Dalca Ayam (Chicken Dalca)

Dalca originates from South India and is a nourishing dish containing lentils, meat and vegetables with a pleasant curry flavour.  It can be served with either rice or roti prata.

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6 persons):
1 chicken (about 1.3 kg), to be skinned and cut into portion sizes
2 tbsp meat curry powder

200 g dhal, to be washed and drained
2 stalks green chillies, to be washed and halved
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick (about 5 cm long)
3 cardamon
a stalk curry leaves, to be plucked
1 medium-size onion, to be peeled and finely sliced
1.5 litre water

6 medium-size potatoes, to be peeled and halved
2 carrots, to be peeled, cut into 5 cm lengths and quartered
1 tbsp fresh tamarind, to be mixed with a little water and strained
4 tbsp coconut milk
Note:  Other kinds of vegetables can be added i.e. brinjals, etc.

Pounded Ingredients:
3 pips garlic, to be sliced
3 cm fresh ginger, to be sliced

Stir-fry Ingredients:
2 medium-size onions, to be peeled and finely sliced
a stalk curry leaves, to be plucked
1 stalk green chillie, to be left whole (optional)
1 stalk red chillie, to be left whole (optional)

cooking oil
salt to taste

Method:
Add curry powder to chicken pieces and mix well.  Marinate for about 30 minutes.

In a pot, add dhal, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamon, curry leaves, sliced onion, pounded ingredients and water.  Bring to  a simmer and cook dhal for about 20 minutes or until they are almost tender.

In a big pot, heat 4 tbsp oil and add the sliced onions.  Stir-fry until the onions are light brown in colour.  Add the curry leaves and chillies, if using.  Then, add in the marinated chicken pieces and stir well.

Add in the dhal mixture and stir well.  Cover pot and cook over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the chicken, potatoes and carrots are tender.  Then, add in the tamarind juice and stir well.  Lastly, add coconut milk and season to taste.  Serve with rice or roti prata.

Bon Apettit!

Roast Rolled Turkey served with Apple-Sour Cabbage & Potatoes

Putenrollbraten auf Apfel-Sauerkraut is one of our family's favourite dish and perfect to be served during the cold months.  It is simple to prepare and tastes good!

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
1 kg ready rolled turkey with no filling (Putenrollbraten)
2 tbsp cooking oil
500 g or 1 can (850 ml) sour cabbage (Sauerkraut)
1 medium-size onion, to be finely diced
2 bay leaves
6 pcs dried juniper berries (Wacholderbeeren)
1 bottle (370 ml) stewed apple sauce (Apfelkompott)
1/4 litre apple juice
1/8 litre water
1/2 tsp instant vegetable stock granules

Method:
Wash and wipe dry rolled turkey.  Season with salt and pepper.  Leave aside.

Heat oil in a roasting pan and brown rolled turkey on all sides.  Remove to a plate. Then, add diced onions and stir-fry until they are translucent.  Add in bay leaves, juniper berries and sour cabbage.  Cook for about 5 minutes before adding the stewed apple sauce, instant vegetable granules and apple juice. Season to taste.

Return rolled turkey to roasting dish and bake covered in a preheated fan oven at 150° C for about 60 minutes.  Remove lid and bake for another 30 minutes.

To serve, slice turkey meat into thick slices and serve with Sauerkraut and boiled potatoes.

Bon Appetit!

Saibling Müllerin served with Parsley Potatoes & Steamed Broccoli

Normally, I will use Forelle (Trout) to prepare this simple dish but today, I used Saibling (Arctic Char). Both fishes taste great!

Ingredients (serves 2 persons):
2 medium-size Saiblinge (Arctic Char) or Forellen (Trout), to be cleaned and descaled
salt and pepper to taste
sufficient flour to coat
sufficient butter to shallow fry
2 tbsp sliced almonds

Method:
Season fish inside out with salt and pepper.  Then, coat in flour and shake off excess flour before frying.  Heat butter in a big pan over medium heat.  Add fish and fry for about 8 minutes or until the underside is golden brown.  Turn over fish carefully and continue frying until done. Remove to serving plate.

Add sliced almonds to remaining butter in pan and stir-fry until golden brown.  Once done, spoon almonds together with the hot butter over fish.  Serve with parsley potatoes and broccoli or fresh salad.


Parsley Potatoes
Ingredients:
8 medium-size potatoes, to be peeled
salt to taste
50 g butter
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Method:
Place potatoes and salt in a pot.  Add enough water to half cover the potatoes.  Bring to boil. Then, put on lid and reduce heat to medium.  Cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are done.  Drain water away and return pot to stove.  Add butter and lightly swirl the pot in order that the potatoes are covered with butter.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Kerepek Ubi Pedas

Literally translated, Spicy Cassava Crisps is a very popular malay snack in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.  This snack is made of fried tapioca crisps, peanuts and crispy anchovies in sambal.

Ingredients:
750 g fresh tapioca, to be peeled and cut into lengths
200 g kacang tanah with skin (red peanuts)
100 g ikan bilis (dried anchovies), to be cleaned
oil for deep-frying

1 tbsp fresh tamarind, to be mixed with a little water
1 tsp aji-no-moto (optional) note:  I omitted this ingredient
salt and sugar to taste

Blended Ingredients:
30 stalks dried chillies, to be cut into pieces and soaked in warm water
2 stalks fresh chillies, to be sliced
2 shallots, to be peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic, to be peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp shrimp paste (belacan)

Method:
Heat some oil in a wok and add in the blended ingredients.  Stir-fry over medium heat until fragrant. Then, add in tamarind juice and let it simmer until the colour darkens. By cooking it longer, the colour will become dark red, if one wishes.  Check seasoning.  Once done, remove from heat and leave aside to cool down completely.

Slice tapioca lengths into thin slices by using a vegetable cutter.  Heat enough oil in a wok over medium heat for deep-frying.  Add tapioca slices and deep-fry until light golden brown in colour.  Remove to a tray which is lined with kitchen paper.  Repeat until all tapioca slices are used up.

In the same oil, deep-fry the peanuts over medium heat until light brown in colour or until cooked. Remove and drain on kitchen.  Then, deep-fry the ikan bilis until crispy. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

Ensure that all ingredients are cooled down completely before combining together. Stir gently to coat the fried ingredients with the sambal (chilli sauce).  In order that the tapioca chips and ikan bilis stay crispy, I suggest that you spread them on a baking tray and bake in a preheated fan oven at 180° C for about 10  to 15 minutes.  Once done, leave to cool down completely before storing in an airtight container.

Bon Appetit!

Samosa

Samosas are deep-fried or baked pastries which contain a savoury filling i.e. potatoes, onions, green peas, minced meat, etc.  These appetizers or snack have a distinct triangular shape and may also be served with chutney.

Pastry Ingredients:
500 g plain flour, to be sieved
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste
180 ml lukewarm water or enough water to form a stiff dough

Filling Ingredients:
750 g boiled potatoes, to be peeled and diced
3 medium-size green chillies, to be seeded and finely chopped
100 g frozen green peas (optional)

3 tbsp cooking oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
4 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp garam masala powder
4 tsp amcur powder (dried mango powder)
1 tsp chilli powder or to taste
salt & pepper to taste

oil for deep frying

Method:
In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt and oil.  Then, add lukewarm water gradually and knead by hand or hand mixer for about 15 minutes.  Leave aside for about 30 minutes.

In a pot, heat oil on medium heat.  Add cumin seeds and stir-fry until they start to pop.  Add frozen green peas (if using) and chopped green chillies.  Stir-fry for about a minute.  Then, add coriander powder and garam masala powder.  Stir well before adding the diced potatoes.  Lastly, add in amcur powder and stir well.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and chilli powder.  Leave aside to cool.

Knead dough again for a few minutes.  Roll out dough to a thickness of 4 mm and cut out circles by using a 10 cm round cutter.  Roll the cut-out circle dough into a larger and thinner circle.  Divide circle into half.  Take one half of dough in hand and brush a little water along the sides.  Shape dough into a cone by overlapping the cut sides together.  Hold the dough cone as if you are holding an ice cream cone with the overlapping seam facing you.  Fill cone with about 2 tbsps filling and push the filling lightly.  Fold the nearest dough flap over filling away from you.  Then, bring the other dough flap over to seal to form a triangle.  Arrange on a baking tray and repeat procedure until all dough and filling are used up.

Note:  Do not dust the worktop with flour before rolling or knead more flour into the dough.

Heat oil in a wok over medium heat.  Do ensure that the oil is not too hot.  Deep-fry the samosas until golden brown.  Remove to a tray which is lined with kitchen paper.

Bon Appetit!