Balinese Beef

I don't really know whether this is the true original recipe..but I made this after eating it at a friend's house. I asked her what this was and she said it's balinese style beef.I didn't ask for a recipe bcuz I'd like to try to see if I could emulate something based on what my tongue tasted. So, I hereby, proudly, present my own concoction.

Final verdict?...as said by my girls,..."MMMMMMmmmmmmm!!!!"

Ingredients

500g lean beef, cut into thin strips
4 potatoes, cubed and fried
1 brinjal, cubed and fried
1 cinnamon bark
2 star anise
1 onion, wedged

To be grounded

2 onions
5 cloves of garlic
an inch of ginger
huge pinch of belacan
2 tbsp of soaked dried shrimps
15 dried chillies, soaked
an inch of galangal

3 tbsp soya sauce
salt to taste
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1/2 cup of tamarind juice
2 cups of water
fried shallots (optional)

Heat enuff oil in wok. Throw in cinnamon bark and star anise and add the ground ingredients. Saute till fragrant and chilli is cooked.
Add the wedged onion. Add in the beef, soya sauce, salt,brown sugar, tamarind juice and water and simmer till beef is tender and gravy is reduced to a thick consistency. Add the brinjals and the potatoes with some fried shallots, stir through, remove from heat and serve with piping hot rice.

Sweet Bun

It has been quite a while since I last thought of making some sweet buns. So, I told myself that I shall be making one to make my life complete..hehe..
Seriously, this is soft and fluffy..gobbled it up when it came out of the oven and had only these few to show...Thanks to mamafami,CMG and others,..I made this with a sweet ending..

A good base - the rest is up to your creativity and dangerous appetite..(wink)

Dough - (I adjusted a bit)

300g bread flour
100g hongkong flour
100g castor sugar
1 tbsp bread improver
1/4 tsp salt
11g instant yeast
1 egg - slightly beaten
180ml water

Mix the above till it forms an inital dough. I used the dough hook of my Kitchen Aid. To this, add

1 tbsp - softened butter
1 tbsp - vegetable shortening

Knead about 8 - 10 mins till it becomes a soft pliable dough. Rest for 10 mins, covered with kitchen towel. Next, shape into 40g balls.(Yes, I weighed them).
Do the works - filling, shaping and whatsoever at this stage. Then rest for abt 1 hr till it doubles in size. I added red bean paste (ready bought) into the balls, shape it nicely, brush the top with egg white and sprinkled some sesame seeds. Place your bread on greased pan.





Bake in a preheated 200 degrees oven for about 12 mins( it depends on your oven. Adjust if necessary). I brush mine with softened butter immediately after I took them out of the oven. Cool on rack.

Cola Cream Float

Just made this to pamper myself and ruin my diet(as if I had one...)

Ingredients

Your favourite cola
Your favourite ice cream
whipped cream
some sprinkles

Pour the cola into a glass. Top with ice cream and pipe some whipped cream on it. Finish it off with some sprinkles.
Enjoy with a straw...hehe..

Nasi Goreng Ananas

Pineapple Fried Rice

Delicious on its own or with your favourite savoury dishes.

Ingredients

5 cups of cooked rice
4 eggs - beaten till fluffy and made into scrambled eggs.Set aside.

Aromatics

5 cloves of garlic - minced
1 onion - minced
1/2 inch of ginger - minced
1 red chilli - chopped

1 cup of pineapple - nicely wedged
1/2 cup of mixed veggie(carrots/peas/corns)

1/2 cup of cubed chicken breast
1/4 cup of crabmeat
1/2 cup of seafood (sotong/baby shrimps_

3 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp white pepper
salt to taste
sugar to taste

Heat enuff oil in wok and saute the aromatics till fragrant.Do not burn the garlic. Add pineapple and veggie. Stir. Add in the chicken,crabmeat and seafood. Next, the sauce,pepper,salt and sugar. Add in the rice and eggs.Fry well and serve hot with fried shallots.

Lemon Chicken

aahh...my favourite to go along with chinese/thai fried rice.
Pour the sauce over the chicken when u are about to serve, to prevent sogginess.

Ingredients

1/2 kg of chicken breast/ fillet - washed and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Dip into all purpose seasoned flour, then into beaten egg, then into the flour again. Dust off excess flour and deep fry by the batch till golden brown and crisp. Set aside.

Sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons water

Place lemon juice, honey, ginger, stock and soy in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil. Mix the cornflour and the water together. Add to the sauce and simmer until thickened. Remove from heat.

Kangkong Belacan

Water Convulvulus in Spicy Sambal

Another simple but appetizing veggie dish to eat with your rice.

Ingredients

2 bundles of kangkong, washed and drained
2 red chillies - sliced

Blend together :
15(or more) dried chilles - seeded,soaked to soften or microwave for 10mins in a bowl of water
a really huge pinch of belachan(shrimp paste)
5-6 cloves of garlic
2-3 big onions
1 tbsp of ikan bilis(anchovies) granules

Heat oil in wok and saute the blended ingredients till fragrant.
Add chillies and kangkong. Stir fry till veggie is wilted but not overcooked.
Add a little sugar(optional).No salt needed as the belacan is already salty enuff.
Serve with a sprinkling of fried shallots.

Sambal Udang

Sambal Prawns with Button Mushrooms.

A dish in which u can add almost anything into the sambal. This time, it's prawns.


Ingredients

1kg prawns
1 can of button mushrooms

Blend together :

15(or more) dried chilles - seeded,soaked to soften or microwave for 10mins in a bowl of water
a really huge pinch of belachan(shrimp paste)
5-6 cloves of garlic
2-3 big onions
1 tbsp of ikan bilis(anchovies) granules

1 heaped tbsp of tamarind-add some water and knead to produce some juice
3 tbsp sugar or to taste (add more if chilli is too hot for u)
salt to taste

Heat sufficient oil in wok(it's ok if u add too much-u can always scoop it out after cooking)and saute blended ingredients.Make sure it's cooked (tumis sampai betul2 pecah minyak),stirring continuously.Add tamarind juice,sugar and salt.Add some water if u like some gravy but the consistency shudn't be too dry nor too dilute.Taste to suit yr liking. Add the prawns .Coat gravy over prawns and simmer for a few minutes bf turning adding in the button mushrooms. When gravy has thickened and prawns are cooked, remove from heat.Serve.

Yum Yum?

Another award from dearest Yummylicious Jun. Thank uuuu....mmuah.

Getas-Getas Kampung

Fried Coconut Dough coated with crystallised sugar..

aahhh.....an all time classic...believe it or not, I usually asked for this from my late nenek (Granny) everytime we went to Geylang Market back in the 70s. It may not look good but it tastes heavenly. Very nostalgic. The kids now doesn't even know what this is. I always introduce old time classic kuihs to my kids. I want them to know what their gorgeous mother consumed all these years..(hehe)..this is to ensure that the old kuihs shall always have a place in this modern world. It's very difficult to get them here except in Geylang. But its abundent during Ramadhan. So here's to the old kampung kuih!..

I actually really seriously honestly forgot where I got this recipe from. I just wrote it on some paper which has now been stamped with chilli sauce, curry stain and oil stain.

Ingredients for Dough

250g glutinous rice flour
150g grated fresh coconut(skin removed)
130ml of water
pinch of salt

Mix the above until it becomes a soft pliable dough. Roll into small balls the size of golf balls. Fashion them into an oblong and press in between your palms to flatten it. It should be the shape of an oval patty. Fry in hot oil to a golden brown.



Ingredients for Sugar Syrup

3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water
a pandan leaf, tied to a knot

In a wok, boil the above until it's bubbly and stringy. Add in the fried dough and coat them with the syrup. Lower the fire and continue mixing and stirring till sugar crystallizes. Remove from heat and serve. Great as a teatime snack.

Puteri Ayu

I loved this way back when I was a child because it looked pretty but wasn't sure of how it tasted as I've never tried it before. Embarrassing but true. Then again, when we got err,..older..ehem...I just HAVE to taste it. Got this from Cik Mat and decided to give it a try as well. Verdict?..very nice..it was snapped up in no time the minute I made this,complementing well with a nice cup of hot tea. Your shape depends on the mould that u can get.

ChocoMousse Brownie

first things first...salam frenz!..and I'm back right up...thanks for yr concern and empathy..let's just say,..I'm back, although not 100%,..but the spirit is still there..



I have been having this nagging feeling to try this ChocoMousse Brownie, from Mat Gebu, (originally from Kak Yani) before I got sick. So, it's the first thing that came to my mind when I asked myself what to make upon my return. So here goes my version.



It may look very fattening, but surprisingly, it's quite light. Somebody commented on the brownie base to be a bit hard after chilling so, I modified the method and instead of creaming the sugar and butter for the base, I just melted the butter and just whisk in the sugar.The result? A softer, cakey texture.

Thank u Mat Gebu and Kak Yani.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Salam my frens....just to say that I'm in the hospital, therefore, unable to cook and share in our beloved comfort zone here. Will announce my return soon.

Telur Kicap

Sunny Side-up Eggs with Soy Sauce

My father usually would just coarsely break some red & green chillies together with sliced onions and some soy sauce and pour them over his eggs...err...I mean ...the eggs...hehe.. Simple...but refreshing....(thinking of him..)

Ingredients
some fried sunny side-up eggs
some soy sauce
slices of onions
red and green chillies, just use your hands to coursely break them.

Mix the above together and pour over eggs.Yup - no cooking required. Just fry your eggs the way u like it.*wink*

Sardine Ambin

AMBIN = in MALAY, it's associated with a little low workbench that u sit on and it's usually placed outside yr verandah or porch, to relax and enjoy the breeze.

Do not underestimate the power of canned fish!...hehe..In the good old times, or rather, the good old 'poor' times, when there was scarcely enough money to buy first class groceries from the market,and budget was brutally tight, we usually settled for the trusted 'Ayam Brand' canned sardines from the Mamak Shop for the day's meals, hoping that we won't die of starvation(*tsk*tsk*)...but cooked with love and gratitude, it may be the best meal of your life!...and I would eat this on the ambin on a lazy afternoon,with cold rice and kicap (soy sauce),licking my fingers away...

Ingredients

Canned 'Ayam Brand' Sardines - I used 1 big and 1 small can
2 red chilles - cut in half, lengthways
2 green chillies, cut as above
1 tomato, wedged
2 tbsp of tamarind - mix with a little water to obtain the 1/2 cup of juice
2 tbsp chilli sauce
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 cup of water

Aromatics
6 onions - sliced (the more the better)
5 cloves of garlic - sliced
a few slices of ginger
7 red chillies - sliced diagonally
3 green chillies - sliced diagonally

salt to taste
1 tsp sugar


Heat 1 cup of oil in wok. Saute the aromatics till fragrant and onions are caramelizing. Add in chilli and tomato sauce. Stir. Add in the sardines, tamarind juice, and water. Add salt and sugar. Cook till gravy is a little thick. Add in the red + green chillies (which have been cut lengthways) and wedged tomato. Remove from heat and serve.

Cabbage Stir-Fry

A very very simple veggie dish to accompany with yr rice.

Ingredients

1 head cabbage - cut into large leaflets
1 carrot - cut into a desired size

Aromatics

2 onions
3 cloves of garlic
2 red chillies - sliced diagonally

salt + pepper + sugar to taste

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in wok. Saute the aromatics till fragrant. Add in carrots and cabbage. Mix well. Add seasoning, and a little water if it's too dry. Do not overcook veggie. Remove from heat. Serve hot, with a sprinkling of fried shallots.(optional)

Domestic Goddess Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffins from the Domestic Goddess herself,..the one and only Nigella Lawson.

I find these pretty good. Especially with a glass of cold milk. For breakfast, or anytime.

The Dry Ingredients

250g flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp good quality cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
180g castor sugar

Mix the above in a bowl thoroughly with a balloon whisk.




The Wet Ingredients

250ml milk
90ml vegetable oil
1 large egg (beaten)
2 tsp vanilla

Mix the above in a measuring jug.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Add 150g of chocolate chips. Spoon into muffin cases in a 12-bun muffin tray. Fill it 3/4 full to allow the muffins to rise nicely.Sprinkle more chocolate chips over them. Bake in a preheated 180 degrees oven for abt 20 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Roti Boyan

a type of Bawean pancake

a delicious snack on a lazy weekend afternoon..I remembered my late Bawean Grandma (I have a mixture of Indian, Malay, Bawean and Javanese blood in me, with the ability of speaking multiple languages including Malay, Bawean, English, a little Mandarin, Cantonese, Indian, Hindi, and now, Korean....hehe) making these on the verandah back in the good old kampong days and I would sit there and beg her to pass me some of the leftover dough for me to play. Of course she said no, but this classic beauty remains as one of my favourites during Ramadhan. Hubby won't eat those bought from outside but would only eat it if I made them. Unbelievable but true. Anyway, eaten on its own or with a sambal dip, it tastes wonderful, all the same..

Ooopps..almost forgot..I made these, with thanks to Abg Rozzan.(thank u, brother!)It was quite good and u may see here for the recipe.

Ikan Omega

Omega Fish?..I thought it sounds flashy as fish are thought to be rich in Omega. I just wanted to finish up the seafood stocking up in my freezer. It's simply fried fish in hot spicy sambal. U may use this sambal to pour over the fish.

Lemak Putih

Cabbage in Coconut Milk

mm...a re-run, I think..it's the same as the Lemak Gobes. The only difference is that I omitted the tumeric powder, hence, the white colour. Serve hot.

I humbly accept that..

My first. A heartfelt thank you to Cik Mat Gebu and Kak Ummi for the award. They were sent at the same time.* smile * Never had the intention to food-blog for these award thingy but I do highly appreciate it. Thank u again, my peers..

As per request of the original sender,it specified that "this award is to be given to blogs that have at least 3 posts per week"..therefore, I am passing along this award to :-)

1) Jun Yummilicious
2) Hunny
3) Aishah
4) Anna Bake-Freshly
5) Usop Ukraine
6) Dalissa

As to my other friends, u are not forgotten, I shall pass round to all,bit by bit, should I have the opportunity again.

Cencaru Sumbat

Torpedo Fish stuffed with spicy chilli

If u can't do yourself, try to ask yr fishmonger to make 2 slits on the back of the fish, not all the way through, so that u are left with 'pockets' on both side of the fish. This is where u put the stuffing later.

Stuffing
2 fistfuls of dried red chillies, cut diagonally to remove some seeds and soaked to soften
1/4 cup of dried shrimps - soaked to soften
4 onions
5 cloves of garlic
a few slices of ginger
1 lemongrass
1 tbsp of tumeric powder
1 tbsp of belacan (shrimp paste)

Blend all the above ingredients in a food processor. Try not to add a lot of water. It has to be thick. Then, mix abt a fistful of tamarind into the paste and mix well.
Season with salt and sugar.

Stuff the chilli paste into all the slits and opening of the fish. Rub some onto the body as well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for abt 1 hour. Fry in a wok of oil, on both sides till crispy. Coat the fish with the hot oil as u fry. Serve..

Bening Bayam

Spinach Soup

An old, but not forgotten classic..this dish reminds me of those years back when I was a kid(what else?)..with Grandma,..I felt fearless even when we didn't have much to eat..hey..simplicity at its best, packed with nutrients, no wonder it's Popeye's favourite!

Ingredients

Spinach - cleaned and cut
1 onion - sliced
3 cloves of garlic - sliced
2 red chillies - sliced
1 ikan bilis (anchovy) cube
some fishballs
salt to taste
sprinkling of fried shallots
4 cups water or more

Heat abt 3 tbsp of oil. Saute the onions, garlic and chillies till fragrant. Add water and stir to a rapid boil. Add ikan bilis cube and fishballs. Season with salt.
Add the spinach leaves and stir a little and then switch off the heat.Do not overcook the veggie. Serve hot,with a sprinkling of fried shallots.