Fish & Veg Malay Curry

Use any vegetable of your choice, here I used ‘Mishtikumra’ (Pumkin or Butternut squash)  and ‘Begun’ (Bringal or Eggplant) cut in small pieces.
 
Make the Sauce:

1 can Coconut milk
1 can hot water
1 tbsp Palm Sugar
1 tbsp Penang curry paste (or any Thai Curry Paste)
1 tsp Garlic powder
¼ cup Fish sauce
1 tbsp Soya sauce
2 Veg Oxo cubes - crushed (or 1 tsp of any seasoning)
 
Mix the Veg and Sauce in an ovenproof dish make sure sauce covers the Veg
Cover and place in the Oven: 200c/1h (30 minutes for cauliflower, broccoli, peas, leek, carrots, Zucchini etc.)
 
Two Fish Filets chopped and coated with 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp curry paste and fried. (can add any other fish, prawn or nothing at all)
 
Take the dish out of oven, add the fish, garnish with some green herbs, red chillies and crushed peanuts. 
 
Health Tips: Some recipes demand liquid as this one, but you don't have to eat it, just fish out the goodies using a slotted spoon and use the leftover sauce to create another dish or freeze it for another day!

Japanese Chicken Katsu Curry

Curry was introduced to Japan by the British who took it from India but this curry differs from the Indian-style curry. It can be made of Fish, Chicken or Vegetable cutlets served on Katsu sauce. 

Chicken Katsu Curry

Chicken

·         2 Chicken Breasts> flatten them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin to 1 cm thick.

·         ½ cup flour + 1 tsp Paprika Powder + 1 tsp Black Pepper + 1 tsp salt > Mix

·         1 egg > beaten

·         200g bread crumbs

 

Katsu sauce

·         2 tbsp Oil

·         2 tsp crushed Garlic

·         1 Onion diced

·         1 tsp Paprika powder

·         ½ tsp Black Pepper

·         2 tbsp Soy sauce

·         1 cup coconut milk

·         1 tsp sugar

·         2 cups of chopped carrots

·         2 cups of chopped sweet potatoes 

Garnish

·         2 onion leaves> crushed

·         2 teaspoons white sesame seeds 

Cooking

Sauce: Lightly fry onion and garlic in oil, add everything else, cook for ten minutes. If necessary, add salt to taste and water so that the sauce is not too thick and not too thin. Let the sauce cooled, then blend it using a blender. 

Chicken: Coat chicken with Flour> Eggs> breadcrumbs and fry in oil over medium heat (4-5 minutes each side or until cooked).

Serve

Cook sushi rice or jasmine rice, fill a small bowl, press it a little, turn it upside down, place the chicken breast (whole or sliced) on one side of the plate, pour the sauce on top or on the sides of the plate, sprinkle sesame seed and chopped green onion over.

Lasagne

Lasagne is one of the most popular Italian dishes with layers of Ragu (minced meat in tomato sauce), Lasagne sheets (flat pasta sheets), Cheese and White sauce, baked in oven. There are no single perfect recipe. You can use different types of cheese, 3 layers to 6 or even more layers, different herbs and spices. 

I tried to keep it as simple and tasty as it can be. Follow the recipe and you will be rewarded with a Lasagne like you never had before - this good!

Serves: 4

Ingredients: 

• 250g Minced meat (keema)
• 500ml (2 cups) Lasagne Sauce (Tomato sauce with herbs and spices, see tips at the bottom) 
• 500ml (2 cups) hot Milk
• 9 sheets of Lasagne sheets
• 250g Shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 1 tbsp Butter (or Margarine) 
• 2 tbsp Flour
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 2 Stock pots or cubes (see tips below)
• Salt

Process:

Soak Lasagne sheets in hot water one by one (if you put them all in together, they will stick to each other) and leave for about 10 minutes or until you are ready.  

Make Ragu (minced meat in tomato sauce)

• Cook the minced meat in 1 tbsp oil on medium heat until brown
• Add the Lasagne Sauce (Store-bought is fine, if not available make your own, see tips below)  
• Enhance the taste by adding 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 stock pot or cube. 
• Turn off the heat when it starts simmering. 

Make White Sauce. (pre-made available, but home made is lot better)

• Melt 1 tbsp butter in a pan on medium heat
• Add 2 tbsp flour and cook until light brown 
• Add the hot milk gradually while stirring (if you add all milk in one go, you will get lumps, if you still get lumps, don't panic, just strain it)
• Enhance the taste by adding 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1 stock pot or cube.
• Turn off the heat when it starts simmering. 

Layering:(divide the ingredients depending on the number of layers)

• Spread a layer of Ragu in a ovenproof dish, lightly covering the bottom
• Place Lasagne sheets over to cover the Ragu (you can break the sheets to fit)
• Sprinkle a layer of the shredded Mozzarella 
• Add another layer of Ragu
• Repeat the above layering 3 times
• Pour the white sauce over and spread to cover the top. 
• Sprinkle the rest of the Mozzarella over it
• Cover with a tinfoil (to avoid burning of the top)

Baking: 

• Preheat the oven to 200c
• Place the dish in the middle of the preheated oven
• After 30 minutes take the tin foil off
• Bake for another 10 minutes
• Bring it out

Serving:

• Let it rest for 1 hour 
• Garnish with some Chives or Parsley or Green Onions (food must look nice!)
• Sprikle some grated Parmesan over it
• Drizzle some Olive oil (I use chilli-olive oil)  

Tips: 

• Lasagne Sauce: It is basically a tomato sauce with herbs and spices. Add anything you like to suite your taste. It can be Italian or fusion. Basic ingredients are tomato purée, basil, bay leaf, water, salt and black pepper.

• Stock: It is one of the most important ingredients in Western cooking, completely unknown in Asian cooking. It is made with a lengthy and complex process. To make life easy use stock pots or stock cubes (oxo), I use vegetarian ones. If they are not available, use tasting salt (msg). 

Aloo-Chop

This is my version of a very popular snack in Bangladesh. You can peel, boil and mash 1 kg Potatoes or do what I do to make life easy. If available, use frozen Mashed Potatoes, half of the work is done for you. Defrost naturally or just microwave for 8-10 minutes depending on the power of the micro. Careful not to overcook the potatoes because it will make them too soft and sticky. Either way recipe is the same. 

1 packet Frozen Mashed potatoes (900g) > defrosted

Add:

1 tbsp. Flour or Corn Flour.
1 tsp. Jeera (Cumin powder)
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
5-10 Green Chilli Chopped (adjust)
2 tbsp oil.
1/2 cup Fried onion
Mix well.

Make the Filling: Cook
2 Tins of Tuna / or Minced Meat 250g with
1 tsp salt

1 tsp fish or meat seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder.
1 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp chilli
1 tsp. Garam Masala

Make the chops:

• Make a golf ball size ball of mash, make a dip in the middle of the ball, I use a back of a measuring table spoon, put some filling inside, close it and shape it.
• Make all of them like this, will make about 10-12
• Put them in the freezer for at least 2 hours. This will firm them up and will be easy to handle.
• Beat couple of eggs in a bowl
• Have some breadcrumbs in another bowl
• Coat each of them with the beaten egg
• Then coat them with the breadcrumb.

Frying the chops

• Heat up enough oil to cover the sides of the chops
• When oil is medium hot add the chops and fry them for 2 minutes or until brown, 
• Turn over and fry the other side for another 2 minutes.   
• Lift them up and place them on paper towel. 

Serve with any sauce or salads of your choice

French Toast

French Toast can be sweet or savoury. Also called "Eggy Bread" 

When French toast is served as a sweet dish, its is soaked in a mixture of milk, sugar, vanilla or cinnamon before pan-frying. When it is a savoury dish, it is generally fried with a pinch of salt and/or pepper. Here is the sweet version. This is a decadent recipe, no cutting corners, no compromise. If you are on diet you can adapt. My American friend doesn't add any sugar and have it like pancake with Maple syrup. 

Brioche Bread is best but white bread will be fine, you will need 8-10 slices.

Ingredients for egg mixture:
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon.
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp Butter and 1/4 cup oil for frying

Frying:

• Mix all the ingredients for the egg mixture in a bowl or dish large enough to soak the slices of bread. 
• Heat up the butter and oil in a frying pan on medium heat.  
• Take 8 slices of bread, soak them one by one before frying them, both side. 
• It takes about 1 minute for each side. Once it is golden brown, transfer them on a dish with paper towel on it to soak up excess oil. 

Szechuan Chilli-Fish

It's a very tasty easy dish. Can be cooked with all kinds of fish but this one is with Basa or Pangasius fillets. Serve with Jasmine rice or noodles.

Ingredients:

2 Fillets of Fish (about 300g) – cut in small pieces
1 large Red Onion – chopped in large chunks

2 Capsicum (red & yellow) - chopped in large chunks

3 cloves of Garlic – chopped

1 green onion strand – chopped

2 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Chilli sauce

1 tbsp Tomato sauce

2 tbsp Soya sauce

1 tbsp Fish sauce

1 tbsp Vinegar

2 tbsp Corn flour

1 egg – beaten

1 tsp Sesame seeds to garnish

Cooking:

Mix the fish pieces with 1 tbsp Cornflour and 1 tbsp Soya sauce

Pour the beaten egg and mix well

Mix all the sauces and the vinegar in a cup

Fry the fish in 2 tbsp oil in a large pan until light brown, place them one by one leaving a little gap, to avoid them getting stuck together. Turn them over to brown both sides.

Remove them from the pan.

Fry garlic on the pan a little

Add the Onion and Capsicum

Add all the sauces and vinegar (mixed in a cup) 

Add ½ cup of hot water and cook for 2 minutes

Add 1 tbsp corn flour diluted in 2 tbsp water and cook for 1 minute

Add the fish and gently mix together.

Pour in a serving dish,

Sprinkle some chopped green onion and sesame seeds.

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese - also called mac n' cheese in the US and Canada. Macaroni is Italian but this is a dish of English origin. Basically, it is cooked macaroni pasta in a cheese sauce. US president Thomas Jefferson had it in Paris and liked it so much, he asked US ambassador to get the recipe and served it in state dinners. So, he can be credited to have introduced it in USA.

As always, this dish also has some variations, but here is my easy recipe of classic Mac n’ Cheese.  

Ingredients:

400g Macaroni
1 litre (4 cup) Milk
300 ml (1 cup) Crème Fraiche (or any cream)

200g shredded Mozarella cheese
2 stock pots or cubes

2 tbsp Cornflour (diluted in 1/2 cup of cold water) 

Salt 1-2 tsp (to taste)

Cook the pasta (macaroni) in salted boiling water for 15 minutes and drain.

Make the Sauce 

• Heat up the milk
• Add the cheese, crème and salt. (keep a little cheese to sprinkle over later)
• Add the diluted cornflour 
• Add the cooked pasta and mix well.

Bake: 

• Pour the mixed Macaroni in an oven-proof dish
• Sprinkle some shredded cheese over
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 10 minutes.

 Serve hot.