Ema Datshi (Bhutanese Chilli Stew)

This is a traditional Bhutanese dish, made from chillies and cheese, with some tomatoes and onions thrown in for good measure. Due to the lack of authentic Bhutanese ingredients in Tallinn, I used some other stuff. Due to its ingredients, it can be hellishly hot, so if you do not like spicy stuff, deseed the chillies. Also, if you do decide to take the seeds out, I strongly recommend wearing gloves. Seeding a quarter kilo of chillies means that the stuff gets under your nails, and it burns for a long time after...

Anyway, here's the recipe. Good, strong, healthy, put hairs on your chest etc. Eat with rice and naan.

Ema Datshi

250g chillies (variety according to taste. The original recipe called for jalapenos, I used rohelised tsilid from the supermarket)
1 1/2 cups of water
1 big onion, diced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 big tomatoes, diced
5 cloves of garlic, finely diced
about 250g feta or some other white cheese (plus extra on the side)
Coriander

Wash and chop up the chillies. Deseed if desired. Put the chillies, onions, water, and oil in a pot. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for about 10 min. Add the tomatoes and garlic and simmer for 3 more min. Add the cheese, mix, and simmer for 3 min more. Take off the heat, add the coriander, let sit for a few minutes covered before serving. Serve with rice and naan, and something to take away the burning if needed (raitha, milk, yoghurt etc).

I have also discovered that, with a touch of ginger, and a can (400ml) of beans, the taste is multiplied severalfold. So instead of just having spice, you have taste too! 

Quick and easy dough for pizza

This is off Fired Up Cooking SA, a website with a whole bunch of quick meal options. Lots of the options are South African specialties, such as pap and wors, but most of the recipes use ingredients commonly available everywhere. This is a quick dough recipe for pizza bases - not quite authentic pizza dough, but does the trick and is rather tasty.

Dough for a pizza base

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup milk

Shove it all in a bowl, mix it up, put it on a baking sheet.

Put your topping of choice on, then shove in the oven at 180 Celsius for an hour to cook through.

Chickeney Garlicky Honeyey Orangey Gingery Goodness

I quite enjoy cooking, which most of you should know. I've tried some rather interesting recipes, some of which worked better than others, and some of which could have used a bit of tweaking. The suggestion was made to start a collection of things I've made or done or whatnot, with appropriate thanks to whomever I owe a full belly.

Any thoughts, comments, or tales of wretchedness following an attempt at a recipe, please let me know. Also, please email and tell me stuff, which I will possibly try, possibly not. If I do, you can be sure I will let you know...

First one I owe to a hairy Welshman. I haven't the foggiest idea of its name, so it is hereafter known as the chickeney garlicky honeyey orangey gingery goodness. Directions are for a wok, but I made it in a pot. Be careful with the sweetness - I slightly overdid the honey, which made it a bit sweet for my taste; but it was pretty fantastic otherwise.

Chickeney Garlicky Honeyey Orangey Gingery Goodness: (makes enough for about 500g of chicken, or about 4 people)

500g chicken breasts
2-3 tbsp clear honey
2 large oranges
ginger (2 thumb-sized pieces)
1 or 2 red onions and spring onions
egg noodles (1 pack should do)
3 or 4 garlic cloves
a generous amount of soy sauce
parsley
a carrot
chilli flakes
sesame oil (optional, didn't use as I didn't have it)

Fry the diced chicken in olive oil for a few minutes. Add the juice and zest of one orange and 2 or 3 tablespoons of clear honey, grated ginger (a thumb sized piece) and salt and pepper to taste. Fry until the juices have evaporated and the meat is cooked.
Cook noodles and drain. In a wok, heat olive oil and add the carrot (finely sliced into ribbons), onion and spring onions (chopped). Fry for a few minutes on a low heat. Add crushed garlic (3 or 4 cloves, depending on taste), another thumb sized grated piece of ginger, and some optional dried chilli flakes. Fry for a further minute. Add soy sauce (3 or 4 tablespoons, according to taste), and juice and zest of the other orange, and optional sesame oil (a tablespoon or two). Fry for another minute. Stir the parsley (chopped) and the previously cooked noodles, and fry for a bit more until fully mixed through.

When made for me before, it was fantastically brilliant - I made it and let it get a bit dry, so be careful about that.

Very tasty. Enjoy, taste, have fun.