Asiana Cooking School

Last week, seven of us went to the Asiana Cooking School. I'd heard about the school from friends who had been with groups over the years and always thought "I must get a group together and do that". It finally happened.

We were lucky enough to have the place to ourselves and to be able to choose which menu we wanted to cook. I chose musaman curry with chili and coconut rice. They also offered vegetarian options, which two of our group appreciated.

Everyone has their own little kitchen setup, with a personal wok, chopping board, and cooking utensils. After a demonstration from the instructor, we were let loose with the menu, with varying degrees of success! It was lots of fun trying to cook a new meal with friends, and we got to enjoy eating it together while someone else did our dishes!

So here is the recipe we tried. It makes one large serving, so adjust quantities accordingly. We've decided to make it for friends when we have a dinner party.

Musaman curry

Ingredients

• 150g meat (beef or chicken thighs)
• 1/4 onion
• 1/2 potato (par boiled)
• 1 tsp musaman curry paste
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tsp tamarind pulp concentrate
• 2 cardamon pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Method

1. Finely chop the onion. Cut potato into bite-sized chunks.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over medium heat. Add in the musaman curry paste. Gently stir until the paste becomes soft and fragrant.
3. Stir in chicken and onion. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add potato, bay leaf, and cardamon pods to the wok and cook until lightly browned (about a minute).
4. Pour in the coconut milk, tamarind pulp, and brown sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered until meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
5. Serve with steamed rice.

Chili and coconut rice

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup long-grain rice
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes (toasted)
• 1 tsp toasted coconut

Method

1. In a pot, combine the coconut milk, water, rice, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until crater-like holes form on the surface of the rice (about 3-5 minutes).
2. Cover and continue cooking over a low heat for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Turn off heat. Do not disturb the rice. Keep the lid on without peeping! (About 10 minutes)
4. Fluff the rice with a fork. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with toasted coconut and chili flakes.