Nava’s Sambar/Nava’s Indian Dhal Curry

Nava. Of course. Nava K. Aka, The Crazy Lover. My-my-mind-you! I can cook. I can of course. Maybe not extended to as a Michelin starlight, starbright, kinda cooking. But? A decent meal at home. Cooked with love and basic, homestyle dishes mainly and mostly for the loved ones at home. Anyway. Or my way. Or your way. Or whoever's way? There’s only two of us in my house and food? Food is always. Forever. The food of priority towards my Indian other half-half. My Indian other half-half? Of course. As always, Indian food. The comfort food (Mysore Sambar, Andra Sambar, Drumstick Sambar & Udupi Sambar). The commonality food. The known food and the food that has been repeated, over and over again, like? To tell you the truth? I can’t even recall the number of times I have made Sambar/Indian dal curry (Palakura Pappu, Spinach Dal Curry, Bitter Gourd Sambar & Sambar). For a  fact, countless times for the years I have been married to him. Sambar again? Obviously. This time? Named as Nava K's Sambar/Nava's Dhal Curry. Furthermore? Honestly, nothing furthermore I want to say. Best will be perhaps, how about you reading all my sambar/Indian dhal curry stories in the other types of sambar recipes (Tanni Saar & Moong Dal Curry) I have linked within this intro. Right. Let's hit the recipe now. 

Malaysian Rasam. Quick & Easy Rasam/Instant Indian Healthy Pepper Soup

Oh-Dear-My-Nava K! My blog. Blog of mine. This blog of mine. Obviously? Been neglected. My last blog pitching? 16th April (Som Tam/Thai Green Papaya Salad). Right now, you must be asking me why I have not been updated my blog right? No worries. I'll spill the beans right now and the beans will lead to? My yoga journey. Journey which has started very promisingly and this journey has been keeping me on my toes. Apart from the pressure I have been putting on myself, in finishing up my International Yoga Instructor Course. Plus, my thesis for my Master Of Science Yoga. Yes. I have to. Clock is ticking. Time is running out, and time is running really fast. Furthermore, not to forget about my home affairs chores. The cooking, washing, cleaning, as well as I am an avid home gardener and other things that I need to balance at home. Pretty much summing up or down? Why blog has been neglected. 

Som Tam (Thai Green Papaya Salad)

Green Papaya Salad. Oh yes. Quite a popularity in Asia. Apart from the Thai version, like this one I am sharing, you can chance upon green papaya salad in Cambodia (Bok Lahong/Cambodian Green Papaya Salad, Cambodian Vegetarian Green Papaya Salad & Cambodian Sour Fish Soup) and in Malaysia as well. Oh yes please. Our Malaysian version to a green papaya salad, mostly the Malay style version and pretty much? Thai Green Papaya Salad or Som Tam can be devoured into, in Thai restaurants and Thai stalls situated in coffee shop, in Malaysia. Indeed a familiarity for Malaysians. My Thai green papaya salad knowing upon of course originated in Malaysia. As well as during my Thailand solo travelling adventures. Thailand! Yes, I did it. From right from the borders of Malaysia (Betong, Phuket/Krabi, Ayutthaya & Chonburi) and all the way till I even crossed over from Chiang Rai (The Golden Triangle Boat Ride) to Myanmar (Myanmar - Across The Border). Tadaa!!

Indonesian Potato Tauhu/Kentang Tauchu Indonesia (Vegetarian)

Keep your food journey interesting. Keep your food love exciting. And keep your food happiness trilling, frilling and sexciting. Why not? After all, food is the primary reason why we work. For a decent meal on our table, for our hunger and for the ultimate satisfaction to our palates. Of course, we can prefer familiarity. I mean, we may be inclined to our comfort food. But if you are an adventurous foodie or food lover like me, we do have options to other cuisines from all around the globe. And food from the Asian continent personally for me, is my utmost food love . Take for example Indonesian food. Aha! Me! The food hero to Indonesian food and you know what? You can effortlessly convert Indonesian dishes to a vegetarian food trail (Urap Kangkung/Water Spinach Salad, Tempeh Orek/Spicy Fermented Soy Bean & Terong Balado/Spicy Sweet Brinjal). Like this Indonesian Potato Tauhu/Kentang Tauchu Indonesia. Where did the recipe spring from? The mind of this “The Crazy Lover”. Enough said, to the recipe now please.

Vietnamese Spicy Lemongrass Chicken (Ga Chien Sa Ot)

In the previous recipe pitching, Bok Lahong/Cambodian Green Papaya Salad and today, aha, crossing over from Cambodia to Vietnam (Hu Tieu Nam Vang/Phnom Penh Noodle Soup) for showcasing Vietnamese Spicy Lemongrass Chicken. Trust me, such a wonderful, wondrous dish from a the land which has gone through major battering and bruising due to the world know and historically significant Vietnam War. Vietnam War. Oh yes! No trip of yours to Vietnam (Ca Hap Gung Hanh/Vietnamese Steam Fish) will be complete or can be considerate as wholesomeness without visiting all the historical sites which showcases the years of the Vietnam War (Ho Chi Minh City & Hanoi). Followed by the also the aftermath of the brutal war. All of these. The pain, the misery, the suffering, the deaths, so on and so forth. Now, how about Vietnamese Food? Oh-My-Love! Simply spectacular. The freshest salads on earth, plus, a must when in Vietnam, apart from Vietnamese Pho (Shrimp Pho, Lamb Pho/Vietnamese Noodle Soup & Vietnamese Fish Soup) are the other dishes, known for their big, bold thundering tastes. A mix bag of spiciness, sourness and sweetness. Including the dish of the day I am sharing. Vietnamese Spicy Lemongrass Chicken. Shall we now head to the recipe? Of course. We shall. 

Bok Lahong (Cambodian Green Papaya Salad)

Bok Lahong. Aka, Cambodian Green Papaya Salad. Indeed. Green papaya from my garden into this, various role play and interlinking, big bold tasting Cambodian Salad. A raw salad by the way. In other words, there is no cooking involved and for a fact, such a papaya salad is also a popularity in other Asian countries as well. Including in Malaysia. Known as Kerabu Betik and suffice to say, you can actually replace green papaya with mangoes (Malaysian Mango Salad) too (Cambodian Green Mango Salad). Ingredients for this kinda papaya salad from whichever part of Asia? Including for this version or variety from Cambodia ? As far as I know, pretty much the commonality. The common Asian ingredients for the burst of spiciness, sourness, sweetness and every now and then, saltiness as well. Now, you must be curious in finding out, how come I know the nooks and crannies in making Cambodian Green Papaya Salad? Aha! On my palates. Not once but a couple of times during my trip to Cambodia (Cambodian Sour Fish Soup) in year 2012. Having said that, I tweeted the recipe to suit and fit those ingredients available locally in Malaysia and those ingredients I couldn’t get a hold on to? Eliminated. Plus, even the cooking technic. Simplified. Which you can see and hear from my YouTube cooking video. Whereby I have spoken in great length on other related and of course, since I like to talk a lot, other correlated matters. All of it, as a package for my version of Bok Lahong. 

Urap Kangkung (Water Spinach Salad) - Vegetarian

It’s always been my absolute, my moment to my pleasure to tweeting recipes. Recipes I pick up via my travelling meaningfulness. In other words, at each part of the world I am, I make sure I somehow or rather, either slyly or demurely ask for the recipes at the places I dine or pack food. Including at the streets. Or worst come to worst, I taste the food and figure out for myself what could possibly be the ingredients for those dishes. Of course, suffice to say, there are kind people in any part of the world who won’t mind sharing their recipes. Whereas, I believe it is a known fact that, there are also people who do or die, will safeguard, protect and defend their recipes like nobody’s business. Nevermind. Does not really matter. Because as a foodie adventurous person and someone who have been cooking various types of dishes from various continents for donkey years, furthermore, thanks to my hard earned money which has enabled me to travel to a number of countries as well, I am quite a hero in figuring out the ingredients for the dishes. My food love will without a doubt forever be Asian dishes, but that does not mean I shun away from Western dishes. Indonesian food (Tempe Orek Vegetarian & Terong Belado Masam Manis) particularly for me. Oh my-my and during my trip to Indonesia a couple of years ago (Surakarta & Yogyakarta), I managed to dive into Urap Kangkung, aka, Water Spinach Salad and here’s to the vegetarian version (Sayur Lodeh). Of course, recipe by yours truly, and recipe, ah, from the mind of Nava K.