Tanty's Keema & Cucumber + Onion Raita

I havent gone to the market for about a week or more so I didnt have much left in the refrigerator to cook lunch today. What I had in the fridge was 2 pieces of fish, minced beef, some cucumber, tomatoes and lots of onion and garlic. I also had instant pratas (Indian flat bread). I wasnt about to go out and get ingredients so I just had to make something out of what I had. A flash of brilliance and about 5mins later, I was whipping out my own keema, and cucumber and onion raita.

Tanty's Keema

Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Level of difficulty: 2/5

Ingredients

a) 500gm minced beef/mutton
b) 2 tomatoes, chopped
c) 3 yellow/red onions, chopped
d) 4 garlic, chopped
e) 5 cm ginger, chopped
f) 1/2 cup fresh chilled milk + juice from 1/2 big lime, mixed to become yogurt
g) 1 cinnamon stick
h) 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
i) 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
j) 1 teaspoon chilli powder
k) 2 tablespoons meat curry powder
l) 2 teaspoon salt
m) 1 stalk coriander leaves, chopped
n) 2 tablespoons ghee/vegetable oil

Heat up ghee/vegetable oil in a saucepan. Fry chopped onion, garlic, ginger till fragrant. Add in minced meat and fry till it turns a slight brown before adding, chopped tomatoes, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, black pepper, chilli and curry powder. Fry for 1 min and add "yogurt". Stir for about 2mins before adding salt and chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with pratas, naan and cucumber and onion raita.

Tanty's Cucumber & Onion Raita

Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: -
Level of difficulty: 1.5/5

Ingredients

a) 1 cucumber, skin peeled, seeded and chopped
b) 1 red onion, chopped
c) 1 yakult/vitagen (natural flavour) or natural flavoured yogurt
d) 1/2 big lime, juice squeezed
e) 1/2 teaspoon mint sauce/jelly or chopped mint leaves
f) A sprinkle of ground black pepper
g) 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, mix all the items and chill before serving.

Nasi Goreng Jawa (Javanese Fried Rice)

Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Level of difficulty: 2/5

Ingredients

To blend together:
a) 6 cili padi (bird's eye chillies)
b) 6 red chillies
c) 3 candlenuts - dry fry in a pan
d) 2 teaspoons belachan - dry fry in a pan
e) 3 red onions
f) 4 cloves garlic
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g) 4 portions of cooked rice (best to use leftover rice, which has been refrigerated)
h) 200g prawns, peeled and deveined
i) 200g chicken fillet, cut into small chunks
j) 2 teaspoons salt
k) 2 tablespoons sweet soya sauce
l) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For garnishing:
m) Fried shallots
n) 1 cucumber, sliced thinly
o) 2 tomatoes, sliced
p) 4 eggs, sunny-side up / 1 omelette, sliced thinly

Heat up oil in wok. Fry blended items till fragrant (about 3-4 mins). Add in prawns and chicken and let them cook for about 2-3 mins, then add salt, sweet soya sauce. Lastly, add in the cooked rice and stir evenly (you can add in a 1/4 cup of water if necessary). Garnish with garnishing items. Serve hot.

Ban Mian (Handmade Chinese Noodle in Soup)

I love the Ban Mian at Banquet restaurants. After having had my fair share of Ban Mian, I feel that it's time I tried my hand at making my own Ban Mian. Please bear in mind that I invented this recipe so it might not be the normal way of cooking it but I assure you the end result is the same...

Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Level of difficulty: 3.5/5

Ingredients

To make the noodles

a) 2 cups plain flour
b) 1 egg
c) 1/2 cup water

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and knead the dough adding more water or flour when necessary. The end result should be a non sticky dough. Cover it and leave aside.

To make the soup base

a) 1 cup soya beans
b) 1 1/2 handfuls ikan bilis (split fish)
c) 1/2 pot water
d) 1 tablespoon sesame oil
e) Adequate salt

Combine items a to c in a pot and let it boil. After 20-30mins, sieve out the soya beans and ikan bilis and add in some more water into the pot (if you want), sesame oil and salt.

To prepare the condiments

a) Ikan bilis (split fish) - fry the ikan bilis in hot oil till crispy and leave aside

b) Sliced chicken/fish with Shitake Mushroom
Using the same oil in which you fried the ikan bilis, fry the sliced chicken/fish with the sliced Shitake mushroom. Add in two tablespoons light soya sauce and a tablespoon dark soya sauce. Mix two tablespoons corn flour into 1/3 cup water and add it into the mixture. The dish is ready once the sauce boils and thickens.

c) Cai Xin - cut and wash some cai xin. Drain them and leave aside.

To serve the dish

Make sure the soup base is boiling, pull some lump out of the ready dough, start kneading from the side using your thumb until is thin enough then pull put it into the soup and let it cook. The noodle will start floating to the surface once it is cooked. Add the cai xin into the soup base as well and let them cook together.

Sieve out the vegetables and noodles and serve into bowls. Add in the soup, covering the vegetables and noodles. Add in the sliced chicken/fish with Shitake Mushroom and heap it on top. Sprinkle some crispy ikan bilis and fried shallots (if you want) and the dish is ready. Serve with cut cili padi (bird's eye chillies) in soya sauce.