Recipe Corner: Asia

Oriental Recipes

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INDIA

Mango Chutney

1 pound unripe mangoes
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup raisins
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seed, crushed

Peel mangoes and cut in half. Remove pit and discard. Cut flesh into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Combine mango, sugar, fennel, cumin, pepper flakes, salt, water and raisins in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat, partly covered, for 6 minutes or until mango is soft and translucent. Stir in cornstarch and continue cooking until chutney thickens. Turn  off heat.

Heat the oil in a small skillet until hot. Add mustard seeds. Let spice sizzle for 10 seconds then immediately pour the entire contents  of the pan over the chutney. Mix well and serve piano coversm, at room temperature, or chilled. Keeps for a day at room temperature and 4  weeks refrigerated. Makes 2 cups.

Note: This chutney can be made with ripe mangoes; just add a tablespoon of lemon juice to cut the sweetness.

Mango chutney

Mangoes-2    Cut into small square pieces
chilli pwd-4 T
salt-3T
Asafoetida-1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric pwd-1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Oil -1 T

Heat oil in a pan.To that add mustard seeds. When it pops reduce heat to low and add chilli pwd,salt,asafoetida,turmeric and stir for about 3 min.Turn off the heat.Let it cool for a while.Add this mixture to the cut mangoes and mix thoroughly.

Keep this for 7-8 days for the flavour to seep into mangoes. You can add a little bit of distilled vinegar if you like.It will help to keep the freshness.This is the Kerala mango achar.

Lime Pickle

This recipe makes roughly 1.5 kg of lime pickle. If you want to, you can also add mustard seeds.

Ingredients:
Whole limes 20
Green chillis 20
Coarse rock salt 6 Tbs
Bay leaves, crumbled 4
Fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchstick shapes 175g
Lime juice 300ml

Wash the limes in cold water and dry on kitchen towels. Make four cuts  through the limes to quarter them to within 0.5 cm of the bottom. Remove  the pips.

Slit the chillis lengthways and scrape out the seeds, leaving the chillis  whole with their stalks.

Arrange a layer of limes on the bottom of a large pickling jar. Sprinkle with  salt and crumbled bay leaves. Add 2 or 3 chillis and about 2 tablespoons of  the ginger. Repeat these layers until all the ingredients, except half the salt are used up. Pour over the lime juice and give the jar a good shake to settle the contents.

Cover the mouth of the jar with a clean cloth and tie in place with string.  Put the jar in a sunny place for at least 6 days, adding half a tablespoon  of the remaining salt each day. Shake the jar at least twice a day. Each  night, put the jar in a dry place in the kitchen. Be sure to turn the jar  each day so that all sides are exposed to the sun's rays.

After six days, keep the pickle on a shelf for 10 days. Cover with a lid and shake the jar every day. The pickle will be ready to eat after 10 days.

piano Masala Kichidi

1 cup rice (washed & soaked for 1 hour)
1 cup yellow moong beans (washed & soaked for 1 hour) Substitute lentils
1 handful green moong beans-  Substitute lentils
1 bayleaf-  Be sure to remove before serving.
1 stalk curry leaves-  Substitute curry powder to taste
1 tbsp peanuts whole-  Raw
1/2 tsp each cumin and mustard seeds
1 large potato peeled & chopped like french fries
1 large onion sliced lengthwise
2-3 clorettes garlic, crushed-  Garlic flakes will do
2-3 whole red dry chillis-  New Mexico or Pasilla chillies will do fine.
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp garam Masala-  No substitute- Find in Indian spebliplty store of big city ethnic foods store.
2 tsp black masala (maharashtrian style) - Same as above
1 lemon
1 tbsp chopped coriander
3 tbsp oil-  Suggest peanut-  NOT olive-  Add a tablespoon clarified butter
6-7 cups water

Instructions:
Some ingredients are not available in local stores.  You can find them in all Indian stores in mid to large cities, or in Middle Eastern and some Greek stores.

In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil. Add the peanut stir till very lightly roasted. Add the seeds curry and bay leaves, garlic, chillies (halved), and green dal. Stir for a minute.

Add the onion and potato, rice, dal, coriander and all masalas. Stir for a minute or two. Add water, cover and cooked on low heat till done. Add more water when cooking is required.

Serve hot with kadhi-  Editor does not know what this is.  Substitute chutney and yogurt on the side.

LINKS:

THAILAND

Thai Recipes.  These from a New Zealander.  Check the collections for more recipes:  http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mjw/recipes/ethnic/thai/index.html

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