Canned Sardine Fish Curry And Soft Chapati

I seldom serve canned sardine on the table unless it is for making sandwiches.  I have eaten many times canned sardine fish curry from the chapati stall but have never thought of cooking it myself until I discovered that it is actually an easy dish to prepare.  Of late , I have been making my own chapati from home as I have found an easy and foolproof recipe online.  Chapati goes well with dhal curry, but hubby asked to make canned sardine curry for a change.  I took up the challenge and googled for one that is easy to prepare and yet delicious.  I checked out my favorite blog - Nasilemaklover  and found the one that I have been looking for.   Her recipe is simple and looks good.  As I was cooking it, I knew hubby will love it, it smell really good and after tasting it, I knew this dish will be a popular demand from the hubby . I used Sonia's recipe but added green chilli and bird's eye chillies for extra heat.  It goes really well with the soft and fluffy chapati made from home. Nothing beats homecooked canned sardine curry and homemade soft and fluffy chapati.  This dish is a keeper for sure. Can be eaten with chapati or rice.

 the brand of sardine I used for making 

this sardine curry is King Cup, our fav brand

  I added green chilli and bird's eye chillies

 for extra heat

 homemade chapati are healthier as I omit using

it is still soft and fluffy even without the ghee

Canned Sardine Fish Curry - adapted from Nasi Lemak Lover

ingredients:

1 large can sardine  -  tomato sauce flavour
1 large tomato - diced
1 tbs of chopped ginger,garlic and onion
3 sprigs of curry leaves
1 red onion sliced
*1 green chilli - sliced  - optional
*3 bird's eye chillies - sliced  -optional
2 tbsp of cooking oil
100 ml water

1/2 tsp mixed mustard seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

seasonings
1 tsp salt to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp fish curry powder -  * I used Alagappa brand
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder

Method:
1. Remove sardines from can, retain the tomato sauce
2. Pan fried sardines (without oil ) in a non stick pan, till both sides turned brown, set aside
3. Heat oil in a wok, add in ginger, garlic and onion paste and curr leaves, saute till fragrant.
4. Add in mustard, coriander and cumin seeds, mix well.
5. Add in the canned sardine's tomato sauce and water, add in the seasonings.
6. Once sauce boiled, add in the pan fried sardines, cook for another 1 min.
7. Add in diced tomato and onion slices, cook for another 1 min.
8. Dish out, serve hot with steam rice.

* this dish can be eaten with chapati, rice or bread

Soft Chapati
(make six 4 inch round Chapatis )
Ingredients:

1 cup Atta flour
1/2 cup hot water
1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Put one cup of atta flour in a bowl. Add half a cup of hot water and mix with a spatula or spoon. When there is no more water visible, stop mixing. Cover bowl and let it rest for 30 mins.

2. After 30 mins, add the salt, gently mix the dough for 2 mins, just enough to gather the dough into one piece. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 mins.

3. Divide the dough into lime size balls. Set an iron griddle on medium high heat. Let it become hot. Take a dough ball and generously dust it with flour. Roll the dough into a 4 inch round . Place the chapati on the hot griddle. Let it cook for 10 to 15 seconds until bubbles starts to form on top. Flip the chapati and cook for 30 seconds more. Gently press on top of the chapati to make the chapati fluff up. Flip one more time and press on top. Chapati should beautifully fluff up.

Storing Chapati:
Line a bowl with cotton towel. Place the cooked chaapati on the bowl and cover with a towel. Chapati will stay beautifully soft for a long time.

Deep Fried Beancurd Skin With Nestum Cereal Flakes

Each time I tasted something nice in a restaurant or any food stall, I will want to replicate it.  I find it more challenging than to just follow a recipe from my wide collection of  cookbooks.  Able to taste it and come back home to try replicate the dish to near 90% is an accomplishment for a home cook like me. I once ate this deep fried beancurd skin with nestum cereal flakes at a noodle shop and I loved it so much so that I came back home, tried a few times but was not happy with it and yesterday I managed to get it correct or at least 90% near to the original :)  This is an easy to make finger food that has to be consumed fast or it will turned soft. Eat it within 30 mins, it will still remains crispy and crunchy.  But not to worry, it finishes fast when it comes to this kind finger food.  Hubby loves it too and we will be fighting for the last piece LOL!  This will be another popular request from the hubby  :)

 beancurd skin for making lobak

prawn, minced meat and fish paste

spread a thin layer of prawn and fish paste on the  

surface of the beancurd skin

after applying a layer of paste, coat the surface with nestum cereal

 then deep fried in oil till crispy and golden brown

Deep Fried Beancurd Skin With Nestum Cereal

 ingredients:
1 piece of beancurd skin ( for making lobak ) - cut into 3"x 3" squares
100 gm prawn  , mince meat and fish paste  - ready made fish paste (40 gm ) minced meat (20 gm) from fishmonger + fresh prawns (40 gm) chopped finely
1 cup of nestum cereal flakes
1 egg - beaten - add a pinch of salt, a shake of pepper

oil for deep frying

Method:
Prepare the prawn and fish paste .  Add finely chopped prawns (30gm) to the ready made fish paste (50gm ) mix together with chopsticks till well blended. Leave aside.

Open up the beancurd skin and cut into 3" x 3" square.  Spread a thin layer of prawn and fish paste on surface. Apply beaten egg on top of prawn fish paste layer, then coat with nestum cereal flakes till it is well coated.  Deep fry on medium heat till golden brown.  Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

* note: oil must be hot before putting in the beancurd skin. Use a wooden chopstick to test out, If there is bubble around the chopstick end. It is ready for deep frying. 

Drunken Chicken Roll

Chicken meat can be prepared in many ways.  We can roast, stew, stir fry or poach them but today I am going to share with you another way to prepare chicken meat.  I remembered I did a cold version of drunken wings some years back . And it was a hit with the family.

To make a simplified version, I pressure cooked ginseng chicken soup for the family and took out a bowl to make drunken chicken roll.  I used two chicken leg, deboned them , season with salt and pepper , then rolled them up and tie with string to hold the shape.  Steamed the chicken rolls till cooked.  Add 1/3 cup of chinese cooking wine to the prepared ginseng soup and pour over the cooked rolls and soaked overnight in the fridge. Serve them chilled as appetiser or as a main dish.  A very delicious dish to serve the family or when you have guests to dinner :)

steam them for 20 mins till cooked

I skip the step of resting them in cold water to lock up the

juices....you can do that if you want but I let it cool down 

before pouring the ginseng wine soup over them

soak over night so that the ginseng wine flavored soup

get infused into the chicken rolls

my microwave tupperware comes in handy for this dish

when serving , remove the string and cut them into 1/4 inch thick slices

to make it look more appetising, I make a spicy cucumber

salad to go with it.  Yummz!

Drunken Chicken Roll

ginseng soup - one free range chicken , two ginseng roots, red goji , water enough to cover the chicken.  Pressure cook soup . Add salt to taste. Take out soup enough to cover the chicken rolls. The rest of the soup to be served as soup for the family.

2 chicken legs - deboned, keep skin intact

salt and pepper for seasoning the deboned legs

string for tying

1/3 cup chinese cooking wine - add to the prepared ginseng soup

To make spicy cucumber salad

2 japanese cucumber - slice thinly

2 tsp of chilli flakes

1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

1 tsp of sugar

Mix all the ingredients together and chill in the fridge.  Serve with the drunken chicken rolls

Method:-

1. Deboned the chicken legs, keep skin intact.  Season with salt and pepper. Roll the deboned legs with skin facing down. Tie with string on both ends and middle of the rolls.  Place the rolled up chicken legs on a place and steam for 20 mins till cooked.  Take out and let it cool down. ( you can rest in cold water for 10 mins to lock in the juices but I skipped this step ) 

2.  Place the chicken rolls in a container and pour the prepared ginseng soup ( added with chinese wine) onto the chicken rolls. Let the rolls sit in the ginseng soup overnight in the fridge.  When serving, remove the string and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Arrange neatly on plate and serve chilled.  Serve with spicy cucumber salad as an appetiser or even as a main dish if you desire.

Dhal Curry And Soft Chapati

WB and I had a sudden craving for homecooked Dhal Curry.  I googled for a easy one and found one from Sonia's blog - Nasi Lemak Lover.  I love all her recipes.  I gave her recipe a tweak and  added eggplant to it and used fresh turmeric instead of tumeric powder and added more dried chillies for extra heat . I have frozen blended turmeric         ( homegrown ) from the last harvest. I prefer fresh turmeric :p One thing about dhal curry is you can add any vegetables you like . A vegan dish that is nutritious, flavorful and delicious.   Dhal curry be eaten with chapati ( indian flatbread ) or rice.  I have not cooked this curry for a long time and am surprised that with Sonia's recipe, I did better than before.  Hubby complimented the dish . Thank you Sonia for sharing your dhal curry recipe :)  It is truly delicious ! And a keeper for sure.

  I added eggplant, more dried chillies for extra heat

and fresh turmeric instead of powder form :)

 fry the spices till fragrant

before adding the soaked dhal in

it is best to soak the dhal in water for 2 hours

to shorten the cooking time

 simmer for 1 hour to 1.5 hours under medium low fire

or till dhal has soften and gravy has thicken

 dhal curry can be served with rice or chapati

Dhal Curry - adapted from Sonia

 with some tweaks

ingredients:

1/2 cup dhal - washed, then soaked in water for 2 hours

3 green chillies - sliced

3 shallots- sliced

3 cloves garlic- sliced

1 large tomato - remove seeds - diced

1  large potato - diced

1 carrot - diced

1 small eggplant - diced

4 - 6 dried chillies -  *depends on how much heat you want

3 sprig of curry leaves

water -  1.5 litres

1 tsp of turmeric powder or 1/2 tbsp of fresh turmeric (pounded)

1/2 tbsp mixed indian herbs ( mustard seeds, cummin seeds etc...get from indian grocery shop)

salt to taste

1 tbsp of oil

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a wok, add in shallots, garlic, mixed indian herbs, stir fry till fragrant.

2. Add in green chilli and curry leaves, continue to stir fry for a while. Add in the tomato, potato, eggplant, and carrot, mix well.  Then add in dhal and water followed by fresh turmeric (blended) or turmeric powder.

3.Simmer for 1 -1.5 hours over low heat or until dhall has soften (mushy look) and gravy has thicken.

Serve with rice or chapatis.

The Making of Soft Chapati

I have been searching on how to make soft chapati...after gathering some tips from all over the internet, I  put all together and make my own soft chapati.  Haven't really perfected the recipe , but it is still the best I have ever made.  I am using a technique used in baking bread called autolyse. The word sounds frightening but it is nothing but a resting period between mixing and kneading.  It helps the flour to absorb more liquid.  This is quite interesting . Instead of using room temperature water, I used hot water . ( it helps make the chapati softer )  You will notice that I did not use Ghee . This is a healthy version. The chapati remains soft when I store them in air tight tupperware. And I prepared them half a hour before meal time.  The chapati remained soft and warm.

 add hot water to the atta flour

and gently mix the flour and water till just mixed .

 Over mixing will activate the gluten

too much and interfere in absorption of water by the flour

once the flour and liquid is mixed like the picture above, 

 cover with a cloth and leave it to rest 30 mins

do not form a ball yet.

I always set the timer :) when resting the dough

 divide into equal balls , each ball about the size a lime

dust the board with atta flour

and roll the ball into a 4 inches disc

 place the chapati on a hot griddle

Soft Chapati
(make six 4 inch round Chapatis )
Ingredients:

1 cup Atta flour
1/2 cup hot water
1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Put one cup of atta flour in a bowl. Add half a cup of hot water and mix with a spatula or spoon. When there is no more water visible, stop mixing. Cover bowl and let it rest for 30 mins.

2. After 30 mins, add the salt, gently mix the dough for 2 mins, just enough to gather the dough into one piece. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30 mins.

3. Divide the dough into lime size balls. Set an iron griddle on medium high heat. Let it become hot. Take a dough ball and generously dust it with flour. Roll the dough into a 4 inch round . Place the chapati on the hot griddle. Let it cook for 10 to 15 seconds until bubbles starts to form on top. Flip the chapati and cook for 30 seconds more. Gently press on top of the chapati to make the chapati fluff up. Flip one more time and press on top. Chapati should beautifully fluff up.

Storing Chapati:
Line a bowl with cotton towel. Place the cooked chaapati on the bowl and cover with a towel. Chapati will stay beautifully soft for a long time.

Stir Fry Ceylon Spinach Shoots And Flowers With Minced Meat

Ceylon Spinach or Malabar Green is an easily grown vine found in tropical Asia and Africa.  Pick any flowers as soon as they form to keep the plant focused on producing new shoots and leaves which are the tastiest part of the plant.  This Ceylon Spinach is God's gift to me through the birds' droppings.   I found this Spinach growing in one of my pot. It grew so healthy and in no time I have been blessed with enough for our meals  .  I found out that the flowers could be eaten too :)

Wow, it really taste good and the flowers remained crunchy after cooking.  A quick simple stir fry with minced meat and garlic,  brings this dish to another level of deliciousness.   Wow, I shall keep  growing  this so that I can eat this everyday :) so delish ! I discovered by chance that the flowers could be eaten too. You can get this Malabar green from the supermarket but without the flowers of course.  I have the privilege to have this grown in my lil space which allows me to enjoy this dish anytime I feel like having it :) God's blessing indeed!

young shoots with the leaves and flowers

can be eaten raw or cooked

stir fry with minced meat and garlic

taste really good

 

the flowers after cooking is crunchy and taste really good

 

Stir Fry Ceylon Spinach Shoots And Flowers With Minced Meat

ingredients:

200 gm ceylon spinach shoots and flowers  - wash and drain dry
1/4 cup of minced meat - season with white pepper and soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic - minced
* optional - 2 bird's eye chillies - chopped
sea salt to taste
1 tbsp of rice bran oil

Method:

Heat up  1 tbsp of oil in wok, once oil is hot, add in garlic and stir fry till fragrant, add in the seasoned minced meat, stir fry till cooked. Put in the spinach shoots and flowers and chillies and stir fry on high heat till cooked. Add salt to taste. Dish up and serve with rice.

Enjoy!

Deep Fried Threadfin Fish ( Ikan Senangin ) With Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Recently I bought quite a lot of Threadfin Fish or locally known as Ikan Senangin as I have grown to love this fish.  Good in curries and savoury dishes like the one above.  I used balsamic vinegar as a sauce for this deep fried Threadfin fish instead of using rice vinegar to give this dish the sweet and sour taste. I learned to slice the fish at an angle from YouTube ,it not only helps to cook the fish faster and give extra crispness to the fish, it gives a good presentation too when you have guests to dinner.

This simple to prepare and flavor packed dish is a to keep in my kitchen menu. Even hubby Wildboar who is not a fish eater loves this dish, the sauce and especially the crispness of the fish meat.  Balsamic vinegar taste good in salad and dishes like the above.  The trick is to add a tsp of brown sugar to the balsamic vinegar and tada you got the best sauce for fish dish or dressing for salad.  Try it to believe me :)

I learned to slice the fish at an angle from youtube

it not only helps to cook the fish faster and give extra

crispness to the fish, it gives a good presentation too

season the fish with sea salt and coat with corn starch before

putting into the hot oil for deep frying

I love the extra crispness when the fish is slice

at an angle :)

once the fish is done, prepare the sauce for the

fish. Balsamic vinegar and brown sugar

and a thickening sauce is the magic ingredients

for the sauce

Deep Fried Threadfin Fish  With Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Ingredients:

1 medium sized Threadfin Fish / Ikan Senangin / Ma Yau Yue from fish monger - cleaned
1 tsp of sea salt
corn starch for coating

vegetable oil for deep frying

Deep frying Fish

1. Slice the fish body at an angle , rub sea salt all over the fish , sprinkle corn starch on the body of fish. Heat oil ( enough to cover the fish ) over high heat. Once the oil is smoking, put in the fish on its belly and deep fried till crispy on the outside and cooked inside.  Lift it up and place on paper towel to remove excess oil.  Once that is done, place the deep fried fish on a serving plate, while you prepare the sauce.

Sauce:
some grated carrots
1 clove of garlic - sliced
2 bird's eye chilli - sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1.5 tsp of brown sugar
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp of corn starch and 2 tbsp of water - to make thickening
1 tbsp of rice bran oil

Prepare the sauce:

Saute garlic slices and chilli with 1 tbsp of rice bran oil in a non stick pan till fragrant, add in balsamic vinegar, brown sugar,  and thickening . Once the sauce thickens, add in salt to taste and
grated carrots.  Dish up and pour sauce over the deep fried fish.  Serve immediately to enjoy the crispness of the fish.

Note:  If you have pickled ginger, you can add to the sauce or as a side dish for the fish.

 Enjoy !