Sago Pudding or Gula Melaka

This is one of  Malaysian or South East Asian favourite dessert. It is really a great combination of texture and flavour. I was a bit uncertain when i first made it for my boys as they are Dutch and never tried a pudding that is like this but they loved it and wanted more!

Sago Pudding

120g dried sago pearls
1 litre of water
350ml can coconut cream
pinch of salt
150g chopped Dark Palm Sugar or Gula Melaka
2 Pandan leaves ,bruised and knotted (optional)
20ml Hot boiling water

• Soak the dried pearl sago for at least an hour. Drain it and bring the litre water to boil and pour in the sago.
• Boil sago over low heat and stir constantly until sago pearls turn transparent.
• Pour the sago to a huge small hole sieve and run cold water through. This is to remove any unwanted starch.
• Scoop the portion of your liking the mould you like. You can use any mould you wish from muffin tray or a big jelly mould. Any shapes and sizes.
• Place the mould /moulds in the fridge.
• Combine the chopped dark palm sugar (gula melaka) with the hot water and pandan leaves. Bring it to boil for 3-5 minutes on low heat until the sugar melts and to a nice rich syrup consistency.
• Remove from heat, discard the pandan leaves and set in a jug to cool.
• All the coconut cream with a pinch of salt and warm it up in a pan. When done pour in to a jug and keep it refrigerated.
• When its time to serve, remove the sago from the mould and pour in the gula melaka syrup and topped with the coconut cream. Or guests can do it themselves so they can pour the syrup and coconut cream to their own liking!

Nonya Achar Achar (Spicy Pickle Vegetables)

I just got this whole lot of great veges from the market so much so that i really need to use it up so what came in my mind is why not make my all time favorite Achar Achar. But there are so many sort of Achar the one i am making is from Penang, Malaysia! Made from different vegetables like cucumber, long beans, carrots, cabbage, pineapple and is pickled with spicy paste and vinegar. Ground peanuts and sesame seed are also added.

It is commonly served as a condiment. All the ingredients are adjustable to your liking.

Ingredients

1 cucumber - seed removed and cut into 3-4 cm strips

2 carrots peeled and cut to 3-4 cm strips

150g long beans, cut into 3-4cm strips

Half a pineapple or to your liking, cut to 3-4 cm strips

150g cabbage leave, cut to 2.5cm squares (Optional)

or even cauliflower.

Paste

6 fresh chillies 

5 dried chillies, soak in hot water until soft

6 shallots

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp ground turmeric

1 inch piece ginger

1 stalk lemon grass

1/2 tsp shrimp paste (belachan)- Optional


Vinegar mixture

1 cup of white vinegar

1 cup water 

6 tbsp brown sugar ( more if you like it sweeter)

1 tsp salt

180g roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

6 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

For Blanching the Vegetables

600ml water

400ml vinegar

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

• Rub cucumber slices with salt, leave aside for one hour. Wrap in clean towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out excess liquid. Put all the Paste ingredients in a food processor and ground into paste and set it aside.
•  Bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar for blanching vegetables to a rapid boil. Blanch the vegetables (except cucumber) one type at a time. Do not over cook the vegetables as you want the crunch in them.
• Remove and transfer to a colander to remove excess liquid and if using the cabbage do squeezed the water out.
• Heat up about 3-4 tbsp of oil in frying pan and stir fry the Paste ingredients until fragrant and the oil begins to separate. Stir in water and vinegar. Add sugar and salt and bring to the boil,check seasoning as you might need more salt, sugar or vinegar to your liking.
• Stir in the prepared vegetables, peanuts and sesame seeds, Store in a clean jar or tupperware and refrigerate.
• It will be ready to eat the day after because that gives it time for all the flavour to get into the veges.
• ENJOY

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French Toast with Mixed Seasonal Fruits

What can i say the best way to use up old bread even baguette is to make French toast. My whole family loves it. There are so many different condiments you can serve it with from fruits, maple syrup, bacon, custard, cheese, chocolate sauce really the list is endless.

Ingredients

Old bread sliced or cut to shapes you desire
2 eggs,beaten with a little milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp icing sugar,Optional
butter


Method

• Dip your bread to the egg mix and just let it soak up. Make sure the bread is nicely cover with the egg batter.
• Place some butter on a frying pan under low heat and when the butter is melted place the dipped bread into the pan.Make sure you do not burnt the butter.
• Turn them over when its done, nice golden color and allow the other side to cook.
• And its ready to serve best eaten when its warm.

Beef Rendang (Spicy Beef Stew with Coconut)

After not cooking meat for a while i thought why not try cooking Rendang, it is sort of like a dish you can't go wrong. No beef rendang is made the same. It is a stew that is cook patiently over very low heat so as to dry up the liquid and make the meat tender. Another fact also is, it only gets better with time, so much so that the Minangkabaus(The tribe where the dish is origin from) save them for months as the complex taste and flavour develop over time.


I like to cook a large pot of it and of cause i cannot resist eating it right away when done but still plenty to store in my freezer for whenever i have the craving its just there. The flavours is so good, i just love the feel of the meat melting in your mouth. I am so happy with the results the flavour was spot on!


Ingredients

1 1/2 pound boneless beef short ribs, cut to cubes
5 tbsp cooking oil
2 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
4 star anise
4 cardamon pods
2 lemongrass, cut to 4 inch lenght and bruised
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 cup water
2 tsp tamarind pulp, soaked in warm water for the juice and discard the seeds
6 kaffir lime leaves, very finely sliced
7 tbsp of kerisik, toasted coconut ( if fresh ones not available you can sub it with dessicated coconut)
1 tbsp palm sugar or to taste
salt to taste

Spice Paste
5 shallots
1 inch galangal
3 lemon grass, white part only
5 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
10-12 dried chillies, soaked in hot water to soften

Method

• Place all the spice paste ingredients and blend it in a food processor to a paste.
• Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise and cardamom and stir fry them until fragrant.
• Add the beef and the bruised lemongrass and stir for 1 minute.
• Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice,water and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost tender.
• Add the lime leaves,toasted coconut, palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.
• Lower the heat to low,cover the lid and simmer for 11/2 - 2 hrs or until the meat is really tender and gravy has dried up.
• Try the gravy and season to taste as your liking.
• Serve with steamed rice.

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls or Summer Rolls

Part of my Vietnamese cravings! And this is so easy to make and real refreshing appetizer to have.

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls
150g rice vermicelli,cooked and drained
Rice Wrappers
200g Large shrimps, peeled,deveined and cooked
Fresh Thai basil leaves
Fresh Mint leaves
Fresh Coriander
Carrots, finely julliane
Bean sprouts

Dip
4 tsp Fish sauce
2 tbsp Fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic,crushed
2 tbsp raw sugar
1 Fresh red chilli, chopped finely

(Optional dip)
3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp finely chopped peanuts

• Filled a large bowl with warm water and dip one wrapper into the hot water until soften. 
• Lay wrapper flat, in a row across the center place shrimp halves, a bit of the vermicelli, carrot, bean sprouts, basil, mint, coriander.Leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side.
• Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• In a small bowl mix the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chilli.
• In another bowl mix the hoisin sauce and peanuts.
• Serve spring rolls with the fish sauce or mixture of both.

Pho (Vietnamese Beef & Rice Noodle Soup)

After coming back from  Brisbane, Australia. I had the cravings for some good Vietnamese food. As when i was there i could pretty much get my hands on good Vietnamese food easily there. But coming back to Holland that was tough. So i thought to myself why not give it a go and i did. And i was pretty happy with the results!

Pho


For broth
1 1/2kg Oxtail; cut into 11/2 to 2 inch pieces and fat trimmed
3 inch Piece of Ginger, unpeeled
1 Large onion
1/3 cup Fish sauce
8 Whole star anise
5 Whole cloves
3 inch Cinnamon stick
1 tsp Fennel seed
3 Bay leaves

Garnish
500g Flat rice noodles
2 Bunches Spring onions, Sliced thin
Fresh coriander
Fresh Thai basil
Bean Sprouts or Mung bean sprouts
Limes, cut into wedges
Red chilli paste or fresh red chilli, sliced
500g Filet mignon, trimmed of fat and sliced very thinly

• Put Oxtail into a large stockpot and add enough water to cover the bones by 4 inches. Bring to a full boil and then lower the heat to a rapid simmer. Skim the scum that rises to the surface.
• Meanwhile put the ginger and onion halves on a baking sheet and char them under the grill until lightly blacked. Turned them over halfway through cooking. When cool enough to handle rinse the onion and ginger under cold running water, using a knife to scrape away the charred surface.
• Cut the ginger to 3 pieces and toss it and the onion halves into the simmering broth, along with 1 tablespoon salt and the fish sauce.
• Put the star anise,clove and cinnamon sticks in a small skillet and toast them till you smell the aroma.Place the toasted spices and fennel seeds to a small cheesecloth and bundle it with a long piece of kitchen twine.
• Add spice bundle to the broth along with the bay leaves.
• Let the broth simmer, uncovered, skimming occasionally.After 3 hrs remove the spice bundle, onion,bay leaves and ginger from pot and discard. Remove oxtail from pot and set aside.
• Let the broth continue to simmer.When the meat is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones. Set the meat aside and return the broth. 
• Continue to simmer until the broth is rich and flavorful, add more fish sauce or salt if needed.
• Meanwhile soak the rice noodles in hot water before cooking. Arrange the herbs, bean sprouts and lime wedges on a plate.
• Cook the noodles as directed on the pack.
• Before serving, return the broth to a full boil. Divide the noodles, arrange the slices of raw filet and pieces of cooked oxtail meat over the noodles in each bowl. Carefully ladle the boiling broth over all; the raw beef should be submerged in the broth. Serve along with the herb garnish.

Recipe is adapted from Nguyen Thi Thai Moreland

Kedgeree

I recently made one of my all time favorite dish Kedgeree. For those who ask what is that well it is a dish consisting of cooked flaked fish, boiled rice, coriander, hard-boiled egg, curry powder, butter or cream and occasionally sultanas.

Kedgeree is one of many breakfast dish that, in the days before refrigeration, converted yesterday's leftovers into hearty and appealing breakfast dishes, of which bubble and squeak is probably best known.

But you know this dish is so good that you can really eat it anytime of the day and its a great party dish as its so quick and easy to make.


Kedgeree
serves 4


Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
250g Basmati rice
500g Firm white fish fillets, with skin off and bones removed
100g Fresh prawns,peeled and devined (Optional)
4 large eggs
2 Bay leaves
1 Fresh red chilli (Optional)
Bunch of fresh coriander
1 large Brown onion
2 Lemons
Olive oil
3 Tablespoon of Patak's or any brand of your choice Tikka Masala or  Madras curry paste
1 cup of Frozen peas or fresh
Natural yoghurt, to serve (Optional )

Prep for the Kedgeree

• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add fish,eggs and bay leaves to the pan and turn the pan to simmer. Cook for about 6 minutes.
• Cook the rice according to how it should be and add a pinch of salt to it.
• Finely slice the chilli if using, pick the coriander leaves and roughly chopped the stalks.
• Peel, halve the and finely slice the onion. Cut the lemons in half.

Cooking your Kedgeree

• Put a large casserole - type pan on medium heat with couple of  lugs of olive oil, add onion, chilli and coriander stalks and cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the curry paste and peas, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• After the fish and eggs have had their 6 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove then from pan to plate. 
• Flake the fish up to nicely big chunks.
• Let the eggs cool down and then peel the shells away. Add the cooked rice to the onion mixture and followed by the fish and a good squeeze of lemon juice.
• Gently stir everything together and check seasoning.
• Cut the eggs to quarters. Set aside for serving.

To Serve

• Sprinkle over coriander leaves, hard boiled egg and serve with some natural yogurt and a wedge lime or lemon for squeezing over.

My recipe is an adaptation from Jamie's Ministry of food.

Vegetarian Lemper

On New Year's Eve i was at a friend's place and she was serving me these delicious parcels to snack on. Lemper is a Tasty Indonesian snack of usually chicken wrapped in sticky rice. The rice (Ketan) used is sold as "Sticky"or "Glutinous"rice. Although the name might suggest otherwise it contains no gluten but is very rich in starch.They are good eaten at room temperature but even better when they are hot.But because my husband is vegetarian he did not get to try them as they were Chicken Lemper so i have decided to try making vegetarian ones so everyone can enjoy and if you rather use chicken feel free to do so.

Vegetarian Lemper

For rice

2 cups Ketan ( glutinous rice) If possible soak overnight.

( use 2 cups of water or coconut milk with every cup of rice)
i mixed both water and coconut milk

3 pandan leaves, tied to knot

Pinch of salt

Filling

250 gram Quorn vegetarian meat / chicken thigh and breast

1 large red onion 

4 cloves garlic

1 stalk lemongrass

2 kaffir lime leaves

2 tbsp grounded cummin

2 tbsp grounded coriander seeds

250ml coconut milk

Salt to taste

oil

Banana leaves (Optional)

• Drain soaked rice and if you did not do it the night before soak it for an hour before cooking. Put rice in a rice cooker or steamer, add water or coconut milk and cook for 30 minutes.
• Boil the chicken in some water if using chicken,set aside.Finely chop onions,garlic,lemongrass and lime leaves. Heat oil in wok and fry the mixture.
• When fragrant add the vegetarian meat or chicken pieces and the spices, keep frying for 3 minutes and add the coconut milk and cook until the liquid is reduce to almost dry. Leave to cool.
• Place a sheet of banana leaf or cling wrap on the bench and spread out the cool rice to rectangular shape.
• Place a filling mixture in the centre of the rice and roll the rice over like you would for sushi.So that the end result is like a croquette shape with the rice covering the filling on all sides.

  

                                          

• Roll up the Cling wrap or banana leaf and secure with toothpicks or tighten the sides of the cling wrap.
• These parcels can be heated over a barbeque that is if you use banana leaves or steamed for cling wrap and banana leaves for 15 mins, then allow to cool a bit before serving.
• The Lemper can be kept in fridge for up to 2 days or in freezer for longer duration. Best serve with some sambal ulek and kecap manis or sweet chilli sauce for those who do not like it too spicy.

Welcome 2011

This is the beginning of a New Year. Lots have happen in 2010 and i am hoping 2011 will be a better one for me and everyone i know.I have set some new goals and i really hope it all follow through.

Ever since the start of the New Year i have been having cravings for lots of Asian food. Food like is close to my roots South East Asia.You know food i grew up eating, things you do not find easily when you are abroad.

One that pop in my mind was Glutinous rice and it's a perfect time to try it as its also very close to Chinese New Year as there are many kinds of food with symbolic meaning in the Chinese cuisine. Since traditional Chinese attach great importance to the family values, there foods can express their best wishes for the family reunion.

So since i have some Kaya (Asian coconut jam) left and wanting to finish it i have decided to try and make a Malaysian cake or should i say Kuih/ Kueh. It is a Chinese Baba Nyonya specialty cake. Called Pulut Tai Tai or Blue Glutinous Rice Cakes. The blue color comes from a flower name Bunga Telang or Blue Pea Flower. I did not have any at hand so i use some blue food coloring. But it turned out not as dark blue as how it is but it was a nice color and really its up to you how blue you like it to look.

Pulut Tai Tai

2 cups glutinous rice - was and soak overnight or at least 4 hours before cooking
1 1/2 cup - 2 cups coconut milk
4 pandan leaves, tie leaves to a knot
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
few drop of blue food coloring

Method

• Wash and drain the glutinous rice. Divide rice into two portions. Soak half the rice in plain water and the other in blue food coloring water.
• Drain the glutinous rice from the water. The rice soaked in the food coloring will have been tinted blue.
• Mix coconut milk with salt and sugar, stir to dissolve sugar.
• Put the rice, pandan leaves and pour half the coconut milk evenly over the rice. Steam over rapidly boiling water for 10 mins. Open the lid of the steamer and fluff up the rice and mix in the balance coconut milk.Close the lid and continue steaming for another 15-20 mins until the rice is done.
• Remove from heat and discard the pandan leaves.
• Line a square tin with banana leaves if you do not have any cling wrap will do too.Spoon in the cooked rice,press down the rice with a large spoon.
• Cover the top of the rice with banana leaves or cling wrap and weigh it down with a heavy object. leave to cool, cut in to pieces and serve with kaya.
• You can also put them in shaped molds of your liking.I like to serve it slightly warm so you can warm it up in the microwave or in a steamer.