#cooking

Food trends evolve as fast as fashion trends, and the spicy, mouth-numbing Sichuan mala sauce is the latest addition to a growing list of popular food items to try out. Technomic, a consultancy studying food trends, found that this Chinese sauce is the next big thing where spicy condiments are concerned, as it moves from being a restaurant favourite to the home kitchen. But first let's find out what is in this sauce. From the sounds of it, the fact that it has chilli may turn some people off though others who are hooked on the chilli's “feel good” factor may be more adventurous to give it a go. Endorphins, our body’s natural painkillers, are released when you eat chillis, leading to a sense of “high” as the body defends itself against the chilli’s heat. Hang on, what we do know is that the main ingredient in a Sichuan mala sauce is not chilli, but the Sichuan peppercorn. Forming the crux of the Sichuan mala sauce, this type of peppercorn is popularly used in the Sichuan and Chongqing provinces. Historically, Sichuan peppercorns and ginger were two main ingredients used to add heat to dishes, much needed during cold wintry months. But

Say goodbye to your regular french toast recipe of frying bread in eggs and milk. This is how you level up your french toast recipe - with a humble box of cornflakes! Yes, that's right. Just one simple step to coat your toast in cornflake crumbs and frying it in a generous amount of butter results in a delightfully crisped, crunchy outside and a warm filling within. The perfect thing about this is that you can fill your french toast with any filling you like - so peanut butter and jelly is a great combination, or peanut butter and banana, nutella and banana... the list goes on. Give this decadent stack a swirl of maple syrup and some powdered sugar, and you have yourself an Instagram-worthy breakfast. Is Tiktok your new recipe guide? We've been taking some inspiration too. See our recipes for frozen prata egg tarts, baked milk treats and perfect scrambled eggs.  

Perfect for your weekday dinners, this Truffled Mushroom Soup recipe boasts an earthy mushroom flavour elevated with the unmistakable fragrance of truffles. Bring your culinary creations to a new level and easily impress your friends and family when you serve up this creamy cuppa! This 4-step recipe allows you to effortlessly whip up a comforting bowl of soup without any fuss.

When they need some zing or tang, most Southeast Asian curries turn to the tamarind – either the juice or the flesh itself. While the tamarind (asam jawa in Malay) is fairly ubiquitous in our cuisine, most of us don’t give it too much thought. Given how much we use it, the humble tamarind probably deserves a bit more attention.

Tamarind 101

Let’s go back to basics. The tamarind tree, the Tamarindus indica, is a hardy tropical species typically found in arid or coastal areas. It’s cultivated from seeds contained in pods, and each sapling can grow into a beautiful tree measuring 8 to 12 metres in height. That pod is actually both a fruit and a legume and has an edible pulp or flesh that is great for use in cooking. You can also eat it as you would any other tropical fruit – right from the tree when it’s ripe and fresh. When it’s ready for consumption, the pod will turn from green to brown. Indian cooking also uses tamarind leaves, but the fruit is what most people are after. The tamarind’s juicy pulp is sour but also has a hint of sweetness. Mature trees tend to produce nearly 180 kilograms of fruit each year, making it a popular alternative to lime or lemon juice. We should also note its health properties. The tamarind is known to have anti-inflammatory properties as well as essential antioxidants. Tamarind may also help diabetes patient because eating the fruit or drinking its juice can cut down blood sugar. It is also rich in vitamin B, magnesium and iron, which is perfect for those suffering from low energy or fatigue. It helps to boost red blood cells and fight anaemia, and research also points to some benefits for those suffering from malaria.

Know your tamarind

Tamarind comes in several forms in addition to fresh pods, and it’s important to know the difference so that you can buy the type that’s best for your needs. Some manufa