Serves 4 This yellow, mild curry is a great way to mix up monotonous meal plans. A little spice and creamy coconut milk do the trick for a show-stoppingly good meal. Ingredients: Rempah Curry Spice Mix 1 can coconut milk 1/2 cup water 1/2 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced 3 cups mushrooms, sliced 3 cups long beans or green beans, trimmed and cut into small pieces 2 carrots, sliced 16 shrimp vegetable oil Method: 1. Add rempah to hot vegetable oil in a large pan and cook for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant and slightly browned. Add one beautiful, thick can of coconut milk. And a little water to thin things out. 2. Let simmer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop your veggies. First the cabbage. Cabbage is so underrated. Then the mushrooms. If you don’t love them like I do, add something you love. Or just leave them out. Mmm, into the pan. I like to pretend the mushrooms have to to be in the dish, so my husband has to eat …
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Makes enough for about 2 curries (more if you like them mild) Rempah, a common curry blend in Brunei, will infuse your meal with the most haunting flavors of garlic, ginger, lemongrass… spicy chili pwder and golden turmeric. The entire kitchen smells like paradise when you cook with Rempah. PS. You can use this in our recipe for Sayur Lodeh. Ingredients: 1/8 cup cashews 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander 1 Tbsp belachan or anchovy paste 1 Tbsp chopped, fresh lemongrass 1″ fresh ginger, chopped 1 Tbsp vegetable oil Method: 1. Add all ingredients to a small food processor. The fresh lemongrass is actually from my garden! It looks like a giant piece of overgrown grass, but with the most incredible, lemony-spring scent. Clip the lemongrass as close to the ground as you can. Here’s what not to do: The bottom ends have all sorts of tasty goodness that gets infused into the curry, when it cooks. Don’t forget the bechalon/anchovy paste. It …
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Learn about the wealthy country of Brunei, including their culture and festivals. In this video, we learn that Brunei is home to the world’s biggest water village (on stilts) and has areas of pristine rain forest (the hostess of the video actually climbs up giant scaffolding, past the top of the canopy). Love and happiness.
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I don’t think I told you. Keith’s been out of town all week so my mom’s been helping me and Ava pass the time. An extended pajama party, really. We’ve been to the water park, played with dollies, cooked, cleaned, torn apart my closets and made mounds of donations. We’ve been really busy and had tons of fun, but today I’m just counting the hours until I see my sweetie. He’ll be home at five. Tick. Tick. Tick. Is it five yet? What are you counting down to? Help pass a little time with these fun facts (and poll) from Brunei. Happy Friday! Brunei Fun Facts: Brunei is in both the northern and western hemispheres. I guess that technically makes Brunei a country with “food around the world” within its own borders. đ Relative humidity is high throughout the year, averaging 93%. That’s so humid, it might as well rain! Food is passed and eaten with the right hand only. The left hand is considered unclean. One exception – when holding a heavy plate with …
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The people of Brunei are brilliant. I’ve got proof – the lontong. This compact, slightly perfumed packet of white rice, stuffed inside a banana leaf, is portable, sliceable, flavorful, and affordable. Oh, and cutting the rice logs up into neat coins makes for easy portion control. Well. Ok. I’ll be honest. The coins just make it easier to pop a hundred million of them into my mouth. Yum. Lontong represents everything I love about food around the world. While we share similar staples – rice, potato, pasta, beans – it is the seasoning and the preparation which gives each country a unique spin. In the case of lontong, banana leaves infuse long grain rice with an earthy, grassy flavor. The result is mild “other-worldliness” – and insane, instantaneous addiction. I totally get why lontong is adored throughout Indonesia. Kids will love the novelty of this savory treat with curry and soups. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Ingredients: 2 cups white long grain rice 4 cups water (or 2 cups water and 2 cups …
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Way up north, in Boston, my mother devours this blog. My biggest fan, she not only tells everyone she meets about the blog, she literally saves each post to her computer “just in case” (even though I tell her the server backs it up). That’s some serious love. This week, she is in Tulsa for a visit. She will finally get a chance to climb out from behind the computer and devour the food. And she’ll see the love and craziness that goes into each posting (is there any other way to do things than with love and craziness?). Thank you, Brunei, for feeding my mother during her stay. Shrimp and Vegetable Curry (Sayur Lodeh) [Recipe] Long beans, cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, and shrimp simmered in rich coconut milk curry seasoned with rempah. Curry Spice Mix (Rempah) [Recipe] A hot and savory blend of garlic, onion, ginger, lemon grass, chili powder, turmeric, coriander, and belachan/anchovy paste. Add this blend to curry dishes to taste. Rice Cooked in Banana Leaves (Lontong) [Recipe] Cooked rice is stacked in …
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Something is fishy in  Brunei, and I like it! With miles of coastline, fish and seafood (such as shrimp and squid) make regular appearances at the dinner table. Even if you’re not eating fish, your meal may include belachan, or shrimp paste. The tiny country of Brunei (about the size of Delaware) boasts rain forests, low-lying plains, and oceanfront vistas. Sweet tropical fruits (such as mango, membangan,  papaya, watermelon, durian, kembayau, Brunei cherry, and rambutan – like lychee) are beloved throughout Brunei. The food blends local flavors with Malaysian, Chinese, and Indian cuisines. Typical of the region, most meals are served with either rice or noodles and seasoning is usually hot. In fact, curries are the norm. For example, Sayur Lodeh (recipe), vegetable curry, is a lovely blend of cabbage, long beans, and other vegetables, simmered in creamy coconut milk and spicy rempah (a popular seasoning blend – recipe). Shrimp, fish, or tofu can be added for protein. Yes, please! For chicken lovers, satay is a popular skewered preparation available with dipping sauces. You may have had …
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Yes, you read that right… loofah. I had no idea that when I began eating food from all around the world, I would end up running across loofah. Turns out, in Botswana, as well as many, many other countries, Loofah is common eats. The more I read about it, the more I realize that Loofah is not so “exotic” as I originally thought. Whoa, now. Before you run off to your bathroom to slice and dice and cook up your loofah, let me explain. When I say loofah is common eats, I don’t mean the dry, hay colored, scratchy, back and callous scrubber… like the one you have next to your bathtub: I don’t think any amount of steaming, boiling, frying, or beating could make those loofahs tender. They come from the old, crusty loofah plant, the one that’s toughened up with age. What they actually eat is the tender, young loofah. When picked fresh, the green loofah plant is slightly softer than a cucumber and slightly crispier than a zucchini. When cooked, the flavor is mild …
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This is meal #20 in my personal challenge to eat one meal from every country in the world. Last week, during our Beninese Global Table, we were in the midst of expelling an evil kidney stone. I’m sad to say the misery continues. Poor Keith is a trooper, but he’s getting a little ansy to do something besides pain pills. I have high hopes that this week’s Bhutanese Global Table will get Keith’s Kidney Stone a-movin.’ All that spice and butter has to be good for something (besides tasty goodness). Keep your fingers crossed. Butter Grilled Poblanos [Recipe] What I like most about this dish: I love the mild heat of roasted poblanos in the summer, especially when the heat index is 105 (that’s Oklahoma for ya!). So what about poblanos stuffed with butter and grilled? To borrow an Oklahoman expression, I “might-could” marry one. After two simple minutes of prep, the forest green pepper takes on a rich, smoky flavor that goes well with just about anything. What’s better than that? Oh yeah. I …
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Serves 1 Butter and tea are two of my favorite things! đ Â This rich and flavorful drink is popular in Bhutan, especially during the cold winter months. The secret is to stir the tea vigorously/froth to blend and eliminate any the “greasiness.” Ingredients: All ingredients are to taste. Hot water Black Tea Butter (preferably Yak butter, if available) Milk or cream Method: 1. Â Boil water. Add tea to desired strength. I like 1 teabag per cup. 2. Add butter and milk/cream to taste (about 1/4 tsp). Stir vigorously and drink immediately. I think it is important to use a mug you really like. Here’s the one Keith picked out: I dig it. Here’s mine: Let’s get started. First, the water because it’s just oh, so pretty! Then we’ll add a teabag and watch the goodness leach out, into the water. And then, the magic… a bit o’ butter. Please use the real thing! Milk and cream make everything better… Stir it up… You know what to do next. Smiles all around! See Bhutanese Meal Review …
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Serves 2-4 Red Rice is enjoyed in Bhutan, especially under spicy curries, like Ema Datshi. Ingredients: 1 tsp oil 2 cups water 1 cup cracked red rice salt & pepper Method: 1. Add oil and rice to a small pot over medium heat. Toast rice for a few minutes. Add water and seasonings. Bring to a boil. 2. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 16 minutes. Don’t peek! I want you to promise… 3. Remove from heat and uncover. Let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. Serve immediately. NOTE: The red in red rice apparently floats around and settles, as you can see in this photo. Don’t worry! It all gets mixed back in. Serve hot with something tasty, like Ema Datshi. Cracked Red Rice Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Red Rice is enjoyed in Bhutan, especially under spicy curries, like Ema Datshi. Lifestyle5-ingredients or less, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian Food TypeRice Servings Prep Time 2-4 people 5 minutes Cook Time Passive Time 16 minutes 5 …
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Makes 1 Butter Grilled Poblano Here’s to my new favorite way to eat peppers! I got the idea from Kunzang Choden, a Bhutanese author who speaks of her father grilling chili peppers this way. We had to wait as he incised slits in the chillies and filled them with fresh butter and salt. When the chillies were ready they were put on bamboo skewers and placed over the flames in the hearth. After much sizzling and hissing took place, each of us received two to three chillies on our rice. The chilli would be slightly roasted from the outside, and the butter inside would have melted and absorbed into the chilli. Kunzang Choden You can make this easy side dish with your favorite peppers, big or small, bell or habanero. Ingredients: 1 Poblano 1 tab butter Method: 1. Cut a slit into the side of the poblano. Carefully push a tab of butter inside the pepper. 2. Grill over low/indirect heat until soft and slightly charred. I let mine get kinda dark on the bottom, …
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