Category: Asia

Tajikistan

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Tajikistan, a landlocked former Soviet republic, covers an area of 142,000 sq km (55,000 sq miles). It borders Kyrgyzstan in the north, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south and Uzbekistan in the northwest. The capital is Dushanbe.
The area of Tajikistan has been inhabited since 4000 BC.
The Pamir mountains, topping 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) and known locally as the “Roof of the World”, make up more than 90 percent of its territory There are more than 900 rivers in Tajikistan and about 20 main lakes.
The legendary Silk Road passed through Tajikistan going from China to Europe. The Silk Road (or Silk Route) is an ancient network of trade routes that were central to cultural interaction through regions of the Asian continent connecting the West and East from China to the Med. The Silk Road derives its name from the lucrative trade in Chinese silk carried out along its length.
Tajikistan remains the poorest of the 15 post-Soviet nations.
According to wiki, part of the 1985 American comedy film, Spies Like Us, directed by John Landis starring Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd was set in Tajikstan. Although they didn’t actually do any filming there.
The cuisine of Tajikstan includes Plov (a rice dish fried with vegetables & meat), Qurutob (salted cheese) and Fatir (flaky flatbread). I decided to cook lamb kebabs with mint & star anise.  They were a very unusual (if not an acquired) taste.
Rating: 7/10

Kebabs:
400g ground lamb
1 large red onion
1 medium tomato
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
4 star anise corms, ground
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp fresh, chopped mint leaves
1 small bunch of coriander leaves, chopped (15-20 sprigs)
3 hot, dried, red chili peppers
1/4 cup flour (optional)
Stew:
2 large yellow onions, peeled, sliced and separated into crescents
3 tbsps unsalted butter
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 generous tbsp of garlic, peeled and chopped
3 hot, dried red chili peppers
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 small bunch of coriander leaves, chopped (15-20 sprigs)
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup plain yogurt

1. In a food processor combine onion tomato and spices and blend lightly so that the vegetables are chopped but still have their form. Add meat, blend lightly again to mix. Let set in the refrigerator for several hours before rolling into kebabs.
2. Preheat grill on the highest setting. Remove meat mix from refrigerator and roll the kebabs into sausages or loaves about 3 inches long and 1½ inches wide. Flour very lightly, if desired, to help the meat hold together.
3. Place on a baking sheet that has been oiled or sprayed. Cook about 6 inches from the flame for 5 minutes on each side. If meat still feels soft to the touch, cook for another few minutes, but do not let the kebabs burn. When done, remove from heat and set aside as you make the stew.
4. Melt butter in a large saucepan or sauté pan. When hot, add onions and sauté briefly to coat the onions. Cook for a few minutes stirring often and then add the sugar and lower the heat to the lowest setting. Let onions cook and caramelize, stirring them only every 10 minutes or so. When they are light brown and very soft, add the garlic, chili peppers and coriander and stir well. Cook until garlic begins to brown.
5. Add the yogurt and the beef stock to the onions and garlic, stirring well. Add the lamb kebabs and, if necessary, add more beef stock. Cover and continue to cook over a low flame until the kebabs are hot. Serve the kebabs on a bed of rice or bulgur and spoon the onions and sauce over the kebabs for a bit of extra flavor.

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Indonesia

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The fourth most populated country in the world with over 255m people and it has the fourth largest coastline.
It comprises of over 17,000 islands that lie between the Pacific Ocean & the Indian Ocean.  The most known islands are Sumatra, Bali & Java.  Java is the most populated island in the world.
Some of Lonely planet’s highlights include; catching waves at Ulu Watu, Bali’s surfing mecca; Java’s Borobudur temple; trekking to Dani villages in Papua’s Baliem Valley and the enigmatic orangutan in Tanjung Puting National Park.
There are 400 active volcanoes, more than any other country.  Krakatoa is the site of the largest volcanic eruption ever recorded. Occurring on August 27, 1883, it had a force equivalent to 2,000 Hiroshima bombs and resulted in the death of 36,000 people.
It is home to some pretty scary wildlife, namely, the Komodo dragon (the largest lizard on earth), Python Reticulates, (the longest snake in the world) and the largest volume of shark species, approx 150.
As for Indonesia’s cuisine, according to wiki it is one of the most vibrant and colourful in the world, full of intense flavour.  So hopefully we are in for a treat!  I was entertaining friends so I opted for 3 of the most popular dishes; Sate Ayam Madura (chicken satay with peanut sauce); Padang Style Beef Rendang (rich beef curry) and Nasi Goreng (fried rice).

Rating:  10/10 – Sate, 9/10 – Rendang Beef and 8/10 – Nasi Goreng.  Overall 9/10

Sate Ayam Madura
Peanut Sauce:
250g peanut, toasted/roasted
3 candlenuts (kemiri)
6 red chilies
4 tbsp palm sugar
2½ tsp salt
600 ml water
Satay:
600 gram chicken thigh meat, cut into ½ inch cubes
4 tablespoon sweet soy sauce (Kecap manis)
2 tsp oil Bamboo skewers (about 20)
Peanut Sauce: In a food processor, grind together peanut, candlenuts, and chilies. Transfer to a sauce pot along with the rest of the peanut sauce ingredients, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking until the sauce thickens. Turn off heat.Satay: Place chicken, sweet soy sauce, oil, and 150 gram of peanut sauce in a mixing bowl. Mix together and marinate for 30 minutes. Skewer the marinated chicken with bamboo skewers. Grill until cooked and slightly charred, baste with marinating sauce as needed. Serve the satay with peanut sauce & lime wedges 

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Padang Style Beef Rendang
600g beef chuck steak, cut into 2 inch by 2 inch cubes
1 litre of water
150 ml thick coconut cream
3 kaffir lime leaves
3 bay leaves
1 lemon grass, gently bruised
1 inch galangal, peeled and gently bruised
1/2 tbsp tamarind pasteGrind the following into spice paste:
15 shallots
5 cloves garlic
50g red chilies
10 candlenuts (I used macadamia as I couldn’t find these)
1 inch fresh ginger
1 inch fresh turmeric
1 /2 tbsp pepper
1 /2 tbsp salt
Put all ingredients in a soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat a bit (still above simmering point) and leave the pot uncovered.
Cook until the liquid is reduced and thickened. Once the liquid has thickened, reduce the heat and simmer until all the liquid is almost gone and the beef looks a bit dark – this should take around 2 hours.
Remove from heat and serve hot or at room temperature.
Ingredients for Beef Rendang
Beef Rendang
Nasi Goreng
6 shallots
3 garlic cloves
5g shrimp paste
10 g red chilli
3 eggs
150 g chicken breast, deep-fried and shredded
1/4 cup cooking oil
600 g rice, cooked & cold
1 tsp pepper
3 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 spring onion, chopped
4 shallots quick fried & left to dryGrind shallots, garlic, shrimp paste and chili to fine paste.
Heat cooking oil in a wok and stir-fry spice paste for 2 minutes on a medium heat, till brownish and fragrant.
Push spices to side of wok and pour egg into the wok. Quickly scramble the egg for a minute. Mix egg with spices, break them into smaller pieces.
Add rice, pepper, kecap manis, soy sauce & chicken.
Stir-fry everything quickly over high heat, for 6-7 minutes.
Sprinkle with the spring onion and fried shallots & serve 

Ingredients for Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng

Russia

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The largest country in the world, at 17,075,200 sq.km,  almost double the 2nd largest country, Canada.  It has 11 time zones, the worlds largest forest (The Taiga) and the deepest lake (Lake Baikal).  The longest train journey on earth is the Trans-Siberian railway from Moscow to Vladivostok is 9,289k, takes 7 days with 58 stops.  A one way ticket 3rd class costs £202, 2nd class £346 and 1st class £694.  People have been taking this journey since 1916.  One of Russia’s most urgent problems is its grave population decline, in response they have created incentives including cash rewards for families to have more children.  It has the largest McDonalds in the world with 700 seats.  Moscow has more billionaire residents than any other city in the world. There are a total of 74 billionaires living in the popular city.  Moscow’s amazing metro system is the fastest means of transport. During rush hour, trains are scheduled for every 90 seconds. It is estimated that over 9 million passengers ride the Meto every day. The Metro of St. Petersburg is also the deepest subway in the world, clocking in at a whopping 100m deep.  Home to the Bolshoi Ballet, an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, it is among the world’s oldest ballet companies.  Vodka is worth over $12 billion in global sales annually and there are hundreds of different Russian brands.  Stolichnaya is the 4th best selling vodka in the world, with the French ‘Grey goose’ being no.1.

As for the food, there’s plenty of choice .. Shchi (cabbage soup), Pirogi (dumplings) , Borscht (beetroot soup), Honey cake, Bliny (thin pancakes), Kasha (porridge).  I opted for the very traditional Beef Stroganoff, served with lovely creamy mash, much to Bern’s delight 🙂 .. and a sneaky shot of Vodka!
Rating: 9/10
½  tbsp oil
½ tbsp butter
½ onion, thinly sliced
120g crimini mushrooms, sliced
300g beef steak, cut in strips
2 tbsps brandy
salt
pepper, freshly ground
¼ cup beef stock
1-bay leaf
½ tsp whole grain mustard
½ cup- full fat creme fraiche
1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
 

Heat oil and butter in a heavy skillet and cook onions and mushrooms over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Add cut steak to the same skillet and quickly fry over high heat for 3-5 minutes.
Add brandy and continue cooking until alcohol burns off, add stock, mustard, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release all the brown bits, they will add much flavour to the sauce.
Bring mushrooms and onions back to the pan and cook for 3 minutes until everything is heated through and bubbling.
Stir creme fraiche and parsley and take off the heat.

Serve quickly whilst its hot with mounds of mashed potatoes or rice.

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Iraq

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It’s impossible to avoid thoughts of war and destruction when one thinks of Iraq. However it isn’t all doom & gloom …
The region known as Mesopotamia, is most often referred to as humanity’s cradle of civilisation. It was here that mankind first began to read, write, create laws, and live in cities under an organised government.
One of Iraq’s distinctive plants is licorice, which has been used for thousands of years for its health benefits. Warriors in ancient armies found that chewing it kept them from getting thirsty. For 5,000 years Iraqis have been keeping bees. Honey is an important source of food and income for many Iraq families.  The famous children’s story Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves was written in Iraq about 1,000 years ago.
After a fair bit of research I found the following recipes: Kubbat Mousel (layers of burghul with a thin layer of minced meat), Fasangoon (chicken in pomegranate and walnut sauce), Samak Masgouf (seasoned grilled fish) and Kleicha (filled pastry).  From an Iraqi cookbook, I decided to cook Timman Jazar (rice with carrots).  I served it with red wild rice.
My rating: 7/10 – it had a nice flavour and the rice added a good texture to the dish.  Bern wasn’t so keen,  apparently the cinnamon ‘got up his nose’ :-p
For 2 people with a bit leftover
250g minced meat
2 large carrots
1 large onion
1 tbsp garam masala
½ tsp cinnamon
Salt and black pepper
Vegetable oil for cooking
200g red wild rice
Rinse the rice in cold water
Chop the onions and carrots into small cubes
Cook the minced meat with the garam masala, until slightly brown
Add the chopped onion, season with salt and black pepper; continue cooking for 5-10 minutes over a medium heat
Add the chopped carrots and cinnamon and cook for about 15 minutes, adding a little water
Meanwhile, cook the rice (I did this in the microwave for 15 mins and then let stand for 15 mins)
Add the cooked rice to the meat & veg mixture and serve

Kyrgyzstan

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My first venture in to the ‘Stans’ and sadly found out that it is the second-poorest country in Asia.  The name Kyrgyz is said to derive from the Kyrgyz word for forty and it is a possibility that the people of Kyrgyzstan came from forty families or clans.  It has one of the world’s largest natural walnut forests.  Alcohol is very cheap, a bottle of vodka is priced at around 180 som (3.5 EUR) and beer costs 60 som (1.2 EUR).  A search in Expedia for a flight from London to Bishkek, the capital city, starts around £370 return if you stop at Istanbul on the way.  There are 36 hotels in Bishkek according to Trip advisor, Futuro Hotel being the highest ranked.  They eat a lot of horse meat and mutton, but not many vegetables.  Recipes include Beshbarmak (Boiled meat mixed with noodles & spicy onion sauce, eaten with the hands), Manty dumplings & Lepyoshka (flatbread).  To accompany our Panamanian breakfast doughnuts, I opted to cook Borsok (fried bread).
Rating: 9/10 – we thought these little breads were awesome and could be enjoyed equally with savoury dips or with honey, jam or chocolate spread.
2 cups of flour
½ tbsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
¼ tsp dried yeast
¼ cup milk
¼ cup warm water
1 egg
1/2 cup olive oil
Combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and stir in the milk. Combine the two mixtures, stir them together, and stir in warm water slowly until the mixture holds together but is not sticky.
Cover the mixture and place it in a warm part of the house.
After two hours, roll the dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough into 1 inch by 2 inch rectangles.
Pour ¼ cup oil into a saucepan and heat on medium high. Additional oil may be needed depending on the size of the saucepan. Make sure the oil completely covers the surface of the pan.
Once the oil is heated, fry the borsok in the pan. Depending on the size of the pan, you can fry 4-8 borsok at the same time-but be sure that they do not overlap.
Fry the borsok until it puffs up and is golden brown on the bottom.
Flip the borsok over to fry the other side until it is also golden brown.
Add additional oil as needed to keep a thin coat of oil on the surface of the pan.
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Bhutan

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A tiny Himalayan kingdom that is best known for things like being great at archery and having no stoplights.  Bhutan is the only country that measures GNH (Global National Happiness) alongside GDP.  There are only 4 airplanes in the entire country, and they all belong to the national airline, Druk Air. There are no private planes for the royals or elected officials.  One more interesting thing to note about Bhutan: there are a lot of penises painted on buildings!  The penis is a symbol of good luck and hospitality, and some people think it wards off evil spirits.
I found it quite tricky hunting down authentic Bhutanese recipes as I kept coming across Nepalese & Chinese influenced dishes.  Ema Datshi is the national dish and is a chilli & cheese stew.  I opted to cook Momos (dumplings).
Ingredients
For the dough:
3/4 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
125g minced chicken breast
1 tbsp chopped onion
1 small chopped garlic clove
1 small piece of chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaf
salt & pepper
For tomato sauce:
100g tomato passata
1 small chopped garlic clove
1 small piece of chopped ginger
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper
For the dough, mix the flour and salt, then add oil and water and knead until it forms a ball
Cover and set aside for 30 minutes
Mix together all the filling ingredients in a small bowl
For the sauce, fry the garlic and ginger in oil over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Then add the tomato passata, salt, pepper & sugar and cook over low heat for 10 minutes
Use a pasta machine to roll out the dough thinly (up to setting 5 or 6) and then cut into 4-inch circles.
Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of each circle and fold the circle in half, then pinch the edges to seal
Steam momos for 15-20 minutes in a bamboo steamer
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Singapore

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Day one of my challenge, I’m starting simple with Singapore.  I have a little bit of an inkling as I’ve actually been there 🙂
Friends suggested a few ideas – Chilli crab, Laksa and some others I came across – Hokkien Mee (noodle soup) , Murtabak (stuffed pancake).  In my endeavours to start my project off on a positive note I opted for the relatively straight forward Hainanese Chicken.
There were a fair few recipes on the web with varying levels of difficulty and duration but I opted for the one below.
I found it simple to follow and the end result was enjoyable.  It was fresh tasting and healthy.  I might be tempted to add some coriander leaves and a few fresh chilli strands to give it an even fresher zing!
My rating – 7/10.
This is the recipe I followed:
Ingredients
1.6 kg chicken
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
6 slices root ginger, plus 2 tbsp grated root ginger
4–5 garlic cloves
400 g long-grain white rice
salt
4 spring onions thinly sliced
chilli sauce to serve
Method
Place the chicken in a large saucepan so that it fits snugly.
Cover with water, then add the rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, sliced ginger and one of the garlic cloves, lightly bruised.
Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and allow to stand for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, strain and reserve the stock. When the chicken is cool enough to handle pull the meat away from the bones. Discard the bones and most of the skin (reserve some for later).
Cut the chicken meat into small pieces.
Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat. Fry the reserved chicken skin until the oil is released. Chop the remaining garlic cloves and add to the pan with the grated root ginger. Cook for 1–2 minutes, or until just fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic. Remove the chicken skin from the pan, then add the rice and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until all the flavours are well combined.
Add 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) of the reserved stock. Season with the salt, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked and the stock has been absorbed.
Remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to serve.
Heat the remaining stock to use as a broth.
Check the seasoning, adding more soy sauce if needed.
To serve, spoon the rice into bowls, add a ladle of hot stock and some pieces of the cooked chicken. Sprinkle with the spring onions and serve with chilli sauce.