Mutton Chop (Beach Road, Singapore style)

It feels good to drop by my blog, which I have somewhat abandoned temporarily in the name of other pursuits such as raising and developing my toddler - attending her playgroups and devising developmental activities at home - spring cleaning the house which is never ending and trying to finish a course, to name just a few. Despite the silence on this blog, I am still cooking. I have attempted to eat out more than before but each time I finish my meal, I will leave the eatery as a dissatisfied diner. It's hardly tasty. Thus, I'm more and more convinced that home cooking rocks. Hehe.

Cooking these days is all about quick, nutritious and yummy food as I am spending more time on my little one. Make no mistake then that I would often go thru my gastronomy memory bank for recipes I grew up with and food I adored from Singapore. I have many. Too many. This Indian fare which is a common hawker centre food in Singapore is just one of them. I had my first plate of Mutton Chop probably at 7 yrs old. On hindsight, I must have stuffed myself with excessive red food colouring often used with the meat, not to mention the recycled oil used in the frying of the potatoes by the food seller. Yikes!

Not wanting to give up on one of my fav food, I decided I could change some of the ingredients to produce a healthier version of the dish. For instance, I used olive oil for everything and completely omitted the red food colouring. I also used pasta sauce for more flavour in place of canned tomato puree and ready to fry and pre-seasoned frozen potato wedges as opposed to actual potatoes that need to be de-skined, washed and cut up in order to save on preparation time. That's the beauty of home cooking, you control what goes into your system :)

Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
For marinate
500g mutton or beef steak (diced)
4 tbsp light soy sauce
6 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kicap manis)

For meat sauce
10 tbsp tomato puree or pasta sauce
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp sugar (+/- based on preference)
1 tbsp chilli paste (+/- based on  preference). I used the ready to use one as pictured. In Spore "chilli boh" is commonly used and available.
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp cumin powder
Light soy sauce
Sweet soy sauce (kicap manis)
Oil for frying

Other accompaniments
Frozen potato wedges
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Snow peas (blanched)
Eggs fried sunny side up

Method:
1. Marinate meat with the sauces for at least 30mins.
2. Fry the potato wedges, eggs. Set aside.
3. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the marinated meat until lightly cooked. Take meat off pan and set aside.
4. Clear the pan of any left over liquid (don't discard, can add to sauce if it requires more liquid)
5. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the pan. Add pasta sauce or tomato puree, chilli paste and tomato ketchup. Sautee the ingredients over medium heat, stirring them occasionally for abt 3-4 mins.
6. Add the light & sweet soy sauce to taste. Add the cumin and coriander powder. Stir the ingredients well.
7. Add the pre-fried meat cubes and stir the ingredients making sure each meat cube is sufficiently coated with the sauce. Let the ingredients cook for abt 3-5 mins and the sauce slightly thickened.  If too thick, add the leftover liquid from the meat. Add sugar and let it caramelise for a while before turning off the heat.
8. Adjust the taste to your liking. The sauce should be a little sweet and sourish and if you prefer, hot (spicy) as well. Add more/less sugar/chilli to taste. Serve with the rest of the accompaniments.

Sushi With a Twist

When I looked at the date of my last blog post, I decided to just resign to the cliche, "How time flies!". Hehehe. I won't blame motherhood for everything - it's a wonderful journey that's filled with tons of responsibilities, joy & the occasional heartache.

The truth is, I have been spending a lot of time reading about child development and growth, researching for activities to do with my pre-toddler (and actually doing them), hunting down, organising and participating in playgroups, playgyms, playdates and any other appropriate social platforms to give her a headstart she deserves. Then there's the daily walk to the park or around the suburb, the trip to the playground and the list goes on. It all seems too much to do for a small person. I am enjoying this phase of my life, to be honest. It is exhausting (most times, what with sleep being so elusive) but I know this roller coaster ride won't last. Once gone, I can only look back at the memories. I'm digressing into melancholy, aren't I? Look at what motherhood has done to me! Did I say I wouldn't blame motherhood for everything? Right.

I haven't got much time or desire to sit in front of the PC of late. I've decided to download the Blogger app into my Samsung so I can update my blog on the go. I wish the app has more features but it's easy to use and good enough for now. Let's zoom into my kitchen.

Amidst all the motherly duties, I still make meals for my family. I need to eat well to maintain a good energy level. On days when I could only manage a simple dish, I would indulge in a visual feast. With so many talented ladies uploading pics of their kitchen adventures on Facebook and Pinterest, it's not difficult to get a constant dose of inspiration. And that's what catapulted me into making this one helluva Sushi.

It is Japanese in nature but Malay in taste. A cross-cultural adaptation, if you like. The traditional Malay Pulut Kunyit, which is served with curry used to be the centrepiece at Malay weddings. In these modern times, fancy cupcakes/wedding cake towers have taken over the limelight instead. I should have used "beras pulut" (soft rice grains) to make this dish but I used real sushi rice instead, which didn't hurt. In place of beef curry, the filling is spicy beef floss (serunding daging), which is shredded beef popular in Indonesian and Malay cuisines. Ready made ones can be bought for abt A$20 for a small tub. I reckon that's a tad too expensive for a condiment! Making it from scratch is not rocket science. Plus, I love that I could tweak the taste to my liking; I like it to be a little bit sweeter and then punch it with hotness from the chillies and tangy flavour of tamarind.

When I sank my teeth into this fusion Sushi, my feet took me to perform the Happy Dance, my eyes closed in a moment of delirium, my mouth munched away in divine deliciousness. The flossy filling is moist, sweet & spicy all at once, the rice soft & tasty and the gentle flavour of the nori seaweed just envelopes everything perfectly together. It's goodness re-defined. Ummph!

Ingredients:
(Makes 2 lengthwise sushi rolls)

For the Rice
2 cups sushi rice (wash & drain)
Water
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
Salt to taste

For the Beef Floss
300gm beef (boil, shred finely & put aside)
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds*
1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds*
(gently heat cumin & coriander in an oil-less pan for a minute to extract the fragrance)
1 lemongrass (chop bottom half into 1cm pieces, discard the stem)*
2cm galangal*
2cm ginger*
5 dried chillies*
4 shallots*
2 cloves garlic*
1/2 cup diluted tamarind juice
2 tbsp sugar (more if prefer sweeter)
A dash of tumeric powder
Salt to taste
2-3 kaffir lime leaves
Oil for frying
Cucumber (cut 0.5cm thick lengthwise)
Nori seaweed sheets

*Grind ingredients with a bit of water to form a paste

Method:

1. After adding water to the rice, mix in the tumeric powder & salt. Give it a stir and cook rice according to packet instruction either in the rice cooker or in a pot over the stove.

2. When rice is cooked, gently comb it with a fork to mix it. It should be soft and sticky. Coat it with a bit of rice vinegar if it's not already sticky. Set aside to cool.

3. While rice is cooking, heat oil in a pan. Fry the ground ingredients & tumeric until fragrant.

4. Stir in the shredded beef. Add tamarind juice, sugar & kaffir lime leaves.

5. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring the ingredients occasionally. Season with salt.

6. Once cooked, set aside to cool completely before preparing the sushi roll.

7. Lay a piece of nori seaweed on a sushi rolling mat.

8. Scoop rice onto the seaweed, pressing it down, leaving 0.5cm around the edges.

9. Spoon beef floss & spread on top of rice. Place 2 pieces of cucumber in the middle section.

10. Roll the sushi. Cut the sushi according to preferred thickness using a slightly damp sharp knife. Serve.

Nasi Goreng Tom Yum (Tom Yum Fried Rice)

It is a strange summer in Australia this year.  According to the met services, we're experiencing the coldest summer in Canberra in 47 years! I felt the weather reverted from Spring to Autumn instead of progressing into sunny days, with temperature hovering between 19*C and 23*C since the start of the season. Suffice to say that we still need thick woollen blankets to sleep at night.

With the cold weather comes the need for comfort food. One of my perennial favourites is fried rice.  It's one of the easiest yet tastiest complete meals to produce. The best fried rice is made with yesterday's rice.  Even better refrigerated.  I must say, fried rice is highly customisable too.  There's the Malay version, the Chinese version, the Indian version and more. I am passionate about fried rice so much so that I contributed a recipe to an international magazine some time this year and it got published - in full glossy glory (with my name on it!).  Yay!

Add any "side kick" as you wish.
I have here slices of Vegetarian Mock Duck (Char Siew) and cucumber

Fast forward to my kitchen.  I was hooked on making Chinese fried rice for several days in a row.  This followed a friend's Facebook posting of the glorious dish she had in food-loving Singapore, of course.  I must digress a little here with a small confession to make. When I run out of ideas to cook, I turn to Facebook. My countrymen have a peculiar obsession of posting pictures of their gastronomic indulgences with pride. After all, might I remind you that we're people of Makan Nation, of which eating is second only to shopping as a national past time ("makan" is Malay for "eat").  

So, back to my kitchen.  The thing about fried rice is that you must allow for the rice to cool down (if you are cooking/steaming fresh rice) to at least room temperature.  If you fry the rice while it's hot, you will get clumps, which will kill the joy of having a delicious meal. I decided to give this fried rice a little twist. I got the idea from a Malaysian friend who cooks Thai Fried Rice regularly for her Aussie husband. I put the culinary experiment on my own husband who turned out to love this version of fried rice with a passion - once again, his Western taste bud tickled towards the Asian direction!

I have tried many different kinds of Tom Yum pastes but found this one
to be the mother of all instant Tom Yum pastes! It's sufficiently spicy and sour
and it's Halal! Just add some kaffir lime leaves for more punch, if you wish.

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

2 cups rice (cooked & cooled to room temperature)
1 carrot (diced)
1/2 red or green capsicum (diced)
1 small bowl frozen corn kernels
2 cloves garlic (diced)
1/2 onion (diced)
4 seafood/crab sticks (cut into 1cm pieces)
100gm prawns
2 chicken stock cubes
2 eggs
1 tbsp Tom Yum paste
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste


Preparation:

1.  Heat oil in a wok or a large frying pan.  Stir in garlic and onions, fry them over medium heat until onion is tender and fragrant.

2.  Add carrots, stir fry for 2 minutes.  Add capsicums, stir fry for 2 minutes.

3.  Add seafood/crab stick pieces and prawns.  Stir fry until prawns turn pink.

4.  Separately crush chicken cubes until crumble and add to the ingredients in the wok.  Add corn kernels and stir fry all ingredients.

5.  Add Tom Yum paste and stir for 30 seconds.  Create a well in the middle of the wok (if too dry, add 1 tsp of olive oil).  Break the eggs in the well and leave them to cook slightly for 30 seconds before stirring the eggs to break the yolk.  Leave eggs to cook for a further 20 seconds.  Do not stir the other ingredients with the eggs at this point in time (they will become clumpy).  When eggs are almost cooked, fold the ingredients together.

6.  Add rice.  Stir all ingredients gently.  Increase heat to high and stir all ingredients until rice is thoroughly coated with the paste.  Add salt to taste.

7.  Serve hot.




Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Roti Prata (Indian Pancake)

Prata is so delicious (your kids will love it, guaranteed!) and flexible that
you can eat it with just about anything.  Here, I have mine with sambal
tumis ikan bilis (cooked chilli paste with anchovies)

When you think of pancake in the Western definition of the word, you would typically think of maple syrup, butter, strawberries, blueberries and even fresh cream.  I've always felt that as a breakfast food, that combination is extravagantly sweet, like a sugar rush dynamite.  I'm not quite a fan of sweet stuff, as I've mentioned before.  If you give me something chilli hot, now that will be a different story.  Yes, chilli hot in the morning.  I am a serious chilli eater and for many Asians, a savoury cooked breakfast sounds more delectable than a sugary one.  Which brings me to another type of pancake.

In Singapore, it's called Roti Prata but in Malaysia it's commonly known as Roti Canai.  Prata or Canai, it's an Indian pancake made largely from flour, butter, some sprinkles of salt, sugar, milk and other little ingredients.  Sounds easy peasy, ok. But the trick is in the kneading and flipping the dough.  I've seen Italian chefs doing some fancy pizza boomerang. Nice but that's an optional showmanship. In prata making, flipping is a key technique.  It gives the prata the ultimate post-fried crispy texture.  See video - the guy in white is a Singaporean Member of Parliament.  Told you it's no mean feat, even a honcho can't flip a prata dough! 

I'm so fond of prata that weeks before I left Singapore, my brother bought me prata with fish curry (I love it best like that) almost everyday.  In case I couldn't find prata in Australia, that daily consumption was meant to settle me into the initial period of my migration until I learned to make my own prata.  I was able to endure prata's absence from my life for about 2 months.  It was when friends started posting pictures of this nationally-loved pancake with all sorts of accompaniments (curry, dhal, sambal tumis) on Facebook and tagging me to the pictures that I decided to get into prata action.  I was glad that among the things I had packed with me to Australia were heaps of cook books (I'd stored my mum's recipes in my memory).

I made fish curry to soak my prata into. Over the years, prata in Singapore has been
revolutionised such that there's a mind boggling variety - from mushroom cheese prata
to plane prata (light and long like a paper aeroplane) 

I was quite elated when I found a modified recipe and technique that required no flipping.  Hooray! There were some extra steps to follow, no doubt.  But at least I could be sure I wasn't required to clumsily toss and flip the dough and raise my neighbour's suspicion of dangerous kitchen frisbee going on in my house.  I can safely say no animals or humans were harmed during the making of this prata in my kitchen.

I've decided to just scan the recipe page and share it with you here.  Try making your own prata.  A kilogram of flour goes a looooong prata way!

Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Daging Masak Kicap (Sweet Soya Sauce Beef Stew)

If there is one Malay dish that deserves the world's attention, I would not hesitate to nominate "Daging Masak Kicap", an elegant and beautifully aromatic beef stew.  I have cooked this awesome dish and served it to family members and guests of various ethnic backgrounds and taste palettes so many times that I have lost count.  What remains vivid in my memory though is everyone's delightful "Hmmm" and "Oh wow!", followed by "What's the recipe for this, please?".  My husband loves this dish so much that he nearly petitioned for me to make it everyday.  Typically eaten with plain white rice, it's one of my personal favourites too.  Although I have been eating it since I was a toddler because my mum made it wonderfully, I still go "oooh!", "aaah!" with every bite of my own version.  I must have gotten the knack for making this dish from my mum. So, this one's made lovingly in her honour.      

          

Champignons a.k.a button mushrooms are sold in cans.  I adore the soft and rubbery
texture of these little gems

When you were looking at the first picture above, I bet visions of the French's traditional stew, Beef Bourguignon, were playing in your head.  Uncanny resemblance, huh? I have never tried making BB but I remember a scene from the movie "Julie & Julia" in which Julie, while making BB, fell asleep and nearly burnt her kitchen down - the result of an elaborately long cooking time.  If you're anything like me - enthusiastic about cooking but a little lazy to wait around the stove or oven for hours - Daging Masak Kicap will bring you instant gastronomic pleasure minus the sweat.  It is sweet, salty, aromatic and mildly spicy (coriander & cumin seeds).  A bonus if you could get the right cut of fresh and tender meat as every bite of the succulent beef promises an ultimate satisfaction.     

With rice or bread, this Daging Masak Kicap is a crowd-pleaser

If red wine is the answer to a good BB, the non-alcoholic secret weapon for this Malay stew is "kicap manis" (sweet soya sauce).  There are many Indonesian versions of the sauce and there are varieties of Chinese sweet soya sauce too.  But the one that does the trick for this dish is Habhal's Kicap Manis Cap Kipas Udang from Malaysia.  Remember that brand, a mouthful notwithstanding.  I can write a lot about this outstanding sauce and make everyone familiar with it drool on their computer keyboard or iPhone but I'll leave that to next time.  Suffice to say that it is so good, it even has its own Facebook fanpage. If you're living in a non-Asian country, globalisation has enabled us to find exotic or foreign ingredients pretty easily in the Asian section of major supermarkets.  I nearly clapped my feet in the air for having found Habhal's Kicap Manis Cap Kipas Udang at my grocer's here in Australia.  Daging Masak Kicap for world domination! Yeeeha!

Some of my comfort food including Habhal's Kicap Manis
Cap Kipas Udang (bottle on right)

Ingredients:

Grind to form a paste

2 large red onions

4 cloves garlic

2cm fresh ginger

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds 

****

500gm gravy cut beef - cut into 4cm cubes, wash and drain

1 tbsp chilli or curry powder

1 fresh carrot - cut in 1/2cm circles

2 potatoes - deskinned and cut in wedges

1 can of champignons - cut into halves

100ml Habhal's Kicap Manis Cap Kipas Udang (or any Indonesian sweet soya sauce)

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

2 cloves

2 cardamoms

1 1/2 cups water

Cooking oil

Sugar to taste 

Coriander/parsley leaves for garnishing

Preparation:

1.  In a medium non-stick pot, heat oil and add cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and cardamoms.  Add the ground paste and chilli/curry powder.  Fry for 3-4 mins until fragrant.  Stir occasionally to prevent paste from sticking to the base of the pot.

2.  Add beef.  Fry and stir the paste until beef is lighly covered. 

3.  Add kicap manis (soya sauce) and water.  Let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes until beef is tender, stirring it occasionally.

4.  Add potatoes and boil further until the potatoes are soft.  Add carrots and champignons.  Add 1-2 tbsp sugar to taste.  Cook until the stew becomes slightly thicker and meat fully tender.  Turn heat off and serve with white rice or bread.    

Tips:

- Other vegetable subsitutes include baby corns and tomatoes.  If tomatoes are used, add it just before turning heat off to prevent them from bleeding and getting over-cooked.

- This stew can be kept in the fridge for days.  Re-heat in microwave when serving left-over portion.

Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Pulut Serunding (Savoury Glutinous Rice with Spicy Coconut Floss)

My Cooking Affairs wishes you

Eid ul-Adha Mubarak!

Eid ul-Adha in Australia was celebrated on 16 Nov this year, one day ahead of that in Singapore and in most countries.  In addition to the religious significance of a special occasion as such, families all over the world would also gather for a feast (partial lyrics from "Hotel California" eh?).  In the Malay households, there are many signature dishes for Eid. Too many for me to list here.  I have my favourites, one of them is "serunding".  I can't quite recall how my love affair with this flossy side dish started.  All I know is I eat it with anything I could get hold of - rice, bread or lontong/ketupat (Malay rice cakes).  In case you start picturing someone (me) gobbling all of the aforementioned in one go with "serunding", take heart. I meant to say either of them at any one time, not all at once.  

In case you think that hairy brownish ball (left) is a meteorite, I have to quickly say
that's a real coconut. The white flesh (right) when grated will result in tiny flakes   

I did the most unexpected. Well, nothing rocket science, just a little bit of an old school technique.  I actually bought a whole coconut (dehusked) and grated the flesh by myself! The last person I saw doing that painstaking task was my mum, when I was 8 years old.  I would help her out sometimes.  I was always fascinated with the coconut milk that came out of every squeeze of the grated flesh.  Through the years, machines have taken over labour functions in a manner that's almost unbelievable.  Today, coconut milk comes in a can.  Even my mum now buys it ready made like that.  Lest the future generation thinks metal tin is the primary source of coconut milk, I think it's worth preserving and practising some traditional technique whenever we can.  So, when I came across coconuts at the supermarket, I grabbed the chance to relive my childhood. And boy, did I grate and squeeze!

While serunding is a side dish, I decided to make Pulut Serunding, which is a traditional Malay savoury dessert or what we Malays call "kueh".  No prizes for guessing that this is one of my favourites because the main feature is serunding.  I love the chewy texture of the glutinous rice combined with the fragrantly sweet/sour/spicy taste of the serunding.  Simply mouthwatering!  And for nostalgia's sake, I served my Pulut Serunding on a banana leaf.    

(From L to R): Freshly squeezed coconut milk and coconut flakes, lightly fried (without oil) coconut flakes
and a tub of glutinous rice in coconut milk and pandan leaf (screwpine leaf) ready to be cooked  

Ingredients:

Serunding (Coconut Floss)

Grind to form a paste
2 lemongrass
4 cloves garlic
1 large red onion
1cm galangal
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
10 dried chillies (reduce quantity if you prefer less hot)

****

Coconut flakes from 1 whole coconut
350gm minced beef (fried without oil)
100gm brown / palm sugar
5-6 kaffir lime leaves
1 tumeric leaf (optional)
1/2 cup tamarind juice
Salt to taste
Cooking oil


Preparation:

1.  Lightly fry the coconut flakes until they turn slightly yellowish.  Set aside.

2.  In a medium saucepan, heat oil and fry the ground paste for about 5-7 minutes until fragrant.  Stir the paste occasionally while frying to prevent it from getting burnt.

3.  Add the minced beef.  Stir for about 20sec.  Add the tamarind juice, followed by the coconut flakes, sugar, salt, kaffir lime leaves and tumeric leaf.  Lower the heat.  Stir all ingredients well and cook until the coconut flakes get drier.  Be sure to stir regularly to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

4.  When the mixture is not soggy anymore, that's the right consistency.  Turn heat off.  Taste that the floss is a little sweet, sour and salty.  Otherwise, add sugar/tamarind juice/salt to taste.


Pulut (Glutinous Rice)

3 cups glutinous rice - washed & drained
3 cups coconut milk
1-2 pandan leaves (screwpine leaves)
Salt to taste


Preparation:

1.  Put glutinous rice, coconut milk, pandan leaves and salt into a microwavable container and cover with lid.  Cook on high for 15 minutes.  Pause microwave every 5 minutes to gently stir the rice.

2.  When rice is cooked, remove container from the mircowave.  Remove the lid, cool rice for 1 minute.  Scoop the desired amount of glutinous rice into a small bowl to make a round shape.  Invert bowl so rice is released on a plate.  Sprinkle a generous amount of serunding onto the glutinous rice and serve.     

Tips:

- Glutinous rice must be used to make "pulut" as it is sticky, which is the texture desired for this dessert.  Normal grain rice will not give the sticky effect.

- Minced beef is optional for the serunding.



Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)

As I'm writing this post, it's rightfully Spring here in Australia.  However, the weather has been rather atypical and temperature for much of last week was meandering between 12*C and 15*C.  That's prominently cold for someone like me who hailed from a perpetually sun-kissed island where humidity is overdone.  Thus, I felt it appropriate to knock out the unseasonal chills with a familiar food that guarantees me good warmth and gratification - Nasi Lemak.  

To add to your Malay vocabulary, "nasi" means rice while "lemak" has two meanings: (i) fats (ii) creamy.  The latter sounds more palatable than the former, of course.  But you can't go around Singapore or Malaysia asking for Creamy Rice.  If you do, you will be greeted with a You-Must-Be-Nuts and confused look from the food seller.  It's the same as how in Italy, you won't ask the waiter for "Pick-Me-Up" which is English for Tiramisu.  You have to say it in the native language.

I'm a real sucker for Sambal and Kangkong Belacan.  Those plus the fragrant
coconut rice make this meal superbly satisfying 

Although Nasi Lemak is an original Malay dish, over time, it's been given many facelifts and customisations to suit different taste buds.  I must have tried more than a dozen varieties that are great but my favourite is still my mum's (and mine!).  That's the beauty of home cooked meals.  Regardless of all the fancy restaurants in the world, mum's cooking is sentimental and one-of-a-kind. 

The secrets to a good Nasi Lemak lie in the pandan leaf that's cooked with the rice, good quality coconut milk and the sambal (chilli paste sauce).  When I made this dish for lunch, I wasn't sure how my husband would take to it as it can be pretty chaotic for someone who is not used to a myriad of things on a plate.  I mean, for Nasi Lemak there's rice, sambal, egg, cucumbers, anchovies, peanuts and in my case I love it with Kangkong Belacan too.  To my surprise, my husband loved my Nasi Lemak, belacan and all.  As he waxed lyrical about the fragrant rice and how interesting the sambal tasted, albeit it's chilli hot, all I could do was to sit there and wonder how I had managed to swing his European palette to like belacan ;)  
   

No, these are not my ingredients for Nasi Lemak but my coconut-based
toiletries that I love. Organic, fragrant and superbly moisturizing 

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

For rice
2 cups of long grain rice
250ml coconut milk
2 pandan leaves - tied into a knot
2 tsp salt
Water

For prawn sambal (chilli paste sauce)
12 dried chillies - washed and soaked in warm water for 5 mins before using
1 large onion - peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic - peeled and chopped
3 tsp belacan (shrimp paste)

Others
250gm prawns - washed & de-shelled
3 tbsp tamarind juice
2 cups water
Sugar & salt to taste
4 tbsp cooking oil
Cucumber - sliced into 1/2 inch circles
4 hard boiled eggs
Fried peanuts & crispy anchovies for garnishing (optional)
Kangkong Belacan (optional)

(See Kangkong Belacan for recipe)


Preparation:

1.  Rinse rice cleanly, add salt and pandan leaves to rice and cook with water quantity according to rice cooker instructions. 

2.  Grind all chilli paste ingredients with a bit of water to form a fine paste.  In a medium saucepan, heat oil and fry chilli paste for 3-4 mins until fragrant and it changes to a darker shade.  Do not let it burn.

3.  Add water and tamarind juice and let it simmer.

4.  Add prawns, sugar and salt to taste.  Cook for a further 5-8 mins until prawns are thoroughly cooked and sambal gets a little thick.  Turn heat off.

5.  Serve rice with sambal.  Garnish with hard boiled eggs and cucumbers.  Optional garnishes can include fried peanuts, crispy anchovies and Kangkong Belacan.


Tips:
- Besides hard-boiled eggs, Nasi Lemak can be served with egg omelette or sunny side up.
- Prawns can be substituted with anchovies, squid or simply plain sambal.
- Good quality canned coconut milk can also do a good job with the rice.


Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Kangkong Belacan

Whenever I dine at a Malay or Indonesian restaurant, it's almost a compulsion for me to order a plate of Kangkong Belacan.  Here's why - when paired with steamed white rice, this glorious dish would take you to a dreamy gastronomic haven that you wished was your final destination.  Ok, a little exaggeration and fond hope won't hurt, will it?  In simpler terms, Kangkong Belacan is a must-have and will-love dish in the encyclopedia of Malay/Indonesian cuisine.  The marriage of these leafy greens with the saltish belacan (Malay for "shrimp paste") and mildly hot chilli paste is one that is truly descended from food paradise.  I love cooking this simple dish, which was one of the first dishes I made since I started learning the names of various vegetables.

Popularly known as kangkong in Southeast Asia, this vegetable carries other names too
such as water glorybind, water spinach, water convolvulus and swamp cabbage

The thing about kangkong that I have been advised by my mum is that, while they usually come in a large bouquet, do not be worried that you would have plenty of leftovers when you cook the whole bunch.  The leaves shrink during the cooking process.  Forget about eating just a few pieces like you would lettuce because one fork will grab a sizeable amount of kangkong and more often than not, you won't stop at just one serving.  In fact, for a complete white rice-kangkong enjoyment, you shouldn't stop at just one serving. 

At this point, I must highlight a little bit about belacan, which is the main ingredient in this dish.  Belacan is a Malay word and is pronounced as "be-la-CHAN" as opposed to "can" like in "can-not".  The Indonesians call it "terasi".  It is chiefly made from fermented, sun-dried shrimp and processed in many food factories all over Southeast Asia.  In Malay cooking, belacan is a staple ingredient as it gives a superb salty flavour and unique pungent aroma (an oxymoron, eh?) that's unmatched by any other ingredient on this planet.  Having said that, I felt compelled to issue a friendly advice pertaining to belacan: it's not for the faint-hearted.  Most non-Asians would find the smell off-putting.  So, there.  If this explanation of belacan terrified you somewhat, take a deep breath.  Like blue cheese and durian, it's an acquired taste for beginners but 100% edible.  Once you're hooked on it, it becomes a life-time affection.  Just like this Kangkong Belacan dish.

Belacan is as common in Malay cooking as garlic is in Italian cuisine

Ingredients:

1 bunch kangkong - washed, drained and cut into 2-3 inches length including the stems
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp tamarind juice
Sugar to taste

For chilli paste
6 dried chillies (washed and soaked in warm water for 5 minutes before use)
2 shallots (small onions) - chopped
2 cloves garlic - peeled and sliced
2 tsp belacan

Preparation:

1.  Finely grind all ingredients for chilli paste. 

2. Heat wok on high, add oil and stir fry chilli paste for 1-2 minutes.  Reduce heat, fry the paaste further until fragrant and it turns a shade darker.  Be careful not to burn the paste.

3.  Add kangkong, tamarind juice and sugar to taste.  Stir-fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes. 

4.  Turn heat off.  Serve hot immediately on a dish while the kangkong is still crunchy.

Tips:

- Belacan is already salty but you may add salt to taste at Stage 3, if still required.

- Kangkong Belacan goes excellently with steamed white rice or porridge and is best served hot. 

Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Pengat Pisang (Banana Savoury)

I must confess that I'm not a massive fan of sweet stuff.  For instance, I love my chocolate bitter, coffee thick (and bitter) and food chilli hot.  As rules are meant to be broken, I make exceptions when it comes to comfort food, though.  I grew up eating Pengat Pisang as it was our family's regular dessert.  We used to live in a kampong (village) in Singapore where bananas were in abundant supply.  I just knew when my mum was making this delectable dessert because I could smell the fragrance of palm sugar and pandan leaves even before she could announce what was brewing.  When palm sugar and pandan leaves hobnob in a recipe, it is Chanel No. 5 in the pan! 

As bananas are now in season, I decided to bring a little nostalgia
to my kitchen by way of this Pengat Pisang

As I was typing this post, I contemplated several times for the English term of this traditional Malay dessert.  "Pisang" is banana all right, but I just couldn't translate "pengat".  I didn't want to lose sleep over this matter and so, I decided simply on the abovementioned English term for it.  If you have any suggestion for the translation, I would love to hear from you.  Coconut milk is the central ingredient; sago seeds give excellent gooey texture; and sweet potato I love and have included in this concoction to break the monotony of bananas.  It is truly delicious, delicately sweet, unpretentious and best of all a very easy dessert to make.  Just my kind of food. 

Instead of palm sugar, I used brown sugar as I couldn't get hold of the former at the point of making this.    Ceteris paribus, this Pengat Pisang made me feel like my mum (who's in Singapore) was right there in my kitchen!

I love it lukewarm especially on a cold night

Ingredients:
Serves 4 (small dessert bowls)

3 bananas - sliced 1/2 inch diagonally
1 sweet potato - washed and diced
200ml coconut milk
650ml water
2 pandan leaves
5 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp sago seeds
A pinch of salt


Preparation:

1.  Put sweet potato dices and pandan leaves (tied into a knot) into a medium pan with 600ml water over medium heat.  Bring to a boil.  Cook for a further 5 minutes until sweet potatoes are softened.

2.  Add coconut milk, sugar and salt.  Stir gently and let mixture simmer for 2 minutes.

3.  Wash and strain sago seeds before adding to the mixture.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until sago seeds turn transparent.

4.  Add bananas, stir gently and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Mixture will thicken.  Turn heat off and serve dessert hot or cold.  Pandan leaves can be discarded.


Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

A Singaporean's Singapore Chilli Crab

It's quite indisputable that Singapore is a Makan* Nation.  By this, I meant you could be craving for any cuisine at any time of the day (and night!) and you would get your hankering satisfied pronto.  That's because many food outlets in Singapore remain open until past midnight daily.  Many foreigners (my husband included) have been stunned by the fact that Singaporeans regularly go for supper in the wee hours.  Yes, when it comes to meals, we don't quite believe there should be only three a day.  For better or for worse, four sounds more believable; the fourth meal being supper. 

Typically in Makan Nation terms, when it's time to celebrate a birthday - WE EAT; when we get a career promotion - WE EAT; when we're resigning from a job - WE EAT; when we bunch up for a festive celebration - WE EAT; even when we're commemorating a family member's death - we will gather for prayer and then?  EAT, you said.  Well done.  You got the drift. 

I used blue swimmer crabs for my Singapore Chilli Crab dish as
the mud crabs have decided to hibernate during Spring, I think!

As a multi-cultural Makan Nation, we have a plethora of what we regard as national dishes.  I must clarify that even though we call them national dishes, we neither have monumentalized them in our national anthem (Majulah Singapura) nor habitually eat them four times a day.  They're national because of their Singaporean origin and how they are loved by most (if not all) citizens of Makan Nation.  I've cooked a mind-boggling selection of national dishes in my kitchen here in Australia but I will present them one at a time in my blog.  Today, it will be the exalted Singapore Chilli Crab.    This dish was first created in 1950 by a Singaporean restaurant chef - that's during pre-independent Singapore, mind you.  Over time, some international cooks and chefs have customised the dish, such as by adding wine to the ingredients.  Well, ok, whatever suits them for I have also added sugar to my spaghetti sauce - quite un-Italian, if that's fair.  That aside, here's how to cook Singapore Chilli Crab - the Makan Nation and Halal way!

This amazingly tasty dish goes very well with white rice or soft buns

Ingredients:

3 blue swimmer crabs (or mud crabs) - well washed, scrubbed and lightly smashed
1 large brown onion - peeled and chopped roughly
2 cloves garlic - chopped
8 dried chillies - washed and soaked in warm water for 5 minutes
1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste)
1 tsp lemon juice
6 tbsp oil
5 tbsp tomato ketchup
4 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kicap manis Habhal)
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
300ml water
1 tbsp cornflour
2 eggs - beaten in a bowl
Coriander leaves, to garnish


Preparation:

1.  For chilli paste.  In a food processor, grind onion, chillies and belacan for abt 30 - 40 sec until they form a smooth paste.

2.  For sauce.  In a bowl, combine water, tomato ketchup, light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, sugar and corn flour. Stir well and set aside.

3.  Heat oil in a wok over high heat.  Add garlic and stir fry for 1 minute.  Add the chilli paste and fry until fragrant.

4.  Add crabs into the garlic chilli mixture.  Fry until the crab shells turn red.  Add the sauce mixture and salt.  Stir well and cover with lid until crabs thoroughly turn red.

5.  Add the beaten eggs to thicken sauce.  Lightly stir the sauce.  Add lemon juice, stir again and cook for a further 1 minute.

6.  Turn heat off.  Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or soft buns.


Tips:
- Before adding the sauce mixture into the wok, give it a good stir in the bowl first as the cornstarch would have settled underneath while waiting.


*Makan is Malay for eat (Malay is the national language of Singapore while English is the first language of the country. Yeah, part of the Uniquely Singapore heritage, I suppose).


Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll (Goi Cuon)

My first encounter with Goi Cuon or Vietnamese spring roll was some five years ago on Jalan Masjid, off Changi Road in Singapore.  It was a small cooked food stall serving authentic Vietnamese fare operated by a gutsy Vietnamese Muslim lady and her sister.  I got hooked from the first bite and thereafter, had it for lunch almost everyday for nearly a year.  What a chronic addiction.  I nearly checked myself into Goi Cuon Anonymous, except that there was none.

Rice vermicelli straight from the packet (right) and springy
after blanching in hot water (left).

I love prawns and I'm quite a sucker for raw vegetables.  So, that partly explains my deep affection for this Vietnamese savoury.  The other part is the springy super interesting rice paper that's hugging all the fillings together.  Divine.  In some parts of the world, these rolls are also happily known as Summer Rolls.  

Last Sunday, my mum-in-law gave me heaps of lettuce from her garden.  I was quite done with salad and didn't really know what to do with the spare vegetables.  My weekend fridge de-cluttering resulted in a packet of prawns, among other things.  Then, like the neon lights of Las Vegas, images of Goi Cuon flashed rapidly in my head.  I gleed and sprung right into spring roll action.  This beauty joins my list of easy-to-make food and it's nutritious to boot.  A must try!

Dip the Goi Cuon into the fish sauce mixture and food paradise awaits

Ingredients:

For spring roll

50g rice vermicelli

8 rice papers (for Vietnamese spring roll)

16 cooked shrimps - peeled & deveined

1 1/2 tbs chopped fresh Thai basil

3 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (fresh coriander)

2 leaves lettuce, chopped

1 carrot, sliced into very thin pieces

For dipping sauce

4 tsp fish sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 garlic, minced

2 tbsp white sugar

1/2 tsp garlic chili sauce

1 tsp finely chopped peanuts

Preparation:

1. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil.  Boil rice vermicelli for about 3 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.

2. Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one rice paper into the warm water for 1 second to soften. Lay paper on a flat workspace. In a row across the center, place 2 shrimps, a handful of vermicelli, basil, mint, cilantro, lettuce and carrot, leaving about 2cm uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning from the bottom upwards. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3. In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce.  Garnish with chopped peanuts.

4. Serve rolled spring rolls with the fish sauce.

Tips:

- Do not overstuff with the fillings as it will make rolling difficult.
- These spring rolls make for a great appetizer or a snack to take along on a picnic.

Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Sushi for Beginners!

If the idea of eating raw food sent shivers down your spine but at the same time you're intrigued because you've read that the Japanese famously have a long and healthy life, I would suggest you go with sushi first.  Be warned, though - go slow with that innocent looking green paste made from horseradish called wasabi, lest you would be gasping for air and fear if you'd be able to breathe normally ever again.  But then, a little adventure in the pursuit of longevity does make for a cheap thrill, don't you think? Ha.   

Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm not suggesting eating sushis would certainly prolong your life.  It's just that you've got to give this famous food a try some day, if you haven't.  I adore sushi because of the wide variety and it is so easy and fast to make.  The freshness of the ingredients and the delicate flavour of the seaweed wrap make for a blissful indulgence.  Oishi!  As for wasabi, you can buy them ready made from the supermarkets.  Because I don't consume alcohol and the commercial sushis are often made with sake (Japanese wine), I quickly learnt to make my own sushis.  If you don't already own a rice cooker, get one. It's one of the best kitchen inventions you would treasure.

The full set of ingredients and utensils I used to make sushi.
You decide what fillings you want but be sure you can roll them with the rice!

As sushi's variety is wide ranging and limited only by one's creativity, I'm going to reveal the ingredients and preparation differently from my other recipes - via my favourite sushi making video.  You decide what you want to put into your sushi - I like mine with salmon, crab stick, egg omelette along with avocado and cucumber.  Pay attention to how the rice is cooked and the sushi rolling technique.  It's foolproof.  Have fun!

Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani Rice

My kitchen experiment with Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani Rice happened quite accidentally.  I was beguiled by an Indian chef on Youtube one fine day in Ramadan, as I was researching on what to cook for the day's iftar (the meal to break fast).  He not only makes cooking an elaborate dish like this seem like a cinch, his eyes enlarge at every emphasis of the dish's deliciousness.  At the risk of sounding like a Michael Jackson publicity trailer, I decided then "THIS IS IT!".  I would make biryani for iftar and in the process of it, immerse myself in spice therapy.

As Singapore is a fantastic melting pot of cuisines, I have very good recollections of biryani.  Biryani there comes in all tastes and sizes.  There are chicken, beef, mutton and fish biryanis.  It's traditionally (and best) eaten with your own fingers, like many Malays and Indians graciously do.  Right hand, not left.  I can't explain the delight but it's probably something to do with the intimate connection between the food and your own skin. 

For me, the biryani aroma that sticks to the fingers thereafter is nothing short of divine!



This version of biryani involves cooking the meat in and together with the rice



Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, cut into 6 parts
4 cups Basmati rice
2 green cardamons
2 black cardamons
1 tbsp mace (javetri)
1 tbsp black cumin seeds
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 cinnmon stick
4 cloves
1 tbsp tumeric powder
2 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
2 green chillies
2 bay leaves
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup coriander leaves
1 cup fried shallots
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp chilli powder
2 cups yoghurt
5 tbsp cooking oil
1 lime
Salt to taste
A few strands of safron
Water

If the list of ingredients appears exhausting to you, you could also use the ready made Biryani Masala Mix from the shop - but nothing beats mixing your own spices!



Unearthing the treasure within - the tender chicken

Preparation:

I'll hand over this section to the aforementioned chef.

Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Chicken Rice is understandably a celebrated dish in Singapore because it is lip-smacking, aromatic and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.  The main excitement of this dish is in the, you've guessed it - chicken.  There are all kinds, from fried to roasted.  You can easily get lost in delirium as you sink your teeth into the tender and juicy chicken meat.  

I've always wanted to make my own Hainanese Chicken Rice but was dismayed at hearing how complicated the chicken cooking process could be.  Until I found a video on it.  It's like a windfall!  With my Netbook in tow, I wasted no time in getting the ingredients out of the fridge and following the video instructions fastidiously.  The result was an absolutely succulent chicken without a sweat. It's unbelieveably simple to poach the chicken to perfection that you won't want to fry your chicken for this dish ever again. Poaching the bird is healthier than frying it, anyway.  Love the aroma of garlic and ginger throughout the house while cooking was in progress. If Fried Rice was Paradise, then this Hainanese Chicken Rice is Ecstasy.

Succulent and tender, the chicken skin will rip off the meat easily

Ingredients:

Chicken

1 whole fresh chicken
1 tbsp light soy sauce
6 slices fresh ginger
1 garlic, slightly bruised
2 shallots, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt

Chicken Rice

3 cups long grain rice
2 tbsp cooking oil
2-3cm ginger, grated
3-4 garlic, chopped very finely or grated
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock from the boiled chicken or amount according to rice cooker instructions
2 pandan leaves (optional)

Chilli Dipping Sauce

10 fresh red chillies, seeds removed
1-2 garlic
5cm fresh ginger
2 tsp chicken stock (from the poached chicken)
Kaffir lime juice to taste
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Rub chicken's inside with soy sauce. Grind ginger, garlic and one shallot. Stuff mixture into chicken.

2.  When the water boils, turn heat off.  Add remaining ginger and shallot into water and gently sink in the chicken into the hot water. Leave chicken in the water for one hour. After the first 5 minutes, lift up the chicken, drain the water from the stomach cavity and put chicken back in the pot. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times during the poaching period to make sure the chicken is cooked inside and outside.

3.  After 30 minutes, turn on the heat to bring the water back to just before boiling point, then turn heat off. Do not allow chicken to boil so it will be very tender and juicy from the poaching (boiling the chicken will harden it). At the end of the hour, raise the chicken from the water and gently rub it with the remaining soy sauce, sesame oil and salt.  Cut into bite-sized pieces to serve.

4.  Wash the rice in the rice cooker pot and drain well.  In a wok, fry the ginger and garlic with oil.

5.  Add the fried ginger and garlic to rice.  Sprinkle salt to taste.  Add water and pandan leaves.  Cook rice according to the rice cooker instructions.

6.  For the chilli sauce, grind chillies, garlic and ginger. Add chicken stock, lime juice and salt to taste.

7.  For chicken soup, ladle a small amount of chicken stock into serving bowls. Add finely chopped shallot.

Tips:
- Ensure that your pot is large enough to fit the whole chicken.
- If the chilli sauce tastes too hot, add a small amount of sugar into the sauce and squeeze a small amount of dark or sweet soy sauce when serving.
- The chicken skin gets very tender and succulent if chicken is correctly poached.  Handle the delicate bird with care.


Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked

Singapore Satay



As this is my debut entry for the blog, I thought I'd give the honour to a popular dish that's not only linked to my heritage but also one which is not difficult to love at first bite - Satay. 

I've been a satay aficionado since I was able to pronounce the word.  As a child, I remember telling my Dad it didn't really matter what presents I would get for my birthday as long as I would get to wolf down satay all day. And boy, did he honour my wish, year after year. I've never had better birthdays!

It's worth noting that satay is not merely umarinated skewered meat. There's a pretty interesting mix of spices that's responsible for its aroma and delectable taste.  And then there's the equally appetizing peanut sauce in which you dip the satay.  Other accompaniments are cucumber slices, diced red onions and ketupat or lontong (traditional Malay/Indonesian rice cake). 

Fasten your seat belt because the moment you take your first bite, you will be on your way to a blissful makan* journey.  Bon voyage!

*Makan is Malay for "eat".

Ingredients:

(Makes 20+ sticks)

500 grams beef or any meat of your choice - slice the meat very thinly and into small pieces.

Bamboo skewers

Meat Marinade

2 lemongrass

1/2 inch ginger

1/2 inch galangal

1/2 cup cumin seeds

1/2 cup coriander seeds

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp tumeric powder

4 tbsp sweet soy sauce

4 garlic

4 onions

5 tbsp vegetable oil

Chopped lemongrass

Peanut Sauce

500 grams peanuts (fry with 2 tbs of oil, skin-on)

15 dried chillies (soak in warm water before use)

2 shallots or red onions, chopped

2 garlic, chopped

2 lemongrass, chopped on the bulb end

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups water

Salt to taste

Barbecue or grill the skewered meat

Preparation:

1.  Grind all ingredients for marinade until smooth.  Smear evenly on meat and marinade for 2 hours.  Skewer about 5cm of meat on the bamboo skewer.  Barbecue/grill skewered meat until cooked, occassionally brushing oil on it using the ends of 2-3 sticks of lemongrass.
2.  Coarsely grind all ingredients for peanut sauce except salt.  Cook in a saucepan over low fire, stirring occassionally.  Sprinkle salt to taste.  Turn off fire when sauce thickens.
3.  Serve cooked satay with peanut sauce, sliced cucumbers, diced onions and ketupat/lontong (optional).

Tips:

- For greater aroma, sautee the coriander and cumin seeds without oil before blending.
- Soak the bamboo skewers in cold water for 20 mins before using. This will help to prevent the sticks from burning.
- Brush the cooked satay with honey just before removing it from fire. This gives the dish a delightful sweetness.


Fearlessly Simple & Home Cooked