Chicken Bak Kwa

Chicken Bak Kwa / Bacon Bak Kwa - Updated

First time I tried Bacon Bak Kwa was when I went back to Singapore last year. Boy, was I hooked.
Got back home and so tried making it. Was going to use thinly sliced belly pork but then had the idea to use ready made bacon slices. Used the same recipe as the chicken bak kwa below and the taste is quite good.


I made bbq pork some time back and have always wanted to make a chicken version so my friends who do not eat pork can try it as well. This time, I added chillie paste to it to get it spicy like how they do in Singapore.

Taste wise, it turned out quite alright and I am quite pleased with the result.
Only change I would make to the recipe below for bacon bak kwa is because it is already salted, not to use so much fish and soya sauce! And at the end of cooking, brush the pork with honey to get the shine!

As for the cooking method, bake in the oven for about 5 mins each side and remove and brush with honey and then put under grill at around 180 deg for about 2 mins each side. Cool and eat!


Ingredients:
500 gms chicken thigh (minced)

Marinate:

1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 - 1 thsp dark soya sauce
50 gm dark brown sugar
30 gm sugar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp chilli paste (optional)
1/8 tsp 5 spiced powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp oil
a big drop of red food coloring (optional)

Method:
Season ground chicken with the marinate and leave in the fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.(marinating is more flavorful but so often i have made without marinating and the result is just as good.
Turn oven to 150C.
Oil baking sheet, put a chinese bowl of marinated chicken on baking sheet and try to spread meat as thinly as possible to cover the whole sheet.
Bake in oven for 10 mins or until firm to the touch.


Remove from oven and using a pair of scissors or a knife and cut meat into pieces.
Repeat (3) to (5)
Meat is now ready for grilling or wrapped in foil and freeze until needed.

(original posted in Nov 2011)

Kuih Bingka Ambon

I love kuih ambon and I have tried numerous times without success. The flavour was there but I just could not get the honeycomb. Tried so many recipes and they all didnt work.

Finally, last week, thinking that perhaps my yeast had expired, I looked at the tin and realised that I had been using yeast for hand baking rather than the quick yeast. So off to the supermarket I went and bought me another can. The other reason for my kuih failing was because all the recipes asked to cook the cake with bottom heat first and then end off with grilling the top. But my oven did not have bottom heat!, so brains clicking now - ha, grill it on my stove top grill!

Ingredients:
150 gms tapioca starch

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp instant yeast

5 egg yolks

300 ml freshly squeezed coconut milk or coconut cream (from can)

150 gms sugar

20 gms  pandan leaves or 1 or 2 tsps pandan paste

You do not need to use a starter dough for this recipe

Method:

1. Mix tapioca starch/flour, salt and dry yeast. Add beaten egg yolks and whisk till smooth.

2. Add coconut milk and sugar to saucepan. Stir over medium heat till warm. To test, dip  finger in and should be bearable to the touch.

3. Slowly pour coconut milk into batter, stirring all the time.

4. You can either use pounded pandan leaves to get the juice or a teaspoon or 2 of pandan paste. Mix the batter thoroughly, cover and set aside for 2 – 3 hours. By the time, the batter will covered with tiny bubbles. There will be starch at the bottom of your mixing bowl. Whisk gently to mix

5. No need to line tin, I just brush oil all over the tin.

6. Using the bbq grill, turn it to low and cook the mixture until you see bubbles on top and also after it has stopped jiggling, move it to the oven with the top grill turned on at about 170 deg C for about 10 - 15 mins.

Tried again, this time for my mum and others who do not have a stove top grill. This time I cooked it on my stove top. It can be done but please put it on a slow fire and turn around often for the bottom to be evenly cooked. Once it stops jiggling, continue as per method 6 above.

Bubur Terigu aka Ta Mai

Actually I wasn't craving to eat bubur terigu. I happened to be at Sainsbury and passed by and saw this.

All of a sudden, in my mind's eye, I saw bubur terigu! Dont know whether it is or not, but it did look like it, so bought it.

Made it a total of 3 times just to get the perfect feel/texture.

Surfed the net and most people said to soak it for a couple of hours but it was about 9.30pm when I was wanting to cook it, so only soaked it for 10 mins and then started cooking it. Boiled it for about an hour and a half and then it was ready. Not too bad.

Next day I tried it again but this time using the slow cooker. Hmm... you can use the slow cooker but not cook it overnight. I did it from around 11pm to when I woke up at 6am and nah... too soft, not much bite.. but hey you may like it but it's not for me.

So last night tried again and yah, I think I got it right this time.

Ingredients:

1 cup wheatberries

1 to 1 1/2 litres water

pinch of salt 

2 tbsp sugar or to taste

coconut milk to taste

Method:

1. Wash the wheatberries 3 - 4 times well.

2. Add 1 ltr of water first and bring to boil. Once it has come to boil, turn fire down to low.

3. You have to keep watching and stirring bottom of pan every 10 - 15 mins or so as the wheatberries catch at the bottom.

4. Add more water if it is drying out. 

5. Once the wheatberries have softened to your liking, add salt, sugar and coconut and it's ready!

Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

Adapted from: Simply Recipes
Makes about 20

I have been wanting to make this for the longest time and never really found the time or a good recipe. Had copied this and was in my drafts for so long and last Sunday being a long weekend, got off my butt and made this.

As I did not have a mini muffin tin, I used a flatter muffin tin and this is what came out from it.
Eat it warm and it is soooo good. If there's any left over, simply put them in a foil and heat up and it will taste just as good!

Ingredients:
1 egg, at room temperature
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup milk
170 grams tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
about 100 grams grated cheese of your choice (I used 1/2 cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese)
1/2 tsp salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200 deg C).
Grease a mini-muffin tin generously.
Mix the wet ingredients first, then add the tapioca flour (starch), I used a whisk to mix them together.
Pour into the muffin tins and fill to the brim.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until all puffy and just lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes. Eat while warm or save to reheat later.

Note: I bought a mini muffin tin yesterday and will revisit this site again in a couple of weeks time to see if I can get them to be a bit more ball like!

Kaya

I had extra eggs that I wanted to use up and what better way to use it than make kaya! Kaya is our local word for egg coconut jam. It is sweet and moreish!

In the olden days pre slow cooker, I watched my mum making kaya by cooking it in a double boiler and standing over it and stirring away to prevent it from being burnt.

I think you will all know by now that I always try to find short cut ways to cook, and I have seen my friends making kaya with a slow cooker and here is my way.

Ingredients:

400ml thick coconut cream 
10 eggs, lightly beaten
400g regular fine sugar *
10 pandan leaves, washed and tied into a knot

Method:

1. Wash pandan leaves throughly & knot them.
2.Assemble all ingredients in a slow cooker.
3, Switch on slow cooker on high and stir mixture till sugar thoroughly dissolves.
4. Remove cover & stir mixture from the bottom every 30 minutes.
5. Cook for a total of 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

 The kaya will be lumpy and there will be some liquid at the bottom of the slow cooker. Dont worry about this as once it has been blended, everything will be fine.

After blending, this is the final result

Kaya on muffin!

Note: I did not add any pandan colouring to the kaya, hence it is very light green from the pandan leaves. But if you like you ca  fry one or two tablespoons sugar separately and stir in the caramel. Add this to the kaya to achieve the golden colour.

400gm of sugar may seem sweet but when spread on bread, it is just nice!

Kuih Sarlat

hmm... so many of my cyber friends have been making kuih sarlat and so have I, just that I do a little cheating with the help of my microwave.

Have been meaning to post this recipe ages ago, but with work and holidays and what else, just did not get down to it. Then I promised some ladies (we were meeting for dinner) that I would make some, so took the opportunity to take some pictures and refresh my memory on how to make it. hehe

This is actually my mum's recipe but being me and being lazy, here is my method - using the microwave!

Ingredients:

Bottom Layer

• 400 g glutinous rice
• 40-50 blue pea flowers bunga telang (soak in 100 ml water)
• 250 ml santan (150 ml thick coconut milk with 100 ml water)
• 1 tsp salt
• Pandan leaves optional

Custard Layer
4 eggs
4 tbsp rice flour
150 sugar
400 ml coconut milk
1 tbsp plain flour
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

BOTTOM LAYER

1. Wash glutinous rice to remove excess starch and soak for at least 2 hrs
2. Wash about 20 -30 dried flowers and steep in 100 ml of water
3. After water has turned dark blue, let it stand before squeezing out 100 ml dark blue water
4. Add 100 ml water to 150 ml thick coconut milk to make 250 ml thin santan
5. Add 1 tsp salt to thin santan and mix well
6. Drain out the water from the soaked glutinous rice
7. Lightly spray a 24 cm round pan with oil
8. Transfer drained glutinous rice into pan
9. Arrange some pandan leaves (optional)
10. Pour the thin santan (coconut milk) all over
11. Ensure the rice is thoroughly covered by the thin santan
12. Place pan of rice in a steamer and steam for 30 mins.
13. Thereafter, remove pandan leaves
14. Fluff up the rice; and pour blue pea flower water (in patches) over it. Check if rice is soft. If not, add more coconut milk and steam for another 15 mins.
15. Remove pan from steamer and press the rice flat until it is well compressed.
16. Set it aside

CUSTARD LAYER

1. Break eggs in bowl and beat slightly. Add sugar, both flours and coconut milk and mix till lump      free. Add pandan paste.
2. Pour into saucepan and cook until it looks slightly curdled. Turn off heat.
3. Put sieve over previously set rice. Pour semi liquid into sieve and press through. Wrap steamer lid with cloth and leave the lid slightly ajar by placing a chopstick in between lid and steamer (to achieve a smooth surface for the kueh)
4. Steam over medium heat for another 45 mins till custard is cooked.

Samosas

I said I have been busy, yes, I offered to make samosas for our church fete which was held on Saturday 30. But because I had to make about 200, I started already on Monday evening,  by cooking the filling and did that for the next 3 evenings. Then on Thursday, iced cupcakes as well as I was selling those as well! hmm... haha, all for a good cause!

Anyway, my this is my take on Samosas and I am so pleased that everyone who has tried them has said that they are better than store bought ones!

I used frozen paratha pastry rather than puff or filo pastry.

Ingredients:

400 gms Potatoes - boiled and roughly mashed
400 gms Sweet potatoes - boiled and roughly mashed
1/2 inch ginger - grated or finely chopped
1 Onion - chopped
100 gms Green peas
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp cumin seed
madras curry powder
chilli powder
amchoor (mango) powder
salt
paratha skins

Method:

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in fry pan till hot and drop in mustard and cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds till the seeds start popping. Add the grated/chopped ginger and fry for a few more seconds then add the chopped onions.
2. Fry till the onions turn translucent then add the both potatoes. Add the green peas, curry powder, chilli powder, amchoor powder and mix well.
3. Add salt and taste. Fry for a few more mins till mixture is well mixed and then leave to cool.
4. Once cooled, take the frozen paratha wrappers out from freezer and leave out for about 5 mins and they will then soften a little. Too much/too soft and they will be difficult to manage.
2. Cut the wrapper in half as shown in picture below and place filling on it.

3. Fold the wrapper in half  (picture below) and then close.

4. Place on baking tray and bake at 180 till golden brown. It is not necessary to egg wash them

Indian rojak

Have been wanting to make this for the longest time ever but everytime I think of the lecehness and the time taken and only me to eat it....

But this time, after seeing so many pictures of it being posted by my friend S, I had to do something about it. So...I have and here it is. I halved the recipe as I only wanted to see what it was like. Actually, it turned out ok. Do give it a try if you are craving for this.

The recipe is a mixture of recipes that I picked up from the internet. The dough recipe is from my friend Zu of Zu's Kitchen..

The recipe below is the full recipe. I only made the dough ingredients and the coconut cake.


Dough

Ingredients
500g all purpose flour
5g instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
500-600ml water
1/2 tbsp tumeric powder

Method
1. Sift flour with yeast, tumeric powder and salt into a bowl
2. Pour water a little at a time till the batter becomes like a fritter's batter.
3. Cover bowl with cling wrap and leave it to proof for about 2.5hr - 3hr or till double in size
[This dough will be used for some of the rojak ingredients ]

Rojak ingredients without dough - deep fried and drain oil well
2 firm tofu, cut into 4
4 tempe, coat with a bit of tumeric and salt
4 fish cake
4 hard boiled egg
2 boiled potatoes

Rojak ingredients with dough
2 hard boiled eggs
2 boiled potatoes
2 tbsp sesame seed
2 firm tofu
some prawns
a bit of orange colouring (optional)

Method to fry dough ingredients
1. Heat oil in a wok/pot
2. Divide dough into 4 parts

1st part of dough
----------------------
- Fry it into balls

2nd part of dough
-----------------------
- Coat the hardboiled eggs and sprinkle some sesame and fry till crispy

3rd part of dough
----------------------
- Coat tofu with dough and put one prawn and fry till crispy-


4th part of dough
----------------------
Coat the potatoes with the dough and sprinkle with sesame and fry till crispy

Ingredients - Coconut Cake
150g fresh grated coconut
100g rice flour
1 egg
1 tsp chicken stock granule
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp salt
2-3 tbsp water

Method - Coconut Cake
1. Combine the ingredients, press some mixture with palm, put into hot oil carefully. Deep-fry over medium heat until golden browned and crispy. Remove and drain well. Leave to cool and cut into pieces. Keep aside.

Ingredients - Rojak Sauce
300g sweet potatoes
200g peanuts, toasted and grounded - I omitted
12 shallots, pounded
4 garlic cloves, pounded
4 tbsp chilli paste / chilli boh
1 tsp shrimp paste powder
100g palm sugar / gula melaka, crushed
50g sugar
4 tbsp cooking oil
800ml water

Method - Rojak Sauce
1. Steam sweet potatoes over high heat until cooked and soften. Remove, leave to cool and peel. Mash or pounded until finely paste. Keep aside.

2. Heat up cooking oil in the preheated wok to fragrant pounded shallots and garlic. Add in chilli paste and shrimp paste powder, stir-fry briskly until aromatic. Pour in water and bring to a boil.

3. Add in sweet potato paste, palm sugar and sugar. Cook until sugar is completely dissolves then blend in grounded peanuts, stir well and continue to cook for awhile. Remove from heat, ready to serve.

Kuih Tutu

Putu Piring aka Kuih Tutu

I tried making this some time back when I was making puttu mayam and used the same recipe to try and make putu piring, but was unsuccessful.

Tried goggling for a recipe and still did not get a good vibe with what I managed to find.

Then whilst I was goggling again yesterday and saw cookwithnobook's blog. posting. Thought I would try it again today and yep, think I have almost finally got it.

The first 2 that I made looked out. Ate 1 whilst it was hot and it was alright. But upon cooling, it turned out hard.

Tried it again but this time didnt pack it too tightly and waited for it to cool and this time, woo hoo, success!!! So here is my adaption to the recipe.

I cup rice flour gave me 5 putu pirings.

Ingredients
1 cup rice flour
60ml ( adjustable ) water dissolved with a generous pinch of fine salt
a couple of pandan leaves cut into 2 inch pieces
Filling:
80gm gula melaka chopped and mixed with a tsp of caster sugar

Method：
1. Place the rice flour on a piece of kitchen paper on a plate. Mix it up with the pandan leaves and microwave on high for a minute and a half. Discard leaves and cool the flour.
2. Drizzle water evenly over the roasted flour, stirring with a fork. The flour should just be moistened and not soggy, forming big crumbs. Press the crumbs through a sieve, with the back of a ladle. It should yield a fine crumb texture. For ease , do in very small batches.
3. Spoon rice crumble into the mould. Add 1 tsp of gula melaka-sugar mix. Do not allow the gula to touch the base of the mould.
4. Top with another spoon of rice crumbs. Press gently with spoon for a smooth
finish.
5. Steam for about 12 mins.

kuih pie tee/popiah

Kuih Pie Tee/Popiah
Since I am on holiday till the New Year, there are a number of things that I have been wanted to make, so what better time than now?

On one of my mum's visit a couple of years ago, I asked her to bring me a kuih pie tee mold and it has been sitting in my kitchen drawer since then. So I resolved to dust off the cobwebs off it and make some pie tee shells.

After a couple of dud shells, ie, with holes in the bottom or very open tops, I managed to get the hang of it and got decent looking shells!

Recipe I got from my mum is as follows:

Batter for pie tee shells
100g plain flour
1 tbsp rice flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
180ml water
Enough oil for deep frying

MethodFor the shells :

1. Sift plain flour and rice flour together. Place sifted and salt into a mixing bowl. Add egg and mix with water to make a runny batter.

2 Heat oil in a deep wok or pan. Place pie tee mould in the hot oil for one minute. Remove the hot mould and dip 3/4 way into the batter.

3.Put mould in hot oil until shell is golden in colour. Jiggle the mould a bit and it should dislodge the shell, but if it does not, use a knife to slide it out. Remove the shell with chopsticks or a pair of tongs and place on absorbent paper to cool. Store in an airtight container or tin until needed.




Filling: (same as for popiah)

2 medium sized bangkwang/yam bean/jicama - julienned
2 carrots -julienned
1 thsp taucheo (salted soy beans)- mashed
2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
soy sauce to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in kuali and when hot, fry the taucheo for a few seconds, then add in the chopped garlic. Fry for another few seconds, then add in the julienned bangwang and carrots. Add soy sauce to taste and half cup of water.
2. Bring to boil then turn fire down to low and let it simmer for about 15 mins.
3. It is now ready to be used as filling for pie tee or bangkwang.

Note:

I do not add anything else in my popiah fillings but my mum adds in slice belly pork and tau kwa.

Garnish for pie tee:
Chopped boil egg
Cooked prawns
coriander
pounded chilli with a little vinegar

1. Fill pie tee shell 3/4 way with above filling.
2. Then add chopped egg, prawns, coriander and top with chilli sauce.




Egg Skin

Ingredients:
100 gm plain flour
50 gm tapioca flour
2 eggs
200 ml water - more or less
1 tbsp oil
pinch of salt

Method:

1. Mix flours and egg together, then add in water, slowly till you get a runny batter.
2. Add in the oil and mix well.
3. Heat a pan and brush with a little oil. Then pour in 3/4 ladle of the mixture and swirl round the pan.
4. Once the edges curl, and the skin moves easily, remove from pan.




Garnish for popiah:

Cucumber - julienned
Bean sprouts - blanced in boiling water for 20 seconds
Hard boiled eggs - chopped
Boiled prawns
Round lettuce
Coriander leaves
sweet flour sauce
pounded chillie

Optional:
Ground peanuts

Method for folding popiah:

1. Take one egg skin. Place a piece of lettuce leaf on it. Place some sweet flour sauce and chilli paste and spread round.
2. Add bangkwang filling on the lettuce leaf. Top with cucumber, bean sprouts, egg, boiled prawn and coriander leaf.
3. Fold egg skin into a packet and enjoy!

Sambal Lengkong - Fish Floss

Sambal Lengkong aka Fish Floss


I have been wanting for the longest time to make this dish. I have been asked by a friend for the recipe and told her that I would try it out myself first before giving it to her.

I looked at so many recipes on the net and the one that appealed to me was Lily's recipe Lily's blog. as it uses the microwave to cook it. I am all for quick and fast food!

This is her recipe below. I modified it slightly.

Ingredients:

2 pieces of fish fillet
300 ml thick coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 heaped tablespoon Thai Red Curry Paste - use less if you dont want it too spicy
1/2 tsp roasted belacan powder

Method:

1.Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. When it comes to the boil, put the fish fillets in for a couple of minutes until it is cooked.

2. Flake them when they are warm and they should be flaked very finely.
Mix the red curry paste, belacan, salt and sugar with the coconut milk in a large microwable bowl until well combined.

3. Add in the flaked fish and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir thoroughly. Cook further, until it is almost dry. (I had to microwave it for more than 2 minutes)

4. Turn them onto a baking tray and put in a pre-heated oven at 160 deg. Bake for a couple of minutes but watch carefully as they will catch and burn very quickly. Once the floss is coloured and crispy, put them into a food processor or liquidiser and process them till it gets nice and light and airy. (I added this step)

Below is the final result.

Kueh Kosui

Kueh Kosui
After so many years of not making kueh kosui, my mum suddenly forgot the measurements for it and asked me to give it to her. I will disgress a bit from this post to tell you about my mum. (Be prepared for long post!)
Mum will be 81 this year but she is still strong and unlike other old ladies, she still has friends asking her to make mee siam or buah keluak or kuehs for parties or whatever. Like last year when I was back in December. Our church had a Christmas Treat - it's a yearly affair and there are food stalls, etc and it's all in the name of charity. So, my mum offered or they asked her to make mee siam to sell for this Fun fair. And it was a good thing that I was there cos there was no one to help her this time as a friend who normally does went for retreat!
So left the house at 6.30am with 4 big bags and a big sauce pan. Can you imagine how she was going to do it if I wasn't there?! So anyway caught a taxi and went to Church. Arrived at Church and whilst retriving one of the many bags, a trolley bag fell over and the kueh sarlat that she made to sell as well which wasn't tightly closed, went flying onto the road. Aiyo, so sayang but what to do. But what made me even more incensed was that this lady who saw this just said "Aiyo sister, sayang hor that it fell out" and went on her way. Not even stopping to help us to carry the bags! Call yourself a Catholic and going to Church! Hmm.... sorry I know I shouldn't judge but ..... Anyway, to continue, set up things, etc and even before the last Mass was over we had finished selling. We had a lady there to help us man the stall but she had to leave at 1200. And at 1200 another lady came to help out but we told her that we had finished and my mum told her that she made (I can't remember the quantity now) so much and the lady said "oh next year, then you can make more!" OOh, ooh.. wrong thing to say, I got so pissed off with her comment and said, "And ya, who is going to help her carry the stuff from her house to Church?" And the lady said, "Oh if you tell us, we will" - oh yes, like someone will come to her place at 0630 in the morning to help her carry the stuff. PULEASE!!!! Anyway luckily my mum told me that she won't be doing it again next year as it was too troublesome.

Sorry for this long blab.... you guys still here? Anyway, back to Kueh Kosui - she has like monthly or weekly church meetings and she will make snacks to bring, so she wanted to make kueh kosui.

This is a recipe from Corner Cafe.but I have modified it slightly. Thanks SeaDragon!

[Ingredients]
A:
50g tapioca starch
30g rice flour
125ml water
1/4 teaspoon alkaline water (lye water)
1/8 teaspoon salt
B:
75g palm sugar (gula melaka), roughly chopped
45g white granulated sugar
170ml water
3 pandan leaves, torn 3-4 times along leaf veins & knotted together
C:
100g freshly grated coconut, or frozen grated coconut
1/4 teaspoon salt
http://cornercafe.wordpress.com/
[Preparation]
1. Prepare a 15cm round steaming tray or baking pan and grease lightly with cooking oil.
2. To prepare (C), mix together grated coconut and salt. Steam over high heat for about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. To prepare (A), put tapioca starch and rice flour in a mixing bowl. Slowly add water, stirring at the same time to mix well. Stir in salt and alkaline water *. Set aside.
4. To prepare (B), put all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a slow boil over moderate heat, stirring continuously to dissolve the sugars, about 5 minutes.
5. Pour hot sugar syrup slowly into the flour mixture. Stirring continuously to mix evenly into a thin batter. Strain to remove pandan leaves.
6. Place prepared pan into the steamer and steam until hot.
7. Pour the batter into the hot pan in the steamer and stir until the bottom of the batter starts to set, about 2-3 minutes. Stop stirring and cover the steamer. Steam over high heat for about 15-20 minutes, or until set*.

*
Notes:
1. As I couldn't find any alkaline water, I omitted this and it turned out ok.
2. Before pouring the batter into the hot pan in the steamer, I put it into a microwavable bowl and nuked it for about a minute until it was very sticky then poured it into a pan and steamed it for about 10 mins.