cooking abroad have to use brown or white onions.These vary very much in size.For example.a large onion weighs about 250 grams,while a small onion would be about 60 grams.
Garlic: Garlic cloves can vary from tiny ones the size of a cashew nut to big ones about the size of an arecanut.In recipe books,to introduce uniformity,the method of chopping and measuring garlic by the spoonful is adopted.
Ginger:The Asian way of calling for a slice or two of ginger,or a 'thumb-sized' piece of ginger gives too much leeway,so measuring chopped ginger or the grated ginger root is once again,more useful.
Chillies: Fresh chillies are used in most Asian food.For mild curries,the whole chilli is added while simmering,then lifted out and discarded.But for an authentic fiery quality the chillies should be chopped or perhaps ground.If you leave the seeds,the flavour will be hotter than if you remove the seeds.The best way to cut chillies,is first to remove the stalk,and make a slit to remove the seeds,scraping them out with the tip of a knife.Another method is to cut the chilli in two lengthways and remove the central membrane together with the seeds.Remember,do not touch your face,your eyes or young children after handling chillies - it is a n experience you won't forget !
Dried Chillies: There are large and small dried chillies.The smaller they are,the hotter they are.Those called for in curry recipes are the large variety,and they still have plenty of heat and flavour.The best way to use dried chillies,is to break off the stem end of the chilli and if you don't want too much heat,shake it so that the seeds fall out.Soak for 10 minutes or so in hot water before grinding.Dried chillies,although they give plenty of flavour,don't have as much effect on the skin as fresh chillies with their volatile oils.After on the skin as fresh chillies with their volatile oils.After soaking and grinding dried chillies,wash your hands at once with soap and water.
Coconut:First crack the nut in two by hitting it with the back of a heavy kitchen chopper on the middle of the nut.Tap hard several times,going round the 'equator' of the coconut.Once a crack has appeared,insert the thin edge of a blade and prise it open.
Coconut Milk: There are so many ways to get coconut milk other than from a fresh coconut....canned,concentrated or 'creamed' coconut,frozen and so on.Usually,coconut milk is extracted in two stages.The first yield being the 'thick' milk,the second 'thin milk' Use a mixture of first and second extracts when a recipe calls for coconut milk,unless thick milk or thin milk is specified.Sometimes they are added at different stages of cooking.In some recipes,'coconut cream' is used;this is the rich layer that rises to the top of the thick milk(or first extract) after it has been left to stand for a while.
