Tag: brown sugar

• 

  Sugar

  So what is sugar?

  What we commonly call “sugar” is refined sucrose, a carbohydrate of two simple sugars (glucose and fructose) found naturally in plants. Glucose and fructose get a lot of attention in the media because of their central role (for good and bad) in food production and consumption.

  Today, refined sugar comes from two plants, the sugar beet (a cultivar of the common beetroot) and sugar cane. There are many types of refined sugar available with the differences being the amount of refinement and added ingredients.

  There are also less refined traditional sugar products that have been used to sweeten food for centuries. Our ancestors also used sugar’s antibacterial qualities to keep preserved foods such as jams and the like bacteria free without refrigeration.

  Types

  Click the links below for more information on different sugars.

  • raw sugar

   

   

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  September 1, 2017

• 

  Ben’s Magic BBQ Sauce

  So here is the yummy barbecue sauce that goes with Ben’s Magic Chicken Dry Rub. It is enticingly tangy and smokey and you can use it as a basting sauce or add it to meat and vegetables as you eat. Ben recommends making it in small batches only so it retains its punch :).

  ---

  All you have to do is add to a pot:

  1. Two good dollops of tomato sauce.
  2. A not quite as good dollop of chilli sauce (I use my home-made one, which is a smoky chipotle style).
  3. A big splash of Worcestershire sauce.
  4. About 2 Tbsp of brown sugar.
  5. A small dollop of molasses.
  6. One drop of liquid smoke.
  7. Salt or soy sauce to taste.
  8. A large dash of Ben’s Magic Chicken Dry Rub.

  Heat until it boils, is well mixed/dissolved and smelling amazing.

  

  Cheers,

  Ben

  Related links:

  • more drippy stuff
  • DrippyStuff: Chicken Baste #1
  • DryStuff: Chicken Dry Rub #1

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  March 21, 2017

• 

  PK’s Coriander And Garlic Sauce

  I first had this sauce (store bought) when I was in Darwin 2016.

  It is simple to make but it packs a real astringent wallop. I used this recipe originally from http://www.tarladalal.com/ (this site is amazing FYI)  and I am going to experiment a bit with the amount of garlic and sugar . I also blended it the first time and I think that made it too potent :).

  It goes great drizzled on a green or your Asian salad of choice. You can even use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls and the like.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 Tbsp coriander leaves (cilantro)
    • 1 Tbsp fresh green chilis
    • 0.5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tsp white vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp water

  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a medium sized bowl
    • a serving bowl
    • optional: a wet blender with a very small bowl

  Make the sauce

  

  Steps:

  1. Rough chop the 1 Tbsp worth of coriander leaves and add them to a bowl.
  2. Peel and finely chop the 2 garlic cloves. I use the knife to gently smash the garlic clove first to make it easier to peel. Chuck this in the bowl.
  3. Finely chop the 1 Tbsp worth of green chilis and (you guessed it) add it to the bowl.
  4. Squeeze about 0.5 Tbsp of lemon juice and add this to the bowl along with:
     • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
     • 2 tsp white vinegar
     • 2 Tbsp water
  5. Now you can either mix the sauce with a fork or optionally blend it in the wet mixer for a few pulses.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 8, 2016

• 

  The Easiest Coriander And Garlic Sauce

  Coriander based sauces provide a real flavour boost to your dishes. I love drizzling them in everthing from salads to steaks and potato side dishes,  If you give the  ingredients below a whizz in a blender (rather than a fine chopping) you will get an amazing dipping sauce for spring rolls and the like.

  

  I used this recipe originally from http://www.tarladalal.com (this site is amazing FYI)  and I am going to experiment a bit with the amount of garlic and sugar.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 Tbsp coriander leaves (cilantro)
    • 1 Tbsp fresh green chilis
    • 0.5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tsp white vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp water

  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a medium sized bowl
    • a serving bowl
    • optional: a wet blender with a very small bowl

  Making the sauce

  

  Steps:

  1. Rough chop the 1 Tbsp of coriander leaves.
  2. Peel and finely chop the 2 garlic cloves. I use the knife to gently smash the garlic clove first to make it easier to peel.
  3. Finely chop the 1 Tbsp worth of green chilis.
  4. Pop those ingredients to a bowl.
  5. Squeeze about 0.5 Tbsp of lemon juice and add this to the bowl along with:
     • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
     • 2 tsp white vinegar
     • 2 Tbsp water

  Now you can either mix the sauce with a fork for a  a crunchier sauce or blend it in the wet mixer for a few pulses.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more sauces, condiments and dips along with other cooking staples: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 8, 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