Muar Chee

Mua Chee is a dessert or snack that is popular at street hawkers especially in Penang. You can make the mua chee dough by mixing glutinous rice flour and water. Once the dough is mixed, it is usually boiled or steamed till it is light and puffy. This dough is then tossed and cut up in a grounded up mixture of roasted peanuts and sugar as seen above. Ingredients:

• 340g glutinous rice flour
• 300ml water
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp thick coconut milk
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

• 3 tbsp fragrant oil(oil fried with shallots)
• 2 to 3 tbsp shallots crisps

Groundnut mixture (mix together):

• 175g toated peanuts, pounded
• 75g toasted sesame seeds
• 250g granulated sugar

• 3 tbsp cooked groundnut oil ( normal will do too)

Method:

Mix glutinous rice flour, sugar, coconut milk, oil and water in a microwable bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir well and cook on high for another minute. Stir well, it should be cooked but if you are having a lower wattage microwave you might have to cook another minute more. Add in the 2 tbsp of fragrant oil(cooking oil straight from the bottle will do - only no fragrance)Let the dough cool.

Add the peanut, sesame seeds and sugar mixture to the dough and using an oiled scissor, snip into smaller pieces and coat well with peanuts. (if not serving the whole portion, remove a small piece enough to eat, and put into the coating, then snip from there. Remove the coated dough for serving and leave the coating for the rest of the dough). Sprinkle with the shallots crisps.

Char Siew

"Char siew" literally means "fork burn/roast" after the traditional cooking method for the dish: long strips of seasoned boneless pork are skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or over a fire.

In Malaysia and Singapore, char siew rice is found in many Chinese stalls along with roasted duck and roasted pork. It is served with slices of char siew, cucumber, white rice and drenched in sweet gravy or drizzled with dark soy sauce. Char siew rice can also be found in Hainanese chicken rice stalls, where customers have a choice of having their char siew rice served with plain white rice or chicken-flavoured rice, and the same choice of garlic chilli and soy sauces

Ingredients:

• 900g of pork tenderlion, make a few slits along the meat

(A): For marinade, mix together well

• 1 tsp salt
• 7 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp Rose Wine ( Mei Kwai Low), can be omitted if cannot be obtain

(B): Mix together

• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 11/2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp corn flour
• a pinch of red colouring

Method:

Season meat with (A) and mix well until it become sticky. Marinate for 3 hours or preferably overnight in the refrigerator. Add (B) to the well marinated meat just before roasting.

Place the strip of the meat on a rack and roast at 180 degree Celcius for 10 minutes. Turn over the meat and continue to roast for another 10 minutes or until the meat is well cooked. Slice the meat and serve.

Roast Pork ( Siew Yoke)

Chinese roast pork here refers to siew yoke (in cantonese) or sio bak (in hokkien). With a crispy crackling roasted skin and semi-tender meat, you can be assured of spoonfuls after spoonfuls of rice to go with it.

Ingredients:

• 600g pork belly with skin on
• 1/2 tsp salt

(A):

• 3-4 pips garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp pepper
• 11/2 tsp salt
• 2 pieces od red fremented beancurd ( tau jhuu or nam yee), well mashed.)*
• 11/2 tsp Five Spice Powder (Ng Heong Fun)
• 1/2 tsp sugar

(B):

• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda

Method:

Clean the pork wekk and dab dry with kitchen paper. Make slits on the meat side of the pork and marinate with A.

Season the skin side with B. Then hang up to dry thoroughly for 4-5 hours. Use S hook that can be found in oriental shop. If not, put o wire rack with the meat side facing up.

Place the pork in a rack (the meat side up) and bake at 200 degree Celcius for 20 minutes. Take out from oven and prick the skin with a fork and brush with remaining ingredients (B). Bake the skin side at 235 degree Celcius for about 25 minutes or until the skin turns crisp.

Note:

* If you cannot find the red fremented beancurd, use the natural colour one.

After roasting, the chunk of meat will shrink to less than half its original size.

Nasi Briyani (Briyani Rice)

Originally from India, it is called Nasi Briyani in Malaysia and Singapore. Different cultures cook Briyani differently. "Nasi" in malay means rice. Nasi Biryani is usually served on special occasions, such as weddings and festivals. The rice are usually fry with ghee but for health reason, I am using normal cooking oil. Here is a simple Malaysian recipe for Nasi Briyani. Ingredients:

• 500g basmati rice, wash and drain
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup yoghurt
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 big tomatoes, chopped
• a handful of shredded coriander leaves
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Spices (A):

• 5 cardamoms
• 1 star anise
• 5 cloves
• 1 stalk lemon grass, smashed
• 2cm piece cinnamon stick

Fry in oil till crispy and set as side separately:

• 15 shallots, sliced thinly
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• 3 tbsp of cashew nuts

For garnishing:

• 3 tbsp of raisins

Method:

Heat oil or ghee in a pot and fry spices (a) on a medium heat until fragrant. Add rice and stir-fry well for about two to three minutes. Add in the water. Add in the salt. Pour in the yoghurt and mix well. Then add in the tomatoes, coriander leaves and the turmeric powder. Increase the heat to high and let the rice boil. Give it a good stir and reduce the heat againto medium. Let the rice boil for another 2 minutes & stir again.

Put on the cover & reduce the heat to the lowest. Simmer the rice for another 4-5 minutes. Off the heat & let the rice settle for another 5-10 minuted before serving as this will make the rice fluffy. If you serve the rice immediately after you switch off the heat, the rice will be very sticky.

When rice is cooked, dish out to serve with a sprinkling of shallots, cashew nuts, raisin and garlic.

Moist Chocolate Cake

My family loves this chocolate cake as it is moist & not crumbly. Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 1 tsp instant coffee powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3/4 cup water

Method:

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking powder. Set aside.

Dissolve the coffee with hot water. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Beat in the coffee and vanilla essence. Gently fold in the flour mixture alternating with water. Start and end with the flour mixture. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan. Bake at 175 degree Celcius ( 150 degree Celcius if you oven is fan assist oven) for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.