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Saturday, 14 August 2010 17:45

 

Curry Powders

In Malaysian cooking the curry powders come in 2 formulations.
a) curry powder for meat and vegetable dishes
b) curry powder for seafood fishes

The Eagle brand curry powders are 100% vegetarian and contain no additives.(viz; preservatives, coloring, extracts, taste enhancers and fillers). The meat and vegetable curry powders contain spice combinations that accentuate the taste of meat and vegetable dishes. Likewise, the seafood curry powder has spice combinations that accentuate the taste of seafood dishes.

Storage : Pour curry powder into a clean glass container. Close tightly. Place in a cool and dry cupboard.

 

Grains, Lentils, Pulses and Spices

Storage : Store in cool and dry place.

 

Cast iron wok : (seasoning)

The cast iron wok is an intergral part of Malaysian cooking. A seasoned wok is essential to bring out the true taste of dishes. Brand new woks have a coating of machine oil to prevent rusting. Wash the wok well with soap. Dry with paper towel. Apply a layer of cooking oil. Wipe again with paper towel. Add 2 cups of dessicated (grated) coconut. Heat the wok till the coconut is brown. Discard the gratings. Repeat till the wok stops absorbing the oil and dirt. Now the wok is seasoned.

 

Coconut Cream/Milk

Coconut cream is thick liquid obtained from 1st and 2nd squeezing of coconut gratings. Coconut milk is from subsequent squeezings. Malaysian cooking frequently uses coconut cream/milk. It is preferable to use fresh coconut;if unavailable use prepacked paper carton coconut cream/milk.(with no additives). A good coconut is heavy. Shake it. You should hear liquid sloshing inside. Crack the coconut along the equator using a machete. Save the liquid inside. It makes a refreshing drink. Use a sharp knife to prise the coconut flesh. Cut into small pieces and blend with 1 cup water(8oz). The first 2 squeezing will yield about 2 cups of coconut cream. Add additional 1 cup water with subsequent squeezings. Repeat till the liquid becomes too thin. One large coconut will yield about 2 cups of coconut cream and 4 or 5 cups of coconut milk. Excess liquid can be refrigerated for 2 days. Prepacked coconut cream could be diluted to make coconut milk.

 

Dry Roasting

Many of the spices require dry roasting to bring out the full flavor. In dry roasting no oil or water is used. Heat the spice till it is fragrant. Do not scorch. Turn off heat. Remove.

 

Tamarind Juice

Tamarind juice is used frequently in seafood dishes. Always use non metallic containers in preparing tamarind juice. Mix well the tamarind pulp with water. Strain.

 

Cooking Rice

In a pot rinse rice till the water runs clear. Drain. Next, add water (or liquid) to 1 1/2 inches above the rice level. Heat pot uncovered. Bring to a boil. Turn down to medium flame and partly cover the pot. When the rice has absorbed all the liquid, turn off flame. Cover the pot completely. Let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Uncover. Run a fork through rice to fluff.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 July 2011 12:13