in my studio

Posts Tagged With 'asian'

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)

No comments
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).

No comments
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.

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

Jul
16
2013

{in my kitchen} bihun goreng | fried meehoon

I’m back with food! I’ve realised the past 15 posts have been all about design.

I have heaps of food photos on my backlog just waiting to be published, so In Sha Allah when I get a bit more time on my hands, I’ll post them up with their recipes!

Lately I have been craving meehoon. Had it at my parents, ramadan bazaar and so I thought its time I make this thing! My sister said it was tasty, and it really is!

RECIPE FOR BIHUN GORENG/ FRIED MEEHOON
Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients

1 pack rice stick (bihun)
15 small prawns and/or 200g thinly sliced beef
3 bunch choy sum (or any asian vegetable)
4 cloves garlic
2 carrots (cut into matchsticks)
1 block fish cake
1/4 cabbage
2 big handfuls of bean sprouts (taugeh)
Salt & pepper to taste

Sauces

2 tbsp chilli boh or sambal belacan (I cheated and use the bottled brand ‘Singlong’)
2 tbsp tauco (salted soy beans)
2 tbsp osyter sauce
2 tbsp kecap manis
1.5 tbsp tomato sauce

To garnish (optional)
Cut chilli
Fried shallots
Thin long sliced omelette (made up from 2 eggs)

Method

1. In a large wok, saute the garlic and fish cake for a couple of minutes.

2. Add the cut vegetables, all the sauces and cook until they get a bit soft.

3. While the vegetables are cooking, soak the bihun/meehoon in a large bowl of warm water. Let is soak until it softens and then drain.

4. Add your bihun/meehoon into the wok and stir fry to coat it evenly with the sauces/vegetables.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Finally add your garnishing and serve fresh off the wok!

4 lovely comments
Category: asian, in my kitchen, noodles

Nov
15
2011

thai inspired pattaya (omelette) fried rice | nasi goreng pattaya

Nasi goreng pattaya, or simply nasi pattaya, is a Malaysian dish made by covering or wrapping fried rice, in fried egg (omelette). It is often served with chili sauce, cucumber, and/or keropok. The name comes from Pattaya, Thailand.

Source: Wikipedia

In Malaysia, nasi pattaya is just chicken fried rice wrapped in omelette. The flavours are basically the same as you would find in any nasi goreng. This dish was inspired by Secret Recipe (again! My last pasta dish was also inspired by SR) when they extended their menu and included a Thai Inspired Pattaya Fried Rice, it was so irrisistably good! This is a thumbs up from the hubby!

And because I am so in love with chilli, I made my own special batch (aside from my daughter and husband’s) for me to indulge in. If you love spicy food, it taste even better when its hot. You’ll be wiping your nose every second but its all worth it! Can you spot out those little nasty buggers in there? Don’t bite it of you can’t handle it. Hubby accidentally did and in his words ‘ I felt like a knife was slicing through my throat’. Oops!

RECIPE FOR THAI INSPIRED PATTAYA FRIED RICE/NASI GORENG PATTAYA
Inspired by Secret Recipe

Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 25 mins

Ingredients

3 cups cooked basmati rice (you can also use leftover rice)
16 prawns, shelled and deveined
1 chicken breast, cut into small bite size chunks
1 bulb garlic, sliced
Handful of basil leaves
1 chilli, cut
1 large carrot, diced
1 cup baby peas
1 large red capsicum
4 eggs, beaten (to make omelette)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for rice colouring)
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp basil infused olive oil (optional)
1 tsp chilli oil (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a wok and fry chicken pieces and prawns until cook. Remove and set aside.

2. Using the same oil, sautee the garlic until slightly brown then add the vegetables and chilli.

3. Add in the rice, dark soy sauce and basil infused olive oil and stir till evenly coated.

4. Season well with salt and pepper.

5. In a large pan, heat up a little oil and add the beaten egg (1 egg for 1 pan, covering the entire pan). Flip once and remove onto a plate. Do this for the remaining 3 eggs to make 4 serves of omelette.

6. Dish the rice from the wok into the middle of the omelette and cover the rice completely with egg. Drizzle with chilli oil and serve immediately.