Pulut Inti (Glutinous rice topped with sweetened grated coconut) 糯米椰渣糕

Pulut Inti (Glutinous rice topped with sweetened grated coconut) 糯米椰渣糕

 A sweet delicacy

Hawkers sell them wrapped up like nasi lemak packets

 

Banana Leaves

Some banana leaves
Depending on your preference, you will need more leaves if you wish to wrap them up hawker style.
Dip banana leaves into boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and set aside. Wipe dry before use.

 

Ingredients For the Glutinous Rice

2 cups glutinous rice, wash and drain
2 cups coconut milk or santan
1 tsp salt
A few drops of pandan (screwpine) juice or green colouring


1.  Mix glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt into a container with a lid and place it in a steamer to steam for 45 minutes.
2.  Remove and fluff up the glutinous rice to allow the grains to swell to a soft texture
3.  Divide the glutinous rice into two portions, mix green colouring into one portion of the steamed glutinous rice and leave the other portion as it is.
4.  Cover the container and continue to steam for a further 10 minutes
5.  Allow to cool

Ingredients For the Inti (Filling)

2 cups grated coconut
1 cup shaved gula Melaka or palm sugar

50g sugar
1/2 cup of water


Mix everything together and cook in a saucepan over a slow flame. Stir constantly to prevent burning until mixture thickens and becomes jam-like.  Remove from flame and allow to cool before use.

Gula Melaka or palm sugar

Instructions

1. Once the glutinous rice and the inti (filling) have cooled down, you can start assembling them.
2. Cut the banana leaves into round circles.
3. Oil your fingers and form small balls from the white portion of the glutinous rice and place them in the centre of the round banana leaves.
4.  Keep your fingers well oiled, surround the small white balls of glutinous rice with green glutinous rice.
5.  Put a spoonful of the inti (filling) on top of the white glutinous balls.

Stir-Fried Celery With Pork Belly Slices 西芹炒猪肉

Stir-Fried Celery With Pork Belly Slices 西芹炒猪肉

The celery is crunchy, the pork fragrant and gelatinous

Ingredients

 

150g pork belly slices
250g celery
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning Solution

 

1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp abalone sauce

Dissolve in 1 Chinese rice bowl of water

How To Marinate Pork Slices

1 tsp shao hsing wine
3 tsp cornflour

Add wine first, mix evenly  then add the cornflour and mix thoroughly. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Instructions

 

1.  In a wok, heat 2 tbsp cooking oil with medium flame
2.  Add in the minced garlic and stir-fry till light brown and fragrant
3.  Turn to high heat immediately, add in the celery and stir-fry for 2 minutes
4.  Add in the bowl of seasoning solution. Let it boil for 1 minute
5.  Then add in the marinated pork and stir evenly and add an additional 1/2 to 1 bowl of water, if necessary
6.  Let it boil for 3 to 4 minutes
7.  Dish up and serve

X-Files : Paying For Misdeed Of Past Life

X-Files : Paying For Misdeed Of Past Life

I am sharing a very sad but true story of JL and his deceased wife.

JL is a loving husband to his pretty wife and three kids. They were very happy and life seemed perfect for this young family. Then one fine day his wife fell sick for no apparent reason. She consulted numerous doctors and specialists to no avail. They went from temple to temple seeking divine help and drew a blank. Nothing seemed to relieve what was ailing her. Her health deteriorated from day to day and she was on the verge of death.

Finally, the family came to know of a Taoist medium who was able to interpret the problem but he was unable to help her at all because it all boiled down to karma.

In one incident JL's wife went into a trance and started talking. She spoke in a man's voice. The story she related while in a trance was very scary. It seemed that long ago in her past life, she was a man who had killed another man. Now, this murdered man apparently had been searching for her for possibly a few life times over hundreds of years in order to seek revenge. He finally caught up with her and now he wanted his sweet revenge for himself as he claimed to have been brutally killed in cold blood. He would not settled for any compensation in any kind or form. He just wanted her life, even though she might have been a woman in this lifetime. He wanted her life to pay for his life! In other words, he will not accept anything other than an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

After struggling for a while longer, JL's wife succumbed to her illness and died. She left behind a devastated JL and three small children. 

It is believed that The law of cause and effect had finally caught up with her and she had to bear the consequences of her past misdeed or karma.

Bacon & Mango Tortilla

 Bacon & Mango Tortilla

 

 Kids love it

 

Ingredients

8 slices bacon, fry until crispy
4 pieces of lettuce, wash and drain
1 large mango, remove the skin and cut the mango flesh into strips
4 pieces tortilla
some potato chips
mayonnaise
BBQ sauce
Thai chili sauce 

 Tortilla wrap

 Potato chips

 BBQ sauce

Thai chili sauce

Instructions

 Place a piece of tortilla wrap on a flat plate

 Squeeze some mayonnaise onto the wrap

Spread out the mayonnaise evenly

Place a piece of lettuce on the wrap

 Add on the bacon crisps

Add the mango strips

Squeeze some BBQ sauce and Thai chili sauce on top of the bacon and mango

 Break some potato chips over the whole ensemble and wrap it up

A nice change from my staple food, the rice

Relief For Piles (Haemorrhoids) 痔核

Relief For Piles (Haemorrhoid's) 痔核

 

The cactus concerned

Hibiscus flowers- use only the petals of three flowers and discard the other parts.

A piece of cactus, use only 1/3 of it for one application

A tablespoonful of cooked rice

Mix everything together and crush to a pulp and apply it to the affected area.

It gives relief to the patient and some swear by it that they were cured using this method.

X-Files : The Naughty Ghost

X-Files : The Naughty Ghost

 

This happened in my third aunt's house back in the eighties. 

It was not very late, just around 9-00 P.M. My third aunt and her husband had gone out to run some errands. My mother, who was visiting, did not want to go with them, stayed back to watch television. Soon she was dozing off right in front of the TV and snoring loudly. As was the norm for people who dozed off in front of the TV, they tend to wake up groggily every now and then, shift position to make themselves more comfortable and then continue to snore. She put up both her legs on the coffee table to make herself more comfortable. 

Soon she felt one of her legs being lifted gently and slowly off from the coffee table and placed on the floor. At first, she did not suspect anything as she was barely awake to be able to think at all and continued to sleep and snore. Then she felt the other leg being moved. This time she woke up. But she did not see anything unusual. She rubbed her eyes to take a clearer look, sat up properly with both legs on the floor and tried to watch the TV programme instead.

Soon, she dozed off once again. Then something woke her and she was fully awake and alert. She then realised that both her legs were now on the coffee table! This time she fully remembered that she had sat up and placed both legs on the floor before dozing off.

My mother was not afraid, instead she was amused that some naughty ghost was playing with her! Later while narrating the whole incident to us she even joked that the naughty ghost must have been either annoyed or disturbed by her notorious snoring!

 

Chicken Mango Wrap

Chicken Mango Wrap

 

 The mango adds a zing to this chicken wrap

We had a mini tortilla party in the office pantry among a group of ladies during lunch and that was where I learnt how to make tortilla. It was fun wrapping and assembling your own wrap from the spread of ingredients. Of course in the office, we used only sausages, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. At home, I can add more variations to the ingredients used.

Ingredients

 

200g chicken fillet
1 large mango, remove the skin and cut the mango flesh into strips
4 pieces tortilla
4 pieces of lettuce 
some potato chips
Mayonnaise
BBQ sauce
chili sauce

Marinade

 

A sprinkle of salt
A dash of pepper

Instructions

 

1.  Wash the chicken fillet and marinate it with the marinade for 15 minutes
2.  Poach the chicken fillet in boiling water. Cut the chicken fillet into large strips 

 A packet of garlic-flavoured tortillas

 A packet of potato chips

 A bottle of BBQ sauce

A bottle of Thai chili sauce

Assembling the Chicken Wrap

 

 Place a piece of wrap on a flat plate

 Squeeze some mayonnaise on the tortilla

 Spread the mayonnaise evenly

 Place a piece of lettuce on top

 Place two pieces of chicken fillet on top of the lettuce

 Add in two strips of mango

 Squeeze some BBQ sauce and chili sauce on top of the chicken and mango

Break a couple of potato chips on the chicken and mango

Roll up and wrap around to form a roll

 A hot and spicy wrap

 
 

X-Files : Do Not Disturb

X-Files : Do Not Disturb

 

QQ is a small time contractor who had secured some renovation and repair works in an old office cum shopping mall in the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur. Trying to cut costs by doing the job himself after working hours, he soon made arrangement with the owner for the keys to the premises. 

He brought his equipment to this office and proceeded to work. He was prepared to put in a few solid hours to finish the job. He started off by opening up a can of paint and started stirring. Soon he heard the sound of metal being hit and pulled. Then he heard the sound of metallic objects being thrashed about and metal objects breaking up. At this point, he felt the eerie atmosphere and was feeling afraid with goosebumps all over his body. He said silently, more to himself than to anyone in particular since he was all alone in this office. He thought, "Do not let me hear those noises again, I will leave if I hear those sounds again". Almost Immediately, those noises increased a few octaves scaring the hell out of him!


It was as if the unseen occupants in the room  were telling QQ, "Yeah, get out now. Leave us alone."

With trembling hands, QQ packed up as best as he could under such distressed circumstances he was in, and took to his heels. 

Suffice to say, QQ dared not work at night anymore and instead sent his workers to finish the job during regular office hours. 

The unseen occupants obviously did not like to be disturbed at night !

Braised Pork Ribs & Pork Belly 香甜排骨

Braised Pork Ribs & Pork Belly 香甜排骨

Scrumptious !

Ingredients

2 sticks pork ribs , cut into bite-sized pieces

300g pork belly, remove skin. Do not cut into smaller pieces yet.

2 tsp pepper

3 tbsp minced garlic

1 star anise

700 ml water

2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning

70g rock sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp shao hsing wine

2 tbsp dark sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce

Mix everything together in a bowl

Cornflour Solution

 

1 tbsp water

1 1/2 tsp cornflour

Mix together

Instructions

 

1.  Parboil ribs and pork belly in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove and drain dry

2.  Use enough oil to deep-fry the pork ribs and pork belly till light brown. See picture provided below.

3.  In a wok, use 2 tbsp oil to saute garlic, star anise and pepper till garlic turned light  brown and fragrant

4.  Add in water, seasoning, ribs and belly. Bring it to a boil

5.  Braise for 30 minutes in medium heat or till almost dry and the liquid turned dark brown and bubbly

6.  Add in the cornflour solution. It will turn very dark and sticky.

7.  Let it simmer for 1 minute.

8.  Switch off the flame. Dish up and cut the pork belly into bite-sized pieces.

9.  Pour the sticky sauce over the ribs and cut pork belly slices.

The pork ribs and pork belly after undergoing deep-frying

Sweet and fragrant ribs and pork belly

Minced Pork Steamed With Salted Fish 咸鱼蒸猪肉

Minced Pork Steamed With Salted Fish 咸鱼蒸猪肉

 Super yummy !

Ingredients

 

300g minced pork and fat

20g salted fish slices

5 chili padi

10g young ginger

1 egg

Sauce Ingredients

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp water

Dissolve the cornstarch and sugar with the water

Instructions

 

1.  In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and mix it with the minced pork and fat

2.  Dissolve the cornstarch and sugar with 2 tsp of water and mix it together with item ( 1 ) above

3.  Put the mixture into a plate as shown in the picture below

4.  Slice open the chili padi and remove the seeds and chop them up

5.  Slice the ginger into thin slices

6.  Cut the salted fish into smaller pieces and place them on top of the pork mixture in the plate

7.  Sprinkle the cut chili padi and young ginger slices on top

8.  Steam in boiling water for 20 minutes

Note :  You can refer to The Technique Of Steaming Food  here

This is just to show how the salted fish pieces, chili padi and young ginger are placed on top of the minced pork mixture before steaming

The cooked dish of minced pork and salted fish

X-Files : The Flying Ghost

X-Files : The Flying Ghost

The security guard in my son's school had the misfortune to witness this incident during one cold and windy night while performing his duty on one unlucky graveyard shift. 

The security guard was on night duty.  As part of his job, he went round patrolling the school compound. When he reached a block of classrooms, he saw a woman walking towards the  block of classrooms as well. She was wearing a brown sarong. The security guard was puzzled because it was late at night and was wondering what this woman was doing within the school compound at this hour? 

Before the security guard could make enquiries or investigate further, the woman started hopping. It was no ordinary hopping. She could spring up several feet above the ground. She continued hopping towards the classrooms. Then, right before the security guard's eyes, the woman flew up higher and higher until she reached the rooftop! Then she vanished. 

This incident was related to my son by his school teacher. 
The school teacher further told the class that the security guard quit his job the very next day !

Can't blame him. Given me, I would have done the same too!

Chinese Herbal Jelly, Guilinggao 龟苓膏

Chinese Herbal Jelly, Guilinggao 龟苓膏

3 bowls of guillinggao

Guilinggao ( Kwai leng ko in Cantonese) is a traditional Chinese herbal jelly. It is believed to have a cooling effect on the body and is a very popular snack enjoyed by the Chinese.

 

 

Ingredients

One packet of guilinggao

One small sachet of guilinggao

1. Use 5 sachets and 1000ml of water to prepare 6 Chinese rice bowls of guilinggao.
2. Dissolve all the 5 sachets of guilinggao powder with a little cold water in a mixing bowl to form a paste.
3. Then mix the paste into 1000ml of hot water. Stir to dissolve the paste into the water.
4. Sieve the solution into 6 Chinese rice bowls. They will cool and hardened into a jelly-like substance.
5. Chill them in the refrigerator and add 1 Chinese soup spoon of honey to the guilinggao before consuming.


Note: Honey is widely believed to be good for the complexion.

So tempting

Use 1 Chinese soup spoon of honey to go with it

Ready to be gulped down with relish