Spicy Southeast Asian Chicken And Squash Stew

Second Runner Up: Cooking Light Market Basket ChallengeThis is a little bit spicy. One can tone it down by backing off on the hot chili peppers and ginger a bit, and it can certainly be lightened up further by using homemade or low-sodium chicken stock and light coconut milk.

Yield:

9 cups (serving size: 11/2 cups)

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons olive oil
2. 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
3. 2 cups cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
4. 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
5. 2 hot red chiles, seeded and chopped
6. 1 1/3 cup minced yellow onion
7. 1 tablespoon fish sauce
8. 1 1/2 pounds (1 1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
9. 1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach
10. 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
11. 1 (8-ounce) package cremini mushrooms, halved
12. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
13. 1/2 cup cup chopped green onions
14. Lime wedges (optional)
15. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken; cool. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through chiles) to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return chicken to pan. Stir in fish sauce and squash; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms; cook 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook, covered for 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted and tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in coconut milk; cook 3 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Sprinkle green onions over soup. Garnish with lime wedge, if desired.

Notes

Malaysian Stir-Fried Beef Noodles

It is in Malaysia that you find many variants in its food and desserts recipes as Malaysian culinary cuisine is rich in its variety - the result of its multicultural influences.

Yield:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1. 375 g (3/4 lb)fresh or dried flat rice stick noodles
2. 250 g (1/2 lb) beef tenderloin
3. 1 teaspoon corn starch
4. ¼ teaspoon salt
5. ¼ teaspoon sugar
6. 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
7. 3 tablespoons low-sodium beef broth or chicken broth
8. 1 tablespoon fish sauce
9. 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce and sweet soy sauce
10. 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
11. 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
12. ½ teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
13. 3 tablespoons canola oil
14. 2 cloves garlic, minced
15. 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
16. 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
17. 1 cup julienned red bell pepper (capsicum)
18. 15 g mung bean sprouts
19. 10 g sliced garlic chives

Directions

1. If using dried rice stick noodles, soak them in warm water to cover for 30 minutes and then drain.
2. Slice the beef across the grain into strips 4 inches long by ¼ inch wide. In a bowl, combine the corn starch, salt, sugar, baking soda, 1 tablespoon water and beef strips and stir to mix. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. In another bowl, stir together the broth, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chili ketchup. Set aside.
4. In a wok or large sauté pan over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil until very hot. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, 4-5 seconds. Add the onion and bell pepper and stir-fry until just tender, 3-4 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl.
5. Return the pan to high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until very hot. Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the marinade.
6. Add the beef to the pan and stir-fry until it just turns opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer the beef to a colander and let drain.
7. Return the pan to high heat and add the fish sauce mixture. Bring to a boil and add the fresh or reconstituted noodles and the stir-fried vegetables. Cover and simmer until mot of the sauce has been absorbed by the noodles, about 2 minutes for fresh noodles and 4 minutes for dried.
8. Uncover, return the beef to the pan, and add the bean sprouts and garlic chives. Stir-fry until the meat is heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a warmed serving platter and serve at once.

Notes

Kuih Kodok - Malaysian-style Fried Banana Fritters

In Malaysia, pisang awak (the bananas with black seeds inside the flesh) is often used for kuih kodok. While pisang awak may be the traditional banana for deep frying regular store bought "Dole bananas" turn out fantastic nonetheless…If you are tired of banana bread or banana cakes, try this new recipe, ala Rasa Malaysia style.

Yield:

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1. 3 big ripe bananas
2. 1 1/2 cup flour
3. 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
4. 1 egg
5. Some water
6. Oil for deep frying

Directions

1. Break the bananas (with hands) into small pieces and put them into a bowl. Add flour, egg, sugar, and some water. Use a big spoon and stir the ingredients so they are well blended.
2. Heat up a frying pan and add some cooking oil for deep frying. Once the oil is heated, scoop up a spoonful of batter into the frying pan. Try to “shape” the batter so it’s somewhat round. Deep fry until golden brown.

Notes

Honey Wings with Turmeric

While many people perceive chicken as boring, I personally think that chicken–with the right recipe and preparation–can be very versatile and delicious. Chinese, Malay, and Indians in Malaysia have many creative ways and interesting recipes when it comes to cooking chicken. Satay, ayam percik (Malay-style grilled chicken with coconut milk and spices), various Indian-Malaysian chicken curries (both wet and dry), Chinese BBQ, salt-baked chicken, soups or stews, Nyonya varieties, the list just goes on. Everybody loves chicken in Malaysia.Baking these honey chicken wings for 20 minutes in the oven (when they just cooked through) and transfering the wings out of the oven to the grill, results in picture perfect grilled honey chicken wings that are juicy and moist.

Yield:

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1. 1 lb chicken wings (middle section)
2. 1 tablespoon honey
3. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
4. 1/8 teaspoon salt
5. 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
6. 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
7. 2 inches ginger (skin peeled)

Directions

1. Prepare the ginger by pounding with a mortar and pestle or grinding with small food processor. Extract the juice by squeezing with your hand and discard the ginger.
2. Marinate the chicken wings with the ginger juice and all the seasonings above for 1-2hours. Grill or bake them in oven (at 375 degree F) for 20-25 minutes until cooked or golden brown. Serve hot.

Notes

At Asian restaurants, chefs often pan-fried satay and then grill them over the stove top flame to get that perfectly charred surface.

Rendang Daging - Beef Rendang

Beef rendang (Spicy Beef Stew with Coconut) is of Indonesian origin–a much-celebrated recipe from the Minangkabau ethnic group of Indonesia–and often served at ceremonial occasions and to honored guests. For those of you who have never tried beef rendang, I can only describe it as “a rich and tender coconut beef stew which is explosively flavorful,” one that is certain to win you over if you taste it…Beef rendang is a very popular dish for many Malaysians, especially the Malay community. No beef rendang is made exactly the same. If you are willing to spend time in the kitchen preparing the spice paste, toasting the grated coconut to make golden-hued “kerisik” (toasted coconut in Malay language), and then patiently cook and stew the meat over very low heat so as to dry up the liquid and make the meat tender, you will be rewarded handsomely.

Yield:

Serves 4

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pound boneless beef short ribs (cut into cubes)
2. 5 tablespoons cooking oil
3. 1 cinnamon stick (about 2-inch long)
4. 3 cloves
5. 3 star anise
6. 3 cardamom pods
7. 1 lemongrass (cut into 4-inch length and pounded)
8. 1 cup thick coconut milk
9. 1 cup water
10. 2 teaspoons tamarind pulp (soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds )
11. 6 kaffir lime leaves (very finely sliced)
12. 6 tablespoons kerisik (toasted coconut)
13. 1 tablespoon sugar/palm sugar or to taste
14. Salt to taste
15. .
16. For the spice paste:
17. ================
18. 5 shallots
19. 1 inch galangal
20. 3 lemongrass (white part only)
21. 5 cloves garlic
22. 1 inch ginger
23. 10-12 dried chilies (soaked in warm water and seeded)

Directions

1. Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
2. Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry them until aromatic.
3. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice and simmer on medium theat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar/palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
6. Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up.
7. Add salt to taste. If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste.
8. Serve immediately with steamed rice and save some for overnight.

Notes

To prepare the kerisik or toasted coconut, just add the grated coconut to a dry wok and stir continuosly until they turn golden brown.