2013... Starts with Khao Soi Gei

Back again for another year and I tried sneaking in a blog post just before January came to an end but couldn't.  So February it is and the year is flying already. Last year finished up with a bang and turkeys and fruit mince pies are a faded memory along with any holiday time off, that I had. Yes indeed, it was back to work with all systems go on a most busy start to the year. 
As previously mentioned, I moved house in December last year and have been equally busy at home settling in. The kitchen has had a workout over the last few weeks and rightfully so, as we customised it to be a highlight of our house and essentially-my world. 2012 was farewelled with a cracker of a feast of TexMex delights that definitely impressed. And if chowing down on Nachos at 4am to cure the alcohol induced hunger pangs is anything to go by, then I say it was a feast well deserved.  

 But on to a recipe and one that has been a long time coming - Khao Soi Gai. I made this on my birthday last year alongside my mum's Burmese/Anglo Indian style Pantay Khao Soi and although the votes were very close, I'm pretty sure that my mum's dish won the battle. To be fair, she has been making it for many years now and is only allowed to do so on my birthday - so perfection is a prerequisite. This version is my own take on this Thai style spicy curry noodle soup that just sings with flavour in a balanced harmony of heat, sweet, sour and salt. This dish is very reminiscent of a good curry laksa and I love the flavour combination of curry powder and red curry paste that sets it apart from the well known northern Thai curries. I think I have employed as many cheats into this recipe to make it a quick and easy dinner dish using chicken breast, which cooks fast and also ready made Thai Red Curry paste (of course you could make your own!). The garnish could also be a myriad of other ingredients from pickled cabbage to fresh red onions and more.  I have kept it really simple with ready made fried noodles and shallots and humble spring onions and chillies for colour.
Ingredients
2 large x Chicken breast pieces, marinated for 30 mins in a tbsp of Thai Red Curry paste
2 tsp x Malay curry powder
4 heaped tbsp x Thai Red Curry paste
1 inch piece x Ginger, sliced thinly
1 quill x Cinnamon 
2 sprigs x Curry Leaves, picked
200 ml x Coconut Cream
400 ml x Coconut Milk
2 cups x Water
1-2 tsp x Fish Sauce
2 tbsp x Palm Sugar
2-3 x Red Chilli, sliced finely
Lime juice to taste
Vegetables of your choice. I used:
250g x Eggplant, sliced
100g x Green beans, topped and tailed
2 x Baby Bok Choy, washed and segmented
For the garnish:
2 x Spring Onions, sliced finely
Fried shallots
200g x Crispy fried noodles, available from most Asian groceries
Extra Red Chilli
To serve:
250g x Rice or Egg noodles, cooked
Directions

Place a large wok on medium heat and dust in the curry powder
Toast the curry powder for a few seconds until it starts to darken and become fragrant
Stir in the curry paste followed by the ginger, cinnamon and curry leaves
Now add the coconut cream and combine well to form a thick sauce
Pour in the water plus half of the coconut milk and stir to combine, then bring to the boil

In a separate pan heat a little oil and pan fry the chicken breasts turning every 2 minutes until cooked through
Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and rest on a chopping board

Back in the wok add the vegetables that you have chosen in two minute intervals, starting with the hardest to softest (i.e. Eggplant,  Beans then Bok choy)   
When the veg has cooked through add the fish sauce, palm sugar, chillies and some lime juice
Stir gently and taste for a good balance of salt - sweet – hot and sour flavours – add more seasoning to taste, as required
Add the rest of the coconut milk and stir through gently
Slice the rested chicken breasts into ½ cm slices and add to the wok

To serve, place a generous serve of cooked noodles in a deep bowl and ladle in the soup with the veg and chicken
Now garnish with spring onions, fried shallots and a big heap of crispy fried noodles
Add some extra sliced chilli for colour and heat and serve

Nyonya Kari Chicken Kapitan

Since I was on a Nyonya high already, I couldn't go past this very famous chicken curry that you are bound to get from any good Malaysian eatery.  I think the locals could probably make this dish with their eyes closed and one hand tied behind their backs.  Well with both eyes open and both hands in operation I attempted a Gordon Ramsay version of this dish - not so Malaysian is he?  Put his on screen (a possibly off-screen in the kitchen) bad temper aside, I actually have much respect for Gordon (first name basis, 'cause we go way back..!) as a chef and businessman and I have followed a few of his recipes before and they have turned out superbly.  The term Kapitan was a name given to chiefs during the settlement days, early on in Malacca's history.  This kari dish may have been prepared especially for them or on occasions to honour the chiefs. So I figured "Ch(i)ef Ramsay's" dish seemed a worthy recipe to take on and adapt to my own.  The result was an exceptionally tasty curry with the right spiciness, sweetness and sourness that tasted really authentic.  

Ingredients

6 x chicken thighs, cut into small bite size pieces
3 tbsp x Light soy sauce
1 tbsp x Dark soy sauce
Pepper to season
2 tbsp x Cooking oil
2 x Onions, finely diced
1 440ml can x Coconut milk
1 heaped tbsp x Tamarind pulp, soaked in ½ cup of hot water
6 x Kaffir lime leaves, left whole, extra cut into fine strips for garnish
2 tbsp x Palm sugar, grated

For the rempah (paste)
4 x Red chillies (or more if desired), deseeded
2 x Lemongrass stalks, white part chopped
1 tbsp x grated Fresh turmeric, (or 1 tsp of Turmeric powder)
2 tbsp x grated Ginger
2 tbsp x grated Galangal
5 shallots, peeled and chopped

4 x Candlenuts, soaked in a little warm water
1 tsp x Cinnamon powder

1 tbsp x Belachan, (dry shrimp paste sold in blocks), dry roast in a pan for for a few minutes before use

Directions

Combine chicken pieces with the soy sauces and the pepper

Marinate in the fridge for about an hour

Place all ingredients of the rempah into a food processor and blend to a coarse paste

Squeeze the soaked tamarind pulp, retaining the juice, discard the skin and seeds and keep juice aside

Stir fry the chicken in batches until about three quarters cooked and reserve in a bowl

Cook the onions until they are translucent then add the rempah and fry for a further 2 minutes

Return the chicken to the wok and pour in the coconut milk, bring to a slight boil

Now add the tamarind juice, lime leaves and sugar

Lower heat and allow to simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning

Garnish with finely sliced lime leaves and serve with rice or crispy roti canai

Pantay Khao Suey...my special birthday dish

I am thirty something years young now and for about the last 15, or so years, on my birthday, my mum makes me the same dish.  It’s one of very few food rituals that exists in our family and I guess I am little spoilt to be the recipient of this dish.  More so, special, because my mum is not the chief cook in the household – the kitchen tends to be the males’ domain for some reason, from my dad to me and my brother.  The dish that is synonymous with my birthday is a traditional Burmese dish that has been given an Anglo-Indian tweaking by my mum.  It’s called Pantay Khao Suey (pronounced parn-tay cow sway) and can best be described as a meaty curry soup enjoyed over noodles.  I have also made it a rule that this dish is not made on any of the other 364 days in the year – unless you want to celebrate my birthday twice.  As this blog of mine is in its first year, it was only right to add the recipe for Pantay Khao Suey and immortalize it forever on the internet.  This was not an easy task since neither of my parents have their recipes written down somewhere to refer to.  Instead they tend to know just what ingredients to put in and just how much of it.  So this time around I took notes and pictures – otherwise I would have to wait until next March.
Ingredients

For the curry paste

2 tsp x black peppercorns

2-3 x dried chilli

2 tsp x cumin seeds

2 tsp x coriander seeds

2 tsp x mustard seed

2 tsp x hing (a.k.a. asafetida available at Indian grocers)

4 tsp x tamarind extract

1 cup x water
1 tsp x salt

For the curry soup

1 kg meat, cut into thin strips (I insist on the meat being beef since Khao is pronounced “cow”, but chicken and lamb can be substituted)

2 tbsp x vegetable oil

5 x onions, diced finely

2 tbsp x garlic, crushed

3 tbsp x ginger, crushed

20 x curry leaves

1 tsp x chilli powder

1 tsp x turmeric

Water to cover

2 x 400ml cans coconut milk

Salt to taste

To serve

250g packet x thin vermicelli noodles cooked al dente (angel hair pasta is my preference)

Garnish

Coriander leaves, chopped roughly

Spring onion, sliced finely

Fresh chilli, sliced finely

Fresh lime, cut into wedges

Fried garlic, thin slices of garlic deep fried till crispy

Shrimp powder, roast dried shrimp in a dry pan then grind to a powder

Roasted noodles, break noodles into 2 inch lengths and dry roast noodles in a pan

Directions

For the paste grind all the whole spices and mix with the tamarind paste

Dissolve the salt in the water and stir through the spice mixture  

 Make a second paste in bowl combining the crushed ginger and garlic

Keep both aside while you start the cooking process
Heat oil in a heavy pot then add onion and fry gently until soft and golden

Stir in the garlic, ginger and curry leaves, and fry for 2 minutes until fragrant

Now add the chilli and turmeric powders followed by the curry paste mixture

Stir to combine then add the strips of meat and turn to coat with the spices

At this point check the seasoning and add extra salt if required

Add enough warm water to cover the meat and bring to the boil

Lower heat, cover pot with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes

Stir in the coconut milk and cook on low heat for a further 10 minutes

Adjust the consistency of the liquid adding extra water if you prefer a thinner soup

Serve the curry soup into bowls of cooked noodles

Sprinkle generously with your choice of garnishes – this is the best part and what sets Pantay Khao Suey apart from any other curry soup dishes, as you get to control the end flavour your own soup. 

 Now this is what a well garnished bowl of Pantay Khao Suey is supposed to look like - a little bit of everything - oh so delicious.

There was a festive group of family and friends who came to celebrate my birthday that night.  I think it was the largest group that my mum catered for. So here we go with some happy snaps of some of them enjoying a bowl of Pantay Khao Suey - made my mum's way.

"Recently I was dining at Laksame in the city and noticed a Khao Suey on their menu.  The dish tastes completely different to my mum's as it is based on a Thai Red Curry broth.  Nevertheless it was exceptionally good and I knew I had to try to make it at home.  Check out my recipe for Khao Suey Gai."