Paneer Beetroot Paranthas (Indian Stuffed Flat-bread with Paneer)

Ingredients

• 1 cup crumble cottage cheese (paneer)
• 3/4 cup beetroot juice
• 2 cups whole wheat flour 
• 1/4 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds
• 3 tsp fresh chopped coriander leaves
• 3 tsp oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste

Method
- In a big mixing bowl, combine flour, ginger-garlic paste, salt, carom seeds, 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves, 2 tsp oil, and mix well. Slowly add beetroot juice and knead it into a semi-soft dough (add a bit water if needed). Form the dough into a big ball and sprinkle oil around it. Cover the dough with cling wrap and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients and salt in another bowl. Mix well.
- Divide the dough into equal portions and shape into balls. Flatten the ball a little and place a spoonful of paneer mixture in the center and enclose the mixture. Roll out into paranthas dusting with flour.
- Heat a non-stick pan or tawa, place the paranthas one by one on it, and cook basting with a bit oil till both sides are evenly done.
- Sprinkle chaat masala on top and serve hot.

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Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup (Canh Khổ Qua Dồn)

Ingredients

• 800g bitter melon, make a side split along the melon or cut into 3 inch cylinder, core removed
• 500g clown knife fish paste 
• 15g dried wood-ear mushroom, soaked in warm water and finely chopped
• 30g glass noodle, soaked in warm water and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp minced shallot
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 liters of chicken stock 
• Chicken powder or knorr seasoning powder
• Salt, sugar, ground pepper to taste

Method
- Heat water in a big pot, when it comes to a boil, add all the bitter melons and let it be for 30 seconds, remove the bitter melons from pot, rinse well under cold water and discard the water (It is to reduce the bitterness of the melons)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine knife fish paste, mushroom, glass noodle and minced shallot. Season with 1 tsp each of salt, sugar, chicken powder and lots of ground pepper. Mix well and knead for 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Stuff the fish mixture into the bitter melon. Try to stuff them neither too loose or too tight.
- Fill a large pot with chicken stock, add fish sauce and bring to a boil. Then gently drop the stuffed bitter melons into the stock. Cook for 15-20 minutes, uncovered until tender. Occasionally skim off the foam if any.
- For a nicer presentation, blanch some spring onions and tie a bow at the middle of the bitter melons. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with steamed rice.

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Spicy Bean Curd

Ingredients

• 200g bean curd, cut into bite sized squares
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 fresh chilli, sliced
• 1 tsp chilli sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp chopped onion 
• 1 tbsp chopped spring onion
• 1 tsp chicken powder
• 1tsp salt
• Oil for frying

Method
- In a bowl, combine soy sauce, fish sauce, chilli sauce, chicken powder, ground pepper and water together.
- Heat oil in a frying pan, saute chopped onion and garlic until fragrant, add the sauce mixture, sliced chilli and  the curd into the pan, cook it on medium low heat for 15 minutes. Turn them occasionally.
- When the sauce thickens and reduces half, add spring onion and black pepper. Season it with salt.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.

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Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup (Bún Bò Huế)

Ingredients 
--For the Broth--

• 500 ml beef stock
• 200 g beef shank
• 1 brown onion, peeled
• 6 stalks lemongrass, bruised 
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar

--For the Chili Saté--

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp minced lemongrass 
• 1 tbsp minced shallot
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar

--Others--

• 500 g rice vermicelli noodle (labeled as Bún Bò Huế)
• 2 tbsp Vietnamese shrimp paste (mắm ruốc)
• 200 g boiled blood cubes (huyết) (optional)
• 200 g Vietnamese ham (chả lụa) (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped spring onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• Fresh greens: mint, Vietnamese mint, bean sprouts, shredded banana blossom (optional), lemon wedges, shredded lettuce/cabbage.

-- The recipe is to serve 2, increase the amount if required--

Method
- In a big pot, add the beef stock, 200 ml water and the beef shank. Smash the lemongrass to release its fragrance, tie them up and add to the stock pot, along with 1 peeled onion, salt, sugar. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium and simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
- When the beef shank is cooked, remove and soak it in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to prevent it from turning dark. Then drain, let cool and slice thinly into bite-sized pieces.
- To make the saté, heat oil in a pan, saute minced lemongrass, garlic and shallot until fragrant and slightly golden. Then take off the heat, add chili powder, fish sauce, sugar, stir well and simmer under low heat for 2 minutes until smooth. Add half of the saté to the stockpot. Save the rest in a small bowl for serving.
- Dissolve Vietnamese fermented shrimp paste in a cup of cold water. Let it sit for 10 minutes to settle the dregs. Fill a saucepan with 2 cups of water, add the shrimp paste liquid (discard the dregs at the bottom). Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes to settle the dregs again. Then extract the clear broth on top and add to the simmering stockpot. Discard the dregs. Adjust the flavour of the broth to your taste with salt, fish sauce and chicken powder.
- Cook the rice vermicelli following package instructions. Then rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and remove the outside starch. Then rinse again under hot water, this helps the noodles to get dried faster and become more fluffy.
- To assemble the dish, place a handful of the rice vermicelli in a serving bowl. Top with sliced beef, boiled blood cubes and Vietnamese ham. Ladle the broth over the noodles and garnish with the chopped spring onion, cilantro and sliced onion. Serve hot.

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Bangali Fish Curry

Ingredients

• 500 g Basa fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 dried red chilies 
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 cup of chopped tomatoes
• 3 fresh green chilies, split in half 
• 3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 cup of chopped cilantro
• 3/4 cup of mustard oil

Method
- Marinate the fish with salt and 2 tsp turmeric powder in a fridge for 5-10 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pan, shallow fry the marinated fish over medium heat for a few minutes then remove from the pan and keep aside.
- In a small bowl, mix 2 tsp turmeric powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and ginger-garlic paste.
- In the same pan, add the dried chilies and black mustard seeds, when the seeds pop, add the mixed spices into the pan and stir for a few minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes, green chilies and salt. Stir well.
- When the tomatoes are cooked, add a cup of water, stir and bring it to a boil. Then add the fried fish into the gravy. Cook under cover for 1-2 minutes. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the chopped cilantro. Serve hot with steamed rice.

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Bangalore Chicken Curry

 Ingredients

• 750g chicken drum stick or curry cut
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon 
• 3 green cardamoms 
• 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp meat masala 
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Method
- Heat oil in a wok, add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Saute well.
- Add onion and saute for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Then add ginger-garlic paste, mix well and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add all the powder masala. Mix well and saute for 2 minutes or until the oil leaves the masala.
- Add tomato and salt, mix well and cook until soft. Then add chicken, mix and cook  under cover until the chicken is fully done.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

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Vietnamese Fried Fish Cakes (Chả Cá Chiên)

Ingredients

• 500g Feather-back knife fish paste
• 1 cup of spring onion stems, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp wheat flour
• 2 tsp chicken stock
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• Oil to fry

Method

- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well until combined. 

- Grease a pestle with some oil, then use it to grind the mixture till consistent, it takes about 5-10 minutes. This helps create a chewy texture of the fish cake. Cling wrap and refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour.

- To shape the fish cake, place a large piece of plastic wrap on a round plate, transfer a portion of the fish paste onto it. Place another piece of plastic wrap on top of it and use your hand to flatten and shape the paste into 1 inch disk.

- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat, fry the fish cakes on both sides until golden brown.

- Serve hot.

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