ESEAS Bristol [community cookbook] ESEAS East & South East Asian Solidarity Bristol
a huge thank you to all our contributors for this community cookbook's humble beginnings. your kindness and generosity fill these pages with so much warmth. see you all at our next potluck!
from ESEAS Bristol to you, with love may your tastebuds find comfort in the flavours we call home
Nyonya Curry
This curry is the sensory definition of home to me. I love how it stains your mouth and fingers and clothes for hours after you've eaten it! I beg my mum to make it for me every time I go home, and this time I spent a day with her in the kitchen learning it for myself, which felt quite ceremonial. My mum always says that every family's Nyonya curry is slightly different, and although I wanted mine to taste exactly as my mum's does, it makes me happy to know I am now part of the web of Nyonya curries out there, with mine birthed from my mum's, but ever so slightly unique.
Ingredients for the rempah: 2 bulbs garlic 1 big piece ginger 15 big red chillies Small handful dried chillies soaked in hot water 3 small white onions 20 candlenuts 1 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for the curry: 2 tablespoons tumeric Veg oil Chicken thighs/meat free alternative 1 piece galangal 1 piece lemongrass 1 knotted pandan leaf 1/2 teaspoon sugar Peeled potatoes 1/2 can coconut milk 1 stock cube
Directions: Blend all the rempah ingredients together in a food processor/using a hand blender. Freeze one half for another time. Heat a generous amount of oil in the bottom of a big pan. Fry the rempah on a low-medium heat, adding the tumeric. This stage takes patience, keep moving the rempah around so it doesn't burn. Watch the colour closely, when it darkens substantially and reduces into a thick paste it is ready. This stage takes approximately 25 mins. Fry chicken in the paste for 5 minutes. Cover with hot water, and add in the galangal and lemongrass whole, along with the pandan leaf, sugar and stock cube. Add peeled, chopped potatoes and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook on a low heat, bring it to a simmer, not the boil. Simmer for 60-90 mins, depending on how soft you like your potatoes. In the last 15 minutes, add the coconut milk. Serve with rice or paratha!
Hong Kong Style Fried Rice
It's a dish very close to our hearts. Fried rice is one of our favourite things, and Tim grew up with Spam. It's an extremely nostalgic and personal dish that is also a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Who doesn't love a good bit of fried rice?
Ingredients: Oil ShaoXing Wine Spam (cut into cubes) Small prawns Diced or frozen vegetables Day old rice Egg Spring onion Sesame oil Directions: Heat oil in pan on medium. Add garlic and ShaoXing wine, wait till the wine evaporates. Turn heat up to medium high. Fry Spam and small prawns. Add diced/frozen vegetables, wait for moisture to evaporate. Add rice and add more oil if necessary. Stir and break it up. Add beaten egg (with a pinch of salt in it), turn heat up if necessary. (roughly 1 egg per portion) Add spring onion. Season with white pepper and drizzle with sesame oil. And then it's done!
Hong Kong Style Okonomiyaki
Ingredients: 2 eggs I cup self raising flour Sweetcorn Cabbage Carrots Onion Spring onion Sunflower oil Sesame oil Ground white pepper Salt Water Directions: Mix eggs and flour together in a bowl. Add 30-40g of water with seasoning - sesame oil, pepper and salt. Add shredded cabbage, carrot, corn, onion and mix to combine the vegetables with the batter. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into a frying an on medium heat. Place cabbage mixture onto the frying pan in a thin and circular shape. When the mixture is spread, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottom of the cabbage pancake can move smoothly. Slide the pancake onto the lid and flip the frying pan upside down and position on top of the pancake. Flip the pan and the lid together to flip the pancake nicely. Add some water, cover pancake with the lid and cook for 2 minutes. Open the lid and cook for 1 more minute. Crispy cabbage pancake is done!
Malaysian Curry
This Malaysian Curry is a staple in my family— just like it was a staple in my mother's family back in Penang. I love this dish for its versatility and you can adapt it to suit your taste— whether you want it spicy, or mild, to eat it with rice, naan, or a plain slice of bread to mop up the sauce. It's definitely a comfort food and it reminds me of hot and humid nights in Malaysia eating in frenetic food halls.
Ingredients: Chicken Boneless Thighs – cubed Potatoes – peeled and cubed One Tin Coconut Milk One Tin Chopped Tomatoes Onion – chopped One Garlic Clove – finely chopped Curry Powder Sunflower Oil Directions: Fry the garlic and onions in a deep saucepan with a little bit of oil until softened. In a small bowl make a curry paste by slowly adding a little water to about a tablespoon of curry powder. Add the curry paste to the softened garlic and onions and stir. Add the cubed chicken pieces and fry until seared. Add the cubed potatoes to the pot. Add the tinned tomatoes and give the mixture a stir, then add the coconut milk— stirring once again to incorporate it into the mixture. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a low heat to simmer with the lid on the saucepan. When the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are just soft, serve with plain cooked rice.
Tomato Scrambled Eggs 蕃茄炒蛋
It might not seem like much but to me this dish is the epitome of home comfort. It's a popular Chinese dish that's simple, quick and easy to whip up in a flash! This recipe is versatile and forms a basis in which to experiment and create your own version that you'll love.
Ingredients: 4 small-medium tomatoes Spring onion 4 eggs Pinch of salt Pinch of white pepper Generous drizzle of sesame oil Splash of shaoxing wine Vegetable oil Couple of pinches of sugar ¼ - ½ cup of water Directions: Cut tomatoes into small wedges. Finely chop the spring onion Beat eggs in a bowl with salt, white pepper, sesame oil and shaoxing wine until everything is all mixed in. Preheat your wok over a medium heat until it starts to smoke, add a couple of tablespoons of veg oil and then the eggs immediately after. Scramble the eggs and set aside. Add some oil to the wok, turn up the heat and add the tomatoes and spring onion. Stir-fry for a minute before adding sugar, salt and some water. Let it simmer for a bit, adding a bit more water if needed, before chucking the eggs back in. Mix it all up and cover the wok, allowing the ingredients to cook and mingle with each other for a few minutes or until the tomatoes have softened. Uncover and let it stir-fry over high heat until the sauce thickens to your liking. Serve (this with freshly cooked white rice is a classic!) Go ahead and play around with the recipe to find the combination that tingles your tastebuds!
Tofu and Mushroom Adobo
Adobo is a classic, one of those dishes you can't really go wrong with and one of the first classic Filipino dishes I learned to cook. While it's usually made with chicken or pork(my personal favourite) I decided to make it vegan by using tokwa (tofu) and shiitake mushrooms. It's a familiar and homely taste that I always find myself going back to for comfort and a satisfied belly.
Ingredients: Firm tofu Dried or fresh shiitake mushrooms (if using dried, soak in water for 30 mins) Lots of garlic Onions Soy sauce White vinegar Whole black peppercorn Bayleaf Sugar Directions: Slice tofu into thin squares, season with salt and pepper and pan fry to make it crispy. Set aside. Sautee garlic and onions in oil for 2-3 minutes. Add black peppercorn and sautee for a further minute. Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms until soft and juices start to come out. Add one cup of water, one cup of soy sauce, and bayleaves and let simmer for 10 minutes. Once gently simmering, add the tofu. Sprinkle a little bit of sugar to taste and to balance the saltiness of the soy sauce. Pour one cup vinegar over the mushrooms and tofu and leave to simmer with the rest of the sauce for 2 minutes. Do not stir at this point so the vinegar doesn't just evaporate but actually gets absorbed by the ingredients. Ready to serve over hot rice. Garnish with spring onions and fried onions if you'd like!
Vegetarian Rendang
One of Malaysia's favourite foods!
Ingredients: Minced Quorn 300g 2 potatoes, diced Half an onion, diced Half an aubergine, diced Other vegetables as desired Rendang paste (Tean's Gourmet) A can of coconut milk Dark soy sauce Sunflower oil
Pinches of: Ground cinnamon Soy sauce Sugar Bbq seasoning
Directions: Start with heating up the pan with some oil. Pour onions in, cook for a bit and then add quorn, potato, and aubergine together. Add tiny bit of light and dark soy sauce and stir fry a little bit until quorn is properly cooked. Pour in the Rendang paste, spread evenly for a few minutes. Add the entire can of coconut milk. Stir and let simmer then add 100ml water. Add pinches of sugar, salt, bbq seasoning and cinnamon to desired taste. Simmer and stir until sauce is thick. and voila!
Lumpiang Gulay
These crunchy and delicious spring rolls (Lumpia) are the perfect appetizers for any party and great for snacking too! It's a dish that has fond memories for me because it's one that me and my cousins would be able to assist with during the food prep for family gatherings - placing the filling onto a thin pastry sheet and rolling tightly into thick non-uniform cylinders. It's such an involved process of cooking with the family which makes it all the more fun. Super addictive especially when fresh out of the hot oil.
Ingredients: Garlic Onion Carrots, julienned Green cabbage, shredded Bean sprouts String beans Soy sauce Oyster sauce Salt and pepper One pack spring roll wrappers (the big ones) Directions: Heat some oil on medium using a wok or large frying pan. Saute the garlic and onions until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add carrots, green beans and cabbage and stir-fry for about 3 minutes. Add bean sprouts and pour in the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Mix everything and cook for another 1-2 minutes until all the vegetables are tender but still retain some crunch. Season to taste, let cool and set aside. Place about 2 tablespoon of the cooled filling in one of the corners of the wrapper. Roll the corner with the filling (spreading it a little) towards the middle. Fold the sides inward to seal, then continue to roll until you have about an 2 inches left of the wrapper. Using your finger, brush the edges with a little water then seal completely. Make sure it is tightly secured. Place the finished roll on a platter with the sealed side downwards. Repeat until all the filling is gone. Heat the oil in a deep pan until hot. Fry the spring rolls in batches avoiding overcrowding for about 3-5 minutes or until medium brown in color. Transfer to a colander lined with paper towels. Place the spring rolls upright to ensure proper draining. Serve with a spicy vinegar dipping sauce made with white vinegar, chopped chilli, garlic, spring onion and a bit of salt and pepper. Enjoy while hot and fresh for the best tasting experience!
Ginataang Bilo-Bilo with Lanka
This dessert is a family favourite and is always present at large family gatherings - in a large pot with everyone taking it in turns to give it a good stir so the toppings don't stick, freshly cooked and still warm on the stove or chilled in a huge serving bowl, ready for after dinner delights. It's sweet, it's creamy, and the textures of the rice balls and various tapioca pearls keep me coming back for more. I think if anything, the gentle scent of coconut milk penetrating the walls and seeping into my hair and clothes makes me think of it as a warm embrace.
Ingredients: Glutionous rice flour One tin of ripe jackfruit, drained and sliced Plantain, sliced 3 tins coconut cream Tapioca pearls (I used pandan flavoured pearls for the green colour) Red coconut jelly (for colour) Sago pearls Brown sugar Directions: Make rice balls by combining glutinous rice flour and water in a bowl. Mix until you form a maleable dough. Scoop about 1 teaspoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball shaped figure using your hands. Set aside on a plate. Cook sago pearls and large tapioca balls according to packet instructions in a pot. Drain and set aside. Add slices of plantain, brown sugar and a bit of water in a pot. Cook until plantain is soft and the sugar and water forms a syrup. Set aside. In a larger pot, bring 1 liter of water to a boil. Then add coconut cream and stir until mixture starts to simmer. Add more coconut cream if it's too thin, add more water if it's too thick. You want a creamy soup for the toppings. Add bilo-bilo(rice balls) into the pot. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes to make sure balls don't stick to the bottom of the pan. When they start to float on the surface, they are cooked. Add the plantain and syrup mix. Stir well and add more brown sugar to the mix to your taste if needed. Add the tapioca and sago pearls. Cover and cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the sliced lanka (jackfruit) and red coconut jelly, stir into mixture for 2 minutes and it's done! Can be eaten hot or cold. yummy!
Chicken Noodle Stir Fry
A student noodle dish staple, this recipe was the backbone of my university experience. It's a mish-mash of Asian flavours, mostly Chinese inspired, neither this nor that, but uses pantry ingredients very common in Asian households and is an iteration of my mother's own stir fried noodle dish that I love but can never quite replicate. As they say, the same recipe made by two different pairs of hands will never taste the same and that's alright.
Ingredients: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs Fresh udon noodles Rice vermicelli Lots of garlic, 2 onions Ginger, chilli Sugar snap peas Beansprouts Cabbage, shredded, Carrots, Baby corn Spring onion Oyster sauce Shaoxing wine
Marinade for chicken: Soy sauce Salt Pepper Cornflour Brown sugar
Directions: Soak rice vermicelli noodles in room temperature water. When noodles are a little bit softer and separated (around 10-15 minutes), drain and set aside. Marinate chicken cut into strips in soy sauce, cornflour, and a little bit of brown sugar with salt and pepper to taste. Shallow fry, making sure not to stir the chicken in the first 5 minutes so that it caramelises and becomes crispy. Flip over and let crisp on the other side. When cooked, set aside. Heat oil in a pan, gently cook garlic, ginger, chilli and spring onion until aromatic and garlic is nicely toasted. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes, Add sugar snap peas, cabbage and carrots, babycorn and cook until slightly tender. For the sauce, add oyster sauce, soy sauce, shaoxing wine and a little bit of brown sugar. Stir and pour into the vegetable mix. Once sauce is gently simmering add vermicelli noodles and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add fresh udon noodles and bean sprouts and stir fry for a further 4 minutes or until the noodles are cooked through. Add the chicken and juices. Toss into vegetable and noodle mix. Once well mixed and everything is coated in the sauce, turn off heat. Top with some fresh spring onions and a little drizzle of sesame oil!
Tteokbokki
Wonderfully chewy rice cakes in a sweet spicy sauce makes it no wonder that this is one of Korea's favourite foods. It's a dish that defines Korea's street food culture but is just as well my soul food - it takes me back to the homeland no matter what, especially through the distinctive taste of gochujang. I love sharing a huge pot of this with my friends in a tangle of arms and cutlery over the dinner table. Definitely a dish that speaks of home.
Ingredients: Korean rice cakes (I like tubular ones) Fish balls/fish cakes Onion Sesame oil Spring onions Sesame seeds
For the sauce: Gochujang (Korean chili paste) Brown sugar or Corn syrup Soy sauce Minced garlic Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) Soup stock: Dried kelp Dried anchovies
Directions: Make Korean stock by adding 10g of dried kelp and 30g of cleaned, dried anchovies to a stock pot and 6 cups of water. Boil for 10 minutes on medium low heat. After 10 minutes remove the kelp and boil the anchovies for a further 10 minutes. Strain afterwards. Use half of the stock for this recipe. Soak rice cakes in water for 10 minutes to soften. Drain and set aside. If using frozen fish balls, defrost fully by soaking in hot water. In a small bowl, add 3 heaped tablespoons of gochujang, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar or corn syrup, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic and one teaspoon of gochugaru. Mix well. In a large, shallow pot, bring soup stock to a boil. Add tteokbokki sauce mix and stir well to dissolve. Bring to a boil. Add onion, rice cakes, and fish balls once soup is boiling and cook for 3-5 minutes until ricke cakes are fully cooked. Simmer the soup on low heat for a further 5-10 minutes to thicken and deepen the flavour of the soup. (I like my tteokbokki sauce quite thick!) Drizzle sesame oil over the pot, and dress with toasted sesame seeds and spring onions and stir so everything is incorporated. Best served hot!
to be continued...
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ESEAS East & South East Asian Solidarity Bristol