12 October 2012

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Friday OCTOBER 12, 2012 S AT I S F Y I N G

YO U R

W E E K LY

F O O D

&

D R I N K

Cook up an authentic Thai meal with recipes from Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion’s Chef Korn’s first cookbook, Thai@Home

C R AVI N G S

W I T H

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C O P Y

O F

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KEAN WAA

KEANG KEAW WAAN GAI

(GREEN C

(Makes 4 servin

625ml thick coconut milk 3 -5 tablespoons green curry pas 400g chicken breast, deboned an 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn 1 teaspoon palm sugar (gula Me 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 cup Thai eggplants, cut into qu 1/3 cup pea eggplants ½ cup Thai basil leaf 2 to 3 red chillies, sliced diagonal Place 125ml coconut milk in the wok and bring it to boil over medium heat. Add green curry paste and stir well. Simmer until it is fragrant. Reduce the heat.

Gradually add 250ml coconut milk, a few drops at a time, stirring continously until a film of green oil surfaces. Add the

GREEN CURRY P

5 peppercorns 15 large green chillies 1 teaspoon salt 3 shallots, peeled and sliced 9 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced 2 teaspoon finely sliced galangal 2 tablespoons finely sliced lemon 1 teaspoon finely sliced kaffir lim 2 coriander roots, chopped 1 teaspoon shrimp paste

Pound the peppercorns in a morta blends together. Add remaining ing add the shrimp paste. Pound until

Note: Adjust the number of chillies peppercorns can be used.

COVER PICTURE RECIPE

TOM YUM GOONG (SPICY TOM YUM SOUP WITH PRAWNS)

(Makes 4 servings)

1 litre water ½ cup lemongrass, lightly pounded and cut into 5cm sections ½ cup sliced galangal 2 coriander root 4 shallots, peeled and sliced thinly 8 (about 60g each) large prawns, shelled and deveined ½ cup oyster mushrooms, halved 3 tablespoons fish sauce 1 teaspoon caster sugar 3 kaffir lime leaves, cut finely 3 tablespoons lime juice 6 bird-eye chillies (cili padi), crushed coriander sprig for garnishing

Pour water into a pot and bring it to boil. Add lemongrass, galangal, coriander roots and shallots; simmer for few minutes until fragrant.

Add prawns and mushrooms; simmer until the prawns are cooked.

Season with fish sauce and sugar, adjusting them to your taste.

Sprinkle with kaffir lime leaves. Turn off the heat. Add lime juice and cili padi, adjusting to your taste. Garnish with coriander and serve immediately.

NOTE: If you don’t have a good tolerance for hot and spicy, adjust the number of bird-eye chillies used in the soup.

Recipes are extrac Thai@Home, publis Seashore Publishin Bhd, available at P Bookstores.

Taster Comments:

AMAZING THAI In this beautifully decorated Thai restaurant Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion, Chef Trakool Yodsuk or Chef Korn creates exquisite Thai dishes from fresh ingredients. Raised in Bangkok, Chef Korn picked up his culinary skills from his kitchen experiences with his grandmother and mother. Opened since April 2009, the dining experience at Erawan is an exquisite one upped with the serving of each item on ornate Thai Benjarong porcelain. In his first cookbook, Thai@Home, Chef Korn shares simple Thai traditional

and fusion dishes that can be whipped up at home. The chef puts his heart in his cooking to produce fusion Thai dishes, which uses a combination of Western and Thai ingredients that appeal to the public.

Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion, 22 Jalan PJU5/16, Dataran Sunway Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Tel:03-61412393.

Open: 6pm-10.30pm (Tuesday to Sunday), 12pm-3pm (Friday to Sunday).

Reservations and menu pre-booking are required.

Erawan is my favou quite excited to try th any of his cooking sec to follow, and it resulte Thai flavours. Howeve perhaps because I di curry paste as finely a first heating up the co paste quite interesting would be to fry the cu coconut milk.“

CHOO LI-HSIAN, Public Rela

FRIDAY 12 OCTOBER 2012

NG KEAW AN GAI

CURRY CHICKEN)

ngs)

ste nd finely sliced

elaka)

uarters

ally chicken and kaffir lime leaves.

Continue cooking for 3 minutes or until it is fragrant and the chicken is cooked through.

Transfer to a pot. Add remaining coconut milk. Season with sugar and fish sauce, adjusting to your taste. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the eggplants

and cook till it softens. Sprinkle Thai basil leaves and red chillies over the curry. Remove and serve immediately.

TIP: You can replace the eggplant with long beans. For a vegetarian version, switch the chicken for tofu.

PASTE

d l ngrass me rind

ar until it becomes fine powder. Add chillies and salt. Pound until it gredients except the shrimp paste. Pound until it is well mixed. Finally it forms a smooth and fine paste. Remove and set aside.

s used if you have a low tolerance to spicy food. Either white or black

cted from shed by ng (M) Sdn. POPULAR

urite Thai restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, so I was hese recipes to see if Chef Korn would share crets. I found the recipes surprisingly simple ed in tasty dishes with good, authentic er, my green curry was not as striking green id not pound the ingredients for the green as I should have. I also found the step of oconut milk, before adding the green curry g. Usually for curry recipes, the first step urry paste till it is fragrant before adding the

ations professional

THE MALAY MAIL

In the Kitchen

STEAMED FISH WITH GINGER AND SPRING ONION PASTE

with Eu Hooi Khaw IF you suffer from travel sickness or morning sickness, taking ginger in whatever form will help. Just suck on a piece of crystallised ginger or drink hot tea, which has been infused with grated fresh ginger root. It settles the stomach and gets rid of nausea.

Boil ginger in brown sugar and drink it after a session of Chinese exercises such as taichi or qi gong, and it will expel the wind and re-energise your body. For the same reason you will find the ginger flavouring the sugar for soy bean milk or curd which is supposed to be “windy”. Ginger is a wonderful spice for cooking. It goes well with all kinds of meat, fish and seafood, and some vegetables too such as kale and broccoli.

Ginger or Zingiber officinale (its scientific name) also stimulates the body’s circulation, bringing the blood to the periphery of the skin. Little wonder then it was regarded as an aphrodisiac and was even outlawed during the Puritan days in England. Ginger inhibits platelet aggregation and is the ideal condiment for those predisposed to clotting which may lead to a heart attack or stroke. It has anti-inflammatory properties, is rich in potassium (which is good for the heart), magnesium, calcium and phosphorous, Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. It is also a powerful antioxidant.

It originated from Asia and more than 5,000 years ago it was looked upon as medicine by the people in China and India. The Chinese believed that it strengthened the stomach while the Indians used it to treat conditions from nausea, coughs and heart palpitations to rheumatism.

The enzymes in ginger break down protein efficiently and rapidly, so drinking a ginger tea after a meal is good for you (think teh halia, but without the milk!) Arab traders took ginger to Greece and Italy, and the Greeks ate it wrapped inside bread after meals to help digestion. Eventually this evolved into the gingerbread we know today.

The early American settlers made beer from it and used it as a digestive.

Ginger’s anti-bacterial properties have been recognised by the Japanese who serve it pickled, with sushi. It helps to kill a parasite present in raw fish and seafood, which would be harmful if ingested.

STEAMED FISH WITH GINGER AND SPRING ONION PASTE 50g young ginger, peeled 6 stalks spring onions 2 teaspoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons cooking oil ½ teaspoon salt 250g ikan kurau fillet 1 tablespoon Chinese Shao Xing wine 1 teaspoon light soy sauce Blend the ginger, the onions heads and 2 cm of the green portion of the spring onions, sesame oil, cooking oil and salt to a fine paste. Remove to a bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Arrange fish on a plate. You can also place the remaining spring onions underneath the fish. Spread the ginger mixture all over the fish. Pour the wine and soy sauce over the fish. Steam over rapid boiling water for 8 minutes.

Remove and serve immediately garnished with the remaining spring onions.

ALL ABOUT RACHEL In person, Rachel Allen is as charming as she is on her cooking shows. The host of BBC Entertainment’s Rachel Allen’s Easy Meals was recently in Kuala Lumpur for a media event organised by Hypp TV that included a cooking session with the celebrity chef.

The Dublin-born Allen, who is of mixed Irish and Icelandic heritage started to bake from as young as three years old. “I was always helping my mum and sister who is 4 years older in the kitchen and my oldest memories is me standing on the chair, fighting with my sister to lick the wooden spoon from the mixing bowl,” she says.

That love of baking and cooking saw her pursuing a career in the culinary arts. She enrolled in the fabled Ballymaloe Cookery School at the age of 18. Later she continued on as a teacher under the tutelage of renowned chef Darina Allen, who became her mother-in-law when Allen married Darina’s son Issac in 1998. Unlike the typical Asian family’s conflicts with the motherin-law, Allen gets on well with Darina whom she had worked for many years. “She is an amazing chef and very supportive. The only thing she will advice me would be to tell me not to work too hard,” she says.

Allen is also the author of several bestselling cookbooks. Her latest is simply titled Cake that covers every cake you will ever need. Well known for her simple delicious recipes, she rules out her recipes being trial and error. ““I have been testing a lot of cake recipes, it was much more difficult to test. With Easy Meals, I was taking down notes on my phone on different ideas. If I made a salad, it

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BONUS: Grab

needs more vinegar and you can adjust the Rachel Allen’s recipes taste. With baking you need to start from in our digital edition. scratch,” she says.

Click on the link on The mother of three, admits there is a science needed in baking compared to cooking. www.mmail.com.my “I’m a Libra so it is a balance of the scales, on one side it is the science of cooking and the other is the artistic flow,” she says. With her television shows, she loves it when people say they will watch and cook from the show. “I prefer my shows to be thought of not just entertainment but also education so there is more substance,” she says.

Since this is Allen’s fifth visit to Asia, she is not short of Asian inspirations to take RACHEL ALLEN home to Ireland and admitted to jotting down notes. “I love anything with coconut like kaya,” she says. Having tried chilli crab, she admits that she would love to play around with that dish.

And who knows, that dish, may pop up one day in her cooking show, with Allen’s tweaks.

Catch Rachel Allen’s Easy Meals on BBC Lifestyle (Hypp TV Channel 140) every Monday from 8pm. The show sees Rachel sharing her approach to delicious fuss free food, making it possible to still cook for family and friends, after a long day of work.

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FRIDAY 12, OCTOBER 2012

Living up to its yummy name PRAISES from friends for Little Yum Yum had piqued my interest and led me to this restaurant well hidden in the quieter part of Kota Damansara. The baby sister of the popular Yum Yum restaurant in Ipoh has a loyal following of diners since it started in 2010.

You get a varied menu of pork free Nonya, Thai and Chinese dishes at this simple decorated eatery. Hints of its Nonya heritage are found on the walls decorated with ornate Nonyaware plates. Look at the board for daily off-menu specials. What makes this place stand out from the crowd, is their innovative spin to homestyle dishes.

Kick off with a Kerabu pucuk paku (RM15 for small, RM30 for large), a refreshing Asian salad with tender wild fern shoots, prawns, cashewnuts and grated coconut, all tossed in a creamy mild sauce. Equally delicious is the Yum Yum pandan chicken (RM3.80 per piece). The Thai inspired item is a bestseller from the Ipoh restaurant. As you unwrap the pandan leaf, it reveals juicy boneless chicken thigh meat fragrant with a special marinate made from ten types of herbs and spices. Be warned that you may just order more than one piece of this finger licking delicacy.

Their fusion creamy basil sauce dishes, is a hit with din-

tangy taste: Perut ikan

addictive: Yum Yum brinjal

POPULAR: The restaurant is often crowded with families.

ers. It is pure simple alchemy, fragrant Thai basil pesto mixed with margarine and evaporated milk. The creamy green sauce is married with various deep fried items such as chicken, prawns and even fish, which is also fried with onions and four angled beans.

We sample the Creamy basil prawns (RM19 for small, RM38 for large) and it becomes a must-eat every time we dine here. One of the fans for this dish is a friend I had brought to dine here for my second visit.

Since then, this eatery is a firm favourite for her.

When the Yum Yum brinjal (RM10 for small, RM20 for big) was served, we were surprised

with the fried eggplant’s pale colour. The vegetable had been cut into thick matchsticks that resembled French fries minus their purple skin. The combination of the fluffy fried eggplant with the aromatic dried prawns and preserved radish topping was addictive, that one bite is not enough.

The Nonya fare such as the steamed otak-otak (RM4 per piece) and perut ikan (RM16) is delicious. The Nonya dishes here are less spicy like their version of perut ikan, the fermented fish stomach dish.

Even their Kari kapitan is completely different from the usual gravy version, and is served with a thick sauce, that

resembles a rendang.

The enterprising restaurant also sells their sambal, spice pastes and sauces by the bottle including the popular green Thai basil pesto. This allows diners to recreate Little Yum Yum’s dishes at home.

Outside the eatery, you will find various local herbs, planted for the restaurant.

Little Yum Yum Restaurant, E-45-G, Jalan Teknologi 3/9, Bistari D’Kota (Off Persiaran Surian), Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.

Tel:03-61483936. Open 11.30am-3pm, 5.30 to 9.30pm. Closed on Sunday lunch and Monday.

DELECTABLE: Creamy basil prawns

refreshing: Kerabu pucuk paku

Home-style dishes in Klang

By Eu Hooi Khaw

THE Full happiness claypot fish (RM3.50 per 100g) delivered just that. I was very happy with the red tilapia heaped with fine ginger strips, cili padi, chunks of fried onions, spring onion and fresh coriander. The fish had been finished in a hot soy sauce with garlic oil and a generous dash of Chinese Shao Xing wine in the claypot. I loved the kick of the chillies, the collected aromas of the various ingredients, and the fish that stayed smooth and soft, soaking in all the flavours.

We were at the Connaught Seafood Restaurant in Taman Aman Perdana, Klang, a fairly new but fast maturing residential area that has several restaurants in its midst. My friend Jeanie lives here, and she and her family have been eating at this restaurant for more than a year.

Ken Chai, the owner-andchef, makes his own soymilk, and hence the beancurd too.

We got the rich egg beancurd in the Pumpkin Tofu (RM15), deep fried and drenched in a

THE MALAY MAIL

HOMEMADE: Pumpkin tofu

EDITORIAL NOTE

by Lee Khang Yi

aromatic: Curry fish head

Juicy: XO Sauce chicken wings

lightly sweet pumpkin sauce together with enoki mushrooms, prawns, crabsticks and petola (seng kua). The beancurd was smooth and creamy, as were most of the ingredients, save the prawns, which contributed its natural sweetness to the dish. Chai is justifiably proud of his Crispy three-layered pork with nam yue (RM18), deep fried and thickly sliced belly pork, well marinated with fermented beancurd (nam yue).

With every crispy bite you get a delicious burst of the savoury nam yue.

In addition, we had the Pineapple spare ribs (RM18), tender meaty bites, glistening with a fruity, sweet and sour sauce made from vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce and plum sauce. I liked that there were also chunks of pineapple that tasted sweet with a slight tart edge, filling the hollow of a half pineapple. The XO sauce

chicken wings (RM3 per piece) made nice juicy bites, with the aromatic sauce clinging to the crispy skin. We also had a Curry fish head (RM5 to RM8 per 100g), with hints of Indian spices and curry leaves. It’s an aromatic curry with a meaty garoupa fish head, eggplant and long beans. This dish makes a complete satisfying meal together with a meat dish such as the Pineapple spare ribs and a tofu. Lastly, we had the French

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beans with dried shrimps (RM10), another home-style dish. The salty garlic and dried shrimp topping is just right for the sweet and crunchy French beans.

Most of the popular dishes are posted in pictures on the wall for easy reference, such as the Salted fish and pork belly in claypot, Ginger wine chicken (I’m coming back for this), Thai steamed fish, Hot plate beancurd, Sambal prawns, Ginger wine prawns and Duck egg sotong.

The chef has been 16 years in the business, working in restaurants in Shah Alam and Klang.

The eatery does not have crabs on the menu; only fish, prawns and squid, but being so close to Port Klang, and Kuala Selangor, you can be sure the seafood is very fresh. You can also get a satisfying and well-cooked meal here without being put out of pocket.

Connaught Seafood Restaurant, 29, Jalan Aman Perdana 10A/KU5, Taman Aman Perdana, Klang. Tel: 019-228 2833/019-277 2833.

Open: 11am-3pm, 5pm-11pm.

Closed the last Wednesday or Thursday of the month.

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Crave Editor

This issue, we go Thai. The talented Chef Korn from Erawan Classic Thai & Fusion shares with us two recipes plucked from his cookbook, Thai@Home. Our tester, Li-Hsian concludes that the dishes are not only easy to whip up at home but just as delicious.

In addition, we meet up with Ireland’s domestic goddess Rachel Allen who was here to conduct special cooking classes for loyal Hypp TV subscribers and the media. The lovely lady is a great teacher who taught how to whip up a super quick foccacia bread.

Her delicious and easy to make recipes are shared in our digital edition so remember to click Crave’s online issue for Rachel’s recipes. The cauliflower soup and apple tart is delicious and I would definitely add it to my own repertoire of must make recipes.

For a healthy boost and a delicious steamed fish recipe, check out Eu Hooi Khaw’s column on ginger. She also makes a trip to Klang to enjoy home styled dishes. We also check out Little Yum Yum, that is now a permanent stop for dinner.

Keep in touch by emailing me at khangyi@mmail.com.my.

Bon appétit!

ADVERTISING SALES Rajan Gopal Senior Manager, Direct & Classifieds Direct line: 03 74951282 rajan@mmail.com.my

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Friday OCTOBER 12, 2012 S AT I S F Y I N G

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W E E K LY

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&

D R I N K

C R AVI N G S

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C O P Y

O F

EASY MEALS IN A JIFFY Cook these simple delicious dishes from Rachel Allen’s Easy Meals television show

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MONDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2012

THE MALAY MAIL

ARTICHOKE SALAD (4 servings)

APP

The tart has a foolproof pastry wi batches of the pastry at one time later. She recommends adding m like raspberry, peaches and mang with 1 tablespoon cornflour to av

175g butter, softened and extra 50g caster sugar, plus extra for 2 eggs 250g plain flour, plus extra for d

filling 700g Granny Smith apples, pee 150g caster sugar 3 cloves

To prepare pastry: Using an elec gether until it is pale and creamy. a separate bowl. Pour half of the e again. Sift over the flour and stir i work surface and knead a little be with cling film and leave in the fri 3 days in the fridge and in the fre

Preheat oven to 180C. Lightly but each pastry half on the floured w line the pie dish or tart tin, trimm the reserved beaten egg around sugar and cloves, then add to the piece, trimming off the excess pa leftover pastry to decorate the to remaining beaten egg. Bake for 4 and the pastry golden. Remove fr to cool slightly. Cut into wedges a

RACHEL’S TIP: Place the pastry o

125g preserved artichoke hearts, drained and cut into pieces 75g preserved roasted red peppers, drained and cut into slices 50g semi sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped ½ onion, peeled and finely chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons pesto salt and ground black pepper 1 teaspoon rosemary leaves

Mix everything together in a big bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

RACHEL’S TIP: You can replace the artichoke hearts with chunks of baked sweet potato, carrots or potatoes.

The oldest recipe is the bes and these kind of recipes are the staples of Iris family life.”

FRIDAY 12, OCTOBER 2012

75g butter 1 large onion, peeled and chopped 1 leek, trimmed and sliced thinly 1 cauliflower, cut into florets salt and ground black pepper 1 – 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock garnish 60-75ml crème fraiche 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice 1-2 tablespoons chopped chives

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Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and leek, cover with a butter wrapper or piece of greaseproof paper and sweat on a low medium heat, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not browned. Stir in the cauliflower florets and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for a further 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Pour in 1 litre of the stock and bring to the boil, then allow to boil for a further 4-5 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft. Remove from the heat and liquidise until smooth in a blender or use a handheld blender. Return to the hob to reheat, adding a little more stock, if you would like a thinner soup. Taste for seasoning, then divide between bowls, serving with a spoonful of crème fraiche, lemon juice and a sprinkling of chives.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP (6-8 servings)

(8-10 servings)

PLE TART

ith a cake-like texture. Rachel usually makes two e, keeping one in the fridge and another to freeze for mincemeat for a festive Christmas treat or other fruits go together with the apples. For juicy fruits, toss it in void a soggy tart.

a for greasing sprinkling

QUICK RED PEPPER AND PESTO FOCCACIA (Makes 8 slices)

dusting

Though not strictly a real focaccia, this quick version uses bicarbonate of soda instead of yeast is nonetheless full of flavor. It is a fantastic accompaniement to pasta dishes or just eaten in chunks fresh from the oven. One tip when making it: don’t be shy with the olive oil.

eled, cored and cut into dice

ctric mixer fitted with a K beater, cream the butter and sugar to. Add one egg, beating continuously, then beat the second egg in egg into the mixture (reserving the remainder for later) and beat in gently to give a smooth, soft dough. Tip the dough onto a clean efore dividing into two. Shape each piece into a flat round, cover idge for at least 20 minutes to 1 hour. The pastry can keep for at least eezer for 3 months.

50-75ml extra virgin olive oil 450g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sifted 350-400ml buttermilk or soured milk, made from mixing 2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice to 400ml milk, soy or rice milk and left to stand for 10-15 minutes 100g preserved roasted red peppers, cut into 1 cm pieces 1 tablespoon pesto good pinch of salt

tter a 23cm diameter ovenproof shallow pie dish or tart tin. Place work surface and roll out to about 3 to 4mm thick. Use one piece to ming off the excess pastry with the back of a knife. Brush a little of the edge of the pastry. In a bowl, toss together the apples with the e pastry case in the tin or dish, and top with the second rolled-out astry once again and pressing the edges together to seal. Use any op by rolling out and cutting into shapes. Brush all over with the 45-50 minutes or until the fruit is tender when tested with a skewer rom the oven, sprinkle with a light dusting of brown sugar and leave and serve with whipped cream or custard.

Preheat the oven to 230C. Brush a 20cm x 30cm Swiss roll tin or roasting tin with half of the olive oil. Sift the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl, and make a well in the centre. Pour in most of the buttermilk or soured milk, then stir in the red peppers and pesto. Using one hand with your fingers held out like a claw, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, but not wet and sticky.

When it comes together, turn it out onto a floured work surface and gently roll it out, covering it lightly with flour, so that it will fit on the prepared tin. Transfer the dough to the tin, generously drizzle more olive oil over the top and make some dimples over the surface with your fingertips. Sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the bread is golden both on top and underneath. If it seems to be browning too quickly, turn the oven down to 200C after 10 to 15 minutes. Remove focaccia from the oven. When still hot, drizzle just a little more olive oil over the top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

on a metal tray in the fridge for it to chill faster.

st

sh

I love a recipe you can remember by heart so it is easy to get the ingredients.”

Rachel’s tips for success:

1. Do not add too much soda 2. Make sure your oven is preheated as once the soda hits the moisture, it starts to react immediately and needs to be baked 3. Mix it for about 40-45 seconds to get the right texture. It needs to be mixed in one direction only.