Spinach Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:

5 egg whites
20 g sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)

40 mL spinach juice (blend handfuls spinach with enough water, filtered off the residue)
40 g sugar
40 mL vegetable oil
4 egg yolks
Pinch of salt

50 g cake flour
10 g corn flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 °C.

In a bowl, combine together flours, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar till frothy; gradually add-in sugar and continue whisking till stiff peaks form (I always whisk egg whites first because I use the same whisk for egg yolks mixture later without washing); set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk egg yolk till pale and glossy.

Pour-in oil and spinach juice , quickly whisk till batter is fully incorporated.

Fold-in flours mixtures, few whisk to form homogeneous batter.

Gradually and gently, fold the egg whites mixture into the egg yolks batter.

Pour batter into an non-grease chiffon pan (8 inches) and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and immediately invert the chiffon pan to cool on a lifted wire rack.

With a flexible thin knife or spatula, loose cake from pan and transfer it from pan onto wire rack; let cool completely before cut into serving size.

Purple Kaya Kuih (Kuih Pulut Tartar)

Ingredients:

100 g glutinous rice
25-40 ml coconut milk
2/3 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp purple sweet potatoes cubes
1 tbsp water

Kaya for serving

Method:

Rinse rice with water and soak overnight in fridge, drained.

Steam purple sweet potato cubes with a spoonful water for 20 min, reserve the purple water.

Pour 2/3 rice into one steaming tray and 1/3 rice wetted with few drops of purple water into another tray, steam at low flame for at least 20min or until the rice is softened, stirred twice in between.

Dissolve salt and sugar into coconut milk and mix 2/3 part into white portion and 1/3 into the purple portion, steam for another 10 min or until rice is cooked throughly.

Remove rices from steamer and mix two portions into a baking paper lined tray, give a few stirs with chopsticks.

Press the rices strongly with palm to a smooth texture, press with a heavy container on top and set aside to cool until set.

Cut into bite size with wetted knive and serve with kaya （pandan coconut jam）

Yields 6 pieces kaya kuih

Pandan/Yam Jelly Mooncakes (燕菜月饼)

Ingredients:

Yolks:

100 mL steamed mung bean + water, blended

60 mL coconut milk

40 g sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp agar-agar powder

Red Bean Filling:

200 mL boiled red bean soup + some cooked red bean

100 mL coconut milk

50 g sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1½ tsp agar-agar powder

Pandan Skin:

150 mL water

150 mL coconut milk

50 g sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1½ tsp agar-agar powder

1/2 tsp green pandan flavor 

Purple Yam Skin:

150 mL water

150 mL coconut milk

50 g sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1½ tsp agar-agar powder

1/2 tsp purple yam flavor  

Method:

To prepare the Yolks:

Mix all the yolk ingredients in a pot and bring it to boil for about 5 - 10 min till agar-agar powder is dissolved.

Pour into small diameter round jelly mould (I filled quarter of two rose mould to make one yolk).

Keep in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or till set.

To prepare the filling:

Unmould the yolks, set aside.

Mix all the filling ingredients in a pot and bring it to boil to dissolve the agar-agar powder.

First pour a thin layer of filling into cupcake mould to set.

Place yolk in the center and pour the rest of filling just enough to cover the yolk.

Keep in refrigerator till set.

To prepare the skin & mooncakes:

Unmould the fillings, set aside.

Mix all the skin ingredients in pot and bring it to boil to dissolve the agar-agar powder.

Reserve some of white-coconut solution from the pot into a bowl, set aside.

Add-in pandan or yam flavor into the pot, stir well and remove from heat.

Pour a layer of skin mixture into jelly mould, wait for short while to set a little.

Pour-in a layer of the reserved coconut mixture, wait for short while.

Arrange filling jelly onto the middle of the prepared moulds.

Pour the rest of skin solution still to cover the filling.

Keep in refrigerator overnight to set.

Unmould and serve it at room temperature or best serve cold.

Made 8 pieces Jelly Mooncakes.

Kuih Talam

Ingredients:

Pandan Layer (Green bottom):

80 g rice flour

40 g tapioca flour

30 g green bean flour

230 g sugar

700 mL pandan juice (or 700 mL + 1/2 tsp pandan essence) 

1 tsp alkaline water (air lye)

Coconut Layer (White top):

60 g rice flour

75 g tapioca flour

300 g coconut milk

300 mL water

1½ tsp salt

Method:

To prepare the pandan layer:

In a heat resistance mixing bowl, mix all ingredients of bottom layer together, except lye water.

Stir over double boiler to thicken the batter (about 15-20 mins).

Remove from double boiler and stir-in lye water to incorporate well.

Pour onto a 20 cm baking pan or deep plate and steam covered over boiling water with high heat for about 20 mins or until almost firm to touch.

To prepare the coconut layer:

In another bowl, mix well all the ingredients of top layer together.

Pour onto the top of the almost set pandan layer.

Continue to steam covered for another 10 mins or until both layers are cooked and firm to touch.

Remove from heat and leave to cool in pan.

With wet knife, cut the dessert to serving bites

Serve it hot, cold or at room temperature.

Lamb/Beef Rendang (Dry Malaysian Meat Curry)

Ingredients:

1 kg lamb/beef, cut into inch cubes
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Blend Ingredients

2 lemongrass, sliced (white part only)
10 fresh red chili (add-in some dried chili for better spicy)
1 bulb garlic, chopped
1 knob (1 inch) ginger, sliced
1 knob galangal, sliced
1 knob fresh kunyit/turmeric or 1 tbsp turmeric powder
15 shallots or 4 large red onion, sliced
80 mL water

1/2 cup cooking oil
some turmeric leaf
2 tbsp cumin powder
2 tbsp fennel powder or coriander powder
500 mL thick coconut milk
1 cup water (add more if gravy dried up)
1 cup dry-tossed dessicated coconut
3 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, marinate lamb with salt and pepper for at least 30 minutes; set aside.

Blend together all the blend ingredients with some water to form paste; set aside.

In a wok or pot, dry fry the blended paste over medium heat for about 5 - 10 minute till almost dry with bubble holes.

Pour-in oil and sauce the paste till aroma and separate from oil.

Add-in turmeric leaves, cumin powder and fennel powder, stir to toss for short while.

Pour-in coconut milk and water, bring to boil over high heat.

Add-in meat and bring to boil again (stir-occasionally to avoid burn at the bottom).

Let it stew over low heat for about 30 minutes to reduce the gravy to half.

Stir-in dessicated coconut and continue simmering (stir-occasionally) till gravy is thicken.

Seasoning curry with salt and pepper.

Best serve hot with steamed rice or bread (taste better to cook a night in advance and reheat right before serving).

Sambal Chili Gravy Prawns

Ingredients:

800 g prawns

4 onion
1 lemongrass
10 dried chili, soaked and drained or to taste
3 cloves garlic

5 tbsp oil
1 tbsp tamarind bulb with 1/2 cup water
1 tsp belacan (toasted dried shrimp paste)
2 ½ tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp sugar or to taste

Method:

Blend together onion, lemongrass, chili and garlic to fine paste.

In a wok or deep saute pan, heat oil over medium high heat and saute blended mixture for 5 minutes or till fragrant.

Add-in prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes or till turn into pink color.

Pour-in tamarind water and bring to simmer.

Seasoning with the remaining ingredients and let simmer for another short while till cooked thoroughly.

Dish up and ready to serve with steamed rice, bread or cooked noodles.

Bak Kwa (肉干)

Ingredients:

450-500 g ground pork (not lean)

Marinate:

3/4 tbsp fish sauce
3/4 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar or to taste
1/2 tsp five spiced powder
1/4 tsp licorice powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cooking wine
1/4 tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp honey

Method:

In a container, mix pork with all the marinate ingredients, stir-well to fully incorporate.

Place pork in fridge covered to marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 100 °C.

Line a baking tray (dimension about 25 x 42 cm) with parchment paper.

Spread the marinated pork portion by portion onto the prepared baking tray as thin as possible (important).

Bake it in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or till firm to touch (test with fork).

Remove from oven and absorb-off any excess oil with paper towels.

Cut the partially cooked pork sheet into smaller rectangular pieces.

Grill each over medium heat for about 10 minutes or till shrink and cooked thoroughly.

Wat Than Hor (Char Hor Fun or Gravy Fried Flat Rice Noodles)

Ingredients:

100 g dry flat rice noodles
100 g mee hoon/mihun/vermicelli noodles

Gravy:

2 tbsp cornstarch in 1 ½ cup water or stock
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Noodles stir-fry:

3 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
few shrimps/prawns, removed shells
few slices of meat/chicken
few slices of fish cake
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
few stalks of Chinese mustard/choy sum, cut to 2 inch length

Chili Paste:

1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp sambal omelek chili paste
4 tbsp oil

Method:

Soak the vermicelli in water for 30 minutes or till soften, drain well and set aside.

Boil the dry flat rice noodles according to the package and drain well; set aside.

To prepare the gravy:

Stir-in cornstarch to stock and bring to boil.

Add-in oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, sesame oil and light soy sauce, stir to mix.

Pour-in egg white and do a quick stir to break down into small white pieces as it cooked.

Bring to simmer to thicken the gravy to a desired consistency, set aside.

Noodles stir-fry:

In a wok or deep pan, heat 3 tbsp oil over medium high heat.

Saute garlic till fragrant and golden.

Add-in meat, prawns and fish cakes, stir-fry over high heat still prawns are seared.

Add-in flat rice noodles and stir-fry for few minutes.

Add-in vermicelli and the remaining seasoning ingredients, toss evenly over high heat for few minutes or till noodles are charred.

Add-in Chinese mustard and continue tossing for another short while.

Dish-up and transfer onto a serving plate.

Return gravy to wok and heat through.

Pour the hot gravy over the fried noodles.

Serve hot immediately with chili paste and white pepper powder if desired.

To make the chili paste, blend onion and garlic to yield paste. Heat 4 tbsp oil in wok over low heat, stir-fry onion-garlic paste still fragrant, add-in omelek chili paste, continue stir-fry till aroma, remove from heat and it is ready to serve.

CuttleFish Salad

Ingredients:

2 large dried cuttlefish
2 L cold water
2 tbsp potassium carbonate & sodium bi-carbonate solution (kan sui)

300 g young water convolvulus (sayur kangkung can be added)
3 tbsp sesame oil

hot boiling water for blanching
ice cold water for quenching

Sauce Ingredients (mix all together thoroughly):

2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp hae ko (black prawn paste)
2 tbsp chili sauce
1 tsp toasted belacan powder (toasted dried shrimp paste)
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
1 tbsp water

Sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method:

In a large bowl, soak cuttlefish with water and kan sui overnight or till solften and double in size.

Changes the 2/3 of soaking water with fresh cold water by every few hours interval for the following hours till reach the maximum size.

Wash cuttlefish and cut into bite sizes; set aside.

Cut-off the lower end of cleaned water concolvulus vegetable and tie into a bunch (if applicable).

In a pot, heat enough water to boil.

Blanch the cuttlefish for a short while (about 2 minutes).

Transfer cuttlefish into ice cold water; set aside.

Blanch the vegetable for half minute, cut into 2 inch length and transfer onto serving plate.

Drizzle-on 2 tbsp of oil, top-on cuttlefish and pour-in the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Nyonya Achar Awak (Spicy Nyonya Pickled Vegetables)

Ingredients:

2 cucumber, cut into 1 x 1/4 inch sticks (seeded)
1 carrot, cubed
1 tbsp salt

100 g string or long beans, cut into 1 inch length
few leaves of Chinese Cabbage, cut into 1 ½ inch squares
3 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar

5 fresh red chili
15 shallot or 3 large onion
5 clove garlic
5 candle nuts
1 inch knob fresh turmeric
1 inch knob galangal
1 lemon grass
1 ½ tbsp toasted belacan (toasted dried shrimp paste)
40 mL water

1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup white rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
3 lemon juice or 5 lime juice (about 50 mL)
1 cup crunched toasted peanut
1/2 cup toasted sesame seed

Method:

In a bowl, mix together cucumber, carrot and 1 tbsp salt, set aside for about 2 hours.

Rinse-well with running water and wring dry with clean towel; set aside.

In a pot, pan or wok, bring 3 cup water, 1/2 cup vinegar, 2 tbsp salt and 2 tbsp sugar to boil.

Blanch separately beans and cabbage for 1 minute each.

Remove from water, wipe dry with kitchen towels and dry further more under fan or strong sunlight for 1 hour or more; set aside.

Meanwhile, blend together red chili, shallot, garlic, nuts, turmeric, galangal, lemongrass and belacan with enough water (about 40 mL) to form paste; set aside.

In a large pan or wok, heat oil over medium high heat and saute the blended paste till fragrant and separates from oil (about 15 minutes).

Pour-in the remaining vinegar, salt and sugar.

Turn off the heat immediately once boil.

Stir-in carrot, cucumber, beans and lastly cabbage.

Add-in lemon juice and mix thoroughly.

Add-in peanut and sesame seeds and stir-well to mix (adjust taste according with vinegar, salt and sugar).

Transfer to container and keep in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight till serve.

Sticky Soy Sauces Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken wings.

Marinade:

6 tbsp light soy sauce
6 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger juice (from 2 inch knob)
3 tbsp rice wine
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp white pepper powder

Method:

In a bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients.

Marinate wings for at least 1 hours or overnight covered in refrigerator.

Heat a large non-stick deep pan over medium high heat, pan-fry chicken wings with marinade till golden brown, sticky and cook-thoroughly (about 30 minutes).

Alternatively, grill the wings till golden brown and cook-through (occasionally, bath wings with marinade).

Remove wings from fat gravy in pan and best serve hot/warm as an appetizer or with rice.

Sizzling Tofu

Ingredients:

12 slices of homemade tofu
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 dried chinese mushroom, soaked, drained and chopped/slices
handful of bay scallop, (optional)
handful of minced meat (pork/chicken/beef), (optional)
2 cups shrimps/pork/chicken stock/water

1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce or to taste
1/2 tsp sugar or to taste
1/4 tsp white pepper powder or to taste
cornstarch solution (2 tbsp cornflour in 1/4 cup water)
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp sesame oil

enough chopped green onion for sprinkling

Method:

Heat oil in pan/wok over medium high heat, fry both sides of tofu till golden brown.

Remove tofu from oil and drain-well on absorbent paper towel.

Transfer tofu onto a serving plate; set aside.

Add garlic to hot pan and saute till fragrant.

Add-in mushroom and meat, stir-fry till meat is tender and just right cooked through.

Pour-in stock and bring to boil.

Seasoning with oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar and pepper.

Pour-in cornstarch solution, bring to boil for 1-2 minutes.

Whisk-in egg to form fine streaks.

Drizzle-on sesame oil.

Remove gravy from heat and pour over tofu.

Sprinkle-on chopped green onion and serve immediately with rice.

Bah Kut Teh (Chinese Meat Herbal Soup)

Ingredients:

1 liter water
1 package (50 g) bah kut teh mixed herbs and spices (any brand of your choice)
200 g pork spareribs/chicken/beef, cut to bite size
Some lean meat
5 dried chinese mushroom, soaked and drained
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled
1 bulb garlic, peeled and crushed

2 slices dong kwai
1 tbsp chinese wolfberry fruits

2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar or to taste
1 ½ tsp salt or to taste

Optional Garnish:

needle mushroom
pork internal organ
chinese lettuce leaf (place on the surface of hot soup just right before serving)
chinese cabbage (place on the surface of hot soup just right before serving)
deep fried bean curd (add into hot soup just right before serving)
deep fried tofu (add into hot soup just right before serving)
chinese cruller (add into hot soup just right before serving)

Method:

In a pot, bring water to boil over high heat.

Add-in meat, 1 sachet of bah kut teh mixed herbs and spices, mushroom, eggs and garlic; bring to boil covered for at least 1 hour (if boil for longger period, may need additional water).

Remove meat and add-in dong kwai, chinese wolfberry fruits and another small sachet of mixed herbs and spices (if applicable).

Seasoning with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and salt.

Cook covered for another 10 minutes.

Return meat into the pot and cook for another shortwhile.

Dish-up and serve hot with rice or as it alone.

(Note: best serve on the next day by keeping it warm covered in slow cooker)

Viscous Tamarind Coconut Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

500 g chicken, cut to bite sizes

10 shallots/ 3 onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 stalk lemongrass, chopped (white part only)
1 knob (2 inches) ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp chili paste

1/4 tbsp toast belacan (toasted dried shrimp paste)
1 ½ cup thick tamarind squeeze (2 tbsp tamarind paste in 1 ½ cup water)
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp sugar or to taste
2 tsp salt or to taste

4 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

Blend together onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and chili paste to smooth paste; set aside.

Heat oil in wok or pot over medium high heat, saute the blended paste till fragrant (about 3 minutes).

Add-in belacan, and stir for another 1 minute.

Pour-in tamarind juice and bring to boil.

Add-in chicken, sugars and salt, cook covered till chicken is half cooked

Pour-in coconut milk, continue simmering till the gravy is half thicken and chicken cooked thoroughly.

Remove chicken from gravy, stir to further thicken the remaining gravy.

Bath chicken with thick gravy and bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C for short while or till chicken just roasted slightly with gravy.

Remove from oven and serve hot with steamed rice.

Chicken Rendang (Chicken in Thick Coconut Milk Curry)

Ingredients:

500 g - 1 kg chicken, cut to bite sizes

10 shallots/ 3 onions, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 stalk lemongrass, chopped (white part only)
1 knob ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp chili paste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder
few curry leaves
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp sugar or to taste
1 tsp white pepper or taste
4 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 cup toasted dessicated coconut/fresh shredded coconut

Method:

With blender, blend together onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and chili paste to smooth paste; set aside.

Heat oil in wok or pot over medium high heat, saute the blended paste till fragrant (about 5 minutes).

Add-in chicken and stir fry for another 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium. add-in turmeric powder, curry leaves and coconut milk, leave to simmer for about 35 minutes or till chicken is almost tender (add more coconut milk if necessary to remain the juicy of gravy).

Seasons with salt, sugar and pepper.

Stir-in dessicated coconut and continue simmer for another 10 minutes or till chicken is tender.

Dish-up and serve hot with steamed rice.

Kerabu Mangga (Nyonya's Style Mango Salad)

Ingredients:

1 large green mango, peeled and sliced into slim slivers
1 green apple, sliced into slim silvers
5 shallots, thinly sliced
2 bird's eye chili, thinly sliced
2 tbsp dried prawn, toasted

Dressing:

3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp plum sugar/white sugar (omit it if mango and apple are sweet)

Sprinkle:

3 tbsp toasted peanut, coarsely pounded

Method:

In a large bowl, mix together all the salad ingredients; set aside.

In a small bowl, mix well all the dressing ingredients; set aside.

Right before serving, pour the prepared dressing sauce over the salad mix, stir well to incorporate.

Sprinkle-on coarse peanut powder and serve cold or at room temperature.

Peanut Filled Tang Yuan (Kuih Ee) in Pengat (Penang Style Bubur Cha Cha)

Ingredients:

Tang Yuan Filling:

1/2 cup skinless peanut, toasted and coarsely grounded
1 ½ tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp icing sugar

Tang Yuan Dough:

1 ½ cup glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp rice flour
1/2 tbsp wheat starch
small dust of pink food coloring
3/4 cup hot boiling water

Pengat Dessert Soup:

1 small yam/taro (prefer purple color yam), cut to bite size
1 small sweet potato (prefer orange color sweet potato), cut to bite size
1 (400 mL) canned thick coconut milk diluted in 1 cup water or dilute coconut milk, freshly pressed from fresh coconut for the second time
1/2 cup thick coconut milk/cream (canned or freshly pressed from fresh coconut for the first time)
2 ripe banana, cut to 2 cm lengthwise
1 ½ tbsp sugar or to taste
1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Note: Pre-cooked black eye beans and tapioca starch jelly can be added.

Method:

To prepare the filled tang yuan:

In a bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients till clump together, divide into 13 portions and shape into small balls; set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup of glutinous flour, rice flour, wheat starch and food coloring.

Gradually, stir-in hot boiling water till sticky dough form.

Slowly, knead-in the remaining glutinous flour till smooth and elastic dough, divide into 13 portions and roll up to dough balls; set aside covered with wet kitchen towel.

Well flour hands with glutinous flour, flatten dough balls, place-in a portion of peanut filling, wrap up nicely and roll back to round shape, set filled rice balls aside covered.

Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat, drop in filled rice balls and cook till float (within a minute).

Drain well and immerse into ice cold water for about 3 minutes.

Drain well and set aside covered still serve.

Note: Traditionally tang yuan is serve in ginger syrup.

To prepare pengat:

Bring dilute coconut milk to boil over medium heat.

Add-in yam and sweet potato, and cook till just begin to soft (about 10 minutes).

Reduce heat to low, add-in thick coconut milk, banana, sugar and salt, cook till banana just begin to soft (about 5 minutes or less).

Remove from heat set aside to cool to room temperature.

Drop-in the prepared tang yuan and serve warm or cold.

Crispy Skin Fish in Spicy Soy Bean Paste Gravy

Ingredients:

1 fish, (I used trout with the weight of about 200 g)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp cornstarch
oil for deep-frying

Gravy:

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
5 tbsp preserved soy bean paste (tau cheo) or to taste
1 cup water dissolves with 1 tsp cornstarch

Sprinkles:

1 stalk spring onion, cut into slivers
1 fresh red chili, seeded and cut into slivers
1 tsp sesame oil

Method:

Clean fish, score both sides of the fish deeply (each about 3 cm apart), pat dry on kitchen towel; set aside.

In a bowl, mix together salt, pepper powder and garlic powder; set this seasoning mixture aside.

Rub fish well with the prepared seasoning mixture (externally, internally and inside the scores too), set aside to marinade for at least 30 minutes.

In a large plate, spread-on cornstarch, smear-on fish gently to coat both sides with flour.

Heat oil in wok or pan over medium high heat, deep-fry or shallow fry fish (about 3 minutes for each sides) till golden brown and crispy on outer skin.

Drained fish on paper towel.

Transfer fish onto a serving plate; set aside.

To prepare the gravy, heat oil in a pan over medium high heat, saute garlic till fragrant and starting to be golden brown.

Add-in chili powder and preserved soy bean paste, stir-fry for another 1 minutes or till aroma.

Pour-in water and bring to boil.

Reduce heat to low and let simmer to thicken the gravy.

Remove from heat and pour the gravy onto the fish.

Sprinkle-on spring onion, red chili and sesame oil.

Serve hot with rice.

Mee Goreng Mamak (Mamak's Style Fried Noodles)

Ingredients:

Fritters:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
65 mL water
1/2 tsp finely chopped green chili
1 onion, finely chopped
oil for deep-frying

Sauce:

1 onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp chili paste (blend from fresh red chili or commercial chili paste)
1/2 tsp toasted belacan powder (dried shrimp paste)
1 boiled sweet potato, peeled and mashed (yield 2/3 cup)
1 tbsp dark brown sugar
3 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/3 cup lime juice/lemon juice/tamarind juice (juice of 2 tbsp tamarind paste in 50 mL water)
1 cup roasted peanut, pounded
2 tsp salt or to taste
1 ½ cups water
4 tbsp oil

Noodles Stir-Fry:

350 g yellow noodles
3 potatoes, peeled, boiled and coarsely sliced
homemade fritters' slices
1 egg
3 tbsp oil
1 lime, cut into wedges

Other Garnish Option:

bean sprouts
shrimps with tail's shell on
lean chicken/meat slices
deep fried firm beancurd, cut into small squares
fresh red chili's slices for sprinkling
crisp deep fried shallot for sprinkling

Method:

To Prepare Fritters:

In a large bowl, mix-in flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Gradually, pour-in water and knead till smooth dough forms; set aside to rest for at least 1 hour.

Add-in chili and onion.

With floured hands, knead well to mix, shape dough into smooth log (about 3 cm in diameter).

Heat enough oil in wok or pot, deep-fry fritters till golden brown and fragrant.

Drain well on paper towels, set aside to cool and cut into slices with 1 cm thick; set aside till use.

To Prepare Seasoning Sauce:

With a blender, blend-together onion, garlic, chili paste and belacan; set aside.

Heat 4 tbsp oil in wok or pan over medium high heat, saute blended mixture till aroma.

Add-in the remaining ingredients and bring to boil.

Reduce heat and simmer to thicken the sauce.

Remove from heat and set aside.

To Stir-Fry Noodles:

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok or pot over high heat.

Add-in meat slices and/or shrimps (if applicable), stir-fry for 1 minute or till almost cooked.

Add-in noodles and seasoning sauce, stir-fry to well-mix the ingredients and spread out the sauce evenly (meantime, adjust the taste accordingly with lime juice, chili paste and salt if desired).

Add-in potatoes, fritters or any other garnish, stir fry for another 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium.

Scrape noodles to side, pour egg into middle, stir quickly to scramble the egg, cover egg with noodles and leave for short while (about 1 minute).

Stir-fry for another short while to incorporate all ingredients and dish-up.

Sprinkle-on chili's slices and deep fried shallot if desired.

Best serve immediately with additional juice of lime's wedges.

Oven Baked Kuih Kapit (Love Letters)

Thanks Erin for the beautiful season's greetings card all the way from Malaysia...Happy Birthday & Happy Chinese New Year !!!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup egg (from 1 egg)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup thick coconut milk
1/8 cup water
1/3 cup rice flour
1/4 tsp tapioca flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 °C.

Grease a rough surface non-stick tart or cake pan with butter and preheat it in the oven.

In a large bowl, whisk egg with sugar till sugar dissolves.

Pour-in coconut milk and water, stir to incorporate well.

Add-in flours and whisk to smooth batter.

Remove pan from oven.

Spread 1 tbsp of batter onto the heated pan circularly (about 8 cm in diameter) and allow batter to spread out thin by it own for short while.

Return pan to oven and bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden in color.

Remove from oven, immediately remove thin kuih from hot pan, start from all edges, fold straight into a quarter, press lightly with a light object to level the surface while cooling till set.

Allow to cool completely before storing into an airtight container.

Yields 23 kuih kapit.