Indian curry vegetables

I love Indian food, since we moved to Belgium, we couldn't find any Indian restaurant :( BUT.... we have Indian friends! yay! Every time they make curry, I always eat twice more than usual... So I asked for the recipe so that I need not to wait for gatherings to taste the curry :)

Regarding vegetables, you can use whatever vegetables that you like... but the MUST ingredients are onion and tomatoes in this recipe. 
The most important thing is that the seasoning, if you use certain seasoning, you can't make good curry.

Ingredients (3-4 person)
1 onion
3 medium size carrots
100g haricot
100g broccoli
200g mushroom
3-4 tomatoes

Optional: potato, green pepper, cauliflower... Be creative!

Seasoning
2tsp coriander powder (I like using coriander seeds)
1/2tsp tumeric powder
1tsp chilly powder
1/2tsp garam masala

1 can coconut milk

Instructions
1. In a big pot, at medium fire, fry coriander seeds with oil and onion
Note: if you use coriander powder, you can add later with all seasonings...

2. When you smell the flavor coming out, add carrots, haricot and broccoli & all the seasoning EXCEPT coconut milk, stir well

Cover the lid and let it cook until the veggies become soft - use a fork and pinch in the carrots to test if it is soft

3. Add in mushroom and coconut milk, stir well, let it cook until the coconut milk boils

4. When the milk starts boiling, add in tomatoes, cook for 5 mins and turn off the heat

Serve hot with rice or naan!
Enjoy!

Quiche without crust

I found a piece of paper in my recipe box, I know it is a French dish but not sure whether it is flan or quiche or what... as no title is written... so I tried it to see how it turns out.

Surprising it turns out great, my husband loves it, he even accepts eating Brussels sprouts :) I am so happy and encouraged, I will make it again!

Ingredients
16 Brussels sprouts*
3 medium size carrots, sliced

70g grated cheese
2 tbsp corn starch

5 eggs (original recipes = 4 eggs)
200g cream liquid (original recipes = 150g)
salt & pepper

1 onion, diced

3 big mushrooms, sliced

3 tomatoes

*it is written 2 courgettes on the paper, but I don't have any, so replace it by Brussels sprouts, you can use broccoli too!

Instructions
1. Wash the brussels sprouts
In a pot, fill with water and boil it. When water is boiled, put the brussels sprouts and carrots, let it cook for 10mins, use a fork to test if it becomes soft

Remove water, set it aside to let it cool down

2. Preheat the oven at 200°c

When it is cooled down, cut the brussels sprouts into 4 (1/4size large)

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix cheese and corn starch
Add in eggs, mix well
Add cream & salt & pepper, mix well

4. Add in brussels sprouts, carrots, onion and mushrooms, mix well
Add in tomatoes, mix it briefly to avoid pressing the juice out

5. Place the mixture to a pan
Bake it for 40-45mins until the surface becomes golden color

Enjoy!

Matcha / Green tea scone

I love scone, because of its flavor, smell strong butter :)
Usually I love eating it for breakfast or even sometimes during tea time...

I just discover this recipe in one of my cook book, I want to share with you all.

Ingredients

170g butter
4g salt
85g sugar
405g flour
1tsp baking powder

16g matcha powder

1 egg
55g 30% fat cream

Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter, salt, sugar, mix well
Add in flour, baking powder and matcha powder, mix well

2. Add in egg and cream, mix well

3. Place the dough on the working surface, knead the dough with your hands
Roll the dough into ball, and squeeze it flat
Wrap the dough by plastic wrap, put the dough into fridge for 30mins

4. After 30mins, preheat the oven at 190°c

5. Divide the dough into 2, which is easier to work with half
Roll one portion out to about 1.5cm
Use cookie cutter to to cut the dough

6. Line the baking tray with baking sheet
Place the dough on the baking tray, put the tray into the oven and bake for 25mins

Serve hot
Enjoy!

American pancake

American breakfast has delicious & hot pancake serving with syrup and butter.... yummy...

My friend gave me a recipe so I tried it, it is very nice! I just need to start preparing it the night before :)

Ingredients

20g warm milk
1g dried yeast (I used 3g fresh yeast)

2 eggs
50g honey
20g melted butter

200g milk

200g flour

Serving:
Butter
Syrup

Instructions
Prepare the pancake mixture the night before:
1. In a small bowl, mix warm milk and dried yeast, let the yeast dissolved into the milk
set aside

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix egg, honey, butter, mix well
 Add in warm milk mixture and milk, mix well

3. Add in flour, little by little, blend them well
Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for 1 hour

4. After 1 hour, use a spoon to mix the mixture again
Put it in the fridge, let it rest for 12-15hours

Cook the pancake on the day after:
1. Heat the pan at medium heat, when it is hot enough, turn down the heat to low

2. Use a ladle to scoop the pancake mixture, gently pour it onto the pan

3. When the surface appears little bubbles, flip the pancake to the other side and let it cook for 20sec

4. Repeat step 2 & 3 until the pancake mixture is used up - they are all pancakes now!
Serve hot with butter and syrup

Enjoy!

Chicken dumpling soup

I always make Chinese soup and it takes long time to cook. Usually I make Western soup with short time cooking, it is easy and delicious. So... this is the first time I make Western soup with long hours cooking!

Ingredients
4 Chicken thighs (keep skin & bones)
2 cubes chicken broth
1 1/2 L water
6 peppercorns

olive oil
2 onions (chopped)
3 large carrots (diced)
3 stalks celery (diced)

1 cup fresh or frozen peas
2 potatoes or 250g of celeriac (diced) => I didn't use it

200g mushrooms (cut into half)
1 bay leaf

250g all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

125g cold unsalted butter

1 egg

100ml cold water or milk

Instructions
1. In a large pot, fry chicken thighs until golden color, add in peppercorns, water, bouillon. Cover and bring to a boil; skim foam. 

Reduce heat, cover and simmer 45-60 mins or until chicken is tender. 

Remove chicken thighs from the pot, place them on the chopping board, let them cool

2. Add onions, carrots, celery, peas & potatoes to the pot & cook for 10 minutes

3. When the chicken cooled down. Remove chicken skin and bones, chop or tear chicken into smaller pieces

Set aside

4. Add mushrooms, bay leaf & chicken, let it simmer at low heat for 1 hour

Open lid, increase heat, let it boil gently

5. During 1 hour simmering, in a mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt

Add in butter and egg, mix well

Add in cold water or milk, mix well

Divide into 12 portions and roll each portion flat (0.3cm thickness) 

6. When the soup brought to boil, add in dumplings into the pot, cover and cook for another 20mins

Enjoy!

Roasted black sesame powder

Why we take a step more to prepare the black sesame? Why don't we just grind it into powder?

Sesame releases its flavor and aroma through heat, it smells stronger after roasting the black sesame.

Ingredients

A package of black sesame (I used 200g)

1/2 tsp white sesame

Instructions

1. Wash and soak the black sesame for 20mins

2. On a wok or sauce pan, pour the black sesame, DO NOT put oil in it, fry at medium fire
Add in white sesame, it is to check if the black sesame is cook enough

3. Turn it to medium low fire, fry until you smell the aroma of the black sesame, you can also see the smoke, stir it regularly

After about 9-10mins, the black sesame should be ready, you can also tell by the golden color of white sesame
Turn off the heat, let it cool down

4. When it is cool enough, you can grind it into powder by food processor

5. Store it in a air-tight container
Now you can use it for different black sesame dessert! :)

Enjoy!

Black sesame chiffon cake

I bought some black sesame from Chinese supermarket last Sunday, I wanted to try black sesame sweet soup, but I found this recipe instead... so I tried to make it and now share it with you all! 

Ingredients (7" mould or 6" mould + 4" mould)
4 egg yolks
22g caster sugar

1/8 tsp salt
19g black sesame powder*

60g flour

1 tsp baking powder**

38g vegetable oil
60 ml milk

4 egg whites
45g caster sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar OR few drops of lemon juice

*Highly recommend = roast black sesame & grind into powder, click here to see how to do it

**It is in the original recipe, it puffs a lot if you add it. However it is not necessary

Instructions
1. Preheat oven at 170°c

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar
Add in salt, baking powder, black sesame powder and flour, mix well

3. Ad in oil and milk, mix well

4. In another mixing bowl, beat egg whites, sugar & cream of tartar, until the egg white mixture forms firm peak

5. Fold 1/3 egg whites in the egg yolk mixture, with the help of spetula, with fast and light motion
Fold in the rest of the egg whites

6. Pour the batter into the mould, drop the mould to the working surface several times, to remove excessive big air bubbles

Note: DO NOT grease the mould, or the cake will shrink while baking

7. Put the mould in the oven, then reduce heat to 150°c. Bake for 35-40mins 
Note: check if well cook => a needle comes out clean when inserted in the middle

8. Remove the cake from the oven. Invert the mould immediately on a wire rack

Let it cool completely

9. Use a knife to scrap the outer edges of the mould, remove the mould carefully

Then scrap the inner edges and the bottom of the mould, remove the mould carefully

Enjoy!