keep the water level topped up and at a gentle simmer during steaming.
Just as indispensable as a wok is the cleaver, which comes with either a heavy rectangular blade about 3-4 in (8-10 cm) deep, ideal for cutting through bones, or a lighter weight blade for chopping, slicing, mincing, bruising garlic cloves and scooping up food on the flat edge to carry to the pan. A cleaver does the work of a whole battery of knives in a Western kitchen. You will also need a strong chopping board.
In addition to the usual knives found in any kitchen, a useful implement used by traditional Asian cooks is a narrow, double-bladed knife for carving vegetables into decorative shapes, and slicing fruit and vegetables thinly for the various rolls and wraps.
If the thump-thump of the stone, granite or porcelain mortar and pestle is not for you, blenders, food processors, and coffee grinders make light work of the pounding, grinding, and blending of spices and seeds. It's essential that all the ingredients to be made into a paste be finely chopped before blending. Whether using a mortar and pestle, blender or food processor, the principle is to grind or blend the toughest ingredients first, adding softer and wetter ingredients towards the end. First grind any dried spices or nuts until fine, then add hard ingredients such as chopped-up lemon grass and galangal. Pound or process until fine, then add softer rhizomes such as fresh turmeric and ginger, soaked dried chilies and sliced fresh chilies. When these are minced, add the ingredients that are full of moisture, such as chopped shallots and garlic, and soft shrimp paste.
If you are using a food processor or blender, you will probably need to add just a little liquid to keep the blades turning. If the spice blend is to be fried, add a little of the specified amount of cooking oil. If it is to be cooked in coconut milk, add some of this. While processing, you will probably need to stop the machine frequently to scrape down the sides. Continue until you have a fine paste.
Some cooks add water rather than the cooking medium to the blender; this means that the spice mixture will need to be cooked for a longer period of time before adding the other ingredients, to allow the water to evaporate and the mixture to fry rather than stew.
The multi-purpose banana leaf is often used in Southeast Asia to wrap food in for grilling, steaming, or placing directly onto hot coals. If you are able to obtain banana leaf, wipe it clean and cut to the required size. Hold it directly over a gas flame or plunge in boiling water until it softens before wrapping the food. Aluminium foil is generally recommended as a substitute, but for a texture that is closer to that obtained by using the leaf, wrap food in greaseproof paper first, then in the foil.
In Japan, bamboo baskets are used for draining noodles (a colander or sieve makes an adequate substitute). Bamboo mats, available in speciality Asian stores, are useful for rolling rice inside wrappers of seaweed, rolling up Japanese omelets and for squeezing the liquid out of cooked vegetables.
The Japanese grater, usually made of porcelain or bamboo, is perfect for grating ginger or horseradish, since it breaks down the fibres beautifully.
Indian and Sri Lankan breads are rolled out with a wooden rolling pin on a flat circular stone slab or wooden board, and cooked on a heavy iron griddle or tawa. A heavy cast-iron skillet or griddle makes a good substitute.
Coconut graters are essential in Asian countries. They are sometimes available in Western countries.
Cooking Techniques
The general cooking techniques used in Asian cookery are not too different from those used in the West.
The most common cooking method is probably stir-frying, which is fast cooking over a high heat in oil, usually in a wok. Evenly sliced ingredients are tossed about constantly; contact with the heat from the sides as well as the bottom of the wok means that food cooks very rapidly, sealing in the juices and flavor. Timing is absolutely crucial to the success of stir-frying, so chop all ingredients, measure all the seasonings, and have the garnishes and serving dishes at hand before starting.
Deep-frying involves cooking food by immersing it totally in heated oil. For best results, cook the food in small amounts so that the temperature of the oil does not drop too much. The optimum temperature for deep-frying is 37 5-400°F (190-200°C). Properly deep-fried food is not greasy at all-usually the result is a crisp exterior and a moist, succulent interior. Drain well on paper towels before serving.
Steaming is a cooking technique much prized by the Chinese and Japanese. The gentle cooking is an excellent method for showcasing the freshness of the produce, since all the natural flavors are retained. Make sure the water level in your steamer or wok is always topped up when you're steaming.
Grilling is another popular cooking technique, and it is hard to imagine Indonesia. Malaysia, and Singapore without their variations on satay, or Vietnam without its sugar-cane prawns. The meat to be grilled is placed on skewers (remember to soak the skewers in water beforehand to prevent them from burning). Most of the dishes in this book can be cooked under a domestic grill or over a barbecue. Baste with some of the marinade as you cook. In Korea, where grilled marinated beef is a national dish, many families have their own table-top grill on which to cook bulgogi and galbi ribs.
Braising involves cooking food over a low heat in flavored liquid for a long time, and is ideal for tougher cuts of meat and some vegetables. To red braise meat is to cook it in dark and light soy sauces, star anise or five-spice powder. Chinese cooking wine, and sugar.
Poaching is carried out in water or stock that is barely simmering. The liquid should only just cover the meat which must be fished out as soon as it is ready.
To blanch, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and immerse the food-usually vegetables-in small batches. Cook until they are tender but still crisp.
Many Indian, Sri Lankan, Indonesian. Malaysian, and Thai dishes involve the use of spices, and as each spice takes a different amount of time to release its flavor and aroma, it is important to follow the correct order given when adding spices to the pan. Many spices need to be dry-roasted before use. It is best to do this in a heavy cast-iron pan without oil. Watch the heat carefully, shaking frequently so that the spices do not catch. For maximum flavor and aroma, buy whole spices and grind them just before cooking.
When cooking with coconut milk, it is important to prevent it from curdling or breaking apart. Stir the milk frequently, lifting it up with a large spoon or ladle and pouring it back into the saucepan or wok while it is coming to the boil. Once the coconut milk is simmering, be sure never to cover the pan. Thick coconut milk is sometimes added at the final stages of cooking to thicken and enrich the flavor of the dish. Stir constantly while heating but do not allow to boil.
Cooking rice is a subject that often arouses controversy, and if you have a reliable method, stick with it. Whatever method is used, first wash the rice thoroughly to remove any impurities and excess starch until the water runs clear. The absorbency of rice depends on the variety of rice and its age, with older rice absorbing more liquid. Cooking times depend on the type and weight of your saucepan, and the heat of your cooker. See page 15 for a recipe for plain rice.
"Full of flavor, healthful, sometimes hauntigly Similar to neighboring cuisines, at other times dramatically different, the food of Burma is not complex to prepare at home."
