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Nonya Gulai Lemak Nenas – Pineapple Prawn Curry

This is a Northern Nonya dish where prawn is featured quite prominently. The use of pineapple adds the sour element to the dish which a very typical flavouring for Northern Nonya dishes where you can see the Thai influence in the ingredients, but the flavour is uniquely Nonya.

Ingredients

300g medium sized peeled prawns (shrimps)
3 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 stalk lemon grass, sliced
5 dried red chillles, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, drained and cut into small pieces
4 fresh red chillies, cut into small pleces
3-5-cm piece (thumb size), fresh young turmeric, peeled *
5 asian shallots, peeled
3 cloves garlic , peeled
4 tbsp cooking oil
1tsp belacan granules, (instead of the original belacan paste), mix with a bit of water to create a paste 
200ml coconut cream, this is a thicker and richer than the coconut milk in cans. Use the ones in blocks or powder and add half the water, read instructions.
400ml or one can of coconut milk
1 small fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, quartered and cut into triangular pieces
Salt to taste

Note: You can buy fresh turmeric from either the Vietnamese shops in Hackney or in Chinatown.

Method
1. Wash and drain the prawns, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Set aside.
Pound or blend the coriander until fine using a mortar and pestle or a blender. Add a little water during the pounding process to make a paste. Set aside.
2. Begin by pounding lemon grass until fine; then add each ingredient dried
chillies, fresh chillies, turmeric, shallots and garlic. If you are pounding, then make sure that each additional ingredient is finely pounded before you add the next one. If you are blending, then just do it until it resembles a paste.
3. Heat oil in a pot. Add blended ingredients and stir-fry for 1 minute over medium heat.
4. Add coriander and dried prawn/ belacan paste. For easier stir-frying, add coconut milk, a bit at a time. Especially if it looks too dry or is sticking to the pan, this also prevents burning.
5. When mixture starts to bubble, add the prawns and stir-fry for another minute.
6. Pour in remaining coconut milk, then add the pineapple and salt to taste. Simmer until pineapple pieces are soft.
7. Add coconut cream and continue cooking for a few more minutes.
8. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve with steamed white rice.

Note: Not good for freezing but it there probably won’t be any left as this is so yummy.

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Caramelised Ikan Bilis

This is a delicious moreish snack or is often eaten as a side dish to a main meal. It’s quite quick and easy to make too.

Ingredients

300 g dried whitebait or dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
2 onions
180 ml oil
150 g peanuts, toasted
2 tbsp chilli powder
4 tbsp sugar

Method

1.  Quickly rinse and dry the anchovies. Do not soak. Dry in the sun if in a tropical country or just oven-dry. (Drying the whitebait will ensure that the fish will be crisp when fried).

2.  Peel then finely pound/blend the onions
3. Heat a pan or wok over a high flame until it smokes. Add the oil. Reduce to a medium
flame, then add the peanuts. Stir-fry until light golden brown. Remove and drain
well on kitchen paper.

4. Reheat the oil over a high flame, then add the dried anchovies. Stir fry until light
golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain.

5. Discard the used oil then wipe the pan clean.

6. Add some new oil. Stir fry the onions for a few minutes to soften.

7. Add the chilli powder and sugar. Stir fry for a few more minutes. You can also add some sliced red chillies as well to add some colour, but reduce the chilli powder.

8. Lower to a medium flame then add the peanuts and anchovies. Mix together then
remove.
9. Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container or serve immediately.

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Norman Musa’s Beef Rendang

I met Norman Musa at the IFE and we had a good chat about Malaysian food in the UK. He has kindly let me share this recipe which is from his book, Malaysian Food.  Norman runs the Malaysian Ning Restarant in Manchester.

This is Norman’s easier version of Beef Rendang and he has his own twist to the traditional recipe.

Serves 2

Ingredients

6 tbsp cooking oil
6 tbsp blended lemongrass
2 tbsp blended galangal
1 tbsp blended onion
1 tbsp blended garlic
1 tbsp blended ginger
4 tbsp dried chilli paste
4 tbsp tamarind juice
1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tbsp dark palm sugar block, broken into small pieces
100ml water (1st part)
500g beef, topside, cut into thin slices
1 lemongrass (use bottom half and bruised)
4 tbsp coconut milk
100ml water (2nd part)
4 makrut (aka kaffir) lime leaves
2 tbsp kerisik (roasted coconut)

Method

Heat up the cooking oil in a saucepan. Add the blended lemongrass and galangal. Cook for 5 minutes until the aroma rises. Next add the blended onion, garlic and ginger.

Cook for a further 5 minutes until it turns brown. Add the blended chilli paste, tamarind juice, white sugar, salt and dark coconut sugar. Cook until the oil separates.

Next add the fresh beef, bruised lemongrass and 1st part water and simmer on a low heat until dry. Once dried, add the coconut milk and 2nd part water and simmer again on a low heat until dry and the oil separates. The simmering in total takes about an hour. This will make the beef tender and give it plenty of time to absorb the rich flavours of the other ingredients.

Finally add the lime leaves and kerisik (roasted coconut) and cook for a further 5 minutes until the kerisik has blended in well. Ready to serve with rice.

Norman’s short cut kerisik recipe: (from an article on guardian.co.uk)

The authentic way of making this is by frying desiccated coconut until brown and then blending it until the coconut turns into a paste.

However, thanks to my best friend Yosrie, he taught me to do it a quicker way by putting the coconut block (creamed coconut) in a microwave oven for 3 minutes. Stir it immediately and microwave for further 1 minute to make it darker.

Like magic, it turns to roasted coconut of the same quality as if it was done authentically. One block of creamed coconut block can produce up to 8 tablespoons of kerisik. I get so proud telling my students how they will save time preparing it this way.

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Sayur Lodeh Malaysian Vegetable Curry

Sayur lodeh is light coconut vegetable stew which can be a meal in itself or as an accompaniment to the main meal. It is usually served with Lontong, a type of rice cake. You can also add some glass noodles or rice noodles to make a full meal.

This serves about 4- 6 people

Ingredients

3 cloves garlic

1 thumb size galangal

3 chillies, sliced

1 stalk lemongrass, white part of stalk only

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

 

2 cups coconut milk cups

1 carrot, peeled and sliced

1 cup green beans

1 onion sliced

5 pieces of fried tofu (available in the cold shelves in Asian supermarkets, not the soft white type)

1 cup chinese or napa cabbage

salt to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the garlic, galangal or ginger, chiles, lemongrass, coriander and turmeric and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

2. Add coconut milk, carrots, green beans and onion and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the vegetables are almost cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Simmer uncovered and add the cabbage and season. Simmer until the cabbage is just tender, about 3-4 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve with rice.

 

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