Shallots

I used shallots for the first time last night in a chicken marinade. They really make a nice mild addition to a marinate and are not as overpowering as adding onion. The best way I can describe it is that it is a mild onion flavor with additional sweetness that you can't get in an onion. It is stronger than green onion, though. I will be doing some other recipes this month with them. I got a nice size brown bag from Meijer that didn't cost too much. And if the chicken last night was any indication I will continue to include them on my grocery list!

Soy Vay Hoisin Garlic Asian Glaze

We love soy vay in this house, we use about a bottle of it a month. It goes great on stir fries. I marinate chicken and salmon in it and grill.

Green Onions

Green onions

• sometimes referred to as scallions or spring onions
• Kitchen Dictionary on RecipeZaar highlights the difference between scallions and green onions
• the green part can be sliced and scattered as garnish
• the white part can be used in sauteing like onions

Star Anise

Star Anise (Bunga Lawang)

• More info in wikipedia about Star anise

Fennel Seeds

Fennel Seeds (Jintan manis)

• it releases its flavor when pounded or crushed
• common in Indian cuisine

Adabi Beef and Chicken Curry Powder

Malaysian Adabi Chicken and Beef Curry Powder

• I prefer to use this to make Malaysian curries, as the spice combo is unique to Malaysian curries.
• It might be available in Asian grocery stores (I only came across this because the owner of that particular Asian grocery store is Malaysian)
• Otherwise, we usually get them from people coming to the United States from Malaysia

Coconut Milk

Coconut Milk (Santan)

• Stir before using, because in storage it tends to settle and clump.
• This is unsweetened

Screwpine Leaves (Daun Pandan)

Daun Pandan

• Can be found in the frozen section of the Asian grocery store
• Don't have to thaw before using

• Just pluck one or a few blades off and wash

• Sometimes it's used to flavor a dish with its 'green' aroma, and to do so, it's usually knotted and tossed in the cooking dish
• Other times, a few blades may be made into Pandan juice by blending them with water to produce a light green 'juice' that might be used to make sweet desserts

Agar Agar

Agar Agar

• Agar agar is a form of seaweed

• Boiled and cooked, then cooled, it turns into wobbly jelly

• Water is brought to boil and sweetened.
• Agar Agar is dumped in.
• The heat will cook and melt the coarse strands
• It can, from this point on, be flavored and colored
• Poured into a container, and left to cool, it will harden into jelly

Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka/Gula Jawa)

Palm sugar has a different taste and texture from granulated sugar.

Palm Sugar

• It can be found at the Asian grocery store, most probably in the Indonesian section
• To use, it can be shaved or cut into chunks with a sharp knife
• It should be somewhat soft, not hard like a rock