Thai Green Curry with Homemade Curry Paste/ Kaeng Khiao Wan

Green Curry is my second attempt on Thai food next to red curry. Referred as Kaeng (Gaeng) Khiao Wan, literally meaning sweet green curry, it gets its name from the color of the curry. The other predominant thai dishes are also referred by their colors red curry and yellow curry. I chose to make a vegetarian version of the curry by substituting soy sauce for traditionally used fish sauce. I also ignored sugar since I used store bought coconut milk can which was sweeter than the one prepared at home.

Ingredients:

Adapted from My delicious blog
Vegetables - Red bell pepper, green bell pepper, radish - cubed - each 1/2 cup
Carrot - sliced - 1/2 cup
Lemon grass - top portion - chopped into 2 " piece
Extra Firm Tofu - 1/2 block - 6 ozCoconut milk - 1 can - 300 ml

Water - 300 ml
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp (I used low-sodium variety)

Thai basil - 5-6 leaves
Salt - to taste - remember soy sauce may already contain salt

For the Green curry Paste:

Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp, dry roasted

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Lemon rind - from 1 lemon

Thai Green Chillies - 4 or 5 - deseeded

Pearl onions / Small shallots - 2

Garlic cloves - 2

Cilantro  - 4 twigs with stem

Thai Basil leaves - 1/2 cup - loosely packed

Lemon Grass - 1 - cleaned and chopped

Galangal/Ginger - chopped - 1 tbsp

Method:

Grind the ingredients under green curry paste to a not very fine paste. Cut the drained tofu into cubes and saute them in a tsp of oil. Drain in a paper towel to let it absorb extra oil. Add the coconut milk to a big saucepan and heat in medium flame. When it is just hot (not boiling) add the ground curry paste and mix once. Cook in low flame until the paste cooks, about 5 to 7 mins. Add the lemon grass and chopped vegetables and cook covered for about 5 to 10 mins, the vegetables should be half cooked, and still maintain the crunch to it. Add the water (based on the thickness required) and allow it to boil. Add soy sauce, salt and basil leaves. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice.

Sending this to Bookmarked recipes - Every Tuesday event by Priya and Aipi and Hearth & Soul - Blog hop #47.

Also Sending this to Herbs & Flowers - Basil event by PJ.

And to Dish it Out - Tofu/Paneer and Bell Peppers event by Vardhini.

Read more »

French Breakfast Puffs

BONJOUR!

These are heavenly muffins coated with butter and cinnamon sugar.

These are quick-fix muffins that only take about 10 minutes to mix up.

 Then pop in the oven for 25 minutes.

 Start by mixing shortening (or margarine), sugar and egg until creamy.

 Add the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk.

 Mix well.

Spoon into sprayed medium-sized muffin cups.

Bake @350 (175 C) for 25 minutes, until golden.

 You'll need one bowl for the butter and one for the sugar mixture.

 Melt the butter in the microwave in one bowl. 

 Combine the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. 

 Immediately remove the muffins from the pan.

 Roll in the melted butter to coat all over.

 Then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat all over.

 Put them on a plate as you go.

 Eat them right away while they are still warm.

 oooh! aaah!

 I just love cinnamon!

You don't have to eat them all at once.

You can put some in the freezer. 

Just remember to warm them before eating. 

Warm muffins are a must.

French Breakfast Puffs

1/3 C shortening (or margarine)

1/2 C sugar

1 egg

1-1/2 C flour

1/1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t nutmeg

1/2 C milk

Topping

6 T butter, melted

1/2 C sugar

1 t cinnamon

Mix shortening, sugar and egg until creamy.

Combine the flour, BP, and nutmeg and add 

to the shortening mixture alternately with the 1/2 C milk.

Mix well. Spoon into prepared muffin cups.

Bake @ 350 for20-25 minutes or until golden. 

Remove from pan immediately and roll in the melted butter 

and then in the combined sugar and cinnamon mixture until well coated.

Eat right away while still warm.

tip:You can also make mini donut holes 

by using a 24-cup mini muffin pan. 

Bake these for 11-13 minutes

Enjoy!

Links: Designs By Gullum, Funky Junk

Read more »

Duck Duck Chicken

This is so easy and so quick for those times when you have no time to cook.

You'll get glazed chicken and lots of sauce.

Just Duck Sauce and Dijon Mustard.

Salt and pepper one cut-up chicken and place in a 9x13 pan.

Mix duck sauce with a good dollop of Dijon mustard.

You don't need to measure.

Spread it over the chicken.

 Bake for 1 hour.

 Serve over rice.

 I had leftover rice from earlier in the week. Extra easy with good planning.

Duck Duck Chicken

1 cut-up chicken

salt & pepper

about 1 C duck sauce

about 2 T dijon mustard

Combine the duck sauce and the mustard.

Spread over the seasoned chicken.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Links: EKat's Kitchen

Read more »

Dhal Chapathi | Roti Paratha Recipes

Chapathi with dhal is an usual combo, but using cooked dhal in chapathi itself, not very usual. The other day I had some cooked moong dhal, leftover from doing Sago Upma (recipe coming soon) and wanted to put a best use of it. It was too little to go as a side dish and so I added it directly to the wheat flour to make chapathis. I added onions and chilli powder to spice it up and I loved this quick and easy chapathi. Makes a great breakfast or a lunch box recipe.

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat flour/Atta flour - 2 cups
Moong dhal (cooked) - 1/2 cup
Onion - chopped fine - 3/4 cup
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - a big pinch
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Boil moong dhal with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt until soft but firm. Heat 1 tsp of oil and add the onion. Saute until transparent and add chilli powder, cumin powder and salt and saute for 2 mins. Add the onion mixture and cooked dhal to the wheat flour. Sprinkle water and knead to a soft dough. Coat with little oil and set aside for 30 mins. Take golf ball sized dough and roll to thin chapathis. Heat a hot tawa and place the rolled out chapathis and cook on both sized sprinkling oil. Serve hot with any curry of your choice or just yogurt and pickle.

Sending this to Srivalli's Breakfast Mela.

Read more »

Luscious Lime Cheesecake Squares

This was one of the desserts we had at Easter. 

 I MAY'd this one. 

It was a hit with my nephews-in-law, Chris and Rob.

They are both great cooks. This post is for them.

Make it in a 9X13 pan.

 Pat the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

 Mix the filling.

 Zest, then squeeze the fresh limes. 

You can add a little bottled lime juice if you don't have enough fresh.

 Stir in lime zest, lime juice and vanilla.

 Pour the filling into the prepared crust.

Bake for 50-55 minutes until firm. Cool to room temperature.

Chill thoroughly. 

Spread Cool Whip over the top.

Luscious Lime Cheesecake Squares

CRUST

One box yellow cake mix (less 1/4 C)

1 egg

1/4 C vegetable oil

Reserve 1/4 C of the cake mix. In a large bowl, 

combine the remaining cake mix with the egg and oil.

Mix well. Press evenly into the bottom and

 up the sides of a 9X13 inch pan

FILLING

2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

3 eggs

reserved 1/4 C cake mix

2 t lime zest

1/3-1/2 C lime juice

1 t vanilla

In the same large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the condensed milk until smooth.

Add the remaining 3 eggs and reserved cake mix and beat one minute at medium speed.

Mix in the lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla. Pour into the prepared crust. Bake at 325 for 50-55 minutes or until center is firm. Cool to room temperature, then chill thoroughly, then top.

TOPPING

1 8-oz container Cool Whip

Spread Cool Whip over the top after it's chilled.

Cut into squares to serve. 

Garnish with lime slices if desired.

ENJOY!

also see: easy Key Lime Chiffon Pie and
The Best Key Lime Pie for my version of the classic recipe

Read more »

Stir-fry vegetables with Panch Phoran - A Bengali delicacy

I was blog-hopping the other day when I came across Bong Mom's Cookbook a lovely blog specializing in bengali cuisine. I very much loved her writing and the dishes and the way she presented those and was delighted to see so many authentic and delicious traditional recipes. I was totally new to bengali cuisine and wanted to try some dishes, so decided to start with a stir-fry dish with panch phoran - an amazing five spice blend.

Ingredients:
Pumpkin - cubed - 2 cups
Potato - cubed - 1/2 cup
Radish - cubed - 1/2 cup (You may use any vegetables of your choice)
Spinach - 2 handfuls - chopped
Garlic - 1 clove - minced fine
Dry red chilli - 3 - broken
Cumin - 3/4 tsp - roast and make as fine powder
Panch phoran mix - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Panch phoran mix:
Equal amounts of Fenugreek seeds, Mustard seeds, Fennel Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Nigella seeds.

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add the panch phoran mix and saute until the cumin seeds pop. Add the broken red chillies and minced garlic. Add the potatoes and radish and mix. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 mins, stirring once in between. Add the cubed pumpkin, mix well and cook with the lid on for 5 mins until the pumpkin is soft. No need to add any water since the vegetables cook in their own moisture. Add the chopped spinach with the ground cumin and salt. Mix well and saute until the spinach wilts. Serve hot with rice or roti.

I am sending this to Flavors of Bengal event by Nayna, guest hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan.

Also sending this to Vegetable/Fruit a Month - Spinach event by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan  guest hosted by Reshmi of Rasoi and to CWS-Mustard seeds event by Priya, guest hosted by Kiran of Sumadhura.

Read more »