Curry Puffs

We were going to a Midsummer party at my BIL's place and we couldn't go empty-handed, could we? So, I brought some curry puffs for their indulgence. They weren't that nice in shapes as there was something wrong with my dough. A tad too soft. I didn't know what was the cause, really. That was the first flop I had in making curry puffs. Hmmmmm.........But luckily, they were still edible. ;)

Spicy potatoes

Eggs

Roll out the dough

Fill each piece with potatoes and shape them as you want
Egg glaze before putting them into the oven

Ready to go!

Sedapppp

Ingredients

Dough

400g plain flour- sifted

1/2 tsp salt

175g butter

180ml cold water

Filling

1 onion - diced into small cubes

200g potatoes - diced into small cubes

2 tbsp meat curry powder - mixed with enough water to form a paste

1 stalk curry leaves - use leaves only

2cm cinnamon stick

1 star anise

100ml water

Salt and sugar to taste

1 cube of chicken stock

Method

Filling

1. Heat up a little oil and fry onions till soft.
2. Add curry leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise and curry powder and fry for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add potatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour in water and mix in salt, sugar and chicken cube.
5. Cover and cook until potatoes turn soft and filling is dry. 
6. Dish out and cool the filling thoroughly.

Dough

1. Put sifted flour and salt into a mixing bowl. 
2. Rub butter into flour with your fingertips, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Make a well in the centre and add in cold water to bind and form into a dough.
4. Turn the pastry onto a floured tabletop and roll out to 1/4cm thickness. 
5. Cut into a round with a 5cm round pastry cutter. 
6. Put a dessertspoon of filling in the centre of each pastry round. 
7. Fold pastry into half to enclose the filling. 
8. Seal by pinching the edges and you can use a fork to make the patterns or fold it with your fingers. 
9. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.
10. Glaze the curry puffs with egg wash and bake for 15-20 minutes or till golden brown.
11. Serve warm and let them cool slightly before serving.
12. Enjoy!

Salmon and Pumpkin Curry

My very first time of buying a pumpkin and using it. I remember that hubby told me that he liked a 'sauce pumpkin dish' when he was working at the branch office in KL. He couldn't say more of the dish when I probed further. So, I thought why not try curry (sauce?) as it is sweet in taste and with a combination of curry, it should be quite good. Perhaps that was something similar to what he said? The verdict.
He: I like it, quite similar but not SOO spicy. Hmm..next time, I will use only 30g of red curry paste.

I like the colour

Remember to use coconut milk or cream

Looks good?

Ingredients

1 butterscotch pumpkin - cut into cubes of your desired size

2 blocks of salmon (about 200g)- cut into cubes

1 onion- cut into quarters

a handful of curry leaves and Thai basil* (I didn't have the Thai basil, so I have used the Italian type) 

150g of red curry paste (I have used Mae Ploy's brand but found it to be VERY salty AND spicy so, please do adjust accordingly and add more sugar/coconut milk if needed)

1/2 a piece of brown sugar

300 ml of coconut milk

150 ml of water

1 tsp of oil

Method

1. Heat up your oil in the pan and stir fry the onions and curry leaves till soft and fragrant.
2. Add in coconut milk and boil it briefly.
3. Add in water, red curry paste, brown sugar and stir them well. 
4. Add in pumpkin and cook till soft but not mushy. (About 15-20 mins at medium heat)
5. PLEASE adjust the taste to your liking. Add in sugar or more coconut milk if needed.
6. Add in the salmon pieces and cook for about 3 mins and switch off the heat.
7. Dish up, garnish with basil and serve warm with rice.
8. Enjoy!

Baked Yoghurt Curry-Flavoured Chicken

I dislike frying chicken or anything that needs deep-frying. It makes a HUGE mess and I use tons and tons of kitchen papers. Very stressful. That's why I resort to baking whenever I can. Haha! These baked ones were so yummy that my princess had 2 big drumsticks. However, her brother thought otherwise. Not even half a drumstick. 

Marinate them well!

Use a piece of foil underneath to collect the drips 

Looks not too bad, aren't they?

Ingredients

100ml of plain yoghurt

2 cloves of garlic

1 piece of 2 cm ginger

1 tbsp of curry powder (I have used one that has turmeric)

1 tsp of paprika

2 tbsps of Babas meat curry powder 

1 tsp of salt

1 tbsp of soya sauce

2 tsps of sugar

Method

1. Crush garlic and ginger into a paste or you can use the blender.
2. Mix all the spices and yoghurt to form a paste.
3. Marinate the chicken well with the ingredients.
4. Leave overnight or for at least 4 hours.
5. Bake them at the lowest rack, at 200 degrees for about 40-50 minutes, depending on the cuts/sizes of your chicken pieces.
6. Serve them with rice or other main courses. Enjoy!

Fried Curry-Flavoured Chicken

Thumbs up from my princess

I try to fry as little as I could in my kitchen as I dislike the oil-splattering effects but at times when cravings are overwhelming, I give in. A simple fried chicken dish but a huge explosion and cleaning up after that. ;)


Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks or thighs/your favourite cuts
5 tbsps of curry powder (I have used Waugh's curry powder (same as one of my previous posts)
2 tsps of salt
2-4tbps of water
Oil for frying


Method

1. Add the water gradually to the curry powder and salt and stir the mixture to form a paste. 
2. Marinate the chicken pieces in the marinade for 3 hours or overnight.
3. Heat up oil in the frying pan and let the frying party begins! ;)
4. Serve warm.

Curry with Potatoes and Pork Cutlets

Tean's Gourmet Chicken Curry

Fried potatoes+ a piece of brown sugar

Fried Pork Cutlets

SPICY!

I'm no expert in cooking curries. Usually, I use store-bought sauces or powder. I have tried doing from scratch but it's too much work and doesn't have the ommph that I fancy. I like Tean's Gourmet's ready-made sauces. Easy and yummy! Today, I have decided to do a dry curry type with salted pork cutlets and fried potatoes. Add  2 medium-sized tomatoes, 1 piece of brown sugar and a few stones of rock sugar. These complete the whole dish. If you want it burning in your tongue, forget about the sugar and tomatoes. 

Ingredients

1 packet of Tean's Gourmet Curry Chicken Sauce

6-8 medium-sized potatoes-in cubes and browned

200 g pork cutlets-in desired size and browned (I have some salted pork cutlets left, therefore I used them. You can use any other meat. )

1 small piece of brown sugar

2 medium-sized tomatoes

a few stones of rock sugar

oil  for frying

Method

1. Fry potatoes and pork cutlets till browned and set aside.
2. Heat up curry chicken sauce in a pot and add in potatoes and tomatoes.
3. Let them boil for about 5 mins and add in the 2 types of sugar.
4. Lastly add in pork cutlets, mix well and let the curry simmer for about 10 mins.
5. You can add coconut milk for the creamy taste. 
6. Serve warm with rice or bread. 

Salmon Curry

Ingredients

Ta-dah!

It has been quite a while since I last cooked fish curry. I have not tried other fish over here, except salmon and I think it's not too bad. I can't be too choosy over here. ;) This dish comes with great appetite since the weather has been rather cold and wet out there lately. Spicy and full of flavours. Hmmmm....so satisfying!

Ingredients
400 g of salmon (marinated with some salt)
Half a head of white cabbage (sliced)
1 aubergine (sliced)
100g sugar snaps
100g french beans
1 medium-sized onion (sliced thinly)
12 cherry tomatoes (or other types)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
a handful of curry leaves
3 cloves of minced garlic
300-500ml of water
3 packs X 25g Baba's fish curry powder (or any curry powder that you can get from Asian shops)
lemon juice and salt to taste

Method

1. Heat up some oil in the pan and fry cumin and fennel seeds till fragrant.
2. Add in garlic and onion, fry till cooked.
3. Add in all vegetables, fish curry powder and fry for about 8-10 mins.
4. Add water and simmer at medium high heat for 10 mins.
5. Add salmon, lemon juice and salt to taste. Continue to simmer for about 10 mins and turn off heat. Leave the pan on stove till heat is switched off completely.
6. Serve warm with rice, couscous, bulgur or bread. 

Curry Puffs

Hmmmmmm... these are so good for tea, party, breakfast or supper! :) Made these for a party some time ago and thought I could share the recipe. My brother-in-law requested for 50 pieces (for the party) and he ate 8 or 10, maybe. However, I do miss those juicy big curry puffs from IKEA MALAYSIA.

Ingredients
400g plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
175g butter
180ml cold water

Filling
200g chicken fillet (diced)
1 medium-sized yellow onion (diced)
4-5 medium sized potatoes (diced)
2 tbsp meat curry powder, mixed with enough water to form a paste
1 stalk curry leaves (use leaves only)
2cm cinnamon stick
1 star anise
120ml water
Salt and sugar to taste

Note: Chicken fillet is optional. I omitted and replaced with another 4 medium-sized potatoes. You can add more curry powder and some chilli powder if you like spicy curry puffs.

Egg Wash
2 egg yolks + 2 tsp egg whites

Method

Filling

1. Heat oil and fry onions till soft. 
2. Add curry leaves, cinnamon stick, star anise and curry powder and fry for 1-2 mins.
3. Add potatoes and fry for 2-3 mins.
4. Add chicken and fry for another 1-2 mins. Pour in water and season with salt and sugar, to taste.
5. Cover and cook until potatoes turn soft and filling becomes dry. 
6. Dish out and cool the filling thoroughly.

Dough

1. Put sifted flour and salt into a mixing bowl. 
2. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. 
3. Make a well in the centre and add in cold water to bind. 
4. Turn the dough onto a floured tabletop and roll out to 1/4 cm thickness. 
5. Cut into rounds with a 5cm round pastry cutter. 
6. Put a teaspoon of filling in the centre of each pastry. 
7. Fold pastry into half to enclose the filling.
8. Seal by pinching and fluting the edges. 
9. Splash a thin layer of egg wash on each puff.
10. Preheat oven to 200 degs and bake the curry puffs for about 20 mins or till golden brown. Alternatively, you can fry them in oil till golden brown and drain on kitchen paper.
11. Serve warm or at room temperature.