ASSAM LAKSA BEEHOON IN A HURRY

My girlfriend Val"s gave me a big bundle of bunga kantan (phaeomaria) and the fragrant flower smell make me wanting to have my favourite assam laksa noodle. Hmmm...........looking..looking.....at my kitchen shelfs...hurray! there are cans of tuna. OKay, going to give it a try since I want my assam laksa noodle in the fastest way. Here what I manage to cooked for 3 persons and it is good.

RECIPE:

1 small can of tuna in oil/water

2 stalks bunga kantan (phaeomaria)- halved

4 stalk daun kesum (polyganum)

1 pc assam keping -shredded

5 nos. shallot- pounded coarsely

1 tbsp. chili paste

1 tbsp belachan (shrimp paste -omit if you do not like the taste)

4 cups water                                       }-mix water and assam jawa paste 

4 tbsp. assam jawa (tamarind paste) }-together and sieved into a pot.

Beehoon - soaked and blanch in hot water to cooked.

Garnishing: mint leaves, polyganum leaves, bird eyes chili, sliced onion, shredded cucumber(use whatever you have) and heh koh (black prawn paste)

Method:

1. Put in everything into the tamarind water and bring to a boil.

2. Low heat simmer for 15-20min (since I want it fast)

3. Add in sugar, salt and anchovy granules to taste.

4. Serve hot with beehoon.

KAYA (EGGS COCONUT MILK JAM) method 2 double boiled

This is the double boiled method using the same recipe as method 1, just follow the instruction below.

Recipe, please refer to Kaya recipe method 1.

Method:

1.Keep stirring gently to cook the santan mixture and the pandan leaves near to a boil (not boiling) with low to medium heat.

2. Remove the santan pot from heat and scoop the mixture bit by bit into the eggs, stir to blend well until all are added in. This way the mixture would not get curdles.

3. After this pour the mixture into the double boiler sauce pot and stack it into the larger pot that filled with boiling water.

4. Continue cooking and stirring until the mixture is thicken

5. Cover the sauce pot and double boiled until is cooked thru (on/off give it a stir) and the consistency that you like.

6. This cooking process will take between 2 to 3 hours.



KAYA (EGGS COCONUT MILK JAM) method 1



I know I should have eaten with the 'Kopitiam bread' either toasted or steamed. But we (me and hubby) cannot wait any longer with aroma of the cooked eggs, santan and pandan all over the place. This batch I just cooked without the caramel that why you see the colour is pale greenish as I always love it in this style. Most of the time I will used the direct heat method to make the kaya not the double boiled method for it take longer to cooked between 2 to 3 hours. With this fast method I can have fresh kaya anytime I want when the craving came calling hahaha! For storing, happen once to me as I can remember there was a tub in my fridge for more than two weeks (supposed to give someone) and it still edible after this long. My advice is cook half of this recipe where you will get a rice bowl of kaya that manage to keep us (four adults) satisfy for two days only.

RECIPE:

4 eggs (grade A)- whisk lightly and sieved, put aside

200gm sugar                   }

200gm coconut milk        }mix together and sieved in a sauce pan

1 tbsp plain flour             }

5 pandan leaves- washed and tied into a bundle

Method:

1.Cook the santan, sugar and flour mixture in a low to medium heat, keep stirring to avoid burning or curdle
2. After sometime, the mixture become lightly thicken and transparent looking, remove from heat
3. Add in the santan mixture bit by bit (1/2 cup) into the eggs until finish, looked diluted with egg added in.
4. Pour it back into the sauce pot and continue cooking in low to medium heat, keep stirring in a constant speed to avoid the kaya become curdle.
5. The kaya is ready when it become thicken.

Note: if you like the caramel type, cooked 50gm of sugar into caramel and add into the kaya at the stage when the kaya began to thicken. I will reduce sugar from the 200gm to 150gm.

The FLOUR is optional.Some of you may have noticed there are some sugar water separated from the kaya in some recipe.That why I added 1 tbsp of flour into this recipe after some experiment testing with few different kind of flours. Plain flour worked the best so far.With the watery kaya when spread on to the bread, the bread will absorb the liquid and become soggy and it tasted.......eeee....ugly.





Pancakes

Make this soft and light yummy pancakes for brunch last Sunday. This recipe is a keeper and I going to try on my waffle maker soon. We have the pancakes with maple syrup and cold butter plus  cups of black hot coffee, but my husband like it with butter and jam. Here the recipe and hope you will give it a try.

300 gm flour
2 tsp of baking powder       
6 tbsp castor sugar
240 ml milk                           } hand whisk all the ingredients into a smooth mixture
1 tbsp vanilla paste
3 tbsp oil
6 nos egg yolks

6 nos egg whites } whisked into medium stiff (not dry)

1. Take 1/3 of the egg whites and fold into the egg yolks mixture, mix thoroughly
2. Gently fold in the remainder of egg whites to the batter bit by bit until finish
3. Pan cook the pancakes in low heat, turning both sides.

Note: my maid manage to make only 9pcs 6inch round pancakes.

PINEAPPLE CURRY CHICKEN

Recipe:
1 whole chicken- cleaned & cut into pieces. marinate with salt and pepper.
2 medium ripe pineapple- skinned and cut into slices
1/2 cup kerisik (pan fried coconut)
1 stick cinnamon
1 liter of coconut milk
salt, sugar and seasoning

8 nos candlenuts (buah keras)  }
3 tbsp grind chili paste             }
10 nos shallots                         }   blend into a smooth paste and mix
5 pips garlic                             }    with the powder ingredients below

2 tsp jintan manis (fennel)
2 tsp jintan putih (cummin)
3 tsp ketumber ( coriander)
2 tsp kunyit (tumeric)
4 tbsp chicken curry powder

Method:
1. In a wok sauteen the mix blended ingredients until the oil separated fr the paste.
2. Add in the chicken; stir fry and mix thoroughly about 10min.
3. Add in the pineapple, cinnamon stick and keep stirring mixing for 5 min
4. Pour in the coconut milk and simmer until the chicken is cooked
5. Add in the kerisik, simmer a while until the sauce thicken to your liking.
6. add salt, sugar and seasoning to taste.
7. Serve.

BUNS

Buns with red beans paste, cheddar cheese and vanilla custard fillings.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR 2011

'Gong Xi Fatt Choy' everyone.
Hi, lately I am very busy with my cakes and hampers business for this coming Chinese New Year. Time is limited as I won't be able to do posting for sometime but definitely will come back with more recipes later.