Discover Malaysian Food

Recipes Of The World

More and more people are experiencing the delights of foods and recipes from all around the world. In reality, most of our cities are now very cosmopolitan, people from different parts of the world living in co-existence within our cities. This has brought about the introduction of different types of restaurants offering specialties foods. Not only are we introduced to the different type of foods which are now readily available in our supermarkets, but also different ways of cooking these ingredients and trying out different dishes.



In addition to the above, more and more of us are now travelling to different parts of the world and with improved communication, more of us are able to sample the dishes from other countries. People are taking foreign holidays far more frequently these days and they able to see and sample the local food.



The increase in different restaurants and takeaways has made it far easier for people to enjoy their favorite meals. Whether it be Indian, Chinese, Italian, French or in fact any of the other nationalities. These restaurants can be found in practically every Town or City in almost every country around the world.

French Cooking

Food And Recipes Of France

'Coq au vin' which is a 'rich' and a very popular French dish can have many different variations. Whichever variation you decide to adopt and cook, the fundamentals always remain the same.

Useful tips

• Using older birds works very well, but take a little bit longer to cook!
• If using an older bird, marinade it for at least 24 hrs in the red wine.
• I think that chicken always cooks better on the bone.
• Select your wine carefully and choose something that you would be able to drink.
• The sauce needs to be thick, dark and glossy in appearance.
• Thicken the sauce with “beurre manie” - a kneaded dough, consisting of equal parts of soft butter and flour, this is used to thicken soups and sauces.

French cooking probably sounds really complicated, but it is not, anyone can produce a wonderful dish!


Below is a recipe for Coq au vin.  Just looking at the cooking method involved, you might, think that cooking this dish is complicated, but honestly, it's not that difficult.

To serve four people, you will need the following quantity:


Ingredients:


One 3lb chicken cut into eight portions.
One onion roughly chopped.
One fat clove of garlic, thinly sliced.
One carrot, roughly chopped.
One tablespoon of Olive oil.
Butter.
A good sprig of thyme and parsley. Plus a little parsley to garnish.
125 gm unsmoked bacon lardons (small pieces of fat, typically pork fat).
20 button mushrooms.
Bottle of red wine.
3 tbs Cognac.
100ml of good chicken stock.
Salt and black pepper to taste.


Cooking Method:

1. Using an oven proof casserole dish, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter over a medium heat. 
2. Let the butter foam but not burn, and then add the onion and carrot and fry for about three minutes or until they start to change colour.
3. Add the bacon lardons and continue to cook over a medium heat until the bacon begins to brown. 
4. Add the garlic and cook for a further three - four minutes. Don’t let the garlic color, merely melt. 
5. Remove the vegetables and bacon from the pan, leaving the fats behind, and put to one side.
6. Dry your chicken pieces with kitchen paper then turn up the heat under the pan to get the fats really hot. Then you can add four pieces of chicken, skin side down and fry them WITHOUT MOVING THEM for about four minutes. 
7. When the chicken pieces are golden, turn them over and cook for about another three minutes. You can then remove them from the pan and repeat the process with the other pieces of chicken. 
8. Put all of the ingredients back into the casserole and turn down the heat.
9. Having a box of matches ready, pour the cognac into the casserole dish. Leaning away from the pan, quickly hold a lighted match couple of inches over the bubbling liquid. 
10. Warning - It will ignite!  When the flames have died down you will be left with essence of cognac without the bitter alcohol.
11. Season the chicken with a little salt and black pepper and then add the red wine. You can then turn the heat down to simmer.
12. Add the herbs and chicken stock, then cover the casserole and transfer it to the oven. (150˚C is fine).
13. Cook gently in the oven for about 1½ to 2 hours or until cooked.  You will probably need to check if cooked nearer the 2 hour mark.
14. Prepare the 'beurre manie', which will be used as a thickener for the sauce. Mix two teaspoons of butter and two teaspoons of flour until amalgamated. Put the dough in the fridge to be used later. 
15. Prepare the mushrooms by cleaning them with a damp cloth, and adding them to a mixture of two teaspoons of butter and half a glass of wine in a small pan and simmer. Season with some salt and black pepper, cover and cook gently for twenty minutes. Giving the pan a little shake every now and then.  After twenty minutes, remove from the heat and put them to one side.
16. When the chicken is really tender, carefully remove from the casserole and cover the pieces to keep warm. 
17. Strain the sauce into a clean pan, and add any liquid from the cooked mushrooms and then boil until it is reduced by two thirds. 
18. Taste the sauce for seasoning and then whisk in the 'beurre manie' in small pieces a little at a time until you have the sauce as thick as you want it.
19. Then add in the chicken pieces and mushrooms and reheat.
20. Serve two pieces of the chicken for each person, surrounded by the mushrooms and then ladle on the sauce.

Voilá - you've just successfully delved into the world of French cooking!

For a really good French recipe book  click here.

Chinese Food

Chinese Food

Fact - More than one third of the world's population eat Chinese food daily.


Even if eaten regularly by some people only, Chinese cooking is probably one of the greatest and original cuisines of the world. We in the West are now really beginning to appreciate Chinese food for what it is. You can see for yourself the number of 'new' Chinese restaurants that open their doors and I think that is primarily due to the variety and quality of Chinese food served.

Certainly, the appeal of Chinese cuisine has taken the Western culture by storm. Some of us who have experimented by eating Chinese food in restaurants, have tried cooking these dishes in our kitchens.  Chinese food is good for you, it's economical and can be eaten on a regular basis rather than only on special occassions.

Cooking Chinese food isn't that difficult - anyone can do it.  You don't need to be a chef or a great cook. These days, all the ingredients used in Chinese cuisine, (bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, etc.) are readily avialable in most supermarkets, some local stores and even on the Internet!

Chinese food appeals to the eye as it is colourful, aromatic, has flavour and most importantly it's very nutritious, as none of the goodness is lost in cooking the food. It appeals to the majority of people as the variety of flavours are cleverly contained in each dish. So there is nothing wrong when meat and poultry are served within the same course. You should view the cooking and eating of Chinese food as a great culinary experience, always to be enjoyed.

These days anyone can cook the most popular dishes such as Sweet and Sour Pork, Chow Mein or Fried Rice themselves, without having to go to a Chinese restaurant. Below is a simple recipe for 'Egg Noodles with Oriental Seasoning' - a quick dish to make, yet enjoyable.

Happy cooking!


This Egg Noodles with Oriental Seasoning recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

4 oz. Medium or Wide Egg Noodles, uncooked
1/4 c. water
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 scallions (spring/green onions), trimmed and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried ginger
1/4 lb. snow peas (mange-tout), trimmed

Method:

Prepare the egg noodles according to instructions on the packet. Whilst the egg noodles are cooking, mix the water, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl until the sugar and cornstarch have completely dissolved.
Put to one side.
When the noodles are cooked, drain them well.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. Add the scallions, garlic and ginger and stir the garlic and ginger for about 15 seconds.
Add the snow peas and toss just until they begin to change color, about 10 seconds.
Add the noodles and toss in the seasoned oil. Stir in the soy sauce mixture and pour it all into the wok.
Stir well until the sauce thickens and the noodles are evenly distributed, then transfer immediately to a serving dish.

Serve hot.



For more Chinese recipes, click here.

Italian Cooking - a healthier lifestyle.

Italian Food


Scientific studies have shown that people living in Mediterranean countries have amazingly low rates of heart disease, certain types of cancer, and tend to live longer. Although their diets contain a higher intake of fat than say the Americans, this appears to reinforce the idea of quality rather than quantity.

The typical Italian diet throughout Italy features fruits, nuts, fresh vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, and other types of beans.

There is also a balance of fish, poultry, and red meat in the diet. Surprisingly, many meals feature no meat at all. Diary products such as butter and cream aren't absent from recipes, and the primary source of fat is olive oil.


According to The New England Journal of Medicine, by being on a Mediterranean diet, the longer ones the life span can be, with lower mortality rates.

Olive oil is often described as the golden elixir of life in the Mediterranean diet. In the Mediterranean countries, olive oil is consumed more than other types of oils. Studies have shown the mono unsaturated fat in olive oil is considered to be the healthiest type of general fat. Medical facts indicate that Mono unsaturated fat is believed to lower bad cholesterol and may help in reducing heart disease. Olive oil provides essential fatty acids for  healthy skin and the development of body cells. It is also believed to offer protection against certain cancers, such as breast cancer and colon cancer. Olive oil is a good source of vitamin E, the anti-oxidant vitamin which is usually in short supply in other diets.


This fiery dish gains its name 'Arrabbiata' (angry) because of the use of chillies and is very easy to make. When preparing this 'angry dish', feel free to use as much chillies as you want.  Make it as mild/hot as you like.

The best 'Arrabbiata' should be cooked in its minimalist form and should not contain meat (usually bacon). The base for this 'Arrabbiata' sauce is an aglio, oglio e peperoncino (garlic, olive oil, and dried red peppers. However, in this recipe we will be using  chopped tomatoes. The adding of Parmesan any other cheese is not recommended as this would overwhelm the true flavour of the dish. Why not try this simple Italian recipe for  Penne Arrabbiata.


Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking: 25 mins
To serve 4, you will need:

Ingredients:

400 g (14 oz) Penne pasta - cooked "al dente".
90 ml (3 ½ oz) olive oil, Extra virgin would be best.
2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
2 or 3 Whole fresh red chillies - roughly chopped
500 g Chopped tomatoes
A small handful of flat leaf parsley - roughly chopped
Salt for seasoning and taste

Cooking method:

Chop the garlic and chillies.
Heat the olive oil in a pan (medium heat) and add the chopped garlic and chillies into the pan.
Sauté until the garlic becomes golden in colour.
Add the chopped tomatoes.
Stir for a few seconds.
Season with salt and stir again.
Cook on medium/low heat for about 20-25 minutes, to reduce the sauce.
Boil the pasta until it is cooked 'al dente' - cooked but not hard. Drain the pasta and add it into the pan containing the sauce.
Stir for few seconds, ensuring the pasta is coated with the sauce.
Sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
Give a quick stir and serve immediately.

Bouno appetito!

For more Italian recipes click here.

Indian Recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala

Indian Food is becoming popular around the globe and most people enjoy a good Indian meal whether it's cooked by a chef in a restaurant or at home.  The reason, I think, this is so is because Indian food can be nutritional and healthy if cooked correctly.


We all need our daily proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates, which most often then not can be found in most Indian dishes. By cooking Indian meals myself, I am ensuring that my family is getting a well balanced, nutritious and a filling diet.  Besides using fresh vegetables (potatoes, aubergines, okra, spinach etc.), I tend to spices (turmeric, red chillie powder, coriander powder, cumin seed, mustard seed, ginger and garlic) in most of my dishes.  


I will sometimes add some yogurt to a curry.  For example, when cooking Biryani, I use yogurt to enhance the flavour and texture of the sauce making it creamy without the fat.


Ideally, Indian food should not be too hot as you need to be able to taste the different flavours, mix of spices and herbs in the food.  If you like your Indian food hot, then perhaps you can have a hot chutney or some pickle as an accompaniment to your meal.


It is fairly normal to serve most Indian dishes with either pickles or even natural yogurt.


Chicken Tikka Masala recipe


Do you want an Indian recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala with that unique British Indian Restaurant quality and taste? Then simply follow the instructions below for success every time... The recipe serves 4.

Preparation Time: 20-minutes.
Cooking Time: 1-Hour.


Ingredients:
500g Boneless Chicken (cut into small cubes)
1½ Medium Onions (225g)
10g Ginger
1 Medium Garlic Clove
3 Cherry Tomatoes
½ Small Green Pepper
11 tbsp Veg/Olive Oil
½ tsp Turmeric
6 tsp (40g) Tikka Masala Paste
3-4 Green Cardamons
2 Bay Leaves
40g Ground Almond Powder
7 tsp White Sugar
5 tbsp Natural Yoghurt
150ml Fresh Single Cream
2 Knobs of Butter


Instructions:
Note - there are two stages to preparing this dish, making the puree and then the cooking the curry.


Stage 1: (Making the Puree)
1. Cut all the onions into ¼'s. Cut the tomatoes into ½'s and chop the green pepper, ginger (pealed), garlic clove, and a little coriander.
2. Put the above in a small sauce pan together with 4 tbsp oil, ½ tsp turmeric, salt and cup of warm water (around 200/250 ml) covered with lid.
3. Gently boil the vegetables until soft (approximately 15-20 mins) stirring occasionally.
4. When cooked place in a blender to make into puree.


Stage 2: (Curry)
1. Heat 7 tbsp of oil in a medium sized sauce pan.
2. Add cardamons and the bay leaves and slowly fry.
3. Add the Tikka Masala paste and cook for a few seconds (stirring continuously).
4. Add the ready blended puree and cook for further 3-4 mins (stirring occasionally, covered).
5. Add the chicken with a little warm water (around 100/125 ml) and on full heat bring to boil and then cook for around 3-4 mins (covered and stirring occasionally).
6. Add the yoghurt, sugar and the almond and bring to boil then cook for around 3-4 mins (covered and stirring occasionally).
7. Back to moderate/low heat, leave to simmer (covered) for 30 mins (stirring occasionally).
8. Add the cream and bring to boil then leave to simmer for further 10/15 mins (stirring occasionally) or until the required moisture (add more water if you prefer more sauce or cook on higher heat slightly longer with lid semi opened for thicker sauce).
9. Once cooking is over add the butter or ghee, stir and leave the curry to settle for 10/15 mins before serving and garnish with a little cream on top.


Enjoy with either plain boiled rice or Indian bread (Nan).


TIPS: If you prefer a milder masala add a little more cream and sugar.


If you would like more recipes on other types of Indian dishes, click here.

Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver or more affectionately known as the Naked Chef has a unique style of presenting his recipes. His style of presentation is both relaxed and easy to follow.

Jamie first came to prominence when he presented a television program on British TV called the Naked Chef. Since then his popularity has grown throughout the world and he has presented and appeared in several other TV programs.

Jamie Oliver has written several best selling cookery and recipe books which are available throughout the world.

This well known Chef and restaurant owner has a vast selection of recipes that are very easy to prepare and are extremely tasty.

Here is a great chutney as the sweetness created in the cooking of the peppers calms the heat of the chillies down, resulting in a lovely warmth. Can be eaten with crumbly cheese, smeared on toast with melted cheese or with Welsh rarebit. You can also stir it into gravy to be eaten with sausages, cold leftover meats. Why not try it!

Warning - wearing gloves when peeling and chopping the chillies is a good idea to avoid getting chillies in your eyes.

If you are making quite a lot of this chutney, ensure that you have some sterilized jars/bottles ready.

Cheeky chilli-pepper chutney

The quantity below makes about 500g of chutney.

A great chutney as the sweetness created in the cooking of the peppers calms the heat of the chillies down, resulting in a

lovely warmth. Can be eaten with crumbly cheese, smeared on toast with melted cheese or with Welsh rarebit. You can also

stir it into gravy to be eaten with sausages, cold leftover meats. Crack on and Try it out!

Warning - wearing gloves when peeling and chopping the chillies is a good idea to avoid getting chillies in your eyes.

If you are making quite a lot of this chutney, ensure that you have some sterilized jars/bottles ready.

1.  Place the chillies and peppers over a hot barbecue, in a griddle pan or even on a tray under a hot grill, turning them now

and then until blackened and blistered all over.

2.  Carefully lift the hot peppers and chillies into a bowl and cover with clingfilm.

3.  Whilst they are colling, they will cook gently in their own steam.

4.  When cold, peel the skin. Trim off the stalks and scoop out the seeds.  You should be left with a pile peppers and chillies.

5.  You can either finely chop these by hand or put in a food processor and whiz up. Then put to one side.

6.  In a heated saucepan, pour a splash of olive oil. Add the onions, herbs, spices and season with salt & pepper.

7.  Cook very slowly for about 20 minutes or until the onions become rich, golden and sticky.

8.  To this, add the chopped peppers and chillies mix, sugar and vinegar and keep cooking.

The liquid should reduce and you should be left with a lovely thick sticky chutney.

9.  Season to taste and remove the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves.

10. Spoon into the sterilized jars/bottles and put them in a cool dark place. Alternatively, store in the fridge and use.

The chutney should keep for a couple of months for you to enjoy.

Ingredients

• 8-10 fresh red chillies

• 8 ripe red peppers

• olive oil

• 2 medium red onions, peeled and chopped

a sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped

• 2 fresh bay leaves

• a 5cm piece of cinnamon stick

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 100g brown sugar

150ml balsamic vinegar

Cheeky chilli-pepper chutney recipe


The quantity below makes about 500gm of chutney. You will need:

• 8-10 fresh red chillies
• 8 ripe red peppers
• olive oil
• 2 medium red onions, peeled and chopped
• a sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and chopped
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• a 5cm piece of cinnamon stick 
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100gm brown sugar 
• 150ml balsamic vinegar

Method:
1.  Place the chillies and peppers over a hot barbecue, in a griddle pan or even on a tray under a hot grill, turning them now and then until blackened and blistered all over.
2.  Carefully lift the hot peppers and chillies into a bowl and cover with cling film.
3.  Whilst they are colling, they will cook gently in their own steam.
4.  When cold, peel the skin. Trim off the stalks and scoop out the seeds.  You should be left with a pile peppers and chillies.
5.  You can either finely chop these by hand or put in a food processor and whiz up. Then put to one side.
6.  In a heated saucepan, pour a splash of olive oil. Add the onions, herbs, spices and season with salt & pepper.
7.  Cook very slowly for about 20 minutes or until the onions become rich, golden and sticky.
8.  To this, add the chopped peppers and chillies mix, sugar and vinegar and keep cooking.
Note - The liquid should reduce and you should be left with a lovely thick sticky chutney.
9.  Season to taste and remove the cinnamon stick and the bay leaves.
10. Spoon into the sterilized jars/bottles and put them in a cool dark place. Alternatively, store in the fridge and use.


This chutney should keep for a couple of months for you to enjoy.


To get more information about Jamie Oliver's recipes click here.