N&M's Globe » Asian Favourites

Butter Paneer Dosa

Natalie — Sat, 04 Oct 2014 20:43:08 +0000

This was our favourite street food dish in India. So delicious and filling. Dosa is actually a dish from South India, but we assume it is also a favourite with people in Northern India, as it was easy to get everywhere. Dosa is the name for the crispy thin pancake and then it comes in various fillings. Paneer is an Indian cottage cheese. Here is a recipe I found on the internet:

http://www.padhuskitchen.com/2013/03/paneer-dosa-recipe-how-to-make-paneer.html

Hariyali Chicken Tikka

Natalie — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 07:49:24 +0000

We already fell in love with this dish, when we tried it in Malaysia, which also has a big Indian community. In India we had everyday in our favourite restaurant in Jaipur. A simple but delicious dish, which is best when of course grilled over charcoal. The secret lies in the marinade of mint, coriander and chilli. It is served with lime and onions and naan bread. We had it with roti, which however in this restaurant was like a small naan bread.

Here is a recipe I found online:

http://recipes.sandhira.com/hariyali-chicken-tikka.html

Shahi Paneer

Natalie — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 07:48:51 +0000

This dish is typical for North India, where we traveled. It was one of our must-haves as well. Paneer, an Indian cottage cheese, in a creamy and spicy gravy. This dish comes in several varieties and spices, but our favourite was this red one, which is based on tomato, ginger and chilli. You eat usually eat it wih roti. It was our classical light lunch in India.

Here is a recipe I found online:

http://www.indianfoodforever.com/vegetables/shahi-paneer.html

Laos‘ Oua Si Khai

Natalie — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 07:48:40 +0000

This is another one of the dishes we learned in the cooking class and my absolute favourite Asian dish!!! Together with the sour peanut dipping sauce, it simply tastes like heaven. Well, my heaven anyway :).

Laos‘ Oua Si Khai

Print recipe

Serves	4-6
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	45 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot

This delicious dish is best eaten with fingers :). Cutlery just won't let you enoy the juicy lemongrass flavour which permeates the filling. Try using different meats, and consider using the filling as a stuffing for any other vegetable, i.e. eggplants or courgettes. Experience with the balance of the flavours to suit your taste.

Ingredients

5 cloves garlic, chopped
4-6 Medium spring onions, chopped
0,5 - 0,75 cup coriander, chopped
1 kaffir lime leaf, finely sliced
1 heaped tablespoon salt
200g chicken, beef or pork, finely chopped or minced
10-12 stalks lemongrass, outside leaves removed
2 eggs, beaten with salt
1 cup oil for frying

Note

This dish is best eaten with jeow som, a sour peanut dipping sauce. Pound 1 chilli, 1 garlic clove, 1 thinly slices lemongrass, 2-3 unsalted peanuts, a pinch of sugar and salt until it becomes a rough paste. Add lime juice, water and fish sauce to taste, stir gently and combine.

Directions

Step 1	With a mortar and pestle, pound to combine garlic, spring onions, coriander, kaffir lime leaf and salt. A food processor will not release the flavours as successfully.
Step 2	Add meat and pound well.
Step 3	Using a sharp knife, and starting about 1 cm from the base of the lemongrass, make a cut right through the stalks for about 4-5 cm, ensuring that both ends of the stalk remain intact, as these ends hold the filling. Rotate the lemongrass stalk a quarter turn and repeat. Then cut several fines lines all around the stalk as seen in the picture.
Step 4	Use your thumbs to open the cage and make a basket shape. Insert a small spoonful of filling within this central core and shape smoothly with your hands to close it up.
Step 5	Dip stuffed lemongrass pieces in beaten egg .
Step 6	Heat your wok, add oil and fry the stalks until meat is cooked through.
Step 7	Drain on absorbent paper and serve.

Laos‘ Mok Pa

Natalie — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 07:47:53 +0000

This is one of the dishes we learned in our cooking class in Luang Prabang: fish in banana leaves.

Laos‘ Mok Pa

Print recipe

Serves	2
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	15 minutes
Total time	35 minutes
Allergy	Fish
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot

Mok Pa is one of the classic delicious Lao dishes, full of flavor and not so difficult to make. It is fish with lots of spices steamed in banana leaves. Pretty much any white fish can be used.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sticky rice powder, uncooked
5 Asian shallots
1 clove garlic
1 chilli
5 cm inner lemongrass stalk, shredded
0,5 teaspoon salt
3 kaffir lime leaves
3 tablespoons chopped dill
2 tablespoons chopped Lao basil
2 small spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon fish sauce
300g white fish fillets, roughly cubed
4 banana leaf rectangles, approx. 21 x 25 cm

Note

You should be able to get all of these ingredients in any good Asian supermarkt. If you cannot find sticky rice, you can use normal steamed rice instead.

Directions

Step 1	In a mortar and pestle, place sticky rice powder, shallots, garlic, chilli, lemongrass and salt. Pound to a paste.
Step 2	Add lime leaves, dill, basil and spring onions. Pound further to incorporate.
Step 3	Add water and fish sauce. Stir in fish pieces.
Step 4	Run each banana leaf over a flame, but do not allow to burn. They should soften and become a little shiny.
Step 5	Take two banana leaf rectangles and place one across the other.
Step 6	Place half the fish mixture without any liquid residue at the centre of the leaf. Fold each side up and secure the leaves together with a toothpick, creating a pyramid shape (see picture). Just before finally sealding the package, spoon in a little of the liquid residue. Be careful to ensure that the package is sealed tightly.
Step 7	Steam gently for 15 minutes over a high heat or until cooked. When the banana leaves turn to a khaki shade, they are cooked.
Step 8	Serve with sticky (if available) or steamed rice, steamed vegetables and a fresh chilli (or two!) on the side.

Cambodian Samlor Korko

Natalie — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 08:33:10 +0000

Well, Mathias loves soups and especially fish soups, so I am somehow not surprised that he stumbled upon this dish which we only later learned is one of Cambodian national dishes :). He had it at a small local street stall though and I think it was a slightly different version (or maybe there are many) compared to the recipe I found. Mathias had Samlor Korko with sour- mango taste. He absolutely loved it!

So here is a recipe I found on the web for this national dish, even though as mentioned it is a slightly different version then the one Mathias had.

http://www.cambodia-picturetour.com/samlor-korko-khmer-fish-soup-with-vegetables/

Cambodian Bahn Chao

Natalie — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 08:09:05 +0000

This is my favourite Asian breakfast by far, even though I think you can eat it any time of the day. It actually comes from Vietnam and is called Banh Xeo, but I discovered in in Cambodia where it is called Bahn Chao and made with coconut milk and some other little differences.

Cambodian Banh Chao

Print recipe

Serves	2-3
Prep time	25 minutes
Cook time	20 minutes
Total time	45 minutes
Meal type	Breakfast, Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot

Banh Xeo/Banh Chao is made of rice flour crepes filled with ground pork, shrimps, and lots of bean sprouts. Its served with lettuce and a whole lot of other greens and a sweet-sour dip. Simply delicious!!

Ingredients

2 green onions (thinly sliced)
1 yellow onion (thinly sliced)
2 cloves of garlic
a few medium shrimp
3 pieces small pork loin (thinly sliced)
1 bag bean sprouts
1 cup coconut milk
water
frying oil
lots of lettuce and greens
Banh Xeo seasoning mix

Note

This dish is eaten with your hands using lettuce to grab crepe along with herbs and cucumber. Dip what you grabbed with the lettuce into the dip. Enjoy!

Directions

Step 1	After slicing, preseason all meat with salt, pepper, and garlic.
Step 2	Mix both portions of Banh Xeo mix according to pack with coconut milk and water and add green onions and let sit for 15 minutes.
Step 3	Heat a skillet to high and put enough oil so that an omelete won't stick, for example. As skillet is heating, add pork, shrimp, and yellow onions stirring constantly.
Step 4	Once the meat is cooked and skillet is fully up to high temperature, ladel batter into pan (least amount possible to cover pan, assisted by tilting pan side to side). Put a hand full of bean sprouts on one side and let crepe cook until edges turn up. Another indicator to confirm doneness is that bubbles will come close to the center.
Step 5	Once dark golden brown, fold crepe and plate with herbs and serve with small bowl of sauce.

Hokkien Prawn Mee

Natalie — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 16:43:02 +0000

And this is another one that Mathias loved and I couldn’t eat, because it was just too spicy. Even Mathias mouth was burning afterwards, but apparently it was still delicious. Hokkien Mee was made famous by the Penang hawkers, but it originated from the Fujian province in China, and hence the name “Hokkien”. Hokkien Mee is a stir-fried noodle dish steeped in dark soy sauce with pork and serve with chili lime paste.

Here is a recipe option for it.

http://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-penang-hokkien-mee-prawn-noodle/

Assam Laksa

Natalie — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 16:38:26 +0000

This was Mathias favourite out of all. Penang Assam Laksa – are hot and sour noodles in fish soup. Another one of the Penang must-have, it is only something for fish lovers and hot and spicy addicts. It is said to be very addictive due to the spicy and sour taste of the fish broth. At least for Mathias it was true. He could not get enough of it.

Here is a recipe I found on the internet for those who like to try it.

http://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-penang-assam-laksa

Char Koay Teow

Natalie — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 16:29:39 +0000

We knew there are a few must-have hawker food dishes in Penang and this is one of it. And for me, Natalie, it was my absolute favourite out of all of them.

It is basically flat rice noodles stir-fried with shrimp, bloody cockles, Chinese sausage, eggs, bean sprouts, and chives in a mix of soy sauce. The secret behind the recipe are the fresh ingredients and equally important the elusive charred aroma from stir-frying the noodles over very high heat in a well-seasoned Chinese wok.

So if you have a Chinese wok and and a gas stove at home, why not give it a try. Here is a good sounding recipe I found.

http://foodmanna.blogspot.com/2013/05/penang-char-kway-teow.html#.U8kwf3bCd8E