Asian Cuisine Exotic Malaysian Recipes:
1.Softshell Crab Kung Pao Style:
If softshell crabs are not available you can adapt this dish to chicken or prawns(you can leave on the tails but remove the heads and devein).If using chicken, choose tender, boneless pieces cut into small fingers and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Ingredients
4 softshell crabs; 1 tsp chopped garlic; 1 tsp chopped ginger; sweet chilli sauce to taste; 1 egg; 100g rice flour or plain flour; 1/2 tsp baking soda; oil for deep frying; 100g cornflour;
For Sauce:
2 tsp vegetable oil; 2 tsp chopped garlic; 2 tsp chopped ginger; 2 tsp chopped shallots or onions; 1 tsp oyster sauce; 1 tsp chilli bean sauce or sweet chilli sauce; tabasco sauce to taste; 2 chopped spring onions; 1 tbsp crushed peanuts; 1 tsp cornflour mixed in cold water;
To Garnish:
Salad leaves; shredded spring onions; red chilli juliennes;
Method:
For Sauce: Heat oil in a wok.Saute chopped garlic, ginger and shallots.Add 1/3 cup water or stock.Add the oyster sauce, chilli bean sauce and tabasco sauce to taste; add cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce.Add chopped spring onion and crushed peanuts.Keep warm in a very low oven.
For Crab: Cut crabs into 2.Clean from inside without breaking claws.Marinate the crabs in garlic, ginger and chilli sauce; set aside.
Meanwhile, break the egg into a cup of ice-cold water(from the chiller).Beat till frothy and sprinkle in rice flour gradually, whisking till smooth.Add baking soda and beat to mix evenly.Pour this batter onto crabs and toss to coat.Heat oil in a wok.Dredge crab pieces in dry cornflour and deep fry till crispy and golden.Serve with the prepared sauce poured over a bed of salad leaves, garnished with spring onions and red chillies. *********************************************  2.Penang Curry Of Sea Bass Fillet With Skin(Serves 4):
Ingredients:
150g sea bass fillet with skin.
For Marinade:
1 finely chopped kaffir lime leaf or any fragrant citrus leaf(carefully washed); 1 tsp finely chopped lemongrass; 1 tsp fish sauce or oyster sauce or Worcestershire sauce.
For Penang Curry:
2 tsp peanut oil; 4 tsp penang curry paste or Thai red curry paste; 1/2 cup coconut milk; 2 tsp sugar; 2 tsp fish sauce or oyster sauce or Worcestershire sauce; a small handful of kaffir lime leaves; If using Thai red curry paste: 1/2 tsp of powdered spices(clove, cinnamon and nutmeg powder);
For Mee Krob:
50g rice noodles sticks; oil for deep frying; 1 tsp chopped garlic; 1/2 tsp chopped fresh red chillies; 1 tsp chopped shallot or onion; 1 tsp yellow bean paste or chilli bean paste or dark soya sauce or miso; 1 tsp rice vinegar or malt vinegar; 1 tsp fish sauce or oyster sauce or Worcestershire sauce; 2 tsp palm sugar; 5 tsp bean sprouts; 1 tsp coriander sprigs;
To Garnish:
4 tsp crispy fried tofu juliennes; Kaffir lime and red chilli juliennes.
Method:
Combine the marinade ingredients and marinate the fish.
For Curry: Heat oil in pan and Penang curry paste.Add coconut milk along with other curry ingredients(if using Thai red curry paste, don't add the powdered spices just now).Simmer till thick enough to coat back of spoon or ladle.(Add powdered spices just before removing from heat.
For Mee Krob: Soak the noodles in water for 30 minutes.Drain well and then deep-fry in very hot oil until crisp and golden.Retain 1 tsp oil in the wok.Saute garlic, red chillies and shallots.Season with yellow bean paste, vinegar, fish sauce and palm sugar.Add noodles and toss well to mix.Set aside and keep warm.
Cook Fish: Heat oil in a pan and shallow-fry fillets(skin side first) till cooked through.Arrange on a platter.Spoon the hot curry on top and around and place the mee krob on top of the fishGarnish with bean sprouts, bean curd, kaffir lime leaves and red chilli juliennes.
*********************************************  3.Roasted Sesame And White Chocolate Semi-Freddo(Serves 6):
Ingredients:
2 tbsp chopped white chocolate; 3 tbsp whipping cream; 1/2 tsp roasted white sesame seeds;
Method:
Dry-grind the roasted sesame seeds coarsely in the spice jar of your mixer-grinder.Melt the white chocolate(zap in the microwave for 20 seconds and stir).Whip the cream till soft peaks form.Stir in the melted white chocolate and ground sesame.Pour into a rectangular freezer-safe container and freeze until just firm, but not set hard.De-mould the semi-freddo and scoop out(you may need to remove it from the freezer and let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes if its set solid) or cut into slice.Serve garnished with a variety of berries and diced soft fruits(mangoes and lychees would be perfect) and perhaps a red fruit puree.
********************************************* Simple Thai Recipes | 
