Redcurrant Cupcakes.

I love how in Copenhagen we can live in the city but still walk to forests and shrubs where we can pick berries. I  love redcurrants especially their tart sweetness. I picked a bunch of them from some shrubs at Holte yesterday and washed them before I got the "dont wash them if you want to freeze them" advice. We usually toss redcurrants into salads but this time I had small basket full of them- too much for salad, too little to be turned into preserve... so cup-cakes it was. I used lemon zest and lemon juice in the batter which makes perfect love to the tartness of the berries. My kitchen smells so good, I would lick the air if I could.

My cupcakes look a imperfect because I don't own a cupcake mould. In my head, a mould ONLY for cupcakes is a bit overdoing it. But that has not stopped me from wishing for it every birthday and Christmas, but everyone else seems to think it is a silly thing too. Dammit, tangent! Here is how I made them.

INGREDIENTS

·         170g plain flour

·         2 tsp baking powder

·         140g sugar

·         2 eggs, separated

·         8 tbsp sunflower oil

·         6 tbsp milk

·         Juice and zest of ½ lemon

·         170g redcurrants, stripped from stems

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

In a big bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Grate lemon zest over the flour.

In another bowl, mix together sugar, egg yolks, oil, milk and lemon juice.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold into the cake mixture. Stir in the redcurrants, put batter into cup cake forms and bake for 15-20 minutes.

I plan to eat mine just the way they are or maybe with some sour cream on the side, but that should not stop YOU from adding a frosting or topping of your choice.

Dun Dun Noodles a la Heidi

I don't know why I waited this long to make these Dun-Dun noodles. I have been telling everyone about them ever since our friend Heidi brought it to dinner once. I finally made them a few days ago. They are spicy, garlicky, peanutty, sesamey and all the things nicey. They may or may not cause you to make up your own words! Heidi first tasted these noodles at Mary Chungs restaurant in Cambridge and liked it so much that she wrangled a recipe out. And are we glad she did! She calls it Mary Chungs Dun Dun Noodles. But Heidi has made the recipe her own over time and in its Copenhagen avatar it will forever be known as Heidi's Dun-Dun noodles. These noodles have a complex taste but are surprisingly easy to make (Thank you time saving store bought Chinese sesame paste) 
*Heidi's recipe called for 6-8 cloves of garlic, I reduced the amount since I am not fond of too much raw garlic. You can up or lower the amount according to your taste.

This will serve a party.

4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and loosely chopped

5 cloves garlic

4 T water

1 t salt

3 T hot pepper flakes in oil

3-4 T light soy sauce

3-5 T Siracha hot sauce

1 12 oz jar Chinese Sesame paste

2 T sesame oil

2 T sugar

1-1 1/2 packages noodles

5 scallions, chopped

Optional toppings:

Bean sprouts

Shredded cooked chicken

Puree garlic, ginger, salt and water in food processor. Add pepper flakes, hot sauce, soy sauce, sesame paste, oil and sugar and process until smooth. Taste for sweetness. Add more sugar if it's not as sweet as you'd like.

Prepare the noodles and toss lightly with sesame oil before topping with sesame sauce. Add scallions and toss. Serve with bean sprouts and shredded cold chicken if desired.

I told you it was SO easy.

Beef Rendang : Spicy Beef Stew with Roasted Coconut

OH. MY. GOD. I don't usually use 'Oh My God' to describe satisfaction, but this has OMG stamped all over. The recipe and instructions are from Rasa Malaysia. I have been so busy trawling her archives that I have ignored all other sites bookmarked. She has a book out and I can't wait to buy it as soon as it releases in Europe.

This rendang was so aromatic, you could smell it from our common stairway! The 'curry' boils, simmers and then reduces till it is almost fried in its own sauce. What you are left with is beef so tender and infused with all the taste and aromas of the spices.The taste is a hearty balance of creamy, spicy with just the right hint of tangy and sweet.

The ingredients list may look intimidating, but they are not that hard to find. I didn't have 'kerisik', so I bought some dried coconut flakes and toasted them till brown. And I didn't de-seed my chillies. Seeds are the WHOLE POINT! There is nothing like 'too spicy'. If you disagree, go eat a cucumber. And oh you will need patience! It took me 2.5 hours to cook this batch. I will try cooking it in a pressure cooker next time.

What I love best about Asian cooking is it's versatility. A pinch of this, a pinch of that. If something goes wrong, there is always something else at hand to save it. ( In my case potatoes. I haven't not seen potatoes in any beef rendang recipe but I had a little accident called -too much salt- which the potatoes troubleshot quite effectively)

Ingredients:
700 grams boneless beef short ribs (cut into cubes)
5 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cinnamon stick (about 2-inch long)
3 cloves
3 star anise
3 cardamom pods
1 lemongrass (cut into 4-inch length and pounded)
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons tamarind pulp (soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds )
6 kaffir lime leaves (very finely sliced)
6 tablespoons kerisik ( toasted grated coconut)
1 tablespoon sugar/palm sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Spice Paste:
5 shallots
1 inch galangal
3 lemongrass (white part only)
5 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
10-12 dried chilies (soaked in warm water and seeded)

Method:

1. Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
2. Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry them until aromatic.
3. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar/palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
6. Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up.
7. Add salt to taste. If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste.
8. Serve with steamed rice.

Hanne's Knækbrød / Danish Crisp Bread

If like me, you HAVE TO HAVE a little something with your chai, this knækbrød – Danish crisp bread recipe is just for you. Hanne served it at her birthday party and I asked her for the recipe with my mouth full, without as much as a ‘thank you for the meal’. Pictures don’t do justice it’s really mild but ‘explosion of flavors’ from the seeds taste. Sorry, the ‘explosion of flavours’ is an inside- you-wont-find-it-funny-if-you-weren’t-there joke from when a friend found it to be the only way to describe the taste of this knækbrød. The possibilities are endless. You can eat it smeared with a little butter, a cheese dip or like the Danes like to do- pile it up shrimps, eggs or every imaginable food in the universe. It is so easy to make and stays for up to 15 days (or maybe more... mine got eaten within 10 days) It takes just 3 very easy steps, so it wasn't difficult even though the recipe was in Danish. I used a decilitre cup. If using a US size cup increase the baking powder and salt by half. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup coarse oatmeal / Havregryn

1 cup flax seeds / Hørfrø

1 cup sesame seeds / Sesamfrø

1 cup pumpkin seeds / Græskarkerner

1 cup sunflower seeds / Solsikkefrø

3 1/2 cup rye flour/ Rugmel (You can also use whole-wheat flour)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

2 cups water

1 cup vegetable or olive oil

Step 1: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Knead VERY lightly. 

Step 2: Divide dough into two portions. Lay one portion on a baking sheet the size of your baking tray. Put another baking paper on top of the dough. Roll it into a thin sheet using a rolling pin. Repeat process with the other half of dough.

Step 3: Peel off baking paper on top. Using a knife cut sheet into rectangular or any desired shape.

Step 4: Preheat oven to 175C and bake for 20-25 minutes. And tadah!

Tip: Check at the 10 minute mark. The hand rolled sheets vary in thinness so some bake faster than others.

Aloo Poshto. Potatoes in a Poppy Seed Paste.

I've yet to meet someone that doesn't like potatoes. I usually include a potato dish when having people over. They don't get gushed over but are without fail the first platter that gets emptied. But this one, it gets people talking. Poppy seeds! Opium! No, you will not get a high from it. But hey, it will make you happy in the tummy.

I love Bengali food. Typically it is food from North India that is popular in Copenhagen. Unable to find it in any restaurant, I simply had to recreate it in my kitchen. I have few Bengali friends whose mothers have fed me some really good Bengali food over the years. Mine didn't taste like theirs. I attribute that to the 'touch of hand' factor. Some hands have a mother's magic touch, mine don't. Also, the little poppy seeds are a bitch. As you can see in the picture, my poppy seeds were still more or less whole, they should form a fine paste. I soaked them in water before grinding them with a stone mortar and pestle, but no luck. I then brought out my heavy electronic machinery but still didn't get the desired fine texture. If you are making this - do a better grinding job than I did. And Oh! mustard oil is a must. I cant imagine it tasting the same in any other kind of oil.

I searched through many Bengali food blogs for the recipe, to compare and make sure that I was using an authentic recipe. Unfortunately I cant remember them all, except for this one here 

INGREDIENTS

500 grams baby potatoes, peeled and sliced into halves.

6 heaped tbsp Poppy seeds. Ground to a fine paste

3 Green Chillies. Slit or chopped

2 Dried Red Kashmiri Chillies (optional)
Pinch of turmeric powder
1/4 tsp whole cumin seeds

1/2 tsp onion seeds/ kalonji
Salt
Pinch of Sugar
4 tbsp mustard oil.

METHOD

1. Soak poppy seeds in tepid water for 30 minutes and grind to a fine paste. Keep aside.
2. Heat mustard oil in a deep pan till it smokes. Lower flame/gas to medium.
3. Fry one green chilli and one red chilli. Take out and keep aside for garnish.
4. Add cumin and onion seeds till the seeds pop.
5. Add diced potatoes with a pinch of turmeric powder and fry for 5 to 8 minutes. Saute till they get softer and acquire a light golden brown tinge. Stir intermittently to make sure they don't stick to the sides of the pan.
6. Add slit or chopped green chillies and red chillies.
7. Add the poppy seed paste with a cup of water. Stir gently and coat potatoes evenly.
8. Add salt, pinch of sugar.
9. Cover the pan till potatoes are done. Once done, lift lid and cook uncovered for a till the water dries up.

Its is usually eaten accompanied with some curry or daal, but you can also eat it with chapatis.