread cream cheese over tortilla; top with strawberries and sugar. Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon; fold in half. Cook in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray for 2 minutes on each side.

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Posted in: Western

Gobi Butter Masala - Cauliflower - Butter Chicken Style

Gobi Butter Masala - Cauliflower Butter Chicken Style

Serves : 3- 4

Ingredients

For cauliflower

• 1/2 medium size head of cauliflower, split into small florets  (about 500g)
• 1 tsp red chilly powder (adjust to tolerance)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt to taste

For masala

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 red onion (large, finely cubed)
• 3 tomatoes (medium, red, ripe)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste/ 2 cloves garlic with 1/2 inch cube ginger
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• 1 tbsp crushed cashew nuts/almond
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp heavy cream/thick cream
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi*
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 green cardamom, cracked
• 1/2 black cardamom / badi elachi  (optional) **
• 1/2 tsp black cumin seeds ***
• 1 stick cinnamon (2 inch)
• 2 whole cloves
• Salt to taste

Note

• Dried fenugreek leaves have a distinct aroma and flavor that is often used in curries as a finishing touch. If you enjoy Indian food I would highly recommend buying fenugreek leaves.
• Black cardamom called badi elachi in hindi adds a great smoky flavor, but you can easily skip it if you don't have it.
• The regular cumin is the white cumin called jeera in hindi. Black cumin, shahi jeera/kala jeera in hindi is darker and has a sweet lemony kind of flavor. I particularly like to use black cumin in curries with nuts and cream. Substitute it with 1 tsp roasted white cumin if you don't have it.

Method

1. For the cauliflower, wash  and separate the cauliflower into small florets and add all the ingredients except water and butter.
2. Heat the butter and add the florets. Once the floret starts to brown add water and let the them cook covered for about 5-7 minutes. You just want the florets to be tender and not mushy.
3. For the masala, heat the butter in a wok. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaf and black cumin.
4. Add  finely chopped onions and let it cook.
5. Once they are lightly golden, add the ginger garlic paste.
6. Tip in the turmeric, red chilly powder, cashew nuts, coriander powder, tomatoes and tomato paste. Let the tomatoes completely cook till they form a paste.
7. Add water and let it come to a boil. Switch off the gas and grind the mixture to a smooth sauce. Oh wait - you should remove that bay leaf before you grind, everything else stays.
8. Add back the sauce to the wok and let it come to a boil.
9. Add the cauliflower (along with the water) and let it cook for 5 minutes. Mix in the cream and crushed kasuri methi and cook for another 5 minutes.
10. Garnish with more cream and some coriander to perk it up. Serve with cumin rice, butter naan or roti. 

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Posted in: North Indian

Mango Chutney

Chutney’s form an inevitable part of Indian’s daily meal whether its breakfast, lunch or dinner.  They come in all forms and differ in taste and texture depending on the ingredients used and cooking method. Chutneys can be made with fruits, herbs, vegetables or combination of them. Unlike pickles (which is another great condiment to have), chutney are much easier to make and generally made fresh and last for few days to weeks. Three important elements for most chutney is sweet, sour and spicy (others are salty and spicy). It is this balance of flavors that I think has made Indian chutneys worldwide phenomena. The sweet element is often introduced by using fruits like mango in our case, dry fruits, jaggery or other types of sugar. The sourness comes from adding vinegar, tamarind, lemon or lime. The spicy element is added by using fresh or dry chilies, or powder. Other spices like cumin, fennel, black peppercorns and cinnamon are often used in chutneys for flavoring.

Mango chutney can be remarkably versatile. Spread it on sandwiches, use it as marinate, use with steak or chicken or just dip your fries in it. Or well if you are like me spread it on baguette with some roast chicken and lettuce. Other great way is to use it as a base for curries to add that great unique dimension. The only limit is your imagination.

Thank you Bee for letting me share your gorgeous space and suggesting mango chutney, a must have for every fridge.

Mango Chutney Recipe
Yields about 340 g 

 

Ingredients

• 1 ripe but firm green mango (450 -500 g)
• 1 sticks cinnamon (about 2 inch)
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 cardamom pods, cracked
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 2-3 whole dry red chilies
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3/4 cup demerara sugar (if you have access to Indian jaggery use 3/4 cup- 1 cup powdered jaggery depending on the sweetness)
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tsp salt

Method:
Cut the mango into 1 inch cubes and for chunky chutney, keep some pieces about 2 inch.  If you are looking for smooth, cut them all in same size.
Using a piece of thin muslin cloth, tie up the spices into a bundle. Cook the mango, spices (in the muslin cloth), water, ginger and garlic until the mango is tender. Some pieces will disintegrate into the water. Takes about 10 minutes.
Add the vinegar, sugar, salt and dry chilies. I like to break 1 red chilly into flakes and keep 1 whole. If you want and are feeling adventurous you can go up on the chilies. The sugar requirement may also vary depending on the sweetness of your mango and personal preference. Feel free to reduce or add as per your liking.
Cook for about 30 -35 minutes until the chutney is thickened. Squeeze every bit you can from the cloth and discard it. Transfer to sterilized jars while still hot. Don’t put the lid, until the chutney cools. It keeps well for 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

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Posted in: North Indian

Chicken Curry with Potatoes

 

Chicken Curry with Potatoes Recipe

  Ingredients:

• 1 pack instant curry paste (8 oz or 250 grams)
• 8 oz peeled potatoes
• 4 chicken leg quarters (4 drumsticks and 4 thighs or 2 lbs chicken)
• 3 shallots (peeled and sliced thinly)
• 2 lemongrass (use the white parts only, pounded)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups water/500 ml (use less water if you want thicker curry or more if you want more curry sauce)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (100 ml)
• Some curry leaves (optional)

Method:

1. Cut the chicken into pieces. Leave the chicken bone-in. If you prefer boneless chicken meat, then debone the chicken.
2. Heat up a deep pot and add the oil. Saute the sliced shallots until aromatic or light brown in color. Add the curry paste into the pot and stir until aromatic. Add the chicken meat and lemongrass. Stir for 1 minute before adding the water.
3. Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium. Bring the curry chicken to boil and then lower the heat, add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes or so or until the chicken become tender. Add the coconut milk and bring it to boil. Serve hot.
4. Alternatively, you can leave the chicken overnight before adding the coconut milk the next day. This cooking method ensures that the chicken meat is really tender and aromatic as the flavor develops overnight. Serve the chicken curry the next day if you use this method.

Cook’s Note:

1. Malaysian curries taste different compared to Thai curries. First of all, we don’t use fish sauce and sugar in Malaysian curries. Also, Malaysian curries are not as rich and milky as we use much less coconut milk, so the tastes of the various spices really shine through. Hence, Malaysian curries are more spice-laden and aromatic in my opinion. According to my Indian friends, Malaysian curry is closest in taste to Indian curry.

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Posted in: Malaysian

Shrimp and Green Beans Curry Recipe

Shrimp and Green Beans Curry Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. shrimps
• 2 shallots (sliced)
• 4 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 cup of water
• 1 small can of coconut milk (5.6 oz size)
• Salt to taste / fish sauce to taste
• 4 kaffir lime leaves (cut into tiny and thin strips)
• 8-10 green beans (cut into 3-inch strips)
• 3 bird’s eyes chilies (pounded)

Method:

Heat up your wok with some cooking oil. Stir-fry the sliced shallots until fragant; add in the red curry paste, shrimps and quickly stir before adding the coconut milk and water. Bring to boil and add in the green beans, kaffir lime leaves, bird’s eye chilies, and salt (or fish sauce) to taste. Cook for another 1 minute. Serve hot with steamed white rice.

Notes:

1. I like my shrimps with the shells on (but without the heads) when I cook curry. If you prefer your shrimps shelled and deveined, this recipe will work just fine.

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Posted in: Thai

Green Curry Recipe

I have many favorite Thai dishes that I like to cook regularly. For example, spicy basil chicken (gai pad gapao), stir fried ginger curry chicken (gai pad prik pao), sweet and sour soup (tom yum), green papaya salad (som tum) and of course curry. Today, I’d like to share the most popular curry in Thailand with you, green curry. Most people use Thai eggplant in green curry. However, gourd, pumpkin and bamboo shoot are commonly used in green curry, too. I don’t make my own green curry paste because I’m already satisfied with the brand I use. Mae Ploy is the brand I trust when It comes to high quality ingredients.

Recipe: Green Curry

  Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. chicken breast tender, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 tbs. green curry paste, Mae Ploy brand
• 1 cup coconut milk, Mae Ploy brand
• 1 cup bamboo shoot, Buddha brand
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, split and thinly sliced
• 2 mini peppers, sliced
• 1/4 cup Thai basil leaves
• 1 ts. fish sauce
• 1 tbs. palm sugar
• 1 tbs. vegetable oil

Method:

1. Saute the green curry paste with oil over medium heat until fragrant, add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and stir until the oil surfaces.
2. Add the chicken and kaffir lime leaves, continue cooking until the chicken is almost done.
3. Add the remaining coconut milk, palm sugar and fish sauce. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the bamboo shoots, cook for 5 minutes or until the bamboo shoots are softened.
5. Add the basil, stir and remove from the heat.

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Posted in: Thai

Seafood Curry Recipe (Malaysian Indian-Style)

 

Malaysian Indian-Style Seafood Curry

  Ingredients:

• 1 pack seafood curry paste
• 6 large prawns
• 6 squids
• 6 scallops
• 1/2 lb. seabass fillet (cut into small cubes/pieces)
• 1 tomato (cut into wedges)
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp (soaked in 4 tablespoons water and extract the juice)
• 2 shallots (peeled and sliced)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)

Method:

Heat up a pot and saute the shallots until aromatic. Add the curry paste into the pot and do a few quick stirs. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring it to boil. Then add the seafood, cover the pot until cooked. Add the coconut milk and salt to taste. Serve hot.

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Posted in: Malaysian