BLACK STICKY RICE PUDDING - BUBUR KETAN HITAM

Black sticky rice pudding - Bubur ketan hitam

Category: Dessert
Cooking time: 40 mins - more
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup black sticky rice - available in Asia/Indian store
• 2-3 Pandan leaves
• 5 cups water
• 1/2 cup palm sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups coconut cream

Method

1. Rinse rice thoroughly for 2 mins under running water.  Drain well.  Put 5 cups of water, rice and pandan leaves into a heavy stockpot.  Simmer over medium heat for approximately 30 mins.
2. Add palm sugar and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Season with a pinch of salt.  Remove from heat, allow cool.
3. Serve, topped with a swirl of fresh squeezed creamy coconut cream.

GREEN SOYA PORRIDGE - BUBUR KACANG HIJAU

Category: Dessert

Cooking time: 40 mins - more

Ingredients

• 400g green soya beans
• 750 ml water
• 350 ml coconut milk
• 150g white sugar
• 65g palm sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 pandan leaves - available in Asia/Indian store
• or you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon pandan essence

Coconut sauce

• 200 ml coconut milk
• 3 cm ginger, crushed
• a pinch of salt

Method

1. Clean the green soya beans.  Then cook it with water until it's really tender. It is necessary to add more water if it's not soft yet.  And stirring it well while cooking.
2. When the green soya is already tender, add coconut milk and pandan leaf. By the time the coconut milk is half left, add the sugars (white and palm) and salt.  Keep stirring it so it won't burn.
3. Cook until its thick like porridge.
4. Make the coconut sauce by boiling all the ingredients.
5. Serve the green soya porridge/ bubur kacang hijau with the coconut sauce on top.

STIR FRY BEEF WITH GINGER AND GARLIC

Stir fry beef with ginger and garlic

Ingredients:
3 tbsp oil
500g beef steak, fat trimmed, meat sliced
        into thin strips
1 large red capsicum, julienned
200g green beans cut 6-8 cm pieces
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tsp sesame oil
3 large spring onions, thinly sliced
Steam rice (optional)

Method

• Place a large wok over high heat.
• once the wok is very hot add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and swirl the wok to coat with the oil.
• Add half of the beef and stir fry for about 2 mins or until the beef is semi cooked to medium rare.  Immediately transfer the beef to plate and set aside.
• Return the wok to high heat and repeat with 1 tablespoon of oil and the remainder of the beef, then remove to bowl. (Working in two batches will allow the beef to sear properly and transferring the beef mixture to a bowl will prevent it from over cooking.)
• Wipe the wok with a paper towel and return the wok to high heat.  Once hot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and stir fry the capsicum and green bean for about 3 mins.
• Add the shallots, garlic, and ginger and toss.  Then and add the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, water and oyster sauce and continue to stir fry for a further 2 mins or until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the sauce reduce slightly.
• Return the beef to the wok along with the spring onions.  Stir fry for 1 minute or until the beef is heated through.
• Stir in the sesame oil and remove from the heat.
• Serve with steamed rice if you desired.

STIR FRY PRAWN WITH GREEN BEAN

Stir fry prawn with green bean

Ingredients:
500g large banana prawns
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
160g green beans, ends trimmed, sliced in half
       on an angle
1-2 chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp kecap manis or 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 
   mixed with brown sugar
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 cup parsley leaves
4 tbsp olive oil
Steam rice for serve

Method

• Place a large wok over high heat.  Once the wok is very hot add 1 tbsp of olive oil and swirl the oil to coat the entire wok, and then add half of the prawns.
• Stir fry prawns for about 1-2 mins or until prawn are semi cooked. Immediately transfer the prawns to a baking sheet and set aside.  Return the wok to high heat and repeat with remaining prawns.  (Working in two batches will allow the prawns to sear properly and transferring the prawns to a baking sheet prevents them from overcooking.)
• Return the empty wok to high heat, wipe excess juice and add 1 tbsp of olive oil to wok and cook onions for 1 to 2 mins or until they have just softened.  Add the capsicum, green beans, chili, ginger and garlic.  Stir fry for about 2-3 mins.
• Return the prawns to the wok and stir fry for2 mins or until the prawns are heated through.  Add the rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, kecap manis, sweet chili sauce, oyster sauce and continue to stir fry for a further 1-3 mins until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the sauce reduces slightly.
• Sprinkle with the parsley leaves.  Serve with steamed rice.

Stir fry prawn with green bean serve with steam rice

SAMOSAS

Samosas

Ingredients
3 tablespoons oil or ghee
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic crushed
400g chicken mince
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder or 1 teaspoon 
      prepared minced chillies
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 cups green peas
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons chicken stock
1 packet ready- rolled puff pastry
Vegetables oil for frying

Method

1. Heat oil or ghee in a saucepan and fry onion and garlic until softened. Add chicken mince and spices and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until softened.  Meanwhile, cook potatoes and carrots for 3 mins in a small pot of boiling, salted water.  Drain, and add to the spice mixture with peas, salt, sugar and stock.  Cover pan and cook for 5 mins.  Remove from heat and cool.
2. Place pastry sheets on a lightly floured work surface.  Cut into rounds with a floured 10cm cutter.
3. Place 1 teaspoon on each pastry round.  Dampen edges of pastry lightly and fold pastry over filling to form half moon shapes.  Press edges with the tines of a fork to seal.  Chill pastries for 20 mins.
4. Pour enough oil into a deep-fryer or saucepan to give a depth for about 5cm; heat.  Add samosas a few at a time and cook on both  sides until golden-brown. Drain on paper towels.

PS: Samosas are traditionally fried, but can be baked if you prefer.  Arrange on baking trays; cook in a hot (200 C) oven for 25 mins or until crisp and golden.  

RICE PAPER ROLLS WITH A SPICY KOREAN DIPPING SAUCE

Rice paper rolls with a spicy Korean dipping sauce

Ingredients:
100g rice vermicelli noodles
2 cups roast chicken/beef/pork
1 cup cooked prawn, sliced
1 small carrot, peeled, sliced into thin strips
1 cucumber, sliced into thin strips
2 shallots, sliced
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/4 cup Thai sweet basil
16x12 cm rice paper wrappers
Dipping Sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chili pepper flakes (kochukaru)
1 tsp finely chopped garlic

Method

1. Soak noodles in boiling water for 5 mins, or until soft.  Refresh under cold water, then drain.  Cut into 5cm lengths.  Combine noodles with pork/chicken/beef, carrot, prawn, cucumber, shallots, and herbs.  In a small jug, combine all dressing ingredients.  Pour half dressing into noodle mixture and stir to combine.  Reserve remaining dressing.
2. Soak one rice-paper wrapper in a bowl of hot water for 20 secs.  Drain and lay fat on a clean tea towel to absorb any excess water.  Top with 1/4 cup noodle mixture. Fold in ends and roll up firmly to enclose.  Repeat with remaining rice-paper wrappers and mixture.  Serve with dipping sauce.

Rice spring roll; try other filling combination, such as prawns, chicken, or tofu.

CHICKEN SOUP WITH FRESH TOMATO SAMBAL (SOTO AYAM SAMBAL TOMAT)

Soto ayam - Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
500g (1 lb) chicken
2 medium onions
3 gloves garlic
60g (2 oz) celery leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander, ground
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
6 candlenuts, ground
1/2 dried shrimp paste
3 tablespoons oil
salt
white pepper
1/2 teaspoons tamarind
60 g (2 oz) cabbage shredded
60 g (2 oz) beanshoots
4 cups water
60 g (2 oz) thin rice vermicelli
Spring onions or chopped fresh coriander springs

Method

1. Cut chicken into several pieces, Put in a saucepan and cover with water.  Peel and chop onions.  Pound onion, garlic, coriander, turmeric, candlenuts and shrimp paste. 

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry ground seasonings for 4 mins.  Add to the chicken.  Season with salt and pepper, add chopped celery leaves and simmer, covered, until chicken is tender.

3. Add tamarind, stir and continue to simmer for a few mins.  Remove pieces of chicken, strain stock, then return chicken and stock to pan.

4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and fry cabbage and bean-shoots lightly.  Bring water to the boil in a large saucepan.  Add salt and vermicelli and cook till tender.  Add vermicelli and fried vegetables to the chicken stock and heat through.

Garnish with chopped onions and coriender.

Chicken soup with fresh Fresh Tomato sambal

Fresh tomato sambal recipe:

2 ripe tomatoes, skinned and chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 red chilli, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons dried shrimp paste, toasted

3 teaspoons water

Mix all ingredients together and pound in a mortar or puree in a blender until smooth.  Store in an airtight jar in refrigerator.  This sambal will keep for up to 3 days.

If preferred do not pound the sambal but serve the ingredients finely chopped.