Kuih Kelantan - Sweet Delicacies

Recently my mom and brother went to Kelantan to visit some relatives due to the passing of one of my uncles. And whenever Kelantan is mentioned, I can't help to associate it with varieties of sweet delicacies that cannot be found any where else in Malaysia. Kelantan kuih usually use a lot of egg whites, sugar and coconut milk. There are a lot of kuih that has a very unique name or rather peculiar or even funny to mention like tahi itik (duck's feces) or tahi minyak which literally means the feces of oil. No matter what they name their kuih, they are well known and can basically be found only in Kelantan. You can get them at the market in the morning together with nasi berlauk or laksam for breakfast. But Kelantan kuih is known for its sweetness, so if you are not a sweet tooth kind of person you might not favour taking them. But for me, when ever I am in Kelantan, I will definitely look for the kuih or my travel will not be complete. In the left picture, you can see four types of kuih that can only be found in Kelantan which were brought home by my mom. Those are all my favourites like akok, bahulu and kuih tepung tuki which is made from glutinous rice and coconut flakes. Let's look at some of the famous ones...

Tahi Itik - This kuih is called as such because it resembles the duck's feces. Basically, tahi itik is made from lots of egg whites and sugar and then formed into ball shape. It is sweet but not as rich as the one below.

Buah Tanjong - I would say that this is one of my favorites. But if you have a cholestrol problem or are watching you diet, do take this sparingly because this is made from egg yolks and lots of sugar syrup.

Jala Mas - Like buah tanjung, jala mas use a lot of egg yolks and sugar. It is named jala mas because it resembles a net that is golden in colour.

Akok - Akok is made from duck's egg whites and is a regular search for those who come to Kelantan. Although it looks wrinkly, it is actually very soft to eat.

Lompat Tikam - Lompat tikam is another peculiar name which literally means stab and jump. It is made from glutinous rice, coconut milk, palm sugar and flour.

These are just a few famous ones that come from the state of Kelantan. If you are going to Kelantan, do look for these kuih and try them. You might be wanting for more!


*pictures of tahi itik, jala mas, buah tanjong, akok and lompat tikam are courtesy of laisi, mohdzawi.blogspot.com

Chicken Balls Stew

I have some minced chicken leftovers in the fridge, hence decided that the best way to finish the tiny amount of minced chicken was by making chicken balls stew. I have made stews numerous times and so far they have not been a disappointment no matter if they are chicken or meat, they have always been outstanding. I often get my inspirations from my childhood memories and from observing how people cook their dish as I think the best way to learn cooking is merely by observation. And I have made countless dishes just by observation and of course you need to have talents, drive, creativity and skills to produce delicious meals. Do try out this simple recipe that I often enjoy taking with bread. Have fun!

Ingredients for chicken/meatballs
200 gm minced chicken
100 gm minced meat, optional
1 tea spoon cumin powder
1 tea spoon coriander powder
1 tea spoon pepper
salt, to taste

* Mix all ingredients and form equally shaped balls and fry until golden brown.

Stew
3 garlic, chopped
1 big onion, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped (optional)
coriander leaves, chopped
spring onions, chopped
1 Table spoon black pepper
1 tea spoon dried rosemary
2 potatoes, halved
1 carrots, cut into 1 inch length
3 small corns, cubed
salt, to taste
1 Table spoon flour
water/ stock

Methods
1. Saute the onion, garlic and ginger until golden brown. Add in the flour and water and stir well.

2. Add in potatoes and carrots and cook until they are half tender.

3. Add in small corns, dried rosemary, pepper and salt. Continue cooking until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

4. Add in the chicken balls together with some salt, and chopped coriander and spring onions. Cook for another minute before serving.

*serves 2-4 people

Egg Salad

Even though I don't make this salad often, it is still one of my favourite salads. My mom used to make egg salad with some dollops of tomato sauce on top of the boiled eggs, cucumber and fresh tomatoes that were nicely arranged in a serving dish. Although it was simple I love the taste of all the combinations. Often, I reminiscent the old days that I had enjoyed this salad so much that I decided to capture that moment again. This egg salad that I am sharing with you is an inspiration of that childhood memories that I had but with a twist. I have added extra ingredients like croutons and have prepared a special salad dressing that is more that a dollop of tomato sauce that my mom used to make. It was in fact an egg salad of my own invention. And the outcome was unbelievable! The taste and the combinations of all ingredients went very well with each other and I am very happy and satisfied that my kids loved it and emptied the plates in seconds! Do try!

Ingredients
3 hard boiled eggs, halved
2 tomatoes, cubed
1 cucumber, cubed
1 table spoon apple cider
salt, to taste
pepper
Italian herbs
4 bread, cubed and saute in butter until golden brown (croutons)

Salad Sauce
3 garlic, thinly sliced
1 big onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, thinly sliced
2 table spoon tomato sauce
1 table spoon chilli sauce

Methods
1. Mix the cubed tomatoes and cucumber with the apple cider vinegar. Put aside.

2. Prepare the sauce by frying the garlic and big onions in some hot oil. Add in the thinly sliced tomato and cook until soft.

3. Add the tomato and chilli sauce and stir well. Add salt to taste.

4. In a serving dish, put the marinade vegetables (tomatoes and cucumber marinade with apple cider vinegar) in the middle of the dish.

5. Arrange the hard boiled eggs that have been cut into half on one side.

6. On the other side of the plate, arrange the croutons (saute bread with butter).

7. Pour the salad sauce that has been cooled over the eggs and the rest of the ingredients.

8. Sprinkle some pepper and Italian herbs on top and mix all the ingredients well before serving.

*serves 2-3 people

Banana Oat Dumplings ( Jemput-Jemput Pisang dan Oat)

I like to improvise my cooking based on what I have in the pantry. Luckily, today I got some ripe bananas and was thinking to make banana dumplings or jemput-jemput pisang which is a famous local delicacy for tea or breakfast. As I was looking through the rest of the ingredients, my eyes caught a packet of oat which I have bought weeks earlier. In an instant, I decided to mix the oat with the bananas and see if there would make any difference to the original banana dumplings. The result was unbelievable. The dumplings were softer and since there were some oats in it, they become slightly mushy and milky which surprisingly was up to my liking. If you would like a sweet and filling dumplings for tea or breakfast, I would suggest you try this recipe. Besides, it is healthy too! Enjoy!

Ingredients
8-10 ripe bananas
1 cup of oats
2 cups of flour
a pinch of salt
1 table spoon sugar
1 tea spoon bicarbonate soda
water
Oil, for frying

Methods

1. Peel off the bananas and mash them until soft.

2. Add salt, sugar, oats, flour and bicarbonate soda to the mashed banana and mix well with water.

3. When the mixture is ready, scoop the mixture with a spoon to form a round shape before frying the dumplings in a hot non-stick pan until golden brown.

4. Serve with a hot cup of tea in the evening or any time you wish.

*serves 4-6 people

How to Make Chocolate Pudding (Video)

This is one easy way to make delicious chocolate pudding! Do try!

Turmeric Rice

If you have ran out of ideas of what kind of rice dishes to cook, turmeric rice would be a good idea. If you are a rice eater and you love nasi lemak, I am sure you will love this one too. You can eat this with chicken or beef rendang top up with some vegetable salad or chutney, and you will know what I mean. Enjoy!

Ingredients
500 gm basmathi rice
4 garlic, chopped
2 big onions, chopped
2 inch ginger, chopped
4 lemon grass, pounded just at the base
coconut milk, just enough to cook the rice
2 screw pine leaves, tied together
salt, to taste
1 tea spoon turmeric powder
3 table spoon butter/oil

Methods
1. In a rice pot, fry the garlic, big onions and ginger until aromatic.

2. Add in the screw pine leaves and lemon grass. Stir well for about a minute.

3. Add the rice, salt, turmeric powder and fry for a few seconds until all ingredients are well mixed.

4. Lastly, add in the coconut milk covering the top of the rice about double the height of the rice in the pot.

5. Cook until the rice is tender and serve with your best rendang or curry.

*serves 4-6 people

Chilli Curry Crab

It is not often to find fresh crabs nowadays in the market. While prawns and squids are easier to find, crabs will be on sale quite rarely especially in the fresh or wet markets. You can purchase some at the hypermarkets like Tesco or Giant or get frozen sea food, but they might not be as fresh as the ones you get at the wet market. But today is our lucky day as the local grocer put a handful of fresh crabs on sale. So, we took the opportunity to get some and cook a delicious crab curry meal that is finger licking good. Do try!

Ingredients

For marinade
12 crabs, cleaned
3 table spoon flour
1 tea spoon salt
1 tea spoon turmeric

* Mix the crabs with the ingredients above and fry for about two minutes. Toss and keep aside for later use.

For chilli curry paste
1 table spoon kurma powder
1 table spoon chilli powder
1 table spoon coriander powder
1 table spoon cumin powder

*Mix all with some water until it forms a thick paste

Other ingredients
3 garlic, chopped
1 big onion, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped
1 fresh tomato, chopped
1 tea spoon sugar
salt, to taste
water, if needed
oil

Methods
1. In a pan, fry the garlic, onion and ginger until aromatic. Add in chopped tomatoes and sugar. Mix well for about three minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.

2. Add in the chilli curry paste and stir well. Let the paste cook for about five minutes or until the paste is separated from the oil. You can add in some water if needed.

3. When the paste has thickened, add in the fried crab and stir for a short while until the crabs are well coated.

4. Serve in a serving plate with some rice.

*serves 4-6 people

Minced Chicken Savoury Cake (Talam Berlauk Ayam)

I remember having this delicious cake when I was at my secondary school and often wonder how this cake was made. Throughout the years I have been sampling this dish from time to time and got it from some of the breakfast stalls along the road. But as time progresses, it is difficult to get this dish outside unless you make it on your own. What I normally eat is the cake that is cooked with yam, but this one is equally good without the yam. Instead of yam, I substituted it with minced chicken and I am very satisfied with the outcome. Enjoy!




Ingredients
1 cup rice flour
400 ml thick coconut milk
spring onions, finely chopped
coriander leaves, finely chopped
red fresh chillies, thinly sliced
1 cup fried dried shrimps, finely grounded/blended
salt, to taste
150 gm minced chicken

Methods
1. In a cooking pot, blanch the minced chicken with water until cooked. Put aside.

2. In a bowl, mix the flour with coconut milk, salt, chopped spring onions and coriander leaves. Stir well. Add in the cooked minced chicken and stir until all ingredients are mixed well.

3. Heat your steamer, and while it is heated, pour the mixture into a 9 inch baking pan and steam for about 20 minutes.

4. After 20 minutes, take out the lid and sprinkle the blended/grounded fried dried shrimps all over the top.

5. Also sprinkle some chopped spring onions, coriander leaves and sliced red chillies and cook for another half an hour.

6. When the cake is done, let it cool before cutting them into squares before serving.

*serves 10-15 people

Durian Sweet Sauce (Sira Durian)

In my previous post, I have shared how to make durian broth with fish or locally known as gulai tempoyak ikan, and this time I will share with you how to make sweet desserts with durian. It is mild and sweet and is suitable taken with bread, glutinous rice or roti jala. Whenever I make this sira, as it is locally known, I will make double extra so I can put them in the fridge and take them with bread cold, as I prefer it that way. Besides durian sauce, you can also make sweet porridge like green beans or wheat porridge by using the same recipe. Do try!


Ingredients
3-5 durian flesh
1 cup of sugar or as desired
1 cup palm or brown sugar
1 1/2 litre coconut milk
2 screw pine leaves

Methods
1. Put all ingredients in a pot and cook until the sauce thickens. The thickness is up to your liking and when you have achieved your desired thickness, switch off the fire.

2. Serve with some bread, glutinous rice or roti jala.

*serves 6-8 people

Asam Pedas Ikan Kerisi

This is one of the popular main dishes in Malaysia besides curries and sambal. Having a slight influence from the Baba and Nyonya cusine, this dish is supposed to be a little bit hot and sour. It uses bunga kantan and daun kesum, two main ingredients that make a good asam pedas. Without these two ingredients, asam pedas will not be perfect. Do try!

Ingredients
2-3 Kerisi Fish
2 big onions, pounded
6 fresh red chillies, pounded
4 lemon grass, pounded
2 bunga kantan, halved
a handful of daun kesum
1 inch belacan or dried shrimp paste, pounded
2 Table spoon dried chilli paste
1 cup tamarind juice
salt, to tase
a pinch of sugar, optional
2-3 cups water
oil

Methods
1. In a pot, pour some oil and add in all pounded ingredients. Stir well until all ingredients turn aromatic.

2. Add in the dried chilli paste and tamarind juice. Add some water to produce a watery broth. Stir well.

3. When the broth is simmering, add in bunga kantan, daun kesum, salt and a pinch of sugar. Wait for 30 seconds before adding in the fish.

4. Cook for another three minutes or until the fish is tender.

5. Serve in a serving plate with a plate of plain rice.

*serves 2-3 people