Toddler Food -- Scissor Noodle

I made this Scissor noodle for Arjun when I made Pan Mee/Mee Hun Kueh, this noodle is made using scissor, much easier to shape than pan mee, and it is just nice in size for a toddler to scoop or handle.

He loves this meal so much that he keep pointing to the noodle when I fed him!

Pan Mee a.k.a Mee Hun Kueh【板面/面粉糕】

Some called it "Min Hun Kueh" Some called it "Ban Mee". It has dried and soupy version, some like one more than another, but I have yet to come across any Malaysian who doesn't like Ban Mee!

Oh well of course beside my cousin Jeisry who hates literally anything made with flour... well but THAT is exceptional!

在马来西亚，有把这个面食叫做“面粉糕”，也有人叫它“板面”。它是个老少咸宜、大街小巷都可以找到的食物。也是家家户户经常做的一道家常面食。它使用的材料简单，做法也不难，一个小时内就能整一锅让一大家子饱食一顿呢！

板面有干捞（拌）和汤面两种选择，一般的配料就是香菇肉燥，肉丸子，肉末，青菜（油菜心、树子菜、青江菜，绿叶蔬菜都可以），还有炸脆江鱼仔和红葱酥。 朝天椒和酱油也是不可或缺的沾酱哦！

【葱头油/葱酥】Shallot oil & Fried Shallots

Shallot oil and fried Shallots are two essentials in many of the Malaysian and Singaporean dishes, it was a tradition brought forward from China generations ago by the Min Nan clan from Fujian province. It is so important that many families actually keep a bottle of this oil in the kitchen all the time.

The Taiwanese and Thai too use fried shallots in their cuisine, but they use more of the fried shallot itself and like it crunchy and crispy, thus the oil and fried shallots are stored separately to retain crispiness. We Malaysian used it more for its potent fragrance, thus it is almost always stored together with the oil.

I normally make this fried shallot and oil in small batches as I don't need big quantity in cooking. When I do need it in bulk though, I will slow fry it in wok. More often than not, I "fry" it using microwave, it is fast and easy, resulting in same if not better fried shallots!

葱头油是许多星马泰美食的必备搭档，从面食米饭到糕点小吃都少不了它。身为闽南人的我自小对厨房的记忆就是家里的油罐子旁边一定会另外有带盖的玻璃罐，里边装的就是这个葱头油，用完了妈妈就会花点时间再熬制一罐，它在闽南人的心目中绝对是调味料里的必需品哦！ 

台湾和泰国一般喜欢用葱酥，炸得酥酥的葱酥和葱油分开储存，在马来西亚，葱酥和葱油是一起用的，更着重的是它的香气而不是酥酥的口感，所以一般就是葱酥和葱油一起储存的。 

我平时如果做糕点裹粽子什么的，需要大量的葱酥的时候就会用锅子慢火炸葱酥，但一般用的量不是很大的时候我都用微波炉叮，出来的效果很好，还便捷呢！

馬來西亞國民早餐 【半生熟蛋】Malaysian Style Half Boiled Eggs

前几天在一个马来西亚论坛参与了讨论怎么做这个生熟蛋才最好吃。生熟蛋看似很简单，可是要做得恰到好处可就不容易了。

这个蛋如果做得好，蛋白是半凝固的，完全看不见蛋清，半凝固呈白色的蛋白包裹着也是半生熟的蛋黄，隐隐的金黄色让人忍不住要去探个究竟，迫不及待的拿了勺子，滴上几滴天然酿制的酱油，撒上一小撮的胡椒粉，搅拌一下，仰起脖子，咕嘟咕嘟的把鸡蛋缓缓吞下；然后心满意足的叹口气，擦擦嘴。。。

这，就是馬來西亞人滿意的早飯之一了！

在马来西亚的传统（海南）咖啡店里，这个生熟蛋和咖啡、烤面包被称为黄金组合早餐哦！

讲究一点的餐厅会用甘榜鸡蛋（菜园鸡蛋）做这个生熟蛋。有兴趣的朋友可以看看介绍：黄金组合早餐

I cannot think of any Malaysian who hasn't have this half boiled egg for breakfast at least once in their life.

I used to have this half boiled eggs almost everyday as a kid when dad use to bring back Kampung eggs from Malay village.... I still crave for this whenever I miss home!

Edible Garden -- Homemade Pasta Sauce

We have been harvesting tomatoes galore lately, despite using it in all the dishes and salads I could think of. I still have plenty them sitting in the fridge. Since A likes pasta a lot, I decided to make a batch of homemade pasta sauce with homegrown tomatoes and herbs for him.

The taste of naturally ripened tomatoes is simply delectable, nothing shop-bought could match, not even the organic ones!

I am going to make some homemade pasta and pizza for my baby soon!

【加尔各答卷饼】Egg Kathi Roll （Indian Style Burrito）

这个加尔各答卷饼（Kati Roll)是有个故事的。

多年前在加尔各答，印度东部的一个城市，特丽莎修女隐居的地方，泰戈尔的家乡，印度中国人定居的城市。有着一家清真餐厅，叫做Nazim，他们家卖的烤肉串（Kebab），远近驰名。当时的烤肉串是和酥饼（Paratha）一起吃的。后来买的人越来越多，烤肉串的钢条都来不及处理，店子就换成了竹签来烤。竹签，孟加拉语叫做Kati。

加尔各答有很多的有轨电车（Tram），许多上班族赶时间要趁电车上班，于是就要求Nazim家把烤肉裹在酥饼里，加上辣酱，可以边乘车边吃。店家在卷起酥饼后，为了帮助定型，会用另外的小竹签（牙签）插上，小竹签也当然是叫Kati的罗！所以这个Kati Roll，就这么命名了。

后来这个卷饼风靡了印度各大小城市，内容也开始多元化，有卷奶豆腐的，卷土豆馅的，卷咖喱鸡的，各式各样，应付着各个不同的饮食习惯和口味，是个很简便的小吃。

According to Wikipedia : Kati roll also known as Kathi Roll is street-food originating from Kolkata,India. Its original form was a kati kabab enclosed in a paratha, but over the years many variants have evolved all of which now go under the generic name of Kati Roll. 

Today, pretty much any filling rolled up in any kind of Indian flatbread is called a kati roll. Its a easy snack to make at home, with the help of frozen paratha from the shop!

Sambal Eggplant and Shrimp 【叁巴虾仁茄子】

Sambal Shrimp is one of my all time favourites, I liked it so much that I can basically have it all the time! I also love the combination of Sambal shrimp on top of brinjal, two of my favorite foods in one dish, it is such a rice magnet.

The eggplant is from my garden though, makes this dish all the more yummy!

茄子是我最喜欢的蔬菜，怎么做我都觉得好吃。所以几乎每年院子里都要种上几颗茄子。这几天茄子开始收成了，收了一根最粗壮的做了叁巴虾仁茄子，是一款非常下饭的马来美食。

Japanese White Stew/日式蔬菜浓汤（ホワイトシチュー）

My son A will be 3 in a few months, I can't believe how fast he grows into a toddler with a lot to say! This summer is one of the best as he is interested in learning differently kind of vegetables and fruits, we had so much fun planting and weeding together in the garden.

I also brought him for grocery shopping a lot nowadays and let him pick whatever vegetables that he like.We had much fun learning different kinds of foods and veggies before buying.

This stew was made in last winter after one of our shopping trip, he picked the frozen vegetables and I wanted him to have some protein so I added some organic chicken in the stew.

This soup is so warming and satisfying, one pot could serve the whole family well.

俊宝再过两个星期就30个月大了，看着他嗷嗷待哺到牙牙学语，到现在能够相当完整的表达自己的意愿，当妈妈的心里即安慰也不舍，好像还没有把他抱在怀里疼够呢！他就长这么大了。

两岁以后他的食量骤减，再没有小时候的狼吞虎咽，对食物的兴趣也没有那么大了。我和俊爸都是放养派的，自他会自己吃饭后，就再没有喂过饭。我都是做好了摆在饭桌上，他能吃多少就吃多少，吃饱了洗手后就让他去玩。因为还在母乳，所以我也从来不担心他营养不足。只要他活泼健康就好。

这阵子俊宝很热心学习蔬菜和水果的名称，我除了经常带他去菜市场一起买菜，一起认识蔬菜水果之外，也在时间允许的情况下让他参与厨房的运作。还想着春天来临的时候，和他一起种些蔬菜，建立他健康的饮食习惯，从食物的来源到制作，慢慢地培养期待和幸福感。

这款日式蔬菜浓汤是俊宝蛮喜欢的一道菜，冬天的时候我常做，蔬菜的内容经常变化，通常都是冰箱里有什么，让俊宝自己选择了加到汤里炖的。做一锅全家吃，心里和胃里都暖暖的哦！