Hanoi Beef Noodle Soup

2 onions, unpeeled, halved, and studded with 8 whole cloves
3 shallots, unpeeled
5 cm fresh ginger, unpeeled
3 litres water
500 g beef soup bones
2 pieces star anise
3 cm stick cinnamon
1 teaspoons whole peppercorns, crushed
1 Tablespoon salt
450 g rice stick noodles
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
450 g beef steak
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced crossways
450 g bean sprouts
2 limes or lemons, cut into 8 sections
4 chilies, sliced crossways
Fresh coriander, coarsely chopped
Fresh Vietnamese mint leaves

Stir fry the onions, shallots and ginger until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Place into a large stockpot. Add the stock, star anise, cinnamon, peppercorns and salt to the stockpot. Bring the mixture to the boil over medium heat, skim the scum from the surface, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 2 hours. Meanwhile, soak the noodles in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, bring water to cover to the boil and add the noodles. Drain immediately, rinse with cold water, and place in serving bowl. Remove the beef from the stock, making sure these are tender.

Thinly slice the sirloin or flank steak into thin stir-fry strips and set aside. Season the soup with fish sauce and continue to cook over low heat. When the meat is cool enough to handle, slice the beef shank into uniform slices the same size as the sliced raw sirloin or flank steak. Discard the bones.

To serve, place a portion of noodles in a soup bowl and layer the beef on top of the noodles. Then place onion slices and bean sprouts on top of the meat. Ladle the hot broth over the ingredients. Garnish with several slices chilies and fresh coriander. Pass the extra onions, bean sprouts, fresh chilies, lime sections and basil on a platter. Season with additional fish sauce, if needed.

Steamed Chicken with Ginger and Spring Onion Sauce

500 ml chicken stock

3 x 2 cm fresh ginger, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

4 chicken breast fillets, skin removed, trimmed

2 Tablespoons spring onion, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons finely julienned fresh ginger, extra

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons peanut oil

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Pour the stock into a wok. Add the ginger and garlic, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse. Lightly season the chicken breasts with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Line a bamboo steamer basket with baking paper and place the chicken breast on the paper, making sure the breasts aren't touching one another. Depending on the size of your steamer basket, you may need two steamer trays, or you may need to cook the breasts in two batches. If you don't have a wok and bamboo steamers, you can use a saucepan and place a metal steamer tray over it. Cover the steamer and place it over the wok for 10 minutes, or until the breasts are cooked through. To test, touch the chicken to see if it is springy. Remove from the steamer, transfer to a plate and cover with foil for 3 minutes (leaving the chicken to rest allows the flesh to relax, resulting in tender and moist chicken). Slice the breast across the grain. Scatter the spring onion an extra ginger over the chicken breasts. Pour the soy sauce over them.In a small pan, heat the peanut oil and sesame oil until hot, but not smoking. Carefully spoon the oil over the chicken and serve immediately.

Cauliflower and Potato Curry

5 Tablespoons oil
1 t cumin seeds
500g cauliflower florets
250 g potatoes, cooked and cut into 2 cm cubes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add cumin seeds, cover pan and sizzle for 5 seconds, shaking pan once or twice. Remove the lid, add the cauliflower and cook until brown spots appear. Cover pan again, lower heat and cook until cauliflower is nearly done but still crisp. Add potatoes, cumin, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, green chilli and season to taste. Combine thoroughly. Cook very gently until potatoes are heated through. Serve hot.

Note: the photo is of the steaming hot curry :-)

Chapatis

1 1/2 C plain flour (plus extra as needed)
2 teaspoons salt
5 Tablespoons butter
Cold water, as needed
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Combine flour and butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water to knead into a soft (but not sticky) dough. If you put a little too much water in, add another Tablespoon (or so) of flour). Divide the dough into 8. Roll out until it is thin. Brush with melted butter, dust with flour and roll up into a ball again. Repeat twice more. Roll each ball out until it is 2 - 3 mm thick. Heat a dry frypan until it is very hot. Lower the heat. Place chapati into pan and cook for about 1 minute on each side, brush with butter and fry until crisp. Make sure you reheat the pan until it is very hot for each new chapati you are cooking.

Recipe from "The Best of Indian Cooking" from Bay Books

Beef Vindaloo

3 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon clove powder
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 star anise
1/2 teaspoon mined ginger
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon tamarind paste
1 Tablespoon vinegar
2 Tablespoons oil
3 medium onions, finely chopped
750 g stewing beef
Salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
15 curry leaves

Combine the spices, ginger, garlic and tamarind with the vinegar to make a smooth paste. If time permits, rub into beef and let sit for 15 minutes. Heat the oil and a large pot and fry the onions on medium heat until brown. Add the spice paste and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring continuously. You can add a little water if needed. Add the beef and saute for another 5 minutes. Add 3 C water, salt, sugar and cook over low heat until tender (about 1 hour). Stir in curry leaves and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

Chicken Tikka

1/2 C natural yogurt
5 ml chilli powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 t salt
8 chicken pieces
Juice of 1 lemon
Oil

Mix yogurt with chilli powder, ginger, garlic, garam masala and salt. Pour over chicken pieces and mix well. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Place chicken pieces on baking tray and turning once or twice, cook at 180 C for 20 minutes or until cooked.

Mixed Vegetable Curry

1 Tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 t Garam Masala (see note)
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 Tablespoon plain flour
1 C water
400 g can chopped tomatoes
2 potatoes, diced
1 eggplant, diced (also called aubergine)
2 zucchini, chopped (also called courgette)
1 red capsicum, chopped (also called red pepper, or bell pepper)
1/2 C coconut milk

Heat the oil in a large fry pan. Add onion and fry over gentle heat until tender. Add garlic, spices and flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in water, tomatoes and potato. Add eggplant, zucchini and capsicum and cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in coconut milk and heat.

Note: Garam Masala is a spice blend that you can buy from the spice section of the supermarket, or you can make your own.

Recipe from "Curries and Spicy Dishes" by the Kitchen Collection

Spiced Green Peas (Ghoogni)

1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon ghee or 1 Tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon minced ginger
450 g frozen green peas
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 springs parsley, chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Fry onion in ghee or oil until tender (2 - 3 minutes). Add chilli and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add green peas. Stir and cook 5 - 6 minutes. Add pepper, parsley and salt. Cook for another couple fo minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

Potatoes and Carrots (Aloo Gajjar)

2 Tablespoons ghee or 2 Tablespoons oil (see note)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
3 medium carrots, scraped and cubed
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Juice of half a lemon

Heat ghee or oil and add cumin seeds. When they begin to crackle, add potatoes. Fry 3 - 4 minutes then add the carrots. Stir the mixture and sprinkle with chilli, coriander, turmeric and salt. Stir fry the mixture for 1 - 2 minutes then cover and cook on low heat for 8 - 10 minutes. Sprinkle with a little water to help cook the carrots. Sprinkle with lemon juice before serving.

Note: Ghee is clarified butter - you can buy it in the supermarket - usually in the international section or with the oils.

Recipe from "Indian Cooking" by Lalita Ahmed

Chickpea Fritters

440 g can chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 small chillies, finely chopped *
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 Tablespoons milk
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons plain flour
Oil for frying

Place all ingredients, except for flour and milk, in a bowl and mash until it is reaches the desired texture (we kept it quite chunky). Add flour and milk. Form into balls and flatten slightly. Fry until golden. Serve hot or cold.

* As we had chillies in a lot of other food, we left it when we cooked it today but it would be included on other occasions.

Carrots with a Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey Glaze

Cook carrots in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain. Transfer to a dish.

Heat honey gently in a microwave. Pour over carrots. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve.

Peas With Native River Mint

Sprinkle frozen peas with Native River Mint.

Microwave according to packet directions.

Serve.

Ginger Chicken

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

1Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar mixed with pinch sugar

1 Tablespoon chicken stock

455 g thinly sliced chicken

45 ml vegetable oil

In a large bowl, mix together the ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar and vegetable stock. Add the sliced chicken cover, and marinate for about 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add the chicken, and fry until brown. The chicken should have a dark crispy look to it. Do not cook on low or medium heat, as the juices will not cook fast enough to get a crispy texture. Discard leftover marinade.

* As somebody (that would be me) didn't buy enough chicken breasts, we actually used chicken thighs with bones. After we browned the chicken, we put it in a 200 C over to finish cooking and crisp up. As a substitute, it worked fine :-)

Our Miso Soup

1 packet dashi powder

1 litre water

50 g miso paste

250 g tofu, diced

2 green onions, sliced diagonally into ½ “ pieces

Udon noodles, cooked and drained

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine dashi granules and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and whisk in the miso paste. Stir in tofu. Separate the layers of the green onions, and add them to the soup. Add noddles. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Japanese-Style Sesame Green Beans

3 teaspoon canola oil

1 ½ teaspoon sesame oil

455 g fresh green beans, washed

3 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Warm a large skillet or wok over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, pour in canola and sesame oils, then place whole green beans into the skillet. Stir the beans to coat with oil. Cook until the beans are bright green and slightly browned in spots, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in soy sauce; cover, and let sit about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Yakisoba Chicken

3 ml sesame oil

15 ml canola oil

30 g chilli paste

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

120 ml soy sauce

1 onion, sliced lengthwise into eighths

½ medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

225 g soba noodles, cooked and drained

In a large skillet combine sesame oil, canola oil and chili paste. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir fry an additional 30 seconds. Add chicken and 1/4 C of the soy sauce and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink. Remove mixture from pan, set aside and keep warm.

In the emptied pan combine the onion, cabbage and carrots. Stir fry until cabbage begins to wilt. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, cooked noodles and the chicken mixture to pan and mix to blend. Serve and enjoy.

Yakitori Don

8 chicken pieces

6 g grated fresh ginger root

1 clove garlic, crushed

40 g white sugar

160 ml soy sauce

3 teaspoon rice vinegar mixed with a large pinch of sugar

2 Tablespoon chicken stock

30 ml cooking oil

Rinse chicken, and pat dry. In a glass baking dish or bowl, stir together the ginger, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar and chicken stock. Place the chicken into the mixture to marinate. Refrigerate, covered for several hours, or overnight.

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken pieces into the pan skin-side down, reserving marinade. Cook until light brown, then flip and brown the other side. Drain off grease, and pour the marinade into the pan. Cover, and reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking, shaking the skillet occasionally, until marinade is evaporated. Serve hot with rice or noodles.

* The picture depicts Yakitori Don cooked with chicken strips. These could then also be served on a skewer (rather than the chicken pieces our recipe called for).

Teriyaki Chicken

3 chicken breasts (cut thin)

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup chicken stock

3 Tablespoons rice vinegar mixed with 1 teaspoon sugar (or mirin)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ginger juice

1 glove garlic crashed

Sesame seed (optional)

2 Tablespoons cornflour (dissolved in ¼ cup cold water)

Mix all sauce ingredients together (except cornflour).Marinade chicken in sauce for about 45 min. (stir in half way).Get chicken out from sauce and cook on wok till ready. Meanwhile boil sauce and add cornflour and water put on low medium let it thicken. Put all over chicken and simmer for other 5- 10 minutes serve over rice.