Nyonya Herb Rice Salad.. Nasi Ulam Nyonya

Ulam... as Malays refer to an assortment of edible plant shoots, leaves, flowers and roots eaten raw. There many versions of nasi ulam.. varies according to region.. I remember my mom used to make nasi ulam with various shoots, leaves that may reached up to 14 types of ulam. However.. living in Penang nowadays particularly in the island- the supplies of various ulam is quite scarce.. to have an assortment up to 14 types of ulaman could be quite a challenging task to look for it. Apart from Malays, in Penang itself.. the Nyonyas have their version of Nasi Ulam which i really like and the assortment of ulaman needed for this dish is less than the Malay Nasi Ulam.

The original version of Nyonya Nasi Ulam is to assemble everything including the sambal & toasted grated coconut. I noticed that in assembling everything together- the dish will turn out soggy and it wont last long. To have a dry & fluffy nasi ulam, i prefer mixing the ulaman with the rice and serve them with the sambal & toasted grated coconut. This dish is best eaten with boiled salted egg and prawn crackers..  :)

Ingredients:

Part 1:

Part 1 consists of 4 shallots, 1/2 big red onion, 1 garlic, 1/2 ginger torch, 2 lemon grass, 2cm young ginger, 1.5 cm young galangal, 1.5cm tumeric root. Slice shallots, garlic, ginger torch, ginger, galangal, tumeric root thinly. Chop lemon grass finely & Dice the onion.

 

Part 2:
 



Part 2 consist of 6 types of ulam - 1 tumeric leaves, about 20 leaves kesom leaves, 4 kaduk leaves, 3 lime kaffir leaves, 6 cekur leaves, 1/2 cup of grated coconut toasted and sambal belacan.
There are various ways of making sambal belacan - and mine is a combo of 2 types of chillies - red chilly and the cili padi, shrimp paste, tamarind pulp, brown sugar & salt :

 

Part 3:



Wash 1 1/2 cup of rice and cook in a cooker after adding in 1/2 tsp of tumeric powder. Once cooked, set aside to let it cool.

Part 4:



Part 4 consists of a piece of fried salted mergui / kurau, 3 tbsp of fried salted prawns and a few chunks of fried stringray meat. I choose stingray meat as it has no fishy smell when it is fried.

Method:
1. Wash all the ulam, wipe them clean. Roll up all the ulaman into one neat roll and slice them very thinly.

2. Toast grate coconut till golden brown:

Let it cool and put it in a processor - blend it till it is finely chopped

3. To make the sambal, soak the tamarind pulp in a small amount of water and mash the pulp into water to make a thick tamarind paste. Put in the chillies, shrimp paste, brown sugar, salt and tamarind juice in a food processor and blend till it's quite fine:

4. In a mincer / food processor, blend the fish, salted fish and dried prawns separately:

5. In a large bowl, mix the part 1, 2 (EXclude sambal & grated coconut) and 4 well:

6. Mix in rice bit by bit till all are mixed well. Serve with boil salted egg & prawn crackers.

Bon Appetite. :)

~ this recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel (Official) fb page on 2 October 2012:
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/media/set/?set=a.431829733522961.92911.230144587024811&type=1

Pek-nga: Coconut Pancake

Pek-nga.. it's a term for a pancake-like dish filled with fresh grated coconut. Pek-nga is a well-known dish for almost every Malay household in northern part of Malaysia particularly in areas of Penang & Kedah. This dish for me actually- is often a routine at home especially when my mom has leftover fish curry. It's sort of a comfort food for me.. particularly in the morning and this would definately make a fullfilling evening snacks besides the usual menu- curry puffs & tea. Some may prefer to make them with a small amount of grated coconut. But - as for me.. i like it more..as it will make it crispy & creamy  :)

 

Ingredients:

1 egg ( gred B )

a few sprigs of spring onion (sliced thinly)

1 1/2 cup of flour
3/4 pack of full cream milk (200ml)
1 tbspn oil
salt
200gm fresh grated coconut

Method:
1. Combine flour, spring onion, salt, egg, milk & salt in a bowl. Mix well.

2. Put in grated coconut. Stir evenly.
3. Heat the pan and scoop the mixture with a ladle and level the pancake mix wth a spoon.

4. Cook each side till it is done.
5. Serve hot with fish head curry.
Bon Appetite. :)

Stuffed Chicken Breast

A visit to my friend's house has inspired me this dish.. It is very easy to make and a delicious way to cook breast meat.



Ingredients:
6 slices of streaky beef.
3 large boned chicken keel / 6 pieces of chicken breast
1/4 cup shredded mozarella
1/4 cup shredded matured cheddar
1/4 cup choppe italian parsley
sea salt
pepper
olive oil
a few sprigs of thyme

Method:
1. Combine all the cheeses and parsley in a bowl.
2. Rinse and pat dry chicken. Seasoned chicken with sea salt & pepper.
3. With a knife, from the side cut the meat across and sprinkle the cheeses.


4. Roll the chicken meat covering the cheese filling.

5. With a slice of streaky beef, roll around the meat.

6. Brush each roll with olive oil and thyme.

7. Arrange these chicken rolls on an oven-proof dish and bake in 220 degree Celcius oven for about 10 minutes.
8. Once done, cut the rolls into slices and serve with salad.

~ bon appetite ~

Lemon grass Rice

Living on a busy schedule - even on Sundays- has definately changed the way i prepare meals. This version of lemon grass rice only requires a few ingredients and a few minutes to prepare. I prefer to use jasmine fragrance rice as it tastes better with this recipe.

 

Ingredients:

3 cups of jasmine fragrance rice

3 lemon grass (smash/bruise the stalks with the back of yr cleaver)

a handful of coriander leaves (chopped)

1 tbsp ghee

1/4 cup of cooking oil

1tsp sea salt

1 big red onion & 5 shallots ( slice thinly, fry till golden & crispy)

 

Method:

1. Heat oil & ghee in a pot and fry lemon grass till fragrance.

2. Pour in rice and water (measured according to the volume of rice).

3. Put in sea salt & taste ( it should taste slightly salty)

4. Cook the rice with medium heat / in a rice cooker till done.

5. Once done - sprinkle chopped coriander and fried crispy onions & shallots.

6. Serve hot with dry squid sweet fried sambal, omelette and slices cucumber.

 

~ bon appetite ~

French Onion Soup

Onion Soup... i remembered how i used to wonder how does onion soup taste like.. kept on thinking how does one simply make soup out of only loads of onions!! Then.. there came the day.. i had my first taste of onion soup @ TGIF.. and i was blown away..amazed.. for an Asian like me.. this is totally new.. I been wanting to make this dish.. but couldn't find the time.. but- one thing that made me find the time and make it for real! ...and that is..Australian Big White Onions! It was on sale @ Tesco at almost 80% off! My version of French Onion Soup uses worchestershire sauce substituting wine that i found in most onion soup recipe..

... some of the ingredients i used ..


Ingredients:
1 Australian Big White Onion- thinly sliced
2 Big Yellow Onion - thinly sliced
1 garlic - minced
Olive oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1 liter of beef stock / 1 cube Knorr's Beef Stock
sea salt
pepper
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 - 2 tbsp worchestershire sauce ( to your liking)
slices of toasted baguette or any white bread toasted.
4 -5 slices of gruyere
grated parmesan

Method:
1. Pour olive oil in a pot and in low medium heat- saute the onions. This may take 20 minutes.
2. As the onions sweat, put into brown sugar. This will help the onion to caramalised.
3. When the onions turn brown, pour in beef stock, worchestershire sauce, put in bay leaf and thyme.
4. Let it simmer untill the onions are well dissolved.
5. Strain the soup into an oven proof bowl.
6. Cover the surface of the soup with toasted bread.
7. Sprinkle on top of the bread with gruyere and parmesan.
8. Broil the soup in a preheated the oven at 220 Celcius for 10 minutes or untill the cheese melted and slightly brown. Serve immediately.

saute the onions in a low medium heat.



                                    brown, caramalised onion

cover surface of the soup with toasted bread and sprinkle with gruyere and parmesan.

~ French Onion Soup ~

Beef rissole with quinoa and cranberry radish salad

.. While browsing around the organic section, i spotted a few types of grains that look interesting.. I begin to wonder how they taste like - so i purchased 2 types of them..

Black quinoa & Pearl Quinoa

Quinoa... - known as the mother of grain by the Incas. One thing i love about this type of grain is that they are gluten free and are an excellent source of iron. Such a grain will definately make a great side dish..

Oppss... got carried away there.. well- the dish that i'm going to share today is beef rissole -one of my all-time favourite. Since it is a weekday.. I just need some shortcuts for dish. After ramaging through my boxes of seasonings.. I found a packet of McCormick Hickory Smoked seasoning mix.. ho ho.. there- that's my shortcut ;)

 

Lets start with the ingredients needed for beef rissoles:

800gm minced meat 

2 eggs- beaten

1 big yellow onion - chopped

1 medium carrot - diced/gated

1/4 japanese breadcrumb 

1 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp mixed herbs - i use fresh chopped thyme, rosemary & oregano

1/2 McCormick Hickory Smoked seasoning                                                                               



  Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients and make into patties.

2. Heat the pan and cook the patties until brown and transfer to a plate.

 

To prepare quinoa- simply pour a cup of pearl quinoa and 2 tbsp of black quinoa into a pot. Pour 3/4 cup of water, salt, pepper and 30gm of butter. Cover the lid and cook the grain the same way rice is cooked. The quinoa is done when it is fluffy and soft.. observed the changes in the shape of the grains.

 

Another side dish that goes really well with beef rissoles and quinoa is cranberry radish salad:

Ingredients:

Lemon juice from 1/2 lemon

1 big yellow onion (julienne)

a handful of dried cranberries (chopped)

5 radish - thinly sliced

sugar

sea salt

olive oil

 

Method:

1.Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and serve.

 



.. serve beef rissole on a bed of micro cilantro and quinoa & cranberry radish salad..  

 

 

Dry Curry Crab

One of the things that i cherish my stay in Penang is fresh seafood! Who wouldn't- especially when u can still see them moving!! The special ingredient featuring my dish today .... ehemmm.. drum roll pls.. :)

 



Ingredients:

4 big flower crabs
2 salted eggs
big red onion
shallots
garlic
1 - 2 tbsp natural yogurt
1 tbsp tamarind extract
1 packet of Baba's fish curry powder
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
300gm curry paste
curry leaves
sea salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup of fresh coconut milk


Note: curry paste is available at the wet market. However, u can make it on yr own by blending dried chili paste (using apprx 10 chillies), big red onion, shallots, garlic, kas kas powder, 3 candle nuts, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1/2 tbsp fennel & 1/2 tbsp cumin & 1 stalk of lemongrass.

Methods:
1. Seasoned the crabs with sea salt.

2. In a really hot oil, fry the crabs half cooked- that's slightly after the shell turns orange.
3. Put the crabs aside. In the same wok, using now- a flavourful oil, fry in sliced red onion, shallots, garlic & curry leaves.
4. Once turn nice golden - put in the curry paste, curry powder, tumeric powder, tamarind paste, brown sugar.
5. Stir fry till all the paste are done ( when the oil appear mostly the top of the paste- that signals that yr paste is done)
6. Put in coconut milk, crabs & yogurt.
7. Let it simmer for a few minutes letting the crabs cooked thru.
8. In a separate bowl, separate the yolk of salted eggs & the whites.
9. Cut the yolk into small pieces and put into the curry.
10. Let it cook thru then, drizzle in slowly the whites.
11. Mix it well and serve hot with steamed plain man tou or even buns!

~ bon appetite ~

 

Salmon Fried Rice

I always look forward to my trips to the wet market. There will always be a thing or two that i will discover.. Goodeats with Mummy Wan today shares a simple dish using salmon.. It's a totally one-dish meal that never fail in my little kitchen.. :)
My special combo ingredients featuring in today's simple dish are...



Korean Mixed Bean Paste & Baby Chinese Leeks

Seasoned Salmon with sea salt & pepper

 

 

To make Salmon Fried Rice you'll need:
1 salmon slice
woodear fungus - soaked & sliced
6-7 garlic - sliced / chopped
2 big red onions - diced
light soya sauce
sea salt
sesame seed oil
peanut oil
2 tbsp Korean Mixed Bean Paste
2 eggs
Cooked rice (from 3 cups of rice)
pepper

Methods:
1. Seasoned salmon with sea salt & pepper. Pan fry salmon slice / put the fish in a micro on HIGH 3 mins
2. Debone the fish and make it flaky
3. In a wok, heat peanut oil & fry in garlic till golden.
4. Put in soya sauce & Korean Mixed Bean Paste- cook till frangrant and put in woodear fungus.
5. When the woodear is done, put in salmon flakes and dash in sesame seed oil.
6. Once the fish flakes done, push them aside and break in the eggs in a bowl, whisk a little- pour bit by bit to make it strands on eggs in the oil.
7. Put in the rice and diced big onions & baby chinese leeks.
8. Cook the rice in the wok till all the ingredients are mixed evenly- let it fry for a few more mins.
- like other fied rice.. they are best eaten hot.. :)

 bon appetite :)

Chinese Herbal Chicken

Ahhhh... Sundays.. sometimes- all u want to do is to just curl up in bed.. Just wish that everything is ready that u dont have to mess up the kitchen... 
Here's a dish for lunch that will definately a-mess-free :)

~ Chinese Herbal Chicken ~

 

Ingredients:



1 chicken (approx 2kg)
1 packet of wolfberries (kei chi)
1 small packet of red dates
1 small packet of solomon's seal (yu zhu)

1 1/2 packet of A1's Emperor Herbs Chicken Spices (Ayam Maharaja)

 

Method:
1. Wash n soak red dates & kei chi for a while
2. wash Yu zhu
3. Wash n pat dry chicken - i rather cut the chicken open...
4. rub chicken with A1's Emperor Chicken Spices inside out
5. sprinkle kei chi, red dates & yu zhu onto the chicken  - u can include the gizzard & liver as u wish.

6. wrap chicken with luxurious amount of kei chi, red dates & yu zhu in a plastic wrap provided in the A1's Mix- wrap tightly.

 

 

7. Put the chicken in a microwave container.

 

8. Cook d chicken in the microwave on HIGH 15 - 18 mins.

 CAUTION: its better not to over cooked d chicken as this will toughen d meat esp the breast area.. it should be juicy and tender..just nice.. :)

 

There... wallah... d chicken is ready... best eaten even with plain rice. :)

 

Note: I noticed that by adding kei chi & red dates added the sweetness to the chicken meat.. do give it a try.. another brand that i used is Uncle Sun's Emperor's Chicken Mix. 

This dish can be steamed in high heat for about 20 mins.