Recipe Guide

Indian Watermelon Curry Recipe only This Indian watermelon curry is fantastic in the hot summer months. This dish dates back to when food was hard to come by and they had to make what they could from what they (Rajasthan) had. The flavor should be sweet, sour and a little hot. INGREDIENTS 1/4 of a large fresh watermelon 1 teaspoon hot chili powder 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder 3/4 teaspoon fresh garlic puree 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons oil 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds sugar to taste 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice METHOD 1. Place the watermelon on a hard surface and cut out the quarter piece, remove all the seeds. Peel off the skin and cut into 4 cm cubes. Now blend 1 cup of the fresh cut watermelon to make juice.Add to the juice the chili, turmeric, and coriander powders, garlic and salt. 2. In a medium saucepan or wok heat the oil and when hot add the cumin seeds and then in 25 seconds add the watermelon juice. Now turn down the heat and simmer for ab...

Laotian Crab and Green Mango Salad Recipe only What a great salad this is, Laotian crab and green mango salad, full of goodness with the taste of the ocean. Lao a landlocked country that is until recently been shut to the world has an amazingly simple cuisine based on very fresh ingredients. Green mango can be found everywhere in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Burma to name a few. It is sold everywhere as a quick filling, healthy snack and comes with a small dipping bag of sugar mixed with spice, so you get a sweet, hot taste when eating this delicious fruit. Very uncommon in the western world where people prefer to eat mangoes when ripened. INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 2 tablespoons palm sugar 2 green bird's eye chilies, chopped 1 teaspoon ground dried shrimp 300 g fresh crab meat 2/3 cup chopped mint leaves 1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves 4 Asian shallots, finely sliced 1 green mango, peeled and flesh finely shredded 1 fresh tomato, cu...

Vietnamese Tempura Softshell Crab with Lime and Fish Sauce Dressing Recipe only It's best to make tempura batter just before frying to keep the batter from absorbing oil when frying. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a little batter in the hot oil. If it rises immediately, then the oil is hot enough. I love this dish and we used to serve it when I worked at Ashcrofts restaurant in the Blue Mountains not far from Sydney. INGREDIENTS 8 softshell crabs, halved batter 2 cups ice cold water, with crushed ice 1 egg yolk, beaten 1 cup plain flour coriander sprigs for garnish dressing 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons lime juice 3-4 green chilies, chopped oil for deep frying METHOD 1. Half fill a wok or saucepan with oil and heat to 180 C or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. 2. Make the batter just before cooking. Place chilled water into a bowl and add egg and flour all at once. Using a pair of chopsticks or fork, mix gently to loosely combine. There should be flour aro...

Cambodian Tamarind and Citrus Pork Curry Recipe only Cambodian food uses techniques and ingredients from Chinese, Indian, and Thai cooking, but distills them into an individual style. This recipe smacks  of Indian influence, but it's individualized with native ingredients and flavors such as tamarind, the tangy-tasting dried  pod of the tamarind tree. INGREDIENTS 70 g dried tamarind, chopped coarsely 1/4 cup (180 ml) boiling water 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 large red onion, chopped finely 1 fresh long red chili, sliced thinly 5 cm piece fresh ginger, grated 2 garlic cloves, crushed 10 fresh curry leaves 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon finely grated lime rind 1 tablespoon lime juice 400 ml can coconut cream 6 baby eggplants, chopped coarsely 1 kg pork fillet, cut into 2 cm dices METHOD 1. Soak tamarind in the boiling water for 30 minutes. Place fine sieve over a small bowl; push tamarind through the sieve. Discard s...