Yesterday, I finally got the chance to see Slumdog Millionaire. I just had to know what the fuzz was about. I was curious to know how the Slumdog grand-”slammed” all those awards for Best Film.
After watching the last full show with my mom, we both left the cinema having the same sentiments. It was moving and heart-rending. My impression of India went beyond the overcrowded trains, the way I’ve always viewed it on the Amazing Race. Growing up in a third-world country, the film made me realise how India is far from different to the Philippines’ pitiful state. Actually, throughout …read more

Welcome once again to Trouble-free Thursdays!
In light of the big game coming up, here are some party snack ideas for the Asian food lover:
  
TOKWA’T BABOY  
TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS
SQUID IN SWEET HOT CURRY SAUCE 
SAMOSAS 
From my own experience growing up, I can just imagine my dad and his friends enjoying these appetizing pulutan with ice cold beer!
Now, if these are not your thing, why not try these other tasty munchies:
    
TOSTITOS WITH SOUTHWESTERN CAVIAR 
PRETZELS WITH BEER DIP
TORTILLA CHIPS WITH HOT BEAN DIP
EASY MEATBALLS 
TOMATO PIZZA BREAD
BARBECUE WINGS 

Happy cooking!

Welcome to Chicken Tuesdays! Hope you like this Indian recipe I recently tried:
Ingredients:
750g chicken thigh fillets
1/4 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsps lemon juice
3 tsps ground coriander
3 tsps ground cumin
3 tsps garam masala
1/3 cup yoghurt
1 tsp salt
Procedure:
1. Cut the chicken into 3 cm cubes. Soak 12 wooden skewers in water.
2. Place the onion, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and spices in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the yoghurt and salt and process briefly to combine.
3. Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers. Place the skewers in a large baking dish; coat the …read more

Some like it hot.. and spicy! If you’re one of them, then this dish is for you:
Ingredients:
6 boned chicken thighs, skin on*
2/3 cup plain yoghurt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsps garam masala
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp chilli powder
tiny pinch saffron powder
Yoghurt dressing:
1 cup plain yoghurt
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp chopped mint
1 tsp chilli powder
Procedure:
Trim away any excess fat from chicken. Combine yoghurt with garlic, garam masala, cardamom and chilli. Stir in saffron; add chicken, mix well. Marinate chicken at least 1 hour (or refrigerate, covered, overnight).
*As pictured above, I used chicken nibbles instead as these were the only ones available …read more

This is the finished product resulting from my box of Hyderabadi Biryani  mix.  It was way too good.  Unfortunately my photo looks terrible.  I think I missed out on all of the chicken and my family must have kept that quiet.
Chicken that was marinated in a curry paste and then cooked with a bunch of spices for a half hour.  Then all this was mixed in with cooked rice (I used Japanese rice) and then simmered for a few minutes.
If anyone can find this brand of mix I would recommend them.  This is the third I have tried (all purchased in …read more

Thanks for your help with my little lemon curd predicament.  I did do a little searching around on google and found a stack of recipes for lemon curd that look a lot what I would call lemon butter – lemons and sugar and that sort of thing that I love to spread on toast.  Also a few recipes for Indian Lemon pickles that are obviously different.  I am guessing that the first type is what this recipe mix is asking for but I haven’t found a recipe for this style of thing on an Indian site yet.  Maybe I have …read more

I have this packet of Indian Hyderabadi Biryani curry mix in my kitchen but I have a problem.  It requires chicken (which is easy) and Lemon curd (which is hard).  My question is, what is lemon curd and is there something that I can substitute for it.  I was all fired up with lemon juice but then I thought that someone out there might know better?  Any help? 

You cannot be Filipino and not love sinigang. For that reason alone, rasam would be tops on a Filipino’s list of favorite Indian foods. Rasam is what I make in the cold season, when I don’t have fish or meat in the freezer and yet I’m longing for something hot and sour, to sip and savor. My favorite rasam comes from Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran. I have varied the ingredients from time to time based on what I had, or other rasam recipes I’ve found on the ‘net. And now I have a …read more

This is really more a soup for winter, but being Asian we love hot soups any time of year. The original recipe calls for masoor dhal, but since all I had on hand was a large bag of organic green lentils, I used those. No one complained. I also doubled most of the ingredients, since I needed a dish for 6 people. The original recipe serves 4.
3 tablespoons ghee or butter
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
1 long dried red chilies, chopped (the recipe called for 2, but since I used …read more

If you like your sweet potatoes sweet (as my dear hubby and my little one do), this probably won’t appeal to you. However, if you’re like me, looking for a change from the usual, you’re sure to like this one!
3 cups cubed sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 cup besan
Heat oil in non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When hot but not smoking, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek and garlic. Stir-fry until …read more