Loh Mai Kai

Loh Mai Kai

The Malaysian version of Loh Mai Kai quite defers to those I've had in Hong Kong or Singapore. In Hong Kong, it tends to have dried shrimps where as in Singapore, the colour is paler with less sauce. The Malaysian version, on the other hand, has a fragrant sauce that coats each and every grain of glutinous rice, topped with marinated chicken meat, Chinese sausage, Char Siew and Chinese mushroom. It's easy to make and except of the chicken meat, the rest of the ingredients can be bought at the store.  

Fried Egg Noodle (Chow Mein)

Fried Egg Noodle (8th May 2012)

Out of curiosity, I bought a pack of fresh thick egg noodle from the wet market. I'm already making my own but I needed to QC if I'm up to par with others so called "homemade" ones. It's definitely not as 'eggy' as mine but nevertheless still very springy and tasty.

Everyone has their own version of  'Chow Mein'. For most Chinese families, it's probably one of those noodle dishes that you'd never really give a thought because Grandma or Mummy prepares it so easily for breakfast or tea break. It's the familiar taste of home that brought me to relive savouring my 'Chow Mein'  moments! 

It makes no difference what noodle or the type of meat & vegetable you use. It's the seasoning, the brand of sauce that you love that makes that distinct familiar taste. So, get Mum to reveal her favourite oyster sauce and soy sauce and in no time you too can replicate that same yummy noodle!

Fried Egg Noodle Recipe (serves 4)

Ingredients:
400gm egg noodle
120gm minced pork
4-5 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked in water
20gm beansprout
2 tbsp garlic mince

Seasoning:
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock / plain water

Pork marinade
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese wine
1/2 tbsp cornflour

Method:

1. If your egg noodles are frozen, be sure to leave it in room temperature a few hours before use. Don't blanch frozen noodles in water, you might end up breaking the noodles. Blanch only when the noodle is at room temperature.
2. Marinade the pork at least 15 minutes before use. Slice the mushrooms thinly and clean the beansprouts of its roots. I hate serving beansprout with its long stringy roots!
3. As I always emphasis, make sure all your ingredients are ready and within reach whenever you stirfry noodle as it only takes you a couple of minutes and on very high heat! 
4. Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in wok. Saute the garlic mince until fragrant then add the minced pork.
5. Pour the seasoning in except for the chicken stokc and add the sliced mushrooms.Stirfry for 1 minute
6. Add the stock gradually and cover the wok with lid. Wait for a minute before lifting the lid and add in the beansprouts.Stirfry for another 2 minutes before dishing the noodles out.
7. Ready to serve!

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!

Steamed Pork Mince with Fried Dace & Black Bean

Steamed Pork Mince with Fried Dace & Black Bean (29 Apr 2012)

I love canned Fried Dace Fish with Black Bean. It's not the healthiest food but it sure compliments a bowl of hot plain porridge. Sometimes, I don't even bother with the porridge and eat it on it's own. (Hush, straight from the can!) With that unhealthy habit, I simple had to buy a better brand like the Eagle Coin ~ less oily, whole black beans and firm fish meat.

My favourite brand - Eagle Coin!

I saw this recipe while browsing through shelves of recipe books at the store. The combination looks inviting and it's easy to prepare. Try this recipe if you run out of ideas for steaming pork.

Steamed Pork Mince with Fried Dace & Black Bean Recipe

Ingredients:
300gm minced pork
1/2 a can of fried dace & black bean
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 chili padi, sliced finely
1/2 tsp sugar


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


Method:

1. First, marinade pork and leave in refrigerator for 1/2 hour
2. Open the can of fried dace and take out half of its content (roughly 1 fish and half the black beans).
3. Use a spoon and fork to break the fish into bits.
4. Heat up wok and add a tbsp of the oil from the can. Saute the minced garlic.
5. When fragrant, add the fish and beans. Stirfry for 1 min, then add chili and sugar. Remove fish from wok and set aside.
6. Give the marinated pork a good stir with a fork until it feels pasty. Then place it flat on a steaming plate. 
7. Place the fried dace on top of the pork and steam for 15 minutes.
8. Ready to serve!

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!