Saturday, October 30, 2010

Japanese Fish Katsu Curry



Serve:  4

Ingredients (Fish Katsu):
4 Fish slices
1 Egg 
4 tbsp Flour
Bread Crumbs
Pinch of Salt
Oil for frying

Method:
Beat Egg, mix well with Flour - 1
In another plate, prepare for Bread Crumbs - 2
Battered Fish with 1 followed by 2
Shallow-fried the Fish, drain the excess Oil with paper towel, set aside

Ingredients (Curry):
1 Brown Onion
1 Carrot (sliced)
2 Small Potatoes (sliced)
Green Onion (Garnish)
3 cups of Water

Method:
Heat 2 tbsp of Cooking Oil
Saute Brown Onion until fragrant
Put in Carrot and Potatoes - stir fry for 5 minutes
Put in water and Japanese Curry Roux
Simmer for 15 minutes

Cut those Fish Katsu into small pieces, arrange them on a clean plate
Pour the Curry over the Fish Katsu
Serve immediately with warm Rice

N.B: We don't need to add any extra Salt, Japanese Curry Roux itself is full-flavoured
Always pour the Curry over the Fish Katsu only when you are going to serve it


Happy Cooking!!!
xoxo



Friday, October 29, 2010

Kangkung Belacan

Since i have made a lot of Sambal Belacan 
Let's have a play with them!! 

Kangkung Belacan
(Belacan Stir-fry Water Spinach)

Serve: 4

Ingredients:
2 bunches of Kangkung (Water Spinach)
Small handful of Dried Prawns
1 Tbsp Sambal Belacan (Heaps)
Cooking Oil
3 tbsp Water

Method:
Heat Oil in a wok
Put in Dried Prawns, fried until fragrant
Add in Kangkung (Water Spinach) 
Water
Taste (add Salt if it is not salty enough)

N.B: Hubby's brother add an usual amount of salt to cook this dish just now!!
His first reaction was : "Wah, ane kiam ah!!"
That's Teochew, :p means: "Wah, that's too salty!!"

Make sure you taste every dishes you cook before serving them

Happy Cooking!!
xoxo

Thursday, October 28, 2010

What Makes You Happy Today?

"Happy board - we write anything that makes us happy"

What makes me happy today?


I am happy ...
because i got a "Giggling Face" from Michaela today as a reward of my hard work during these few weeks!!!

Press it!! 
Then it will laughing hard at you

Giggling face: " HAHAHAHA...HAHAHAHA..."

That makes my day

Good night

Xoxo



Breakfast of the Day


Multi-grain Toast with Almond Butter
1 Half-boiled Egg (Soy sauce and Pepper added)
Half of Royal Gala Apple


Almond Butter

There are plenty of Nuts in the market
Cashew; Peanut; Macadamia; Chestnut; Hazelnut, bla bla bla...

I have nominated Almond as my favourite Nuts ever in my life : )
I'll buy Almond to stock at home whenever they have ran out 
I usually will buy Natural Almond or Dry-Roasted Almond (w/o salt) - personally prefers Dry-Roasted 
I don't really like salty food : )

Here i have made my own Almond Butter to accompany with my favourite Toast for breakfast in the morning 

Is is easy to make and you can adjust the taste, the texture, the crunchiness depends on how you prefer to enjoy Almond Butter


To make this tiny amount of Almond Butter

You'll need: 
2 huge handful of Dry- Roasted Almond
1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt

Method:
Brings all of the ingredients to a blender, process!!!

N.B:
Adjust the salt as your liking
You can add any oil as your preference - if it is too dry, add more oil
Store in a clean container and keep them in the fridge (to maintain its freshness - we don't add any preservative)
You can add a little bit of sugar if you are fancy to have a Sweet Almond Butter
Essence can be added, such as: Vanilla / Cinnamon 
If you like a crunchy style of Almond Butter - add in some crushed Almond 

Happy Cooking!!!
xoxo

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Rainbow Agar-Agar


Agar-agar is a high dietary fibre food
If you are suffering constipation
You can think of consuming some agar-agar 

As a healthier optional, control the sugar that needed to make this colourful dessert 
Agar-agar will taste as good as usual if it is cool enough while you are serving them (Put them in the fridge), even if the sugar has been reduced
You can add some fruit as well, such as: Longan; Lychee; Pineapple; Kiwi; Strawberry, etc.

Summer is coming!!! 
How about making some Agar-agar to store in the fridge??
Family will love this colourful dessert and to chill ourselves in the hot weather


Coconut layer (White layer)
Ingredients:
1 packet Agar-agar powder 
400 ml Coconut milk
350 ml Water
100 gr Sugar

Mix all the ingredients together and bring to boil at the lowest heat, keep stirring

Rainbow layer
Ingredients:
1 packet Agar-agar powder 
800 ml Water
100 gr Sugar

In another pot, mix all the ingredients together and bring to boil at the lowest heat, Keep stirring

Divided them into 3 portion in different pot or bowl
Mix some colouring in it ( i used Red, Yellow and Green)


Method:
Choose your favourite Agar-agar  mold

Layer them step by step with different colour (or as your preference) 

Here, i layered them with White; Red; White; Yellow; White; Green

Tips:
Dissolve the Agar-agar powder with a small amount of water before bring to boil, this will avoid clumping

Moist the mold with some water, this will keep Agar-agar well-shaped when they are going to be taken out from mold

Wait until the bottom layer of Agar-agar has shaped before layering with another colour

You may have to keep the Agar-Agar mixture on the stove at the lowest heat, and keep strring them. Agar-Agar tends to be harden so quickly.

Happy Cooking!!!
xoxo


Monday, October 25, 2010

Sambal Belacan


"Sexy Sambal Belacan with Red Bow" :p
(self- crochet)

I'm Indonesian and I LOVE Sambal Belacan
How about you?? 

Sambal Belacan goes perfectly with foods,such as:  Fried Chicken; Fried Tofu; Tempeh; Fried Fish (typical Indonesian food)

I can even eat a big plate of rice with only Kerupuk Udang (Prawn Crackers) dips in Sambal Belacan!!!
Mum will start nagging me of course, it is unhealthy :p
~~Nom Nom Nom~~ 

Beside using it as a dip, Sambal Belacan is actually a "multifunction" ingredient that can be used to whip up other tempting "yum yum" foods - Kangkung Belacan (Belacan Stir-fry Water Spinach); Ikan Asam Pedas (Spicy Tamarind Fish Soup); even we can use it for Meesiam and Laksa!!

N.B:
Before making Sambal Belacan
Make sure that you haven't showered or washed your hair
 Have an air freshener at home
Because the smell will staining like 3 days at your home!! how powerful Belacan is!! haaa haaa...

But don't worry!!! you can make it in a large quantity, so your house will be Belacan-free for up to a year  : )
It's really can be stored up to maximum a year!!
Depends on how you keep the Sambal Belacan
Store them in a clean container/zip-lock bag and freeze it up!!

Tips:
I always store them separately (depends on how much i will going to use it for some certain food in the future)
So i don't have to take out the whole container just to defrost a spoonful of Sambal Belacan
It saves me lot of time while the freshness of Sambal Belacan can still be maintained
I used Red Onion instead of Shallot (Aussie Shallot worth as "Diamond") :p

Ingredients:
200 gr Dried Chili 
1 kg Red Onion 
1 bulb Garlic
2 inch Turmeric
150 gr Candle Nut
2 inch Galangal
4 Stalk Lemon Grass
250 gr Belacan (Shrimp Paste)
Oil
Salt and Sugar to taste


Method:
De-seedeed those dried chilies and soaked them in hot water
 (to soften; make sure to wear gloves before you are draining those chilies "You don't want a spicy hand, don't you??" )

Pan-fry belacan with a bit of cooking oil, set aside (this will enhance the aroma)

Put dried chilies; Red onion; Garlic; Turmeric; Candle nut; Galangal; Lemon Grass in a blender covered with oil; Blend

Pour the well-blended chilli paste to a wok

Stir fry them with the lowest heat for around 45 minutes - keep stirring (or until you can see the oil is floating up)

Add in pan-fried Belacan and mix well

Salt and Sugar to taste (depends on liking)

Cool them before you store and freeze 

Always check out the kitchen while you are chilling your Sambal Belacan, nasty fly will be attracted by your heavenly fragrant Sambal Belacan :p

Happy Cooking
xoxo

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Soon Kueh

Sydney weather is really undetectable
Yesterday were sunny and hot, then it rained in the afternoon

While today has been raining since morning and cold
I planned to go to library today to hunt for some treasures (cook book; craft book; one novel recommended by Monica) 
However, this wet weather makes me want to stay at home and slack
My plan A failed

Wait!!Slack??
Hello, please do something productive rather than sleeping
Now, i know why i re-gained all my weight!!! nothing to do; love to cook which made me being "forced" to test the food
Fyi, it's only my excuse!! :p who doesn't love to eat??

So, i decided to make "Soon Kueh" 
I haven't eaten Soon Kueh for almost 2 years since i came here

Luckily, i am smart enough
I have asked for the recipe from Ah-ma before i came here 

I tried just now and it was quite successful!!! 
*happy happy*

But, Ah-ma's Soon Kueh still the best
I still can't defeat her 
I need to steal her "Kung Fu" when i go back later : )
 K.O my Ah-ma, hahahahaha...


My first attempt was not too bad, right?? :p


"Hao Lien" a bit, show you another pic of my successful Soon Kueh!!!!!!

Still lack of Ah-ma de wei dao!!!!
But better than nothing

Now i am going to share with you my Ah-ma's recipe based on her estimation of ingredients which is needed  to make Soon Kueh
That's why i haven't reach my Ah-ma's skill!!
My "agak-agak" skill wasn't expert enough!!!

Skin
500 gr Rice Flour
150 gr Tapioca Starch
1 tbsp Cooking oil
750 ml Boiling water

Mix well together
Knead the dough until soft and smooth

Filling:
1000 gr Jicama
100 gr Shitake
1 bulb garlic
100 gr Dried prawn
Salt, pepper, chicken powder to taste

Stir fry garlic; dried prawn; shitake until fragrant
Add in jicama
Add in salt; pepper; chicken powder
Stir fry until Jicama is soft

Wrap; shape and steam for about 15-20 minutes!!

Tips: Marinate jicama with salt for 10 minutes before bring it to cook (to soften)
Rolling pin is needed in order to make a nice shape of Soon Kueh
Grease the plate with oil before steaming to prevent Soon Kueh sticking with each other

Happy Cooking!!
Xoxo

And yeah, for this recipe i have made around 30 Soon Kueh : )

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Nyonya kueh - Kueh Salat

I have been watching "Little Nyonya" again and again
This has been my fourth time, hahaha..
It's just a nice drama where you could find and more understand about the meaning of this drama deeper after you have watched it for several times, like me!!! hehe~~

Well, i will not discuss and review anything about this film now
But i definitely will recommend you guys to watch it!!


Well, in this drama they mention a lot of Nyonya food that spice up my curiosity!! 
As my hobby is cooking, then i will start to find those recipes on the internet (some i got from blogs i followed)
 I'll experience, hubby and his brothers will be my "pig guinea", hahahaha~~

I have made kueh salat for my very first time
The appearance was good and pretty
However, i must still improve the taste
It was just lacking of something that i still haven't figure out what it was
I should ask my ah-ma (kueh salat expert) hahaha....

nice huh??

Will improve next time and share the recipe with you guys!!
Happy cooking!!

xoxo





Cheesy Omelette

 Are you a cheese lover?
Can you resist cheese?
If the answer is "YES, Cheese is my life"
Then i tell you
You will like this!!!!!

I am not such a big fan of cheese, but probably YOU are 



Don't judge first!!
The most Interesting part is coming!!!


OMG~~ melting cheese!!!

*Drooling*


Give it a try!!

You'll need 
3 Eggs
1 Spring onion
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Slices of cheese (add more if you fancy)
2 Tsp salted butter

Method:
Seperate the eggs, beat the egg white until fluffy
Add flour; sugar; spring onion (thinly slice); and egg yolks
Mix well

Melt the salted butter on a non-stick frying pan at the lowest heat
Pour the egg batter into the pan
Pan fried until golden brown, flip over
Pan fried the other side
Arrange slice cheeses on the half side of the omelette
Fold the omelette into half
Wait for another 3 minute / until the cheese is melting
Serve it warm

Xoxo

Friday, October 22, 2010

Breakfast TIme!!!

"Purple" Breakfast!!!