Aloo Gobi - Dry Cauliflower and Potato Curry

Sorry for being a little quiet recently. I've been feeling really tired as my long term-ish medication due to this is being a mighty pain! All I wanna do it just to lie on the sofa and do practically nothing which I feel is a waste of time but I've got not much choice at the moment.
Alright, ranting over......

I don't usually like eating cauliflower however, i simply love this dish! Maybe the spices make a difference? My hubby made this dish and I kinda had a hand in it too since I searched for the recipe, peeled the potatoes (he hates peeling them!) and showed him where some of the spices were so it was a joint effort right. ;)

Ingredients (Adapted slightly from Mamta's Kitchen)
• Approximately 500 grams of vegetables in total, as follows:
• 1 small cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 large or a couple of medium potato, peeled and cut into bite size pieces 
• Handfull of frozen green peas
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 red chilli, chopped into thin slices
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp. chilli powder (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala powder
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves, cleaned and chopped

Method
1. Heat the oil in a wok.
2. Add the cumin seeds and wait until seeds splutter. Be careful not to let them burn.
3. Add ginger, garlic and red chillies. Stir-fry for 10 seconds or so, until lightly browned.
4. Add the cauliflower and potatoes and sprinkle the turmeric, coriander, chilli powder and salt on top.
5. Stir-fry well for 30 seconds or so and then lower the heat to almost minimum.
6. Cover, add peas after 10 mins and cook until the potatoes are cooked through, stirring from time to time. If the vegetables are fresh, no extra water needs to be added. Otherwise, sprinkle some water when it looks too dry, just enough to stop it from catching.
7. Sprinkle lemon juice, garam masala and two-third of the coriander leaves on top, stir and mix gently.
8. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with remaining chopped coriander leaves before serving.

Beef Rendang (Slow cooked Beef curry)

I just came back from a wonderful holiday in beautiful Slovenia and what's the first thing I want to do?! Have a beef rendang! Typical isn't it? Beef rendang is one of my absolute fave dishes. Beef slow cooked with spices and coconut milk until it becomes meltingly tender, whose aroma just wets the taste-buds in anticipation. It's always a good idea to cook a bigger batch since it's so enticing and you will definitely want to have it for more than one meal. Keeping it overnight also intensifies it's flavours to make it all the more enjoyable!

This is not my first time cooking beef rendang, I've made it before with another recipe but something went wrong with that. However, the recipe I've used today is from Jason, author of Feast to the World. I've only recently discovered this blog but am absolutely loving it as he always cooks very good South east asian food. Have also found out that he may be starting a Singaporean Supper Club in London so oh yeah!! Will keep lookout for that as it's gonna be spectacular!! 

I've made tiny changes to his recipe as i didn't have all the ingredients on hand but it turned out extremely tasty too so thanks Jason for this wonderful recipe! It's a keeper!! I also serve it with cucumbers as that's how my hubby had it while growing up. ;)

Update (28/01/2013)
I cooked Beef Rendang again, this time using a combination of Feast to the World and Mummy I can cook rendang recipe and it turned out better than when I first made it! I was also very happy to have finally found candle nuts  and they definitely made a difference as the rendang was way creamier than the first time i made it.

Adapted from Feast to the World & Mummy I can Cook

Ingredients (Serves 2 to 4)

1kg stewing steak, cut into large 3cm chunks
400ml coconut milk
300ml water
1 1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
4 star anise
4 cloves
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Sunflower oil

For the Rempah (Spice Paste):
100g  desiccated coconut
4 large red chillies, deseeded and chopped
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 medium onion, chopped
6 lime leaves
6 candle nuts(or macademia nuts)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh galangal
3 stem lemongrass, bruised and cut into 3 pieces

Method

1) To prepare the spice paste, fry the coconut in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes, until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning. 

2) Put all the spice paste ingredients in a food processor, together with the toasted coconut and whizz into a smooth paste. Add a little of the oil if necessary to keep the mixture turning.

3) In a large heavy-based pot , heat up 2 tablespoon of the oil and stir-fry the paste over low-moderate heat for about 3 minutes, until fragrant and most of the moisture have evaporated. Add the beef along with the coconut milk, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and star anise. Bring slowly to the boil over medium heat. Cover and let it remain cooking in the oven for at least 4 hours at 150 deg C. Give it a stir every hour and top up with water if required.

4) The rendang is ready when the meat is tender and the sauce has almost dried up, leaving a thick consistency and is shiny with a thin layer of oil.

5) Season with salt/sugar to taste.
6) Serve hot with some steamed rice and sliced cucumbers.

Lamb Keema (Lamb Mince Curry)

This recipe taken from The New Malaysian Cookbook, borrowed from my friend recently,  was originally called Kambing Keema(goat keema). Keema means minced and since I decided to use lamb, it would be more appropriate to call it a Lamb Keema. :) 
Keema is a traditional Indian meat curry dish that usually consists of minced meat, peas and potatoes. A mild curry with not much heat and the whole curry is well rounded off with the addition of coconut milk.
It's my first time cooking from this cookbook and we loved it!! I can see myself cooking a lot more from here...until I have to return it, that is...... :P

Ingredients

225g minced lamb

3 tablespoons curry powder

salt to taste

5 tablespoons oil

2 large onions(diced small)

4 cardamoms (bruised)

5 cloved

1 star anise

2cm cinnamon stick

1cm ginger (pounded)

2 cloved garlic (pounded)

500ml thin coconut milk

2 potatoes (diced 2cm)

2 tomatoes (diced 2cm)

60g green peas
10 curry leaves

2 sprigs coriander leaves (chopped)

sugar to taste

Method

1) Combine minced mutton, curry powder and salt. Set aside for 10 mins.

2) Heat oil. Saute diced onions until fragrant.

3) Add cardamoms, cloved, star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and lamb. Stir till mixture is dry.

4) Gradually pour in 125 ml coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 mins.

5) Put in diced potatoes and the remaining coconut milk. Continue stirring till the potatoes are soft. Put in diced tomatoes and peas.

6) Adjust seasoning to taste.

7) Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.