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Spices & Sauces - Cayenne Pepper
Spices make our food flavorful, healthy and appetizing. At the same time, we don’t want any of the spices overpowering our dishes. Personally I believe the quality of spices are of paramount importance.
This week I would like to share about the importance of Cayenne Pepper. The cayenne pepper is a type of capsicum annuum. Cayenne peppers are a popular spice used in many different regional styles of cooking, and they have been used medicinally for thousands of years.
These peppers boast an impressive nutrition profile, which includes a variety of antioxidants that are beneficial for your health. Capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne peppers, is what gives them their medicinal properties including metabolism-boosting properties, the ability to relieve pain, aid digestive health, reducing the risk of cancer etc.
It also gives them their hot taste. In fact, how hot a cayenne pepper is depends on its capsaicin content. The more capsaicin it contains, the hotter it is. Cayenne pepper is not a chili powder substitute. It is a purer spice powder and only a small amount is needed to give heat to any recipes. This will lead to using less oil in cooking when less spice powder in the recipes compare with using curry powder or chilies powder.
FRAGRANT BASMATI RICE
INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp Biona Raw Virgin Coconut Oil
2 Shallots (sliced)
3 Garlic Cloves (chopped)
2 Bay leaves
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Tbsp Cardamom Seeds
1 Star Anise
5 Cloves
2 Cup Basmati rice
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Washed and rinse the Basmati rice a few times. Soak it for at least 30 minutes.
2. Lightly fry all the ingredients with Biona Raw Virgin Coconut Oil until fragrant and add water with the rice.
3. It can be cooked in the rice cooker or on the stove. Once the liquid has evaporated, leave the rice to rest, covered for 5 to 10 minutes.
Note: Basmati rice differs from brand to brand so make sure you follow the instructions on the packet for amount of water. Optional to add salt but I don’t because it is good to cut down sodium in our dietary.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH DHAL
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp Biona Raw Virgin Coconut Oil
1 Red Onion (Diced)
3 Garlic cloves (chopped)
2 Sprigs Curry leaves
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Absolute Organic Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder
1/2 Tsp Tumeric Powder
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Can Absolute Organic Diced Tomatoes
2 Cup Cubed Butternut Squash
1 Tsp salt (or to taste)
1 Can Biona Butter Beans (rinsed & drained)
1 Can Biona Lentils Vert (rinsed & drained)
Ricotta Cheese (you can substitute with Greek Yogurt)
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat Biona Raw Virgin Coconut Oil in a pot, fry the onion and garlic until soft. Add the curry leaves, paprika, Absolute Organic Cayenne Pepper, cumin powder, tumeric powder and mustard seeds. Lightly fry it in low fire for 30 seconds and make sure you don’t burn it.
2. Pour a can of Absolute Organic Diced Tomatoes and 1 can of water. Add the butternut squash and salt to taste. Simmer on medium flames with lid covered for 10 minutes.
3. Add the Biona Lentils Vert, Biona Butter Beans and simmer on medium flames for another 10 minutes.
4. Serve with Ricotta Cheese.
Note: This Dhal is suitable as soup or goes well with fragrant basmati rice.
FISH CURRY WITH FRESH MANGO
INGREDIENTS:
600 gm Yellowtail Scad fish (any other types of fish such as batang steak, snapper, mackerel etc)
1 whole not fully ripe Mango (Chunks)
1 Red Onion (Diced)
2 Tomatoes (Chunks)
3 Fresh Green Chilies (Sliced)
1 Eggplant/Brinjal (Chunks)
3 Long beans (Optional)
1 Thumb size Ginger (Grated)
4 Garlic cloves (Chopped)
2 Sprigs Curry Leaves
2 Tbsp Biona Raw Virgin Coconut Oil
1/2 Tsp Absolute Organic Cayenne Pepper
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1 Tsp Coriander seeds
1 Can Biona Golden Milk with Tumeric Spice
1 Tsp Salt (or less)
Mints (Optional for Garnishing)
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat Biona Raw Virgin Coconut Oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, curry leaves and fry until the onions are soft.
2. Add the Absolute Organic Cayenne Pepper and half the tomatoes and half the mangoes. Then add half of the Biona Golden Milk with Tumeric Spice. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Add the fish and the rest of the ingredients in the pan. Arrange it properly and cover with a lid. Do not stir the food! Cook/Simmer it for 9 minutes on medium flame.
4. Seasoned with salt and ready to serve for up to 4 persons.
Note: Now is the season for fresh mangoes. Not fully ripe mango naturally sweetens the curry with a bit of tartness and sourish to the curry dish. Biona Golden Milk with Tumeric Spice is mixture of Tumeric and coconut milk which enhance the curry fish.
©️ 2021 Moon Chai