gemblogr
Food and Travel Blog
Akhni Fulab/Biryani and Chicken Curry
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Iftar time again and tonights treat is a very tasty favourite of mine – Akhni Fulab! Most people will know it as a biryani although our version is unlike any you’ve had before – and I’m not just saying this because my wife cooked it!
Its made with ghee, fried onions, basmati rice, lamb (boiled to remove the fat then marinated in spices overnight) and other traditional spices.
You usually serve it with a curry sauce as it is a dry dish – in our case we had a chicken curry to go with the main dish along with salad and pickles (Pataks of course!).
Akhni Fulab or Biryani, a photo by gemblogr on Flickr.
Via Flickr:This is a traditional Bengali dish made for special occasions. In our case we had it for Iftar (to break our fast with).
Thai Prawn on Toast
2Every child’s favourite Thai starter (and most adults too!), the Thai prawn on toast is quite a simple recipe, preparation takes time though.
Start with a bag of uncooked prawns, peel them, blend them and then mix with soy sauce (according to preference) and leave in the fridge overnight.
Next day mince some breast chicken and blend into the prawns. You’re aiming for a 75/25 prawn/chicken blend. Heres the sauce we use:
Remove the crust from slices of bread, pat on the prawn/chicken mix, cut each slice into 4 pieces and sprinkle some sesame seeds:
Fry the slices in oil until golden brown – serve with sweet chill sauce and enjoy…!! You can see we have another pan on the cooker for a second set….Love it!!
Roti Chennai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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One of my all time favourite Malay dish. Roti Chennai or Canai. I used to call it Kanai until I visited Malaysia for the first time and asked for it in a restaurant. The guy knew what I meant immediately, he corrected me and told me that it was called Chennai after the Indian city of origin. Makes sense when you think about it.
The roti itself was cooked fresh on the open pan right in front of me, served with two spicy sauces along with a tea – Teh Tarik which you can just make out in the picture. This was breakfast on my second day in Kuala Lumpur and I absolutely loved it.
I went for a walk and got lost – I didnt care as I had the whole morning to spare. I cam accross this very traditional Asian village, the sort you still get in rural areas on the outskirts of big cities – but this was central KL! I was also very glad I found this restaurant and along with the view it made for a perfect start to the day.
Only problem is I didnt ask for the name of the restaurant neither do I remember how I got there – sorry folks!
Via Flickr:Stumbled upon this rather delightful traditional Asian village with the ultra modern back drop. Amazing!
Masala Dosa, Restoran Rani, Malaysia
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Nestled near the foot of the Batu Caves you will find a couple of restaurants owned by the Hindu community in Malaysia. The Batu Caves is a Hindu complex with temples and worshipping areas both outside and inside the caves, it is a very popular tourist destination and is worth paying a visit. Click here for a picture of the Batu Caves.
As you can see in the picture, I went for the Dosa with masala option, despite being a vegetarian restaurant the menu choice is quite extensive.
The dosa was served with three sauces, a spicy curry sauce, spicy coconut sauce and a mild sauce, all three were excellent and the meal was satisfying – highly recommended.
Beef burger, Shangri La, Putrajaya, Malaysia
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On my first night in Malaysia and after the beef rendang earlier that day, I headed to the Shangri La at Putrajaya to stay for the night. I got there too late and the restaurant was closed, however I could still order room service.
I decided to go for this beauty – beef burger and chips! Not very original but this was one of the best burgers I have tasted not to mention one of the largest. You simply couldn’t pick it up with your hands as it wouldn’t fit together.
If you’re ever staying there please do try it – let me know what you think! By the way just want to add that Putrajaya is a beautiful place and well worth walking around the lake just to see Masjid Putra, the Presidential Palace and other buildings and parks – very clean with large open spaces. I went there on a Sunday morning and the place was almost deserted from 8am to 9am, with tourists packing in around 9:30am.
Beef Rendang at LCCT, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Beef Rendang at LCCT, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
One of my all time favourites – Beef Rendang. Now this meal was purchased in the food court area of the LCCT terminal, Kuala Lumpur. Leave the airport terminal and head towards the coach area, you’ll see a covered walkway and signs – pretty hard to miss.
The food court is like the usual ones you find in Thailand, plenty of stalls and choice. This particular meal cost me around 10 MYR (approx £2) – for that I got rice, beef rendang, dry chilli beef, egg and rice. The rendang is very similar to the massaman I had in Thailand, but personally I prefer the rendang for its added spiciness and distinct flavours.
Pitstop at Suvarnabhumi (Suvarnaphoom) Airport, Thailand
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I flew into Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport from London on my way to Kuala Lumpur and was feeling quite peckish, the in flight meals were not very satisfying. There is a food court on the ground floor of the airport with many stalls. This picture is of a beef massaman, fishcakes, rice and soup. Told you I was hungry! All that for around 150 baht which is approx £3. I love Thailand, it is an absolute food lovers dream destination! Next stop – Malaysia…
Tandoori Chicken, Madras Restaurant, Lewisham
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Tandoori Chicken Starter – yes everyones seen these, tasted these and know the deal. I wont bore you with the details but the price was a very reasonable £3.50 for two pieces. Ordered this as well as the dosa (below) for a nice and filling lunch.
Chicken Masala Dosa, Madras Restaurant, Lewisham
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Since the demise of Tiffinbites in St Pauls (ok, closed for refurbishment, however whenever I went in to order a meal they always seemed to be out of dosas – please take note TB!) – I have been looking for a nice dosa place. Found one in Lewisham, called Madras Restaurant – I’m not sure how long its been there but decided to go for lunch on Sunday.
I ordered the chicken masala dosa for a not unreasonable £4.15. The dosa (a paper thin pancake) was slightly crispy with the chicken masala mix in the middle, I had to break away the top of the dosa to show the mix. The sauces were all very nice, especially the green one – to be honest I didnt know what they were, apart from the white one which was spicy coconut.
I enjoyed the meal and will be going back soon to sample the mutton masala dosa – watch this space!
Man vs Food….large mixed Doner Kebab and chips
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Sunday July 24th. It turned out to be a nice day and I decided I would make the most of it, so I went into town, did a spot of shopping and built up my appetite. Realising that I was only a short walk away from my favourite kebab shop (Kebabalicious in Lewisham High Street, close to the Mosque), I made my way there with the thought that a satisfying lunch was merely 5 minutes away.
I got there and decided I fancied a mixed chicken and lamb doner kebab with chips, pitta bread, salad and a drink. Heres what turned up….I forget to mention that I wanted a small portion!
Needless to say, I had a hard time finishing it – but I triumphed (ok, left some salad and half a pitta) completely finishing the meat, chips and drink. I spent the next hour walking around the local park trying to burn some of it off – because I knew that if I went home I would fall asleep!
Anyway, this was my ‘off day’ according to Tim Ferris’ blog, see rule no. 4
I wasnt hungry even upto breakfast the next day!
