Curry Puffs

My daughter said that it was the best ever. The outer layer (skin) is crunchy yet flaky. The inner layer (filling) is smooth. I was glad.

I think a good curry puff is one that stays enclosed, even after going thru the deep frying process.

(reference: The food of Malaysia by Periplus Editions)

Filling:
5 tbsp oil
1 medium sized red or brown onion finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp kurma powder or chicken curry powder
2 tsp meat or chicken curry powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 cups finely diced, cooked chicken
2 large potatoes boiled and finely diced
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Pastry:
4 cups white flour
10 tbsp butter or margarine (I used butter the last time and the pastry did not turn out as good as when I used shortening.)
Just over 3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
Make the filling first. Heat oil and fry the onion gently until golden brown. Add the curry powders, chili, turmeric and fry gently. Add the chicken, potatoes, sugar, pepper, and salt and cook for 5 minutes. Mix well and leave aside to cool.
To make pastry, mix flour with butter or margarine, water and salt and knead well. Let it rest for 1/2 hour. Cut the dough into circles 3 inches in diameter. Take a tbsp of filling and place in center. Fold pastry over to make a half circle and crimp at edges. Deep fry in hot oil until golden.
Author's hints: Not all margarine are suitable for pastry. The Malaysian brand Planta is recommended; Crisco is a suitable substitute.

I haven't tried Lily's recipe yet but I can imagine it will be very tasty as well. http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2006/08/spiral-curry-puffs.html

Min Jiang Kueh

This is also known as Ban Chian Koay (in Hokkein?). I remember eating this snack, growing up in Malaysia. Hey sis, remind me, how do we get this snack? Later, when I went to Taiwan to visit my in-laws, I had it again. The fillings were sweetened red bean, instead of peanuts.

Eating food at hawker stands is almost never sanitary. I remember one of the hawkers (of course, not the one that was serving my food), had one hand picking his nose, and the other hand scratching his butt. It is strange that you are not aware of this when you are little kids.

I highly recommend that you try out this recipe because it is not too complicated and it does not take up a whole day to make it. It will be a great snack or breakfast. My kids love them.

Unfortunately, these photos does not gives justice to the delicious taste or good looks. Does anyone know why is the background is clearer than the foreground? Wow, there is so much to learn in life. First come cooking, next come photographing.

I do not have a cast iron pan, so I used a non stick pan to make this. If you like bigger kueh, use a bigger pan and put more ladle of batter into your pan. After making the first one, you will get an idea, on how much batter to put in your next one. I have used the following recipes numerous times. It is well tested. Please pay attention to my notes in parenthesis. It will ensure that you are successful as well.

(reference: Hawker's Galore (A guide to Penang Hawker Food)

Batter Ingredients
230 gm plain flour
2 tsp castor sugar
1 egg beaten
2 cups water/milk
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp oil

Batter Preparation

Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add in egg, liquid and oil. Mix into a smooth batter and allow to stand for at least 2 hours. (Since the batter has egg, make sure you refrigerate your batter.)

Flling Ingredients

4 tsp castor sugar
2 tsp roasted sesame seeds
6 tsp peanuts roasted and ground
4 tsp butter

Preparation

Ban Chian Koay pan is a heavy, cast iron pan used over a coal fire. To obtain best results, it is recommended that a heavy base 16 cm frying pan be used if the original pan is not available. Heat the pan over fairly high heat. Spoon a ladle of the batter in the pan and spread it evenly. WHen mixture turns translucent, sprinkle sugar, ground peanut and sesame seeds evenly over the surface. Dab with butter. Cover pan to ensure even heating. Cook for another 3 minutes; remove pancake and fold in two. Serve hot.

p/s Check out the photos and the author's warning in this blog: http://yummydummy.blogspot.com/2006/12/best-of-best.html

Indian Rojak

I attempted Indian Rojak tonight. It was surprisingly laborious. We loved the prawn fritters and the sweet potato sauce. I followed the recipe from "Hawkers Galore - A guide to Penang Hawker Food". Thanks Pa for the copy of the book.

Ingredients
300 gm small prawns for fritters (see below for recipe)
4 pieces fried tau kwa sliced
300 gm blanched bean sprouts
1 medium bangkuang (jicama), shredded
3 hard boiled eggs, sliced
2 large boiled potatoes, sliced
1 large cucumber, shredded
150 gm cooked squids, sliced (optional)
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
150 gm freshly ground peanuts

To serve Indian Rojak
Place prawn fritters, tau kwa, potatoes, squids and egg slices.
Sprinkle over with bean sprouts, shredded cucumber and bangkuang.
Ladle sauce over and garnish with ground peanuts and sesame seeds.

Sauce Ingredients
4 tsp finely ground chilies
10 shallots
2 tsp tamarind for 3 cups juice
1 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic
300 gm sweet potatoes
4 tsp sugar
4 tsp oil

Sauce Preparation
Grind chilies, garlic, shallots into a rempah. Boil sweet potatoes and pass thru fine sieve.
Heat oil and fry rempah.
Add tamarind juice and bring to boil.
Blend in sweet potatoes and simmer for 30 minutes over a very low fire, stirring occasionally.

Prawn Fritters Ingredients
330 gm small prawns, minced
150 gm self raising flour
(1 cup self-raising flour = 1 cup cake flour + 1 tsp baking powder + pinch of salt)
8 tsp water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp pepper
oil to deep fry

Mix all ingredients into a thick batter.
Heat oil and deep fry batter in cylindrical lengths of 6 cm.
Drain well and slice into 1/2 cm pieces.

Satay

This dish is an all time favorites of the young and old. I found the Ayam brand satay seasoning and satay sauce to be quite authentic and very convenient to use. i marinated pieces of chicken thigh meat with the satay seasoning and inserted them into the bamboo skewers to broil in the preheated oven. Keep a close watch because it may burn. i turn them once after 3 minutes. serve these satays with the satay sauce and some sliced red onion and cucumber.

Wonton Mein

Growing up in Malaysia, we would eat Kon Low Mein as a family activity on the weekends. Finally, I have mastered the art of making charsiu. If I buy frozen wontons, making this dish is a breeze.

Char Siu is Chinese barbequed pork; sometimes simply called Chinese roast pork. Its distinguishing color is red, supposedly from the barbeque sauce marinade. It is readily available in most Chinese restaurants and Noodle shops - the ones where you see barbequed or roasted ducks and chickens hanging in the window. There are brand name readymade 'Char Siu Sauce' which can be found in most Oriental grocery stores; and in the ethnic, Asian or Oriental aisle of your supermarket. To make your own Char Siu, refer to http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2005/07/char-siew.html

The following recipe is from http://www.malaysianfood.net/recipes/recipewontonmee.htm

INGREDIENTS :
½ lb Chinese 'red' barbequed pork [Char Siu, in Chinese dialect], sliced
8 'coils' [individual portions] wonton noodles [Chinese thin egg noodles]
16 cups chicken stock [you can make your own clear chicken soup or use a good store bought chicken stock]
½ lb Choy Sum [also called Chinese Chard, Chinese Flowering Cabbage or Bok Choy Sum] [Sawi Manis in Malay], cut into bite-size [Substitute: bok choy or your favorite leafy greens]
2 stalks scallions, finely chopped [optional]
4-6 fresh green Serrano chilies, finely sliced [Substitute: 2-3 fresh jalapenos] [optional]
½ cup white vinegar [optional]

INGREDIENTS for Wontons:
½ lb fresh minced [chopped] fairly lean pork
40 wonton skins [more or less]
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, finely mashed or pounded
½ inch ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1½ tbsp corn flour
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp salt
1 tsp corn flour combined with 2-3 tbsp water, for sealing wonton skins [Stir well just before use]
FYI : The spelling for 'Wonton' varies in different parts of the world - Won Ton, Wan Ton, Wanton, Wan Tan and Wantan. The common spelling in USA is 'wonton'. Wonton noodles [mee] can be found in the refrigerated section of most Oriental grocery stores. The 'fresh' noodles are lightly coated in flour and 'coiled' into individual portions for easy serving [usually 8 in a package]. Dried wonton noodles may also be available - which require a longer blanching or cooking time.

Method:
To Prepare Wontons:
In a bowl combine minced pork, egg, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, soy sauce, corn flour, white pepper and salt
Put a heaped teaspoonful of pork into the center of a wonton skin, lightly dab the edges with the corn flour & water 'glue'. Bring the corners together, give it a twist sealing out as air as possible [Best made ahead of time and refrigerated]

Putting it all together:
[Optional] finely slice green Serrano chilies, add white vinegar, set aside in a condiment dish
In a stockpot, bring chicken stock to a boil, then lower heat to keep hot
In a large pot, bring water to a rapid boil, blanch choy sum until just al dente, strain well, set aside for garnish
In the same boiling water, using a 'spider sieve' cook wonton noodles one coil at a time for a min or so, remove from boiling water, dip into a bowl of fresh water before dipping into the boiling water again
Drain well and put into individual serving bowls
In the same boiling water, carefully drop in a few wontons at a time, cook for 2 mins or so [test one for doneness]

Pour hot chicken soup stock over noodles, garnish with a few wontons, sliced roast pork, blanched choy sum and chopped scallions
Serve hot immediately, and if preferred, a condiment of sliced pickled green chilies on the side

Variation:
For 'Dry' Wonton Mee - blanch noodles, drain then toss well with a 1-2 tsp sweet dark soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil. Garnish with sliced roast pork, choy sum and wontons; or serve the wontons in a small bowl of chicken soup with chopped scallions. 'Dry' Wonton Mee is sometimes referred to as Kon Lo, Konlo or Kon Loh Mee.

Kuih Lapis

This recipe is from http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2005/07/kuih-lapis.html. I modified it slightly by playing with the colors. I alternated the layers with white and green and end it with red.

Po Piah

As a little girl, I remember going to my grandma's house to eat this dish. The kitchen was very rustic with a wooden stove. Grandma had lots of mouth to feed, 12 children and many grandchildren. This dish certainly satisfy the taste buds of the young and old.


Ingredients:
8 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 tbsp salted soy bean paste
1 pound jicama (shredded)
2 hard bean curd cakes, fried and sliced thinly
1 tsp black soy sauce
1 cup cabbage (shredded)
1 cup green beans
4 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt

20 large po piah skins/lumpia (individually wrapped is preferred)
sweet black sauce (tim cheong) to taste
long leaf lettuce
fresh chilies (optional)
bean sprouts (blanced in hot water briefly and drained)
roasted peanuts (remove skin, coarsely ground)
fried shallots

(The following can be omitted if going completely vegetarian)
8 peeled shrimps
3 eggs lightly beaten and make 3 thin omelets. After cooked, cut into thin strips and set aside.

Method:
To make the filling, fry garlic and salted soy bean paste until fragant. Reserve 3 tsps of this. Leave the remaining fried paste in the pan and add the jicama. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Then add the fried bean curd. Season with black soy sauce.

In separate pan, use 1 tsp of the reserved garlic and soy bean paste mixture to fry the shrimp until cooked. Repeat with cabbage and then with the beans.

Mix cooked cabbage, beans and shrimp into the cooked jicama and add sugar and salt. Leave to cool.

To serve, put all the prepared ingredients on the table. Place a po piah skin on a flat surface, spread with a little sweet black sauce if desired. Place a lettuce leaf, a little of everything from the jicama mixture, egg, bean sprout, peanuts and shallots. Fold in the sides and roll up.

Chee Cheong Fun Sauce

Ingredients :
1/4 cup Sweetened soy sauce
2 tbsp Sesame paste
2 tsp Hoi Sin sauce
1 tbsp Sesame oil


Method :
Steam store bought rice rolls and mix with sauce.

Nasi Lemak

This is my all time favourite. I can eat this every day.

The following are in the photo:
a) achar. Please refer to recipe in Lily's website. http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2005/10/acar.html
b) curry chicken with okra
c) cucumber
d) cashew nut
e) shrimp sambal
f) egg
g) ikan bilis
h) coconut rice

Please check out Lily's version of nasi lemak. http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2005/06/nasi-lemak.html

I found the following sambal sauce recipe nasi lemak from http://simplylinnish.bravehost.com. I am going to try this using my new pounder. Perhaps even add a stalk of lemon grass to my sauce.

Ingredients:
200g Dried chilies
soaked in warm water
half an onion
4 shallots
Salt & sugar to taste

Method:
Grind chilies in grinder to grind till rather fine.
Add in both onions & shallots to grind till fine.
Fry chili sauce in hot oil until oil seeps through the sauce.
Season with salt & sugar.

Bah Kua (Do It Yourself)

Only two pieces left for me to take a snapshot of it. We used to drive 6 hours to Vancouver, B.C. Canada to buy authentic "Mei Jen Siang' Bah Kua. They are quite pricey as well. The store would vacuum pack for us and put a label that can go thru custom. However, our hearts still beat faster when we pass imigration for fear that we cannot bring this snack over to the US.

These days, when we have the crave, we make our own.

Ingredients:

1 lb minced meat, with some fats
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
slightly less than 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tbsp cooking wine
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cooking oil

Steps:

Put minced meat in a big bowl. Add in seasonings. Use chopsticks and stir in one direction until meat becomes gluey.

Put the meat on SILPAT (as shown in photo) or parchment paper. Cover with a big plastic cling wrap. Use a roller to roll the meat to 2mm thick.

Place in baking tray and bake in preheated oven 257'F (125'C) for 20 minutes. After that, increase the temperature to 356'F (180'C) and bake for about 20 - 30 minutes. Then, remove the meat from the oven and flip over on a piece of parchment paper and continue to bake for about 10 minutes.

The time used to bake the meat depends on the thickness of the meat.

Here is a link to another version of Bah Kua. I haven't tried it out yet, but almost any recipes from Lily's website will taste good. http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2005/06/dried-pork-long-yoke.html