Nasi Lemak With Apricot Sambal Ikan Bilis

The weather is much cooler nowadays especially in the mornings, I don't have to go out for my walks at 6.00 am , could do it at 7.30 am and still feel comfortable.  Then you know that summer is over and autumn is upon us soon.  This summer has been a busy and fruitful...............

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Sambal Belacan

What type of sambal do you like best? But before you can answer, you would have to know what Sambal is. Sambal is a chili based sauce which is popular in South East Asia and normally used as a condiment...........

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Nasi Lemak

Without a doubt Nasi Lemak is possibly the greatest dish ever created by Malaysians.  It needs no introduction, nasi lemak is one of the most versatile meals that can be found everywhere in Malaysia,  be it in the heart of any Malaysian cities or in the remotest areas of the country.


The recipe and how to are HERE

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Assam Black Pomfret

Black Pomfret is one of the frozen fishes that somehow is just as good as one which has just come out of the water.

I had to show my guests around, we enjoyed ourselves so much that we forgot about the time. We were running very late for dinner, luckily the fish was taken out to thaw in the morning before we left home. So, cooking this dish was no effort as the assam spices was a premixed and pineapple was from the can. Only the tomatoes needed to be halves. Thank goodness for premixed spices and a well stocked pantry.

Ingredients:

1 black pomfret

1/2 salt

1 packet of Assam pedas (any brand will do - adjust taste with tamarind juice and sugar)

2 tomatoes cut into halves

1 can pineapple chunks

Method:

Clean the black pomfret of scales and salt the fish, inside and on the surface of fish.

Follow the instructions in the packet of assam pedas premix, add in the black pomfret. Cover and cook until fish is cooked. Adjust taste with tamarind juice if not sour enough, sugar and salt according to taste.

Add in tomatoes and pineapple chunks and bring gravy back to the boil.

Serve hot with white rice and enjoy.


Serves

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Acar Buah

This Acar is unique as it is made with 'Buah' in Malay, meaning fruit. All sorts of dried fruits can be used and the aroma of the sambal with the dried fruits create a special lingering fragrance that enlivens the tastebuds. This effect must have come from the 'kum cho/liquorice' in the dried fruits. This is an easy dish to prepare if you do not have to make the sambal from scratch. All you readers should know me by now, shortcut way is the way to go. Look into your pantry/freezer for a packet of sambal/premix, it could be for Assam Fish/Seafood, better still, sambal tumis and you are set to make this Acar.

If you are to make the sambal paste from scratch, follow this recipe Garam Assam Paste

Ingredients:

2 cups assorted dried fruits - preferably pitted

1 packet sambal tumis

2 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

Heat cooking oil and add in the sambal tumis. Saute until fragrant.

Add in the fruits and vinegar. Cook until well combined.

Dish out and set aside to cool.

When cooled, put acar into clean jars.

Acar goes very well with fragrant rice. Try it as a topping for bread, spread some to your burgers, be adventurous with it, there is endless possiblilties with this.

Note:

if the dried fruits are too dried, cook them with water and a pinch of baking soda.

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Spicy Chilly Shrimp

Time for some easy cooking, no fuss, no muss, just open the packet of curry mix and add in all the other ingredients and it is ready to serve as soon as the prawns are cooked.

Ingredients:

1 lb med to large-sized prawns or shrimp, un-shelled - mix with 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper.
4 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, quartered or sliced
1 packet Claypot Nyonya Fish Curry Mix (available online from Mytasteofasia.com )

1/2 lime

Garnish with cilantro/thai basil

Method:

Heat oil and add in the fish curry mix, saute until fragrant.

Add in the onions, stir until they are soft.

Add in the prawns and tomatoes. Cover and cook until prawns are cooked.

Stir in the coconut powder and adjust the taste by adding more salt or sugar.

Squeeze 1/2 a lime before serving.

Serves
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Spicy Okra

How hard is it to get this dish on the table? A lengthy process of pounding and grinding, but if you have a bottle of DELIMAS - SAMBAL UDANG BERCILI, this can be dished up in less than 5 minutes. Kid you not, go get a packet of frozen okra from your regular supermarket and Delimas Sambal Udang Bercili (available online from http://mytasteofasia.com/, and you are home sailing.

Ingredients:

1 x 16 oz packet frozen cut okra

2 -3 tbsp DELIMAS - SAMBAL UDANG BERCILI

2 tbsp cooking oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil and add in DELIMAS - SAMBAL UDANG BERCILI. Stir to mix with the oil.

Add in frozen okra and saute until the okra is heat through.

Adjust to your taste with salt.

Viola, this dish can be served

Serves

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Spicy Chang/Nasi Kunyit/Sambal Hae Bee

The 5th day of the 5th Moon this year will be June 8th and of course, the 'Chang' festival. Yes, i just found it to be so and it is too late to make any 'chang' for my friends - sorry. In desperation, have to scratch this old brain as to what should done to keep up with tradition. Viola, found a bag of frozen 'nasi kunyit' and 'sambal hae bee' and this is the product of the find.

Posted are the recipes for 'Nasi kunyit' and 'Sambal Hae Bee/dried prawns'


Ingredients:

Nasi Kunyit:

500g glutinous rice
1 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
2 pieces dried tamarind skin (asam keping) or 1 tbsp lime juice
1 can 400 ml coconut cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white peppercorns
2 pandan leaves, knotted

Method

Wash and soak glutinous rice in water. Add turmeric powder and dried tamarind skin or lime juice for several hours or preferably overnight.

Remove the cream from the can of coconut milk.

Put rice in a steaming tray and add thin coconut milk. Make steam holes in the rice , add peppercorns and pandan leaves.

Steam rice over high heat until nearly cooked for 20 minutes.

Combine salt with thick coconut milk.

Remove rice from steamer. Stir in thick coconut milk and continue to steam for another 8 to 10 minutes.

Sambal Hae Bee/Dried Prawns

250g dried prawns, soaked and pounded finely
2 tbsp tamarind pulp combined with 100ml water (squeeze, then strain the tamarind juice)

Oil for frying

Spice ingredients – to be blended

3 stalks lemongrass(grate the white parts with a microplane)

4 candlenuts (buah keras)
1 inch piece fresh turmeric (ground/powdered turmeric can be used)
1 inch square piece belacan /shrimp paste 8 fresh red chillies
10 dried chillies, soaked and seeded
10 pips garlic
1 cup shallots

Seasoning

Sugar and salt to taste

Method:

Heat a little oil in a large microwaveable bowl for 1 minute, add blended spice ingredients and microwave on high until fragrant(3 minutes at the time, stir)

When the spices are fragrant, add dried prawns and continue to microwave for another 2 minutes.

Mix in tamarind juice and microwave until dried prawns are almost dry. (Keep stirring to distribute the heat as the microwave will cook the outer ring of bowl more).

Adjust seasoning to taste.

Leave to cool completely.

To wrap dumplings:

Soak bamboo leaves in cold water.

Cook bamboo leaves in hot boiling water for 10 minutes.

Cool, then wipe dry.

Take 1 broad or two leaves and fold from the centre to form a cone.

Take a fistful of nasi kunyit and line the sides.

Put 2 - 3 tbsp of sambal hae bee over rice and cover neatly with more nasi kunyit.

Fold bamboo leaf over.

Tie tightly with string .

Tie dumplings in groups of ten and steam for 1/2 hour.

Serves

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Stir Fry Prawns Delimas

As suggested in the cooking instructions at the back of the packet of 'Stir Fry Sauce Delimas' to cook this sauce with prawns and so i did. I added 100 ml of thick coconut milk and this is fantastically delicious with hot white rice. This dish was ready to serve in less than 10 minutes.



Ingredients:

1 lb of prawns

1 packet 'Delimas Stir Fry Sauce' (available online here http://mytasteofasia.com/)

1/2 cup of sliced red pepper

1/4 cup of sliced carrot

100 ml thick coconut milk

2 tbsp cooking oil

salt to taste

Lime wedges

Thai basil (optional)

Method:

Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil and add in the packet of Delimas Stir Fry Sauce, stir to heat through.

Add in the carrots and prawns. Saute until prawns are cooked.

Add in the red peppers and lastly the coconut milk.

Add salt to taste.

Garnish with thai basil.

Squeeze lime over prawns and serve with hot white rice.

Serves

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Assam Fish Delimas

Last summer, our neighbor's peach tree had so many fruits that after giving me a huge basket full of peaches, there were still more left for the birds. The firmer peaches were sour as they are not ready for the table, so i added some to the assam fish and they were so good, giving this dish a new twist.


Ingredients:

1 lb Spanish mackeral steaks

4 unripe peaches

2 tomatoes

4 ozs okra(i use the frozen ones)

1 packet DELIMAS - Assam Seafood (This is available online from http://mytasteofasia.com/)

Method:

In a microwave-safe bowl, stir the packet of DELIMAS - Assam Seafood with a cup of water.

Put in the fish steaks, cover and cook on high for 4 - 5 minutes.

Add in the peaches - cook for 1 minute (the peaches should be fork tender - if not continue to cook further).

Add in the frozen okra and tomatoes. Cook for 1 minute to warm up the vegetables.

Enjoy with white rice

Serves

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Ayam/Pork Buah Keluak

I have seen this special 'buah' which means 'fruit' in malay many a time as a cooking ingredient and have always wondered how it will taste as everyone who have tasted it raved about it. After 62 years, i finally had the opportunity to make this curry when my friend, Agnes, who had just came back from Singapore, gave me a dozen. I had to agree that this Buah Keluak or Indonesian Black Nuts undeniably, ambrosia among Nonya dishes is an acquired taste. The taste is indescribable and has to be eaten to be believed

To the uninitiated, buah keluak is a black nut from Indonesia about the size of a misshapen golf ball. The surface is ridged with a smooth nut 'mouth' across the flattest part. A slit is made in this mouth through which one scrapes out the contents which have been variously described as 'opium' and soft tar'. . Good nuts, when cooked, should be richly black and oily.

To prepare Buah Keluak or Indonesian Black Nuts, wash and scrub throughly until the thin film of dried mud they come in is completely gone. A proper and crucial step in cleaning is desired otherwise the gravy will be not be good eats. Soak in a large pot of water over-night or for at least six hours. An even quicker method is to boil the keluak for 15 minutes, which, I'm told by friends, works just as well. Most recipes will suggest that the contents of the nut be dugged out, to be mashed and mix with egg whites for binding. An addition of ground pork/chicken or prawns can also be added and then this mixture is stuffed back into the nut shells. However, really authentic , according to Agnes, Buah Keluak is cooked with the insides of the nuts and are served neat, in all their bitter glory. The resulting curry is literally black, with a slight orangey sheen of oil that you will either love or hate. To me, it was love, thank you Agnes for giving me the chance to experience the buah keluak's glory. I was also told that if not properly prepared for cooking, the nut is toxic and since all my friends who tasted my dish are still around and kicking, i am glad i did not kill anyone.

Ingredients:

30 buah keluak(i had only a dozen that's why my gravy is not black

3 lbs chicken pieces

1 1/4 lb pork ribs - cut into bite size

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

12 ozs garam assam paste (recipe is at bottom of page)

3 ozs tamarind saked in 6 fl ozs water, squeeze an strain

1 - 11/2 tsp salt

32 fl oz water

Method:

Soak nuts in cold water for at least 6 hrs or overnight.

Brush nuts t remove mud and sandy particles.

Crack where nut is smooth.

Marinate chicken pieces with 1 tsp salt and pepper for 1/2 hr.

Heat wok with a tsp of oil and brown chicken pieces.

Remove chicken pieces and add in more oil. Add in the garam assam paste and saute until fragrant.

Add the tamarind juice and bring contents to the boil.

Add in the pork ribs and saute well. When contents come to a boil ,reduce the heat to medium, cook the pork ribs for 1/2 hr covered.

Add the nuts and the browned chicken pieces. Continue to cook for another 1/2 hr, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked and pork ribs are fork tender.

Serve with white rice.

GARAM ASSAM PASTE

A

3 ozs sliced galangal

3 ozs sliced lemon grass

2 -3 ozs candlenut/buah keras

4 ozs shrimp paste/belacan

6 ozs fresh red chillies

12 ozs shallots

1/4 - 1/2 oz tumeric powder

1/4 oz chilly powder or 10 - 16 dried chillies, cut into small pieces, soaked in hot water until soft, drained(add this to A)

6 fl ozs cooking oil for frying

In the food processor, grind A into a fine paste, then add in the rest of the ingredients. Blend well.

If using the blender, put all the ingredients in including the oil and blend to very fine.

Pour blended ingredients into a microwable bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes, stir and continue to cook on high until oil surfaces and paste is fragrant and almost dry.

Paste is ready for cooking but it has to be completely cooled before packing in airtight freezer containers.

Serves

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Sambal Lengkong

Thank you Vin , my bibik from Florida for reminding me that i have not made this since my mother-in-law passed away in 1991. Sambal Lengkong calls for Ikan Parang(Wolf Herring) but any meaty fish will do , in fact fillet would save you alot of time and for the spices I have gone very short cut. Lately i have to cook like the Iron Chefs, have food on the table as fast as i can as Alexander is 15 months and he is as curious as Curious George, chasing him around takes up all the time.



Ingredients:

2 pieces of fish fillet(i used Whiting)
300 ml thick coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 heaped tablespoon Thai Red Curry Paste
1/2 tsp roasted belacan powder

Method:

Steam the fish fillets until cooked. Flake them when they are warm and they should be flaked very finely.(use a pestle and mortar if available).

Mix the red curry paste, belacan, salt and sugar with the coconut milk in a large microwable bowl until well combined.

Add in the liquid from steaming of fish fillets.

Add in the flaked fish and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir thoroughly. Cook further, 1 or 2 minutes(depending on how wet it is) and stir, The result should be very crispy and dried.

Sambal Lengkong is enjoyed like Pork Floss or Sambal Hae Bee


Serves
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Assam Tumis Fish

Assam is the term used for a sour spicy sauce. If it is a thicker sauce it is called 'Assam Tumis'and if it is more gravy it is called 'Assam Pedas' where addition condiments like 'bunga kantan and daun kesum' are added to the gravy. Any fresh fish can be used for this dish and i have used the tail end of the whole salmon. I have added some peas and corn as garnishes.




Ingredients:

A piece of salmon about 1 lb
1 tbsp of peas
1 tbsp of corn kernels

Sambal Tumis:
(A)
7 shallots
10 dried chillies(cut into small pieces and soak in hot water)
1 clove garlic
1 stalk serai
1/2 tbsp shrimp paste(toasted)
2 buah keras

(B)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of msg
1 tbsp tamarind with 2 fl ozs water, squeezed and strained

3 tbsp oil
1/2 cup water

Method:

1. Grind (A) to a paste.
2. In a big microwavable bowl, pour in the oil and the ground paste. Microwave on high for 2 mins, stir and then 1 min at a time until fragrant and oil separates.
3. Transfer sambal to a wok, add the fish, tamarind and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and lower heat to simmering. Cover wok and simmer fish until cooked through . Remove cover and cook sambal until thick
4. Add sugar, salt and msg to taste.
5. Lastly add peas and corn.
6. Serve hot.

Serves

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