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SASHI’S TIPS ON COOKING WITH CHILLI
Sashi's Secret • October 24, 2019
2018 MasterChef winner Sashi Cheliah loves cooking with chilli and now he shares his chilli cooking tips with you at home.
“Chilli is one of my favourite ingredients and I’ll always have it in my kitchen,”
says Sashi. “The great thing about using chilli at home is that you can have your dishes at the perfect heat for your preference.”
Chilli can be used not only in curries, but in many other dishes to add flavour – such as sprinkled on homemade chocolate bars, added to jams and sauces, mixed into vegetable side dishes and even used to spice up smashed avocado and poached egg on toast.
“Chilli is actually great to add to breakfast foods, because it definitely wakes you up,”
says Sashi. “It was even used on the first direct Dreamliner New York to Sydney flight in a spicy soup that aimed to keep people awake early in the flight, so they could adjust to Sydney time more easily and reduce jet lag.”
Belonging to the capsicum family, chilli can be eaten fresh or dried and can vary greatly in shape, size, heat and flavour.
“Buy a bagful of fresh red chilli from Woolworths and then put into the freezer, to use as you need,”
says Sashi. “Chilli contains capsaicin, which heightens our sense of taste, as well as promoting endorphins to be released – increasing our sense of pleasure in eating. So, there’s also a scientific reason why we love chilli in our food.”
You don’t want to overdo it, though, experiment with the level of heat you would like to add to your meal and increase it the next time you cook, if it wasn’t to your liking.
As for the seeds – they are edible, so you don’t have to remove them, but they don’t contain capsaicin, so don’t add to the flavour of the dish.
“I remove the seeds by slicing the chilli lengthwise and using the knife to brush out the seeds,”
says Sashi. “They are harmless, but can add a bitter taste to the dish, as well as a crunchy texture.”
There are many types of chillies available in Australia and a good reference is here. It shows you a range from medium-hot seasonal purple Jalapeño to the world’s hottest chilli, the Reaper.
“Not all chillies are the same – make sure you know the heat of the chilli you’re using so you don’t over or underpower a dish,”
says Sashi. “Also wash your hands after cutting up chilli – if you have any hot chilli juice left on your skin and you touch your eyes or nose, watch out - it will sting.”
As well as adding flavour and heat to a dish, chillies are very high in powerful antioxidants, as well as vitamins and minerals to help with immune function and energy metabolism.
“In my new range of Home Chef Kits, I make use of chilli in my ingredients,”
says Sashi. “One of my cooking mottos is ‘flavour, flavour, flavour’ – come and cook with me at your home and you’ll fall in love with flavour, too.”
And, because not everyone has the same tolerance for chilli – Sashi has designed his spice packs so you can control the amount of heat in the dish – spice it up with extra chilli or simply enjoy the flavours and aromas of the spices and herbs.
“You have to try it, to taste it,”
says Sashi. “If you don’t try it, you don’t know what you’re missing out on!”
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Sashi shares some of his secrets to cooking chicken.
Sashi's background The eldest of seven children, the Singapore-born Sashi’s passion for food came early in life when he watched his aunties and mother, a café-owner, cooking – even though a boy in the kitchen wasn’t encouraged in his culture. “Whenever they cooked, I was always in the kitchen watching,” says Sashi. “Food is a huge part of my culture and there’s always plenty of food to prepare at every cultural festival and event.” He says there are often 60-70 people to cook for when there’s a family occasion. “I can still remember being in the kitchen at ten-years-old - watching my mother cook and smelling the spicy aromas,” says Sashi. “I’d like to say I waited patiently for my turn to taste her food!” He didn’t go directly into the food business, instead working for 12 years in the Special Tactics and Rescue (STAR) unit of the Singapore Police Force, where he trained in tactics, rescue operations, counter terrorism, kidnappings and high-profile protection in the riot police. In 2012, he moved to Adelaide and worked as a prison guard, which gave him more time to cook for his wife Rabicca Vijayan (a nurse), their two sons and friends and family. In the finale of his MasterChef victory episode, he received a record 93 out of a possible 100 score. His Melbourne pop-up restaurant named "Gaja by Sashi" was also a success, paving the way for a permanent restaurant space in Adelaide by the same name. Sashi’s Secret Home Chef Kits are the next step in the plan to bring his food to as many people as he can – sharing his signature flavours and passion for cooking for family and friends. Here is one of Sashi’s recipes from MasterChef Australia… Fish Curry with Cumin Rice Ingredients Fish Curry 2 tbsp coriander seeds 2 tsp cumin seeds 5 cardamom pods, husk removed 1 cinnamon stick 2 shallots, roughly chopped 2cm piece ginger, roughly chopped 1 birdseye chilli 2 clove garlic 2 tbsp coconut oil 2 stems curry leaves 1 tbsp chilli powder 1 tbsp turmeric powder 1 ½ cups coconut milk 1 birdseye chilli 20g tamarind paste 20g palm sugar 150g x 4 snapper fillets, skin removed salt, to taste Cumin Rice 1 cup basmati rice 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 cinnamon stick 2 tbsp ghee 1 tsp salt Cucumber and Pineapple Archar ½ small cucumber, sliced into ribbons ¼ pineapple, thinly sliced 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced 30g palm sugar 60ml white vinegar Coriander leaves, to garnish Steps Fish Curry 1. Dry roast the coriander, cumin, cardamom and cinnamon in a small frypan until fragrant and lightly brown. Remove from heat and place into a food processor along with shallots, garlic, ginger and chilli to make a smooth paste.In a large saucepan, add coconut oil and when hot curry leaves. 2. Cook until crispy then add spice paste and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. 3. Add ground turmeric and chilli powder and cook for 6 minutes. 4. Add coconut milk and 1 ½ cups water and reduce the heat to low. 5. Once the curry comes to boil, add tamarind, sugar and salt. 6. Add the fish to sauce and simmer gently, basting fish with sauce and turning halfway, until fish is just cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the fish from sauce and place on a tray. Cumin Rice 1. Mix ingredients in a large non-stick saucepan along with 2 cups water. 2. Bring the rice to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. 3. Remove the rice from the heat and rest for 5 minutes. 4. For the Cucumber and Pineapple Archar, place ingredients into a large bowl and set aside to pickle for 20 minutes. 5. Using a 6 or 7 cm round ring cutter, mould rounds of Cumin Rice into the centre of each plate. Top with a portion of fish and garnish with Cucumber and Pineapple Archar and coriander leaves. 6. Serve the curry sauce in a serving jug on the side. Recipe from MasterChef Australia website. Sashi's Secret The range has 6 flavours including Beef Rendang Curry, Singaporean Chilli Prawn, Malaysian Chicken Curry, Nasi Goreng, Curry Laksa and Sweet and Sour Pork. You can see how to make naan here See which Sashi's Secret Home Chef Kits are vegetarian friendly. Our socials - Facebook here and Instagram here Sashi's Secrets Home Chef Kits are available from Woolworths , in store and online and selected independent retailers across Australia.
We're so excited to have Sashi share with us how to make Naan with his quick and easy recipe, which goes well as a side dish for the Sashi’s Secret Home Chef Kits, especially the Beef Rendang and the Malaysian Chicken Curry.
Fried rice is a budget friendly family dinner staple, it is easy to make and full of delish ingredients. Fried rice goes really well as a side dish with Sashi’s Secret Home Chef Kit Recipes.
Sashi's Secret Home Chef Kits are super easy to use, taking under 30 minutes to create, great for families with busy schedules.
The Sashi’s Secret Home Chef Kit’s are vegetarian friendly , so the meat can be substituted with plant based protein and/or vegetables. They also taste great with other meats and seafoods so you can use whatever you have in the fridge. The Home Chef Kits are family friendly, plus are great option for meal prep and freezing too. “These are all special recipes with meaning for me and my family. Not everyone can visit my restaurant, but now everyone in Australia can experience my food for themselves.” Sashi says. Sashi’s Secret is available at Woolworths Australia ONLINE and in store in the Asian food section. As well as selected specialty grocery stores Australia wide. You can Follow Sashi’s Secret on Facebook here and Instagram here
“Food is about sharing and spending time together,” says 2018 Masterchef winner and Sashi’s Secret creator, Sashi Cheliah. “You don’t have to spend a lot of money or time to enjoy delicious meals and bond at dinner time.”
You'll love the authentic flavour and you can enjoy a mild or hot version just by adjusting the amount of chilli.” says Sashi Cheliah of Sashi’s Secret. The Sashi’s Secret Beef Rendang Curry Home Chef Kit is vegetarian friendly, so the beef can be substituted with plant based protein and/or vegetables. It also tastes great with pork or chicken. Sashi’s Tips for his Beef Rendang Curry... You can thinly slice the beef to reduce the cooking time for this dish. Cut your vegetables so they cook at the right speed - thinly slice hard vegetables like carrots, but keep softer vegetables larger so they retain their texture and flavour. If you're feeling creative, you can try the Rendang Curry Kit with chicken, it's delicious! Serve with coconut rice and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Sashi’s Secret is available at Woolworths in Australia in the Asian food section, and Woolworths online, as well as selected specialty grocery stores Australia wide. You can Follow Sashi’s Secret on Facebook here and Instagram here