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Asian Beef Short Rib…Sugar & Spice recipes

September 8, 2015Blog, Cooking, Food, Yudhika's Sugar & Spiceamc cookware, asian, Asian Beef Rib, Beef, cooking, Holi Cow, Sugar ' Spice, sugar and spice recipes, The home channel, Yudhika recipes, yudhika sujananiyudhikayumyum One comment

Sugar & Spice with Yudhika – Asian Beef Short Rib served with Coconut Rice

I have a big heart for South East Asian flavors….lemongrass, coriander, coconut and chilli. On Sugar & Spice last week, I showcased these flavors dedicating an entire episode to highlight the delicious cuisine.

On the menu, a slow cooked Asian Beef Short Rib with a fragrant home-made paste, slowly simmered in coconut milk and to go with that a lightly scented coconut rice, dotted with peas. If you are short on time, the beef rib can be prepared in an AMC Speedcooker but remember to reduce the liquid to prevent the sauce turning into a soup….during the show, I used a normal pot…when I say normal I mean I use a fabulous AMC pot for this and not a pressure cooker.

Don’t forget to catch the show on Dstv’s Home Channel 176 or you can tune into Mela on Sundays on SABC 2 for a weekly dose of delicious too!

Asian Style Beef Short Rib by Yudhika Sujanani cooked with lemongrass, chilli, garlic and coconut milk

Asian Beef Short Rib

Ingredients

1kg beef short rib

For the paste:
2 inch piece of ginger
2 stalks lemongrass, chopped (white parts only)
4 – 6 green chillies, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
5 cloves
45ml sunflower oil
1 onion, chopped

50ml sunflower oil
1 – 2 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
30ml red chilli powder
2,5ml turmeric
10ml coarse salt

8 lime leaves

500 – 600ml coconut milk
Coriander, to garnish

Place the cloves, chillies, onion, garlic, and ginger into a blender.
Process until smooth.

Heat the sunflower oil in an AMC Pan.
Add the cinnamon sticks and bay leaf.
Once the whole spices are fragrant, add the fragrant paste.
Saute until the moisture evaporates.
Add the red chilli powder and turmeric.
Stir for 3 – 5 seconds, then add the beef short rib.
Coat the rib with the fried paste, scraping the pan to prevent burning.
Add the salt and stir well.
Pour in the coconut milk, add the lime leaves and loosen the spices that are stuck to the base of the pan.
Lower the heat and simmer until the beef is tender.
Once the beef is cooked through, simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens.
Place on a serving platter and garnish with fresh coriander.

Pea and Coconut Rice by Yudhika Sujanani

Pea and Coconut Rice

Ingredients

50ml sunflower oil
45ml desiccated coconut
375ml basmati rice
600ml water
150ml coconut milk
Salt to season
250ml frozen peas
Coriander, to garnish

Heat the sunflower oil in an AMC pot until warm (not hot).
Add the desiccated coconut and stir to heat.
Add the curry leaves and stir for a few seconds.
Stir the basmati rice into the fried coconut.
Add the water, coconut milk and salt.
Reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid.
Once the rice has steamed through, add the frozen peas and cover with a tight fitting lid.
Check the rice, ensuring it does not stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
Leave to stand for 2 – 3 minutes until heated through.
Garnish with fresh coriander.

The sardine run….

June 20, 2015Blog, Cooking, Foodcooking, durban recipes, durban sardines, fish, fish recipes, fried fish, isipingo, quick and easy, sardines, spicy tomato sauce, yudhika sujanani, yudhikayumyumyudhikayumyum Leave a comment

The sardine run…Spicy Sardines by Yudhika Sujanani

I haven’t eaten a sardine in about thirty years. The sardine run was always a much awaited event on the Durban calendar. Somewhere in the 80’s there were huge shoals of fish that washed up on the shores in Durban and there were people actually scooping them up in buckets.

Firstly, it was quite a sight…I was amazed by the piles of fish heaped on the shore and the locals seemed to be in a trance as they went about collecting their sardine stash. A few days later, I was sure that I overdosed on freshly fried spicy sardines! There were sardines everywhere and every home that visited also served sardines…I do see them on the menu at Portuguese restaurants but haven’t eaten one since!

There have been a few Facebook posts about the sardines in Durban and here is one of my Spicy Sardine recipes….I serve them with a spicy tomato chutney that coats the sardines keeping them moist and delicious!

I’m ready to give sardines a bash again…if only I could find one in Jozi and have it prepared the old fashioned Durban way! I really do miss Durban and all it’s beautiful people and treats!

Sardines in a Spicy Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

12 sardines
10ml red chilli powder
2,5ml turmeric
5ml salt
Sunflower oil to shallow fry

For the Spicy Tomato Sauce

30ml sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs of curry leaves
15ml red chilli powder
6 tomatoes
5ml coarse salt
10ml roasted coriander powder (dhania powder)
5ml roasted cumin powder (jeera powder)
2,5ml turmeric
Handful of fresh coriander

Here’s how:

Slice a cross into the base of each tomato and place them in a bowl. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and leave aside for 3 minutes. Remove the skins and chop the tomatoes.
Sprinkle turmeric, salt and red chilli powder over the sardines and gently rub the spices over. Place the sardines in a bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Heat the sunflower oil in a pot. Fry the finely chopped onion until light golden brown. Add the crushed
garlic and curry leaves. Stir for a few seconds and then add the red chili powder.
Stir the red chilli powder for 5 seconds and then add the chopped tomatoes.
Season with salt and keep stirring until the tomatoes soften slightly.
Add the roasted ground cumin, coriander and the turmeric. Lower the heat and continue stirring until the tomatoes dissolve and form a thick sauce.
Heat the sunflower oil in a non stick frying pan and fry the sardines in batches until crispy.
Remove from the heat and gently dab the sardines with paper towel to remove excess oil. Repeat this process until all the sardines are fried.
Spoon some of the tomato sauce over the base of a casserole dish and then spoon the remaining sauce over the sardines and sprinkle the chopped coriander over. Garnish with a few curry leaves.

Yudhika’s Tips

To clean the sardines: Scale sardines and make a cut along the bottom of the fish. Remove the intestines and entrails. Rinse the fish under cold running water and pat dry using absorbent paper towels.
Handle the sardines gently as they do tend to break up when handled roughly.

Meat Free Monday…Mushroom and Spinach Curry

June 15, 2015Blog, Cooking, Foodamc cookware, cooking, Curry Me Home, Holi Cow, Meat free monday, mushroom and spinach curry, Post newspaper, quick and easy, Sugar 'n Spice, vegetarian recipes, yudhika, yudhika sujananiyudhikayumyum Leave a comment

Meat Free Monday with Yudhika Sujanani – Mushroom and Spinach Curry

Another Meatless Monday…and today is also World No Meat Day! This is a quick and easy recipe that is absolutely delicious. You can serve it as a meal on it’s own or as a side dish. Mushrooms taste better when cooked in advance and absorb the spices from the sauce. Prepare the mushrooms and add the spinach just before serving, taking care not to over cook it.

Mushroom and Spinach Curry

Ingredients

50ml sunflower oil
5ml mustard seeds
5ml cumin seeds
1 onion, finely chopped
5ml coarse salt
10ml crushed garlic
10ml red chill powder
400g chopped tomatoes, fresh or tinned
5ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
2ml turmeric
400g mushrooms, sliced
400g baby spinach, chopped
Fresh curry leaves or coriander, to garnish

Here’s how

Heat the sunflower oil in an AMC Paella Pan.
Add the mustard seeds and when the pop, add the cumin seeds.
Add the chopped onion and salt.
Saute until the onion is golden brown.
Add the crushed garlic and fry for a few seconds.
Stir the red chilli powder and mix for 5 seconds.
Add the chopped tomatoes and stir in the remaining spices.
Add the ground cumin, coriander and turmeric.
Simmer the sauce and use the back of a spoon to break down the lumps.
Once the sauce resembles tomato paste, add the chopped mushrooms.
Simmer until the mushrooms soften, add 125ml boiling water if the sauce is too thick.
Once the mushrooms are cooked through, add the chopped spinach and simmer uncover for a minute or two.
Garnish with fresh curry leaves and coriander.

The big Diwali Bake off…..

October 17, 2014Uncategorizedbaking, best diwali recipes, burfee, chana magaj, competitions, cooking, decadent diwali bakes, diwali bake off, diwali list, eggless biscuits, fresh cream burfee, KitchenAid, mela sabc2, Post newspaper, soji, Sugar 'n Spice, Sweetmeats, yudhika sujananiyudhikayumyum View all 12 comments

Yudhika Diwali 2014…made beautiful by Lyn Kennedy and Photographed by Vanessa Lewis

While the controversy over the date Diwali will be celebrated rages and the confusion grows, it is time to start planning the feast!

It’s a time of year for family, friends and feasting but also a time to pull out all the stops….I have been asked about recipes flat out and it is phenomenal that with the world changing so much, there are still people out there hosting traditional Diwali parties!

So today, I have decided to put together a quick reference list….so scroll down the list to find your favourite recipes….Praise God for my AMC cookware and KitchenAid mixer…my pots and pans have been working overtime just trying to keep up with the recipe requests!!!

Diwali would not be complete without a slice of Pecan Chana Magaj: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2013/11/01/pecan-chana-magaj/ – you could also use flaked almonds on the top if you prefer…the great thing is that this one can be made in advance and it stores beautifully in the refrigerator! Always serve this at room temperature!

I have to constantly think up new burfee ideas and here are some of them! I love coconut and it adds an extra special flavour to this Coconut Burfee: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2014/07/24/the-eid-burfee-challenge/ . For something a little more subtle and exotic, try this recipe…Rose and Pistachio Burfee: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2013/10/29/rose-and-pistachio-burfee/ – Just remember to go easy on the food colouring – it should be very lightly coloured! Now, for a bit of a higher grade burfee recipe try this one…..Fresh Cream Burfee: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2013/07/29/sugar-n-spice-recipes-fresh-cream-almond-burfee-by-yudhika/ – this is a very very soft burfee…take care when simmering the liquid to prevent scorching but it should resemble thick custard when added to the milk powder….or the burfee will be too soft….if the burfee does turn out too soft, try popping them into the freezer as this dries out the excess moisture. Watch the how to video from my stint on Sugar ‘n Spice here….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWFDoAJuQXI

For me…this is my best flop proof burfee….it doesn’t have a long list of ingredients but it works beautifully every time….I refer to it as the Idiot Proof Burfee….because it is so so quick and easy! https://yudhikayumyum.com/2013/10/31/idiot-proof-burfee/ but if it is something a little out of the ordinary that you are looking for try this one….it is an adaptation of the Idiot Burfee but I love the hint of citrus and the colour of course…..Orange Cardamom and Pistachio Burfee: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2014/10/13/burfee/

I love Gulab jamuns and I always get my kids to set up an assembly line to prepare these…it’s a great way to get kids to work with you in the kitchen…they also help with the sampling….Gulab Jamun: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2012/11/08/troubled-by-diwali-gluttony/ or you could try this Indian Gulab Jamun recipe….please use Nespray for this one…Klim just doesn’t work…click here to watch the video from Sugar n Spice…there is a little trick in making these, so dont forget to watch this….https://yudhikayumyum.com/2013/10/31/gulab-jamun-sugar-n-spice/

Biscuits are popular around Diwali and a biscuit with a nut is a memorable biscuit….try this….Eggless pecan biscuits: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2013/10/29/eggless-faker-pecan-shortbread/ or the Naan Khatay – I don’t feel territorial about these….whether they originated from India or Pakistan…they are delicious…what bothers me the most is that I got a few hidings for stealing the nuts of the top! It always embarrasses my mom terribly when I remind her about this! Watch the video from Season Two of Sugar n Spice….it’s around the second half of the clip…https://yudhikayumyum.com/new-videos/sugar-n-spice-season-2-videos/

Home made hot jalebis are an absolute treat….give this instant jalebi a bash….Jalebi: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2012/11/08/jackie-jalebi-out-on-parole-for-diwali and here is a quick and easy Laddoo recipe: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2012/11/12/laddoooooommmmaaaa-scoring-a-diwali-goal/

For a higher grade day when you have lots of energy…try this Banana Puri: https://yudhikayumyum.com/2013/10/23/banana-less-banana-puri/ – this takes time…rest the dough..its the secret to making great banana puri! I still wonder why they call it banana puri!

For the classic buttery Soji, click here for the recipe, https://yudhikayumyum.com/2013/10/30/soji-i-remember-i-remember/ …this will take you back decades….it’s rich, buttery and delicious…this is not for the calorie counters and faint hearted…and yes the recipe is correct….it is 400g butter and 375g semolina…not like someone suggested that its 500g semolina! Stick to the recipe…..this makes about 1,6kg soji…you could halve the recipe if you like!

Now, there are many great giveaways on this blog and also in the Post Newspaper….you have to enter it to win it…so get entering….check out the AMC competition details in the Post or you could click here to find out how you can win a KitchenAid….https://yudhikayumyum.com/competition/blog-party-kitchenaid-giveaway/ – you must be a follower on the blog and on twitter to win and don’t forget to leave your comment about the Mela food segment, you can watch here…https://yudhikayumyum.com/sabc-2s-mela-videos/ – this is a fab prize and a must have for any ardent baker! Worth R6990, it is a Rolls Royce Kitchen Stand Mixer!

For the AMC competition….I don’t have to tell you again how important it is to have great cookware….and for me, AMC is the best….you can win a 24cm Gourmet Roaster worth R3350 by entering on this link…..https://yudhikayumyum.com/competition/amc-giveaway/ ….this is one of the units that I use the most….and it has gourmet handles that means you can pop the pot into the oven…on this Sundays episode of Mela, I will be preparing a breyani that is oven baked in an AMC pot….don’t forget to tune in! AMC aren’t kidding when they say, ‘AMC for life’!

Phew….this has felt like a marathon post….I think I may need to put together a list of recipes for the Diwali Cook Off….I need a coffee and cake right now….maybe you should check back later for the list!

Butter Me Up, Baby!

October 23, 2013Uncategorizedamc cookware, butter chicken, chicken recipes, cooking, Curry Me Home, Holi Cow, My Spar, quick and easy, Sugar 'n Spice, yudhika, yudhika sujanani, yudhika sujanani l'etangyudhikayumyum View all 3 comments

Butter me up….

I really need a bit of FLS – Food, Love and Shopping! Life around the Sujanani/L’Etang household has been hectic! After 5 months of working on my new project, ‘The Holi Cow’ – Cooking School and Deli, I need 100mg of something to calm myself and a few large G & T’s to wash them down!

Building renovations are not fun! I throw tantrums almost daily – what was supposed to be a three-week stint has turned into a five month nightmare! Well, the one good thing about all of this is that I cook way more than I used to relieve the stress. I am curvier for sure…but well fed and spending my quiet moments dreaming up recipes for a new book!

I have also taken a serious shine to disappearing off to the mall..These are just the commercial breaks a woman like me needs to keep focused…after all, who wants to come home to a grumpy wife??? So, I am doing my best to stay cheerful and that is exactly the sort of therapy I need…it’s a feast for the soul and trust me….enough to take away anyone’s building blues!

There are just some days though when nothing seems to add cheer to a tough day! These are the days when calories don’t count. So, when all else fails I tend to spoil myself up by preparing one of my best treats….Butter Chicken!

Here is the recipe:

Butter Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the chicken:
800g chicken thighs and drumsticks, skinned
Salt to season
20ml crushed ginger
20ml crushed garlic
15ml red chilli powder
5ml ground cumin
7,5ml ground coriander
2,5ml ground cardamom
2,5ml turmeric
60ml lemon juice
60ml fresh cream
40ml Spar sunflower oil

Place the chicken in a mixing bowl and season with salt.
Pound the ginger and garlic until smooth.
Rub the pounded mix over the chicken pieces.
Rub the spices over the chicken pieces.
Pour the lemon juice and fresh cream over the chicken.
Mix well to cover the chicken pieces with marinade.
Leave in the refrigerator to marinate for 4 – 6 hours.
Place the chicken on a roasting pan and drizzle the sunflower oil over.
Roast in a preheated oven at 200 degrees celsius for 20 minutes.
Check the chicken every 10 minutes and turn them over to brown evenly.
It must not be cooked through and the chicken slightly pink near the bone.
Once the chicken has cooled, debone the pieces and discard the bones.

For the sauce:

3 x 400g tins Spar whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
200ml boiling water
10ml crushed ginger
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
15ml Curry Me Home red chilli powder
45ml whole cashews
60ml boiling water
Salt to season
5ml Curry Me Home ground cumin
5ml Curry Me Home ground coriander
5ml Curry Me Home garam masala
100ml cold butter
2 green chillies, sliced
10ml dried kasori methi, optional
7,5ml sugar
60ml fresh cream

For the sauce:

Soak the cashew nuts in 60ml boiling water for 10 minutes.
Place the cashews in a liquidiser and process until smooth.
Place the tomatoes, boiling water, ginger, garlic, cardamom, bay leaf and cinnamon stick into an AMC pot and bring to the boil.
Simmer on a low heat until the tomatoes have broken down completely.
Use the back of a wooden spoon to press the tomatoes against the side of the pot.
Leave to cool slightly.
Place the tomatoes in a liquidiser and process until smooth.
Pass the tomatoes through a fine strainer using a wooden spoon once again to press down.
Discard the pulp and pour the smooth tomato sauce into a pot.
Add the cashew paste, red chilli powder, salt, cumin, coriander and garam masala.
Simmer on a low heat until the sauce thickens.
Add the green chilli and deboned chicken with the pan juices and simmer until cooked through.
Add the kasori methi and sugar.
Gently work the cold butter into the sauce – do not over cook as the sauce will split.
Stir in the cream and simmer for a minute.
Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Yudhika’s tips:
It’s best to marinate the chicken overnight for the best flavour.
The chicken is traditionally cooked in a tandoor.
You could grill the chicken over charcoal braai to get the authentic smoky flavour.

The Big Move….

May 8, 2013Uncategorizedamc cookware, baking, cooking, dstv, jo borkett, My Spar, spar, Sugar 'n Spice, Ushi Goshalia, Whirlpool, yudhika sujananiyudhikayumyum One comment

Sugar ‘n Spice

I think most of you have heard me ramble on about my first cooking show on Saffron TV. I talk about it often but then again, who wouldn’t? It’s been a big marker in my cooking career. I received a mail from Ushi Goshalia, Saffron TV Channel Manager, a few weeks ago with the most surprising news….Sugar ‘n Spice will now be aired on The Home Channel!

After the initial surprise, I am pleased – in fact, way more than pleased…delighted….no more than delighted…so while I mull over the right words to describe how I feel about my big move, I will share the details with you!

Here is a link on ‘The Home Channels’ website:

http://www.thehomechannel.co.za/shows/food/sugar-and-spice

The show goes out at the following times…

Monday 2pm
Wednesday 6pm
Thursday 11pm
Friday 10am
Saturday 8:30am and 5:30pm
Sunday 12pm and 9:30pm

Once again, I can’t thank my support team aka sponsors who have played such a big part in bringing the show to life! AMC cookware for every pot I could possibly imagine (small, medium, large and super king sized – nothing was struck off the list), My Spar for the ingredients (believe me, there was a long list), Jo Borkett for the lovely wardrobe and Whirlpool for the amazing kitchen appliances!

The Great Durian Adventure

July 17, 2012Blog, Travel, Uncategorizedamari palm reef, cooking, durian, martin kunzmann, rob l'etang, samui, stink beans, yudhika sujananiyudhikayumyum View all 2 comments

Yes…it smells quite awful! A ‘No Durian’ sign in Singapore

I have travelled through the East many times – I love everything about South East Asia, well almost everything anyway! Everything except a nasty looking fruit called Durian. Its known as the King of Fruits and looks like a medieval weapon….it has a thick stalk and the fruit is the size of a football. Although the fruit is covered in wicked spikes, its not the appearance that makes me cross the road when I come across a vendor….it’s the nasty stench!

Durian is sold at markets and street vendor stalls all over Thailand. It is sold in neat pre-packed segments and it looks tempting until you rip open the packaging. Yes, its enough to make your eyes water.

I have not been able to find Durian in Samui this holiday. I was keen on giving it a try since making a decision to be more adventurous. All this talk of durian has made Rob curious too.

Its never been hard to find durian….the most sensible way to track it down is to walk in the direction that smells the most! Stop walking when you find the delicate yellow flesh that smells like a load of rotting something. Yes, it smells rotten.

We headed off to a few local markets or talaads (as it is known in Thai). We first tried the Fisherman’s Village market in Bhoput and then popped in to another one in Chaweng with no luck. We visited the Laem Din market too…still nothing. What rotten luck!

I was chatting to Martin Kunzmann (I have mentioned him before – he is the resident manager at Amari Palm Reef) and told him that I could not find any Durian. A keen adventurer and explorer, he offered to lead us on a Durian hunt. I was so excited.

After we had finished our delicious cooking demo with Chef Kanit, we headed off – Martin on a flash bike and us on our trusty moped. We stopped at the local Chaweng market just to make sure there wasn’t a durian delivery and then took an inland road out to Mae Nam. It was fantastic to get away from the buzz of the main Chaweng strip. We travelled along the Ghost Road – Martin says it is where the old spirit houses are abandoned. The road is lined with hundreds of them in various stages of decay.

Rob and I were thrilled to be experiencing a different part of the island. We made another stop, Martin pulled over and said he got a durian whiff….false alarm – It was another Samui special…Stink Beans!!!! Garlic makes your breath smell, asparagus makes your wee smell, stink beans makes everything smell. It makes your breath, skin and even your poo smell really bad. Martin tried to talk me into giving the stink beans a go….still on honeymoon, I thought that this might not be an appropriate time to acquire a devilish stink!

Stink beans – Smelly business!

We were now on our way to Mae Nam. The hills got steeper and steeper and the moped got slower and slower. Eventually, I had to get off and walk up a ‘Tour de France’ hill. Spluttering and cursing after eating too much, I jumped on Martin’s bike – I can best describe this as a cool looking retro vintage bike and boy, it is noisy! It was a like a rocket up the hills and we met Rob at the top!

This is where our troubles started….on our way down the hill, we got caught in a tropical storm. The raindrops were large and heavy enough to make the trees bend over. We drove down the hill slowly, quietly kakking ourselves all the way. The raindrops stinging our faces and soaking us to the skin. We passed the durian trees (yes, actually with durians on them) and it was storming so badly, we could not even get a pic.

We got to the bottom off the hill and I never thought I would be so happy to spot a ‘Seven Eleven’. For me, it was like a sign saying, ‘Welcome back to civilisation’!

We got back to a flooded Chaweng strip….the water was about 50cm deep. It was chaotic….people were riding their bikes on the sidewalk and the pedestrians were wading through the street knee deep in muddy water.

Rob and our moped – riding on the pavement in Chaweng

I never got to find the durian in Samui, but I thoroughly enjoyed my adventure. I saw a part of the island that was beautiful and far away from traffic and tourists!

Durians in Singapore – finally!!!

As luck would have it – I found durian in Singapore!