Carol Selva Rajah - Tropical Asian Favourites

Basic Recipes

Laksa Spice Paste

7-10 red finger-length chillies, deseeded

3 cloves garlic

3 stalks lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, sliced

12-mm (-in) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

12-mm (-in) fresh galangal root, peeled and sliced

teaspoon dried prawn paste ( belachan ), dry-roasted

Process all the ingredients, except the dried prawn paste, in a food processor until smooth.

Add the dried prawn paste, mix well and set aside.

Makes cup

Preparation time: 5 mins

Lemongrass Paste

Lemongrass is an aromatic herb used for centuries in South-East Asia. It may be sliced very finely as garnish, but in this case, this interesting paste is used for many of my curries or laksa dishes, as it has the freshness of ginger and galangal, and the aroma of kaffir lime.

4 stalks lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, sliced

2.5-cm (1-in) fresh galangal root, peeled and sliced

10 cloves garlic

12-mm (-in) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

12 red finger-length chillies, deseeded

1 tablespoon dried prawns, dry-roasted

1 tablespoon oil

2 teaspoons shaved palm sugar or dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons water

1 kaffir lime leaf, cut into thin strips

teaspoon salt, or to taste

Grind the lemongrass, galangal, garlic, ginger and chillies in a food processor or mortar until fine. Add the dried prawns and grind to a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the paste over medium heat until fragrant, 23 minutes. Stir in the other ingredients, except the salt, and simmer uncovered for 35 minutes, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.

Season with salt to taste and remove from the heat, cool and store refrigerated in a sealed jar.

Makes 1 cup

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Sambal Oelek Chilli Paste

The action of grinding a chilli paste is oelek or ulek in Malay. Commercial brands like the Indonesian ABC brand are good, but this sauce is so simple to make that you should try it. Remember to bring it to boiling point, then allow to cool before storing.

1 onion, sliced

5 cloves garlic

2.5-cm (1-in) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

12 red finger-length chillies, deseeded

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon shaved palm sugar or dark brown sugar

cup (100 ml) vinegar

teaspoon salt, to taste

Grind the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies in a food processor or mortar to a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the paste over medium heat until fragrant, 35 minutes. Season with the sugar, vinegar and salt.

Remove from the heat and cool, then store refrigerated in a sealed jar for up to 2 months.

Makes 1 cup

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Aromatic Nonya Spice Paste

This curry paste is the classic Nonya standby. Use it as base for many Nonya curries and laksa dishes. Double the quantity as a timesaving exercise and use it as a stir-fry starter for vegetables and soups instead of starting with chopped garlic and onions.

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, thinly sliced

10 red finger-length chillies, halved and deseeded

1 tablespoon dried prawns

2 candlenuts or macadamia nuts

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons shaved palm sugar or dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

teaspoon salt or fish sauce, to taste

Grind the onion, lemongrass, chillies, dried prawns and candlenuts or macadamia nuts in a food processor or mortar until smooth.

Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the paste over medium heat until fragrant, 12 minutes.

Add the lime juice, sugar and water, mix well and bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered, stirring, for 23 minutes until the mixture thickens. Season with salt to taste and remove from the heat. Cool and store refrigerated in a sealed jar.

Makes 1 cup

Preparation time: 45 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Chilli Sambal

This is a favourite recipe that can be made up and heated for use later and will make a great Christmas gift when bottled.

2 tablespoons oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoons Sambal Oelek Chilli Paste (page ) or other sweet chilli paste

60 g (cup) dried prawns, rinsed and dryroasted

1 tablespoon tamarind pulp, mashed with cup (60 ml) water, strained to obtain the juice

50 g ( cup) dark brown sugar or shaved palm sugar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Salt, to taste

Heat the oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the garlic, onion and Sambal Oelek Chilli Paste over medium heat until fragrant, 12 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the salt, and stir-fry until the volume reduces to half, 35 minutes. Season with salt to taste and remove from the heat. Cool and store refrigerated in a sealed jar.

Makes 1 cup

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Fish Curry Powder

The difference between a fish and a meat curry powder is a couple of spices that add sourness and aroma to the fish curries. You may choose a commercial blend or make your own using a little less or more fenugreek seeds, mustard and some lime juice to hold the powder together.

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 teaspoons fennel seeds

4 dried red finger-length chillies, stems discarded, broken into pieces

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Dry-roast each of the whole spices separately, in a frying pan, over gentle heat until fragrant, 23 minutes each.

Let them cool and then grind all the spices to a fine powder in a mortar or spice grinder. Store in a sealed jar refrigerated or frozen.

Makes cup

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Crispy Fried Shallots

2 tablespoons oil

5 small Asian shallots, sliced

Heat the oil in a frying pan and stirfrying the sliced shallots over medium heat until golden and crispy, 12 minutes.

Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels. Alternatively, cover the shallot slices with the oil in a dish and microwave for 1 minute on high, then stir and return to microwave for another 1 minute.

Makes cup

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 5 mins

Vietnamese Beef Stock

All the delicate aromas of Vietnamese food are contained in this classic pho (pronounced fir) soupwonderfully complex fragrances of the slow-cooked beef stock, with back notes of star anise, peppery ginger and refreshing, minty galangal.