Malaysia meets Italy by way of New Jersey. Brilliant!
Ingredients
- Olive Oil 2–4 Tbs
- Garlic chopped, 1 tsp
- Fresh Green Chili 1, sliced
- Soy Sauce 4 tsp
- Tomato Paste ½ tsp
- Salt 1/4 tsp
- Lime Juice fresh or bottled, 2 tsp
- Spaghetti 8 oz, cooked al dente, drained
Spice Blend
- Coriander Powder 2 tsp
- Cumin Powder ½ tsp
- Paprika ½ tsp
- Turmeric Powder, ½ tsp
- Fennel Seed ground, ¼ tsp
- Black Pepper finely ground, ¼ tsp
- Ginger Powder ¼ tsp
- Cayenne ⅛ tsp
Garnish
- Tomatoes diced, heaping ½ cup
- Fresh Coriander chopped, ¼ cup
Cook It
- Combine the spice blend ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1 Tbs oil in a skillet or wok. Add the garlic and stir for ½–1 minute, add the chili pieces and stir for another ½ minute.
- Add the remaining oil and spice blend and stir for ½–1 minute.
- Add the soy sauce and tomato paste and cook for another minute to get a fragrant paste.
- Take off the heat, add the salt and lime juice and blend well. Add to the cooked spaghetti and coat well.
- Toss with the tomatoes and coriander leaves before serving.
FOR A COMPLETE MEAL
- Season 8 oz chicken, shrimp or pan-fried tofu with 2 tsp spice blend, 1 tsp soy sauce, ¼ tsp tomato paste and 1 tsp oil. Heat 1 Tbs oil and stir the seasoned chicken, shrimp or tofu until cooked. Add optional shredded cabbage or snow peas and stir all until cooked, about 3 minutes. Add to the seasoned spaghetti and mix well.
Recipe adapted from Flavors of Malaysia by Susheela Raghavan © Hippocrene, 2010.
