Mango & Coriander Spicy Kerabu Salad

This refreshing salad is based on the Thai Som Tum Mamuang (Thai Green Mango Salad) and the very much loved Kerabu Mangga recipe that Makmah makes. I love mangoes, but the quality of mangoes I can find here in Greece at times disappoint me. They ripen into hard, sour fruits and I find that they are perfect for savoury salads like this kerabu or made into puree/sauce (to be eaten with ice cream, yum!)

I also love coriander (cilantro). They go really well with this salad, with the kaffir lime leaves and juice, peanuts, fish sauce and kerisik makes this into a very fragrant and appetizing salad. Different brands of fish sauce have different levels of saltiness, so vary accordingly. Be safe, use 1 tbsp first, taste and add more fish sauce/soy sauce if you think it needs more.

Before

After

Ingredients: (Serves 2 - 4 people)

1 mango, sliced/shredded into matchsticks like above.

2-3 sprigs of spring onions, sliced thinly.

A handful of peanuts, crushed into pieces.

A handful of coriander, sliced thinly.

4-5 slices of kaffir lime leaves, sliced into thin shreds.

1 tbsp of kerisik

Juice from 1 lime.

1 - 2 tbsps of fish sauce

1 tbsp of light low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp of sambal paste

Preparation:

1. In a big mixing bowl add the mango, spring onions, coriander, lime leaves and kerisik. Save a tablespoon or 2 of the peanuts, and add the rest to the mix.
2. In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, soy sauce, sambal paste and lime juice and whisk till smooth.
3. Add the dressing to the salad, and mix thoroughly. Taste, and season with more fish sauce/soy sauce if required.
4. Before serving, garnish with the leftover peanuts.

Bhel

I was first introduced to Bhel as I read the opening paragraph to The Namesake, about the main character Gogol's mother and her attempts at making a snack that she sorely missed. It somewhat reminded me of a snack I once had when I was growing up in Malaysia - unable to remember the name or the exact location I had it, the only thing that stood out to me was the use of peanuts and Rice Krispies or puffed rice. I shuffled that particular observation and memory to a corner of my mind, until earlier this year, while I was walking in Shoreditch with my sister and we happened upon Dishoom. The place looked very inviting, and the food choice was excellent. But what stood out was Bhel, and its a very satisfying salad/snack.
My particular recipe is an adaptation or should I say inspired by the Bhel I had at Dishoom and the one I read about in The Namesake.
Its a safe Vegetarian option (or Vegan if you make your own puffed rice), and its sweet and savoury and spicy and tangy all at the same time. Its very addictive and satisfying, and I find sometimes that a bowlful of this for brunch is enough to last me for the day until dinner.

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups of Rice Krispies/puffed rice
1 cup of roasted peanuts
1/2 cup of pomegranate fruit (arils)
1 small onion, diced
1 spring onion, sliced thin
A handful of thinly sliced coriander (cilantro), approx. 30-50g, depending on taste.
1-2 tsp of chilli powder
Juice from 1 small lime.
Tamarind juice, from 1 tsp of tamarind paste soaked in 3-4 tbsp of water (remove the pulp)

Spiced mustard oil:
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
1/2 tsp of mustard seeds
4-5 pieces of dried curry leaves

Salt and pepper to taste.

Coriander

Preparation:

1. Prepare the oil by heating up a pan and adding the oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Fry until the spices start to pop. Remove from heat, and let steep.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the rice krispies, peanuts, pomegranate arils, coriander, onion and spring onion. Mix thoroughly. Add half of the chilli powder and mix again.
3. In a separate bowl, add the lime juice and tamarind juice. Remove the mustard seeds and curry leaves from the oil, and add oil to the juice. Whisk until its all mixed well.
4. Add the juice to the salad/snack bowl, and mix thoroughly. Taste and season accordingly. The spicy heat should be manageable, and if you want it spicier, add more chilli powder.
5. Serve, and happy snacking!

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is a rich and creamy rice cooked in coconut milk. Traditionally it is accompanied with sambal tumis (sauteed sambal), ikan bilis and peanuts, cucumbers and a hard boiled-egg. I can say that Nasi Lemak is our national dish. It is a versatile dish, can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner and for the night-owls of my capital city Kuala Lumpur, you can even find them past midnight in some eateries. Look here for a quasi musical/documentary about Nasi Lemak that was filmed in Pudu Market.

Nasi Lemak can be served on its own, or with other side dishes. I sometimes make Chicken Rendang in addition to Nasi Lemak, or I make Sambal Tumis Sotong (Squid Sambal). I have made several variations of Sambal Tumis, with aubergines, hard-boiled eggs and even tofu!

I don't have any Pandan (Screwpine Leaves) at the moment, but cooking the rice with pandan makes the rice smell (and subsequently, taste!) heavenly. I had a stalk of lemongrass which I crushed and added into the rice pot with the coconut milk.

Nasi Lemak is my go-to dish to cook when I feel I need a simple but satisfying pick-me-up from home. There were times when I was ill and about to flee from Greece (usually during the winter) and a plateful of this makes me less homesick.

Ingredients: (serves 2-4)

For the Rice:

1 cup of fragrant Jasmine rice

1 can of coconut milk

Some water (if the coconut milk doesn't come up to 1 1/2 to 2 cups)

A pinch of salt.

If available: pandan leaf tied into a knot, or a stalk of lemongrass, crushed.

For the Sambal Tumis: Recipe here.

Garnish:

Cucumbers, sliced.
Hard-boiled eggs, sliced into halves or quarters.
Ikan Bilis (Anchovies) and Peanuts mix.

Preparation:

1. Cook the rice. If you're using a rice cooker, add the rice and 1 1/2 cups of liquid (coconut milk and water if not enough), a pinch of salt and the pandan or lemongrass. If you're cooking it in a pot on the stove, add the seasonings, rice and liquid (1 1/2 cups to 1 3/4 cups - no more than 2 cups or it'll get soggy!). Cook on medium heat until you see small crater holes on the surface of the rice. Cover with lid, and turn off the heat. Let it steam for about 10 minutes. Do not open the lid until after 10-15 minutes, or you'll stop the steaming and the rice will get all weird. Fluff with a fork.
2. Cook the sambal while rice is cooking.
3. Once everything is ready, arrange on a plate with the garnish - cucumbers, hard-boiled eggs, the ikan bilis (anchovies) and peanuts. 

You can serve it with sambal tumis sotong, or chicken rendang, or a piece of fried chicken, or beef curry.

Sambal Tumis (Sauteed Sambal)

Here is a recipe that is a basic building block to many Malaysian dishes - the sambal tumis. It literally means Sauteed Sambal, sambal being a chilli paste/sauce and you can find the basic sambal paste recipe here. For sambal tumis though, I add a bit of garlic and shallots (or red onions) in the paste. The special ingredient here that makes sambal tumis especially yummy is the tamarind juice (Asam Jawa). Some people add belacan, which is fermented shrimp paste, while I do not. If you can find it, and feeling extra adventurous, please do. I find the smell when I cook belacan too overwhelming (and this is coming from a person who LOVES durian.) and I get a slight allergic reaction to belacan if its not prepared correctly. So I avoid it whenever possible.

I also use this recipe as a base for sambal tumis sotong (Squid Sambal). I do vary my accent ingredient - I especially love sambal tumis telur (with hard boiled eggs, something my grandma Pah loves), and I make it with aubergines which is a particular favourite of Jennifer's. Prawns go rather well with sambal tumis, too.

I pound my sambal paste in the lesung (pestle and mortar) but you can blitz it in a food processor if you want.

Ingredients: (serves 2, a small bowl or with 200-300g of squid.)

Sambal Paste:

5-10 deseeded chillies, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
Belacan (if using)

1 small onion, sliced into half-rings
Tamarind juice from 1 tsp of tamarind paste soaked in half a cup of water, (remove the pulp).
1 tbsp of vegetable oil
Salt to taste.

Additional 'accent' ingredient if you want, for example squid, prawns, aubergines, etc.

Sambal Tumis Sotong (Squid Sambal)

Preparation:

1. Prepare the paste, (in the processor or lesung)
2. In a hot wok/pan, add the oil. Saute the paste until it the oil creates a film at the top (what we Malays say pecah minyak - the oil breaks).
3. Add the onion rings and saute until translucent. If you are planning to add squid or thinly sliced aubergines, add them in with the onions and stir until cooked.
4. Add the tamarind juice.
5. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens. Salt to taste.
6. Serve with Nasi Lemak! (Or with a plate of steamed rice)