Cooking Ingredients You Were Introduced To

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

I've tried that but just don't get it, Why not just eat cauliflower florets with your dinner rather than going to all that hassle?

See I thought that until the missus started her diet and made me some. I'm converted

 

[British Bulldog]

See I thought that until the missus started her diet and made me some. I'm converted

Fair play to you but it wasn't for me, now cauliflower with a bit of cheese over the top I do like.

 

[BensGrandad]

I wouldn't bother BG. I have just had a look at the hairy bikers recipe and they do it all wrong I'm afraid.

My sister in law did one recently for us and I had never eaten moussaka but my wife loves it. She said this one was comparable with the best she has had in Cyprus. I really enjoyed it, as we visited my brother and sister in law and had agreed on a Chinese Take away from Jasmine Kitchen in Rowlands Rd Worthing but my sister in law surprised us by cooking the dinner herself. She is a very good cook but used that recipe. Do you know of a better one to use?

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I don't suppose you are prepared to post a recipe given that your background sounds pretty appropriate ?

A basic one... chicken thighs or any part of chicken, or beef or anything really.

Chicken thighs skinned
1 White onion
Bunch of fresh Coriander (cilantro)
2 Tomatoes
Pinch of Salt
Plenty of black pepper
Chillies - optional (Scotchies or whatever you like)
1 tin Coconut milk
2 tablespoons of Thai Fish sauce
4 Potatoes
Chilli powder optional
2 tablespoons Jeera powder
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 dollop Pataks Madras (or to your choice) paste

For the massala
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 teaspoons Coriander seeds
2 teaspoons Mustard seeds
1 tablespoon Cumin seeds
4 Cardamon pods
2 star anise

For the rice
Tilda
6 Cardamon pods
Small handful of Cumin seeds
6 Cloves
Cinnamon stick broken into three pieces
Colouring optional - if you do, orange, red and green

Chop onion into fine pieces and fry til golden and soft.
Chop toms roughly and add to the onions.
Chop chillies (or if scotchies and too hot for your pallet just puncture) and add to the fry.
I don't use cilantro as a garnish, it gets finely chopped and added into the fry.
For the massala, put into a grinder and grind to a powder.
Add the massala, garlic, ginger, chilli and jeera powder and paste and mix til it becomes a paste.
Add the chicken.

In the meantime chop the skinned potatoes into bite size chunks and par boil, add a teaspoon of turmeric to the water, adding some cilantro is optional.

Add the coconut milk and a few teaspoons of fish sauce to the paste you are cooking. Allow it to simmer.
When the potatoes are par boiled add them to the curry and some of the water it was boiled in to get a full gravy, depending how thick or runny you want it.

I cheat on rice and use a rice boiler or whatever they're called.

4 cups of Tilda and four cups of water. Add the cloves, cardamon, cumin seeds and cinnamon sticks and leave it to cook. If you want to tri-colour it add the tiniest amount of all three colours. Don't mix it up until the rice is done.

I think that's about it off the top of my head.

Edit: This will do for six and one sitting. I usually do it for just me and the girlie and it lasts three days, and the more it marinades in it's own sauce the better it tastes the next day.

 

[nickbrighton]

Mung Beans, Husband is a piscatorial, and I only have meat a couple times a week. Stick them in with soya mince and it tones down the somewhat "sweet" flavour and also makes for a meaty texture. Have made various fake mince dishes with them (lasagne, shepherds pie, chilli, bolognaise etc) and even our meat eating friends really like them.

 

[BensGrandad]

A basic one... chicken thighs.

Chicken thighs skinned
1 White onion
Bunch of fresh Coriander (cilantro)
2 Tomatoes
Pinch of Salt
Plenty of black pepper
Chillies - optional (Scotchies or whatever you like)
1 tin Coconut milk
2 tablespoons of Thai Fish sauce
4 Potatoes
Chilli powder optional
2 tablespoons Jeera powder
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 dollop Pataks Madras (or to your choice) paste

For the massala
1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
2 teaspoons Coriander seeds
2 teaspoons Mustard seeds
1 tablespoon Cumin seeds
4 Cardamon pods

For the rice
Tilda
6 Cardamon pods
Small handful of Cumin seeds
6 Cloves
Cinnamon stick broken into three pieces
Colouring optional - if you do, orange, red and green

Chop onion into fine pieces and fry til golden and soft.
Chop toms roughly and add to the onions.
Chop chillies (or if scotchies and too hot for your pallet just puncture) and add to the fry.
I don't use cilantro as a garnish, it gets finely chopped and added into the fry.
For the massala, put into a grinder and grind to a powder.
Add the massala, garlic, ginger, chilli and jeera powder and paste and mix til it becomes a paste.
Add the chicken.

In the meantime chop the skinned potatoes into bite size chunks and par boil, add a teaspoon of turmeric to the water, adding some cilantro is optional.

Add the coconut milk and a few teaspoons of fish sauce to the paste you are cooking. Allow it to simmer.
When the potatoes are par boiled add them to the curry and some of the water it was boiled in to get a full gravy, depending how thick or runny you want it.

I cheat on rice and use a rice boiler or whatever they're called.

4 cups of Tilda and four cups of water. Add the cloves, cardamon, cumin seeds and cinnamon sticks and leave it to cook. If you want to tri-colour it add the tiniest amount of all three colours. Don't mix it up until the rice is done.

I think that's about it off the top of my head.

How many is that intended to serve?

 

[Sussex Nomad]

How many is that intended to serve?

That will usually do me and her indoors for three days.

 

[BensGrandad]

So the answer basically is 6 meals. I once worked for a man whose wife came from Singapore and she lefta curry cooking all day Sunday then left it and they ate it on Wednesday to allow for it to marinate to enhance the flavour, Is this similar?

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

Fair play to you but it wasn't for me, now cauliflower with a bit of cheese over the top I do like.

Bit of cheese?
BIT of cheese?
LOTS of cheese, must have mustard in the cheese sauce though

 

[Sussex Nomad]

So the answer basically is 6 meals. I once worked for a man whose wife came from Singapore and she lefta curry cooking all day Sunday then left it and they ate it on Wednesday to allow for it to marinate to enhance the flavour, Is this similar?

Very much so, the longer left the better it tastes.

 

[BensGrandad]

Slightly OT my wife made a chilli for a party at my sons that included BBQ and jacket potatoes and had some left. My son put it in the freezer some 8 months ago. He took it out this week and put it in the microwave for his dinner and he said it had got so hot he couldnt eat it not even by adding yoghurt to bring it down. How did it get hotter being frozen?

 

[Hendrax]

Grilled Haloumi

 

[knocky1]

Roast Thrushes. Delicious.

I'll tell her that. She still uses yoghurt.

 

[knocky1]

So the answer basically is 6 meals. I once worked for a man whose wife came from Singapore and she lefta curry cooking all day Sunday then left it and they ate it on Wednesday to allow for it to marinate to enhance the flavour, Is this similar?

I'm no Masterchef contestant but I believe you marinate raw meat. As you say though a curry left a day or two definitely gets more flavour. Not sure what the word for that process is though.

 

[skipper734]

Larks Tongues, makes a great snack at games.

 

[dazzer6666]

Liquid smoke......fantastic addition to things like barbecue sauces and marinades

 

[Yes Chef]

Slightly OT my wife made a chilli for a party at my sons that included BBQ and jacket potatoes and had some left. My son put it in the freezer some 8 months ago. He took it out this week and put it in the microwave for his dinner and he said it had got so hot he couldnt eat it not even by adding yoghurt to bring it down. How did it get hotter being frozen?

I'm not sure how it got hotter BG but keeping mince in a freezer for 8 months isn't the best idea. It'll be harmless enough (if reheated properly) but the quality of the meat would deteriorate after 2 or 3 months. In fact, that might help explain it.

 

[BensGrandad]

I'm not sure how it got hotter BG but keeping mince in a freezer for 8 months isn't the best idea. It'll be harmless enough (if reheated properly) but the quality of the meat would deteriorate after 2 or 3 months. In fact, that might help explain it.

Son forgot it was in there and when he saw it he used it. I wonder how many people have food in the bottom of the freezer that they have forgotten that they had frozen or bought.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Slightly OT my wife made a chilli for a party at my sons that included BBQ and jacket potatoes and had some left. My son put it in the freezer some 8 months ago. He took it out this week and put it in the microwave for his dinner and he said it had got so hot he couldnt eat it not even by adding yoghurt to bring it down. How did it get hotter being frozen?

Maybe putting it in the freezer made it chilli-ier?

 

[BensGrandad]

Maybe putting it in the freezer made it chilli-ier?

Quite good