The Great Chef

In both peaceful and tumultuous times, food tends to unite people in simple but strong ways. People open up and share more between bites than, probably, in any other situation. Today's recipe carries my heart out to all who are suffering in the Middle East. The  fattoush  is, perhaps, a more elaborate way of having the region's usual plate of freshly chopped vegetables at the table. This dish is as iconic of the region as the Burger is of the United States or olive oil is of Southern Europe. Everybody, regardless of religion or ethnicity, finds space in their table for this wonderful salad, adapting it each time to serve tastes, vegetable availability, and/or family traditions. One would wish these nuances could be applied, respected, and enjoyed at all levels of the region's existence. Let's hope for the best. Ingredients for 6 people: 1 cup (200g) Yogurt (preferably, whole milk) 3/4 cup (200ml) whole milk (you can replace the yogurt and milk by buttermilk. However, if...

So, have you heard of Magic Custard Cake?  A cake with one batter but after baked it will have 3 layers!  Yes, that is the magic of this cake. I have bookmarked this cake months ago and when my sister asked me what cake to bake for her husband coming birthday, I suggest to her to try this Magic Custard Cake.  When she show me her finished cut slice cake, oh...I was so envy that she achieved the 3 layers! And I really got to try it too when she told me that the cake taste so delicious! If you google search for this Magic Custard Cake, the ingredients measurement are all the same but I do some adjustment and go for  Anncoo Journal   on adding 1 tbsp sugar to the egg whites as well as adding the orange zest as I'm afraid the taste might be too eggy. MAGIC CUSTARD CAKE   Ingredients : ½ cup (113g) unsalted Butter 2 cups (480ml) Milk 4 Eggs, separated 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 ¼ cups (140g) Confectioner's Sugar 1 Tablespoon (15ml) Water 1 cup (115g) Plain Flour zest...

Everytime I went to the wet market I will be passing one corner at the road side where there is a plant with this blue flower bloom beautifully.  I know that plant is that blue pea flower or another name to it is Clitoria.    I wanted to pluck it everytime I pass by but the thought of not knowing what to do with it first so I just pass by admiring it.   Here today, I make my first pulut tai tai using the blue pea flower.  Pulut Tai Tai (Steamed Glutinous Rice Stained With Blue Pea Flower  With Coconut Egg Jam ) Recipe sourced from Cooking Momster   Ingredients : 300gm glutinous rice, washed and soaked in water overnight Few pieces of pandan leaves 1 cup coconut milk 1/4 tsp salt 30 pcs bunga telang 1/2 cup water   Method : In a small pot, add in theblue pea flower and 1/2 cup water. Bring it to boil in order to get the blue colour. Remove from heat and discard the flower. Let it cool. Soaked 1/3 of the glutinous rice with blue colour wa...

PRAWN FRITTERS (CUCUR UDANG) A recipe from Rohani Jelani with slight adjustment   Ingredients For the fritters: 150 g plain flour ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt   ¼ tsp tumeric powder (you can add more for extra aroma and flavour) 50 g onion, sliced thinly 30 g carrot, finely shredded 30 g Chinese chives, cut into 4 cm lengths 150 g prawns, shelled and de-veined 1-2 waterchestnuts, chopped into small cubes 200 ml water   For the chilli sauce : 6 fresh red chillies (120g), sliced 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1 Tbsp sugar 2 Tbsp white vinegar 2-3 Tbsp tomato ketchup 2 Tbsp water Method: 1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the onion, carrot, Chinese chives and prawns. Stir in water and mix well. 2. Heat the oil in a wok or shallow pan on medium heat. Test by placing a small drop of batter into the oil – if it sizzles, the oil is ready. Drop tablespoonfuls of batter into the oil, leaving at least 1 cm of space between them. Fry until lightly puffed and ...

I love to eat yam (another word for yam is taro).   What about you?  There are so many delicacies that can be made with yam such as bubur cha cha, woo kok, woo tao koh, orh nee,  stir fry with pork belly.......etc...etc.... Seriously I never heard of Yam Abacus Beads until I watched one cooking/travelling show on TV.  Aigh....eventhough I'm a Malaysian and yet was so ignorant of this delicious delicacies available here in the country. I've never eaten this before and love to give this a try and see how it goes but I'm sure I would love this lots. Yam Abacus Beads 算盘子 (Yam Gnocchi Fry in Dried Shrimps & Woods ear)   Recipe sourced from Billy Law (A Table For Two)   Abacus beads 500g taro, sliced into cubes 80g tapioca flour, plus extra for dusting A pinch of salt Few tablespoons of hot water 1 tablespoon vegetable oil   For Stir Fry Abacus Beads   3 cloves garlic, finely chopped A small knob (5 gram) ginger, peeled then julienned 120g water c...

So, how do you called this kuih? Kuih Ketayap? Or Kuih Dadar?  Or Kuih Gulung?  Well, actually they are the same but to me, from young I known this kuih is Kuih Ketayap.   I learnt to make this kuih (or Pandan Crepes with coconut filling) way back when I am still in my Home Science class; well that is probably when I am 13 or 14 years of age.  Wow, and now only I got to make it all over again.  Again, my mum loves to make this kuih but hers, she go for the simple type of crepes but with palm sugar coconut filling too. Kuih Ketayap (Pandan Crepes With Palm Sugar Coconut Filling) Recipe sourced from J's Kitchen   with adjustment For the crepes : 120g plain flour 170ml thin coconut milk or water 150ml pandan juice (I used 5pcs of pandan leaves blended in 150ml water) 1 egg 1/4 tsp salt Oil, to grease Method Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl.  Make a hole in the center. Add egg, coconut milk, and pandan water. Whisk until batter is no longer ...

I have bookmarked this Mince Meat & Tomato Relish after watching an episode on TLC when Poh travelled to Thailand quite awhile ago.  Oh, you know Poh ~ Poh Ling Yeow, the runner up of Masterchef Australia 1st season.  I'm a big fan of hers; she always have that big beautiful smile on her face! Though it might not seem anything special about this relish but wait till you cooked and tasted it! Mince Pork & Tomato Relish (Nam Prik Ong) Recipe sourced from Poh's Kitchen with slight change Ingredients Paste 7 dried red chilli  (I added 10 pcs) 1-2 tablespoons crushed garlic 1 shallot 2 teaspoons shrimp paste ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon soy bean paste Tomato and minced pork relish 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 200g pork mince (I used lesser) 2/3 cup chopped tomato ¼ cup (60ml) water ½-1 teaspoon fish sauce ½ teaspoon sugar (optional) ¼ cup roughly chopped coriander ¼ cup roughly chopped spring onion Method To make the paste, place all the ingredients together in a mortar...

Have you tasted this Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi (Chicken in bird's eye chilli & coconut sauce)? Eventhough this dish using more than 20 bird's eye chilly, to me it is not that fiery hot at all.  I think this dish is the most easiest dish to cook.  Just prepare those ingredients on hand and blend it to paste and put everything into a pot and cook till the chicken cook.  That's it. I seldom use coconut milk in my cooking and even when I cook chicken curry, I don't use coconut milk but I substitute with fresh milk instead.  But for this Ayam Masak Lemak it is just simply too delicious to try it out to use the coconut milk.  What is Ayam Masak Lemak when it doesn't use coconut milk? Chicken In Bird's Eye Chilli & Coconut Sauce Recipe sourced from  Azlita of Masam Manis   Ingredients ½ chicken; cut to bite size (I’ve used only chicken thighs) 3 medium size potato; cut in 4 pieces ½ tumeric leaf, finely sliced 2 lemongrass, bashed 1 cup (250ml) ...

Today I made another winner recipe from Masterchef Australia; Melting Moments by Julia Taylor. I've bookmarked this recipe when  Fern of To Food With Love posted her recipe in 2012 but as time passed by, I totally have forgotten about this recipe till I watched one of the episode on Masterchef on the team challenge recently. Melting Moments with Raspberries Jam & Buttercream Adapted from Masterchef Australia   Biscuits 180g unsalted butter 60g icing sugar, sifted 60g custard powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 180g plain flour Vanilla buttercream 100g butter, softened 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste 1 cup icing sugar, sifted Raspberry jam 250g fresh or frozen raspberries 250g caster sugar Juice of ½ a lemon ½ teaspoon gelatine powder Icing sugar, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper. 2 For biscuits, cream butter for two minutes in an electric mixer with paddle attachment. Add icing sugar and custard powder and mix until combined. Sift the ...