Aloo gobi (spicy potatoes and cauliflower)

Potato - Part 1.

Fire up your taste buds.

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6):
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies, sliced
5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
Salt to taste
300g new potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tsp garam masala
A bunch of coriander leaves

Method:
1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the cumin seeds for 30 seconds. Lower heat, add the chillies and ginger, and stir-fry until fragrant.
2. Add turmeric, ground coriander and salt. Stir to mix. Add the potatoes and cauliflower and stir to coat spices evenly.
3. Add a splash of water and cook over low heat until vegetables soften, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the pan gets dry, add a splash of water at a time.
4. Turn up the heat and gently toss the vegetables in the pan to dry off excess water.
5. Stir in the garam masala and serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves.

Tips:
Leftover Aloo gobi makes for great samosa filling. Fold thawed popiah skin in half to make triangles, fill and deep-fry.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Mar 2008)

Radish and fish soup

Ingredients (serves 4):
300g fresh fish fillet (threadfin, cod, snapper)
200g shredded radish
2 cloves garlic, peel and crush
2 pcs x 4cm long leek, julienne
4-5 stalks chrysanthemum leaves (tang orr), optional
2 fresh green chillies
Flour - corn, potato or tapioca
Sesame oil

A:
1 tbsp cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped spring onion
3/4 tsp grated ginger

B:
1 tbsp cooking wine
1 tsp soya sauce
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Cut fish fillet into 1 cm thick slices. Season with ingredients (A) for at least 10 minutes.
2. Dust fish slices with your choice of flour. Drop in boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove and add to simmering soup.
3. Grease a soup pot with sesame oil and heat over moderate heat. Add crushed garlic and shredded radish. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add 5 cups of water and bring a a rolling boil. Continue to boil until radish is soft.
5. Add sliced green chillies and blanched fish fillets to radish soup.
6. Add seasoning (B) and sliced leek. Turn of heat.
7. Place some clean chrysanthemum leaves (if using) in each soup bowl. Pour piping hot soup over leaves in bowls. Serve immediately.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Fried dried anchovies

Ingredients (makes 2 1/2 cups):
200g good quality dried anchovies (ikan bilis), medium size
3 green chillies, cut diagonally
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
Cooking oil for deep frying

Method:
1. Discard head and bitter belly pouch of dried anchovies. Spread on a tray and sun for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat cooking oil for deep frying. Slide in dried anchovies and deep fry slowly over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown.
3. Leave about 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and saute the sliced green chillies* until crispy.
4. Return the fried crispy anchovies to the pan. Sprinkle sugar and sesame oil over them. Toss and mix. Turn off heat. Serve as an appetizer with drinks or as a side dish with kimchi.

Tips:
* For a sticky version, don't add green chillies. Add sugar and about 1 1/2 tbsp water and stir until bubbles appear. Return fried chillies and anchovies to pan and toss quickly. Flavour with sesame oil.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Kimchi and clam fried rice

Ingredients (serves 4-6):
6 bowls of cooked rice
3/4 cup chopped kimchi
3/4 cup steamed clams
2 green chilli, sliced
1 stalk leek, sliced
1 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
Salt to taste
1 tsp toasted black sesame seeds
1 tbsp ground chilli powder
1/3 cup hot bean paste (kochujan)

Method:
1. Heat a large fry pan over moderate heat. Add sesame oil, leek and green chilli. Fry for a few seconds to soften leek and green chilli.
2. Add rice and toss well. Spread rice on pan and make a "well" in the centre. Place shredded kimchi and clams in "well". Cover with rice and toss to mix thoroughly.
3. Season with soya sauce. Add a little salt if necessary.
4. Serve garnished with some toasted black sesame seeds.
5. Add 3 tbsp of water to hot bean paste. Stir well to form a smooth sauce. Serve sauce and ground chilli powder as table condiments.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Roti john

Roti John, essentially an omelette sandwich, is a popular Malay breakfast and snack item in Malaysia and Singapore. This is a healthier version.

Serve size: 260g
Calories per serving: 440kcal
Fat: 16g

Ingredients (serves 8):
1 French loaf, sliced thickly
400g minced beef or chicken or sardines
2 eggs, beaten
1 large onion, minced
2 green chillies, seeded and minced
2 tsp meat curry powder
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ginger, minced
salt and sugar to taste
2 fresh green chillies, chopped
sweet chilli sauce & ketchup
cucumber, sliced

Method:
1. Mix beaten egg, minced onion and meat together.
2. Add curry powder, garlic, ginger, salt and sugar. Mix in the chillies.
3. Spread the mixture onto thick slices of French loaf.
4. Heat a pan and coat thinly with oil. Shallow-fry the bread slices until the egg mixture becomes brown and sizzling and the bread is crispy.
5. Serve with cucumber slices, sweet chilli sauce and ketchup.

Tips:
If you can't fund lotus leaves, use a porcelain rice bowl as a mould.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Aug 2006)