tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205737932024-03-07T05:55:43.477-08:00Nora's DapurThoughts of a food connoisseur on food n cooking.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-25949735929961121192010-02-18T14:59:00.004-08:002010-02-18T15:15:28.452-08:00Rasam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjR08wFI6CYHlQ1mbFFb66YZgWAM53lKuipDyeSLLGKitgZY_xPhYQJM9Vjqr50rpIKtGpEWg0FoQPAk5xi54jrydUL9ex5-9tdgu7XZAJi3oSXYhJ0XSeBul40nzhp5rfBmbwQ/s1600-h/IMG_0120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpjR08wFI6CYHlQ1mbFFb66YZgWAM53lKuipDyeSLLGKitgZY_xPhYQJM9Vjqr50rpIKtGpEWg0FoQPAk5xi54jrydUL9ex5-9tdgu7XZAJi3oSXYhJ0XSeBul40nzhp5rfBmbwQ/s320/IMG_0120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5439723171484605138" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >the first time i tasted rasam was last december, when i had a banana leaf rice lunch at a curry house. it's spicy and sour, and reminds one of tom yam, except that tom yam isn't packed with spices like rasam.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >i had rasam and french toast for dinner last night, and i was pleasantly surprised with the various tastes. all i know is rasam isnt a shy delicate soup. it's bold and seduces you with it's range of tastes of cumin, tomato sourness, chilli and coriander leaves. it's definitely not for those who are not adventurous enough, but then what's the fun in only eating chicken soup or mushroom soup?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >recipe for rasam</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >500g tomatoes, skinned (to do this, boil the tomatoes first and you'll find that the skins come off easily)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >1/2 tsp turmeric powder</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >3 cloves of garlic</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >1 tsp chilli powder</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >1/2 tsp cumin powder (i roasted and pounded on my own, because the smell is stronger)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >2 cm ginger, pounded</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >1 1/4 litres of water</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >put everything above in a pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >1 cinnamon stick</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >6 cardamom (i don't like the taste, so i only threw in 1)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >1 tsp fennel</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >6 cloves</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >1 onion, sliced thinly</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >a sprig of curry leaves</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >oil</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >chopped coriander leaves to be sprinkled </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >fry the dried spices above until the onion slices are translucent. add into the broth mixture. the recipe calls for adding salt while making broth, but i prefer to add in salt in the end.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >serve with chopped corianderleaves.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-45027046348748849702010-02-08T15:17:00.007-08:002010-02-08T16:22:55.449-08:00Homemade Plum Jam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyx5MksFntW83P3rsoBwGO1Go9yF1xNkfe4zS0-ihC-CuJzGgAGZlCzNqBmuiAvHQJkT0Kf6155jCeO7TdQRVNXYvIg3V_vOZb16nqreUmYYU5RdXeL8C7uS33J8A3-YYUrBNYFQ/s1600-h/IMG_0117.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyx5MksFntW83P3rsoBwGO1Go9yF1xNkfe4zS0-ihC-CuJzGgAGZlCzNqBmuiAvHQJkT0Kf6155jCeO7TdQRVNXYvIg3V_vOZb16nqreUmYYU5RdXeL8C7uS33J8A3-YYUrBNYFQ/s320/IMG_0117.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436032250884730242" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQampAO3Ih2XCd8NmmLbj6hW1e5buBoFNtxahmQ-HxmInd3CJSx318Ya3Cnt0ATlwSV5wL0bIjc-yPkgioqM5AFwoYy_tNmzzOz_2YNgutfJwLYh-8Jhic3l77k6L4KAclctWaQ/s1600-h/IMG_0119.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihQampAO3Ih2XCd8NmmLbj6hW1e5buBoFNtxahmQ-HxmInd3CJSx318Ya3Cnt0ATlwSV5wL0bIjc-yPkgioqM5AFwoYy_tNmzzOz_2YNgutfJwLYh-8Jhic3l77k6L4KAclctWaQ/s320/IMG_0119.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436032170629995058" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;" >H</span>ard times teaches us to be resourceful, and healthy living teaches us that it is better to go through the trouble and bring out all your pots and pans and have a wonderful homemade but preservative-free food.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >with those two in mind, i bought south african plums from MaxValu last night - selling at rm1.69 per 100g (it was further reduced to rm1.49). well i thought that was cheap, so i bought a few (cost me rm5++), went home, and started to de-stone the dark purple fruits, cut them into small pieces, and cook them on the stove over a slow fire. i had the chance to pop a few pieces into my mouth, and they were heaven! the plums were ripe, and so they tasted not like the tart, unripe ones, but they tasted more like ripe peaches or nectarine! </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >when they're cooking on the stove, the red colour from the skin just melted and you will have deep dark almost fuschia like colour. you can add sugar if you want, and it might be better if you can add in some lemon zest and lemon juice. me, i just forgot to buy one last night. the quest for healthy eating has seen me buying no added sugar peanut butter, marmalade for the diabetics and olive oil fat spread. so it's no surprise when i decided to minimalise the sugar used in the jam making. initially i didn't want to add any sugar at all and thought the sweetness would help to mellow the tartness. i was dead wrong, because it was so tart, my face just wrinkled! so i added 2 tablespoons of sugar, and it was definitely an improvement. you should cook the fruits until the mixture is no longer runny. cool the mixture, and then store in an airtight container.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >and this morning, in my excitement i ate my homemade bread with such gusto - the jam is a perfect consistency, but it's still taaaarrrttt!!! </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >anyway, the most important thing is to reduce eating processed food, and to eat cooked food that is not that oily not that sweet and the most most important thing is that, it is cooked with love.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-32476452539375348952009-11-27T17:18:00.003-08:002009-11-27T17:33:27.518-08:00lemon cream cake with homemade strawberry jam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqjutdEnqYc8F_MIC_wlRa3Cidrg4CbusOnJUxej55OBAqHb4JKa9mA2MHscit7hh6myhwoNSJIKPyPxIwbGM6qKSL7S_z533qz2BiO5jYIBw3dK_V3aDhlWfgz06n4FiTrNWow/s1600/IMG_0081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqjutdEnqYc8F_MIC_wlRa3Cidrg4CbusOnJUxej55OBAqHb4JKa9mA2MHscit7hh6myhwoNSJIKPyPxIwbGM6qKSL7S_z533qz2BiO5jYIBw3dK_V3aDhlWfgz06n4FiTrNWow/s320/IMG_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408961068478353522" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >everybody's perennial favourite is always chocolate cake or cheesecake but i don't want to stick to the norm and thought that it'd be interesting to make lemon cake, since the feasting would involve a lot of rich food. i thought the slight tartness would balance it.</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >i studied some recipes and thought that it's best i use my own recipe. it's simple, actually. all i did was make a pound cake flavoured with lemon juice and zest, add in some sour milk.</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />here's the recipe:</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br />250g pure butter</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >225g caster sugar</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >3 large eggs</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br />250g flour</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 1/2 tsp baking powder</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br />1/3 cup milk with some lemon juice added</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >zest of 1 lemon</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >juice of 1 lemon</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br />use creaming method, pour in one deep 8 inch pan or 2 shallow 8 inch pans and bake at 180C until it is cooked.</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />homemade strawberry jam</span> <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >200g strawberries, sliced</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >some sugar</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br />lemon juice</span> <br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >cook the berries with lemon juice. when they are soft, add in the sugar, to suit your taste. mine isnt that sweet because i want the tartness to stand out.</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />cream</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />400ml whipping cream</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >some sugar</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >lemon<br />essence</span> <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >whip all the ingredients.</span> <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >to assemble</span> <br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >if you use a deep pan, slice the cake horizontally so that you have 2 pieces. on top of the first piece, spread a dollop of whipped cream and then the strawberry jam. put another piece of cake on top and cover the cake with the remaining cream. chill in the fridge as the cream cannot withstand warm temperature.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-18972830169095195812009-10-30T19:38:00.003-08:002009-10-30T20:04:39.055-08:00white bread (from All About Cookery)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfkf0nTCEIN0Gzb3Vn7I0bYz8irjHBP0xesMRg0y5qZ0h0MLUwVdZ3nSAYvLhZ1pOG0fyEVOV6uLn12JA63BIFyZBUiZJjJh6idJIHuvtmF9Ag8PoZzFZIZyffTXLywum44AIog/s1600-h/IMG_0077.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfkf0nTCEIN0Gzb3Vn7I0bYz8irjHBP0xesMRg0y5qZ0h0MLUwVdZ3nSAYvLhZ1pOG0fyEVOV6uLn12JA63BIFyZBUiZJjJh6idJIHuvtmF9Ag8PoZzFZIZyffTXLywum44AIog/s320/IMG_0077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398604987118353282" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">when i was 12 years old, i was given a big brown book entitled "All About Cookery" by my brother who was in Liverpool Uni to do his M.A.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">granted, i was ecstatic to receive such a huge book, but i was unsure how to cook everything. there were no interesting pictures to attract a12 year old girl. i was disappointed, and let my Filipino sis in law borrowed the book.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">i asked for the book back when i was in my 20s. now a grown woman, i could appreciate the contents and what a treasure trove i have in there.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">the book is divided into courses - so there are chapter on soups, starters, and then a separate chapter on fish, poultry and game, meat, suppers and snacks, vegetables and salads, puddings, baking, and even preserves and drinks.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">it's a good thing i'm a hoarder.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">this morning, without any storebought bread left, i contemplated what to make for breakfast. i finally decided on delicious but simple white bread, one that i used to bake every few days when i was in terengganu and fed me and my late mother for a few years.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">this bread can be shaped into cob loaf, or cottage load or farmhouse loaf. it's a bit bland for my taste, so for those who like their bread a bit sweet, add some more sugar.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">makes 4 500g loaves or 2 1kg loaves</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">1 tsp sugar</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">900ml lukewarm water</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">15g dried yeast</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">1.5kg strong flour</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">1 tb salt</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">25g margarine</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">salted water to glaze</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">stir the sugar into the water until dissolved. sprinkle the yeast on top and leave in a warm place until frothy.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">sift the flour and salt into a bowl. rub in the margarine. make a well in the centre and put in the yeast liquid. mix to a firm dough.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or untilt eh dough is elastic and smooth. cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour and 1/2 or until doubled in size. </span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">knock back the dough, then knead again for 5 minutes. divide the dough into four portions and shape each into a loaf. place in four greased 500g or two 1kg loaf tins. cover and leave to prove in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has risen to the tops of the tins.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">brush the tops of the loaves with salted water, then bake in a preheated hot oven (230 celcius) for 30-40 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. cool on a wire rack.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-81119545309874576072009-09-18T22:29:00.003-08:002009-10-30T20:21:30.101-08:00My Favourite Raya Cookies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PBs9bLJyASceW7b3xjkvx0r7ZhhxnyT9TE5BzgZZEQ4bpn6q8olzo0u6bPxERUaPKkn-QlD3Qk-ktpR2EZ8gQk3R6Ne2dL8V7EiAfH4Nsg4MiLshZrgpJVNRd__mHl14wddl2Q/s1600-h/IMG_0080.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PBs9bLJyASceW7b3xjkvx0r7ZhhxnyT9TE5BzgZZEQ4bpn6q8olzo0u6bPxERUaPKkn-QlD3Qk-ktpR2EZ8gQk3R6Ne2dL8V7EiAfH4Nsg4MiLshZrgpJVNRd__mHl14wddl2Q/s320/IMG_0080.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398614319207388770" border="0" /></a> <span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);"> butterscotch buttons - trust me, the taste is divine!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >my favourite raya cookies are all simple cookies that have become a raya tradition. despite all the newcomers like Bunga Tulip or Mama Carie or Almond London, i always prefer the simple cookies. my favourites include:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1. Biskut Kacang/Mazola</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >2. Semprit</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >3. Chocolate Chip Cookies</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >4. Butterscotch Buttons</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >5. Biskut Arab</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >i'm always ambitious to bake a lot, but this year i baked only 2 types - Butterscotch Buttons and Biskut Arab. i don't like the ostentatious decorated cookies, nor the gaudy ones because you just know the taste is just ordinary. i place much importance on taste. the form isnt necessarily have to pass the aesthetics.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >i like Butterscotch Buttons for their caramel taste. it's also very simple to make.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >125g unsalted butter</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 tb golden syrup</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 1/4 cup self-raising flour.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >beat butter with sugar, golden syrup and vanilla. sift in self-raising flour. the book instructs shaping the cookie by using teaspoon, by i prefer making small balls and flatten them with a fork. bake in 180C oven at 20 mins.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >Biskut Arab</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >these cookies arent for those on a diet! i hope i can resist after a few. kak dah always told me that the ratio for flour and sugar is 2:1</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >500g flour</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >250g icing sugar</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >200g ghee, melted</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >rub in all the three ingredients. shape the dough into small balls. bake 170C at 20 mins. </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" > </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-63483496573694183402009-05-09T15:19:00.004-08:002009-05-09T15:42:02.697-08:00Puding buih with custard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23U-_49OFaNQgK1hlS4ynNGCSbtJD9V67fPlDyLqes22fvAoMVq4sC7ePY5rqTRTzmJ8uPnl5eHb9qcVNgDCWUACaa1cDhhCo3lxjIroopOjfBhuq2I2a7yHBNruippZ-g4w8GQ/s1600-h/IMG_5167.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23U-_49OFaNQgK1hlS4ynNGCSbtJD9V67fPlDyLqes22fvAoMVq4sC7ePY5rqTRTzmJ8uPnl5eHb9qcVNgDCWUACaa1cDhhCo3lxjIroopOjfBhuq2I2a7yHBNruippZ-g4w8GQ/s320/IMG_5167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333972898294886498" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >i think years ago i had written about my mother's puding buih. it is a jelly made of meringue, hence the name buih. my late mother would serve this during fasting month, simply because it is easy to digest and is cool to the throat and the sugar from the custard gives that instant energy that the tired body needs.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >for the family tahlil, i decided to make this puding buih, (and also my niece nana who had returned from KK had requested this). my filipina sister in law was nonplussed to see the puding, probably because most of the time i serve western desserts during the family gatherings. but later, when everybody dug in, my siblings reminisced the times when my mother served this - during fasting month. i think it's appropriate for me to make this dish, as it reminds us of my late mother.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />for those of you pudding lovers, this is the recipe</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 packet of agar2</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >6 glasses water</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >3 tb sugar</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >red food colouring</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >7 egg whites, beaten until stiff</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >rose essence</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />boil the agar2 with the water. when dissolved, add in the sugar and red colouring. add in meringue and rose essence, and fold in the meringue into the agar2 mixture. turn the fire off. pour the mixture into a larger bowl and beat until the meringue is incorporated into the jelly. a good puding buih will not have separate layers between meringue and non- meringue. </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />custard</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br />7 egg yolks</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >2 cans evaporated milk</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >sugar (i didnt measure this, so use your discretion)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >vanilla essence</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br />1 tsp cornflour (according to Delia Smith, this is to stabilise the custard)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >Warm the milk on the stove. while warming, beat the yolks with the eggs. pour in the milk into the eggs gently, so that the yolks are not cooked. pour the egg mixture back into the pan and onto the fire, and stir. add in vanilla and cornflour and stir. the custard is cooked when there is a line when you run your finger across the back of the ladle or wooden spoon.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br />serve chilled.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-24551128573312984242009-05-06T06:15:00.003-08:002009-05-06T06:26:57.959-08:00Fudgy Brownies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw4BJ-D-OPIFlFBq2aFuuC61Xo4xpWgiblXhL2n_-vnRrqpzFgb-IxV_sZDDQWf4L8E0eOQKnIzzC7KINVmUdx_byyIMJQzW-1XF2UnNfF1lwZS7Y7bjVLub_JRRIpHktvBBtsQ/s1600-h/IMG_5163.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUw4BJ-D-OPIFlFBq2aFuuC61Xo4xpWgiblXhL2n_-vnRrqpzFgb-IxV_sZDDQWf4L8E0eOQKnIzzC7KINVmUdx_byyIMJQzW-1XF2UnNfF1lwZS7Y7bjVLub_JRRIpHktvBBtsQ/s320/IMG_5163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332716478381617954" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">since today i took another MC (i'm not playing hookie, i just have the flu bug), i decided to lie in and come afternoon i felt the sudden yearn for the denseness of brownies. i have so many recipe books and it's only right that i browse through the recipes. i found this recipe for Chocolate magazine by Better homes and garden. it's really dense and decadent, so you cant eat a lot. more like eating a slice of cheesecake.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1/2 cup butter</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">3 oz unsweetened chocolate, cut up (you can substitute with 9 tb of cocoa powder and 3 tb of fat, since an oz of chocolate is equivalent to 3 tb cocoa powder and 1 tb fat)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1 cup sugar</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">2 eggs</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1 tsp vanilla</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">2/3 cup all purpose flour</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1/4 tsp baking soda</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1. preheat ovent o 180C. grease 8 x 8 x 2, set aside. in medium saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. cook and stir over low heat until melted. cool.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">2. stir sugar into chocolate mixture. add eggs, one at a time, beating with wooden spoon just until combined. stir in vanilla.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">3. in small bowl, combine flour and baking soda. add flour mixture to chocolate mixture stir just until combined. if desired, stir in nuts.</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">4. spread batter in prepared pan. bake for 30 mins. cool in pan on wire rack.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-25638646145766023572009-04-30T03:18:00.004-08:002009-04-30T03:34:15.760-08:00Philadelphia Cheese Steak Sandwich<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfLjquTW3XzLAa_9YNLUvAgrpmJdDSux2msmWJV7ScCnSUm_spp09Io4Ppwlgq7ExIdhJ55lHewU_qcDe8pm0qP_bgbsi_gouuzunmyeBnGJuGDmI159vI56W6y5WJ51tlu96QQ/s1600-h/IMG_5160.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfLjquTW3XzLAa_9YNLUvAgrpmJdDSux2msmWJV7ScCnSUm_spp09Io4Ppwlgq7ExIdhJ55lHewU_qcDe8pm0qP_bgbsi_gouuzunmyeBnGJuGDmI159vI56W6y5WJ51tlu96QQ/s320/IMG_5160.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330445210222838530" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);"> woops! the hoagie bun is upside down!<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFq79F6UArG5kuk9oTUpEIBAgO8FqHvvU-idyzUeBg18jNSNQj5rWAISqgkBXM2E4PuuFuHTlkRvwz-4sKPbRQiU-48GdVb0vwPoFCvrlzEAm6uk6fE9TpV1sX7pwBQxZnoKAeg/s1600-h/IMG_5161.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFq79F6UArG5kuk9oTUpEIBAgO8FqHvvU-idyzUeBg18jNSNQj5rWAISqgkBXM2E4PuuFuHTlkRvwz-4sKPbRQiU-48GdVb0vwPoFCvrlzEAm6uk6fE9TpV1sX7pwBQxZnoKAeg/s320/IMG_5161.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330446221958579618" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >from the first time i sank my teeth into the buttered bun at chilli's, i was hooked. and that was years and years ago. unfortunately though, when i dined at chilli's last month with mozie, the cheese steak sandwich was off the menu. they must be crazy because it's damn good!</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >deprived of my favourite sandwich, i, as usual, searched for the recipe so i could relive those moments of sheer happiness. i found this recipe on BHG.</span> <h4 style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: arial;">Ingredients</h4> <ul style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: arial;"><li class="bg1"> <strong style="font-weight: normal;">1</strong> 12-ounce boneless beef rib eye steak </li><li class="bg2"> <strong style="font-weight: normal;">2</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>tablespoons margarine or butter </li><li class="bg1"> <strong style="font-weight: normal;">2</strong> medium onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings </li><li class="bg2"> <strong style="font-weight: normal;">1</strong> medium red or green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips </li><li class="bg1"> <strong style="font-weight: normal;">4</strong> French rolls or hoagie buns, split </li><li class="bg2"> <strong></strong> 4 ounces thinly sliced <a href="http://www.bhg.com/recipes/glossaryDisplay.jsp?item=/templatedata/bhg/recipeGlossary/data/1168283672389.xml">cheddar cheese</a></li></ul> <div style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: arial;" id="instructions"> <h4>Directions</h4> <p><b>1.</b> Partially freeze beef. Thinly slice beef across the grain into bite-size strips. In a 10-inch skillet melt margarine or butter; add onions and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat about 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.(i added in some soya sauce as well as some black pepper)<br /></p> <p><b>2.</b> Remove onion-pepper mixture from skillet with a slotted spoon. If necessary, add additional margarine to skillet. Add beef; cook and stir over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until done. </p> <p><b>3.</b> To serve, spread rolls open face on a baking sheet. Divide beef and onion-pepper mixture among rolls. Top with cheese. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings. </p> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-61914897257412683362009-04-27T05:39:00.002-08:002009-04-27T05:58:29.749-08:00Homemade Spicy Chicken Burger<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbIOAQJ81HDy4fVX2a2dGBlGhVTax0TM80kFYaYLfUf1iN8q1omsbn4lmqn7HOrTMCWUrGNDDcQ6Q0cOQSl-yWI0yOczkJ7d4DCFj63omSw8TmQjwaZQ83tEZQUmpbhIZhj-v1w/s1600-h/IMG_5159.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbIOAQJ81HDy4fVX2a2dGBlGhVTax0TM80kFYaYLfUf1iN8q1omsbn4lmqn7HOrTMCWUrGNDDcQ6Q0cOQSl-yWI0yOczkJ7d4DCFj63omSw8TmQjwaZQ83tEZQUmpbhIZhj-v1w/s320/IMG_5159.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329370085138146210" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">it's so easy to just go and buy McD (especially for me, because it's just a 2 min walk from home) or if you have a family or on a tight budget, you'd figure it out that buying Ramly is a better deal than the expensive McD. however, what people choose to ignore (because of convenience and time constraint) is the fact that those burgers are loaded with extra calories - from the animal fat and all the other parts of the animal, MSG and god knows how much more alien sounding preservatives are added.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i was tempted to buy at McD, but instead i made my way to MaxValu and bought some minced chicken, low fat cheddar cheese and some organic lettuce. i made my own recipe, loosely following jamie oliver's recipe - which calls for some breadcrumbs and some ground onion. my own concoction is as follows</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">some minced chicken</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">toasted cumin and coriander seeds, ground</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">chilli powder</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">hungarian paprika powder</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">some fresh breadcrumbs</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">chopped onions</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">salt</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">if you find that your meat mixture is dry, then add in an egg to bind everything together. shape the meat into patties and grill.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-47070281806852174792009-04-27T00:22:00.003-08:002009-04-27T05:36:38.727-08:00My mother's karipap recipe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALkk4hgB1_0crZjtHaIYW8xWXvn3TVvP1u1n67y9rxqOY8_Nqqm8Sis8eImvFFDEAo2nw6CHtcwiZc1Tz0j9jIg4UpwDe_1fTt95F-l14pE7in3kglrXD9rzCNM_8wzld5jbaOQ/s1600-h/IMG_5156.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALkk4hgB1_0crZjtHaIYW8xWXvn3TVvP1u1n67y9rxqOY8_Nqqm8Sis8eImvFFDEAo2nw6CHtcwiZc1Tz0j9jIg4UpwDe_1fTt95F-l14pE7in3kglrXD9rzCNM_8wzld5jbaOQ/s320/IMG_5156.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329364361863703426" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >most karipap recipes use curry powder, hence the name. however, my late mother decided to make some changes and used terengganu kurma powder instead. the result? a fragrant and mild tasting karipap, suited for those who do not favour the overpowering curry taste. i used to remember when i was in form 2 returning to SSP after 2 weeks of leave due to chicken pox, my mother made probably around 100 karipaps for my siblings and they smelled heavenly on the plane.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >unfortunately though, i can't give the full scale recipe as i like to throw things without measuring them.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >pastry</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >all-purpose flour</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >butter (my mother used to put some ghee which smells and tastes delicious!)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >water</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: arial;">a pinch of salt</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >mix all and knead until the dough becomes smooth</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >filling</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >beef, cubed </span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >potatoes, cubed</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >shallots, chopped</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >some kurma powder (use terengganu kurma powder and not the white kurma powder found in most stores)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-family: arial;">salt</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >heat some oil. mix ingredients in a pan and cook for awhile.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >roll the dough and use a round cutter. fill in the filling and seal the edges by crimping. a few years ago, my mother made the filling and it was up to me and my niece nana to do the rest. being true gourmand eaters, nana and i made the biggest karipap - probably the size of two palms held together. those were the days *sigh*</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-33430254953699390582009-04-18T23:43:00.004-08:002009-04-18T23:56:24.853-08:00Pulut Gaul Nyor - Sticky Rice with Grated Coconut<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikTVMY_YRdqHGqhkXlMBbvu_rqfdoMROfat_3tSEer6FWszmr0OWWismj1phHH94iLvE24_CWJJ9I1ooN9G_v5C3iH02SEXlAWmyea8LCStsG65O3DWIIb1_UhNKNerhbnqD8QA/s1600-h/IMG_5152.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikTVMY_YRdqHGqhkXlMBbvu_rqfdoMROfat_3tSEer6FWszmr0OWWismj1phHH94iLvE24_CWJJ9I1ooN9G_v5C3iH02SEXlAWmyea8LCStsG65O3DWIIb1_UhNKNerhbnqD8QA/s320/IMG_5152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326306440197412498" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >This morning i thought of making scones at first, but as i neared the kitchen i remembered that i still had some fresh grated coconut (frozen) and some glutinous rice. so i made the simplest breakfast, eaten by Terengganu folks for breakfast. yes, you can find this in any local food stalls in terengganu early in the morning.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >soak the glutinous rice, i took only half an hour to soak. then i cooked the rice just like any normal white rice. prepare the coconut filling by mixing with salt and sugar (the filling must be sweet). fry or grill a fish, as an accompaniment to the dish. enjoy! </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-3369778027412512252009-04-17T15:16:00.007-08:002009-04-27T05:38:21.981-08:00Tiramisu<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bz9ublcB1ZcqQuHk-8n0yA0bikt1NixHfv6nCg7H0drRS6YcXND0HyFvlWQxWWbXfRww9PowBBHoggA4t_2zBK0rPxAuk3e2mhy9WSeo89ou5NWBr1guEKI7G68jXdZoZ6RU9Q/s1600-h/tiramisu.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0bz9ublcB1ZcqQuHk-8n0yA0bikt1NixHfv6nCg7H0drRS6YcXND0HyFvlWQxWWbXfRww9PowBBHoggA4t_2zBK0rPxAuk3e2mhy9WSeo89ou5NWBr1guEKI7G68jXdZoZ6RU9Q/s320/tiramisu.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325804618118418722" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >Malaysians now begin to like tiramisu, an italian dessert named such (Pick me up) because that's what the courtesans fed their lovers. there are a lot of recipes on Tiramisu. some are just mere imitations, and not fit to be called a Tiramisu. a popular Malaysian eatery serves tiramisu but sadly, it's just a cake, and not a tiramisu.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >so, what is the real mccoy tiramisu?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >it is layers of spongefingers soaked in coffee syrup (to which liqueur is added), mascarpone cheese, whipped cream and meringue, and finally dusted with cocoa.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >now, that's the real tiramisu, of which you can see when Nigella shows it on tv.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >here i'm going to share with you the recipe that i used, taken from the Better Home & Garden's Italian magazine.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Liqueur syrup</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/2 cup sugar</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/2 cup water</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 tb espresso</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >Stir and let boil until 1 minute. cool.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Mascarpone filling</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >500g mascarpone cheese (this is really expensive and those made in italy can cost RM30 a bar)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/4 cup sugar</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >vanilla</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >Mix.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Whipped Cream</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 1/2 cup cream</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >3 tb sugar</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >Beat until soft peaks form.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Meringue</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >3 egg whites</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/3 cup sugar</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. add sugar then continue beating until it reaches hard peak stage.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >6 oz spongefingers</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >2 tb cocoa</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >Add 1/2 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. place half of the spongefingers into a dish of 9 x 9 x 2. brush with half of the liqueur syrup. on top of the spongefingers, put half of the mascarpone cream. layer it out. then put half of the whipped cream, layer it out. put half of the meringue mixture, layer it out. dust with 1 tb of cocoa. repeat the same process with all the other half mixtures, ending with another dust of 1 tb of cocoa. refrigerate 4- 24 hours before serving.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-62782476675782803532009-04-15T01:35:00.003-08:002009-04-17T15:15:43.169-08:00Kuih Cucur Badak<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWAddp67FRrV93FjOT3CJplscTLyE1lqwLctuuSmdQSoQLTSuUexmTpoyBhD1OQakeAlJnonNOmkIA0wRg3jZDiOM6oAQqLptCcSkM_5VOx9JZq3MSI5VeeRA8mNzn4SNMXSapw/s1600-h/IMG_5132.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWAddp67FRrV93FjOT3CJplscTLyE1lqwLctuuSmdQSoQLTSuUexmTpoyBhD1OQakeAlJnonNOmkIA0wRg3jZDiOM6oAQqLptCcSkM_5VOx9JZq3MSI5VeeRA8mNzn4SNMXSapw/s320/IMG_5132.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325801416136983266" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-size:85%;" > the cucur badak fried for bekal. the karipap ikan is made by my friend shidah</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br /><br /><br /><br />of all the kuih melayu, i like currypuffs, kuih cucur badak and serimuka. which means it is an imperative that i become a connoisseur for these kuihs and know how to make them, and make them well.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >i tried to make cucur badak several attempts, but although those were edible, it was nowhere near perfect. or at least, my standard of perfection. the sweet potatoes were always too soft, although the filling was okay.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >i couldnt remember how, but a few days ago i had this craving for cucur badak. i did my research through my small library of recipe books, and after ditching Betty Saw's recipe (because nowhere was sweet potatoes stated, probably it was a misprint) i finally settled for a recipe in Berita Publishing's Traditional Malaysian Cuisine. and i must say, after making it, the recipe was not bad, the most important thing is, the skin made of sweet potatoes was just nice, and the filling was tasty. okay, i know i didnt have the pic of my cucur badak, i keep them in the freezer for any emergencies. here's the recipe for it.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >skin</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >300g sweet potatoes</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >a pinch of salt</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >water</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/2 cup flour</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >boil until the potatoes are cooked. scrape the skin and mash the potatoes. add 1/2 cup of flour and knead until soft. divide into equally sized portions (you can make about 6-8 depending on the sizes)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >Filling</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/2 grated coconut</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >to be ground together:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >20gs dried shrimps (i used fresh ones. don't grind the fresh shrimps with the spices)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 stalk lemon grass -</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >2 fresh red chillies</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >2 cloves of garlic</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >2 shallots</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/2 tsp turmeric powder (i used fresh turmeric)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >salt and sugar</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >mix all the ingredients together and fry in 2 tbs of oil until dry (usually until the coconut is light) take 1 portion of the sweet potato mixture and flatten slightly. put in 1 tsp of the filling in the centre and seal. heat oil and fry the cakes until golden.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-61996512038091177532009-04-11T01:58:00.002-08:002009-04-11T02:10:20.131-08:00Steak with Garlic Brown Sauce, Mashed Potatoes with Chives and Corn-on-cob<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4M79wTDM1HdiJGiIAMFPMaPVdILcTswqcXMXiho_bSMZEZw-v5LQXsd1hukIaAW0gf6idHWJ5iH1JbTrEcgnpiQ_tk81BDGGh3hzJP0x5G57lxyCZ7psLKDzf3N550KRaGxTkFw/s1600-h/IMG_5130.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4M79wTDM1HdiJGiIAMFPMaPVdILcTswqcXMXiho_bSMZEZw-v5LQXsd1hukIaAW0gf6idHWJ5iH1JbTrEcgnpiQ_tk81BDGGh3hzJP0x5G57lxyCZ7psLKDzf3N550KRaGxTkFw/s320/IMG_5130.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5323371204259102226" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">i always crave for different things to eat everyday. a few nights ago, i suddenly had this urge to eat steak - something i try to avoid since it's pure red meat. i marinated the steak in garlic and pepper for one hour (they always recommend 4-24 hours of marinating but i didnt have the time, i was hungry!). </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">while marinating, i boiled some US potatoes which is waxy, but never mind, i was hungry! following Delia Smith's book, i mashed the potatoes and added some butter and milk. and since i grow chives at home, i chopped the chives and added them in.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">meanwhile, i boiled an ear of corn with some butter (this according to chef michael smith, works...unfortunately i didnt taste any butter when i ate) and sugar. then on a hot griddle, i fried my steak (which i had put on some oil and salt). it didnt take that long, probably a few minutes on each side, depending on your preferred doneness. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">and finally, for me a steak won't be a steak without sauce so with the dripping on the griddle, i made some roux with some flour and olive oil (actually the recipe calls for butter but i thought i had too much butter in the potato and the corn) and then added some homemade beef stock. cook until it's thickened.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">and then voila! time to eat!!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-88383468886016071652009-02-04T17:06:00.003-08:002009-02-04T17:25:10.865-08:00Raisin and Date Buns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sEOstb8Jo-mVlBZXA842XNx7_rBO1wnpQlfiAktztJsHKz3Hx0LB598mmEAQg_RZGKi5RMPumMUg_8aSs4YtV_2SstoZWhp4z-B_MrUxXUePXCujmpEXb7IcDUiswInlM4NrOg/s1600-h/IMG_5060.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2sEOstb8Jo-mVlBZXA842XNx7_rBO1wnpQlfiAktztJsHKz3Hx0LB598mmEAQg_RZGKi5RMPumMUg_8aSs4YtV_2SstoZWhp4z-B_MrUxXUePXCujmpEXb7IcDUiswInlM4NrOg/s320/IMG_5060.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299115952219291458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzCjYqfMLVsAbk-gAIl0Xr5l7N5hs06btstEQC-WmhVsRTjfwWyhbPPVDSLB-D7Ifp6XsfRaaUPgYqkn27EPw3Sf28LSmI8Np1ZUU552vYCj6pytO6WcKkHH1VJ-JEEekgk3U0Q/s1600-h/IMG_5059.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzCjYqfMLVsAbk-gAIl0Xr5l7N5hs06btstEQC-WmhVsRTjfwWyhbPPVDSLB-D7Ifp6XsfRaaUPgYqkn27EPw3Sf28LSmI8Np1ZUU552vYCj6pytO6WcKkHH1VJ-JEEekgk3U0Q/s320/IMG_5059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299115944372306082" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" >my bread's nearly gone and i thought of making bread with the leftover high protein flour. i'm in luck, because i just had enough flour to make half of the portion of the bread recipe that i always use. </span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);font-family:arial;" >nowadays i follow the Amish bread recipe, but today i made some adjustments by adding an egg and some milk, ground cinnamon, and the dried fruits. only when the buns were baked did i realise that i forgot to add the oil in, but the buns are still soft and taste okay.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">here's the recipe, the adjusted version</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1/2 cup warm water</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1/2 cup warm milk</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1/6 cup sugar (can increase to 1/3 cup if you wish it to be sweet)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1 1/2 tsp yeast</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1 tsp salt</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1 egg, beaten</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">3 cups high protein flour</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">1 tsp ground cinnamon</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">chopped dates and raisins</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">dilute the sugar with the liquid, add in the yeast and let it rest until the mixture becomes frothy. add in the salt, the egg and stir. add in the dry ingredients and blend until it resemble a dough. transfer the dough onto a clean flat surface and start to knead for 8 minutes. if the dough sticks to the surface, sprinkle some flour on the surface.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">let the dough rise double in size in an oiled bowl and cover with a cling wrap. some people punch or knock the risen dough, but i prefer to briefly knead the dough again. then shape your dough into your desired shape, and let it rise again. bake in a preheated oven of 200C for 15-25 mins. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-20785294118484111552009-01-18T15:33:00.006-08:002009-02-04T17:30:36.581-08:00blueberry muffins, sardine rolls and chocolate cake<a style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6H6xYkZjbwuZyWBBH0kR3Dd2VKojEHtehhj2UkowQAEqNZo1enajmE7Mmdz7_Rvkq-UkPuw1UxWzX5_RjMT6vZE6EaM_9hvAoxq0-KMo1L4G1ui4slg0wr1IJwOg5_BLjTUD0g/s1600-h/IMG_5044.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP6H6xYkZjbwuZyWBBH0kR3Dd2VKojEHtehhj2UkowQAEqNZo1enajmE7Mmdz7_Rvkq-UkPuw1UxWzX5_RjMT6vZE6EaM_9hvAoxq0-KMo1L4G1ui4slg0wr1IJwOg5_BLjTUD0g/s320/IMG_5044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292832971910771026" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >i was walking down the aisle at one of the supermarkets when suddenly i saw a markdown price for fresh blueberries. imagine, RM5.99 per packet. i bought 2 (well, i can't simply borong, blueberries afterall, are expensive) and decided to freeze, a tip given by nigella.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >and on one morning, i decided to make blueberry muffins, and how delightful it is to eat fresh blueberry muffins instead of blueberry filling muffins!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blueberry muffins</span><br /><br />180g flour<br />60g sugar<br />2 tsp baking powder<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />2 eggs<br />55g butter, melted<br />175ml milk<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />1 tsp grated lemon rind<br />170g (i used half the amount) fresh blueberries<br /><br />preheat a 200C oven. grease a 12 cup muffin tin. sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl. in another bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. add the melted butter, milk, vanilla and lemon rind and stir to combine. make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. with a large metal spoon, stir just until the flour is moistened. fold in blueberries.spoon the batter into the cups, leaving the room for the muffins to rise.bake until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 20-25 mins.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >Next on the list is sardine rolls. the recipe is featured in ERT book, but i used the recipe from Roti Kek Pastri, written by Norani Sidek, a lecturer of Hotel Management and Tourism of UiTM. i normally have the urge to eat the rolls once a year. can't have too much of everything everyday, i don't know why but the sardine gives me the bloatedness. here's the recipe:</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc24uS9_AxxvQ1WYfCJIxqIO0AlR7Uin27XZwQkGvl8MywleO92JOyLhLXmJ_V5Cc8OaTTBozY5soAJzv1tyv5fjif48SVnDOJKGlW2UqqXglHCS8GEcbFEjjMX-aYCRriN5X5Ow/s1600-h/edit1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc24uS9_AxxvQ1WYfCJIxqIO0AlR7Uin27XZwQkGvl8MywleO92JOyLhLXmJ_V5Cc8OaTTBozY5soAJzv1tyv5fjif48SVnDOJKGlW2UqqXglHCS8GEcbFEjjMX-aYCRriN5X5Ow/s320/edit1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292832957603174050" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pastry</span> (for savoury dishes)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >200g flour</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >2-3 tb cold water (i used 5-6)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >100g butter</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >a pinch of salt</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >add flour and salt in a bowl. add in butter, and use the rubbing method until the flour resembles breadcrumbs. add in the water and knead a little bit. rest the pastry for half an hour before using.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Sardine filling</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" > 2 small cans of sardines</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 red chilli, chopped</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/2 onion, chopped</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 tsp of lime juice</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >flake the sardines (without the tomato sauce) and add in chilli, onion and lime juice.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >to assemble: roll the dough on a flat surface until it is 1/8 inch thick, and in rectangle shape. cut into squares of 2 inch, put the sardine filling onto each square and roll. egg wash the roll using 1 egg and 2 tb of milk. bake on a preheated oven of 200 Celcius for 15-20 mins.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_4EZMLvuMBcfy-ZQdukxP8lO3B6j8oMhxV4cRu0kQYHX-FfhzAtPijdWD0j6G4A_kIFIEdC50DHKz3N19ExGFpZg6PYMA0TwlncfOWxKDbZHu3lj5Nx6W3bplbf2LlEH0O9Ekw/s1600-h/IMG_5058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_4EZMLvuMBcfy-ZQdukxP8lO3B6j8oMhxV4cRu0kQYHX-FfhzAtPijdWD0j6G4A_kIFIEdC50DHKz3N19ExGFpZg6PYMA0TwlncfOWxKDbZHu3lj5Nx6W3bplbf2LlEH0O9Ekw/s320/IMG_5058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292832975580963522" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >since i'm a chocoholic, i'll have this craving from time to time. usually i use the hershey recipe, but today i used the recipe taken from Classic Essential Cake book. as i'm typing this, the whole house smells of the divine smell, nevermind its unappealing pic, since i'm not much of a photographer.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >Favourite Chocolate Cake</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >185g butter</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >3/4 cup sugar</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >2 eggs</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 cup self raising flour</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >3/4 cup flour</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/2 cup cocoa powder</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 tsp baking soda</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >1/2 cup milk</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >use the creaming method and bake on a preheated oven of 180 Celcius for 45 mins.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-71282894810697918322008-12-05T06:17:00.002-08:002008-12-05T06:43:28.761-08:00spaghetti bolognese<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEVHj6OJb58mZEsNOCBY46-1L8Kvx8CX9euZ14zu9wbuP_IGw9XQdec2dIrd9a83BQaeyoyso3yV3JCNe4gL20ISSJk-CXpCCFr2-13x4CgmlBlFboCCvGc1JOT_Kb3Ttneh0uA/s1600-h/IMG_5031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEVHj6OJb58mZEsNOCBY46-1L8Kvx8CX9euZ14zu9wbuP_IGw9XQdec2dIrd9a83BQaeyoyso3yV3JCNe4gL20ISSJk-CXpCCFr2-13x4CgmlBlFboCCvGc1JOT_Kb3Ttneh0uA/s320/IMG_5031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276310402298848770" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">i achieved my nirvana or shang ri la of bolognese today. it was perfect, i could taste the sourness of the tomato puree' and the delicate flavours of the herbs.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">most malaysians have eaten spaghetti bolognese, some try to cook it at home by opening the jar of preggo or tearing off the packed instant sauce. some cook from scratch and decide to malaysianise the bolognese sauce by adding chilli.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">i remember listening in horror to the tale of a teacher who said that it's easier to cook bolognese sauce out of a maggi packet. what she doesnt know is that the process is almost the same as cooking from scratch. in my opinion, it is better to stretch our patience and time in order to have a good hearty meal. and also, i'm a purist, therefore i try to stick to the basic recipe. i even use olive oil. when cooking bolognese sauce, you need a lot of chopped onions and garlic, celery, tomatoes, carrot and tomato puree'. i prefer beef to chicken, because beef has a hearty taste that the chicken does not have. from experience, i learned that it is better to use minced meat rather than manually mincing the meat on your own. using commercially prepared minced meat (or if you have a grinder, that is even better) ensures your sauce to be thick. i tried to mince the beef but my sauce ended up being runny. anyway, i use thyme, oregano and basil in my sauce, and i put pepper as well. let it cook for at least one hour. i do not try to improvise to suit the malaysian palette because for one thing, this is an italian dish. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">hopefully, those who read this will be inspired to try and cook bolognese from scratch.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-7382141947105361912008-11-10T05:20:00.003-08:002008-11-10T05:45:59.343-08:00seri muka & apple cinnamon teacake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPHEij2DGIlwj45aCRlmM4dTXVX3H_VDxRAkMWiV_bZqqxqzjMNh4asr-1ZhPDfFP-RAdW_-91YeQYEsn5eANtO2ejiZK-8gOGMPskzXUogKT75E4lncI_HkCrJQ47DivoaWAVw/s1600-h/IMG_5015.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPHEij2DGIlwj45aCRlmM4dTXVX3H_VDxRAkMWiV_bZqqxqzjMNh4asr-1ZhPDfFP-RAdW_-91YeQYEsn5eANtO2ejiZK-8gOGMPskzXUogKT75E4lncI_HkCrJQ47DivoaWAVw/s320/IMG_5015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267024301752836978" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >my favourite malay kuihs has to be seri muka, cucur badak and karipap. i've learnt how to do cucur badak and karipap, but i've never tried seri muka. the best seri muka i've eaten was in KL, during my niece's wedding when my sister ordered it for the guests.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >i have so many recipes of seri muka that i just didnt know which one to choose. so i called one of my sisters to ask. her response? "go and buy." unperturbed, i called my sister in-law. in the end, she said that malay kuihs can be difficult to make and she advised me to buy. buy??? what do you all mean buy??? i don't buy, i make!</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >finally i decided to follow Amy Beh's </span><a style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0); font-family: arial;" href="http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=2916">seri muka </a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >recipe. i followed the recipe to the t, only that i added in an extra egg. the custard was a bit soft, but that was because of the slow fire and also because of the extra egg. my only complaint is that the custard layer is too thin, and the next time i make this, i'll double the custard.</span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo14hYFxdMVqThfhMiKV7tB4ZB-oEl4p8Or9J_VicXKPegDTiKb2ys3OTtzL-k8d-VvKXTJOs9oGVnHXvU9RsEAWGsMyJJii3YKWDK13cwiGQCns0ZRDsY7Ozfv6JUYYUnMjUXMg/s1600-h/IMG_5019.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo14hYFxdMVqThfhMiKV7tB4ZB-oEl4p8Or9J_VicXKPegDTiKb2ys3OTtzL-k8d-VvKXTJOs9oGVnHXvU9RsEAWGsMyJJii3YKWDK13cwiGQCns0ZRDsY7Ozfv6JUYYUnMjUXMg/s320/IMG_5019.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267024311951563330" border="0" /></a> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >the next recipe is the apple cinnamon teacake, which i love because it reminds me of comfort. the recipe is my own, i modified it from the basic butter cake.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >250g butter</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >200g brown sugar</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >250g flour</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >1 teaspoon cinnamon</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >some raisins</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >2 small granny smiths apple, chopped</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >6 tablespoons milk</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:arial;" >use creaming method, bake at 180 C until it's baked.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-15970113620428193742008-10-31T19:29:00.002-08:002008-10-31T19:31:44.539-08:00my margherita pizza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDRYKwEanmak55B1XsukNbd2au_GlgNnzZU2dAUTW_FxSQUKL99jk05guGHiYda7xR04OSQKyivfbiCqNZaKlHyag47jA-72S8SwGJX_RPafO8cemLw6HOYw_dB39j8LUHbw6Sw/s1600-h/IMG_4980.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDRYKwEanmak55B1XsukNbd2au_GlgNnzZU2dAUTW_FxSQUKL99jk05guGHiYda7xR04OSQKyivfbiCqNZaKlHyag47jA-72S8SwGJX_RPafO8cemLw6HOYw_dB39j8LUHbw6Sw/s320/IMG_4980.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263526644847535906" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >this is my favourite, margherita pizza, the simplest but the most satisfying pizza.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-59091534209585915862008-10-31T17:31:00.003-08:002008-10-31T19:27:40.060-08:00Briyani<span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >i love eating briyani. of course, one cant have briyani everyday, it's a rich dish, as it uses ghee in the rice and the gravy. in the span of 2 weeks, i have made 2 briyanis - hyderabad chicken briyani and fish briyani.</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >my hyderabad chicken briyani was superb, despite the fact that i hate the taste of white pepper, preferring the black pepper instead.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78qd0jAxdXX5JLxhwZwqMwHahnvyR6RKdrUeUK7eCnFTe1itWOzVXRv45SfKudWNy6Hxq6a3IZOmC7sOLzL3yihpC2lawbLmC8q4BJRusR9I84-UdwgaqQ6LJWHRS1r1pzPEbtQ/s1600-h/hyderabadbriyani.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj78qd0jAxdXX5JLxhwZwqMwHahnvyR6RKdrUeUK7eCnFTe1itWOzVXRv45SfKudWNy6Hxq6a3IZOmC7sOLzL3yihpC2lawbLmC8q4BJRusR9I84-UdwgaqQ6LJWHRS1r1pzPEbtQ/s320/hyderabadbriyani.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263525160519418706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" ><br />i bought a very big piece of fish steak from the wet market yesterday, and was contemplating on making curry. but, i decided to make fish briyani based on the recipe i typed out from my sister's recipe book. i must say that i didnt study the recipe thoroughly, so the fish was a bit bland when it was supposed to be marinated with salt, turmeric, ground chili and fennel seeds. i didnt buy almonds as well, so i had to rely on the almond slivers that i have at home, which i ve been keeping for god knows how long. the rice was okay, it's just that i could taste the rancid almond, and as i said, i was supposed to marinate the fish with the spice mixture. well, anyway, all is not lost.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIL0JSvCHddCfj72hlbC6mX_jqcNXh4vS0f21Lgx55DZXwvOaVge_2IoUdIcVbAfHaYJlhuCFAOrahK-t-LzikFCbPPVKmIuO1u1C9vB6UdfcN5v44Id8WZF8a4jSGMaRgO6r2g/s1600-h/fish+briyani.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOIL0JSvCHddCfj72hlbC6mX_jqcNXh4vS0f21Lgx55DZXwvOaVge_2IoUdIcVbAfHaYJlhuCFAOrahK-t-LzikFCbPPVKmIuO1u1C9vB6UdfcN5v44Id8WZF8a4jSGMaRgO6r2g/s320/fish+briyani.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5263525167552244466" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-57049852345458163312008-09-20T06:21:00.002-08:002008-09-20T06:38:19.941-08:00Gulai Daging Kampung<span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Gulai daging</span><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"> isn't </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">kari daging</span><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">. they dont taste the same although they nearly look the same. probably because gulai daging is the malay version of curry, without the curry leaves, the cinnamon, the cloves, the star anise and the cardamom. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">gulai daging</span><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"> is usually served at feasts, usually at kampung feasts when they serve it with white rice instead of the usual </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"> and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">nasi minyakkurma daging</span><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">i remember i asked my mother to cook for me once, a long time ago, but hers was rich and spicy, nothing like the light but flavourful gulai daging kampung. since then, i ve wondered how they cook the gulai, and wished to learn it. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">i made the gulai today. and it tasted the same like the ones that i like! actually the recipe is written at the packet of spice mix powder. i bought the rose brand spice mix powder, which is commonly used for making gulai. i'm not going to refer to the packet now, but i will tell you what is involved in making gulai.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">1kg chicken meat or beef, sliced</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">to be blended</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">10 shallots</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">5 cloves garlic</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">a slice of galangal</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">a slice of ginger</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">(to be mixed with the shallot mixture)</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">1 tablespoon </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">rempah masak</span><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"> powder</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">1 tablespoon </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">rempah gulai</span><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"> powder</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">some tamarind pulp, diluted with some water</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">2 tablespoon cili boh</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">2 bowls of coconut milk (should not be thick, it should be diluted) </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">first, fry the cili boh in some oil. then add the spice mixture. fry for awhile, until the spice is cooked. if it's drying up, add in some water. after 10 -15 minutes, add in the meat. then add in the coconut milk and tamarind. cook until the meat is tender or until the oil surfaces (which, according to my mother, denotes a beautiful kari or gulai)</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-69618556794201880632008-09-20T06:02:00.003-08:002008-09-20T06:19:55.293-08:00Ramadhan delights<span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">"you're staying alone, and you cook?" these are the questions posed by my colleagues during the fasting month.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">yup. unlike other working people who don't have time to cook, i take cooking as a therapeutic and creative session. a few years back, i would not even be interested to cook malay main meals, as i was only interested in baking and western dishes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">but things have changed now. i've evolved. while i still love the international cuisines like the tex-mex or italian or indian, i've very much gone back to my roots this year, that is to cook the malay dishes.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">those who read my main blog, which is the happy red poppies, will come across the article i wrote about making nasi kerabu. while my mother would have told me that i still need to learn and havent really passed the test, i think the kerabu tasted okay except that it was a tad sweet.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">since i've a lot of ulam left, i decided to make laksa terengganu yesterday. there are 2 types of laksa terengganu - one with spicy red gravy, and the other is a milder white gravy, some sort like the gravy you eat with laksam. i prefer the white gravy, and after a phonecall to my mother, i set off to the kitchen. actually, the gravy is simple to make: just boil some selayang fish, then debone them and grind them with some shallots and black pepper, and cook them with coconut milk. sauteeing isnt necessary. the laksa is eaten with the ulam of daun kesum, and cucumber as well as some other fragrant herbs, and with condiments of belacan, cili boh and salt.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">today, i decided to make bubur gandum or wheat porridge, which used to be a teatime treat every Sunday when i was a student at Seri Puteri. i bought a packet of wheat whole grains which can be found in any grocery store. it is usually called "terigu". like making soya bean milk from soya beans, the wheat grains have to be soaked for a few hours. then, i started boiling them with water, then i added the coconut milk and sugar. and of course, before you turn off the fire, add in a knot of pandan leaf, as it will emit that wonderful fragrant smell.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKN5nLNay7C_cr9zUfPRHwzklnF8-UotK9SzedjsOWZQaZ9FNfHQRHZqP3MHxW2svjFM5yrsXFpe-8yFmJWewAoiyX2f96AbWzOGtULVPiiOIeITWpDhAHo5YELUzNvF4o54L2vA/s1600-h/bubur+gandum.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKN5nLNay7C_cr9zUfPRHwzklnF8-UotK9SzedjsOWZQaZ9FNfHQRHZqP3MHxW2svjFM5yrsXFpe-8yFmJWewAoiyX2f96AbWzOGtULVPiiOIeITWpDhAHo5YELUzNvF4o54L2vA/s320/bubur+gandum.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248107806857685762" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-16131070058033492462008-08-07T04:02:00.005-08:002008-08-07T15:57:48.464-08:00Terengganu's Bubur Lambuk<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpb2VE1HomvxRweFxQQ5wyprOef3q2mPLvvqnwum8cHslfRs1Ln-LX2EuySo57l298_t83QNfIUGRtx1clWHS9qhc2OWhzJcv7p3FSggkRN1FPwXKmWSUFviklNnJElzU4Wbf7vg/s1600-h/bubur+lambuk.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpb2VE1HomvxRweFxQQ5wyprOef3q2mPLvvqnwum8cHslfRs1Ln-LX2EuySo57l298_t83QNfIUGRtx1clWHS9qhc2OWhzJcv7p3FSggkRN1FPwXKmWSUFviklNnJElzU4Wbf7vg/s320/bubur+lambuk.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231929240702586066" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >most malaysians know Kampung Baru's bubur lambuk when it comes to Ramadhan, but i fail to see the attraction. i've tasted it, and found it to be mild and safe. terengganu bubur lambuk, on the other hand, is robust, gutsy and full of earthy flavour.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >so what makes Terengganu's bubur lambuk different? besides the usual </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >santan</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >, our local dish uses ground boiled fish meat and young fern shoots and other plants like </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >pucuk ubi, daun kadok, daun kesum, daun kelo</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >. these are really the wild vegetables, and not cultivated vegetables that you get from the market. which means they have more vitamins and minerals. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >because of the strong fish flavour and smell, the terengganu people device a way to mask the flavour thus making the flavour more subtle - by adding black pepper and lots of ginger to it, the de-wind agent for those who suffer bloatedness.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >in summary, the porridge is a healthy choice for those who are concerned with their health, and what's more, it's cheap!<br /><br />recipe for bubur lambuk<br /><br />1 1/2 cup of rice<br />enough water to make porridge<br /><br />boil the rice first.<br /><br />2 steamed/boiled selayang or mackerel (the freshest fish you can get, so the sweetness stays in the porridge), de-boned<br />1 onion<br />3/4 inch to 1 inch of ginger<br />some black peppercorns<br /><br />grind the ingredients using pestle or mortar or food processor. add the ground mixture into the almost cooked porridge, then add some coconut milk (the freshest you can get, or the taste will be a bit rancid). add in the leaves of the wild vegetables or <span style="font-style: italic;">sayur kampung</span>. add salt to taste.<br /><br />have fun cooking!<br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-61964883757777887872008-06-09T21:36:00.003-08:002008-06-09T22:01:42.397-08:00arabian delights<span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);font-family:arial;" >when i was about to go for umrah, 2 of my students who had gone for umrah told me "teacher, you should try the ice cream". the other one said "teacher, dont forget the kebab". oh please, i'm going there to commune with God, not to satisfy my palette!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);font-family:arial;" >however, i'm a culture vulture and a foodie and so i cant resist the temptation. as Saudi Arabia has higher temperature compared to Malaysia, it is a common sight to see ordinary food stalls serving soft serve ice cream. even more amusing is to see grown men in ihram licking their ice cream away on a typical summer day which is around 40+ degrees celsius. fruit juices are big in Saudi Arabia - and i mean, real undiluted fruit juices, unlike the ones sold in malaysia, which is very much diluted so that cheapskate people can make more money. carbonated drinks are arabs' fave, a can only costs SR1, compared to our RM1+ over here. however, when i was there i missed my fave drinks - soya bean milk, winter melon tea, chrysanthemum tea, lychee drinks- typical south east asian drinks. and talking about drinks, i was offered </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);font-family:arial;" >kahwa</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);font-family:arial;" > by an arab woman in Masjidil Haram. it is supposed to be coffee, but it's not like turkish coffee that i had when i dined at Al Rausyar with my Seri Puteri friends. kahwa tasted more like some natural remedy for something - i could taste ginger, cardamom and god knows what else they put in there. and it tasted bitter. i took a sip. probably half a sip. and decided that i just couldnt drink anymore.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);font-family:arial;" >arabs eat a lot of breads, so you see breads everywhere. not sandwich breads, but rustic breads that look like thick pitta bread. they can eat it plain with yoghurt. my fave is shawarma chicken, which is thinlike unleavened bread (chapatti style) with chicken kebab and fresh vegetables in it. i also tried falafel, thought it was mince meat, but i was wrong. it's like vaaday, only less spicy. the briyani rice is nice, although i think a little bit more spice in the rice would be nicer. the portion was big, 2 persons can finish 1 serving. unlike in malaysia where we're so used to eating briyani rice with an abundance of dhall curry or honeyed chicken or ayam masak merah or pickles, their briyani rice only consists of rice and chicken/lamb/mutton. i guess you've to pay extra if you ask for curry. a container of briyani rice costs SR10. my brother the pilot had mentioned the rice he ate in a big tray, which is typical arab style of eating. he told me they love to eat the rice with kibasy (i really dont know the term in english). on the last day we were in mekah, the rayhar officer brought 2 trays of rice with kibasy, and feeling curious i decided to have a taste. and it was awful. i couldnt stand the smell and nearly vommitted, the smell reminds me of mutton. okay, so i know that i cant stand mutton and kibasy.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20573793.post-3882727834662088722008-06-09T21:06:00.003-08:002008-06-09T21:35:47.811-08:00Ikan Celup Tepung<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >at last, after a hiatus of not cooking, i've returned to my domain of heavenly smells and (sometimes disastrous) creations.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >when i was in mekah 2 weeks ago, i had this sudden craving for <span style="font-style: italic;">ikan celup tepung</span> or flour batter coated fried fish. this is especially famous in Telaga Batin near to KTrg's airport, where you can see a lot of cars flocking the rustic seafood restaurants. go to the one with the most cars, and that means the first shop after the T-junction. besides fish, there're also other seafood such as squids and prawns. and what's more, you can enjoy your seafood with the seabreeze cooling you, and sweet <span style="font-style: italic;">air kelapa</span> to quench your thirst, and a seaview with coconut trees. hahaha TDC should take me in as a writer for their pamphlet.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >anyway, i've digressed from my original intention, which is to talk about how to buy fresh fish and how to prepare <span style="font-style: italic;">ikan celup tepung</span>.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >my sister was amused to see that some terengganu folks buy fish at hypermarkets, which is a big no-no for us the fish connoisseurs. but i prefer to go to the wet market, where everything is fresher. so how does one pick a fresh fish? a fresh fish should not have red eyes (unless you're buying red snapper). the eyes should be clear and lucid. the fish itself should be firm to the touch, and the skin should be silvery clear and not cloudy. the gills should be brilliant red, and not dull red. in kuala terengganu there are certain places where you can get the freshest catch - at chendering near to taman permint jaya, near the small bridge of SMKA Sheikh Abdul Malek, and also the wet market at Pasir Panjang.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-family:arial;" >it is best that you eat the fresh fish a.s.a.p, which is why i decided that the simplest dish is the best for such fresh fish. the batter is the same as the batter to make <span style="font-style: italic;">goreng pisang</span> (or <span style="font-style: italic;">pisang goreng</span>, as my BM teacher used to tell me) - which means some <span style="font-style: italic;">kapur </span>(alkaline), turmeric powder, flour, water and salt. just dip the fish in the batter and deep fry it and voila! remember that the wok must be clean or else the fish will be stuck to the wok.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0