Pumpkin Kuih, in memory of mum

It has been a year since mum passed and I think of her every day. Even though I get emotional each time, I believe she is in a better place now. At least she is not in pain anymore. It broke my heart seeing her suffer so the last months with her was hard but I treasured every single moment. I could tell she missed having me around and I am glad I was there for her when she needed me most. Fifteen years of the big C and she lived her life full of happiness and without complain. She was and will be the strongest and most genuine person I know. Every single one of her friends only had praises for her, a great friend with heart of gold. She also had great talents with crafts. I have memories of her helping me with a school craft project and we made a robot out of foil mini cupcake sleeves. She was creative and anything she touches becomes beautiful and special so I am proud her talents had influenced me a great deal.

To remember her, I would like to share one of the last things she taught me, her signature 'kuih'. Kuih is bite-size snack or dessert in Malaysia and the neighbouring countries of Singapore and Indonesia. They can be savoury or sweet. This was her modern take on the Nyonya ang ku kueh, a Hokkien word translated into red tortoise cake. It is a soft, chewy and sticky pastry made with glutinous rice flour wrapped around sweet filling. Mum's version used sweet potatoes to make the pastry orange in colour rather than the traditional way of using red colouring. This also calls for skilful hands and patience.

The sweet filling

Sweet filling wrapped with the dough made of glutinous rice flour. The outer layer has to be thin yet sturdy enough to hold the filling inside. The crease was marked with toothpick to mimic the pattern on a pumpkin.

The kuih was topped with green peas

Steaming of the kuih

We made this for our neighbours who have been very kind to visit mum, to cook for her and spend time with her to distract her from the pain. They have been the greatest neighbours anyone could ask for. The least we could do as mum's children was to show our appreciation to them with mum's delicate signature kuih.

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Hot & Sour Soup with Vermicelli

Hot and sour soup

These days, I try to stock up on lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves when I shop at the oriental store, making sure I never run out of them. Lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves freeze well so it is great to have them at hand as it is a staple in most south-east asian food. Lemongrass itself has multiple benefits. This natural ingredient has anti-cancer properties, high in anti-oxidant which also helps prevent cancer, reduces cholesterol, helps rid of cold and fever, and many more benefits. The juice of lemongrass is also used as insect repellent. I know this because each time I visit Tropical Spice Garden in Penang, the staff there would have us spray lemongrass juice on our bare legs and arms. There are lots of mosquitoes hidden between those tropical bushes so to prevent from leaving the garden with dozens of mosquito bites, bare with the smell and spray them all over you if you are going anywhere near a tropical forest or garden. It does help you enjoy the beautiful surroundings than to be annoyed being bitten by those tiny evil creatures.

HOW TO MAKE LEMONGRASS TEA:

Boil about 4 stalks of lemongrass in a pot of water. Make sure you bruise and split them in halves so the lemongrass will infuse a lot faster. I have not measured nor timed this process so depending on how strong you would like the tea to be, add water accordingly. Let it boil and simmer for about an hour. Once ready, pour into teacups and serve with honey or sugar.





HOT & SOUR SOUP WITH VERMICELLI RECIPE
serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 3 stalk lemon grass (bruised)


• 5 kaffir lime leaves


• 2-3 bird's eye chilli


• 15g shallots


• 5 cloves garlic (peeled & bruised)


• 2 inch ginger (peeled & sliced)


• 2 stalks celery


• 2 large carrots


• 2 large tomato (cut into wedges)


• 250g mixed seafood (prawn, squid, mussels)


• 1 litre boiled water


• 1 chicken bouillon cube


• 2 large lime (juice only)


• 1 1/2 tbs palm sugar


• Salt & ground white pepper to taste


• Coriander (as garnish)

• Vermicelli

1. Heat the pot with some oil and partially cook the seafood. Remove from pot and set aside.


2. Saute the onions, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, chillies and ginger in the same pot until fragrant.


3. Add in water and let boil for a few minutes, turn the heat down to let the lemongrass flavour infuse into the soup.


4. The celery, carrots and tomato is then added into the pot, together with the bouillon cube.


5. Let the soup simmer on medium to low heat fora bout an hour and until vegetables are soft.


6. While waiting for the soup to be ready, cook the vermicelli in hot water for 1 minute and drain.


7. Divide the drained vermicelli in separate bowls.


8. Squeeze some lime juice into the soup. Add sugar, salt and pepper to taste.


9. Tip the seafood into the hot soup to heat them up.


10. Ladle soup over the noodles and garnish with coriander. You can add a few slices of red chilli if you like, just to give some colour and contrast.

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Malaysian Snack : Chicken Curry Puff

Curry puff is essentially a dumpling filled with curried potatoes. It is a well-loved local snack in Malaysia. There are many variations; the most typical being curried potatoes or the curried potatoes with chicken. There is also a posher version which is the giant curry puff filled with potatoes, chicken, peas and quartered hard-boiled egg.

I will show you how to make a simple version of the chicken and potato curry puff. We will be using ready rolled puff pastry in this recipe instead of the authentic pastry just so you can satisfy your curry puff craving in an instant.

If you prefer to make an authentic version of curry puff, you will have to make the pastry and deep fry the puff instead of baking. The pastry recipe is available here. The authentic way of making the pastry as images below. It has to be rolled out into a flat sheet with a rolling pin then roll it up into a spiral baton. It is then cut into sections and rolled out flat again but make sure the spiral affect remains so when it is cooked, the spiral layers will expand into a beautiful crispy puff.









CHICKEN CURRY PUFF RECIPE
makes about 20

• 375g ready rolled puff pastry


• 325g chicken thigh fillet


• 1 tbs worcestershire sauce


• 3 potatoes


• 1 large onion


• 5 cloves garlic


• 15 dried curry leaves


• 3 tbs curry powder


• 2 tsp sugar


• 1 tsp cranberry sauce


• salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cube the potatoes and boil in salt water until partially soft.


2. In the meantime, chop the onion, mince the garlic and cube the chicken.


3. Marinate the chicken with worcestershire sauce and put aside.


4. Pre heat the over at 180C.


5. Heat up some oil in a pan. Fry the onions, garlic and curry leaves until fragrant.


6. Add the curry powder in and mix it up.


7. Toss the cubed chicken into the pan. Let it cook partially and mix in the potatoes.


8. Stir and let cook until soft, adding sugar, cranberry sauce, salt and pepper to taste.


9. Once the curried chicken and potato filling is cooked, set aside to cool.


10. Cut the ready rolled pastry into circles.


11. Wrap the cooled fillings in the pastry carefully, making sure the ends are tight.


12. When all the puffs are wrapped, place on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes.

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Chicken Chop Malaysian style

My phone was flooded with messages of my family discussing about dinner my sister was arranging. She was planning to make chicken chop for a family dinner get together. Obviously, I was kept in the group conversation only because they try to include me in family updates, but that was making me miss home and salivate for home made chicken chop. My sister's chicken chop is pretty awesome! I decided to not feel left out just because I am 7,000 miles away. So I made chicken chop for the weekend too!!

This chicken chop is a Malaysian take on a western style dish. The chicken is usually battered and deep fried but I do not like deep frying food in my kitchen, especially when I know how much oil is involved in the process. Just say that it is not healthy, and not because I do not give a fuss about deep frying. The positive side is that I made a healthier version; pan fried the chicken instead!

My first attempt to chicken chop and it was so delicious!

"I never knew chicken could taste so good!" ~M

CHICKEN CHOP RECIPE

Adapted from Recipe from Malaysia
Serves 2

Ingredients:
Chicken marinade

• 2 chicken legs (debone)
• 1 tbs light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Ground white pepper (to taste)

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with all ingredients overnight, or about 3 hours.

The cooked chicken on its own, without sauce.

Mashed Potato

• 2 potatoes
• 10g butter
• Boiling water & salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Boil the potatoes in salt water until soft.
2. Mash the potatoes with the butter until smooth.
3. Add pepper to taste.
4. Put aside a cup of the water used for boiling the potatoes for use in the sauce later.

Sauce

• 1 onion (wedge)
• ½ carrot (small cubes)
• 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 4 tbs potato water (from boiling of potatoes)
• 2 tbs light soy sauce
• 1 tbs sweet soy sauce
• 1 tbs oyster sauce
• 2 tbs tomato sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 150g canned chopped tomatoes
• oil

Method:

1. Place the light soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, oyster sauce, tomato sauce and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
2. Heat some oil on the pan. Stir fry the onion until fragrant and soft.
3. Add in carrots and garlic and fry until carrots are partly soft.
4. Pour the mixed sauce and potato water. Let cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
5. Combine the chopped tomatoes in to the sauce until it boils.
6. Let the sauce simmer. Taste and make sure no extra seasoning is needed.
7. Keep the sauce hot until ready to serve.

Assembly Components

• ¼ cucumber (sliced)
• 1 carrot (cut into batons and boiled until just cooked)
• 6 leaves of lettuce gem

• Mashed potatoes
• Marinated chicken
• Cooked sauce

Assembly Method:

1. Decorate two plates with the sliced cucumber in a fan-like pattern.
2. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and place on plate with the hollow side upwards so they function like cups.
3. Heat the pan with oil. Place the chicken thighs or legs on the hot pan and let cook in medium heat undisturbed for about 4 minutes (depending on size of chicken) until brown.
4. Flip over the uncooked side on to the pan and let them cook. Check whether the chicken is cooked by slicing it open. Make sure it is not over cooked to avoid them being dry. Place the cooked chicken on a plate lined with kitchen towel to drain any access oil.
5. In the mean time, place the boiled carrot batons in the lettuce leaf cups.
6. Scoop the mashed potatoes on to the plates.
7. Stack the chicken on the mashed potatoes or put them on its side.
8. Pour a generous amount of sauce over the chicken and serve hot.

A juicy slice of chicken

This plate of food finished in a blink of an eye. The plate with almost dried up, the sauce was completely wiped out too!

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Cantonese Egg Tart

My sister and her husband are arriving later in the evening and I am very sure they will be tired after a 13 hours flight. I am so excited, I feel as if I am going on a long holiday. So being the loving sister anticipating their arrival, I have cleaned and cleared space in my room to make them feel as comfortable as possible. I will also provide them with all the attention and assistance needed, and be their personal tour guide. So I foresee not having time to bake or cook anything interesting for this week's post.

Beach in Penang

I have chosen a recipe that reminds me of our childhood weekend brunch routine. My parents would take us all out for dim sum almost every sunday for brunch when we were young. Then we would take a walk along the beach, play with the water and collect beautiful seashells. When we got home from the beach, we would wash the seashells, dry them and compare to see who's got the best shells. It has always been a fun weekend.

So I am sharing with you recipe for the Cantonese Egg Tart. It is one of my favourite, besides har kau (shrimp dumpling with shiny translucent skin) and sesame balls. It is a must order every time I go for dim sum.

I made the tarts in a muffin tray instead of little separate tart cases. 

My first batch of egg tarts!! =)

CANTONESE EGG TART RECIPE

adapted from Christine's Recipes

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 225g plain flour


• 125g unsalted butter 


• 50g icing sugar


• 1 egg (whisked)


• 1 drop of vanilla extract

For the Egg Custard:

• 3 eggs


• 60g golden caster sugar


• 225g hot water


• 85g evaporated milk


• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Please follow the methods on Christine's blog as they are very precise. Successful egg tarts are guaranteed if the step by step methods are followed well. The tips are very useful as well.

I was surprised at how easy it was to make. A good recipe makes all the difference. So a great thank you to Christine for her amazing recipes and her note to pull open the oven door at the last stage. It was very helpful. It kept the egg custard from puffing up, keeping the flat and smooth surface.

** I reduced the sugar for the custard to 60g instead of the 110g since I did not want them to be too sweet. Change the amount to your liking.

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Chilli Ginger Salmon

Friday morning, the last day of the work week. Everyone anticipates for the weekend. Clearly, I was already drifting in my dreams. I was in the train to work as usual. Normally, I would get off at the right station and do that 20 minutes walk to the office but not this day. The iPhone kept me really busy communicating with the girls from the other side of the world. So, I missed my stop! Neither the girls or the phone was to be blamed, but it was the ballet I watched the night before that got me excited and still thinking about it the next morning.

Missed the stop and this is what I spotted! Beautiful morning dew stringed into tiny droplets on the spider web. Do you believe it was taken with the iPhone camera?

The first time inside the Royal Opera House Theatre

At the Paul Hamlyn Hall Bar during the break

That ballet was entitled Polyphonia / Sweet Violet / Carbon Life. They were three separate ballets by different choreographers. Each, unique on it's own but only one stood out!

Carbon Life was my favourite out of the three. It was choreographed by Wayne McGregor with music collaboration by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. It was a fantastic fusion of ballet, contemporary, futuristic pop, live music, fashion, great backdrop and lighting. The whole choreography was well put together; very inventive. Angular costumes by Gareth Pugh fitted well in the choreography. I liked the spiky tutus although I wasn't sure about te spiky boots.

The opening of Carbon Life was filled with suspense where dancers dance behind a thin, almost transparent screen, dressed in skin coloured body fitted costume. Spot lights that shone on them make them glow like dancing fireflies. There were spots of glowing light above the dancers that looked like some sort of floating spaceship. I would sum this scene up as futuristic heaven with glowing fairies dancing around in their birthday suits. Further into the choreography, the fairies in the wonderland moved into more energetic moves with power and precision yet with fluidity of movements.

Even the exterior looks romantic; the lights of the interior shining through the glass windows and the sparkly light hanging on the naked tree.

When you saw the title of this post, you must have wondered how ballet, spider web and salmon makes a dish. Hopefully pan-fried salmon with sugar snap peas did not disappoint you.

Pan-Fried Chilli Ginger Salmon with Sugar Snap Peas

makes 2

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of salmon
• 3 inch of ginger (grated)
• 6 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1 chilli (chopped)
• 2 tbs premium light soy sauce
• 8 tbs water
• 100g sugar snap peas
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• coriander (optional)

Methods:

1.  Descale the salmon skin if that has not been done by the fishmonger.

2.  Clean and pat dry the salmon with kitchen towel.

3.  Wash the sugar snap peas and place in a bowl. Boil some water, enough to cover over the bowl of sugar snap peas.

4.  While waiting for the water to boil, chop the garlic and chilli finely and grate the ginger. Place them aside.

5.  When water is boiled, pour over the bowl of snap peas, making sure the water covers over them. Cover it with a plate.

6.  Heat the pan with oil in medium-high heat. Place the salmon skin side down. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 4 minutes until skin crispy. Turn it over and cook for another 3 minutes. Time of cooking varies depending on the thickness of fish and how cook you like them. The timing above will cook the salmon to how i like it, slightly pink.

7.  Use a thong to take the fish out of the pan and place on plate with kitchen towel to drain the oil.

8.  Use the oil (reduce it if necessary) and stir fry the garlic, chilli and ginger until fragrant.

9.  Add in the soy sauce and water. Let it boil and reduce to about half.

10.  Drain the snap peas, and toss with sesame oil.

11.  Place the salmon on a serving plate, along with the snap peas. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve with some coriander leaves on the side.

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