East African Chicken

Most of my friends and all my family are aware that I do not like anything sweet added to my protein. On my plate, horror of all horrors would be to see pieces of fruit with chicken, pork or beef, so as you can guess, no Hawaiian pizza, no pineapple chicken or sweet and sour pork for me. However, I must say that my brother-in-law's - East African Chicken - is making me reconsider my position. There is a lot of flavour in this dish and a generous amount of heat; and the marriage between the spices and fruits (dates and rasins) is a happy one. As we enjoyed this for dinner yesterday, I was reminded that love of food demands a healthy amount of a spirit of adventure and I am glad to say that I have altered my position after eating this dish.  

So, to the proteinfrutophobes (word not yet in the English dictionary which means fear of protein and fruit in the same dish), I say, try this recipe and if it is still not your thing, then try it one more time after which I say, congratulations for having tried - proteinfrutism may not be for everyone (yes, another word that has yet to make it to the English dictionary....)

My brother in law is not just a fabulous cook, he makes the effort of going back to his blog and updating any changes he has made to his recipe. I have shamelessly copied it word for word from his blog and although it may appear time consuming, the finished product is certainly time well spent. I served it with quinoa cooked with a little salt and nothing else, because chicken with such bold flavours needs no competition from an overly dressed side dish. 

p.s. I have to confess, the only change I made was to use 12 instead of the 16 dates suggested, blame it on the proteinfrutophobia that I could not shake off entirely.

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 6 - 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 large chicken thighs skinned
• 1 tbsp salt (or more if desired)
• 4 tsp black pepper ground
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cups sliced onion
• 2 tbsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp ground cardamom
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 8-oz can diced tomato
• 16  pitted dates cut in half
• 1/2 cup golden raisins 

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and black pepper

3. Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, cook 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the chicken from pan
4. Add the onions to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently 
5. Add the ginger and next 5 ingredients (ginger through garlic); cook for 1 minute
6. Stir in chicken, broth, and the remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil

7. Cover and bake at 360 degrees for 90 minutes

Thai Chicken Green Curry

Greetings from Malaysia! I am currently travelling with my family in South East Asia. Hence, I may not be able to post recipes on regular basis. We pretty much enjoy our trip with lots of eating, photographing and many more. Stay tuned! In the meantime, please enjoy the Thai Green Curry Recipe.

This is probably one of take-out favourites in Canada! There are 3 different kinds of Thai curry: red, yellow and green (funny, just like a traffic light). Each of them share the same base: shallots, garlic, lemon grass, lime leaves, hot peppers and fish sauce. Red curry uses more red chilis while yellow curry has more yellow chilis and turmeric. On the other hand, green curry has cilantro, Thai basil and green chilis. Out of all, I personally find that green curry is the spiciest and the most pungent with a hum of fresh herbs. It is my most favourite Thai curry.

One can spend a good 10 dollars for a serving of Thai curry in a restaurant but believe or not, you can serve this dish at home for less than 10 dollars! And no, I do not expect you to cry in your kitchen peeling shallots and pounding chilis to make this dish. Thanks to the globalization and the world of convenience, you can now purchase a tub of Thai curry paste in any grocery stores. My favourite brand is Aroy-D. They also make the best coconut milk.

The Thai Chicken Green Curry featured on this blog is super easy and takes less than 30 minutes of cooking in your kitchen. Moreover, the vibrant colours of peppers and vegetables added into this curry will stir up your appetite and make you salivate. No kidding! Try this recipe and soon enough, you no longer need to dine in a Thai restaurant.

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pieces of boneless chicken breas, cubed
• 1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1 can baby corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 green bell pepper, julienned
• 1 lemongrass (optional), bruised
• 3 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• 4 tbsp Thai green curry paste (use less if you prefer mild)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

METHOD: 

1. In a pot, heat up 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Add in the curry paste, water, coconut milk, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves
2. Once boiled and the curry paste has dissolved, stir in the cubed chicken breast. Return to boil and cook for another 5 minutes 
3. Add in the red and green peppers, baby corn and green peas
4. Season with fish sauce and sugar. Return to boil and cook for another 5 minutes
5. Serve with a plate or bowl of steamed jasmine rice and fresh Thai basil

Gulai Kering Kentang Buncis (Potatoes and Green Beans Dried Curry)

Creamy, spicy, slightly sweet with aromatic pungent from lemon grass and lime leaves. Who doesn't like that? Need I mention that it is also packed with carbohydrate or simply fried potatoes? What a comfort! 

This dish is a lovely combination of root vegetable (potatoes are root "vegetables" right?), green beans, coconut milk and spices. It was created years ago when I was a university student at the time, feeling homesick and longing for flavours from home. So I gathered whatever ingredients I could find in the kitchen and it was a success. The dish was frequently requested in potluck parties to showcase Indonesian cookery. Though I am no longer a student, it is still served in our everyday meal right at home. Pair it with sambal telur and you will have a complete Indonesian meal!

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 6 - 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 lb green beans, cut into 1" length 
• 3 potatoes
• 5 lime leaves
• 1 lemon grass
• 8 Thai hot peppers, sliced thinly
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp oil plus enough oil for frying potatoes
• 1 cup (250 mL) coconut milk 
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) water
• juice from 1 lime

METHOD: 

1. Peel potatoes and cut into cubes. Season with a pinch of salt
2. Meanwhile, in a pan, heat enough oil to fry the potatoes. Once hot enough, fry the potatoes till golden brown. Drain the excess oil with paper towel
3. Slice off the very bottom of the lemon grass stalk, and peel off any dried-out layers. Mince the soft inner part of the lemon grass to help release the aromatic oil 
4. In a separate pan, heat up 3 tbsp of cooking oil and saute sliced onions till soft, around 3 to 4 minutes 
5. Add in lemon grass, Thai hot peppers and tear the lime leaves with your hand to release the citrus flavour. Saute for another 3 minutes 
6. Add in green beans, turmeric powder, salt, sugar and water. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes 
7. Stir in coconut milk and let it boil for 5 minutes then add the fried potatoes 
8. Cook for additional 5 minutes and finally, stir in the lime juice 

Like any other Asian dishes, this dish shall be enjoyed with a plate of warm steamed rice or naan bread. 

Sayur Lodeh (Vegetable Curry)

Spices and coconut milk are a part of the Indonesian and Malaysian daily diet. A meal without curry or hot sauce is also seen to be incomplete. Sayur lodeh (vegetable curry) is one of my all-time favourite curries. It is usually served with steamed rice with a side of sambal belachan (hot sauce with shrimp paste).

Curry paste is usually made of shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, fresh turmeric, red hot chilies, and other aromatic spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, coriander seeds etc. These ingredients are then pounded in a stone mortar until they turn into a paste. I tend to make curry paste (from scratch) in the summer when I get red hot chillies from the farmer's market.

In winters or whenever I'm running out of curry paste, I use store-bought Malaysian curry paste (A1 Brand) to save time and for convenience. The result is still as good as the curry that I have had back home. To those of you who think curries are troublesome to make in your kitchen, this recipe will give you room to breathe and a reason smile!

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 6 - 8

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 chayotes, cubed 
• 1/2 lb long beans, cut into 2" long
• 1 carrot, cubed
• 1/4 medium size cabbage, cut into bit size
• 1 can baby corn, cut into 1" long 
• 4 thinly sliced shallots
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 4 tbsp A1 or Tean's Brand curry paste 
• 1 cup coconut milk 
• 1/4 cup dried shrimps (optional, omit for vegetarian option)
• 2 cups water
• 1 lemongrass
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• Salt, to taste 

METHOD:

1. In a pot or dutch oven, heat up cooking oil and sauté shallots until golden brown
2. Add in dried shrimps and cook for 2 minutes
3. Stir in curry paste and lemongrass. Cook for another 2 minutes
4. Add long beans, carrots and chayotes, stir for  3 to 4 minutes
5. Add in coconut milk and water, cook to a boil or until vegetables are cooked 
6. Lastly, add in baby corn and cabbage, cook for another 10 minutes
7. Taste before you add in salt to suit your taste 

Note: A1 and Tean's Brand Curry Paste can be bought in most Asian grocery stores.