Sweet Jellied Coconut Squares- Coconut Sweetmeat

Dessert

Girl Cooks World

-

April 16, 2019

Sweet Jellied Coconut Squares- Coconut Sweetmeat

With all the Asian and Pacific coconut desserts out there (mochi, bibingka, haupia, etc., etc.), it’s always surprising when a recipe using a similar list of ingredients to many other desserts results in something that seems entirely different and unique. Such was the case for these coconut squares; they were thick, coconutty and creamy with a unique jellied texture. For those of you who are familiar with Asian/Pacific desserts, they had a similar mouthfeel to Chinese Steamed Rice Cakes (Pak Tong Koh?) but with a coconut flavor similar to Hawaiian Haupia.

The original recipe called for the cashews to be mixed into the coconut squares but I found that they were distracting to the otherwise creamy and smooth texture. I would have preferred them sprinkled on top with the coconut, and so I changed the recipe below to reflect that.

Sweet Jellied Coconut Squares

Yield: About 25 coconut squares

Ingredients:

* 2 cans (15 ounces) coconut milk
* 1/4 cup maple syrup
* 6 ounces grated jaggery (this ended up being about 1-1/3 cup)
* Pinch salt
* 1-1/3 cup rice flour
* Cashews (optional)
* Toasted coconut (optional)

Directions:

Butter or grease a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.

Combine the coconut milk, maple syrup, jaggery and salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Put the rice flour in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan and gradually whisk in the coconut milk mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously. Cook until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Pour into the prepared pan and flatten. Sprinkle with the chopped cashews and toasted coconut, if desired. Let cool to room temperature, cover with wax paper and refrigerate until cool. When cold, cut into desired size.

Sri Lankan Black Shrimp Curry with Roasted Spices

Girl Cooks World

-

April 16, 2019

0

Sri Lankan Black Shrimp Curry with Roasted Spices

One of the things that makes many Sri Lankan curries unique is the fact that they roast their spices until they reach a dark hue. Roasting the spices intensify the flavors and give it a rich, almost smoky flavor. They call the curries made with these darkened spices black curries.

The original recipe used toasted whole spices before grinding them, but I’m guessing that more of you are likely to have these spices in ground form. So I adapted it as best I could; I think it worked out quite well.

You’ll notice that there aren’t any vegetables in this recipe to help add volume or bulk, so be sure to have at least one or two vegetables on the side as well as plenty of rice (rice recipes here).

Sri Lankan Black Shrimp Curry with Roasted Spices

Adapted from From Curries to Kebabs: Recipes from the Indian Spice Trail

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup minced shallots
1 Serrano pepper, sliced into thin rounds
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 stalk lemongrass, woody ends removed, and bruised
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 cup water
1 pound shrimp
1 cup coconut milk
cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or large, wide frypan with a cover, over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and Serrano pepper and cook for one minute. Then, add the coriander, cumin, fenugreek, cinnamon, cayenne, clove, and cardamom and stir to mix well. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a couple shades darker and becomes very fragrant.

Add the garlic and ginger, mix, and cook for one more minute. Add the lemongrass, salt, paprika, and water, stir, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Finally, add the shrimp and coconut milk and simmer, uncovered, on low heat until the sauce is hot and the shrimp are cooked through.

Top with cilantro leaves, if desired.

Serves four, with rice and at least one side.

Spicy Cashew Coconut Chicken

Girl Cooks World

-

April 16, 2019

0

I’m just going to say it straight up: this is definitely my favorite Sri Lankan recipe so far and quite possibly my favorite recipe this month. Chicken gets marinated in a spicy coconut cashew paste, browned on the stove, and then gets finished off by a simmer in a coconut milk.

It’s really the perfect dish to serve at a dinner party: exotic enough to impress your foodie friends, but familiar enough to appeal to non-adventurous eaters and kids. It’s also a perfect match for that Sri Lankan rice that I posted a couple days ago.

Spicy Cashew Coconut Chicken

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup roasted cashews
* 1/4 cup toasted, unsweetened, dried coconut
* 1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
* 1/4 cup canned diced tomatoes
* 2 Tablespoons water
* 1 teaspoon cayenne
* 2 teaspoons ground fennel
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
* 1 Serrano pepper, quartered lengthwise
* 1/2 cinnamon stick
* 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
* 2 pounds boneless chicken (I used thighs)
* 2 Tablespoons oil
* 1 can (~15 ounces) coconut milk
* Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

To prepare the marinade, grind the cashews, coconut, onion, tomatoes and water in a blender or food processor until it becomes a thick, gritty paste. Remove to a large bowl and add the cayenne, fennel, cumin, fenugreek, Serrano pepper, cinnamon stick and fresh ginger and stir to combine. Add the chicken and coat each piece well. Place in the refrigerator and let marinate for an hour.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown each side, about 5-6 minutes each side. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce has mostly evaporated, about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pancakes à la Gundel- Thin Pancakes with Walnut Filling and Chocolate Rum Sauce

Girl Cooks World

-

April 16, 2019

0

Pancakes à la Gundel- Thin Pancakes with Walnut Filling and Chocolate Rum Sauce

Thin Hungarian pancakes, stuffed with a sweet walnut filling and drizzled with a chocolate rum sauce make an elegant dessert or a decadent breakfast or brunch. I’m very much in the dessert-for-breakfast camp (my favorite dessert-for-breakfast used to be my mom’s apple pie) so I had no problem, or feelings of guilt, devouring this well before noon.

Hungarians are big fans of walnuts, but I imagine that a lot of other nuts would also work well. So feel free to experiment with almonds, hazelnuts, chestnuts, or a mixture of several kinds. Adding fruit would also be a nice touch.

Pancakes à la Gundel

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

12 palacsinta (or 12 crepes, using your favorite crepe recipe)

Walnut Filling:
1/3 cup light cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons rum
2 cups walnuts, ground
1/4 cup chopped raisins (optional)

Chocolate Rum Sauce:
2/3 cup semi or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk
3 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons rum

Directions:

Prepare the walnut filling by combining the cream and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the rum, ground walnuts and raisins and stir until combined. Remove from heat. Place a heaping teaspoon of the walnut filling in the center of each pancake. Fold the pancake into four.

Saute the folded pancakes in a small pat of butter for 2-3 minutes on each side. Make the sauce by combining the chocolate chips and milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Mix in the sugar, cocoa, butter and rum and stir until smooth. Place two pancakes on each plate and drizzle with the chocolate rum sauce.

Orange Spice Cooler

Drinks

Girl Cooks World

-

April 16, 2019

0

I’ve come to realize that drink recipes are some of the most popular posts here on Girl Cooks World. I guess it’s probably because they’re an easy way to try something new and exotic without a whole lot of time, effort or money. So in the spirit of giving the people what they want, here’s a quick drink recipe.

Orange juice is complemented by a light cardamom and clove syrup and finished with a sprinkling of basil seeds as a garnish. This was my first time using basil seeds but they acted quite similar to chia seeds; within a couple minutes of soaking they become rather gelatinous, just like the chia seeds in chia fresca.

These little black seeds pack a health punch as well: various sources online claimed that basil seeds were good for digestion, detox, weight loss and treating colds and respiratory disorders. Not too shabby for a pretty little garnish…

Orange Spice Cooler

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

* 1/4 cup sugar
* 3 cups water
* 1 clove
* 2 cardamom pods
* 3 cups orange juice
* Basil (tulsi) seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Combine the sugar and water in a pot and bring to a boil with the cardamom and cloves. Simmer until reduced by a third.

Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature. Discard the cloves and cardamom pods and add the orange juice. Refrigerate until well chilled. Float some basil seeds as a garnish.

Moroccan Broiled Eggplant in a Spicy Honey Sauce

Vegetarian

Girl Cooks World

-

April 16, 2019

0

Moroccan Broiled Eggplant in a Spicy Honey Sauce

Hot, sour, salty and sweet, this eggplant dish has got it going on. I know in my head that this is a Moroccan dish, but I keep thinking of American Chinese food, a la P.F. Chang’s. And I mean that as a compliment. The eggplant are broiled and then cooked in a spiced harissa-honey mixture until the sauce is thick, sticky and coats every piece of eggplant.

This time I stuck with just eggplant but it would make an amazing meal with some chicken thrown in. If you’re looking to go that route, I would stir-fry about a pound or so of chicken with the garlic until just cooked through before adding the eggplant and triple the amount of the honey-harissa sauce. Served with some rice, it could be a quick, exotic weeknight meal.

Moroccan Broiled Eggplant in a Spicy Honey Sauce

Yield: 4 side servings

Ingredients:

* 2 eggplants, cut in half lengthwise and cut into several pieces on the diagonal
* 3 Tablespoons olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspon harissa
* 1/4 cup honey
* 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to broil. Lightly grease a 9-inch by 9-inch baking dish and place the eggplant in a single layer. Broil several minutes, until lightly browned and flip the eggplants to brown on the other side. Remove from oven.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Fry for about a minute and then add the ginger, cumin, harissa, honey and lemon juice. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer and cook about five minutes. Flip the eggplant and cook until the sauce is thick and syrupy and has mostly been absorbed by the eggplant.

Kelbimbo Kontinental- Baked Brussel Sprout Gratin

Recipes

Girl Cooks World

-

April 16, 2019

0

Kelbimbo Kontinental- Baked Brussel Sprout Gratin

I never ate mushy Brussels sprouts growing up. In fact, I never ate any Brussels Sprouts at all, so I never quite understood the constant verbal attacks on the poor vegetable. It was only in my adult years that I gave them a try. By that time, I’d already been heavily influenced by the Barefoot Contessa, i.e, roasting was my go-to vegetable preparation technique. Steaming, boiling, and plain old baking seemed too boring and too flavorless. And when I finally tried roasted Brussels Sprouts, drizzled with olive oil and Parmesan cheese, it was clear that Brussels Sprouts were undeserving of their bad reputation.

But as good as they are, a girl cannot live on roasted Brussels Sprouts alone. In this Hungarian dish, Brussels sprouts are parboiled and then combined with a pork-flavored sour cream sauce, topped with breadcrumbs and baked until golden and bubbling. With a preparation like this, I wouldn’t be surprised if all Hungarian children loved their Brussels Sprouts.

Baked Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds Brussels Sprouts
* 6 cups water
* 2 Tablespoons salt
* 1/4 cup minced salt pork (note: salt pork is easier to cut when nearly frozen)
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups sour cream
* paprika
* 1/3 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a medium-to-large baking dish (I used a 9 x 9 glass Pyrex dish, which worked perfectly)

Wash and trim the ends of the Brussels sprouts. Bring the water and 2 Tablespoons of salt to a boil in a large pot. Add the Brussels Sprouts and let them boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Fry the salt pork in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until the bits have browned and become crispy. Remove the salt pork bits with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the onion to the rendered pork fat and cook over medium heat until the onion has softened. Add 1/4 cup of water, one teaspoon of salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Stir in the sour cream and mix thoroughly. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir well to combine and coat each sprout with the sour cream mixture. Pour into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with paprika and the reserved salt pork bits. Top evenly with breadcrumbs and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling.

Gomba Leves- Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Girl Cooks World

-

April 16, 2019

0

This Hungarian mushroom soup is smoky, creamy and, oddly enough, meaty. Even though the soup is vegetarian, the mushrooms add a definite meatiness to the soup. Although you start with a whole pound of mushrooms, they cook down a significant amount so if you’d like plenty of leftovers I suggest doubling the recipe.

When I was reading about Hungarian food online, people stressed again and again how much better Hungarian paprika is than the standard stuff you’d find in your supermarket spice aisle. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any, but the soup was great even without it. I also recommend adding a bit of smoked paprika if you have it on hand. It definitely added another level of flavor. If you’d like to add some heat, add cayenne to taste.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Yield: 4 as an appetizer, 2 as a main meal

Ingredients:

* 1 Tablespoon butter
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 pound button mushrooms
* 2 Tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
* 2 teaspoons paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
* 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* 1 cup beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
* 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
* 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature, plus extra for garnish
* 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
* 2 Tablespoons water
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until the onions begin to brown. Add the mushrooms, dill and paprika. Stir well, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the lemon juice and mix well.

Add the broth, cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Add the milk and stir well. Whisk in the sour cream and heat gently until soup is hot. Make a cornstarch slurry with the cornstarch and water, making sure there are no lumps. Add to the soup and stir well. Continue to cook over low heat for a couple minutes, until the soup has thickened slightly.

Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into individual bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh dill, if desired.

Coconut Rotti- Sri Lankan Coconut Rice Flatbread

Recipes

Girl Cooks World

-

April 16, 2019

0

Coconut Rotti- Sri Lankan Coconut Rice Flatbread

Oh, how I love finding naturally gluten-free breads and desserts from these countries I’m visiting. The recipes are special namely for what they don’t have, like a long list of ingredients like xanthan gum or egg replacer. They make life so much easier for me, and I imagine, you too. Even if you’re not gluten-free yourself, I’m guessing you probably know somebody who is. And I know having them over for meals can be, well, a little bit tricky. I actually feel guilty when a dinner host has to make special accommodations for me or run to the health food store to buy special ingredients. That’s where foods like rotti can save the day.

Rottis are a pan-fried soft bread, similar to Indian nan, that are made with toasted rice flour. Even with some coconut thrown into the mix, I found them super versatile. I ate them alone with a smidgen of butter, dipped them into extra curry sauce, used one to make an open-faced sandwich. All great options.

The best part about this recipe? It has only four ingredients. And two of them are things you without a doubt already have: water and salt. The only thing that makes these slightly time consuming is toasting the rice flour and coconut. But you don’t need any rise time for this bread, so I’d say it all just about evens out.

Coconut Rotti- Sri Lankan Coconut Rice Bread

Yield: 6 rotti

Ingredients:

* 2 cups rice flour
* 1/2 cup unsweetened, dried and shredded coconut
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* approximately 1 to 1-1/2 cups water

Directions:

Place the rice flour in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir the flour continuously to ensure even toasting. Remove from heat when the rice flour has darkened several shades and emits a toasted aroma. Place the toasted rice flour in a large bowl.

In the same skillet, toast the coconut, stirring constantly, just until it begins to turn golden (note: toasting the coconut second will help unstick any toasted rice flour that’s stuck in the grooves of your pan if you have a textured pan like me). Add the coconut to the rice flour and add salt. Stir to combine. Add just enough water to make a soft dough. Knead it until it forms a ball and no longer sticks to the side of the bowl. To test the moisture level, roll a bit of the dough in your hand and press it flat. It should easily stay in one piece but it should also have some cracking around the edges. If your edges are totally smooth, you’ve added too much water. In this case you can add a bit more un-toasted rice flour to the mixture.

Roll the dough into balls about the size of a golf ball. Place each ball between two pieces of waxed paper and use your palm or a rolling pin to flatten to your desired thickness. If you’re a rotti newbie like me you might want to keep them on the thicker side; if you make them too thin, the can break easily.

Fry on a preheated, lightly greased griddle or frypan over medium to medium-high heat until it begins to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden.