Stewed Okra (Lady's Fingers) with Tomatoes and Cilantro

Recipe: (Serves 4-6)

400 g/14 oz can chopped tomatoes with onions and garlic
Generous pinch of ground cinnamon
Generous pinch of ground cumin
Generous pinch of ground cloves
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
0.5 kg/1.1 lb okra (lady's fingers)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1) Heat the tomatoes and the cinnamon, cumin, and cloves with half the cilantro in a pan, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and bring to a boil.

2) Add the okra and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes, until the okra is tender.

3) Taste for spicing and seasoning, and adjust if necessary, adding more of any one spice, salt, or pepper to taste. Stir in the remaining cilantro. Serve hot, warm, or even cold.

Clay pot Chicken and Vegetables

Recipe:

500 g (1 lb) chicken thigh fillets
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
6 dried Chinese mushrooms
2 small leeks
250 g (8 oz) orange sweet potato
2 tablespoons peanut oil
5 cm (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, shredded
1/2 cup (125 ml) chicken stock
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 teaspoons cornflour

Method:

1) Wash the chicken under cold water and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut the chicken into small pieces. Place it in a dish with the soy sauce and sherry, cover and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Cover the mushrooms with hot water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Remove the stems and chop the caps into shreds. Wash the leeks thoroughly to remove all grit. Cut the leeks and sweet potato into thin slices.

2) Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Heat half the oil in a wok or heavy-based frying pan, swirling it gently to coat the base and sides. Add half the chicken pieces and stir-fry briefly until seared on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a flameproof clay pot or casserole. Stir-fry the remaining chicken and add it to the clap pot. Heat the remaining oil in the wok; add the leek and ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, remaining marinade, stock and sesame oil and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to the clay pot with the sweet potato and cook, covered, on the top of the stove over very low heat for about 20 minutes.

3) Dissolve the cornflour in a little water and add it to the pot. Cook, stirring, until the mixture boils and thickens. Serve the chicken and vegetables at once with steamed brown or white rice or with noodles.

Note: Like all stews, this is best cooked 1 to 2 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to mature. It can also be frozen, but omit the sweet potato. Steam or boil the potato separately when the dish is reheating and stir it through.

Balinese Fried Fish

Recipe:

750 g (1.5 lb) firm white fish fillets, such as jewfish or ling
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Oil, for shallow frying
4 red Asian shallots, finely sliced lengthways
2.5 cm (1 inch) piece lemon grass (white part only), finely chopped
2 red chilies, finely chopped
2 cm (3/4 inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
2 tablespoons kecap manis
1 tablespoons grated palm sugar or soft brown sugar
2 teaspoons lime juice
3 spring onions, finely chopped

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to warm 160oC (315oF/Gas 2-3). Cut the fish into bite-sized pieces; sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil, about 2 cm (3/4 inch) deep, in a deep frying pan; add the fish 3 or 4 pieces at a time, and fry over moderately high heat for about 4 minutes, turning the pieces over, until they are a light golden brown. Drain the fish on paper towels and place in the oven to keep warm.

2) In a small pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the fish frying oil; add the shallots, lemon grass, chili, ginger and shrimp paste and cook for 3 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the water, kecap manis and sugar, and stir until the sauce boils and thickens. Stir in the lime juice and spring onion. Drizzle the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.

Note: The fish must have a solid meaty texture or it will fall apart during the frying. Kecap manis is Indonesian soy sauce, and is slightly thicker and sweeter than Chinese soy sauce.

Hot Dry Meat Curry

Recipe:(Serves 4-6)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 piece fresh ginger, 5 cm/2 in long, crushed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
6-8 curry leaves
3 tablespoons extra hot curry paste
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
Salt, to taste
900 g/2 lb lean lamb, beef or pork, cubed
175 ml/6 fl oz/ 0.75 cup thick coconut milk
Chopped tomato and coriander (cilantro) leaves, to garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the sliced onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves until the onion is soft, stirring occasionally. Stir in the curry paste, chili, five-spice powder, turmeric and salt and cook for a few moments, stirring frequently.

2. Add the meat and stir well over a medium heat to seal and evenly brown the meat pieces. Keep stirring until the oil separates. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes.

3. Add the coconut milk, mix well and simmer until the meat is cooked. Towards the end of cooking, uncover the pan to reduce the excess liquid. Garnish and serve hot.

Hot Chicken Curry

Recipe: Serves 4

2 tablespoons corn oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/4 teaspoon onion seeds
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic pulp
1/2 teaspoon ginger pulp
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
400 g/14 oz/1.75 cups canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
350 g/12 oz chicken, skinned, boned and cubed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
3 fresh green chilies, chopped
1/2 red (bell) pepper, cut into chunks
1/2 green (bell) pepper, cut into chunks
Fresh coriander (cilantro) springs

Method:
1. Using a medium saucepan, heat the oil and fry the fenugreek and onion seeds until they turn a shade darker. Add the chopped onions, garlic and ginger and fry for about 5 minutes until the onions turn golden brown. Lower the heat to very low.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix together the ground coriander, chili powder, salt, tomatoes and lemon juice.

3. Pour this mixture into the saucepan and turn up the heat to medium. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes.

4. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for 5-7 minutes.

5. Add the fresh coriander (cilantro), green chilies and the sliced (bell) peppers. Lower the heat, cover the saucepan and let this simmer for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked.

6. Serve hot, garnished with fresh coriander sprigs.

Honey-Braised Vegetables with Bean Curd

Recipe:

8 dried Chinese mushrooms
20 dried lily buds (optional)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 thin slices ginger
250 g white sweet potato, halved and sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons sesame oil
45 g fried bean curd, cut into 1 cm strips
2 teaspoons cornflour
4 spring onions cut into 4 cm lengths
1 x 410 g canned baby corn
1 x 230 g canned water chestnuts, drained

Method:

Soak the mushrooms in hot water to cover for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup liquid. Squeeze mushrooms to remove excess liquid. Remove stems. Slice the mushrooms thinly. Slice ginger thinly. Soak the lily buds separately, if using, in warm water for 30 minutes; drain.

Heat the oil in a wok or heavy-based frying pan, swirling gently to coat base and side. Add ginger and stir-fry over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and lily buds and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add sweet potato with the soy, honey, sesame oil. mushroom liquid and fried bean curd.

Dissolve cornflour in a little water, add to pan. Stir until liquid thickens. Add the spring onions, corn and water chestnuts; simmer for 1 minute. Serve.

Spicy Tofu with Lemon Grass, Basil and Peanuts

Recipe: (Serves 3 to 4)

3 lemon grass stalks (white part only), finely chopped
45 ml/3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 red Serrano chilies, seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 ml/1 teaspoon ground turmeric
10 ml/2 teaspoon sugar
300 g/11 oz tofu, rinsed, drained, patted dry and cut into bite size cubes
30 ml/2 tablespoons groundnut (peanut) oil
45 ml/3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
1 bunch fresh basil, stalks removed
Salt

Method:

1. Using a bowl, mix together the lemon grass, soy sauce, chilies, garlic, turmeric and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add a little salt to taste and add the tofu, making sure it is well coated. Leave to marinate for 1 hour.

2. Heat a wok or heavy pan. Pour in the oil, add the marinated tofu, and cook, stirring frequently, until it is golden brown on all sides. Add the peanuts and most of the basil leaves.

3. Divide the tofu among individual serving dishes, scatter the remaining basil leaves over the top and serve hot or at room temperature with white rice.

Shellfish Curry with Coconut Milk and Basil

Recipe: (Serves 4)

4 cm / 1.5 inch fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
45 ml / 3 tablespoon groundnut (peanut) oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 lemon grass stalks, finely sliced
2 green or red chilies, seeded and finely sliced
15 ml / 1 tablespoon raw cane sugar
10 ml / 2 teaspoons shrimp paste
15 ml / 1 tablespoon nuoc mam
30 ml / 2 tablespoons curry powder
550 ml / 18 fl oz / 2.5 cups coconut milk
Grated rind and juice of 1 lime
4 medium-size squid, cleaned and cut diagonally into 3 or 4 pieces
12 scallops, shelled
20 large raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1 small bunch fresh basil, stalks removed
1 small bunch fresh coriander, stalks removed, leaves finely chopped, to garnish
Salt

Method:

1. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the ginger and garlic until it almost resembles a paste. Heat the oil in a flameproof clay pot, wok or heavy pan and stir in the onion. Stir and cook until it begins to turn brown, then add in the garlic and ginger paste.

2. Once you start to smell the fragrant aromas, add the sliced lemon grass, sliced chilies and raw cane sugar. Cook briefly before adding the shrimp paste, nuoc mam and curry powder. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add the coconut milk, lime rind and juice. Mix well and bring to the boil. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

4. Gently stir in the squid, scallops and shrimps and bring to the boil once more. Reduce the heat and cook gently until the shellfish turns opaque. Stir in the basil leaves and sprinkle the chopped coriander over the top. You can serve immediately from the pot.