I grew up with curries and have always love them especially chicken curry with potatoes is cooked in every household in Penang, Malaysia; no matter what races or occasions. I remembered going with grandma to dry market in the Indian vicinity and bought fresh paste from the ‘paste man chewing betel leave and spice with red/yellow teeth.
All Grandma needed was to tell the man what curry she wanted to cook, and he would mix the different ingredients for her. As the years went by Grandma made the paste from scratch herself. She is also experimenting her spices and I watched her and there is no recipe written. So, I had to browsed on google too for the amount needed to make the paste. Out there, there are many recipes you can browse for yourself.
Today, I am cooking chicken tofu pok and potato curry. It’s my first time making this curry from scratch – memory of what I remembered from Grandma and other chefs, tasting checking, and adapting the amount to put, and it worked. Let’s cook before my stomach starts growling loudly like a hungry tiger roar!!!!
Do the curry one day in advance. This ensures aromatic flavour develops overnight.
Ingredients
4 Tbs olive oil 8 pieces boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite size 8 medium size washed potatoes, peeled and quartered; parboiled 1 packet tofu pok, cut half, add in when want to eat time 4 curry leaves 165 ml coconut milk 100 ml coconut cream 450 – 600 ml water, if you want more curry gravy salt to taste
Blend spice paste A
8 fresh red chillies, seeded and sliced 6 dried chillies, seeded 1-2 Tbs lemon juice 2 dessert spoons coriander 2 star anise, pounded 1 dessert spoon cumin 1 small piece cinnamon, pounded 1/2 inch fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced
Blend spice paste B
10 shallots, peeled and quartered 3 candle nuts 3 slices galangal 2 cloves garlic 1 lemongrass white part only, pounded, sliced 1 inch ginger, peeled and sliced
Method
Blend all ingredients Spice Paste A and B separately to a very fine paste. Don’t mix the spice paste when blending. You needed to blend them in two separate blenders. If you don’t have 2 blenders. Blend spice paste B first then set aside. Wash and dry blender before blending spice paste A.
Heat up oil in a heavy base pot on medium high heat and stir-fry spice paste B for about 3 minutes or until aromatic; light brown in colour. Next add chicken and stir well. Then add salt, spice paste A, coconut milk and curry leaves. Stir for 3 minutes before adding the water.
Cover pot and lower heat to medium. Bring the curry to boil and then lower the heat, add potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes or so or until the chicken and potatoes is about to cooked. Add coconut cream and allow it to simmer further about 5 minutes till gravy is thick. Add in tofu pok give a stir or two to mix well with everything in pot for a further 2 minutes. Serve the curry with rice immediately with a glass of white wine.
Note: You can omit tofu pok if you don’t like it. You can use ready mix curry such as chicken curry paste A1 Action One, you can get it from Asian grocery. You don’t have to do the curry in advance if you have no time do it on the day itself. You can make a vegetables dish to accompany the curry.
Quick and easy simple lunch for midweek is always packet instant noodle soup for me. I always add leftovers from a day to three days. As you know me by now, I don’t like wasting food. I don’t go marketing every day.
I relied on big bulk packed food, packets and canned for fresh food can’t stay longer than 3 days even in fridge. I have 2 boxes of shin ram yun noodles each had 20 packets. When it has run down, I will get my sister to get me more.
Today, I have leftover kin tok kin which is beancurd pork rolls my mother bought it and it’s cooked with bok choy. I have added the last four pork balls so I can get new packet as I am going to the market/supermarket to get refill for my groceries. My lunch is delicious and comforting. Let’s cook!!!
Ingredients
1 packet shin ram yun noodle soup 4 pork balls, thawed and soak in water 1 kin tok kin, cut into bite size bok choy hot boiling water
Method
Put kettle on. Open the noodle packet and empty it into a bowl with its condiment and add pork balls. When kettle water is boil, pour into the prepared bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes, then add in ready cooked kin tok kin with some bok choy. Microwave again further 3-4 minutes.
By then the pork balls would puff up, noodles softened and kin tok kin with bok choy are warmed up. Give a stir and heat again for 1 minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy!!!
Here’s another quick simple midweek leftover lunch. Using the leftovers of roast lemon chicken and boiled pumpkin. Nothing fancy just have to eat lunch. I called it lazy prepared lunch.
I love to eat packet noodle for lunch and at time for dinner or late night supper. I always salvage food and freeze them for emergency. Shin ram yun had been my favourite packet noodle as it’s a spicy soup noodle. I love spicy food.
I have added cabbage for some green. My lunch is ready in less than 10 minutes. It’s delicious, spicy and comforting. Let’s cook!!!
Put kettle on. Open the noodle packet and empty it into a bowl with its condiment and add cabbage. When kettle water is boil, pour into the prepared bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes, then add in ready cooked chicken pieces with pumpkin pieces. Microwave again further 4 minutes.
By then cabbage is cooked, noodles softened and chicken with pumpkin are warmed up. Give a stir and heat again for 1 minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy!!!
helenscchin's Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.