Dolce Dente » asian

Surkh Tandoori Aloo

meggamoma — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:50:30 +0000

Aloo or potato is a perfect addition to most meals. The perfect potato in this case is a baby yellow gold ,they are so creamy and melt in your mouth,which is great considering the spice used here is a blend available in most Indian stores called Kashmiri red chili paste ,it is hot,spicy and delicious. Once again this dish is prepared in a tandoor or placed in an oven to roast.

20 baby Yukon gold potatoes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus for deep-frying

1/2 cup plain Greek yoghurt

2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili paste

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 tsp roasted ground cumin

4 tablespoons gram flour

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Heat plenty of oil in a pan and deep fry the potatoes till they are half-cooked. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.

Place the yogurt in a bowl. Add ginger and garlic paste ,chili paste,dry spices,salt lemon juice, oil and gram flour.Mix well.

Add the fried potatoes to the marinade and stir gently. Set aside, refrigerated for about 1 hour.

Thread the potatoes a little apart onto skewers and roast in a preheated 400*F for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Serve hot

Thai vegan green curry

meggamoma — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:47:42 +0000

Of all the Thai coconut based curries,Green is my favorite. It is spicy but not explosive as the paste is made with green chilis as opposed to red which is a really acquired taste. I often buy a can of Maseri brand paste which does not contain any shrimp paste typically contained in store-bought pastes. Any number of vegetables can be added to the curry and it goes surprisingly well with green vegetables such as snow peas,peas or green beans. For protein I often add firm tofu or mock duck. In Thailand the curry is either served alongside Jasmin rice or hot Indian bread called rotis.

Photograph by Rahul Mahtani

Serves 4

1 can Green curry paste or 3 tbsp home-made curry paste

2 cups coconut milk

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1/3 cup vegetable stock

1 tbsp palm sugar or brown sugar

2 cups cooked vegetables of your choice,such as green beans,mushrooms,baby corn,snow peas etc

1 block firm tofu, drained,dried and cut into cubes

6 kaffir lime leaves

1/4 cup fresh Asian basil,torn

Heat a wok and add in 2 tbsp of thick coconut cream.Allow the cream to heat and add the curry paste.Cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes,stirring. Add in the rest of the coconut milk, the stock, soy sauce and sugar. Allow to come to a simmer while you add in the torn kaffir lime leaves.Stir well and allow to simmer (DO NOT BOIL) for about 5 minutes.

Gently stir in the vegetables and tofu. Simmer 2 minutes ,more.

Check for seasoning and adjust.

Pour into serving bowl and garnish with basil.Serve with a bowl of steamed Jasmin rice or hot Indian Chapatis.

Salmon in hot bean sauce

meggamoma — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:49:30 +0000

This fantastic recipe was taught to me at culinary school years ago and is still one of the most requested dishes both by my family and friends .it has the best combination of flavors but is very Chinese seafood dish I have made. Originally this dish was made with Carp but I switched over to Salmon,a more widely available fish and touted for its great vitamin content. The best point with this dish is it can be under cooked and heated and finished cooking just prior to serving.

Photograph by Ashish Mahtani

2 lb Salmon 1 1/2 tbsp chopped ginger root ( fresh please)

2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic

3 scallions,diced

2 tbsp hot bean sauce ( available in Asian markets)

2 tbsp dry Sherry or Rice wine

1 1/2 cup stock

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

2 tsp vinegar

1/2 cup peanut or corn oil ( I use Canola oil)

Clean the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Make 3 cuts on each side of the fish.

Put ginger,garlic and hot bean sauce on a plate.

Combine Sherry or Rice wine, stock , sugar and soy sauce in a cup.

Sprinkle salt on both sides of fish just before frying . heat a wok until hot. Add 5 tbsp of oil and swirl it around. heat it until very hot. Slide the fish into the oil and fry until golden brown. Turn and brown the other side. Remove the Fish and oil.

Add 3 tbsp fresh oil and heat until hot. Add ginger and stir fry until fragrant. Add the hot bean sauce. Stir fry a few times.

Add the fish, the stock mixture . Bring to a boil. Cover and cook in medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn fish over and cook 5 more minutes or until done. Remove fish to a serving dish.

Restir the cornstarch mixture. Add it to the sauce,stirring all the while until it thickens. Add the vinegar, scallions, stir and pour over the fish.

Thai crab salad with fresh mango

meggamoma — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:50:02 +0000

In the summer I am obsessed with freshness,from fruit to seafood. I adore the simple abundance of herbs in my small herb garden,especially the fresh green chilis,cilantro and Thai basil.Wish I could grow tropical fruit such as Lychees and Mangoes but….the market will have to supply those. While away at college,yearning for a home cooked meal,my son,Ashish e mailed me a list of items he would love to eat during his summer home,this crab salad was one of the first requests.It is best to prepare this with the freshest of ingredients,as it is a simple salad and each ingredient contributes to its explosion of taste in your mouth.

Chef Tony Wrigley,Rockfish restaurant,Phuket Thailand

Photograph by Ashish Mahtani

Serves 1

1/2 cup cooked crab meat

1/2 diced mango

2 to 3 sliced Thai chilis

2 green onions,sliced

a few sprigs cilantro,roughly torn

a few Thai basil leaves,roughly torn

1/4 cup ry roasted peanuts

2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp canola oil

juice of 1 fresh lime

some chili sauce for presentation

Gently toss all ingredients so as not to break the crab meat. Taste to adjust seasonings. Serve.

Easy grilled mint shrimp

meggamoma — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:21:10 +0000

These shrimp are as great to look at as to taste.Whenever the weather turns warmer we chose to grill,its easy clean up it the greatest incentive. I typically marinade these shrimp at least 1/2 an hour before grilling but no more than 1 hour.You could use either shelled or unshelled shrimp,but,I always find the shrimp to retain more moisture when grilled shell on.

1 1/2 lb shell on jumbo shrimp (unshelled shrimp would be about 1 1/4 lb)

1/4 cup minced fresh mint leaves

1 to 2 serrano chillis,minced

4 cloves garlic,minced

juice of 1/2 small lime

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper or white pepper

salt to taste

zest of 1 lime

1/8 cup canola oil.

Combine all ingredients together,except for shrimp, in a food processor to blend well.

Place shrimp in a plastic resealable bag and pour marinade over. Seal bag and gently massage marinade on to shrimp, making sure each piece is coated. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Heat grill to medium hot. Grill shrimp about 2 minutes per side, DO NOT OVER COOK.

Place on serving dish and squeeze lemon or lime before serving.

Sriracha Asian grill pork tenderloin

meggamoma — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 01:28:08 +0000

Today the weather was picture perfect and we decided to spend time outdoors grilling. As my family loves all types of hot sauce,it was decided to try out a recipe from Bon Apetit magazine featuring the popular hot sauce Sriracha.This sauce is smooth and hot and lends great flavor to just about everything you add it to. I amended the recipe to suit our taste and grilled vegetables alongside as well. I took the balance marinade and cooked it down till slightly thickened,stirred in some butter and finally burbon,just awesome!!!

Recepie adapted from Bon Apetit magazine

Photograph by Rahul Mahtani

2 pork tenderloins

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

1 to 4 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

2 star Anise pods

1 ” piece ginger,thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic,thinly sliced

4 fresh Kaffir leaves,sliced down the center

1/2 cup cilantro stems,tied together with twine.

1/4 cup Burbon

ground white pepper

Wash and throughly dry pork tenderloins.Set aside.

Mix all ingredients together except the pork.

Place pork in a resealable bag.Pour on half the marinade. Seal the bag and remove any air. Massage pork through sealed bag making sure the pork is well covered with marinade. Place in refrigerator for 4 to 24 hours.

Pour balance marinade in a heavy bottom pan.Turn on flame and cook down sauce till thickened.Off heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of cold butter.Pour into a saucepot.

Preheat grill to 350*F

Grill pork until done.

Remove from grill and tent with foil for 5 minutes allowing the pork to rest.

Place on cutting board and slice thinly. Place on serving dish and drizzle with sauce and fresh cilantro.Serve

“Dali Chicken”

meggamoma — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 01:07:46 +0000

My sons are huge fans of the popular chain PF CHANG. We do not have one close enough to visit and eat there with the frequency they would enjoy,especially to eat their favorite Dali Chicken.Today I tried to replicate the dish and,looks like its as close as its going to get!!! there are a few renditions on the internet,but this,by far comes the closest,at least that’s what the family says!!

Dali Chicken Clone

Photograph by Rahul Mahtani

1 lb chicken breast,thinly sliced

1 yukon gold potato,thinly sliced

2 scallions, sliced

6 to 8 dried chili pods

1 tsp ground, toasted cumin

2 tablespoons chicken stock

2 tablespoons Oyster sauce

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 tsp grated ginger and garlic

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons chili garlic paste ( Sambal Oelek)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil for stir frying

Black sesame seeds for ganish (optional)

Mix stock,garlic,ginger,oyster sauce, Sherry, vinegar, Soy sauce and chili garlic paste in a bowl and combine.Set aside.

Heat a wok or saute pan and add oil. Add potatoes and stir fry until almost cooked. Push aside in pan and add dried chilies. Cook until pods darken slightly .

Add chicken and bring potatoes back into center of pan to stir fry with chicken. Continue to fry on medium high heat. Add in cumin and continue to stir fry until chicken turns opaque and cooked.

Stir in the reserved sauce and stir fry until the sauce fully coats the chicken and potato.

Stir in the scallions or leeks. Off heat.

Serve sprinkle with black sesame seeds (optional)

Thai Crying Tiger Chicken

meggamoma — Wed, 25 May 2011 01:43:19 +0000

Today was our first really warm rainfree day of the season,so, of course, we had to grill . I had a super busy day and needed something with big impact and little effort,this was perfect. The Thais love their red-hot chilis,so, naturally the milder the sweeter the title. The hotter the sauce you prepare the more the tiger “roars”. So weeping tiger to crying tiger to howling tiger .My family enjoys medium heat ,so this is perfect. I serve this along with a fragrant coconut jasmine rice and some simple green beans and cucumber…perfect for a summer day !

Serves 4

Photograph by Ashish Mahtani

1 1/2 lbs skinless boneless chicken filets

1/4 cup thin soy sauce

1 tablespoon Fish sauce

1/4 tsp white pepper powder

6 Kaffir lime leaves,shredded

Wash and dry the chicken filets. Place in a non reactive container and pour on the rest of the ingredients. Cover and allow to marinade for at least 1 hour . Grill over charcoal till done.

Dipping sauce

4 cloves garlic,grated

2 tablespoons or more of chili paste or 15 red Thai chilis , pounded to a paste

Juice of 1 lime

1/8 cup fish sauce

1 to 2 tablespoons palm sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Combine and serve alongside grilled chicken

Pork Satay with perfect peanut sauce

meggamoma — Sat, 14 May 2011 21:29:33 +0000

During the warmer spring months my family loves to spend time outdoors for various activities, especially grilling. Pork satay is a family favorite. I get my butcher to slice the meat as super thin as possible,then, once marinated,skewer the meat onto presoaked bamboo skewers and grill on a really hot flame of about 500*F. As you can see the family really loves slightly charred ,crisp satay, but you could easily flip them more frequently and,perhaps lower the heat if you prefer a less charred satay. This recipe works on all kinds of meat, so do not feel compelled to use pork.

Serves 4

Photograph by Rahul Mahtani

Adapted from Su-Mei-Yu

1 tbsp dry roasted cumin seed,ground

1 tbsp dry roasted coriander seed,ground

1 tsp dry roasted white pepper,ground

1 stalk lemongrass,green parts and hard outer leaves removed, minced

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup fresh unsweetened coconut cream

1 1/2 lbs meat of your choice,sliced super thin,then cut into strips

Bamboo skewers soaked in water

one 6 oz can pineapple juice

Vegetable oil spray

Perfect peanut sauce, for serving (recipe found on http://www.dolcedente.com)

In a medium bowl combine spices,salt,lemongrass and coconut cream,stir to blend. Add meat and stir to coat . Cover well and refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature prior to grilling.

Thread meat onto skewers, place on a platter as you fire up the grill.

Dip each meat skewer into the can of pineapple juice, then spray the meat generously with vegetable spray . Lay the skewers close to one another, to keep the meat moist, on the grill and cook,turning frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, until well done.

Serve alongside Perfect peanut sauce

Spicy Kheema puffs

meggamoma — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:48:58 +0000

in Hindi Kheema can be any type of minced or ground meat, so I have used minced lamb, but have prepared the same puffs using chicken or even turkey . Once the filling is prepared and cooled it is filled into store-bought puff pastry. this is delicious served for high tea or even a light sunday dinner.The great this is the puffs can be assembled and refrigerated until ready to bake.

12 puffs

Photograph by rahul Mahtani

1 lb ground lamb or any ground meat of your choice

2 tsp vegetable or canola oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ” fresh ginger root , minced

4 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp each ground coriander and cumin seed

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp red chili powder

a small bunch fresh mint , finely chopped

salt to taste

Heat oil and saute onion with salt on medium heat till soft and lightly brown.Add ginger and garlic, fry for 1 more minute.

Stir in the tomato paste and fry for 1 minute.

Stir in all the spices and fry for 30 seconds.

Add in the minced meat and fry, breaking up the lumps . Keep frying till the meat is well browned and the oil separates to the sides. Stir in the mint. Tilt the pan so that any excess fat is easy to pour off into a separate bowl,discard this. Allow the meat to cool.

Preheat oven to 425*F

Roll out puff pastry sheet and cut desired shape . Place meat filling in the center of the pastry and brush edges with egg wash. Fold over and press to seal. With the tines of a fork make a design on the border,this will ensure the pastry is well sealed.

Make slight slits in the top to allow excess air to escape.Brush tops with egg wash and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.Serve immediately.