Mini Sambals, Dips and Marinades. Devagi Sanmugam

      Here are some wonderful new recipe ideas that help you to liven up a meal with a simple sambal or dip as an accompaniment, or spice up a good cut of meat with a mouth-watering marinade. Each recipe is easy to follow, with clear step-by-step instructions that give perfect results every time.

      PERIPLUS EDITIONS

       Singapore • Hong Kong • Indonesia

      Introduction

      Everyone loves a good sambal, dip or sauce. These condiments can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator for later use, as is done by many experienced cooks. A good sambal or dip makes a wonderful gift to your loved ones during festive seasons. This book offers a variety of recipes for sambals, dips and marinades, as well as recipes and tips on how to use them.

      To prepare spice pastes, the method is basically the same whether you're using a traditional mortar and pestle or a food processor (If using a processor, you'll need to add a little oil or liquid to keep the blades turning). Slice or chop all the ingredients into smaller pieces, then grind the toughest ingredients first, adding softer and wetter ingredients toward the end. For example,first grind any dried spices or nuts until fine. Then add harder ingredients like lemongrass and galangal,and process until fine. Then add softer ingredients like ginger and chillies. Lastly, grind ingredients full of moisture, like shallots, garlic and belachan.

      Sambals are usually cooked, hence they keep longer than dips. The most important ingredient in a sambal is the chilli. Always use fresh, red chillies to create delicious and attractive sambals.

      Dips should not be kept for many days—in fact, most of them must be served immediately. They are also not suitable for freezing.

      Fruit-based marinades tenderise and flavour many different types of foods. Oil-based marinades penetrate quickly and add a delicious flavour to seafood and meats. Seafood should not be marinated for too long as this toughens the flesh—half an hour of marination should suffice. Meats are best marinated for at least 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

      Spice pastes can be frozen for up to 3 months. Try using them with different foods,for example Red Thai Curry Paste can also be used to season stir-fried noodle dishes.

      There are recipes for savoury and sweet sauces in this book too. Some savoury sauces can also be used as a marinade,for example Black Peppercorn Sauce can be used to marinate beef before roasting. The sweet sauces at the end of this book will appeal to dessert lovers. They can be made in advance and kept chilled until needed.

      Ingredients

      Basmati rice is an Indian long-grain rice characterised by its thinness and fragrance. The grains stay whole when cooked with oil and spices.

      Belachan is the Malay name for dried shrimp paste. It is a dense mixture of fermented ground prawns that must be toasted before use—either wrapped in foil and dry-roasted or toasted over a gas flame on the back of a spoon.

      Candlenuts are waxy, cream-coloured nuts similar in size to macadamia nuts which make a good substitute. They are never eaten raw but ground and cooked with other seasonings. Store candlenuts in a cool, dry place.

      Chillies come in many shapes and sizes. Fresh green and red finger-length chillies are moderately hot. Tiny red, green or yellow-orange chili padi are very hot. Dried chillies are usually cut into lengths and soaked in warm water to soften before use. Chilli powder is made from ground dried chillies. It is a good substitute for dried chillies—½ teaspoon chilli powder for 1 dried chilli.

      Coconut cream, mostly used in desserts, is made by adding ½ cup (125 ml) water to each grated coconut, then squeezing and straining for the juice. To obtain thick coconut milk, add 1 cup (250 ml) of water for each grated coconut, then squeeze and strain. Thin coconut milk is obtained by adding another 2 cups (500 ml) of water to the already squeezed grated coconut. Coconut cream and milk are now widely sold canned and in packets. They come in varying consistencies, and depending on the brand, you will need to adjust the thickness by adding water as needed. In general, you should add 1 cup (250 ml) water to 1 cup (250 ml) canned or packet coconut cream to obtain thick coconut milk, and 2 cups (500 ml) water to 1 cup (250 ml) coconut cream to obtain thin coconut milk. These mixing ratios are general guides and you should adjust the consistency to individual taste.

      Coriander is a pungent herb and spice plant that is essential in southeast Asian cooking. Coriander leaves, also known as cilantro,are sold in small bunches with the roots still intact. They are used as flavouring

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