From Guest Blogger Jeff Stone: Just a few years ago, malaprops -- the ludicrous misuse, or mis-translation, of English words -- were a common and hilarious sight all around Beijing. During the first couple of days in Bejing this year, we saw precious few - proof, I thought, that the Chinese had gained a full command of our language. Not to worry! Susan and I found a trove of them in the menu of a restaurant near the arts district "798." Bon Appetit! today's haul Feeling rather smug, having tricked mother nature into delivering me an array of goodies despite placing my garden in a questionable location as far as sun is concerned. But with carefully amended soil, hand-watering and heavy mulching (sounds obscene!), I guess anything is possible. Last night Sylvia, Jeff and I gathered around the stove and re-created the prawn dish mentioned in an earlier post (see below), only we used frozen langostines from Trader Joe's, which I highly recommend if you can't get fresh prawns. All I can say is, I wish you all could have been here to savor the experience with us. Lord knows we made enough for a crowd. We used fenugreek, tumeric and curry straight from a spice shop in India and the flavors literally burst out of the pan, but I'm convinced that even with ingredients from your local store, this dish will please. As temperatures dipped into the teens last night and the drafts found us through the cracks and crevices of our windows and doors, we were warmed from the inside by this wonderful dish, which sits somewhere between a soup and a stew. I've converted the metric measures from the earlier recipe and I've multiplied the amounts, enough to serve six. So enjoy!
(Oh, and by the way, if you make it, share with us your insights by leaving a comment.) Prawns Moily 5 oz. of prawns (or frozen langoustine tails from Trader Joe's) 3 T coconut oil 1 t fenugreek 1 large onion, sliced into rings 6 large cloves garlic, sliced 4-inch piece of ginger, julienned 1 large green chili pepper, seeds removed and julienned 1 t Indian curry powder (I like the Pereg brand) 1 t tumeric powder 2 t salt 1 cup water 1 14-oz. can light coconut milk (or regular) juice of 1/2 lime 1 large tomato, cut into julienne strips Heat the oil in a sauce pan and add the fenugreek seeds. When warm, add the garlic, ginger, green chili, onions and curry powder and saute until transparent. Add the turmeric powder and water. Add the cleaned prawns (or langoustines) with salt. When the prawns look cooked (or the langoustines heated through), add the coconut milk and continue heating, being careful not to allow the broth to come to a boil. Finish with lime juice and julienned tomato. Serve over basmati or rice of your choice. Can be accompanied by Naan bread to soak up the broth (fresh or frozen Naan can be bought at Trader Joe's, too). Ben and Jeff attended a cooking demonstration at our hotel here in Kochi, southern India and Sylvia and I got there just in time to have a taste. It was a local dish called "Prawns Moily." How delightful! The preparation was so simple, but the flavors complex and so, so fresh. And like everything we've eaten for the last two weeks, all the ingredients were locally sourced. The prawns, for heaven's sake, were from about 100 yards away! The coconuts practically dropped in our laps here and their oil, juice and milk are used frequently in cooking in this region, called Kerala. Don't be scared off by the use of coconut oil. I've been using it for years and its reputation as a bad oil is undeserved. Quite the opposite. If you make sure you use the unprocessed, organic "extra virgin" brands of coconut oil, you'll reap benefits too numerous to mention here, and I promise you, you won't get fat and your cholesterol numbers may improve. Here's the recipe, chock full of great Indian spices we've come to love and will be bringing home with us because you just can't get them as fresh at home. Sorry for the metric measures. I don't have the time right now to convert them. (Meanwhile, check "India Diary" for more info and pictures of Kerala: /days-11--12----tropical-kerala.html ) Prawns Moily Preparation time: 10 minutes; Cooking time: 15 minutes Prawns 20 grams Coconut oil 30 ml Fenugreek seeds 1 gm Onion (in rings) 100 gm Garlic (in slices) 10 gm Ginger (julienned) 10 gm Green chili (slit) 12 gm Curry leaves 2 sprigs Tumeric powder 1 gm Salt to taste Water 60 ml Coconut Milk 100 ml Lime Juice 10 ml Tomato (sliced) 75 gm Heat the oil in a pan and add the fenugreek seeds. Add the garlic, ginger, green chili, onions, curry leaves and saute until transparent. Add the turmeric powder and water. Add the cleaned prawns with salt. When the prawns look cooked, add the coconut milk and continue heating, but be careful not to allow the broth to come to a boil. Finish with lime juice, garnished with curry leaves and slices of tomato, cut into small bites. Chinese fishing nets, where prawns and other fish are caught. These land-tethered contraptions are found almost exclusively in Kerala. These were only 50 yards from our hotel. |
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