Spicy Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Berempah)

Spicy Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Berempah)

Recipe source : Adaped from  Azie Kitchen

"Ayam goreng berempah"  is an all time favourite among Malaysians. You can find them in almost all the Mamak or Malay stalls around town. Very often, these stalls will have nasi briyani to go with the piping hot ayam goreng. But not all stalls sell good "ayam goreng berempah". Some can be just downright mediocre. 

My favourite nasi briyani stall that was situated between two rows of old shophouses near OCBC Bank in downtown Kuala Lumpur.  I was so disappointed when I went there a few weeks ago only to discover that  the stall had been demolished and relocated elsewhere. Sigh! I had walked in the sweltering heat just to eat my favourite fried chicken and now only parked vehicles lined the lane where my favourite stall once stood.

So my next best option was to try frying some chicken at home to soothe my craving and to nurse back my profound disappointment.  

Ingredients

3 pieces chicken whole legs, cut into 2 sections each
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp of minced chilli
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp jintan manis
1 tsp jintan putih
6 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 sprig curry leaves
2 inch piece of ginger
1 inch piece of fresh turmeric
2 pieces lemon grass ( serai ) - use the white parts only
Oil for deep-frying

Method

1.  Use a mortar and pestle to pound the shallots, garlic, ginger, fresh turmeric and lemon grass into a fine paste.
2.  Add in the chilli paste, curry powder, jintan manis, jintan putih and curry leaves. Mix thoroughly to form a spicy paste.
3.  Marinate chicken pieces with this spicy paste for 4 to 5 hours.
4.  Heat enough oil for frying. When the oil is hot, fry chicken pieces until crisp and golden. 

Coconut Chilli Fried Fish

Coconut Chilli Fried Fish

Recipe source :  Srilankans.com.au


The original recipe used fish slices. I chose to use a whole red tilapia. I always prefer a whole fish than fish slices. It's a matter of preference. It turned out fine. It was very crispy and very fragrant with so much spices used. 

Ingredients

1 whole tilapia                              ( original recipe used 6 slices of white fish )
1/4 cup grated coconut
1 tsp fennel seed
2 small onions
1 tsp turmeric powder
3 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 sprig curry leaves
Oil for frying

Preparation 

1.  Clean the fish well and keep aside.
2.  Crush 1 tsp of fennel seeds and keep aside.
3.  Chop the onions and grated coconut. Mix into a paste.
4.  Add in the spices, salt and curry leaves.
5.  Marinate the fish with this spice paste and leave the fish in the refrigerator for half an hour.
6.  Heat 3 to 4 tbsp oil in a wok and fry the fish until fragrant and crispy.

Rub the spice paste onto the fish and allow to marinate for half an hour

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Indian Subcontinent

Hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommelier

Fried Pork With Evaporated Milk

Fried Pork With Evaporated Milk

Recipe source : Adapted from  House of Annie

At first I was sceptical about using milk to cook a savoury dish. Then I let my imagination run  and tried to visualise the combination of pork, chilli padi and milk. I took a gamble and I have no regrets! 

The pork pieces had been marinated and shallow-fried before cooking in milk. The curry leaves make it very fragrant. Add more chilli padi if you like it real hot! 

Tastes great!

 

Ingredients

500g pork, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
enough oil to shallow-fry the pork

For Sauce

5 shallots, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
5 bird's eye chillies, sliced
half a bowl of curry leaves
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of chicken stock granules (optional)

Top : curry leaves

Bottom left : chopped garlic. Middle : chopped shallots. Right :  bird's eye chillies

Pork pieces

Evaporated milk

Method

1.  Mix the pork pieces with salt, pepper and tapioca flour and allow to marinate for about 1 hour.
2.  Heat enough oil in a wok to shallow-fry the marinated pork pieces until golden brown. About 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
3.  Remove the oil used for frying the pork pieces leaving only about 3 tbsp of the oil in the wok.
4.  Saute the chopped garlic, shallots and curry leaves until fragrant. Make sure the shallots and garlic are not burnt.
5.  Add in the fried pork pieces and continue to stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes.
6.  Pour in water and evaporated milk. Cook until slightly thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes.
7.  Add salt, sugar and chicken stock granules.

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for May 2014 is Milk

Hosted by Tze of  Awayofmind Bakery House

This event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids 
and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

Prawn Theldulla

Prawn Theldulla

Recipe source :  The Flavours magazine, Vol 11 Issue 2 No. 40 Sept - Oct  2003


This fine cuisine hails from Sri Lanka. I find this dish wholesome and having a good balance of the various food groups. I like this type of recipe which has protein and vegetables all in one dish, which means the lazy me do not have to cook a few different dishes for the day!

We like the mild blending of spices with the prawns and vegetables. It tasted like a mild curry yet no coconut milk nor curry powder was used in this excellent prawn dish. 

Ingredients

 
500g medium-sized prawns ( remove shells but keep the tails )
1 tsp turmeric
90g shallots, peeled whole
2 medium-sized onions, sliced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 pandan (screw-pine) leaf, cut into 1 cm sections
1 small stick of cinnamon
4 bird's eye chillies, cut
1 capsicum, cut
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 tbsp water                                     ( I used 1/3 cup water )
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp ground black pepper               
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar                                    ( I added sugar to taste )

 Prawns

Top : onions

Middle : shallots

Bottom : cinnamon stick

Top left : capsicum. Top right : tomato

Bottom left : curry leaves. Bottom right : chilli padi

Method

1.  Season prawns with turmeric powder.
2.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry shallots, onions, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, cinnamon and chillies. Stir-fry for a minute or until fragrant.
3.  Add prawns and fry for another minute over high heat.
4.  Add capsicum, tomatoes, water and lime juice. 
5   Cook until almost dry.
6.  Season to taste.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Indian Subcontinent

Hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommelier

I am also linking this to Cook-Your-Book #12

 

Organised by Joyce of  Kitchen Flavours

Pumpkin With Curry Leaves 斋南瓜

Pumpkin With Curry Leaves 斋南瓜

Recipe source :  Doris Choo 

This lovely pumpkin dish is inspired by the vegetarian 'chap fan' stall which I patronise during my lunch break. There is always a long queue lining up for vegetarian lunch everyday.  All this while I just watched the long queue but I never wanted to join the line of people. I always opted to eat food from other stalls. My colleagues would rave about the vegetarian dishes while I just listened but not convinced at all that the food is that wonderful!

During one of our lunch breaks, there wasn't a queue at this vegetarian outlet because we were there earlier than usual. So I joined my friends to try out this great vegetarian stall. When I approached the trays of dishes I wasn't impressed at all. My friend recommended that I try out the pumpkin. "This is very nice", she told me and placed a large chunk of what looked like a burnt piece of fried pumpkin onto my plate of rice.  I have to tell you that pumpkin is not my favourite choice of vegetables. But then, I didn't want to decline my friend's very sincere recommendation. 

We found ourselves a table and sat down for vegetarian lunch. One bite into that piece of brownish and unimpressive looking pumpkin and I have to humbly retract all my negative perception of pumpkin! It was so very delicious! It has a hint of curry fragrance yet I did not see any chillies nor curry gravy coating the pumpkins.  It was crispy on the outside and very tender inside. The taste was awesome!

Now, I have to confide that I have swung to the other extreme. I look forward to lunch at this vegetarian outlet and am eager and hopeful that they serve this pumpkin dish for the day! Actually, I was so obsessed with it that  I surfed the net hoping to find the recipe. Unfortunately I have not been successful in my search. 

Finally, I experimented in my kitchen. 

I added chilli padi for the extra oomph!
Here is my version

Ingredients

250g pumpkin, remove the skin and cut into wedges
1 chilli padi or bird's eye chilli
1 tbsp chopped garlic
a few stalks of curry leaves
1 tsp oyster sauce
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup water
cooking oil for frying pumpkin

Ingredients for batter

1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tbsp rice flour
3 tbsp water

Blend everything together into a smooth paste and set aside.

Method

1.  Heat enough cooking oil in a wok for frying pumpkin.
2.  Coat the pumpkin wedges with batter and slide them into hot oil. Fry until brown on both sides. Make sure the pumpkin is thoroughly cooked. Dish up and set aside.
3.  Remove the oil used for frying pumpkin leaving only about one tbsp of the oil in the wok.
4.  Saute chopped garlic until fragrant. Add curry leaves and chilli padi and stir-fry until fragrant.
5.  Add water, oyster sauce, salt and pumpkin.
6.  Continue to stir-fry until dry.
7.  Dish up and serve.

Curry Leaves Lamb Chop 咖哩叶羊扒

Curry Leaves Lamb Chop 咖哩叶羊扒

 Ready to serve lamb chops with potato wedges, tomato slices and pear or Fuji apple

Ingredients

10 pieces of lamb chop
3 onions (cut into rings)
30g curry leaves
a tomato (cut into thin slices)
6 medium-sized potatoes (cut into wedges and deep-fry)
3 medium-sized pears or Fuji apples

Marinade Ingredients

6 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp hsao hsing wine
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp pepper
1 tsp salt
50g shallot (pound to pulp and squeeze out the juice)
50g ginger ( pound to pulp and squeeze out the juice) 

Mix the above ingredients thoroughly and marinate the lamb chop.

 Deep-fried potato wedges

 Curry leaves

 Lamb chops being deep-fried in a wok with onion rings and curry leaves

Instructions

 

1. Use a fork to prick the lamb chop then marinate it in the marinade for 2 hours, flipping it every 30 minutes.
2. Heat enough oil in a wok and over low fire deep-fry the lamb together with some onion rings and curry leaves. I prefer my chops well done. Cooking time is about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Arrange on a plate.

Crispy Prawns With Oat Cereal

Crispy Prawns With Oat Cereal

 

Ingredients

300g big prawns
1/3 packet of "Crispy prawn with cereal"
1/4 block of butter at room temperature (Do not use frozen butter)
5 stalks of curry leaves
1tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 Chinese rice bowl of cooking oil for deep frying the prawns

Preparatory Instructions

Crispy Prawn with cereal Mix - use only 1/3 of the packet

Curry Leaves

Wash the curry leaves and remove the stalks

Fresh prawns - trim away the whiskers and the prickly parts and wash the prawns

Deep fry them in hot oil until they look like this

Cooking Instrructions

1.  Heat one rice bowl of cooking oil in a wok and deep fry the prawns in 2 batches
2.  Remove the fried prawns and set them aside
3.  Drain away the oil for deep frying from the wok
4.  Heat the wok until hot, add 2 tbsp cooking oil
5.  Add in the minced garlic and curry leaves and stir fry till fragrant
6.  Add in the butter and prawns together and stir evenly to coat the prawns with butter.
7.  Add in the oat cereal and mix evenly

Very tasty