Pulut Udang

I've been craving this for years...  

Well actually bila balik kampung,  this is one of the must-makan dish... Joining the likes of solok lada,  dadih semeling, bihun sup &  popia basah Salman, ayam goreng mcdota,  Mee and nasik beriyani alauddin, nasik kandaq shariff,  lauk Barkat,  moi sop tepi jambatan sungai sp, tapai long shaari, Thai food kat d' sabai... *sigh...

Anyway,   I still remember waktu I kecik,  ada satu kakak menjual pulut udang ni...  Kat simpang jalan nak masuk Taman Intan,  Bakar Arang...  Selalu pakai kebaya...  Sebelah stall dia ada air tebu,  ada lori yuyu ice (ala2 slurpee)... 

That was way,  way back and I am pretty sure there used to be another Kedai Pulut Udang kat Simpang Keling,  Tasek Gelugor ,  depan kedai azmi,  padang serai and another one dekat tepi sungai tepi titi Kampung Naga lilit... All this kedai mesti singgah,  beli, makan atas kereta

Bahan2

Pulut

1 cawan pulut

2 sudu makan santan pekat + air panas

Garam secukup rasa

Inti

1 cawan kelapa parut putih 

1/2 inci belacan

5 biji cili kering

2 biji cili padi

1 batang serai

5 ulas bawang merah 

1 cm halia

3 sudu udang geragau 

2 sudu udang kering (rendam air panas) 

Gula &  garam

Cara:

Pulut :

Basuh dan rendam pulut semalaman.  Kukus sampai jernih,  masuk santan+air panas+garam. 

Inti: Kisar semua bahan sekali,  kecuali udang kering,  sangat sampai kering dan wangi tapi jangan sampai pecah minyak... 

Letak 2 sudu pulut atas daun pisang yang dah disalai sikit,  letak 1 sudu inti kata atas.... Saya suka balut cincai-cincai sebab saya rasa lagi selera nampak inti terkuat sikit....  Kalo ada usang kertas dalam inti tu lagi syahdu!  Hehehe... 

Balut dengan daun pisang kejap-kejap dan bakar dalam belanga sehingga terbit minyak... Kalo ada arang,  bakar pakai arang,  kalau xde...  Pakai je tudung periuk.... 

 Saya suka Kalo daun pisang sedikit hangit...  Ada bau lekat kat pulut! Bila dah naik bau,  pulut udang tu akan keluar minyak...  Saya suka kalau pulut garing sikit...  Sebab pulut udang saya tebal2....  :D banyak sangat kesukaan...  Tu yang susah nak dapat pulut udang yang memenuhi piawaian...  Hehehe.... 

Versi bahasa Inggeris bakal menyusul...  Tengok la kalau rajin! 

Makan! 

Nasik Goreng "Bodo"

This is my go to nasik goreng recipe when I want a good meal but too lazy to cook...

Lets make nasik goreng bodo.

Ingredients

1 cup rice
1/2 onion  (chopped)
4 birds eye chili
1 tbsp fine dried shrimp (udang geragau)
4-5 kailan (Chinese kale/Chinese broccoli) (finely chopped)
1 table spoon thai fish sauce
Salt &  pepper
1 tbsp Oil

Method :

Heat oil. Finely slice birds eye chili and fry till crispy.  Add onion.  Fry till caramelized. Add dried shrimp. Fry till golden brown.

Add rice,  mix well to coat with oil.  Add fish sauce,  salt and pepper. Add kailan.  Cook till kailan turns bright green.

Done!

Chicken Roast with Potatoes and cauliflower and Garlic Bread and Bread Cream Soup

I have been putting this on hold for some time now. 

It's either got craving,  no time or no ingredients got time or got ingredients, got time but no craving...  And then everything falls into place and suddenly...  This happened.  :)

Let make Roast Chicken With Potatoes and Cauliflower and Garlic Bread and Bread Cream Soup.

Roast Chicken.

Ingredients :

1 small chicken
2 table spoon butter
1/2 lemon
1 whole garlic (cut off top and bottom side,  skin on)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Clean chicken,  pat dry,  inside and outside. Rub butter all over chicken.  Add salt and pepper to chicken, continue rubbing butter in and outside the chicken.  Rub butter in between the skin of chicken.  Stuff 1/2 lemon and garlic into chicken.  Let sit for 30 mins.

Roast for 20 mins (breast side up),  15 mins (breast side down)  and 15 mins (breast side up)  plus 5-10 mins to nicely brown at 200°c.

Fluffed Potatoes

4 medium size potatoes
2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon left over butter used to rub chicken

Method

Clean and cut potatoes into quarters.  I like to leave the skin on. Boil potatoes for 7-8 mins on high heat in salt water.  Drain,  shake vigorously in a collander to fluff.  Bake in the oven for 10 mins at 200°c. Add another 5 mins under the broiler.

Cauliflower

Heat the pot used to hold the chicken when rubbing with butter...  When all the left over butter is melted,  add cauliflower florets and flash fry until slightly browned.

Bread Soup

Ingredients :
3 cups hot water
2 sliced bread
3 tablespoon powdered cream
1 garlic
Salt and pepper

Method:
Bring water to boil,  add garlic,  salt and pepper.  Add bread.  Let bread soak up the liquid.  Blend till smooth.  Continue boiling until thick.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients :
Bread
Garlic/Roasted garlic
Butter
Roasted sesame seed

Method:
Toast bread,  mix Mashed Roasted garlic and butter,  spread in toast,  sprinkle sesame seed.

Makan!

Simple cravings... For something simple...

Roasted chicken!  Enough said.

Ingredients:

Chicken (whole/pieces,  skin on,  bone in)
Enough butter to coat chicken (if using salted butter,  skip salt)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

Method :

Clean chicken and pat dry.

Rub butter,  salt &  pepper all over chicken...  Massage chicken as if it's your lover...  ;) sprinkle Garlic powder,  arrange in a shallow pan and roast for 1 hour at 200°c in top &  bottom heat.

Chicken is good enough to eat on its own,  or with trimmings  (Mashed potatoes,  steamed carrots, cream broccoli),  in chicken salad or upcycled to butter chicken...  Nyum!

Baked Garlic Chicken

I am craving for butter chicken,  but for butter chicken,  we need left-over chicken,  to get left-over chicken,  one must have baked chicken or chicken roast.

Let's make...  Baked Garlic Chicken.

Ingredients :

Chicken (about half a kilo)

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp sweet soya sauce

Salt,  pepper,  garlic powder...

Coconut oil

Method:

Clean chicken,  drain water and wipe with kitchen towel.

Salt &  pepper chicken,  rub in butter,  add garlic powder and add sweet soya sauce.

Grease baking pan with coconut oil.  Arrange chicken in baking pan.  Don't over-crowd.

Let chicken sit while you preheat oven.

Bake for 1 hour at 175°c top and bottom heat.  Then brown for 10 minutes with top heat only...

Add some black magic and poke your knitting needles through the heart of the voodoo doll all the while chanting the name of your enemy in a hateful way...  Opss...  Wrong article...  Just kidding ;)

There you go...  Done.

Beef Stroganoff!

I have this mad craving for meat...  This happened after...  Uhm...  Nevermind...  Anyway... It's been crazy with everything happening all at once... 

So thankfully...  The weekend is here and let the mind slow down and cull some of the idea seedlings....

I had the honor of entertaining Dr.  Satish  Gupta,  a world renowned heart surgeon from India, who is also a big believer in the hygiene of the mind as well as the body and that you can cure chronic heart conditions without surgery...  If properly handled.

Told him about my anxiety attack and how scary it was to see people talking about stuff and not being able to understand and catch up on the conversation.

The good doctor explained that it was my mind exceeding it's speed limits...  I should learn to slow down a little... And enjoy the scenery. 

But then again...  With so much to see and do...  And so little time left...  How can I slow down? 

OK.  Enough said.  Let's make Beef Burger Patty,  Beef Sausage &  Beef Beef Stroganoff.

Ingredients :

500 gms beef (seasoned with salt and flour)
1 beef burger patty
2 beef sausage

2 large onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 inch ginger (chopped)
1 large tomato (chopped/sliced)
1 cup mushroom (soaked dried shitake/button)

1 cup sour cream /yogurt

Pepper powder (for a more masculine kick,  use Black pepper powder) 
Nutmeg powder
Paprika powder
Sugar

3 table spoon olive oil

Method:

Heat oil.  Brown meat. Add onion and ginger.  Cook till onion turns soft and clear.  Add garlic and tomato. Cook until tomato turns to mush. 

Add mushroom.

Add sour cream/yogurt.  Add spices.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Done.

Serve with bread/ as pie filling...  *nangis sebab tak bagi perhatian dalam kelas bakeri dulu...

Savoury Egg Custard

Been wanting to make this...  But like everything else in life...  The various aspects  didn't line up so I had to put off my plan. 

Here's a quick recipe that serves 4...

Savoury Egg Custard

Ingredients :

2 eggs (room temperature, about 1 small cup)

1 tablespoon of Mirin or fish sauce or miso paste  + water to make it 2 and a half ratio to the egg (example- if egg is 1 cup total, the water solution should be 2 and a half cups) 

Optional :1 sliced shitake mushroom,  crabstick, fish meat, chicken slices, shrimp, seaweed

2 garlic finely chopped

A dash of pepper

Method:

Add eggs to fish sauce/mirin solution,  stir gently and  avoid making bubbles.

Prepare sliced mushroom and garlic in 4 containers with cover (I just used the taufu fuah tapau containers...  Fill to 1/3 way each) you can add chicken meat/prawn to the container now.

Gently pour egg mixture (strain twice or more times to get really silky egg custard)  into the containers,  put on cover and steam for 10 minutes with a gap in the steamer cover.

I usually stop the steamer immediately after the eggs turn creamy white and let them sit in the the steamer to continue cooking.

You can either do a- the knife poke test (poke the middle of your custard and if the water comes out clear,  that means it is done)

or b- the wiggle test (I just wiggle the custard and it doesn't look too on the liquid side)

Tips: If you are confident about your egg to liquid ratio ( 1:2.5) you should be OK.

You can also add chicken meat or shrimp into your mushroom container...  Just to be safe...  Season as usual and pre boil till almost cooked!

You can also put chopped chives on top of the mix before steaming...  Just try to avoid making bubbles for a creamy soft silky custard.

This recipe needs to be tried more than once to build up confidence...  We are looking for soft,  silky, smooth egg custard that will ooze clear water when you scoop!

Most of my ladies friends are not so fond of this dish and I dont know why....  Sedap wooo....