The No Santan Curry

Hello there peeps! Been a while since I last updated. Yeah... I promised to cook up loads for the breaking fast during Ramadhan. I DID! Just that most of my cookings were already up in this blog. Yeah, I did repeats of many. Most were rice coupled with a dish or two or a one-dish meals. Sometimes, due to time constrain, I just made do with buying packed food from the foodcourts or mamak stalls.

Truth is, I've just been posted to a different department within the same company. Apart from the current portfolios I'm handling, new ones were given too. So, I'm in an adapting mode now. With the Ramadhan, that damn haze, the constructions for the circle-line and my new working environment, no wonder my stress levels shooting rocket high! I just had a bad face rash on the first week of Ramadhan and hell migraine from the second week till now, EVERY working day except weekends! sheeesh... Now, I'm a little better. So can blog laaa...

"B" told me to just take it easy and rest. No need to cook. But, I kinda pity "B" having to had packed food for breaking fast almost daily. To me, nothing beats more than coming home to a nice homecooked meal. No matter how simple the meal is, it just beats packed food! So, cook I did today. We break fast with No Santan Curry (as I'd call it) and it literally meant curry with no coconut milk. Just naked. I substitute the santan with dhal and mashed chick peas instead. A little spicier than the usual curries coz I reckon there's no milk to subdue the curry paste. Anyhow, "B" said it was "sedaaap laaa" - reaaallly nice laaa. We paired the curry with white bread. Thus, it ain't too heavy to stomach rather than having it with rice.

Oooh... before I forget. I added into the curry with Baba's (me Daddy's) self-grown mini organic brinjals. Lovely things they were. They were as small as those red chillies in the pics but tasted much better than the norms. "B" had a ball eating those minis. "B" just love brinjals/egg plants. Best is too shallow-fry them or bake and dose with sambal belado which are made from fresh ground chillies, onions, garlic and fry them till dry. Flavour the sambal belado with just some salt and a little sugar. Next time ok, "B"!

Hari Raya, is just round the corner and my house is still in an unrecognisable mess. This house is gonna have a SERIOUS make-over this Deepavali weekend. Just you wait!

Ingredients for NO Santan Curry
1) Marinate chicken parts
dried bird's eye chilli
salt
sugar
extra virgin olive oil
Leave to marinate overnight to produce a more flavourful chicken when added into the curry.
2) Curry
curry paste= curry powder+water
onion - sliced thinly
marinated chicken parts
mini organic brinjals
chick peas - peal the skin off and mashed
dhal - soaked
salt, water, canola oil
Method
Heat up oil and saute the sliced onions. Add in the curry paste and fry till split oil. Add in the chicken parts and water. Salt to taste. Add in brinjals. Bring to a boil then let it simmer. Add in mashed chick peas and dhal. Cover with lid and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Serve warm with toasted baguettes, sliced bread or plain rice.