Sunday 28 June 2015

Mild Cabbage curry with potato

Mild cabbage curry with potato
Mild cabbage curry with potato


This is a mild curry with very little gravy. I have not used any curry powder or chili powder. The richness of the dish comes from the coconut cream. Potato thickened the gravy.


                                  Recipe Summary
                                           For
                    Mild Cabbage curry with potato.

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves: 4

Mild cabbage curry with potato
Mild cabbage curry 
with potato

1. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan fry 100 grams onion, chopped coarsely, for 8 minutes till it turns brown. Add 1 green chili, cut into small pieces and fry for 30 seconds and then add 300 grams cabbage, shredded into small pieces and 100 grams potato, peeled and cut into bite size cubes.

2. Add 3 cloves garlic, ¼ inch ginger, ½ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp salt and ½ cup water. Cook covered for another 10 minutes.
Ingredients

3. When cabbage is cooked add ½ cup coconut cream and cook for 3 minutes.

4. Add ½ tsp black pepper powder.

5. Taste for seasoning and adjust.


6. It can be served with rice or as a side dish.

Mild Cabbage curry with potato is ready.

                                  
             Recipe follows in detail with pictures.



Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

main
300 grams cabbage, shredded into small pieces
100 grams potato, peeled and cut into bite size cubes
Ingredients for Mild Cabbage curry with potato
Ingredients for Mild Cabbage curry with potato

Others
1 green chili, cut into small pieces
100 grams onion, chopped coarsely
3 cloves garlic
¼ inch ginger.
½ cup coconut cream
Spices
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp turmeric powder

Seasoning
½ tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp salt

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan and fry onions for 8 minutes till it turns brown. Add cut green chili and fry for 30 seconds and then add cabbage and potato.  
Cabbage potato onion,garlic,ginger and curry leaves
Cabbage potato, onion, garlic and ginger 
Stir fried cabbage
Stir fried cabbage

Add turmeric powder, cumin seeds, fennel and ½ cup water. Cook covered for another 10 minutes.


Adding turmeric, fennel and cumin
Adding turmeric, fennel and cumin
When cabbage is cooked add coconut milk and cook for 3 minutes.. Cabbage is a watery vegetable it will not become dry soon. At one point you have to stop and add coconut milk.
Cabbage is cooked
Cabbage is cooked


Adding coconut milk
Adding coconut milk

 Add  pepper


Adding pepper
Adding pepper
. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

The cabbage and potato mild curry is ready.
Cabbage curry is ready
Cabbage curry is ready
It can be served with rice or as a side dish.





























Saturday 27 June 2015

Mild cabbage stir-fry with split chick pea and kai-lan

Mild cabbage stir-fry with split  chick pea and kai-lan
Mild cabbage stir-fry with split  chick pea and kai-lan.
This is a dry stir-fry. Chick pea gives protein. Cabbage and kai-lan give vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients. This is a healthy vegetarian dish cooked without adding  water.

Kai-lan
Kai - lan
          
                                   Recipe summary 
                                             For
          Mild cabbage stir-fry with split chick pea and kai-lan

Preparation time:25 minutes
Cooking time:30 minutes

Serves:6

1. Soak 100 grams dried split chick pea for 3 hours. Drain and discard the water. In a sauce pan add the chick peas and cover it with water. Boil for 15 minutes. The chick pea will be soft but firm. Drain and discard the liquid. Keep the chick pea aside.
Mild cabbage stir-fry with split  chick pea and kai-lan
Mild cabbage stir-fry with
 split  chick pea and kai-lan.


2. Mix 50 grams shredded coconut and 1 tsp turmeric powder well. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and heat it up.

4. Add 1 dry red chili,cut into small pieces and fry for about ½ a minute

5. Add ½ tsp  fennel seeds, and ½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp  mustard seeds ( optional), 1 green chili, chopped into small pieces, 5 curry leaves, chopped, 3 cloves garlic, sliced thin and 5 grams ginger, grated and fry for about 2 minutes.
Ingredients

6. Add 100 grams onion, chopped coarsely and fry for 5 minutes.

7. Add  ½ tsp turmeric powder and fry covered for 1 minute.

8. Add 200 grams cabbage, chopped finely and fry for 10 minutes uncovered.

9. Add 100 grams kai-lan, chopped finely and fry for 3 minutes.

10. I did not add any water. The water from the cabbage was sufficient to cook the rest of the ingredients. Keep stirring it will be cooked without water.
Onion,green chili, garlic, ginger, dry chili, and curry leaves
Onion,green chili, garlic,
 ginger, dry chili, and curry leaves

11. Add chick pea and cook for 3 minutes.

12. Add shredded coconut and stir well. Cook for 3 minutes. 

13. Add 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper powder.


14. Taste for seasoning and adjust.The stir-fried cabbage with kai-lan and chick pea is ready. It can be taken on its own or served as a side dish or served with rice.

The stir-fried cabbage with kai-lan and chick pea is ready.
                                  
                     
                           
                         
                   Recipe follows in detail with pictures.


Preparation time:25 minutes
Cooking time:30 minutes
Serves:6

Ingredients
Main
200 grams cabbage, chopped finely
100 grams kai-lan, chopped finely
100 grams split chick peas
100 grams onion, chopped coarsely
50 grams shredded coconut


Ingredients for Mild cabbage stir-fry with split  chick pea and kai-lan
Ingredients for Mild cabbage stir-fry with split  chick pea and kai-lan
Others
100 grams onion, chopped coarsely
1 green chili, chopped into small pieces
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
5 grams ginger, grated
5 curry leaves, chopped



Onion,green chili, garlic, ginger, dry chili, and curry leaves
Onion,green chili, garlic, ginger, dry chili, and curry leaves













Spices
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp  fennel seeds
½ tsp  mustard seeds ( optional)
1 dry red chili,cut into small pieces
1 tsp turmeric powder

Seasoning 
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation
Soak the split chick pea for 3 hours. Drain and discard the water. In a sauce pan add the chick peas and cover it with water. Boil for 15 minutes. The chick pea will be soft but firm. Drain and discard the liquid.

Mix coconut and 1 tsp turmeric powder well. Set aside. The coconut will now have a golden color to match the colour of the chick peas.


Coconut mixed with turmeric
Coconut mixed with turmeric.

Method
In a large skillet add the oil and heat it up.
Add dry red chili pieces and fry for about ½ a minute.


Frying dry chili
Frying dry chili.
Add fenugreek and cumin seeds.
Adding  fenugreek and cumin seeds
Adding  fenugreek and cumin seeds.
Add green chili, curry leaves, garlic and ginger and fry for about 2 minutes.
Adding green chili, curry leaves, garlic and ginger
Adding green chili, curry leaves, garlic and ginger.
Add  onions and fry for 2 minutes.
Adding onions
Adding onions.
Add  ½ tsp turmeric powder and fry covered for 1 minute.
Adding turmeric powder
Adding turmeric powder. 
Add cabbage and fry for 10 minutes uncovered.
Adding cabbage
Adding cabbage.

Add kai-lan and fry for 3 minutes..


dding kai-lan
Adding kailan.
I did not add any water. The water from the cabbage was sufficient to cook the rest of the ingredients. Keep stirring it will be cooked without water.
Stir frying kai-lan and cabbage
Stir frying kai-lan and cabbage.
Add chick pea and cook for 3 minutes.


Adding chick pea
Adding chick pea.

Mix all the ingredients.
Mixing all the ingredients
Mixing all the ingredients.
Add shredded coconut and stir well. Cook for 3 minutes..


Adding coconut
Adding coconut.


Add salt and pepper.


dding pepper
Adding pepper.


Adding salt
Adding salt.

Taste for seasoning and adjust..

The stir-fried cabbage with kai-lan and chick pea is ready.
It can be taken on its own or served as a side dish or served with rice.



















































Friday 26 June 2015

Indonesian style Spicy long beans with tempeh and pressed tofu


Indonesian style Spicy long beans with tempeh and pressed tofu
Indonesian style Spicy long beans with tempeh and pressed tofu.


This is a very tasty dish with abundance of protein. Long beans are the most tasty among all beans.



                                     Recipe Summary
                                              For
 Indonesian style Spicy long beans with tempeh and pressed. tofu


Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Preparation of long beans. 
1. Prepare 250 grams long beans as shown in this recipe. Cut into 1½" pieces. 
Indonesian style Spicy long beans with tempeh and pressed tofu
Indonesian style Spicy 
long beans with tempeh
 and pressed tofu.


2. In a medium sized skillet or a wok add ¼ cup vegetable oil. Heat the oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium low and deep fry the long beans for 15 minutes or until the beans become soft but not crispy. Keep the remaining oil in the skillet.

3. I added one tsp vegetable oil to the beans and mixed the beans well so that all pieces get covered with oil and fried them in an air fryer for 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. That is why the beans look dry in the picture. 

Others

4. Soak 15 grams tamarind pulp in warm water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the juice and strain it through a sieve. Discard the solids.

5. Soak 4 dry red chilies in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.


6. Soak 50 grams dry prawns for 15 minutes in hot water and shred or pound in a mortar.
Ingredients

7.Grind 6 shallots, peeled, 4 cloves garlic, chopped finely, 5 grams ginger, chopped finely, 3 red chillies and soaked dry chilies into a fine paste. Set aside the spice paste.

Pressing tofu 
8. Buy extra firm tofu. I bought a pack of pressed tofu(150 grams). Yet it had lot of moisture. It will be very difficult to fry tofu with lot of moisture.
Pressing the tofu with a heavy weight
Pressing the tofu with a 
heavy weight

9. So I pressed it. I wrapped the tofu with a few layers of paper towels. Then I wrapped a cotton kitchen towel around the tofu block. I placed the tofu block on a plate and covered with another plate and put a weight on the top plate. For the weight I used a mortar. That was the only heavy item that I could find in my kitchen. I let it rest for 20 minutes. 

10. I removed the tofu block and unwrapped it. It was now fairly dry and could be fried easily.

11. Cut the tofu block into bite size cubes.

12. In the same skillet add one tbsp of oil and pan fry them until they become golden brown in color. This will take about 15 minutes. I fried them in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. 

Preparation of  tempeh
13. Slice 150 grams tempeh into cubes same size as the tofu.
Tempeh
Tempeh


14. Fry the in the same skillet till they become golden brown in colour. It is not necessary to blacken them. But if you like you may blacken them. I fried  in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Preparation of curry
15. In a medium sized skillet add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Heat up the oil. When the oil is hot add the spice paste and fry till it turns to a dark brown color. Use a splash guard. If the paste is watery it will splash all over and mess up your kitchen.

16. Add remaining oil to the skillet. I know it is a little too much of oil. I increased the quantity of oil because the beans looked very dry after air frying. You may reduce the quantity of the oil. if you wish.
Spice paste
Spice paste


17. Add soaked and shredded prawns, ½ tsp cumin seeds, fried  long beans, tofu, ½ tsp turmeric powder and tempeh cubes. Add 3 x 4” piece lemon grass – take only the bottom part and discard the top.

18. Add one cup of water. Bring to a boil and add tamarind juice and 1 tsp salt. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

19.  Add ½ cup coconut cream and simmer for another 3 minutes.

The curry is ready. It can be served with rice or any kind of bread. If you leave out the dry prawns it becomes a vegetarian dish.

Indonesian style Spicy long beans with tempeh and pressed tofu is ready.
                                  
                             
                Recipe follows in detail with pictures.  


Preparation time: 45 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4


Ingredients for Indonesian style Spicy long beans with tempeh and pressed tofu
Ingredients for Indonesian style Spicy long beans with tempeh and pressed tofu
Ingredients
Main
250 grams long beans
50 grams dry prawns
150 grams tempeh
150 grams tofu
Others
300 ml water
3 x 4” piece lemon grass – take only the bottom part and discard the top.
½ cup coconut cream
¼ cup vegetable oil
Spices
Spice paste
Spice paste
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
15 grams tamarind paste - juice extracted.
1 tsp salt

Spice paste
6 shallots, peeled
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
5 grams ginger, chopped finely 
4 dry red chilli
3 red chilies

Preparation
Prepare long beans as shown in this recipe. Cut into 1½ “pieces. In a medium sized skillet or a wok add the vegetable oil. Heat the oil. When the oil is hot reduce the heat to medium low and deep fry the long beans for 15 minutes or until the beans become soft but not crispy. Keep the remaining oil in the skillet.

I added one tsp vegetable oil to the beans and mixed the beans well so that all pieces get covered with oil and fried them in an air fryer for 15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. That is why the beans look dry in the picture.



Long beans in the air fryer
Long beans in the air fryer




Fried long beans
Fried long beans

Soak the tamarind pulp in warm water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the juice and strain it through a sieve. Discard the solids.

Soak the dry red chilies in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.


Soak dry prawns for 15 minutes in hot water and shred or pound.in a mortar.


Soaked and shredded dry prawns
Soaked and shredded dry prawns
Grind all the spice paste ingredients into fine paste. I did this in a blender. Set aside the spice paste.
 (see the above spice paste picture)

Pressing tofu



Pressed tofu
Pressed tofu
Buy extra firm tofu. I bought a pack of pressed tofu. It had lot of moisture. It will be very difficult to fry tofu with lot of moisture.


A block of tofu
A block of tofu

So I pressed again. I wrapped the tofu with a few layers of paper towels. Then I wrapped a cotton kitchen towel around the tofu block.

Placing the tofu on a kitchen towel
Placing the tofu on a kitchen towel


Wrapping  the the first layer
Wrapping  the the first layer





Wrapped in the second layer.
Wrapped in the second layer.

I placed the tofu block on a plate and covered with another plate and put a weight on the top plate. For the weight I used a mortar. That was the only heavy item that I could find in my kitchen. I let it rest for 20 minutes.


Pressing the tofu with a heavy weight
Pressing the tofu with a 
heavy weight

I removed the tofu block and unwrapped it. It was now fairly dry and could be fried easily.



The Pressed tofu after being pressed
The Pressed tofu after being pressed

Cut the tofu block into bite size cubes.


Cut pieces of tofu
Cut pieces of tofu

 In the same skillet add one tbsp of oil and pan fry them until they become golden brown in color. This will take about 15 minutes. I fried them in the air fryer for 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. 


Fried tofu pieces
Fried tofu pieces



 Preparation of  tempeh
Slice the tempeh into cubes same size as the tofu.


Tempeh
Tempeh



Tempeh cut into pieces
Tempeh cut into pieces



Fried tempeh
Fried tempeh
 Fry the in the same skillet till they become golden brown in colour. It is not necessary to blacken them. But if you like you may blacken them.
I fried  in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
Grind all the spice paste ingredients into fine paste. I did this in a blender. Set aside the spice paste.


Method
In a medium sized skillet add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. I used a wok. Wok is convenient for working with very little oil. Heat up the oil. When the oil is hot add the spice paste and fry till it turns to a dark brown color. Use a splash guard. If the paste is watery it will splash all over and mess up your kitchen.
Frying the spice
Frying the spice
Add remaining oil to the skillet. I know it is a little too much of oil. I increased the quantity of oil because the beans looked very dry after air frying. You may reduce the quantity of the oil. if you wish.

Add soaked and shredded prawns and cumin seeds.



Adding dry prawns
Adding dry prawns.


Add long beans..
Adding long beans
Adding long beans.
Add tofu and tempeh cubes, 3 x 4” piece lemon grass, turmeric powder.


Adding tofu and tempeh cubes
Adding tofu and tempeh cubes.

Add one cup of water. Bring to a boil and add tamarind juice and salt.
Adding water and tamarind juice
Adding water and tamarind juice.


Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

 Add coconut cream and simmer for another 3 minutes.

Adding coconut milk
Adding coconut milk.
The curry is ready. 
Curry is ready
Curry is ready.

It can be served with rice or any kind of bread. If you leave out the dry prawns it becomes a vegetarian dish.


Indonesian style Spicy long beans with tempeh and pressed tofu
Indonesian style Spicy long beans with tempeh and pressed tofu