Cooking with Marina Mustafa

Crispy Tapioca Shoots

2012-04-18T19:09:00.004+08:00

Most kids love munching on potato chips....My kids love munching all day on this Negeri Sembilan dish of Pucuk Ubi Goreng. I am so glad I got this fantastic recipe from Din's Mak Lang! I'm pretty sure this huge bottle I made of it won't last very long...

Crispy Tapioca Shoots Recipe

New England Clam Chowder

2012-04-18T18:37:00.005+08:00

The moment my sister Mariam placed the hot Clam Chowder she just made on the dining table, all attention was on the most delicious New England Clam Chowder I've had in a long time. Considering she was studying near the San Francisco region before, it could be the San Francisco Clam Chowder?? Well, whatever it is.....it was GOOD!!

Ingredients:~

1 1/2 tbsp of butter
1 cup of finely chopped onions
3 tbsp flour
1 cup of water
2 medium-sized potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 cup clams, cleaned & diced (Steam for 10 mins if using fresh clams)

~Method~

Melt butter in a pan.
Sautee' the onions till limp and transparent.
Put in the flour & stir till combined.
Pour in the water gradually, then put in the cubed potatoes.
Season with salt & pepper.
Cook covered on medium fire for 15 minutes or till potatoes are done.
Reduce the heat and pour in the milk & cream.
Lastly, put in the clams and cook for a further 5 minutes.
Do not allow the Clam Chowder to boil. Just allow it to heat through.
Serve with bread, or better still, crackers!

Sweet Potatoes Hash Brown

2012-02-27T09:24:00.002+08:00

Everyone felt like having Hash Browns & I didn't realize we ran out of potatoes. So, I used the next best available ingredient....sweet potatoes! A choice I didn't regret.... the result was a super crunchy & super yummy Sweet Potato Hash Browns!!

Ingredients:~

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled & grated
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter

~Method~

In a large bowl, mix together the grated sweet potatoes, salt & pepper.
Heat the oil & butter in a non-stick pan on medium flame.
Place a handful of sweet potatoes in the pan and press the sweet potato down to form a pancake.
After about 5-6 minutes, flip it over to brown the other side of the hash brown.
Remove from the pan & serve immediately.

Rolled Steak

2012-02-27T08:39:00.004+08:00

We've been having such a hectic week! So I thought, Din would be really happy to come home to his love of Rolled Steak & greens.....and he was :-) Even my kids were trying to attack each others plates! I can only shake my head at their lack of table manners!

Ingredients:~

1 piece of flank steak (part between the hips & ribs)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
cotton string for tying
2 tsp butter
1 tbsp oil

Ingredients for black pepper sauce:~

drippings from the beef
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp of flour
2 tbsp coarsely chopped black peppercorns
1/2 cup of beef broth
2 tbsp cream
a pinch of salt

~Method~

Smother the steak with salt & pepper.
Roll it up and tie it with a cotton string.
Alternately, you could buy the ready-tied ones sold at supermarkets.
Heat the oil & butter in an ovenproof pan.
Place the rolled steak on the pan over medium high heat.
Brown for 3-4 minutes on all sides of the steak.
Place the pan into a preheated 200ºC oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes.
Place the steak on a chopping board and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Discard the cotton string and cut the steak in 1/2 inch slices.

~To make the black pepper sauce~

Put the pan with the beef drippings back on the stove over low fire.
Sautee the onions till soft.
Put in the flour and stir. Add the pepper.
The pour beef stock very gently over the pan and stir vigorously until the gravy is smooth & shiny.
Pour in 2 tbsp of cream and a pinch of salt.
Simmer until sauce thickens for about 5 minutes..
Serve over the rolled steak.

Tofu Omelette

2012-02-27T08:03:00.004+08:00

We had Tofu Omelette at a restaurant recently and really enjoyed it. I did something similar for my family and the good thing about making it at home is that I can improvise it to suit everyone! Smaller-sized tofu, add onions, more pepper...etc. Everyone's happy!

Ingredients:~

3 eggs
1 tbsp milk
2 tbsp of oil
1 block of tofu (any type can be used, I use the hard tofu but the cylinder ones are also lovely), cut into cubes.
1 onion, sliced into rings
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

~Method~

Beat the eggs in a clean dry bowl.
Put in some salt & pepper.
Pour in the milk and set aside.
Put the oil in a small non-stick pan with high sides.
Sautee' the onion briefly.
Then pour in half the eggs and stir.
When the eggs are half-set, put the tofu over the eggs.
Pour in the balance of the eggs and reduce the heat.
After about 2 minutes or when it had browned on the bottom side, flip the omelette over and cook another 2 minute.
Serve immediately.

Ikan Bilis masak Asam

2012-02-22T20:56:00.003+08:00

Mum loves to share stories about her childhood with us. Today, she was describing this Ikan Bilis Masak Asam which her father loved to eat. After recreating my grandfather's favourite dish, it looks like it's already my kids latest favourite dish! Three rounds and still going! Luckily I hid some for my husband!

Ingredients:~

2 cups of anchovies, deep fried till crispy
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 large onion, sliced
2 garlic, sliced thinly
4 green chillies, sliced
8 bird's eye chillies, sliced
2 tsp tamarind paste mixed with 1/2 cup of water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

~Method~

Heat oil in a pan.
Sautee' the onions, garlic & both chillies for about a minute over medium heat.
Pour in the tamarind juice.
Flavour with salt & sugar.
Put in the deep-fried anchovies and toss quickly.
Serve & consume immediately with hot white rice.

Corned Beef Hash

2012-01-29T16:16:00.004+08:00

Ever since I saw my sister's sister-in-law post that she had Corned Beef Hash for breakfast, I couldn't stop pining for it. Finally today, I made it for my family's Sunday Breakfast. My craving quickly turned into contentment!

Ingredients:~

2 tbsp cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled, cubed & boiled till just cooked
1/2 cup of corned beef
1 tsp coarse black pepper

~Method~

Heat the oil in a pan.
Sautee the onions until translucent.
Put in the potatoes and stir well on high flame to give the potato a good crisp.
Reduce the flame to medium high and put in the corned beef.
Toss everything around nicely.
Sprinkle the black pepper over the Corned Beef Hash.
Serve immediately on wholemeal bread!

Buttermilk Prawns

2011-12-10T20:52:00.005+08:00

My teenage daughter vowed that after her exams were over, she'll be baking everyday. Because she always preferred baking over cooking dishes, her declaration did not surprise us. We were very surprised though, to be greeted by a really really delicious Buttermilk Prawns for dinner which Izarra made. I am so grateful my daughter likes cooking :-)

Ingredients:~

250gms prawns, peeled & cleaned
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 heaped tbsp cornflour
1 cup of oil, for frying

Buttermilk Sauce:~

4 tbsp butter
3 birds' eye chillies, sliced
2 stalks of curry leaves
1 flat tbsp sugar
3/4 cup of evaporated milk

~Method~

Heat oil in a pan
Marinade prawns with salt & pepper.
Coat the prawns evenly with the cornflour & remove excess flour.
Fry the prawns in the hot oil & cook for 1 minute on each side.
Place the prawns in the Buttermilk Sauce & serve.

~Method for Buttermilk Sauce~

Melt butter in a pan.
Sautee the bird's eye chillies & curry leaves till fragrant.
Pour in the milk & simmer gently.
Flavour with sugar.
Cook for a further 3 minutes on very low fire until gravy thickens a little.
Place fried prawns into the gravy.
Serve with hot rice!

Liver in Thick Soya Sauce

2011-12-02T18:18:00.003+08:00

I was faced with a large piece of liver from the Hari Raya Haji and spent quite some minutes trying to figure out how to cook it so my kids would appreciate eating it. So, I boiled, sliced, pan-fried and cooked it in soy sauce & some spices for lunch. I'm not sure if my kids will enjoy it, but I must say it tastes surprisingly good and I know Din would! :-)

Ingredients:~

250 gms beef liver, boiled for 20 minutes, then sliced and deep fried
1/4 cup of cooking oil
1 bulb of medium sized onion, blended
3 cloves of garlic, blended
1/2 inch of ginger, blended
1 stick of cinnamon
1 star anise
4 cloves
4 cardamom
1/2 cup of thick sweet soya sauce
1 tbsp tamarind juice
1 tbsp of tomato puree
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp black pepper, ground
2 tsp salt
1 medium-sized onion cut into thick rings

~Method~

Heat the oil in a pan.
Put in the cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom & cloves.
Quickly sautee' the blended onion, garlic & ginger until fragrant.
Place the liver into the pan & cook it briefly with the sauteed ingredients & spices.
Pour in the soya sauce, tomato sauce & tamarind juice.
Flavour with salt, pepper & sugar.
Simmer all the ingredients for about 8 minutes until the flavours are absorbed & gravy thickens.
Sprinkle with whole black peppercorns if desired.
Serve with hot rice.

Tuna & Celery Sandwich

2011-12-02T17:55:00.003+08:00

I have always loved sandwiches, especially when some exotic bread is being used to hold the filling. So, it was really nice to have made this Tuna & Mushroom mayonnaise mix, filled in between two slices of Sunflower Rye bread. Really...really....nice!

Ingredients:~

2 slices of Sunflower Rye bread
3 pieces of salad
4 thin slices of tomatoes
2 tbsp tuna flakes
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp of chopped celery
1 tsp of chopped onions
1/2 tsp of coarsely chopped black pepper
butter for spreading

~Method~

To make the filling, mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, chopped celery, chopped onions & black pepper till well combined in a bowl.
Spread the butter on one side of the bread.
Place salad pieces over the buttered side of the bread.
Top with thinly sliced tomatoes.
Evenly spread the tuna filling over the top of the tomatoes.
Close the filling with the buttered side of the other slice of the bread.
Enjoy immediately!

Chocolate Cup Cakes

2011-12-02T17:05:00.006+08:00

After a Kids Can Cook class with an enthusiastic group of children, two of the kids & a mum posted these messages on my page.......

Mohd Ikram wrote "Thanks auntie for teaching us how 2 cook lasagne n cup cakes. We enjoyed it. Tq too for kakak Irra n abang. Best....Next time we all join lagi."

Afiqah Anwar wrote "Your class today was awesome!"

and mum Normala Hafiz wrote "Marina, my daughter & niece really enjoyed the class."

Those words of appreciation makes me holding the classes worth every bit the effort.

Ingredients:~

3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup buttermilk

Method:~

Sieve all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter & sugar till fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well in between each egg.
Add the vanilla essence.
Add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Pour into the cupcake liners.
Bake in a preheated 180ºC oven for 15 minutes.
When cool, ice with frosting & decorate as desired.

Frosting

Ingredients:~

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp milk

Method:~

Sieve the icing sugar & cocoa powder together.
Add the icing sugar gradually, alternating with milk until it has a smooth consistency.
Spread on top of the cooled cupcakes.

Shaped Gultinous Rice topped with Prawn Sambal Serunding

2011-11-04T21:04:00.006+08:00

I really love re-living memories of food, especially for mum. Pulut Tekan sprinkled with Sambal Serunding Udang was a breakfast typically enjoyed by my gentle & loving arwah Tok Bak... Very very nice indeed and so easy to make :-)

Ingredients for glutinous rice:~

1 cup glutinous rice, soaked for 20 minutes & drain
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup of thick coconut milk

Ingredients for Prawn Sambal Serunding:~

3 tbsp oil
8 shallots, sliced finely
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch turmeric root, skinned & pounded till fine
4 red chillies, seeded & pounded finely
1/2 cup dried prawns, soaked in hot water till it swells & pound
2 cups grated coconut
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

~Method for glutinous rice~

Steam glutinous rice for about 15 minutes in a steamer.
Remove from steamer and place in a large clean bowl.
Sprinkle with salt.
Pour the warm coconut milk over the steamed rice & mix evenly.
Shape it into compact circular discs or any desired shape while it is still hot.
Put it aside to cool & set.

~Method for Prawn Sambal Serunding~

In a medium-sized pan, heat oil. Sautee' the onions, garlic & turmeric root.
When limp, put in the pounded prawns. Cook till fragrant.
Add in the grated coconut & stir till well combined.
Flavor with salt & sugar.
Continue cooking until desired dryness is achieved.
Sprinkle over or coat the shaped glutinous rice with Prawn Sambal Serunding.

Nasi Dhal Ayah

2011-10-15T13:44:00.005+08:00

My father loves Fridays! He always insisted everyone to be home for our Friday long lunches before prayers. This day every week, we are treated with every variety of rice dishes you could imagine! Nasi Bokhari, Nasi Tomato, Nasi Minyak,Nasi Beriani Gam and the list goes on. Nasi Dhal is one of the rice dishes that we have and apart from Beriani Gam, it is my favourite rice dish!

Ingredients:~

3 cups Basmathi rice
3 ½ cups water
1 cup of water blended with 2 inches of ginger
1 ½ tsp salt
½ cup dhal beans, soaked for an hour
1 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 pieces screwpine leaves, tied into a knot
5 cloves
5 cardamoms
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
½ onion, sliced finely
5 garlic, sliced
½ cup evaporated milk, mixed with 1 tbsp lime juice

~Method~

Wash the rice and drain. Put it in the rice cooker with the dhal, water, ginger juice and salt.
In a small pan, heat the oil and ghee. Fry the screwpine leaves, then the spices. Put the onions and garlic in the oil and sautee.
When the onion softens, pour the oil mixture onto the rice in the rice cooker. Stir briefly to mix the flavors in.
Start the rice cooker.
When the rice cooks, pour the milk evenly on top of the rice.
Let it rest a while. Eat after it rests for 10 minutes.

Acar Timun

2011-10-14T07:45:00.002+08:00

Din & my kids really love their salads & vegetables. I knew this Acar Timun was going to be a hit when I made it along with Nasi Dhal & Kormak Kambing.....Din had 3 full servings until he...quote "felt like bursting"...unquote. Not sure if that was a good thing!

Ingredients:~

1 cucumber, washed & cubed. Soak for 5 minutes in ice water & drained
1 ripe large tomato, cubed
1 large red onion, skin peeled & diced
1 red chillies, deseeded & sliced
1 greed chilles, deseeded & sliced
5 birds' eye chillies, chopped
2 stalks of cilantro, chopped
2 handful of mint leaves, chopped
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 heaped tsp sugar

~Method~

Place all the ingredients into a large bowl.
Toss everything around for a good minute.
Serve immediately in a salad bowl.

Hazizah Baba's Javanese-Style Chicken Simmered in Soy Sauce

2011-09-13T19:01:00.003+08:00

Over a year ago, a lovely lady Hazizah Baba, shared this recipe with me, which belongs to her mother-in-law. Today, I finally tried cooking this and it turned out absolutely beautiful. My only regret is not having cooked it earlier.....

Ingredients:~

8 pieces chicken, marinated with salt & turmeric, then fried till half cooked
4 tbsp cooking oil
2 large red onions, sliced
6 garlic, sliced
1 inch ginger, julienne
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cup of the cream of coconut milk
1/2 cup thick, sweet soy sauce
1/4 cup tamarind juice
2 potatoes, cut into wedges, sprinkled with a pinch of salt & deep-fried till golden brown

For garnishing:~

1 red chilli, cut lengthwise
1 green chilli, cut lengthwise
1 handful, deep-fried crispy shallots

~Method~

In a pot, heat the oil on medium flame.
Sautee' the onion, garlic & ginger. Sprinkle the cinnamon powder over.
Put in the semi-fried chicken. Toss the chicken around to combine the flavours.
Pour in the soy sauce & the tamarind juice.
When the gravy begins to boil, pour in the cream of the coconut milk. Mix well.
Put in the red & green chillies.
The potato wedges go in next.
Allow to simmer briefly.
When serving, sprinkle with crispy-fried shallots.
Perfect with white rice. Also wonderful with compressed rice/ketupat! Yummy!

Crispy-fried Anchovies topped with Sauteed Green Chillies

2011-09-13T12:16:00.006+08:00

The adults in my home...... especially mum, simply loves Crispy-fried Ikan Bilis topped with Sauteed Green Chillies! So, quoting Din, having this with Asam Pedas for breaking fast, made this the best meal ever!

Ingredients:~

2 cups of anchovies, deep-fried till crispy
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients to be pounded coarsely:~

1 large onion
10 shallots
6 large green chillies
10 green bird's eye chillies

~Method~

Deep-fry the anchovies, drain & place on a serving dish.
Heat the oil in a wok.
Sautee' all the pounded ingredients with the hot oil for about 2 minutes or until the onions become transparent & chillies slightly limp.
Sprinke with the salt.
Toss everything around evenly.
Place the cooled sauteed ingredients over the crispy anchovies.
Perfect eaten with hot rice!
Once the anchovies is topped with the onions & chillies, it won't keep crispy for long, so consume quickly!

Mummy's Perfect Kuey Teow Mushroom Soup

2011-09-12T23:09:00.000+08:00

Months ago, I mentioned to mum how much a friend loved her Mushroom Soup. The morning this friend planned to come by for Raya, I went to the kitchen to begin cooking for my guests at 7am in the morning....to be greeted by a huge pot of Mushroom Soup....all ready cooked by my mother. Mums will always be Mums...They come with a huge beautiful heart. ♥

Ingredients:~

3 tbsp of vegetable oil
6 cups of vegetable stock (preferably home-made)
6 garlic, chopped
2 inches of ginger, chopped
1/2 cup each of 6 different varieties of mushrooms (choose from either shiitake mushroon, button mushroom, oyster mushroom, enoki mushrooms, porcini mushroom, snow fungus, chinese black mushroom, straw mushroom, wood ear fungi)
8 cherry tomatoes
10 fishball (optional)
2 fishcake, sliced (optional)
2 tsp crushed black pepper
2 tsp salt

Method:~
1. Heat oil in a large pot.
2. Sautee the ginger & garlic briefly.
3. Pour in the stock & allow to boil on low fire.
4. As the stock begins to boil, put in all the different varieties of mushrooms.
5. Flavour with salt & pepper.
6. Put in the fishball & fishcake.
7. Turn off the heat & put in the cherry tomatoes.
8. Can be served with kuey teow, mee hoon or yellow noodles.

Kambing Masak Merah Pakistan ~ Makcik Gah

2011-08-07T00:10:00.007+08:00

The recipe of Kambing Masak Merah Pakistan that Makcik Gah taught me turned out marvellous. However, I knew straight away that it couldn't possibly be the same as the one cooked with Makcik Gah's own hands... :-(

Ingredients to blend:~

15 red shallots
6 garlic
1 inch ginger

Mixed Spices (Rempah Campak):~

1 tsp fennel
1 tsp cumin
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom
2 star anise
6 cloves

Other Ingredients:~

1/4 cup oil
2 kgs lamb, cubed
1 large onion, sliced
1 tbsp ground almond
3 tbsp cili powder
3 cups beef stock
1 carrot, julienne
2 potatoes, cubed
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 large tomato, cut into 6 wedges
1 1/2 tsp salt

Condiments:~

1 stalk spring onions
1 stalk chinese celery
1/2 cup green peas
1 tbsp crispy fried onions

~Method~

Heat oil in a pan.
Sautee' the sliced onions until it becomes translucent.
Put in the mixed spices (rempah campak) till it is fragrant.
Put in the lamb & coat it with the sauteed ingredients.
Put in the blended ingredients. Sautee for a further 2 minutes.
Add the ground almonds & ground chilli powder.
Pour in the lamb stock.
When it begins to boil, put in the carrots and potatoes.
As soon as the carrots & potatoes become tender, put in the tomato puree & cubed tomatoes.
Mix well and allow the gravy to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the gravy slightly thickens.
When serving, sprinkle with spring onions, chinese celery, green peas & crispy fried onions.

Cheese-Filled Baked Potatoes

2011-07-26T20:33:00.006+08:00

I really enjoy cooking & eating this simple Cheese-stuffed Baked Potatoes for brunch....Simple, light & easy!!

Cheese-Stuffed Potatoes

Ingredients:~

. 2 large potatoes, washed
· 2 tbsp grated cheese
· 2 tbsp sour cream
· 1 tbsp butter
· 1 tbsp chopped onions
· ½ tsp chopped garlic
· 1 pinch of salt
· 1 pinch of pepper

~Method~

1. Boil the potatoes with skin on for 20 minutes until almost done.

2. Split the potatoes lengthwise in half.

3. Carefully scrape the insides of the potatoes into a large bowl while saving the skin

4. Add the cheese, sour cream, butter, onion, garlic into the bowl of scraped potatoes.

5. Stuff the mixture back into the potato skins.

6. Place the potatoes back into the oven.

7. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Oreo Cupcakes

2011-07-07T21:23:00.006+08:00

I had such fun teaching how to make this Oreo Cupcakes to the kids in my 'Kids Can Cook' class. Super easy......super yummy!

Ingredients:~

· 1/2 cup flour

· 2 tbsp cocoa powder

· ½ tsp baking powder

· 1 pinch baking soda

· 1 pinch salt

· 1/3 cup butter

· ½ cup brown sugar

· 1 pinch salt

· 1 egg

· 1/3 cup of milk

· ½ tsp vanilla essence

· 6 Oreo cookies

~Method for Oreo Cupcakes~

1. Sieve all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

2. In another bowl, beat the butter until it is fluffy.

3. Add in the sugar. Beat further.

4. Put in the egg and vanilla essence. Mix well.

5. Put in the dry ingredients, alternately with the milk in three batches.

6. Place papercups in the baking tins.

7. Put one Oreo cookie at the base of the papercup.

8. Pour in the cake batter over the cookie till ¾ full.

9. Continue to fill up all the papercups until all the batter is finished.

10. Cook in a preheated 180ºC oven for about 15-20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack.

Oreo Icing

Ingredients:~

· ½ cup whipping cream

· ½ tbsp icing sugar

· ½ tsp vanilla essence

· 2 tbsp Oreo crumbs

~Method for Oreo Icing~

1. Cream the whipping cream, icing sugar & vanilla essence.

2. Fold in the Oreo cookie crumbs.

3. Ice the cupcakes & top with Oreo Cookie

Kuih Kosui Makcik Gah

2011-07-04T00:20:00.005+08:00

I try to always be grateful for something everyday. Today, I am grateful for the gorgeous Lompang cups that Nura gave me, which I used when making this Kuih Kosui. I am also grateful for the delicious & super tasty recipe Awa & Naj's mum shared with me. Din I noticed, is so grateful that his tummy is happy!!

~Ingredients~

1 cup palm sugar, chopped
1 cup coarse white sugar
2 pandan leaves
8 cups of water
3 cups of plain flour
2 cups of sago flour
1/2 tsp kapur(lime) mixed with 1 cup of water
1 coconut, grated only for the white, steamed for 5 minutes & sprinkled with 1/2 tsp salt

~Method~

Put the palm sugar, coarse white sugar, pandan leaves & 4 cups of water in a pot.
Boil both the sugars until it has dissolved.
Remove from the flame and allow to cool to room temperature.
In a large basin, put in the plain flour, sago flour & 4 cups of water.
Beat all the ingredients until well combined. Alternately, all the ingredients could be mixed in a blender.
Pour the lime water(air kapur) into the batter.
Mix in the prepared sugar syrup.
Heat the steamer.
When it boils, place the kosui cups or tray into the steamer & steam for about 2 minutes.
Remove the lid & quickly pour the Kosui batter into the cups/tray till it almost reaches the brim.
Close the lid and steam for 20 minutes.
When done, remove from the steamer and arrange on a tray to cool.
When the Kosui is totally cool, remove from the cups and serve on a dish.
Sprinkle with grated coconut when serving.

Soft Boiled Eggs on toast

2011-07-03T23:51:00.008+08:00

Like Din & my kids, I enjoy eggs cooked in any style for breakfast. The soft boiled eggs I had in Ipoh was totally awesome. Din was sooooo envious when I sent the photos to him!! Looks like we'll be heading to Ipoh for our next holiday destination! Haaahaaa!

~Ingredients~

2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
1 slice of Hainan bread

~Method~

Heat some water & salt in a small pot.
As the water boils, put an egg into the pot very gently using a spoon.
Put in the second egg.
Boil the eggs for 3-4 minutes.
In the meantime, toast a piece of bread.
Once the toast is ready, quickly spread the butter evenly over the toast.
Break the shell of the eggs and place the soft boiled eggs over the toast.
Serve while hot. Perfect eaten with soy sauce.

Lopes Mak Cik Gah

2011-06-30T09:40:00.013+08:00

I felt like a little girl who got a whole bunch of balloons when Makcik Gah stayed for a whole day to teach me 'warisan' dishes. I really loved cooking this Lopes with her from scratch. I guarantee it tastes heaps nicer that the bought ones. Mum said, "A person of Makcik Gah's knowledge of the true traditional authentic food are rare & few. Treasure her."...and I did. I appreciated every second I spent with her & everything she shared with me. I pray for her good health & long life...

~Ingredients~

1/2 kg glutinous rice, washed
2 cups of water
1 tsp air chang/air abu...... I'm not sure why it's called air (as in water) when it actually is clups of powder)
35 pieces of banana leaves cut into 5"x10" rectangle sizes, wilted briefly over flame
7 rafia strings cut into 2'5" lengths

~Method~

Pour the water over the glutinous rice.
Sprinkle with air chang evenly over the rice.
Mix it in well until the air chang dilutes.
Put the rice aside & allow it to rest for about 1 5 minutes or until the rice bloats a little & turns slightly yellowish due to the air chang mixture.
Pour the rice in a pot & heat it on medium fire.
Cook & keep stirring for about 10-12 minutes until all the liquid evaporates. The rice should still have the crunch, when eaten at this stage.
Transfer it in a bowl.
Roll the banana leaf into a cone, shiny side out .
Fill it in with 2 heaped tablespoons of rice. Press tightly until the rice is snug.
Flatten the cone to now look like a triangle.
Flap the final opened side over, to complete the triangle & seal in the rice.
Arrange the filled triangle in stacks of three, with all the corners not in alignment.
Tie the stack of three triangles with one rafia string at each corner of the triangle.
This will keep the triangles tightly together when boiling it.
When all the triangles have been tied up into 7 batches, place it in boiling water.
Make sure the Lopes are submerged below the boiling water. Cover the lid.
Boil on medium heat for an hour.
Remove the Lopes form the water and place in onto a strainer. Allow it to cool.
When ready to consume, peel off the banana leaf, coat the Lopes with Grated Coconut & drizzle generously with Palm Syrup.
Oh!!! Yummy! I'm desiring it right now!

Ingredients for Palm Sugar Syrup:~

1 cup chopped palm sugar
1/2 c coarse sugar
2 cups of water
2 pandan leaves, knotted
1 tsp sago flour diluted in 1/4 water

~Method~

Put the palm sugar, coarse sugar, water & pandan leaves in a pot.
Boil on medium heat.
After about 10 minutes, pour the sago mixture gradually over the palm sugar syrup.
When it thickens, put aside until ready to serve with the Lopes.

Ingredients for Grated Coconut:~

1 whole grated coconut (white only)
1 tsp salt

~Method~

Steam the grated coconut over boiling water for about 8 minutes.
Remove from steamer & immediately sprinkle with salt.
Toss it around until the salt combines.
Sprinkle over the lopes when ready to eat.

Gulai Ayam

2011-05-17T22:11:00.005+08:00

Whenever I cook Gulai Ayam, it is always a hit. So today, I cooked more than I normally do....and it still disappeared quickly! With all my kids being slim, I'm wondering, where did it all go???

Ingredients:~

8 pieces of chicken
1/4 cup oil
1 tbsp tamarind diluted in 1 cup of water
1 cup of coconut milk
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp palm sugar

Ingredients to blend:~

2 large red onions
4 cloves of garlic
1 inch of ginger
1/2 cup of chilli paste
1 inch turmeric root
3 lemongrass
2 inches of lengkuas

~Method~

Heat oil in a pan.
Sautee' the blended ingredients until fragrant & oil separates.
Put in the chicken pieces. Coat the chicken with the blended ingredients & mix well.
Pour in the tamarind juice and allow to simmer.
Season with salt & palm sugar.
Put in the coconut milk. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Serve with white rice.

Lempeng Ubi Kayu (Tapioca Pancakes)

2011-05-14T16:47:00.005+08:00

On cool, cloudy windy days, Pasar Tani is my weekly shopping heaven! Looking at the freshly dug up tapioca, has made my head swirl, with some 100 tapioca dishes I could possibly cook! This Lempeng Ubi Kayu & Sambal Tumis is the first I'm serving for today....

Lempeng Ubi Kayu Recipe

Cooking with Marina Mustafa

Crispy Tapioca Shoots

New England Clam Chowder

Sweet Potatoes Hash Brown

Everyone felt like having Hash Browns & I didn't realize we ran out of potatoes. So, I used the next best available ingredient....sweet potatoes! A choice I didn't regret.... the result was a super crunchy & super yummy Sweet Potato Hash Browns!!

Rolled Steak

We've been having such a hectic week! So I thought, Din would be really happy to come home to his love of Rolled Steak & greens.....and he was :-) Even my kids were trying to attack each others plates! I can only shake my head at their lack of table manners!

Tofu Omelette

We had Tofu Omelette at a restaurant recently and really enjoyed it. I did something similar for my family and the good thing about making it at home is that I can improvise it to suit everyone! Smaller-sized tofu, add onions, more pepper...etc. Everyone's happy!

Ikan Bilis masak Asam

Corned Beef Hash

Ever since I saw my sister's sister-in-law post that she had Corned Beef Hash for breakfast, I couldn't stop pining for it. Finally today, I made it for my family's Sunday Breakfast. My craving quickly turned into contentment!

Buttermilk Prawns

Liver in Thick Soya Sauce

Tuna & Celery Sandwich

I have always loved sandwiches, especially when some exotic bread is being used to hold the filling. So, it was really nice to have made this Tuna & Mushroom mayonnaise mix, filled in between two slices of Sunflower Rye bread. Really...really....nice!

Chocolate Cup Cakes

Shaped Gultinous Rice topped with Prawn Sambal Serunding

I really love re-living memories of food, especially for mum. Pulut Tekan sprinkled with Sambal Serunding Udang was a breakfast typically enjoyed by my gentle & loving arwah Tok Bak... Very very nice indeed and so easy to make :-)

Nasi Dhal Ayah

Acar Timun

Din & my kids really love their salads & vegetables. I knew this Acar Timun was going to be a hit when I made it along with Nasi Dhal & Kormak Kambing.....Din had 3 full servings until he...quote "felt like bursting"...unquote. Not sure if that was a good thing!

Hazizah Baba's Javanese-Style Chicken Simmered in Soy Sauce

Crispy-fried Anchovies topped with Sauteed Green Chillies

The adults in my home...... especially mum, simply loves Crispy-fried Ikan Bilis topped with Sauteed Green Chillies! So, quoting Din, having this with Asam Pedas for breaking fast, made this the best meal ever!

Mummy's Perfect Kuey Teow Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:~

3 tbsp of vegetable oil

6 cups of vegetable stock (preferably home-made)

6 garlic, chopped

2 inches of ginger, chopped

1/2 cup each of 6 different varieties of mushrooms (choose from either shiitake mushroon, button mushroom, oyster mushroom, enoki mushrooms, porcini mushroom, snow fungus, chinese black mushroom, straw mushroom, wood ear fungi)

8 cherry tomatoes

10 fishball (optional)

2 fishcake, sliced (optional)

2 tsp crushed black pepper

2 tsp salt

Method:~

Heat oil in a large pot.

Sautee the ginger & garlic briefly.

Pour in the stock & allow to boil on low fire.

As the stock begins to boil, put in all the different varieties of mushrooms.

Flavour with salt & pepper.

Put in the fishball & fishcake.

Turn off the heat & put in the cherry tomatoes.

Can be served with kuey teow, mee hoon or yellow noodles.

Kambing Masak Merah Pakistan ~ Makcik Gah

The recipe of Kambing Masak Merah Pakistan that Makcik Gah taught me turned out marvellous. However, I knew straight away that it couldn't possibly be the same as the one cooked with Makcik Gah's own hands... :-(

Cheese-Filled Baked Potatoes

I really enjoy cooking & eating this simple Cheese-stuffed Baked Potatoes for brunch....Simple, light & easy!!

Oreo Cupcakes

Kuih Kosui Makcik Gah

Soft Boiled Eggs on toast

Like Din & my kids, I enjoy eggs cooked in any style for breakfast. The soft boiled eggs I had in Ipoh was totally awesome. Din was sooooo envious when I sent the photos to him!! Looks like we'll be heading to Ipoh for our next holiday destination! Haaahaaa!

Lopes Mak Cik Gah

Gulai Ayam

Whenever I cook Gulai Ayam, it is always a hit. So today, I cooked more than I normally do....and it still disappeared quickly! With all my kids being slim, I'm wondering, where did it all go???

Lempeng Ubi Kayu (Tapioca Pancakes)

On cool, cloudy windy days, Pasar Tani is my weekly shopping heaven! Looking at the freshly dug up tapioca, has made my head swirl, with some 100 tapioca dishes I could possibly cook! This Lempeng Ubi Kayu & Sambal Tumis is the first I'm serving for today....