Archive for April 2014
Thai Beef Burger
This recipe is my version of the Thai Beef Salad, but I’ve added my own twist to it and made it into a burger. It’s a wonder versions of this haven’t popped up on menu’s around the world, its spicy, tangy and oh so tasty. I’ve combined a few elements from popular Thai dishes to make this a unique burger experience. It has all the elements you’d expect from a burger but the taste of Asia, I hope you like this recipe, enjoy!
Som Tum
Som Tum or Som Tam is the most famous salad out of South East Asia, there are different versions of this in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the one we’re making today is Thai style. It combines the five basic flavours, sour, spicy, salty, savoury and sweet, all the elements bring out these flavours brilliantly. The Thai recipes vary according to regions, some use dried shrimp while others use salted crab meat, in this version we’re going to use dried shrimp. I’m sure you’re going to like this, enjoy!
Spicy Indian Burger
I’ve designed this burger keeping in mind the strong pallets we Indian’s have and its inspired from the famous Galauti Kebab. It’s spice, tangy and oh so tasty, I bet if you like Indian food you’re going to love it. The assembly is a typical burger but the elements are keeping with the typical ingredients you would find while eating kebabs however I’ve tweaked this to suit my style, I haven’t clicked any good photographs of this one, but will do so shortly. Hope you like this recipe, enjoy.
PBC Cocktail
5 Mins / 
Easy / 
Serves 2
PBC – The pomegranate, basil and cranberry cocktail. I had this at a friend’s party some time back and loved it, so I decided to make this my own by tweaking it as usual. Its light, refreshing, perfect for a hot summer day and so easy to make. You can omit the alcohol and it makes for a refreshing summer drink too, but I like the alcohol in it! Although the name suggests most of the ingredients, there are a few more that need to be added to bring out the flavours.
Chicken Salad Sandwich
10-Mins / 
Easy / 
Serves 10A chicken salad is the one thing that should be in everyone’s refrigerator, it’s easy, lasts a couple of days and makes a perfect snack or meal in minutes. The health conscious may deem this to be unhealthy but you can use low fat mayonnaise, egg-less soy mayo, so personally I love having this in my house. The whole idea of this salad is using leftover chicken, especially from a roast. There are many ways to making a chicken salad, this one’s mine so I hope you like it, enjoy!
Gourmet Burger
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ModerateMy love for good meat is relentless and coming from a country where cured meat is rarely available and scarce, we have to make do with what we have. My take on the gourmet burger takes a bit of elbow grease but the end result is to die for. This recipe will feature a triple cheese burger, you read it right! Three types of cheese! It is simply decadent, easy enough to make once you have all the ingredients. I’ve designed this as a plated gourmet meal meal and not a TV dinner, its more like a deconstructed burger, I’m sure you’re going to like this recipe, enjoy!
The Classic Hamburger
 30-Mins |  Easy |  Serves 4 |
Although some of the better outlets such as Carl’s Jr. and Fuddruckers, amongst the few, serve up a very good burger, but I find myself wanting more! My own personal twist, flavours that I like and food that is not mass produced. Hence I’m going to make you my classic burger. Hope you like the recipe. Enjoy!
Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is one of the most ordered accompaniments in Italian restaurants around the world. The fact is; its simple, delicious, great appetizer and goes almost with any type of non spiced based meal, by that I mean, it doesn't necessarily go with Asian food! This is my favorite way of making garlic bread, I hope you like it. Enjoy!
Onion compote
Personally I'm quite obsessed with the taste of a onion compote, especially if I'm having grilled meat or poultry. The sweet savory flavor is simply to die for, there are quite a few variations on the net but I like to stick to this version, its simple and sinful. Hope you like the recipe, enjoy!
Spicy and Tangy Tomato Chutney
This tomato chutney is an excellent thing to have in your refrigerator, it goes almost with everything. I've had it with eggs, fish, poultry and grilled meats. Have used it as a sandwich spread, in a Burger, in eggs Benedict, you name it. Its simple to make and lasts a long time in the fridge, make sure you try it.
Caramelized Figs with Bocconcini and Parma Ham
Figs and Parma ham are a match made in heaven, so I decided to tweak this recipe and make it my own. The addition of the soft cheese, the tartness of the wine and the acid of the balsamic adds a whole to dimension to the simple appetizer. Hope you like the recipe, enjoy!
Asparagus sauteed with garlic
Asparagus is considered as a delicasy in the vegetable world, very labor intensive to grow and not easily available, makes this an expensive buy at the market. It's loaded with flavor and packs a nutritional punch. Lightly sauteing in garlic is like a match made in heaven. Hope you like this recipe, enjoy!
Oven dried Tomatoes
These tomatoes are packed with flavors, dehydrated and shriveled up, they can be used in so many dishes. From pizzas, to pasta, in salads, sandwiches, as spreads and many more. They have a excellent shelf life, especially in the refrigerator and are so cheap and easy to make at home, enjoy!
Buttered Corn
This recipe is so simple, a great accompaniment to any type of dish (well almost...) and the kids love it too. Packed with flavors this is one side dish you should be generous with, especially when served hot, people wallop this down like peanuts. Hope you like this, enjoy!
Mushy Peas
This dish may not be too popular in Asia, it is a lovely side dish, especially with sausages, meats and poultry. Puree the peas and becomes a lovely garnish on a well plated gourmet meal. I've tried it, loved it and am sure you will too. Enjoy!
Garlic Cream Potato
Chefs and cooks have made so many dishes out of potato, its a staple in the colder countries, especially in Europe. Mash, deep fried skins and the most popular in the world, the French fry! However I'm willing to bet you won't find anything like this recipe anywhere, its one of the best dishes one could create out of potato. I'm sure you'll love it, enjoy!
Bake Portobello Mushrooms
A hundred years ago I don't think anyone would imagine that people would grow, cultivate and consume fungi. Yet today we love mushrooms and at times is considered a delicacy in many dishes and cuisines. This is a brilliantly simple dish yet packs loads of flavors, hope you like it.
Easter Special 02 – Side dishes
In part 01 you learned how to make the perfect roast chicken for a Easter lunch, in this part you’re going to make the side dishes that I love having with the chicken. My advice to you is, make most of these the day before unless specified otherwise, it will save you a lot of time in the kitchen on Easter Sunday. You can pick and choose your favourite from these, however I suggesting serving all of these dishes, they complement each other well and are colourful, aromatic and absolutely scrumptious. Enjoy.
The Side Dishes:
1. Baked Portobello mushroom caps
2. Garlic cream potatoes
3. Mushy peas
4. Buttered corn
5. Oven roasted tomatoes
6. Asparagus sautéed in garlic
7. Caramelized figs with Bocconcini and Parma ham
8. Spicy tangy tomato chutney
9. Onion compote
10. Garlic bread
The Side Dishes:
1. Baked Portobello mushroom caps
2. Garlic cream potatoes
3. Mushy peas
4. Buttered corn
5. Oven roasted tomatoes
6. Asparagus sautéed in garlic
7. Caramelized figs with Bocconcini and Parma ham
8. Spicy tangy tomato chutney
9. Onion compote
10. Garlic bread
Easter Special 01 - Perfect Roast Chicken
I’m putting up this recipe because this has been a family tradition on Easter, Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries, why you ask? It’s simply divine, decadent and occasions like these deserve a long drawn out lunch especially over cocktails or beers. My father usually makes these lunches, its a labour of love, I however do things quite differently. My prep and cooking methods are nowhere close to what we usually make at home, its a bit more tedious and laborious, however the end result is worth every sweaty minute spent making this. I will be making quite a few side dishes to go with this, that will feature in the Easter Special 02, most of them may be prepared a day before, because you don’t want to spend the entire morning on Easter in the kitchen, especially if you can spend it drinking a Caprioska on a warm summer day. Enjoy!
This recipe may seem daunting for novice home cooks, I would strongly suggest giving it a try, but if you find it too complicated I will be putting up a cheats roast chicken recipe too.
This recipe may seem daunting for novice home cooks, I would strongly suggest giving it a try, but if you find it too complicated I will be putting up a cheats roast chicken recipe too.
Panzanella
This yummy Italian classic is to die for, however I find the textures lacking protein so I have tweaked this to my taste. It’s a wholesome meal suitable for any part of the day, you can serve it as a main course or as a starter or a side dish, depending on what the main course is. The best part is; you can make this with leftover ingredients at home, well that was the idea anyway! I hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!
Greek Salad
The Greek salad which is an American invention because of the Greek inspired ingredients, however the true Greek salad is called horiatiki; loosely translated “country salad” or “peasant salad”. This version of mine is very close to the original, but of course I have tweaked it with a few ingredients of mine. It’s simple, quick, easy and oh so tasty, perfect for any part of the day, most of the ingredients are easily available in our markets and stores. Hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!
Cream of Tomato soup
Tomato soup is the one dish I grew up with, of course it was my mum’s version but I still have fond memories of it. As globalization caught up with us, so did packaged foods; quite frankly I can never get myself to opening up a pack of Knorr soups and honestly enjoying it, hence I always take the trouble to make a soup from scratch, it may see unnecessary to some, but trust me its worth the effort. This is a cream soup and all of these have once common ingredient, cream! It may not be the most healthy but its delicious. I will feature the Tomato Bullion with Pesto, which is much healthier, but sometimes its all about decadence. Hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!
Singapore Laksa
My time spent living in Singapore opened my eyes, mind and palette to the different types of cuisine available there as it was the melting pot of Asian Pacific cultures and cuisine. The Singapore Laksa is a spicy, hot bowl of soup with noodles, chicken, fish and many other yummy ingredients. It’s closest relative is the Ohn-no Kauk Swe which I have also posted, this is my version of the Laksa and does not take too much of cooking time. I suggest keeping the tissues nearby, you’re going to need it. Enjoy!
Ohn no kauk swe (Burmese noodle curry)
I am a big fan of Asian food in general and will use this inspiration to come up with many recipes I have tried over time. The Kaukswe (pronounced cow sway) is one of the most famous dishes to come out of Burma, its a shame, they have many fantastic dishes to offer, but I guess the names are a bit difficult to pronounce and remember. Nevertheless, this dish is very similar to the Singapore Laksa and the Khao Soi from Chiang Mai and Laos. I will be featuring these dishes too, I hope you like this one. Enjoy
Beef Dry Fry (Chilli fry)
This is one of dad's favorite recipe which we love making at home, he has tweaked it to our palettes over the years but I'm sure you're going to love it too. We prefer using Veal meat because here we don't get Cow meat easily, they mostly slaughter buffalo, hence it's a tougher meat. Moreover we don't get cured meats either so our cooking time is longer and for the most part a lot of the meat dishes are braised, boiled or pressure cooked, this one is not. I hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!
Prawn Chilli Fry
Ahhh the prawn chilli fry, one if our favourite side dishes on our dining table that features at least every alternate day of the week. It's another evolved dish in our home because we like prawns, chilli and potatoes. As this is a side dish and not generally served as a main dish, the quantity in this recipe is for a dinner party, all you have to do is divide it by 20 and multiply it by the amount of people you're cooking for. I'll explain it below! I do hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!
Chicken Tikka Masala
This is probably one of the most popular Indian dishes in the world, the British have also deemed it as a national dish, it is a creamy decadent tomato based gravy. Surprisingly the recipe may seem like the butter chicken recipe yet in flavour its worlds apart. I have developed a cheats version of this recipe because this too needs barbequed chicken, and most wouldn’t want to take the trouble or may not have access to a barbeque pit or electric grill. I hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!
Indian Butter Chicken (Murg Mahkani)
This is by far one of the most popular Indian dishes around the world along with the Chicken Tikka Masala, which has been declared as a British national dish, and the Tandoori Chicken. The former two dishes use barbequed chicken which are then further cooked in a gravy. This is the cheats version as most people don’t have a barbeque pit or an electric version of the same. More so if you do, it can be quite a pain to make the same and can be very time consuming especially if you’re cooking a daily dinner and not for a gathering or special occasion. I hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!
Singapore Pepper Crab
This is yet another favourite recipe out of Singapore, its spicy, aromatic and very tasty. Unlike the chilli crab this is a much drier dish so you’d probably eat this with a gravy dish. It’s fairly easy to make as long as you have all the ingredients, but make sure you’re wearing a bib while eating this because you’re going to be spending quite some time at the dining table, hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!
Singapore Chilli Crab
This is one of the iconic dishes out of Singapore that has yet to spread around the world, its tasty, tangy, spicy and oh so messy to eat, but I can never get enough of it. From the time my wife and I had moved to Singapore, we would regularly go out to eat the beautiful dish, weather it be at a nice restaurant or hawker centre, it didn’t matter where, it was just pure joy to eat. Once we moved back to India, I had to improvise and make this at home myself, and if I may say so; it turned out quite tasty, you be the judge of it. Enjoy!
Crab Coconut Curry
This recipe is very similar to the Terry’s Prawn Curry, with a few changes made to adapt to the crab meat. This works best with smaller crabs as they are more flavorful and since you’d be having this with rice, presumably, the starch intake will be more. Hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!Terry’s Roast Crab
Crabs are one of the staple crustaceans, along with prawns, that are regularly consumed on our dining tables. It’s a long decadent, messy meal which we wait for week after week, especially during the spawning season, when its not available. The version by my mum is one of the easiest crab dishes to prepare, even a novice will nail it. Its crabby, meaty, spicy and oh so tasty. Hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!East Indian Prawn & Drumstick curry (Lonvas)
Lonvas, the one dish we love to bits, its a bit sweeter and milder than the other coastal counterparts, yet has a unique flavor all because of the one main ingredient, the East Indian Bottle Masala, without which the dish is simply not a Lonvas, its just a feeble attempt at it. So word of caution, without the masala you’re making your own version of prawn curry, nothing wrong with that but its not original. Good bottle masala is rear to get and expensive but try and find it. I hope you do try it and love the dish. Enjoy!
Goan Prawn Curry
Now this is the one dish everyone knows because the cuisine in general has crossed borders, but i have to admit it is very tasty, if properly made. Unfortunately very few places in the state of Goa serve the authentic dish, most have been modified to the expat or local north Indian palettes. But this one I do like a lot and is a nice change from what we have at home. I sincerely hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!
Mangalorean Prawn Curry
As expected the Mangalorean’s, being from the coastal belt have their own version of prawn curry. This features regularly at my in-law’s place and my wife and I just love it to bits. It’s not to far away from any of the versions of the coastal prawn curries we have on our west coast, yet each has a distinct taste and natives will know exactly which belongs to their own heritage. This recipe is very easy and very tasty. Enjoy!Terry’s Prawn and Potato curry
This is the one curry that features five times of the week on our lunch table at home, my mum’s version of the Prawn curry, a modified combination of different styles of curries. It is simply delicious and very easy to make. We always add potato because it just feels right, its tangy, a bit spicy and very ‘coconutty’ scrumptious. Hope you like this version. Enjoy!
Mangalorean Pork Curry
This beautiful succulent pork dish is made in Mangalore during festivals and special family occasions. Its spicy, tangy yet sweet in many ways, very palatable to most with a flair for Asian food. As usual it has a few steps in its procedure and one unique step which most may find perplexing but I have to say omitting that step dramatically changes the flavour of the dish, but I have suggested my own variation to this step which is further explained below. I hope you like this dish, I know I do. Enjoy!
Mangalorean Chicken Vindaloo
This is yet another version of the infamous Vindaloo, its my mother in law Kitty's, special recipe. My wife Annette who’s “Mangi” has honestly perfected this recipe and quite frankly tastes better than mum-in-law’s. Shhhh don’t tell her I said so. Nevertheless this one’s perfect for people with a milder palette, mind you it’s still quite spicy but not as highly flavored as the Goan and East Indian counterparts. Hope you like this recipe. Enjoy!
Terry’s Spicy Lamb Curry
This is another brilliant recipe from my mum, who has been my inspiration and teacher over the years. The best part is; she’s vegetarian, yet churns out these delicious meaty recipes without even tasting the food at any time during cooking. This is surely one of my favourite dishes, its spicy, tasty and goes brilliantly with steamed white rice, perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon. Once again this is not for the faint hearted, its very spicy and yummy. Enjoy!
Terry’s Spicy Green Chicken Curry
This curry is one of the most versatile recipes you must have in your culinary arsenal, its so easy and tasty, not to mention adaptable to most ingredients and palettes. Once again this is my mums original recipe and has been tweaked to perfection over the years. This features on our dinner table at least once a week because its simply yummy.
Pork Vindaloo
The quintessential Goan dish that has transcended borders, Vindaloo! Since I hail from an East Indian heritage, we too have our own version of Pork Vindaloo and to further that this recipe is a tweaked version that my mum has perfected over the years and I have added my own twist to it, hope you like it. Enjoy! Please remember this dish is not for the faint-hearted, its spicy and yummy.