The Recycled Cook

Malaysian Beef Rendang Although this is a beef curry the uniquely Malaysian Rendang sauce can be used for making a chicken, fish or even vegetable curry. As Malaysia is a Muslim country, unlike many other South East Asian countries Pork curries are not really an option. Just like the Mussaman curry the first thing to decide is if you are going to make your curry paste from scratch or simply buy it in a jar which I do sometimes when time is prohibitive. To make the paste from scratch you will need 1 brown onion coarsely chopped, 3 long red chillies (Mild), 3 small red chilies (hot) both deseeded and sliced thinly,  2 stems of lemon grass crushed and chopped (or 1 tablespoon of lemon grass paste), 3 garlic cloves crushed and chopped roughly, 2 teaspoons of finely chopped Galangal (or ginger),  2 teaspoons of ground coriander,  2 teaspoons of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of turmeric and a splash or two of Fish sauce or salt to taste. To make the Rendang paste...

The Recycled Cook By Adrian Sleeman "Som Tam" Thai Salad Traditionally this salad is made with Green Papaya but they are a little hard to get in Carmarthen so I have made this dish, as always, with what I had available. In this case that was carrots and courgette, the latter courtesy of my neighbour's allotment. This salad makes a really great accompaniment to Thai food but also works well as a side dish, a starter or just a healthy snack. Preparation time is about ten minutes but don't rush if using the Mandolin. What Thai people call a Salad feels more like a pickle to me as they use citrus juice (lime or lemon), Fish sauce (Nam Pla) and vinegar in their preparation. The Thai term for salad can be confusing for Westerners. Mandolin with shield Carrot and Courgette Start by shredding your vegetables into thin ribbons, I used a Mandolin with a medium side shredding attachment but a potato peeler and a knife will do the jo...