Editor's January Pick #5: Italian/Malaysian Fusion?

Editor's note: My first introduction to arancini was from MiamMiam, and having recently sampled an amazing curry from the very same source, never was my gob so smacked to rediscover this posting from way back in 2016 that marries the two together! It feels underwhelming to palm a reader off with 'just look at the photo!', but it does a dash decent job of showing off the combination of the crispness of the coated and fried rice and the perfection that is the Rendang curry. So, have a go!

Fancy …

… Italian/Malaysian fusion?

Another suggestion for serving the arancini. If you think about it you generally eat rice with a curry … why not in a ball with a crispy shell?

Why not serve the rice ball with a rendang curry? You can cheat if you like a buy a ready-made paste and add it to coconut milk or, a sort of half way house, make your own but speedily.

Rendang Sauce

100 ml coconut cream

50ml water

3 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp curry powder

(I used mild)

1 tbsp kecap manis

(also known as sweet soy sauce)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and

serve. Can be made ahead and re-heated.

There's nothing wrong with a short cut or two – it may not appeal to the purists out there – some of us haven't got time!

The world is definitely your lobster – you can add prawns or chicken, whatever you fancy. Just in case you think I'm making this stuff up – here's what it looks like, with prawns in the rendang sauce :

Happy New Year!

Some like it with a drizzle …

… some don't. I'm a drizzle kinda gal. There's definitely moisture in the Kedgeree but, as a hat tipping to its Indian roots, I thought I'd add a sauce which is admittedly Malaysian - hey it's near enough next door - what's 2,000 miles or so these days.

It's all about balance and personal taste. You'll notice that there's no salt and black pepper included in the Kedgeree recipe – for a reason – there's salt in the fish and the curry and coriander provide the spice hit, add black pepper to your own taste. The rice and the egg balance the saltiness of the fish – now for the sweet hit.

Rendang Sauce

100 ml coconut cream

50ml water

3 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp curry powder

(I used mild)

1 tbsp kecap manis

(also known as sweet soy sauce)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and

serve.

It's up to you what you do

You can make the sauce ahead and re-heat.

This is my solution for those who like a sauce and another for your “really useful” quick and easy sauce recipe repertoire – blimey try saying that when you've had a cup of gin!

Veggie Rendang

Remember all our recent Indian bits and pieces – chicken salad … but not as you know it and Malai wali murghi (MWM) from Post holiday blues?

For a supper with friends I decided on the MWM, meatball size lamb koftas, and all the usual suspects, raita, mango and naan. The only element that was missing was for me – the veggie curry. Speed, as usual, was my main aim. Here's my veggie rendang.

You can make your own speedy rendang sauce :

Rendang Sauce

Serves 2

100ml coconut cream

50ml water

3 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp curry powder

(strength to suit your palate – I used mild

to suit my guests)

1 tbsp kecap manis

(sweet soy sauce)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and it's ready to roll. You can make this ahead and re-heat.

Add whatever veggies you like – do a fridge raid if you think you've got a miscellany of stuff that needs using up for a mid week supper. If your raid produces leftover cooked veggies that's great if not, then uncooked veggies should be cubed to the same size and sautéed in a drop of rapeseed oil. They don't need to be cooked through since you'll be adding them to the rendang sauce.

It's difficult to give exact quantities since I know from experience that meat eaters always eat the veggie stuff – don't ask me why it's one of the great mysteries of life! Some guests may take a spoonful to try or to compliment the meat and poultry dishes – to cover yourself I'd double the above recipe to serve 4.

I used onion, potatoes and chick peas :

1 medium onion chopped finely and sautéed in a drop

of rapeseed oil

500g baby potatoes (I used Cornish) cooked, cooled

peeled, cubed and bagged until ready to use

1 400g can of chick peas, drained, rinsed and shucked

2 handfuls of frozen petit pois – optional

There's a downside with chick peas … the shucking - just in case you're not sure about shucking it's to remove the outer covering of anything that is eaten from an oyster to cereal or corn.

I find it therapeutic but then I'm sad!

My antidote - Fancy …

… Italian/Malaysian fusion?

Another suggestion for serving the arancini. If you think about it you generally eat rice with a curry … why not in a ball with a crispy shell?

Why not serve the rice ball with a rendang curry? You can cheat if you like a buy a ready-made paste and add it to coconut milk or, a sort of half way house, make your own but speedily.

Rendang Sauce

100 ml coconut cream

50ml water

3 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp curry powder

(I used mild)

1 tbsp kecap manis

(also known as sweet soy sauce)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat and

serve. Can be made ahead and re-heated.

There's nothing wrong with a short cut or two – it may not appeal to the purists out there – some of us haven't got time!

The world is definitely your lobster – you can add prawns or chicken, whatever you fancy. Just in case you think I'm making this stuff up – here's what it looks like, with prawns in the rendang sauce :

Happy New Year!