MARION GRASBY: 'Fridge clean curry', and 2 more recipes that'll use up your leftovers.

I love creating recipes, like Mama Noi's Fridge Clean Curry packed with vegetables, that minimise food waste by using up any leftovers. 

I try my best to plan meals in advance and only buy what I need, but when plans change, I have got some recipes I regularly fall back on when I need to use things up, such as Indonesian fried rice and Vietnamese pancakes.

Here are the recipes so you can try them too.

Side note: While you're in the cooking mood, check out Marion Grasby's YouTube Channel, Marion's Kitchen. Post continues after video.

Fridge Clean Curry.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Fridge Clean Curry. Image: Supplied.

When it’s almost shopping day and all you have in your fridge is some leftover chicken and the last of the week’s vegetables, my Marion’s Kitchen Thai Green Curry kit comes to the rescue. 

Why eat takeaway when you can create a quick, easy and super delicious stir-fry that's on the table in just 15 minutes?

Ingredients: 

Marion's Kitchen Thai Green Curry, which includes:

• Thai Green Curry Paste
• Coconut milk
• Dried Thai herbs & chilli
• Bamboo shoots
• 1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
• 400g (14 oz) vegetables (e.g. capsicum, broccoli, eggplant, zucchini), cut into bite-sized pieces
• 400g (14 oz) leftover roast chicken (or fresh/frozen chicken)

Method:

1. Heat oil over medium heat and fry my Thai Green Curry Paste for about a minute or until it starts to smell yummy.

2. Pour in the creamy coconut milk and 1 cup of water. Then add the dried Thai herbs & chilli (leave the chillies out if you want a mild curry or chop them up if you want a spicier curry). Wait for the curry to start simmering again.

3. Drain and discard the liquid from the bamboo shoots. Add drained bamboo shoots to the curry along with the vegetables and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the cooked chicken and simmer for another 2 minutes until just warmed through (if using fresh or frozen chicken, simmer until cooked). Remove from heat and serve.

Leftovers Nasi Goreng.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Left-overs Nasi Goreng. Image: Supplied.

This version of Indonesian fried rice is a fantastic way to use up your leftovers after a big roast and gives day-old rice a whole new lease on life.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking the eggs
• 4 eggs
• 3 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 long red chilli, finely sliced
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste*
• 2 baby bok choy, trimmed, finely sliced
• 4 cups cooked long-grain rice
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon kecap manis*
• 200g (7 oz) left-over roast chicken, turkey, pork or ham
• 200g (7 oz) cooked prawns
• ¼ cup finely chopped spring onion
• ¼ cup fried shallots*
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced
• sambal oelek*, to serve

Method:

1. Pour enough oil into the bottom of a wok or frying pan to shallow fry. Place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, crack in 1 egg. Use a spatula to gently splash the egg whites with the hot oil as it cooks. Cook until the whites are crispy but the yolk is still runny (or until cooked to your liking). Drain on paper towel and repeat with other eggs. Reserve until later.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a clean wok or saucepan over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the shallots, garlic and chilli and cook for about a minute. Add the turmeric and shrimp paste and stir-fry for another minute, using a spatula to break up the paste.

3. Add the bok choy and stir-fry until well combined. Add the rice, soy sauce and kecap manis. Stir-fry for another minute until well combined. Add the left-over meat and prawns and toss until well combined. Toss through the spring onion. Divide the rice among serving plates and top with the cooked eggs and fried shallots. Serve with tomato, cucumber and sambal oelek.

*Notes

• Kecap manis is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce.
• Sambal oelek is a spicy paste made from fresh red chillies.
• Kecap manis, sambal oelek, shrimp paste and fried shallots are available from the Asian aisle of most supermarkets or from an Asian grocer.

Crispy Vietnamese Pancakes (Bánh Xèo).

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

CripsyVietnames Pancakes (Bánh Xèo). Image: Supplied.

Bánh Xèo is a crispy pancake made with rice flour, coconut milk and turmeric. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover roast chicken, or pick up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket to cut down on cooking time.

Ingredients:

• 140g (5 oz) rice flour
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 125ml (½ cup) coconut milk
• ½ cup water
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• vegetable oil
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken (leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken is great)
• 1 small carrot, julienned into fine strips or coarsely grated
• 100g (3.5 oz) bean shoots
• sprigs of coriander
• mint leaves, to serve
• lettuce leaves, to serve
• Nước chấm dressing:
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 long red chilli, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Method:

1. To make the batter, combine the rice flour, turmeric and sea salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the coconut milk, ½ cup of water and spring onions. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. For the nước chấm, whisk together the ingredients and set aside until ready to serve.

3. Heat a 22cm non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pan. Add one-third of the batter, swirling to thinly cover the pan. Scatter one-third of the chicken, carrot, and bean shoots over half the pancake. Top with a couple of sprigs of coriander. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the pancake is crispy and golden on the bottom side. Fold the pancake over to cover the filling, then slide onto a serving plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter and filling, adding oil each time. Serve with herbs, lettuce and nước chấm dressing.

Note

• Instead of the chicken, you could substitute any cooked meats or seafood.

Marion Grasby is the former winner of MasterChef Australia, media publisher, entrepreneur, and an ambassador for Panasonic. For more from Marion, visit her content hub.

Feature Image: Supplied/Instagram @marionskitchen/Mamamia.

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