Mee Siam

Mee Siam

Some of you may be more familiar with the Nyonya version and others might prefer the Malay style Mee Siam. I can't place my Mee Siam in neither category because it's not the wet version like the Nyonya nor is it as spicy as the Malay one. So I'll just call it Mum's Mee Siam!

Mee Siam Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pack of Rice Vermicelli (500gm)
2 tbsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked and chopped coarsely
100gm small prawns, remove shells
1 piece of firm tofu
3 eggs
Chives
Beansprouts
Chinese celery

Seasoning:
3 tbsp minced salted bean paste (tau cheong)
4-5 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp chilli boh / blended chilli paste
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Soak rice vermicelli in water until soft, then drain and set aside
2. Beat the eggs and make a few thin omelettes in a small non stick pan. Let it cool down before cutting the omelettes into 0.5cm wide strips. Set aside.
3. Cut the tofu into long strips and pan fry in non stick pan until slightly brown and firm to handle. Set aside.
4. Cut the chives and chinese celery 1 inch long. You can put as much greens as you like. 
5. Now you are ready to fry your mee siam. First heat up 2 tbsp of cooking oil in wok. 
6. Stirfry garlic mince and dried shrimps. Then add the salted bean paste & chili paste, fry until fragrant. Gradually add the prawns, chinese celery, chives and beansprouts, in this order.
7. Next place the rice vermicelli into the wok and mix it with the other ingredients. Keep stirring while cooking the rice vermicelli. Add tomato sauce and continue to stirfry for another 6-8 minutes.
8. Do a taste test at this point. Your noodle should be soft and breaks off easily.

Seafood Noodle Soup

Seafood Noodle Soup

My first bowl of seafood noodle soup was at Bayan Lepas, Penang island when we took a family trip to see dad's housing projects up North

Cucumber & Pineapple Salad

Cucumber & Pineapple Salad

Hokkien Fried 'Pek Keh' / Chinese Rice Cake

Hokkien Fried "Pek Keh" (30 Apr 2012)

A dear friend has offered to take proper pictures of my dishes just recently. Looking at my 'Pek Keh' image, I suppose I should take up the offer or send myself for some photography classes. There are other 'things' that I must tackle besides my photography skills as well. 1) I love to serve my food hot so by the time I'm done cooking, it's meal time, sharp to the second! 2) Thus, leaving me little time to design and plate my food as you'd see in food magazines and other glorious food blogs that I envy so much. 3) I have 3 kids who'd linger in the kitchen every 5 minutes or so to whine of hunger & starvation even though they just had their breakfast at 10am.

Rice cake after soaking for a day

Now do you see my point? But that being said, I actually prefer it this way. I love to watch my family devour the food I prepare and what excitement and privilege it gives me to serve new dishes every week to them! My anticipation, their anticipation, my wok and spatula clanking, their spoon and fork clinking... you get what I mean, right?

It's not easy to find a "Tai Chow" that serves a good fried 'Pek Keh'. For those of you who don't know what 'Pek Keh' is, it's basically dried slices of rice noodle originated from China. I'd let you google about it later but for now let me introduce you to the Malaysian Hokkien version of this noodle. To fry the 'Hokkien' style regardless of noodle, you need a lot of wok hei (literally means chi/energy from the wok) - very big flames and very quick arm movements. This dish seems to be very popular around Jalan Ipoh, Segambut and Jalan Pahang areas. Lucky old me work around the area too...


Hokkien Fried Pek Keh Recipe (for 4 pax)

Ingredients:
400gm dried sliced Chinese rice cake (Could substitute with Korean rice cakes)
100gm lean pork, sliced thinly
8-12 small prawns (Could add squid as well)
A few leaves of Chinese cabbage
2 sprig of Chinese celery (Kan Choy)
2 tbsp garlic mince
2 tbsp of lard / cooking oil

Pork Marinade:
1/2 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese wine
A dash of pepper

Seasoning:
2 tbsp of dark soy sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cup of chicken stock
2-3 drops of sesame oil


Method:

1.  Soak the Chinese rice cake for at least 1/2 a day before use. I soaked mine for 24 hours. Change the water a few times until it's no longer cloudy.
2. Prepare all the ingredients. Marinade pork for 15 minutes before use. Cut the Chinese cabbage into small pieces. Cut the Chinese celery into 1 inch long strips.
3. Heat up cooking oil in wok until smoking. Saute garlic mince and add pork slices. Sprinkle some chicken stock so that the pork does not stick to the wok. Add prawns and stirfry until they turn pinkish.
4. Add the rice cakes and seasoning and stirfry vigorously for a minute. Add the chicken stock and cabbage. Cover for 2 minutes.
5. Lastly, put in the Chinese celery and toss it a bit.
6. Note, the heat is always on medium high to high for frying Hokkien Noodle. You have to fry this dish in less than 10 minutes otherwise you'd get gooey overcooked rice cakes. Feel free to add more water if necessary as rice cakes absorb a lot of moisture.
7. Serve hot!

Otak-otak

Homemade Otak-otak baked in oven (28 Apr 2012)

I love watching a local food programme called Axian's Food Adventures where Jason or "A Xian" as he is fondly called. would take us on weekly culinary tours around Malaysian. It's not just any ordinary food show as Jason would bring us to the origins of local cuisines in small remote villages, rather than introducing some new fancy restaurant in town. The new series on air right now brings our attention to a certain type of food prepared in different ways all around the country. Which brings me to Episode 12 : Otak-otak!

Otak-otak Stick fried in Philip Airfryer (28 April 2012)

When we were dating, my hubby & I would frequent SS2 'pasar malam' (night market) every Monday evening. Without fail, we would purchase 20 sticks of otak-otak from this guy whose been selling it for umpteen years.Wonder if he's still there? Must get my hubby to relive those "pak toh" days!

Anyway, my otak-otak is slightly different from the Nyonya version, perhaps a lot less complicated as well. For those who are overseas and find it hard to find betelnuts or kaffir leaves and can only rely on ready grounded spice, then this is the recipe for you!

However, I do intend to try out the actual Nyonya version one day using fresh spices and herbs but for now, this recipe is satisfying enough :)

Otak-otak Recipe (Makes 8 square packs or 30 thin sticks)

Ingredients:
600gm spanish mackerel
2 tbsp meat curry powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp grounded chili paste (chili boh)
2 tbsp corn flour / tapioca flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
A few curry leave, thinly sliced
150ml fresh coconut milk


 Note: Feel free to add or reduce any of the spices to suit your palate!

Method:

1. First, scrape of the meat of the mackerel with a spoon. Place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add all the spices and mix with hand. I used my handy disposable gloves to do the job. Some recipes require you to blend but I like to taste my fish meat when biting into the otak-otak. Thus, the manual version is employed :)
3. Lastly add the coconut milk a tablespoon at a time and fold it into the paste.
4. When done, leave in fridge for 15 minutes. I find it easier to handle cold and firm otak-otak paste.
5. While you are waiting, cut the banana leaves to the desired shape. You could do square, long or even make cone shaped otak-otak.
6. Whatever shape you make, ensure that the paste is wrapped snugly and firmly inside. I used satay sticks to keep the packet together. Nowadays, most sellers just use staples.
7. Preheat your oven to 180 deg Celcius. Place the otak-otak in neat rows and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the otak-otak once in at 10 minute interval. If you use the airfryer, I suggest you bring the heat down to 160 deg Celcius for 15 minutes only.

 

Curry Puff

Curry Puff with Chicken & Potato (25th Apr 2012)

Once a week, I'd buy 3 for RM1.00 curry puffs for Justin to bring to school. For that price, you could only expect a potato filled puff that's smaller than your average Gyoza. On the other hand, you might have seen curry puff the size of your palm that has chicken, potato and egg filling. Whichever type you fancy, curry puffs are a great hit with the young and old in Malaysia.

This is my 1st time making curry puff and I'm glad it turned out well. I did not have a specific recipe so it was all trial & error. I made the curry chicken & potato filling a day ahead ( that was the easy part!). For the dough, I used a basic pastry dough which worked out fine. Next time, I shall attempt to make the spiral curry puff!

Penang Char Kuey Teow

Char Kuey Teow (1 Apr 2012)

My love affair with Penang hawker food started when I was a little girl. I recall sitting in a small hut, having my first bowl of Penang laksa with a view of Kek Lok Si temple. Later that day, I seated again in another small shop somewhere on McAlister Road, waiting for what felt like ages for another plate of delicious fried Char Kuey Teow. That was my earliest recollection of my Penang trips- hopping from one place to another, sitting and waiting and eating, over and over again! 

As I grew older, I understood what the fuss was about. Even 30 years back, my parents had brought me to the same stalls that I try to bring my children to recently. Small windy paths and dirty alleys weren't my children's cup of tea but the food sure changed their mind! All that wonderful Penang Laksa, Prawn Mee, Char Kuey Teow, Penang Lobak, Nasi Kandar, Kuey Teow Th'ng - there's just not enough time to try everything! No wonder Penang is listed as one of the top 10 greatest street food cities in the world!

My hubby misses his Penang Char Kuey Teow so much that his missus had to do something about it! The ingredients were simple enough but to make it as authentic as it can be, I bought duck eggs instead of chicken eggs this time.

Verdict: The family thoroughly enjoyed my Char Kuey Teow. If anything was missing, it was the MSG & lard!

Penang Char Kuey Teow Recipe (for 1 person)

Ingredients:
120gm flat rice noodle/ Kuey Teow
1 tbsp of garlic, chopped finely
1 tbsp of dried chilli paste (optional)
6 thinly sliced Chinese sausage
3-5 prawns, shelled and de-veined 
1/2 cup of cockle, shelled and cleaned
A cup of beansprouts
1/4 cup of chives
1 duck egg





Seasoning:
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
A dash of pepper

Method:

1. Frying a plate of Char Kuey Teow takes less than 5 minutes, so it's best to have all your ingredients ready and at arm's reach. Mix the seasoning in a bowl too.
2. Heat up the wok until smoky hot. Then, add 2 tbsp of oil and garlic. Saute until fragrant.
3. Add prawns and Chinese sausages. Stirfry for 20 seconds or until the prawns turn pinkish. Add chilli paste and fry for another 10 seconds.
4. Add the flat noodle quickly and seasoning. Stirfry vigorously or as my grandma likes to put it "chan the wok" (literally means bash the wok) Do this for 30 seconds.
5. Push the noodle to one side of wok and break the duck egg on the other. Break the egg yolk and give it a good stir.
6. When you see the omelette forming, add the chives and beansprouts to your wok and mix everything well together. 
7. Serve hot!

Yummy!

Maggi Goreng (Fried Maggi Curry Noodle)

Maggi Goreng (21 Mar 2012)

9 Aug 2012
I just had to add to this post. It's amazing that this is the post with the highest number of hits! Thank you to all the supportive Maggi Goreng fans out there! Just a thought... since it's so popular, perhaps I might be able to open a Maggi Goreng stall in Australia in the near future?


21 Mar 2012
It might be Mac & Cheese or Hot Dog for you but this is my all time favourite supper! It's a Malaysian thing and the quickest tastiest way to cure that poor tummy growl after a late night movie! I'd really like to know who is the brilliant person who invented this mind blowing snack? Please tell me if you know!

What is Maggi Goreng? Well, we basically cook a packet of Maggi Instant Noodle Curry flavoured but instead of serving it soupy, we stirfry it with egg and its curry seasoning. As an added value, some stalls would add vegetables and tofu. As you can see, mine is just plain old noodle with egg, which my kids could smell from miles away. They devoured the whole plate of noodle as quickly as I prepared it (which was only 8 minutes to be exact!). 

Maggi Goreng Recipe

Ingredients:

1 packet Maggi Mee Curry Flavour

1 tsp garlic mince

1 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 tsp dark soy sauce / kicap manis

1 egg

Method:

1. First cook the noodle in boiling water as you normally would. Drain the noodle after 2 minutes or almost cooked.
2. Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in wok. Saute garlic mince
3. Break the egg into the wok and give it a good stir before adding the noodle.
4. Pour half the sachet of curry seasoning into the wok and add the dark soy sauce. (Some of you might notice that I've reduced from a whole sachet to half as I've found that it's too salty if I do not add any vegetable, tofu or meat to the noodle. But then again, if you like it really flavourful, by all means add the whole thing!)
5. Sprinkle a little water and stirfry for 2 minutes.
6. Ready to serve. Normally you'd squeeze half a lime on the noodle to give it a nice tangy flavour!

Beef Rendang

Beef Rendang (Nov 2011)

I have to confess... I have not given a good thought nor study the origins of Beef Rendang before I made it. It didn't matter to me because I've always cross path with it since I was a baby girl. In my toddler years, we were neighbours with Auntie Badariah & Uncle Ismail. I hold fond memories of the couple as they were not only kind and helpful, but the sight, sound and smell of their kitchen each morning truely fascinate even a 4 year old like me! Auntie Badar (as I fondly called her) made kuih-muih (Malay cakes/snacks) which she'd supply every afternoon to a nearby vendor. And every evening, she'd called out my name and pass an assortment of kuih-muih to my brother & I. There would be fresh curry puffs, kuih dadar, pulut inti, kuih keria, and my personal favourite fried popiah with homemade chili sauce!

Naturally, Auntie Badar cooks very well. I would always look forward to any kenduri (house party) held by her family. I'd make a beeline for one thing only....her beef rendang, which she would serve with lemang (bamboo rice). The taste has lingered til now..... Sounds exaggerating, eh? Well, it does and I have yet to find another beef rendang as good as hers! Thank you, Auntie Badar, for making my childhood 'flavourful'! 

So back to my recipe.... I looked up a couple of recipes and found that the basic ingredients are the similar. The taste and texture would differ if you add more or less of certain ingredients. I adapted a recipe by Rohani Jelani. Hopefully, I'll be able to join her classes one of these days! Care to join me?



Beef Rendang Recipe

Spice Paste:
3/4 cup grated coconut
15 dried chillies
10 shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 inch ginger, sliced
1 inch galangal, sliced
1 inch turmeric, sliced
2 stalks lemon grass, sliced 

2 bird chillies, optional

Cooking: 

400 gm stewing beef, sliced into chunks
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1 turmeric leaf, tied into knot
2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1-2 pieces asam keping

Procedures

1. Place coconut in wok over medium heat and dry-fry until golden brown. Cool slightly before grinding finely in mortar and pestle.
2. Snip chillies into 1-inch lengths. Soak in hot water until softened. Discard half the seeds and place the chillies in electric blender jug with shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, turmeric and lemon grass. If you want a hotter rendang, add bird chillies. Add 1/2 cup water and grind to a paste- but not too finely.
3. Place spice paste, beef, coconut milk, and water in a roomy wok. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat, stirring now and then until mixture is well reduced and thick and oil surfaces—at least 1 hour.
4. Add ground toasted coconut, turmeric leaf (if using), kaffir lime leaf, salt, sugar, and asam keping (if using). Cook another 5-10 minutes, taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Take pan off heat. Serve with rice.The taste is even better overnight!