Cucur Badak

This is one of my favourite malay kuih.

Ingredients :

For the dough

• 600g sweet potatoes (steamed and mashed)
• 10 tablespoons plain flor
• small shrimps for garnishing (with shells and heads on-optional)
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• a pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 1 grated coconut (I used whole coconut as coconut that I get here is real small size)
• 1/2 cup of dried shrimps

Pound together:

• 1 garlic
• 3 shallots
• 6 fresh red chillies (or dried red chilies)
• 1 lemon grass (use only the white part)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder
• 5 slices of peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 cumin powder
• 1/4 fennel powder

• Salt to taste
• Sugar to taste
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method: For the dough
Mix the mashed sweet potatoes with flour, sugar, and salt till a soft dough is formed. The dough shouldn’t be too sticky. If too sticky, add more flour to the mixture.
For the filling Soak the dried shrimps in hot water for 15 minutes and then pound them. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and add in the pounded ingredients plus the pounded dried shrimps. Fry till fragrant.
Add in the grated coconut and mix well. Add in salt and sugar to taste. Set aside and let it cool.
For the wrapping
Dust your hands with some flour and take a bit of dough (about the size of a small ball), flatten it and put the filling in the middle.
Cover the filling and press one small shrimp on top of the dough. Heat oil and fry till golden brown.

Kuih Bengka Beras (Fei Chee Yoke)

Ingredients:

• 100g green bean flour soaked for 25–30 minutes with 200ml water
• 2 can of 400ml coconut and mixed with enough water to obtain 1050ml coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 150g rice flour }
• 1 tbsp corn flour }sifted

For the syrup

• 300g castor sugar
• 300ml water
• 2 pandan (screwpine) leaves, knotted

For Glazing

• 2 tbsp of thick coconut cream

Method:

To prepare the syrup, combine sugar, water and pandan leaves in a pot. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Cool the syrup and discard the pandan leaves.

Put sifted flour into a large mixing bowl. Stir in coconut milk and soaked green bean flour mixture. Add the cooled syrup and salt and mix into a batter.

Strain batter into a large microwable bowl and cook on high 2 minutes at a time until it thickens and bubbles. Stir with a whisk after every 2 minutes. Pour cooked custard into a 8 inch square tin which was lighty greased. Spread and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven at 170°C for 30–35 minutes until dark brown and aromatic. Glaze with coconut cream and grill until top is brown. Cool thoroughly before cutting

Marble Chocolate Easter Cake

This luscious chocolate cake is perfect for the family if you are doing entertaining. Beside tasting delicious, this recipes is so easy to make-it's simple enough for even the most inexperienced cook. Ingredients:

• 200g butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 200g self raising flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla ssence

for the chocolate fudge:

• 100g plain cooking chocolate
• 100g butter, softened
• 100g icing sugar
• 25g white chocolate
• mini eggs for decoration*

*you may use different decoration according to the occassions.

FYI: If you are lazy to make the icing, you can buy from the shelf at supermarket. Look for Betty Crocker rich & creamy ready to spread chocolate fudge icing.

Method:

Preheat oven at 160 degrees Celcius (for fan assist oven) or 180 for normal oven. Grease and line 2 x20 cm cake tins.

Using 2 separate bowls, place half of the butter, caster sugar, flour, baking powder and eggs in each bowl. Beat until light and fluffy.

Mix the cocoa powder with 2 tbsp boiling water until it makes a smooth paste. Add this to one of the cake mixes and add the vanilla essence to the other.

Spoonthe mixtures into the tins alternately to create a marbled pattern. Level with a spatula. Cook for about 20-25 minutes. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Break up chocolate. Melt in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Put butter and icing sugar in a bowl, add the chocolate. Whisk until smooth.

Spread some on one cake and then place the other cake on top. Cover top and side with the rest of the chocolate icing.

If you are buying the chocolate icing, follow the instruction of using the fudge and again spread as the above way.

Decoration:

Melt about 25g to 30g of white chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Here I use my son 's Milkybar. Once melted, scope into a plastic food bag & snip a small corner of the plastic bag. Drizzle the white chocolate over the mini eggs as shown on the picture. You may ingore the white chocolate drizzle if you are doing a different decoration.

Fried Noodle

Fried noodles is the easiest,fastest and delicious way to stir up a dinner if you are in hurry or cannot decide what to cook. Keep a few packets of this noodles will be very handy. You can get the Amoy brand in supermarket. You can also choose any type of vegetable to add on. For the noodles, choose the medium size noodles. Here is a recipes for quick fry. Ingredients:

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, shopped finely
• 1 small chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• some raw prawns
• 2 cups of beans sprout
• some choy sum, cut into 3 inches in lenght
• 1 packet of Amoy medium noodles
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp dark sauce
• soy sauce to taste
• 3-4 tbsp cooking oil

Method:
Heat the oil in wok and add in the garlic. Fry until fragrant and then add in the chicken pieces and the salt. Cook until the meat is cooked. Add in the vegetable and the prawns. Give it a quick stir. Then add in the noodles and fry until the noodles is well coated with the oil. Add in the oyster sauce and the dark sauce. Stir until the noodles are well coated with the sauces.
Cook until the prawns are cooked and do not over-cook the prawns. Add in the soy sauce to taste & stir well. Dish out and serve hot.

Nyonya Pork Curry

Ingredients:

• 1kg of pork shoulder, cut into cubes
• 4-5 potatoes, cut into wedges
• 4-5 tbsp cooking oil
• 3/4 cup of coconut milk

Seasoning(A):

• 1tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar

Spices (B)-combined & ground:

• 10 shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2.5cm ginger
• 3-4 candlenuts
• 1tbsp chilli powder
• 21/2 tbsp meat curry powder

Spices (C):

• 4cm cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• 5 cloves
• 5 cardamon pods, split to obtain the seeds only
• 2 stalk lemongrass, lightly bruised
• 2-3 sprigs curry leaves

Seasoning:

• 1tsp salt ot to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar or to taste

Method:
Marinate pork with (A) and set aside.
Heat the cooking oil and fry (B) and (C) until fragrant and oil rises. Occasionally, add a bit of the coconut milk to prevent the spices from sticking to the pot when frying.
Add in the pork and fry well until meat is well coated with spices. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer until the meat is cooked. Add potatoes and cook until meat is tender and potatoes are cooked and soft. Add in the seasoning and cook to just a boil. If you prefer the curry to be creamier, you may add more of the coconut milk at this stage. Cook until the curry is just a boil. Dish out curry and serve hot

Devil Curry

From Wikipedia, this is how the curry being describe. Devil's curry (also known as curry debal in Kristang or curry devil) is a very spicy curry flavoured with candlenuts, galangal and vinegar from the Eurasian Kristang (Cristão) culinary tradition in Singapore and Malacca, Malaysia. It is often served during Christmas and on other special occasions. Kristang cuisine blends the cuisines of Southeast Asia with a western-style cuisine inherited from Portuguese colonial rulers. Other popular Kristang dishes include curry feng, Eurasian smore (a beef stew), and sugee cake.

Devil Curry is indeed spicy but sumptuously tasty from the Eurasian kitchen. Reminiscent of olden days in Melaka where foreigners and locals daily lives are mixed up while in search of riches around Strait of Malacca where the shipping routes from China to the west passes through. This recipe has been brought down from generations after generations just like the Curry Kapitan featured earlier.

Here is the ingredients for the recipes:

Ingredients:

• 1 try of chicken drumstick
• 4-5 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 4-5 tbsp rice vinegar
• salt & sugar to taste

Ground ingredients:

• 1 large onions
• 10 shallots
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2,5cm ginger
• 3 candlenuts

Method:

Heat oil and fry the ground ingredients till fragrant. Add chicken and salt and fry over high heat for a few minutes.

Mix the chilli powder and turmeric powder with a little water to form a smooth paste. Add it to the meat. Stir well, add a little water and cook over low heat.

When just about cooked add in the mustard, sugar and vinegar. Stir and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Serve with steamed rice.

Mocha Brownies with Ice Cream & Hot Chocolate Sauce

This is one of my favourite dessert. I have try many places during those days when I was working in KL but my verdict is that Hard Rock Cafe still do the best. Now that I am in UK, I can't find this dessert on Hard Rock Cafe menu in London. Therefore I decided that I need to make myself to kill off my urge of eating this dessert. And guess what. My son is my main rival for this dessert now! This recipe will give you the ingredients for the brownies & also th chocolate sauce. Ingredients for the brownies:

• 180g unsalted butter
• 250g dark chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 tbsp dry instant coffee
• 1 tbsp hot water
• 3 eggs
• 11/2 cups plain flour

Method:

Preheated oven at 180 degree Celcius. Grease deep 19cm square cake pan, cover base with paper, grease paper.

Melt butter with chocolate in pan over low heat, stir until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in sugar and combined coffee and water, then eggs 1 at a time. Stir in sifted flour and mix well. Pour in the prepared tin. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until firm; cool in pan. Once cool, cut into a square to your desire size.

Ingredients for the chocolate sauce:

• 125g dark chocolate, melted
• 300ml thickened cream
• 2 tbsp Kahlua
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

Place chocolate in a bowl, stir in cream, liqueur and essence. Stir until smooth & well combine.

How to serve:

Place a piece of brownies in a microwave proof plate. Heat on high for 30 second. Pour the chocolate sauce at the side of the brownies & again microwave for another 30 second. Take out from microwave & scope some vanilla ice cream on top of the warm brownies. Decorate with some whipped cream & also some strawberry (if any). Enjoy & eat warm.

Sago & Honey Dew Dessert

When I attend chinese wedding banquets, I always looking forward for the last serving as it will be the dessert time. One of the dishes I look forward to is Sago & Honey Dew Dessert which is one of my favourites. This dessert combines the sweet and fragrant taste of fresh honey dew fruit with the sago in a refreshing syrup-based drink. This dessert tastes great if is taken cold and is suitable for kids and adults. Here is the recipes for the dessert. Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup of sago
• 1 honey dew
• 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water
• 7 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk

Method:

Soak sago in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes. Drain off the water and boil sago with 5 cups of water. Boil the sago until turn transparent.

Drain and sieve the cook sago over running cold water to get ride of the starch. Put the cook sago aside.

Cut up the honey dew and remove the seeds. Blend half of the honey dew to make juice. Cut the other half into little cubes.

Mix honey dew juice, coconut milk, sago and the honey dew cubes together. Add the syrup to taste. If you prefer it to be creamier, you may add some vanilla ice cream too.

Roti Jala

Roti Jala is a yellow lacy crepe or pancake, usually served with chicken curry. Roti jala is more likely to be sold by the Malays, though Nyonya Chinese has also adopted this dish for themselves.To make roti jala, one needs to get its mould or roti-jala cup, which is made from metal or now, increasingly, of plastic as shown on picture above. The mould allows the batter to flow through in tiny threads, where it solidified on a hot pan. I found my mould when I went back to Penang 5 years ago.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup plain flour
• 1 1/2 cup milk (may use low fat if you wish)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbsp oil
• oil (to grease the pan)

Method:

In a big bowl, mix all the above ingredients (except the oil for greasing) well and sieve

Heat up a pan with medium heat and lightly grease it with some oil. Pour some batter into the mold and transfer the mold to the pan. As the batter flows through the holes of the mold, make circular rounds around the pan to form the netty patterns. (Click on this video clip for the cooking guide).

After the top is set and done or when the bottom turns light brown, transfer the Roti Jala out and fold it into triangle shape. Arrange a few Roti Jala on a serving plate and add some curry chicken on the side. Serve immediately.

Microwave Golden Syrup Sponge Pudding

This is the most easiest & fastest pudding I ever made. All you need to do is to put into the microwave for 3.5 minutes! Ingredients:

• 100g self raising flour; sifted
• 100g butter
• 100g sugar
• 30ml milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• grated zest of 1/2 a lemon
• 3 tbsp of golden syrup

Method:

Cream the butter and sugar together until light. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla essence. Mix well. Finally add in the flour, milk and lemon zest.

Put the golden syrup in the bottom of a 2 pt bowl. Spoon the mixture on top. Place in microwave (with a plate on top). Cook for 3.5 minutes on high.

Serve warm with custard.

Sticky Toffee Muffins

This make 12 large muffins Ingredients:

• 250g stoned dates
• 250ml water
• 280g plain flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 115g soft dark brown sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 6 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4 tbsp Duche de Leche (can be purchase from supermarket), to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degree Celcius. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or line with 12 paper cases.

Put the dates and water in a food processor and blend to form a rough puree

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large jug or bowl then beat in the date puree and oil. Make a well in he centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten liquid ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not over mix.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Leave the muffin in the tin for 5 minutes then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Spread a teaspoon of Dulce de Leche over the top of each muffin before serving.