Mulberry Jam

I went home to Malaysia for almost three months around Feb-April 2012. It was fun spending time with family. We celebrated my youngest brother's wedding, and welcome another bundle of joy in the family --- my first brother's youngest son, Timothy... it was such a good time back home that I almost feel bad coming back to the states.

The only good thing is that I brought mum with me this time... she wasn't used to the quietness and space here at first. She misses home so bad that she even cried one day.Thank god that as the weather gets better, gardening and walking outdoor keeps her occupied and she started to enjoy the lifestyle here...

Matar Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese with Green Peas) 【豌豆奶豆腐 】

今天介绍的这道菜是印度的奶豆腐煮豌豆，这个奶豆腐（Paneer）的制作方法和蒙古的“苏恩呼日德”相似，也很接近云南的奶饼。口感吃起来柔软，有浓厚的奶香味。

奶豆腐是印度素食里一个不可或缺的食材，是婚宴节庆的珍贵食物。奶豆腐的营养价值和一般的奶酪相似，这我就不多啰嗦了。

我偶尔也会在家里自制奶豆腐，但是工序比较麻烦，现在商店里都可以买到很好的Paneer,所以我就不再自己鼓捣了。。

Paneer is a well loved cooking ingredient in many indian families, cooking with green peas is one of the most common way to use paneer.

Making this dish with homemade paneer will taste even better!

Happy Holi 【洒红节甜点 -- 甜角】Karanji/Gujiya

今年的三月八日是印度的Holi，也叫洒红节，这一天，人们用不同的颜色粉，直接或者加水喷洒或者涂抹认识或不认识的人。这个节日特别能够体现印度人轻松，欢乐的精神。

家里的妇女也会在这一天准备好吃的茶点让玩得累了的家人孩子填饱肚子，然后继续欢乐。这个甜角就是其中一个Holi要准备的传统点心。

维基百科抄来有关Holi的来源：

胡里节，也叫洒红节，是印度人和印度教徒的重要节日，也是印度傳統新年(新印度曆新年於春分日)。在印度，尼泊尔，苏里南，圭亚那，特立尼达，英国，毛里求斯和斐济等地都是重要节日。

傳說從前有一個暴君不允許人民信奉大神毗濕奴。他的兒子卻堅持敬奉大神。暴君便指使自己的妹妹、女妖霍利卡在一個月圓之夜燒死王子。翌日清晨，當國中的百姓帶著盛水的器具趕去救人時，卻發現王子安然無恙，而霍利卡已化作灰燼。這是大神毗濕奴保佑的結果，人們便將7種顏色的水潑向王子以示慶祝。

捉弄人和盡情歡樂是灑紅節的精神所在，通常較低種姓的人將粉和顏料灑向高種姓的人，暫時忘記階級的差異。灑紅節的第二天，人們便用水和各種顏料互相潑撒、塗抹。夜晚，人們把用草和紙紮的霍利卡像拋入火堆中燒燬。印度人在灑紅節期間還要喝一種乳白色飲料，據說可保來年平安健康。在尼泊爾，慶典的開始是豎竹竿儀式。節日為期一周，人們互相拋灑紅粉，投擲水球。第八天時，人們將竹竿燒掉，節日結束。在節日期間，大家互相投擲彩色粉末和有顏色的水，以示慶祝春天的到來。

It is Holi in India  today, as I am not in India to celebrate the colorful festival, I decided to make the snack well loved and eaten during this colorful day.... Gujiya...

【木耳香菇蒸土鸡】Steamed Kampung Chicken with Woodear and Mushroom

我娘家附近很多小村落的居民会放养很多的土鸡（Ayam Kampung），然后拿到镇里卖。我每次回乡爸妈都会买些给我吃。土鸡肉质爽口，炖汤，清蒸都很香，拿来做这道木耳香菇蒸土鸡非常精爽好吃。

Back In Malaysia, many of the villagers will raise free range chicken（Ayam Kampung）naturally  and sell in a small town for some cash. I love the texture and taste of these chicken, and often use it for soup or steamed dishes.

This time when I came home, my parents bought some of these chicken, and here is one of the dishes I made out of it...simply delicious!

Egg drop Curry Muttai Kuzhambu 【水波蛋咖喱】

Sometimes the same dish with a little twist brings about completely different taste and feel. This poached egg/egg-drop curry is one of them,  it is a lot faster to make and equally tasty as compared to other egg curry dishes.

A quick fix when one have lesser time.

同一道菜做法稍微变化就会出现更多不同的滋味和感觉。

这道水波蛋咖喱是一道简单易做也比较清爽的咖喱菜，想餐桌上有点变化的姐妹不妨试试看哦！

Avocado Paratha (Mexican Avacado dip Flat Bread) 【牛油果煎饼】

Guacamole with corn chips is a snack I frequently prepared for guests. As many of my friends are either vegetarian, or vegetarian wannabe. And I often left with some guacamole that I have no heart to throw away. This yummy avocado dip is packed with good fat and nutrients that our body loves.

So I turned it into paratha and to my delight, it is so soft and tasty! Not to mention being super healthy!

我们很多朋友都是茹素的，有的是因为宗教原因，有的是健康的原因，有的是家庭的关系。所以每次三几个好友聚在一起谈天说地的时候，我经常为茹素的朋友准备墨西哥牛油果沾酱（Guacamole）和玉米片做点心。

吃剩的Guacamole不要浪费，做成这个全麦牛油果煎饼，成品很香很软宣，还很健康呢！

Moong Dal Dosa 素食好主意 【绿豆煎饼】

Dosa is normally made from fermented grinded urad dal and rice, it take quite sometimes to make the batter. When time is restraint, and a quick snack or breakfast is required, this moong dal dosa which require no fermentation is a good alternative.

Just soak and grind moong dal into batter with spices, and off you go making dosa!

Dosa煎饼一般都是用小黑豆和米糊发酵了之后再做的，制作时间比较长，这个绿豆煎饼制作时间短，蛋白质高，是个很不错的早饭和点心选择。

Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani 【印度鸡肉Biryani香饭】

Biryani is a very famous Indian/Pakistani spiced rice made with different kind of spices and ingredients. A very important dish for festive season and part of celebration. 

Biryani derives from the term Berya in farsi, it means a dish prepare by baking it. There are many ways to make Biryani, and the ingredients are mindbogglingly diverse just in India itself. The north, the south, the Kashmiri all make this delicious rice differently.

I have received many requests in the past from readers asking me to make a post/recipe on Biryani.

This biryani was made during the New Year eve, for lunch celebration with a group of close and dear friends. The recipe I use here is  Hyderabadi Dum Biryani, a famous spicy and delicious Biryani recipe from the State of Hyderabad in India.

印度手抓饭Biryani是印度很有名的一道饭食，是节庆婚礼不可少的大菜之一。

Biryani名称源于波斯语 Berya，是烤制的意思，所以正宗的Biryani是用密封的把各种肉类香料和米饭烤制而成的。Biryani的做法和材料千变万化，在印度南北各呈现不同的风味。

很多朋友都私信让我写印度手抓饭Biryani的食谱。趁元旦佳节和朋友聚餐时我就做了一次印度比较经典的Hyderabadi Dum Biryani。

朋友们吃了一盘，又一盘呢！