Tag: belacan

• 

  PK’s Cheaters Red Curry Paste

  Here is my, unashamedly, unauthentic red curry paste :).

  

  I use it to make Thai Red Chicken Curries and also Tom Kha Gai (one of my favourite south-east Asian soups).

  Please read PK’s Curry Paste Kit before you get going and also ramp the chili factor skywards if you are allowed to. You will notice that I use a blender because I am a lazy cook. However I prefer the chunkier look of the paste if you use a mortar and pestle.

  One last thing, I would love to use Kaffir lime zest instead of common limes but my tree never seems to fruit. I think it has something to do with what it is grafted to.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1 Tbsp whole coriander seeds
    • 0.5 Tbsp whole cumin seeds
    • 1 Tbsp rock salt (add more if you want a more authentic taste)
    • 0.5 tsp whole black peppercorns
    • 1 Tbsp powdered kashmiri chili  (add more and use whole chilis if you want a more authentic taste and look)
    • 3 coriander roots
    • 7cm of pickled galangal root
    • 5 garlic cloves
    • 3 lemongrass stalks, freshly harvested, leaves removed
    • 1 large red shallot
    • 1 Tbsp dried belacan (shrimp paste)
    • 1 Tbsp lime zest (I used about 2 small limes to get this much)
    • a dash of lime juice
    • a dash of water (add less or more depending on your desired consistency)
    • a dash of olive oil or garlic infused olive oil (I think you can skip this if you are using a mortar and pestle)
    • 2 Kaffir lime leaves (sorry everyone, I know this is really not the done thing traditionally)
  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a sharp knife
    • a serving bowl
    • a wet blender with a very small bowl
    • a dry spice mixer
    • a medium frypan (for dry roasting the spices)

  Make the paste

  I love bringing everything together before I start cooking. The ingredients in this dish are so visually appealing and the aromas are simply amazing.

  

  Steps:

  1. Dry roast the 1 Tbsp whole coriander seeds, 0.5 Tbsp whole cumin seeds and the 0.5 tsp whole black peppercorns.
  2. When cooled, pop them in you dry spice mixer and pulse to a rough consistency.
  3. Chuck the rest of the ingredients (at least roughly chopped) in your wet blender:
     • 1 Tbsp powdered kashmiri chili
     • 1 Tbsp rock salt
     • 3 coriander roots
     • 7cm of galangal root
     • 5 garlic cloves
     • 3 lemongrass stalks
     • 1 large red shallot
     • 1 Tbsp dried belacan
     • 1 Tbsp lime zest
     • a dash of lime juice
     • a dash of water
     • a dash of olive oil or garlic infused olive oil
     • 2 Kaffir lime leaves

   

   

  

  Storing

  This paste freezes well in a small container or snap-lock bag. I prefer to make it in just enough of a quantity so I can use it fresh in a dish.

  Enjoy and please send me your tips,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  October 1, 2016

• 

  PK’s Nyonya Rempah

  This Malaysian curry paste looks hard to make on first glance. After a few goes though you will be able to make it blindfolded  and I hope like me you find it an enjoyable process :).

  I make it well ahead of time for my favourite south-east Asian curry, a sticky Nyonyan Chicken Curry (see the post here). Please give this paste recipe a try, you won’t be disappointed. The only drawback is that you might not look at store bought pastes in the same light ever again.

  Note: All my recipes have their chili quota curbed at my family’s request. I am slowly increasing the amount on the sly so don’t tell them :). Add extra chili for that authentic taste if you can get away with it.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1 tsp table salt
    • 1 tsp brown sugar
    • 3.5 Tbsp whole coriander seeds
    • 1.5 tsp whole cumin seeds
    • 1.5 tsp whole fennel seeds
    • 1 tsp powdered kashmiri chili (at the minimum)
    • 1 Tbsp dried belacan (shrimp paste)*
    • 1 Tbsb powdered turmeric
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 270g red shallots (sliced)
      
    • 1/3 cup olive oil
    • Note *: I sometimes use a treacle consistency type of belacan but it is so sticky and harder to blend than the dried version.

  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a small bowl
    • a small plate
    • a wet blender with a very small bowl
    • a dry spice mixer or a mortar and pestle

  Make the rempah

  Steps:

  1. Have a quick read of my PK’s Curry Paste Kit post if it has been a while.
  2. Bring all of the rempah ingredients together. I use a small plate to make it easier to add the ingredients to the frypan or blender.
  3. Dry fry the  whole spices (3.5 Tbsp whole coriander seeds, 1.5 tsp whole cumin seeds and 1.5 tsp whole fennel seeds).
  4. Let them cool and add to your spice mill. Mill them in bursts to avoid cooking the spices further in the heat caused by the blades. Keep going until you get a fine powder. Add this powder to your wet mixer and enjoy the aroma.
  5. Roughly chop the 270g red shallots and 3 garlic cloves and add to the wet mixer.
  6. I use Sim Seng Lee brand dried belacan (1 Tbsp worth) and it stores really well and doesn’t smell out the house! Add it to the wet mixer.
  7. Add the rest of the ingredients to the wet blender (1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp kashmiri chili and 1 Tbsb powdered turmeric).
  8. Blend to a smooth paste, add to a bowl and place in the fridge for short-term use or the freezer otherwise.

  Better than a store bought paste by a long shot:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 5, 2016

• 

  How To Make A Nyonya Rempah Paste

  This Malaysian curry paste looks hard to make on first glance. After a few goes though you will be able to make it blindfolded  and I hope like me you find it an enjoyable process :).

  I make it well ahead of time for my favourite south-east Asian curry, a sticky Nyonyan Chicken Curry (see the post here). Please give this paste recipe a try, you won’t be disappointed. The only drawback is that you might not look at store bought pastes in the same light ever again.

  Look at the colourful ingredients:

  

  Note:

  1. All my recipes have their chili quota curbed at my family’s request. I am slowly increasing the amount on the sly so don’t tell them :). Add extra chili for that authentic taste if you can get away with it.
  2. The paste freezes well.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1 tsp table salt
    • 1 tsp brown sugar
    • 3.5 Tbsp whole coriander seeds
    • 1.5 tsp whole cumin seeds
    • 1.5 tsp whole fennel seeds
    • 1 tsp powdered kashmiri chili (at the minimum)
    • 1 Tbsp dried belacan (shrimp paste)*
    • 1 Tbsb powdered turmeric
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 270g red shallots (sliced)
      
    • 1/3 cup olive oil
    • Note *: I sometimes use a treacle consistency type of belacan but it is so sticky and harder to blend than the dried version.

  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a small bowl
    • a small plate
    • a wet blender with a very small bowl
    • a dry spice mixer or a mortar and pestle

  Make the rempah

  Steps:

  1. Bring all of the rempah ingredients together (see What Does Mise en Place Mean?.
  2. Dry fry the  whole spices (3.5 Tbsp whole coriander seeds, 1.5 tsp whole cumin seeds and 1.5 tsp whole fennel seeds).
  3. Let them cool and add to your spice mill. Mill them in bursts to avoid cooking the spices further in the heat caused by the blades. Keep going until you get a fine powder. Add this powder to your wet mixer and enjoy the aroma.
  4. Roughly chop the 270g red shallots and 3 garlic cloves and add to the wet mixer.
  5. I use Sim Seng Lee brand dried belacan (1 Tbsp worth), it stores really well and doesn’t smell out the house! Add it to the wet mixer.
  6. Add the rest of the ingredients to the wet blender (1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp kashmiri chili and 1 Tbsb powdered turmeric).
  7. Blend to a smooth paste, spoon it into a bowl and place in the fridge.

  Better than a store bought paste by a long shot:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 5, 2016