BANGLA CHICKEN

At that time when I first saw this recipe shared by Phong Hong, I told myself I have to try it.  Only deterrent was I couldn't get to buy a small portion of Garam Masala.  Finally, I got it while shopping at Mydin store.  I wasted no time and got down to cook it.

My preparation steps slightly defers due to hasty reading of her post but I did follow the ingredients accordingly, except that I added 1 large onion.  Anyway, I did end up with this lovely curry, love the chicken pieces which are well coated with the tasty thick gravy.

Do give this a try if you like the look of it, hahaha!.

Recipe adapted from Phong Hong Bakes and Cooks [with slight modifications]

Ingredients
1 kg  chicken whole legs - cut bite size pieces
1 large onion - peeled and cut wedges

2-3 sprigs curry leaves

2 star anise

5 cloves

1 piece cinnamon stick

1/2 bowl water

Curry Paste [blended and mixed together]

4 pips garlic
1 thumb sized ginger

15 shallots

25 gm [1 packet] meat curry powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garam masala
salt to taste

1. Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in pan and saute the  curry paste until fragrant.
2. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise and curry leaves. Saute for a short while until fragrant and until oil separates.
3. Add chicken and stir until chicken is well coated with curry paste and firm.
4. Add some water, mix well,cover and leave to simmer over low flame.  Stir the chicken now and then to prevent burning [about 10 minutes].  Covering the wok helps to cook the chicken with its own moisture.
5. Uncover,add in onions and cook until gravy is thick.
6. Add salt to taste. Serve hot with rice.

EZCR#62 - RED WINE RESIDUUM CHICKEN WITH BLACK FUNGUS

This is one of the many recipes shared in a Chinese TV cook show which features lots of homey Mama's home-cooked dishes.  Their home cooked dishes are tasty and good with rice or porridge.  

This dish tastes good just cooked or even better after resting with the ingredients absorbing the flavours.  The tomatoes give this dish a sweet, sourish taste while the chicken is tender and the black fungus are crunchy.  The red wine residuum give a unique aroma to this dish.  It is a healthy dish, too with the use of red wine residuum known for regulating blood cholesterol levels.

Ingredients

2 deboned chicken whole leg with skin - cut bite size pieces

1 piece wood ear black fungus - soaked and cut into smaller pieces

1 tomato - cut wedges

1 tbsp chopped ginger

Seasoning

1 tbsp red wine residuum [ang chow]

salt and sugar to taste

1. Heat a non-stick wok without oil, pan fry chicken pieces, skin side first until brown and oil oozes out.  Flip over to fry the meat sides.
2. Add in ginger to fry until aromatic, then add in Ang Chow, black fungus and seasoning.  Stir to mix well, then add in water.
3. Bring to boil, add in tomatoes and continue to cook until water is reduced and gravy is thick.
4. Taste to adjust seasoning.
5. Add in spring onions, dish up to serve with rice.

DEEP FRIED BRINJALS

If happens that your children don't eat vegetables or your family members don't like brinjals, try this fried brinjals.  It may change their mindset.

These fried brinjals are so good with mayo and they are easy to prepare.  It is crispy on the outside and cottony soft and sweet inside.  

Minimal ingredients yet awesome.  I had prepared this dish again and added some garam masala to the batter.  It adds extra aroma to the brinjals.

Ingredients

1-2 brinjals - sliced slant wise to 1 cm thickness

1 small packet seasoned flour for deep frying

1 tbsp oil

enough water to mix flour into a thick batter

enough oil for deep frying

Mayonnaise

1. Mix seasoned flour with water into a thick batter in a bowl.  Add oil to mix.
2. Deep brinjal slices into batter and deep fry at medium heat until crispy and golden brown.  
3. Drain from oil and serve immediately with mayo sauce and some chilli sauce if preferred.
   
   
   
   

EZCR#61 - CRISPY STREAKY PORK WITH SCRAMBLED EGGS

This is a pale looking dish but tasty dish that goes well with rice or mashed potatoes.  Lots of salad leaves and tomatoes to go with it, makes a complete meal.

No oil is needed to cook this dish as the fats comes from frying of the streaky pork belly.

Ingredients

[serves 2]

200 gm streaky pork fillet - cut 2-3 inches length [seasoned with some salt and pepper]

2 large eggs 

1 stalk chopped spring onions

1 tbsp chopped garlic

some salad leaves and cut tomatoes

Seasoning to taste

1 tbsp wine

salt, msg and pepper to taste

1. Beat eggs in a bowl and add in some cornstarch water.
2. Heat up a non-stick wok, fry streaky pork until brown and oil oozes out.  Pour oil into beaten egg and mix well.  Set aside.
3. Push meat aside, turn to high heat and pour in beaten eggs to fry by stirring constantly.  Push ingredients aside, add in garlic and fry until fragrant.
4. Mix all ingredients together, add in seasoning and some water.  Let it boil until water is almost dry.
5. Lastly add in spring onions.  Stir fry to mix.
6. Dish up onto plate lined with salad leaves.  Serve immediately with rice or mashed potatoes.

THERMAL COOKER - PIG TRIPE SOUP [TOO THOR TH'NG]

This is my family recipe for Pig Tripe Soup [Too Thor Th'ng].  A version very near to my mum's 'agak-agak' recipe but I have modified a little.  Have been cooking this dish for years but so far haven't shared the recipe.  Usually, I used a big pot to cook this soup at my mother in-law's place and it is not convenient to take photos on the procedures there to share them here.  None in her family [except my hubby] knows that I have a food blog.

Recently, with some ingredients available in my own kitchen, I prepared this dish using the Thermal Cooker.  I am very happy with the outcome.  The soup tastes as good, it is clear and the ingredients are just tender.   You can cook this in a soup pot which requires a longer cooking time over the stove.

I cooked this soup last week for my nephew's wedding eve [ancestor veneration].  I replaced the chicken with pig trotter.  It is good too.

Ingredients

1 small pig tripe - cut slantwise bite size pieces*

2 large chicken whole legs - fats and some skin removed - cut bite size pieces

1 can button or straw mushrooms - halved

10 waterchestnuts - peeled and halved

100 gm Gingko nuts - click here on how to prepare

1 bulb Szechuan preserved vegetable [Zha cai] - rinsed, soaked and sliced

5 cloves garlic with skin - keep whole

1 tbsp white peppercorns - lightly crushed

2.5 - 3 litres water

Seasoning

1 tsp salt to taste [depends on the Zha cai]

1 tsp chicken stock granules

* watch video here on how to clean pig tripe

1. After cleaning the pig tripe, boil it in a big pot of water together with some garlic until just tender.   Remove, rinse well and cut slantwise bite size pieces.
2. Place garlic and peppercorns in a small herb bag.  Secure tightly with a string.
3. Place bag, Szechuan vegetables in the inner pot of the Thermal Cooker together with water.  Bring to boil.
4. Add in the pig tripe bring to boil for 10 minutes.  Add in chicken and remaining ingredients, bring to boil for another 10 minutes.  Add seasoning to taste.
5. Cover pot with lid and transfer to outer pot.  Close the lid and leave to cook in the Thermal Cooker for 1-2 hours or until meat is tender.

Soup before transferring to outer pot of cooker

Soup is ready after 1-2 hours in the Thermal Cooker