Matar Paneer (curried peas with Indian cheese)

Here's another recipe I felt was worthy of an update. It's very easy to make, packs a big punch in the flavor department and it's family friendly. Yes, it really is! If you're thinking this is not something your kids might like, you may be surprised. My son generally won't eat peas, but he will eat this. Go figure.



The only ingredient you may find difficult to source is the Indian cheese, called paneer. If you don't have an Indian grocer nearby, try Whole Foods. I've even seen it at a local Costco (there's a large Indian population in a nearby suburb). If you can't find paneer, you can make it yourself with this recipe. It's not hard and I encourage you to try it at least once.

Matar Paneer
Serves 4 to 6

• 3/4-pound block of paneer, cut into cubes
• 1/2 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 3-in cinnamon stick
• 3 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 large knob ginger, sliced
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 tbs tomato paste or 3 to 4 chopped Roma tomatoes (optional)
• 3 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 16 oz fresh or frozen peas
• salt, to taste
• splash of cream
• chopped cilantro, for garnish

In a medium-sized Dutch oven or deep skillet, heat about 3 tablespoons oil (or ghee, if you have it) over medium heat. When hot, fry the paneer, onions, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger slices. (If you prefer, don't fry the paneer and add it towards the end. This way, it doesn't become hard when it cools). Stir occasionally. When the paneer and onions are somewhat browned, add the garlic, tomato paste or tomatoes (if using) and the ground spices. Cook for about 30 seconds to a minute, stirring to keep the spices from burning to the bottom. Add the peas and a couple of tablespoons water if it seems too dry. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once most of the liquid evaporates, add a splash of cream and cook for 4 or 5 minutes more. This rounds out the flavor and adds a slight creaminess to the dish. Top with the chopped cilantro. Serve immediately with basmati rice or your favorite Indian bread.


If you like Indian flavors, you may also like:
Chicken with cilantro and almonds
Fried egg curry
Creamy chicken curry
Vegetable smash
Smokey Indian eggplant
Pickled tomatoes
Saag paneer (creamy mustard greens)

Paelo (Thai braised pork shank)

I blogged about this dish back in 2007, when I had a whopping 3 readers. Now that I have a few more, I figure it's time to update this recipe. It most definitely deserves more attention than it got back then.

As a child, paelo was one of my favorite foods, and I would beg mom to make it about as often as most kids beg for mac and cheese or pizza. Of course, it took significantly more time than mac and cheese. Mom would start this stew on Saturday or Sunday morning, and although it didn't take more than 3 or 4 hours, she'd let it chill on the stovetop until dinner. The house would smell like star anise and sweet soy sauce all day. Heavenly.

As it turns out, just about every Asian culture has its own version of paelo. They may use a different cut of fatty pork, different seasonings or omit the eggs, but the result is still the same, a sweet-savory soy-based broth and fall-off-the-bone tender pork that screams comfort food! This is a wonderfully easy, if not quick, dish. It's definitely worth trying if you're looking for something you won't find at your local Thai restaurant, and I promise that adults and kids alike will love it.

Note that the distinctive flavor of this dish comes from thick soy sauce. At least the Thai version is thick. I believe the Chinese version is called black soy sauce and is thin, but both versions have the same sweet, subtle molasses flavor. If you don't have thick soy sauce, take a trip to your local SE Asian market because regular soy sauce alone will not give you the proper flavor.

Palm sugar, garlic, ginger, star anise and cinnamon. I think star anise is one of the most beautiful spices to photograph.

Paelo (Thai braised pork shank) with chili vinegar sauce
serves 4

For the pork shanks:

• 2 pork meaty shanks with skin
• 3 or 4 coriander roots, crushed (if available)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 knob ginger, cut into thick slices
• 2 star anise
• 1 3-inch stick cinnamon
• 2 to 3 tbs thick soy sauce
• 2 to 3 tbs thin soy (regular soy sauce is fine)
• palm sugar (brown sugar works), to taste ( I used about 1-2 tbs)
• fish sauce, to season before serving (optional, but highly recommended)
• 1 quart chicken stock + 1 cup water (all water is also fine)
• 4 to 6 hard-boiled eggs, shelled

For the sauce:

• fresh chilies, chopped
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar
• splash of fish sauce

In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, heat 2 tbs oil and brown the shanks well. Remove and set aside. (Alternatively, you can brown the shanks in the oven at 400F for about 30 minutes, or until the shanks looked seared.) In the same pot saute the coriander roots, garlic and ginger. After about a minute, add the anise and cinnamon. Saute for another minute, then add the stock, water, soy sauces. Return the shanks to the pot and bring to a boil. Once it boils, cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer until the meat is tender, about 2-3 hours depending on how big they are. (Alternatively, you can braise in a 325F oven until tender. Or, if you're impatient or feeling eco-friendly, use a pressure cooker. It will cut the time in half or even by 2/3). At this point, you can add the hard-boiled eggs and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes before serving. However, you may want to separate out the fat, of which a significant amount will accumulate. (We are talking pork shank, after all.) Do this part after the stew has had time to cool. You'll significantly cut down on the fat without sacrificing any flavor. Once I remove some of the fat, I like to boil down the liquid a bit to further concentrate the flavor. This is optional. As with any stew or braised dish, I recommend letting this sit for a day or more to allow the flavors to marry, but this is also optional.

The dipping sauce is a must here. It adds spiciness, but, more importantly, cuts the sweetness of the broth. To make the chili sauce, combine all the ingredients, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Adjust by adding more sugar or fish sauce according to taste.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice and dipping sauce. In case you're wondering whether to eat the skin...yes! At least a little bit. Just take a big hunk of meat with some skin and chop it with a cleaver. Lay the meat atop the rice and ladle a little broth on top. A side of sour pickled mustard greens is also nice or maybe a easy stir-fry of Chinese mustard greens. In a pinch, kale would also work. The slight bitterness compliments the sweetness of the broth beautifully!

Enjoy!

Pad Panang

Panang curry is unlike your typical red or green curry. It’s not like a stew, but a stir-fry, hence the name pad (=stir-fry) panang. I’ve also seen it called gang panang, even though the word gang brings to mind something soupy. Traditionally, it is made with beef, which is generally not a common protein found in Thai cooking. Of course, you can choose the protein of your choice. Flavorwise, panang is generally sweeter and less spicy than red or green curries, so for those of you who can’t tolerate heat, this one is for you. Also, panang should have peanuts in the paste, but I’ve noticed that not all brands include this (the popular Mae Ploy brand doesn't). In that case, you may decide to add in some toasted, ground peanuts to your paste.

Something else you may notice--there is nothing but beef in this dish. In general, Thai curries have very few ingredients, usually just a meat and maybe a vegetable. At some Thai restaurants curries will come jam packed with vegetables. Sometimes I find that annoying because there are too many distracting flavors and textures. Anyhow, if you want to serve this curry with something green, you may try making ajad, which is the cucumber relish often served with fish cakes, satay or massaman curry. Or just serve with sliced fresh vegetables, such as cucumber, tomato and/or sliced carrots.

Lastly, let me touch on the cooking method, because that’s an important factor in the success of this dish. I’ve already discussed the need to fry the curry paste with the coconut cream. If you are unfamiliar with the method, you can read about it in my previous post and see a couple pictures of what it looks like. Of equal importance is the stir-frying bit. Every recipe I’ve come across calls for stir-frying the beef in the curry paste and then adding the coconut milk, allowing it to thicken a bit and adjusting the seasonings. After all the cooking and adjusting, the total cooking time may be 10 minutes or more, which I think is far too long. I have not had much luck stir-frying beef if it has to be in a hot wok for more than about 5 minutes. So here’s my solution: make the curry sauce first, stir-fry the beef and then add the sauce toward the end. Doing it this way allows me to get a good sear on the beef and cuts down the cooking time so the meat won’t overcook.

I know it may seem like a lot of information, but hopefully it has been helpful. Now, on to the recipe!

Pad Panang
Adapted from The Food of Thailand (see right sidebar)
Feeds 2 t0 3

• ¾ pound beef, sliced for stir-frying
• 7 kaffir lime leaves (2 will be finely sliced and used for garnishing)
• 5 oz coconut cream + 10 oz can lite coconut milk (NOT TJ's brand!!) or just one can of regular coconut milk, cream and milk separated
• 2 to 3 tbs panang curry paste
• sugar (palm sugar if you can find it), to taste
• fish sauce, to taste

In a large frying pan (nonstick not recommend) over medium heat, cook the coconut cream with the curry paste and kaffir lime leaves until the oil begins to separate out. Stir frequently and watch the heat to prevent burning. When the oil has separated out, the mixture will change in texture and move more as a mass. Be patient, as this may take a few minutes. Then slowly add the coconut milk and stir well. Allow to simmer until thickened slightly. Add sugar and fish sauce to taste. Don’t be too shy about it because the flavor will have to hold up when you add it to the beef. Set the sauce aside until needed. Also, you probably won’t need this entire portion. I think I used only half of it. Freeze the rest to use at another time.

Heat a wok over high heat. When it’s really (really!) hot, add couple tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and let it sear. This means don’t move it around for 20 to 30 seconds, then move it around only occasionally. When the beef is just about done, drizzle about half of the curry sauce down the sides of the wok. This will further caramelize the sauce, concentrating the flavors. Add more sauce if it seems too dry. Toss the meat in the sauce and quickly taste, adjusting if required. Once the meat is done, remove to a serving dish and garnish with sliced lime leaves.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice.


This is my submission to Weekend Wokking, a blogging event created by Wandering Chopsticks that focuses on a theme ingredient and the different ways to prepare it. This month we’re doing beef and the host is Palachinka. If you want to play along, send your submissions to palachinkablog(at)gmail(dot)com by March 29th.

Mexican Adobo Braised Beef

If there’s one thing I miss about living in California it’s the Mexican food. And the Indian food. And the Chinese food. And the sunny weather. Okay, that’s 4 things, but other than those, I love it here in Portland!

May not look fancy, but it's totally satisfying!

In San Francisco, our apartment was only a couple of blocks from the vibrant Mission district (where it was ALWAYS sunny, even if the rest of the city was cloudy or covered in fog). Whenever we had a hankering for Mexican, we’d just walk down the street and pick up anything our hearts desired. Like a plate of chicken mole with rice. Or a fat juicy burrito stuffed with carnitas, beans and extra hot salsa. If we weren’t in the mood for the 2-block walk, we could just go across the street to the taco truck and score $1.50 pork al pastor tacos. Those were the days!

It’s not like there isn’t Mexican food here in the Portland metro area. It’s just not anything to write home about. I’d just as soon make it myself and one ingredient I love using are the Mexican dried chilies. For years I walked past them at the grocery store, never really noticing they where even there. But now that we regularly make Mexican food, various dried chilies have become a staple in my pantry.

A simple and straightforward way to use Mexican dried chilies is to make an adobo sauce, which I like to use for stewing or braising meat. Mexican-style adobo is easy to make and will impart a complex flavor to the meat, especially if a combination of chilies are used. I always throw in chipotles, because I love the subtle smoky flavor they impart. Feel free to use your favorite type of chili and tailor the flavor after your own tastes.




Basic adobo:
Makes about 2 cups

• 2 oz dried Mexican dried chilies (if possible use a combination, including chipotle)
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• ½ can tomato paste (about 3 oz)
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
• 2 to 3 tbs cider vinegar or lime juice
• 1 tsp kosher salt

To make the adobo, remove the seeds from the chilies if less heat is desired, and rehydrate the chilies by letting them steep in boiled water until soft. Once the chilies are soft enough, add them to a blender or food processor with the other ingredients and about ½ cup of water. I don’t like to use the chili soaking liquid because it’s sometimes too bitter. Process until you get a smooth mixture. It’s always nice to let the paste sit for a little time to allow the flavors to meld, but it’s not necessary. If you taste the mixture, it will taste raw. Don’t worry, it changes during the cooking process.


Mexican adobo braised beef
Serves 3

• 1.5 to 2 lbs beef chuck, cut for stewing
• half portion basic adobo (about 1 cup, freezer the remainder for another time!)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• a few springs fresh oregano
• salt, pepper and sugar (or agave nectar) to taste

Season the beef well with salt and pepper. In a heavy bottom pot with a lid, brown the beef, in batches if necessary. Remove and set aside. Add the adobo to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the paste from sticking to the pot (lower the heat a bit if necessary). Add the beef back in and turn to coat. Add about 1 ½ cups of water to thin it out a bit (like the consistency of spaghetti sauce). Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and oregano. Bring it up to a boil, lower the heat to barely a simmer, cover and cook until the beef is tender. This is probably a good time to taste it and add some salt and sugar, if desired. It may still taste a bit weak, but the flavor will enhance once it’s cooked with the beef. Alternatively, you could braise in the oven at 300° until tender.

Depending on my mood, I will shred the beef or leave it in chunks to serve. Either way, I like fish the beef out of the braising liquid and reduce the liquid to concentrate the flavors a bit and adjust the seasonings. I really recommend this step. It doesn’t take more than 15 extra minutes. Sometimes, if I’m feeling particularly ambitious, I’ll fry the beef in my cast-iron skillet to get bits of crispiness (a la carnitas) before returning it to the sauce. Serve with rice, tortillas, or tortilla chips, a healthy serving of beans and whatever other accompaniments you’d like.

If you like this dish, you may also like chicken mole, made with a combination of Mexican dried chilies and chocolate.

This is my submission to Regional Recipes, the blogging event that spotlights a regional/national cuisine. We've gone to Mexico this time. There's still time to get in on the action! Send your submissions to Wandering Chopsticks at wanderingchopsticks(at)gmail(dot)com by March 15th.

Pan-fried Japanese-style Mackerel

Before I lived in Denmark, I thought mackerel was used only in Asian cuisines, but it turns out the Danes and much of Scandinavia eat it as well.  (I also thought badminton was only popular in Asia, but it turns out the Danes are pretty good at that too.) I routinely bought the Danish smoked mackerel and ate it with Thai sticky rice and hot sauce. Hubby thought it was a strange combo at first, but he was easily converted. In turn, he introduced me to a product called Makrel Guf, which is mackerel in a tomato sauce not unlike Chef Boyardee tomato sauce. I know it sounds totally unappetizing, but spread atop Danish rye bread with a healthy squirt of mayonnaise, it was really quite tasty. It's been years since I've had it, and I do get a craving for it every once in a while. Maybe my in-laws would be so kind as to bring us a few cans the next time they visit?  

Mackerel is one of my favorite fish.  Some people don't like it due to the strong flavor, but that's exactly why I like it. Serving it to the kid can be an iffy proposition, but turns out, he liked it!  Yay!

This dish is flavorful (good way to get the kids to eat fish) and fast (hey, it's not French!).  I spread a miso mixture over the fish and pan fried it (great grilled too).  The only thing you need to be careful of is not to overcook this fish.  There's not much worse than overcooked mackerel. For an average filet, it only needs about 4 or 5 minutes, tops.   If you're not a fan of mackerel or can't get it where you are, try substituting with salmon.

Pan-fried Japanese-style Mackerel

Serves 2.5 people

• 2 mackerel filets 
  
• 1 tbs yellow miso
  
• 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar
  
• 1 tbs mirin
  
• 1 tsp grated ginger
  
• lemon or lime wedges for serving
  
• finely sliced green onion for garnish

Make the paste by combining the miso, sugar, mirin and ginger.  Rub it on the meaty side of the fish.  All that's left to do is pan fry the fish in a fairly hot pan with a little oil.  Start with the skin side down, then flip it for the last minute or so.  That's it!  Serve with Japanese rice and a (pickled) vegetable of your choice and/or a nice salad.

Succulent Pineapple Chicken

If you thought I agonized over getting a gas grill, you haven’t heard me go on about getting a pressure cooker. On the one hand, I know that using a pressure cooker is a lot more green than having my stove turned on for 3 hours to braise pork shank. Could you imagine, pork shank done in less than 1 hour? Think of all the extra time I'd have to waste!

BUT...I’m scared of freak explosions. Please don’t roll your eyes! It could happen.

HOWEVER...I shoved my fear aside and just did it. Bought a pressure cooker. Yes, I did!

AND...I love it! I’ve made carnitas and a stewed pineapple chicken. The pork took less than 1 hour and the chicken took a little more than half an hour from prep to table. And no freak explosions! Seriously folks, this is the way to go!



This stewed chicken was so delicious. The chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce had just the right amount of heat, sweetness and saltiness. Our family really enjoyed this dish and I think yours will too.

Succulent Pineapple Chicken
Feeds 3 or 4 adults

• 6 skinless chicken drumsticks or thighs (also works well with 1.5 lbs pork butt or country ribs)
• ½ cup fresh pineapple, chopped or crushed (canned pineapple in juice is also fine!)
• 1 healthy knob ginger, grated
• 5 to 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, finely sliced
• 1 tbs brown sugar
  
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce (or 3 tbs regular soy)
  
• 1 ½ cup chicken stock (water is also fine)
• whole jalapeno(s) sliced lengthwise, to taste (optional)
• salt, to taste
  

Rub a little oil on the chicken. Brown it well on a very hot pan. Once the chicken is browned, transfer it to the pressure cooker. Add the other ingredients. Give it a quick stir, lock the lid and following your manufacturer’s instructions for cooking. For my cooker, I ended up cooking for 13 minutes (after pressure built up) and let the pressure release itself, about 10 minutes. If you use pork chunks, the cooking time will increase. Follow your manufacturer’s guidelines.

You can achieve the same results by braising on your stovetop or in your oven (325 to 350F), but it will probably take over an hour.

To serve, I removed the meat from the bone into a deep serving dish. I concentrated the sauce a bit by simply reducing it over high heat, then poured it over the chicken.

Perfect served with steamed rice (and extra sambal oelek on the side!).

Soba Salad with Gochujang Vinaigrette

Hubby and I recently had an interesting conversation about food, things like what we're eating and spending on food. I think I'm fairly good at maximizing the food while minimizing the money, but we could definitely do more. For one thing, we can bring lunch and snacks to work. I usually already do this because my campus doesn't have any food options besides vending machines. Hubby works right next to a food court and a block of restaurants, so he's in the habit of going to lunch. I've always been willing to pack his lunch, but I think there was a lot of peer pressure from his coworkers to go out to eat. But now he wants to bring his lunch, and I couldn't be happier. I'm planning on getting some bento boxes and making it fun and interesting. Doesn't it sound like I'll be packing lunch for a kid? Who knows, maybe he can convince some of his coworkers that the cool kids bring their lunch to work?? How about you? Do you bring your lunch to work?

Since we've had access to so much lettuce lately, it's only natural we'll be bringing salad for lunch. One of the salads I threw together was a soba salad. I know that sounds a little strange, but I’ll tell you why it worked. The baby lettuce I've been getting at the farmers' market actually has flavor! Some taste like mustard greens, others taste subtly sweet, and some have a more familiar lettuce taste. They remind me more of herbs than lettuce. Tossed with the soba and a tasty dressing, it just worked. If you don’t have delicious baby lettuce available, try tossing the noodles with cabbage chiffonade, shredded carrot and finely sliced green onions. Another option is fresh asparagus thinly sliced on the diagonal or fresh sugar snap peas. I left ours "vegetarian" but you could throw in some meat or seafood. Whatever tickles your fancy.

The dressing I threw together is just a variation of my peanut vinaigrette. Yes, I know it’s cheating, but I’m lazy like that. I substituted the peanut butter with Korean hot pepper paste, and nixed the curry powder. Doing so little completely changed the flavor. The result is a little sweet, a little spicy (but not too much for Sonny to eat), a little salty and a little nutty from the sesame oil. If you like Korean flavors, I think you’ll enjoy this.

Gochu jang (Korean hot pepper paste) Vinaigrette
makes about 1/2 to 1 cup

• 1 to 2 tbs Korean hot pepper paste
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 3 tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tbs tamari
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ to 1/3 cup peanut (or a neutral oil)
• soba noodles, cooked according to package directions
• baby lettuce or other vegetables for the salad
  
• toasted sesame seeds for garnish
• cilantro for garnish
  

To make the dressing, combine everything in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Taste the mixture and adjust according to your preference (more tamari, honey, etc). If you're happy, start adding the peanut oil slowly all the while whisking to incorporate it. You may not need to add all of it.

To serve, toss the noodles in some dressing and set them atop your lettuce/vegetables. Top with your garnishes and drizzle more dressing on top, if desired.

I’m going to submit this to Weekend Herb Blogging , which was created by Kayln's Kitchen and is currently being hosted by maninas:food matters. It’s a weekly event, so there’s always a chance to participate! Click here to see who's hosting in the coming weeks.

Oh, cast iron, how I love thee

Photo updated January 2009

Sometimes I wonder how I ever lived without a cast iron wok. If it wasn’t for a friend, I would still be stir frying with some pricey tri-ply stainless steel nonsense. After one test drive of the ol’ cast iron wok, my own mother was hooked. She was actually envious of my cookware!

If you like to stir-fry, you must have a cast iron wok. No ifs, ands or buts about it. There is no other material that can hold heat the way cast iron can. When it’s well seasoned, the food will not stick. And with proper care, it only gets better with age. Of course it’s heavy as a mo’fo’, and you may have to store it in the oven when not in use because it’s too big for any conventional cabinets. It’ll be a bitch to clean, not because anything sticks to it but because it probably won’t fit in your sink. Oh, but the magic you can make with it...

Chicken with roasted chili paste:
Serves 3

• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• ¼ cup coconut milk (lite is fine)
  
• 1-2 tsp palm sugar (brown sugar if fine)
  
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbs roasted chilli paste (explained below)
  
• 1/2 lbs chicken in small cubes or ground (I like skinless, boneless thigh meat)
• 2 cups of your favorite vegetable, cut for stir-frying
  
• 1 bunch Thai basil leaves
• fish sauce, to taste

Instead of making my own roasted chilli paste, I use store bought, which is what I grew up on. The name of this paste is naam Prik Pao. One day, when I have the time (and after I use up my store bought paste), I will try making some from scratch. Thai people use prik pao as a dipping “sauce’ for grilled meats, fried eggs and sticky rice. My mother adds it to her hot and sour shrimp soup. My nephew spreads it on toasted bread and sprinkles dried shredded pork on top (talk about east meets west, huh?). It’s sweet, spicy and savory all in one.

Start by mixing the prik pao, oyster sauce, sugar and coconut milk in a small bowl until well combined. Heat your wok over high heat. Once your wok is blazing hot, add about 1-2 tbs oil (peanut or vegetable, and make sure you coat the sides of the wok) and fry the garlic and chicken together. Avoid over stirring because you want the meat to get a good sear. When it's just about cooked through, remove it to a bowl and throw the vegetables into the wok. Stir-fry until crisp tender. Add the meat and juices back in and add about 2/3 of the fish sauce mixture. If your wok is sufficiently hot, you will see the coconut milk bubble on the sides. If the stir fry is too dry, add more of the coconut mixture or a couple of tablespoons water. Turn the meat and vegetables in the sauce until nice and caramelized. Adjust seasonings with fish sauce, if necessary. It's done when the meat is cooked through. Turn off the heat and add the basil leaves.

Great with steamed jasmine rice.