Stir Fried Fenugreek ( Methi ) Leaves - ( with garlic and without spices )

Stir Fried Fenugreek ( Methi ) Leaves - ( with garlic and without spices )

Serves: 2
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 bunches methi leaves ( small leaves )
15 - 20 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )

Method

Wash and clean methi leaves.

Heat oil in a pan. Add sliced garlic and fry on a low heat till light brown.

Add methi leaves and salt to taste. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 8 minutes or till the water dries up. Serve as a side dish with rice / roti / phulka.

Find here health benefits of Fenugreek ( Methi ) Leaves

Mixed Vegetable Sambar Rice

Mixed Vegetable Sambar Rice

Serves: 2 - 3

Ingredients

3/4 cup silky raw rice / basmati
1/4 cup moong dal
4 cups water
4 French beans
1 carrot
2 onions or 20 sambar ( or shallots ) onions
2 tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon oil
2 1/4 teaspoon sambar powder ( Melam / MTR / Eastern )
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon hing ( asafoetida )
1 1/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )

Method

Cut all the vegetables ( French beans, carrot, onions & tomatoes ) into equal size pieces.

Wash and clean rice and moong dal.

Mix rice and moong dal with all the ingredients in a pressure cooker ( including water ).

Bring to full pressure on high heat till 2 whistles. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Switch off the heat. Allow the pressure cooker to cool naturally.

For seasoning:

2 teaspoon oil
1 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 spring curry leaves

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they started to pop, add curry leaves and saute for 2 minutes. Pour this seasoning over mixed vegetable sambar rice. Mix well. Serve hot with pickle / papad / chips / curd.

Almond Chicken Curry

Almond Chicken Curry

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

600 g chicken pieces
2 tablespoon cooking oil ( 1 tablespoon for brown onion )
2 tablespoon ginger - garlic paste
3/4 teaspoon salt to taste ( or to taste )
1/2 cup water (50 ml)
1 spring curry leaves
1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves ( for garnishing )

1, For Brown Onion Paste:

3 onions , finely sliced

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan. Add sliced onions and fry till brown on a medium heat. Make a smooth paste in a mixer. Keep aside.

2, For Spice Paste:

3/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 tablespoon water

Dilute spice powders with water.

3, Almond - Coconut Paste:

6 almonds ( soak almonds in 1/4 cup water for 1 hour and remove the skin )
1/4 cup grated coconut
2 tablespoon water

Make a smooth paste of almonds and grated coconut in a mixer. Add water while grinding.

Method

Wash and clean chicken pieces, Drain out water.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil a kadai / deep pan. Add brown onion paste. Saute on a low heat for 5 minutes. Add ginger - garlic paste and fry for 3 minutes. Add diluted spice paste and curry leaves. Saute on a low heat for 5 minutes ( till the raw smell goes ).

Add chicken pieces and 3/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste ). Mix well. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add almond - coconut paste. Mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes ( or till the chicken pieces are soft ). Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve with Rotis / Chapati / Parathas / Rice / Pulao.

Bell pepper Fried Rice

Bell Pepper Fried Rice

Serves : 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes



Ingredients

4 cups cooked rice ( Basmati / Jeerakasala )
2 onions, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 bell pepper ( red, green and yellow ), cut into equal size pieces
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon pepper powder ( optional )
1 tablespoon cooking oil

Method

Heat oil in a kadai / deep pan. Add chopped onions and garlic. Fry till pink in color.

Add chopped bell peppers and saute on a low heat for 5 minutes.

Add cooked rice and salt to taste. Mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle pepper powder ( optional ). Serve hot with chicken curry / paneer masala / korma ...

Masala Dosa

Masala Dosa

Ingredients

For Dosa Batter:

1 cup urad dal
2 1/2 cups raw rice ( pachari )
1 tablespoon cooked rice
Salt to taste ( approximately 1 teaspoon )
Ghee / oil for frying
Water for grinding

For the Filling ( masala ) :

2 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal
2 teaspoon channa dal
1 spring curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
5 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1 - inch ginger, finely chopped
500 g potatoes ( boiled with a little turmeric powder )
3 onions, sliced
Salt to taste

Method

For Dosa:

Wash and soak urad dal and rice separately for 6 - 7 hours.

Grind the urad dal and cooked rice to a very fine paste . Add little water while grinding. Remove and keep aside in a big vessel.

Then grind rice with little water. Remove and mix with dal paste and add salt to taste. Batter should be of dropping consistency. Cover and keep aside for 6 - 8 hours / overnight.

For the filling ( masala )

Heat oil in a kadai ( deep pan ). When it is hot enough add mustard seeds. When they start splutter add urad dal, channa dal, green chillies, curry leaves and chopped ginger. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes ( till dals are light brown ).

Add sliced onions. When the onions are light brown in color and turmeric powder and fry well.

Add boiled and mashed potatoes. Add salt to taste and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 5 - 8 minutes.

Note: Remove green chillies while making masala dosa.




Final Preparation of Masala Dosa:

Heat a heavy - bottomed wrought iron griddle or non stick dosa pan on a medium heat. Grease with little oil / ghee.

Make the dosa by placing a ladleful ( approximately 120 ml ) of batter on the centre.

Spread evenly by circular rotations using the base of the ladle, starting from the centre and progressing outwards.

Let the dosa color, and sprinkle a few drops of ghee.

Place the masala ( filling ) in the centre of the dosa. Fold the dosa and cook till crisp.

When ready, carefully remove with the help of a thin spatula. Serve hot with coconut chutney & sambar. Other accompaniments - Medu vada and Filter coffee.

Coconut chutney

Ingredients

1 cup coconut grated
1 green chilli
1 red chilli
1 teaspoon tamarind paste ( optional )
Salt to taste
Ginger - 1/2- inch piece

For seasoning:

1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon urad dal
1 red chilli
1 spring curry leaves

Method

Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste with a little water. Adjust the thickness of the chutney with water.

For seasoning:

In a pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter , add remaining ingredients. Saute well. Pour this over to coconut chutney.

Health Benefits of Cauliflower

Health Benefits of Cauliflower

An excellent source of vitamin C.

A good source of folate and potassium.

Low in calories and high in fiber.

An anticancer food.

Cauliflower is rich in vitamin C, folate and various other phytochemicals linked with good health. A cup of raw cauliflower florets has more than 50 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance ( RDA ) of vitamin C, 15 percent of the RDA for folate, and reasonable amounts of potassium and vitamin B6. It also has bioflavonoids, indoles and other chemicals that protect against cancer.

Filling, high in fiber, and low in calories ( 25 in a cup of florets ), this is an ideal snack food for weight watchers. Raw cauliflower has more folate ( 80 percent is lost in cooking).

To retain flavor and reduce nutrient loss, cook cauliflower rapidly by boiling in a minimum amount of water or steaming. Too much cooking turns cauliflower mushy and releases sulfurous compounds, resulting in an unpleasant odor and bitter taste. Boiling the vegetable in an open pot helps disperse these compounds. To avoid discoloring the cauliflower, don’t cook it in aluminum or iron pots.

When buying cauliflower, look for a head with firm, compact florets. If it is fresh, the leaves will be crisp and green, and the head, snowy white.

Source - Reader's Digest

Complementary Breakfast at Hotel Sutera Pacific , Kota Kinabau

Hotel Pacific Sutera ( View from Marina )

Silk Garden Chinese Restaurant was featured in Malaysia Tatler’s Best Restaurants list of 2009. Located next to the tranquil gardens and landscaped ponds of The Pacific Sutera, the restaurant enjoys fabulous views of the yachts by the marina, the swimming pool, swaying trees and the South China Sea against a picturesque backdrop of the islands of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

Find here more

Photos from our Kota Kinabalu Holidays - December 2009


View from Silk Garden Restaurant



































Preparation of Roti Canai














Indian Bread - Paratha


Puri





Omelette Counter

Cauliflower Gassi ( with coconut paste and without onion and garlic - Konkani / Saraswat Cuisine )

Cauliflower Gassi (with coconut paste and without onion and garlic- Konkani / Saraswat Cuisine )

Serves: 3

Ingredients

300 g cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups water
1/2 cup water ( for cooking )
1 green chilli
3/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )

For Coconut paste:

1 cup (75 g - 100 g) grated coconut
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
3 tablespoon water for grinding

Make a smooth paste of above ingredients. Add water while grinding.

For Seasoning:

1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 spring curry leaves

Method

Wash and clean cauliflower florets.

Boil cauliflower florets in 2 cups water for 3 minutes. Drain out water.

Cook cauliflower florets with 1/2 cup water in a bowl. Add 3/4 teaspoon ( or to taste ) salt and 1 green chilli. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add coconut paste. Mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 5 - 8 minutes.

For Seasoning:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When it starts crackling, add curry leaves. Pour this seasoning over cauliflower gassi and serve with rice / seeth.

Other accompaniments - Cabbage Sukke / Beans Sukke, Thoy, Edgayi ( pickle ), Thaak ( curd ) & Appolu ( papad ).

Delicious Seafood in Kota Kinabalu

Kota Kinabalu is famous with its delicious seafood. Your journey to Kota Kinabalu won’t be completed without seafood. All the seafood restaurants provides live creatures such as fishes, crabs, prawns, lobsters, clams, mussel .... in aquarium. Most of these fishes are caught from the South China Sea, Sulu Sea and Celebes sea on the east coast of Sabah. You have a wide choice to choose which one you would like to eat. Once identified, they are immediately prepared and served on your dining table within 30 minutes.

Ocean Seafood Village is a very popular seafood restaurant in Kota Kinabalu city. It is very huge and popular among tourists. Located near Hotel Promenade, waterfront & Api Api Centre.

Photos from Ocean Seafood Village

Click on photo to view large























Butter Prawns


Mussels






Seafood Restaurant ( Kampung / village style ) near Centre Point Mall


Oyster Omlette


Prawns Fritters








Tom Yam Soup


Butter Prawns


Sea Cucumber

Other Seafood Restaurants in Kota Kinabalu

Port View Seafood Restaurant
Fishermen Seafood Restaurant
Gayang Seafood Restaurant
Salut Seafood Restaurant
Sedco Complex- Old Village Seafood Restaurant