I'm Awake : Let's Make Pineapple Fried Rice

I have been craving for a good plate of Pineapple Fried Rice for so long...  The best one can be found in Sungai Petani  (my hometown)  at De Sabai Restaurant,  somewhere in Taman Zamrud Industrial Park,  although I am not sure if it's still in business or not...  Last time I was there,  I was 20-ish and very desirable...  Hahaha...

Personally,  a good plate of Pineapple Fried Rice should taste of dried shrimp,  sweet from the pineapple,  the sourness of the raisins and Sambal belacan.  The sausage should be crispy.

I am salivating!

I have been putting off making this because I usually forgot to buy the ingredients...  

Normally I would go shopping and buy canned pineapple and forgot to buy cashew and I would eat the canned pineapple and go out and buy the cashew and forgot that I ate the pineapple and am out of dried shrimp and my sausages gone bad in the fridge...

Today I bought the most expensive cashew nut ever.  The price was rm12.70 and I gave the cashier girl rm23.00 and she gave me 30 sen... And I didn't notice until I was back at home...  Bloody brilliant! 

Anyway...  I won't be poor with the rm10 and she will not be rich from the rm10...

So let's make Pineapple Fried Rice.

Ingredients :

1 cup cooked rice (cooled,  preferably overnight,  kitchen tip #1 : for good dark fried rice, mix rice with 1 tbsp thick black soya sauce)

1 garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp dried shrimp
2-3 tbsp cashew nut
1 sausage
1 fishcake (kitchen tip #2: instead of slicing the cakes as we normally do,  try slanting your knife at 45° angle and thinly slice them)
4 fish ball
1 serving of white cabbage
1 tbsp raisin
3 tbsp canned pineapple cubes with syrup

1 tbsp fish sauce
1tbsp oyster sauce
Pepper

1 tbsp oil

Optional:
Chicken meat, squid,  shelled prawn, mushroom 

Method:

Heat oil.  Fry garlic,  dried shrimp &  cashew nut, remove.  Fry sausage,  fishcake,  fishball,  remove.

Add rice to wok.  Add fish sauce and oyster sauce.  Fry till done.  Add pineapple,  cook till pineapple turn transparent(ish).

Add cabbage and everything else.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with lettuce,  tomato,  cucumber and Sambal belacan.

Kitchen tip #3: to keep from everything other than rice turning brown (example- prawn,  Chicken meat,  fishball, fishcake)  add thick soya sauce to rice and fry everything else separately. 

Kitchen tip #4: soak dried raisins in cold water to rehydrate them. 

Kitchen tip #5: frying everything else and using the same oil to fry rice will incorporate the flavor into rice. 

Kitchen tip #6: adding garlic and dried shrimp to oil before turning on the heat will bring out stronger aroma. 

I'm Awake : Let's Make Rasmalai

Nothing beats cold, slightly sweet and slightly rose scented Rasmalai on a unnecessarily stressful day at work...

Rasmalai is traditional cottage cheese, served cold in rose scented, sweetened fresh milk flavored with cardamom and saffron and almond and sometimes crushed pistachios and cashew...  But I like to experiment in the kitchen and explore the Shortcuts...

Let's Make Rasmalai!

The balls (paneer)

1 cup full cream milk powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ghee/oil (to help the dough not sticking to your fingers)

The sweetened rose scented cardamom flavored almond milk

1 litre full cream / fresh milk
2 tbsp sugar
2 crushed cardamom
1 tbsp chopped almond
A dash of salt

Method:

Bring milk to boil on low heat. Add sugar,  cardamom, salt and stir. Add almond.

Mix paneer ingredients.  Shape into small fingertips sized balls. Oil hands while shaping dough.

Slowly drop balls into milk and cook till done.  Balls will increase in size.  Cook for 10 minutes and let cool.

Add rose water and chill.

I am Awake: Shortcuts in the Kitchen

I have been craving for Ayam Masak Merah and Nasi Minyak but...  A.  I am too lazy to cook the traditional way and B. My pantry doesn't have everything needed...

I remember when I was 17 in school,  my form 5 Catering teacher taught me a valuable lesson. 

We would come in the kitchen on Tuesdays and have our breakfast.  She will come early and cook for us a complete meal for all 30 odd students and after having our breakfast,  we will try and guess the recipe.

Some creative recipes cropped up.  Recipes like making tomyam by adding kaffir leaves,  lemongrass,  onion, birds eye chillies into chicken stock and adding meat (chicken or prawn or cuttlefish) and veggies (mushrooms,  baby corn,  carrot,  tomatoes  and cauliflower) and adding lemon juice before serving. 

I guess from this guesstimate method I've developed a good sense of how to taste and guess what ingredients needed for certain recipes.

I will come back and add the original recipes but for now...  I am too lazy!

Example: Ayam Masak Merah/Ros

Cheat Ingredients :

3 chicken wings (cleaned,  cut,  marinade with salt,  turmeric and paprika) fried till 3 quarter done.

Mix 5 tbsp bolognaise sauce,  1 garlic,  cardamom,  anise seed,  chili flakes and add chicken. 

Cook till chicken is done and oil separates. Add canned green peas.

Nasi Minyak

Cheat Ingredients :

2 cups rice (cleaned,  drained)

On the stove.  Fry 1 onion (thinly sliced) with 1 tbsp oil till caramelised,  add ginger, cinnamon and clove. 

Add rice.  Add 1 tbsp butter. Fry till translucent.

Add water and 1/2 chicken cube. 1 tbsp creamer powder. If desired- add chopped cashew nut and raisins.

Stir and cook in Rice cooker.

I'm Awake : Let's Make Spicy Seafood Pasta.

Cannot type.  Busy eating...  Hahaha...

Let's make Spicy Seafood Pasta!

Ingredients :

1 cup pasta (macaroni/penne/shell)
Salt

2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp butter
1 garlic
1 large tomato (cubed)
1 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp capers
1/2 tspn paprika
1/2 tspn chili flake
1/2 tspn parsley

2 shelled scallop
2 crabmeat stick

Method.

Boil pasta in salted water till Al dente (I prefer my pasta on the mushy side). Remove from water.

Melt butter add garlic,  tomato puree,  tomato cubes, capers,  paprika and chili flake. Cook till tomato is done. 

Add pasta, parsley, shredded scallop &  crabmeat.  Cook until done. Add parmesan cheese &  olive oil. Salt to taste. 

Let pasta soak in sauce and serve hot.

I'm Awake:Let's Make Konniyaku Jelly

You know the craving that you get on a lazy,  rainy weekend that makes you raid the fridge for something easy to make? Yes. 

That nagging feeling of hunger when all you have was a pack of bug-infested macaroni and you're craving for seafood pasta?  But that's a different story...

Anyway...  Let's talk about agar-agar or jelly... I've had a heated  argument with my good buddy about the difference between Agar-agar and jelly.  This was before I discovered the heavenly texture of konnyaku jelly... 

Let me get this straight...  For me,  my understanding of agar-agar is that it is derived from seaweed...  Usually in dried thread form and sometimes powdered form while jelly is usually gelatin made from animal connective tissue and cartilage...

OK?

Now let's move on...  Back to the wonderful texture of Konniyaku jelly.  It is firm and chewy... The powder is made from Konjac corm which is a weird plant from the Amorphophalus family.

Locally in Malaysia we have a few species with one locally known as Pokok Lekir being the most common.  This species looks like a papaya plant with mottled bark and can cause serious itchiness when touched. 

I have seen the fruiting stalks and from what I hear the flower spike is something like the famous corpse flower (they're from the same family lah)  but
I have never seen the flower blooming in the wild...

In certain parts of the world Konniyaku jelly is banned for the fear of choking hazard it posed while in Japan,  there are strict guideline on how big a serving of jelly can be sold to to public. 

Being firmer and chewier than normal gelatin derived jelly,  the Konniyaku jelly must be chewed prior to swallowing as it will not break simply by crushing it with your tongue!

In Japan Konniyaku jelly powder is also used in meat substitute preparation...  We have Konniyaku sashimi,  Konniyaku shrimp and squid (my favourite!) ,  Konniyaku mutton and Konniyaku everything!

OK...  I think my posting about my favourite jelly is long enough...

My preferred brand is Jele (that was the only brand available to me when I was in Langkawi) and this comes in different flavours.  I prefer to use the original one and will usually cook this in Delite Apple Juice (the cheapest apple juice available at rm2.60/liter).

Now in KL I only managed to get Nona brand and I only managed to get the lychee flavoured powder (lychee flavour is the laziest flavour ever!)  so I ended up adding 2 table spoons of lime extract.

There are many ways to prepare your jelly.  Basically you just need to pour the powder in a pot,  pour juice (water will work but you will have to add  flavour or buy pre flavoured powder instead) and stir the best you can before putting on the stove and bring to boil.

The mixture will start to develop fine bubbles that will cloud the surface.

The moment the mixture reached the boiling point,  turn off the heat and stir until nomore bubbles on the surface of the mixture. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes.  Pour into tray to set. You can add cut fruits (fresh and or canned)  to the tray.  I 'be tried adding gummy bears and gummy worms and those sour gummy straps to my tray...  Konniyaku jelly is that flexible.

Serve chilled. Just remember to cut into small serving size and to chew to avoid choking...  :) Enjoy.

I'm Awake:Let's Make Bergedel

This is my all time favourite! 

I remember my mom used to make this for special occasions because...  I can't remember why,  but she seldom make these,  so every time she made these...  They'd be gone fast.

This is one of the many ways to make bergedel. My favourite is by boiling the potatoes whole  with skin on until cooked and frying them till golden brown before mashing the potatoes with roasted ground spices...  That will leave your kitchen smell divine! Or you can peel the potatoes... 

You can vary the amount of potato to meat,  for example equal parts,  or 2 parts beef to 1 part potato,  or the other way around.  You can also use different meat like chopped shrimp or crab meat with sweet potato or chicken with  cauliflower  or mushroom with tofu and red chili and chives for a vegan version...

You can also vary the combination of spices used. It is basically meat with something else mixed with spices and fried.  It is so versatile!

So let's make potato beef Bergedel.

Ingredients :

6 small potatoes (washed,  boiled and fried till golden brown)

1 pack minced meat (about 300 grams)

2 cloves garlic (finely chopped )

3 cloves shallots (finely chopped)

3 stalks Chinese celery (finely chopped)

1 teaspoon coriander seed (roasted and blend)

1 teaspoon cumin (roasted and blend)

1 teaspoon black pepper (roasted and blend)

1 small stick cinnamon (roasted and blend)

1/2 teaspoon korma powder

1 egg

Salt to taste.

Method :

Mash boiled and fried potatoes.  Add meat. Add chopped shallots and garlic. Add ground spices. Add finely chopped Chinese celery.

You can either finely mash the potatoes or roughly break them into small pieces.  The garlic can be finely chopped or roughly diced.

You can either add egg to the mixture or dip the mixture balls  into a bowl of beaten egg.

Mix everything well and shape into balls about 1 tablespoon each. 

Deep fry until golden brown and serve with chili sauce!

Pictured below : the potato meat mixture.  I keep forgetting to snap photo of the rolled and fried bergedel...  Hehehe... I have a batch of meat mixture in my freezer and will try and snap some photos later...

I'm Awake: Let's Make Nasi Goreng Cina

Sometimes when you don't feel like eating but you must eat or else your meds will eat through your intestines...  Yeah...  Whatever...

I am a sucker for Nasik Goreng or Fried Rice...  My basic repertoires are:

1. Basic Butter Fried Rice (from this recipe you can make Nasi Goreng Isi Ketam)

2. Basic Chinese Fried Rice (from this recipe you can make Nasi Goreng kampung,  Nasi Goreng Belacan)

3. Black/Dark Fried Rice (from this recipe you can make Nasi Goreng Nanas)

Today we're going to make Nasik Goreng Cina... 

Ingredients

Cold Rice
3-4 large shrimp (shelled and chopped)
3-4 tbsp mixed veggie
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp oil
Pepper

Method

Heat oil.  Fry shrimp till half cooked and remove from the wok.  Using the same oil,  fry garlic till fragrant. 

Add rice and stir to coat rice with oil. Add oyster sauce and fish sauce. Stir and fry until well mixed.

Add mixed veggies and pepper. Add shrimp. Serve hot with Cili padi and teloq bergoyang...  

I'm Awake: Let's Make Rumball!

I've put on half of the weight I've lost which was half of how much I used to weight...  Confusing?  Yes.

Anyway,  I have been missing the simple things in life like driving back from work and buying them slightly sweet rumball from a bakery in Langkawi.

I don't know the exact recipe but here's my take on the sweet sweet rumball...

Ingredients :

4 chocolate muffins/3 slices of chocolate cake

1 tbsp chocolate powder

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp crushed salted peanuts/almond

1 tbsp chopped black raisins/ dried cherry

Salt to taste

Method:

Crush the muffins/cake until fine.  Add chocolate powder.  Mix well.  Add chopped peanuts and dried fruit.  Mix well.  Add honey.  Mix until well combined and salt to taste.

You can either:

A.  Knead dough into ball and coat with chocolate rice and let it sit for a day or two in a covered container in the fridge.

Or

B.  Let the dough sit in a covered container for a day or two before kneading into balls and coating the balls with chocolate rice...

Done .

I'm Awake: Let's Make Steamed Mushroom Ginger Garlic Chicken Rice

This is the "white and steamed" version of the normal claypot chicken rice. 

This is soooo yum!  I didn't put the measurement of the ingredients as I usually cook using the old "agak-agak"  measurement... I am old "pesen" ed. 

I usually use chicken breast meat or chicken wings chopped into small pieces so it will cook faster... I cook this rice in a steamer directly in the serving bowl...  I am lazy! 

Let's get cooking! 

Ingredient :

Chicken meat
Ginger
Garlic
Fish sauce
Light soya sauce
Sesame oil
White pepper
Soaked dried mushroom

Mix everything in a bowl.

Rice (washed,  Soaked,  drained)
Chicken stock
Butter

Mix together in a bowl and steam for 10 minutes.  Fluff rice so that the butter is well incorporated with rice. 

Add chicken and steam for 5-10 minutes until chicken is cooked. Serve with chopped Cili padi... 

I'm Awake : Let's Make Loh Mak Ghai

I've been craving for food I once avoided or just go 'meh'  when I see them.

For example this dish- Loh Mak Ghai. It is a simple steamed dish. Soya sauce ginger and five spice flavoured sticky rice with chicken and mushroom...  We always see this dish on the top steamer of all you can eat dimsum buffet because it is so...  MEH!

I cannot sleep last night,  due to unforeseeable interruption, so I prepared the ingredients for this instead. This recipe makes 3 plastic tapau sized portions.

Loh Mak Ghai : Rice

Ingredient :

1 1/2 cup sticky rice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp thick soya sauce
1 tbsp soya sauce

Method :

Mix rice (washed,  soaked and drained) with everything.  Steam for 20 minutes.

Loh Mak Ghai : Chicken

2 chicken breast fillet
3 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp thick soya sauce
1 tbsp white soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon 5 spice powder

Method : mix everything and marinate for 30 mins.  Using the same pan and oil used to fry sausage,  cook until chicken changes color and remove from heat.

Loh Mak Ghai : other ingredients

2 sausages (thinly sliced + fried)
3 dried shitake mushrooms (soaked and drained)
3 scallions

Loh Mak Ghai : Putting Everything Together

In small container,  put sausage,  mushroom and chicken pieces in and fill/cover halfway with cooked sticky rice. Put in chopped scallion and some of the chicken gravy.  Cover with rice.

Steam for another 20 minutes.

I am awake: Let's Make Hainanese Chicken Rice

I still can't get over how someone said "how nice to be given such a long medical leave and stay at home"... 

Well bitch,  let's switch places!

Anyway,  today's meal is Hainanese Chicken Rice. One useful thing my mother taught me is that if something (be it an ingredient or method) is useful/contributes to the taste/texture of the dish,  then include it,  if not...  Xdak pun xpa... So let's make... Hainanese Chicken Rice!

The soup.
Ingredient

1 chicken chop (boneless chicken leg meat)
1 inch ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp soup powder
1/2 chicken cube

Method:
Put everything in a pot and let it simmer without coming to a hard boil for 15 mins.

The cold cut chicken
Method:
After simmering in soup,  take out the chicken and douse with ice cold water.

The Rice
Ingredient :
2 cups of rice (washed, soaked and drained)
1 tbsp margarine
1 cinnamon
1/2 inch ginger

Method :
On the stove,  melt margarine and put in cinnamon and ginger.  Fry till fragrant.

Add rice.  Fry until rice is transparent. Add 1 and a half cup of  chicken stock.  Stir until rice is opaque.  Transfer to the rice cooker.

The "special"  (read : cheat)  chili sauce
Ingredient :

2 tbsp Mae Phranom (Thai chili sauce)
2 tbsp chili sauce
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp white vinegar

Method
Mix everything.

Putting the Hainanese Chicken Rice together... 

Plate rice,  cut chicken and drizzle some thick soya sauce and sesame oil, garnish soup with chopped chives and the special chili sauce on the side. 

Serve with lettuce,  cucumber and tomato slices.

I Am Awake: Let's Make Nasi Putih, Ayam Goreng Bodo and Sambal Blender

Nasi putih,  Sambal Belacan,  Ayam Goreng...

This combination of simple food is what I crave with I am feeling a little bit off...

You see,  there used to be a restaurant next to my old office in Langkawi...  They serve the best Sambal belacan...  Ever!  There's still a restaurant there but with a different owner.

I always stop by to grab their Daging masak merah,  ayam/sotong goreng cili,  sup khailan udang/ayam,  kerabu sotong...  NPAGSB (That's Nasik putih,  Yamaha goreng,  sambai belacan!) Arghhhh....

Then the handsome cook (his name is Latip) got married to a rich lady in his Kampung and she didn't want him to work so he stayed in Thailand,  happily ever after.

Anyway,  enough pok pek...  Let's make...

Sambal Blender
Ingredients :
3 red chilies
8 cabai melaka (cili padi)
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp roasted shrimp paste
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lime juice

Method : blend everything together except for the red chillies.  Blend cabai merah secara berperingkat sebab xnak blend halus sgt...

Serve with steaming white rice,  fried chicken and sliced cucumber...

I Am Awake: Let's Make "Claypot" Chicken Rice in Rice Cooker

It's hard.

Went to work for a full week only to be advised by the Doctor to stay at home and rest (you don't argue with your Doctor especially when he is foreign and handsome).

I've been craving for this dish for so oooo long .  It's just that I have been served crap in a claypot before,  so might as well make this easy 1 pot dish at home... 

Anyway...  Enough of my superficial life ranting...  Let's cook: CLAYPOT CHICKEN RICE.

Ingredients:

Rice.
2 cups rice (washed,  soaked and drained)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fish sauce/salted fish
1/2 cube chicken stock cube

Chicken + marinade.
4 chicken wings (separated,  drummets cut into 2)

2 cloves of garlic

1" ginger

3 dried shitake mushroom (soaked and sliced)

Marinade sauce

2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp thick soya sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 teaspoon white pepper powder

Marinate chicken with marinade sauce and mushroom for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Method. 

Heat rice cooker inner pot and melt butter.  Add rice.  Fry until rice turns opaque. Add chicken stock cube.

Sprinkle fish sauce to get that "ikan masin goreng"  smell.  Add 1 cup hot water and stir to dissolve chicken cube.  Stir.

Add another cup of hot water and transfer the pot into rice cooker. Cook till rice is halfway done.

Add chicken pieces (hold the marinade juice). When chicken is fully cooked, you can:

A.  Just pour the rest of the marinade sauce into the pot for a "no kerak" option

Or

B.  Transfer the inner pot onto the stove and pour the marinade sauce into to rice pot (buat kerak,  which is the best part of the dish). 

The kerak (burnt rice layer at the bottom)  will give the "pirated"  Claypot rice it's authentic flavor... 

Serve with chopped scallion and cabai melaka hijau...  Nyum!

I'm Awake : Let's Make Khao Mok Ghai -

I am craving for Southern Thai Food!  Specifically,  Langkawi food!

Food I miss :

the traditional sour beef sausage in Pasar Malam Ayer Hangat

Green Curry Laksa with those small dried potent chili fried whole (making this soon) 

Fried Chicken gizzard (pasaq malam ayaq hangat)

Mee Bandung Aziz

Mee hoon sup Hujung Penarak

LAKSA KAMDAR

Satay Daging Tasik Dataran

KARI HIJAU RAFII'S

Otak-otak Kelapa Muda Wan Thai

Nasi Goreng Naga Mas

Coq Peneram Makam Mahsuri

Bihun Goreng Mak Su Dah

Nasik Air dengan ayam goreng Bella Vista

Pan fried chicken chop Auntie Zai/DE Baron

Gulai Kosong + pedai ayam goreng + sambai Gulai Panas Teriang

Khao Mok Ghai + sambal tumis Kedai Mat Awie/Kak Pah

Apam Balik Kecik Mat Mie

Tau fu fuah pasaq malam kuah 

Donut besaq pasaq malam kuah 

And everything DAN LAGI!

So...  Living one day at a time... As well as clearing my fridge...  Let's make Khao Mok Ghai... Again...

KHAO MOK GHAI
(resepi rice cooker hat kecik)

Ayam - ramuan:

Ayam (I suka guna thigh/drumstick/wings) 
1 ulas bawang merah
1 ulas bawang putih
1 hiris halia
3 pokok daun ketumbar (sekali akar)
1 sudu fresh yogurt
1/2 sudu teh serbuk kari
1/2 sudu teh biji ketumbar
1/2 sudu teh jintan manis
Garam, gula merah secukup rasa

Cara: perap ayam semalaman (or for a few hours,  but the overnight marinate will taste 400% nicer,  I kid you not)

Sos: ramuan
1 ulas bawang putih
1 hiris halia
1 hiris lengkuas
3 biji cili padi (ijau)
Cuka makan,
Gula merah, sos ikan, garam... Agak2...

Cara: Blend semua kasi hancur, letak dalam peti ais... Lagi simpan, lagi sedap, prepare waktu prepare ayam...

Bawang goreng: Jiew... (kalau x reti goreng bawang, sila berhenti memasak sekarang)

Nasi: Ramuan
1 pot beras siam (basuh, tos)

Bahan tumis :
1 btg kulit kayu manis
3 biji Cardamom
1 bunga lawang

Cara:
Lepas goreng ayam, angkat ayam, masukkan bahan tumis. Masak sampai wangi.

Masuk beras, masak sampai jernih. Masuk baki perapan ayam dan kacau.

Masukkan stok/air, kacau sehingga beras serap. Masuk ayam. Kacau.

Masak seperti masak Beriyani. Bila masak, kacau kasi peroi dan biaq 10 minit...

Hidang dengan bawang goreng, hirisan timun, sos hijau dan sos cili thai mai Phra nong...

I'm Awake: Khao Mok Ghai Reloaded.

I am craving for Southern Thai Food!  Specifically,  Langkawi food!

Food I miss :

the traditional sour beef sausage in Pasar Malam Ayer Hangat

Green Curry Laksa with those small dried potent chili fried whole

Fried Chicken gizzard (pasaq malam ayaq hangat)

Mee Bandung Aziz

Mee hoon sup Hujung Penarak

LAKSA KAMDAR

Satay Daging Tasik Dataran

KARI HIJAU RAFII'S

Otak-otak Kelapa Muda Wan Thai

Nasi Goreng Naga Mas

Coq Peneram Makam Mahsuri

Bihun Goreng Mak Su Dah

Nasik Air dengan ayam goreng Bella Vista

Pan fried chicken chop Auntie Zai/DE Baron

Gulai Kosong + pedai ayam goreng + sambai Gulai Panas Teriang

Khao Mok Ghai + sambal tumis Kedai Mat Awie/Kak Pah

And everything DAN LAGI!

So...  Living one day at a time... As well as clearing my fridge...  Let's make Khao Mok Ghai... Again...

I'm Awake: Let's Make Some Sandwich!

It is the age old dilemma... 

To toast or not to toast?

Basically sliced white bread (Britney Spears)  is still going to be Britney Spears with out without her tan (toasting). She will be slightly dehydrated but she is still Britney.

I usually have a container (at least)  of sandwich filling in my fridge.  It is very convenient to have something so versatile handy just in case of emergency.

My favourite sandwich filling : egg mayo,  devilled egg,  egg potato,  tuna  chili,  Tuna mayo,  tuna tomyam,  Chicken mayo and many more...

I prefer mine cold on untoasted white bread,  but I have been known to toss my sandwich filling in salad as well as pasta sauce.

I am awake/Let's Cook Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)

Back in early 2000, when I first moved to Langkawi, I remember this one shop around Pantai Tengah /Chenang junction called Boom Boom Corner,  selling various types of roti and curry.

I remember only trying the butter chicken (rm6 for a small plate)  with 4 roti boom (rm1 per piece) and I was hooked...

This dish gets better the more you reheat it...  I usually make more than I can eat so I can have some on my toast or pasta...

So let's make : Butter Chicken (serves 3-4)

Chicken:

1 small grilled chicken/tandoori left over (I use slow-cooked shredded chicken meat that I brown in a wok before adding to the sauce)

Tomato sauce:

1 cinnamon
3 cardamom
1kg chopped Tomatoes (big ones,  small ones,  doesn't matter but make sure they're ripe)

Method:
Heat oil.  Saute cinnamon and cardamom till fragrant.  Add tomatoes.  Cook till soft. Set to cool.  Blend everything and strain.

Additional ingredients :

1/4 stick butter
3 tbsp chopped almond
1 tbsp paprika powder
2 tbsp cream/fresh yogurt
Coriander leaf

Putting them together :
Melt butter.  Add in prepared tomato sauce,  cook until oil separates. Add paprika powder.

Add chopped almond and chicken. Bring to boil.  Add yogurt/cream and serve with rice,  with bread,  with roti boom... Topped with chopped fresh coriander leaves...

Note : No additional seasoning needed if using salted butter.

I am awake now/let's cook : Thai Green Curry

Recipe!

Thai Green Curry Paste (makes about 4 batches)

Dry ingredients :

1 tbsp coriander seed*
1 tbsp cumin*
1/2 tbsp white pepper*

* Toasted separately and blended

Rhyzomes (finely chopped)

2 inches Ginger
2 inches galangal
1/2 inch turmeric
4 lemongrass (purple ringed part only)

Chilies and other ingredients (cut into small pieces)

10 big green Chilies
5 small green Thai chilies
4 kaffir lime leaves
5 cilantro roots
1 ibu jari kaki piece of belacan
1 kaffir lime zest (or lime zest-DO NOT SKIP)

Seasoning:

Palm sugar
Fish sauce

* I've stopped using salt in my cooking since i discovered fish sauce (It was more of a reacquaintance)

** coconut oil (if using a blender and freezing the paste for later use) and I heard that when one is cooking Thai Curry,  the degree of desirable-ness and skill is based on the oiley sheen that covers the surface of the curry dish...

Method.

Method 1: mortar and pestle way

Method 2: Blender/food processor way

Siap. Simpan dalam peti ais.  Boleh simpan seminggu, but what's the point of making fresh curry paste if you're keeping them in the fridge? 

Kinda defeats the purpose of fresh curry paste,  Kan? So let's cook.

To cook THAI GREEN CURRY
(serves 2-3 hungry people)

Ingredient :

(protein)  chicken /vegetarian mutton
1 tomato
Eggplant / yard long beans/bamboo shoots
Onions
Coconut milk (I use powdered creamer)

Optional:
3-4 small green chilies (cut open)
Kaffir leaves
Lemongrass
Thai basil

Method :

1. Put 2 tbsp of paste into a pot with 2 tbsp of coconut oil. Sauté till fragrant / oil separates

2. Put in meat (I prefer boneless chicken thigh/chicken wings/vegetarian mutton) and tomato slices.  Once tomato is cooked to a mush add everything else.

3. Serve with white rice and sambai belacan and ulam timun...

Siap.