Lunch Box Surprise: Vegetarian Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice & Other Goodies)- Part 1 & Part 2

Nasi lemak is a dish originating from Malaysia, and is also popular in Singapore, Brunei & Southern Thailand. It's a plate of pure deliciousness- fragrant coconut rice, spicy sambal (chilli sauce) and other components which differ from place to place. Your typical carnivores enjoy with ikan bilis (anchovies) and other types of seafood or chicken, especially cooked in rendang style (similar to curry). Nasi means 'rice' & lemak means 'oils' or 'fats'... total sin! ;-)

Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy09KBoJsEY- PART 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUO0CrhzO8I- PART 2

In this one, I have included only 4 components:

Part 1
Coconut rice
Sambal (Chilli sauce)

Part 2
Fried mock "fish"
Stir-fried water spinach (kangkong tumis)


So, here is the recipe!

Ingredients:
COCONUT RICE
1 1/2 cups Thai white rice, washed and soaked for 10 mins
1/4-1/2 cup coconut milk (as per video, 3/4 is a bit excessive)
Salt to taste
2-3 screwpine (pandan leaves)
1/4 cup water to dilute (or little more in case too hard)

SAMBAL (CHILLI SAUCE)
2-3 dried red chillies, soaked in a little hot water
1 fresh red chilli
1/4 inch galangal
3 shallots
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp tamarind soaked in 1-2 tbsp hot water
1/2 tsp palm sugar (gula melaka)
1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce of your choice, otherwise, 1 tbsp soy sauce & pinch of mushroom seasoning
1-2 tbsp oil to fry sambal
Salt to taste (if you need)

FRIED MOCK "FISH"
About 3-4 fillets mock fish
3/4 cup all purpose flour
6-8 tbsp cornstarch
Salt to taste
Dash of black pepper
Enough water to make batter
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup or so breadcrumbs (Panko is a good choice)
Oil for frying

KANGKONG TUMIS
1-2 tbsp oil
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
3-4 shallots, sliced thinly
1 red chilli, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 large bunch water spinach (kangkong)

EXTRAS
Cucumber slices
Vegetarian Indonesian crackers or kerupuk
Your favourite recipe of fried peanuts or orek (sweet peanuts & potato chips, in place of ikan bilis, otherwise you can grab some vegetarian ikan bilis/anchovies)


METHOD
Coconut Rice
1. To a rice cooker or a saucepan, add rice, coconut milk, pandan leaves and salt. Cook till rice is well done.

Sambal
1. To a blender or food processor, add your chillies, garlic, shallot and galangal. Add tamarind water and oyster sauce.
2. Blend to a smooth consistency.
3. Season as per your taste with salt. Heat oil in a pan, and fry your paste till fragrant.

Fried Fish
1. Mix flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add water  gradually and beat well to a lump free consistency.
2. Add baking soda and mix well again.
3. Coat your fish with batter and coat again with breadcrumbs. For best results, you might wish to freeze the fish so that the mix sets on top.
4. Deep fry fish in hot oil till it gets crispy and golden brown.

Kangkong Tumis
1. Heat oil in a pan; add garlic and shallots. Fry till fragrant.
2. Add red chilli and water spinach. Cook till spinach reduces.
3. Add oyster sauce and season with salt, if you like.

Final Stages
1. De-mould your rice from a bowl onto your plate.
2. Place your sambal, fish and kangkong in the arrangement of your choice.
3. Serve with cucumbers, orek and kerupuk.


TIPS
1. Be sure to keep an eye on the rice. Do not cook till too soft.
2. 1 plate is big enough for 2-3 people to share. This recipe is for 4 plates.
3. Shallots refers to the small red onions (same size as garlic), not the big shallots, which I refer to as "red onions"
4. You can Google the brand of 'mock fish' you might prefer to use, because brands differ by locality.

Lunch Box Surprise: Vegetarian Thai Green Curry

Thai Curry is a great dinner dish. It’s something different and exotic, coming from the central part of Thailand or close to Bangkok. It’s so flavoursome, combining umami, spicy and savoury, with a hint of sweetness.

In fact, the native word for this curry, which is “Kheong Gow Wan”, means “sweet curry”, indicating that the colour given off by this curry is a sweet and pastel green. This is made completely vegetarian as it’s not always easily available. 

To learn how to make it, watch the video on the link below: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZh5Fzfu6YY  

VEGETARIAN THAI GREEN CURRY

Ingredients:
Curry Paste
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ cup coriander leaves and roots mixed, chopped roughly
3 green chillies, chopped roughly
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and cut roughly
3 shallots, peeled and cut roughly
½ inch galangal, peeled and cut roughly
½ stalk lemongrass, peeled and cut roughly
1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
½ tsp palm sugar
3-4 tbsp water

Main Curry
3 tbsp oil
½ cup coconut milk
½ cup or so water to thin
2 kaffir lime leaves
½ carrot, peeled, sliced and parboiled
2 small potatoes, peeled, sliced and boiled
4 French beans, cut lengthwise and parboiled
½ small eggplant, sliced
¼ cup capsicum, julienned
A small bunch of white fungus
Salt to taste
1 tsp coriander leaves, chopped
Pinch of red chillies, chopped
3-4 leaves Thai basil or sweet basil

METHOD

1.      Prepare paste by adding the following to a blender or food processor: cumin seeds, garlic, shallots, galangal, lemongrass, coriander leaves and roots and green chillies. Add vegetarian oyster sauce, palm sugar and enough water to make a smooth paste.

2.      Sauté your eggplant in very little oil till soft. Add capsicum and only cook for few seconds till nice and crunchy.

3.      Heat oil, add paste and fry till fragrant and till the mixture becomes homogenous. Add coconut milk and all the vegetables. Season with salt and add in Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves. Cover it up and cook on a slow flame for at least 10 mins, so flavours get infused.

4.      Garnish with red chillies, and a little bit of coriander leaves and basil. Serve with steamed or fried rice. 

Tips:

1)      If you can’t find vegetarian oyster sauce easily, then just use soy sauce.

2)      You can change the vegetables to whichever ones you like, but please note if you have to parboil or cook it first to suit your preferences.

3)      Garlic and shallot (small onion) can be omitted, and instead you can add more chilli or coconut milk to suit your preferences.

 

Lunch Box Surprise: Penne In Basil Pesto Sauce (Penne con Pesto Genovese)

Pesto originates from the town of Genoa, located in Liguria, Italy. It is popular because of its strong herbal flavours of basil and pine nuts, which is complemented by spicy garlic and salty parmesan cheese. In America, butter and cream is added to make it richer, but I myself recommend you stick to this version because it's lighter and more authentic. Have it with a crusty bread and a lemonade or Sprite...

To watch my video, go to the link below: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vOH3cw2x-w

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup penne
Water, salt and olive oil for boiling

PESTO SAUCE
1/2-1 cup basil leaves (fresh)
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tbsp pine nuts * <
3 tbsp walnuts *  <
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Dash of crushed black pepper
Parmesan or pecorino cheese, shaved or grated (vegetarian variety, e.g. Cowhead, Sargentos)
Cherry tomatoes, split in half for garnish

METHOD
1. Boil the pasta with water, salt and olive oil until al dente (firm and tender enough- NOT TOO SOFT AND NOT TOO HARD)
2.  Toast your pine nuts and walnuts till fragrant if you like. This step is optional
3. Heat oil, add garlic and cook till fragrant. This step is also optional
4. In a blender, add basil, nuts, garlic and about 2-3 tbsp olive oil, and grind to a fine paste.
5. Heat a little olive oil, add pasta and basil pesto, and toss them together.
6. Add cherry tomatoes & toss again.
7. Top with parmesan cheese and serve hot with your favourite salad, roast vegetables and/or crusty bread.

Lunch Box Surprise: Street Style Potato Burger (Vada Pav)

Hey guys, this is yet another wonderful recipe to serve at Indian parties. Many people long for good vegetarian burgers. If you hate the meaty taste of the vegan barbeque burgers, then this one is for you. It is a spicy deep fried potato in burger buns with mint and tamarind chutney, topped with onion slices. This is enjoyed by the street folk in Mumbai.

Since it is so good, I also have included a special healthy version of this vada pav, and also a recipe for mint chutney. It is quite similar to Mcdonald's Aloo Tikki burger because it is grilled with breadcrumbs instead of deep fried, like a patty. This is better for heart patients or health conscious people.

Here's the video:
Part 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-KbXiKptcI&t=2s
Part 2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6wJdgP-mWE&t=8s

VADA PAV 

3 potatoes, boiled and mashed

1-2 tbsp oil

½ onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Little asafoetida

5-6 curry leaves

½ tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
2 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp red chilli powder + extra for batter

½ cup chickpea flour

Water as required

Salt to taste
1/4 tsp baking soda

Grilled Vada Pav patty- (do not use ingredients in bold; instead add 1/2 cup beaten rice/poha to potato mixture and mix well. Shape the mixture into patties, flatten and coat with breadcrumbs. Grill with a little oil and serve as per below instructions)

GARLIC CHUTNEY
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp red chilli flakes
Salt to taste

FOR SERVING
6-8 hamburger buns (mini), cut lengthwise (otherwise, use 2-3 normal size burger buns, and cut into quarters)
Butter for grilling buns
Mint chutney (see recipe for College Grilled Sandwich)  & sweet tamarind chutney for serving


METHOD: 
Vada Pav
1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida.
2. Add curry leaves and wait for the seeds to crackle. Add onions and cook till translucent.
3. Add ginger & garlic, and cook until fragrant and/or brown. You can add salt at this point to help cook faster.
4. Add green chilli and cook again for a few seconds, then add mashed-up potatoes, turmeric powder, roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder and salt. Add lemon juice. Mix well and keep aside.
5. Prepare batter for vada pav. Mix chickpea flour with salt and a little red chilli powder.
6. Gradually add water to the batter and beat until you get a lump-free batter with easy to pour consistency.
7. Prepare garlic chutney. Heat 1 tsp sesame oil, add garlic and cook till fragrant. Pound the mixture coarsely and then add salt and red chilli powder. Keep aside.
8. Shape the potato mixture into golf ball shapes & dip into batter. Deep fry until golden brown.
9. Grill the hamburger buns and butter. Place a potato vada in the centre and close.
10. Serve with your choice of chutney(s) and garnishes-see below.



Tips:
1) Left over chickpea batter? Take little spoons full of batter and sprinkle all over a pan filled with hot oil.
Deep fry until crisp.

2) You can serve the vada pav with your fav garnishes: usually, I like to slice onion  and/or tomato and sprinkle some lemon juice, cumin powder, red chilli powder and black salt over it. I also like to serve green chilli and coriander leaves, both finely chopped.

  

Lunch Box Surprise: Spinach & Cottage Cheese Medley (Palak Paneer)

Palak paneer is a dish of spinach & cottage cheese (as above), blended with heaps of fragrant spices and finished off with a rich spoonful of butter and cream (at least in restaurants it is; not sure about the Punjabi dhabas or roadside cafes though 😉) This dish first originated in Punjab and the bordering regions, but has since then, spread all over the world. Now, when you ask anyone what their favourite Indian food is, one of the most popular choices will be this "palak paneer", even famous celebrities such as AR Rahman, music composer of Slumdog Millionaire fame and Kailash Kher, crooner behind hits such as "Teri Deewani", "Saiyaan" and "Allah Ke Bande".

This version is a bit different since I have kept the puree chunkier compared to the original very fine and creamy restaurant style palak paneer and I have used less oil, butter & cream. Here, I will also list down options in case you have a dietary restriction.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD_bqThkjhs 

Gluten Free Substitutions
1. Gluten free flatbreads to serve this with:
Makki di roti (corn flatbread)
Missi roti (lentil flatbread)
Bajra roti (finger millet flatbread)
Jowar roti (sorghum flatbread)
Or your fav rice

2. Dairy free/vegan options
Tofu instead of paneer: grill or deep fry before use
Cashew cream: http://thismessisours.com/…/how-to-make-cashew-cream-glute…/
Oil or plant based butter, margarine or ghee (vanaspati) for cooking

3. No onion or garlic- pls PM me or email me if you want to see this as the recipe is different. My email: lbsdivi@gmail.com

Here is the full text recipe for this

Cottage Cheese (Paneer)

750 ml full cream milk (whole milk, or any full fat cow's milk)- otherwise if vegan, purchase tofu from market equivalent to about 1/3 cup or slightly less

40 ml distilled white vinegar (a bit more than 2 tbsp) 

Salt to taste

Spinach Mixture

200g-250g spinach (see footnote on how to prepare spinach*)

1 tbsp oil 

Pinch of ground asafoetida (hing: Hindi) 

1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) 

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tsp butter (10g)

1-2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste (blend or chop very fine: 4-5 cloves garlic & 1/2-1 inch ginger)

1 small tomato, blanched and pureed

Water to thin out mixture

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp ground turmeric powder (haldi powder: Hindi) 

1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (Kashmiri laal mirch powder: Hindi)

1/2 tsp garam masala powder 

1/2 tsp ground roasted cumin (jeera powder: Hindi) 

1-2 tbsp whipping cream- you can add more if you wish

Method: 

Cottage Cheese (Paneer)

1. Bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan. Remember to STIR OCCASIONALLY AND KEEP AN EYE ON IT, so that it does not get burnt. 

2. As soon as the milk comes to a boil, add the vinegar gradually and stir. The milk will curdle and the curds (solids) and whey (liquids) will separate. 

3. Strain the mixture into a cheesecloth and gather up only the solids. You may reuse the way to knead the dough for chapatis or breads etc, or you may drink it as well. Add salt to the solids and wrap it up. Place a heavy weight on top and leave for 1 hour or so till the shape of a flat cake-like object is formed. 

4.  Cut the paneer into your desired shape. 

While you are waiting for paneer to set, you may wish to prepare the spinach mixture

Spinach Mixture

1. Prepare the spinach according to the footnote below. Blend into a fine puree and keep aside. 

2. Heat oil, add asafoetida and cumin seeds. 

3. When seeds crackle, add onion and cook till golden brown. 

4. Heat 1 tsp of butter in the same pan, add ginger & garlic paste. Cook till garlic and ginger are golden brown. 

5. Add tomato and cook till oil separates on top. 

6. Add spinach puree and the rest of the butter and wait till butter melts. 

7. Add salt to taste, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and ground cumin. Mix well. Add water if you need to. Add half the amount of cream first and mix well.  

8. Cook for about 10-15 mins more on slow flame, with pot covered for best results. 

9. Serve into your desired dish with any Indian flatbread or rice. 

 

Footnotes

* How to Prepare Spinach

1) Wash spinach well to get rid off dirt/pesticides. 

2) Boil the spinach for about 2-3 mins only (no baking soda needed)

3) Run it under iced water for a few seconds until cool enough to blend. 

Spinach & Cottage Cheese Medley (Palak Paneer) with assorted Indian flatbread (rotis)

Vegan Series.... Friends, Not Food! Recipe #1- Vegan Banana Walnut Muffins

Friends, Not Food is a special name I like to give these series. Though I am not vegan, I prefer to open up my mind to trying this at least once a week. Besides, it makes me feel good. Vegan does not automatically mean raw or tasteless. It can still be delicious & perfect if we add the right flavours...

This first recipe is a vegan banana walnut muffin (no eggs, no dairy). But it still contains wheat and nuts, so you might want to replace those if you are allergic. These can make a perfect tea time snack and they are great because they use less sugar. I first made these for a group of friends and they absolutely loved it.

I will be posting tips because vegan cooking differs from vegetarian slightly, so pls stay tuned to those as well :-)


BANANA WALNUT MUFFINS

Ingredients
Almond Milk: makes about 100 ml which is what you need for this recipe
50g almonds, soaked overnight and peeled
50-60 ml water
Bit more than 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Wet
3 bananas, peeled and mashed (preferably overripe)
2 tbsp coconut oil (30 ml)
Less than 1/3 cup (50 ml) normal cooking oil- I used rice bran; you may use your choice of cooking oil or margarine
More than 1/3 cup or less than 1/2 cup (90-100 ml) maple syrup
2 tbsp brown sugar
100 ml or so almond milk- see above recipe

Dry
1 cup (250g) all purpose flour
5 tbsp (75g) whole-wheat flour (atta: Hindi)
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2-1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
About 1/4 cup (60g) walnuts, chopped


Method:
1)
a. Preheat oven (normal ovens don't have fans, otherwise I have indicated fan)
- Normal Celsius: 180 deg C
- Normal Fahrenheit: 350 deg C
- Gas Mark 4
- Normal Fan Celsius: 140-160 deg C
- Normal Fan Fahrenheit: 284-320 deg F

b. Grease your muffin tins and line with cupcake cases

2) Blend almonds & water together into liquid. Add vanilla essence and set aside.

3) Mix bananas, almond milk, oils, syrup and sugar. Cream until well-incorporated. It will not be as fluffy as butter sugar mixture, but the mixture should be well mixed only. Don't worry about bananas being a bit lumpy, it makes muffins chunkier! :-)

4) Sift all purpose & whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda & cinnamon. Add salt and mix well. You can just do this directly into the bowl, but for best results, you should mix the flours etc separately from the liquid. 

5)  Fold in walnuts and mix gently with a spatula. Scoop batter into muffin tins and bake for 20-25 mins or until golden brown. Keep an eye on it and test with toothpick to make sure they are done.

6) Let your muffins cool and enjoy with tea or coffee :-P


- This recipe is tried & tested. Picture will soon follow...



Note:
Gluten free- if you want, you may replace both types of flour with your choice of gluten free flour

Nut allergies- you may replace with dried fruit like raisins or cranberries, otherwise oatmeal or chocolate chips are good too.

Vegetarian Cakes Available in Singapore-Nurture Cakes- Gourmet Cakes with Egg & Eggless Cakes

I first came across this lady when we were ordering a cake last year for my twenty-first birthday. We ordered a chocolate cake with chocolate crunch ball topping & a chocolate ganache icing. The cake was so wonderful, that we never hesitated with what to order for my brother's birthday. Yes, it was the same cake.

What surprised me was that both times, the cakes were not only flavoured well, but also very moist, which are very difficult to achieve with eggless cakes. I, myself, have baked eggless cakes, and it is very hard to get them to rise and to be moist at the same time. When we bake eggless cakes, we need to know which replacement for egg is best for which type, e.g. when we desire a soft cake, then we need something which will give the cake a lift and a moistness, like baking soda and lemon juice. If it is a brownie, then maybe we might need to try something like yoghurt which is more just for binding.

Ms. Manjari Jain has been baking cakes for over 5 years now. Her mission is, "Eggless cakes don't have to be a compromise," She does both cakes with egg and eggless cakes. If you specify certain products that you are unable to consume, she will take that into consideration as well, e.g. gelatine. She will then ensure that she uses something that meets that criteria, e.g. for a photo cake, she can use both edible photo paper with gelatine or vegetarian.

This year, I will be having her vanilla cake, and with that, there will be pictures of the cake to follow.
Meanwhile, I will post up pictures of the other cakes that she has made in the past, eggless and vegetarian.

Also adding Ms. Manjari's contact details:

Nurture Cakes
130 Tanjong Rhu Road
Pebble Bay
Singapore

Tel (mobile): +8161 4940
Email: manjarijain74@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Nurture-Cakes-Gourmet-cakes-with-egg-and-eggless-cakes-168960999882394/about/?ref=page_internal
Blogspot: http://nurturecakes.blogspot.sg/2010/09/eggless-cakes-in-singapore.html

Thank you, Ms. Manjari, for all the wonderful cakes! :P <3