Click Jugalbandi Photography Event: Rice Pilaff

A pilaff dish is satisfying by itself, but makes an ideal accompaniment to roast chicken. Served with a side salad, it is a quick and economical luncheon dish.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
225 gr brown or white rice
500 ml stock
50 gr currants
half of a red / green peppers, seeded and diced
a pinch of mixed herbs or oregano
25 gr chopped walnust (I'm allergic to nuts, I didn't use this)

Directions:
1. Gently fry the onion, peppers, herbs in the oil until transparent.

2. Then add the rice, stirring it carefully to coat the grains.

3. Pour on the hot stock, allow to come to the boil and then cover and put over a very low heat. Check and add more liquid if necessary.

4. When the rice is done, add the currants and walnuts. Just before serving, season with freshly groud pepper and grated parmesan cheese if liked.

As my entry to participate Jugalbandi Click Photography event which the theme is RED, I put my ready-to-eat rice pilaff in the red pepper to fit to the theme.

More informations about the event, please click their link here.

Hot & Spicy Shrimp

I dare you to eat this shrimp dish... it's super spicy! Definitely not for beginner... I warn you not to try this if you have weak stomach, otherwise you'll be on fire and having trouble non-stop going to the toilet... :D.

Ingredients:
1 kg shrimp/prawn, tail-on, deveined
3 sjallots, thin slices
3-4 tblsps sambal
1 stalk lemon grass
2 cm fresh ginger, thin slices
salt, sugar for seasoning

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in the wok, stir fry the sjallots until transparent.

2. Add the sambal ulek, ginger and lemon grass, stir fry until fragrant.

3. Add the shrimp, stir fry until the shrimp colored. Season with salt & sugar. If you like it more spicy, add with slices fresh red chillies.

4. Shrimp dish ready to serve.

Self-made Sambal

All kinds of Sambals are easy to find in every store. Sambal ulek means that the ingredients need to be crushed in a mortar. If you make it for large amount, it's difficult to do it in a mortar. The best is using electric blender instead of mortar to grind all ingredients. In order to keep sambal for longer period, stir fry the paste first before keeping in a glass jar. Make sure you have a clean glass jar by washing it in warm water with soap, then rinse it in hot water. Put the glass jar in pre-heated oven 120°C for about 20 minutes until it's really dry. Don't clean it with kitchen towel anymore because you will bring the germs in the jar. This way you'll keep sambal for longer period.

Sambal Ulek

Ingredients:
4 sjallots
6 cloves garlics
100 gr red chillies
1/2 teasp terasi /shrimp paste (optional)
1 1/2 tbsps brown sugar / gula jawa
1 big red tomato
5 lime leaves
salt

Directions:
1. Blend sjallots, garlics, chillies, terasi, salt, sugar and tomato in a blender until the mixture turns as a paste. Add oil or water if necessary.

2. Heat 3 tbsps oil in the pan, add the chilli paste and lime leaves. Stir fry and mix well.

3. Reduce the heat, let it simmer and stirring occasionally. When the paste becoming a bit thicker, remove from the heat. Let it cool down.

4. After cooling down, put the sambal in the clean jar and can be kept in the fridge for approx. one month.