Assam Prawns is one of my family’s favorite assam dishes. Great when enjoyed with just some steamed rice. One of the key ingredients in this mouth-watering dish is the fresh “bunga kantan” or torch ginger flower. Unfortunately, whenever I cook this dish in Vancouver, I had to substitute it with frozen or dried torch ginger flowers instead as it’s not available over there. I took the opportunity to cook-up this Assam Prawns using fresh torch ginger flowers which are available everywhere here in Kuala Lumpur. Simply fantastic!
6 Yellow Flesh Potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut into chunks
10 Hard-Boiled Eggs, peeled
3 Shallots, chopped
1 Med Yellow Onion, chopped
4 Sprigs Curry Leaves
400 to 500 ml ml Coconut Milk
2 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock
Sea Salt to taste
Peanut Oil for cooking
Curry Powder
3 to 4 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 ½ tsp Ground Turmeric
2 tsp Aniseed Powder
4 Tbsp Ground Coriander
1 Tbsp Ground Cumin
2 ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
Method
Combine the chili powder, turmeric, aniseed, coriander, cumin, pepper, and cinnamon. Add 6 to 8 tablespoons of water into the curry powder, mix well to form a paste.
In a heavy pot, heat the oil and add the chopped shallots & yellow onion, together with the curry leaves. Cook until the onions are lightly brown in color. Add the curry paste, and cook until they are fragrant.
Add the coconut milk with 2 to 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Bring the curry sauce to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, add the eggs and potatoes and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Season the curry with sea salt and serve warm or at room temperature.
These pancakes are a popular snack in Vietnam, a mini version of Vietnamese-Style Crispy Pancakes. To make this pancake you will need an Asian-styled pancake pan, or also known as Banh Khot pan. The pancake is light and crisp. They are just perfect wrap with some herbs and serve with a light dipping sauce, as shown in the video.
Bánh Khot ~ Crispy & Savoury Mini Vietnamese-Styled Pancakes
Ingredients
Batter
100 grams Rice Flour
50 grams Corn Starch
7m ml Coconut Milk
225 ml Warm Water
1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric
2 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
Peanut or Vegetable Oil, for cooking
Filling
12 Large or 24 Medium Shrimps, peeled
2 Scallions/Green Onion, finely sliced
Accompaniment
Green or Red Leaf Lettuce
Coriander
Mint Leaf
Asian Basil
Dipping Sauce
5 to 6 Bird’s Eye Chilies, chopped
2 Clove Garlic, chopped
4 to 6 Tbsp Cane Sugar
3/4 Cup Warm Water
6 to 8 Tbsp Fish Sauce
3 Tbsp Lime Juice
Method
Dipping Sauce: Combine sugar and warm water, stir until sugar dissolves. Then mix in the chilies, garlic, fish sauce and lime juice and set aside.
Batter: Combine the batter ingredients in a bowl and stir until well blended. Set aside for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight. Bring it back to room temperature before cooking. Then add scallions and mix well.
Heat a mini pancake pan and make sure to oil all the mould, over medium-high heat.
When the pan is hot. Pour about 2 Tbsp of batter and rotate the pan, to cover all the sides. Top with shrimps and cover with a lid and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. Then drizzle or brush some oil all over the sides of the mould. Cover and cook for another minute. Once the pancakes are crisp and golden brown. Remove with a palette knife.
To serve, place a lettuce on a plate, top with herbs, pancake, wrap it up and serve with dipping sauce.
Tauhu Telor or Fluffy Eggs With Bean Curd is an Indonesian comfort food which is simple and yet so delicious! I always order it whenever I dine at an Indonesian restaurant back in Asia. Sadly, the restaurants here in Vancouver does not serve Tahu Telor in that method, so, I decided to try to replicate the dish at home, in a simplified method and presentation though. The bean curd is deep-fried using a special mold. I wish I have a picture to show you, but sorry I don’t. The end result, or shall I say, taste-wise, it turned out pretty good or maybe even a tad better than at the restaurant. Anyway, I love anything tofu as they are full protein and is so delicious. Tauhu telur is another great meat-less alternative to get your protein requirements!
I think homemade noodles are truly a delight. You can adjust the thickness, width, and texture of the noodles to your liking, all while avoiding the usage of any additives. This video is about making noodles without the use of egg. You can make Japanese-styled noodles by using more salt (Udon), and less salt for plain Chinese wheat noodles.
I guess most of you are familiar with the two most popular varieties of Japanese noodles. Udon, being the thick wheat type usually served hot with noodle soup in a mildly flavored broth and the other is Soba, which is a thin type made from buckwheat flour usually served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup as well. Anyway, Udon are also great for stir-frying and can be eaten hot or cold. Here, I have prepared a Black Pepper Yaki-Udon cooked with shrimps. The noodles were full of flavor from the shrimps, cabbage, carrot, mushrooms, black pepper, and dashi. Dashi is a Japanese soup stock that’s made from dried kelp and bonito flakes. The dashi used in this recipe is easily available at most Asian grocers. I urge you to try making this delicious Udon dish.
Pickled young ginger is a wonderful condiment that is used alongside many Asian dishes such as sushi, or the "century egg". If you want your pickled ginger to be pink, like the one that is shown in my picture, you should look for ginger that has a pink tinge.
Stir-fry clams with roasted chili paste is one of my family’s favorite dishes. To make this dish, you will need to get a good Thai chili paste or you can make it at home too. The recipe is on my previous post. The chili paste taste really good with clams. Simply delightful!
*This is an updated post with a video cooking guide. (Previously posted on 11/01/09)
Stir-fry Clams With Roasted Chili Paste
Ingredients
500 g Clams
1 Tbsp Peanut or Cooking Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 to 3 Tbsp Thai Roasted Chili Paste
1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
1 tsp Sugar or to taste
2 to 3 Thai Red Chili, slice thickly or crushed
A Handful of Asian/Thai Basil
Method
In a large wok, heat the oil over high heat. Cook the garlic and chilies until fragrant and golden in color. Then add roasted chili paste and toss in the clams. Give it a quick stir and mix in the half of the Basil, fish sauce, and sugar. Give it another quick stir cover and cook until all the clams are open. Toss in the other half of Thai basil, mix well. Serve immediately.
Thai Roasted Chili Paste, also called Nam Prik Pao, is a slightly spicy, sweet, sour, and salty condiment. It is made with dried chilies, garlic, shallots, dried shrimps, roasted shrimp paste, palm sugar, and fish sauce. The paste itself is very tasty and is used in many Thai dishes, such as, Tom Yum soup, stir-fried seafood, fried rice, etc.
To me, this is an absolutely the traditional recipe for Malaysian Cucur Udang (Prawn Fritters). I have the recipes for a while now but never thought of making them until recently. The recipe was adapted from one of the popular chef and food styling in Malaysia. Her name is Rohani Jelani and she does cooking classes at her home too. So, do try this prawn fritters recipes and enjoy!
This is a simple stuffed tofu snack, enjoyed by many Malaysians. As mentioned in the video, the tofu over here in Vancouver, Canada is very dense. Hence I have to remove some of the flesh to create a pocket, before stuffing it with bean sprouts and cucumber. Otherwise, just make an incision through the middle of the tofu, and stuff with all the vegetables. Serve the fried tofu with some homemade sweet chili sauce. It is simply delicious!
This classic Malaysian styled sweet chili sauce is spicy, sweet, and tangy. It's a great condiment for any savoury snacks, like fritters and fried tofu. You can make the sauce spicier with extra chilies, or sweeter with additional sugar. Keep the sauce in an airtight jar in the fridge for about three to four weeks.
The versatile and delicious soft Tofu, I just love eating it and so does my family. There are so many ways to prepare tofu as many of you probably know. For this recipe, I have opted to use minced pork, and added some fermented black bean. The result was great. I'm sure it will undoubtedly taste great as well with minced beef or chicken.
Enjoy these delicious Chives Dumplings with some julienne ginger and black vinegar. The dumplings are made with ground pork, Chinese's chives, and ginger. Just two simple steps to cook these dumplings. The first step is to steam the dumplings and the second step is to pan fry them with a little oil. The pan frying gives the dumplings the extra crunch.
This is an updated video tutorial on how to make dumpling wrappers. I made the dough from scratch and rolled out the wrappers with a small rolling pin instead of a pasta machine as shown in my earlier video. The wrappers sized I made was about four inches in diameter and weigh approximately 18 grams. You can make it smaller with less dough too.
This is a light and refreshing Pineapple Curry with Prawns, made from scratch using fresh chilies, shallots, turmeric, lemongrass, pineapple, and lots of fresh prawns. Last but not least, add some coconut milk to thicken and flavor the delicious and lushes curry sauce. Do give this recipe a try and enjoy!
This is a classic dish served in many Chinese's restaurants. It is a great appetizer to any meal. The squid is crispy, sumptuous , and delicious in every bite with the "Magic Salt."
These are smooth and tasty Chinese-styled steamed eggs with minced meat. You can use either chicken or pork for this recipe. The trick to produce a smooth texture is to use a "low and slow method." Check out the video tutorial and learn how to make this delicious egg at home.
String Hoppers or Ididyapam is a breakfast dish made of rice flour, served with grated coconut and palm sugar. It originates from India, but they are very popular in a multicultural country, like Malaysia. It's known as Putu Mayam for the local residents. The meal is on a sweeter side, but you can always have it with some curry.
This is a simple and tasty noodle with shallot oil, anchovy broth, crispy shallot and soy sauce. It's great light meal, or you can top with any meat or vegetables for a more substantial meal.
Claypot Chicken Rice is another popular version of chicken rice in Malaysia, and throughout the South-East Asia. The rice is cooked in a clay or sand pot and top with some Chinese sausages, and salted fish. If you don't have the apparatus, then cook the rice in a regular pot or with a rice cooker.
This is a sumptuous Grilled Lemongrass Shrimps Salad, pack with nutrients. If weather permits, then go ahead and grill the shrimps outdoor. Otherwise, pan grilled taste fantastic too.
These Fried Anchovies With Onions And Chili are a popular Malaysian bar snack. It's also served as an appetizer or side dish at most home. The anchovies should remain crispy, slightly salty, sour, spicy and the onions are lightly softened without the raw taste.
There are a wide variety of ways to serve fried crispy anchovies. One of the most well known uses for it would be serving it along with Nasi Lemak, a popular dish in Malaysia. Other examples of how it can be used include, pounding them finely to add into rice porridge, as a topping for varieties of noodles, flavouring for many sambal dishes, and are great for making snacks. Whichever way you want to have it, make sure to check out my video and learn how to prepare these crispy anchovies.
I made this dish last weekend. The Steamed Taro Cake turned really good and I am very pleased with the result. It is soft with a light firm texture and chock full of yams in every bite.
*This is an updated post with a video cooking guide. (Previously posted on 11/24/08)
Steamed Orh Kueh (Savoury Taro/Yam Cake)
Ingredients
1 Medium Size Taro/Yam, peeled & diced
You’ll need about 400 grams of Taro)
10 Shallots, peeled & thinly sliced
8 Tbsp Dried Shrimps (soaked for 10 minutes, and reserved 1 cup of liquid), chopped
Peanut Oil, for cooking
Chili Sauce
Sweet Sauce
Batter
200 grams Rice Flour
30 grams Potato Starch
20 grams Corn Starch
2 Cups of Water
Equipment:
8 inches Greased Steaming Tray
A Steamer
Method
Make the batter: Combine rice flour, potato starch, corn starch and water. Mix well until you have a smooth batter. Set aside.
Heat oil over medium to high heat heat and fry the sliced shallots until fragrant, lightly browned and crispy. Remove and set aside.
Then fry the dried shrimps until crispy. Remove and set aside and reserved about 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok.
In the same wok, with the reserved oil add taro/yam, and sit-fry for a couple of minutes. Then season with oyster sauce, 5-Spiced powder, chicken granules, sea salt, and white pepper, and continues to stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the reserved liquid from dried shrimps (1 Cup) and the prepared batter. Turn the heat to low, cook, and stirring continuously, until the batter thickens.
Pour the batter into a greased steaming tray. Steam over high heat for about 40 minutes or it is until set. Remove and sprinkle with crispy shallots, dried shrimps, scallions, red chilies, and scallions. Let it cool completely before serving. Set aside for another 2 hours to cool completely.
This is one of my favorite stir-fry rice vermicelli with clams or known as Fried LaLa Bee Hoon in Hokkien dialect. It's a popular dish in Malaysia, and yet it's so easy to make it at home. Here, I have used frozen clams, but you can always opt for fresh clams, if available.
Here is a wonderful version of the popular Kuih Kosui, flavored with pure pandanus juice. This makes a great afternoon snack and fantastic with tea or coffee.
This fried oyster omelette is a very popular dish in South-East Asia. In Malaysia, it is known as "Or/Oh Chien" in Hokkien dialect. There are different versions of cooking this dish, but this one is my favorite.
Beef Rendang is a popular dish in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. It is usually eaten with glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, Roti Jala or just with some steamed rice.
This is a scrumptious Roasted Chicken Rice recipe. The chicken was marinated with homemade ginger and garlic paste. I have used whole chicken breast for this recipe, but you can opt for whole chicken or chicken legs. So, to complete the meal, serve over steamed rice cooked with the Hainanese chicken rice paste and chicken stock. Some good accompaniments for the chicken rice are ginger and garlic paste, cucumber and tomato slice, fresh chili sauce, dark caramel soy sauce, aromatic soy sauce, blanched bean sprouts, and tofu soup.
Steamed Glutinous Rice With Coconut Jam or Pulut Tekan (Pulut Tai Tai) is another popular teatime snack in Malaysia and Singapore. This dessert is rich with coconut infused glutinous rice and the natural blue color of Butterfly Pea flowers or Bunga Telang as known locally. It is served with some coconut jam.
Kam Heong crab is another popular crab dish in Malaysia. The word “Kam Heong” literally means Golden Fragrance. It really does light-up the smelling senses and tastes great. A profusion of smells from the key ingredients - curry leaves, curry powder, dried shrimps, shallots, garlic, and chilies. Well, if you like to try a different style of cooking these crustaceans, do consider giving this famous Malaysian style Kam Heong Crab recipe a try.
These steamed sweet potato buns are soft, sweet and delicious. They are great as it is, and tastes best hot, straight from the steamer or at room temperature.
Shanghai Rice Cakes or Nian Gao is a popular Chinese Lunar New Year dish. Traditionally, people use a large stone pestle and mortar to pound the steamed rice paste. It's easier to make these days, with the help of an electric mixer. The result was perfect. Smooth and chewy rice cakes. You can use the rice cakes to stir-fry with meat, seafood, vegetables or simply tosses them to the soup. If you're planning to make them, make sure to use short-grain rice, as they are starchier than long-grain rice.
This is a fantastic Vietnamese-Style Crispy Pancakes recipe, or also known as Banh Xeo in Vietnam. The texture of the pancake is light and crispy. As for the filling, I have added some bacon slices, shrimps, onion, and bean sprouts. The combination is just perfect.
I love the natural colour of this kuih. It consists of three layers. They are made with tapioca and sago. You can coat the kuih with some freshly grated coconut just before serving too.
