Beef & Chicken Satay Sweet Meat with Peanut Dipping Sauce

19.08.2012 - Batam. Is that time of the Year, the 1st Day of Hari Raya / Lebaran!! :) Satay Beef and Chicken is my ultimate dishes on Raya Menu. Its simply easy and delicious.  

The reason why i don't use skewers for my so called satay, because i forgotten to buy them.. Sometimes, when we get so desperate for something, everything works my way.  Without skewer I just pan fried the meat slowly with little oil on a normal non stick pan not on grill pan cos i don't have that either! LOL, no one knows that you cheats. Because the Taste and Texture is all the same and came out perfectly delicious!! I served with Peanut Sauce and Ketupat.

Beef ( left ) & Chicken ( right )

INGREDIENTS:-

2pcs Beef tenderloin ( cut into cubes )  

2pcs Chicken Breast or Thigh ( cut into cubes )

MARINATE:- ( blend all spices for marinate )

1 big fat Lemongrass, bruised it

4pcs of shallots

4pcs garlic 

galangal 1cm peeled

ginger 1cm peeled, 

turmeric powder 1/2 tbsp.

Dash of salt

2 tbsp Sugar 

4 tbsp Kicap Manis  

PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE

1cup toasted Peanuts ( ground with blender / morter )

tamarind juice 

water

palm sugar ( gula merah )

salt & sugar to taste

1 big Lemongrass ( brushed it )

galagal ( thumbsize ) smash it with cliver  

ginger ( thumbsize ) smash it with cliver 

1tbsp Ketumbar powder 

2tbsp ground chili paste

CONDIMENTS:-

1 cucumber, cut wedges

Red onion / shallots , peeled and cut into wedges 

Ketupat

Finely cut chilies

 METHOD:-

 *Prepare marinate beef and chicken.  Blend until smooth.  Mixed blended marinate ingredients to the meat, add sugar, salt and kicap manis ( indonesia ) sweet dark soya sauce, if u can't find this can just avoid it. but with little kicap manis taste really nice. skewer with bamboo sticks leave it marinate overnight or few hours. or you could just leave it marinate in a bowl and skewer it the next day.

 *Prepare peanut sauce.  Heat oil in a wok and fry lemongrass, galaga, ginger, chili spices & ketumbar powder until fragrant. Add in peanuts, water, tamarind juice, sugar, palm sugar and salt. Simmer until thick. set aside. 

 *The next day, prepare to cook.  Add little oil and panfried it slowly till the meat turns tender and just cooked.  dish up and served with Condiments. OR 

* Grill beef and chicken over a charcoal fire until cooked. Served with cucumber, onion, Peanut Sauce and Ketupat.

Beef ( left ), Chicken ( right )

Homemade Peanut Sauce

 Homemade Ketupat

So simple and Yummy!

This was back in 2010, my first satay ayam making served with Peanut sauce & Ketupat on Hari Raya in Brunei.  This was cooked in the Oven grilled.

Pischok ( Banana Chocolate Stick )

06.08.2012 - You must wondering what is a "Pischok" mean.   Pischok is a short form of "Pisang Coklat" in bahasa means Banana Chocolate.

In Indonesia, Pischok sell as gorengan.  Some kind of dessert or snack that people loves in the afternoon tea time.  It is very easy to prepare.

Most hawkers used a special made kind of lumpia / Spring roll skin to make pischok, they wrap the cuts semi ripe banana and sprinkle chocolate rice and roll up in a long stick shape, deepfried till golden brown.

To garnish of your own desire, you may sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top, served with melted chocoalte sauce, with shredded cheese or eat just as that. Delicious.  Kids love this dish.

INGREDIENTS:-

10pcs Spring Roll Pastry Wrap ( 1 big sheet cut into 3 )
6-7 semi ripe banana ( cut into slim & long shape )
1/2 cup chocolate rice
1 egg wash
Oil for deep-frying

Method:-
* Cut 1 sheets of spring roll wrap into 3 put aside.  Cut banana into long, slim and smaller size.
* little egg wash around the edges of the skin and place 2 cuts banana on wrap and sprinkle littel choco rice and wrap it. Repeat the same step to all.
* Prepare wok for deepfried.  Heat Oil and deepfried till golden brown. do not burn or fried too long as the skin will breaks as some banana could be too ripe or skin gets too wet from banana. so it must be quick.
* Dish up and served hot.

Happy Cooking!!

 Don't keep too long to fry these babies, or else the skin will breaks. By the time you finish the wrapping step, the oil should be semi hot enough to deep-fried immediately 

 OOooh...he got tempted!

Tahu Telur Singapore Style

04.08.2012 -  Remarkably easy and versatile, Indonesian tahu telur (tahu means beancurd and telur means eggs.   It isn't easy to cook Tahu Telur especially when we don't have a proper mould to give it a good shape as i want it to look like Tahu Telur Singapore.  As you could see my Tahu Telur shape is kinda going everywhere!

This dish originate from Jawa Timur, Indonesia but very popular in Singapore.  Originally the Tahu Telur served flat like omelette shape or pancake.  However, In Singapore today this dish has been reshape and served in a different way.

When you saw this in Singapore, the eggs and beancurd mould into a taller shape not flat and top with finely shredded carrot and cucumber with a generous sprinkle of peanuts served with peanut sauce or sauce kicap.  both sauces go very well with this dish, the combination of texture and flavour just amazing!

This is how Singapore Style Tahu Telur Looks like, Taller and in Shape. This is the dish that we used to eat when we stayed in Brunei, Tahu Telur is one of our favourite dish to order from Pondok Sari Wangi, an Indonesia Cuisine Restaurant in Brunei. 

This is another version the Pancake style Tahu Telur originally looks like around Indonesia.

This is how my Tahu Telur looks like without moulding and im trying to hold them together.

Do whatever you like to the shape!! If is Nice to see is always Nice to eat! :)

Anyway, below recipe have some tips related to moulding your tahu telur.   If you never seen a tahu telur mould before, here are some picture i gather.

If you really can't find this mould anywhere in the world.  Try to use ( optional ) sardine canned ( below tips ) to mould your tahu telur but i advise you to use only once everytime as the canned can get rusty very quickly after opened and washed and not hygenic in a way! Or else you have a better idea.  Feel free to suggest.

 My Tahu Telur after deep-fried without mould

 Ground peanuts

Carrot & Cucumber finely julienned.

INGREDIENTS :-
5 firm beancurd, cut into cubes
4 eggs ( medium size ), stir with a fork
2 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour
pinch of salt & pepper

SWEET DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup sweet soya sauce ( Indonesia sweet dark soya sauce / Kicap Manis )
5 cloves garlic
bit of pound chilli ( as you desire )
salt to taste
blend everything and heat it over medium heat

PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE
3/4 cup roasted peanuts - ground finely
1 cloves garlic
bit of chili ( as you desire )
Asam Jawa juice / Tamerin juice
salt to taste
Sweet soya sauce ( indonesia sweet dark soya sauce / Kicap Manis )

GARNISHING
carrot, julienned
cucumber, julienned
ground roasted peanuts


METHOD :-

*Heat oil to deepfried beancurd till golden brown.
*In a pot and immerse the mould for the tahu telur. Add cooking oil. Leave it in.  Make sure the oil covers at least 3/4 of the mould.
*Beat eggs, salt and cornstarch. Add tofu .
*Pour mixture into the mould (about 3/4 full).
*The heat from the oil will cause the egg to overflow but don't panic.. lower the fire, take a scoop and scoop the overflowing egg and pour it back into the mould. Continue pouring the hot oil into the mould till the egg is crispy. Remove mould and let the tofu in the oil till the sides are crispy. Once brown and crispy, remove from oil and drain it.
*Place tofu on a plate, garnish with cucumber and carrot and sprinkle ground peanuts. Pour sauce over on top or with a side bowl to served.

COOKING TIP & MOULD

Ways to make the mould for tahu telor.  Get a big condensed milk tin or golden churn tin, remove the top and bottom. Best is to use the mould that is wide and low like in the original recipe above.  Advised to use planta majerine tin (not butter) or golden churn because not only the size is just nice but not that high hence easier to fry later.

When oil is hot, immerse the tin first and leave it for a while to heat the sides then only pour the tofu+egg mixture because if the mould is hot, the mixture will not stick to the side that much and when you are pouring the mixture, be extra careful because the mixture may overflow. Just scoop the overflow mixture and pour it back into the mould at the same time press the top a little to pack the tahu telor.

Don't use high heat because it may brown too fast but the inside may not be thoroughly cooked and don't use too low fire because it will be too oily.

For easy estimation, if you cube the tofu and put them into a bowl, the quantity of the egg when poured into the same bowl with the tofu must be just about the same height. Your tahu telur will come out perfect.

Prawn Sambal Petai Recipe ( 2nd Re-posting )

04.08.2012 - Batam.  I repost this recipe as i cook at the different day of the year.  I guess this time i cooks better! :) 

INGREDIENTS

1/2kg medium prawns

petai

asam jawa/tamarind juice

BLEND INGREDIENTS

1 big onion

3 shallots

3 onion

3-4 dry chilies ( soak in hot water and cut )

1 pc fresh tomato cut

SEASONING

salt

sugar

METHOD

* wash prawns, discard heads and shells but left only the tails.

* clean petai put aside.

* heat wok, add in 1 cup of oil to deep-fried prawns till brown/cooked, put aside.

* heat wok, put in blended ingredients stir till aromatic. Add in tamarind juice mix well and seasoning to taste.

* finally add in petai stir for a minute and add in prawns. stir to mix well and served hot.

Happy Cooking !! ^_^

Kueh Dadar / Pandan Crepe with coconut filling

03.08.2012 - Batam.  Suddenly Im missing Kueh dadar. Perhaps too much thinking of home in Sabah.   Its not always easy to get kueh like anytime i want.  I only buy them when im out once a week from the Resort and cross my fingers if i can find one.

Kueh Dadar is a classic! Everyone loves it.  For me, everything to do with grated coconut, I will sure loves it! Im a coconut lover. How do i not to love this kueh as it is so mouth watering with Pandan aroma and coconut milk mixed together. They are just match mate in heaven!

Although is my first time making this kueh, i find it super easy and i have so much fun making it.  By the way, my rolling technique still need a lot of improvement. :P

INGREDIENTS:-

Pandan Juice 
5 pandan leaves, chopped
3-4 tablespoons water
( or just used pandan paste )

Crepe Batter
1cup All purpose flour
2 eggs
1 1/2cups fresh coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp pandan juice

Filling
90g Gula Melaka (Malaysian palm sugar)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pandan leaf, knotted
50 ml water
1/2 grated coconut (white part only)
1 tsp corn starch

Method:

* Combine the pandan leaf and water in an electronic blender and blend for a minute. Wrap the pandan in a cheese cloth or muslin cloth and squeeze to extract the juice or strain through a fine sieve. Set aside.
*Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and crack in the egg. Slowly stir in the salted coconut milk and 3 tablespoons pandan juice. Set aside.
*Break up the palm sugar and combine with the sugar, pandan leaf and water in a pot. Cover over a medium flame until sugar dissolves. Strain the syrup and return it to the pot. Add in the grated coconut and corn starch and continue to cook for a few minutes. Dish out into a bowl.
*Heat up a shallow non-stick pan over a low flame and grease lightly just little oil. Pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the center and swirl the pan to coat it form a thin crepe. When the crepe is cooked, transfer to a dinner plate. Place 1tbsp of filing on the crepe and roll it up like a spring roll.
*Serve immediately.

Curry Fish

02.08.2012- Batam. Curry Fish is just as easy as cooking curry chicken.  Here is my simple recipe. You can add any kind of vegetable as you desire.  I love my curry fish with eggplants and lady fingers.  

INGREDIENTS:-
Mackerel ( cleaned and cut into pcs )
1tbsp Mustard seeds
4tbsp Curry Powder ( Mixed 3 or 4 tbsp water to curry powder into paste )
2pkt Coconut Milk Powder ( Fresh coconut milk is recommended )
1pcs Fresh Red Chili ( seeded and halved )
5pcs Shallot
3pcs Garlic
4 slices Ginger
Water ( optional )
7pcs or more Lady Fingers ( whole )
2 Eggplants (cut )
Bunch of Curry Leafs

Salted, Sugar and chicken granules to taste

Method:-

*Used morter/ Hand blender shallots, garlic into paste or fine.  Heat Oil in wok and sauteed paste and ginger, mustard seeds, curry leafs until fragrant.
*Add in Curry Paste sauteed till fragrant.
*Add in coconut milk let it combine, simmer gently and add in Mackerel and Red chili mixed well.  Add in more water if you want or the sauce getting little too dry.  Add in Lady Fingers and eggplants let it simmer for 20mins until eggplants are soft.  Season with salt, sugar and chicken granules to taste.
*When all cooked, dish up and served with warm rice.

Telur Sambal Belado / Hard-boiled Eggs Sauteed in Chili Sauce

20.07.2012, Batam.  I absolutely LOVE Telur Sambal Belado!! Its Indonesia! Its simple! very straight forward cooking! quick to prepare, Its delicious and whatelse can I ask for more to go along with my bowl of fragrance steamed white rice! 

Here is the Recipe.

FRIED HARD-BOILED EGGS

8 Hard-boiled eggs

Oil to deepfried

* Boiled eggs to hard-boiled eggs, discard egg shells and drain water.  

* Prepare oil to deepfried in a pan, When oil is medium hot, in all hard boiled eggs, deepfried till golden brown and dish up and drain oil. Keep aside.

PREPARE SAMBAL

Handful fresh red chilies

5 shallots

4 garlics

1 Tomato

( Blend all ingredients till fine/ with morter or hand blender. Blend tomato separately )

3 Daun Salam

1 Lemongrass

Salt, Sugar & Chicken Granules to taste

Method:

* Heat wok, add 3tbsp cooking oil and add in lemongrass & daun salam, sauteed till aromatic and add in blended chili paste mix till combine and let it cook for a minute.  Add in blended tomato and mixed well.  

*If too dry, add little water.  cook until all combine and soften, add in salt, sugar and chicken granules to taste.  

* Add in deepfried hard boiled eggs, mixed well until all coated with sambal and dish up and served hot with white rice. 

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is everyone's favourite as Breakfast or Supper.  It is cooked in coconut milk and "pandan" leaf commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the Malaysia national Dish.  Nasi lemak's versatility in being able to be served in a variety of manners, it is now served and eaten any time of the day.

Traditionally, nasi lemak is served with a platter of side dishes wrapped in banana leaves from pasar / wet market comes in a price ranging from $1.00 to $3.50.  Nasi Lemak consist of cucumber slices, small fried anchovies (ikan bilis) either dry or with mixed in sambal, roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, and hot or sweet spicy sambal. 

As a more substantial meal, nasi lemak can also come with a variety of other accompaniments such as ayam goreng (fried chicken), beef rendang (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices) or paru (beef lungs) and pickled vegetables (acar) . Traditionally most of these accompaniments are mild spicy in nature.

In Malaysia and Singapore, nasi lemak comes in many varieties as they are prepared by different chefs in different cultures. The original nasi lemak in Malaysia is arguably a typical Southern and Central Peninsular Malaysia breakfast among Malays. Malaysian Chinese and Indians also partake this dish in their breakfast but not as frequently as Malays. The sambal tends to range from fiery hot to mildly hot with a sweet under taste.

Nasi Lemak is very easy to prepare, most of the preparation is in the condiments.  Here is the my Homemade Nasi Lemak / Coconut Milk Rice and Anchovies Sambal.  If you want a plain sambal, just leave the anchovies aside and deepfried .  Enjoy!!


PREPARE COCONUT RICE
2 cups Fragrance Rice ( washed and drained )
Coconut Milk ( extracted from 2 grated coconuts and water ) or you can used santan from pkg 
Ginger ( peel and thinly 4 slices )
Pandan Leaves 3, knotted
Salt 1tsp

* Combine Rice with coconut milk, ginger, pandan leaves in a rice cooker.  Season with salt, cook till its done.  

PREPARE ANCHOVIES SAMBAL 
1 cup of Tamarind Juice
1/2 red onion
1 cup ikan bilis (fried anchovies)
1 clove garlic
4 shallots
5 dried chillies
5 fresh chilies
1 teaspoon of belacan (prawn paste)
salt & sugar to taste

GARNISH
1 hard boiled eggs (cut into half)
1 small cucumber (cut into slices and then quartered)


METHOD:
*Rinse the dried anchovies and drain the water. Fry the anchovies until they turn light brown and put aside.

*Pound prawn paste together with shallots, garlic, Fresh & deseeded dried chilies with a mortar and pestle ( hand blender ). 

*Slice the red onion into rings.

*Soak the tamarind pulp in water for 15 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind constantly to extract the flavor into the water. Drain the pulp and save the tamarind juice.

* Heat some oil in a pan and fry the spice paste until fragrant. Add in the onion rings. Add in the ikan bilis and stir well. Add tamarind juice, salt, and sugar.  Simmer on low heat until the gravy thickens. Set aside.

*Cut the cucumber into slices and then quartered into four small pieces.

*Dish up steamed coconut milk rice and some sambal ikan bilis on side or top of the rice. Serve with cucumber slices, fried peanuts, hard-boiled eggs and i have Beef Rendang.

Yummilicious Nasi Lemak with Daging Rendang.

Caramel Popcorn

14.04.2013 - Batam.  Movie!!?? don't forget to buy caramel popcorns.!

I love Popcorns, especially sweet caramel popcorns!! sweet and delicious! I can't remember when was my last caramel popcorn, i guess almost 4 to 5 years ago! not getting any chances to buy myself caramel popcorn or watch a movie either.

Making caramel popcorns i can say is not that easy and not that hard too. Is up to you to judge.  Anyway, i have fun making them. I ate only a few at least i have satisfied my crave!  Im so happy now, knowing how to make my own caramel popcorn now!! :) Yeah!!

Ingredients:-

MAKE POPCORN
1 cup Corn Kernels
1/2 cup vegetable oil

* Used soup pot with lid.  Put about 1/2 cup vegetable oil, about a second drop in 1 kernel to try if the oil is hot enough..
* When pot is hot, add in 1 cup of kernel and give it a shake to the pot to even it up and make sure do not over crowded the pot and cover with lid, let it pop.  When it started to pop give it a quick shake and return to heat.  So it will even up the popping process.  When there is no pop sound means its done.


MAKE CARAMEL SYRUP:-
Half unsalted Butter ( 50g )
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar / brown sugar
1/2tbsp baking soda
1/2tbsp vanilla essence

* Melt half butter, sugar 1/2 water cooked until dissolve.  Removed from heat/fire and quickly add in 1/2 baking soda and vanilla essence stir well at this point, the baking soda will react and quickly mixed into popcorn.  Use spatula to mixed well syrup on popcorn. ( do not touch the popcorn at this point as it is very hot )

*Pre-heat oven to 180c, Bake for 10mins more or less.
*Keep checking your popcorn every few minutes. If the popcorn is golden brown with a crunchy dry coating, its done.
*Be careful, popcorn can burn very quickly, Don't burn your popcorns!.

Sponge Cake Recipe

13.04.2013 - Batam.  I modified this original american sponge cake into a regular sponge cake using butter and less eggs from 6 to 4 eggs.  The cake came out perfectly good and spongy.

 Ingredients:-

4 large eggs, separated
250g salted butter
225g sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
200g granulated white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup Fresh Milk


Sponge Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Have ready an ungreased two-piece 10 inch (25 cm) tube pan. I used 1 heart shape non stick pan. 

Separate the cold eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and bring the eggs to room temperature (about 30 minutes).

Meanwhile sift or whisk the sifted flour with the baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter with hand mixer till pale and double volumn.

Place the egg yolks and 2/3 cup sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer. Beat on high speed until they are thick, fluffy and light colored (when you slowly raise the beater the batter will fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon). Then beat in the vanilla extract, milk. Mix into beaten Butter, mixed well and combine.

In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until foamy. you may add ( 3/4 tsp cream of tartar ) if you want  and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are shiny and just form stiff peaks.

Next, sift the flour mixture over the beaten butter & egg yolks (about one third of the flour mixture at a time) and gently but quickly fold (with a wire whisk or rubber spatula) the flour into the egg yolk batter. Then gently fold a little of the beaten egg whites into the batter to lighten it, and then add the rest of the whites, folding just until incorporated. (Do not over mix the batter or it will deflate.) Pour the batter into the tube pan, smoothing the top.

Bake in preheated oven for 28 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately invert the pan  (turn upside down) and suspend it by placing the inner tube on the top of a flat topped glass or bowl.

Allow the cake to cool completely before unmolding (about one hour). Run a flat metal spatula or sharp knife around the inside of the pan and then remove the center core of the pan. Run the spatula along the bottom and center core of the pan. Invert the cake onto a greased wire rack.

The cake can be served plain with a dusting of powdered sugar or with fresh fruit and softly whipped cream. This cake can be covered and stored  for a few days, or it can be frozen.

Grilled Chicken A La Vanuatu

2009, Vanuatu.  I named it Grilled Chicken A La Vanuatu Style.  I have wanted to eat this grilled chicken that i we had somewhere in port villa town.  It was good and juicy.

I didn't really have time to search for a good grilled chicken recipe or don't really know what are the actual ingredients for a basic grilled chicken either. and so i created my own grilled chicken recipe.

This recipe is simply easy, easy to prepare and grill.  The taste is fantastic!!

 Ingredients:

Any parts of the chicken or whole chicken ( I used 3 chicken tight & 2 chicken drumsticks )
1 Lime ( squeezed juice )
1tbsp char siu sauce
2tbsp dark soya sauce
1tbsp light soya sauce
Dash of Fish sauce
2tbsp Honey or you can use sugar
Salt
Pepper
Tarragon dry herb
Rosemarry dry herb
2 carrots ( cut )
3 tomatoes

Methods:

* Mixed all marinate ingredients with the chicken for only 30mins.  You may want to marinate it for 3-4 hours or overnight so as the chicken is more tastier.

* Clean and cut carrot and tomatoes. Just put all over chicken and

* Pre-head oven 250c, Baked for 60mins until welldone, dish up and served.

Happy Cooking!!

So yummy, especially made for my husband birthday and my homemade french fries.