ISSN: 1391 - 0531
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Vol. 41 - No 29
Plus

Quick-fix for the season

By Dhananjani Silva

‘Something is better than nothing,’ they say and well known cookery expert Shantha Mayadunne too believes that it is better to give the guests who visit you during the season at least a ‘simple meal’ rather than making excuses for not being able to prepare one.

A firm believer in her theme of ‘quick, easy and economical dishes with a nutritional value’, Shantha says that with the help of modern equipment and basic ingredients such as rice, fish, meat or vegetables, a mouth watering one-dish meal can be prepared within a few minutes. “When it comes to a recipe, one does not necessarily have to worry about the ingredients and quantities a great deal, one can make do with what we have to make a good meal,” Shantha says.

Cookery expert Shantha Mayadunne

With the use of basic ingredients - be it Western or Asian one can make a delicious dish by mixing different spices. “The same ingredients mixed in different ways could give a magical taste, one that you have not experienced before,” she says.“It is important to keep different spices in small quantities in small separate containers for weekly use, other than what we store in large quantities such as chillie powder, pepper and curry powder ,” she says.

Equal attention has to be given to pans and other cooking utensils, says Shantha.

“Even if it is a little expensive, it is better to go for pans that are durable and of high quality. Thick bottom pans or clay pots and pans are ideal for day to day use. However, when purchasing the pans one should be mindful to buy simple and useful ones to suit individual lifestyles, taste and needs rather than buying to display.

“Always go for pans and saucepans with handles as it makes cooking so much easier,” she advises.

Shantha who has been in the culinary field for more than 25 years says she always tries to show that cooking can be done easily and simply.

Given here are some of Shantha’s quick and easy recipes for the festive season.

Yellow rice with egg coconut dressing
1kg Samba rice
200g onion (chopped)
6 cloves
6 cardamoms
2 pieces cinnamon
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp saffron
8 cups water
2 eggs
2 cups coconut milk
Salt to taste
100g sultana
50g cashewnuts
Heat oil, add cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and fry for one minute. Then add rice, stir well and fry for 2 minutes. Add 8 cups water with salt and saffron and cook till done.
Beat 2 eggs and mix it with 2 cups of thick coconut milk. Add that to rice, stir well & cook till done.
Garnish with fried cashew nuts, sultana, curry leaves & grated hard boiled eggs

 

Pineapple chicken curry

1kg chicken drumstick
500g pineapple
200g tomatoes
1 big onion (chopped)
½ tbsp chillie powder
2 tsp pepper (crushed)
Salt to taste
2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp oil
1 ½ cups water
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 tsp tomato sauce

Season chicken with chille, pepper, salt and vinegar. Keep for 20-30 minutes.
Mix seasoned chicken and pineapple with water and let it boil till the chicken is done.

Remove chicken pieces and set aside the gravy. Grind chopped tomatoes with 2 tbsp tomato sauce, chopped onion and 1tsp chillie powder.
Heat oil, add chopped garlic and ground mixture, cook for 2-3 minutes and add the chicken gravy. Add 1tbsp vinegar, 1tsp sugar and cook till the gravy thickens. Add cooked chicken pieces and pineapple to the gravy and season with salt and pepper.

 

Fried fish with mushrooms

500g sliced fish
1 pkt mushrooms
1tsp salt
2-3 tbsp flour
2 tsp roasted curry powder
1 ½ tsp chillie powder
1tsp cummin powder
1 tbsp margarine
2 cloves garlic
1 big B onion chopped
1 tsp lime juice
1 cup coconut milk
oil for deep frying
½ tsp sugar

Mix flour with salt, chillie powder & pepper powder. Coat sliced fish with seasoned flour. Heat margarine; add garlic, chopped onion, curry powder, cummin powder and leftover seasoned flour. Fry till brown. Add coconut milk and mushroom, cook for 5 minutes. Add salt, lime juice & sugar. Pour over fried fish. Garnish with tempered mushrooms.

 

Baked prawns

500g jumbo prawns
2 tsp cummin
1tsp coriander
1 big B onion chopped
1 tsp chillie powder
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp yoghurt
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp coriander leaves

Grind cummin, coriander, chillie powder & onions. Mix with yoghurt, salt and tomato puree. Add ½ tbsp oil. Add prawns to this mixture. Keep in the fridge for 2 hours.

Pour ½ tbsp oil over the prawns. Bake for 15 minutes at 180c or microwave at medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves over prawns and serve.


 

Potato & Greenpeas stew

500g boiled potatoes
100g green peas
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cummin seeds
1 big onion chopped
Salt to taste
1 tbsp margarine
1 cup coconut milk (thick)
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp roasted chillie pieces

Heat margarine, add mustard seeds and cummin seeds and fry for 1 minute. Add chopped onion and salt; add cut boiled potatoes and temper. Add coconut milk, green peas & cook till gravy thickens. Season with lime juice and roasted chillie pieces.


 

Mixed vegetable stir fry

200g carrots
100g beans
100g cabbage
100g mushrooms
100g leeks
2tbsp butter
2tsp pepper powder
1tsp salt
1tsp lime juice
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp oyster sauce
Cut vegetables into 1” pieces. Boil carrot & beans in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Heat butter & add cut vegetables, oyster sauce & sugar. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from fire & mix with salt, pepper & lime juice.


 

Spanish peppers

1 small green pepper cut into strips
1 small red pepper cut into strips
1 small onion finely chopped
1 tbs vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
2 big tomatoes crushed well
1 tbs tomato puree
1 tbs vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Combine the strips of red and green pepper with the onion, vegetable oil, salt & pepper. Liquidize tomato and the tomato puree in a blender and add vinegar and sugar. Pour over peppers and toss.


 
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Copyright 2006 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka.