Recipe: Dry Chicken Curry with Potatoes

We are slowly introducing spicy food into our children's diet. And they are taking it really well. :) One of the first spicy dishes we made for them is this dry chicken curry with potatoes. You can reduce or increase the amount of curry powder you add to this dish, depending on how spicy you like it.

This is an easy curry dish to prepare at home; last week we even made some extra so that we can have a curry puff wrapping session at home with the kids (recipe here).  We usually serve our chicken curry with rice, fried eggs, cucumber and a stir fried vegetable.

Dry Chicken Curry with Potatoes
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35-40 minutes
Serves 5-6

Ingredients
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
3 onions, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely grated
1/2 bulb garlic, finely chopped
5 tbsp meat curry powder (Baba's)
4 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp water
3 potatoes, cut into small cubes
Kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced


1. In a large frying pan or wok, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium high heat. Add the potatoes, and saute for about 2-3 minutes, and then remove the potatoes from the pan.

2. Add the remaining oil, garlic, ginger and onion and saute for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is golden brown.

3. Add the chicken and curry powder, and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Season with light soy sauce, add the water and then reduce the heat to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Add the potatoes, and cook for a further 15 minutes. Taste and season with more salt or soy sauce as necessary. Garnish with kaffir lime leaves and serve immediately.

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Chef Wan @ Mandarin Oriental KL

Just yesterday, we had the pleasure of meeting Datuk Redzuawan Ismail, better known as Chef Wan and sitting through an entertaining cooking demonstration with the man himself at Aqua Restaurant in Mandarin Oriental KL. With over 27 years of culinary experience, Chef Wan is recognised as Tourism Malaysia's culinary ambassador and is Malaysia's most iconic celebrity chef.

From 3 to 9 April 2016, Chef Wan will be showcasing classic and Royal Malaysian cuisine at Mosaic for both lunch and dinner, where diners will get to sample his delicious cuisine as well as meeting him in person.

We were one of the lucky few to learn and taste some of his recipes that he will be presenting during the promotion at Mosaic. During the cooking demo, Chef Wan, with the help of the wonderful team at MO showed us how to make 3 classic Malaysian dishes, namely ayam percik, his grandmother's nyonya laksa, and kerabu nangka and tempeh. It was a hot afternoon, yet the gregarious Chef Wan cooked effortlessly and even entertained us with many amusing and delightful stories about his life as well as food culture in Malaysia. As he spoke, the space we were in was filled with lovely aromas of the many spices he uses in his dishes. According to Chef Wan, what makes Malaysian cuisine unique is the freshness as well as the wonderful spices used in the preparation of the dishes.

The ayam percik is a Kelantan specialty dish, whereby spices are simmered until fragrant and then the chicken is cooked in the gravy, before being finished on the grill for a smoky flavour. Chef Wan's recipe uses pineapple which gives the gravy a beautiful sweet taste.

We love Nyonya Laksa, and this was absolutely delicious. Egg noodles is topped with a spicy, rich and creamy gravy, and then topped with various ingredients such as fish ball, chopped prawns, tofu puff, cockles, fish cakes, bean sprout and shredded cucumber.

The kerabu nangka and tempe, also known as urap nangka is a salad made from young jackfruit and tempeh, along with fresh pineapple. This is a popular dish from Johor. The use of lime, palm sugar and chilli gives this salad a combination of sweet, salty, sour and spicy flavours, all in one mouthful.

Don't miss the chance to try the above dishes and many more (he will be showcasing about 25 dishes in total for this promotion) such as nasi ulam di raja, gulai daging kawah, nasi telur and rendang ayam Minangkabau. Lunch is priced at RM128 nett per person while dinner is priced at RM158 nett per person. For more information and dining reservations, please call 03-2179 8881 or email mokul-fb@mohg.com

Location: Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 50088 Kuala Lumpur.

GPS Coordinates: 3.155514, 101.711555



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Fresh Market Dining @ Serena Brasserie, InterContinental KL

Last week, we were invited to Serena Brasserie at InterContinental KL to check out their new Fresh Market Dining concept. The Fresh Market buffet dinner is available daily from 7.00pm to 10.30pm; from Sundays to Thursdays you can enjoy the international buffet nights at RM138 nett or the 'catch of the day' spread on Friday and Saturday at RM178 nett per adult.

So what's NEW about this Fresh Market dining concept at Serena Brasserie? According to Chef de Cuisine Suhalmi Tasir, this Fresh Market dining concept gives guests the opportunity to try fresh, quality produce prepared in their preferred method of cooking. We went around and sampled the fantastic, extensive variety of food on offer, and here are some of the highlights of the new Fresh Market experience:

1. Succulent air-flown seafood

Choose from an array of seafood such as tiger prawn, mussels, sea bass fillet, salmon fillet, squid and more, and then bring it to the live cooking station. Everything is prepared a la minute, so be prepared to wait. However, you will not need to wait in line; simply bring one of the lolly sticks (with your table number imprinted on it) with you to any of the cooking stations, and pass it to one of the chefs with your plate of raw ingredients, while indicating which cooking method you prefer. There are over 10 cooking styles to choose from, such as bouillabaisse broth, Portuguese stew, stone-grilled, Cordon Bleu, deep fried (batter / breaded), teriyaki style and more.

Our seafood bouillabaisse

2. Meat and poultry selections

You can make your meat and poultry selection from a small chiller - there is striploin, tenderloin, ribs, duck and lamb rack. I would highly recommend the Australian lamb rack - it was beautifully grilled to a medium doneness, so good we had to go back for seconds!

3. Garden crisp vegetables

There are over 25 selection of vegetables to chose from, simply select and add them to your seafood or meat dishes. Or you can start your meal with a fresh garden salad.

4. Sang Har Mein

Do check out the Noodles counter, and order a plate of sang har mein, aka freshwater prawn noodles. Egg noodles are topped with a smooth egg gravy and halved freshwater prawns.

5. Risotto and pasta

We usually avoid these two items at a buffet spread, however please do not miss out on the risotto ai funghi served here at Serena Brasserie. As I mentioned earlier, the dishes here are cooked a la minute to ensure guests have the freshest, best dining experience. Beautifully prepared, the risotto ai funghi was cooked al dente, and then tossed in the giant Grana Padano wheel and topped with rocket leaves. You can also find Paella Valencia (traditional Spanish rice dish) or Arroz de Marisco (Portuguese seafood rice) here.

6. Fresh seafood on ice and sashimi

And of course, not to be missed here is the amazing spread of fresh seafood on ice and sashimi. I love the fatty cut of salmon on offer, as well as the crayfish, slipper lobster and succulent prawns. There are also freshly shucked oysters, crabs, scallops, tuna sashimi and sushi.

7. Fresh juice

Pick from one of the freshly squeezed juice bottles on display or select your preferred combination from the display of fruits, and the juice will be delivered to your table.

8. Desserts and Cheese

Sinful desserts await you at the Dessert counter, including cakes, pastries, chocolate fountains, local desserts and New Zealand Kapiti ice cream. There is also a nice selection of imported cheese such as Gouda, Cheddar, Brie and Blue Cheese, along with dried fruits and nuts.

For reservations, please call Serena Brasserie at 03-2782 6228 or email foodandbeverage@intercontinental-kl.com.my



Opening times: Lunch 12.00 noon to 2.30pm (Mondays to Fridays), Dinner 7.00pm to 10.30pm (Daily)

Pork-free.

Location: Serena Brasserie, Lobby Level, InterContinental Hotel Kuala Lumpur, 165 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2782 6228

Website: http://www.intercontinental-kl.com.my/dining/serena_brasserie.asp




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Recipe: One-Pan Lamb Chops with Roasted Vegetables

So, on Easter Sunday, I cooked my daughter's favorite lamb loin chops for dinner. I had friends telling me on social media how good it looks and I couldn't help but add "And it's so easy to cook too!".

This is currently my favorite recipe for cooking lamb chops as it's so easy! All you have to do is to place the lamb chops along with vegetables, all in one pan and roast it. You can add any of our favorite vegetables; our recommendation would be root vegetables such as carrots, onions and parsnips as well as zucchini, bell peppers and celery. It is a complete meal on one tray. On this occasion, I did make some mashed potatoes to go with it, as my kids love it, however to save some time, you can also add in some new potatoes to the tray so it all cooks together on the same tray.

One-pan lamb chops with roasted vegetables

Do remember to cut your vegetables in thick chunks as you want them to retain their crunchy texture.

See here for the full step-by-step video (view in full screen here)

One-pan lamb chops with roasted vegetables

Recipe by Baby Sumo

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15-18 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

15 lamb loin chops

1 carrot

1 celery

1 zucchini

1 yellow pepper

A handful fresh rosemary

Anchovies (optional)

2-3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the gravy

1 OXO beef stock cube

2 cups of water

1-2 tbsp Bisto beef stock granules

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash the lamb loin chops and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Line two baking trays with foil. Arrange the lamb chops between the two trays.

2. Cut the carrots, celery, zucchini and yellow pepper into large, thick chunks. Scatter on the tray between the lamb. Drizzle with olive oil and then season with salt and pepper. If you are using anchovies, you can crumble them between your fingers all over the lamb. 

3. Snip rosemary all over the lamb.

4. Place trays in preheated oven and roast for 15-18 minutes.  Allow the meat to rest for 3 minutes before serving.

5. For the gravy, bring water to the boil, then add the OXO cube and mix until dissolved. Add the Bisto beef stock granules and stir well. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as necessary.

6. To serve, place lamb chops, and roasted vegetables on a plate, along with mashed potatoes. Serve the gravy in a gravy jug on the side and mint sauce.

****************

On a separate occasion, we made our one-pan roasted lamb chops with some roasted vegetables again, and served it with French fries. We also cut off the fats from the lamb chops, and put it back under a hot grill for about 4-5 minutes, for crispy sinful goodness!

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Easter Games for Kids and Families

Every Easter Sunday, we will have lots of activities planned out for the kids. Here are some of our kids / family's favorite Easter games.

1. Easter Egg Hunt

The day started with an Easter Egg Hunt. Hubby would hide the eggs which we have decorated earlier this week in our garden. Each child will be given a basket and asked to look for the eggs. The winner will get a small prize (usually in the form of a chocolate egg).

Is eating considered a game? LOL, every year after our Easter egg hunt, we will have an eggy breakfast for sure! This year, we had fried eggs and half boiled eggs. 

Followed by chocolate creme eggs ;)

2. Egg and spoon race

Each child is given a plastic spoon and plastic egg, and asked to race around the house. Best of 3 (fastest) wins!

3. Pin the tail on the Easter bunny

Not this year, but last Easter, Hubby made a giant sized bunny on a cardboard and the kids were blindfolded and will have to mark where the bunny's tail is. This was lots of fun, and also garnered lots of laughter.

4. Easter Word Search

You just need to google "Easter word search" and you will find lots of easy word search for kids.


5. Eating Toast off a line

This is not really an Easter game, but a game which our kids enjoy playing nonetheless. Hubby would toast some bread - usually he will cut a piece of bread into 4 sections and then put them on a line. The objective is to eat the toast using only your mouth (no hands allowed!).

6. Easter Dress Up

Usually we will dress the kids up for Easter, but this year, we didn't do much except for getting this chicken mask and asking our son to don it. Check out last year's Easter post for cute bunny get-ups.

Are there any games that you enjoy playing during Easter? Do share.


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