Remembering a very SPECIAL woman

First, I have to warn you that this post is longer than my previous posts as this going to be something special to me – the topic and the recipe I am going to share. So, if you dare to continue, I would love to say ‘Thanks’ in advance. 🙂

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My mom was a very loving mother and a wife. As a mom, you always do something what you think is best for your children. She was often misunderstood by the way she took care of us and by the way we were raised. She often kept the pain she felt to avoid arguments between her and my father. She was a generous sister, to the point that she will give everything she can that her siblings need.

My mom and I shared common interests: shoes, bags, foods. We borrowed each others’ bags and shoes and I found that cute. We were not the best of friends but I am glad we had some moments together. My mom was a good cook. She was the one cooking for the family and I got this cooking talent from her. The thing is… she did not explore that much when it comes to cooking. I know the answer: my father will not like the new food on the table. That’s why I was not that exposed, too. But I feel great that my mom got me exposed in the kitchen at an early age. There are several dishes that my mom used to cook but I was not familiar with the names. How come I did not ask her? There was this chicken cooked in coconut milk then the chicken (without the coconut milk) is transferred to a another pan to be sautéed, brown a  little then shredded coconut is added. Oh! I don’t know if I said it right; I really can’t remember. 🙁

Also, there’s this beef she used to cook especially when there were gatherings or special occasions. It was one of my favorites and my father’s, too.  Since my mom passed away three years ago due to cardiac arrest (may she rest in peace), we have not cooked some of her recipes due to the non-availability of spices; she used to get if from a far away place from our hometown.

From a long time, I was really craving for certain dishes she used to cook but I was afraid to try due to the fear of not getting the same result as hers. Believe it or not but when I have a doubt on any food to cook – I meant the food we used to cook together – I dream of her, telling me what to do. But this recipe I am going to share today is not one of them. I just came up with the idea of replacing some unavailable ingredients with what I have on the fridge. If I a not mistaken, the last time I’ve eaten this dish was six years ago.

Long time, huh?! But I can still remember the smell and the taste. 😀 We used to cook this together but I really don’t have any idea about the name of the dish, so I’ll just call it…

Mom’s Beef-Turmeric with Coconut Love

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• Spring onions, green and white part separated
• 1 tbsp ginger, chopped
• ¼ kg beef, sliced into small cubes
• 2 cups potatoes, cubed
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• ½ cup fresh shredded coconut, toasted and grounded (recipe below, just in case someone would love to know how it’s done)

Instructions:

1. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the white part of the spring onion and the chopped ginger. Or you can put them on a ziplock bag and find something strong enough to crush them but if you’re using a bottle, make sure not to crush hard as the bottle may be broken. Set aside.
2. In a pan (or casserole) with a medium heat, sauté garlic and cook for a minute. Add the crushed white-part spring onion and ginger and cook for another minute. Add in onions and tomatoes and cook for another minute.
3. Add beef and turmeric powder, mix and cover for 2 minutes.
4. Add 1 cup of the coconut milk and the toasted and grounded coconut. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the beef are tender. If you don’t like to use all coconut milk, you can use 1 cup of water in this step.
5. Add in potatoes and the rest of the coconut milk and wait until potatoes are tender. Add in salt and do some taste test.
6. Remove from heat and garnish with the greens of the spring onion. Serve with white rice.

I’d like to serve mine with white rice, some slices of cucumbers and tomatoes and of course, additional toasted coconut.

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To make the toasted coconut:

First thing, you need 1 cup of fresh shredded coconut. Second thing, get your pan ready and put on low-medium heat. Put the shredded coconut and keep stirring until it turns golden brown as shown below. Remember to keep an eye on it because it burns easily. 1 cup should take about 15 minutes.

Toasted coconut to grounded coconut: When done, remove from heat and grind it using a mortar and pestle, or a mini food processor, or whatever way you want. If you’re using a food processor, make sure to do it for a second or two because if more than 2 seconds, you’ll get a paste out of the toasted coconut and you don’t want that.

Toasted coconut has been a part of our dishes. I sometimes eat this with scrambled egg, rice and cucumbers. Also, I’d love to put it in vegetable dishes with coconut milk. When I make this coconut, I usually make 3 cups. 😀

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And that’s it! I appreciate the time you spent with me on my blog’s fourth month. Have an amazing weekend ahead of you. 😉

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