Wednesday 31 December 2014

Keema pasta...the "well cooked" Indian style!!

Keema Pastathe last post of this yearand what a fabulous year it has beenon a personal level almost everything that I set out to do this year has been done and dustedlots of new experiencesfun, love, laughter, lessons, learnings and blessingsall thanks to the One above, family and friends J

For the blog, some of the things that I planned to do have been done – some old posts rewritten, some old pictures replaced, the pictures are turning out slightly better than before, almost all of the picture recipe indices have been separated, the new collage compilation shows 51 posts (including a few old posts which were separated and  few old pictures which were replaced) which is not bad considering the length and number of times I went missing again this year Jthe blog has more than  325,000 views, facebook has more than 1,800 likes…so I guess even the blog has had a blessed year – and all thanks to you J

We have just come back from a short vacation (head over to fb for a few snaps) and are headed out again for another short vacation (you can imagine my happy dancing feet!!)will now see you back here in the second week of Januaryhave a fabulous last day of 2014 and a blessed 2015cheers!!J

So now, back to the last post of 2014Keema Pasta or Keema MacaroniIndian style Pasta in Indian style Bolognese sauceso what do I mean by Indian style pasta?? Well, there are two kinds of Indian Pastas – WAIT!! Don’t go rolling your eyes at me just yet!! Wait and hear me outsooo, two kinds – the first kind is the actual Indian Pasta, when we treat our dough like a fresh pasta dough and do our original authentic dishes like Dal Dhokli (read up on this one or wait for me to a do a version soon) and the second kind is where we take Macaroni ( yes, it is always Macaroni since it was the first pasta to reach our shores) and dress it up in an Indian avatarI, along with millions of others, have grown up eating Macaroni cooked in a pressure cooker to be eaten like pulao or a curry side dish with roti (my mom got me to start eating peas by making macaroni and peas curry)...or given a South Indian tempering and served for breakfast like upmaor drenched in ketchup and the all-essential green peasall delicious if you don’t turn up your snooty nose at them J

No pressure cooker involved in the recipe below but there can be if you want, after all nothing says Indian like a good old pressure cooker J...lots of Indian spices and pasta cooked the “well cooked” Indian way



Indian Bolognese Macaroni mmskitchenbites



Keema Pasta/Keema Macaroni


Ingredients:

  • Meat mince, 250 gm (I used beef, you could use mutton/goat or even lamb or chicken – adjust cooking times to the kind of meat you are using, if using chicken – ensure you use mince from thigh portion and not the breast)
  • Pasta, 150 gms ( Ideally made with macaroni but any short to medium length tube shaped pasta would do)
  • Onions, finely chopped, 2 large
  • Tomatoes, pureed, 4-5 medium ( roughly chop and blitz in a blender)
  • Packaged Tomato Puree, 2 tbsp
  • Cumin seeds, ½ tsp
  • Garlic paste, 2 tsp
  • Ginger paste, 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder, ¼ tsp
  • Cumin powder, 1 ½ tsp
  • Coriander powder, 1 ½ tsp
  • Red chili powder, 1 tsp or to taste (for heat, or use Cayenne Pepper)
  • Kashmiri red chili powder, 2 tsp (for colour, or use Paprika)
  • Garam Masala powder, ½ tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Sugar, about ½ tsp (optional)
  • Stock of your choice or water, 250 ml (I used beef stock)
  • Oil, 2tbsp
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped, a handful

Instructions:


In case I wasn’t clear with the preamble!!...First things first, in Indian pasta dishes, pasta is cooked a little beyond “al dente”, to what we call “well cooked”so keep this in mind when you get to the pasta stage in the recipenow that doesn’t mean a gooey mess but just a couple of minutes beyond the time specified on the packet to make it softer. Though if you must, you can cook it al dente if you want (am guessing if you are trying this Indian pasta recipe, you are anyway not much of a purist, so do try and go beyond the “al dente” stage!!J )


Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed deep pan. Add cumin seeds and when they start spluttering add in the onions.

Fry the onions till golden brown on low heat. Add in the garlic paste and let it cook for a minute or two.

Add in the turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, red chili powder and kashmiri red chili powder. Mix well with the onions and sauté for a couple of minutes – stir continuously and don’t let the spices burn.

Increase the heat to high and tip in the mince. Stir and keep breaking up the mince till it is well browned.

Add in the salt, sugar, ginger paste, fresh and packaged tomato puree. Stir and mix well and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes.

Add in the stock/water and let the mix come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pan and leave to simmer for about 40- 45 minutes. Stir intermittently to ensure the meat doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. After simmering the sauce should look thick and moist.
(Taste and adjust seasonings as well as consistency – simmer uncovered if too saucy, add some pasta water if too thick.)

Now while the sauce is about to be done, start with the pasta. Add salt to a pan of boiling water and cook the pasta according to your liking - “al dente” according to the packet instructions or “well cooked”.
Once the pasta is ready, drain it well in a colander.

Add the pasta and coriander leaves to the pan with the mince sauce. Give it all a good stir, coating the pasta well in the mince sauce. 


Load up and dig in!! J


Indian Bolognese Pasta mmskitchenbites




Saturday 20 December 2014

Sour Cream..quick fix!!

Sour Creamhome made quick fix recipe for when you need just a small quantity and need to use it immediately or if you can’t find store bought where you live or if the store bought version is marked “imported” and is way too expensiveDo note that the home made version is not as thick as the store bought versionusing heavy/double cream will result in a thicker sour cream, so choose single or double cream based on the texture you are looking for.



Homemade Sour Cream mmskitchenbites



Sour Cream



Ingredients:

  • Table Cream/Single Cream/Half and Half OR Heavy Cream/Double Cream, chilled, 150 ml
  • Lemon juice, 1 tsp


Instructions:


Pour the chilled cream into a bowl and whisk till the cream begins to thicken. ( a regular balloon or hand whisk would do, no need to pull out the big guns for this one)

Add in the lemon juice and whisk till the cream forms semi-stiff peaks.


Chill and use within a day.

( I used with Chili Con Carne )

Chili Con Carne...when in Rome!!

Chili Con CarneThe British Chili Con Carne is exactly like the British Chicken Tikka Masalaif done right – delicious! But if you have eaten the original stuff you end up confusedvery, very confused!!  Thanks to my erstwhile job, have had the good fortune of gorging on both the TexMex and the Texan Chili plenty of times (and have a couple of mean recipes for both) so I was all curious to try the British versionand did so within a couple of weeks of landing in Londondecided that neither the chili nor the chicken tikka masala was for us (not enough depth, overly sweet and not cooked enough)until I decided to give it a try myself...read up on a whole lot of different recipes and the one below is a mish-mash of all thathave made it a few times now and the man always complains that I don’t make enoughso I guess it is worth sharing as well J (more on that Chicken Tikka Masala in another post) 



British Chili Con Carne mmskitchenbites










Chili Con Carne




Ingredients:

  • Beef Mince, 500 gms
  • Onion, chopped, 2 medium large
  • Garlic cloves, finely chopped, 2-3
  • Cumin powder, 2 tsp
  • Coriander powder, 2 tsp
  • Fresh Red chili, finely chopped, 1-2 or to taste
  • Cayenne Pepper or Red chili powder, 1 tsp
  • Paprika or Kashmiri red chili powder, 2 tsp
  • All spice, ½ tsp
  • Bayleaf, 1
  • Red Kidney Beans, canned 400 gms, drained and rinsed  or about  1 ½ cups of boiled/cooked kidney beans ( ½ cup dried kidney beans will result in approximately  1 ½ cups of cooked kidney beans)
  • Chopped Tomatoes, canned 400 gms, or 5-6 tomatoes chopped with their juices or 2 cups of chopped tomatoes with their juices
  • Tomato paste, 2 tbsp or 4-6 tbsp of packaged tomato puree (1 tbsp of tomato paste = 2-3 tbsp of packaged tomato puree, start with less and then add more as required)
  • Beef stock, 400 ml (made with 1 beef stock cube mixed with hot water)  plus more stock or hot water if needed
  • Sugar, 1 tsp
  • Balsamic Vinegar, 1 tbsp
  • Dark bitter chocolate, grated or chopped, 1 small piece
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • Oil, 1 tbsp


To serve:

  • Steamed Rice or Crusty bread
  • Sour cream (recipe here)
  • Coriander leaves
  • Lime  wedges



Instructions:


Heat the oil in deep heavy bottom pan on medium heat.  Add in the chopped onions and fry till onions go soft.

Add in the red chili, garlic, cumin powder, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, paprika and all spice. Stir and fry on low heat for 4-5 minutes – stir continuously and don’t let the spices burn.

Increase the heat to high and tip in the mince. Stir and keep breaking up the mince till it is well browned.

Add in the bayleaf, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Stir and mix well and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add in the stock and let the mix come to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pan and leave to simmer for about 40- 45 minutes. Stir intermittently to ensure the meat doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. After simmering the sauce should look thick and moist.

Add in the kidney beans, chocolate and let the sauce simmer uncovered for another 20 minutes or so.

Adjust consistency – simmer uncovered if too saucy to your liking, add more stock/water if too thick.


Let the chili rest for at least an hour before serving to let the flavours develop (I keep mine in the fridge overnight and reheat to serve the next day. I keep it a little saucy when cooking and adjust consistency the next day on heating while serving)




Chili Con Carne with Sour Cream mmskitchenbites


Thursday 18 December 2014

Til Waali Gobhi/ Cauliflower with Sesame Seeds…Indian avatar!!

Til Waali Gobhi (Cauliflower with Sesame Seeds)this recipe had started off as an oven-baked cauliflower with sesame seeds and over the years has led to this Indian avatarI love the flavor of ginger with sesame seeds so never use garlic in this recipe. You can add onion if you want as mentioned in the notes below. Keep the spices to a minimum and let the flavor of sesame seeds shine through and do their magic with ginger and green chillies!! J


Cauliflower with Sesame Seeds mmskitchenbites



Til Waali Gobhi (Cauliflower with Sesame Seeds)


Ingredients:

  • Cauliflower, stalks removed and cut into even sized medium florets, 500 gms (was about 800 gms with stalks)
  • Fresh Ginger, cut into thin long strips, about 2 inch long piece
  • Fresh Green Chillies, slit into 2 vertically, 3-4 (remove seeds if you want) 
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped, a handful
  • Oil, 2 tbsp


Masala powder:

  • Sesame seeds, ¼ cup
  • Turmeric powder, ½ tsp (optional)
  • Salt, to taste


Instructions:


Par-boil the florets in salted water till about 50 percent done. Drain well and keep aside to cool.

Grind the sesame seeds to a coarse powder in a dry grinder using pulse action. Mix in salt and turmeric. Your masala powder is ready.

Heat the oil in a pan on high heat. Add green chillies and ginger strips, sauté for about 15-20 seconds.

Now add the par boiled cauliflower and fry for about 3-4 minutes till cauliflower florets start getting crisp on the edges.

Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle the masala powder on the cauliflower florets. 

Toss everything well together with a spatula so that the masala powder coats the cauliflower florets completely and also gets inside every nook and corner. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of water into the pan to ensure the masala powder sticks to the cauliflower florets.

Cover and cook for 6-7 minutes or till cauliflower florets are fully cooked to your liking.

Switch off the heat, mix in the coriander leaves and let rest for an hour or two.

Gently reheat on low heat, without stirring too much before serving.


Notes/Options:


  • Toss in finely sliced onions or shallots after the ginger and fry till pale golden brown. Add in the cauliflower and proceed as above. Increase the oil to 3 tbsp.
  • Add in a teaspoon of sesame seed oil over the top before serving or along with the masala powder into the pan.


Cauliflower with Sesame Seeds mmskitchenbites

Tuesday 16 December 2014

Gujrati Style Potatoes (Sesame and Peanut Coated Potatoes)...nuts about peanuts!!

Gujrati Style Potatoes (Sesame and Peanut Coated Potatoes)I knew I had to make this the minute I read Jyoti Modi’s recipe posted on FBthe other Gujrati potatoes that I make don’t have peanuts but grated coconut along with a few other spicesJyoti’s recipe was a mix of pearl onions and baby potatoes and hence results in a different textureI wanted mine to be dry and crusty so slightly modified and didn’t use onionseasy to make and an ideal accompaniment to any Indian spread or to be had on its ownThank you Jyoti J






Gujrati Style Potatoes (Sesame and Peanut Coated Potatoes)


Ingredients:

  • Baby Potatoes, 250 gms (or use regular potatoes cut into large chunks) 
  • Oil, 1 tbsp
  • Coriander leaves, chopped, a handful (optional)
  • Lime juice or Lemon juice, 1 tsp or to taste (optional)


Masala powder: 


  • Peanuts/Groundnuts, 3 tbsp
  • Sesame seeds, 1 tbsp
  • Garlic, roughly chopped, 3 cloves
  • Fresh Ginger, roughly chopped, 1 inch piece
  • Fresh green chilies, roughly chopped, 1-2 (remove seeds if you want)
  • Turmeric powder, ¼ tsp
  • Coriander powder, 1 tsp
  • Red chili powder, ½ tsp (or use Kashmiri red chili powder only for colour or skip it)
  • Salt, to taste
  • Coriander leaves, finely chopped, about 1 tbsp



Instructions:


Par-boil the potatoes in salted water till about 70-80 percent done. Peel and keep aside to cool.

Dry roast the sesame seeds on low heat, once they start popping, remove to a plate and keep aside to cool.

Dry roast the peanuts on low heat till they change colour. Stir continuously and don’t let them burn. Add to the sesame seeds and keep aside to cool.

Grind the sesame seeds, peanuts, garlic, ginger and green chilies to a rough coarse paste in a dry grinder using pulse action – remember it has to be a rough coarse paste and not to be ground into a fine powder. Mix in salt, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and coriander leaves. Your masala powder is ready.

Heat the oil in a pan on high heat; add the potatoes and sear till you have golden brown spots on all sides.

Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle the masala powder on the potatoes. Toss everything well together so that the masala powder coat the potatoes completely. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of water to the pan to ensure the coating is wet enough to stick to the potatoes.

Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes – till the water has completely been evaporated and potatoes are fully cooked.


Remove from heat, sprinkle some coriander leaves and lemon juice on top and serve hot.

Saturday 13 December 2014

Sweet and Spicy Stir Fried Chicken..and the magic ingredients is...

Sweet and Spicy Stir Fried Chickeneveryone has one or two ketchup recipes up their sleeve and so do Ihere is one of them



Sweet and Spicy Chicken mmskitchenbites




Sweet and Spicy Stir Fried Chicken


Ingredients:

  • Chicken, Boneless and skinless, either all breast or all thigh, 300 gms
  • Garlic, finely chopped, 2-3 cloves
  • Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp
  • Chili sauce, 3 tbsp
  • Tomato ketchup, 3 tbsp
  • Chicken stock, 2 tbsp (or more if you need a slight more sauce to eat with rice)
  • Bell peppers, mixed colours, cut into strips, about 1 ½ cups
  • Onion, cut into wedges, petals separated, 1 medium size
  • Salt, if needed
  • Pepper, if needed
  • Oil, 2 tbsp
  • Spring/Green Onions/Scallions, only the green portion, finely chopped, a handful for garnishing


For the marinade:

  • Fresh Ginger paste, 1 tsp
  • Fresh garlic paste, 1 tsp
  • Soy Sauce, 1 tbsp
  • Corn starch, 1 tbsp


Instructions:


Wash and clean the chicken. Remove all the extra fat and cut into thin strips.

Marinate the chicken with corn starch, soy sauce, ginger paste and garlic paste for about half an hour to overnight in the fridge. If you are marinating overnight, get the chicken back to room temperature before you start cooking.

Heat a large wok or frying pan over high heat. 

Heat 1 tbsp oil and add in the chicken. 
Toss the chicken around and keep turning the pieces so that they cook evenly. 

The chicken would be done in about 5-6 minutes. Lower the heat take the chicken out and keep aside.


Get the heat back to high and add in the remaining 1 tbsp oil.

Add in the garlic. Once the garlic starts to change colour, add the onions and bell peppers. Let them cook for a minute or so.

Add in the soy sauce, chili sauce, tomato ketchup, chicken stock and mix around. Let the vegetables cook with the sauces for a couple of minutes. 

Add back the chicken, toss and mix everything well together so that the chicken gets coated well. Taste and adjust seasonings


Serve immediately, garnished with finely chopped spring onions.


Sweet and Spicy Chicken mmskitchenbites


Wednesday 10 December 2014

Rui Macher Tel Jhol/Fish flavored with nigella seeds and green chilies and cooked in mustard oil...the joy of mustard oil!!

Rui Macher Tel Jhol / Fish flavored with nigella seeds and green chilies and cooked in mustard oilone of those dishes which require minimal effort but the taste is phenomenalif you are calorie conscious or can’t handle mustard oil , please stay away because this curry is nothing without mustard oiland that too, lots of it J






Rui Macher Tel Jhol (Fish flavored with nigella seeds and green chilies and cooked in mustard oil)


Ingredients:


For the fish:

  • Fish Steaks or Fillets, 4 pieces (Rohu/ Carp, Tilapia or any other white firm flesh fish of your choice)
  • Salt, ½ tsp
  • Turmeric, ½ tsp
  • Mustard Oil, 1 tbsp


For the vegetables, if using (optional)

  • Drumsticks, skin scarped and cut into 3-4 inches long pieces, 2-3
  • OR
  • Potatoes, skin peeled and cut into thick long wedges, 1 large
  • OR
  • Eggplant/ Brinjal/Aubergine, skin on, cut into thick wedges, ½ large
  • Salt, ½ tsp
  • Turmeric, ¼ tsp
  • Mustard Oil, about ½ tbsp for drumsticks and potatoes, about 1 tbsp for eggplant


For the curry:

  • Kalo jeera/Kalonji/Nigella seeds, ½ tsp
  • Fresh green chilies, slit into halves, 2-3 or more (remove seeds if you want)
  • Kashmiri Red chili powder, ½ tsp to 1 tsp (optional, I add it for the color only since I don’t like the blackish yellow colour of this curry when Kashmiri red chili powder or Paprika is not used)
  • Turmeric, ½ tsp
  • Hot Water, 1- 1 ½ cups
  • Salt, to taste
  • Mustard oil, 2-3 tbsp
  • Coriander leaves, a handful
  • Lime juice, a squeeze or two
  • Whole green chilies, 1-2 (optional)



Instructions:


Wash the fish in cold running water. Drain and pat dry.

Lay the fish in single layer on a tray/plate and sprinkle salt and turmeric on it. Rub in the salt and turmeric on both sides of the fillets and keep aside for 10-15 minutes to marinate.

Heat 1 tbsp mustard oil in a pan on medium heat. When the oil is sizzling hot, slide in the fish and fry till light golden brown on both sides. Remember the oil needs to be sizzling hot and to turn the fish only once or else the fish will break. Also, don’t fry the fish for too long or till deep/dark golden brown as it will get tough and chewy – need it to be just crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Drain the fish well with a slotted spoon and keep aside.

If using potatoes or drumsticks or eggplants, sprinkle and rub salt and turmeric; add more oil if required and fry them lightly in the same pan. Drain well with a slotted spoon and keep aside (fry the drumsticks and potatoes till they slightly change colour, fry the eggplant to nice golden brown)

In the same pan, add 2-3 tbsp more of the mustard oil. Lower the heat and add nigella seeds and the green chilies. When they sizzle, add in the turmeric and red chili powder. Stir for 4-5 seconds (don’t let the spices burn). Add back the drumsticks/potatoes, if using. Cover and let them cook for 5-7 minutes, till the veggies are half done.

Increase the heat and add in the water. Once it comes to a boil and lower the heat and slide in the fish and eggplant. Cover and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Take off the heat; add in whole green chilies, coriander leaves and lemon juice. Serve hot with plain steamed rice.


Notes/Options:



  • Mix in Ginger paste, 1 tsp, Cumin powder, ½ tsp and turmeric powder, ½ tsp  (and ½ to 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder if you want for the colour) with couple of tablespoons of water. Add in after nigella seeds. Stir for 10-15 seconds and then proceed as above by adding veggies.




Friday 5 December 2014

Chirer Pulao/ Bengali style Poha/Flattened Rice Pilaf...ready to engage!!

Chirer Pulao/ Bengali style Poha/Flattened Rice Pilafbeen a while since I posted a Bengali recipethe mere mention of poha, samosa, chaat, gol gappa and you have an army of foodies raising the flags of their cities or states claiming that it can only be done to perfection in their citythe discussion and at times arguments can last for hours at a stretch...and at the end of it all, not that there is an end to any of it, everybody walks away still sticking to the belief that their city or state does it the bestadd to that mix, a  minor change or two you make to the recipe to suit your own tastes and preferences and you will have that entire army standing at your doorstep ready to teach you how it actually should be doneI am expecting the same reaction for replacing cauliflower with broccoli in mine as according to purists the rest of the veggies can come and go but there can be no Chirer Pulao without potatoes, peas and cauliflower!!  J





Chirer Pulao (Bengali style Poha/Flattened Rice Pilaf)


Ingredients:


  • Thick Poha/Chire/Flattened rice/Beaten rice, 2 cups
  • Peanuts, about 2 tbsp
  • Cashews, halved, about 2 tbsp (skipped this time)
  • Raisins, a few, optional (I skip because neither one of us likes it)
  • Green cardamom, 1
  • Cinnamon, about an inch long piece
  • Bayleaf, 1
  • Fresh Ginger, grated/paste, 1 tsp
  • Green chilies, finely chopped or slit lengthways, 1-2 (remove all or some of the seeds if you want)
  • Onion, finely chopped, 1 small
  • Potato, peeled and cubed, 1 medium size
  • Cauliflower or Broccoli or both, cut into small florets, about 1 cup
  • Green peas, ½ cup
  • Carrot, cubed/diced, ¼ cup
  • Salt, to taste
  • Sugar, ½ tsp to 1 tsp (optional, I often skip it especially when I am using carrots)
  • Oil, 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
  • Ghee, 1 tsp (or use 1 tsp oil instead)
  • A squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
  • Fresh Coriander leaves, chopped, a handful



Instructions:


Place poha in a colander and wash it under cold running water. Keep aside and let it drain.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a thick bottomed pan.

Add in the peanuts and fry on low heat till they start changing colour. Add in cashews and raisins. Fry along with peanuts till cashews are lightly browned. Constantly keep on stirring and don’t let the peanuts burn. Drain well with slotted spoon and keep aside.

Add in the potatoes and shallow fry till they turn golden brown. Drain well and keep aside.

If using cauliflower, shallow fry that as well till the edges start going crispy and lightly browned. Drain well and keep aside.


In the same pan add in the remaining 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp ghee.  Add in the green cardamom, cinnamon and bayleaf.

When the spices start to crackle, add in the onions and green chilies. Sauté till onions go translucent.

Add in ginger paste, carrots and green peas. Sauté for 3-4 minutes till the vegetables are cooked but still retain their crunch.

Add in broccoli and stir for another minute or so.

Add in the salt and sugar. Mix well.

Add in the drained out poha, fried potatoes and cauliflower. Stir and mix well so that the poha gets coated well all the other ingredients.

Cover and let it cook for a couple of minutes.

Switch off the heat. Mix in the lemon juice and coriander leaves. Sprinkle the nuts and raisins and give a final stir.


Serve hot or warm for breakfast, a light lunch or evening snack.


Tuesday 2 December 2014

Nam Pla Prik/Prik Nam Pla ( Thai condiment- Fish Sauce with Chilies) ...potent and addictive!!!

Nam Pla Prik or Prik Nam Plaremember the green chillies soaked in vinegar we used to get at Chinese Vans and Chinese restaurants?? Well, this is the Thai versionNam Pla means Fish Sauce and Prik is Chilliworks wonders when served with Thai curries or soups or fried rice or even a simple fried eggthere is always, always, some lying in our fridge for emergencies!! 








Nam Pla Prik/Prik Nam Pla (Thai condiment- Fish Sauce with Chillies)


Ingredients:


  • Thai Fish Sauce, 4 tbsp
  • Fresh Lime juice, 2 tbsp
  • Sugar, 1 tsp
  • Fresh red and green chilli, finely chopped, 8-10 (ideally Thai chillies but any chillies that are available or that you can handle or in the mood for) 
  • Garlic Cloves, sliced finely or roughly crushed, 1-2 (optional)
  • Shallots, sliced finely, 1 (optional)
  • Lemon peel, 3-4 slivers (optional)


Instructions:


In a jar or bowl, add lime juice and sugar to fish sauce and mix well till blended.
Add in rest of the ingredients.  Andit is ready!!!

Notes:


  • Ideally try making it at least a couple of hours before the meal especially if you are using garlic and shallots but if you can’t, no harm done J
  • Just remember, the longer the chillies sit in this sauce, the less potent they become. Seal it in a jar and keep it in the fridge – lasts for about week to ten days easily.
  • Though I have specified quantity but please feel free to adjust everything to taste.
  • Oh, and for Vegetarians – normally for curries, soups etc I say substitute fish sauce with light soy sauce but if you plan to do it for this oneit will still serve the purpose to some extent but really won’t be the same.