A HOME MAKER WITH A PASSION FOR COOKING AND GARDENING..LOVE RESEARCHING ABOUT
FOOD AND ITS HISTORY DOWN THE AGES ESPECIALLY INDIAN FOOD ...MY BIGGEST FANS AND CRITICS ...MY FOUR BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN..
MINI SUSHI CAKES. Trending now on social media is the sushi bundt cake. Inspired from that I made single serving mini sushi cakes.
Good startrs at a party , tasty and pretty .
2 cups cooked jasmine rice. 2 tsp vinegar 2 tsp black sesame seeds. 2 tsp powdered sugar Salt to taste. Mix the rice, vinegar, sugar and sesame seeds Keep aside. ( make sure you don’t add any oil while cooking the rice) we want the rice to be a bit sticky.
I small can of tuna flakes in brine.( got about 110 gms of tuna flakes) Strain off liquid. 2 tbsps japanese Mayonaise( I used kwepee, Which is slightly more sweet than normal mayo.) Otherwise add 1 tsp honey to the mayo. 2 tbspChilli sauce, 2 tbsps finely chopped spring onions. 1 tsp sesame oil 1/2 tsp pepper powder 1 tbsp chopped cilantro. 2 tsps lime juice. Salt to taste. Mix the above and keep aside.
Very finely sliced cucumbers. Nori flakes, and togarashi for topping. Additional mayo and chillie sauce for drizzling over. Nori sheets cut into squares for the base of the sushi cake , while plating.
To assemble. Take some of the rice and pack firmly into a greased mold.( I used silicone molds) Top with cucumber slices, then the tuna mixture, Put more rice and press firmly, using a small spatula. Demold onto a nori square and garnish with nori flakes and togarashi. Drizzle some mayonaise and chillie sauce. Best served chilled
This very simple starter is a popular street food In Indonesia. Made with just 4 ingredients, comes together very quickly. Easy to make and eat. The sweetness of corn, condensed milk , and saltiness of Cheese are a good balance for each other..surprisingly a very tasty dish.
When I was growing up in Pune, India, corn was something we associated with the rainy season, where corn sellers would roast the corn on a coal fire, fanning it to cook quickly, and at the same time sending the fragrance of roasting corn into the air, thereby drawing more people to come buy their wares.😊. Then the roasted corn was rubbed with half a lime which was dipped in red chilli and salt…oh mouthwatering, can literally taste the tangy spicy corn. Much later came the association of corn to the very popular sweet corn soup.😊
1 sweet corn.( boil and remove the kernels)… I got about 225gms of corn.
While still hot add 1 tbsp of butter( I used salted butter.) 1/4 tsp salt And about 1/4 cup of condensed milk. Mix well and arrange in shot glasses. Top generously with grated cheese. And a dollop of chilli sauce. Can serve chilled or at room temperature.
Se..run..deng, refers to crispy floss. Normally the residue left behind after boiling chicken which has been cooked with ground spices and herbs. The chicken is removed after its tender and the stock is further cooked till all water evaporates…Reverse cooking😊. This residue is then deep fried or sauted untill its crisp. Normally this is sprinkled over the fried chicken and served with steamed jasmine rice, chillie sambal and some lalapan( salad) We all relish eating this with our hands, as the Indonesians do..Eating food with the hands is much favoured here. Now, crisp floss itself can be made differently using 2 or 3 main ingredients.. Coconut, galangal or candlenuts. Today I will share the coconut and galangal one .
I whole chicken with skin , cut into 10 pieces. Or use thigh, breast, anything.
3 kaffir leaf pairs. 3 fresh bay leaves 2 stalks of lemongrass…cut into 4 to 5 pieces, bashed. 60 grams galangal …grated. 1 bowl grated /scraped coconut.. about 150 grams. 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp mushroom seasoning or msg 2 tsps or to taste salt.
FOR THE PASTE..GRIND FINELY 2 inch piece ginger 2 inch piece fresh turmeric 10 shallots 8 garlic cloves 5 candlenuts or cashewnuts 1 tbsp corriander seed powder. 1 tsp white pepper powder 1/4 cup oil
Take a sauce pan or wok, add the ground paste and saute till fragrant. After 5 mins add the fresh herbs kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves, lemon grass. Saute for a while. Add 1 tsp sugar About 2 tsps salt. 1 tsp mushroom seasoning or msg
Add the chicken pieces, mix well and add 2 cups of water..bring to a boil. Add the grated galangal and mix well.
Once mixed properly, add grated coconut.
and let chicken cook completely
The water should reduce to a thick gravy.
Remove chicken pieces and keep aside. Cook the gravy till really dry.
Heat oil in a wok, flash fry the cooked chicken .
In the remaining oil, add the semi dried gravy.. and fry on medium heat till light golden.. Remove and keep aside. This is the floss or Serundeng. Stir constantly so the semi solids don’t burn. ○ It took me about 15 mins to fry the floss, when the bubbles started disappering while floss was being fried and the colour was golden, I removed it on a strainer. It will be slightly soft, but should become crisp upon cooling. This can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and used as a topping .
To serve, put the chicken on a platter, sprinkle floss/ serundeng on top.
We enjoy eating this with steamed rice. Labu siam ( chayote) stir fried, some spicy sambal, and a lalapan( salad) of cucumber and fresh lemon basil. Try eating with your hand and relish every bite.
A very very simple comfort soul food. Khichdi am sure is popular in all Indian homes. This khichdi barely uses any spices. Using truffle oil is the ultimate here. Lately in many Indian weddings, this has been a part of the menu. And truffle with anything is my favourite, be it pasta, be it french fries. 😊 today had these fresh shitake myshrooms so was tempted to make a fusion sort of a khichdi with them plus other vegs. Do try this pantry friendly , humble khichdi which has amazing flavours. I wish I had the fresh truffle which I could grate and add, but made do with the equally good flavoured truffle oil that I had
INGREDIENTS Wash and soak together for an hour. 1/2 cup rice 1/4 cup yellow moong dal 1/4 cup toovar dal
Other ingredients. 1/2 cup finely chopped cauliflower 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh shitake mushroom( or any other mushrooms) 1/2 cup finely chopped french beans 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots. 2 sprigs curry pata..finely chop only the leaves . 1 heaped tbsp finely chopped garlic 1 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
Salt to taste 1 tsp mushroom seasoning or any vegetarian flavour( maggie cube or something)
For topping Fresh mint leaves Finely chopped corriander leaves Fried onions. Grated cheese as needed Some sugar Truffle oil or grated truffle..here I used the oil spray.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker or saucepan. Add mustard seeds, cumin, When seeds crackle, add chopped curry leaves and some kotmir to the oil. Now add the garlic, saute till light golden. Add all the vegetables, salt, mushroom seasoning, turmeric, rice, dal and about 3 cups of water. Cook for 3 to 4 whistles. Once the lid can be opened, churn a little with a wooden churner. Add about 2 tsps of truffle oil. But let the khichdi be not too smooth, leave it with a bite to it.
Put in a baking dish. Sprinkle a bit of sugar all over the surface..just a bit, and it melts slightly for that slight upgrade in taste. Top with grated cheese and spray truffle oil. Just grill for few minutes only till cheese melts.( you can even microwave it till cheese melts…normally 1 to 2 minutes.) Top with corriander leaves, mint leaves and fried onions and a squirt of lime juice.
Enjoy. I served with crispy karela and papadum, fried fish and pan fried potatoes.
This recipe , is of a delicious stew made sindhi style. A very very simple and easy recipe. Today I was craving this, so made it. Aur( rai, mustard seeds ) imparts a very good flavour to this dish , hence the name. Feel free to use any vegetables in this preparation. Though I like using the basic, potato, carrot, french beans, whole shallots and wadi. Here I would like to point out that we don’t get wadi in Jakarta, and though I can bring them from India, am not really fond of the dry wadis. So since years I have been making fresh moong dal kachoris and adding to the stew at the last moment just before serving. Now about Authentic recipes. Normally an AUR JI bhaji, will be differently cooked in different houses, there are sindhis who don’t use any tomatoes in the preparation and there are some like me who grew up eating this dish based on a tomato gravy. Have tried making both ways and both ways are delicious. So I cannot really say which of the 2 is authentic. Today I will share the tomato based aur ji bhaji. You can serve this with rice or with phulkas. I love eating this with chapati torn in pieces and added to a bowl of aur ji bhaji..yummm.
Soak 1/4 cup dhuli hui moong dal for 2 hours, drain and grind with minimum water, add a piece of ginger and 1 green chillie while grinding. Season with salt. Mix well.
Fry teaspoons of the mixture to get about 16 fresh wadi/ kachori.Keep aside.
Blanch 2 tomatoes, discard the skin. Put in a mixer jar along with one roughly cut tomato.and a small piece of ginger. Grind and strain the juice. Discard seeds.
Put tomato puree in a sauce pan, add about 3 cups of water, and vegetables. 1 carrot cut into batons 1 peeled and cut potato About 15 peeled shallots 4 french beans( cut each into 3 or 4) Bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsps red chillie powder. Salt to taste. Once vegetables are tender, add a slurry of wheatflour. Till the gravy is thick. ( 1 used about 1.5 tbsps in 1/2 cup of water). Add freshly cut corriander leaves and let simmer while we make the tadka.
Heat 2.5 tbsps of oil in a small pan Add 1 tsp of mustard seeds 1 tsp of cumin seeds 1/4 tsp hing 2 sprigs of tender curry leaves 1.5 heaped tbsp of finely minced garlic
Saute till fragrant, add to simmering gravy. Done.
To serve.. Add few kachoris in a bowl and pour hot gravy over them. Enjoy
Bangkit…feast, Salju..snow. Both names go. Normally served at feasts or festivals, Salju or snow because these are normally white.But recently saw a local you tube channel and was drawn to these pretty colours. These absolutely melt in the mouth, light airy cookies are a must try. Very very popular here in Indonesia. The origin is from malaysia and some parts of Indonesia. Ramadhan is a very popular time for these cookies. Biscuits or kue kering are a very very popular constant in Indonesian culture. Hampers of prettily packed biscuits are a sight to see. Back to the recipe, these biscuits are gluten free. Very very light. While baking, once slightly golden on the bottom, and very light to hold . Remove and cool. Baking time 30 minutes to 40 mins . Depending on your oven. As you first take a bite, you will the powdery texture, next you will feel the smoothness and the sweetness. Unique textured biscuits.. Happy Ramadhan.
INGREDIENTS 500 gms tapioka flour 90 gms margarine. 150 gms powdered sugar 4 pandan leaves .( optional, but these do give a very subtle flavour) 1 tsp vanila essence or 1/4 tsp vanila powder. 40 gms milk powder. 100 ml of coconut milk.( I used a tetra pack) add few drops of food colouring, and mix.
Take a wok or frying pan, add the tapioka flour, and chopped pandan leaves. Saute this flour on low heat till the flour is really hot and feels lighter. At this point the pandan leaves should be crisp and easy to snap. Cool the tapioka flour completely. Sift in a strainer to remove any lumps. Cool. In a mixing bowl, add margarine and sifted sugar, mix with a spatula untill its a smooth paste, add milk powder and mix and fold once more.
Add sifted tapioka in batches Alternately with coconut milk.
Go in with your hands and mix with your finger tips…untill the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.
This will not be moist. It will be dry mix.
Take a mold( picture in comments) add the mix and press in , scrap off excess.. Remove gently onto a baking mat or tray.
Bake in a pre heated oven, at a very low mark.. I used the 150 mark. This kue or biscuit is very different in taste, its powdery, melt in your mouth, and yummy.
This super easy egg dish is probably known to most of us. Probably invented by some innovative house wife who wanted to use up the vegetables and meat in her refrigerator. 😊 Very easy to make and comes together very quickly. There is no hard and fast rule to make this, but its good to follow some guidelines. Its a basic Fried Egg omelette with some vegetables and protein tossed in, and some flour to bind it all together. This dish is almost on all menus in old fashioned chinese restaurants in Jakarta. Here it is served with a sweet and sour tomato sauce. Fried till the outside of fuyunghai is crisp while the inside is soft . It is normally served with white rice. Do try this recipe😊
1/3 cup finely chopped carrots 1/3 cup finely chopped cabbage 1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions 100 gms very finely minced chicken 50 gms prawns minced. 3 eggs 4 heaped tbsps cornflour 2 heaped tbsp flour..maida. 1.5 tsp salt 1 tsp chicken seasoning.. 1 tsp black pepper powder 1/4 tsp msg or sugar. ( I added finely chopped bird eye chillies for an extra punch)
Mix all this together in a bowl.
Heat about 400ml of oil in a wok or frying pan. On medium heat, pour in half the egg batter, Keep splashing oil on it( as we do for Poories) .let cook on one side till crisp, gently turn over and fry till crisp. ( used two spatulas to do it gently).
Put into a platter, cut into wedges or squares. Pour hot sauce on it. Serve with rice for a complete meal or just as a starter.
Sauce.. Blanch 3 tomatoes Blend in a mixer, and strain.
Now heat about 2 tbsps of butter. Add 1 sliced onion 2 tsps minced garlic Add 2 tsps sugar And saute till onions become limp. Add about 1/3 cup boiled green peas( I used frozen). Pour in the tomatoes puree, season with , salt to taste, 1/2 tsp pepper. Add about 2 tbsps of tomato ketchup. 1/4 cup water. Now add 1 tsp of vinegar. Check seasoning and add some cornflour slurry to slightly thicken the sauce. The sauce shd be sweet and sour, so please adjust seasoning.
This Recipe is for 2 Fuyunghai. Enough for 4 ppl people.😊
I have been wanting to share this amazing recipe for sometime now. PEPES refers to food, mainly chicken, fish or tofu, marinated in spices and steam cooked in banana leaves.( something like the parsi patra ni machi) The marinade will include fresh herbs, and mostly lemon basil, which is the star here. Some tart flavours like green tomatoes or BLIMBING WULUH( Also known as bilimbi, tree sorrel . This is an edible sour fruit.) , truely bring out the freshness of this dish. So these pepes are normally eaten hot with steamed rice. . You can either wrap them in rectangles and seal the edges with a toothpick, or pack them like pyramids. Will add a video in comments section.
Fun facts.. Kemangi or lemon basil is a very close cousin of our tulsi. Its mostly served in a lalapan, which is a raw salad consisting of torn cabbage leaves, green or red tomato wedges and Daun kemangi..these are eaten raw with any cooked chicken or meat dish.
Today I have used both..green tomato as well as Blimbing wuluh. Just for your idea. The main idea is to add tartness to the pepes.
Ingredients
1 chicken with bones cut into small pcs ( about 700 gms) I cut the chicken into 12 pieces…
Marinate with juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper.
Keep aside for 15 mins.
CHOP AND GRIND TOGETHER
10 pods garlic 12 shallots 8 candlenuts or about 10 cashewnuts 6 red chillies 1 inch piece of fresh turmeric 1 inch piece of galangal. 1/4 cup oil. Blend untill its a fine paste.
Now take a wok, add this paste and another 1 to 2 tbsps of oil, saute on a low heat till cooked, fragnant and colour changes from yellow to reddish brown. Cool this paste. Which will now look dry. Once cool, mix in the chicken along with the marinade. Add some salt, msg( if using) and coat the chicken pieces nicely. Add the spring onions and all the basil leaves, mix properly . Ready to pack.
OTHER INGREDIENTS .. Big squares of banana leaves 2 to 3 stalks of spring onions cut into chunks Some lemon grass, bashed and cut slantingly. Some fresh bay leaves. And lots of Daun kemangi aka lemon basil or thai basil . These basil leaves are small and very fragrant. About 50 gms of leaves and tender stem. 2 or 3 green tomatoes cut into wedges. ( or use blimbing wuluh aka blimbi fruit) Bird eye chillies as needed.
To assemble.
Take 2 sheets of banana leaves one on top of the other( check comments section for photos). Put one or 2 fresh bay leaf Add sliced lemon grass, top with chicken pieces, along with spring onions, basil leaves. Again top with green tomato wedges and some bird eye chillies. Pack the banana leaf in such a way that there should be no leakage of juices.
Steam these packets for about 30 to 40 mins.
Have hot with steamed jasmine rice.
You can make indivual packets with one or 2 pieces of chicken inside.
This dish is a sibling of the more famous INDONESIAN GADO GADO. You can say its a filling salad which can be had hot, cold or at room temperature. We prefer it at room temprature. Unlike the gado gado, which is mostly all steamed vegetables, KETOPRAK consists of potato, tofu, rice vermicilli, bean sprouts , cucumber and sometimes LONTONG( rice cake) . Today I will share the recipe of LONTONG, Aka rice cake. Easy to make and very satisfying. A complete meal on its own and delicious. So basically we make the lontong first as it needs a good one hour boil on the fire. And while thats being done we prep the other ingredients. Here in Jakarta we sometimes buy the lontong from the wet markets. Readily available. And sometimes when time permits, we make them at home. Lontong keep well in the fridge for upto 2 days. Do try the recipe. Have included the photos in the comment section.
For lontong 1 or 2 cups of starchy jasmine rice. Wash and soak for 2 hours. Drain. ( we dont add salt or oil) Cut softened banana leaves into squares, take 2 squares one on top of the other and form a cylinder. Secure one end with toothpick. Fill the drained rice with a spoon in the banana leaf rolls., half way. And secure with a toothpick. Now fill a good sized pan with a lot of water, and submerge the rolls in it. Water should fully cover the rolls. Depending on the size of the rolls, and the size of the pot, you can boil them in upright or horizontal position. Cover and cook on medium heat for a good one hour. The rolls will be cooked by then. Remove and keep aside to cool. The size of banana leaf roll can be adjusted. ( picture in comments section) (Apologies for one photo which got deleted by mistake, the one with the rolls in the pan)
Preparation.. 2 big squares of tofu..soak in salted water, drain and deep fry whole. 2 to 3 boiled potatoes peeled and deep fried whole. 2 cucumbers, peeled 1 big bowl of beansprouts ..blanched and drained. 1 big bowl of boiled rice vermicilli. Some fried onions Khaffir lime or normal lime halves.
Peanut sauce..
100 gms fried peanuts with skin or without 4 kaffir lime leaves ( middle stock removed) 1/2 tsp white pepper Salt to taste Veg stock powder, or msg 1/4 tsp 3 bird chillies, 3 red chillies 3 pods of garlic 30 gms palm sugar( I have boiled the palm sugar with little water , and strained to get rid of impurities.) 3 tbsps tamarind pulp
. Saute the red chillies, bird eye chillies and garlic in 2 tbsps oil. 2. In a mixer jar, add fried peanuts, chillies and garlic. Add salt, pepper and veg stock powder., the kaffir lime leaves. Add some water and blend to a thick paste. 3. Heat 2 or 3 tbsps oil, and put the peanut paste. Saute for a while, and add palm sugar and tamarind water. Also add about one cup water and let it cook till oil starts seperating. Keep aside.
To serve.. In a platter, arrange the rice vermicilli, sprouts, cut the tofu , potatoes, and cucumbers ( at an angle) and lontong cut into thick discs. Top with peanut sauce and lime juice. Sprinkle some fried onions.( pls do not omit). Enjoy.
A very easy simple recipe, which I just happened to see on a instagram reel. Saw and liked the concept. Ingredients were not mentioned, but sort of guessed. And the outcome was pretty good. A good chinese twist to our simple hard boiled eggs. Here I have not used the egg yolks. Used them for another recipe, and gave some to my pet african grey parrot who enjoys eating eggs. I have used minced chicken to fill up the hard boiled shells. Do try this simple side dish…
5 eggs boiled, peeled and halved. ( we will not use the yolks) To enable the halved eggs to sit without wobbling, I took off a silver from the bottom.
To make the filling 125 gms finely chopped underside of chicken breast. 1 red chilie.. chopped 1 spring onion…use only the white part 1/2 tsp white pepper powder 1 tbsp chopped corriander leaves 1 tbsp chopped garlic Salt to taste 1 tsp sesame oil 1/2 tsp ajinomoto…optional. 1 egg white..lightly beaten. Put all the above in a food processor and blitz till mixed well.
Make 10 ball with wet hands..
Put each ball into the boiled egg shells and put in a slightly greased frying pan.
Pour over the sauce, cover and cook for 10 mins. Done. Serve hot or cold.
Sauce.. 1 tbsp chillie oil 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp vinegar 1 sprig minced curry leaves. 1 tbsp finely minced garlic 1 tsp sugar. 1 spring onion..finely minced. 1 tbsp chillie sauce 1 tbsp light soy sauce. 1 tbsp chopped corriander leaves 1 green chillie..cut into thin rings 1 red chillie cut into thin rings A pinch of salt.
In a bowl, add..chillie oil, vinegar, chillie sauce, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, salt, spring onion, corriander leaves, green and red chillies….mix well. Pour hot sesame oil on top, and 1/4 cup hot water. Mix.
Heat sesame oil, plus 1 tbsp normal oil in a small tadka pan..add minced curry leaves.. and pour into the bowl with rest of ingredients.
ratisfusionkitchen 