Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Cooked Vegetable Medley Salad with Peanut Sauce - Gado Gado

Gado-gado

Ingredients :
- Vegetables that need to be boiled : sliced cabbage, carrot, potato, french or snake bean.

- Dice fried firm beancurd.
- Cut fresh cucumber.
- Blanched bean sprouts.
- Belinjo crackers or any vegetable chips

Gravy :

Blend with water and coconut milk the following ingredients :
- Roast peanut till fragrant but not brown.Soak thumb sized tamarind or use directly from ready made bottled sauce.
- Sugar & salt to taste
- Fresh chillies
- Dried chilli powder
- Garlic
- Shallot bulb

Boil the gravy and add dark soy sauce to taste.

Strict vegans can omit eggs and shrimp crackers.



* Note : people with peanut allergy should avoid this dish.

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Curry Vegetables

This Indonesian/Malaysian dish is an all time favourite.
Simply substitute yummy nutritious vegetables for shrimp!

Ingredients :
Cabbage (1/2)
Carrot (2 - slice into 1 cm thickness)
Fried tofu puffs (5-8 pieces, cut into quarter cubes or triangles)
Coconut milk (1 cup)
French bean or snake beans (optional)
Taro (optional) - cut into cubes and steam briefly
Potato (cut into cubes - for a thicker consistency)
Seaweed slices (2 - 3 pieces, cut into bite size)
Vegetable oil - 1/2 TBS
Dried Chilli powder or chilli paste
for strict vegans, please omit shrimp paste)
Curry powder (for vegetables)- 1 to 2 tsp (too much will be overpowering)

Soy Sauce - 1 tsp
Salt, pepper and sugar (according to taste)
Fresh red chilli (slice thinly) - for spicier taste

Method :
1. Heat up vegetable oil and stir fry chilli paste.
2. Fry cabbage and carrot briefly. Add water just sufficent to cover the vegetables. Throw in the taro and potatoes. Cover only 1/2 of the lid to avoid spillover and overcooking the vegetables.
3. Bring to the boil and add coconut milk. Add curry powder and seasoning. Do not cover the pot from this stage onwards.
4. Add tofu puffs. Stir well and avoid burning at the bottom of the pot.
6. Follow with beans and seaweed (if using) and bring to a quick boil.

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Monday, June 21, 2010

Tasty Chap Chae - Stir Fry Vegetables with Glass Noodles

There are many ways of whipping up a delicious Korean Dish Chap Chae. The main ingredient is sweet potato noodles (mung bean vermicelli which is thinner could be
used with shorter cooking time).

Ingredients : Preparation
Soak noodles in warm water for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain.
Garlic and ginger - sliced thinly
Spinach
Green shallot - sliced thinly
Green or brown onion - slice thinly
Carrot - julienned
Hard tofu (white or deep fried) - slice into thin strips
Long white cabbage (Tianjin / Korean variety)
Shiitake mushrooms - sliced (use fresh directly or soak dried ones in water)
Chilli - slice thinly (alternatively, capsicum could be used)

Vegetable oil

Seasoning :
Soy sauce - according to taste
Korean fish sauce
Salt - final tasting
Sesame oil
Brown sugar (optional)
Sesame seeds (optional)

Fry garlic and onion in oil using a heavy pan till fragrant. (Do not turn the heat too high)

Fry vegetables in the sequence of hardest to cook to soft - mushrooms, carrot, cabbage, tofu, spinach, shallot. When vegetables are almost cooked, add blanched noodles and seasoning sauces. Mix well using large chopsticks.

Add sesame oil last. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top before serving.