Pan-fried prawns & tomato puree !!

Thai chili prawns, sweet and sour prawns, battered prawns are standby dishes in any restaurant. Recently I found out my own recipe of this amazing prawn dish which I include the Asian flavors.  Pan fried prawns in tomato puree is a pure, authentic balance of mouth-watering spices. 

Ingredients:

• 400g fresh prawns
• 250ml tomato puree
• Diced 01 big onions
• One big carrot
• Hand full of spinach
• One green capsicum (Cut into Julienne)

• Half a cinnamon stick
• 1/2tsp mustard seeds

 For marinating:

• Chopped in half a garlic bulb
• 02tsp chopped ginger
• Chopped 02 green chilies
• 04tbs soya sauce
• 03tbs white vinegar
• Chopped curry leaves
• Salt, pepper, chili powder (Spice up as you prefer)

Making of Pan-fried prawns & tomato puree.

• Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry mustard seeds, cinnamon & Dried red chili.
• Then add onion and cook for a few minutes until it starts to turn golden brown.
• Then add the marinated prawns and fry along with the onions.
• Then splash the tomato puree cook for a while.
• Season the gravy with salt and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce gets thickened.
• Finally, add carrots, spinach & capsicum. 
• Remove from the heat.

• Serve straight from the prawn dish with rice.
  
  Enjoy the meal !!!

Singapore Chicken Rice with Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry ..

Sunday’s are always special when it comes to food. Rice is always an attention on the family table. Since I’m from a country (Sri Lanka) which we eat rice everyday for our lunch. But, I was not so fond of having rice all the time. My mother had a big problem making food day to day especially for me. But, Sunday’s she always comes up with different types of rice menu which  I love to eat any time. Mixed rice, fried rice, devilled rice, yellow rice and many more…. 

But, this rice is a bit different from Sri Lanka rice. Which I inspired while I was studying in Singapore, me and my friends used to go to food courts for lunch and dinner. One thing we didn’t have time to cook for ourselves and another thing, It’s Singapore. We are foodie freaks.  You find many food joints & verities. 

When you say Singapore, you won’t forget “Chicken Rice”. It’s an identical dish for Singaporeans. It’s different from our Sri Lankan rice.  Here I’ll show my own version of Singaporean chicken rice served with chicken and vegetable stir fry. So this I could recommend as a family meal on a Sunday lunch table. 

Ingredients for Chicken Rice:

• 01 cups of long grain rice
• 1 ½  cup of chicken stock (I’m using basmati rice, this chicken stock differs from the rice you are using. (Chicken stock = Amount of water to cook rice)
• Nicely chopped garlic cloves (4-5 cloves)
• Chopped garlic (About 1tsp)
• Chopped onions (1/2 an onion)
• Chopped cilantro
• Sesame oil
• 1 tsp of margarine
• Salt

How to make Chicken Rice:

• Heat some oil and 1 tsp of sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onions, ginger, and garlic in the oil until fragrant.
• Add rice, and cook, stirring until toasted.
• Pour in chicken stock and season with salt.
• Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until rice is tender and 'steam holes' appear on the surface of the rice, about 20 – 25 minutes.
• Once it's done, add margarine and mix it well.
• Then add cilantro and do not mix it.
• Cover the rice and let it absorb all the flavors.  Keep it for 15 minutes with the same heat.

Ingredients for Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry:

• 2 tbs soya sauce
• 2 tbs rice vinegar
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch strips or small chunks
• 3 tbs minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 01 big size carrot (Cut into rounds and half boiled)
• 10 beans (cut slightly and half boiled)
• Hand full of spinach
• Few mushrooms (Cut into quarters)

How to make Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry:

• Whisk together soya sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, cornstarch & sesame oil.
• In a large wok, heat vegetable oil over high.
• Add chicken and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add ginger, garlic, then vegetables, except for spinach and cook, stirring frequently about  3 minutes.
• Add 1/4 cup water, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Stir in soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until thickened, 1 minute.
• Before serving, add spinach and leave it for a few minutes. 

Finally, serve warm with a cup of rice.

A small tip for a Singaporian Chili Sauce with Dried Shimps.
Recipe on below, 

Home made Pizza with a Sri Lankan twist!!!

I have tried several pizza recipes, but I couldn’t find a proper pizza dough recipe for a long time. Some recipes dough gets so hard, if not some may very chewy or sticky. After hunting for so many pizza dough recipes I did come up with my own, which I started practicing for a long time. I made pizza with the same dough several times. My husband seems to be so fond of my home made pizza. Not just because, I made them, I think he loves the thin crust and pizza filling I’m using. May be a little bit of LOVE I add to make it … ;)

I usually do not follow any standard guides to make food. I have my own way of doing it. Therefore, I won't use the same Italian pizza filling for my pizza, it may look more Asian twisted pizza. 

I’m a instagram freak. I have shared a few images of home made pizza in my profile. After awhile I started getting calls and comments asking for the dough recipe. So finally I thought of sharing in public, as you all may would like to share what I experienced. Here we go, let’s starts rolling … :)

Ingredients:

For dough: (Makes two large pizza's)

• 600g (4 cups) plain flour
• 375ml (1 1/2 cups) warm water
• 2 tsp of dried yeast
• Pinch of sugar
• Salt
• 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil, plus extra for brushing

For filling: (In my Asian twisted way)

• Any meat. (Chicken, Beef, Fish or Sausages)
• 1/2 a cup of chopped or diced onions
• Finely chopped garlics
• 01 chopped tomatoes 
• Finely chopped green chilies 
• Salt, pepper & chili powder (If necessary saffron powder)
• Few tsp of soya sauce

For dressing:

• 1/2 a cup of tomato puree
• 250g of mushrooms (Cut the mushrooms side ways and half boiled them)
• Olives & grated cheese 

Instructions: 
Preheat the oven for 275c.

Making the dough:

• In a small cup, add yeast & sugar finally, add 2tbs of warm water, mix it and leave it to active the yeast. 
• Add the flour, salt in a large bowl, make a small hole in the middle, then add the yeast mixture, olive oil & rest of the warm water. Mix it until it makes a nice dough. 
• Cover the dough with a clean white cloth, leave aside for 1 hour. 

Making the filling:

• Heat the pan with some oil or butter. 
• Add all the ingredients under filling mixture. Finally add salt, pepper and the rest of the spices as you prefer. 

• After one hour, roll up the dough and divided the dough into two separate portions. 
• Roll the dough, in a pizza tray and keep in the oven for 3 Sec until dough gets bit bake. (Should bake half way).
• Once the dough is done half way, turn the dough upside down and grease the dough with tomato puree or some other sauce or topping you prefer. 
• Then add the filling on top of it,  then half boiled mushrooms and olives, finally covered with cheese. 
• Again, put the pizza into the oven for a few minutes, until the cheese gets melted.  

Serve yourself with a glass of coke!!

Stuffed cabbage rolls in the Sri Lankan way.

Being a Sri Lankan, I have seen my mother and grandmother making stuffed chilies.  Some people make it as a curry, and some may do it as a snack. I love the both way’s; it’s just mouth watering !!!
As the same way we can use stuffed brinjals. And also cabbage.

My dish has been inspired from a traditional Eastern European dish from Poland. It’s called Golabki. I have made a few changes as I would like to add some authentic Asian flavors to my recipe.  Traditionally, there have been used minced pork to make this dish. But, I will leave it for you all to decide which minced would make your dish best.

Definitely this dish is going to be a family dish. I have seen mother’s keep worrying how they are worried about feeding their kids. I think this recipe might help them a lot. It has loads of nutrients at the same time kids will love it too.

Ingredients:
A big cabbage

For filling:

• Any minced meat about 500 g (I have used minced beef)
• 01 cups of cooked rice
• 01 cups of nicely chopped onion
• Chopped garlic cloves
• Chopped green chilies
• Nicely diced half a tomato
• Chopped few curry leaves 
• 01 egg
• Salt, pepper & chili powder

For sauce:

• 02 cups of tomato puree 
• 01 cups of nicely chopped onion
• 01 cups of water
• 01 cups of heavy cream
• 2 tbs of vinegar
• ½ a cup of boiled chickpeas
• Finely chopped parsley
• 01 sticks of cinnamon 
• Salt, pepper and chili powder

Instructions:

• Half boiled the cabbage leaves leave it aside.
• Beat the egg and keep it separately.

• Mix all the ingredients under filling. Add salt, pepper and chili powder as prefer. Finally, add beaten egg into the filling. 
• Try to mix all of them as a dough. 
• Use 2 tbs of filling to make small cutlets like round and flat. (Depends on how big are the cabbage leaves)
• Place the cutlet in the middle of the cabbage leaf, 1^st close the bottoms, then sides, then roll the rest and use a tooth pick to hold them properly. 
• Leave the stuffed cabbage rolls aside. 

• Heat a pan with some oil, then add the onions. Fry them until it turns into a nice golden color. 
• Then add tomato puree, water, heavy cream, vinegar, salt, pepper & chili powder. 
• Stir all together. 
• Add the cinnamon stick.
• Dip all the stuffed cabbage rolls on the sauce. Make it boil for a while. 

• When you feel the meat is cooked inside the cabbage leaves, then add the Chickpeas. Leave for a while to absorb the flavors into chick peas. 
• When the sauce gets thicker, leave the pan from heat.  Finally, add some finely chopped parsley to get the nice smell. 
• Before serving, throw the cinnamon stick. 
• Now you may serve stuffed cabbage rolls with rice or pasta. 

Enjoy the meal !!!
 

Sunday special Sri-Lankan style Chicken Curry.

This recipe is one of my favorites.  I hope you all will like it too. This chicken curry was so special for me coz, I learned making this curry by my mum. Especially, on Sunday, this has been on the menu no matter what the function is. Not for particular reason this curry may go with; white rice, yellow rice or fried rice. But, I would love it with yellow rice. 

I have been seeing my mother makes this chicken curry for so long and knowing this recipe for a long time, but for the 1^st time I made it today for my hubby. I think I nailed it  for the 1^st time.  Nothing fancy about this chicken curry, just includes few simple Asian ingredients &  fresh chicken thighs. I have seen my mum use to make the same recipe for pork, beef and chicken.  So it’s up to you.  

Ingredients:

• 2 kg of fresh chicken thighs or drumsticks

For marinating:

• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
• 2 tsp of pepper powder 
• Salt
• 4 tbs of vinegar
• 2 tsp of soya sauce
• Few spices (6 cloves / half a stick of cinnamon / few curry leaves & rampey leaves)

For sauce:

• Finely chopped garlic bud (5 tbs)
• Finely chopped ginger (2 tbs)
• Finely sliced onion & tomato (1 big onion)
• Diced green chilies
• Half boiled green beans (Do not over boiled the  beans, then it won't give the bit crunchiness while eating.)

Instructions:

• Marinate the chicken pieces with marinating ingredients. Leave the chicken for half an hour. 
• Cook the marinated chicken, adding some water halfway through.  (You may use chicken stock)
• Separate the cooked chicken pieces from the gravy. 
• Simmer the gravy for 2/3.
• Heat the oil in a lager frying pan and deep fry all the pieces until golden brown and crispy.

• Half boil the beans separately.

• Heat another pan adding a bit of oil.
• When oil is ready to cook, 1^st add garlic, ginger and onions at once. 

• Fry all of them until it gets a nice golden color. 

• Then add the chicken stock. Add a little bit of soya sauce, salt and pepper if it needs. (As you prefer)
• Add all the fried chicken pieces. Mix all well. 
• Finally, add tomatoes, half boiled beans and green chilies. 
• Add a bit of sugar (2tsp’s)
• Cook the chicken for few minutes. Then it’s ready to serve.

Enjoy the meal !!!

Chutney as sweet or hot & spicy ??

Chutney…  As soon as heard the name of Chutney, it sounds Indian cuisine. It’s purely authentic flavors, which gathered from Asia. Traditional Chutney, which has the preservation method for vegetables and fruits, which has spicy or sweet flavors. Either mix of both.  I would rather call Chutney as a dipping thicken sauce with fruit bits. For Indians Chutney may refer in so many ways, for example; Coriander Chutney, Mint Chutney, Coconut Chutney, etc.… Those Chutney may  eat with Dosa, Idli, Rotti, Rice and etc… 

Sri Lankan Chutney, has hot spicy and sweet flavor on to it. Which made out with fruits, vinegar, Sugar and chili powder, cooked down to a reduction. Most of all it may only can eat with rice. 

The tradition of making Chutney has been spread around the world from the Caribbean and Southern America countries as a food preservation method.  But it has been various in Asian countries.  In Asia it has begun from India. As we Asians we use Chutney as a side dish besides the main course. But for the western world, it’s a condiment for pork, beef and fish. 

It’s not that defers from Asian to Western Chutney.  

Asian Chutney 

• Any fruit (I prefer raw mango or slim apple) 1.5 kg
• Vinegar 750 ml
• Sugar 500 g
• Chili Powder & chili Flakes (as much of hot and spicy you prefer, I always prefer more and more)
  Add altogether and simmer it, until it get the nice color of golden brown. 

Western Chutney 

• Any fruit (I prefer raw mango or slim apple, you may try apple too) 1.5 kg
• Vinegar 750 ml
• Sugar 500 g
• Nicely chopped onions 100-200 g
• Bit of parsley of final garnishing.  (It gives a good aroma)
  Follow the same process as Asian method. 

Trust me, I have tried both ways. Both have amazing flavors. 

Try the western Chutney marinated with pork or beef.  You can make quality, sophisticated food at home.