Rice Pudding

The first time I sampled this pudding was when I visited Egypt a few years ago. And ever since, I like to make this simple dish every time I feel like consuming something soft and sweet as the ingredients would normally be in the pantry. I have been having a stomach upset since a few days ago, and I decided to cook this pudding today to give me some liquid and energy that I have lost for being sick. Moreover, I did not feel like eating anything solid hence this pudding would be perfect. Enjoy!



Ingredients
1/4 cup rice, cooked with enough water until tender
3 cups fresh milk
10-12 Table spoon sugar
1 Table spoon corn flour (mixed with water to dilute the flour)
1 tea spoon cinnamon powder
1 tea spoon rose water
a handful of raisins/sultanas

Methods
1. In a pot, cook the rice with enough water until tender.

2. Add in the fresh milk and cook until the rice is very soft and almost dissolved.

3. Add in sugar and stir well.

4. Add in cinnamon powder and raisins and cook until the raisins are tender.

5. Lastly, add in the corn flour, rose water and stir well for another minute.

6. Serve in a small individual bowl and sprinkle some raisins and cinnamon powder before chilling it in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

*serves 2-4 people

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