A Simple Fare

Good morrow to all. In this entry, I would like to share a recipe on a very simple yet satisfying breakfast dish. When I went down to the kitchen yesterday morning, there was a bowl of fried and crispy anchovies. Instantaneously, I had a craving for a piping hot bowl of chicken porridge. I don't know about others but this porridge is a family favourite. Have a try!

CHICKEN PORRIDGE

Ingredients:
1/2 a chicken(deboned and cut into small cubes; keep the bones aside)
5 shallots
3 pips of garlic
3 cm piece of ginger
1 cup of rice ( soaked in water for 10 minutes and drained)
1 chicken cube
500ml water
salt and ground white pepper to taste
1/2 tsp of sesame seeds oil

For garnishing:
Fried anchovies
2 red chillies (deseeded and chopped finely; mixed with 2 tbsp of sweet soy sauce)
2 eggs (fried into an omelette and sliced thinly)
fried shallots (optional)
sliced spring onion and Chinese parsley (optional) (mine are all carnivorous so I've opted these out)

Method:

• Put in the bones and water into a pot and let to boil. Then strain to get the stock.
• Next, chop the shallots, garlic and ginger finely.Then, heat some oil in another pot and stir fried the chopped ingredients till fragrant.
• Put in the chicken and stir again. Put in the rice and stir so all grains are coated with oil.
• After that, put in the chicken stock and chicken cube and let to simmer on a low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from getting burnt and stick to the pot.
• When you are happy with the consistency, add salt and white pepper to taste. You may need to add more water if you want a thinner porridge.
• Scoop into a bowl and sprinkle with the garnishing.
• You can now enjoy your porridge.

From Kota Kinabalu With.......Fish!!

Ahoy there! My in-laws went back to Likas, Kota Kinabalu and they brought back interesting yet delicious seafood. Yes, people. Go to Sabah if you love seafood and you'll get it fresher (and cheaper) there! Anyway, here's the recipe that I prepared using Red Garoupa of 'Kerapu Bara'. This is another recipe originally done by Norzailina Nordin.The fish is steamed first and a separate sweet, sour and spicy sauce is poured over the fish. The verdict? Mak mentua I suka..hehehehehehe.

'KERAPU MASAK TIGA RASA'

Ingredients:
1 piece of medium size garoupa
2 tbsp cooking oil
salt to taste

(A): (finely chopped)
5 pieces of shallots
3 pips of garlic
5 cm young ginger
2 fresh red chillies

(B): (finely sliced)
5 pieces of bird's eyes chillies
3 pieces of kaffir lime leaves

(C):(for the sauce)
2 tbsp chilli paste
2 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
100ml water

Method:

• Coat the fish with salt and keep aside for ten minutes.
• Put the fish on a greased heatproof dish. Steam the fish till cooked. Transfer the fish onto a serving dish and keep the juice aside.
• Next, heat some cooking oil in a wok and stir fry the chopped ingeredients till fragrant.
• Then, put in the all ingredients in (C) and stir well.
• After that, put in the sliced ingredients, the fish juice and salt. Cook till the sauce thickens and pour over the fish.
• Serve hot.

Mama Chops, Papa Eats....

Ahoy there! Any fun insights to share with me? Well, today's entry is going to be my Chicken Chop with Black Pepper Gravy. I was very satisfied with the outcome of this dish because the chicken turned out very juicy and the gravy just what I had wanted it to be. Just wanted to share my satisfaction to see how my Tukang Makan had two portions and the kiddos enjoyed it as well. Worth all my effort. Here's the photo and the chicken recipe (adapted from aeeda78's) as well if you wish to try. I cannot remember from whom did I take the gravy recipe from but I am very sure that it is one of the recipe contributors in Myresipi.com. However, thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe with me.

CHICKEN CHOP WITH BLACK PEPPER GRAVY

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces of chicken thighs (deboned)
• 1 tbsp 0f minced garlic
• 2cm ginger (pounded and juice extracted)
• 4 tbsp chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce
• 2 tbsp salty soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Maggi seasoning

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Put in the chicken thighs and mix again. Marinade for one hour in the frridge.
2. Next, heat a non-stick part with 1 tbsp of oil over a medium heat. Fry your chicken thighs covered until half cooked. Turn over and repeat the process. Do not overcook your chicken pieces or the meat will be dry.
3. Once cooked, put on a plate and keep aside.
4. Heat your gravy and pour over the cooked chicken thighs.
5. Serve hot with steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets, carrot sticks and french fries.
6. Enjoy and don't forget to compliment the cook!

For the gravy:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/and 1/2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 yellow onion (finely diced)
• 1 medium size tomato (finely diced)
• 1 piece of chicken cube
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns (finely crushed)
• salt and sugar to taste

Method:

1. Melt the butter over a low heat. Once melted, pour in the flour and stir till brown.
2. Next, put in the onion and stir till fragrant. Put in the chicken cube and mix well.
3. Then, pour in the water and stir. Add in the chilli sauce and stir until well-mixed.
4. Pour in the dark soy sauce. Then, put in the chopped tomato, salt and sugar. Pour in the crushed black peppercorns gradually and stir until the mixture thickens. You may add more sugar and salt according to your preference.
5. Serve with your chicken.

Another Puffin Muffin Story

It's me again. Have something to share with those who do read this blog. Went down to the kitchen quite late this morning so had to cancel the initial plan to bake the potato bread for I was running late for school. Don't get me wrong. I'm not that dedicated, especially during school holidays. I was called to settle some matters (and to hand in the very long due prefectorial board file..hahaha). To replace the potato bread, I whipped up these blueberry muffins for it only took me half and hour to get them ready from the bowl to the table. I followed a recipe by Jacky@allrecipes.com but I had replaced some ingredients and ammended some of the measurements in the initial recipe. Here's the recipe if you wish to try.

BLUEBERRY YOGHURT MUFFINS

• 250g plain flour
• 175g caster sugar
• 1 tsp soda bicarbonate
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250g blueberry flavoured yoghurt
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp corn oil ( the original recipe used melted butter)
• 125g fresh blueberries

Method:

1. Preheat your oven at 175C. If you are using an oven with a fan, lower the temperature to 160C.
2. Sieve together flour, soda bicarbonate and baking powder. Keep aside.
3. In another bowl, combine sugar, yoghurt, egg and oil and mix well. Pour in the sieved ingredients and blueberries. Using a spatula, fold in the mixture slowly. Your mixture should be lumpy.
4. Spoon the mixture into paper cups (I used 20 2 1/4 quart muffin cups) and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
5. You can now enjoy your muffin(s) with a nice cup of tea!
   
   

A Tale About Tails

Salam and hi to all. I hope the Hari Raya mood is still on because I can still 'feel' the fun I had back in my hometown during the recent Festival of Sacrifice. Indeed, being around your loved ones is trully a blessing.

I could still remember watching the whole 'qurban' process many years back and there was no deep feeling involved. However, this time, the feeling is different. I did not dare go near the spot where the cows were slaughtered. It wasn't sadness nor pity but I was rather touched witnessing the whole act, even from far. It's a feeling that I really couldn't describe. Perhaps, it's about time for me to be grateful for what I've received. More gratitude, less complaints. After all, life is too short to be wasted on unnecessary whining and grumbling.

We brought back some meat and of course, 'exotic' parts of the cow, namely the tongue and tripe. My Tukang Makan is very fond of organ meats so I had tried my very best to prepare the dishes featured below.

'PERUT MASAK LEMAK KUNING'

I'm sure that this is a very common dish so I don't think it is necessary for me to include the recipe here. However, since this is my first time cooking a cow's tongue, I do attach my so-called invention, which I think works well with meat. Here it goes!

'LIDAH LEMBU HITAM MANIS'

Ingredients:
1 piece of cow's tongue (boiled till tender, drained; skinned and cut into thin slices)
5 tbsp of ground onion
3 tbsp of ground garlic
2 tbsp of ground dried chillies
4 cm piece of ginger
2 stalks of lemongrass
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 large , ripe tomato ( chopped coarsely)
1/2 tsp of cummin seeds
1/2 tsp of fennel seeds
1 tbsp of dark soy sauce
5 tbsp of sweet soy sauce
2 tbsp of tomato sauce
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 cup of water
salt and sugar to taste
1/2 cup of cooking oil

Method:

• Pound the ginger, lemongrass, cummin seeds and fennel seeds and keep aside.
• Heat the oil and fry the ground ingredients. Then, put in the pounded ingredients, curry leaves and tomato and keep stirring until fragrant.
• When the oil separates from the gravy, put in slices of tongue, dark soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, tomato sauce, and water and let to simmer until the tongue slices are tender.
• Next, put in the coconut milk, sugar and salt. Keep stirring until the gravy thickens.
• Serve with plain, white rice.

Bila Silap Muat Turun Resepi......

Salam dan apa khabar? Hari ini tiba-tiba terasa nak menulis dalam bahasa Melayu. Lagipun, saya kan orang Melayu jadi rasanya, tidak salah menulis di dalam bahasa ibunda saya, bukan?

Di kalangan kawan-kawan rapat saya, mereka sedia maklum yang saya suka mengumpul resepi. Setakat ini, sudah hampir tiga buah buku resepi yang saya ada. Mana-mana resepi yang saya cuba dan menjadi, saya akan muatkan dalam blog ini.

Bercakap mengenai resepi, topik hari ini adalah mengenai resepi Kuih Tat Nenas yang menjadi kuih kegemaran saya sejak dulu, kini dan selamanya. Tiap-tiap kali Aidilfitri, mesti kuih ini yang saya cari. Kalau rajin, saya buat sendiri. Selalunya, saya minta adik tolong buatkan. Lagipun, adik perempuan saya itu memang menjual kuih Raya. Kiranya, saya tolong dia cari duit Raya lebihlah! Tidak mengapa. Pada saya tidak salah jika saya pun tumpang seronok ada adik yang pandai membuat kuih kan?

Disebabkan Aidiladha bakal menjelma, maka saya dengan semangat yang berkobar-kobar telah mencuba resepi Tat Nenas oleh Puan Norzailina Nordin. Beliau ini memang terkenal dengan kehebatannya memasak dan menghasilkan novel2. Saya timbang semua bahan ikut resepi yang saya ambil dari laman web beliau. Saya ubah sedikit resepi itu sebab saya kehabisan stok tepung jagung dan saya gantikan dengan tepung kastad. Saya rasa sangat teruja sebab dohnya nampak kuning dan cantik tapi bila mahu mula menerap, melekat-lekat pula di acuan. Saya mula paniklah. Dalam hati," Eish..takkanlah tukang masak tersohor bagi resepi salah kot?". Saya tambahkan tepung gandum pada doh hingga boleh diterap. Saya letak jem nenas, lepas tu, bakar. Tunggu sejuk dan cuba rasa. Emmm, sedap la pulak. Sambil masukkan tat dalam botol, sempat jugaklah tiga, empat keping masuk ke dalam mulut saya!

Pagi-pagi ni, saya terus ke laman web beliau. Semak punya semak, laaaa....saya yang silap. Saya telah gunakan resepi Tat Gulung untuk buat Tat Nenas yg tradisional tu. Patutlah doh tu lembik! Jadi, saya senyum pada diri sendiri sebab tidak baca resepi betul2! Walauapapun, saya letakkan resepi Tat Nenas tukang masak pujaan saya itu. Manalah tahu, mungkin anda ingin mencuba! Saya ucapkan Salam Aidiladha kepada semua yang menyambutnya. Saya akan berhari raya di kampung saya maka saya akan kembali menulis di blog ini sekembalinya saya dari kampung. Jumpa lagi!

TAT NENAS

Bahan untuk jem:

• 2 biji nanas, diparut kasar
• 300 g gula pasir
• 2 helai daun pandan, disimpulkan
• 4 cm kulit kayu manis
• jus dari 1 biji limau nipis

Cara:

• Jerang semua bahan di dalam kuali. Kacau selalu hingga agak kering airnya.
• Angkat dan ketepikan daun pandan serta kulit kayu manis. Biar sejuk sebelum digunakan. Selalunya, ia mengambil masa 1-1 1/2 jam.

Bahan untuk 'glis':

• 2 biji kuning telur

Bahan untuk pastri:

• 300 g tepung gandum
• secubit garam
• 150 g mentega
• 50 g minyak jagung
• 1-2 camb susu segar, jika perlu
• 1 biji kuning telur

Cara membuatnya:

• Gaul tepung dan mentega hingga sebati. Masukkan telur dan minyak jagung, uli menjadi rata. Jika masih peroi, masukkan sedikit susu.
• Isikan doh ke dalam mangkuk dan tutup dengan tuala lembap. Biar selama 90 minit.
• Canaikan doh antara 2 lapisan plastik nipis, terap dengan acuan.
• Atur atas tin pembakar berlengser marjerin dan isikan dengan jem.
• Glis tepinya dengan kuning telur. Bakar dengan suhu 160 C selama 15-20 min.
• Sejukkan atas redai sebelum menyimpan di dalam bekas kedap udara.

Jalan-jalan Cari Makan

Hi! It's me again. This entry would be slightly different from my usual writing on recipes, cooking and baking. I went out with my old friend Yong, to One-Utama. We were among the first customers to arrive so we took our own sweet time venturing almost all the outlets available both in the old and new wings of the mall.

Yong introduced me to a Japanese snack called "Tako". Talk about someone from Ipoh introducing food to her friend who has been staying near the place for the past seven years! How ironic! Any way, the snack is made of a mixture of diced cabbage and batter, cooked in a mould until it turned into crispy balls! Then, a soy sauce mixture is ladled onto these balls and "Bonito" flakes (a type of fish from Japan) are sprinkled on. The verdict? It tasted good and although there were only three balls, they were rather satisfying. Too bad I did not manage to snap the photo( I was rather excited, I guess). Actually, I was rather hungry for I did not take any breakfast earlier!

After the light snack, we continued our "Jalan-jalan Habiskan Duit" mission. I got a T-shirt for Daus, a T-shirt and pair of long pants for Atush, and also a trousers for mine truly. Yong was very happy with her purchase-a T-shirt in a nice shade of green. She wears a size M now people!( a sign for me to work harder, and harder, and harder!!! arggghhhhhh!!!)

After the long and tiring mission, we rewarded ourselves with a nice buffet lunch at Seoul Garden, an eatery that serves Korean Bulgogi. I like the place for its nice spread of varieties of marinated chicken, beef and seafood. The price is inclusive of salad, noodles, a selection of vegetables, ABC, fruit juices, carbonated drinks and ice-cream! I had a fun time eating and chatting with Yong. She did suggest that this place would be a nice place for a get-together. Only two hours later that we finally realized that that we had consumed more than we should! Do I feel guilty? A bit, but I'm happy so let's forget about the guilty feeling ya!

Before Yong headed home, I gave her the long-delayed present. Here's it is :

It might appear nothing but I'm very proud of it because it's my creation- and Yong was very happy to receive it. That's all I need to know. Anyway, Happy Belated Birthday Yong! Will always look forward to our next outing together!

Lord of The Rings

Surprise? Well folks, this entry has nothing to do with the famous Tolkien's trilogy. Just want to share my Onion Rings recipe -courtesy of http://videojug.com/ (which I came across while looking for recipes for dishes asked by my Tukang Makan. I prepared the rings this morning and they turned out well. Here's the recipe if you feel like trying. And one more thing, I've also used the batter to coat my mushroom and they tasted yummy!

Ingredients:

• 2 large yellow onion (peeled and kept in the fridge for 1-2 hours)
• 75g flour
• 2tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• a pinch of paprika
• pepper to taste
• 1 egg (well-beaten)
• 125ml fresh milk
• oil for deep frying

Method:

• Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Allow it to heat up hot enough to fry, but not to smoke.
• Slice the onions into 1cm -thick rings. Separate them and place them on a tray.
• Combine the flour, corn starch, baking powder, paprika, sugar, salt and the pepper in a bowl and with a whisk, stir it together briefly.
• Add the egg to the milk and whisk together.Then pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and combine it together with your whisk until you are left a smooth batter.
• Gently dip some of the onions into the batter and coat well. Then place them into the hot oil using a fork. Let them cook in small batches, so they won't stick together. When they are fried on one side, turn them over to fry and brown on the other side. When are they are lightly golden, place onto a tray lined with kitchen paper to drain.
• Serve hot!
  

Back to Baking.....

Hello all! Thousand apologies for keeping silent. Even Mr.Boss aka Tukang Makan has noticed that I've not updated my blog for a long, long time. He even suggested me to include reviews on food from the eating places that we always venture for a change( perhaps he thought that I've run out of ideas..hehehehe). Well, frankly, it's not that I've lost interest in cooking and baking and blogging after all. It's just the case of looking for the right mood to start blogging again.

For a start, here's a bread recipe. It's called "Roti Nasi" by Onigiri@MyResipi.com. Why such name? It's because, one of the ingredients used is cooked rice and as usual, I've adapted the steps in preparing it.The outcome is soft and fluffy. Do give it a try ya!

To make this bread, you will need :
(A)

• 4 g dry yeast
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp warm water

(B)

• 80g cooked, white rice
• 100ml water
• 60ml fresh milk (I used low fat UHT milk)

(C)

• 250g high protein flour ( I used 'Cap Sauh' brand)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

(D)

• 4 tsp butter

METHOD:

• Put all ingredients in (A) in a bowl and mix well. Let the mixture turns frothy.
• Put all ingredients (B) in a blender and soak for 10 minutes. Then, blend till fine.
• In a mixing bowl, mix well all the ingredients in (C). Then, put mixture (A), (B) and (D) into the bowl. Mix well.
• Knead until the dough becomes elastic and does not stick to your hand.
• Leave covered for one hour.
• Then, punch the dough to let all the air out. Grease a square baking tin with butter/margarine.
• Shape ito 16 balls and arrange in the baking tin.
• Let to rest until the dough doubles its size.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 20-25 minutes.
• Once baked, let to cool. Slice your bread and top with jam of your choice. (I love marmalade!)
• Serve with warm tea. Enjoy!

Atush's Favourite Request

Hi! In this entry would be the dish that my Atush frequently asks, especially for lunch. The recipe is as follows :

ATUSH'S FISH AND CHIPS

Ingredients:
2 pieces of dory fillets (pat dry and set aside)
(A)
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of white pepper
1 tsp pf sweet soy sauce
1/2 tsp of paprika


(B)
3 tbsp of plain flour
1 tbsp of water
1 egg

1 cup of breadcrumbs

oil for deep frying

fried potato chips
selection of lettuce leaves (iceberg/butterhead)
thousand island sauce / mayonaisse

METHOD:

1. Mix all the ingredients in (A) and coat the dory fillets. Marinade for 10 minutes.

2. Mix all the ingredients in (B). Coat the fillets with (B).

3. Next, coat the fillets in the breadcrumbs and shake the excess breadcrumbs.

4. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.

5. Serve hot with fried potato chips, selection of lettuce leaves and sauce of your choice.

Raya Delights

Hi! In this entry, I would attach the outcome of my amateurish effort in baking Raya cookies. I'm really not in the mood of writing at the moment so I guess, the photos will do. Have a blessed and blissful Syawal. I do seek forgiveness for all mistakes done. Till then, take care.

BISKUT DAHLIA

CORNFLAKES MADU WARNA- WARNI

Hunny Bunny

Hi all! It's me again. Today's entry is not related to any bunny at all. It's about my Raisin and Date Buns. The recipe was given to me by a colleague at school. A simple recipe with a filling outcome. Since my mixer is still under repair, I had to knead it using my hands. It's kind of tiring but it's worth the effort when you taste the fluffy texture. I brought some to the recipe owner and felt very glad when she told me that she enjoyed it.

RAISINS AND DATES BUNS

To make this bread, you will need:

400g high protein flour
4 tbsp caster sugar
2 and 1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 egg plus water : 275ml
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk powder
50g raisin
3 pieces of dates (chopped)
1 tbsp butter


Method:

• Mix all the dry ingredients until well-mixed.
• Pour in the egg-water mixture gradually and mix well.
• Knead until the mixtures becomes a dough. Put in the raisins and dates and knead again.
• When the mixture becomes elastic, put in the butter and knead again.
• Let to rise in a covered conatiner for one hour.
• Then, punch the dough to let the air out.
• Grease a square bakingtin. Shape dough into 16 equal balls.
• Place the balls next to each other in the baking tin.
• Let rise for another hour.
• Bake at 175C for 20-25 minutes.

Marhaban Ya Ramadhan Al-Mubarak

Salam and hi to all! The fasting month is back again and it means more cooking for me! Please don't get it wrong. Mr Boss aka Tukang Makan is never fussy with food. He simply eats what I have prepared. So, what do I really mean with more cooking during the fasting month when Mr Boss aka Tukang Makan is not placing orders? Actually, when I'm fasting, the person with the most cravings is ME!hahaha..

The entry for the time is my APAM ENO. Since I love 'tapai pulut' I like the 'zingy' taste of this kuih. It's easy to prepare and steaming only takes 10 minutes. If 'tapai pulut' is not your cup of tea, you might find this kuih to taste a bit peculiar! Anyway, here's the recipe.

APAM ENO

You will need :
150g rice flour
5 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp dry yeast
150ml water
1/2 tsp Eno (original flavour)


Method:

• In a bowl, mix the flour with yeast and sugar.
• Pour in the water gradually and mix well.
• Keep aside for 6-8 hours.
• Put your moulds in the steamer and let the water in the steamer boils rapidly.
• Next, put into the Eno and stir well. Keep aside so the mixture turns frothy.
• Divide mixture into two portions. You can use any of your favourite food colourings.
• When the water is boiling, spoon the mixture into the moulds.
• Steam for 10 minutes.
• Serve with grated coconut.

Going Bananas

Ahoy there! Just want to share a recipe adapted from newbie123 Super Banana Cake. If you enjoy eating bananas, this recipe is worth a try. Simple, soft and moist.

BANANA LOAF

• 4 medium size ripe bananas (you can use pisang Montel)
• 1/2 cup corn oil
• 1 1/2 cup plain flour1 tsp soda bicarbonate
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder (I have ommitted it because the kids don't like the smell)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup plain yoghurt drink/plain kassi (I used plain yoghurt)
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 180C. Grease the cake tin with some butter.

2. Sieve the flour,soda bicarbonate, baking powder,cinnamon and salt.Keep aside.

3.In a bowl, beat the sugar and eggs until well-mixed.Pour in the oil,the flour mixture and mashed bananas gradually and mix again.Put in the vanilla essence.

4.Then, pour in the yoghurt drink/lassi/ plain yoghurt and mix again.

5. Pour the mixture into a cake it and bake for 35-40 mins.

6. Cool and enjoy!

It's Chicky, Chicky Time!

The entry today is Cornflakes Chicken. I got the recipe from yani at MyResipi.com but as usual, I have adapted her recipe. This recipe is easy and the outcome tastes like KFC Popcorn Chicken (well, at least to me it is..hahaha). It is crunchy and the meat is still moist although it is deep fried. Those mommies with little time but really want to see their kids enjoy eating, do try this recipe. Why did I say so? My darling princess Atush is quite picky and my hero Firdaus is one of the most fussy eaters I have ever met and they love the chicken. In conclusion, it must have tasted good. What do you think?

CORNFLAKES CHICKEN

Ingredients:
2 pieces of chicken breast ( cut into long strips)
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of paprika (the original recipe uses chilli powder)
1/2 tsp of ground white pepper ( can be replaced with ground black pepper if u like it spicy)
1/2 tsp of meat curry powder
2 1/2 tbsp of plain flour
2 tbsp of water
1 egg
2 cups of cornflakes(coarsely crushed)

Method:

• Mix well the chicken pieces with salt, paprika. white pepper and curry power. Marinate for 10 minutes.
• Next, mix the flour, egg and water to a batter consistency.
• Heat the oil in a pan.
• Dip the chicken pieces in the batter. Then, coat each piece with the crushed cornflakes.
• Deep fry until golden brown.
• Serve!

Hey Fishy, Fishy

Hi all! It has been very, very long since I last blogged. Since the school break is on, I guess, I better make full use of the time to update this blog. Today's entry would be a simple dish using white pomfret. The actual recipe is by Mat Gebu from MyResipi but as usual, I've adapted it.

This recipe uses simple, every day ingredients. The fish is steamed so you know that it is healthy! Since hubby really enjoys fish cooked this way, it has become one of my common dishes. For those in a hurry, this recipe is good. It takes 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients and 10 more minutes to steam the fish! Give it a try!

'BAWAL PUTIH KUKUS MASAM PEDAS'

For this recipe, you will need :

(A)

• 2 medium-size white pomfret (gutted and cleaned)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp white pepper

(B)

• 2 1/2tbsp calamansi/lime juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5-10 birds eyes chillies (thinly sliced)
• 2 lemongrass (thinly sliced)
• 1 kaffir limeleaf (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 inch young ginger (thinly sliced)
• 2 pips of garlic (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 tsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp Maggi 'ikan bilis' granules

Method:

1. Heat up your steamer until the water boils rapidly.
2. Rub the fish with the ingredients in (A). Keep aside.
3. In a bolw, mix well all ingredients in (B).
4. Put the fish on a heatproof dish or a metal container. Pour the sauce on top as well as the cavity.
5. Steam for 10 minutes or until the eyes and flesh turn white.
6. Serve piping hot with plain, white rice!

I Want Cookie!

Hi! This time, the entry will be my Choco Chip Spotties aka Choc Chip Cookies. I found this recipe in one of my cookbooks and if I'm not mistaken, it's from Nestle. My girl simply loves these cookies. When I first tried baking these cookies, I found it to be a bit too sweet to my liking. Since I enjoy the light and crispy texture I have tried ommitting the white chocolate listed in the original recipe and to my delight, it worked! Now, I can have more cookies!!! Do try to bake these, especially those choc chip cookie lovers, because they are fun in every bite!

CHOCO CHIPS SPOTTIES

Ingredients:

(A)

1 and 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt

(B)

150g unsalted butter
125g soft brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence

(C)

200g chocolate chips

2 cups cornflakes(crushed)

Method:

• Sift together ingredients in (A) and keep aside.
• Cream butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add in the remaining ingredients in (B) and mix gently.
• Fold in the sifted ingredients gradually.
• Mix all ingredients in (C) to form a dough.
• Using a teaspoon, scoop the dough and roll into small balls.
• Place the balls onto a greased baking tin.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 175C for 10-12 minutes. (*Adjust the temperature depending on the type of oven you use. Mine has a fan so I bake these cookies at 150C for 12 mins)
• Let to cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

For A Friend Abroad......

The recipe for the dish called 'Paprik' in this entry is requested by a friend. She's in the middle-east at the moment so, when she saw my photos at facebook, she asked me for the recipe. This dish is one of my regular dishes during the weekends. If you like vegetables, you should try this recipe.

'PAPRIK'

To cook this dish, you will need:

• 1/2 a chicken (cut into bite-size pieces)
• 4 red onions (pound coarsely)
• 2 pips of garlic(pound coarsely)
• 1 yellow onion (slice thinly)
• 5 birds eye chilles (crushed)
• 2 stalks of lemongrass(bruised)
• 3 pieces of kaffir lime leaves
• 2 ripe tomatoes (cut into
• 1/2 a carrot ( slice thinly
• 4 baby corn (slice thinly)
• 5-6 long beans (cut into 1 inch-length pieces)
• 4-5 florets of cauliflower
• 4-5 florets of broccoli
• 1 tbsp of tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp of chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 2-3 tbsp of water
• 2-3 limes
• salt to taste

Method:

• Heat some oit in the wok and fry the chicken pieces until cooked. Do not brown the chicken.
• Put in the pounded ingredients and birds eye chilles and fry until fragrant.
• Put in all the sauces, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and water. Stir and let to simmer.
• Next, put in the vegetables and stir well until all the vegetables are cooked.
• Then, put in the tomato wedges and sliced yellow onion and stir again.
• Add salt to taste.
• Before serving, squeeze the lime on top of the dish.
• Serve hot with plain, white rice.
  

Under The Sea

How should I start? Yesterday, both hubby and I went for grocery shopping at Jaya 33. The place might look a bit high on the price side but believe me, you will get a good bargain here. The fruits are fresh and the prices are okay. I find that the vegetables are cheaper here compared to the wet market opposite this place. I also find that this place provides quite an array of selection of goods. If you happened to prefer imported products, this is the place that you should go. In simple words, it's another Cold Storage. I've compared the prices with the small Giant near the place and there is not much difference. At least, the products in Jaya 33 are fresher and in good condition.

Okay, enough of my babbling. Being a seafood lover and a not-so-often-going-for-grocery-shopping person, hubby just cannot resist to grab the seafood. Yes! They were fresh and some were still alive. You should see how mesmerised he was with the prawns, 'lala', squids and fish. As a result, we bought large- size prawns, some squids, 2 kg of 'lala' and 2 medium-size garoupa. You should see the 'glow' on his face. He certainly enjoys eating and he can survive on seafood alone!

I prepared my 'Lala Tumis Campak-campak' for lunch yesterday and for today's brunch appetizer, I have prepared fried squid rings with sauce. Very simple recipe with few ingredients. It's good as an appetizer or simply turn it as a snack for the kiddies.

FRIED SQUID RINGS WITH SAUCE

A:

• 2-3 large squids, cleaned and cut into rings


• 1 tsp of paprika/ chilli powder


• 1 tsp of ground white pepper


• salt to taste
  

B:

• 3 tbsp plain flour


• 3 tbsp cornflour

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp mayonnaise


• 1 tbsp chilli sauce


• 2 tbsp tomato sauce

Method:

• First, mix all ingredients in A and marinate for 15 minutes.


• Meanwhile, mix to gether ingredients in B in a bowl.


• Coat the marinated squid rings in the flour mixture and fry until crispy. Drain excess oil. Be reminded that when frying squid, it is very normal for them to cause the oil to splutter due to their high water content.


• As for the sauce, mix all ingredients and serve with your squid rings.


• Enjoy!

A Cupcake A Day, Keeps All Worries At Bay...

Hi! In this entry would be my Orange Chiffon Cupcakes, recipe courtesy of Mat Gebu from MyResipi.com. I always thought that making anything 'chiffon' would be tremendously difficult until I tried his recipe last week. It's surprisingly easy. Here's the recipe if you feel like trying.

ORANGE CHIFFON CUPCAKES

A :-

• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g self-raising flour
• 30 ml fresh milk
• 30 g corn oil
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tsp orange flavouring
• a few drops of yellow food colouring
• 50g caster sugar
  
  B:-
• 4 egg whites
• 60g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  
  

Method:

• Preheat oven at 175C.
• In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients in A until well-mixed and creamy using a hand whisk. Keep aside.
• In the mixer, beat egg whites at high speed until foamy. Then, put in the cream of tartar.
• After that, put in the sugar gradually. Keep on beating until the mixture is stiff.
• Then, fold in this mixture into A until well-mixed.
• Spoon mixture into muffin cups until half-full.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes.
• When muffins are cooked, they will shrink a little but don't panic. It's their nature.
• Cool and serve!
  
  

Do you know the muffin man, the muffin man, the muffin man...

Still remember those lines from the nursery rhyme? No? Let me refresh your memory.

Do you know the muffin man,

The muffin man, the muffin man,

Do you know the muffin man,

Who lives down Drury Lane.

This entry is about the muffins that I prepared for DikWi's son, Azfar's, Canteen Day. Wi, if you are reading, thanks for the trust. Initially, I wasn't really sure whether my homemade muffins can be sold but when my dear friend, Dikwi mentioned that it's going to be part of Azfar's school charity programme, I agreed to prepare these muffins. Here are the photos. Will enclose the recipes later because it's getting late and I need to be in school as early as 7 a.m. tomorrow morning!

MINI CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

MINI STRAWBERRY CHIP MUFFIN

Here's the recipe. These muffins are worth a try!

• 200 g plain flour
• 160g unsalted butter
• 120g brown sugar
• 100g chocolate chips
• 20g/ 4 tsp cocoa powder
• 20g/ 4 tsp baking powder
• 140 fresh milk
• 1 egg (well-beaten)

Method:

• Preheat your oven at 180C.
• Sieve together flour, butter, baking powder and cocoa powder. Keep aside.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
• Put in sieved ingredients and egg. Mix well.
• Pour in the milk and chcolate chips amd mix again.
• Arrange paper cups into a muffin mould.
• Pour mixture into paper cups and bake at at 180C for 15-20 minutes.
• Let cool and serve.

* To make the strawberry version, replace chocolate chips with strawberry chips. Replace cocoa powder with 1/2 tsp of strawberry essence and a few drops of pink food colouring. Sprinkle sugar hearts on top before baking.

Puffy Puff From The Puffy Makcik

Hi all! I know it has been a long time since I last blogged. I was caught up with work, work, work and never ending work. As usual, cooking is always my escapism from all the daunting responsibilities at work. Whenever I feel like my head is going to explode, I will venture into the kitchen. Call me awkward, but I always find the kitchen to be a place where I can seek some solace.

As an ardent recipe collector and avid recipe blogs enthusiast, I feel really grateful to have discovered an amazing ingredient called 'puff pastry'. Yes! This ingredient is cheap, user-friendly and guarantees a superb outcome. I've used the 'Kawan' brand puff pastry. It costs RM3.49per packet of 10 pieces. It's very versatile because all you need to do is to prepare fillings that suit your liking. Here are some photos of my experiment using puff pastry.

MINI CHEESY SAUSAGE PUFF

TUNA PUFF

Here's the recipe if you feel like trying. Since I've discovered puff pastry, I always make sure that I have it stored in the freezer in case I need to prepare something for supper. Nope! You've guessed it wrong! Not for my kids, but mainly for my food critic. Who else? My hubby, of course!

To make these simple but satisfying puffs, you will need :
A packet of puff pastry (Size : 5'x5')(thawed for 20 minutes)
10 cheese sausages ( cut into threes) or you can use Ayamas Mini sausages
one egg
2 tbsp of fresh milk ( I used low-fat)
some butter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 175C.
2. Take out a piece of puff pastry. Using a small knife, divide into three equal pieces.
3. Then, place a piece of the cut sausage on the pastry and roll until all the sausage is covered.
4. Cut diagonal lines on top of the pastry.
5. Repeat Step 3 and 4 until all pastry and sausages have been used.
6. Line your baking tray with aluminium foil and grease with butter.
7. Place your rolled up sausages on the tray.
8. Beat the egg and mix with the milk.
9. Brush the egg mixture on your sausage rolls.
10. Bake until golden brown for 20 minutes/ lesser, depending on your oven.

* If you want to make tuna puff instead, divide the pastry into two and put the filling on one half of the pastry. Fold the remaining half over the filling and use a fork to seal the edges. A small can of Ayam Brand Chilli Tuna would be more than enough. Make sure to drain the oil to prevent your pastry from becoming soggy.

At the end of the rainbow, there's a pot of gold......

Hi! No, no, no. It's not about the technique used in memorising the seven colours of the rainbow or how to strike gold. Not to worry. I just want to share my 'Rainbow Pudding' recipe. This recipe is from alma@MyResipi but I have reduced the amount of sugar for I find that it is too sweet for me. I've also tried using coconut milk instead of evaporated milk mentioned in the original recipe and it turned out well! For those who love sweet dessert and in need of a simple dessert recipe but with an impressive outcome, this pudding is worth a try!

RAINBOW PUDDING

Ingredients:

10 g jelly powder

650ml water

175g sugar

1 tbsp custard flour

1 egg

200ml evaporated milk/ creamer/ coconut milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

60g butter

Method:

• In a pot, boil the jelly powder, sugar and water until dissolved and keep aside.
• Next, beat the egg using a whisk.
• Then, put the custard flour into the whisked egg and pour in the milk/creamer/coconut milk and mix well. Strain this mixture into the pot containing the jelly mixture.
• After that, put the pot over medium heat and keep stirring until it boils rapidly. Then, put in the butter and vanilla essence and stir well. Remove from heat.
• Pour equal amount of jelly mixture into three similar size bowl and add food colouring. I used red, yellow and green.
• Then, sprinkle some water onto a 7'x7' square baking tin and place one part/corner of the tin at a higher position.(You can use the kitchen towel for this step)
• Using a small ladle(ice-cream scoop size), spoon the red mixture. Then spoon the yellow mixture and continue with the green mixture alternately until all the mixture has been used up.
• Place the tin on a level surface. Let to cool for 20 minutes and chill in the fridge.
• You can now enjoy your Rainbow Pudding!
  

The Art of Throwing

Hi! It's me again, or should I say, "Cikyah's in the house!" Nope, definitely not my style, hahahaha. I went to look for my high protein flour for my potato bread because I couldn't find any at Giant Kelana Jaya - I was told that it's out of stock and the new stock will only arrive in one week's time! What? As a result, I drove to Jaya 33 with high hopes that the flour would be there. Alhamdulillah, they had the flour and I bought 3 packets-to save me from all the troubles of hunting for the flour later. The initial plan was just to get the flour but I ended up buying 'lala'. I just had to buy them because they looked very alive and fresh! So, tonight's dinner menu is "Lala Tumis Campak-Campak". Why the name? It's because, I simply 'threw' all the ingredientsinto the wok. It tasted okay to me. Wanted to take the risk to try this recipe? Come on! I dare you!

'LALA TUMIS CAMPAK-CAMPAK'

Ingredients:
1 kg of 'lala' (cleaned and drain excess water)
4 tbsp of ground onion
2 tbsp of ground garlic
1 tbsp of ground ginger
1 tbsp of ground chillies
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of tomato sauce
2 tbsp of chilli sauce
3 tbsp of sweet soy sauce
a small bunch of coriander leaves (chopped coarsley)
a small bunch of spring onion(chopped coarsely)



Method:

• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok over a medium heat and fry the onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant.


• Then, put in all the sauces and fry again.


• Next, put in the 'lala' and stir well. Cover the wok and let cook for 10 minutes.


• Then, stir again and adjust the taste.


• Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and spring onion.


• Enjoy!

Going Back To Roots

Hello all! When the title mentions 'going back to roots', I am actually thinking of the delicious and mouth watering 'kuih' that my late grandmother used to prepare for us. She was well-known for her 'kuih koci', 'kuih genggang'(layered 'kuih') and 'pulut tetal'(compressed glutinous rice cake steamed in coconut milk and coloured using the butterfly pea('bunga telang'), eaten with durian sauce. The taste was out of this world! Fortunately, my mother managed to master some of her skills in making these delicacies.

Talking about traditional 'kuih',I finally managed to include the recipe of one of my favourites in this entry. I've promised this recipe to my dear Mareena. I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update the recipe because my version is using the 'agak-agak' method. I've found a recipe in MyResipi.com so, Mareena, if you are reading my blog, I hope that you will try the recipe and let me know the result! One important info, in Melaka, this 'kuih' is not called 'Buah Melaka' but 'ondeh-ondeh'. The same goes for the palm sugar, which is called 'gula tuak' and not 'gula Melaka'. Anyway, to cut my blabbering short, here's the recipe.

ONDEH-ONDEH/ BUAH MELAKA

Ingredients:

10 screwpine leaves (blend with some water and squeeze out the juice)

2 small blocks of palm sugar (cut into small cubes)

2 cups of glutinous rice flour

1 grated coconut (to be mixed with 1/2 tsp of salt)

Method:

• In a bowl, put in the flour and add the screwpine leaves juice gradually and knead well. The dough should be soft but pliable.
• Take a piece of dough (the size of a marble) and flatten it.
• Put in a piece of the palm sugar in the middle of the flatten dough and cover the sugar completely with the remaining dough. Repeat the process.
• Boil 3 cups of water in a pot and put in the balls into the boiling water.
• When the balls are afloat, sccop out and shake the excess water.
• Roll in the grated coconut.
• Serve.
  

Whew! When it comes to traditional 'kuih' I find it quite difficult to describe the process in English! Please pardon my language if my instructions appear illegible to you!

Simplicity Is Always The Best

When it comes to preparing a dish, I always go for something simple yet satisfying. For tonight's dinner, I have prepared hubby's favourite, which is tomyam. I got this recipe from 'Healthy Recipes, The Wise Choice' cookbook series(Vol.1) but I have adapted it to suit my tastebud. Personally, tom yam is my choice of dish to cook when I have to go to school much earlier than the usual time.

TOM YAM A LA CIKYAH

Ingredients:

1/2 a chicken (cut into bite size pieces)

10 medium size prawns (shelled but leave the tail intact)

10 fishballs (cut into halves)

5 ripe tomatoes (cut 2 tomatoes into wedges)

6 red chillies

3 pips of garlic (bashed)

a thumb size of galangal (sliced and bashed)

2 lemongrass (bruised)

8-10 birds eye chillies

5 pieces of kaffir lime leaves

3 sprigs of coriander leaves

1 yellow onion (cut into rings)

1 cup of cauliflower

1 cup of broccoli

1/2 carrot (cut into thin strips)

3 baby corn (sliced thinly)

2 tbsp of fish sauce

4 tbsp of lime juice

salt to taste

Method:

• First, in a pot, boil the chicken pieces in 5 cups of water over a medium fire.
• Next, grind 3 tomatoes and red chillies until fine. Then, put in this mixture into the boiling chicken stock. Levae to boil again.
• Then, put in the birds eye chillies, lemongrass, garlic, onion rings and all the vegetables. Stir until cooked.
• Then, put in the prawns, fishballs, fish sauce, lime juice, kaffir lime leaves and coriander leaves. Let to simmer and add salt to taste.
• Serve with hot, plain white rice.
  

Food Does Bring People Together

Through facebook, this friend of mine managed to locate me after more than five years of not meeting one another. She's my junior both at secondary school as well as in college. In short, both of us end up as teachers! Started with a simple hello in facebook, it continued with chatting and later, phone conversations. Finally, we decided to meet and I invited her for lunch at my place.

Since I am aware of the fact that she is a superb baker and bakes wonderful cupcakes, I was kind of worried of what to prepare for her. I gave her a call and she mentioned 'masak asam'. I'd expected this for both of us are Malaccans. There could not be another appropriate dish to celebrate our 'mini' get-together. We chatted over lunch and it was time for dessert. I served Mini Mixed Fruits Tartlets and 'Rojak Buah'. Here are the recipes.

MINI MIXED FRUITS TARTLETS

Ingredients :

For the pastry:

125g butter

60g icing sugar

1 egg yolk

220g flour (sifted)

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the custard filling:

1 tbsp flour

1 tbsp custard flour

4 tbsp caster sugar

1 cup / 250ml fresh milk

1 egg

1 tbsp / 30 g butter

1/2 a medium can of mixed fruits (drain the juice)

Method:

• For the pastry, combine all the ingredients and mix well until the mixture forms a soft dough.
• Take a small amount of dough and roll out to 5mm thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut out rounds to fit into your moulds. Use your fingers to to press the pastry to fit into the well. Use a small knife to trim the edges.
• Heat the oven at 175C. Using a fork, prick holes in the middle of the pastry.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Take out from the oven and keep aside to cool.

• For the custard filling, put the flour, custard flour and sugar into a small pot. Using 2 tbsp of the milk, stir until the mixture is well-mixed.
• Put in the egg and mix again.
• Pour in the remaining milk and stir.
• Using a balloon whisk, stir the filling mixture continuously, using a double-boiler method.
• Cook until the mixture thickens and let to cool.

• To assemble your tartlets, spoon/pipe the custard filling onto the tartlet casings and decorate with the mixed fruits.
• Serve your tartlets within 2-3 hours after to prevent them from getting soggy.
• Enjoy!

ROJAK BUAH WITH HOMEMADE SAUCE

Ingredients:

A selection of pineapple, cucumber, 'sengkuang', raw mango, 'jambu air" (cut into bite size pieces)

For the sauce:

1 bottle / 340ml of chilli sauce

1/2 bottle / 175ml of sweet soy sauce

1 medium piece of palm sugar ('gula melaka')

4cm toasted shrimp paste ('belacan')

10 birds eye chillies ('cili api')

1/2 cup of toasted, ground peanuts

Method:

• For the sauce, mix all the ingredients and cook over a medium fire. Stir continuously.
• Cook until the mixture thickens.
• Put your selected fruits into a bowl and pour in the sauce.
• Mix well until all the fruits are evenly coated with the sauce and transfer into a plate.
• Sprinkle the toasted peanuts on the top and enjoy!