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 !!!

Cornish Pastries (Spicy Sri Lankan Pastries) !!

As soon you heard of pastries, it’s more difficult than eating a pastry for anyone who think of making it. First of all I really didn’t have a simple clue how I’m going to make it.  Have seen pastry dough’s has to roll, fold and again roll to get the  certain thickness and crispiness. 

As I’m going to demonstrate how I made the traditional Cornish pastry dough is simply fast and easy to make.  The traditional Cornish pastries were started making from Cornwall district in Britain. And the genuine Cornish Pastry has a distinctive “D” shape and crisp on one side. Someone may call it, beef patties or pastry. Since traditionally it’s made with beef  (minced or steak) and potatoes. Since I’m going to make my own way of Cornish Pastry, I would rather call it, Spicy Sri Lankan Pastries. 

Preheat the oven to 350` for 12-15 minutes

Ingredients:

For Dough:

• 500g of flour
• 250g of butter or margarine
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup of water

• 01 beaten egg to grease pastries to get the nice crisp & shine on of the pastries. 

For Filling:

• 400g of corn beef (Can be use minced meat too)
• 02 big size potatoes (Cut into small cubes and half boil)
• 02 big size carrots (Cut into small cubes and half boil)
• Half a tin of green peas
• Some spinach & mushrooms
• 1/2 a cup of chopped or diced onions
• Finely chopped garlic
• 01 chopped tomatoes 
• Finely chopped green chilies 
• Salt, pepper & chili powder
• Few tsp of soya sauce

Instructions for making of Dough:

• Pour the flour in a large bowl and season it with a pinch of salt. 
• Add the butter or margarine to flour and make small crumb pieces. Until you make them nice and fine crumbs.
• Now, finally add water little by little make the crumbs into a nice dough. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. Leave it for one hour.

Instructions for making of Filling:

• Season the corn beef with spices and soya sauce. Add the diced onions, garlic, tomatoes and green chilies into the same beef mixture.
• Heat the pan with some oil and add the beef mixture and cook them nicely.
• Then add half boiled potatoes, carrots, green peas & rest of the vegetables. 
• Leave the mixture aside to cool.

Making of Pastry:

• Roll each dough ball to the thickness of 2mm.
• Take some filling and place in the middle of the rolled dough. Apply some beaten egg around the  dough, except for the filling area. 
• Fold the pastry, makes the design of your own.
• I’m going to fold it and twist the ends and join the both ends. 
• Finally, drizzle some olive oil on the pastries. Apply some beaten egg too. 
• Keep the pastries on oven until it gets a nice golden color.

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.