Friday, June 29, 2018

Karipap Pusing 【螺旋咖喱角】


Karipap Pusing, also called Spiral Curry puff is a fancy version of the very humble karipap that I used to enjoyed as a kid. The spiral pastry gives a good texture and crust to the shell and it just looks a lot more glamorous!

螺旋咖喱角是很有名的马来小吃咖喱角 的升级版,多层次的酥皮更酥脆更好吃,摆盘出来请客也倍儿有范呢!

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Hakka Ban Zong 【客家粄粽/粿粽】


The Hakka Clan is known for their kueh made of glutinous rice/flour and several types of fillings called "Ban". The one stuffed with vegetable is called 'Choi Ban', Choi means vegetable and Ban means cake or kueh in Hakka language. 


As the Hakka is known to make Ban in almost all their celebrations and festivals, it is not surprising that they also celebrate Duan Wu/ Dragon Boat festival with a dumpling version of Ban, called "Ban Zong" or "Kueh Zhang" in Hakka language. It is basically 'Choi Ban' wrapped in dumpling leaves and shaped like a dumpling. A very unique way to enjoy Ban, and dumplings at the same time! 


Note: I have earlier made one of the type of Hakka Kueh called "Ai Ban", a common dish eaten somewhere around Ching Ming Festival/Tomb Sweeping Day. Ai Ban's skin/wrapper is made with glutinous rice flour, adding some mugwort leaves (艾草)and the filling is normally dried radish.


客家人制作的粄远近驰名,他们还会按不同季节盛产的食材制作不同的粄。譬如清明节时盛产艾草,就会制作好吃的‘艾粄.’ 春天竹林里收集的竹笋制作成笋干,秋冬季节可以做成‘笋粄’等等。

至于端午节,当然就要制作一个富有意义的粄粽(也叫粿粽)啦!粿粽是粽子和客家粄的完美结合,既享用了好吃的菜粄,又庆祝了端午,真是一举两得!



Monday, June 11, 2018

Red Date Zongzi/Dumplings 红枣粽


It will be Duanwu/Dragon boat festival in a week's time. One of the ways to celebrate the festival is to make and enjoy some Zongzi/dumplings. 

Zongzi is traditionally made with glutinous rice and different kind of fillings wrapped in leaves of bamboo or Reed leaves, which give very unique aroma to the glutinous rice and its fillings. 

Choices of fillings vary vastly in China in regions. Northern regions in China prefer sweet or dessert-styled zongzi. Southern regions in China prefer savory zongzi, with a variety of fillings including marinated pork belly, salted duck eggs and chestnuts. 

As I am a southern Chinese decent, I have only had the savory type of zongzi back home, it was not until I came to the USA that I learnt there are many other types of Sweet zongzi, including this Red date zongzi. 

再一周就是端午节了,每年端午节我都要做几款粽子和朋友分享,一起过节。身为闽南人的我,从小吃的就是闽南肉粽娘惹粽两种咸口味的粽子。直到出国后才发现原来粽子也有甜的,也别有风味。

今天做的这款枣粽带有粽叶的清香和红枣葡萄干的香甜,非常软糯好吃。


Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Assam Pedas Fish 【亚参鱼】


Assam Pedas' direct translation in English is “sour spicy”. It is a classic Malaysian dish that almost every housewives in Malaysia will have their own recipes for Assam Pedas.

Albeit endless versions of the recipe, one thing never change, that is : It has to be sour, spicy and burst with flavor in the mouth!

亚参鱼是一道非常家常的马来(西亚)菜。在马来西亚,几乎家家户户都会有自己独特的食谱和烹饪方式。

虽然食材和烹饪方式有些变化,不变的是这道菜的味道:酸辣开胃,丰富的味道让人欲罢不能哦!

Friday, June 1, 2018

Chinese Style Prawn Fritters 【炸虾饼】



One of the famous supper choices in my hometown is this Chinese Style Prawn Fritters. The hawker selling this also sells fried tofu, fried fish cakes/balls and the likes.

To order a plate of fried goodies from the stall and dip into their special Sweet sauce and Chili sauce was one luxury thing to do as a kid. Probably one reason this snack still holds a very special place in my heart.

I have attempted a few times on this fritters but the recipes I followed are mostly flawed, they failed to deliver the taste and texture of the fritters as I remembered.

I recently found out that the Asian supermarket near my house is carrying the fresh water shrimps that is perfect for this shrimp fritters. I brought a packet home and this time, is determined to create a recipe of my own.

The result is amazing and I just have to write the recipe down right away!

年少时周末口袋里要是有几毛钱,一般就会呼朋唤友到离家不远的小摊子吃夜宵。我最喜欢的一款夜宵就是这个炸虾饼,摊子老板也会同时卖炸豆腐炸鱼丸等等炸物。

点上一盘炸虾饼和炸物,沾着老板特制的辣椒酱和甜酱,边吃边和朋友聊天调侃,是那个年代最简单的乐趣。

出国之后我尝试炸过几次虾饼,尝试过的食谱我都不甚满意。前不久在亚洲超市发现了泰国进口的冷冻小河虾,最适合拿来做炸虾饼。让我又忍不住想再试试这款炸虾饼。

今天设计出来的食谱非常棒,做出来的炸虾饼非常好吃,必须得写个帖子记录一下。