https://paulstapel.com/categories/difficulty-35/Recent content in Difficulty 3|5 on Paul's ParticlesHugo -- gohugo.ioen-usMon, 11 May 2026 22:40:32 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/breezy-chicken-masala/Mon, 11 May 2026 22:40:32 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/breezy-chicken-masala/I tried experimenting with a recipe today, and found one that works well for me. It is easy to make, takes only about 50 minutes, and has a perfectly fresh taste that leaves you wanting more. Ingredients Marinade ~500 grams of chicken thighs 2-3 tbsp full-fat yoghurt 1-2 tsp ginger powder 1-2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp 四川红油/sichuan chili oil ~2 tsp garam masala 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp salt A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil Curry Cooking oil or ghee Cinnamon stick some cloves 2 white onions A can of tomato paste 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1/2 tsp cumin A splash of vinegar Chicken stock (~300 ml, or eyeball it) Garnish Fresh coriander Lime juice Some heavy cream Cooking plan Make your chicken thighs a bit smaller if they are large (cutting each piece into two smaller pieces).https://paulstapel.com/recipes/rendang-ground-beef/Sat, 14 Mar 2026 23:02:31 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/rendang-ground-beef/I really love Rendang. One of the only problems I have with it is that it takes so long to prepare :((. But then, I had a thought: what if I make rendang by using ground beef instead of beef chunks? This way, it should theoretically cook a lot faster without needing to stew to make the beef tender. I also had a colleague make a similar recipe at work, and thought I could make it too, but more like a rendang to intensify the flavors even further.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/chicken-wrap/Tue, 18 Nov 2025 21:32:58 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/chicken-wrap/This recipe is easy, fresh, filled with protein and takes zero effort at all. Perfect for a weekday dinner. Ingredients Chicken thighs Tortilla wraps Avocado (optional) Cheddar cheese (optional) For the seasoning Olive oil Paprika powder Onion powder Garlic powder Black pepper Salt For the sauce Yoghurt Sour cream Cumin powder Garlic powder Paprika powder Chili powder (optional) Mayonaisse (optional) Cooking plan Mix your chicken thighs and seasoning in a bowl and rub untill thoroughly seasoned.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/greek-chicken-and-rice/Wed, 16 Jul 2025 07:02:11 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/greek-chicken-and-rice/Recently, I made a recipe for Spanish chicken and rice. Both family and peers seemed to really enjoy this recipe, and therefore I am creating a Greek twist. I recommend eating it with fresh bread and some Tzatziki. Ingredients Chicken breast (If it’s too thick, cut it in half crosswise) Lemon Chicken stock White vinegar (just a little will do, optional) Rice Cooking oil Spice mix 3/2 tsp dill 3 or 4 bay leafs, crushed 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp dried rosemary 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried parsley 1 tsp dried basil 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp paprika powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder Cooking plan Pat your chicken dry with a (paper) towel and rub on a squeeze of (half a) lemon and vinegar.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/hong-shao-rou/Wed, 28 May 2025 20:20:57 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/hong-shao-rou/The name “Hong shao rou” translates to red braised pork, as this is the color achieved by the combination of dark soy sauce and caramelized sugar (“táng gù”). Although this dish is not what most would call healthy, it is an absolute treat and guilty pleasure sure to please your guests. It takes a while to cook, but is well worth it. You can leave out a lot of the ingrediënts, but if possible, use them all.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/phanaeng/Fri, 02 May 2025 08:05:10 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/phanaeng/I really love Thai food, but I’ve not been making much of it as of late. I kind of thought it time to change that, so in that spirit I’d like to present to you this Thai Phanaeng curry. Ingredients Cocounut milk Kaffir lime leafs Fish sauce Pork, beef or chicken (Cubed, but anything goes) (Make vegetarian by omitting) Bell pepper (sliced into thin strips) Curry paste (see below) Cooking oil Salt Curry paste 1 Shallot 4 cloves of garlic 2 bottom halves of lemongrass stalks 2 tbsp (roasted) peanuts 8 - 12 dried red chilies 0.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/aloo-keema/Sat, 26 Apr 2025 21:52:56 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/aloo-keema/Ok, so I’ve got another Indian recipe I’d like to share with y’all. This is a dish that I did not understand for quite a while, and looking at recipes online, it seemed a little bland to me. Turns out this was all just a skill-issue, as I did not quite understand Indian food at that time. Knowing what I know now, I’d like to share an actually tasty recipe for aloo keema.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/matcha-cookie/Sun, 23 Mar 2025 12:34:53 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/matcha-cookie/When it comes to baked goods, I really love freshly baked cookies. As it happens, I also love matcha tea. It was a no-brainer to combine the two of them, and following some hints I found online about creating the perfect cookie, I finally managed to nail down this recipe. Ingredients 120 grams of butter 1 tbsp of matcha 120 grams of all-purpose flour 10 grams of bread flour or cornstarch 2.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/gunter-chicken-masala/Fri, 21 Mar 2025 07:12:39 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/gunter-chicken-masala/I have been making a lot of masala recently, and this gunter chicken masala was really tasty when I tried making it. I have made some adjustments to my first iteration, and I hope you enjoy cooking this! Do keep in mind, this dish is among the spiciest I’ve made so far, so reduce the amount of dried chili’s if that is a problem. Ingredients Masala powder About 4-5 dried chili’s 2 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp cumin seeds To make the masala powder, first toast the whole spices and dried chili’s whole, and put them in a spice blender.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/chicken-korma/Sun, 23 Feb 2025 20:52:55 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/chicken-korma/I am always delighted when I try a new Indian recipe, and today was no different. I have eaten quite some Korma during my last trip to Singapore, and now I am happy to announce that I have managed to bring this flavor home. Enjoy this korma with white rice or naan. Ingredients Marinade Chicken (bone-in) Garam masala Greek yoghurt (any fatty yoghurt will do) Paprika powder Kurkuma/tumeric powder Ginger (fresh or alternatively ground) Garlic (fresh or alternatively ground) Salt Curry Ghee (or cooking oil) Greek yoghurt Ground cardemom Garam Masala White onion (We will caramelise, but for a more traditional flavor, deep fry the onion) Cashew nuts (for extra creaminess, normally tomatoes are added, but I prefer cashew nuts) Green (or red) chilis Cinnamon (stick, or ground) Cloves (whole or ground) Nutmeg (grated or ground) Coriander powder Fresh coriander leafs and/or mint leafs (or dried works fine as well) Bay leaf (optional) Mace (optional, but traditional) Cooking plan Start by marinating the chicken with all of the ingredients.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/traditional-teriyaki-sauce/Mon, 03 Feb 2025 08:01:27 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/traditional-teriyaki-sauce/So half a year ago, I shared with you a recipe for teriyaki sauce. Back then, I didn’t really have the ingredients to make traditional teryiyaki sauce, and thus I created an alternative that tasted close to the original in flavour. But of course, we must pay respect to tradition, and that’s why we’ll be making traditional teriyaki sauce today. For comparison, you can also try my original recipe and see which you like best.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/sweet-and-spicy-hoisin-beef-bliss/Sat, 01 Feb 2025 21:28:30 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/sweet-and-spicy-hoisin-beef-bliss/I love wokking, but it has been a bit too cold to use my wok in the last few months. Today however, I just couldn’t resist the urge to wok, and this delicious recipe is the result. Ingredients Marinade Beef tips Soy sauce Black pepper Hoisin sauce Cornstarch Baking powder Sugar Sauce Hoisin sauce (2 tbsp) (1 tbsp if you like it a little less sweet) Chili garlic sauce (1 tbsp) Honey (1 tbsp) Soy sauce (2 tbsp) Water (2 tbsp) Sesame seeds (optional) For wokking White or yellow onion Green peppers (to add some nice spice, don’t remove the seeds) Spring onion Bell peppers (can sub for green peppers if you don’t like spicy) Vegetable oil Cooking plan Combine your marinade in a bowl and let it sit while you prepare your veggies and sauce.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/roti/Wed, 15 Jan 2025 17:23:35 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/roti/I love roti, and having now made it myself, I can safely say that its lovely flavor carries over to the home kitchen. Ingredients Flour (200 grams) Butter (40 grams) Butter (60+ grams) (used for the grilling of the roti) Water (~100 grams after boiling) Salt (1 teaspoon) Cooking plan Add together your butter, flour and a little salt. Boil your water and let it cool to just below boiling temperature.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/sweet-and-sour-chicken/Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:59:06 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/sweet-and-sour-chicken/I have always loved sweet and sour chicken. When I was little, I used to eat this on vacations to New York, at a local mall in Middletown, New York. I wanted to recreate this taste, but without having to use tomato ketchup, as that is usually a little too processed for me (and also, I don’t always have it in my pantry). The result is this recipe. Ingredients Chicken breasts (cubed) Cornstarch Salt Black pepper Sunflower oil (or other cooking oil with a high smoking point) White onion Bell peppers (red and green) Garlic Ginger Sugar Tomato paste Soy sauce Black vinegar Pineapple chunks (Optional) Pineapple juice (extra sweet) or lemon juice (extra sour) (Optional) Serve with white rice Cooking plan Start by cubing your chicken breasts, seasoning them generously with salt and pepper.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/gochujang-chicken/Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:14:28 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/gochujang-chicken/This is my first Korean recipe on this blog (cool). When I was out grocery shopping, I stumbled upon Gochujang, and it looked so good that i decided I simply HAD to make something with it. This is the result. Serve with rice. Ingredients Gochujang Chicken breasts Cornstarch Spring onion White onion Garlic Sugar Soy sauce Sesame oil Toasted sesame seeds (optional, garnish) Cooking oil Cooking plan Cut your chicken breasts into cubes.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/tomato-meatballs/Fri, 08 Nov 2024 18:11:37 +0100https://paulstapel.com/recipes/tomato-meatballs/Ok, so last week I was thinking about what I wanted to cook, when I stumbled upon some inspiration for meatballs in tomato sauce, thinking back to how delicious those were back when I visited Greece. Now I am not about to tell you that this is an authentic Greek recipe (it is more of an Italian recipe I believe), but this is an authentic Paul banger, and as such, I would love to share it with you all.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/tikka-masala/Wed, 09 Oct 2024 21:18:46 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/tikka-masala/I always love the taste of Indian cuisine, and I usually turn to Indian food when I want a fix of rich and hearty flavours paired with a healthy feel. Today’s recipe is rather easy to make compared to other Indian curries, and it is an easy fix for when you crave something creamy. I’m not sure if it can be classified as a weekday meal, but it is definetely easy enough to make it on a lazy sunday.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/mesa-ah/Fri, 13 Sep 2024 08:22:49 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/mesa-ah/There were too many eggplants in my fridge, so I decided to do something about that. I could have made my melitzanosalata, but I didn’t feel like that would be filling enough, and it was too cold outside to grill. That’s when I stumbled upon a dish I had never heard of before. Behold, the Egyptian dish “mesa’a’ah”. Ingredients Tomato paste (about 1 tsp) Eggplants (Like, 2 or something) Strained tomatoes (about 500 grams or something) Salt Dried coriander Cumin Lots of olive oil White onion Garlic (about 6 cloves?https://paulstapel.com/recipes/butter-lemon-pork/Sun, 01 Sep 2024 20:19:47 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/butter-lemon-pork/So today, I tried to do something new with pork belly. Most of my recipes involving this ingredient are Chinese, and so I thought I’d spice things up a little by taking some more inspiration from the French kitchen. Be warned, this recipe is quite fatty, but otherwise it’s very easy to make and nutritious to boot. Ingredients Butter Dried oregano Salt and Pepper Pork belly Lemon juice White onion Honey Garlic Water Dark soy sauce (for color) Ginger (or ginger powder) High smoking point oil Serve with white rice.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/scuffins/Fri, 26 Jul 2024 20:22:45 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/scuffins/At first, I was planning on making scones. Because of a lack of better moulds, I decided to use a muffin tray, and the rest is history. This recipe yields about 12 medium-sized scuffins. Ingredients 500 grams of all-purpose flour 200 grams of granulated sugar About 10 grams of baking powder 2 eggs 250 grams of butter 200 grams of crème fraîche About 20 milliliters of milk About 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract A pinch of salt Optionally, toppings like milk chocolate, blueberries or caramel A muffin tray Baking plan Preheat an oven to 200 degrees Celsius.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/burrito/Tue, 23 Jul 2024 07:38:59 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/burrito/A good burrito recipe has been like the holy grail for me. I looove burritos, but I just wasn’t able to get them to taste quite right. This recipe is finally close to the taste I have been searching for. Ingredients Ground beef White onion Vegetable or olive oil. Lots of beans. I use kidney beans. They will be pasted. About 2 parts Salt, 1 part Pepper, 1 part Garlic powder, 4 parts Paprika powder, 8 parts Cumin.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/melitzanosalata/Fri, 12 Jul 2024 07:12:28 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/melitzanosalata/I love cooking Greek food. Something about the balance of oils, fresh herbs and grilled meats just really gets me going. But Greek food can be more than just gyros and souvlaki. To give our vegetarians some love, and in order to diversify your Greek palette, let me introduce you to this lovely dish called Melitzanosalata (eggplant salad). Ingredients A few Eggplants Half a red onion (or a full shallot, if you want a more delicate flavour) Olive oil, preferably extra virgin.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/sausage-stew/Tue, 25 Jun 2024 21:05:34 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/sausage-stew/This recipe is a Paul-certified classic. It is easy to make (only about 30 minutes), and is quite filling for when you are having a busy week. Ingredients Sausage (pork works well) Cooking oil A (small) tin of tomato paste Yellow onion Garlic Bell peppers (different colors looks the nicest, doesn’t really matter for taste) Beef broth Garam masala (can sub for 5-spice) Pepper Dark soy sauce (for color and salt) Cooking plan First, cook your sausage in an oiled pan until golden brown.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/orange-chicken/Sat, 20 Apr 2024 21:28:15 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/orange-chicken/I have to admit, this is a guilty pleasure of mine. I don’t make this often, as it can take a bit long to make, but I always enjoy it when I do. If you are looking for a sweet and unique taste, look no further than this recipe. I suggest serving this with white rice. Ingredients For the meat Chicken breasts (whole, or already cubed) All purpose flour Cornstarch High smoke-point oil like peanut oil For the sauce A bunch of oranges (5 per kilo of chicken, more if you like it saucy) Alternatively, you can use orange juice instead of fresh oranges A bit of sugar (If it isn’t sweet enough already) Soy sauce Garlic powder Ginger (or ginger powder) Cornstarch (to thicken the sauce) Cooking plan Squeeze the oranges and strain the juice.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/hoisin-ground-beef/Tue, 16 Apr 2024 10:51:32 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/hoisin-ground-beef/This recipe is both simple and delicious. This is easy comfort food for when I don’t feel like cooking for too long. Ingredients Ground beef Garlic Yellow onion Spring onion (Optional) Shallots Garden peas Soy sauce Hoisin sauce Oyster sauce (optional, adds umami) Shaoxing cooking wine (to deglaze) Sesame oil (optional, but it really is a finishing touch) White rice Cooking plan Wash the rice and cook it. cut up the spring onion and reserve the greens for garnishing.https://paulstapel.com/recipes/mongolian-beef/Sat, 06 Apr 2024 10:01:01 +0200https://paulstapel.com/recipes/mongolian-beef/This recipe makes for a delicious and saucy beef dish. It takes some time to prepare, but is well worth it. Ingredients Marinade Beef (I like using cheap steak for this, as the baking soda will tenderize it anyway) Shaoxing (cooking wine, sub with any rice wine) (Dark) soy sauce Oyster sauce Some white pepper A little cooking oil Baking soda (To tenderize the meat) Cornstarch (To keep the beef moist) Sauce Soy Sauce (light or dark) Sugar Oyster Sauce Shaoxing (To deglaze) A little cornstarch + water to thicken Veggies (for stir-fry) Garlic Ginger Spring onion Onion Bell pepper Dried chili pepper (you can remove this if you don’t like spicy food) Cooking plan Cut the beef into strips and mix it with the marinade (add the cornstarch at the end) Let it sit for at least 15 minutes, but preferably a few hours.