Sugi Sweet Dumplings

This is really a trial recipe that I was making. I saw a packet of sugi flour while getting my groceries the other day, and I have always been curious about this flour. I often wonder what type of dish that is suitable for this flour and how it would taste like. Well, I have tried sugi cookies before and I loved it, so I guess I wanted to experiment with it. It just so happen, a few days before I saw a woman chef made a sweet sugi dessert cooked with some sugar and milk, so I decided to give a try to this one. I did not recall clearly of how she did her sugi dessert, but mine was just the one that I invented myself! And it was not bad at all!

Ingredients
For the dumplings
6-8 table spoon sugi flour
1 can evaporated milk

4 table spoon coarse sugar

For the sauce
2 table spoon coffee @ Nescafe
1 table spoon sugar
hot water
* mix the coffee and sugar in hot water until the sugar is dissolved

Methods
1. In a pot, add in the sugar and milk. Stir until both ingredients are combined.

2. After that, add in the sugi flour and stir and mix well.

3. Turn on your stove and put the mixture over a low to medium heat and stir well. The flour will thicken quite fast and make sure that you adjust the heat accordingly.

4. When the mixture has thicken ( if it does not then you have to add in more sugi flour), turned off the stove and keep aside for cooling.

5. When the mixture has cooled, mold it into ball shapes one by one until finishes.

6. Serve with a coffee sauce that you have mixed with some sugar and water. Best if served chilled.

*serves 6-8 people

Steamed Orange and Chocolate Cake

I love orange and chocolate cake as I feel they go hand in hand together. Normally, people will bake their cake but there are also another way of making a cake, that is by steaming. I was rumbling through my dry pantry looking for tea-time snack, and I saw the leftover ingredients from the last cake I bake, and hence I decided it would be perfect to bake a cake. But, the last cake I baked did not turn out very well because the oven had turned out kaput, so I decided to try and steam the cake. And voila! It turned out perfectly well! Enjoy!

Ingredients
* pls note to use the same exact measurement for the cup to achieve a better result.

1 cup castor sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
1 3/4 cups of self-raising flour
4 grade A eggs
2 table spoon Van Houten chocolate powder
1 orange zest and juice
2-3 drops chocolate colouring
2-3 drops orange colouring

Methods
1. In a mixing bowl, put in the butter and sugar. Whip until the sugar has dissolved.

2. When the sugar has dissolved, add in the eggs one by one and whip until the mixture turns white and fluffy.

3. When the mixture turns white and fluffy, add in the flour and mix well by flipping the flour in the same direction but in a circular movement.

4. When it's done, separate the mixture into two parts.

5. In one bowl, add in the chocolate powder and the chocolate colouring and mix well.

6. In another bowl, add in the zest of one orange and the juice. Also add some orange colouring to make the colour stands out. Mix well.

7. In a 20 inch baking pan, spread the whole pan with some butter and add in the chocolate and orange mixture side by side until it finishes.

8. Meanwhile, get your steamer ready. When it's ready, put in the baking pan and steam in a medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the cake is done. You can see if it's done by pricking a a fork through the cake and if the fork comes out clean, then the cake is ready to be served.

9. Wait until the cake has cooled down before serving.

*serves 6-8 people

Steamed Chicken with Mushroom

Simple. Easy. Healthy. Three things to describe this dish. You can add in any kinds of vegetables to complement the dish. I have chosen a few selections of mushroom and some green vegetables to complete this main dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients
12 parts of chicken, marinade with salt and pepper
2 big onions, chopped
5 garlic, chopped
1 inch ginger, thinly sliced
6 sprigs of chives, thinly sliced
6 sprigs of coriander leaves, thinly sliced
2 table spoon fish sauce
shitake mushrooms
oyster mushrooms
button mushrooms
small corns, as desired
green peas, as desired
3 kaffir leaves
3 lemon grass stalks, pounded lightly at the root side
1 egg plant, cubed
1/2 lime juice
salt
pepper

Methods
1. Put the chicken in the steamer and cook until half done or about half an hour.

2. When the chicken is half done, add in all the other ingredients stages by stages until you fill the whole pan.

3. Cook for another 20 minutes or until the vegetables have softened a bit and the chicken is done.

4. Serve in a serving dish.

*serves 6 people

Tuna Pasta

In our house, pasta is commonly served. My kids love to eat the soft, boiled pasta on their own, munching a bowl of plain ones while I am busy preparing the rest of the ingredients. Basically, pasta is healthy and there are many ways you can cook your pasta. I have made this tuna pasta a few times in the past, especially when we are having guests or celebrating some occasions. It's easy as you only need to mix all the fresh ingredients and the outcome is simply superb! Do try!

Ingredients
1 big onion, chopped
500 gm spiral pasta, boil with salt and oil until soft
4 cans of tuna chunks
1 large bowl or mayonnaise
1 cup of raisins
6 potatoes (cubed and boil until soft)
1 table spoon dried Italian herbs, or any herbs you have
1 lemon juice
salt
pepper

Methods

1. Boil the pasta until soft by following the instructions in the packet.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chop the onions, boil the potatoes and get ready the rest.

3. When the pasta is ready, put them in a bowl. Wait until it cools down.

4. When the pasta has cooled down, add in the chopped onions, tuna chunks, raisins, boiled potatoes, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, and mix all ingredients well. Lastly, squeeze in one lemon juice and mix well.

5. Put in the refrigerator to cool before serving.

*serves 6-8 people

Malaysian Omelette

Sometimes you crave to eat a very simple dish like an omelette. When I was young, this was often served on the table with other main dishes like curries, sambal, rendang or masak lemak. Sometimes, we (me and siblings) felt that our meals were not complete with this simple omelette and would see if it was served on the table. Our mom would serve this with hot rice. In those days, it used to be just eggs and salt and pepper. But sometimes my mom would put some shredded onions and small prawns to complement the taste. When I grew older and have a habit and interest to try out new recipes and different way or style of cooking, I would add in more ingredients like shredded capsicum, mushroom, carrots and potatoes. I normally will use what ever we have in the fridge and fry a very delicious omelette. The one I am having here is a very simple and easy to do. If you are hungry and you have nothing ready to eat, and you happen to have some eggs in the fridge, this will be it! Great with hot white rice or with bread. Do try!

Ingredients
5 eggs, beaten
1 pinch of salt
pepper, as desired
a pinch of cinnamon powder
a pinch of paprika
a pinch of dried chilly seeds

Methods
1. Beat all ingredients and fry in a non-stick frying pan until slightly crisp.

2. Serve with a plate of hot rice or bread.


*serves 2-4 people

Chef Norman Musa's Taste of Home

Watch Chef Norman Musa and his culinary travel around some parts of Malaysia in this brief documentary.

Sausage Bread Roll

My lovely daughters love this one. It is very easy to do and does not require a long time. You simply need a few sausages, eggs and bread, and this can be prepared in less than half an hour! Enjoy!

Ingredients
8 wheat/wholemeal bread
8 sausages, boil until cooked
2 eggs, beaten
salt
pepper
a pinch of cinnamon powder

Methods
1. Roll the bread individually with a roller to make it thin and flat. Put the boiled sausage at the end of the bread and roll it until it reaches the end. Do the same way until you finish.

2. In a bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add some salt and pepper to taste, and a pinch of cinnamon powder.

3. Put each sausage roll in the bowl and dip the whole body with the eggs. Repeat the process until you finish.

4. Fry the sausage roll until golden brown.

*serves 2-4 people

Fried Rice with Anchovies and Dried Shrimps ( Nasi Goreng Kampung)

There are many ways to make fried rice. And there are many names given to fried rice according to the ingredients that you put inside it. There are nasi goreng cina, nasi goreng kerabu, nasi goreng ikan masin, nasi goreng pattaya, nasi goreng ayam just to name a few. But the one I am having here is nasi goreng kampung which uses ingredients like dried ikan bilis or anchovies, dried shrimps and kangkung or water spinach. To make a good fried rice, you must make sure that the rice is not soggy or soft, but a little bit dry. It's great for breakfast, if you are hungry or dinner, if you prefer a heavy one. Do try!

Ingredients

5 cups cooked rice
2 big onions, pounded
4 cloves garlic, pounded
3 cili padi, pounded
2 fresh red chillies, pounded
2 handful ikan bilis, pounded
200 gm dried shrimps, pounded
1 carrot, grated finely
a handful of water spinach, take only the leaves and upper stem
1 inch belacan ( shrimp paste)
1 table spoon fish sauce
1 table spoon light soy sauce
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Methods
1. In a pan, pour some oil and heat it. When the oil is heated, put in the pounded onions, garlic and cili padi. Stir well. Add the pounded fresh chillies and belacan. Stir until the ingredients turn aromatic.

2. Add pounded ikan bilis and dried shrimps. Stir well for about a minute.

3. Add fish sauce, soy sauce and grated carrots. Stir well.

4. Add the cooked rice and water spinach and mix all ingredients well until the rice is well coated with all the ingredients.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve in a serving plate while still hot.

*serves 3-6 people

A Wonderful BBQ Event!

The month of Syawal will normally be filled with open houses, a norm that is practiced by Malaysians. For no apparent reason, Malaysians seem to love the idea of visiting another Malaysians may they be friend or relatives to uplift the spirit of Eid'l Fitri. This month will be well spent with various invitations and rounds. Me and my family are not excluded. This year, we decided to make a bbq cum birthday celebration for the kiddos. The menu was briyani rice, vegetable salad, pasta and tuna, mashed potatoes with green peas, mini burgers, pulut udang ( gifts from a friend), fruit tarts, layered cakes, lemon iced juice and of course the chicken and sausage bbq. And the delectable birthday cakes for two!

In between house renovation, we managed to prepare the dishes with great spirit. Me, my sister and sister in law were literally rubbing shoulders in the kitchen as early as 9 am. We had fun of course. It's a great spirit that I treasure all the time. Sitting together as a family and enjoying little talks and gossips here and there while cutting the onions and making rounds of our tasks. And of course little giggles and laughs that fill the air.

The men were also playing theirs parts. And the handy work was given to them of course. Besides handling the bbq duty, the tasks for them include cleaning, rearranging, lifting furniture, making drinks and doing any heavy duty jobs that need extra energy. We are lucky because the men are handy and helpful, so all work was done on time. No nagging or repeating of words, so all went well. The bbq was a good way to bring us all closer together in any and many ways. If time permits, next year will see another bbq and hopefully with different menus and more guests ever!

Salam Eid'l Fitri and Selamat Hari Raya

I hope it is not too late to wish Happy Eid to all. Even though the 1st Syawal has passed a week ago, the spirit is still lingering in the air. We had a great day preparing the dishes and welcoming the month of Syawal while saying goodbye to the month of Ramadhan. This year the preparation was done early. I got my kids a few selections of new clothing and shoes that they love very dearly. Also some biscuits from all sorts of shapes and taste as early as June. This year's spending was a little bit extravagance. Maybe because last year Eid was not celebrated much, so this year I had a vengeance! I got my kids two pairs of baju kurung, three shirts and blouses, and two skirts each, and of course a pair of new shoes for each of them. They deserve it because they have had no new clothing for a while and the celebration of Eid would be a good reason to get them new clothing. Well, to kill the guilt for over spending, I told myself that they would only be able to get them once a year, so I guess that soothed me a bit.

Talking about spending, besides the spiritual obligations on Ramadhan and Syawal, the coming of Eid means the emptying of ones' pockets. It has been a norm in our society that when Eid comes, we would offer duit raya or some money as gifts or sadaqah to friends and relatives, especially the children. We would put some amount of money in a small envelope and would distribute them to family members especially the nieces and nephews. They are the ones who are looking forward to the coming of Eid because that means they can collect lots of money. But to the adults, that would be a sigh. We would end up being pokai or almost bankrupt! :)

This year, my spirit to celebrate Eid was high. I did my best to make my fasting efforts worth every minute. But my spirit was dampened a bit two days before Eid as I caught up with a fever and running nose. I had promised my children earlier that I would bake them a cake. I also had planned to make chicken soto and macaroni pie besides the traditional dishes that you get during Eid like lemang, rendang and nasi impit. I was planning to bake a cake two days prior to Eid but the fever slowed me down.

But thank God, a day before Eid, as promised and after being asked by my kids when I would whip out those sugar and butter, I manage to make those three dishes in a day, still with a running nose and a hoarse voice and the sewing of beads on my baju raya in between. Thanks to the fever but a promise is meant to be kept. I would not feel easy until I have fulfilled what I promised them earlier, so voila! With the right attitude and strong will power, I whipped out the sugar and butter, also cooked a huge pot of chicken soup for my chicken soto, blended the chillies, and baked macaroni pie in less than a day! I guess good planning did it all! We had many round of those dishes and they disappeared very fast as we kept coming for seconds!

To top it all, we had a great Eid and is still celebrating it with open houses until the end of Syawal. Well, that's how Malaysians celebrate their Eid'l Fitri! :) We open our houses for every one and it's the spirit that keep us all together!

Salam Eid'l Fitri to all!