Beef curry with green papaya/Green papaya curry

beef curry with green papaya/green papaya curry

This beef curry recipe is one of my favorites ever! I used to dislike eating beef, but after eating that dish, I totally changed my mind. The secret behind it is that I cook the beef in pressure cooker,so the meat becomes very soft and so good to eat!I use green papaya(also known as green pawpaw in some countries) in that dish. Green papaya fruit and the tree's latex are both rich in an enzyme called papain, which is useful in tenderizing meat and other proteins. It thus has the ability to tenderize meat, and is also a remedy for digestive problems.

Ingredients: green papaya peeled and cut
Half a green papaya, cut into medium sized cubes
ginger, about the size of a finger(the smallest one)
5 medium cloves of garlic
1 tbsp cumin seeds
250g of beef, cut into small pieces
1 medium sized potato, cut into medium sized cubes
half red onion, sliced
Spices:
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp dhania ( coriander powder)
chilli powder (to taste)

Steps:
1.Blend the ginger, garlic, chilli, cumin seeds until you get a paste.Maybe you will need to add a little water before blending.
2.In your pressure cooker, fry the onions. When brown enough, add the paste from step 1.
3.Add all the spices and give it a quick stir.
4.Add the beef and fry for 1-2 minutes.
5.Add some hot water(about 200ml) and pressure cook for about 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes,check if the beef is soft enough(depends on how soft you would want it).If not soft enough,then pressure cook for a few more minutes, but be sure that the water is enough, otherwise your beef will burn!
6.When the beef is nicely cooked, add the papaya and potatoes. Cook until done. It should take about 5-10 minutes.
7.Serve with rice and a fresh salad.

Baby bokchoy with cashew nuts



Ingredients:
5 baby boy choys
1 cup of maize
1 cup of cashew nuts
4 cloves of garlic
sesame oil
salt



Steps:
1.Cut the baby boy choy in half and then boil/steam them. If you boil them, it should take about 1-2 mins.Steaming is preferred though.
2.Pour some oil in a pan and add some salt.
3.Fry the garlic until brown.Add the maize,stir-fry for a few seconds and then add the cashew nuts.
4.Place the baby bok choy around on a round plate as in the picture.Then, put the fried garlic with the maize+cashew nuts in the middle.
Pour over some sesame oil.
5.Serve.

This is a side-dish, for example, you can serve it along with some kungpao chicken and rice.

Creme Caramel/flan




Ingredients:
5 eggs
500 ml warm milk
100 grms sugar
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1pinch salt
caramel:
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp water
lemon juice




Steps:
1.Put the sugar+ water+lemon juice in a 18 cms cake mould.
2.Make the caramel dorer , careful not to burn the sugar.
3.Put aside to harden.
4.Beat the eggs + sugar+ essence.
5.Put the pinch salt in warm milk.
6.Add warm milk to eggs mixture , beat well.
7.Sieve the mixture twice, then pour it in the caramel mould to steam.
8.Cook slowly for 45 minutes - allow to cool then put in the fridge.
9.Put a plate on the creme then turn upside to have the creme caramel up.
10.Decore the creme with a chantilly creme - any fruits of your choice and some splits of chocolates.
Remember to wash and well drain the fruits before putting on the chantilly creme.
Chantilly creme : you can get chantilly in sprays in any supermarket.

Tips: Test your creme with the back of a wet spoon.If it comes out clean then it is done.

Chinese pork with black bean sauce

chinese pork with black bean sauce

Black beans, also known as turtle beans, are very nutritious and are a very good choice of meal for diabetic people.Check out their health benefits here.


This recipe is an authentic homemade chinese recipe, and is very easy to prepare.


Ingredients:

pork( cut and marinated in 1 tbsp soya sauce- 1tbsp red white- 1 tbsp oyster sauce- 1 tbsp cornflour)

1/2 green pepper cut in cubes

1/2 red pepper cut in cubes

1/2 carrot sliced and blanched

chopped coriander


1st sauce:

2 tbsp blackbean sauce

1 tbsp red wine


2nd sauce : 1 cornflour in 1/2 glass water


Steps:

1.Fry the marinated pork in 2 tbsp oil.

2.When well done put on a plate -keep aside.

3.Re-add 2tbsp oil , tir fry the 2peppers , then add carrots.

4.Add the blackbean sauce , stiar fry to cook the carrots-peppers.

5.Add the cooked pork.

6.Cook 1minute.

7.Put on aserving dish ,sprinkle the bean sprouts- coriander leaves.

8.Serve this dish with a bowl of hot white rice.

Poudine mais

poudine mais
One mauritian dessert I absolutely love is Maize pudding,also known as Polenta pudding or corn pudding(simply known as "Poudine mais" in Mauritius). I was never used to cooking in home, but now that I am in China, I terribly miss these simple foods. So, today I decided to try "poudine mais"!My mom sent me the recipe and it turned out really good!

Ingredients:
250g fine corn powder
50g sugar
25g coconut powder
vanilla essence
sultanas(dried raisins)
1/2 litre of milk or 6 tbsp of milk powder mixed in 1/2 litre of water
Steps:
1.Soak corn powder overnight or at least 30 mins.Throw the water and all the impurities floating.
2.Add some more water to the corn powder and allow to boil,stiring continuously to avoid the corn powder from burning.Add water if needed.
3.Add the sugar, milk, vanilla essence, sultanas and continue stirring until mixture thickens.
4.Sprinkle some coconut powder on a plate and pour the corn mixture into the plate.Sprinkle some more coconut powder over the mixture.
5.Allow to cool and when cool enough,place in the refrigerator for at least 30 mins.
6.Slice to your choice.

Chinese Roasted Eggs

Chicken eggs,duck's eggs,goose's eggs....chinese people just love eating them,whether fried, roasted or boiled.Some very "popular eggs" ( you know what I mean :P) are the Century eggs, Soy eggs, Tea_eggs, Balut, Salted Duck eggs and Lutefisk.
Century eggs("dizef cent ans") and soy eggs("dizef rotis") are particularly very popular in Mauritius.For every Chinese New Year, we must all eat century eggs.Also, if it is your birthday, then eating century eggs will ensure you a long life according to the traditional myth.
Soy eggs are very easy to make and usually Chinese eat them as snacks or for breakfast along with jook(rice porridge).

dizef rotis
Ingredients:
10 boiled eggs
1tbsp chinese 5 spices
1tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp soya sauce
300 ml cooking wine

Steps: put all ingredients to simmer in a pan about 20 minutes

Red beans masala/Rajma masala

Today morning I was thinking what I was going to eat for my lunch when I sured beans masaladdenly remembered that I had some uncooked red beans left.
It had been long since I ate beans too,so decision made!Beans masala for lunch!It is a very easy and quick recipe.You can soak your beans
for about 1 hour,but I usually just pressure cook it for a little while longer.It is a very healthy recipe and is full of proteins.

Ingredients:
Cumin seeds
1 finely chopped onion
1 tbsp garam masala powder
2 tbsp ginger/garlic paste
1 tbsp coriander powder(dhania)
3 medium tomatoes
2 small chillies(slit)
2 cups red beans
1 tsp methi powder
coriander leaves
salt to taste

Steps:
1.Wash the red beans and put in pressure cooker.The amount of water used should be twice the amount of beans.I always add a little more,because I don't want to take any risk of the water evaporating and my beans burning.
Pressure cook for about 15-20 mins.Open and check the beans as well as the amount of water.If needed,add more water.

2.In a separate pan,pour some oil.When the oil is hot,put the cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.Add the chopped onions and until golden brown.

3.Add the garam masala powder and give it a quick stir.Spices can burn very easily,so add some water from the red beans to the pan.

4.Add the coriander powder and the slit chillies.Stir.

5.Add the finely chopped tomatoes and mix all well.Add some more "red bean water".Cover and let cook for 3 mins until a nice paste is produced.

6.Add the red beans and let cook for another 2 mins.

7.Garnish with coriander leaves.

You can serve this dish with rice and a fresh crisp salad.

Mijo's salad

Mijo's salad


It's summer!It's so hot and a nice fresh salad is most welcome!I love eating salads.They are full of vitamins and dietary fibre.In this salad,I added some roasted sesame seeds to enhance the flavour.Sesame seeds are very nutritious and are also a very good source of Vitamin E.Mijo's salad is very easy to make and won't take much of your time.

Ingredients:
sesame seeds

1 big tomato
1 cucumber
1 chilli
some roasted sesame seeds
lemon
salt to taste

Steps:
1.Cut the tomatoes into cubes.
2.Cut the cucumber in half,then cut the halves again in halves.Finally,slice the cucumber.
3.Chop the chilli.
4.Mix all together,adding the sesame seeds and lemon juice.Salt to taste.

And there you have your salad!Easy to make!

Lentilles aux epinards/Lentils with spinach

lentils with spinach
This recipe is very popular in Mauritius.In home,we usually serve it along with a "rougaille poisson salee" (salted fish curry) or with a "vindaye poisson" (fish vindaloo),along with some "chatini coco" (coconut mint chutney). I will be posting recipes for these dishes later on:)

Lentils with spinach is a very healthy dish. Check out their health benefits: lentils and spinach.

I don't usually measure ingredients when I cook.With practice,I just got to know how much I need to put.But for beginners' sake,I put the measurements.And here is the recipe:



Ingredients:

200g lentils

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp chilli powder(or u can just put chilli)

1/2 tsp ginger/garlic paste

1/2 kg spinach,washed and chopped

oil

1 medium sliced onion

garlic

2 medium tomatoes,chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds



Steps:

1.Wash the lentils first,like you would do for rice.Then,place it in a pressure cooker,along with the turmeric,chilli,garlic ginger paste,some salt and 3/4 litre of water.Pressure cook for about 10 mins.



2.After 10mins,uncover and check the lentils.If you find that water is not enough,add some water.The lentils should be almost cooked now.Add the spinach,and continue cooking until the spinach has wilted.Remove from heat.



3.In another pan,add oil.When the oil is hot enough,add the cumin seeds.When they start to crackle,add the onion and garlic.Let them fry until crispy.



4.Add the fried onion and garlic to the lentils..Add tomatoes.Continue cooking on medium heat until tomatoes are also cooked.



5.Serve!





Tips:Spinach should be washed very carefully since dirt tends to collect on the stems and leaves.Before washing,cut off the roots and separate the leaves and stems.Then,place in a bowl of clean water and swish around the leaves.Throw the water and repeat the process until no dirt remains.

Easy-made mashed potatoes

mashed potatoes

Ingredients:
3 medium potatoes
1 onion,cut in slices
coriander
salt
dried red chilli(optional)

Steps:
1.Boil the potatoes.
2.While the potatoes are boiling,fry the onions until brown crispy.If you want to add chilli,then fry the dried red chillies too.
3.When the potatoes are soft enough,peel them and put in a bowl together with the fried onions,chilli and chopped coriander.Add salt to taste.
4.Mash the potatoes,while mixing it with the other contents too.Use hand as the flavour will come out better.

Serve as a side dish.
You could also add some peanuts or cashews to it.