The Cooking Ninja

It's funny how living in hustling and bustling city life for too long makes one takes lots of things for granted. I have been so busy with my life that I forgot to take a pause and enjoy the beauty and simple pleasures in life. Spending the last few weekends up at the mountain house with a snowy mountain view reminded me about it and it also brought back a lot of fond childhood memories. So before I post today's recipe, I would like to share with you this lovely poem that I came across when I was 14 and it has since then imprinted in my heart and mind.

Leisure

"What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare."

W.H. Davies

Today's recipe is by my best friend Leeza, who taught me how to cook this delicious mutton curry. If you are like me, who doesn't really like mutton because of the smell of the meat when cooked, you shouldn't worry about it when making this dish. The trick is to get rid of as much fat surrounding the meat as you can possibly take out, leaving only a bit here and there as it is needed for cooking.

Mutton Curry

(Leeza's recipe)

Ingredients

• 500 or 600 g mutton (preferably with bones)
• 1 thumb sized ginger (to blend)
• 1½ big red onions (to blend)
• 4 cloves garlic (to blend)
• ½ big red onion (quartered or sliced)
• 1 tomato (quartered)
• 140 g tomato paste
• 1 yogurt
• 2 long red chili (take out the seeds)
• 50 g butter
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 green cardamons
• 4 cloves
• 1 star anis
• 1 to 2 tbsp meat curry powder (more if you prefer it spicier)
• A bunch of coriander and mint leaves
• Salt

Directions

1. Remove as much fat as you could around the meat (leaving behind a little bit only) and cut it into big chunks.
2. Blend ginger, garlic and 1½ pieces of red onions together into a paste.
3. In a big wok or pot, put in the meat and bones, blended paste, tomato, ½ onion, yogurt, chilies, cinnamon, cardamons, cloves, star anis, curry powder, mint leaves and coriander.
4. Blend the tomato paste with a bit of water and pour into the pot (covering the meat half way).
5. Bring the pot to a boil (stirring it now and then) and then let it simmer for 2 to 2½ hours, stirring it now and then. Season it with salts once the gravy has thickened.
6. Serve this with rice. Enjoy it to the very last bit.

The Verdict

SHIOK ! (DELICIOUS)

The meat is so tender and savorous with its very aromatic and spicy gravy. A great dish to have during cold season - sure warms you up right away.

If there is any leftover gravy, don't throw it away. It tastes great with pasta.

What I love about this dish is that it is very simple and easy to prepare (fuss free) - just dump everything into the pot and bring it to boil and then let it simmer for 2 hours and the meal is ready.

Notes

If you prefer to have more gravy, add more tomato paste and water. Add more curry powder if needed for the spiciness.

We have been craving to go for some spicy food at our favourite Indian restaurant for more than a month, however the thought of dinning in a restaurant with our active and curious 1 year old is enough to dampen our desire. Even in a kid friendly environment, our little Miss Curious will start squirming in her seat within 30 minutes and want to walk around the restaurant, check out the people, the tables and what is on them. So in the end, we decided to cook an Indian meal ourselves. Pierre picked this Moghul-Style chicken out of all the curry dishes for it's use of saffron, and of course the fact that we have never tried it before!

Moghlai Cuisine originates from the kitchens of the the Mogul Empire. This cuisine, influenced by Middle-Eastern cuisine, is predominantly found in Nothern-India and many of the dishes carry over some of its dishes names: kofta, kebabs, pulao, etc. It's usually quite spicy like other Indian Cuisines, but has its own distinct aromas and taste - something I found out by cooking this dish.

This is my very first entry to this month 'Think Spice...Think Saffron' - a monthly spice event host by Sunita's World.

Moghlai Murgh

(taken from Indian - Shehzad Husain & Rafi Fernandez)

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 4 chicken breasts
• 6 tbsp ghee or butter
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 1 fresh ginger -5 cm or 2" long (finely crushed)
• 4 cloves garlic (finely crushed)
• 4 cloves
• 4 green cardamon pods
• 1 cinnamon stick - 5 cm or 2" long
• 2 bay leaves
• 15 - 20 strands saffron
• 150 ml or 2/3 cup natural plain yogurt
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 5 tbsp double or heavy cream
• 50 g or ½ cup ground almonds
• garam masala

Directions

1. Coat the chicken with a little garam masala.
2. Lightly beat the eggs with salt and pepper and then brush the chicken with it.
3. Heat the ghee or butter in frying pan and fry the chicken. Remove and keep warm.
4. With the same ghee or butter, fry the chopped onions, crushed ginger, garlic, cloves, cardamons, cinnamon and bay leaves until the onions turn golden. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool a little.
5. Beat the yogurt with 1 tsp cornflour. Add the saffron and the beaten yogurt to the onions and spices. Mix it well to prevent the yogurt from curdling.
6. Put the pan back to the heat, season it with salt, add in the chicken with its juices (if any) and gently cook until the chicken is tender.
7. Just before serving, fold in the cream and ground almonds.
8. Serve hot.

The Verdict

Saffron is crucial to the flavour of this dish and we can distinctively smell and taste it. It is creamy, nutty with the dominant parfum of saffron. The chicken pieces were very tender and tasty with the garam masala. Although there is no chilli in the recipe, we could feel a very light spiciness (that's the garam massala). I love the whole dish so much that I couldn't get enough of the chicken and its creamy sauce - definitely something I'll cook again!

Lassi is a yogurt-based beverage, originated from India where it exists in several versions: salty, spicy or sweet. Sweet Lassi is a recent invention that is flavoured with rosewater or lemon, mango, or other fruit juice. It's a very refreshing drink to have during a hot summer weather and is also a great way to dose that fire from an overly spicy dish.

I can still remember the first time I had lassi...no, it wasn't in Singapore but in France. Wait... Singapore girl never had lassi before in her entire life living in Singapore??? You must be wondering which planet I've been living in. And it takes a French man to introduce this delicious drink to this Suah Koo (pronounced as "swah-koo" - a Hokkien dialect word) cooking ninja. Given the large Indian community in Singapore, you'd expect it to be the other way around... how on earth I never once tried lassi in my whole life in Singapore, beats me.

Rose Lassi

(taken from Bôllyfood by Marie-Laure Tombini)

Ingredients

• 300 g Greek yogurt
• 4 tbsp sugar (fine)
• 1 tbsp rose essence
• 3 drops red colouring

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients with 150 ml water or whisk the mixture until frothy.
2. Keep it in the refrigerator till it's ready to be served.

The Verdict

It's super delicious and is as good as those I drank in the restaurants. Had I known it's so easy to make one at home, I would have made some long long time ago, no need to go to an Indian restaurant for one anymore.

Notes

Because we couldn't get our hands on rose essence, we did ours with some rose syrup instead, and skipped on the sugar. We also experimented with the 2 different way of preparing it: the whisked one was a bit too thick to our taste, and the solution of adding water gave a more satisfying and liquid enough drink (I like not to drink with a spoon... and I could adjust the amount of water to suit my taste). Also found out that 300 ml yogurt will only make 4 small glasses of lassi.

Some make their lassi with ice instead of water and blend it in the blender. It'll probably be more of a frozen yogurt.

Pierre (who likes cooking too, but not all day) bought this new Indian cookbook because it's 1) simple with short cooking instructions 2) easily obtainable ingredients 3) and requires a limited number of them. This is in contrast to our other main Indian cookbook which has authentic but complicated recipe with authentic - and as such hard to find - ingredients. However as simple the recipes were, the new book ended up like many of those books, sitting on the shelf neglected. But as I was browsing through my little library the other day, it practically jumped out in front of me shouting 'Me! Me! Me!' (the poor little thing ).

Prawns in coconut gravy

(taken from Bôllyfood by Marie-Laure Tombini)

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 250 g cooked prawns
• 1 onion (sliced thinly)
• ½ yellow or green bell pepper (cut into small cubes)
• ½ tsp fresh ginger (grated)
• 1 clove garlic (pulped)
• 1 tbsp coriander (chopped)
• ½ tbsp turmeric
• 10 cl or 100 ml coconut milk
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt

Directions

1. Peel the prawns, keeping the tail part.
2. Heat oil in a preheated wok or pan, sauté the onions till soft.
3. Add in the garlic, ginger, bell pepper, coriander and turmeric. Let it cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Throw in the prawns and make sure it is well incorporate with the spice mixture before pouring in the coconut milk.
5. Season it with salt and let it cook for about 3 or 4 minutes.
6. Serve it hot with plain rice.

The Verdict

This dish is actually flavourful and tasty. I was pretty much taken by surprised, as I tend to be doubtful of "simplified" cooking. The prawns and the coconut milk give it a tint of sweetness. It's also a nice surprising change from spicy ones we usually have, and as such it's a good recipe for those who can't take spicy food or have young children.

A few years back, I couldn't understand why my mom (who has been cooking for the family for over 40 years) lamented how she was cooking the same old thing every day. She felt as if she had exhausted all the recipes she inherited from my grandmother or had came up by herself. And just when we were expecting her to give in to 'da bao' (take out), she would surprise us with some of her delicious dishes.

Now that I have started cooking for my own little family, I finally understand what my mom was going through. There are days when I'm full of cooking ideas and there are days when my brain just draw a blank and I feel doomed to redo the same stuff over and over. This was one of those days. But here came my prince charming to the rescue once again. Pierre picked up one of our Indian cook book and found this lovely dish.

Grilled (Broiled) Prawns

(taken from Indian - Shehzad Husain & Rafi Fernandez)

Ingredients

• 18 large cooked prawns or shrimp
• 1 fresh green chili (sliced)
• 1 tomato (sliced)
• 1 small onion (cut into rings)
• lemon wedges

Marinate

• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic pulp
• 1½ tsp soft light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp corn oil
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander/cilantro (chopped)

Directions

1. Peel and rinse the prawns gently under cold water. Slit the back of each prawn to open out into a butterfly shape.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients of the marinate and mix them well together.
3. Add the prawns to the spice mixture, making sure they are well coated and let it marinate for about 1 hour.
4. On a flameproof dish, place the green chili, tomato slices and onion rings. Then add the prawn mixture and cook under a very hot preheated grill (broiler) for about 10 to 15 minutes, basting it frequently with a brush.
5. Serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.

The Verdict

I was rather skeptical at first about how this dish would turn out (we didn't have a broiler or a grill) and it didn't look exactly like the picture in the book. Boy, was I very pleasantly surprised by how good it turned out: very aromatic with just the right sourish tint and a slight biting taste lingering in your mouth after each bite. It was neither too spicy nor too sourish. All the spices blended in well with the prawns. Rice and prawns were gone by end of dinner

Note

I've substituted cooked prawns with raw ones, used my frozen green chili and sunflower oil instead of corn. I have poured the whole prawn mixture into the pan as the recipe wasn't clear if I'm supposed to place only the marinated prawns onto the pan or the whole thing including the marinated sauce. In the end, I had to scoop out some of the sauce as it was way too watery.

Don't know what to do with the extra chili or lemon grass you have in hand? Freeze them and just take out whatever quantity you need later. This was the advise from the owner of my local Asian shop.

I haven't been cooking much after I got pregnant - the hectic schedule of university studies and being a new mummy left me too tired at the end of the day to even cook ... so Pierre has been the kitchen chef for the past 2 years. I promised him that once my exams are over, I will take over the wok and cook whatever he desires and fancy. So here we are.

Yesterday we had some guests over for dinner and I asked Pierre what he would like for dinner ... Being an Indian food lover, he immediately took out the Indian cook book that I got him 2 Christmas ago and picked out this :

Balti Butter Chicken

(taken from Indian - Shehzad Husain & Rafi Fernandez)

Serves : 4 - 6

Ingredients

• 150 ml or 2/3 cups Natural (plain) yogurt
• 50 g or ½ cups Ground almonds
• 1½ tsp Chilli powder
• ¼ tsp Crushed bay leaves (Laurier)
• ¼ tsp Ground cloves
• ¼ tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 4 Green cardamom pods
• 1 tsp Ginger pulp
• 1 tsp Garlic pulp
• 1¼ tsp salt
• 1 kg or 6½ cups Chicken, skinned, bonned & cubed
• 75 g or 6 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Corn oil
• 2 medium Onions - sliced
• 2 tbsp Fresh coriander - chopped (cilantro)
• 4 tbsp Single (light) cream
• Coriander sprigs

Directions

1. Put the yogurt, ground almonds, all the dry spices, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and salt into a bowl and mix them together.
2. Put the chicken into a large bowl, pour the yogurt mixture over it and mix.
3. Melt together the butter and oil in a medium karachi or wok.
4. Add the onions and fry for about 3 minutes.
5. Add chicken mixture and stir-fry for 7-10 minutes.
6. Stir in about half of the coriander (cilantro) and mix well.
7. Add the cream and stir in well.
8. Bring to boil and then remove from heat.
9. Serve garnished with the remaining chopped coriander (cilantro).

The Verdict

Surprisingly, it turned out rather delicious. It has an interesting mix of creamy aromatic spice flavour with a tint of piquant for the kick. The coriander enhance gently the flavour. My guests loved it as well, judging by the second - and third - helping till the pot was empty. Pierre likes it very much, noting that it leaves a tint of spiciness at the end of each mouthful without the lingering burning sensation of a spicy curry.

Initially I had my doubts over the final result because of my slight adaptation of the recipe - I used fresh tomatoes and bay leaves. And I blended the yogurt mixture by mistake instead of mixing it because the recipe stated "blend together thoroughly".

Note

For an even richer and creamier flavour, substitute natural (plain) yogurt with Greek-style yogurt.

(Taken from Indian - Shehzad Husain & Rafi Fernandez)

Serves : 6

Ingredients

• 450 g / 2 ¼ cups Basmati rice
• 750 ml / 3 cups Water
• 3 Green cardamom pods
• 2 Cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp crushed Saffron strands
• 2 tbsp Milk (semi-skimmed)

Directions

1. Wash the rice at least twice and place it in a medium saucepan with the water.
2. Toss all the whole spices into the saucepan along with the salt. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, place the saffron and semi-skimmed milk in a small pan and warm. Alternatively, put the ingredients in a cup and warm for 1 minute in the microwave.
4. Check the rice to see if it is fully cooked. Use a slotted spoon to lift out a few grains and press the rice between your index finger and thumb. It should feel soft on the outside but still a little hard in the middle.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully drain the rice through a sieve (strainer).
6. Transfer the rice back into the pan and pour the saffron and milk over the top of the rice.
7. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place the pan back on a medium heat for 7-10 minutes.
8. After cooking, remove the pan from the heat and leave the rice to stand for a further 5 minutes before serving.

The Verdict

It was good but it wasn't as fragrant as I thought it would be. Everyone seems to enjoy it though. I have an empty pot at the end of dinner.

Perhaps this is because I used the rice cooker instead and I put a little bit too much water -the rice wasn't fluffy and loose. Unfortunately yesterday night I was rushed for time to prepare dinner so I didn't try out their method.

And also the book asked for green cardamom pods but I didn't have any so I used white cardamom instead. I don't know whether this has any effect on the final results or not. Will have to try this recipe another time and let you know the differences.