Malaysian Beef Rendang (Spicy Dry Beef Stew with Coconut)

Rendang, when made well, can be a simply luscious experience. This most traditional and delectable of Malay dishes essentially consists of melt-in-the-mouth beef chunks, slow-cooked in rich coconut cream and freshly ground Asian spices until it is tender, moist and bursting with a complex blend of mouthwatering flavours.

It isn't the simplest or fastest dish to cook up, but trust me- the delicious end result is well worth it. The secret to the beautiful taste lies in the kerisik- toasted grated coconut pounded to an oily paste. I use dessicated coconut, but if you are lucky enough to have fresh grated coconut easily available then do go for that. As with most Asian dishes, don't worry about being too exact with the shallots/garlic/dried chillies- the quantities provided are rough estimates and you should increase/decrease as needed depending on the size of each clove or bulb, and your own personal taste. Also by all means make this one or two days before you intend to eat it- the flavour simple improves and intensifies the longer it is kept :) Who says leftovers can't be amazing?

Malaysian Beef Rendang (Spicy Dry Beef Stew with Coconut)

Serves 6

Pre-Preparation

• Spice Paste
  

Blend together until smooth:

6 small red shallots

6 cloves garlic

1” galangal

1” ginger

4 stalks lemongrass (white part only)

12 dried chillies-soaked for a few hours or overnight in warm water and deseeded

A few candlenuts

• Kerisik

Toast 1½ cups dessicated coconut (makes about 6-8 tablespoons) slowly over low-medium heat until it turns from white to golden brown, stirring frequently. Then pound with a pestle and mortar, or grind in a spice mill (once it has cooled) until it forms an oily paste.

*Kerisik keeps well so you can make a big batch and store for future use if desired*

Cooking the Rendang

Heat 5 tbsp oil and fry spice paste until fragrant. Add:

1 cinnamon stick

4 cloves

4 star anise

4 cardamom pods

Add and brown briefly:

1 kg stewing/casserole beef, cut into cubes

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2” lengths and smashed

Pour in and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until almost cooked:

1 cup (250ml) coconut cream

1 cup water

2 tsp tamarind juice (soak a bit of dried tamarind pulp/block/paste in warm water, then pour through a sieve and discard seeds/fibres)

Blend well into meat, cover and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally for 2 hours or until gravy is dry and meat is tender:

8 kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly

8 tbsp kerisik

1 turmeric leaf (if you have it)

1 heaped tbsp palm sugar (or dark brown muscovado sugar if you can't get palm)

Salt to taste

Serve with hot rice or soft roti.

Garlicky Roast Lamb Shoulder with Herbs

Lamb is simply my ultimate favourite when it comes to English Sunday roasts- more moist and succulent than traditional beef (recipe here if you prefer it), and definitely far superior in natural flavour than pork or poultry.

Whilst a whole leg used to be my cut of choice, I recently discovered that lamb shoulder is not only cheaper but a provider of sweeter, more tender meat, probably due to the fact that it is a more gelatinous joint which a higher proportion of fat layered between its flesh. Try and choose a piece that isn't too fatty (it's no fun chewing on forkfuls of white stuff) and make sure you use a wire rack so that all the grease can drip off (to be used later as part of the gravy, or to bake the Yorkshire Puddings).

Whichever cut you use, as with any roast the trimmings and sides are just as important as the meat itself so be sure to serve this with lots of rich gravy, roast potatoes/parsnips/carrots (or buttered/mashed/baked if you prefer), something green like broccoli or beans or cabbage and most importantly, the aforementioned Yorkshire puds to soak it all up.

Garlicky Roast Lamb Shoulder with Herbs (serves 6)

*Recipe based on a 2kg shoulder joint on the bone, cooked to a juicy pink medium. Vary your cooking times accordingly*

*Marinate your joint a few hours or even the night before if you have time

Place the lamb on a wire rack over a foil-lined roasting tray and make little but deep incisions all over both sides of the meat with a small pointed knife. Smash 3-4 large cloves of garlic (or however much you want) very well until it can be stripped into pulpy slivers, then stuff into each slit. Make sure to tuck garlic under any layer of fat or crevice in the meat as well, so that the meat is nicely garlicky all over.

Rub both sides of the meat with the following:

Light drizzle of olive oil (not too much as the joint already has its own fat)

Good splash of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

Lots of salt (I use crumbled sea salt flakes with rosemary but any salt is fine)

Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Generous sprinkle of mixed dried herbs (I like a good mix of thyme, marjoram, parsley, oregano, rosemary, sage and/or basil, gives a far more complex flavour than just one herb alone)

Preheat oven to 230 C/445 F (210 C/410 F fan-assisted). Pour a bit of water into the roasting pan under the rack (so that the meat stays moist), cover the entire tray in foil and roast for 20 minutes at this temperature. Lower heat to 200 C/395 F (180 C/350 F fan-assisted) and continue to cook about 15 minutes for every 500g, then take the foil off and let it roast a further 15 minutes uncovered (so my 2kg joint took about 1 hour 35 minutes in total). There is no need to baste while roasting- the shoulder is fatty enough to baste itself.

Remove the lamb from the oven, wrap it in foil and let it rest at room temperature for 20-30 mins. This is MUST so the inside of the joint can turn more succulent cooking in the residual heat. (I usually make my Yorkshire Puddings at this point so everything is ready to eat at the same time).

Once rested, carve and enjoy! :)

Gravy:

Pour all the juices from the roasting tin into a pot, adding some water if required. Chuck in a few spoonfuls of gravy granules, some milk or a dollop of cream to thicken and bring to boil.

Crustless Spinach & Tofu Quiche (Low-Carb and Gluten-Free)

This fitness challenge that my partner Arivind and I are on has really opened up my cooking repertoire, leading me to discover just how many uber healthy dishes there are out there which actually taste fantastic. I am thrilled to have found flavour-packed foods such as this which I would eat even on a normal unrestricted diet! :)

Believe it or not, crumbled tofu is a surprisingly effective and tasty cheese replacement in this high-protein, low-carb version of quiche. Feel free to use mushrooms, peppers or broccoli for alternative vegetarian flavours, or bacon and ham bits for meat eaters.

Crustless Spinach and Tofu Quiche

*makes one 8" round quiche, serves 4-6*

Dice 1 medium onion and saute in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until fragrant and translucent.

Add 250g spinach (I used fresh leaves but frozen works too). Season well with salt and cook for about 10 mins or until dry, stirring occassionally. Drain off any excess liquid and spread into the base of an 8" deep round pie dish/casserole.

Beat together in a separate bowl to make custard:

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk (I use 1% fat)

150g firm tofu, crumbled

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of white pepper

Salt to taste

Optional: Dash of cayenne/paprika

Pour custard over spinach and bake for 40 minutes at 190 C (180 C fan assisted) until set. Let it stand for at least 10 minutes at room temperature before loosening sides with a thin spatula and cutting into slices.

Low-Carb Almond Pancakes (Gluten-Free)

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OMG, what an amazing, delicious discovery. These are so incredibly simple to make, easily adapted to be sweet or savoury and so tasty I actually prefer them to regular carb-laden pancakes!

Ground almonds, thou art my new best friend.

Low-Carb Almond Pancakes (Gluten-Free)

*makes 6 small fluffy pancakes (about 4"), or 3-4 large thin ones

Combine all in a large bowl and stir briskly to form a batter:

2 cups (about 150-200g) ground almonds

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1 tsp olive oil

1 or 2 tsp sweetener (depending on preference)

Salt to taste

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add about 1 tsp of olive oil or just enough to swirl and lightly coat the base of the pan.

Pour in batter one small ladle at a time (if making large thin ones, spread batter out with back of ladle). Fry for about 1 minute or until bubbles start appearing on the top, then flip to cook the other side. Repeat until all batter is finished, adding more olive oil in between pancakes if necessary.

Serve immediately with whatever you want (I had it with fruit one morning and leftover curried lentils one night, both yum!)

*Other healthy low-carb ingredients you can chuck into your batter: cottage cheese, vanilla extract or other essences, lemon or orange juice/ zest, cinnamon/other spices of choice, unsweetened cocoa powder, chopped chives/other herbs of choice, chopped nuts, poppy seeds... or even crushed bacon bits if you're not concerned with fat :)

Chunky Chocolate Brownies

*Also available for purchase ready made To Order

Adapted from Mary Berry's excellent Ultimate Cake Book, these decadent chunk-filled goodies are the single most popular item in my baking repertoire. Some people like warm gooey brownies, but I personally prefer dense ones like these which get a lot more intense and chocolatey when left to go cold and stored in a container overnight. More like indulgent slabs of pure chocolate than cake if you will :)

Chunky Chocolate Brownies

Melt together and let cool:

350g (12oz) dark chocolate (I generally use those with cocoa content around the 50%-60% mark)

225g (8oz) butter

Whisk together until pale and frothy, and beat into chocolate mixture:

3 eggs, beaten

225g (8oz) sugar (I use half white half brown usually)

A few drops coffee essence (or 2 tsp instant coffee, diluted in 2 tbsp water)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Fold in:

3 tbsp self-raising flour

225g (8oz) dark chocolate, chopped into chunks

Pour into a lined 12"x 9" shallow baking tray.

Bake at 190 C (0r 170C fan-assisted) for about 45 mins until firm to touch with a dull crust. Leave to cool in tin.

Cut only when completely cold and store in a container (chocolate flavour intensifies if left overnight).

Perfect Crunchy Butter Caramel Popcorn

*This recipe was originally posted on 8 July 2009, but has now been revised to include the extra step of baking which turns caramel popcorn CRAZY crunchy*

Serves 2 or 3, or 1 if you are a greedy popcorn glutton

Let me preface this by saying that unless you run a cinema chain or concession stand of some kind, there is absolutely no sense in buying a popcorn machine. A stove, a regular saucepan and a handful of kernels gets you a mountain of perfect popcorn in minutes, and once you've stove-popped your own you will never comprehend why you used to pay for pre-packed or microwaveable bags either.

If you like popcorn and have never homemade it before, start now; it is by far the cheapest, fastest, tastiest and easiest way of eating this most moreish and addictive of snacks. Skip the calorific toppings and it becomes the healthiest too- pillowy wholegrain bundles with not an additive, flavouring, preservative or extra calorie in sight.

Of course if you're like me, then full-fat caramel popcorn is the only way to go hence the recipe below :) Baking gives it an excellent crunch, but if you don't own an oven or are too lazy then just toss the caramel with the corn to coat and leave to cool (it should harden once cold, though the crunch won't be as impressive).

In any case, whether you're a sweet, savoury or low-cal type person, the topping possibilities are absolutely endless- chocolate, honey, melted butter, flavoured salt, Parmesan cheese, Tabasco sauce, garlic oil, chilli oil, curry powder/cumin/paprika/cinnamon/ rosemary/ every other herb and spice imaginable... some hardcore popcorn lovers even use lard or duck fat to pop the kernels for apparently unbeatable flavour!

Making the Popcorn-A Step by Step Guide

1) Heat 2 tbsp oil and bit of salt on medium-high heat in a large heavy-based pot or saucepan. Add a few popping corn kernels and put the lid on. Wait until they pop.

2) Add 100g kernels, ensuring they are spread in a single even layer. Don't be tempted to add more- it looks like very little but turns into a huge amount once popped! Cover, take the pan off the heat and wait for about half a minute (this is to make sure all the kernels can heat up evenly without getting burnt).

3)Return the pan to heat- when the brisk popping starts, shake the pan back and forth so all the kernels get popped. Keep the pan covered but with a slight gap so steam can escape (prevents sogginess).

4)Remove quickly from heat once the popping dies down, pour into a large bowl and stir in topping of choice (or if making the baked version below, pour into a large lined baking tray and keep warm in the preheating oven (120 C) while making butter caramel topping).

Butter Caramel Topping

Combine and bring to a boil:

100g condensed milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp butter

Lower the heat and simmer about 5 minutes or until golden, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Be careful as hot boiling caramel can cause a nasty burn.

Remove from heat and quickly stir in about 1/8 tsp baking soda (the mixture will foam up). Pour over warm popcorn in the tray and toss quickly with two spoons to coat evenly.

Bake for 30-40 mins at 120 C, tossing occassionally to prevent sticking together. Once out of the oven, break apart with spoons/your hands and leave to cool.

Put on a movie and enjoy! :)

*Washing up tip- to get rid of hardened caramel on your pans, soak in or run under boiling water and then give it a good scrub with soap while hot. It should all melt off quite easily.

*Easier but more time consuming caramel tip- apparently you can just submerge an unopened tin of condensed milk in water and boil for 4 hours, and it will turn into a good golden caramel. I have not tried this myself, but if you do make sure to be very careful- keep topping up the water, never let the pan boil dry (or your tin will explode!) and let the can cool completely before opening.

Adobong Manok/ Chicken Adobo (Filipino Vinegar & Garlic Stew)

I first tried this utterly delectable dish when it was home-cooked by my beautiful Filipino friends in the King & I cast, and since then I have been addicted. Vinegar. Sour punchy flavourful vinegar. Who knew it was so lip-smackingly life-changing?

Adobo is the national dish of the Philippines and rightly so- salty, tangy, garlicky and succulent, it is testament to the fact that if there's one thing Asians know how to do right, it's food.

Typically it is made with pork, chicken or a combination of both, and the process could not be easier- throw everything into a pot and stew. The recipe below is a pretty basic traditional version, although I've been told there are all sorts of variations including adding coconut milk, hard boiled eggs, vegetables or even pineapple and liver pate!

Adobong Manok/ Chicken Adobo *Serves 3-4*

(If desired, combine all ingredients and marinate overnight before cooking to improve flavour. The dish also keeps well and can be made a few days in advance)

Saute lightly until fragrant:5 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or more, up to a whole head if desired)1 onion, sliced into strips

Add and fry briefly until browned:

8 large chicken thighs/drumsticks, or 1 kg chicken cut into pieces

(for a different variation use half chicken half pork, cut into cubes)

Add, cover and simmer 30 minutes (longer for pork) until sauce is thickened:

1/2 to 1 cup vinegar of choice (put more or less depending on how tart you want it. I've tried white, malt, cider and rice vinegar, all other kinds should work too).
1/3 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water
1 tsp black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

*Some insist it is important not to stir at ALL whilst it simmers- I haven't been able to resist but if you can, try it and let me know if it makes a difference!*

I never bother with this, but if desired remove meat once cooked and fry briefly in a separate pan to crisp skins (but watch out for oil splatter).

Serve with hot rice and lots of gravy.

Malaysian Pandan Chiffon Cake

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*14 June 2010- The original recipe below contained 100ml of oil- I have since amended that to only 50ml as I've found it produces a lighter, fluffier sponge. If you prefer an even drier and less moist cake, try omitting one yolk or reducing the amount of sugar slightly.

Coconut milk and pandan (screwpine leaves) essence make this a light, spongey and deliciously aromatic Malaysian classic. The secret to its characteristic fluffy yet moist texture comes from whipping the egg whites very well and inverting the pan immediately onto its three "legs" once removed from the oven, so the sponge can stretch and retain its airy volume whilst cooling upside down. Don't worry, the cake will stick and not fall out :)

I use pandan paste (a mix of essence and green colouring) which is easily available in any Asian shop- if you can be bothered, feel free to blend fresh pandan leaves with water and extract the natural juice.

You MUST use a chiffon/angel food cake tube pan (pictured below) and not a regular tin- the hollow tube in the centre is essential for the correct circulation of heat.

Malaysian Pandan Chiffon Cake

* fits a 10" or 22cm pan or larger*

Whisk together until thick in a large bowl:

6 egg yolks

170g sugar

Stir in until evenly green:

50ml vegetable oil

50ml thick coconut cream (or use 100ml thinner coconut milk and omit the 50ml water used to dilute the pandan paste below)

1 tsp pandan paste, diluted in 50 ml water (or 50 ml pandan juice)

Sift into the pandan mixture and fold until well-mixed:

190g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Using a separate bowl and electric whisk that are completely dry, clean and grease-free, beat the following on maximum speed for a good 5-8 minutes until a thick white meringue is formed:

6 egg whites (there must be no traces of yolk)

90g sugar

Few drops lemon juice

How the meringue mixture should look after beating- stiff enough to leave trails

on your whisk and form soft peaks

Fold two tablespoons of the meringue into the pandan batter. Add the rest and fold thoroughly until well-combined. Pour into a dry ungreased chiffon pan and bake at 180 C (160 C fan-assisted) for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and invert immediately (if your pan comes without the protuding tabs to support it upside down, invert the pan and insert the neck of a bottle or a metal funnel into the inner tube to balance). Leave to cool in this position and do not unmould cake until completely cold.

To remove, scrape all around the sides with a thin spatula and let the cake slip out gently of the pan. Scrape the bottom to remove the base/tube.

*To make sure it has a completely flat surface to sit on, I cheat and cut the tops off my cakes if they are rounded before unmoulding :)*

Slice and enjoy!

Addie's Thai Cafe

July 2010- Unfortunately our 2nd visit recently left a far less favourable impression than the review below. Portions seemed to have shrunk, a flustered waiter who barely understood English was completely unhelpful, my Malaysian friend was thoroughly unimpressed with the lack of heat and spice in the Tom Yam and the annoying lady that nagged us the first time round was even worse, rushing us through our entire meal and reminding us constantly how we needed to eat fast and leave. Having now discovered the far cheaper and mindblowingly delicious Fitou's Cafe (formerly known as Number One Cafe) at 1 Dalgarno Gardens near White City, Addie's Thai has officially been struck off our list.

Addie's Thai Cafe 30 July 2009

121 Earl's Court Road

London SW5 9RL

Tel: 0207 259 2620

Website: www.addiesthai.co.uk

Thank goodness a friend finally brought me here- Addie's is the bomb! I have heard many including those of Thai origin singing its praises as the best Thai restaurant in London for authentic street hawker food, and based on my first visit alone I am already inclined to agree.

Everything you need to know about the place is on its ultra-informative website, from a picture-by-picture description of each dish on the menu right down to Chef Addie's career history. So I will skip the waffling and get straight to my lowdown on the sumptuous lunch we had.

A warm and cosy interior with brisk, efficient service- the only niggle we had was a slightly off-putting waitress who gave us an unnecessarily long lecture when we asked for small bowls to share our noodles! Apparently if it were her in a Thai stall she would never want to eat someone else's dish nor have someone eat hers.

To avoid further nagging we said fine and shared by passing our bowls round and taking turns trying each other's orders instead- next time miss, spare us the blah-blah and just bring the crockery please.

Pad Thai (£6.50)- Tangy, punchy, flavoursome and beautifully presented under an omelette web. Such a well-executed classic, a far cry from the stodgy tasteless mounds of noodles many other restaurants try to pass off under this name.

Yen Ta Fore (£8.50)-I have never had pink soup, but if all pink soups tasted like this I'd happily slurp up!

The weird hue is due to fermented red bean paste, the same ingredient which gives it its appetising salty tang. I chose thin rice noodles which were cooked just right, and was particularly impressed with the generous load of toppings- big juicy king prawns, squid, gorgeously textured crunchy jelly fish, fish balls, thick slices of fish cake, fried tofu chunks, crispy beancurd skin and morning glory/water convolvulus (kangkung to Malaysians). Yum yum yum.

Tom Yam Moo Sub (£6.95)- Another delicious slurper, though less garish in appearance and a tad lighter on the palate. Clear noodle soup with a spicy bite reminiscent of Vietnamese pho, topped with minced pork, ground peanuts, beansprouts and a sprinkling of dried chilli.

Kho Moo Yang (£7.50)- The 'oohs', 'aahs' and 'mms' abound- definitely our all-round favourite dish of the meal. The humble menu description of "grilled neck end pork" just does not do this divine dish justice, with its heap of moist succulent slices and sublime dipping sauce. Taste-wise it's sweet and sticky with a charred smokiness, sort of like a cross between the ubiquitous char siew (barbecued pork) and bak kwa (dried Chinese smoked jerky). Only more luscious.

Som Tam (£6.95)- I truly believe my mother's adoration of this Thai papaya salad is one of the main reasons she likes visiting my aunt in Bangkok so much. No doubt she would rave about Addie's version- robust, punchy and very very spicy. I'd recommend telling them to hold back on the chillies if heat is not your thing :) Aside from strips of raw papaya, long beans and tomatoes, you get four options to go with the salad including raw prawns and the aforementioned "grilled neck end pork"-we chose a combination of dried shrimp and salted crab which worked deliciously.

Green pandan pancake with Thai custard filling & vanilla ice cream (£3.50)

Steamed sticky rice with banana stuffing & vanilla ice cream (£3.50)

After being blown away by the mains and sides, I suppose it is inevitable that we found the desserts slightly lacklustre in comparison. They were both tasty and did exactly what they say on the tin, but one feels the menu could have done with a wider selection to include Thai classics like the cold "Red Rubies" dessert Tub Thim Krob (sweet water chestnuts with tapioca, coconut milk, shaved ice and syrup), or options such as mango to go with the steamed sticky rice (at the moment banana and yam are the two choices).

However, I am only being nitpicky- most restaurants don't go beyond complimentary orange slices and textbook banana fritters so Addie's deserves credit for at least offering some traditional sweetmeats to end the meal.

As a whole, wowzers. The entire meal really hit the spot and a repeat visit is most definitely in order- I can smell the Kho Moo Yang already!