Saturday, May 22, 2010

One Fine Day in Lalaland


Scene 1: Living Room

Brad: "I'm hungry. Why don't you cook dinner for us?"
Angelina: "Not in this lifetime."
Brad: "I'll ask Mama."
Angelina: "Hahahaha....best of luck, mate. She's busy."

And so the male cat waddles to the study and jumps onto Mama's lap. He's lucky Mama was in a good mood that day.

Mama: "Yes, what do you want Brad?"
Brad: "I'm hungry, Mama."
Mama: "So, go to the kitchen and eat your kibble."
Brad: "I'm tired of kibble. I want the real stuff. Red meat....yummmm."
Mama: "Give me five minutes, OK? Let me finish my work first and then we'll see what we can do."
Brad: "Yahoo!!!!"
Mama: "But there are terms and conditions...."
Brad: "Really? I'll do anything."
Mama: "That's my boy. Promise you'll help me too, OK?"
Brad: "Yes, Mama. I will help you. Errr....what about Angelina?"
Mama: "She'll have to help too, wouldn't she? Unless she wants to just eat kibble while we eat red meat?"
Brad: (yelling) "Did you hear that, Angelina?"
Angelina: (roll eyes) "I'm not deaf yet, Brad."

Scene 2: Kitchen

Act 1

Mama: "Angelina, take the beef out of the freezer. Please...."
Brad: "Let me do it, Mama."
Angelina: "You're too short, Brad."
Brad: "You're mean, Angelina."
Angelina: "Don't I know it?"
Mama: "Stop it, kids. We have loads to do here."
Brad: "What are we making, Mama?"
Mama: "Curry puffs."
Angelina: "Yahoo!!!"
Brad: "Huh! It was my idea."
Mama: "Kids!"

Act 2
Mama: "First, we make the filling."
Angelina: "May I write down the recipe, Mama?"
Mama: "Good idea. It's simple actually."

Curry puffs: Filling
Ingredients:
1/2 kg beef - diced finely (can use minced beef too but we prefer ours a little bit chewy)
2 medium-sized potato - peeled and diced
1 Spanish onion - diced finely
3 cloves garlic - chopped finely
3 tbsp meat curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 cup low fat milk or light coconut milk
1/2 cup water
curry leaves
2 tbsp cooking oil

salt and sugar to taste

The works:
1. Heat wok and pour oil.
2. Saute garlic and onion until brown and fragrant. Put in curry leaves, fennel seeds and curry powder.
3. Mix in a little bit of water to prevent spices from sticking to bottom of wok.
4. Mix in beef, ginger and some more water. Mix and let simmer on low heat until beef becomes tender.
5. Mix in potato and let simmer again until potato is cooked through.
6. Next, mix in tamarind paste, milk, salt and sugar.
7. Mix through everything in the pot, making sure mixture doesn't become burned.
8. Take wok away from heat once mixture is dry. Leave to cool before filling into pastry.


The filling bubbling away in the wok....hmmm....

Act 3

Mama: "Brad, please take the butter out from the fridge."
Brad: "Oh, it's right at the back, Mama. I'll have to climb in."

Zzzuppp. Fridge door closing.

Mama: "Angelina, did you close the fridge door?"
Angelina: (roll eyes) "No, it closed on its own. Must have been the wind."
Mama: "You know that Brad is in there, right?"
Angelina: "Why would I want to close the fridge door on him? I'm not that mean."
Mama: Sigh....(opens fridge door) "Come on out, Brad."
Brad: "Did you close the door on me, Angelina?"
Angelina: "Why is everyone accusing me? It was the wind. Honest."
Brad: "Whatever."
Mama: "Stop quarrelling. Brad, chop the butter. Angelina, write down the recipe for the pastry."
Brad & Angelina: (together) "Aye, aye, Captain!!!"

Curry puffs: Pastry
Ingredients:
3 cups plain flour (we used wholemeal)
200g butter - chopped
2 eggs - beat lightly with a fork
1/2 cup lukewarm water


The butter should be chilled and then chopped, no need to soften it.

The works:
1. Put flour and butter in the food processor. Process until mixture resembles crumbs.
2. Pour eggs into flour mixture. Process again until mixed through.


Isn't the food processor a wonderful thing? It makes short work of making pastry.

3. Take mixture out of processor and put in a big bowl. Now, mix in a little bit of water and knead the dough. No need to use up all of the water. Dough shouldn't be too tough or too soft.
4. Check if filling is cool enough or else leave dough to rest a bit.
5. Once filling is cool to the touch, take a small portion of dough, roll into a ball and then roll flat on the rolling board.


Our "roti" set of rolling pin and board is very handy for curry puffs too.

6. Cut pastry into rounds with pastry cutter (we use egg rings) to your desired size.
7. Place cut pastry onto a small plate, put a teaspoon (or whatever amount you like) of filling in the middle, fold and then use your fingers to close the seams (it was quite difficult doing it with claws but those lessons with playdough paid off)


What do you think of my handiwork? Mama calls it "klim karipap". Every decent girl should know how to "klim karipap", she said. Tall order indeed.

8. Finish off the pastry and filling until finished. Once done, heat enough oil in a pot for deep frying.
9. Put enough curry puffs in frying pan. Lower the heat for a slow fry or else you'll end up with burnt outer skin but uncooked inner skin.
10. Put fried curry puffs on paper towels to absorb excess oil.


Ta-da..... that's our red meat wonder of the day.

Scene 3: Dining Table

Mama: "Kids, how many do you think you can eat?"
Brad: "I can eat heaps, Mama. And you sure made a lot."
Mama" "Yeap, we get about 45 of the little beauties."
Brad: "Why didn't we make them bigger in size, Mama? Would have saved a lot of time making them."
Mama: "Brad, you're going to learn a new word today. It's 'finesse'. Do you know what that means?"
Angelina: "I know, Mama. It's an uncountable noun meaning 'the property of having grace, elegance, skill, or balance.' Am I right?"
Mama: "Indeed you are. You understand that, Brad?"
Brad: "I do now, Mama. So, if we had made that curry puffs too big it means we don't have 'finesse', right?"
Mama: "Oh, and don't forget, never ever speak when your mouth is full."
Brad & Angelina: (nodding vigorously as mouths too full of curry puffs)

The end.

Angelina's note: ...burp...I ate five of them...purrr....meow!

25 comments:

Naz in Norway said...

Yummmm....any left? :P
*ya ya high hope, Aunty Naz*

Monyet King said...

now we have CEC (currypuff eating cats). wonder what next ?

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Naz,
Dream on, baby. Dream on.... har har har *evil laughs*

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Your Highness,
Be surprised. Everytime. Cats are truly unpredictable creatures. Ask Lulu. har har har *evil laughs*

Pi Bani said...

What?? You ate ONLY five???

kay_leeda said...

Angie,

Pls tell yr Mama, those curry puffs if frozen she can even shipped it back to Aunty Kay and gang here to merasa okay. Freeze it longer, send them to Aunty Naz to keep her smiling all summer long :D

TK said...

Meow..I am hungry. Your currypuff looks yummy. I never use coconut milk for the filling. Mesti sedap. Lagi lemak gitu! Pandai you kelim karipap. I really donno how to do it!I buat slalu tak cantik!! Help!!

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Pi,
Five only? Because....hmmm....finesse...we learnt a new word so have to live it. I don't want to be called a glutton. Five in one seating....if I do it 5 times? You do the maths. purrr....meow!

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Kay,
Frozen? What's to freeze? Brad has finished them all. I think the vet is gonna be shocked the next time we go visit her as Brad would have ballooned.... purrr....meow!

Cat-from-Sydney said...

TK Sensei,
The milk is our secret ingredient. Oh, to really get the hang of the "kelim karipap" you'd have to practise on loads and loads of playdough. purrr.....meow!

Anonymous said...

Ange & Brad: another new word to learn - Fattening *evil laugh*

Ellen Whyte said...

Starved now! Au adn Target help with cooking too by meowing encouragingly.

Pat said...

Lovely post, Ange!

Btw, have you guys tried baking them? That's what I do. I hate having to deep fry anything - so I bake them. They'd taste just as yummy :)

Cheqna said...

hiyaa...curry fuffs my fav, wish ur mama is back here n live somewhere near my house, i can pop in n out of her kitchen, no need for finesse there..hehe..


laluan sikit...
TK ~ tip nak cantik kelim karipap is selalu2 lah buat...hehe

:-)

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Andrea dear,
Can't find that word in dictionary.com or wikictionary. Where can I find the meaning? har har har *evil laughs*

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Au and Target,
Yes!!! We are the cooking kitties! purrr....meow!

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Pat,
We also learn a new word - authentic. Thus, authentic curry puffs must be deep fried. We'll suggest baking to Mama. Next time, OK? purrr....meow!

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Cheqna dear,
Perhaps if you wish hard enuff, it may become a reality. In the mean time, drool..... har har har *evil laughs*

Lee said...

Hi Cat, ha ha, love your lively sense of humour. Love your cats too.
Have a nice purrrrring day, Lee.

Jay D said...

meooowwww !maooooooowwww!
makan-makan tu nampak bessssh!!!

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Dear Angelina,
I think your Mama would have gotten the currypuffs made much faster and neater without your help.

Dear Brad,
Wow! You are not a popsicle yet?

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Uncle Lee,
Would you have read further if I had started with just: today we made currypuffs.? har har har *evil laughs*

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Dear Average Joe,
My Mama says she's willing to give you lessons. But you'll have to move here. OK? purrr....meow!

Cat-from-Sydney said...

CO78,
But she thinks she must train this cat to be a proper daughter. And, purrlease....honest, I didn't close the fridge door on Brad. It was the wind. *winks* purrrr.....meow!

Unknown said...

I prefer to have both Brad and Angelina...they look so adorable in the pic!!!!!

Salam and tummy tickles to Brad and Angelina