Monday, November 10, 2014

Rice Cooker Chicken Rice 【电饭煲蒜香鸡饭】


The original recipe was posted on Wenxuecity years back as rice cooker chicken and immediately became a hit, as it is very easy to follow and is really tasty...

I was in India then and was fascinated by the recipe, as I could find all the ingredients easily, I later modified it a little and added rice, it immediately turned into a one pot meal, so simple and yum!

很多年前,文学城私房掀起了一阵电饭煲蒜香鸡热,当时是哪个聪明的姐妹发的食谱和做法我已经不记得了。

只记得当时我在印度,看见帖子惊为天人,因为材料简单印度也都找得到,所以就经常做,让我在无数个想家的夜晚能够吃上熟悉的味道,着实难忘。

后来我稍微调整了一下,做成电饭煲蒜香鸡饭,更简单,再弄一道沙拉或者炒菜,就是一顿丰富的午饭啦!

原食谱因为换过几个电脑已经丢失了。这会儿因为带孩子,做饭也越来越简单,突然想起这个曾经一度非常喜爱的电饭煲蒜香鸡饭。就把已经束之高阁的电饭煲取出来,做一顿电饭煲鸡饭就可以吃好几顿。实在要感谢发明这个做法的那位姐妹啊!又再一次解救没时间做饭的带娃的妈!

Monday, November 3, 2014

Banana Muffins



It has been a challenge to go shopping with A lately, not only his curiosity is at its height, he is also starting to have a lot of opinions and really enjoys putting things into my shopping cart, and will waste no time to protest if I take his choices out from the cart.

Result to that, our shopping trip always lasted much longer than anticipated, last week I had to make two big rounds in the supermarket to put back 3 bottles of hand wash soup ( yes, you heard it right, A wanted purple, red and orange colors!), the two rounds is to make sure he had enough distractions and long enough gap in between to let him forget about those items.

Together with those hand soups, some chips and lots of different types of candy, he also chooses a bunch of banana, which, I decided to keep and purchase while others go back to display isles. The only thing is that he realized that he didn't really want the banana once it was brought home.

As the bananas ripe fast and I have sometimes to spare today, I made 2 batches of banana muffins today, one with cocoa powder and one without.

Happy Diwali 2014 -- Besan Ladoo



The draft of this Besan Ladoo's recipe has been sitting in my draft folder since the Diwali day. I didn't had a chance to post it due to the festive season get together, followed by A under the weather and me got the nasty bug from him the day after. So here it is a little catch up on my post.

These yummy ladoos were made with homemade ghee and the residue from the making of Homemade Ghee, the residues gave the character of brown and white bits in the ladoos. It also gave the ladoos a slight twist in taste and texture, a true surprise and real yummy treat.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Diwali Count down -- Gulab Jamun



With Diwali (the Indian festival of light) being tomorrow, I had gear up on preparation and made a few sweets today.

One of them is this Gulab Jamun. It is a very popular Indian/Pakistani/Nepali/Arabian sweet dish, most often eaten as a dessert, and usually eaten at festivals or major celebrations, such as marriages and Diwali.

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Teriyaki Sauce & Teriyaki Chicken


Teriyaki Chicken was my all time favourite when I was an exchange student in Japan back in the 90s, my liking for it extended to everywhere I go, I kind of like subconsciously looking for the "wow" effect it got on me the first time I had it in Japan.... with no avail....

And guess what, the way I am with things and life... I made it at home!

Friday, October 10, 2014

Vegetarian Roasted Duck Rice



Years back when I used to work in Jalan Ampang, KL, Malaysia. Among all the tall office buildings around Jalan Ampang, right opposite of my then office hides a small heritage Chinese temple. It is a very interesting scene to see white collars visiting the temple and do their prayers during lunch break or after working hours.

The temple also has a small canteen that sells delicious vegetarian/vegan meals. I loved their vegetarian wonton noodle and also the vegetarian chicken rice that they sell every Friday. Their Vegetarian roasted duck was also one dish to die for. Just like my hometown friend Stephanie said: " I don't mind being vegetarian eating this everyday!"

I was searching for recipe for this vegetarian roasted duck online and most of the recipes called for stuffing like mushrooms and shredded carrot. I liked that version too but it was not the ones that I really missed. I like my vegetarian roasted duck a little crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

So I decided to create my own version and this comes quite close to what I remembered! 

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Chili Sauce for Hainanese Chicken Rice 【海南鸡饭辣椒酱】



This is the chili sauce I made to go with my Hainanese Chicken Rice and Vegetarian Duck Rice.

海南鸡饭要好吃,配的辣椒酱也一定要好吃。这款辣椒酱是做海南鸡饭的时候做的,很好吃。后来和素烤鸭饭一起吃也超级好吃哦!

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Adzuki Bean White Fungus Sweet Soup 【紅豆銀耳湯】


I grow up eating red bean (Adzuki) soup as dessert/snack a lot. There are many ways to prepare this sweet soup, adding palm sugar, pandan/screwpine leaves, black glutinous rice are some of the variances.

But making this sweet soup with white fungus (銀耳)is something new to me, mom and I had this sweet soup made this way the first time sometimes ago at the Dharma Drum's Temple, it was part of the vegetarian feast they had over the Buddha's birthday celebration. 

We liked it instantly and thought the combination make a lot of sense, Adzuki bean being high in fiber and iron but slightly heat-y is well compensated with the cooling effect of white fungus, not only that, adding the white fungus make the soup that much more smoother and creamy!

我從小就喜歡喝紅豆甜湯,是家裡經常做的一款糖水。東南亞人還喜歡加入各種不同的帶有東南亞風味的材料如椰糖,香蘭葉和黑糯米來做這款糖水。

今年佛誕節的時候我和媽媽到法鼓山去浴佛順便在佛堂午飯,當天的糖水就是這款紅豆銀耳湯,味道非常好,入口潤滑,帶著濃濃的紅豆香,很好吃。

紅豆有很高的鐵質,維他命B和膳食纖維,而銀耳具有滋阴润肺、益气和血之功效, 實在是配搭相當合理而且好吃的糖水呢!

Friday, October 3, 2014

Fish Tikka 【印式碳烤鱼块】



As I mentioned in my previous post , N brought back a big piece of salmon last weekend and I turned the thinner part of the salmon into Teriyaki Salmon Bento for A. 

The thicker part were marinated with yogurt and spices overnight and made into this yummy fish tikka.  

We turned the TV on and watch a good movie while enjoying the tikkas with beer and ice tea in the evening. 

上一个帖子说过俊爸给带回一大块的三文鱼,一小半我给俊宝做了照烧三文鱼,肉很厚的部分给切成麻将大块状,加上优格和香料腌上几个小时,另外还做了些烤鸡块,晚餐就边看电影边吃烤鱼和烤鸡。

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Toddler Meal -- Teriyaki Salmon Bento



I made Fish Tikka as afternoon snack yesterday over movie, the thicker cuts of the huge salmon fillet N bought were all made into Fish tikka and I turn the thinner cuts into this yummy salmon Teriyaki Bento for A, he had this for dinner and enjoyed it very much.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Bharawan/Bhagarey Baigan (Stuffed Eggplant)



This is probably the best Eggplant dish I have ever tried, I like the taste and texture, every bit of it, and if you have never tasted this before, I said you should... really!

Monday, September 22, 2014

Penang (Assam) Laksa (With Fresh Sardines) 【槟城/亚参叻沙】



The first time I had this Penang laksa was when I was around 10, my grandparents brought us to Penang for a road trip. We visited the famous Kek Lok Si (极乐寺)and enjoyed this famous Penang laksa down hill before climbing up to the temple.

I have to be honest that my first encounter was pretty rough as I didn't quiet comprehend the spicy sourish soup base. As I grow older and Penang laksa started expanding their territories down south, I grow into liking this spicy fish soup noodle more. 

I loved the fact that it brought together so many fresh ingredients and gives such a rich experience to the taste buds.

我十岁的时候第一次跟着外公外婆到马来西亚北部的槟城游玩,当地一个很有名的景点是在山上的极乐寺(Kek Lok Si),山脚下有很多的小摊子摆卖手工艺品和小吃。其中一个摆在店铺旁边的小摊子每每只要一开档,前面就会排着长长的队伍,卖的就是这款槟城亚参叻沙。

这款叻沙用的汤底是鱼和许多香料熬成的,加上爽口的濑粉和清爽的配菜,丰富的味道和不同的口感是舌尖一场非常有趣的盛宴哦!

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Chicken Rendang (Malaysian Rendang Chicken Curry) 【冷當咖哩雞】


There are many types of curries in Malaysia, this Rendang Curry chicken is the signature "Dried" curry, the gravy of curry was simmered down to mere minimum, the tasty and creamy gravy coats each and every piece of the meat and gives a thick flavorful taste to the curry.

冷當咖哩在馬來文化,尤其是米南佳寶(Minangkabau)文化裡,是不可或缺的大菜,婚慶佳節是一定會有的。這道咖哩帶點微微的甜味,湯汁慢火燉至收濃,然後加上烤香的椰絲,味道濃厚乾香,非常好吃。

Thursday, September 11, 2014

【香蕉叶烤蒲鱼/魔鬼鱼】Ikan Bakar Daun Pisang (Grilled Fish in Banana Leaf)



香蕉叶烤鱼是马来西亚小吃中心一定会有的一款美食,做法和腌制的方法多不胜数,有的人喜欢带点酱汁的,有的喜欢烤制得焦香的,准备的方式也很多,有炭火烤制,也有平底锅煎制的,味道也各有千秋。

这款烤鱼一般会沾着酸子沾酱吃,外焦里嫩的香辣烤鱼沾上酸甜的沾酱,是个很和谐的味觉享受哦!

This grilled fish is one of the many dishes that one could find in the local market or hawker centers in Malaysia. There are many ways to prepared it, it could be grilled or shallow fried on hot plate, and could be marinate with so many different combination of spices and sauces.

Grilled fish is often served with a kind of sweet and sourish dipping sauce called Air Assam. A combination of many different tastes that make one's palate dances, it is truly a classic of Malaysian cuisine.

Piggy Mooncake ~~ Happy Mooncake Festival!



I was never a big fan of mooncake since young, it was way too sweet for my palate, but I learnt to make mooncake with a group of friends here in the States and we did made it a tad healthier than the shop bought version.

But this year all of us in the group were busy with kids' holiday activities so we did not manage to get together for the yearly event.

I had been wanting to make this piggy mooncake since I saw it on Anncoo's blog last year, I even made the golden syrup, but things happened one after another and I had to postponed my plan for couple of time.

This year I decided to had to make it no matter what, so I did. The process wasn't easy as A was not well and I had to work through his screams and demands and had to leave the work bench couple of times in between. But I had a lot of fun and it was a great experience after all. The most important thing is that I manage to get it done 1 day before mooncake festival!

Here I am with my piggies and A to wish everybody Happy Mooncake Festival 2014!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Satay Ayam (Chicken Satay/Skewer)【鸡肉沙爹】


I can't begin to tell how satay has been severely altered in many of the so-called Malaysian restaurants here in USA. Oh well, maybe I didn't go to the right restaurant. 

It is like a routine every year, especially in summer, I will received several requests asking for a authentic recipe for a Malaysian style satay, or skewer. 

I have been thinking to wait for my deck to get done and I will buy a charcoal grill to make this skewer, but then the project got delayed for a year. So no outdoor grill for now. 

I made this batch of satay using my table top oven, it turned out great and exactly the taste I remembered!

美国这里马来餐厅的沙爹做得都不地道,我答应过好几个网友要做一次地道的马来沙爹。本来一直想着今年把后院的deck做好再弄个grill,请朋友们来吃饭再做这个沙爹。

后来deck的计划延迟了一年,我刚好这几个星期也比较空,就终于把这个沙爹付诸行动。出来的效果非常好,真的很好吃,就是热量忒高了!

Kuah Kacang Satay (Peanut Dipping Sauce)



I made this Kuah kacang to go with my chicken satay and was so pleased with the result, it was so yummy that I ate the sauce with only the cucumber and onion as dinner!

Friday, August 29, 2014

Malaysia Mutton Curry


This Mutton curry is normally prepared during festive seasons and we will also make ROTI JALA (lacey crepe)to go with it.

We planned to go for a 2 nights outing this long weekend, the lodge that we have booked is pretty far from town. So we decided to bring some foods for lunch and dinner. This mutton curry is what I prepared to go with ghee rice.

I can't wait for our vacation to start!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Sambal Telur (Egg Sambal)



Egg is well loved in my house and this simple yet super delicious Egg sambal is a very versatile dish, it goes well with fried noodle/rice noodle, fried rice as side dish, it even taste awesome with just plain rice!

I made this today to go with my long bean rice. So long bean rice with Egg sambal, dinner is served!

【炸香蕉糕】Pisang Goreng (Banana Fritter)



前天看见超市摆着类似马来西亚炸香蕉用的香蕉 (Pisang Raja),忍不住买了一串回来,做马来西亚的小吃炸香蕉。

小时候经常在炎热的午后跟长辈要零用钱,然后跑到小摊子去买一包冷冻的煎蕾冰或者杂雪,再加上一块钱的炸香蕉,就是一个非常享受的下午了。

出国多年,每次回乡都没有机会再尝尝这个小点心。今天天气跟我那遥远的家乡如此相似,就做一个热带风情的点心做下午茶点吧!


Fried banana is a very common snack back home, a sweet childhood memory of mine.

I would ask some money from grandpa during those hot afternoons and ran to the small Malay stall that sells fried banana and Cendul.

I would buy a packet of cold cendul and some fried bananas, walking home slowly and enjoy the hearty snacks.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Toddler Meal -- Goldfish Breaded Fish Fingers



I have tried to avoid giving shop bought snacks to A with some exception like goldfish crackers, it is not that these crackers are any better than other stuff kids normally have.  

The only reason he gets this "treats" once in a while is because no matter how we try, he is going to eat some junk foods anyway. So savory ones is better than the sugar filled stuff. Besides, he starts liking goldfish as he gets it in the daycare for snack.

I saw this ingenious idea of making goldfish breaded chicken sometimes ago while searching for ideas to make A's food.  I have been wanting to introduce fish to his diet for sometimes. He definitely doesn't fancy salmon and have no interest in any type of steamed fish. 

So I came up with this idea to make goldfish breaded fish fingers, with the hope that his liking for goldfish will lure him into eating some fish. He did liked it and had 4 sticks at dinner!

Thursday, August 21, 2014

素食好主意【叁巴豆腐】Vegetarian Sambal Tofu (Bean Curd)


这个叁巴豆腐是很典型的多元种族国家的产品,为什么这么说呢?

豆腐是中国人带到马来西亚的一个典型中国食品,后来我们的巫印友族拿来做成适合他们口味的食谱。

这里给大家介绍在马来西亚嘛嘛档常见的叁巴豆腐,是個下飯的好東西。

This Sambal Tofu is a good example of "Trully Malaysia" food, tofu as Chinese traditional food, and sambal the Malay, and guess what? It is often served by the Indian! Simply love the combination.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

【泰式简易沙拉】Simple Thai Vegetable Salad


我院子裡的黃瓜和番茄收成了,自然熟成的番茄味道特別好,不拿來做沙拉真是浪費了這麼好的番茄。自小在東南亞長大的我偏愛南洋口味的沙拉。今天就做了這個簡易的泰式沙拉,味道酸辣甜,非常清爽,再撒上花生碎,味道更為豐富,營養也更好。

This is one of the best salad to have in this pipping hot summer. Its sweet and sour taste makes it very refreshing, just make sure you chilled the vegetables for a while in the fridge before mixing.

Stir-fried potato, eggplant and green pepper/Di San Xian【地三鲜】


This is a very traditional North Eastern Dish from China that I learnt from a friend. I made it for my family when I visited Malaysia the last time, to my surprise, everyone loved it! Including my brother who had never fancy vegetarian dishes!

I promise mum that I will write a recipe for this dish as soon as I reach home, and here it is!


回乡的时候头一次做地三鲜给家人吃,迎来一片赞好之声。我还记得那天大弟弟从外边办事回来已经过了午饭时间,一直嚷嚷着肚子好饿,他盛了一大碗的白米饭,一边狼吞虎咽一边说:“哇,本来我打算在路上随便吃点东西果腹,后来想想姐姐在家,一定有好吃的,果然给我吃到很好吃的菜耶!”

我这弟弟本来最不爱吃素菜,对这地三鲜却是赞不绝口,晚餐还特别要求我再做一次,让因为工作没回家吃午饭的弟妹也尝尝。

我答应妈妈要做一个帖子把食谱记录下来,回美之后一直到最近才做了两次,照片又是分开两次照的。所以就变成有红辣椒也有绿辣椒的啦!

Friday, August 15, 2014

Toddler Food -- Meatballs in Tomato Sauce 【茄汁小丸子】



A started a new daycare last week, he protest every morning and got really worked up with the fact that he has to go to daycare everyday, this changes of his routine literally turn his life and mine upside down. He didn't sleep well, wakes up multiple times at night and nurses more than ever. 

But there aren't all that bad, his appetite increases after daycare and he eats more real foods now comparing pre-daycare time. And I have more time preparing his dinner before picking him up everyday!

He loves this meatballs so much that I was surprised, I initially made only 5 meatballs for him and thought to myself that if he could finished them all, that would be great. But then I can't be more wrong! He asked for more twice and ended up eating 11 pieces of meatballs with all the peas, carrot (I cut into star shapes which he really appreciate!) and vegetable. He had only a spoon of the rice but I was already out of the world.

俊宝三个月大的时候因为我妈回国了,俊爸又经常出差,俊宝又是个睡觉困难户,我一个人带着他经常累得不会说话。俊爸在我妈走之前就查好了我们家附近的一个daycare,用他公司的名字登记还有百分之十的折扣。所以当时就安排了一周三次每次三个小时让俊宝去玩玩,也让我能休息休息。后来他daycare自小看着他的老师辞职了,我们也刚好那段时间要回国看爷爷奶奶和外公外婆,就直接取消了daycare。

回美之后我和老师联系上了,她也一直很疼爱俊宝,我就问她肯不肯帮我在家看俊宝几个月。我每天送去她家半天,俊宝就这样在老师家里一直待到上个星期,老师要去新的daycare上班为止。我也就顺其自然的把俊宝也送到新的daycare了。

然而小子一点都不喜欢daycare的大环境,和其他小朋友一起作息他也不习惯,天天载他到daycare一看见大门,在车里就开始嚎,第一个星期连声音都哭哑了,让我心疼得不得了。可我得上班,所以也不敢不送去,就希望他赶快适应了,会喜欢在学校的活动。

不过,去学校也不完全都是坏事,他胃口变得更好了,老师天天给的报告都说他吃得很好,水果和蔬菜还经常会加一两次呢!我这个星期比较不忙,就经常给他晚餐做好吃的,盘子里五颜六色的他很喜欢,吃得很开心。

这道茄汁小丸子我做好拍了照片就去学校接他,给他系安全带的时候我给他看手机里的照片,问他要不要吃,他马上大力点头。结果晚餐是我本来只给准备了五只小丸子,他又让我给加了两次,一共吃了十一只!就连配菜胡萝卜,青豆和油菜心也吃得干干净净的。只有米饭吃了两口就不肯吃了,但是妈妈已经够高兴的啦!

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Thai basil turkey/chicken recipe (pad kra pao gai) 【泰式打抛火鸡肉】


We used to live near the Malaysia-Thailand border for a couple of years when I was a little kid, my family often goes over to "the other side of the border" for shopping and good foods.

This dish is one of our favourite dishes. It could be made with not just minced pork,  variations include minced beef or chicken, I used turkey today and it still taste as amazing!

我小的时候是在马泰边界生活的,假日和家人到泰国“那一边”去吃饭购物是很经常的事情,这也造成了我对泰国的酸辣口味特别偏爱的习惯。今天这道菜是在泰国路边小食摊都可以找得到的菜肴,是炎炎夏日开胃的好菜。

我家的九层塔今年居然长得有小孩的巴掌那么大,去年在土里埋下的堆肥果然给力,今天已经是第二次收成了,做这道辣炒火/鸡肉末,加上一只荷包蛋,挤上一点青柠汁。每一口都那么满足哦!

Monday, August 11, 2014

Stir Fry Shredded Potato 【酸辣土豆丝】


The Korean supermarket that I frequented is having a promotion on potatoes. It was way too good a deal to pass, so I bought a packet of it. Not until I started unpacking the potato that I realized how big a pack it is! 

Since I have loads of them at home,  I have been cooking potatoes gala in the past few days!

Stir fry shredded potato is pretty new to me, I thought it wasn't fully cooked the first time I had it! I wasn't used to potatoes being crunchy, I have always had my potatoes stewed or boiled, it is always soft and tender.

I developed the taste and started liking it after having it a couple of times. It goes especially well with porridge though.

我家附近的韩国超市前阵子土豆大促销,十磅的土豆才2.99美刀。我当时想都没想就拿了一包,结果回家打开包装才发现华丽丽好大一堆土豆啊!

当天下午看朋友的时候带了十几只土豆去,回家发现还有一推小山似的堆在那儿。于是我就开始了天天想怎么吃土豆的日子~~~

昨天弟弟说要喝粥,我就给做了这道酸辣土豆丝。说起土豆丝我不得不说我这个地道的南洋(南方)人一开始的认知是土豆必须是炖出来或炸出来或煮出来的,炒土豆丝我第一次吃还觉得这土豆怎么没炒熟哇!

后来还是我妈跟着我弟弟在纽西兰住了一段日子,弟弟的中国朋友给做了几次酸辣土豆丝,我妈喜欢上了,还学着做了好几次,土豆在我家才展开了被炒的命运。



Ingredients:
2 Potatoes
2 green chilies (seeded and shredded)
2 dried red chilies
10-15 Sichuan pepper
3 cloves of garlic (sliced)

Seasoning:
1 1/2 tbsp black vinegar 
1 tbsp soy sauce

材料:
2 只土豆
2 只青椒 (我用了自己种的banana pepper)
2 根辣椒干
10-15 颗花椒
3 蒜瓣儿
 
调味:
1 1/2 大勺 黑醋 (也可用白醋)
1 大勺 酱油 (也可用盐)




1. Shred/cut potatoes into long strips, soak in cold water for 2-3 minutes, drain and wash 2 more times or until water runs clear。 this is to wash away excess starch of potatoes. Remove seeds of green chilies and sliced it into thin strips the same size as the potatoes. Chopped the garlic too.

2. Heat up 2 tbsp of oil, add the sichuan peppercorns and cook until fragrant, remove and discard. Place the dried chili pepper into the cooker and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the chili is fragrant too.

3. Turn the heat to high and add chopped garlic and shredded potatoes, stir quickly until the potato become a little translucent, season with vinegar and soy sauce. Add shredded green chilies before turning stove off. The potatoes and chilies should be still crunchy while serve.

1. 把土豆去皮擦丝或切丝,泡凉水里两三分钟,沥干,再泡大约2-3次,至水变得清澈为止。把青辣椒去蒂去种子切丝备用。蒜瓣儿切片备用。
 
2. 锅里热上3-4 tbsp的食油,加入花椒中火炸香取出丢弃,把辣椒干剪段,入油里炸香。
 
3. 把火转大加入蒜片和土豆丝快速翻炒至土豆有点透明,加入醋继续翻炒1-2分钟,然后加入酱油或盐调味。加入青椒丝翻炒至断生即可。





Friday, August 8, 2014

【马来红烧鸡胗】Pedal Ayam Masak Kicap (Chicken gizzard in soy sauce)


I was at a Ramadhan-FB-pictures-lead-craving-for-Malaysian-foods phase for couple of weeks. That explains the frequent posting of Malaysian dishes here lately. Here today is yet another typical Malaysian dish, Chicken gizzard in soy sauce.

Chicken gizzard is not a common ingredients in my kitchen, mainly due to the reason that I have reduced eating organ meat for a long time. One day when I was shopping for grocery, I saw this cleaned and packed gizzard and thought to myself, it has been a long time since I have this. 

I bought one packet and made this pedal ayam masak kicap for lunch.


这几个星期都还处在思念开斋节美食的情况中,去超市买菜的时候看见处理得很干净的鸡胗,就拿了一盒。

我好多年不怎么吃动物内脏了,但这道红烧鸡胗是我在家乡的时候很喜欢的一道菜,所以也好多年沒吃過這道菜了。回家我就做了這個紅燒雞胗。炒個菜,就著米飯吃得可香了!

Monday, August 4, 2014

Radish Leaves Stir Fry (Mooli ke patte ki sabzi)



There is a small Indian grocery shop near where I live that I shop very frequently, I have a habit of picking up something whenever I pass by. As I shopped there often, the cashier became acquainted with me, we will sometimes have a little chitchat while she work through scanning the products.

One day I saw that they were carrying fresh radish with long bushy leaves. I took two and thinking of making radish paratha for breakfast and save the radish leaves to make stir fry that my mother in law once made when I visited India.

The cashier was so happy to see that I bought the radishes with the leaves, she told me that they cook the leaves in her village but here in the states many shopper removed the leaves and left it at the vegetable display isle, she finds it a waste and feel really bad about it. 

She asked how I would prepare the leaves, I told her my plan and she was all laughing and delighted. "That is how we make it back home!" she cried out loud.

I left the shop feeling good that I didn't waste edible stuff that mother earth produced, I proceed to go home and made this stir fry for lunch. 

Friday, August 1, 2014

Toddler Meal -- Cashew Pesto Pasta


A become thinner by the day ever since he started walking, it gets worse in the summer as we spent so much time out door doing physical activities. He just burnt more energy than he consumed!

I had hard time getting him eat more, so the next best thing is to give him high calorie foods so that whatever he manage to eat will give him more energy and nutrients.

The other day when I was going through my pantry I saw this packet of cashew nuts that I keep basically for Indian sweets and cooking. Since I had some Fussili boiling on stove, I went out to my neighbor's backyard and harvest a bunch of sweet basil that he told me to feel free to use and made this cashew pesto Pasta, A had almost a full plate, which is a good sign.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Lemongrass Tea



This summer I was hooked to a bottled lemongrass drink that sold mainly in health food stores, I had to get a bottle or two whenever I see it in the stores.

This is the tea that I love, love --


To my surprise,  A too likes the tea, one day he was having sore throat and we were out doing some grocery shopping, I bought a bottle of this tea and he asked to try it, I let him and he gulped down almost half bottle! His throat gets much better the next day.

Since he and I loved the tea so much, I made it at home and enjoyed the tea over one hot summer afternoon.

Friday, July 25, 2014

【鹰嘴豆发糕】Khaman Dhokla (Gujarati Steamed Chickpea Cake)



Dhokla是印度西部Gujarat邦的小点心,是鹰嘴豆粉做的一种蒸糕,很松软好吃,是下午茶或早餐的好选择。也是蛋白质很高的一个糕点。

Dhokla is a famous snack in India, originally from the State of Gujarat. It is high in protein, a very healthy and sumptuous looking snack. The texture so fluffy and soft that it literally melt in your mouth!

A good choice for afternoon snack or breakfast!

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Kangkung Belachan (Spicy Stir Fry Water Spinach) 【马来风光】


马来风光是比较典型的马来炒青菜,这道菜要有好的叁巴辣椒酱,油稍微大一些,火候也要足,才会好吃。如果這些条件都具備了,在家里做也很好吃的喔!

Kangkung Belachan is a very typical Malaysian vegetable dish, It is something every Malaysian can't get enough with, it requires only fresh water spinach (Kangkung), some good old Sambal Belachana little more oil and quick stir on wok at high heat.

I had it with some nasi lemak and it was so fulfilling!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Malaysian Chicken Curry #2



N started traveling again for his job and I am trying to put A back into routine, with mom and brother visiting the last 3 months and N working from home the last few weeks. A's bedtime has been greatly affected, he was having so much fun playing with everybody that he fights his sleep every night until much later. It is really not to my liking, I am at the opinion that toddler should go to bed around the latest 8.00 pm, he has been pushing it to 9.30-10.00 pm almost every night!

I started putting him earlier to be the last two days, it was tough as he protest and will do everything he could to stay awake when I brought him into bed. I guess I just have to persist and keep trying!

So coming back to this curry that I am posting today. It has been long time since I last cook Malaysian Curry, the reason mainly due to that some of the essential ingredients, especially the fresh herbs are not easily available. Even if I do find them, they are scattered in different Asian supermarkets around town that I have to make various shopping trips to gathered them all.

One day last week I was browsing on the internet and bumped into a Malaysian blog post that explained if you simmered the curry powder slowly until the oil breaks, a very tasty curry can be produced with having to add so many types of fresh herbs! I mentally noted the cooking method and prepared the curry the next day.

It was indeed really delicious and taste even better the day after! 

Thank you Madam Azie of http://aziejaya.blogspot.com/ for this great idea!

媽媽回國以後我又回到了掌廚的日子。家裡的兩個大男人(我弟弟和老公)都喜歡吃馬來咖哩雞,但我不常做,主要是因為很多材料不容易找到,即使找得到也分散在不同的超市裡,做一次咖哩要去好幾家超市買東西,想起就有點提不起勁了。

有一天晚上一邊哄寶寶睡覺一邊拿著手機上網,看見有個馬來博主說只要把咖哩粉慢火用油熬好,不用其他的生辛香料也可以做出好吃的馬來咖哩雞。但這個做法對熬咖哩粉的火候和咖哩粉的要求比較高。我第二天就馬上嘗試這個做法,味道真的很不錯噢!第二天它更好吃!

原做法出自 : aziejaya.blogspot.com/

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Toddler Food -- Apple Crepe



A just recovered from fever couple of days ago and yet to regain his appetite. He refused most of the foods I offered and will eat only fruits in the last few days. He looks a little better today and was playing like his normal self. So I decided to make something different with apple, hopefully the apple in this crepe will lure him into having few more bites.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

【素菜塞豆腐】Tauhu Sumbat (Vegetable Stuffed Tofu)


又是每年一度的斋戒月了,我成长的国家是个回教国,每年的斋戒月我们非回教徒都会自觉的不在回教徒朋友面前吃东西喝水,斋戒月在那里也是个大事,在这个月内每天傍晚大街小巷都会突然出现很多大大小小的路边摊,都是家庭主妇和小贩们做的美食和小吃,斋戒了一整天的回族朋友们会在放工后买好食品饮料带回家和家人一起开斋。

这样的盛会当然不仅仅是回教徒的盛会,在那个多元种族的国家,华裔,印度裔和其他民族也会趁这个机会一起享受美食。很多人还会呼朋唤友到小摊子买许多好吃的一起到公园里野餐呢!

这两个星期我的FB页面上满满的都是朋友们买来开斋的美食的照片。忍不住我也想弄点家乡的小吃来解解馋了。今天做的这款塞豆腐超级简单,也相对的健康,是我自小就很喜欢的马来美食,沾上好吃的泰式甜辣酱,我一口气可以吃两只哦!

It's the Ramadhan month again, my FB page was flooded with all the yummy foods my friends back home bought from the street and night market, it got me craving for the street foods back home so much that I decided to make this stuffed tofu at home today. It is my favourite street foods from Malay stalls and it goes so well with my homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce 

Monday, July 14, 2014

Rajma Masala (Curried Kidney Bean)【炖大红豆】


Rajma was the very first Indian food I learnt to cook, and remained one of my best dishes. The funniest thing is that I realized I have never write a recipe of it after all these years.
Its about time.. I guess.

The secret to a good pot of Rajma (Kidney Bean Stew) is in the simmer, the longer you simmer it, the better it taste!

Rajma是印度北方尤其是邦杰邦的一个家常菜,大红豆有很好的纤维素,是个高营养的杂粮。平时炖上一锅大红豆,可以净吃,可以配米饭和面饼,还可以稍微压成泥,和玉米片一起当零食呢!

这个豆子做法不难,主要是火候要足。从前莫卧儿王朝的厨师们每天夜晚休息前会把一锅大红豆处理好,加盖密封然后放到已经燃烧一整天的Tandoor炉子上,火不扑灭,让炉子剩余的炭火慢慢焖炖,开始炉子的火还是旺的,然后渐渐熄灭火苗变得越来越小,最后,就剩下残留的遗温慢慢焖炖。

这就是这个豆子炖得特别香的诀窍了。第二天一早,厨子们再升火炉之前。一锅火候十足,味道十足的Rajma就已经炖好啦!

Friday, July 11, 2014

Pickled Green Chillies(Chili Hijau Jeruk) 【泡青辣椒】


Mom went back to Malaysia the night before. I had to leave A with N when I sent mom to the airport as he was suffering sore throat and fever. On our drive to the airport, mom keeps on talking about how bad she felt leaving A when he is not well. It made me very emotional and felt equally bad for A as he has accustomed to a life style with grandma where they spent a lot of fun time out door walking and playing.

I was feeling terribly down after coming back from the airport, I was also exhausted from not having enough sleeps for days. A was cranky at night and was not able to sleep, one night I had to sit downstairs in the sofa holding him the whole night as he couldn't lie flat on bed to sleep and refused to leave me.

Having mom home for the pass few months was so much better and she took care of many things while I care for A, not having her around leave me feeling very sad and somewhat empty. I cried a couple of times at night and missing her so much already.

Yesterday when I was going through my fridge to find ingredients for dinner, I saw this green chilies that mom bought to make Stuffed Chilies earlier, it is still slightly more than half packet left. I decided to make this chili pickle that is known to accompany most Malaysian dishes.

Guess Wonton noodle the Malaysian style is going to show up in my dining table soon!

妈妈前晚回国去了,刚好碰上俊宝发烧不舒服的时候,好几天没睡好的我突然面对离愁更加难受。机场回来看见摆在餐桌上妈妈下午做好的晚饭,还没开吃我的眼泪就止不住了。我也知道妈妈想家,思念爸爸,担心爸爸寂寞孤单,所以老安慰自己说,妈妈回去和家人团聚,那里有她的社交圈子,膝下有一大群孙子孩子,她更快乐,更充实啊!

但是这个世界上,再没有人会那么心疼我了,俊宝生病不肯躺着睡,俊爸又出差了。我没办法只好一整夜的抱着在楼下哄,妈妈也因此一夜没睡好,一夜下来查看好几次,接手抱孩子,让我有喘口气休息的机会。写到这里我又禁不住泪流满面,虽说现在科技发达天天也可以视频说话,但是有妈妈在身边的我,心里踏实,感觉特别幸福啊!

昨天做饭的时候发现冰箱里还有妈妈留下的大半包青椒,刚好今天天气很好,阳光充足,很适合做这款腌青椒,是不少马来西亚面食不可少的配料。于是我就边和妈妈视频,边做了这个腌青椒啦!

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Coffee Ice cubes & Ice Coffee


My mom is a coffee lover and she craves for coffee most afternoon, so we sort of starting a routine of having afternoon coffee ever since she is here.

I got a bag of very good organic coffee from BJ's the other day, when it is brewing, the kitchen smells like a coffee house. 

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Mooli Paratha (Radish Pancake) 【全麦香辣萝卜丝馅饼】



Mooli paratha is another type of paratha well loved by Indian. I make this mooli paratha quite frequently for breakfast at home.

I also modify the recipe a little to make it less oily and healthier. Thus, this is a lot less in calories compared to the famous potato and cheese/paneer Paratha.

馅饼是印度人很喜欢的早点,也适合作为下午茶的点心.这个萝卜馅饼的做法很多,网上的食谱都有个问题,就是要先把萝卜丝和香料用油煸炒过再裹入面皮里。
这个做法很容易漏馅,面饼也不好擀开.我在方子上做了点调整,味道很好,还没了油腻漏馅的问题.
喜欢萝卜馅饼的朋友可以试试这个香辣版的罗!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

印度面食之二【多层面饼】Plain Paratha - Type 2

北印家里平时吃的圆形烙饼在和面做饼的时候不加任何东西,只在全麦粉里加上一点盐和水,合成软面团,抹上一点点酥油防干裂,这样的面团擀成圆饼烙的叫做RotiChapati

抹上酥油分层做出不同形状煎的叫做Plain Paratha。裹入不同的馅料做成的馅饼叫做Stuffed Paratha,印度语里就根据馅的名称叫做xx Paratha Roti/chapati是不加油铁饼上烙成的,而Paratha则是煎制而成的,所以成品会香很多。

今天给大家介绍一种在印度家庭常做的多層煎饼。

A couple of years back a lady posted a "Chapati" post on the website I frequent, it was all good, but the bread she posted was really a Paratha rather than Chapati, I tried to explain her the difference. To my surprised, she took it very defensively and told me that she can't be wrong, mainly because her neighbor, who is originally from Hyderabad was her teacher in this matter. Who am I to argue with an Indian origin, right?

After that episode I have been meaning to write about paratha and Chapati, my plan is to write about three different ways to make plain paratha. And here is the second type of plain paratha.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

【芋头糕】Steamed Yam Cake/Orh Kuih



芋头糕,萝卜糕和金瓜糕是星马人经常在早餐和茶点吃的糕点。我们喜欢把糕点沾上特制的叁巴辣椒酱或甜酱,再配上一杯浓浓的咖啡乌(就是不加奶只加糖的黑咖啡),实在是简单又风味十足的茶点。

This was my all time favourate for breakfast and teatime. I never fail to get one from the Pasar malam or morning market whenever I sees one. But the sad thing is, even in Malaysia, a good Yam cake is still hard to come by.

This version I made didn't call for dark soy sauce, it is whitish in color. The one we normally had back home is brown in color, their taste are similar, with or without dark soy sauce.