Tag Archives: Jasmine Rice

Lime-Scented Chicken Curry

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Chicken_and_Lime_Curry (1 of 1)I’ve been cooking red meat like crazy on my new pellet grill/smoker, so it was time to give that a break. This weekend, I was in the mood for something fresh and spicy, so I made this Thai-inspired chicken curry. Fantastic –  this dish really fulfilled my culinary desires for something different (not that I haven’t posted my share of Southeast Asian curries, but it’s been a while). This recipe can also be made with fresh, peeled and grated galangal in place of ginger — if you have access to that, I recommend it. Oh, and for some added fun for the kids, don’t seed the chilies! I hope you’ll try this dish tonight!

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
6 – 8 red Thai bird chilies, seeded and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk lemon grass, tough outer leaves removed, bottom (white) portion very finely chopped
2 tsp ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp turmeric

3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch x 1-inch chunks
2 14-oz cans coconut milk
Juice of 1 lime
6 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 lime, cut into wedges for garnish

Combine first 6 ingredients (onion through turmeric) in a food processor. Process into a fine paste.

Heat oil in a wok or Dutch oven over high heat. Add spice paste and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook an additional 4 minutes. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, lime leaves, sugar and fish sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until chicken is tender and sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat. Season with additional fish sauce and sugar, if desired. Serve with lime wedges and steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 4.

Chicken and Rice Flavored with Garam Masala

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Chicken_and_Rice_with_Garam_Masala (1 of 1)Hi guys! I probably should have thrown something on the grill out back because it was the fist nice day since last fall, but I ended up making this simple and delicious chicken dish last night instead. This dish features garam masala, which is actually a (yummy) blend of ground spices, and is commonly used in Northern Indian cooking. I’ve never made garam masala my self, since it’s readily available at Indian markets. I’ve found that you need to discard what you have on-hand every 6 months, because freshness, as with most ground spices, is very important to a dish. I enjoyed this dish, and I hope you will to — please consider giving it a try tonight!

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, very finely grated or minced
2 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 2/3 cups uncooked jasmine rice
4 tsp salt
4 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large wok or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Increase heat to medium high. Add chicken and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Stir in garam masala and cayenne pepper. Stir in rice and salt, and then the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover wok and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove wok from heat and let stand for an additional minutes. Fluff with a fork, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Serves 4.

Chicken Simmered with Green Onions and Sweet Soy Sauce (Ayam O)

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Ayam_O (1 of 1) Hi. Back from Germany. Turns out that I was too busy to cook for the blog while there. I did have tons of great food there, which I’ll try to recreate in future blogs. Great game tonight between Germany and Brazil (though, I feel bad for Brazil). Anyway, tonight’s dish is a very simple, delicious Indonesian chicken dish. There is no heat in this dish, but you can add some if you like. Browning the chicken first (which I don’t think is very Indonesian) helps to keep the chick very moist. Yum — hope you’ll try it tonight!

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut up into large chunks
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated or minced
1 inch ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp brown or palm sugar
1/2 tsp granulated terasi
2 spring onions, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
3 Tbsp kecap manis
2 Tbsp water

Combine chicken chunks with salt and pepper in a large bowl. Set aside (let stand 10 minutes).

Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add chicken and brown 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir-fry another 1 minute.

Add ginger, brown sugar and stir. Add terasi and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Stir in spring onions, soy sauce and water. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 25 minutes. Remove lid and cook another 5 minutes, or until sauce is very thick. Serve with steamed coconut rice and peeled, quartered hard-boiled eggs.

Serves 4.

Vietnamese Caramalized Pork Patties

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Vietnamese_Caramalized_Pork_Balls1 (1 of 1)These pork patties are spectacular as far as I’m concerned! So full of flavor! Aside from the caramalization and other great ingredients, the sauce has a ton of ground black pepper — this is typical of many Vietnamese sauces, and I think it’s what makes this dish (must be from the French influence in Vietnam). If you like Southeast Asia’s obligatory sweet, hot, sour, salty flavor combo, I think you’ll really like this dish!

3 Tbsp tamarind purée
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 cups finely chopped shallots (about 5 very large Euro-style)
3 red Thai bird chilies, minced
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 large cloves garlic, very finely shredded or minced
1 1/2 lbs lean ground pork
1/3 (slightly rounded) cup sugar
3 scallions, sliced

In a small bowl, mix together 2 Tbsp fish sauce with 1/2 cup water. Set aside.

In another small bowl, mix together 2/3 cup chopped shallots with half the minced chilies and 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Set aside

Heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in remaining 1 1/3 cups chopped shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add remaining minced chilies and garlic. Stir-fry an additional 40 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine pork, remaining 2 Tbsp fish sauce, remaining 1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper and the cooked shallots. Make 18 small patties (a little less than 1/4 pork mixture, at about 2 1/2 inches each in diameter).

In a skilled large enough to easily fit all patties in a single layer, heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Add patties and brown on each side (about 3 1/2 minutes per side). Turn heat off and remove patties from pan — wipe out pan with a paper towel.

Add 1/3 water and 1/3 sugar to pan over medium heat and swirl gently until sugar is dissolvedVietnamese_Caramalized_Pork_Balls2 (1 of 1) and mixture begins to caramelize (about 12 minutes — you should end up with a nice, copper-colored sugar-water. Remove from heat. Slowly add fish sauce/water mixture to sugar-water. Return to a medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the uncooked shallot/chili mixture. Cook about 1 1/2 minutes, until shallots have softened. Stir in 3 Tbsp tamarind purée. Add back the pork patties and stir to ensure patties are well covered in the sauce. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes (turning patties after first 10 minutes). Remove lid. Remove patties and set aside. Simmer sauce another couple of minutes until slightly reduced. Remove from heat. Serve patties over steamed jasmine rice, topped with sauce and sliced scallions.

Serves 6.

 

 

 

 

Khmer-Style Chicken Curry

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Khmer_Chicken_Curry3 (1 of 1)This very flavorful curry dish is served in Cambodia, where it is called samlá. I believe the original version would use a ton of fresh galangal — ginger works fine, as well. I added a touch of galangal (Laos) powder (which I keep in the pantry) to add that woody delicious aroma of galangal. I prefer this curry rather fiery, but if you like it milder, you can cut down on the Thai chilies. If you like curry, you must try this dish and let me know what you think!

4 inches fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced cross-wise
3 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves removed, bottom 6 inches finely chopped
2 – 4 dried Thai chilies, soaked in hot water 20 minutes, then finely chopped
1/2 tsp Thai shrimp paste
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp grated lime rind
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Laos powder (dried, ground galangal)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
5 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 shallots or 1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 14.5 oz can coconut milk
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh lime juice

Combine first 11 ingredients (through shallots) in a food processor. Process into a smooth paste.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add ginger mixture and stir-fry 1 minute. Add Khmer_Chicken_Curry2 (1 of 1)chicken and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add coconut milk and sugar. Deglaze pan while bringing mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes. Remove lid and let simmer an additional 5 minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in lime juice and season with additional salt and/or sugar if desired. Serve over steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 4.

 

Thai Stir-Fry of Mushrooms and Tofu

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Mushrooms_and_Tofu1 (1 of 1)I’ve been posting a lot of meat dishes lately, writing about meat, even declaring my love of meat in my last post. That said, I’m taking a break from meat. This is simple and delicious vegetarian dish (if you use vegetable stock), and served with steamed rice, is a meal in and of itself. It’s not too spicy (depending on the chili garnish you use), give it a try tonight!

14 oz extra firm tofu
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp plus 2 Tbsp soy sauce, divided
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp peeled and finely grated or chopped ginger
5 Tbsp vegetable or chicken stock
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and very finely grated or chopped
8 oz oyster mushrooms, tough bases removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced into 1-inch chunks
2 spring onions, sliced diagonally
1 hot red pepper (about 3 inches long), seeded and cut into very fine julienne slices

Drain tofu block and cut into 1-inch cubes. Place cubes in between paper towels and let drain further for about 15 minutes.

Place tofu in a shallow dish. Whisk together sesame oil, 2 tsp soy sauce, ground black pepper and ginger in a small bowl. Add to tofu and toss until tofu is well-coated. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for 30 minutes.

Whisk together stock, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, cornstarch and sugar in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Add the cornstarch mixture and tofu, and gently mix for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with a couple  additional sprinkles of soy sauce, if desired. Remove from heat and place on a serving platter. Garnish with the sliced green onions and red pepper (add more red pepper, if desired). Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as part of a Thai meal with other dishes.

Curry of Chicken Soup with Rice (Mulligatawny)

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Curried_Chicken_Soup1 (1 of 1)Mulligatawny is a delicious Anglo-Indian soup that has its origins in South India. The name is said to come from the Tamil words milagu (“pepper”) and thanni (“water”). Pepper water  doesn’t sound so appetizing to me, and it not representative of this great soup. If I had to pick out one ingredient that I think makes this soup shine, I would definitely say it’s the cloves — they really add to the depth of flavor of this dish. Hope you’ll try it tonight!

2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 2 large), trimmed of all visible fat
2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp butter
12 black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
6 cups chicken stock
1 large apple (such as Golden Delicious), peeped, cored and diced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup cream
1 recipe steamed jasmine rice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine the flour, curry powder, 1 tsp of the salt, ground ginger and ground turmeric. Rub into the chicken and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the diced apples and lemon juice; set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and any of the Curried_Chicken_Soup2 (1 of 1)spice mixture that may have fallen off. Brown chicken on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp salt, peppercorns, cloves and chicken stock to the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring to deglaze the pan. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 1 hour. Add the apples and lemon juice; cook for another 15 minutes.

Remove chicken breasts from the pan. When cool enough to work with your fingers, remove skin and discard. Remove meat from the bones and shred. Add shredded chicken back to the pan. Stir in the cream. Season to taste with additional salt.

Divide the cooked rice among 4 bowls. Ladle soup over each and top each with chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Serve.

Serves 4.

Sweet Indonesian Beef in a Flavorful “Dry” Sauce (Dendeng Sapi Manis)

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Dendeng_Sapi_Manis1 (1 of 1)Like many Indonesian beef dishes, this calls for a lean, relatively less tender cut of meat. It is braised for quite a while until tender, and the cooking liquid has just about evaporated. In fact, the name of this recipe, Dendeng Sapi Manis translates into English as “Sweet Beef Jerky.” However, this dish is nothing like dried-out American beef jerky;  on the contrary, it’s tender and delicious. I hope you’ll try this dish!

1 lb top round beef, thinly sliced into 2-inch pieces
1 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Laos powder
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely grated or minced
1/2 tsp terasi
1 tsp tamarind water
1 1/2 cups water
2 red Thai chilies, sliced on the diagonal

Combine meat with coriander, cumin, Laos powder, nutmeg, brown sugar and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add meat mixture and brown on all sides for 4 minutes.

Add onion and garlic, and cook for another 1 minute. Add the terasi, tamarind water and water. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil.  Cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours. Remove lid and increase heat to high. Cook until most of the sauce has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Garnish with the red Thai chilies, and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 4.

Chicken Simmered in a Sweet Indonesian Soy Sauce (Ayam Kecap)

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Ayam_Kecap2 (1 of 1)Here’s anther Indonesian chicken dish for you to try tonight. There’s no heat in the dish, but I encourage you to serve it with a spicy Indonesian sambal on the side (here I served it with sambal petai, which I purchased at a local Asian food market). What make this dish stand out are the kecap manis (sweet Indonesian soy sauce) and the nutmeg. I think this dish is so interesting — I hope you’ll try it!

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 Tbsp kecap manis
1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate
1 cup water

Rub chicken pieces with the salt.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven (with tight-fitting lid) over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and brown evenly for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the onions and stir-fry for another 3 minutes.

Add the nutmeg, kecap manis and tamarind concentrate to the chicken mixture;  stir well, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 20 minutes, until almost dry (but not burnt!).

Add the water. Increase heat to high, stirring while bringing mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for another 20 minutes. Remove lid. Increase heat to high. Cook an additional 3 minutes, stirring constantly for an additions 3 minutes, until the sauce has thickened substantially. Serve over steamed coconut jasmine rice, with an Indonesian sambal (sauce) on the side.

Serves 4.

Thai Caramelized Pork Stir-Fry (Muu Waan)

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Thai_Caramelized_Pork_Stir-Fry1 (1 of 1)Here’s another simple, quick and delicious stir-fry dish. The garlic, liquids and sugar cook down into a wonderful, sweet and sticky sauce that nicely compliments the pork tenderloin. Those who enjoy Thai cuisine, but don’t like too much spice will like this recipe, as it does not have the usual red peppers in it. I hope you’ll try this dish tonight!

1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
4 Tbsp palm sugar (or light brown sugar), packed
1 Tbsp canola or other vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated or minced
1 1.25-lb pork tenderloin, sliced lengthwise down the middle, then thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 tsp white ground pepper
3 green onions, diagonally sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 additional green onion, diagonally sliced into 1/4-inch pieces for garnish
1 Tbsp fried red onions for garnish (store-bought, found in Asian markets in the Thai condiment section)

Whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce and palm sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the pork and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the sauce mixture and stir-fry for 5 minutes, or until very thick. Add the 3 sliced green onions and white ground pepper, and stir-fry for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and fried red onions.

Serves 4.