My Favorite Street Food of India: Dahi Aloo Puri

I fell in love with the street food of India. Despite multiple warnings from many people that I shouldn't be eating outside of my hotels, I ventured onto the streets of Mumbai and Bangalore searching for street food and local taste and was rewarded handsomely. This is Dahi Aloo Puri, a type of "chat" (sometimes spelled as "chaat"). I am no strangers to Indian food as Malaysia has abundant offerings of Indian food, but I have never tasted anything like this before... Crispy "puri" (the shells) are filled with mashed peas potatoes and then drenched in yoghurt, sweet tamarind chutney, and topped with loads of unknown cripsy yellow crunchies. (Will someone please tell me what are the toppings?). They were so delightful and tasted "new" to me...simply delicious. If you have the recipe, please share with me. Please also educate me more about Dahi Aloo Puri. I am also interested to learn more about the difference between "Bombay chat" and "Dahi chat." Thanks in advance! P.S.: If you haven't visited my travel blog for a while, do check it out as I have posted a few new pictures, taken during my recent travels. :) Continue Reading "My Favorite Street Food of India: Dahi Aloo Puri"

Malaysian Indian-Style Seafood Curry

(Click on the image above to view the complete photoset of 3 pictures) Remember I told you that I hardly ever make my curry from scratch because there are many good curry pastes readily available in Malaysia? Go to any markets or stores one can find various selection of curry pastes--they usually come packaged in small plastic bags. All you have to do is adding your meat or seafood to the curry paste and you will have a pot of sinfully good--and authentic--Malaysian Indian-style curries. That being said, this seafood curry was prepared just that--from a seafood curry paste that I brought back from home. The curry paste was very good; there are mustard seeds, cardamons, cloves, and curry leaves in the paste--which are some of the secret spices/ingredients for a very good pot of Indian-style curries... For my US readers, you might be more familiar with Thai or Indian curries offered here at Thai or Indian restaurants. Malaysian curries are quite different. Unlike Thai curries, Malaysian curries are not sweet because coconut milk is used sparingly to complement the spices but not overshadow their tastes. Also, no sugar and fish sauce are added so you get the natural flavors of the ingredients--be it meat, chicken, fish, or other seafood. Malaysian curries are also heavier in spices and thus hotter. Compared to the Indian curries, Malaysian curries are also different because yoghurt isn't used. The cooking style originated from the southern part of India, but had since been localized to a Malaysian taste. Anyway, everytime I go home to Penang, I am sure to bring back loads of these curry pastes. They keep well in the fridge and last a few months. If you would like to find out more about what brands I like, drop me a comment or email. Enjoy! Other Curry Recipes: Malaysian Indian-style Squid Curry (Gulai Sotong) Thai Panang Curry with Chicken Thai Yellow Curry with Seafood Malaysian Indian-Style Seafood Curry Ingredients: 1 pack seafood curry paste 6 large prawns 6 squids 6 scallops 1/2 lb. seabass fillet (cut into small cubes/pieces) 1 tomato (cut into wedges) 2 tablespoons coconut milk 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp (soaked in 4 tablespoons water and extract the juice) 2 shallots (peeled and sliced) 1 1/2 cups water 1 tablespoon oil Salt to taste 1 sprig curry leaves (optional) Method: Heat up a pot and saute the shallots until aromatic. Add the curry paste into the pot and do a few quick stirs. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring it to boil. Then add the seafood, cover the pot until cooked. Add the coconut milk and salt to taste. Serve hot. Continue Reading "Malaysian Indian-Style Seafood Curry"

Merdeka Open House 2007: Gulai Sotong / Indian Squid Curry Recipe

My parents are huge fans of nasi kandar--a type of Mamak/Indian-Muslim food consists of steamed rice with a variety of curries and other side dishes. (Click here and here for a peek of a nasi kandar restaurant and its many colorful dishes.) When I was little, my parents would always take me to nasi kandar restaurants. I remember vividly their old joint in Georgetown, Penang. Whenever I go home to Penang, I would take my parents out to savor a meal or two of nasi kandar at their favorite restaurant/stall. Regardless of where we go, there is one dish that we never miss out--gulai sotong, or squid curry. So, it's no surprise that my mother makes a killer squid curry at home (which I've fortunately learned). There are two secret ingredients of a great squid curry: curry leaves and a blended spice mix of cumin, fennel, black mustard, fenugreek seeds. Curry leaves impart a highly aromatic flavor to the curry and the spice seeds add that signature and unmistakable Indian curry kick. I love hard-boiled eggs in curries, so I also added some eggs. Click here to see the real squid curry served in Penang... Malaysia celebrates its 50th Independence Day (Hari Merdeka) on August 31st. Hence this post also marks my entry to this year's virtual Merdeka Open House hosted by Babe_KL. Please click here to view my Kerabu Bee Hoon entry last year. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Special notes to my fellow Malaysians: I used to take Malaysia for granted, well, when I was in Malaysia. There were always something to complain about--the educational system, the urban planning, the environment, media, government, and the list goes on. Recently, I was in a meeting with a Taiwanese business partner. She told me in great enthusiasm that she just came back visiting Malaysian Borneo of Sabah and Sarawak. She used to work in Singapore for 8 years and it was very clear that she adores Malaysia. "Malaysians should be really proud of their country." She said. Her statement made me ponder. If a foreigner can love Malaysia so much, why can't we? "I am very proud of my country. It has so much to offer!" I replied. I do love Malaysia--as a matter of fact--a lot. Selamat Hari Merdeka! ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Recipe: Gulai Sotong / Indian Squid Curry Ingredients: 1 lb squid (cleaned) 1 tomato (cut into wedges) 1 can coconut milk (5.6 oz. can) 4 hard-boiled eggs (shell peeled) 4 tablespoons Baba's fish curry powder 1 teaspoon spice mix (fenugreek, black mustard, cumin, and fennel seeds) 1 sprig curry leaves (discard the stem) 2 cups water 2 tablespoons cooking oil 4 shallots (sliced thinly) 1 tablespoon chili oil Salt to taste Method: Clean the squid and set aside. Heat up a pot with the cooking oil and saute the shallots. As soon as you smell the shallots aroma, add in the squid, curry powder, curry leaves, spice seeds, and tomato wedges. Quick stir for 1 minute and dish out the squid and set aside (to prevent over cooking the squid). Add coconut milk, hard-boiled eggs, and water and bring the curry to boil for 8 minutes. Add the squid back in and quick boil for 1-2 minutes (before they shrink in size). Add chili oil and salt to taste. Serve hot with steamed rice. Cook's note: If you think the squid head and tentacles are unsightly, shove it into the squid tube so it doesn't hang loose. This is the trick I learned from my mother. Continue Reading "Merdeka Open House 2007: Gulai Sotong / Indian Squid Curry Recipe"