Category: FOOD

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NASI GORENG

Nasi Goreng

6 cups of cold cooked white rice (I used Basmati)

1 large onion finely chopped

1 large carrot diced to 1 centimetre cubes

½ cup of frozen corn kernels

½ cup of frozen peas

4 plump cloves garlic minced or finely chopped

1 tablespoon medium curry powder

4 tablespoons vegetable oil like canola

½ to 1 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons tomato paste mixed with 2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons ketjap manis

Salt to taste

4 x eggs fried to serve

Method:

Heat the oil in a well-seasoned wok. Fry onions for 3 -4 minutes. Add the diced carrot and garlic and continue frying for a further three minutes. Now add the curry powder – continuing to fry for thirty seconds so the powder does not burn. Add the tomato paste, ketjap manis, chilli flakes if using, a couple of generous pinches of salt, the corn kernels and peas. Give it a stir and cover the wok with a lid for a minute. Break up the rice during the process of adding the rice to the wok. Continue frying until all the rice is thoroughly mixed and heated through (about five minutes). Serve hot with fried egg on top. (Serves 4)

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Char Kway Teow – Malaysian style rice noodles

This is typical Malaysian street food and for best results you need to cook individual serves. I normally prepare the tofu and have all my ingredients portioned out and ready to go, so cooking becomes a coordinated effort and is a breeze.

I suggested using fresh rice noodles but you can also use dried rice noodles about 1cm wide. Cook them first in boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes (refer to instructions on the packet) and refresh them several times in cold water so they don’t clump up together.

You can use any combination of protein – Chinese sausage, squid, prawns or just egg and tofu.

INGREDIENTS

90ml light soy sauce

45ml dark soy sauce

20ml oyster sauce

20ml fish sauce

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

Continue reading “Char Kway Teow – Malaysian style rice noodles”

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Vegetable Korma

Ingredients:

½ medium sized cauliflower cut into small florets

1 onion finely chopped

1 large carrot cut into 3 centimetre cubes

1 large potato cut into 3 centimetre cubes

1 small bunch of green beans cut into 3 centimetre pieces or 1 cup of frozen cut beans

½ cup frozen or fresh peas

½ cup natural yoghurt

60 grams blanched peanuts dry roasted and ground

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander powder

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon sugar

1 hot green chilli

5 centimetre piece of ginger

6 plump garlic cloves

10 -12 thick coriander stalks roughly chopped

4 tablespoons vegetable oil like canola oil

Salt to taste

Steamed Rice or Roti or Pita Bread to serve

Method:

Using a mortar and pestle or a mixer, grind the ginger, garlic, green chilli and coriander stalks to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a large fry pan. When oil is sufficiently hot, throw in the cinnamon stick and fry for 30 seconds. Then add the finely chopped onion and fry for a minute. Add the cauliflower, carrot and potato pieces. Turn the heat to the highest setting and let them sizzle for two to three minutes. Clear a bit of space so you can see the bottom of the pan – now add the cumin, coriander, chilli and garam masala powders along with the pinch of sugar and salt. Incorporate the spice powders into the vegetables and continue frying for a minute. Now add the yoghurt and ground paste mixing everything so the spice paste adheres to the vegetables. Add a cup of water, mix, cover with lid and let cook for about 15 minutes. (The vegetables need to be just about done but not too mushy) Add the green beans and peas and continue cooking with the lid on for a further five minutes. Finally add the ground peanut powder. Give everything a good stir. Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve hot with steamed rice or roti or pita bread.

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Healthy Eating

I know “healthy eating, healthy lifestyle “have been bandied about too often. It varies from person to person and it is not a formula where one size fits all. Having said that the basics of eating well are ensuring your body is getting the correct amount of nutrients it requires. It is a fact we all need carbohydrates, proteins and fats from a variety of sources and all in moderation to form a balanced diet. My simple rule to ensure my family and I are getting a balanced, wholesome diet is using whole foods that I can cook, create or assemble. I try to buy local, seasonal and the best I can afford incorporating a colourful and varied diet using fresh fruits, vegetables, grains. I keep my family interested in what’s for dinner by cooking various cuisines. I guarantee that if you follow my food philosophy, you automatically eat what’s good for you as well as a wholesome, balanced diet. I started collecting recipes as a teenager and now seem to have quite a few acquired from friends of friends as well as my own tried and tested versions of classics.