Pie Tee

Ingredients:

Pie Tee Shells

• 100g plain flour
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 190ml water

Filling:

• 300g yam beans, shredded
• 50g carrots, shredded
• 2 tbsp dried prawns, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp chopped shallot

Seasoning:

• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar or to taste
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• Chilli sauce dip

Chilli sauce dip:

• 3 red chillies
• 3 bird’s eye chillies
• 1 calamansi lime, seeds removed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Method:

Pie Tee Shells

Put sifted flours into a small mixing bowl. Add egg and salt and pour in water gradually to make a smooth and runny batter. Strain the batter to remove any lumps. Leave aside to stand for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a deep saucepan. Heat the pie tee mould in the hot oil for 1–2 minutes. Remove the hot pie tee mould and dip into the batter. Then dip the mould back into the hot oil and keep it there until pie tee is golden brown. Loosen the pie tee gradually until it slips away from the mould. Remove the pie tee cases and drain well on absorbent paper towels. When cool, store in an airtight container to retain crispiness.

Filling

Heat oil in a wok and fry garlic, shallot and dried prawns until fragrant. Add yam beans, carrot and seasoning. Stir and cook, tossing the vegetables well until almost dry. Dish up and cool completely. Serve pie tee shells with the filling topped with a little chilli sauce and some chopped spring onion.

Kuih Bahulu

Kueh bahulu is a perennial favourite among Malaysians of all ages. It's soft and slightly dry texture goes very well with black coffee. Kueh bahulu comes in different shapes, but the popular ones are the goldfish and the button (see picture right).


Ingredients:

• 3 large eggs
• 100gm sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 100gm plain flour
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  

Method:

Sieve wheat and tapioca flour together with baking powder. Whisk the eggs and sugar until stiff and pale in colour. Add the vanilla essence. Fold in sifted flour in 3 batches with the egg batter.

Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Lightly grease the mould (to prevent the bahulu from sticking) and spoon in batter. Do not fill to the top. Bake bahulu for about 10 minutes.

Alternatively, you can bake bahulu the traditional way – using charcoal fire. You have to place the hot coals on top of and under the mould.

Japanese cotton cheesecake

I always been craving for the fluffy Miki Ojisan Cheesecake which can be found in Sogo. Well… I made one of such cake a weekend ago. The colour of the cheesecake is nice and it is moist, cotton-soft and fluffy.



Ingredients:

• 160g cream cheese
• 25 g butter
• 120g milk
• 40g plain flour
• 30g corn flour
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 egg white
• 1/2 tsp cream of tar tar
• 120g sugar
• a pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat the oven at 160 degrees Celsius. Melt the butter, cream cheese, and milk on a double boiler, leave to cool. Once cool, add in both the flours and mix till well combine. Then add in the egg yolks and lemon juice and mix till well blended.

In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Slowly add in the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form, and the mixture is glossy.

Slowly fold in the egg white batter into the egg yolk mixture, 1/3 at a time, until incorporated. Pour into an 8 inch springform tin and bake in a waterbath for 40-45 min or until cooked when inserted with a skewer. Remove from the mould immediately to prevent the cake from sinking. Mixed the apricot jam with a bit of water and warmed it in the microwave. Brush the apricot jam all over the top of the cheesecake to give it a glossy finish.

Chicken in tomato & butter gravy

Ingredients:

• 500g -600g chicken breast; cut into bite size pieces
• 4 tbsp tandori paste
• 200ml fresh cream
• 120g butter
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 handful fresh coriander leaves; chopped

Tomato gravy:

• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tsp chili powder, reduce if you do not want it too spicy
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp garam masala

Method:

Marinate chicken pieces with the tandori paste over night and cook in oven for 20-30 minutes at 180º C. This makes the chicken tender and allow it to absorb the tandori flavour.

In a pot, heat 3 tbsp oil & add in the onions. Fry till soft and add in the chopped tomatoes. Add in the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and garam masala. Mix well & let it boil for about 2 minutes. 

Add in the butter to the tomato gravy. The  add in the chicken,  fresh cream, chopped coriander and sauté well & let it in a quick boil.

Garnish with a touch of fresh cream and chopped coriander. Serve immediately

Opor Ayam (Opor Chicken)

Ingredients:

• 6-7 chicken drumstick/chicken bite size pieces
• 200ml coconut milk
• 1 stalk lemon grass, bruised
• 3-4 lime leaves (limau purut leaves)
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp sugar

pound very finely together:

• 3-4 red chillies
• 5 sliced galangal (lengkuas)
• 3 sliced ginger
• 4 candle nuts (buah keras)
• 6 shallots
• 3 cloves garlic

add in:

• 4 tsps corainder powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup of water

Method:

Over high fire, heat the wok until hot. Pour in 4 tbsp cooking oil, lower fire to a medium heat. Add in the pounded spices and lemongrass. Stir for 2 minutes, add in 5 tbsp coconut milk and simmer for another 2 minutes. Stir continuously for a smooth gravy.

Add in the chicken, the remaining coconut milk and stir fry for another 5 minutes. Finally add in the water, sugar, salt and lime leaves. Bring to boil and then simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is tender. Serve with hot white rice.

Steamed Sago with coconut

Ingredients:

• 250g sago, washed and soaked in water for an hour and drained
• 200g grated young coconut
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 120g sugar
• 1/2 tsp pandan paste or 1 tbsp pandan juice
• few drops of red colouring
• banana leaf, cut into 9" round and lighty greased

Method:

Boil water in steamer over a high heat.

Combine sago, sugar, salt and coconut. Divide into 3 equal portions. Mix one portion with pandan paste or juice, the other with red colouring, leaving one portion plain.

Line the base of a 9" round cake tin with the greased banana leaf. Spread the red sago mixture evenly in the tin and press lightly with a spatula. Place the cake tin in the steamer and steam for 15 minutes until sago is transparent. Add the layer of plain sago to the steamed sago and steam again for nother 15 minutes until the sago is tranparent. Repeat the process with the green portion.

When cooked, remove the tin from the steamer and cool cake completely before cutting into diamond shapes.

Singapore Fried Noodles

Ingredients:

• 375g rice vermicelli (meehoon), soaked
• 4-5 tbsp oil
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 small onion, sliced
• some char siew, sliced (optional)
• 150g diced chicken meat
• 150g raw prawns (optional)
• 8 medium size button mushroom, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 150g bean sprouts

Mixed well:

• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/3 cup of tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup of water

Method:
Soaked the rice vermicelli in water until soft (at least for about 30 minutes) and drain well.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil and scramble the beaten eggs, remove and reserve a side.
Heat the remaining oil, fry the garlic until fragrant. Add in the chicken meat & fry until cook. If you use prawns add in the prawns & stir quickly as you do not want to overcook the prawns.
Add in the noodles & the mixture & stir to ensure that the noodles & the mixture is well coated. Add in the mushroom & also the onions. Cook until the noodles has absorbed all the mixture and then add in the scramble eggs. Mix well. Then add in the bean sprouts and for another 3 minutes.
Dish out and serve.

Chocolate Ripple Cake

Ingredients:

• 185g butter
• 11/4 cups castor sugar
• 3 eggs
• 11/2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 cup self raising flour
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup milk, extra

Method:

Grease a 20cm baba/angel pan

Cream butter and suga in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beat until combine. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in half the sifted flours and half the milk, then stir in the remaining flours and milk.

Blend cocoa powder with extra milk, stir until smooth with 2 tbsp of the cake mixture. Fold chocolate mixture lightly through cake mixture o give rippled effect. Spoon into prepared pan, smooth top slightly.

Bake in pre heated oven for about 40 minutes at about 170 degress Celsius. For convection oven the heat should be at about 190-200 degrees Celsius. Turn to the wire rack to cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Sago Gula Melaka

This is a very easy & delicious dessert/pudding.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 liter of water
• 200g pearl sago, rinsed & drained
• 250g gula melaka
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 big can of coconut milk (about 400ml)
• a pinch of salt

Method:

Bring 2.5 liter of water to boil in a big pot. Gradually stir in the sago so that it does not clump. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low. Sook until the sago turns translucent, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes. Drain the sago in a strainer and run over cold water to wash away the starch. Pour the sago into a mould or 4-5 individual mould & refrigerated overnight.

Break the gula melaka into small pieces. Put into a bowl & add in 1/3 cup of water. Put into the microwave for about 1-2 minutes each time until the gula melaka dissolved. Strain through a sieve to remove grit.

Pout the coconut milk into a bowl & add in a pich of salt. Put inthe microwave for 1 minutes.

Unmould the pudding, serve with coconut milk and the gula melaka syrup separately for each person to pur over their serving

Sar Hor Fun ( Fried Noodles)

There is a saying in Penang about Sar Hor Fun, which I used to hear my mum teasing her friends when their daughter started dating, " you will never short of Sar Hor Fun every night"...one that is only Penang's I am sure--
Sar Hor Fun in Penang is called differently in Kuala Lumpur. When I was working in KL, I found out that the dish is called "Wat Tan Hor" there. The concept of the dish is the same, but it has a slightly different presentation and eggs are used in the gravy, hence the words "wat tan" which literally means "smooth eggs" in Cantonese.

Ingredients:

• ½  pack hor fun or flat rice noodles
• ½ pack mee hoon or vermicelli
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 15 shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 12-15pcs thin pieces of pork meat
• 15 thin pieces of fish cake
• 7 stalks chinese mustard green/choy sum, cut into 2-inch length
•  ¼ cup water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Starch: 2 tablespoons corn flour mixed with ¼  cup water

Seasoning:

• 1 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nampla)
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 dashes white pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the vermicelli in warm water for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain the water and set aside.

Break the flat rice noodles off by peeling the layers. Set aside.

Heat up a wok and add 1½  tablespoon of cooking oil. Toss in the vermicelli and do a quick stir. Add ½ tablespoon of dark soy sauce and ½ tablespoon of light soy sauce and continue to stir the vermicelli until the soy sauce and kecap manis are well blended with the vermicelli. Continue to stir until the vermicelli are lightly burned or charred. Dish up and set aside.

Repeat the same for the flat rice noodles. Dish up and set aside.

Add some oil in a wok and stir-fry the minced garlic until fragrant.

Add in the pork, shrimp and fish cake and do a quick stir.
Add 1¼  cup of water immediately.
Add in all the seasoning and bring it to boil.
Add in the starch mixture to thicken the gravy.
Add in the mustard green, do a quick stir and turn off the heat.
On a plate, place the fried vermicelli and flat rice noodles equally.
Pour the gravy and toppings on the noodles and vermicelli. Serve hot.

Carrot Cake

The cream cheese frosting adds richness

Use 3 medium carrots for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup corn oil
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups coarsely grated carrot
• 1 cup (120g) chopped walnuts or pecans
• ½ cup chopped raisins
• 2½ cups self-raising flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp mixed spice

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 30g butter
• 80g cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1½ cups icing sugar

Method:

Grease 15cm x 25 cm loaf pan, line base with paper; grease paper.

Beat oil, sugar and eggs in a small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy. Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in carrots, nuts, raisins, then sifted dry ingredients.

Pour mixture into prepared pan, bake in oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes. Cover loosely with foil, bake about further 45 minutes. Stand a few minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool. Top cool cake with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese frosting: Beat butter, cream cheese, rind and juice in a small bowl with electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy; gradually beat in sifted icing sugar.

Chocolate cheese & walnut cake

Ingredients:

• 90g butter
• 185g cream cheese
• 2/3 cup castor sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup plain flour
• 3/4 cup self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 3/4 cup milk

Method:

Grease a 20 cm baba pan.

Crean butter, cream cheese and sugars in a bowl with eletric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beat until combined. Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in walnuts, then half the sifted flours and cocoa with half the mik, then stir in the remaining flours and milk.

Spread into prepared pan. Bake in oven at 190 degree Celsius for about 40 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Dust with sifted icing sugar before serving.

California Roll

Step 1

Step 2














Step 3

















Step 4














Step 5
















Step 6



















Step 7

You need:

• some crab sticks, pull it into strings
• avocado, sliced into strip
• 5 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

For the rice, please refer to the sushi roll method.

http://yummymummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/09/sushi-roll.html

Method:

Cover the mat with plastic wrap. Here I use the cling film. (Refer to step 1)

Put a sheet of dried seaweed on top of the mat. Face the gloss side down as shown in Step 2.

Spread sushi rice on top of the seaweed and press firmly. (Step 3)

Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the sushi rice as in Step 4

Turn the sushi layer over so that the seaweed is on top (Step 5)

Place avocado and crab meat lengthwise on the seaweed as shown in Step 6.

Roll the bamboo mat forward, pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder-shaped sushi. Press firmly the bamboo mat with hands. (Step 7)

Remove the rolled sushi from the bamboo mat. Cut the California roll into bite-sized pieces.

Chicken curry

Ingredients:

• 750g chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
• 200g potatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 small can of coconut milk
• 4-5 tbsp oil

Ground ingredients (combine):

• 5 dried chillies, soaked (reduce if you do not want it too spicy)
• 1 stalk lemon grass, sliced finely
• 6 shallots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder ( jintan putih )
• 1/2 tsp fennel powder ( jintan manis )
• 1 star anise ( bunga lawang )
• 2 cloves ( bunga cengkih )
• 2cm piece cinnamon stick ( kulit kayu manis )
• 2 tbsp curry powder, make into a paste with a little thin coconut milk**

Seasoning:

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

Method:

Heat oil and saute cinnamon stick, star anise and cloves. Add in combined ground ingredients and stir-fry well. Add 2 to 3 tbsp coconut milk (if it is too dry) and fry over low heat until fragrant and oil separates. Add chicken and curry leaves and fry for a few minutes until meat is firm. Add potatoes and pour in the coconut milk. Simmer until chicken is tender and potatoes are cooked. Add in tomatoes and mix in curry powder paste. Stir well to mix. Add in seasoning and continue to cook until gravy is slightly thick. Served hot

**dilute 1 tbsp coconut milk with 11/2 tbsp water

Lor Pak Koh (White carrot cake)

This is one of the tim sum dish. It can be eaten just like this or even fry it like the kuih kak style. I like to "goreng" the kuih.

Ingredients:

• 225g rice flour
• 700g turnip, finely shredded
• 70g dried prawns, finely chopped
• 1 dried chinese sausage, chopped finely (optional)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 650–700ml water

Seasoning:

• 1½ tbsp salt
• 50g sugar
• 1 tbsp pepper
• 2 tbsp sesame oil

Method:

Blanch shredded turnip for 2–3 minutes. Drain and squeeze off excess water. Put aside. Combine rice flour with seasoning. Pour in 500ml water and mix into a batter. Heat oil in a wok and fry dried prawns and sausage until fragrant. Add remaining water and bring to the boil. Stir in the prepared batter to mix until well blended. Turn out the mixture into a well-greased baking tin. Steam for 80–90 minutes until the kuih is firm. Leave to cool completely before cutting into slices.

Pan-fry the slices until golden and crispy, then drain oil. Serve with chilli sauce dip.

Seri muka

Ingredients:
For bottom layer:

• 300g glutinous rice, wash & soaked for 4-5 hours and drained
• 200ml thin coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 to 3 pandan leaves

Green topping (top layer):

• 2 eggs
• 100g castor sugar
• 180ml thick coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp pandan paste or 4-5 pandan leaves,cut into pieces and blends with 100ml water
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 40g plain flour

Method:
For the bottom layer:- Combine glutinous rice, salt and coconut milk in a 18cm round cake pan. Place the pandan leaves on top of the mixture and steam over rapidly boiling water for about 30-35 minutes or until the rice cooked through. Discard the pandan leaves. Fluff up the rice, then press rice firmly down.
For the bottom later:- Stir eggs, sugar, thick santan, 1/2 tsp pandan paste (or 1 tbsp pandan juice and add a drop of green colouring) and flour until sugar is dissolved. Add in the salt to mix then strain the batter.
Just before pouring the green batter scratch the lightly surface of the steamed ricw with a fork. Gradually pour the green batter over the rice. Steam over a medium to low heat for 12-15 minutes or until set.
Remove the kuih and leave a side to cool completely before cutting into pieces.

Tai Lok Mein (KL Hokkien Mee)

This noodle is different from the Penang Hokkien Mee. The noodles that used for this dish is a fat yellow noodles that very popular in KL and can only be found in KL. As we are unable to obtain this type of noodles, here I used the egg noodles. You may also used the udon noodles.

The style of frying these noodles, the darker the better. For this dish, pork fat rules and of course you could skip it and be healthy.

Ingredients:

• 350g egg noodles/udon noodles
• 100g pork meat, cut into thin slices
• 150g prawns
• 100 g squid, cut into bite size
• 250g of chinese cabbage, wash and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 100g pork fat, cut into cubes and fried till crispy (keep the oil)
• 2 cups stock/water

Seasoning:

• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce(add more if not dark enough)
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 3 pips garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tbsp corn flour mixed with 1/4 cup of water

Method:
Season the prawns and squid with a dash of salt, sugar and pepper. 

Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil or the lard (from frying the pork fat) and sauté the squid and prawns. Dish out and leave aside. 

Add in 1 oil or 1tsp of lard. Heat until the oil is hot then add in the garlic. Sauté the garlic until fragrant and add in the meat.

 Add in stock/water and bring to a boil. 

Add in the chinese cabbage and simmer for 10 minutes.
Then add in the noodles and the seasoning, mix well, cover wok with lid and simmer until noodles is tender. Add more dark soy sauce if the colour is not black enough and simmer noodles till gravy is thick. Add in the cooked prawns and squid. Stir in the cornflour mixture. Turn the heat to high again and give noodles a quick stir. Add the crispy lard cubes before dishing up the noodles. Serve with sambal belacan

Hong Bak

Ingredients:

• 600g pork belly or lean pork, cut into 2.5cm x 2.5cm in size
• 2.5cm cinnamon stick (kayu manis)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 3 tbsp cooking oil

Ground spice paste:

• 1 inch cekur roots (sar keong)
• 3 pips garlic
• 6 shallots
• 10 peppercorns
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp tau cheong

Method:

Heat oil in a frying pan and put in the cinnamon stick. Add in the ground ingredients and tau cheong. Fry till fragrant. Add in water slowly.

Add in sugar and dark soy sauce. When the mixture is aromatic, add in the meat. Simmer until the meat is tender.

Siew Pau (Seremban Siew Pau)

Some call this Seremban siew pau....so not sure which is which

Ingredient:

• 300g-400g pork, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tbsp oil

Seasoning:

• 11/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 11/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp corn flour}
• 1/4 cup of water}combine well
• 1/2 cup of frozen green peas

Water dough:

• 200g flour, sifted
• 60g shortening
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 120ml water

Oil dough:

• 160g flour, sifted
• 100g shortening

Egg glazing:

• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp milk
• a small drop of dark soy sauce (for colouring)

Method:

To prepare the filling: heat the oil in a non-stick pan, fry onion until soft then add in pork and seasoning. Cook until the pork is tender. Add in the corn flour mixture. Toss well to mix. Add in the green peas and mix well. Dish out and leave aside to cool before use.

Preparation for water dough: combine flour, shortening, sugar salt and water in a mixing bowl. Mix together to form a smooth dough. leave a side, covered with a tea towel for 10 minutes to rest.

Preparation for oil dough: put flour in a mixing bowl. Rub in the shortening to mix until a smooth dough is form. Leave as side to rest for 10m minutes.

Divide water dough into pieces about 30g each. Wrap a piece of oil dough about 20g in the centre. Roll out into a flat piece then roll up swiss roll style. Roll it out flat again. Then roll up swiss roll style for the second time. Lightly roll out flat again in circle. Wrap up with 1 tbsp of filling. (Refer the dough preparation in the spiral curry puff recipes as there are pictures to show the method http://yummymummyrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/09/spiral-curry-puff.html )

Wrap and pleat into a pau shape. Place on a piece of round grease proof paper. Bake in preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius or until lightly golden brown. Remove pau from oven and while it still very hot, brush with egg glaze.

Acar Awak

This is the common dish that can be found in Penang in any festival, be it Chinese New Year, Cheng Beng or even at weddings. 

  Ingredients:

• 250g cabbage, cut 3cm in size
• 1 whole cucumber
• 150g cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 150g carrots, cut into 3 cm lengths
• 100g French beans, cut into 3cm lengths
• some red and green chillies, cut to look like a flower and seeded
• 1/2 tsp salt

For scalding vegetables:

• 600 ml water
• 300ml rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Spice paste (ground):

• 20 dried chillies
• 10 shallots
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 stalk serai (lemongrass)
• 2" lengkuas (galangal) sliced
• 4 buah keras (candlenuts)
• 20g belacan
• 2 tbsp ketumbar powder (coriander powder)

• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 10 tbsp sugar
• salt to taste
• 100g peanut, roasted and coarsely pounded
• 5 tbsp sesame seeds

Method:

Quarter the cucumber lengthwise without peeling the skin and remove the core. Cut into 3cm long strips. Knead 1/2 tsp salt into the cucumber slices and leave aside for 1-2 hour. Wrap the cucumber slices in a clean towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Lay the cucumber slices on a tray and sun for 2-3 hours.

For other vegetables, sun them separately in trays for 1-2 hour. If you are in UK and there is no much sun light, you can leave the vegetables over night as the air is dry compare to Malaysia.

Bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar for scalding vegetables to a rapid boil. Blanch the dried vegetables one type at a time, 5 seconds for cabbage (suggest that you boil the thicker part of the cabbage longer) and cauliflower and 2-3 seconds for the rest of the vegetables. DO NOT OVERCOOKED the vegetables or they will loose their crunchiness. Drain the vegetables and set aside.

Fry the spice paste in hot oil until the oil rises and separate from the paste. Season with sugar and salt. Bring it to a boil. Stir in 3 tbsp of rice vinegar, turn-off the heat and set aside.

Add in all the vegetables, grounded peanuts and toasted sesame seeds and mix well. This dish is best to eat the next day. Keep it in a bottle and it will last you a while ( I hope!)