Yellowtail Scad, Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, Stink Beans and Prawns...

It's time to take out the mortar and pestle. The mortar and pestle I have at home is antique. It's older than I am. My first time using it to pound the spices. The difference between manual pounding and electronic blending was difficult to explain. You will have to experience it yourself. It's tastier.

Steamed Yellowtail Scad...

• 10 bird's eye chilies
• 5 red shallots
• 1cm fresh tumeric
• 2cm dried shrimp paste *toasted*
• 1 tbsp salted bean paste

Slowly add in while pounding. Well, if you really have mortar and pestle then just throw all into the blender. Don't feel bad about not having it. After all the spices have been pounded, mix with:

• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1tsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Steam for about 7 minutes. That's all.... sprinkle with spring onion to add value to your cooking.

Baba's Curry Chicken with Sweet Potato

• 6 red shallots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 10g galangal
• 10g turmeric
• 15g fresh ginger
• 5 dried chilies *soaked*
• 2 stalks lemon grass
• 50ml cooking oil *I no longer use cooking oil instead, mi madre made ghee*

Blend those to make your very own curry paste. I guess you will be tired of pounding for the second round or you if you find it fun to pound manually then go ahead. Stir fry the curry paste then add in:

• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp caster sugar
• 3 tbsp meat curry powder
• 1 tsp belacan powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 stem curry leaf
• 4 pieces chicken thigh
• 400g sweet potatoes
• 800ml water

Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes then add 250ml of thick coconut milk. It will be perfect... actually you should add the salt last.

Thai-style Red Curry Petai Prawns...

Now, learn how to make your own Thai-style red curry paste:

• 10 shallots
• 6 pips garlic
• 12 big and long red chilies
• A small knob of galangal
• 1 plant Chinese celery
• 1 plant root of coriander
• 3 pieces fragrant lime leaves
• 1 small piece of belacan
• 1 tsp of nutmeg powder

Process them all except the lime leaves. Just cut the lime leaves really small but never blend them or else they would turn bitter. You can keep the rest of red curry paste in the refrigerator after scooping up 3 tbsp of them for this purpose. You will be able to cook a dish of Thai red curry for another 3 times after this. But please only keep it after stir-frying the paste. 

• 3 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 120ml thick coconut milk
• 100ml water
• 100g stink bean
• 1 big red chili
• 1 big green chili
• Prawns... up to you how much you want
• 30ml thick coconut milk *when it's done*