Vegetarian Curry

Ingredients:

• 100g dwarf beans
• 200g cabbage, cut into 5cm squares
• 200g potatoes, skin and cut into large cubes
• 100g cauliflower, cut into florets
• 150g carrots, cut into wedges
• 1 brinjal (aubergine), cut into 1.5" ring & cut into quarter again
• 2 tomatoes, quarter
• 2 green chillies, seed and slit into half
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk curry leaves
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup of water

Ground spices (combined):

• 11/2 tbsp fish curry powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp belacan (shrimp paste)
• 2 cm pieces galangal
• 4 shallots

• 1 stalk lemon grass, smash
• 4 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning:

• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar or to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pot. Fry the garlic until fragrant. Add onions and fry till soft. Add lemongrass & curry leaves and ground ingredients. Fry until oil separates.

Pour in coconut milk and water and bring to a low boil.

Put in potoes and carrots. Bring to boil for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add seasoning.

Dish out and serve immediately.

Mint Chocolate Chips Muffin

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• oil or butter for greasing
• 280g plain white flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 115g caster sugar
• 150g plain chocolate chips
• 2 medium eggs
• 25ml milk
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1-2 drop of green food colouring; optional
• icing sugar, for dusting

Metod:

Preheated oven to 200 degree Celcius. (If fan assist oven, reduce the heat to 180 degree Celcius). Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with paper cases.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the caster sugar and chocolate chips.

Lightly beaten the eggs in a large jug then beat in the milk, oil and peppermint extract. Add in the colouring, if using, to colour the mixture a very subtle shade of green.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not over-mix.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until well risen and firm to touch.

Leave the muffin in the tin for 5 minutes then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Hot Pot Lamb Curry

Ingredients:

• 400g-500g frrozen diced lamb, thawed

Cubed:

• 2 tomatoes
• 2 potatoes

Marinade A:

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp ginger juice
• 1 tsp meat curry powder
• 120ml coconut milk
• 4 tbsp cooking oil

Spices (B):

• 2 star anise
• 5 cloves
• 5cm cinnamon stick
• 4 cardamon, smashed
• 3 stalks curry leaves
• 2 pansan leaves, shredded and knotted (optional)

Ground spices (C)-combined:

• 5 shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3cm galangal
• 2 stalk lemon grass
• 1 tsp grond black pepper
• 4 tbsp meat curry powr
• 1 tbsp chilli powder

Seasoning:

• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar or to taste
• juice of 1 lime

Garnishing:

• coriander leaves

Method:

Clean lamb pieces and marinate with ingredients (A) for 15-20 minutes.

Heat oil to saute spices inredients (B) until fragrant. Add sliced onion and fry until soft before adding the ground spices (C). Fry for 1-2 minutes then add in lamb and tomatoes.

Fry till heated through and pour in coconut milk. Bring to a low simmering boil. Halfway through cooking, add in potatoes and continue to cook until the meat is tender and the gravy turn thick. Season to taste.

Dush out to serve with garnishing.

Kurmah Chicken

For this recipe, you can buy the ready pack kurmah powder in oriental shop. However, if you can't find the ready pack, here is the recipes for making the homemade kurmah powder. You can make sufficient powder that can last you several cooking. Keep them in air tight container otherwise you will loose the aroma. Homemade Kurmah Powder

• 600g coriander
• 100g cumim
• 100g aniseed
• 100g black peppercorns
• 100g dry turmeric
• 20g cloves
• 10g star anise
• 20g cinnamon sticks
• 3 nutmegs
• 20g cardamoms

Method:

Dry roast the ingredients separately until fragrant, then set aside to cool. Grind all the ingredients in the coffee grinder or send it to the mill to be ground.

Ingredients:

• 500g-600g chicken meat
• 60g kurmah powder
• 1 cup coconut milk (thick coconut milk)
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk add 1/2 cup of water (thin coconut milk)
• oil for cooking
• salt to taste

Spices A:

• 7 shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 5cm ginger
• 3-4 green chillies
• 1 tbsp cashew nuts
• 7 almonds

Spices B:

• 2 pieces star anise
• 5 pieces of cardamon
• 5cm cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1 medium onion, chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a cooking pan and fry spices B till golden brown. Put in chicken meat, salt to taste and the thin coconut milk. Stir fry for 10 minutes.

Add in spices A and the kurmah powder. Pour in the thick coconut milk and bring to boil.

Cook further over low heat until the gravy is thick.

Add mint leaved for decoration & serve hot.

Fish Moolie

Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 3-4 green chillies, finely chopped and seeds removed
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 600g fish fillets

Method:

Heat oil in a cooking pan, saute onion, garlic and ginger until onion is tender. Add in the turmeric powder and green chillies and saute for 1 minutes.

Add in the coconut milk. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add fish fillets. Cook uncovered for 4 minutes or until fish is tender, turn fish once during cooking.

Dhall Curry (Lentil Curry)

Ingredients:

• 1 bay leaf
• 250g gram dal
• 50g tamarind
• salt to taste
• 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
• some curry leaves
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 6 cloves
• 6 green cardamon
• 10cm cinnamon stick
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 3 tsp garlic puree
• 3 tsp ginger puree
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 5 tbsp cooking oil
• 3 cups of lamb stock ( if you are lazy, boiled 3 cups of water & put in 11/2 cube of lamb stock. Boiled till the cube stock dissolved)

For seasoning:

• 6 dried chillies(optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Method:

Wash and soaked the dhall for about 3-4 hours. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water for 1 hour, then pres out the juice, strain and set aside the tamarind water.

Heat 5 tbsp cooking oil in a large cooking pot and saute the onion for 5 minutes. Then add the cloves, cardamon, cinnamon, chopped green chillies, red chilli powder, the curry leaves, the garlic and the ginger puree. Stir to prevent the spices from sticking to the pot. Sprinkle over 3 tbsp water if necessary.

Add in the lamb stock and let the stock boiled. Add in the chopped tomatoes and the dhall. Add salt to taste and also add in the tamarind water. Let the dhall mixture boiled and then reduce to moderate heat. Cooked for 60-80 minutes or until tender. Liquidize to a creamy consistency.

Just before serving, season by heating 3 tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry the red chillies broken into two, if used, the garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and garam masala powder. Fry for 10 seconds after the addition of the last ingredients. Add this seasoning to the curry and stir. Serve with nan or chapati or phrata bread.

Chocolate Dessert Muffins

Ingredients:

• 225g plain flour
• 55g cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 115g soft light brown sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 250ml single cream
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• 85g plain chocolate

For the sauce:

• 200g plain chocolate
• 25g butter
• 50ml single cream

Mehod:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celcius. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with 12 paper cases.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Sir in the sugar

Lightly beaten the eggs in a large bowl then beat in the cream and oil. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not over-mix.

Break the chocolate evenly into 12 pieces. Scoop half of the mixture into the prepare muffin tin. Place a piece of chocolate in the centre of each then poon in the remaining mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until well risen and firm to touch.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until blended then stir in the ceam and mix together. remove from the heat and stir until smooth.

Leave the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and place on serving plates. Serve warm with the chocolate sauce poured over the top of each muffin.

Strawberry muffins

Ingredients:

• 150g strawberries, chopped into small pieces
• 280g plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 115g caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 250ml single cream
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 125ml double cream
• 12 small whole strawberries, to decorate

Method: Preheat oven to 200 degree Celcius. Grease 12 cup muffin tin or line with 12 paper cases. Sift together the flour,baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and chopped strawberries. Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the single cream, oil and vanilla extract. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not over-mixed. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until well risen, golden brown and firm to touch. Leave the muffin in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Whick the double cream until stiff. When the muffins are cold, spread the cream on top of each then top with a strawberry.