Steamed Chicken with CEKUR dipping sauce

 To serve  4-5:

Free-range Chicken (about 1.5 kg) 

Preparing the chicken

• Prepare the steamer. Boil the water.
• Blanch the chopped chicken (in the same water to be use for steaming - convenient). This cleans off the scum.
• Marinate the chicken with the ginger sauce and corn flour for 2 hours.  
• Dish out the chicken into the steaming tray. Ensure it is spread out in one layer.
• Steam for 15 minutes in boiling water.
• Pour into plate, garnish with coriander leaf or chopped spring onions. Sprinkle some white pepper. Serve.

Preparation for the Cekur Dipping Sauce

• 50g chopped cekur roots
• 2 small green chili, sliced
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt or taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar or taste

Method

Heat oil in a saucepan, add in chopped cekur and garlic, sauté till aroma. Add in water, bring to boil. Add in all seasonings, and continue to simmer till slightly thicken. Serve.

Notes:

Cekur is one type of local ginger, widely use in Malay cooking,  you can read more here.

Kari Kepala Ikan (Fish Head Curry)

I am going to share with you this simple curry recipe.... Some handy tips before you start cooking this. 

1. Ask your fishmonger to scale your fish head properly. Trust me, it's not pleasant having fish scales in the curry while you're eating. 

2. Don't overcook the okra. 10-15 minutes is fine. 

3. Don't let the coconut boil in the curry for too long, otherwise it will start to split. 

4. Don't overcook the fish either. 

5. And finally, the fish cheek is the best part.

Ingredients

1 meaty fish head, such as red snapper or grouper, about 1 kg in weight 

salt, for cleaning fish head

200g okra/ladies fingers, cut into half if they are slightly big, otherwise keep whole

1 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp ginger paste

1/2 tbsp garlic paste

1 tbsp onion paste

2 tbsp tamarind puree or paste

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek/halba seeds

2-3 sprigs curry leaves (shredded/sliced)

1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)

4 tbsp olive oil

2 slices dried asam gelugur/sour fruit , optional

1 tbsp sugar, or more to taste

Salt to taste

For the curry paste (mix with some water for a thick paste)

1 tbsp plain chili powder

1 tsp white pepper powder

1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp fennel powder

Method

Prepare the fish head. Wash thoroughly with running water to rid of any blood. Place the head in a large bowl and rub salt all over the head. Fill with enough water to cover and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse well to remove the salt. Set aside.

Rub fish with turmeric powder and keep aside.

Heat olive oil and saute ginger, garlic and onion paste. Splatter in mustard and fenugreek seeds and fry for 30 seconds before adding the curry leaves. Fry for another 30 seconds. Add the spice paste and gently fry over low heat for 15-20 minutes, until fragrant and thickened and the paste develop a richer and darker colour.  

Add the tamarind puree, followed by water, coconut milk and the assam gelugur/sour fruit slices. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Add the okras/ladies fingers and aubergines. Increase the heat to medium and gently bring to the boil, Carefully lower the fish head into the wok or pan and simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Add a little more water, if necessary so that the fish head is almost submerged.

Season with salt and sugar, to taste, Serve piping hot with lots of steamed rice to soak up all those spicy gravy.

Simple Kimchi

I really love this Kimchi...easy to made.....  if you are looking something simple... try this!

Ingredients:

2 medium size napa cabbages (about 8 pounds)

1-1/4 cups coarse sea salt (less if using finer salt)

6 cups water

1 Korean radish, mu (about 1-1/2 pounds)

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

5 - 7 scallions, roughly chopped

Seasoning:

1 cup gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)   

1/3 cup saeujeot (salted shrimp), finely minced

4 tablespoons myulchiaekjeot (fish sauce)

1/4 cup minced garlic

2 teaspoons finely grated ginger

1 tablespoon sugar

large bowls 

large colanders

kitchen gloves

airtight container

Methods:

1. Cut the cabbage heads into quarters and remove the core from each quarter. Cut each quarter crosswise into bite sizes (about 1-1/2-inches).

2.   Place the cabbage pieces in a large bowl(s). In a smaller bowl, dissolve 1-1/4 cups of salt in 6 cups of water. Pour over the cabbage. Toss well to wet the cabbage pieces evenly with the salt water. Let stand until the white parts are bendable, about 2 hours, turning the cabbage pieces over occasionally.

3.   Cut the radish into bite sizes (about 1-1/2-inch square, about 1/4-inch thick). Sprinkle with a tablespoon of salt. Toss well. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. Drain. Do not wash.

4.    Mix the chili pepper flakes with the remaining seasoning ingredients along with 1 cup of water.

5.    Rinse the salted cabbage three times and drain to remove excess water.

6.    In a large bowl, add the radish, scallions and seasoning to the salted cabbage. Using a kitchen glove, mix everything well by hand until the cabbage pieces are well coated with the seasoning mix. Place the the kimchi in an airtight container(s) or a jar(s). Rinse the bowl with 1/2 cup of water by swirling around, and pour over the kimchi. 

7.   Leave the kimchi out in room temperature for half a day to a day, depending on how quickly you want your kimchi to ferment. Then, refrigerate.

Credited recipe from Korean Bapsang

ROSE HIP SYRUP

Rosehip syrup was a wonderful wartime essential when citrus fruits were so hard to come by, because it is packed full of Vitamin C.  A dessertspoonful every day is a far cheaper alternative to taking vitamin C tablets and more natural. 

ROSEHIP SYRUP

Utensils:

2 x large pans – a good sized hob-safe casserole will do nicely

1 sharp knife or, better still, a blender or mini chopper

1 x colander

1 x jelly bag (or fine muslin and a sieve)

Sterilised small bottles or jars

Ingredients:

2lb / 960g ripe rosehips – stalks and leaves removed

4 pints boiling water

2lb / 960g white sugar

Method:

• Roughly chop the rosehips
• Put them into the pan with 2 pints of boiling water and bring back to the boil
• Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for half an hour
• Strain off the liquid through a colander and then strain again through a jelly bag
• Return the hips to the pan, add another 2 pints of boiling water
• Bring back to the boil and leave to infuse for half an hour
• Strain as before
• Combine the two liquids in a clean pan and boil until it is reduced by about half
• Take it off the heat and add the sugar, stirring until it is dissolved
• Bring back to the boil and boil hard for 10 minutes
• Pour into the warm, sterilised bottles or jars, seal,  leave to cool, then store.

Starfruit reed sambal

Ingredients
200 grams of starfruit reed (choose ripe)
1 tablespoon salt
4 red onions
2 cloves of garlic
10 pieces of curly red chili
1 tsp shrimp paste cooked
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar, sliced
3 tablespoons oil for frying
100 ml thick coconut milk

Method:-

1. Sliced ​​starfruit reed, and squeeze with 1 teaspoon salt until juicy. Take fruit, water should be removed.

2. Finely mashed onion, garlic, red chilli curls, shrimp, salt, and sugar. Pounding starfruit reed. Pounding rough.

3. Heat the oil. Saute all ingredients until fragrant. Add coconut milk, and cook until the sauce greasy. And can be served.

4. More delicious eaten with hot rice and salads.

Kaffir Lime Layer Cake

Lapis Limau Purut (Kaffir Lime Layer Cake)

Recipe by Wannah Alshatrie ... thank you for sharing your recipe.

Kaffir Lime (Limau Purut)

 

Ingredients:

400g butter

4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

20 egg yolk (use large eggs)

5 egg white

250 castor sugar

*100g cake flour

*25g cornflour

*1 tsp baking powder

(* sifted together)

1 tbsp kaffir lime rind (I used rind from 1 kaffir lime.)

a few drops of green colouring

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 180 deg C. Use top heat only.

2. Line & grease the base of a 10x7 or 8x8-inch baking pan. Set aside.

3. Combine butter & condensed milk & cream until white & creamy. Set aside.

4. If using a big cake mixer, combine eggs & sugar in a clean & dry mixing bowl & beat until thick & fluffy. If using a hand-held whisk, beat egg white in a dry & clean mixing bowl until soft peak. Then add sugar gradually & beat until stiff peak. Then add egg yolk one at a time. Continue mixing until mixture becomes thick & fluffy.

5. Add butter & mix thoroughly. (I used a hand whisk.)

6. Fold in flour & baking powder. Add in kaffir lime rind & colouring & mix gently but thoroughly.

7. Pour 2 ladles of batter (I weighed 80g for each layer.)  into the pan. Grill for about 2 minutes till cook & top turns golden brown. (You may need to adjust the temperature of your oven such that the layer will be cooked in about 2 minutes). Remove baking pan from oven. Press the top of cake gently with a lapis presser (or flat glass) to pop up any bubbles to produce a neat lapis.

8. Repeat step 7 until finish.

9. After baking the last layer,  bake the whole cake using top & bottom heat at 200 deg C for about 10 minutes.

10. Remove cake from pan and allow to cool on a cooling wire rack before cutting & serving.