Monday

Clay Pot Chicken Rice

To make this dish you need a clay pot with a lid. The clay pot will give the rice and chicken a distinct taste and aroma. The heat is retained in the pot after you have cooked it, hence you can savour it while it's still hot. In Malaysia, you can find clay pot rice and noodles at shopping malls or restaurants selling chinese cuisines.


Ingredients

1 whole chicken breast, cut into big chunks

4 chicken wings, cut into thirds, tips discarded

1 cup dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 cloves garlic, smashed

ground white pepper, to taste

6 dried shiitake mushrooms

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup dark soy sauce

1 2/3 cups jasmine rice

5 tablespoons chili paste

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

Methods

  1. Combine the chicken breast, the chicken wings, 1 cup dark soy sauce, the sesame oil, and the garlic in a mixing bowl; season with white pepper. Mix well, cover, and chill at least 10 minutes.
  2. Thoroughly rinse the shiitake mushrooms and place in a bowl; pour hot water over the mushrooms; allow the mushrooms to sit submerged until they are soaked and bloated, about 15 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Cut the stalks from the mushrooms and discard. Slice the mushrooms in half and set aside.
  3. Heat the oil in a medium size clay pot over medium heat. Cook the chicken pieces in the hot oil until the juices run clear. Drizzle 1/2 cup of dark soy sauce over the chicken.
  4. Wash the rice with water until the water comes out nearly clear; drain completely. Combine the rice and 1 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid from the mushrooms in a non-stick pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and allow to simmer covered for 10 minutes with the heat on. Add the chicken mixture and mushrooms and remove from the heat; allow to sit covered until the rice is completely tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Stir together the chile paste, ginger, and lime juice in a small bowl; drizzle over the chicken rice and top with shredded lettuce to serve.
serves 1-2

Tuesday

Anis Nabilah- A Young Lady Chef from Malaysia

With a passion for cooking honed as a child growing up in a kitchen with her mother and six sisters and watching them cook, it was a lifelong ambition for award-winning Anis Nabilah to be selected as the host of her new series Icip Icip.

Travelling the length and breadth of Malaysia and cooking on location with both passion and enthusiasm, Anis has made Malaysian cooking accessible for viewers by bringing them simple tips and tasty recipes that everyone could follow.

A relentless and committed hard worker, Anis hopes that her role as host of Icip Icip will bring her closer to her lifelong dream of someday setting up her own culinary institute in Malaysia.

Anis has competed in a number of international cooking competitions held across Malaysia, and has won numerous awards and accolades.

Anis graduated with a diploma from the Food Institute of Malaysia in 2008. There she was also awarded a certificate of appreciation for contributing to the college’s achievements.

Watch Anis hosting Icip-Icip on Asian Food Channel, a travel culinary program on Malay cuisine.

Sunday

Chicken & Meat Kebab

Kebab originally comes from the middle east, but has been accepted in this country as one of the food choices other than the normal staple food like rice. They can be eaten with choices of breads or dip with condiments from yogurt or eggplants. In Malaysia, we simply use our chili sauce ready made from the bottles, or ketchup to some people. Sometimes, we would add some mayonnaise to the sauce and a squeeze of lime or lemon juice for extra zest. Normally, people will make either chicken or meat kebab, but for my recipe, it is a combination of both to balance the taste of meat and chicken.

Ingredients
250gm minced chicken
250gm minced meat
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 big onions, finely chopped
2 table spoon of cumin powder
2 table spoon of coriander powder
1 table spoon wheat flour
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 green capsicum or green pepper, cubed

Extra utensil
skewers, enough for the quantities of kebabs you wish to make

Methods
1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl except the capsicum. Mix all the ingredients well.
2. Form the mixed ingredients into an oblong shape and insert it into a skewer.
3. Add green pepper in the middle and add another kebab so the green pepper will be in between the two kebabs.
4. Grill them until cooked.
5. Put in a large platter and serve with condiments.

Serves 3-6 people

Thursday

Cooking Tips For Meat Lovers

I found this cooking tips and ideas on boervalley and would like to share this with you.
  1. Always use a sharp knife when cutting meat.
  2. Carve meat into slices by cutting across the grain.
  3. Thaw meat in the refrigerator or microwave oven. Never defrost meat on the kitchen counter.
  4. Wash hands with hot, soapy water for at least 20 seconds after handling uncooked meat.
  5. Keep raw meat from coming into contact with other raw foods such as fresh vegetables and salad ingredients during preparation.
  6. Use separate platters for raw and cooked food.
  7. Do not wait for leftovers to cool down. Store them in small, shallow, covered containers within two hours of cooking.
  8. Rinse meat with cold water before cooking to rinse away any bacteria.
  9. Keep utensils and cutting boards used to prepare meat separate from those used to prepare fruits and vegetables.
  10. Be sure to thoroughly wash all utensils you use to prepare raw meat with hot, soapy water.
  11. Keep wood cutting boards clean by washing them every few days with a diluted bleach and water solution.
  12. Never leave uncooked or already cooked foods at room temperature for long periods of time. A lukewarm temperature promotes bacteria growth.
  13. Always keep foods hot on the stove or in the oven until it is ready to be served.
  14. Refrigerate leftovers as soon as possible.
  15. Refrigerate fresh goat meat in meat compartment as soon as possible after purchase.
  16. Goat meat can be refrigerated in a tightly covered container for four to five days or frozen up to three months.
  17. Freeze gravy and stuffing separately from cooked goat meat.
  18. Do not season ground goat meat before freezing as this can cause rancidity.
  19. Never thaw on the counter or in other non-refrigerated locations.
  20. When thawing meat in cold water, put meat package into a leak-proof bag and keep submerged. Change water every 30 minutes.



Wednesday

One Night -A Malaysian Wedding- Chef Wan


ASIAN FOOD CHANNEL WILL AIR AN EXCLUSIVE WEDDING OF CHEF WAN'S DAUGHTER, SERINA SOON! WATCH OUT FOR A GRAND WEDDING CEREMONY THAT CAPTURED TWO CULTURES TOGETHER!

Fried Pomfret

Pomfret is quite popular in Malaysia. Besides frying, it can be made into curries, soups even steaming or grilling. I always believe in simplicity in cooking because sometimes the simplest will give the best taste. In this country, fried pomfret is eaten with rice. This recipe is suitable for children too and best eaten while still hot.


Ingredients
1- 2 medium size pomfret (cleaned)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 tablespoon tumeric powder
1 teaspoon paprika or chilli paste (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, pounded

Methods.
1. Marinade the fish with all the ingredients. Put aside for at least half an hour.
2. In a heated pan, pour in some oil. Put the fish and fry until golden brown, about five minutes on each side.
3. Do not overcook as this will make the fish dry.
4. Serve with plain rice or eaten on its own.

* To avoid the fish from sticking to the pan, make sure the pan is well heated before you pour in the oil. Do not turn the fish until five minutes over medium fire, or until the sizzling sound starts to diminish.

serves 1-2 people

Sunday

Grilled Beef

This is a very simple recipe yet very tasty. You can grill your meat with a conventional oven or an open grill with charcoal, which obviously a better choice simply because the charcoal will give the meat a distinct taste. We normally will eat the meat with simple condiments like soy sauce and chillies or tamarind juice with onions, which Malaysians simply call air asam. Do try!

Ingredients
500gm meat
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
3 table spoon soy sauce
1 table spoon oil

Methods
1. Marinade the meat with salt, pepper, soy sauce and oil. Leave for one hour or overnight for better result.
2. When the meat is ready to be grilled, grill it fully or medium cooked, depending on your preferences.
3. Serve with soy sauce and chillies with a few drops of lime juice.

serves 2-4 people

Friday

Asian Style Fried Macaroni


Malaysians like their noodles. We have many kinds of noodles, from wet to dry noodles, thin vermicelli noodles to large egg noodles, we love them all. With the influence of foreign food and exposure to the Malaysian food scenario, some of us have invented new 'noodles' recipe, like cooking spaghetti and macaroni just the way we cook our noodles. Like the rest, I also have sampled many fried spaghetti and macaroni as they are lighter and healthier on the health side. To cook fried macaroni is simple. You just need a good wok and that's it! And... of course the ingredients!

Ingredients
1 packet of macaroni ( cook/boil until soft)
500g minced chicken/beef
10 fish balls, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
2 big onions, sliced thinly
a bunch of coriander leaves, finely chopped
4 red tomatoes, diced
2 grated carrots
1 tea spoon cumin powder
10 button/shiitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon dried basil
salt, to taste
oil for cooking

Methods
1. Put oil into a heated big wok and fry the onions and garlic.
2. Add minced chicken/beef/fish balls and cook until tender.
3. Add grated carrot and tomatoes and cook for five minutes, or until they become tender.
4. Put in the mushrooms, basil and cumin powder.
5. Pour in the cooked macaroni and stir well.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Mix the chopped coriander leaves and cook until all ingredients are well mixed.

serves 4-6 people

Wednesday

Watch Chef Wan on Asian Food Channel

Chef Wan may have started his career as an accountant, but this celebrity chef traded the corporate world for a career in the kitchen. Today, Chef Wan is a household name in Asia with more than 20 years of experience in the industry and is known for his flamboyant sense of style. His talents range from chef, author and actor to TV host and publisher.

Due to his contribution and role as a representative of Malaysia at various global gourmet events, world expos and tourism exhibitions, Chef Wan has had the honour of being the first celebrity to be bestowed the title of ‘Datuk’ by King Yang Di-Pertuan Agong in February 2010. This was followed by his appointment as ‘Culinary Ambassador’ by Tourism Malaysia in November 2010.

Well known for his extensive knowledge of Malaysian cuisine, Chef Wan has also been invited to perform demonstrations and conduct talks in China, Germany, London, Canada, Spain, Australia and Europe. At the World Gourmet Food and Media Awards in Beijing, Chef Wan won the Lifetime Jury Award at the “Le Mazille Prix” 2007 Gourmand for his contributions as the culinary ambassador for Malaysia to the world.

His international recognition has even captured the attention of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, which, on behalf of the government and Royal Kingdom of Thailand, presented him with the ‘Friends of Thailand Award’ in September 2010.

With 12 cookbooks published and more on the way, Chef Wan is also a food critic for major dailies and magazines in Malaysia. He has also played the lead and several supporting roles in various films and theatre shows. His efforts earned him a nomination for ‘Best Supporting Actor’ at the 13th Asian Film Festival for his performance in ‘Valley of Vengeance’.

Besides his many achievements, Chef Wan is also a firm believer of giving back to the community. He is an ambassador for several non-profit organisations such as the National Kidney Foundation of Malaysia in March 2010, ‘Save Our Seafood’ Campaign in May 2010 and the National Cancer Society Malaysia in November 2010.

Most recently, Chef Wan was appointed to be the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Holiday Travel Icon Ambassador in November 2010 and will be creating gourmet packages for inbound and outbound holidays to and from Malaysia. His role as MAS Travel Icon Ambassador will also show him and his fans in a new reality series where they explore the world and its different cuisines.

excerpt taken from asian food channel

Sunday

Stuffed Calamari

Calamari or squids must be cook briefly, if not they will become springy and hard to bite. One of the easiest ways to cook calamari is by grilling. And this recipe below is a stuffed calamari recipe that is simple and easy to do. You can prepare the stuffing a day earlier and keep it in the fridge for later use.



Ingredients
6-8 big calamari, cleaned properly
small amount of oil
salt, up to taste
pepper, up to taste
* marinate the calamari with salt and pepper and a small amount of oil

Stuffing
1 big onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
minced meat or chicken
1 red pepper or capsicum, sliced
2-3 tomatoes, diced
1 - 2 teaspoon of cumin powder
pepper, up to taste
salt, up to taste
2 table spoon oil

Methods
1. While marinating the calamari, you can proceed to prepare the stuffing.
2. Heat a pan and pour in the oil. When the oil is heated, put in the onion, garlic and fry them until slightly brown.
3. Add in the minced meat or chicken depending on the amount that you need based on the quantity and the size of the calamari. Cook until the meat is tender.
4. When the meat is tender, add in cumin, red pepper or capsicum and diced tomatoes. Cook until the vegetables are mildly tender. Do not overcook them.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Leave to cool.
6. When the stuffing is cold, you can stuff them inside the calamari and insert a small wooden toothpick to cover the openings.
7. Grill the calamari for about eight minutes on each side or until tender. Do not overcook them or they will become elastic.

Serves 1-2 people

Saturday

Coconut Candy

This is the most easy coconut candy recipe that needs no cooking whatsoever, except for melting the coconut. It is very sweet, a must try for those sweet tooth people out there. It is simple yet its taste is unbearable and hard to resist. Children will love this one!


 

Ingredients

2 egg whites
250g icing sugar
90g dessicated coconut
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
250g coconut oil or any vegetable oil
few drops red food colouring

Methods

1.
Beat the egg whites briefly and then mix in the sugar, coconut and vanilla.

2.
Melt the coconut oil over a low heat and stir into the other ingredients.

3.
Line a square cake tin with baking paper and press half of the mixture into it.

4. 


Drop a few drops of red food colouring into the rest of the mix to make it pink and press it firmly on top.

5.


Smooth it all out then put in the fridge till set and then cut into square.
*Picture taken from Google search

Friday

Chicken Kurma

I have abandoned this blog for quite some time now. The fact that I have too many blogs plus a writing career have made my hands full. But, hey this coming new year I will try to share more recipes with all of you out there who would want to sample Asian dishes. I would like you to try this diah called chicken kurma. This is my children's favourite
dish. The taste is mild and those who love curry would definitely like this too. Perfect taken with plain rice, briyani or even bread. The chicken can be substituted with beef or mutton, up to your taste. Have a go!
Ingredients

1.5 kg chicken, cut into bite size pieces
4 table spoon ghee or cooking oil
10 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 cm cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, crushed slightly
3 cloves
2 large onions, quartered
3 potatoes, peeled and halved
2 tomatoes, quartered
3 green chillies, slit lengthwise
5 cashews, ground to a powder

3 cups coconut milk
2/3 cup milk
juice of 1 large lime
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
2 stalks coriander leaves, chopped coarsely

2 packets kurma curry paste or

2 table spoon coriander powder
3/4 table spoon fennel powder
1/2 tea spoon cumin powder
1 tea spoon ground white pepper
1 tea spoon tumeric powder

1.
Season chicken with salt and set aside. Grind all spice ingredients until fine. Make kurma curry paste by blending all the ingredients with some water to make a paste.

2.
Heat ghee in a pot and fry the sliced shallots, garlic, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom. Add the grounded spice ingredients and fry until fragrant. Then add the curry paste and fry for a few minutes until oil begins to separate.

3.
Put the chicken pieces in the pot and mix well. Cook over low heat until the sauce is almost dry. Pour in the coconut milk and stir. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil.

4.
Combine the milk and lime juice together and add to the kurma. Season with salt and sugar and bring to a boil. When it boils again, add the tomatoes and green chillies. Reduce heat and simmer for another 20 minutes. Add the chopped coriander leaves just before serving.

Serve 4-6 people