Rohingyan Beef Curry

We all miss home, but we cannot go back to the same fear. -- Nur Anya 

For decades, the Rohingyans -- a Muslim minority group --  have suffered under dehumanizing discrimination in Myanmar. The government refused to grant citizenship to the Rohingyan people, denying legal status to an entire ethnic group. Yet, the government passed laws that placed significant restrictions upon the Rohingya. For example, in the northern towns of Mungdaw and Buthidaugn, the authorities limited Rohingyan couples to two children. The government also requires Rohingyans to get approval before they can marry, as well as to travel or move outside of their home towns. These conditions are exacerbated by the fact that the area where most Rohingyans call "home," the Rakine State, is the least developed of Myanmar's states and has a poverty rate of 78%, which is more than double the national rate of 37.5% percent. 

The discrimination and repression led to violence in 2017, after a militant group known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked police and army posts. The military cracked down on the Rohingyan people. As the United Nations would later find in an after-the-fact investigation, the Myanmar military showed "genocidal intent" and, in a 2018 report, the UN determined that Myanmar found that the military engaged in "clear patterns of abuse" that included, among other things, the systematic targeting of civilians, promoting discriminatory rhetoric against the Rohingya and establishing a "climate of impunity" for the government's security forces. After approximately one year, it is estimated that the Myanmar military and security forces killed nearly 24,000 Rohingyans.

Fleeing Death and Destruction

The violence and death led to mass displacement of Rohingyans, significant numbers of whom fled as refugees to other countries. I previously touched upon the Rohingyan refugee crisis as part of my culinary challenge involving Myanmar. Approximately 740,000 Rohingyans fled into neighboring Bangladesh. Many more fled to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It was, at the time, the world's fastest growing humanitarian crisis.

Rohingyan refugees. Source: UNHR Australia

The stories of those who became refugees is heart-wrenching. As Nur Anya recounted from a refugee camp in Bangladesh: 

In Myanmar, we had our lands where we grew flowers, vegetables and many plants. We had a big house where all the family members lived together. The violence and the killing drove us to leave our homes. They brunt houses in my neighbourhood. They shot and killed a lot of people in my village. We were living with fear every day.  When we decided to leave, we had no other option.

It was the most difficult journey of my life. We walked 13 days and nights. To cross the river, my family used a handmade bamboo raft. There were a lot of people with us -- I could not say what the number was, it was so huge. 

As Rohingyans became refugees, many of their villages were abandoned and even more were distroyed. At one point, 176 of 471 Rohingyan villages -- or more than 1/3 of the villages -- had been abandoned.  The Myanmar government cleared entire Rohingyan villages and farms. The government then built homes, infrastructure and military bases in their place. 

Preserving the Rohingyan Culture

The end result, and perhaps the government's objective, was to eliminate the Rohingya people from Myanmar.  The government sought to take the legal status of the people -- that is, no recognition of the Rohingyans -- and make that a factual reality. This creates a clear and present danger to the Rohingyan identity and their culture, including their cuisine. The stories from the refugees include accounts where they had to leave everything behind, including all of their cooking utensils, which makes it harder for them to prepare food for themselves and their families. This leaves the people dependent upon food aid, which has become more difficult to obtain, leading to smaller meals or even skipped meals.

Rohingyan refugees eating a meal. Source: UNHCR

There are efforts to preserve that culture and its cuisine. One example involves the Endangered Material Knowledge Program (EDKM), which provides grants to conduct research on critically endangered knowledge. One project that was under consideration in 2023 was entitled, Rohingya Recipes and Food Practices of stateless Rohingya Community in Camps of Bangladesh. The project description noted the historical difficulty of the Rohingyan people when it came to food: they struggled to maintain the needed nutritional demands, whether it was at their homes in Myanmar or in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. The objective of this project is, among other things, to document recipes and practices of the Rohingyan people. 

This research is sorely needed, as there are few resources and research available on the Internet about the Rohingyan people, their culture and their cuisine. I was able to find a few recipes (which was more than my previous research when I was working on my Around the World challenge). I found a couple of recipes, including one for Rohingyan beef curry.

This recipe is a very interesting one. It calls for beef with bones. When I went to the grocery store, I had to improvise: I purchased some stew meat and some marrow bones. The "masala" for this curry -- turmeric, red chile powder, coriander, cumin, and garam masala -- provided for an aromatic cooking experience and a lot of flavor to build upon the garlic/ginger paste. 

The end result is a delicious beef curry with a slight kick. (I used Kashmiri chiles for the ground red chile powder.) I could not escape the thoughts about how this dish is just a memory for nearly a million Rohingyan refugees who have been forced from their homes and subjected to even greater poverty than what they previously experienced. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to prepare this dish and prepare this post, as my effort to help publicize the Rohingyan culture and cuisine. More of this is needed so that the world does not forget the tragedies that unfolded over six years ago. 

ROHINGYAN BEEF CURRY

Recipe from SBS Food

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 large onions, diced
• 1 kg diced beef, with bones
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 2 tablespoons ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon red chile powder
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder
• 3 teaspoons garam masala powder
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• Coriander, as garnish
• Green chiles, as garnish

Directions:

1.    Saute the vegetables and brown the meat. Heat oil on high heat in a large pot. Add onions, garlic paste and ginger paste. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes until brown. Add diced beef and bones and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add turmeric powder, red chile powder, coriander and cumin. Stir-fry for 2 more minutes. Add the garam masala and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. 

2. Add the liquid and tomatoes. Add 1 cup of water and diced tomatoes and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes in the last half an hour. 

3. Finish the dish. Garnish with coriander (cilantro) and green chiles. Serve with hot steamed rice.

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Myanmar

This is not just any challenge.  For years, I have been trying to cook my way around the world.  I try to focus very hard on the cuisine of each country, usually steering away from politics or world events. That all changed when Myanmar became my next challenge.

From afar, Myanmar (formerly Burma) would ordinarily present a very interesting challenge.  The country has over 135 distinct ethnic groups (officially recognized by the Myanmar government).  This means that there is a wide range of cultures within the borders of the country. Different cultures usually translates to a variety of approaches to the use of ingredients, the preparations of dishes and, in the end, food traditions.

However, this challenge is about the 136th ethnic group, the one that is not officially recognized by the Myanmar government.  The one that has been the subject to a history of discrimination and exclusion, which in recent years has been marred by terrible violence that has degenerated into ethnic cleaning. Thiat ethnic group is the Rohingya.  A people who call Myanmar their home, but whom Myanmar won't recognize as its citizens.

So, this culinary challenge is not so much about the country, but the people who have been abandoned by that country.

The Rohingya have lived for centuries in the northern regions of the Rakhine State of Myanmar, which is located along the Bay of Bengal.  The Rohingya trace their history to Arab traders who sailed along the coastline and settled in the area during the 8th and 9th centuries A.D.  At that time, the region was known as Arakan.  The Arab traders settled among the Buddhist peoples already living in the area. Over time, the Muslim population grew in the region, bolstered by the influence and control of the neighboring Bengal Sultanate. Arakan eventually achieved its independence from Bengal control; and, for a couple of hundred years, there was an Arakan kingdom. As with all kingdoms, they raise and fall.  Arakan was eventually conquered, first by the Burmese Empire in 1784 and then by the British Empire in 1826. After the Second World War, Burma gained its independence, and, the Arakan region became a part of the new country.

Rohingya refugees.

Since the establishment of Burma or Myanmar (as it became known in 1989), history has not been kind to the Rohingya people. In 1982, the Burmese junta enacted a nationality law. The law recognized individuals who belong to an "indigenous race," and it recognized 135 of those ethic groups.  That did not include the Rohingya. The law thus left the Rohingya -- a Muslim minority living in a Buddhist majority country -- without a state. This unfortunate outcome disregarded the fact that, as noted above, the Rohingya have lived in the northern parts of the Arakan state for centuries.  To add insult to injury, Myanmar changed the name of the area in the 1990s from Arakan to Rakhine, which is the name of the ethnic Buddhist majority who live in the area.

Over the past decade, the Rohingya have been the victims of ongoing violence, that has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The violence ostensibly began with an attack by a Rohingya milita upon the Myanmar border police.  The government's response was not simply directed at the militia, but the Rohingya people.  The military went through Rohingyan towns, and, according to accounts, the soldiers murdered innocent civilians and burned down homes. It is estimated that more than 6,700 Rohingya were killed in the month following the start of the violence. Nearly a year later, the number of Rohingya killed in the violence climbed to more than 24,000.  The number of Rohingyan villages that have been destroyed totalled 288, out of 578. That is nearly half of the Rohingyan settlements.

As their homes burned, hundreds of thousands of Rohingyans were forced to flee.  They left not just their homes, not just the Rakhine state, but Myanmar.  More than 900,000 Rohingyans fled to neighboring Bangladesh, where they are referred to as the Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals or FDMN. Multiple refugees camps have been set up in the southeast of the country.  As the graphic to the left shows, some of these refugee camps are huge in size. While the World Bank announced nearly $1 billion in aid for the Rohingyan refugees, the conditions in such camps are not good. Disease is a major issue, with poor sanitation and water quality contributing to the spread of infectious diseases through the refugee camps.  Malnutrition is another issue, with nearly 25% of Rohingyan children being malnurished. In March 2019, Bangladesh announced that it would not accept any further refugees.  Other countries - such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia and Indonesia -- have accepted Rohingyan refugees.

While more than 1 million Rohingyans have fled Myanmar, there are perhaps 500,000 Rohingyans still living in the Rakhine State.  While a treaty was reached to provide for the repatriation of the Rohingya, no one is returning to what is left of their homes.  In the end, the Rohingyan remain a stateless people living in more than 1 state.

MAIN COURSE

This challenge is particularly difficult because there is very little information about the cuisine of the Rohingya people. I started with some research about the cuisine of the Rakhine State, but there was little to no differentiation between the cuisines of the ethnic groups who live in that state. I tried to focus my research on the Rohingyan cuisine, but I was only able to find one dish.  It is called Durus Kura, a traditional fried chicken that can be served with either eggs, potatoes, rice and/or chapatti. As one would expect, there were different ways to prepare this dish.  I gathered those different recipes  and tried to merge them into one preparation.

Rohingyan cooks prepare Durus Kura with what is easily available to them, starting with the chicken.  Typically, in the Rakhine State, it would start with an Ayam Kampung, or a free range chicken.  Free range chickens take on a yellowish hue from the food that they eat, which sets them aside from factory farmed chickens. As with anything, care should be exercised in selecting the chickens.  As it turns out, some farmers in China have taken to dipping their chickens in yellow dye to fool unwary customers.  I was able to find a free range chicken (or at least a chicken tha was labelled as "free range") in a local grocery store.

The recipes call for the chicken to be marinated in a green chile mixture.  For the chiles, I used a combination of Anaheim chiles and serrano chiles.  The larger Anaheim chiles provided the base for the mixture, while the serrano chiles provided a little heat or kick.  I made the mixture with the rest of the ingredients (onions, ginger, etc.) as well as the spices. I also followed the recipe in terms of first boiling the marinated chicken. After I removed the boiled chicken, I tried to create the sauce, although I was not able to get a consistency that I liked.  I also fried the chicken as called for by the recipe. The resulting dish, which was very tasty, is pictured below.

DURUS KURA

Recipe from The Stateless and the Rohingya Learning Center

Serves many

Ingredients (for the chicken):

2 inch piece of ginger, grated

2 tablespoons ground turmeric

1 tablespooon of garam masala

5 small red onions, grated 

1/5 tablespoon green chile paste

1 kampung chicken (or regular chicken)

4 cups of water (or more if using a regular chicken)

3/4 cup of vegetable oil for frying

Salt

Ingredients (for the green chile paste):
7 green chiles
Water

Directions:

1.  Make the green chile paste.   Bring the water to a gentle boil in a pot and add the chiles.  Boil the chiles over low heat for five minutes.  Remove from the heat, set aside to cook before placing the chiles in a blender.  Process the chiles until you have a thick liquid paste.

2. Marinate the chicken.  Pound the ginger and garlic until you have a thick rough paste.  Add the turmeric and garam masala with some salt.  Add the grated onions and green chile paste.  Stir until it is all well incorporated.  Cover both the inside and outside of the chicken with the paste. Marinate for one hour.  Once fully marinated, truss the chicken by cutting small incisions in each skin flap either side of the cavity and tuck in each leg tightly on the opposite side.

3.  Cook the chicken.  Place the chicken in a large pot and add the water.  Cover and boil over moderate high heat for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  Depending on the size of the chicken, the cooking time will vary and you might need to add some more water.

4. Complete the boiling of the chicken.  When ready, you will have a thick gravy like sauce.  Remove the chicken from the pot onto a plate and set to the side.  Reserve the sauce in the pot.

5.  Fry the chicken.  Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep frying pan or wok over a high heat.  When the oil in a large deep frying pan or work over high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the chicken and fry on all sides until it has a crispy skin and golden.

6.  Finish the dish.  Place the reserved sauce on the bottom of a serving plate. Plate the chicken on top and serve with steamed rice or chapatti.

*     *     *

As I mentioned above, the chicken was very good.  The flavors of the marinade (the onions, ginger, garam masala, etc.) could be tasted in the chicken, although I think with a longer marinade, those flavors could have been more present in the dish.  Still, it was a very good effort and kindled an interest in learning more about the Rohingyan people, their history, culture and, of course, their cuisine.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Green Hatch Chile Hot Sauce

Most people know that I love hot sauce.  If one were to open my refrigerator, he or she would find at least four different hot sauces in there.  Walk a few feet to the cupboard, and he or she would find another two or three hot sauces on the bench.  At one point in time, I went through a 5 fluid ounce bottle of Tabasco sauce every several days.  

Given my love for hot sauce, I have always wanted to make my own.  I have looked through many different recipes, using a wide range of peppers.  However, I never made any of them.  As much as I wanted to make hot sauce, there was always something else that I ended up making.  I needed something to get me to do it.

That "something" was a bunch of fresh Hatch chiles. I bought a bag of those chiles at a local grocery store.  My intent was to grill the chiles or roast them, serving them as a side.  However, there were a lot of chiles in that bag.  As time went by, I decided I had to do something with those chiles. Given the Hatch chile is my favorite chile, I decided to make that hot sauce. 

The only question is what type of hot sauce to make.  Given my love of Tabasco sauce, I decided that I would make a more vinegar-forward sauce.  I went back through those hot sauce recipes and found a good recipe at This Mess is Ours.  

The Hatch chiles that I had were not very spicy, so I was looking at making a very mild hot sauce.  I could have easily slipped in a habanero or scotch bonnet pepper, and, no one would be the wiser.  I have to admit the thought crossed my mind.  

In the end, I wanted to make a pure Hatch chile hot sauce.  Three ingredients - the chiles, distilled white vinegar, and Kosher salt.  As pure of a hatch chile hot sauce as one can get. 

I don't regret that decision. Although the sauce is very mild in my opinion (as most of the hot sauces I have tend toward extra hot), it was a great first effort.  

GREEN HATCH CHILE HOT SAUCE

Recipe from This Mess is Ours

Ingredients

1 pound of fresh Hatch chiles

1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons of Kosher salt

Directions:

1.  Prepare the chiles.  Rinse the chiles and dry them.  Slice off the stems of the chiles. 

2. Puree the chiles.  Place the chiles in a food processor with the Kosher salt.  Puree the chiles until a coarse puree is created. 

3.  Slightly ferment the chiles.  Transfer the chile puree to a glass jar with the lid loosely screwed on.  Let sit at room temperature for 12 hours to allow for a little fermentation.

4. Continue the fermentation.  Add the vinegar, stir the contents, and loosely screw the lid on again.  Allow the mixture to stand at room temperature for at least 24 hours but up to 7 days.

5.  Puree the mixture.  Add the contents to a food processor, process until the mixture is smooth.  

6.  Strain the mixture.  Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, using a spatula to make sure that all of the liquids are extracted from the mixture.  

7.  Finish the hot sauce.  Bottle the liquid and refrigerate for up to four months.

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Pakistan

The last chapter of my personal challenge, Around the World in 80 Dishes, involved preparing a main course from India.  The dish was Rogan Josh.  It was a Kashmiri version of the traditional lamb stew or curry; but, the recipe shared one thing in common with other Rogan Josh recipes: it was full of flavorful spices.   

The next challenge does not take me very far, at least geographically.   In fact, it is just across the border from India ... Pakistan.  The two countries are very different, but, when it comes to cuisines, there are some commonalities.  One overarching similarity between Pakistani and Indian cuisines is that there are significant differences from region to region.  The cuisine in the Punjab and Sindh regions is very seasoned and spicy, similar to what you might find in southern India.  The further north you go in Pakistan, just as in India, the dishes are less spicy, but no less flavorful.

Another overarching similarity is that both Pakistan and India draw from some common influences.  The dishes that may appear on the tables in Pakistan, just like in India, draw from Afghan, Persian, and Central Asian cuisines.  Pakistani dishes also draw inspiration from Indian dishes (vice versa).

The challenge in this case is one such example.  The recipe is Karahi Gosht, a very spicy lamb curry that can be found in both Pakistan and India. For this challenge, however, I have to focus on the version of the dish that I might find on the streets of Lahore:

A "karahi" is a thick circular deep cooking pot, like the one in the video above.  "Gosht" is mutton or lamb.  Thus, Karahi Gosht is literally lamb cooked in a pot.  Other meats, such as chicken or goat could be substituted for the lamb.  One could even make a version of this dish with paneer, if you have any vegetarians (like my beautiful Angel) in your family.  I decided to stick with mutton or lamb.  Actually, I went with lamb because mutton can be hard to find in most supermarkets around where I live.   I used a couple pounds of butterflied leg of lamb, although lamb shoulder would probably work just as well, if not better.

As for the karahi, that kind of cooking pot is not one that I have lying around my kitchen (although after making this recipe, I have been looking for one).  I substituted a wide saute pan with curved sides.  While it may not be truly authentic, it worked well nonetheless.
  

KARASHI GOSHT

Recipe from Scientific Psychic

Serves 4-8

Ingredients:

2 pounds of lamb or mutton, cut into cubes 

3 medium onions, finely chopped

1 large tomato, diced

5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

2 pieces of fresh turmeric (or 1 tablespoon ground)

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 lemon juiced

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon mustard seed

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 1/2 cups of water

Directions:

1.  Prepare the lamb or mutton.  Put the lamb pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with salt and lemon juice, stir and set aside for 20 minutes.

2.  Saute the vegetables and spices.   Set a pot on medium heat, add the cooking oil and saute the chopped onion,s garlic, ginger and turmeric until golden brown and fragrant (If you are using ground turmeric, wait until you add the spices.)  Add cumin, cinnamon, ground coriander, mustard seeds, garam masala, cloves, allspice and chilies.  Stir until fragrant and well mixed.  

3.  Cook the lamb.  Add the lamb pieces and stir until the spices cover the meat.   Add the water, cover the pot, and lower the heat to simmer for about 45 minutes until the lamb is cooked.

4.  Finish the dish.  When the meat is tender, add the chopped cilantro and tomato and mix well.  Serve with basmati rice.

*     *     *

As with the Rogan Josh, the Karahi Gosht was a success.  It reminded me of why I love South Asian cuisine.  The various spices that went into the dish -- from allspice to mustard, along with the blend of garam masala -- never disappoints my palate.  With this challenge completed, I have made main courses from four countries in the South Asian region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Pakistan.  That leaves only a handful of challenges from this region, such as Sri Lanka and Nepal.  Those will have to await another day.  It is time to move on to another part of the world for the next challenge.  Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Kerala Style Meatball Curry

When it comes to curries, I have a particular interest in recipes that come from the Southern part of India, especially Kerala.  If I had to give a reason, I think it is because those curries have a lot more heat in them, with the use of different chiles and peppers.  I have made three such curries in the past, Panni Ularthiyathu (a dry pork curry), Keralan Duck Curry, and Shrimp Masala.   I have enjoyed each of those dishes and, consequently, I keep a look out for other Keralan recipes.

A few weeks ago, I came across such a recipe.  It was not the chiles that caught my attention.  Instead, it was the protein.  I am used to making curries with lamb, pork, chicken, and duck.  I am even used to making curries with vegetables.  However, this curry called for meatballs.  The "word" meatball goes straight to my Italian heritage, growing up eating pasta and meatballs on a weekly basis and on holidays.  Meatballs in a curry sounded like a great idea.

The use of meatballs makes this recipe very versatile.  Most of the proteins I just mentioned -- lamb, chicken and pork -- either come ground or could be ground with a food processor.  For this particular dish, I decided to use ground turkey thighs, primarily because my beautiful Angel eats and enjoys turkey.  Thigh meat is definitely better for meatballs than breast meat because of the slightly higher fat content.  I bought pre-ground turkey from a local grocery store, which saved a lot of time by eliminating the need to de-bone and then mince the meat.  

When it came to cooking the meatballs, I chose the alternative of baking them.  This makes the dish healthier by eliminating the additional fact that would be added during the frying process.  Frying turkey meatballs requires some oil to avoid burning the meat.  Placing them in the oven helped to eliminate that part of the process and removed some of the grease from the final product.

In the end, this recipe was very delicious. It will go on the short list of recipes to make for the family and friends.  It will also go on my to-do list, because I definitely intend to make it again with other proteins (i.e., the ones that my Angel does not eat).  

KERALA STYLE MEATBALL CURRY

Recipe from Vazhayila

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound of minced meat (chicken, beef, lamb or turkey)

2 cloves minced garlic minced

2 green chiles, finely chopped

2 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

1 star anise, crushed

Curry Leaves

1 teaspoon red chile powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 medium onions, chopped

1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste or crushed

1 large tomato, chopped

1/4 teaspoon of garam masala

1 cup of coconut milk - 1 cup

1/2 hot water

Salt to taste

Cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1.  Make the meatballs.  Combine minced meat, minced garlic, green chiles and salt.  Knead into a dough and make small balls with it.  Wet your hands when necessary so that the meat won't stick to your hands.  Keep the meatballs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or foil in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes.  The meatballs can be fried in a little oil or, as an alternative, the meatballs can be baked for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Saute the onions and spices.  Heat oil in a pan and add cloves, bay leaf, star anise and curry leaves.  Fry for one minute or two.  Add ginger/garlic paste and mix well. Add the chopped tomato and saute until the oil separates.

3.  Prepare the curry.  Make a paste with the red chile powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder by adding a little water to the mixture.  Add the paste to the pan and fry for a minute or two.  Mix hot water and 1 cup coconut milk.  Add the liquid mixture add to the pan. Sprinkle some garam masala and stir to combine the ingredients well.  When the gravy is really hot slide in meatballs, one by one, at a distance.  The meatballs should not be allowed to touch each other, so always use a wide mouthed pan while cooking this.  Simmer covered for 30-45 minutes. Uncover and simmer till gravy thickens.  Garnish with the chopped cliantro.

ENJOY!

Thai-Style Catfish

This recipe raises an interesting question: when is a dish truly representative of a particular cuisine.  The question is raised by website, One Perfect Bite, where I found an interesting "Thai-Style Catfish" recipe.  The website notes that people say that "Plah Toht Kamin" is a native Thai dish, but every time the author had the dish it was made by a French chef who was working in Southeast Asia.  While there is no rule that says dishes made by French chefs cannot be truly Thai dishes (or Laotian dishes, or Vietnamese dishes, etc.), a reasonable question is raised if only French chefs are making the dish.

Nevertheless, the combination of catfish, fish sauce and turmeric can be found in various Thai-inspired recipes.  Just "Google" Thai turmeric catfish and you will find a seemingly endless number of recipes with an apparently infinite different ways of using those ingredients.

Yet, it was the dish from One Perfect Bite that initially caught my attention ... and for good reason.  It is easy to make and very tasty to eat.  The combination of fish sauce and turmeric provides for interesting flavors that are both earthy and fermented, only occasionally interrupted by the garlic and shallots used in the marinade.  The chili-lime sauce adds that fresh citrus and heat zing that helps to freshen the flavors of marinated fish.  That is quite the accomplishment given the use of a quarter-cup of fish sauce in the chili-lime sauce.

I did make one modification to the recipe.  Catfish fillets (like most fish fillets) have their thick parts and thin parts.  Rather than use whole fillets, I cut them into evenly-sized nuggets.  This added step helps the fish cook faster and, if the nuggets are cut right, it helps the catfish cook more evenly.

THAI-STYLE CATFISH

Recipe adapted from One Perfect Bite

Serves 2

Ingredients (for the Catfish):

2 tablespoons of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon of shallot, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons of fish sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/4 pounds of catfish fillets (optional - cut into equal size pieces)

Ingredients (for the Chili Lime Sauce):

1/4 cup of fish sauce

3 tablespoons of lime juice

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of green chiles, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of cilantro, finely chopped

Directions:

1.  Marinate the fish.  Place the garlic, shallots, turmeric, sugar, pepper, salt, fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in the bowl of a small food processor. Process to a fairly smooth paste, using a small amount of water if necessary. Combine fish fillets (or fish pieces) and turmeric paste in medium bowl or baking dish, turning fillets to coat evenly with marinade. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes at room temperature. The fillets can be marinated for up to 24 hours if covered and refrigerated.

2.  Prepare the sauce.  Combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and garlic in a small bowl.  Stir until sugar dissolves. Sprinkle the sauce with chilies and cilantro. Set aside, but leave the sauce out.  It is best served at room temperature.

3.  Cook the fish. Place about 1 cup of flour in a pan. Dredge fillets in flour, shaking off excess. Heat reserved 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan set over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles in pan, add fillets (or fish pieces) and cook, turning once, for 5 to 7 minutes depending on thickness of fillets.  (If you are cut the fish into bite-sized pieces, you should cook them for about 3 to 4 minutes before turning them.)  Be careful when turning to avoid breaking the catfish pieces. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with the dipping sauce.

ENJOY!

Turkey Biryani with Cucumber Raita

One dish that I have wanted to make for a very long time is Biryani, a "one-pot" dish of rice in a heavily spiced sauce with meat and vegetables.  The name "biryani" is Persian in origin, for "fried" or "roasted."  Legend has it, according to one blogger, that the dish was brought to what is known as India today by a Persian king named Taimur, who ruled between 1336 to 1405.  By contrast, Wikipedia claims that the dish was created in the kitchen of the Mughal Emperors.

Whatever the source, there seems to be an infinite variety of Biryani.  There are the regional versions, such as the Hyderabadi Biryani, Sindhi Biryani and Bhatkali Biryani.  There are also versions based upon different proteins, such as chicken, fish and shrimp biryanis, as well as a vegetarian version of daal biryani.  This range of different dishes presents a major challenge for myself, because I want to learn about the history and background of each version, as well as cook it for myself, family and friends.

Speaking of which, I recently had the opportunity to make a biryani, although a somewhat Americanized version of it.  I made a turkey biryani with raita.  The use of turkey is what "Americanizes" this dish, because the fowl is not widely available where biryanis are traditionally prepared.  The recipe comes from Atul Kochhar, a 1 star Michelin chef of Benares, Mayfair.  This dish was intended as a way to use turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving.  I changed it a little, using fresh turkey rather than leftovers.  I bought the equivalent weight of fresh turkey thighs.  (If you can get skinless and boneless thighs, that will save you a lot of work.)   I cut the turkey into pieces and sauteed it in batches.  Given the directions of this recipe, it worked out perfectly because the turkey was warm and ready to be added toward the end.

TURKEY BIRYANI WITH CUCUMBER RAITA

Recipe by Atul Kochhar and Reprinted at

Lifestyle Food

Serves 6

Ingredients (for the Biryani):
2 pounds of cooked turkey meat
1.5 cups of basmati rice, boiled or steamed to just done
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick (about 1 inch)
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
4 medium size onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of ginger, minced
1 green chile, minced
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
4-6 medium size tomatoes, blended to a paste
7 ounces coconut milk
Salt to taste

Ingredients (for the Raita):
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, toasted and crushed to powder
4 tablespoons of seedless cucumber, grated
Salt, to taste
1/2 tablespoon of mint leaves, finely chopped

Directions:

1.  Prepare the sauce.  Heat the oil in a pan; add the cloves, bay leaves, star anise, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.  As the spices crackle in the heat, add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt, sauté until golden brown in colour.  Stir-in the ginger, garlic and chilli, sauté for 2 minutes or until cooked.  Add the turmeric, coriander, black pepper and garam masala powders and sauté for 1 minute before adding the tomatoes.  While stirring, bring to simmer and cook for further 2-3 minutes and then add coconut milk and simmer for further 2-3 minutes. Check for seasoning.

2.  Prepare the raita.  Whisk the yogurt and mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Serve chilled.

3.  Finish the dish.   When ready to serve, stir in turkey into the sauce and heat for a minute and add rice and mix lightly with a rice fork. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with chilled cucumber raita.

ENJOY!

Lahore-Style Lamb Curry

One of the things that I love most about cooking is the ability to transport someone to places that he or she has not been and may not visit.  It starts with a recipe for a dish from a particular country, region, city or even neighborhood.  After gathering all of the ingredients, the prep work gives hints of far away places.  The smells and tastes begin to carry you to the place.  As the ingredients cook, those smells and tastes intensify, and the travels begin to pick up pace.  Finally, as the food is served and enjoyed, the person can find himself or herself at that place.

Maybe I have watched one too many episodes of No Reservations or Bizarre Foods.  Perhaps it is also my love of food-based tours, such as the one I took in Italy.  The one thing that I am certain of is that there is a level of creativity and imagination with cooking that goes far beyond the plating of a dish. 

For this recipe, I find myself in the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, Lahore.  The recipe is for a Lahore-style lamb curry.  The ingredients that go into this curry are fairly familiar to someone who loves and strives to make curries ... turmeric, coriander, chilies, cloves.  The one thing that I did not expect was the rather thin consistency of the curry.  This was due to the large amount of water used in the recipe.   At least for me, it seems that curries from the subcontinent -- whether Pakistani or Indian (including regional dishes) -- seem to be a little thicker, like a sauce.  The liquid from this lamb curry was more soup-like than sauce-like.  

In the end, I liked this recipe and I would make it again.  I will experiment with this dish to see what I can do to thicken the sauce.  There are a couple of options, such as letting the sauce cook down after the allotted time for cooking the lamb.  Another option may be to cut the amount of diced tomatoes in half and use tomato puree or tomato paste, both of which would thicken the resulting sauce.  I will definitely provide an update to this post (or perhaps write an entirely new post) with the result. 

LAHORE-STYLE LAMB CURRY

Recipe from Fearless Kitchen

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoons of olive oil

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

1 onion sliced thin

4 garlic cloves, sliced

5 green chiles, sliced

1 pound of boneless leg of lamb, cubed

1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric

1/ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon of chipotle chile powder

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt

6 1/4 cups of water

2 ounces of red lentils

14 ounces diced San Marzano tomatoes

Chopped fresh cilantro to taste

Directions:

1.  Prepare the lentils.  Combine the lentils with 2 1/2 cups of water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Boil 12-15 minutes or until the water is evaporated.  The lentils should just fall apart for the most part.  Set aside.

2.  Saute the vegetables.  Heat the oil in a medium saute pan.  Add the onion, bay leaf, cloves and pepper, saute until the onion is golden.  Add the garlic and chiles.  Saute for about a minute. 

3.  Saute the lamb.  Add the lamb, turmeric, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, chipotle powder, ground coriander, cinnamon and salt.  Saute for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

4.  Add the water and simmer.  Add 3 3/4 cups of water to the pan.  Cover with a lid, reduce heat adn simmer until the lamb is tender, about 35-40 minutes. 

5.  Finish the dish.    Add the lentils and tomatoes.  Stir well and make sure the curry is warm throughout.  Transfer to a serving vessel and garnish with cilantro.

ENJOY!

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Ecuador

My culinary travels find me in Ecuador, a small South American country with diverse geographical regions, whether it is the coastal region along the Pacific Ocean, the high elevation of the Andes mountains or the rainforests.  Along the coasts, the food centers around fish, beans and plaintains.  As you move inland and into the Andres mountains, the cuisine changes to meat and rice.

While my culinary challenge requires me only to make a main dish, I wanted to create a meal that would require me to cook outside of my comfort zone.  Ecuador presents such a challenge because one of the quintessential dishes is Ceviche de Corvina or Sea Bass Ceviche.  There is some debate as to whether ceviche originated in Ecuador or Peru, but what is not disputed is that ceviche in each country is different.  In Ecuador, ceviche is typically fish or shirmp, but it is usually steamed for a couple of minutes before citrus is added.  In Peru, the fish or shrimp is raw when the citrus is added.  So, for my first time at making ceviche, Ecuador provides a good starting point since I would not be making ceviche from raw seafood.  In addition, I decided to make my own aji criollo, which is an Ecuadorian hot sauce to serve as a condiment with the fish.

To complete the meal, I decided to make a soup called Locro, which is a soup of potatoes, milk, and cheese and a drink called Cuaker, which is a pineapple oat drink.  All together, the warm soup and drink contrasted with the ceviche and the aji criollo made for some wonderful contrasts and an excellent meal.

THE APPETIZER

 LOCRO (Creamy Potato Soup)

Adapted from Ecuador Channel

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 pounds of potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)

2 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light cream
1/4 pound of Munster cheese
Salt to taste
2 cups of water

Directions:

1. Saute the onions.  Melt the butter in a sauce pan and add the paprika.   Add onions and saute until translucent.

2.  Make the soup.  Add the water and bring to boil.  Then add the potatoes and reduce the heat, allowing the potatoes to simmer for about 15 minutes.

3.  Add the milk and cream.  Before the potatoes are fully cooked, add the milk and cream.  Stir occasionally to make sure that it is blended.

4.  Add the cheese.  When the potatoes start to brake up, add the cheese.  Salt to taste.

THE CONDIMENT

AJI CRIOLLO (Ecuadorian Hot Sauce)

Adapted from Laylita's recipes

Ingredients:
4 red or green chiles, seeded (red ones are hotter)
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 cup of water
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice
3 tablespoons of finely chopped onion
Salt, to taste.

Directions:

1. Add the chilies, cilantro, water, garlic and lime juice in a food processor.  Blend thoroughly.

2.  Pour the blended mixture in a bowl.  Add the onions and salt, to taste.

THE MAIN DISH

And on to the main dish, Ceviche de Corvina or Sea Bass Ceviche.  This is an excellent dish that is relatively easy to make.  For the fish, I used Branzino, which is a Mediterranean Sea Bass, with very flaky flesh and without a very fishy taste. 

CEVICHE DE CORVINA (SEA BASS CEVICHE)

Adapted from Galapagos Travel

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 fillets of sea bass (Branzino, Black, etc.)
1 red pepper, sliced thinly
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 teaspoon of aji criollo
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
Salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Steam the fish.  Steam the sea bass for 3 minutes.  Turn once during steaming.  Once the flesh is white, remove the fish and place in a glass dish.

2. Prepare the citrus marinade.  In a bowl. mix the lemon juice, oil, parsley, aji criollo, onion, salt and pepper.

3.  Marinade the fish.  Pour the mixture over the sea bass and coat the fish thoroughly.  Let the sea bass stand for one hour.

THE BEVERAGE

Finally, this great meal needs a beverage.  I came across a recipe on Whats4eats.com for Cuaker, an Ecuadoran oatmeal beverage.  Cuaker is the Spanish word for "Quaker," as in Quaker oats.  According to Whats4eats.com, oat-based beverages are popular in Central and South America.  The concept of an "oatmeal beverage" fascinates me, so I decided to make the beverage.  The key to this recipe is to use real oats, not the instant kind.  I used steel cut oats to make the Cuaker for this meal.

CUAKER (Oatmeal Beverage)

Adapted from Whats4eats.com

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 Pineapple, peeled and sliced into rounds
1 cup of oats
1/2 cup of sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cups of water

Directions:

1.  Boil the ingredients.  Add all of the ingredients to a pot and bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat medium-low and let the ingredients simmer for about 20 minutes.  Stir frequently.

2.  Strain the ingredients.  Remove the pineapple and cinnamon sticks.  Strain the remainnig liquid, pressing down on the oats to extract all of the liquid.  Discard the oats.

3.  Serve.  Serve the beverage chilled or warm.  (I prefer it served warm.)

*     *     *

Well, I have to say that this was a very good meal.  I learned about making ceviche and learned that I probably should have let it stand in the citrus for a little longer, but it was still good.  The locro was also very good and is an ideal soup for a cool, rainy day, which was today.  But, the star of the meal was the Cuaker, which is very good and, actually, would make a great holiday drink.

With my cooking adventures in Ecuador coming to an end, I need to start planning the next stop.  I can't wait.  Till next time....

ENJOY!