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Monday, April 4, 2011

Muslim Restaurant

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I first mentioned Muslim Restaurant back in 2006. I recall having enjoyed it at the time, but in the one or two times I’d been back since then, wasn’t blown away by the food and eventually neglected the place altogether.

Recently a friend mentioned the restaurant, and I decided to give it another try. I was curious to see if things had changed and ordered quite a few dishes. There was khao mok phae, goat biryani (pictured above), the ’special’ version of which served on Mondays and Fridays comes with a side of yogurt and an eggplant curry; sup haang wua, oxtail soup, which although not as tart as elsewhere, was meaty and oniony; a tasty chicken mataba; and a sweet but rich and complex kaeng matsaman kai, Massaman curry with chicken.

In addition to the above, they also do quite a few prepared curries, a couple deep-fried snacks (including good but greasy samosas), tea and coffee served with goat milk, and Indian/Middle-Eastern sweets. If this isn’t enough, you can always order extra yellow rice, which for reasons unknown to me is called khao burii (’cigarette rice’).

I’m glad I made it back, as I really enjoyed just about everything at Muslim Restaurant, particularly the biryani, which although not as perfect as the version served at nearby Naaz, is worth seeking out.

Muslim Restaurant
1354-56 Th Charoen Krung, Bangkok
02 234 1876
6.30am-5.30pm


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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Homemade Kinako Toasted Soy Flour

Homemade Kinako Toasted Soy Flour - Viet World Kitchenwindow.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init( { apiKey: 'a279adbe87e2b3c505e777af99a5260d' } ); YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady( function() { FB.XFBML.parse(); } );};( function() { var e = document.createElement( 'script' ); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById( 'fb-root' ).appendChild( e );} )();Viet World KitchenHomeArchivesRecipe IndexVWK StoreClasses + EventsFavorite SitesAbout MePermission and CreditWelcome to Viet World Kitchen where I explore the culinary traditions of Vietnam and the rest of Asia. Join me to learn, create, and contribute!

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March 28, 2011Homemade Kinako Toasted Soy Flour

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Powdery toasted soy flour imparts a wonderful tan color and nutty finish to foods. Called kinako, it’s a Japanese ingredient that’s used in Taiwanese kitchens too. Surprisingly, toasted soy flour is also entering high end kitchens in China. When I traveled to Chengdu last year, uber Sichuan Chef Yu Bo made his own from roasting and grinding dried soy beans. He used the powder to finish a dessert preparation in his tour de force tasting menu at Yu’s Family Kitchen.

I needed toasted soy flour today for an afternoon snack of Japanese sweet rice dumplings (shiratama dango). Unfortunately, I wasn’t near a Japanese or well-stocked Chinese market! I remembered Yu Bo telling me that he simply made his own.

I thought of making kinako myself but read online that grinding the beans had to be done slowly and carefully. Then I realized that in the United States, many health food stores carry soy flour. You can buy small quantities for next to nothing in the bulk section. The grinding had been done for me so all I needed to do was toast the flour! Bingo.

The first time out, I burnt the flour as I tried toasting too much in a skillet. It also went flying when I went to stir it. The second time, I used a small saucepan to minimize the mess, but my heat was too high at medium and I didn’t stir frequently enough. The stuff toasted unevenly. The third try was the charm.

Here’s how to make your own toasted soy flour:

In a 1-quart saucepan, put about 3 tablespoons of soy flour. Heat it over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for 1 minute. As the pan and flour heat up, you have to stir it more often and then constantly. Ramp up your stirring after the first minute and then keep stirring for about 5 minutes more, until very fragrant. The soy flour will give off a funny toasty, popcorn-like smell that verges on seeming burnt. Near the end, pick up the saucepan and stir the flour to control the toasting. The flour will darken quickly at this stage so monitor it carefully. You want a tan color like café au lait and delicate nutty flavor. Err on the lighter side as you can always toast it some more but you cannot go backwards.

Transfer the toasted soy flour to a small bowl and let it cool completely before using.

How does the homemade compare to storebought? Well, it's very good and the major difference is that the soy flour may not be as thoroughly toasted as the commercially produced product. On the other hand, if you need just a little, you can get by with making kinako on the fly!

Do you use kinako? Or have you made kinako yourself? What have your experiences been like?

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Posted in Asian Ingredients, Recipes: All, Recipes: Basic Sauces, Stocks and Garnishes, Recipes: Fast and Easy, Recipes: Gluten-Free , Recipes: Vegan, Recipes: Vegetarian |

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