ID'S Burmese Tomato Salad

I'm truly blessed to have a lot of foodie friends and ID is one such friend. You can never have a conversation with him, which atleast once steers towards a great dish that he tried or a good restaurant that he visited. You can also count on him, to get some of the most amazing recipes from chefs and then try them at home, maybe giving his own twist to it. So when he came back from his Goa vacation a few months back and raved about this Burmese fusion restaurant that he dined at, it wasn't unusual. Of the entire trip, the dish that he fell in love most with was a Burmese tomato salad. So much that he tried it at home, called me up to tell me how much his better half loved it and then followed it by emailing me the recipe. As luck would have it, my better half was calling two of her BFF's home for drinks, small bites and huge chunks of gossip (though she will say catch-up). I had other plans for the evening with my friends at another place, and though I cooked up a few snacks, before I left I decided to give the Burmese tomato salad recipe a try. It was my own small way of letting the girls know that they should have a good time and food should be the last of the worries. My phone didn't stop buzzing that evening, with my better half telling me how great the salad was. She raved about it the next day too. No surprises, that there was none left over, and I had to make a fresh batch again. Yes, I did call him to tell him that the salad was perfect and to thank him for a great recipe. 

I haven't tried to find out if its an authentic traditional recipe or the restaurant recipe but it's a great recipe, and that is what matters.

ID's Burmese Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

NAHM JIM DRESSING:
Garlic, Chopped - 20 grams

Fresh Lemon Juice - 2 tablespoons

Salt - 10 grams

Red Chilies, Chopped (I use the thin red chilies) - 10 grams

Water - 1 tablespoon

Kafir Lime Leaf, Chopped - 3 pieces

Breakfast Sugar - 1 tablespoon

For the Salad:

Tomatoes, Chopped - 250 grams

Peanuts, Roasted & Crushed - 25 grams

Mint Leaves, Shredded - 1 tablespoon

Basil Leaves, Shredded -1 tablespoon

Roasted Garlic, Chopped -1 tablespoon

Spring Onion Leaves -15 grams

Coriander leaves -25 grams

Method:

1. Mix all the Nahm Jim Dressing ingredients.

2. Mix all the salad ingredients in a bowl. 

3. Add the dressing to the salad ingredients just before serving.
4. Toss well and serve. 

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Chicken Tagine with potatoes, fennel & olives

I have always wanted a Tagine in my kitchen collection, and when my better half's friend moved to Algiers, I got myself one. Since then, it has been used by my better half on various occasions, trying out Moroccan delicacies. Last week, it was my turn to cook something in the Tagine. A simple, chicken dish with potatoes, fresh fennel and olives with hot Lebanese bread as an accompaniment, made it great meal. The rain outside only accentuated the entire eating experience.

The Tagine, is a ceramic or clay cookware that is popular in North African cooking. It consists of 2 parts, the bottom part being a shallow, wide circular dish and the top part consisting of a cone or dome shaped top which sits or covers the bottom part. The top part gives it the unique shape and is such to trap all the steam and promote the return of all condensation to the bottom, giving the food cooked in it the unique taste. This also ensures minimal use of liquid used in cooking.

Tagine also refers to food that is slow cooked inside the vessel.  

Incase you do not have a tagine, you can use a skillet or a casserole with a lid to cook up these delicious stews.

Chicken Tagine with potatoes, fennel and olives

Ingredients:
Skinless chicken thighs and legs (with bone) - 6
Potatoes, peeled and cubed - 2
Medium Fennel Bulbs, stalks trimmed, bulbs halved vertically and then cut crosswise - 2
Olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise - half a cup
Onions, finely chopped - 1
Chicken Broth - 2 Cups
Olive Oil - 4 Tblsp

For the marinade:
Garlic, finely chopped  -2
Parsley, finely chopped - 2 tblsp.
Cilantro, finely chopped - 2 tblsp.
Ground cumin - 1 tsp.
Paprika- 1/2 tsp.
cayenne pepper - 1/4 tsp.
Sea Salt - 1/2 tsp.
Lemon Juice - 2 Tblsp
Vinegar - 2 tblsp

Method:
1. Make a marinade by blending all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces and coat with the marinade evenly. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

2. Heat 1 tblsp. of oil in a large skillet, casserole or tagine.
3. Add the chicken pieces and brown for 2 minutes per side. Transfer to another plate.

4. Add 1 tblsp. of oil to the same skillet/tagine and add in the fennel. Saute until golden in spots- approx. 5 minutes.Remove to a plate.

5. Add in another tablespoon of oil and add in the cubed potatoes. Cook till they start to turn golden brown. Transfer to another plate.

6. Add in 1 tablespoon of oil to the same skillet/tagine and add in the chopped onions. Saute till they start to turn golden brown. Add in the cooked fennel. Saute for a minute.
7. Return the chicken and potatoes to the skillet/tagine. Add the chicken broth. and olives.

8. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame till chicken is cooked and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

9. Season with salt and pepper.

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