Unusual Asian fruits, part 3

We continue our fruitopia (rather delayed with Christmas and all - happy new year!) by looking at a few more SE Asian fruits to taste and explore.
	Longan Other names: mata kucing (Bahasa). Appearance: small, translucent white flesh, covering a hard brown seed. The tough outer skin is papery, and covers a thin white membrane. Both peel off easily, like separating a hard boiled egg from it's shell. Texture: soft and juicy FTW.
Flavour and aroma: Very sweet, gentle tasting, like a kiss from the Easter bunny, filled with promises of warm sunshine and flowers. It tastes perfumed, similar to a lychee. Yummy rating: Grab a bag of these and chow down.

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Sapodilla Other names: ciku. Appearance: Like a kiwi fruit's gone bad, and turned brown (although a bit less hairy). Inside there are several very hard black seeds, approximately the size and shape of an olive pit, and golden brown flesh.

Texture: Squishy, very soft and rather grainy, like a badly made custard. Scoop it out with a spoon. Flavour and aroma: Really sweet (like diabetes sweet), but the flavour itself isn't great - it's a bit reminiscent of a musty pear, like a pear you found in the back of your nan's cupboard in a forgotten fruit-bowl. Maybe the batch I bought are just a bit over-ripe? Or maybe they're always like this? The perils of trying something for the first time - you have no basis for comparison. Yummy rating: Not really.

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Water apple Other names: jambu air (Bahasa), rose apple. Appearance: Like a bell pepper had sex with a cashew nut. Thin red skin, and a whitish inside (sometimes tinged a bit green or pink). There's a large seed in the middle. Texture: Crisp like a young cucumber, and very watery like a watermelon.

Flavour and aroma: I'd had these once before, years ago, and remembered them as being a little boring (not much flavour, and only slightly sweet). But this batch are far worse than I remember. They're not sweet at all, and indeed have a slightly bitter under taste that becomes noticeable as you eat closer to the seed. I'd have guessed these were a vegetable, not a fruit, from the taste, and a not very nice vegetable at that. Yummy rating: Like cucumber but without the cucumber flavour. These would probably be edible in a salad, covered with a strongly-flavoured dressing (I'm thinking rojak), but as a fruit - nope! These really are not nice.

Unusual Asian fruits, part 2

In my last post, I described a few fruits that I've discovered in my travels in SE Asia, and today I'm going to look at three more. You may be able to find some of these in larger towns or specialty shops in the west (Jackfruit, described last time, can sometimes be found in London's Asian markets). Have you tried any of these? Let me know what you thought in the comments.
	Sugar apple Other names: This fruit (Annona squamosa) is sometimes know as the sweetsop, and sometimes called the custard apple (not to be confused with a related fruit, Annona reticulata, which is also known as a custard apple). Appearance: Like a hand grenade kissed a pinecone. Then got ripe and quishy. Normally they're green, but some varietals are reddish or purple, which looks pretty but tastes pretty much the same. Inside, you'll find a large number of small, hard seeds (resembling large apple pips) covered in a layer of off-white goo. The goo is the stuff you eat. Texture: They claim the texture inside is like custard. It's not. If you were ever served custard with a grainy texture like this, you'd send it back. It's not unpleasant though. Expect to spend at least 20 minutes trying to eat a small one of these - you need to break or cut one open and scoop out the goo with a teaspoon, then in your mouth separate out the seeds so you can spit them out. Don't make any plans, as you're here for a while.
Flavour and aroma: Very sweet, but not a lot of flavour. I've tried to put my finger on what it tastes like, so I can explain it, but all I taste is sweetness. These are nicest served chilled from the fridge. Yummy rating: I'm starting to see why only certain tropical fruits, like oranges, mangos, and bananas, have become popular world-wide. These are nice enough, but just so much work.

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Winter date Other names: Winter jujube. These are the same fruits that, in their dried form, become the red Chinese dates used in soup. Huh. I'd always assumed those were some kind of plum, but obviously I was wrong. It's good to learn new things.

Appearance: They look like very small, brown apples. Each one is about the size of a small crab-apple or plum. The flesh is white inside, with a single small seed. Texture: Very crisp and firm, like an Asian pear. Definitely crisper than your typical apple, and the skin is very thin but still has some solidity under your teeth. Flavour and aroma: Under-ripe, these have a mild, slightly sweet taste. Fully ripe, they're sweeter but still have a very mild flavour. There's no noticeable texture change that I can see between under-ripe and fully ripe, so you'll only know by taste. Leave them too long, however, and they'll go squishy and start to smell slightly fermented. Yummy rating: These are okay, easy to snack on.

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Cempadak Appearance: They look like smaller jackfruits - a football sized horny green skin, with bright yellow fleshy interior, housing large seeds. Texture: The texture is softer and squishier than jackfruit, and each segment has some kind of tough membrane that doesn't break down under your teeth, so it feels like chewing on plastic wrap. I chewed my first bite for more than 2 minutes before I gave up and spat out the membrane. To eat it more easily, first cut or break off a segment and peel the flesh off the seed, then scrape your teeth along the fleshy side, like you would with an artichoke leaf. That way you can get the flesh into your mouth without the membrane.

Flavour and aroma: A cross between durian and jackfruit (described in my last post). Admittedly, if you haven't tried either that's not going to tell you much. Think really sweet, almost a lightly fermented taste. The aroma is similar to fruit salad with just a hint of sweat socks, and has a habit of hanging around (your whole kitchen will smell like the fruit for a couple of days after you've eaten it). Yummy rating: Frankly, I think both durian and jackfruit are nicer than cempadak, so I'd go for one of those in preference.

Unusual Asian fruits, part 1

I'm obsessed with fruit. I absolutely adore discovering new fruits to try, and when I'm on my travels, I always try and check out the local produce markets for unfamiliar fruits and veggies. Since I've been living in Singapore, I've managed to try quite a few new tastes and textures - have you tried any of these? Let me know what you thought in the comments.
	Jackfruit Other names: Trai mit (Vietnamese) Appearance: The plants produce huge, green knobbly pods, similar in appearance to an oversized durian (but with much less pronounced spikes). Picture a mutant American football, that's grown to many times it's original size, developed soft green spikes, and is now plotting world domination.
Inside, you'll find bright yellow fruit segments, each containing a large white seed (the seeds are edible once cooked, but cause terrible flatulence, so I wouldn't bother if I were you). Easiest bought as pre-prepared segments. Texture: Tender to the tooth, without being mushy or really soft. They can be firm and a little waxy if under-ripe. Texture wise, it feels like crossing a ripe apricot or peach with a grape (if that makes any sense at all). Flavour and aroma: Imagine a really stinky fruit, but made by Jesus. The fruit when ripe has a distinctive, very sweet taste, reminiscent of fruit salad, and a strong, almost-floral fragrance which will linger in your home or hotel room for days. Yummy rating: Yes, yes, yes!!! For more information about this fruit, including cultivation and how to prepare a whole fruit, I recommended this page on CloveGarden.

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Snake fruit Other names: salak Appearance: I hate to say it, but these look like snakeskin ballbags (sorry, mum!). The skin is thin and a little brittle, and easily breaks off, revealing firm off-white globes of crisp fresh, surrounding a large brown seed. Texture: Most of the time these are fairly crisp, but you do occasionally get one that's not ripe or over-ripe, in which case it will be a bit chalky or squishy. Flavour and aroma: Not a strong flavour or aroma, to be honest. A bit like an Asian pear, but not as peary. (I do realise how ridiculous these descriptions probably are, thanks). It's only a little sweet, but quite nice. Yummy rating: Not bad. I could happily munch through a few of these.

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Langsat Appearance: Unpeeled, these look like longans on steroids. The fruits vary from one to two inches in diameter, with a matt skin. Inside, it looks like a citrus fruit, with translucent lobes of flesh that easily split apart from each other. The lobes often contain a small, soft seed which tastes very bitter, like the seeds in citrus. (Spit those puppies out). Texture: Unlike citrus, the lobes aren't made of pulp but instead have a jelly-like texture, like those fruit jellies that appear in all the grocery shops for Christmas.

Flavour and aroma: Again, citrusy. Langsat taste almost exactly like a pomelo or mild grapefruit. Despite the similarities to citrus, langsat are actually a member of the mahogany family (thank you wikipedia!). Huh. Yummy rating: These are very nice, but a bit fiddly to peel and leave your hands quite sticky. The seeds are harder to remove than those of citrus, but you really don't want to eat them as they are quite gross, so you have to be careful biting into these to avoid any unpleasant surprises. Overall, I love the taste and texture, but they're so much faff! Update: I bought a second batch of these that appeared superficially larger, but had much thicker skins that came off more easily. This second batch had very few seeds, so was much easier to eat - if I could guarantee getting the varietal without all the seeds, these would easily move into my top 5 fruits.

How to make no-churn ice cream that doesn't suck

Summer's here in the northern hemisphere (although I now live in perpetual summer) and that means one thing - social media is filled with recipes for frozen treats. This year, I've seen a resurgence of recipes for no-churn ice cream. Lovely idea, but in practice? They suck. The problem is a simple one: most real ice creams are made from 14-23% cream. The rest is mostly milk, with sugar, maybe eggs, and some flavourings. These no-churn ice creams, however, are made from 2 main ingredients: heavy cream and condensed milk. Most published recipes claim that the air whipped into the cream substitutes effectively for the air churned into the mix when ice cream is made the traditional way. But the ratio of ingredients is very different from traditional ice cream: most recipes I've seen for no-churn ice cream consist of 65-75% heavy cream, and that's the problem.

Ramen

Ramen is one of those "ultimate comfort foods" for a lot of people. A good ramen should have body in the soup (slightly sticky with collagen and fat), meaty with pork bones, and be always, always accompanied by a soft boiled egg.

Bun thit nuong with picked carrots and daikon

Vietnamese food was a revelation - fresh, flavourful, and enticing. This dish perfectly suits a hot, humid night. The freshness of the mint and cucumber, and the crunch of the peanuts, perfectly complement the light rice noodles, sweet and spicy dressing, and rich pork or aubergine. Add some pickled vegetables for a final zing, and you've got yourself one hell of a meal.

This version comes from Northern Vietnam, where minced pork patties are frequently served alongside (in which case it's called bun cha), but similar versions of this dish are also found throughout Vietnam. The aubergine is a less traditional step; I got the idea of including it from the book Fragrant Heart (a travel book that also includes recipes, although her versions are a bit more Westernised than mine, presumably to make them more accessible to those who don't live near good Asian markets).

Bircher muesli

Bircher muesli is my current breakfast passion. It's healthy because of the oats and fruit, filling enough to hold me till lunchtime because of the nuts of seeds, and so quick and easy to make that I can manage even on busy mornings! The other great thing about bircher muesli is that you have dozens of potential combinations for toppings, allowing you to make a different breakfast experience every day, so you don't get bored.

The bowl above features almonds, pumpkin seeds, mango, blueberries and dragon fruit. Yum! Many versions of this dish use apple juice to soak the oats, rather than milk and yogurt, and leave out the grated apple. Personally, I prefer the creaminess from the dairy version, and think the grated apple adds a lovely texture. I know this isn't Asian street food, but what can I say? Life isn't all dumplings and curry (mores the pity!)

Sambal squid

	I made this dish as part of a Malay feast for a friend of mine. It's very flavourful, although not the prettiest dish ever. The chilli and tomato sauce perfectly complements the tender squid, but would also work well with prawns or other seafood.

Sukiyaki

	A superb, light meal for a warm evening, this Japanese noodle soup is flavourful, low-fat, and filled with vegetables. It's also economical - a tiny amount of meat goes a long way with a dish like this.

The dumpling files, volume 1

What: Mei Sum's Sui Lung Pao Main ingredients: Pork and cabbage in wheat flour wrappers Flavour and texture: Very smooth and gently flavourful filling, with a soft, tender wrapper. Reminds me of a chicken bun, despite the main ingredient being pork. A bit juicy.

Best served with: Either a mild dipping sauce (soy and vinegar, perhaps), or something with just a little kick (sweet chilli sauce?) Marks out of 10: 8. A good, steamed dumpling. Also available in packs of assorted dim sum, like this one: Also included in the pack: Beef siu mai Pork siu mai Prawn har gow Main ingredients: Prawns, fish, waterchestnut, bamboo, in a semi-translucent rice flour wrapper. Flavour and texture: Very soft filling, gentle taste, not a lot of flavour. The wrapper is soft and slightly chewy. Best served with: Definitely something with kick, like sweet chilli sauce or a vinegar dipping sauce with chili Marks out of 10: 7. Texture's lovely, but I personally prefer bolder flavours.

Mee goreng with leftovers

Right across Asia, leftover bits of meat and vegetables are turned into fried rice or fried noodles for the following day's breakfast or lunch. So what do you do when you have 4 spears of asparagus, 50g of fresh tofu, and one handful of beansprouts that had seen better days? Mee goreng to the rescue! Throw in a few peanuts for protein, a dash of lime juice and roasted chilli paste for flavour, and dig in!

Peking duck pancakes

The pancakes served with Peking duck are traditionally very thin, soft and floury. They're an okay tool for transferring chunks of juicy duck meat, crispy duck skin, and gobs of sticky sauce to your mouth... but really - don't your taste buds deserve more than that? This recipe makes tasty, crispy-edged "pancakes" that add a whole new dimension to Peking duck, making this classic Chinese recipe even more delicious. Who needs store-bought wrappers?

Kottu roti

	One of the most common and popular fast foods in Sri Lanka, kottu roti is a stir fried dish of godamba roti (a griddle cooked flat-bread, very similar to a paratha), with assorted vegetables, and sometimes egg or bits of leftover chicken meat. The dish is lightly spiced on it's own, but also commonly served with a few spoonfuls of curry sauce to moisten the mixture and add extra kick.
I served mine alongside a chicken curry (whose recipe I posted yesterday), and made good use of the extra curry sauce!

Sri Lankan chicken curry

I'm not much of an expert on Sri Lankan food (or knowledgeable at all, really!). I'm still a novice when it comes to cooking dishes from this region, but my first attempt at cooking a Sri Lankan chicken curry turned out pretty nice. I served it alongside kottu roti (stir fried bread and vegetables, recipe to follow), which tends to be served on it's own as a tasty fast food meal. But I was greedy to try both!

Bahn mi

	I tried to make bahm mi bread (it's pretty much impossible to buy in my end of west-London, or at least I've certainly never found any place that sells it). I tried several different recipes from the internet over one, flour filled weekend. I failed. It was bread - it just wasn't bahm mi.
No matter how good a cook you are, there's always one recipe that just doesn't work. A good lesson for everyone.

Laksa Kelantan

	I'm honest with you, laksa Kelantan isn't my favourite type of laksa. I tried making it for the first time recently, including making my own laksam (wide, soft laksa noodles) – a disaster which I won't be attempting again any time soon! But I found overall the soup was a little bland.
It's got a bit of sourness from the tamarind, but doesn't have enough sourness to really fit as an asam laksa. It has a lot of coconut milk, but not the curry seasoning to really qualify as a curry laksa. I also found it rather hard to get the fish suitable minced by hand (next time, I'd probably use an immersion blender!), Overall, it was all a bit meh. But never try, you'll never know!

Laksa Lemak

You'll find variations of laksa all over Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia: some are based on minced fish, others include mixed shellfish. Some use thin rice noodles, others use thicker, or spaghetti-like noodles. All are delicious. Laksas fall into two main camps: curry laksa (like this recipe for Singapore laksa) that uses coconut milk, or asam (sour) laksa, using asam fruit or sometimes tamarind as a souring agent.

Laksa Lemak fits into the repretoire of Nyonya cuisine, and is common in the Melaka area. Lemak (meaning fat) refers to the coconut milk used in the preparation, adding a yummy richness. It's mildly spiced, aromatic, and very, very tasty!

Nasi Goreng

Nasi goreng, literally "fried rice" in Bahasa, is one of the best known Indonesian dishes. It's super easy to make, like most fried rice dishes, and should be a bit spicy, and just a little bit sweet. There's no one definitive recipe for nasi goreng; instead the dish is traditionally made for breakfast, using whatever bits and pieces are left over from the night before, so feel free to toss in any bits of leftover meat and vegetables you have hanging around.

The sauce files, episode 4: Pork bulgogi marinade

What: Chung Jung One's pork bulgogi marinade Main ingredients: Korean hot pepper paste, sugar, pureed apple, pear, kiwi and pineapple, soy sauce Appearance: Doesn't look like much - it's runny and reddish brown Flavour: Packs a punch - the first taste is salt, fruitiness and hint of ground rice, then the chillies punch you in the face about 1/2 a second after it hits your taste buds. Finally, the sweetness starts to build. A little goes a long way Would go well with: Designed as a marinade, rather than a dipping sauce, this dark horse is a great addition to perk up a dull soup or noodle dish. It also, and keep this between us, tastes absolutely fantastic on cheesy natchos Marks out of 10: 8.5

The sauce files, episode 3: Sweet chilli sauce

What: Thai Taste's Sweet Chilli Sauce Cost: Inexpensive and readily available from any major grocery store Main ingredients: Sugar, chilli, vinegar, garlic Appearance: Shiny, translucent orange sauce with a corn-starched thickness. Flavour: This is a decent example of a standard sauce. It's very sweet, has a little touch of chilli kick, with a nice preliminary taste of vinegar and a hint of garlic in the finish. It's pretty nice. Would go well with: Spring rolls, prawn wontons Marks out of 10: 7.5