Authentic Malaysian Cuisine & Food Recipes

Saturday, December 30, 2006

With the coming of new year its time for some reflections and contemplating. So much has happened this year throughout the world and life gets more complicated as it always does with progress. My next recipe would reflect the unity and bonding of all of us who share this great earth together... may we all understand through our differences that we are all interlinked somehow. Its a fusion of west and east in particularly my time spent in Hawaii where pineapple is as common as curry over here.

Hope you guys enjoy this and Happy New Year and Peace to one and all!

Ingredients
400g Large Prawns, keep shells intact if preferred
200g Half-Ripe Pineapple,

Spice Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp Chilli Paste
1 tbsp Fish Curry Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric PowderTurmeric Powder

2cm slice GalangalGalangal
A close relative of ginger, galangal is an important and popular ingredient in the foods of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The flavor is similar to ginger, but more flowery and intense.
1 stalk Lemon GrassLemon Grass

3/4 tsp BelacanShrimp Paste
It is made from fermented ground shrimp, sun dried and then cut into fist-sized rectangular blocks stock granules
4 ShallotsShallots

2 cloves GarlicGarlic

2 tbsp Oil
250ml Coconut MilkCoconut Milk

1/2 tsp Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Fish Stock granules
1/4 tsp Sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a saucepan.

2. Fry ground spice ingredients until fragrant.

3. Add pineapple cubes and thin coconut milk and bring to a boil.

4. When the pineapples are soft add prawns and cook for two to three minutes.

5. Add thick coconut milk and seasoning and allow to boil for two to three more minutes, stirring to prevent curdling.

6. Dish out and serve, garnished with mint leaves.
7. Serve with steamed rice or bread

Labels: coconut milk, Curry, fusion, mild, pineapple, prawn

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 6:34 PM

| 0 comments

Curry Puffs

Monday, December 25, 2006

Eurasians in Malaysia are generally referred to a community of people with mixed parentage, Caucasian and Asiatic. This includes later colonial occupants, after the Portuguese, of the Dutch and British. A diversity of cuisines has inevitably proliferated from this colorful historic and ethnic tapestry. Eurasian food, in general, is an amalgamation of European cuisines - Portuguese, Dutch and British especially British East Indies, with local ingredients and influences by Malay, Indian, Chinese and Nyonya styles of cooking.

Afternoon tea is a daily routine adopted by the Eurasians from the British tradition of teatime and snacks are prominently featured. One of those famous snacks is the Curry Puffs. It is a small pie consisting of specialised curry with beef or chicken and potatoes in a deep-fried pastry shell. Curry Puffs can be baked instead of deep fried but please do remember to brush curry puffs with an egg wash before baking for a nice golden brown color.

Ingredients for Pastry
2 cups FlourFlour

1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
3 tbsp GheeClarified Butter
Made by simmering unsalted butter in a large pot, until its water has boiled off and its protein has settled to the bottom. It is then spooned off, taking care not to disturb the milk solids on the bottom of the pan.
1 EggEgg

, lightly beaten
Water

Ingredients for Meat filling
1 lb lean Beef, minced or chopped (may be substituted with Chicken)
6 oz PotatoesPotatoes

, finely diced
3 OnionsOnions

, finely chopped
3 tbsp Curry PowderCurry Powder

1-2 tbsp Chili PowderChili Powder

1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 cup Water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Sieve together flour, salt and baking soda
2. Using your fingers, rub ghee [clarified butter] into the sifted flour until it resembles fine crumbs
3. Mix egg in, add water gradually, press into a ball
4. Knead dough by pushing away, using the heel of your hand till smooth
5. On a floured surface, roll out dough, cut into rounds 3 inch in diameter
6. Flatten each round with a rolling pin, fill with a tablespoonful of beef & potato filling
7. In a small bowl, add 2-3 tsp water to the beaten egg
8. Fold over in half, pinch along the edges to seal, using a little egg wash if necessary to seal
9. Brush the tops of each curry puff with the egg wash
10. Preheat oven to 350F degrees oven. Bake curry puffs until light golden brown, about 20-30 mins
11. Serve hot or at room temperature

Technorati Tags: recipe, eurasian food, curry puff, snack, spicy, beef, chicken

Labels: beef, Chicken, curry puff, eurasian, potatoes, Snack

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 3:44 PM

| 2 comments

Cendol in Coconut Milk

Friday, December 22, 2006

With our the hot and humid weather, cravings for something cold and refreshing in a typical Malaysian afternoon is common. Well now with all the convenience stores at every corner it's pretty easy to go in and buy something that will do the trick but back about 10-15 years ago in Penang, it is the famous Cendol for all of us.

The most famous of them all is the stall located at Penang Road which still exist today. Crowds can be seen lining up (or sometimes more like shoving and pushing) to get their orders taken from the lady seller. I can recall the many brain freezes I had as I'm writing this... lol

Anyways here is a very complete Cendol recipe which I hope that some of the ingredients are easily obtainable wherever you may be from.

Ingredients

For the green bean flour droplets

10 Screwpine Leaves (pandan leaves)

A few drops Green food colouring

1/2 tsp Alkaline Water (kan sui)

250ml Water

250ml extra Water

65g Green Bean Flour

For the gula Melaka syrup

350g Palm Sugar (gula Melaka)

100g Castor Sugar

250ml Water

3 Screwpine Leaves (pandan leaves)

For the coconut milk

2 grated Coconuts

1 litre cooled Boiled Water

1/4 tsp Salt to taste

Directions

To obtain pandan juice, chop the pandan leaves and blend them in an electric blender with 250ml water.

Use a muslin cloth to squeeze out the juice then mix with the green colouring and alkaline water.

Pour the pandan juice into a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Blend green bean flour with the extra cup of water into a smooth batter and add to the boiling pandan juice, stirring all the time until the mixture is transparent and thick. Remove immediately from the heat.

Place a cendol frame over a basin half-filled with ice-cold water. Put a little cooked mixture on the frame. Press the cooked mixture through the frame to form little droplets of cendol.

Leave the cendol to set in the ice water till firm. Add more ice cubes to the water to set the cendol faster. Drain in a colander and refrigerate till ready to use.

To prepare the palm sugar syrup, boil palm sugar, sugar, water and screwpine leaves until both sugars have dissolved completely. Strain and allow to cool completely.

For the coconut milk, add water to grated coconut. Squeeze in small handfuls using a muslin cloth. Add salt to the coconut milk.

Serving Instructions

1. Add the desired amount of cendol into serving bowls.

2. Add some crushed ice and pour on some coconut milk.

3. Add 1 tablespoon palm sugar syrup or to taste.

Labels: dessert, gula melaka, ice, pandan, penang, sweet

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 12:41 AM

| 3 comments

Spicy Fried Chicken Wings

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Ahhh... chicken, the staple food of Malaysians as Malaysia has one of the highest per capita consumption rates in the world for chicken. Its truly a wonder how we never get tired of eating them... I guess it's due to the many ways we cook it.

Anyways as the holidays are just around the corner... I'm sure a lot of hosting will be done at home or potluck to attend, thus I'm sharing this easy to prepare recipe which will surely be snapped up upon serving. If you are considering preparing for more people, just multiply the ingredient accordingly and to taste.

Ingredients
4 pcs Chicken Wings / Drumsticks
Oil for Deep-Frying

Marinade (pounded finely)
5 Shallots
4 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

Directions
1. Combine pounded ingredients with coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and pepper.

2. Rub marinade all over the chicken and leave aside for at least 1 hr.

3. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat.

4. Deep-fry the marinated chicken for 4 mins or until crispy and golden brown.

5. Drain oil.

6. Serve while its hot!

Labels: Appetizer, Chicken, Light, Malay, Spicy

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 12:38 PM

| 0 comments

Chilli Boh

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Ingredients
20g Dried ChilliesDried Chillies
, soaked in hot water, seeded and drained
4 fresh Red ChilliesRed Chillies
, halved and seeded
A pinch of Salt

Directions
1. Process dried chillies and red chillies in an electric blender or food processor (you may need to add a little liquid or water).
2. Add salt to the blended chilli boh and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
3. Use when needed.

Labels: blended, chili, chilli, dried, grind, ingredients

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 8:08 PM

| 0 comments

Beef Rendang

Ingredients
600g beef topside, cubed

Grind together:
4 tbsp Chilli Boh
7 ShallotsShallots

5 cloves GarlicGarlic

4cm piece GingerGinger

2 Large OnionsLarge Onions

4 stalks Lemon GrassLemon Grass

, Finely Sliced
3cm piece GalangalGalangal
A close relative of ginger, galangal is an important and popular ingredient in the foods of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The flavor is similar to ginger, but more flowery and intense.
1 tbsp Cumin PowderCumin Powder

1 tbsp Fennel PowderFennel Powder

1 litre Coconut MilkCoconut Milk

1 litre Water
1/2 cup Toasted Grated Coconut (Kerisik)Toasted Grated Coconut

1 tbsp finely-shredded Lime LeavesLime Leaves

Seasoning:
1 tsp Salt (to taste)
1 tsp Brown Sugar (to taste)

Directions
1. Combine beef, coconut milk, water and ground ingredients in a deep saucepan.

2. Simmer over low heat for one and a half to two hours until beef turns tender.

3. Add Kerisik and continue to cook until the gravy turns thick and dry.

4. Add seasoning and Daun Limau.

5. Cook until beef is almost dry.

Labels: beef, coconut milk, dry, Malay, rendang, Spicy

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 7:48 PM

| 0 comments

Fish Otak-Otak

Monday, December 18, 2006

Ingredients
1/2kg Fish Fillet (chopped into thin cubes)
2 small Onions

1 tsp BelacanShrimp Paste
It is made from fermented ground shrimp, sun dried and then cut into fist-sized rectangular blocks
2 stalks Lemon Grass
2cm piece GalangalGalangal
A close relative of ginger, galangal is an important and popular ingredient in the foods of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The flavor is similar to ginger, but more flowery and intense.
3-4 Red Chillies
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Egg
Sugar to taste
1 tbsp Cornflour
180ml Thick Coconut Milk
Salt to taste

White Pepper to taste
Banana Leaves

Oil

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C

2. Season fish slices with salt and a dash of white pepper

3. Grind the onions, belacan, lemon grass, galanggal and red chillies with coconut milk to a fine paste. Add the turmeric and mix well.

4. Mix in the fish paste, egg, sugar, salt and cornflour.

5. Beat the mixture until smooth.

6. Cut the banana leaf to fit a 16 cm ovenproof dish.

7. Scald the leaf and rub some oil over it.

8. Place the leaf in the dish and pour the fish mixture over.

9. Bake fish until firm to touch. (Approx 15-20 minutes.)

10. Cool it down slightly before cutting and serving.

Labels: Appetizer, fish, Nyonya, otak, Snack, Spicy

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 7:44 AM

| 0 comments

Sambal Sotong

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Ingredients
500g small Squid (sotong)
2 tbsp Tamarind Pulp
1 stalk of Lemongrass, peeled and sliced
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
4 Dried Red Chilies, soaked and drained
1 tsp BelacanShrimp Paste
It is made from fermented ground shrimp, sun dried and then cut into fist-sized rectangular blocks
1 Onion, chopped
2 tbsp Peanut Oil
1/2 tsp Salt to taste
2 tsp Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar to taste

Directions
1. Clean the squid and cut the tubes lengthwise

2. Use the tip of the knife to lightly score a crisscross pattern on the surface, without cutting right through.

3. Cut into 5cm squares and set aside, with the tentacles.

4. Soak the tamarind pulp in 125ml boiling water and leave for 5 minutes.

5. Knead to dissolve, then strain the tamarind water and set aside.

6. Grind, pound or blend the lemongrass, garlic, drained chilies, blachan and onion together to make a paste.

7. Heat a wok until hot, then add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chili paste and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

8. Add the tamarind water, salt and sugar and stir-fry for 3 minutes.

9. Add the squid meat and tentacles and stir-fry over high heat for 3-4 minutes, until cooked but still tender.
10. Serve this spicy, substantial sambal with a bowl of steamed rice and a platter of stir-fried green beans, as part of a shared Malaysian meal.

Labels: Malay, Sambal, Seafood, Sotong, Spicy, Squid

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 4:08 PM

| 0 comments

Mutton Korma

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Ingredients
1 kg Goat Meat

1.5 inch piece Ginger

8 pods Garlic

3 (medium chopped) Onion

0.5 tsp Black Cumin Seed

2 tblspn Red Chili Powder

4 Cardamom

1/2 inch piece Cinnamon

6 Cloves

6 whole Peppercorns

0.5 tsp Saffron

5 tblspn Yogurt

1 1/2 tsp Salt

20 Sliced Almond

2 tblspn Cream

2 tblspn Cooking Oil

1 Small Cup Water

2 tbsp Ghee

Directions

1. Clean and wash meat and cut into 1 inch pieces.

2. Grind ginger, garlic and cumin seeds into a fine paste.

3. Grind cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and pepper corns to a coarse powder.

4. Heat, crush and soak saffron in 2 table spoon hot milk.

5. Mix together yogurt, red chili powder, sugar and the paste from Step 1 and smear on meat pieces.

6. Heat ghee and oil and fry onion chopped finely to light brown.

7. Add powdered spices and cook for 1/2 minute.

8. Add marinated meat and cook on slow fire with occasional stirring till meat is tender and oil starts separating.

9. Add 1 cup hot water and cook till the meat becomes tender and the gravy thickens.

10. Add saffron, almonds and cream.

11. Mix well and cook covered for about 5 minutes.

12. Serve hot with rice or Naan.

Labels: east india, indian, korma, kurma, mutton

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 6:29 PM

| 0 comments

Hainan Chicken Rice

Ingredients
1 1/2 kg Whole Chicken
2 cups Long Grain Rice
14 Shallots
12 pcs Garlic
½ inch Long Ginger
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
4 tbsp Cooking Oil

Ingredients for Chicken stock
250 gm Chicken Bones
750 ml Water
Salt to taste

Ingredients for Chilli Sauce
5 red Chillies
4 pcs Garlic
1 Fresh Lime
1 tbsp Sugar
½ inch Long Ginger
¼ tsp Salt

Garnishing Ingredients
1 Cucumber
1 Tomato
1 Spring Onion
2 tsp Sesame Oil
2 tsp Light Soya Sauce

Preparation of Ingredients
Boil chicken bones with water to obtain chicken stock. Add salt to taste.
Smash 8 shallots, 6 pips garlic and ginger.
Clean the chicken and stuff the inside with the smashed ingredients. Rub the skin with salt and pepper.
Finely slice the remaining shallots and chop the remaining garlic.
Pound red chillies, ginger and garlic together. Extract lime juice. Add lime juice, sugar and salt to the pounded ingredients. Set aside mixture.
Finely slice the cucumber and tomato.
Cut the spring onions into 2 cm lengths.
Mix the sesame oil and light soya sauce together.
Wash the rice grains.

Directions
1. Heat oil in wok.
2. Fry the chopped garlic and sliced shallots until golden brown.
3. Then add in the washed rice grains and continue to fry until fragrant.
4. Transfer the fried rice grains into a rice cooker.
5. Add in the chicken stock and continue to cook until rice is done.
6. Steam the chicken in a wok or steamer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
7. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from heat and cut into bite-size pieces.
8. Arrange the cucumber and tomato slices around the edge of a serving platter.
9. Then place the chicken pieces in the centre of the same platter.
10. Sprinkle the spring onions over the chicken and pour the mixed sesame oil and light soya sauce over it.
11. Serve chicken with the steamed rice and chilli sauce.

Labels: Chicken, chinese, fragrant, hainan, rice, roast, steam

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 6:13 PM

| 1 comments

Curry Chicken Kapitan

Ingredients
1.5kg chicken
4 tbsp oil
2 onions sliced/diced
2 tsp salt

Ground Ingredients
15 red chillies
15 shallots/small onions
4 cloves garlic
2cm piece turmeric root or about
1heaped tsp of turmeric powder
10 buah keras/candlenuts
1tbsp(5cmx2.5cm piece) belacan/dried shrimp paste
4 stalks lemon grass
1 grated whole coconut + water to make 1cup thick milk & 3cups thin milk or
2tins coconut milk
Juice of 1 or 2 limes

Directions
1. Cut chicken down to bite size pieces or quarters.
2. Heat oil in wok or pot & lightly add sliced onions with salt.
3. Add ground ingredients & fry till fragrant.
4. While stirring, add a little coconut milk to make a paste & prevent the spices from burning.
5. Add in chicken & fry for a few minutes stirring & coating chicken pieces
6. Pour in thin coconut milk & cook over low heat for about 30mins or until chicken is tender.
7. Add in thick coconut milk before serving & once it comes back to the boil.
8. Remove from heat & pour in lime juice
9. Serve with rice or roti jala or toasted bread.

Labels: Chicken, Curry, Kapitan, Nyonya

posted by Daryl W.T. Lau at 3:35 PM

| 1 comments