The Best of Both Worlds -- Home Made Soy Milk and Soy Bean Idli

I recently joined a chat-room formed by a group of Chinese-Indian couples, and came to know that many of them who stayed in China have problem finding Urad dal (small black bean). The main ingredient for Idli the south Indian Steamed Rice cake.

So I came up with the idea to make this steam cake from Soy and black bean, the common legumes used in China to make soy milk and tofu.

This way I could have my soy milk and my idli at the same time!

Coconut Chutney For Idli and Dosa 【南印椰子酱】

Coconut Chutney is my husband’s favorite accompaniment to go with south Indian snacks like dosas and idlis. He loves his idli and dosa with coconut chutney and sambar.

南印椰子酱是俊爸吃米豆发糕和米豆煎饼时很喜欢的一款沾酱，和酸豆汤还有辣椒豆粉一起堪称为南印点心的金三角哦！

Minced Meat Steamed Egg【肉末蒸雞蛋】

This steamed egg with minced meat was my maternal grand mother's recipe. I loved mixing it with steam white rice before eating.

My son A also loves to eat rice with this steamed egg, he could finished one whole bowl of rice whenever I make this!

Chicken porridge/Congee 【鸡肉粥】

I liked to make a big pot of congee whenever I am home alone, it serves as breakfast, lunch and sometimes even dinner!!

To make it more nutritious, I often add carrot pieces and vegetables, it is very easy to digest and easy to prepare.

我喜欢喝粥，有了宝宝之后更是经常地熬一锅粥和宝宝一起吃。鸡肉粥是经常熬的一种粥，有时也加点胡萝卜，青菜换着花样吃，是个容易消化也很好准备的食物。

【烤箱版"炸“鸡】Oven Baked “Fried Chicken”

这个“炸鸡”食谱是多年前在私房看见的，原食谱已不可考，只记得做法非常好，每次馋炸鸡我就会做一次。我家的配方是根据自己口味配的，偏辣，味道很是不错呢！

This spicy oven baked "fried" chicken is a real treasure I found from a Chinese website, I can't really remember the original recipe anymore. I whipped up this version using the method I remembered from reading the recipe earlier. It turned out sooo yumm!

I particularly love the way it was made without a drop of oil and still turned out to be crunchy, just the way I liked my fried chicken to be!

Masala Dosa/மசால் தோசை【米豆糊馅饼】

Masala Dosa (மசால் தோசை) is a very famous snack/breakfast in Southern part of India.

When I made homemade Idli/Dosa batter at home, I will use it for Idli the first two days as the batter is at its fluffiest form and is less sourish. Dosa/Tosai or Uttapam will be on the menu third day onward when the batter turned a little more sourish and less fluffy.

这款馅饼/Masala Dosa是印度南部的小食，有好几位网友写信问我会不会做，刚好前几天做了一罐的米豆蒸糕/米豆煎饼面，今天就做了这款馅饼做早饭。

Oat & Barley Adai

This Adai is made of whole grains and mixed pulses, it also requires no fermentation, a very nutritious and healthy choice for breakfast or snack time.

Dan Dan Noodle (Spicy Sichuan Noodles)

N and I both loved this Spicy noodles, we will surely order one whenever we visited Sichuan restaurant.

I made a box of Sichuan style spicy minced meat this morning and used it for this Dan Dan noodle, it is so yummy and satisfying!

Spinach Paratha (Palak Paratha)

Spinach Paratha is a good way to sneak in healthy greens into meals, adding a little sesame seeds gave it a hint of nutty flavor and some added nutrients.

A very nutritious and beautiful looking bread it is!

Homemade Chinese/Sichuan Red Oil

Chinese Red oil or fragrance chilli oil is an essential ingredients for many Chinese dishes, it also serves well as condiment and sauce as Chinese Style of Salad/Cold dishes/Starter. 

It is pretty simple to make it at home, just to make sure you use good quality of Chili powder/flakes and spices.

Sambar (Mixed Vegetable Sambar)

Sambar is a very common south Indian lentil dish made with tamarind and fragrant spices, it is a good dish to go with most South Indian snacks/breakfast such as idli, dosa, uttapam and Vada.

Palak Moong Dal (Sprouted Moong bean Spinach Soup)

Pulses when slightly sprouted is at its nutrients height and is generally known to be good for health, together with spinach, this dish makes a complete and nutritious vegetarian dish!

【番茄酸奶】Tomato Raita （Yogurt and Tomato Condiment）

各种酸奶是印度饮食习惯中很重要的一环，印度人相信酸奶营养价值很高，还帮助消化。这道番茄酸奶很简单，可是是很多主食的配菜喔！

Raita is a kind of condiment that goes with almost every Indian dishes. It is believed that it aids digestion and is very high in nutrients.

This tomato raita is easy to make and taste very well, a good side dish indeed.

【印度米豆发糕】Idli/Idly （Idli/Dosa Batter recipe)

这个米豆蒸糕是我在印度的时候很喜欢的一个早餐，健康营养，全天然发酵的做法对肠胃非常的好，很容易消化，是素食很好的一个选择。发酵过的米豆糊带有天然的酵菌，容易消化，对肠胃很好的哦！

Idli used to be my breakfast everyday for a long time when I first visited India, I find it very light and nutritious. I was also amazed by the way the dough was prepared when I started preparing it at home, it is so natural and simple, yet the result is so intriguing.

Homemade idli/Dosa dough is so useful and could be made into different kind of snacks easily, the mix could be used for :Dosa,Uttapam, Besan Uttapam and Fried Idli.

Idli Milagai Podi (Gun Powder）

I had this powder the very first time in Bangalore, in a small tiny Biryani Chain near my then home, and almost instantly fell in love with the nutty, spicy and flavourful taste!

Shanghainese Scallion Oil Noodles

I had this noodle the first time at a gathering with my Chinese friends in NJ.

It was brought in by a Shanghainese friend, it is so tasty that I had way too much of this noodle that evening and made sure I had the recipe before leaving the party!

Teow Cheow Salted Pork Belly 【潮州咸煎肉】

This Teow Cheow Salted Pork Belly recipe was given by a friend, it is a secret recipe passed down for generations in the family.

I didn't think such simple ingredients and preparation method could bring very tasty result.

But oh! Am I pleased that I was so wrong!

Banana Bread Baked By my 3 year old

My son A has been showing a lot of interest in baking lately. Since I have a few ripe bananas lying around at home, I decided to let him bake a simple banana bread.

We had a lot of fun baking and video taping!

Ribs Congee--Grandma's Recipe 【外婆的排骨粥（咸糜）】

This Congee is one fond memory I had with my maternal grandmother, she cooks very traditional and tasty Hokkien Cuisine, and this Congee is one of them.

I used to fight my brother for the ribs, and now... I much prefer the tofu in it.

这个排骨粥是小时候一个很温馨的记忆，外婆（姥姥）家离我们家不远，每个周末我们都要到外婆家玩，外婆总会做好多好吃的等着我们。

外婆做的菜都很传统，有着浓浓的闽南味道。每次做这个粥，外婆都要一大早去菜市场买猪小排和粉肠，然后我和表妹会被安排剪鱿鱼丝。

现在每次自己做这个粥，都仿佛是时光倒流，回到无忧无虑的小时候。外公和外婆已经作古十几年了，可他们留给儿孙们的爱，却是十几年的不变，永远地留在我们心间。

Oven baked Naan bread 【烤箱版印度馕】

I have tried several recipes for homemade naan, and this is by far the best I have made at home.  Add sesame, garlic or cheese to make different types of naan, it is yummy hot bread straight out of your oven!

我尝试过好几个烤箱版的印度馕食谱，出来的效果都不错，但这次用的食谱做出来的食谱最好。虽然家里的烤箱没办法达到印度Tandoor烤箱的800-1000华氏度高温，因此烤制时间被迫加长，因为面团含水量高，烤出来的馕仍然达到外酥内嫩的效果，非常好吃。

食谱根据以下网站调整:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/grilled-naan-recipe

Boondi Raita (Chick Pea Crisp in Yogurt)

Raita is a good thing to have during summer, especially summer in India.

There are many ways to prepare raita and this is one of them. It is easy to prepare with ready made Boondi from the shop, it is also a good side dish to go with rice or Chapati.

Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste

Many Indian recipes called for ginger garlic paste and I normally keep a bottle of shop bought ginger garlic paste at home to serve that purpose.

I saw a few bloggers making this ginger garlic paste at home recently, and was interested to try it out. When the last bit of my shop bought ginger and garlic paste used up,  I went to shop for lots and lots of ginger and garlic and off to make some of my own.

Evverything I made using this homemade ginger garlic paste turned out sooooo good! No kidding!

【薑蔥火雞片】Ginger Spring Onion Turkey Stir-fry

前两天去Wholefood的时候看见火鸡腿肉打折，买了一盒回来，做姜葱火鸡片，这个做法也可以做鹿肉、猪肉、牛肉、鸡肉和鱼肉。都很好吃哦！ 

I saw this very nice turkey thigh on sales at Wholefood last week, so I bought a box to make this very tasty Ginger Spring Onion Turkey Stir fry, you could use the same method to prepare chicken, pork, beef and fish.

【瓦煲姜鸡块】Claypot Ginger Chicken

天凉了我就老是要咳嗽，吃点姜对身体好。所以就做了一个砂煲姜鸡做晚餐.

It is getting colder by the day, so I decided to make something gingerly to warm up the body. It is also a very simple one pot dish that could be served with steamed rice.

Penang Char Kuey Teow 【槟城炒粿条】

CKT a.k.a Chat Kuey Teow is notably the most famous street food in Malaysia/Penang. It is a dish that one must try visiting Malaysia and Penang. It is also a dish that almost all Malaysian overseas missed!

With a good cast iron wok, fresh ingredients and the "secret sauce", you can replicate this yummy dish at home under 5 minutes!

Just try to make 1-2 plates at a time, when it comes to making Char Kuey Teow, the more isn't always the merrier! Making smaller portion allows the flat noodle to be heated evenly and more "Wok Hei" (literally translated as "Breath of Wok" ) or the taste of charred could be added into the flavor of the dish!

作为槟城/马来美食的代表，炒粿条是到槟城旅游不可不吃的美食，也是马来西亚人平时不可少的早午晚餐。这款炒粉除了对酱汁和材料有所要求之外，还特别讲究火候。

“镬气”是炒粿条好吃的关键，所以用一好的锅子(最好是铸铁锅）做这款炒粉，份量尽量控制在1-2人份，就可以让你在家做出大炒摊子的效果哦！

Roti Jala (Malaysian Style Lacy Crepe) 【网饼】

Roti Jala is traditionally eaten with Mutton or Beef curry, I made this Malaysian net crepe to go with my Mamak Mutton Curry.

I do not have the mould to make this Roti Jala, so I made one using a disposable cup, and it works just fine!

这个网饼根据传统是必须和牛肉咖喱或者羊肉咖喱一起吃的。我为明天的聚餐做了羊肉咖喱，所以就兴起做网饼的主意。在马来西亚它有专门的模来做这个饼，模因为有尖尖的嘴，做出来的网饼很漂亮。

可我没把模具带到美国来，所以就自己做了一个简易的模子。出来效果很是不错哦！

Homemade Red Wine - As easy as I can recipe

We visited a Korean Farm last year when mom and my brother visited the States. The farm had very good wine grapes on sale, so I bought 5 lbs to try making red wine with my brother.

Though I did harvest the wine after 21 days. It was bottled and kept for 1 year before tasting.

Since I am just making it for fun and mainly to satisfied my curiosity, I didn't go too technical with my approach, neither did I invested in any expensive tools. I just took extra care to make sure the utensils and glass jar are sanitized and super clean.

【瓦煲雞飯】Clay Pot Chicken Rice

在吉隆坡工作的时候，很常吃的晚餐就是瓦煲鸡饭加上一罐炖汤，简单而且美味。

记忆最深的瓦煲鸡饭档是在Subang Jaya的一家餐厅，厨师在一排炉子上放好一整排的瓦煲，然后在白米咕嘟咕嘟的滚着的时候，加入腌好的鸡肉。我坐在一边观望着，一边迫不及待地想像着美味。

这，是我对家乡一个很清晰的记忆。

This clay pot rice used to be my dinner choice when I was working in KL, I like it with a bowl of soup. It almost always instantly brought me back to memory lane.

【自製豬油/豬油渣】 Pork Lard & Crackling (Chu Yao Zha/猪油渣)

我这阵子一直馋马来西亚大排档卖的一种炒粗面条，叫做炒大碌面，也叫炒福建面。这款炒面最关键的就是必须要有熬制香脆的猪油渣，不然味道会差很多。 

 为了做这个炒面，我去亚洲超市买菜的时候就问猪肉摊子的大叔有没有猪板油，结果人家不卖那个。我就在想了，这里的猪板油都到哪里了？

后来终于给我在另外一家亚洲超市买到了猪板油，马上就熬制了猪油和猪油渣。 然后就开始考虑猪油是不是要拿来做个酥皮点心还是什么的，吃货就是这样的不怕艰难呀！

I wanted to make the good old Stir Fried Hokkian Mee (Dai Lok Mee) for the longest of time. What really puts the plan off was this particular ingredient --- Chu Yao Zha (Cracklings from rendered Pork Lard).

The additio of this crackling to the dish is so crucial that I personally think it is the heart and soul to a good plate of Stir Fried Hokkian Mee!

I finally found pork fat in the local Chinese supermarket and manage to make some pork lard and cracklings. You bet that Hokkian Mee will be soon to be in sight.

Pig Maw/Stomach with White Pepper Soup 【胡椒猪肚汤】

As the days get cooler and shorter, few dishes warms the heart and soul like a good bowl of soup.

The Chinese believes in supplementing skin and body with extra moisture with soups made with different herbs and cooking materials.

Pig Maw/Stomach with White Pepper Soup is one of those, it is also used in confinement time (after baby delivery) for white pepper is believed to be able to get rid of "cold wind/air" in the body, thus protecting the body from catching cold.

天气渐渐的凉了，秋天的味道是越来越浓了。随着冷冽的空气带来的是干燥的气候，是时候熬点热汤，除了暖胃还可以润润身体。这款胡椒猪肚汤因为能够御寒暖身，所以也是月子里可以喝的一道汤品哦！

Thai Basil with Minced Meat/Pad Ka-Prao (ผัดกะเพรา) 【泰式打抛肉】

Ka Prao literally means the Holy Basil in Thai. It is an erect, many branched subshrub with hairy stems and somewhat crinkled green or purple leaves that are strongly scented, it is spicier in taste compared to the common Thai basil that many Thai dishes used.

Since Ka Prao is hard to come by in the Asian supermarkets here, many restaurants opted for the common Thai basil for this dish, though it is fine in the taste, it is technically no longer a "Ka Prao" in my opinion as the green leaves uses is not Ka Prao.

I had to grow my own Holy basil this year since I really missed the real Ka Prao that I had in Thailand. I bought two Tulsi/Tulasi plants in the earlier months from the Indian supermarket, as I figured that they are nothing but Ka Prao/Holy Basil not long ago!

The plants are doing very well and yield good leaves which allowed me to make my favorite Kra Pao dish several times already.

I had made Ka Prao using minced Chicken, Turkey and Pork, all turned out very nice and tasty. I may even try fish soon if the plants able to give me another batch of harvest before winter!

Ka Prao 在泰语里是一种叫圣罗勒的香叶，它也是印度人喜爱的一种保健植物，它印度名字叫做Tulsi或Tulasi。它是一种唇形科罗勒属植物，紫色或绿色的叶子带有浓郁的香气，枝干和叶子带点毛，味道比更广为人知的九层塔/金不换稍微辛辣但更清香。

泰国以外的地区因为不容易找到圣罗勒叶，所以几乎所有的泰国餐厅都用了九层塔代替圣罗勒来做这道菜，味道当然也是不错的，不过和真正的泰式打抛肉还是有点差距，而且应该也不能叫做Ka Prao了，因为用的不是Ka Prao叶啊！

今年春天我在印度超市买了两棵的圣罗勒幼苗，许多印度人喜欢栽种一棵圣罗勒在家，每天吃几瓣叶子，他们相信圣罗勒有很高的保健价值，能够预防哮喘，心血管疾病和感冒等等。

今年的夏天因为雨水蛮足的而且气温一直保持在八，九十度左右，所以我的两棵圣罗勒都长得非常好，让我能做好几次的鸡肉，猪肉和火鸡肉Ka Prao。我还有点贪心的希望入冬以前我可以再收成做一次鱼肉Ka Prao呢！

Fried Garlic & Garlic Oil 【蒜酥 & 蒜油】

Fried garlic and garlic oil are essential in many noodles soup and soup dishes in South East Asia, especially in Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines, It not only add good aroma and flavors to soups, it also adds nice crunch to "gon lou" a dried version of noodles.

Fried garlic is traditionally made in a frying pan, since I do not use garlic oil in big quantity and not as frequently, I discovered that making small batch in the microwave is simple, quick and hassle free!

蒜酥和蒜油是东南亚许多面食必须要有的调料之一，尤其是汤粉类。它不仅仅给汤粉带来特殊的香气，还带来酥脆的口感，实在是有画龙点睛的效果哦！

蒜油传统都是锅子里小火炸酥的，一般家里不会用得特别多，所以可以小量的在微波炉里做一点，方便又简单，而且还不必洗锅子呢！

【叁巴沙丁鱼】Spicy Sardine Sambal With Potatoes

这阵子天气渐渐凉了，就老想着吃一些暖胃的菜，这道叁巴沙丁鱼是以前在马来西亚的时候很喜欢做的一道菜，是傍晚懒得去菜市场的时候加菜的好选择。

The weather is getting colder by the day, so I have been craving for some spicy dishes that could warm the body and my heart for quite some times.

So I made this Spicy Sardine Sambal with Potatoes today, it is a good dish to help improving appetite and a dish often  made back home shall the stock in the fridge run low.

It is so simple and quick that it could be made under 15 minutes.

【怡保鸡丝河粉】Ipoh Kai Si Hor Fun

我是长到大约十岁，跟着外公外婆到北马旅行时，在怡保吃到这款面食我才知道米浆制作的这个粉条也叫“河粉", 米浆制作的粉条在我们那旮旯一直都是叫做“粿条”的。

至于为什么它只有在马来西亚北方的怡保（市）才会被叫做“河粉”呢？

那就要追溯到华侨下南洋的历史了，当年下南洋的华侨一批一批的，广东人，客家人，潮州人，福建人，到步后很自然的就奔着老乡们去了。后来逐渐地，北方的槟城变成了潮州/福建人的聚居地，中部靠北的怡保，还有吉隆坡就变成了广东人的集聚地，南方的马六甲，柔佛则福建人和客家人比较多。这样的分布其实很容易地就可以从马来西亚各地的华人美食看出来。

再回到为什么只有怡保的米粉条叫做河粉，很可能是第一代的老华侨里有广州沙河镇来的移民，发现怡保这个地方被岩石山岭环，山里的泉水和广州家乡的九龙泉水类似，很适合制作河粉。于是就这样，怡保产出来马来西亚最有名的河粉了，它很薄，而且滑润透明，爽软韧筋，质量非常好。至今仍然有许多的北马人坚持只有怡保才有正宗的“怡保河粉”，其它的都是粿条呢！

这款鸡丝河粉我想念了很久，但是一直找不到比较好的新鲜河粉，而且一如其他马来西亚的面食那样，工序非常繁琐，所以就一直没有做它。我这里只能买到吃越南粉用的细米粉，如果你住的地方买得到2-3厘米宽的新鲜粿条/河粉，强烈建议你用那种哦！

 I didn't grow up eating Hor Fun -- which is what flat rice noodle is called in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, especially in Ipoh. This type of noodle is called "Kuey Teow" in my part of the world.

The first time I heard the term "Hor Fun" was probably when I was around 10 years old, sometimes around long school holidays when my maternal grandparents brought us to visit Penang and en-route to Ipoh for the good foods that the town is known for.

Though not a big fan of soupy Kuey Teow a.k.a Hor Fun, this dish caught my fancy the first time I tried it, the noodles are smooth and the broth so full of flavors.

My FB friend Ivan posted his version of this Hor Fun on his page not long ago and it really got me craving for a good bowl of this noodle for sometimes. So one fine day I finally gathered enough ingredients (and courage) to go through the lengthy process just to prepare a bowl of this hearty noodle soup.

Try using the rice noodle which is 2-3 mm thick if you can find it, I strongly suggest to use only the fresh noodles, unfortunately the only fresh Hor Fun I could get in the nearby supermarket is thin rice stick noodle, not ideal but at least it is fresh! The dried version just won't cut it. 

【Chai Buey 菜尾】 （Sourish Spicy Vegetables Soup/Stew)

这道菜的名字应该要用闽南话来念, “Chai Buey”在闽南语里就是“剩菜”的意思，这么一说，听起来就不像很好吃的样子，可殊不知这道菜是许多马来西亚家庭过节时最喜欢的一道菜。

这道菜通常在春节年初三的时候做，为什么是年初三呢？因为自除夕夜的年夜饭至年初一、二连续三天的大鱼大肉之后，冰箱里大概已经堆积下许多吃不完的肉菜，而大伙儿的肠胃也快开始吃不消了。

这道菜的主要调味料亚参片/Assam keping--"Garcinia Cambogia", 是一种亚热带产的酸果，在东南亚经常拿来入菜，因为它味酸，有开胃消脂的作用，西方许多天然减肥产品里都带有这个果子的成份，它可堪称为东南亚的山楂呢！

过节时在家来一碗菜尾，即开胃消食又不浪费，是不是很能代表闽南人&客家人节俭又勤奋的传统呢？这道菜因为各家用的剩菜都不一样，所以每家每次做出来的味道也都稍微有点不同，让这道菜更耐人寻味呢！

The name Chai Buey literally means 'leftovers', in many Malaysian Chinese households, this is one of the essential parts of the any celebration especially Chinese new year, after days of cooking and eating big (meat) meals for celebration, all we and our stomach want is probably just a simple easy to digest dish.

This dish is also a very clever way to use leftover meat dishes, the main ingredient used in this dish is Assam keping--"Garcinia Cambogia", a potent ingredient that gave the dish its distinctive sourish taste. Assam Keping/Garcinia Cambogia is also used to aid digestion and weight control in the west, you can find it in capsule forms too.

By the sound of it, you can already feel that this dish is not only delicious, it also gives our overworked digest system a much needed break during the weeks long of celebration.

Preparing it is also easy and effortless, it is just a matter of adding all the leftover meat dishes and vegetables into a big pot and simmer until everything is tender and flavor well blended. The Assam keping and dried chilies came in to give it a sourish and spicy kick. Since the leftover dishes added may be different every time every household, we can safely say that this dish could turn out slightly different every time it is made!

Which is another reason why it is so enticing!

Toddler Meal -- Mini Turkey Bagel Burger

This homemade Mini Turkey Bagel Burger is low in fat, healthy and delicious!
Serve it with apple "fries" to make it a wholesome and yummy meal for toddler.

Mee Kari/Curry Mee 【马来咖喱面】

Being out of Malaysia means a good bowl of curry mee is hard to come by, even back home though, it is getting harder to find good curry mee around. Too many hawker owners either taking shortcuts in preparing the broth or using inferior ingredients to prepare the dish.

I received multiple requests for the recipe for this dish over the years and made too many rain-checks that I am starting to feel guilty.

It took me sometimes to finally work on it for gathering ingredients itself takes quite a bit of time, the actual cooking process too is no brisk walk, it is tedious and lengthy.

But it was so well worth it when I finally got to sit down to enjoy a bowl of this delicious dish, craving fixed and recipe recorded. Sigh of relief!!

叻沙/咖喱面是马来美食里一个很有代表性的面食，汤汁鲜香浓郁，加上各种的配料，一碗下肚很容易就大汗淋漓，感觉很爽！

近年来即使在马来西亚也越来越难找到原汁原味的叻沙/咖喱面了。繁琐的工序和多样化的材料让很多小贩都在工序和材料上找捷径, 那些让人缅怀的味道也只有在家不怕麻烦地重寻了。

这些年来我收到不少朋友有关咖喱面/叻沙食谱的询问。也答应过不少的朋友有机会要做一次。但因为汤料费时费事，所以一直都没有机会好好记录。上周刚好有空，就做了这个咖喱面，老公和朋友吃了说非常好！

【芭提雅蛋包饭】Nasi Goreng Pattaya (Pattaya Fried Rice)

这个蛋包饭是马来西亚小食摊相当有名的一道饭食,和美极辣椒酱一起吃很美味。

它其实就是简单的炒饭用蛋饼包上了，卖相马上就特别不一样啦!

This fried rice dish is a very common dish one could find in almost all of the Malay food stalls in Malaysia.

It is basically fried rice wrapped in thin omelets, a very elegant presentation that brought this simple dish to a complete new level!

Toddler Meal -- 3 minutes Microwave Milo Cake

This infamous milo cake has gone viral on our Malaysian in USA group on FB. I made this for AS over the weekend with a little twist of my own.

This cake is so easy that even my 3 year old can do it. (With mommy's assistant of course). I let him measure out the ingredients and do all the stirring work, it was a fun filled math and cooking lessons and great family activity, not to mention yummy and quick!

Steamed Lobak (Radish) Cake 【腊味萝卜糕】

Steamed radish cake (Lobak kuih) is something I never missed when I go for Chinese dim sum. 

It is also not very difficult to make at home, though. You can also turn it into fried lobak kuih the next day, a good breakfast choice I dare say.

萝卜糕是我每次去喝广式早茶必定要点的点心之一，稍稍煎过之后更是香气十，

怎么吃都不够。

萝卜糕在家里制作其实不难，花点时间蒸一盆，还可以变化出炒萝卜糕和鸡蛋萝卜糕呢！是早餐很好的选择。秋天是萝卜丰收的季节，趁萝卜肥美的时候做一盆腊味萝卜糕，早餐就有啦！

【中式烤鸡翅】Chinese Style BBQ Chicken Wings

我喜欢利用家里现有的调料腌制鸡翅，周末时和老公一边看电影一边啃鸡翅，老公说这是中式烤鸡翅。

这款鸡翅做法很简单，腌好烤制即可，非常方便而且无油烟，不加辣椒粉的话，俊宝都能吃三只呢！

I like to create my own version of BBQ sauce using the sauces available at home, hubby called it the Chinese BBQ, it is very tasty even my toddler can eat three at a time!

This easy BBQ chicken wings is our all time favorite, easy to make and a good company to a good movie!

【香辣茄子泥-食谱 2】Baigan Ka Bharta (Mashed Roasted Eggplant)- Recipe 2

俺猪妹妹前些日子给我送来两只她家里种的大茄子，长得比超市买的都好。大茄子水份比较多，也比较甜糯，做中式菜肴比较不适合。

想起不久前和一个巴基斯坦朋友聊起香辣烤茄子，她说印度的做法和巴斯斯坦的做法有点不一样。味道也不太一样，我当时问了她的做法，回家就马上做了这个巴基斯坦式的茄子泥。

果然别有风味，非常好吃呢！材料还更加简单了。

One of my very good friend sent 2 large brinjal/eggplants she harvest last week, the sweet taste and mushy texture of this large eggplant are just perfect for the mashed eggplant recipe I wanted to try for quiet sometimes, this recipe require lesser ingredients and taste better, well...really suite my taste butt !

Tamarind Chutney (Imli ki Chutney)

This sweet chutney is an essential condiment for many snacks in India, it is normally used as a dip or in some cases, as dressing with other types of sauces to make flavorful Chaats.

It can quiet easily made at home and could be stored in airtight container for months.

Toddler Meal -- Homemade Flaxseed Turkey Nuggets

My son AS is all about shapes and play dough recently, he will try to make out shapes of his foods and will eat a lot more if he recognises shapes in his food. He has also started getting more interested in chicken dishes as nuggets being one of them.

I have been wanting to try making something healthier than frozen nuggets for sometimes. Since work is a little relax these days, I made these yummy (and hopefully healthy) turkey nuggets for dinner. 

It turned out really juicy and tasty, AS had fun sorting out shapes and eating!

Microwave Version Of Sambal Belachan

The traditional way of making Sambal Belachan are normally simmering slowly over slow to medium heat until it is fragrance. Those who lives oversea know this is definitely not meant for the western kind of kitchen... the smell of cooking could linger for hours, if not days...

My solution for this is normally to cook my sambal at the backyard during summer time with a electric cooker. For winter,  I tried this microwave version, and it works too!