Coconut Chilli Fried Fish

Coconut Chilli Fried Fish

Recipe source :  Srilankans.com.au


The original recipe used fish slices. I chose to use a whole red tilapia. I always prefer a whole fish than fish slices. It's a matter of preference. It turned out fine. It was very crispy and very fragrant with so much spices used. 

Ingredients

1 whole tilapia                              ( original recipe used 6 slices of white fish )
1/4 cup grated coconut
1 tsp fennel seed
2 small onions
1 tsp turmeric powder
3 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 sprig curry leaves
Oil for frying

Preparation 

1.  Clean the fish well and keep aside.
2.  Crush 1 tsp of fennel seeds and keep aside.
3.  Chop the onions and grated coconut. Mix into a paste.
4.  Add in the spices, salt and curry leaves.
5.  Marinate the fish with this spice paste and leave the fish in the refrigerator for half an hour.
6.  Heat 3 to 4 tbsp oil in a wok and fry the fish until fragrant and crispy.

Rub the spice paste onto the fish and allow to marinate for half an hour

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Indian Subcontinent

Hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommelier

Sweet Potato And White Fungus Soup 番薯糖水

Sweet Potato And White Fungus Soup 番薯糖水

Recipe source :  Nourishing Sweet Indulgence cookbook

Snow fungus or commonly called the white fungus contains lots of collagen. Its medicinal benefits are believed to be able to heal dry coughs and clear heat from lungs. In addition to improving skin complexion,  I was advised that its collagen content is very beneficial to knee caps and it helps to lubricate the cartilages around the knee caps of the ageing citizens. 

Old ginger is reputed to rid cold and "wind". Do not remove the skin from old ginger and do not undermine this little piece of old ginger. Because it really makes a difference to enhance the flavour of  this sweet soup.

Now, sweet potatoes, as we all know are good for our bowel movements. 

Combined together, they make an excellent sweet dessert which warms the heart and soul! 

Enjoy!

Ingredients

200g yellow sweet potatoes
200g orange sweet potatoes
50g old ginger
20g dried snow fungus, soaked until soft and tear into smaller pieces
2 litres water
200g cane rock sugar

 Orange sweet potatoes

 Yellow sweet potatoes

 Soaked snow fungus

Old ginger cut into halves and smacked with the back of a cleaver

Method

1.  Peel sweet potatoes and cut into small bite-sized pieces
2.  Cut the old ginger into halves and use the back of cleaver to smack it.
3.  Place old ginger, sweet potatoes and snow fungus into a medium-sized pot. Add in 2 litres of water and bring to a boil.
4.  Lower to medium heat and continue to simmer for about  30 minutes. Add in cane rock sugar and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.

I am also linking this to Cook-Your-Book #12

 

Organised by Joyce of  Kitchen Flavours

Fried Pork With Evaporated Milk

Fried Pork With Evaporated Milk

Recipe source : Adapted from  House of Annie

At first I was sceptical about using milk to cook a savoury dish. Then I let my imagination run  and tried to visualise the combination of pork, chilli padi and milk. I took a gamble and I have no regrets! 

The pork pieces had been marinated and shallow-fried before cooking in milk. The curry leaves make it very fragrant. Add more chilli padi if you like it real hot! 

Tastes great!

 

Ingredients

500g pork, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
enough oil to shallow-fry the pork

For Sauce

5 shallots, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
5 bird's eye chillies, sliced
half a bowl of curry leaves
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of chicken stock granules (optional)

Top : curry leaves

Bottom left : chopped garlic. Middle : chopped shallots. Right :  bird's eye chillies

Pork pieces

Evaporated milk

Method

1.  Mix the pork pieces with salt, pepper and tapioca flour and allow to marinate for about 1 hour.
2.  Heat enough oil in a wok to shallow-fry the marinated pork pieces until golden brown. About 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
3.  Remove the oil used for frying the pork pieces leaving only about 3 tbsp of the oil in the wok.
4.  Saute the chopped garlic, shallots and curry leaves until fragrant. Make sure the shallots and garlic are not burnt.
5.  Add in the fried pork pieces and continue to stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes.
6.  Pour in water and evaporated milk. Cook until slightly thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes.
7.  Add salt, sugar and chicken stock granules.

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for May 2014 is Milk

Hosted by Tze of  Awayofmind Bakery House

This event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids 
and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

Steamed Black Chicken And Dried Fig Soup

Steamed Black Chicken And Dried Fig Soup

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours


Black chicken is believed by the Chinese to be "poh" that is, it can boost your energy level.. When it is combined with Chinese herbs, dried scallops and mushrooms a tasty and nutritious soup is brewed. 

Try to remove as much fat as possible from the chicken before steaming. Otherwise the soup will be very oily.  

SK and I like this soup . We find it  tasty and naturally sweet. But  then the old saying  "one man's meat is another man's poison" holds true. My youngest son, YS, refused to eat the black chicken. To him the black chicken is yucky!

Ingredients

1kg black chicken
20g Solomon's seal      ( yook chook in Cantonese )
30g dried figs

20g dried mushrooms

1 tsp wolf berries
4 medium-sized dried scallops ( 20g )
2 slices ginger
1 tsp salt
1.2 litres water

 

Method

1. Chop off the head and feet of the black chicken. Cut the black chicken into halves.

2.  Soak dried mushrooms until soft. Remove the stems.
3.  Place the chicken pieces into a large casserole. make sure the casserole has a tight-fitting lid.

4.  Add in Solomon's seal, dried figs, mushrooms, wolf berries, ginger slices and dried scallops into the casserole.

5.  Pour water into the casserole and cover it.

6.  Steam over boiling water for 2 1/2 hours.

7.  Remove the casserole and add in salt. Stir to mix well.

Steamed Cabbage Roll

Steamed Cabbage Roll

Recipe source :  Doris Choo of Sumptuous Flavours


I am so very happy to have the chance to share this recipe which won me the grand prize of a Vitasteam oven from The Flavours-Miele All Steamed Up Contest !

It was love at first sight when I saw the Vitasteam oven featured in The Flavours magazine. As I flipped further through the pages I noticed another article about "all steamed-up contest". All we needed to do was to cook a dish by steaming the food and submit the recipe with a photo of the dish. The stipulation was - originality. 

I was very excited about this event. I dreamt of winning the prize. Actually I was obsessed with it! I told myself that if I don't win it then I will buy it! But how to win? I am not professionally trained in cooking.  I can cook simple everyday meals for my family. As for the elaborate dishes I have to follow recipes from the more experienced bloggers or from magazines. I was quite lost as to where to begin. Then I  thought about  all my favourite foods and the possibilities of mixing and matching my favourite ingredients. I ended up submitting a total of six recipes to the contest.

Well, you can say I am first time lucky! This is the first time I participated in a cooking contest, the first time I am so obsessed with an electrical appliance that I fell in love at first sight and of course this is the first time I won any grand prize!


My sincere thanks to Flavours Magazine and Miele Sdn Bhd.



Ingredients

10 leaves of Chinese cabbage

10 pieces of chives

2 slices of ginger

1.5 litres water

1 tsp salt

Chinese cabbage and chives - parboiled in hot water

Filling Ingredients

300g shrimps, diced
500g jicama (sengkuang) cut into thin strips
40g dried black fungus, soak until soft and cut into thin strips
30g parsley, chopped

 Jicama, yam bean or sengkuang

 Black fungus

Shrimps

Parsley

Seasoning Ingredients

5g ginger, grated
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp light soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cooking wine
1 tsp sugar
a dash of sesame oil

Method

1.  Boil the Chinese cabbage leaves and chives in 1 litre of boiling water which has been added with 2 slices ginger and 1 tsp salt. Boil for 3 minutes. Drain away the water and set aside.

2.  Mix the shrimps, jicama, black fungus and parsley together in a big bowl.

3.  Add in the seasoning ingredients and toss everything together to mix well. Divide the filling into 10 equal portions.

4.  Place a piece of softened Chinese cabbage on a flat surface.

5.  Place one portion of filling onto the Chinese cabbage and carefully wrap up the filling to form a parcel.

6.  Tie it up with a piece of chive.

7.  Repeat the process with the rest of the ingredients.

8.  Place all the wrapped cabbages onto a steaming tray.

9.  Steam over high heat for 15 minutes.

10. Serve hot.

Here is a snapshot of my winning recipe as published in the Flavours Magazine.
Issue : November 2013

Prawn Theldulla

Prawn Theldulla

Recipe source :  The Flavours magazine, Vol 11 Issue 2 No. 40 Sept - Oct  2003


This fine cuisine hails from Sri Lanka. I find this dish wholesome and having a good balance of the various food groups. I like this type of recipe which has protein and vegetables all in one dish, which means the lazy me do not have to cook a few different dishes for the day!

We like the mild blending of spices with the prawns and vegetables. It tasted like a mild curry yet no coconut milk nor curry powder was used in this excellent prawn dish. 

Ingredients

 
500g medium-sized prawns ( remove shells but keep the tails )
1 tsp turmeric
90g shallots, peeled whole
2 medium-sized onions, sliced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 pandan (screw-pine) leaf, cut into 1 cm sections
1 small stick of cinnamon
4 bird's eye chillies, cut
1 capsicum, cut
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 tbsp water                                     ( I used 1/3 cup water )
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp ground black pepper               
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar                                    ( I added sugar to taste )

 Prawns

Top : onions

Middle : shallots

Bottom : cinnamon stick

Top left : capsicum. Top right : tomato

Bottom left : curry leaves. Bottom right : chilli padi

Method

1.  Season prawns with turmeric powder.
2.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry shallots, onions, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, cinnamon and chillies. Stir-fry for a minute or until fragrant.
3.  Add prawns and fry for another minute over high heat.
4.  Add capsicum, tomatoes, water and lime juice. 
5   Cook until almost dry.
6.  Season to taste.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Indian Subcontinent

Hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommelier

I am also linking this to Cook-Your-Book #12

 

Organised by Joyce of  Kitchen Flavours

Garlic Naan

Garlic Naan

Recipe source : Adapted from Socialappetizers

My perception of naan are those which I ate from Indian restaurants with an assortment of  curries and tandoori chicken. Those naan are thick and large and you must dip them in curries because they are rather bland by itself. 

This recipe which I had just tried out instructed that the naan be made into small discs which are thin and crispy. The slight tinge of saltiness and the flavour from the chopped garlic and parsley made these naan very tasty and fragrant. You do not need to dip them in curries. They tasted great as they were. According to the recipe source, they are meant to be finger food. 

I made them for our weekend brunch. We washed down these naan with Indian Masala Chai. They were great! In fact, these naan tasted better than those I had eaten at restaurants around my neighbourhood!

Ingredients for the dough

2 1/2 tsp dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
3/4 cup warm water
3 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 oz melted butter or oil
2 tbsp yoghurt
a pinch of baking soda

Ingredients for Topping

8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sprigs parsley, chopped
2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions

 
1.  Dissolve sugar in warm water.
2.  Add yeast, salt and baking soda to the flour. Also mix in the yoghurt and melted butter.
3.  Pour in the sugar solution. Mix into a soft dough and knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. About 15 minutes.
4.  Place dough into a large oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Leave it in a warm place and let it rest until double in size. About 1 1/2 hours in our hot Malaysian weather.
5.  Punch down the dough and knead it again. I divided the dough into 12 pieces. ( It depends on the desired size of the naan ).
6.  Roll out the naan into small circular disk. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle generously with chopped garlic and chopped parsley.
7.  Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree for about 8 minutes.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Indian Subcontinent

Hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommelier

Indian Masala Chai

Indian Masala Chai

Recipe source :  here

My Indian friends introduced me to masala chai.  I  was hooked to this spicy  tea ever since my first sip. But it was expensive to enjoy this tea at fine Indian restaurants. And I do not quite fancy the pre-packed variety which are sold in supermarkets or Indian shops. The pre-packed varieties are definitely not as good as masala chai brewed fresh from scratch. 

My friends advised that masala chai is best drunk after a sumptuous and spicy Indian meal. However, I can drink it anytime, with or without a spicy Indian meal. I just love to drink this fabulous tea which is so richly infused with spices to give it the extra oomph!

Come join me for a cuppa!

Ingredients

4 whole cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick,
3 cups water
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 black tea bags

 Top down : 

1. Cloves

2. Cardamom pods

3. Cinnamon

4. Tea bags

Fresh milk

Ginger powder

Method

1.  Crush the spices in a mortar. Transfer the crushed spices to a small pot.
2.  Add in water, ginger powder and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
3.  Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes.
4.  Add in milk and sugar and bring to a boil again.
5.  Switch off the flame and add in the tea bags. Let it steep for 3 minutes.
6.  Stir the chai and strain into a warm teapot or directly into mugs or tea cups.
7.  Serve hot..

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Indian Subcontinent

Hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommelier

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for May 2014 is Milk

Hosted by Tze of  Awayofmind Bakery House

This event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids 
and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

Honey Peach Panna Cotta

Honey Peach Panna Cotta

Recipe source : Adapted from Dairy Goodness

The original recipe used peach puree. But I opted to chop the peaches instead of blending into a puree. I like a slight bite to the peaches and I like the speckled design of the peaches against the creamy milk. The honey was a brilliant addition instead of using sugar.

This is a wonderful and very refreshing dessert.

Ingredients

2 1/2 tsp agar-agar powder      ( original recipe used gelatin )
500 ml milk, divided into 2 portions
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can sliced peaches in juice
Ground cinnamon                     ( I omitted this )

Fresh milk

 Canned peaches

Preparation

1.  Sprinkle agar-agar powder into one portion of milk. Stir to mix well.
2.  Pour the other portion of milk into a small pot and heat over low heat until steaming.
3.  Add in the portion of agar-agar mixture. Continue stirring until it comes to a boil.
4.  Remove from flame and add in honey, salt and vanilla extract. Allow to cool.
5.  Chop 3/4 cup of peaches and add in 1 tbsp of the canned juice. Pour the chopped peaches into the slightly cooled down pudding. 
6.  Pour into 4 small cups. Leave to cool. 
7.  Cover the cups with cling film and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
8.  When chilled, use a sharp knife to run around the edge of the panna cotta and invert onto a serving plate.
9.  Garnish with sliced peaches and sprinkle with ground cinnamon (optional).

 Pour into small cups and allow to set before chilling

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for May 2014 is Milk

Hosted by Tze of  Awayofmind Bakery House

This event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids 
and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY