in my studio | category

Jul
12
2015

malaysian lontong

RECIPE FOR MALAYSIAN VEGETARIAN LONTONG
Adapted from my stepmother

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients

For the paste, blended:
2-3 dried chillies, seeds removed and soaked in hot water for 30mins
6 candle nuts
4 garlic cloves
6 shallots
1.5 tbsp turmeric powder
1cm piece of shrimp paste (belacan), toasted
30g dried shrimp, or handful-soaked in hot water for a couple of mins

Other ingredients:
10 small packets of rice cubes, cut into small cubes
1 cup long green beans, cut into 5cm long
1 large carrot, cut into 5 cm thin strips
1/2 cabbage, cut into pieces
400ml coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 packet bean curd sticks, softened with boiling water for 5mins
3 tbsp oil
salt, to taste

Method

1. In a medium size pot with water, boil rice cubes for an hour (follow instructions on packet). Remove and leave to completely cool before refrigerating for 2 hours. Rice cubes need to set firmly before cutting.

2. Cut all the vegetables and then blend the ingredients to make the paste.

3. In a medium pot, heat up oil and saute the blended ingredients until oil separates.

4. Add coconut milk and chicken stock, simmer on medium heat.

5. Put the vegetables and bean curd sticks; and simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. Season well with salt.

6. Serve with some cut rice cubes for a one pot meal.

1 lovely comment
Category: asian, halal, in my kitchen

Jun
23
2015

I hardly ever cook rendang, especially beef rendang. Why? Because it takes hours and hours to cook this delicate aromatic dish. In Malaysia, we call this ‘Rendang Tok’ which means Granny Rendang, sure enough, this recipe originated from my cousins grandmother, God bless her!

RECIPE FOR BEEF RENDANG/ RENDANG TOK
Adapted from Tok Ye, with slight modifications
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 3-4 hours

Ingredients

Blended ingredients
10 small shallots
6 cloves garlic
1 knob ginger, 4 cm
1 knob galangal, 4cm
2 lemongrass, end part only and sliced thinly
10-15 dried chilli, soaked in hot water for 30 mins

The rest of the ingredients are:

2 kilo beef chuck steak, with bones
2 tsp ginger paste (to marinate the chicken)
2 tsp garlic paste (to marinate the chicken)
2 tbsp ketumber (coriander powder)
1 tsp jintan manis (cummin spowder)
1 tsp jintan putih (fennel powder)
1.5 tbsp curry powder (brand:baba’s meat curry powder)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp black pepper
3-4 kaffir lime leaves
100g kerisik (dry fry shredded coconut untill golden brown)
1 can coconut cream
1/2 cup oil

Method
1. Marinate beef with a bit of salt and ginger & garlic paste. Stand for an hour.
2. Put oil and add blended ingredients, fry until fragrant and you see the oil separates. Should take about 7-10 mins.
3. Add the spices (coriander,cummin, fennel, turmeric and curry powder then fry again until oil separates. Another 7 mins.
4. Put the beef and then cook covered on low heat. Stir regularly every 20 mins to make sure it doesn’t burn.
5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, tamarind, coconut cream, kerisik (shredded coconut) and season generously with salt, pepper and sugar.
6. Cook until it dries out and the colour has darkened. Cooking time should be at least 3 hours.
7. Serve with warm steam rice.

Note: Rendang is best made a day in advance! Tastes really good the day after!

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Category: asian, beef, halal, in my kitchen

Jun
07
2014

satay sauce | peanut sauce

My sister has been asking for satay the past few weeks, and it just never happened. So this week, she firmly said “I’m making satay!” and I told her I’d make the peanut sauce to complement her satay. I’ve never made peanut sauce (kuah kacang) ever, but I was excited to give it a go. Although I’m not a huge satay fan, I do love my satay sauce and we usually eat it with nasi impit (rice cubes). You know how westerners love their dipping sauce? Well, I smother my rice cubes in this peanut dipping sauce. So, I was up at 1am (dont ask why!) cooking this. And I’m glad it turned out delicious!

*excuse the dark poor quality pic, it was taken at night*

I went on google and typed ‘kuah kacang’ and clicked the first link I saw. I’m glad it had really good photos (because we eat with our eyes right?) so I used this recipe.

RECIPE FOR SATAY SAUCE/PEANUT SAUCE/KUAH KACANG

Adapted from this recipe

with slight adjustments
Makes: a big wok!
Prep & cook time: 1.5 hours

To blend:
4 candlenuts
1 tsp fennel powder
1 tsp coriander powder
20gm dried prawns (about big handful)
5 small red onions
3 cloves garlic
20 dried chilli
2 lemongrass (bruised)
1/2inch dried shrimp paste (belacan)

Ingredients:
600gram peanuts (roast first in a wok)
1.5 cup palm sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp tamarind paste
Salt to taste
2-3 cups Water

Method

1. In a large wok, dry fry the peanuts, stirring to make sure it doesn’t burn easily. This would take about 10 minutes. Then remove half of the nuts and put it together in the blender with the blended ingredients. Blend all the ingredients.

2. Using a food processor, process the remaining half peanuts. The consistency you’re looking for is not smooth like a paste, but more texturally lumpy. Just make sure all the peanuts have been processed thoroughly & there are not huge bits.

3. Heat up wok again with oil . Add in the blended ingredients and cook until the oil separates. This should take 15-20mins.

4. Add the processed nuts and 2-3 cups water. Add the lemongrass. Simmer on low for an hour, the add in palm sugar and salt. Simmer for another 20minutes. Make sure to keep stirring so it doesn’t burn.

5. Once 1.5 hours is reached, you’ll notice the sauce thickening up and has darkened in colour. The oil should also separate and you’ll know its ready. Serve with satay and/or rice cubes (nasi impit)

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Category: asian, halal, in my kitchen

Apr
02
2014

malay chicken curry

I love curries. Especially Malaysian curries. There are so many curry variations out there but the ones I love most is this malay curry and mamak curry. Mamak curry is basically Indian curry but the difference is that mamak’s version is darker and spicier whereas malay curry is a lot more creamier and sort of yellowish in colour.

Malay curry goes really well with pulut kunyit (yellow sticky rice) but I didn’t have time to make it, so we just had white rice instead, with some prawn cracker and steamed pumpkins on the side. This recipe was kind of put together instinctively, so hopefully I can do justice with measurements because it tastes absolutely delicious. Its great for those who dont like their curries too spicy and want a creamier texture.

RECIPE FOR MALAY CHICKEN CURRY

Servings: 2
Cook time: 45mins

Ingredients
1/2 small onion, diced
1 tbsp Babas curry powder
300grams thigh/maryland pieces (use boneless if you wish)
1 clove
1 star anise
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 potato, quartered
2 tsp chicken stock paste/cube ( I use homemade asian stock paste)
½ cup coconut cream
1/2 cup water (more or less)
Salt to taste (be careful with salt if you’re already using stock)

Method
1. Heat oil and saute onions in a small to medium size pot. Add the spices and fry until fragrant for a couple of minutes.
2. Add the curry powder and chicken and cook until chicken is just cooked.
3. Add water, stock and potatoes. Cover and cook on medium heat for 15-20 mins.
3. Pour in coconut milk and season with salt. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Finally, serve with rice or pratha (roti/bread).

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Category: asian, chicken, halal, in my kitchen

Jul
23
2013

{in my kitchen} beef black pepper

I love a quick and easy stir fry for a mid week dinner! Being at work-at-home-mum to a mother of 2 under 3, leaves me very little time for everything else. You might plan ahead what you had in mind for dinner, but things happen and now you’re left with under an hour to prepare dinner? Just put on a pot of rice and make this simply beef black pepper stir fry. All done in about 30 minutes!

RECIPE FOR CHINESE BEEF BLACK PEPPER

Adapted from Rasa Malaysia with slight modifications

Serves: 2
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients

250 g beef tenderloin or flank steak, cut into thin pieces
2 ½ tablespoons cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2.5 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 carrot, sliced diagonally
½ small green capsicum, cut into pieces
½ small red capsicum, cut into pieces
1 small onion, cut into quarters
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt, to taste

Sauces to marinade

1 tsp vegetable stock powder
½ teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon sugar (optional)

Method

1. Marinate the beef with all the sauce ingredients, about 15 minutes ( I didn’t let it sit to marinate because it was a last minute decision to make this & it still turned out tasty!)

2. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry the beef until the beef has just turned brown, then add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry until aromatic.

3. Add the capsicums, carrots, onions and black pepper. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until the vegetables soften (but make sure it doesn’t go soggy)

4. Transfer the beef back into the wok or skillet. Stir-fry until the beef is cooked through and the center of the meat is no longer pink, about 1-2 minutes. Dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.

5. Serve immediately with warm rice.