500 gms squid rings
1/2 medium sized onion, minced
6 – 7 cloves garlic, mince
3 – 4 guindilla
2/3 pack tomato paste
1 cap Sherry vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS

Mix the tomato paste with 200 ml water. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small pan and slowly fry the tomato paste until it is reduced and you can see the oil. Cover or the tomato will splatter. This should take 20 – 30 minutes on a slow fire.

In a saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the minced onions and garlic, then cover and let it sweat on a low fire. When the onions are transparent and soft, add the guindilla and mix well. Once the tomato paste is reduced, add it to the saucepan with salt to taste and 1/2 cup water. Let simmer.

Boil some water and blanch the squid rings for exactly 45 seconds. Any more and they will become rubbery. Remove and let drain.

When the sauce is reduced, switch off the fire and add the squid rings, mixing through.

Serve hot with bread or rice.

NOTE: This sauce is pretty universal! Use this to cook clams (fry the clams first to remove all the fluid) or serve as a sauce for grilled fish or chicken.

INGREDIENTS (For 6 persons in large – 41cm – paellera)

4 cups Egyptian calrose rice (600 gms)

1 chicken about 1 kg, cut into pieces
200gms large squids, sliced to 1cm thickness
600 gms clams
600 gms tiger prawns (about 30 prawns)
1 medium sole (optional)

8 roasted pimientos (preserved pimientos del piquillo) or 2 large roasted pimientos
1 large onion
8 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes
200 gms French beans
200 gms baby peas

2 tbsp tomato puree
1 sachet Paella seasoning
1 cup oil
3 tsp salt
1.3 litres water

DIRECTIONS

As per my paella recipe here.

After that I happened to see the pre-prepared pack for this dish in the supermarket and it was called “Cereal Prawns”. The photo they had on the pack was exactly like Lela’s butter prawns, so I bought it and tried to make it one day in Malaysia and it turned out pretty good.

Its a very rich dish and its possible to make it with carbs or no carbs depending on which diet you’re on. If you look on the internet, there are several ways to make it. I made it today after consulting my niece Ninie, currently in Miri, Sarawak. I saw her making it during my last trip home but couldn’t remember where I put the recipe. So I made it based on her text message.

I have to say it turned out fantastic and hubby loved it! The photo I took of the dish I made shook so bad I had to throw it away. This pic is from a blog I found.

INGREDIENTS

300 gms large prawns (about 20) with shell or without head and shell (I prefer de-headed, de-shelled and de-veined, tail on)

3 – 4 sprigs curry leaves (I used the ones I have dried and preserved, works fine)

3 tsp minced garlic

2 red bird chillies, cut in wedges

5 egg yolks

1 tbsp evaporated milk

250 gms butter

1 tbsp Canola oil

DIRECTIONS

Wash the prawns in water and salt and rinse until water is clear. Drain and when all the water is gone, pat dry in kitchen towel.

Beat the egg yolk in a dish.

Heat half of the butter and oil in a heavy wok. When hot, add the prawns and fry briefly until pink.

Remove from wok and let the butter fry a bit on medium heat to lose the water from the prawns. Don’t let it burn. If it looks like there’s too much butter and oil mix in the wok, remove half and put aside for later. Add the egg yolk and moved it around so the egg becomes grainy. Use two utensils to move it around the wok effectively. When golden yellow, removed from wok and set aside.

All the butter will have been absorbed by the egg yolk. Wipe the wok and add the balance of the butter and oil and heat on a medium fire.

Add the minced garlic and fry for a while until fragrant, add the curry leaves. Whichever you’re using whether fresh or dried, fry until they become crispy. Add the cut bird chillies, move everything around, and add salt to taste.

Add the prawns and egg, mix well and heat through. Add the evaporated milk to make the dish “wet”.

Remove from heat and serve hot.

When I’m cooking this in Kuwait, it actually reminds me of Malaysian-style spicy noodles that I eat it with a pair of chopsticks. LOL

INGREDIENTS

For one serving

80 gms spaghetti

3 cloves garlic

5 guindilla (Spanish dried chilli)

70 gms peeled, deveined shrimps

3 leaves fresh basil

15 gms fresh parseley

1 tsp tomato puree

2 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add the spaghetti and boil according to instructions on the packet until al dente. Check when it has been boiling for 6 minutes by biting a piece of the spaghetti. If not al dente enough, let it boil for another minute or two until the right firmness is reached.

Peel the garlic, smash it with the blade of a knife the cut into 1/2 cm widths, Mince the parseley and shred the basil.

In a pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and saute it – don’t let it become crispy. Lower the heat. Crush the guindilla between your thumb and index finger and add to the garlic. Fry a little on this low heat then add in the spaghetti. Fry the spaghetti mixing it well with the garlic and the guindilla to let it absorb the flavours and get coated in the olive oil. Add salt to taste and the herbs.

Add the tomato puree and stir well for 2 minutes or so.

Increase the heat, make a well in the centre of the pan – i.e. move the pasta to the sides of the pan – and add the shrimps. It should only take a while to cook on the high heat. Stir well and move the pasta around to spread out the shrimps.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 6 minutes

Ready in: 55 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

600 gm fresh shrimps, peeled and de-veined

2 cloves garlic, minced

55 ml olive oil

40 ml tomato sauce

20 ml red wine vinegar

4 gm chopped fresh basil

Salt to taste

Dash cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, olive oil, tomato sauce, and red wine vinegar. Season with basil, salt, and cayenne pepper.

Add the shrimps to the bowl, and mix until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring once or twice.

Preheat grill for medium heat. Thread shrimp onto skewers, piercing once near the tail and once near the head. Discard marinade.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill the skewered shrimps for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Calories Per Serving: 274

• Total Fat: 14.7g
• Cholesterol: 230mg
• Sodium: 480mg
• Total Carbs: 3g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.2g
• Protein: 31g

1 medium-sized shoom (a Kuwaiti fish – but any fish will do)

3 – 4 cloves garlic

Thumb size fresh ginger

4 – 5 fresh chillies

1/2 cup Canola oil for deep-frying

Thai fish sauce

Maggi all-purpose seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Wash the shoom well, then cut slits diagonally on both sides of the fish. Blend the chillies, garlic and ginger with some water till well-pureed.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the fish till both sides are crispy. Drain the fish and discard all the oil. In the same pan, heat 2 tbsp canola oil on medium heat and fry the chilli mixture.

When aromatic, add a couple of dashes of Thai fish sauce and Maggi all-purpose seasoning and mix well. Don’t let it dry up too much.

Pour this sambal over the fish and serve hot with rice or vegetables.