Squash and String Beans with Coconut Milk

I went out to look for shrimp in a nearby market place since hubby’s not yet having an off day so we can’t go in the grocery yet. Anyway I was not successful finding shrimps since what was available that time was small shrimps and they are dried. So what I did was just snoop my fridge and found out that I still have enough amount of shrimp paste in a bottle and I can use the remaining beef since we don’t eat pork.


Squash and String Beans


Most Filipino dishes sauté pork for their dish and since I needed to skip on that, I can only use beef meat and it has no difference at all in this meal. About the coconut milk, I can’t get to buy the regular coconut and scrape it manually which is too much burden for me, so I opted to buy a readymade mix which is in powder form.

By the way, I intentionally made those product labels blurred since I am not advertising any and I don’t get paid for such. Besides, you are the one to select your own brand to use for an ingredient. So here is the sample instruction of how to prepare Squash and String beans with coconut milk.

Ingredients:

Squash
String beans (not French or green beans)
Onion
Garlic
Shrimp (optional)- what I have was beef meat here
Coconut milk
Salt
Pepper
Fish sauce
Ground black pepper
Green chili
Oil
Water

Other Ingredients needed for this recipe


Methods / Preparation on How to cook Squash and String Beans with Coconut Milk

Step 1: In a hot oil, fry the shrimp (if you’re using shrimp) in oil before you sauté it with garlic and onions. But if you are using beef meat or pork meat, then put small quantity of water first, let it boil and drain before you put oil to sauté it with garlic and onions.

Step 2: Since I needed my recipe a bit spicy hot, I usually put the green chilies for sautéing and then next will be your shrimp paste before you put the squash. Some would put their veggies first before the shrimp paste, but as for me, I do want to sauté my shrimp paste first before placing my veggies.

Step 3: If you have cut the squash a bit thicker, then place them first before the string beans. Else if not, then just put the string beans ahead of the squash since this veggie takes time to cook before the squash.

Squash and string beans with Coconut milk



Step 4: Once your veggie is in, you can now put the coconut milk and put a bit of water (not too much) since veggies can give out water too. Put into medium flame and let the veggies be cook for about 10 minutes, but please check your squash, if it was cooked already and your string beans still stiff, you better remove those squash and place them back again once your string beans are done. You don’t want to smash those squash right?

Step 5: You can put salt and ground black pepper to taste. I also prefer to use fish sauce for this recipe so it’s up to you which one should you like to include.

Note: You can also try to use dried anchovies in this recipe, but see to it that you put the dried anchovies; right after you put the veggies.

Mutton Curry with Coconut Milk

At last a goat’s meat for dinner and hubby bought it in a local market nearby which costs about Rs140 for 500 grams. I was thinking that it is good for caldereta but I don’t have any caldereta mix with me, I just told my husband to cook curry the way he likes it.

It was his off day so he has the time to prepare this wonderful dish and all I need to do is to help him with the preparations like cutting the onions, setting aside the spices or masala needed for the curry and of course cleaning and boiling the goat’s meat first.


You can see mustard seed and jeera in this Mutton Curry recipe



Mutton needs to be boiled first to get the meat tenderized. We did choose a portion with meat and bone parts so that the curry would be so thick, rich and yummy. The coconut milk is perfect to make the curry very rich in taste and the taste really sticks to the bone. But if you think this curry is like any other curry, well it is not since it is not reddish in color but more on yellowish. It is also chili hot and if you don’t like hot and spicy foods, then this dish is really not for you.


Rich and Thick Mutton Curry sprinkled with Coriander leaves



I really got used of eating foods with spice but I just know how to limit myself on what I can take since too much spice is not also good for me and I am already having breakouts on my face. Anyway, it’s just once a while that we do eat mutton since it is much cheaper to consider other meat like chicken and beef.

We don’t have potatoes at the moment, but we can include potatoes in this dish. The finishing touches for completing this dish are the fresh coriander leaves. This makes the taste of every curry much more interesting aside from the curry leaves that we also included in this meal.

Special Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

It was hubby’s off day and it was my chance to relax a bit on cooking. Actually I still do like to cook, but the problem is that when I cook, I try to force myself eating next because I feel like I don’t want to eat more. This pregnancy is special too and I know that is the reason why when I cook, I am already used of what I cook and I get so tired to eat what I prepared. Luckily there is hubby who can also cook great foods and I requested him to prepare me a special chicken curry.
This chicken curry was not regularly the ones he usually prepares. It was with coconut milk this time and we didn’t put any tamarind sauce or the end result would be orange in color but yellow. It is not a Thailand style curry but still the touch of Indian cuisine since it uses spices from India and surely it is really hot and spicy.

Super delicious chicken curry I have tasted



We went out for a short marketing yesterday to gather the ingredients that we needed and to supply our food stock. From fresh fruits and veggies, we also bought a dressed chicken at the market which is only Rs80 per kilo. I really like the taste of the chicken we selected last night and after hubby cooked our amazing food, we had two rice-full of plates we finish and it was incredible. I knew that when I didn’t cook the food, I can eat it.
I really ate a mountain full of rice yesterday and thanks to hubby that it was really a nice bonding and relaxing time we had. Anyway here’s the instruction for cooking Special Chicken Curry with Coconut milk.
Ingredients:

2 large onions
Ginger ( 2 inch thick) 2 pcs.
6 cloves of garlic
½ kilo chicken
Asafetida or Hing
Jeera powder
Chili powder
4 pcs. Cinnamon bark
Curry leaves 6-8 pcs.
Fenugreek leaves
Coriander powder
Fresh Coconut milk (2 cups) first and second squeeze
Coriander leaves
Salt
Black pepper (ground)
Water (tea cup)
Vegetable oil
Green chili 4 pcs.
Mustard seed or rai


Preparation / Methods for Cooking Special Chicken Curry with Coconut

Authentic Indian Cuisine.. hubby is a master chef in the making!



Step 1: Fry the chicken first till it becomes golden brown and then set aside.

Step 2: Into that same pan, put rai, hing, ground black pepper, jeera powder, Chili, cinnamon bark and curry leaves.

Step 3: Before putting the ginger, garlic and onion next into the pan, put them in the grater or mixer first to mince them well. Fry it for 3 minutes in slow flame only.

Step 4: Once your onion is cooked you can now add 2 tbsp. of coriander powder, chili powder (it’s up to you how much you can bare) and fenugreek leaves just a small amount of it only.

Step 5: Put some water and simmer for another 2 minutes and make sure it is in slow flame only before you add the chicken. Once the chicken is in, simmer it again for another 6 minutes and put some salt to taste.

Step 6: Once the chicken is really tender and mixed with the spices, you can now pour the fresh coconut milk which is the first and second squeeze. Add some more water and simmer it again for 5 more minutes. If it needs salt you can just add.

Step 7: Lastly is the coriander leaves to garnish and add more flavor to your chicken curry. Enjoy your delicious meal.