Nasi Kerabu

Nasi Kerabu is a traditional food from Kelantan, Malaysia. Serve with Ayam Percik.

Types of recipes: Malaysian food
Preparation: About 1 hour
Cook: Less than half hour
Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients

Nasi Kerabu

1 kg fragrant rice
1 litre water
50g bunga telang or blue peas flower (soaked in warm water)
1 torch ginger leaf*
5 pcs daun kesum*
2 pcs cekur leaves*
2 pcs daun kentut*
2 pcs daun kudu*
1/2 stalk lemongrass*
2 pandan leaves
2 tbsp palm sugar

Garnishing ulam mix

2 torch ginger buds, finely sliced
1 stalks daun kesum, finely sliced2 cekur leaves, finely sliced
2 daun kentut, finely sliced
2 daun kudu, finely sliced
2 stalks lemon grass, finely sliced
3 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
1 cucumber, pared and julienned
1 onion, finely sliced
5 long beans, finely sliced
1/2 round cabbage

Fried grated coconut
• 1/2 coconut flesh, finely grated
• 8 shallots, finely sliced
• 2cm ginger, finely chopped
• Palm sugar and salt to taste

Method

Slice ulam leaves* and blend finely with 1 glass of water to extract the juice and sieve.
Blend the blue peas flower with 1 cup of water and strain.
Wash rice. Add ulam juice, blue peas flower juice, pieces of pandan leaves, kaffir lime leaves, and 1/2 a block of palm sugar to the rie. Cook in a rice cooker.
Fry the grated coconut with shallots, ginger, palm sugar and salt over a low fire. When the mixture turns fragrant, lightly flatten the grated coconut with the back of your spatula. Put it aside.
Mix all the ulam with grated coconut. Put on top of rice before serving.

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Nasi Dagang

Another one Malaysian dish.

Types of recipes: Malaysian food
Preparation: Less than half hour
Cook: About 1 hour
Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients

Nasi Dagang

1kg nasi dagang rice
750ml thin coconut milk
1 tablespoon fenugreek (halba)
50g ginger, julienned
10 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
250ml thick coconut milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Method

Wash the rice in several changes of water until water runs clear. Place rice in a large bowl and pour in enough water to reach 5cm above the rice. Allow to soak for 2-3 hours. Drain.

Prepare steamer and steam rice for 20-25 minutes, or until half-cooked.

Take rice off the steamer and stir in the thin coconut milk, followed by the halba, ginger, shallots and garlic. Set aside, covered, for 2-3 hours.

Reheat steamer. Mix thick coconut milk with the sugar and salt, and stir this through the rice. Steam until rice is well cooked. Serve warm with Gulai Ikan Tongkol, Fish Sambal and Spicy Eggs.

Tip

For perfectly cooked nasi dagang, use equal amounts of liquid (in this case, coconut milk) and rice.

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American Lasagne

Types of recipes: Western delight
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ready in: 2 hours
Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef                          12 dry lasagna noodles
• 1 onion, chopped                                                     2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced                                          1 pin part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil                      1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano                                     2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar                                  1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt                                                 1 pound mozarella cheese, shredded
• 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes                       2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

Method

1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.
4. Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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Spaghetti Bolognese

Types of recipes: Italian cuisine
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 30 minutes
Makes: 3-5 servings

Ingredients

250g spaghetti
200g minced beef tenderloin
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 small can tomato paste, approx 125g
1/8 tsp dried oregano

Seasoning

1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cube Maggi beef stock
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
60g fresh oyster mushrooms, chopped
180ml water
Some Parmesan or Cheddar cheese

Method

Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add a little salt and corn oil. Dip the spaghetti into the water, allowing it to gradually ease in. As the spaghetti becomes submerged in the boiling water, it will soften and bend. Cook until al dente or till the texture's to your liking. Drain and set aside in a serving plate.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan and sauté minced beef, onion and garlic until well browned and fragrant.

Stir in tomato paste and add in the rest of the ingredients. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add seasoning to taste.

Pour the cooked meat sauce over the spaghetti. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Review: My favourite Italian cuisine.

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Ayam Masak Merah

Types of recipes: Malaysian delight
Preparation: About 45 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 45 minutes
Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients

1 kg whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
Cooking oil

Ground spices (A)

10 nos shallot, peeled
4 nos garlic, peeled
2in old ginger, peeled
4 tbsp chilli giling
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
3 tbsp almond, ground

Others

5 tbsp cooking oil
1in cinnamon stick
4 nos cloves
3 nos star anise
4 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 small bottle chilli sauce
1 small can evaporated milk
5 nos red chilli, cut half
5 nos green chilli, cut half
2 nos tomato, cut wedges into six
5in pandan leaf
1 stalk of lemongrass
1/2 small can green peas
1 tsp salt to taste
1 tbsp sugar to taste

Method

Marinated the chicken with turmeric powder and salt.
Deep fry until 3/4 cooked, put aside.
Blend the ground spices with 1 1/2 cups of water.
Heat oil until hot, sauté ground spices (A) until fragrant.
Add in cinnamon stick, cloves and star anise. Fry for 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste and chilli sauce, stir-fry well until the tomato paste is become oily.
Then add in the chicken, pandan leaf and lemongrass together.
Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender and gravy turns thick.
Lastly add evaporated milk, chillies and tomatoes.
Season with salt and sugar.

Garnish with green peas.

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Tarragon Chicken

Types of recipes: Western delight
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Ready in: 55 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chicken (about 3 pounds/1.4 kg), cut into 8 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup/125 ml chicken stock
1 shallot, minced
1 cup/250 ml creme fraiche
1/2 cup chopped fresh tarragon
Lemon juice

Method

Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet over quite high heat. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and fry in batches until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Put all the chicken back in the pan, add the chicken stock and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. 

Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm. Reduce any leftover juices until sticky. Add the shallots and reduce to a thickish sauce, about 5 minutes. Add the creme fraiche and half the tarragon. Boil down again to sauce consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. 

Season the sauce with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Put back the chicken pieces, turning to coat, then transfer to a platter. Pour the sauce over, scatter over the remaining tarragon and serve.

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Hot Chocolate

It's so simple to make and is much better than that shop-bought stuff you get, which is often full of rubbish and probably hasn't got much chocolate in it anyway.

Types of recipes: Drinks
Ready in: 5 minutes
Makes: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

4 cups of whole milk
8 ounces of chocolate (70% cocoa, preferably)
3 teaspoons of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon of salt

Method

1 Finely chop the chocolate into small pieces. The pieces have to be able to dissolve easily in the liquid.

2 Place the milk into a small, thick-bottomed pot on low heat and bring to a low simmer. Whisk once in a while to ensure that the milk doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

2a If you plan to steep herbs or spices, add the herbs or spices to the milk, bring to a simmer then take off heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid then place back into the pot and return to a simmer.

3 Add the vanilla, powdered sugar, salt, and chocolate and whisk vigorously until the chocolate has melted.

3a If using liquors add them to the chocolate.

4 Heat for another 4 minutes, constantly stirring.

Serve. Add a dollop of whipped cream if you want.

Review: Steep a vanilla bean and a cinnamon stick in the milk while simmering. After whisking in the chocolate and letting it rest and reheat, cool it down a tad with a small bit of cream and throw some orange zest on top to perk it all up. Very Parisian.

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Easy OREO Truffles

Types of recipes: Desserts (Truffle)
Preparation: 10 minutes
Ready in: Around 1 hour 30 minutes
Makes: 42 servings (Original recipe makes 3 -1/2 dozen)

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, divided

1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

2 (8 ounce) packages BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Method

1. Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
2. Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.
3. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

Review: Place truffle ball in melted chocolate to coat; roll if necessary. Lift truffle from chocolate using 2 forks (this will allow excess chocolate to run off) before placing on wax paper.

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Sushi Rice

Types of recipes: Japanese cuisines
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Ready in: Around 1-2 hours
Makes: 3-5 servings

A basic sushi rice is made with short grain rice with three basic ingredients:

1. Rice Vinegar
2. Sugar
3. Salt

Other than the rice, the most important ingredient is the rice vinegar, which is pretty much the soul of the sushi rice. The sugar and salt are added to flavor the sushi rice to one’s liking. Therefore, a perfect sushi rice starts with a good rice vinegar like Mizkan Rice Vinegar. As the #1 brand for vinegar and vinegar-related condiments in Japan. If you want something easier, you can use Mizkan Sushi Seasoning, which is widely used in Japan. This all-in-one sushi seasoning has the perfect and authentic flavor so anyone can make sushi if they want.

Here are some tips that I would like to share with you when making sushi rice:

1. Use only high quality Japanese white short-grain rice. You can get the rice at Asian supermarkets or Japanese food stores.
2. Wash the rice thoroughly with water before cooking. The rice is ready to be cooked when the water becomes clear—an indication that the “starch” coating the rice is completely washed off.
3. Use an electric rice cooker to cook the rice.
4. Add rice vinegar or sushi seasoning right after the rice is cooked, mix it while it is hot and then cool it.
5. Preferably, use a wooden bowl and spoon to prepare the sushi rice. Traditionally, sushi rice is made in a wooden tub called hangiri.
6. Always use fresh sushi rice to make sushi. Refrigerated sushi rice loses its original texture.

Sushi Rice Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup rice (measured with the rice cup that comes with the rice cooker, about 80% of a regular measuring cup)
1 1/2 tablespoons Mizkan Rice Vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste

OR

1 cup rice
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons Mizkan Sushi Seasoning

Method

Cook the rice in the rice cooker. Once cooked, transfer the rice out in a bowl and add the Mizkan Rice Vinegar, sugar and salt (OR the Mizkan Sushi Seasoning) into the rice and mix well with a spoon. Let the sushi rice cool to room temperature. Use the sushi rice to make the sushi of your choice.

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Whole Wheat Bread

Types of recipes: Bread
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Ready in: 3 hours
Makes: 36 servings (original recipe makes 3 loaves)


Ingredients

• 3 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup honey
• 5 cups bread flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups white bread flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.
2. Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.
3. Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not overbake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.

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Nasi Lemak

So, here I present you nasi lemak, a truly Malaysian taste dish.

Types of recipes: Malaysian food
Preparation: Less than half hour
Cook: About 1 hour
Makes: 10 servings

Ingredients

Nasi Lemak

3 cups long grain rice
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 tsp cooking oil (to prevent the rice from sticking together)
1 1/2 water
1in ginger, sliced thinly
1 red onion, sliced thinly
1 pc/knot pandan leaf
1 stick lemongrass, smashed
1 tsp fenugreek
Salt to taste

Condiments

5 boiled eggs (cut into half)
1 cucumber, sliced round
150g medium-sized ikan bilis, deep-fried till golden brown and crunchy
150g peanuts (roasted)
10 salted fish (ikan sepat masin)
banana leaf

Sambal Tumis

100g dried chillies, soaked in water, boiled and blended
60g shallots, blended
30g garlic, blended
30g dried shrimp paste (belachan), baked or roasted about 15 minutes
50ml tamarind juice (mixed with water)
100g medium-sized ikan bilis, peeled
100g red onions, sliced
Salt and sugar to taste

Method

Nasi Lemak

Wash rice in cold water and drain. Soak in coconut milk for 10 minutes.
Pour 2 tsp of oil in the rice cooker, add the rice and let the oil coat the rice.
Now add water.
Add sliced ginger and red onions. Then add pandan leaf and lemongrass.
Cook rice in rice cooker until soft for about 30 minutes.

Sambal Tumis

Take out all seeds from the dried chillies so that the sambal will not be too hot.
Then boil and blend the chillies.
Then add chillies, shallots, garlic and belacan in some water (just enough to cover the ingredients) into the blender and grind till fine.
Put some oil into a stock pot, add the chilli mixture and stir well till it changes colour.
Add tamarind juice. Cook until the chilli mixture turns a little dark red. Do not overcook as the mixture will turn darker and darker. Then add ikan bilis and red onions.
Lastly, add salt and sugar to taste.

Review: This is my favourite lunch food.

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Chicken Chop With Black Pepper Gravy

Types of recipes: Western delight
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Ready in: 1 hour
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 pieces of chicken thighs (deboned)
• 1 tbsp 0f minced garlic
• 2cm ginger (pounded and juice extracted)
• 4 tbsp chilli sauce
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce
• 2 tbsp salty soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Maggi seasoning
  
  

Method:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Put in the chicken thighs and mix again. Marinade for one hour in the frridge.
2. Next, heat a non-stick part with 1 tbsp of oil over a medium heat. Fry your chicken thighs covered until half cooked. Turn over and repeat the process. Do not overcook your chicken pieces or the meat will be dry.
3. Once cooked, put on a plate and keep aside.
4. Heat your gravy and pour over the cooked chicken thighs.
5. Serve hot with steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets, carrot sticks and french fries.
6. Enjoy and don't forget to compliment the cook!
   
   

For the gravy:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/and 1/2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 yellow onion (finely diced)
• 1 medium size tomato (finely diced)
• 1 piece of chicken cube
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp of tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns (finely crushed)
• salt and sugar to taste
  
  

Method:

1. Melt the butter over a low heat. Once melted, pour in the flour and stir till brown.
2. Next, put in the onion and stir till fragrant. Put in the chicken cube and mix well.
3. Then, pour in the water and stir. Add in the chilli sauce and stir until well-mixed.
4. Pour in the dark soy sauce. Then, put in the chopped tomato, salt and sugar. Pour in the crushed black peppercorns gradually and stir until the mixture thickens. You may add more sugar and salt according to your preference.
5. Serve with your chicken.

Review: Suitable for dinner

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