Fish Curry with Rice Noodles

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 oz white mushrooms
8 oz angler fish, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 oz salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 oz cod, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste
1-3/4 cups canned coconut milk
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp Thai fish sauce
4 oz rice noodles
3 scallions, chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
few fresh Thai basil leaves, to garnish

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms and gently cook until softened but not browned.
2. Add the fish, Thai Red Curry Paste, and coconut milk and bring gently to a boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes before adding half the cilantro, the sugar, and fish sauce. Keep warm.
3. Soak the rice noodles for 3-4 minutes (check the package directions), or until tender, and drain well using a colander.
4. Put the colander and noodles over a pan of simmering water. Add the scallions, bean sprouts, and most of the basil leaves and steam on top of the noodles for 1-2 minutes, or until just wilted.
5. Pile the noodles onto warmed serving plates and top with the fish curry. Scatter the remaining cilantro over the top, garnish with basil, and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Curries

Glutinous Rice Sweet Potato Balls

Ingredients

300 g glutinous rice flour
200 g sweet potatoes
2 tbsps tapioca flour
10 pandan leaves
a few drops of green food colouring
a pinch of salt
100 g palm sugar (grated and mixed with 1 tbsp castor sugar)
250 g grated white coconut

Method

1. Steam grated white coconut on 2 pieces pandan leaves with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes. Leave to cool.
2. Remove skin of sweet potatoes and steam for 15 minutes or until cooked. Mash while still warm.
3. Crush pandan leaves till fine. Add water to make 200 ml pandan juice. Filter to remove leaves. Add salt and green food colouring.
4. Put glutinous rice flour and tapioca flour in a mixing bowl. Add in mashed sweet potatoes. Pour in pandan juice and knead till dough is smooth and spongy. If it is too dry, add some more water.
5. Pinch a small lump of dough. Roll into a ball and flatten. Put a little palm sugar at the centre and seal well. Place the balls in a bowl.
6. Bring a big saucepan of water to the boil. Drop the balls into the boiling water. When the balls rise to the surface, keep boiling for another 2 minutes. Scoop up each ball with a strainer and coat in grated coconut.

Source: Delicious Nyonya Kueh and Dessert

Scallops on Noodles

Ingredients

4 oz dried green tea noodles, or the thinnest green noodles you can find
1 oz butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch of paprika
1 tbsp peanut or corn oil, plus a little extra for cooking the scallops
2 tbsp bottled mild or medium Thai green curry paste
2 tbsp water
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 scallions, finely shredded, and extra scallions, sliced, to garnish
12 fresh scallops, removed from the shells
salt and pepper

Method

1. Boil the noodles for about 1-1/2 minutes, until soft, then rinse with cold water and drain well. For any other noodles, follow the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt the butter and cook the garlic in it for about 1 minute. Add the paprika and set aside.
3. Heat a wok over high heat. Add the oil. Stir in the curry paste, water, and soy sauce and bring to a boil.
4. Add the noodles and stir round to reheat. Stir in the scallions, then remove from the heat and keep warm.
5. Heat a ridged, cast-iron grill pan over high heat and brush lightly with a little oil. Add the scallops to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on the first side, then no more than 2 minutes on the second, brushing with the garlic butter, until just cooked (the center shouldn’t be totally opaque if cut open). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Divide the noodles into 4 portions and top with 3 scallops each. Garnish with spring onions before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Noodles

Steak with Cashew Nam Jim

Ingredients

1-1/2 lb thick-cut beef rump steak
1 tbsp olive oil
11 oz gai lan
8-1/2 oz baby bok choy, trimmed, quartered
3 oz snow peas
4 green onions, sliced thinly
1/4 cup unsalted roasted cashews, chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs

Canhew Nam Jim

2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 fresh long green chillies, seeded, chopped coarsely
2 fresh cilantro roots, chopped coarsely
1/2 tea finely finely grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp grated dark palm sugar
1/3 cup unsalted roasted cashews
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce

Method

1. Make cashew nam jim. Blend shallots, garlic, chilli, coriander root, ginger, sugar and nuts (or pound with a mortar and pestle) until mixture forms a paste. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in juice and fish sauce to taste.
2. Trim fat from steak; rub with oil, season. Cook steak on a heated grill plate (or grill or barbecue) on medium-high heat for 4 minutes each side for medium or until done as desired. Remove steak from heat; cover with foil, rest for 5 minutes.
3. Trim gai lan stalks; cut stalks from leaves. Steam stalks, in a single layer, in a large steamer over a wok or large saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute.
   
4. Place bok choy on top of gai lan. Steam for a further 2 minutes.

5. Add snow peas and gai lan leaves. Seam for a further 2 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
6. Place vegetables on a platter in layers, top with thickly sliced steak. Drizzle with any steak juices, then top with cashew nam jim. Sprinkle with onion, nuts and coriander before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Everyday Powerfoods

Coconut Prawn Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
800 ml coconut milk
1/4 cup fish sauce
fresh coriander leaves, to garnish
thinly sliced lime rind, to garnish

Curry Paste

6 long dried red chillies
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 red Asian shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger
4 fresh coriander roots, well rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander stems
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 stems lemon grass, white part only, sliced (reserve the stems for the stock)
2 fresh kaffir lime leaves, thinly shredded
I teaspoon shrimp paste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Stock

700 g raw medium prawns
4 red Asian shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic
reserved grassy ends of lemon grass stems
6 black peppercorns

Method

1. To make the curry paste, soak the chillies in boiling water for 20 minutes, then drain. Toss the spices and peppercorns in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Grind to a powder, then transfer to a food processor and add the remaining paste ingredients and 1 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth, adding a little water, if necessary.
2. Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tails intact. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Reserve the heads and shells.
3. To make the stock, dry-fry the prawn heads and shells in a wok over high heat for 5 minutes, or until orange. Add the remaining stock ingredients and 1.5 litres water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, simmer for 15-20 minutes, then strain into a bowl.
4. Heat a clean, dry wok over medium heat, add the oil and swirl to coat the side. Add 3 tablespoons of the curry paste and stir constantly over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or Until fragrant. Stir in the stock and coconut milk and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the prawns and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until they are cooked. Stir in the fish sauce and garnish with coriander leaves and lime rind.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: The Essential Wok Cookbook