You Tiao (Chinese Crullers)

These elusive crullers have been evading me ... I don't want to buy the ones by the roadside (additional ingredients like dust & carbon monoxide) here in Jakarta and my tummy isn't strong enough for all that.

My ex pastry chef won't share his recipe with us either .. He was always doing this discreetly! So today I am trying the soda / baking powder version instead of the yeast one to see how it goes .. Verdict .. A very happy me!

250g flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder mixed with 1.5 tablespoon water 

1 teaspoon  bicarbonate soda mixed with  1.5 tablespoon water

1/2 teaspoon salt

125ml water

Place flour in a bowl with salt and make a hole in the middle. Pour the soda mixture & baking powder mixture and then add the water in. 

Knead lightly and cover to proof for 20 minutes. The dough will not be smooth. Cover with cling wrap.

After 20 minutes, knead again and proof for another 20 minutes. 

And knead and proof again for another 20 min. So proof it 3 times for 20

Mins each. 

Roll the dough about 1cm thick and cover with damn cloth for 4 hours!

Slice into 2cm strips. Use a bamboo skewer dip in water and press down the middles of each strip. Top with another strip. Press down again with the bamboo skewer. 

Heat oil in a wok and pull the dough slightly before sliding the dough in. Fry until golden. Make sure to "open up" the joint sides so that the oil can get through to cook and "puff" the dough. 

Pandan Chicken (Gai Haw Bai Toey)

Every single time we head to a Thai restaurant, the boys never fail to order this and we always ended up ordering at least 2 plates because they serve 3 tiny pandan chicken per serving! 

So I decided to make a whole batch at a fraction of the cost!

Firstly, blitz the following ingredients in a blender:-

2 stalks of coriander root (3 inches from the base)

2 cloves garlic

1 small lemongrass

1/2 an onion, chopped

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons palm sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fish sauce 

1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce

50ml thick coconut cream

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl. Taste it to make sure that it has enough seasonings.

Add in bite size pieces chicken meat. I like to use a mixture of thigh and breast.

Marinate the chicken for at least an hour in the fridge. It's more yummy overnight! 

Prepare the pandan leaves. 1 strip of pandan leaf twist into a knot as above.

Fill it with 2 or 3 chunks of chicken piece depending on the size. And closed up the chicken with the longer pandan flap. 

Deep fry the Pandan chicken on both sides. I like to fry it a little longer until the pandan is crisp because I like the caramelised taste of seasonings on the chicken. 

You can serve it on it's own or with dipping sauce made from dark soya sauce, sugar & chili sauce topped with sesame seeds. 

Poffertjes (Dutch pancakes)

An alternative to pancakes... Weirdly the first time I tried this was at fair in Melbourne yonks ago and not in Amsterdam,  made by Dutch immigrants at the local fair.

It was winter and having hot poffertjes with melted butter, maple syrup, icing sugar and whipped cream was just a really delicious memory!

Now the kids request for it when they are bored with pancakes. Sometimes with lashings of Hershey's syrup or strawberry syrup. 

400ml milk

2 tablespoons instant yeast

2 tablespoon sugar

Heat 400ml of milk. Only lukewarm to help awaken the yeast. I

pop it in the microwave for a few seconds in a bowl.  Add sugar, yeast and stir well. Set aside for 5 minutes.

1 large egg

120g whole wheat flour

150g all purpose flour 

A pinch of salt 

Add in egg into the yeast mixture and all the dry ingredients and set aside for 45 minutes to an hour. Once the mixture is nicely and bubbly, heat up your poffertjes/ takoyaki pan, grease the surface and scoop up teaspoons of batter. I like to fill 3/4 of the holes.

Let it cook one side of the batter until slightly golden and flip using a toothpick to cook the other side. Why toothpick? Because that's the easiest tool for this! Loosen the side of the batter and flip! So fun!

Once done, drizzle with melted butter, icing sugar, maple syrup & whipped cream .. Or Hershey's & even strawberry syrup!

Recipe makes approximately 3 batches of 15 balls ..so 45 balls..  Trust me.. It's not a lot.. 😝

Nasi Lemak "Hulk"

The boys love Nasi Lemak and most times I make it normal but today I had a request for Hulk Nasi Lemak instead .. I also had a request for recipes for non-santan Nasi Lemak. The base for rice is as follows:-

1 medium size onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 inch ginger, sliced

2 cups rice, washed and drained 

Sautee the above ingredients in 1/3 cup oil until softened. Mix the rice and the sautéed ingredients in a rice cooker pot. Coat the rice grains with the oil from the ingredients. This helps to form a coating so that your rice does not lump up together.

2 knots of pandan leaves

1 teaspoon pandan paste 

Additional green colouring (if required)

2 cups coconut milk or santan

3/4 cup water

Salt 

Add all of the above ingredients into the pot. Taste the water. It should be salty.

For normal nasi lemak, omit out the paste and green colourings.

Alternatively, if you can't find santan, replace the santan with full cream milk. 

Serve it with fried chicken, Ikan bilis, cucumber slices, fried fish.. Basically anything you fancy.

Or you can wrap it in banana leaves with chicken rice paper for a more authentic feel. 

Sambal Tumis 

2 large onions

A handful of dried chillis, soaked

3 cloves of garlic

A thumb size belachan

A bit of water to blend

A walnut size of asam or tamarind, mixed with water to get the juice 

1.5 tsp of salt (or to taste)

2 tablespoons sugar

Just blend the above items in a blender until smooth. Sauté in about 1 cup of oil and make sure the ingredients are really fragrant and "crispy". Add your salt, sugar and tamarind water. Add a bit more water if preferred but for nasi lemak, a thick sambal is preferred. 

Asam Pedas Ikan Pari (Stingray in Spicy Tangy Gravy)

Okayyyyy Lin... Finally I've stopped procrastinating!! Here's the recipe and step-by-step instructions. As mentioned I only like thick asam pedas.. Not the runny ones sold at the hawker :-)

Blend the following ingredients into a fine paste:-

I large onion or 2 medium size ones

4 cloves garlic 

1 inch of fresh turmeric 

A handful of dried chilli, soaked

2 teaspoon belacan

Fry the paste in oil until fragrant and "crispy"

I used 4 large pieces of Ikan pari or you can cut into smaller pieces. Wash the Ikan pari in tamarind (asam) water to reduce the fishy smell. 

Once the spice paste is really 'crispy', add about 2 cups of water. Mix well.

Add 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper to the gravy. 

Add in 2 lime leaves & 1 bruised lemongrass 

Mix about 1-2 tablespoon of tamarind (asam) with water. Start with one tablespoon first as the strength of tamarind varies brand to brand. The tamarind here in Indonesia is dark in colour but not as tangy so I have to put more. Taste as you go. Season the gravy with approx 2-3 teaspoon salt, 2-3 tablespoons sugar. 

Prepare your veggies. I used okra & daun kesum here but you can always use ginger torch, eggplants or even pineapples.

Add the fish and veggies and let it simmer for another 5 mins and flip the fish to cook the other side. Simmer again for 5 more minutes. At this point the gravy would be reduced so add another cup of water if it's too thick. Serve with hot rice, fried salted fish, salted egg and sambal belachan. The kids enjoy this with a side dish of sunny side up egg with lashings of kicap! 

Cheesecake Brunei

I was trying to replicate a favourite of ours. Light fluffy sponge with cream cheese layers and topped with grated cheese. Tried various recipes but nothing pleased us until this!

Sponge recipe

2 egg whites (whipped)

2 egg yolks + 110g sugar (cream until ribbon stage)

45ml water

1 tablespoon oil

70g flour (sifted)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

After whisking the egg whites until stiff, set aside.

Cream the yolks & butter until ribbon stage. Add water and whisk for another minute. Add oil. Whisk again 

Add flour & baking powder and whisk until thick and fluffy. 

Fold in the egg whites and bake in a lined 6 inch baking pan at 180 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool and slice in half. 

Filling & topping 

125 gm cream cheese 

375 gm milk

35 gm sugar

40 gm corn flour

1/2 block of Kraft cheese 

Heat the milk, sugar and corn flour until thickened. Add cream cheese and mix thoroughly. Set aside to cool.

Assembly of cake

Divide the filling in 2. Spread half the filling over the first layer of sponge. Grate block cheese generously over it.

Top with the second layer of sponge and the balance filling and grate more cheese over it. Chill. Simple enough ?? Best eaten cold 

Kueh Bakar Labu (Pumpkin Cake)

Oohhh I love kueh bakar but I'm a sucker for kueh bakar that has pumpkin or sweetcorn or even yam in it!

Had some leftover pumpkin and was clueless what to do with it apart from crisps and decided to make these .

Just boil about 1/2 cup of pumpkin in water and mash. Mix with the rest of the ingredients, pour into greased mould & sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 25-30 minutes on 180 degrees or until the top browns and puffed up a little bit. This recipe is enough for only 1 kueh bakar mould so double it up if you're making more.

1 egg

3/4 cup santan (1/2 cup kara + 1/4 cup milk)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4-1/2 cup sugar ( i prefer 1/4 + 1/8)

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

A pinch of salt

1/2 cup mashed pumpkin

1 tablespoon oil

Sesame seeds for topping

Lapis Legit Prune

The price per cake for lapis is so ridiculously expensive these days! Over here in Jakarta, it cost IDR500,000 per cake which is $55! No idea what's the going rate in Singapore but it'll burn through your pocket for sure! So if you're craving and on a budget, try this instead. 

This is yummy and most importantly MOIST! 

The recipe is for a 4x8 loaf or basically half the size of the usual 8x8 that is being sold. If you want to make a bigger cake, just double the recipe.

Line your baking tin with parchment paper and heat 190 celcius oven with a tray of water for Bain-Marie. I've been taught to do this in the hotel to keep the cake moist due to the long (oh yeah 3 hours baby!) process in the oven. Back then I would make 4 humongous trays each time for the hotel buffet! Good times ! 👍👍

250g salted butter (I used Anchor)

2 tablespoon condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence 

Firstly, whisk butter and condensed milk until light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence 

10 egg yolks 

150g sugar

Whisk yolks with sugar until ribbon stage or when it turn into a fluffy pale yellow mixture . Add slowly into the butter mix.

100g flour

2 teaspoon spice mix 

Sift the flour and add into the butter mix next.

4 egg whites

20g sugar

Beat the whites with sugar until stiff peaks. Fold into the mix.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Simple enough right? Now the 3 hour process starts!

The batter will be a yummy thick mixture. Spread a layer of batter (about 1/3 cup)

And pop it in the oven for 8-10 minutes depending on your oven. I use the rack above the middle one so that I can cook & brown the cake quickly without drying it out. 

Pull it out and spread another layer. Bake again and continue spreading and add sliced prunes on every third layer. I love prunes so I tend to go overboard. I had a total of 18 layers which equal to 3 hours of slaving in front of the oven.

Don't forget to continuously add water to the water bath (Bain-Marie).

Bake the final top layer for 15 minutes so that you get a nice golden brown hue. 

Unmold and cool before slicing & enjoying with your cup of tea. 

Ondeh-Ondeh Pulut Hitam

Bored with the usual green & pink ondeh-ondeh?? Go Monochromatic and make these black ones! Gothic!!

Mix all the ingredients until it becomes a firm dough.

100g glutinous rice flour

50g black glutinous rice flour 

1/4 tsp salt

130-140ml warm coconut milk (I used Kara and mix with a wee bit water)

 

Gula Melaka

Sesame seeds 

Shredded coconut

Pandan leaves

Salt

Take a small portion and fill with chopped gula Melaka with sesame seeds.

Roll into balls

Boil a pot of water and slide in the balls 10 at a time so there more room for them to cook. It will float once cooked.

Roll the cooked balls in shredded coconut that's been steamed with pandan leaves and salt. 

Fruit cocktail pudding

Oh how I love all things jelly!! And I love fruit cocktail too - not the ones with papaya and pineapples but the ones with peaches, pears, grapes and cherries!

Just drain all the syrup from 1 tin of cocktail (400g or so) and set the fruits aside.

700ml water

150g sugar

2 tablespoons custard powder

1 packet agar-agar powder 

Simmer the ingredients and when it reaches a slow boil, add in the evaporated milk.

250ml evaporated milk

Once it starts boiling again, add the drained fruits for a minute and pour into jelly mould.. Chill until firm. Serve with extra evaporated milk or on it's own 

Kueh Dadar

Who doesn't love Malay kueh?? 

Living here I miss it even more .. Bahhhhhh 😭😭

Coconut filling:

30 gm sugar
100 gm gula melaka (chopped into small pieces)
60 gm water
2 pandan leaves - cut into small pieces
250 gm grated coconut

Melt both gula melaka, white sugar and water with pandan leaves. Add the grated coconut and fry on low heat until desired moistness...

In a blender, whisk all the ingredients below on high speed until combined. 

Coconut crepe 

1 egg

150ml coconut cream (I used Kara)

200ml warm water

120g flour 

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pandan paste + a wee drop

of green colouring 

Heat oil and ladle the batter onto the pan. Cook both sides and cool. Spoon cooked coconut filling and roll like a popiah

Kacang Pool (Foul Medames)

This is really simpler to make than it looks. Another family favourite for non-rice days.

You need to buy foul Medames in a tin & baked beans. Main part is done :-)

So the ratio is 2:1 so 1 tin of foul Medames + 1/2 tin baked beans strain and mashed. (That's enough for 4 people with extra servings) so if you cook 2 Tins of foul Medames & 1 tin of baked beans, you better make sure you have 8-10 people coming for dinner ! 

Blend 1 large onion, 3 cloves garlic & 1 thumb size ginger . Sautee in ghee or oil until fragrant. Add about 3 tablespoons curry powder. 

Then add about 1 cup of minced beef continue sautéeing until beef is cooked. Add the mashed beans and about 1 cup of water and simmer . If you like it runny, add more water. Season with salt, 1 tablespoon sugar. Set side 

The toppings are just fried eggs, chopped shallots, parsley, sliced chilli,  lime wedge and melted ghee to drizzle on top. Served with buttered toasted baguette

Easy Poori

I've always procrastinated making this because the thought of failing scares me. Somehow this morning I got inspired and decided to try it out.

Mix all the ingredients to make a stiff dough. 

1 cup Atta flour (wholemeal flour)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon hot oil

 Roll the dough and slice into 8 equal parts.

Flour your board and roll out each ball. Not too thin or your poori will be thin & crispy instead.

Heat hot oil in a wok and slide each poori into the oil. 

Press down so that the dough is fully submerged in the oil and keep splashing oil over the top. This will help fluff up the dough.

Serve with masala potatoes, sliced onion & lime wedges ! 

Homemade coleslaw

My boys are picky when it comes to eating veggies . So I have to camouflage or hide them just to get it in! Somehow they love coleslaw! Fattening or not, it's still veggies right??? And they go really well with my pulled chicken burger!

1/2 cabbage , thinly shredded / sliced

1 carrot , grated

1/4 cup cranberries, chopped

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 raisins 

1 spring onions, chopped 

Toss them together. 

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

In a separate bowl, mix all the ingredients and smother into the prepared veggies. Don't worry about the mayo being too little. It will be enough! Chill and enjoy !