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.

【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!

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 Belachan, a little more oil and quick stir on wok at high heat.

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

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/

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.

【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 

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！

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！

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. 

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!

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Roti或Chapati。

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.