Fish in Soya Sauce

Although i am happy that i get to see my siblings, relatives especially cousins who i seldom see when i was staying in Malaysia, and friends but it is so sad to see my mom, who is 84 and not well.  She is in the hospital with tubes and drips, all attached to her and i know she is in good care.  My mom has gone through alot bringing up 7 children and  she has never requested or demanded anything from her children.  Even now, in this situation, she will try to visit the restroom without asking for help.  When we were young, mom had to feed us with limited resources and frying fish and just sprinkling on soya sauce was the staple. 

Ingredients:

Fish - cleaned and rub with salt
Oil for shallow frying
Soya sauce

Method:

Heat wok/skillet (if it is teflon coated - do not heat), add oil and when oil is shimmering, slowly lower fish into oil.  Fry until brown before flipping over to brown the other side.  If fish should resist to dislodge, sprinkle a little salt oil into the oil and this will help.  Fish getting stuck is due to putting in the fry before the oil is hot enough. Use medium heat to fry fish if the fish is big and thick.

When fish is browned on both sides, remove to serving plate and sprinkle a tablespoon or two of soya sauce.

Serve warm or room temperature with white rice.



Serves

Cucur Udang/Malaysian Prawn Fritters

I have tried my recipes but did not like them cos either the batter was too thick making the fritters too doughy in the middle.  I like the fritters to be crispy all the way through with the vegetables not too soft.  The shrimp/prawn on top has to be fried crispy so that the shells can be eaten without getting choked on it.  For that reason, the shrimp/prawn has to be small.  The vegetables used do not have to be garlic chives and bean sprouts, i have used shredded potatoes, taro, pumpkin and i can go on and on, so play with your food and you can serve something that is so good that you yourself cannot imagine that it is possible.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
 2 tbsp oil
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chicken granules
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup garlic chives - cut into 1 inch lengths
16 - 20 small shrimps
Oil for deep-frying

Method:

Combine the all-purpose flour, tapioca starch, rice flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, chicken granules and tumeric. and mix well.

Add water and oil to make a thin batter. Then stir in the chives and bean sprouts.

Heat the oil  in medium heat. Place a small ladle in the oil to and heat until ladle is hot.. Then lift the ladle out from the oil and allowing excess oil to drip off.

Using the chopsticks, pick up a bunch of vegetables together with as much batter as possible on to the hot ladle.  Put a piece of shrimp on to the center of the vegetables.and press it in. Lower the ladle into the oil,  when the base of the fritter has formed a crust, it will dislodged by itself if the ladle is hot enoughto begin with, if it does not fall off, gently push it out of the ladle with the tip of a spatula or small knife and allow it to continue frying in the oil until golden brown.

Repeat until all the vegetables in the batter are done.

Drain fritters on paper towel. Cool  slightly before serving with chilli sauce(recipe as follows)

Chilli Sauce

2 tbsp Siracha chilli sauce
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp sugar

Mix all the above ingredients.

Serves

See What I won

I hate to enter contests cos most often i will not win.  I have come to the conclusion that i will always have to work to earn something, even to the extent of 'singing for my supper', but this time it is different, i won a set of '4 kidishes' from Duralex through The Foodie Blogroll Contests and Rewards.  Thanks Foodie Blogroll and their sponsor, the dishes will come in handy as they are microwable and i use the microwave alot even my grand daughter mad Mac and Cheese with the bowl in the microwave.

Thank you gain.

Curry Puffs

How can anyone be tired of eating curry puffs?  To me, this is comfort food  and I will never refuse one even though i am packed full and looked like the curry puffs that are offered to me. They are the most delicious morsels that i ever ate, with  spicy curry paste for extra oomph and packed with soft potatoes, chicken/beef.   They are  deep fried to a guilty perfection with a crusty and crunchy exterior and to achieve this, the dough has to be rolled very thinly.   

Ingredients:

Pastry:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tbsp margarine/shortening
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp water


Filling:

1/2 lb chicken meat - dced
1 small onion - chopped
1 tbsp Garam Assam Paste
2 tbsp curry powder for meat
2 large potatoes - peeled and diced.
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
5 tablespoons oil

Oil for deep frying

Method:

To make the filling:

Heat oil and fry the chopped onions until sweat through. Add the garam assam paste, curry powder and saute until fragrant. Add the chicken, potatoes, and 1 cup water, cook until potatoes are fork tender.  Add salt and sugar to taste and cook until filling is dry.. Leave aside to cool.

To make pastry:

Using the food processor, add in flour, baking powder and salt, pulse to mix, then add margarine/shortening and pulse until it looked like breadcrumbs.  Add water and pulse until the dough is combined into a ball.. Let it rest for 1/2 hour.

Roll dough out into a long rope and cut into small portions.  Roll each portion into a very thin circle and put the filling in the center(amount of filling depends on the size of the circle). Fold pastry over to make a half circle and crimp the edges.

Deep fry in hot oil until golden.

Serves

Hum Cheem Paeng With Red Bean Filling

I have not make this snack for a long time and when my dear friend, Nellie, wanted to make some, i had to pull up  the Hum Cheem Paeng II recipe to refresh my memory of how the recipe goes, it has been awhile ago and i did not remember that vinegar was used for the starter instead of yeast.  It was a lengthy process - 2 days but it was worth it. It must be the presence of vinegar which made the starter more acidic and  made the baking soda very happy and that made me happy too, a good puffy cake. The red bean paste filling is a perfect match for this cake, it was so good that they were hijacked - I wanted one for breakfast but found the whole bag was missing.  I made some "kap chung"  with the same dough and will post the method soon.

Ingredients:

1 Hum Cheem Paeng II recipe

1 Red Bean Paste recipe Sesame seeds
Oil for deep frying


Method:

Make the dough folowing Hum Cheem Paeng II and when dough is ready for adding the salt and 5 spice, just sprinkle these two into the dough, then divide into portions of your choice.

Roll portions out into a circle and put a tsp of red bean paste in the center and wrap dough up sealing the edges well.  Leave aside.

Repeat until all the portions are done.

Heat oil for deep-frying until 325f.

Roll out the first filled portion thinly and finish rolling the rest of the portions.

Wet the center of portions with a little water and press in some sesame seeds

Lower 2 - 3 pieces(do not crowd the pan) into oil and as soon as the dough rises up to the top, flip it over.  Try and flip as often as possible, this will enhance the puffiness.  Fry until golden brown.

Remove and drain on rack and then on kitchen towel.

Serves

Banana And Pineapple Easter Cakes

Easter festival arrives during the spring season and is one of the most important religious holidays celebrated among Christians.  Besides going to church on the first Sunday after the full moon night in the spring season, easter bunnies and eggs occupy supreme positions.  Easter rabbits signify fertility and beautifully painted Easter eggs remind us of spring season. Other symbols are the  Easter lilies and Hot Cross Buns.

HAPPY EASTER

Ingredients:
A:
2 cups all-purpose flour (remove 2 tbsp)
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar

B:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large ripe banana- mashed
1/2 cup chopped pineapple

Method:

Preheat oven to 350f.

Grease moulds which signify spring.

Sieve ingredients A into a large bowl.

In another bowl, beaten eggs lightly, then add in all the other ingredients in B, and mix well.

Pour ingredient B mixture to ingredient A and mix in until is combined in about 10 strokes, do not overmix, it is alright if there are still some flour not mixed.  Leave mixture to rest for about 5 - 10 minutes.

Spoon batter into greased moulds and bake for 18 - 20 minutes.

Cool before frosting with buttercream



Serves