Heavenly fragrance : cooking with aromatic Asian herbs, fruits, spices and seasonings

492 Pages·2008·17.07 MB·English

by  Rajah

Foreword by David Thompson 7
FRAGRANT MEMORIES FROM MY
YOUTH 8

COOKING WITH AROMATIC ASIAN
HERBS 16

Asian Basils * Banana Leaves, Flowers and Stems * Coriander Leaves
* Curry Leaves * Garlic Chives * Ginger Flower * Kaffir Lime and
Leaves * Lemongrass * Mint * Pandanus leaves * Perilla * Vietnamese
Mint
Salmon fish cakes with curry leaf pesto 30
Vietnamese rice paper rolls with chili lime dip 32
Sweet potato curry puffs with vietnamese mint 33
Grilled beef parcels with thai herbs 34
Spring rolls with orange chili sauce 36
Vegetarian fritters with sweet chili dip 38
Mixed bean and potato salad with herbs 39
Asparagus spears in crispy wonton skins 40
Leek and potato vichyssoise with lemongrass 41
Tropical salad with barbecued pork 43
Beef salad with thai herbs and mandarin orange 44
Fragrant shrimp salad with plum dressing 47
Tea leaf salad with green mango and cashews 48
Quick tossed asian noodles 51
Rice salad perfumed with herbs (nasi ulam) 52
Bean sauce noodles with shrimp and sausage 54
Vegetarian pasta with chili coriander butter 55
Grilled quail with lemongrass and ginger 56
Lamb chops with sweet plum ginger marinade 59
Silken tofu with pork and shrimp 60
Coconut and green mango fish parcels 63
Chili crabs with ginger and garlic chives 64
Amah’s fragrant sambal shrimp 66
Grilled shrimp with lemongrass and coconut 69
Tempeh and green beans in lemongrass paste 70
Tempeh sambal with snowpeas 71
Cabbage sautéed with black mustard seeds 72
Bean sprouts with dried fish and chili 73
Lemongrass and coconut crème caramel 74
Black rice pudding with ginger coconut cream 77
Lime and mint granita sorbet 77
Pandanus coconut cake with palm sugar syrup 78
Mint vodka collins with watermelon fingers 81
Honeydew sorbet with passionfruit 81
COOKING WITH AROMATIC ASIAN
FRUITS 82

Asian Limes * Coconut, Coconut Milk and Coconut Juice * Mandarin
Orange Mango * Pineapple * Pomelo * Starfruit * Tamarind
Tuna salad with green mango and papaya 94
Arugula salad with tangy citrus dressing 97
Tomato rasam 97
Crisp rojak salad with spicy sweet dressing 98
Pineapple lime salsa with mint 100
Mango plum salad with pistachio ginger dressing 101
Crunchy ikan bilis with aromatic sambal 103
Fragrant pandanus coconut rice (nasi lemak) 103
Coconut sambal with dried fish and onion 104
Pumpkin soup with citrus and lemongrass 106
Pineapple fish soup with tamarind and tomatoes 107
Amah’s chicken curry 108
Plum sauce chicken wings baked in a flash 111
Grilled pork strips with pineapple lime salsa 112
Salt and pepper squid with lemon mango sauce 114
Grilled tamarind shrimp with pineapple 117
Baked ginger soy fish with sweet tamarind dip 118
Shrimp with tropical coconut laksa gravy 120
Fish in sweet and sour pineapple broth 122
Fish head curry with tamarind and lemongrass 125
Tomato and tamarind sardine curry 126
Fresh tuna with citrus, starfruit and jicama 127
Lacy malay coconut pancakes (roti jala) 129
Coconut custard with cardamom and ginger 130
Almond cake with mandarin apricot sauce 131
Vodka sour with young coconut juice 133
Planter’s punch 133
Pineapple gin slings 134
Pineapple, starfruit and carrot cooler 134
Tamarind palm sugar cooler 135
Pandanus lemonade 135
COOKING WITH AROMATIC ASIAN
SPICES 136

Cardamom * Cinnamon and Cassia * Cloves * Coriander Seeds *
Cumin * Fennel Galangal * Ginger * Pepper and Sichuan Pepper *
Saffron * Star Anise * Turmeric
Chicken satay with fragrant spices and coconut 151
Cashew nut satay sauce 151
Flaked fish salad with spices and coconut 152
Beef noodle soup with fragrant herbs (pho) 155
Chinese rice congee with all the trimmings 156
Saffron rice with cloves and cashews 159
Basmati rice with spiced chicken and yogurt 160
Chicken rice with fresh chili ginger sauce 162
Tomato and olive couscous with curry leaves 164
Sweet blue ginger duck with star anise 167
Black soy duck with orange and cranberries 168
Lamb baked with dates, tomatoes and cumin 171
Grilled beef steak with asian spices 171
Barbecued beef steaks with sweet onion jam 172
Sweet soy pork with mushrooms and star anise 174
Poached chicken breasts with sichuan pepper oil 176
Stuffed crabs baked in their shells 177
Seared scallops with orange clove sauce 179
Fish hotpot with coconut broth and dill 180
Black pepper lobster tails with garlic butter 183
Herbed potatoes with sundried tomatoes 184
Eggplant sambal with black mustard and cashews 186
Okra stuffed with dried shrimp and coconut 188
Eggplant salad with tomato and coriander 189
Semolina halva with almonds and cardamom 191
Spiced mangoes in yogurt and honey 191
Kulfi ice cream with cardamom and pistachios 192
Cardamom cake with rum and passionfruit 192
Plump apricots with rum cream and clove syrup 194
Green mango and saffron lassi 194
Issac’s baby banana cinnamon pancakes 195
COOKING WITH AROMATIC ASIAN
SEASONINGS 196

Chinese Black Vinegar * Fermented Soybean Pastes * Fish Sauces *
Hoisin Sauce * Mirin * Oyster Sauce and Abalone Sauce * Rice Wines
* Plum Sauce and Lemon Sauce * Sesame Oil * Shrimp Pastes * Soy
Sauces
Watermelon rind salad with sweet thai dressing 211
Grilled fresh scallops with ginger mirin dressing 212
Grilled shrimp on a stick with sweet chili dip 213
Fresh seafood salad with sesame lime dressing 214
Beancurd skin sausage rolls with sweet soy dip 217
Crisp dried shrimp with lime, ginger and chilies 218
Sweet and spicy ikan bilis nibbles with peanuts 219
Nonya pickled vegetables with dried shrimp 220
Rice noodles with pork and sweet chili dressing 221
Crab soup with lemongrass, tamarind and mint 223
Fish soup with lemongrass, coriander and lime 224
Crisp barbecued pork marinated in sweet soy 227
Aromatic ginger soy chicken with rice wine 229
Sweet soy and sambal fried chicken 230
Quick eurasian curry captain 231
Beef and black mushrooms with chinese broccoli 233
Eggplant and tofu with sweet spicy bean paste 235
Parsnips and carrots sautéed with rice wine 236
Asian greens with shrimp and cashews 236
Chinese greens with mushrooms and oyster sauce 239
Basic Recipes 240
Other Ingredients 246
Index 252
Dedication 254
Acknowledgments 254