Posh Broad Beans on Toast with Jamie Oliver, Bill Granger, Maggie Beer...and a poem

A Short-lived Love Affair

Unlike many veggies which are available all year round, broad beans have a distinct season. They appear in the markets from winter into spring, and then they’re gone until next year. Of course one can find dried and frozen broad beans anytime, BUT IT”S JUST NOT THE SAME! I have to part with my lovely broad beans soon. Therefore, for the September My Legume Love Affair event, created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and hosted this month by Lucy of Nourish Me, I present to you these lovely Broad Beans, 3 Recipes that accentuate all their goodness, and a Poem.

Broad beans are also known as field, winter, tick, horse, English, Windsor, faba or fava beans. Bean Beans are among the oldest cultivated crops a legume, it is a distant cousin to the garden snap bean. Like all legumes, broad beans are rich in protein, iron, zinc and fibre.

Playing with food is fun!

CHOOSING

Select the smallest broad-bean pods you can find or, if you have a garden supply, pick the smallest ones first to eat whole and then the larger ones later to eat shelled. Go for bright perky-looking beans and avoid any that appear tired or floppy.

Big...medium...small

PREPARING

Preparing broad beans is a labour of love. It’s fiddly but easy. Put on your iPod, MP3 player, CD. Then, remove the beans from the shell. Next, to make it easier to peel away the tougher outer skin, blanch the beans in boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds - bring a pan of water to the boil, toss in the beans, and let the water come to the boil again, which usually takes about 30 seconds. This loosens the outer skin on the broad beans, which can easily slip off. The bean is now "double peeled".

(Sources: Steve Manfredi, Burkes Backyard)

3 POSH BROAD BEANS ON TOAST RECIPES

from Two Aussie cooks Maggie Beer and Bill Granger, and Jamie Oliver. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of these dishes because these beans never made it to the bread this time round because I was popping them in my mouth like popcorn! I love all three recipes because it brings out the best of fresh broad beans so do try them. If you really have to, frozen broad beans can be substituted.

Broad Beans with Pecorino
by Maggie Beers
From the TV series The cook and the Chef

3 cups broad beans
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (evoo) plus last moment drizzle
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
80-100g pecorino
4 slices sourdough bread for bruschetta

Method

Serves 4. Maggie sorts large pods and small pods into different piles before peeling, and where possible uses the smaller ones. Blanch the broad beans in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes and refresh in cold water immediately. Heat a grill pan until hot, brush the slices of sourdough with a little olive oil and grill until well toasted on each side.

Add a little more evoo to the beans. Mix with mint and a little more evoo as needed. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Spoon onto the grilled bruschetta and serve with shavings of pecorino and an extra drizzle of evoo.

Broad Bean, Feta and Mint Bruchetta
by Bill Granger

500g broad beans
80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
100g creamy feta
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp finely shredded mint
Chargrilled bread, to serve

Method

Blanch the broad beans in a saucepan of lightly boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until just tender. Rinse under cold running water and drain well. Peel outer skins.

Place broad beans, olive oil, feta, lemon juice and garlic in a blender or food processor and process until a rough paste. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add mint and pulse for a few seconds until just combined.

Incredible smashed peas and broad beans on toast
from Jamie at Home

Jamie warns: “Don’t use frozen peas and broad beans for this because it sort of misses the point. Made with raw peas and sweet fresh broad beans, the whole thing will taste alive and just like summer.”

700g broad beans in their pods (about 250g shelled weight)
500g peas in their pods (about 150g shelled weight)
a small bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
50g finely grated fresh pecorino cheese, plus extra for serving
juice of 1 lemon
4 slices of sourdough bread
1 clove of garlic, unpeeled, cut in half
2 large balls of buffalo mozzarella cheese, torn in half
a handful of pea shoots

Method

Serves 4. Pod the peas and broad beans, keeping them separate. Put any really small ones to one side to use in the salad.

This next bit is best done in a pestle and mortar, in batches if necessary. (You can pulse it in a food processor instead, but you won’t end up with the lovely bashed and bruised flavour that makes this dish incredible.) Bash up half the mint leaves with the peas and a pinch of salt. Add the broad beans a few at a time and crush to a thick green paste.

Mash in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to make the paste spreadable. Stir in the pecorino. If the mixture is a bit stiff, add a little more oil to loosen it. Add about three-quarters of the lemon juice – this will bring it all together. Have a taste and see what you think. You want the richness of the pecorino and the oil to balance nicely with the freshness of the peas, beans and mint. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Toast the bread on both sides, either on a barbecue or in a hot griddle pan. Rub each slice twice only (very important) with the cut side of the garlic and top with some smashed peas and half a ball of mozzarella.

Dress the pea shoots, the remaining mint leaves and the reserved small peas and beans with the rest of the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and scatter this salad over the crostini. Finish with a little more olive oil and a grating of pecorino.

Check out how Jamie plates the dish here. Soooo gooooood!

Lastly, a Poem

(This must be my longest post ever!) If you feel inclined....Australian poet Les Murray accurately and humorously described the appeal of broad bean pods in The Broad Bean Sermon:

The Broad Bean Sermon
© Les Murray, Lunch and Counter Lunch 1974

Beanstalks, in any breeze, are a slack church parade
without belief, saying trespass against us in unison,
recruits in mint Air Force dacron, with unbuttoned leaves.

Upright with water like men, square in stem-section
they grow to great lengths, drink rain, keel over all ways,
kink down and grow up afresh, with proffered new greenstuff.

Above the cat-and-mouse floor of a thin bean forest
snails hang rapt in their food, ants hurry through several dimensions:
spiders tense and sag like little black flags in their cordage.

Going out to pick beans with the sun high as fence-tops, you find
plenty, and fetch them. An hour or a cloud later
you find shirtfulls more. At every hour of daylight

appear more than you missed: ripe, knobbly ones, fleshy-sided,
thin-straight, thin-crescent, frown-shaped, bird-shouldered, boat-keeled ones,
beans knuckled and single-bulged, minute green dolphins at suck,

beans upright like lecturing, outstretched like blessing fingers
in the incident light, and more still, oblique to your notice
that the noon glare or cloud-light or afternoon slants will uncover

till you ask yourself Could I have overlooked so many, or
do they form in an hour? unfolding into reality
like templates for subtly broad grins, like unique caught expressions,

like edible meanings, each sealed around with a string
and affixed to its moment, an unceasing colloquial assembly,
the portly, the stiff, anf those lolling in pointed green slippers ...

Wondering who’ll take the spare bagfulls, you grin with happiness
– it is your health – you vow to pick them all
even the last few, weeks off yet, misshapen as toes.

Pacri Nenas - Spiced Pineapple Chutney

Moving from Two to Four Seasons
Growing up in Singapore, we like to pretend that we have seasons – simply categorised as “rainy/wet” or “hot and humid” seasons. This is not surprising since Singapore is just a tiny, tropical island located near the equator. Now that I live in Sydney, Australia, I have been reflecting on how the four seasons has changed the course of my culinary adventures. When I started this blog, one of my intentions was to document this metamorphosis, but it did not quite work out that way....

Seasonal Cooking
Since moving to a Sydney, I also noticed that the seasons or weather does influence what we cook. While everyone in the northern hemisphere are frolicking on the beach and eating sorbet, we are bundled up in several layers and often find ourselves turning to nourishing foods like soups, casseroles, stews, roasts, risottos and curries.

Curry in Winter
How very strange that I now associate curry with cooler weather - I used to eat it regularly in Singapore and it is almost always hot and humid there. I recall that it was the norm to get all sweaty after tucking into a good bowl of curry – it was worth it!

How Hot can You Handle?
Another interesting observation is that Indian restaurants in Sydney and possibly all other countries outside of Southeast Asia label the curries “mild”, “medium”, “hot”. This creates problems between me and Quikong when we eat out because even though he thinks he was Indian in a previous life (he LOVES Indian food), we get into arguments over which curry I am “allowed” to order. He does not like his food (chilli) hot. If you are a regular reader, you already know that I am the opposite - when it comes to certain Southeast Asian dishes, the hotter the better! I usually give in, and try to get my chilli fix another day.

An Accompaniment for Curry
Today, I am not posting a recipe for curry because I am not expert in that department. While my curry skills are getting better and better, I find it impossible to replicate Mom’s curries. What I would like to share is a popular accompaniment for curry or spiced-based dishes such as nasi beryani/biryani. Mom’s combo of lentil dhal and nasi beryani meal is not complete without pacri nenas (pineapple chutney). The combination of sweet, sour and a touch of spice really whets the appetite.

While I was frying the spices, the wonderful aroma that resulted reminded me of Mom’s kitchen and instantly comforts me. In my version, I added some chopped dates and it was a winner with both Quikong (I served it with beef curry) and my neighbours (it makes a great gift!).

Pacri Nenas
(Spiced Pineapple Chutney)
Loosely adapted from Nirmala Magazine

1 fresh ripe pineapple, peeled (about 600g)
1-2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil
1 red (Spanish) onion (or 6 shallots), sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
2 x 4cm cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
3 whole cloves
2 whole cardamoms
15 fennel seeds
¼ tbsp cumin powder
3cm fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 red chillies, deseeded and sliced
½ cup water
1 tsp each of salt and sugar
(optional: 100-150g pitted dates, chopped in half)

Method:

- Cut pineapple into 8 sections lengthwise. Cut the core off & discard. Slice the pineapple flesh into 1cm thick pieces. Reserve the juices from the chopping board.
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan/wok. Fry the onion and garlic over medium heat till wilted (be careful not to burn/brown the garlic or onion). Add spices, ginger and chillies and cook till fragrant. Add pineapple pieces and till slightly wilted. Add reserved pineapple juice, water, salt and sugar. Cook till pineapple is wilted. Add chopped dates and stir carefully. Let it cool. Adjust seasoning if necessary (e.g. more salt or sugar or dash of lemon juice). Store in the fridge for a week or two.

Say Cheese!

On July 1st, Haalo published her 700th post! Most of you would be familiar with her food blog Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. I always learn something new when I visit her blog, and the photos are just simply stunning. That’s why I was prompted to participate in the event “Say Cheese” that Haalo is hosting. The requirement was to post and photograph a favourite cheese in July.

I did not eat much cheese in my childhood because my mother’s culinary repertoire did not include the use of many dairy products. But as I traveled to other parts of the world and was exposed to different culinary habits, I learnt to savour different types of cheese as a course on its own, rather than on a cheese burger or grated on my pasta. Although the proper cheese etiquette is to serve cheese after mains and before dessert, I've fallen into the Australian habit of having it as an appetizer before mains. Oh, and don't get me started about the art of cutting cheese!

My first love was with Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, especially in a insalata caprese. My favourites since moving to Sydney have been washed rind and ripened brie and I tend to buy only Australian milk and goat cheeses (or a blend), especially local produce from New South Wales and Tasmania.

As a “newbie” cheese lover, I am still getting accustomed to the pungency of stronger and more ripened cheeses. Hence, I have only a teeny-weeny piece of blue cheese on my cracker. Happily, last year I discovered a cheese by Binnorie Dairy (Hunter Valley Region, Pokolbin, NSW) that suited my palate and what I consider a good “training” product for the non-blue cheese lover. It’s called Duetto and is a combination of Gorgonzola and Mascarpone cheeses, both produced on the Binnorie dairy farm. The flavour of the Gorgonzola was prominent enough to give it a nice "bite" and the addition of Mascarpone meant that it was not too pungent for me and lends a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The downside is that I can only buy it during my annual visit to the Hunter Valley because Binnorie is a small dairy company with a small list of distributors. Quikong suggested that I try to blend my own version of Duetto. Maybe I will!

Haalo did write “no cheese in a can or similar plastic products” for this event. But this cheese in a tub did win the Blue Mould Section of the 4th Fromage du Monde last year. Fromage du Monde claims to be the largest public cheese judging event in the world. So I hope that I can still enter to win Haalo's very own cheese photo book.

Buñuelos y Natilla - Colombian Cheese Fritters and Custard

Not-quite-round Buñuelos and Natilla

A Savoury and Sweet Colombian Pair

Buñuelos and Natilla are traditional Colombian Christmas snacks. Buñuelos are of hispanic origin and different versions are popular all over Latin America. The Colombian variety are savoury cheese fritters made of "farmer's cheese" or queso fresco. While some Colombians prefer to serve buñuelos with hot chocolate, my friend, Jairo, prefers it with natilla. Natilla is a firm custard that is thickened with cornstarch rather than eggs. I was not sure how a savoury cheese puff would go well with a sweet custard, so I asked Jairo to explain how one would go about consuming these snacks. According to him: "You eat them separately, first you bite a piece of natilla and after that you bite your buñuelo, just delicious".

Thanks to Jairo, I've discovered two new recipes and the cultural stories that come with it. I never knew these snacks existed till last week when I asked Jairo what dessert he missed from home. His birthday was round the corner and special occasions are always good inspirations for me to bake/cook something different.

Adapting the Original Recipes
While researching the recipes, I discovered that a lot of Colombians make buñuelos and natilla from packet mixes because it was quicker and still tasted great. Thankfully, a blogger with Colombian roots, Paola, came to my rescue with the recipes of how to make them from scratch. The original recipes are from the book called Secrets of Colombian Cooking by Patricia McCausland-Gallo.

Then, I came across another problem - finding the right ingredients or substitutions. I could not find the correct cheese that is required for the fritters and also the panela (similar to jaggery in Indian cuisine) for the natilla. Fortunately, Jairo said that I can be creative with my interpretation, so I did. Queso fresco is made by pressing the whey from cottage cheese and therefore a substitute could be Indian paneer or mild feta. My local grocery store sold out of paneer (!!) so I went with an Australian-style feta, which is a creamier, milder version of the Greek feta.

Kitchen Notes
Buñuelo: If there are any Colombians reading this right now, you must be wondering why my buñuelos are not round. They are supposed to look like this. Due to my adaptation of the recipe, I got a softer dough that refused to be rolled into balls. Instead of adding more cornflour, I tried my best to make a round-ish shape with two spoons before slipping it into the hot oil (FYI: This is my first time deep-frying anything). Hence the rustic look of these buñuelos (don't you just love the word "rustic"). I almost threw the dough away and thought of just giving Jairo the natilla. But I remembered what he told me: "You know, having natilla without buñuelos would be almost a capital sin." I just had to pray real hard that somehow he will like these imperfect-looking buñuelos that were made of feta.

Natilla: I had better luck with the natilla, it tasted so good, even if I didn't use panela. I added golden syrup because it gave the natilla a deeper flavour. Paola remembers her aunt stirring the natilla for hours on Christmas Eve. Fortunately, I didn't have to stir it for hours, but I did cook it long enough to remove the "raw" taste of the cornstarch and for the mixture to thicken.

The Verdict
Jairo considers my experiment a success (he is such a sweet guy, so I hope he was not just being nice). I liked the texture of these buñuelos use it's airy and pillowy inside although Jairo said that the original is more compact than these. As for the natilla, it was hard not to eat spoonfuls of it, so very moreish!

You judge for yourself :-) Here are the recipes of my version (interpretation) of buñuelos y natilla.

~ Buñuelos ~
Colombian-style Cheese Fritters
(original recipe by Patricia McCausland-Gallo here)

Golden brown and slightly crisp on the outside, and pillowy soft an airy on the inside.

Indredients
200g feta (or paneer) cheese
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 large egg
Vegetable oil (e.g. peanut, sunflower, canola) for deep-frying

Method

Place the cheese in a bowl and break it up with a fork. (If using paneer, you may need to add a salt to taste). Crack the egg on top of the cheese. Using a hand-held blender, blend the cheese with the eggs to form a smooth paste. You can also use a food processor. Add the sugar and cornstarch and mix it with a spatula till it is well blended.

Heat up a few inches of oil in a pot. Over medium heat, drop teaspoonfuls in the oil (I used two spoons to do this - use one spoon to scrape the dough off the other spoon). I cooked about 6-7 fritters at a time. The fritters should expand or "puff up" after about 30 seconds and shouldn't brown too quickly. If it does brown too quickly, then the temperature of the oil is too hot, so lower the heat slightly. This is not the traditional way to fry the fritters, see the original instructions for that. Turn the fritters occasionally so that they are golden brown all over, then remove the fritters with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with natilla. Cool completely if you want to store them in an airtight container.

Mixing the ingredients to a smooth dough.

My first time deep-frying anything ever!!

~ Natilla ~
Columbian Christmas Custard
(inspired by the recipe by Patricia McCausland-Gallo)

Natilla firms up as it cools

Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 heaped tsp golden syrup
1 stick cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tbsp butter
ground cinnamon for garnishing

Method

Place 1 cup of the milk, sugar, syrup, cinnamon and salt in a pot and simmer over low heat till the sugar and syrup has dissolved completely. Do not let the mixture boil.

In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1 cup of milk and the cornstarch until completely dissolved. Stir it into the sugar mixture on the stovetop.

Raise the temperature slightly and stir continuously to "cook" the cornstarch (the taste of uncooked flour is awful). Add the cream, then raise the heat again to medium, continuously stir and scrape the bottom of the pot until the mixture has thickened.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the butter, mix well and remove the cinnamon sticks. Pour the mixture into a mould or serving dish. You can coat the mould with oil spray and it will unmold very easily if you prefer to serve it on a platter. Sprinkle with the ground cinnamon. Let it cool and set before serving (it will be firm).

Feeling the Burn

This blog recently turned One. Anniversaries are naturally a time for reflection. Being part of the food blogging world has definitely changed the way I cook and bake. I learn so much from other food blogs (thank you!!) and that inevitably influences the recipes I use. The change that I am most proud of is my use of seasonal and local produce.

Buying Local and Seasonal Cooking
I never used to take much notice of this, but now, I really enjoy learning more about these ingredients and the best way to use them through various cooking techniques and recipes. Not only does buying seasonal and local taste better (and sometimes more economical), it also helps maintain a sustainable agriculture by minimising the environmental damage caused by transporting foods. We can also support our local farmers, and in some cases it means getting my hands on unprocessed fruits and vegetables.

Inspiration from the Markets
Visiting the local green grocers always fuels my culinary creativity. One such place that reminds me most of the “wet markets” in Singapore where I grew up is the weekend market at Sydney Paddy’s Market in Chinatown. I love being in the bustle of such markets, where one can still bargain. But it’s really less about the savings and more about the chase and acquisition of the produce. I much prefer this type of shopping high rather than shopping for Manolo Blahnik.

Speaking of getting high - regular readers and friends already know this - I’m a chilli (chile) junkie. Naturally, when I was at the markets recently, I was looking for my next hit. And look at these babies:

When I asked the lady what type of chillies they were, I didn’t quite catch what she said, but I knew I had to try some when she told me: “Very hot! Very hot! Cut it very small, don’t use too much.” Say no more! I grabbed a hand full. It felt like I had just acquired gold nuggets - I was so excited to return home with my prized find.

I always prided myself as being a very good chilli eater. I have never met a chilli that was too hot for me. Upon hearing my reputation, a few acquaintances (mostly guys) will inevitably proceed to challenge me to an impromptu chilli eating “face off’. On one occasion while having dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, during a bird's eye chilli eating face off, I could tell that that the challenger was suffering - both his ego and his mouth - so I pretended to call it a draw. Of course we all know who reigns supreme ;-)

Back to my chilli bounty story: I made a terrible mistake when I got home. Without researching what type of chilli it was, I proceeded to chop up (fortunately, only the flesh) and sprinkled it liberally in my chickpea salad (recipe follows).

Oh boy.

What happened to me, I do not have words to describe. Tears instantaneously starting pouring out. I wish they were tears of joy. Something happened in my mouth, it was weird...I felt both pain and numbness. It didn’t feel good at all. And I did not get any sympathy from Quikong who just laughed at me and called me a "wuss". Ouch. I have to admit that this chilli was too much for me. I don’t know what hurt more - my ego or my mouth.

After some research, the variety I tried is probably a Hanoi Habanero. It’s similar to the typical Habanero [ah-bah-NEH-roh], but it has slightly thicker, juicer flesh. The Habanero is one hottest chilli (chile) in the world. Even a tiny piece of Habanero can cause “intense and prolonged oral suffering” (been there!). Underneath the heat is a “delicate plum-tomato apple-like flavour” (was in too much pain to notice). If you are curious about how the heat in chillies is rated, have a look here.

After removing the rest of the killer chillies from my chickpea salad, I have to say that I really enjoyed the rest of my lunch. It’s quick and easy to make and so flavoursome. A bonus: if you have it the next day, the flavours develop further. It can be eaten cool, so it’s good for the lunch box. The flavours are also not compromised when frozen.

Savoury Chickpea Salad (minus the pain)

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ red capsicum, chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed
½ small onion, chopped
fresh coriander (cilantro)
spicesto taste:
e.g. cumin, tumeric, sweet paprika, curry powder mix
salt

To serve:
Salad leaves (baby spinach or Romaine lettuce)

Method:

Over medium-low heat, cook onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil (or ghee) till fragrant. Throw in the spices and heat through to release the fragrance of the spices. Add capsicum and chickpeas and cook till capsicum is tender to your liking. Throw in coriander (not need to chop them if you don’t feel like it, all parts of this herb can be used). Cool slightly and serve it on top of some baby spinach or lettuce.

Variation:

Wrap it - Serve it in soft tortillas with some sour cream or yogurt.
Mash it – Serve with grilled chicken or prawns.

Other chickpea recipes from Life's Smörgåsbord's archives you might want to try:

Baked Chickpeas and Sweet Potato Patties
Chickpea and Pink Peppercorn Bread
Chickpea and Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Chickpea and Spinach Curry

This will be my contribution to the June challenge of “No Croutons Required”, hosted by Lisa’s Kitchen and Holler at Tinned Tomatoes. The theme for this month is “soups or salads featuring legumes because beans and pulses are an important part of a healthy vegetarian diet”. The deadline is 20th June, so it’s not too late to join in.

Baked Chickpeas and Sweet Potato Patties

I do love my legumes so when I saw that one of my favourite bloggers, Susan (The Well-Seasoned Cook) is hosting the My Legume Love Affair event, I knew that I should join in.

I don’t have any fancy legume to showcase because my favourite one since moving to Sydney is the humble chickpea. Canned chickpeas, actually. They are versatile, nutritious, quick to use, easy to find and cheap. I always have a few cans handy in the pantry.

I originally intended to make falafel, but ended up making these patties because I wanted to use up the sweet potatoes that have been waiting to be used. I remembered seeing a recipe that used both sweet potatoes and chickpeas, so I thought why not? A bonus - these are baked and not fried.

Kitchen and Tasting notes:
- These were great warm, at room temperature and even cold.
- If you make smaller patties, they are great as finger food, or stuff them in pocket pita bread. Alternatively, make bigger patties and serve it between burger buns.
- I first had these with salad and dipped it in Thai sweet chilli sauce. I think they would be great with a sour cream or yogurt dip.
- I brought some to work for lunch two days later and had it cold in a sandwich. They were still moist and remained flavourful (maybe even a bit more robust since the flavours had time to mingle).

Other chickpea recipes from this blog:
Chickpea and Pink Peppercorn Cob
Chickpea and Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Chickpea and Spinach Curry

No chickpeas in this soup, but it is chock full of legumes and a perfect way to warm up (for those experiencing the northern hemisphere winter):
Easy Peasy Soup

Baked Chickpeas and Sweet Potato Patties
Adapted from Australian Good Taste, March 2007

500g orange sweet potato (kumara), peeled, coarsely chopped
1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ - ½ cup chopped fresh coriander (or any of your fav herbs)
Spices: freshly toasted and ground coriander seeds, cumin powder, sweet paprika
1 bird's eye chilli, chopped finely
2 tbs plain flour
Olive oil spray
Sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Method:
1. Cook the sweet potato in a saucepan of boiling water until tender (about 10 minutes) and drain. Return to the pan. Mash until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool. If you are in a hurry, place in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic in a little olive oil till onion is translucent and garlic fragrant.
2. Mash the chickpeas in a bowl.
3. Add the chickpeas, onion & garlic mixture, herbs, spices and flour to the sweet potato and combine. Season with salt. Divide the mixture into desired portions and shape each portion into a patty.
4. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place patties on the lined tray. Spray with olive oil spray. Bake in oven, turning once, for 30 minutes (depends on the size of your patties) or until golden.
5. Serve with salad and sweet chilli sauce.

Edit: I made another batch which had the addition of a generous teaspoon of tahini in the mixture. I then rolled the patties in some untoasted sesame seeds. If you do the latter, be careful when the patties are in the oven since the seeds might brown too quickly. Also, I like Susan's (Food Blogga) suggestion of serving the original patties with tahini sauce (a few recipes here, here and here).

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Have great weekend!

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WHB # 115: Fried Tofu with Sweet Soy Dressing

Limau Kasturi (Kalamansi)

Tahu Goreng is a simple but delicous dish. Use the freshest tofu you can find. It's eaten as a side dish or a light lunch. I wonder if I can convince my meat-man Quikong to try this dish since he is not pro-tofu. I love tofu but the best part about this dish is definitely the dressing which is moreish because it has a wonderful tangy flavour with a hint of sweetness and garlic, as well as some heat from the chillies.

Limau kasturi or kalamansi (Citrus microcarpa) adds something special to the dressing because of its citrusy frangrance that is both sweet and sour at the same time and quite distinct from lemons and other types of limes. The kalamansi is small (2-3 cm in diameter) and the peel is green, yellowish green or yellow in colour. It contains quite a lot of seeds and it has an orange-yellowish flesh. The juice is sour and adds a piquant flavour to dishes. In Singapore, halved kalamansi is served with dishes such as fried noodles and squeezed over just before one tucks into the meal. The juice is also commonly made into a freshing drink.

This will be my contribution to Weekend Herb Blogging #115. This week's host is Vani from Batasari.

Tahu Goreng

Fresh firm Tofu
Vegetable oil for frying
Bean sprouts, root removed, rinsed with hot water & drained immediately
Cucumber, sliced thickly

Dressing:
kecap manis ABC (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
tamarind juice
freshly squeezed kalamansi juice*
garlic, crushed
bird's eye chilli, chopped very finely
roasted peanuts, chopped roughly

Prepare the dressing: Mix all (except for peanuts) of the ingredients together. Taste and adjust the balance (i.e. sweet/sour) of the sauce according to your preference. (* subtitute with fresh lime juice if kalamansi is unavailable.)

Pat dry the tofu and fry it in oil till it is golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Slice it into cubes and transfer it into a bowl. Place some beansporuts and cucumber on the tofu. Drizzle the dressing over the tofu and scatter peanuts on top. Serve immediately.

Tip: The dressing can be used over several days. It also makes a wonderful dipping sauce for dim sum, fried calamari, spring rolls or as a salad dressing. You can also add the peanuts into the dressing and it becomes a thick sauce but I chose to have them seperately so that the peanuts can remain crunchy if I am using the dressing over several days.

WHB #114: Assam Pedas Ikan - Sour Spicy Fish

Daun Kesom (Vietnamese Coriander, Polygonum odoratum)

Today Mom made Assam Pedas Ikan, a Malay dish directly translated as “Sour Spicy Fish”. Every respectable Malay kitchen would have their own version of assam pedas. My mom’s version has the perfect balance of spicy and sour. Daun kesom is an essential ingredient for my mom’s assam pedas.

Daun Kesom, or Vietnamese Coriander, has a coriander-like smell with a clear lemony note. Although it is closely related to water pepper there is hardly any pungency present. In Singapore and Malaysia, the shredded leaf is an essential garnish for laksa, and so, the herb is also commonly referred to in Malay as daun laksa (aksa leaf). More information on this herb here and here.

Mom always uses fish for her assam pedas - usually fish steaks since fish fillet would be too fragile after being cooked in the spicy broth. Today, she used a medium sized snapper head. Yes, you read that correctly. I apologise if this may be hard for many of you to stomach. Some of you know that Singapore is known for our famous Chilli Crab. Well, another dish that is also very popular with locals and some daring tourists is the Fish Head Curry. Fish head dishes are not considered exotic or a novelty. It is easily found in most neighbourhood eateries. When I was in my early 20’s I stopped eating fish head because I was put off by it. But in recent years, I am back to fish head lovin’.

Assam Pedas Ikan
- Sour Spicy Fish

Fish head or fish steaks (e.g. Red Snapper)
2 heaped tspn of powdered tumeric
chilli paste
tamarind juice
4 slices of tamarid pieces
2 medium red onion, peeled and chopped into 6-8 wedges
okra
young eggplant (cut into small wedges)
3-4 stalks of daun kesom
salt
vegetable oil
hot water

Chilli Paste:
4 clove garlic
15 shallots
30 dried chillies (yes, that is not a typo)
1 tbspn of belacan (prawn paste)
1-2 cm of fresh ginger root
water

Tamarid Juice:
2 heaped tbspn of tamarind pulp
1-1.5 cups of hot water

Prepare chilli paste – You will notice that this paste is similar to the one used for sambal prawns, but with the addition of ginger. Roughly cut dried chillies with a kitchen scissors and pour enough hot water to cover the chillies. Leave for 10 mins and drain. Blend the chillies finely with 1 cup of fresh water, and all other ingredients.

Prepare tamarind juice - Soak pulp in hot water, squeeze out the juice and strain.

Now you are ready to cook the dish:
In a large saucepan, heat some oil and over medium heat, stir fry the onion wedges till fragrant. Add the chilli paste and stir fry till fragrant (about 20 minutes). Add tamarid juice, tamarid pieces and tumeric. Add fish and enough hot water to almost cover the fish. When the fish is almost cooked, add the okra, eggplants, daun kesom and salt (to taste). Serve hot with steamed jasmin rice.

This will be my contribution to the first Weekend Herb Blogging for 2008. WHB is a food blogging event sponsored by Kalyn's Kitchen where each week food bloggers around the world photograph and write about herbs, plants, veggies, or flowers, and on the weekend, a Recap with links to all the posts is published by the host for that week. This week’s host (WHB #114) is the founder of WHB, Kaylyn. Do drop by her blog to check out the Recap.

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More Singaporean foods:
Sambal Prawns
Black Glutinous Rice Porridge

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Sambal Udang - Sambal Prawns

This is one of my all-time favourite dishes because I love seafood, especially prawns, and spicy foods. This dish is so tasty not just because I am a chilli addict but also because of the naturally slightly sweet flavour from the unshelled prawns and onions, as well as the tanginess from the assam.

Assam (or Tamarind) is the pulp that is obtained from the pods of the tamarind tree. Assam or Tamarind is a sticky fibrous mass which may sometimes include the seeds. In Singapore, when it is in the form of "Tamarind Pulp" it is known as Assam Jawa and if it is in the form of "Tamarind Pieces" it is known as Assam Keping.

How to use Assam pulp:

To obtain the Assam or Tamarind juice, this pulp is stirred through a little hot water, squeezed and then strained through a muslin cloth/sieve.

How to use Assam or Tamarind pieces:

These are often used in place of the pulp. One or two pieces are added to the dish and then removed when the food has attained the required sourness.

(Tamarid information from here)

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Sambal Udang/Prawns

1kg large prawns, unshelled
1 tbspn tumeric powder
1 tspn chilli powder
chilli paste
2 medium red onion, peeled and chopped into 6 wedges
tamarid juice
sugar
salt
vegetable oil

Chilli Paste
4 clove garlic
15 shallots
30 dried chillies (yes, that is not a typo)
1 tbspn of belacan (prawn paste)
water

Tamarid Juice
About 1 rounded teaspoon of tamarid pulp
2 tbspn of hot water

Method:

Prepare chilli paste - Roughly cut dried chillies with a kitchen scissors and pour enough hot water to cover the chillies. Leave for 10 mins and drain. Blend finely the chillies, 1 cup of fresh water, and all other ingredients. My mom used to use a motar and pestle but these days she uses a blender.

Prepare prawns - Marinade prawns in tumeric and chilli powder and salt. Leave aside for 15 minutes.

Prepare tamarind juice - Soak pulp in hot water, squeeze out the juice. My mom does not strain the juice.

Now you are ready to cook the dish:
1. In a hot wok, stir fry prawns in a little oil till pink. Be careful not to overcook the prawns. Remove from the wok and set aside.
2. In the same work, add more oil and over medium heat, stir fry the onion wedges till fragrant. Add the chilli paste and stir fry it till fragrant (about 20 minutes). Add tamarid juice and cooked prawns. Add salt to taste and a pinch of sugar. Cook for further 5 minutes.
3. Serve with steamed jasmin rice or coconut rice (nasi lemak) and stir fried vegetables (e.g. water spinach).

Variation:

Mom sometimes add wedges of tomatoes and fresh coriander together with the prawns.

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Daring Bakers Debut: Tender Potato Bread

Feeling daring…
After deliberating for several months, Eva of Sweet Sins and I decided we are daring enough to join the Daring Bakers. I was thrilled to find out that for our first challenge, Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups, chose a recipe from a gorgeous book Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition Around the World by the Toronto couple, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. They met in Tibet in 1985 and began a career which combined their travel memoirs with the food they discovered, researched and photographed along the way. Watch out for their forthcoming book Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Stories from the Other China which will be published in May 2008.

More about the book Home Baking…

I have not read their very popular book of Hot Sour Salty Sweet, but if it’s anything like Home Baking, then I should definitely put it on my Christmas Wish List. Home Baking is a mammoth hard cover book of global recipes, from sweet pies and tarts to festive breads, bagels, flat breads, a variety of cakes and cookies. The couple have visited countries and kitchens where ingredients and techniques are widely divergent and the local tastes lean to quite varied flavours. It’s not just the recipes, or the beautifully captured images (the couple took all the location photos) in the book that makes this one of my favourite books. It’s the evocative stories about their encounters with the people they met along the way that they've woven through the book that adds an intriguing dimension to it.

I can’t praise this stunning book more highly. But do not expect this book to be a general purpose book for baking or a resource for techniques because some of the recipes (just like this month’s DB recipe challenge) are at times rather vague and can be somewhat tricky to follow. However, Naomi said in this interview, “Don’t not do it cause you’re afraid…Forgive yourself, enjoy it…everything takes practise…it’s that less-than-perfect look that gives the baking such character.”

On to the DB challenge…Tender Potato Bread
With that in mind, I pursued this month’s DB challenge with a relaxed attitude. You can see from the original recipe posted here that the amount of potato and flour is not precise, and Tanna suggested that for the potato, we could use between 8 oz (beginner) to 16 oz (advanced). I have been baking bread for many years now, and since the whole point of joining DB is about taking risks and reaching beyond my comfort zone, I decided to use 14oz of sebago potato (unpealed weight) and ended up using about 7 cups of flour (plus extra for kneading).

Making the dough…
Once I decided on the proportion of potato and flour, I found the process pretty straight forward. The dough was quite soft and sticky so using a plastic scraper to gather the soft dough together helped. The dough rises fairly quickly, maybe because of all the starch in the potato. The bit that I found slightly tricky (or should I say sticky?) was when I wanted to shape the dough. I had grand plans of making cute mini buns with fillings but my dough was quite soft. But I didn’t want to add more flour (or else it will be less "tender"). I quickly improvised and was very happy with the final results.

My DB touch…
- I made a meat-filled ciabatta looking loaf. Due to the spicy filling, it almost reminded me of a stuffed Turkish pide.
- I also made some dinner rolls. For a more interesting shape, I placed the dough in mini tart moulds and placed a fresh rosemary sprig on top.

Curry Meat Filled Potato Bread

Tender Potato Buns

Potato Bread with Curry Beef Filling
The idea for this curry flavoured filling idea stems from my Singaporean upbringing. When I think of potato, I think of curry, when I think of curry, I think of mopping up the rich gravy with bread. Hence the birth of the curry beef filled potato loaf.

Half quantity of the tender potato bread dough
250g mince beef (or lamb)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 tbspn of curry powder mixture*
2 small carrots, cut into small cubes
1 cup frozen peas
Tomato paste
Fresh coriander, chopped rouhly
Salt
Vegetable oil

* Try to use better quality curry powder from a specialty shop (not commercial brands). Mine is from Singapore and it is a blend of the following ingredients: Coriander seeds, cumin, tumeric, fennel seeds, chilli, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cloves.

1. In a non-stick pan/wok, sauté the meat at high heat till it’s brown and cooked through. Set aside.
2. In the same pan/work, sauté the garlic and onion in a bit of oil till fragrant. Add the curry powder and cook for a few more minutes.
3. Add carrots, peas and return the cooked meat into the curry mixture. Add tomato paste and salt. Stir-fry till peas are cooked. Take the pan off the heat and stir through the fresh coriander. Set aside to cool completely before filling the dough.
4. After the first proofing, on an oiled non-stick baking sheet, stretch the dough into a rectangular shape (about 13 x 11 inches) . Place the meat filling in the centre and seal it with the dough. Rub the top of the loaf with olive oil. 5. Bake it at 210° C (fan-forced) the first 10 minutes, then 180° C for another 20 minutes.

Freezing...
I froze half of the meat-filled loaf. More than a week later, I defrosted it slightly in the microwave oven, rubbed some more olive oil on the loaf and reheated it in the convection oven. It was still delicious and moist, but crispier then when it was first baked.

Final verdict...
True to it’s name, we loved the tender texture (airy and moist) and the flavour of this bread. Quikong said it all when he remarked. “You should make this again.”

Curry Meat Filled Potato Bread, Sliced

Do check out the creations of the other Daring Bakers here. A big thank you for this month’s host, Tanna, for choosing such a fabulous recipe.

How do you Beet it?

“It's a little known fact that if you placed all the t-shirts end to end that had been thrown away with beetroot stains on them, they would stretch 3.87 times round the Earth. Beetroot juice is known in scientific circles as a biological stain, it resists all manner of detergents and woe betide any husband who gets it on his shirt collar as it can be mistaken for lipstick by a suspicious wife!” – Magic Veg

Beetroot Risotto, recipe from Shaun

Before I came to Australia, I was only familiar with canned beetroot. I didn't want to eat too much of it because I thought all that red colouring can't be good for me. Many years later, after encountering fresh beetroot, I discovered that the red colouring is all natural. More recently, thanks to my partner, Quikong (I told you he is a gourmand in denial!), I learnt how to cook beetroot leaves. It's great when you can use all the parts of a vegetable.

These days, I just can't resist vibrant pink-stained beetroot dishes. When I saw Shaun's Beetroot Risotto, I just had to have some. It was delicious (thanks, Shaun!). The subtle spices in the pickled beetroot wonderfully compliments the flavour of the beetroot. I followed Shaun's instructions exactly (except for substituting balsamic vinegar for the red wine vinegar). I also crumbled some goat's cheese feta on the risotto just before serving. Beetroot has a strong flavour so it pairs well with this cheese. I didn't have any leftover, otherwise I would have made some beetroot arancini.

Quick Tips for eating/cooking Beetroot:

Raw: After peeling, beetroot can simply be grated, tossed with a little orange juice and eaten raw.

Boiled/Steamed: Beetroot can be boiled or steamed for 20-60 minutes depending on its size. It is cooked when you can pierce it easily with a skewer. Allow to cool and then the skins will just slip off.

Baked/Roasted: Wash, trim the stalks and wrap each beetroot separately in foil. Place in a moderate oven for about 40 minutes, then serve. Either eat the skins or take them off. Baked beetroot has a rich earthy flavour, although it is a little drier than steamed beetroot.

Beetroot leaves: Small, young beetroot leaves can be used in salads. Older leaves are slightly bitter, but they can be shredded and cooked like spinach. I prefer to steam the leaves (& young stems) and make a Greek Style warm salad (batzaria):

Still hungry for more beet information? Alanna from A Veggie Venture has compiled various ways of cooking beetroot and a very impressive long list of recipes. You can check it out here.

A few other recipes that I have tried or would like to try....

Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything shared this delicious old-fashioned Beetroot Chutney from Iain Hewitson's book on the Tolarno. It’s great with roast meats. I’ve had it in a roast beef roll.

Tired of the usual pesto? Alanna Kellogg of a Veggie Adventure shared this delicious Beetroot Pesto recipe which she got from the manager from Wolf Pine Farm.

At your next party, how about serving up some deep red Beetroot Hummus? This recipe shared by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict is easy yet stunning.

With warmer days arriving in the southern hemisphere, this Cold Polish Beetroot Soup from Dagmar of A Cat in the Kitchen is just the thing to whip up.

How about beetroot desserts? YES!!! Beetroot is very versatile indeed:

- Dark Chocolate Beetroot Brownies by Béa of La Tartine Gourmand. Irresistible!

- Vegan Chocolate & Beetroot Cake with Spiced Beetroot Glaze. A very festive looking cake by Kathryn of Limes and Lycopene. One would never guess that it has tofu in it (don't tell Quikong!).

So how do you like to have your beetroot?