Forksticks

Apart from Chicken & Dill Curry, I've tried this version and love it. For those who have the basic spices in the pantry, it's a simple dish and hardly take any time for a week day dinner.

What you need: 
1 bunch Fresh Coriander Leaves 
1 Tbsp Curry Leaves 
2 Green Chillies 
1 handful Cashew Nuts 
750g Chicken (I use mix of chicken thigh & boneless drumsticks) 
1tsp Cumin Seeds 2tsp Coriander Seeds (crushed with pastel & mortar) 
1Tbsp Ginger & Garlic paste

Marinate: 
1 Cup Natural Yogurt 
1/2 Tbsp Turmeric Powder 
Pinch Salt 
1 tsp Garlic & Ginger paste 

(Marinate the chicken for 1 to 2 hours)

1. Blend curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chilli & cashew nuts in a food processor 

2. Heat some oil in a deep pan, add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, ginger garlic paste until aromatic. Then add the blend mix of coriander, sautéed until the cashew nut releases some oil & pasty. 

3. Add chicken in and simmer until cooked. Stir occasionally. Taste for season.

This dish has become one of my favourite week day dish after work. Thank you to my colleague Arv for introducing me to this healthy, addictive & aromatic curry.

What you need:
500g Chicken ( I use some boneless drumsticks & thigh)
1 Brown Onion (chopped)
1 Tomato (chopped)
1/2 tsp Ginger & Garlic paste
Pinch Cumin Seeds
2 Bunch Dill Leaves (chopped)
1/2 tsp Garamasala
1 tsp Black Pepper Powder

Marinate:
2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1.5 tsp Chilli Powder
1.5 Tbsp Natural Yogurt
Pinch Salt

1. Marinate chicken for 2 to 3 hours. (Or overnight) 2. Heat oil in a deep pan (add a bit of butter is nice too), add onion, cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste, dill leaves until caramalised. Add tomato & simmer until all ingredients breakdown. 2. Add the marinated chicken, simmer with the lid on for 30 min. Then add Garamasala & pepper. Season to taste & simmer for another 10 min.

Done :) serve with rice, chapatti, roti or naan, pita bread.

For pickling mango:
3 Green Mangos (skimmed and sliced)
2 Tbs Sea salt
2 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs Chilli Powder
1 Tbs Fenugreek crushed
1.5 Tbs Yellow Mustard Seeds crushed
2 Tbs Coriander Powder
2 tsb Tumeric Powder
1 Tbs White Vinegar
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Ingredients:
3 Chicken Thighs (skinned and cut into big chunks)
2 Carrots (large chunks)
1/4 Cabbage (sliced)
2 Potato (large chunks)
Approx. 350ml Coconut milk
A bunch of fresh coriander
A bunch of fresh mint
2 long red chilli (julienne)
1 fresh Orange or Red Mango (diced)
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1. Salt the green mango and leave for 1-2 hrs till its dehydrated and excess water drained.
2. Squeeze the excess water out and massage the rest of the pickling ingredients onto the mango.
3. Jar the green mango for 2 days in the fridge.
4. Marinate the chicken chunks with pickled mango and add more spices if need be. It can be marinated over night or for 30 min.
5. Hot the sauté pan with some vegetable oil on high heat. Put the marinated chicken in and sauté till fragrant, along with potato and carrot.
6. Add the coconut milk and cabbage. Covered and turn down the heat. Cover the pan with a lid and slowly simmer for 25 min. (or till potato is cooked)
7. Stir in the fresh mango and put the lid back on. Then turn the heat off.
8. served with freshly chopped mint & coriander, long red chilli.

Taste along the way, add salt accordingly if it's not enough.

For those of us who are time-poor yet still cave some wholesome home meal, this is probably close to the answer.

What we need:
350g chicken slices (I often get the steam boat grade chicken slices), chicken thigh is ideal
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1/2-1/4 tsp chilli powder (optional)
1/2 tsp minced garlic
8 stalks green shallots
Pinch of salt

1. Heat a little oil in a fry pan, add fennel, cumin, mustard seeds in low heat for a min till fragrant.
2. Turn up the heat, then add garlic, chicken in. Stir fry till 80% cooked.
3. Put in tumeric powder and chilli in, along with shallots. Stir and mix well, add a pinch of salt for taste.

If it's too dry, add 1/2 Tbs of water between step 2 & 3.

All veggies can be substitutes. Since fennel is in season, I'm just using it frequently recently. It's a very good for our digestive system.

Ingredients:
300g chicken tights or breast (cubes)
1 carrot (chopped)
1 fennel (sliced)
1 Zucchini or bitter melon (chopped)
1T soy sauce

Spices:
Yellow mustard seeds 1t
Ground coriander 1t
Ground turmeric 1/2 t
Fennel seeds 1t
Chilli powder 1t (optional)

Marinate chicken in soy sauce and set aside while other ingredients are being prepared.
Heat up some oil in a wok, add fennel, carrot, melon in and sauté till soften, set aside.
Reheat the wok, put the chicken pieces in with the spices and stir fry till they're thoroughly cooked. Add the veggies in.
Mix well. Served with a pinch of salt if desire.

What you need:

2 to 3 Fennel (trimmed and chopped)
1.5 kg Chicken
1 Onion
4 cloves Garlic
3 sticks Celery
1T Black Peppercorns
1T White Peppercorns
3 Bay Leaves
Water
1t Fennel seeds
1T tomato purée
400g Orzo (Risoni)
1 bunch Flat-leave Parsley (chopped)

To serve:
2T flat-leave parsley
1T Harissa
Extra virgin olive oil
Bread roll

Place all stock ingredients (except half of the fennel, fennel seeds, tomato purée, Orzo till later) into a saucepan, submerged all under water. Bring to boil and skim any foam. Simmer for 2 hours.

Remove from the heat. Strain the stock into another saucepan; and remove bones and skin of the chicken, put the meat back to the stock.

Add the other half of fennel(sliced finely) tomato purée, fennel seeds, Orzo into the stock. Simmer till Orzo is cooked.

Served with parsley, harrisa sprinkled on top with a bread roll.

Same as Tender Powdery Steam Pork.(Please click to go to the recipe) 

I use Chicken instead of Pork; Pumpkin instead of Yam.

We can also use beef with potato, sweet potato. It's a personal preference.

Steam powder is basically just roast rice. (Use Jasmine Rice and dry roasted on a wok in low heat then ground the rice. Add some Five Spice powder). You can buy it in a sachet in most Asian grocers. (refer to Intro to Sauces)

Ingredients:

• Chicken Thigh or Pork Fillet (sliced) approx. 120g
• Picked Vegetables (from supermarket or homemade) 150g
• Fresh Red Chilli (sliced) 20g

Seasoning:
A. Rice wine 1T, salt 1t, sugar 1/2t
B. Corn starch + water 1T, sesame oil 1T

Marinate:

• Soy Sauce 1t
• White Pepper 1t
• Sesame Oil 1t
• Ricw Wine 1t
• Corn Starch 1T

1. Marinate chicken for at least 10 min. Drained the pickles (usually comes in the brine)
2. Add some oil in a hot pan, stir fry the meat. Take it out and set aside
3. Use the leftover oil to stir fry the chilli, then pickles
4. Add point 2 and season with A.
5. Add B in. Finish