Beef Rendang Dendeng

When Hari Raya or Eid'l Fitri comes, we will not miss this delicious beef rendang that is mouthwatering. This dish will be on the table together with chicken rendang, lemang and ketupat, and of course other sweet delicacies and countless savory dishes. This task is always carried by my mother. Her beef dendeng is famous among family and relatives. But, this recipe is my own version of beef dendeng which uses fresh chillies instead of dried chillies that my mother used to make. She also cuts her beef a bit thicker and pound them one by one, but mine is sliced thinly so that they will become crisp when frying. Anyway, the taste is as good as my mom's version. Do try!

Ingredients
500gm beef, sliced very thinly ( I mean very)
3 garlic, pounded
2-3 big onions, pounded
10 fresh red chillies, pounded
1 table spoon coriander powder

1 tea spoon coriander seeds (ketumbar)
2 table spoon tamarind juice
1 table spoon sugar, or to taste
salt, to taste
Oil, for cooking

Methods
1. Wash the beef and sliced them very,very thinly. Marinade with coriander powder, salt and sugar. Leave for half an hour before frying.

2. In a heated pan, pour some oil and fry the marinated beef until crispy. Take them out and put in a plate.

3. In another clean pan, pour some oil and put in the pounded garlic, onions and fresh chillies and stir for a while. Add sugar, tamarind juice and coriander seeds and cook until the mixture becomes aromatic.

4. Cook the mixture until dry. When all the ingredients are well mixed and dry, add salt and pour in the fried beef. Mix all ingredients well.

5. After the beef is well coated with the ingredients, take them out and serve in a serving plate.

6. Best taken with rice, lemang or ketupat.

serves 2-4 people

Watch Jennie Cook prepares the easiest Nasi Lemak!

Watch Jennie Cook demonstrates how to cook nasi lemak and asam prawn in this video! There are a few ways of how to cook nasi lemak and this is the simplest way that you can get!

Fried Fish Fillet

Malaysians prefer to fry their fish as a whole. But occasionally, I would fry some fish fillet as an alternative to give some varieties in daily meals. This is a very simple fried fish fillet that you can do at home in a matter of minutes. You can use it as a sandwich filling or on its own. Some dollops of mayonnaise or chili sauce will make it even better! Do try!

Ingredients

6-8 fish fillets ( any fish)
salt, to taste
pepper,to taste
a pinch of paprika
1 tea spoon turmeric powder
flour, for coating
3 eggs, for coating (beaten well)
oil, for frying
lemon juice from one lemon (optional)

Methods

1. After you have cleaned your fish fillet, coat them with some salt, pepper, paprika and turmeric powder.

2. Coat each fillet with flour and coat it with the beaten eggs, and with the flour again. Do the same process with the rest of the fillets.

3. In a heated frying pan, pour some oil for frying. Add the fillet and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

4. Serve them with some mayonnaise, chilli sauce and some fresh vegetables like sliced cucumber, tomato and carrots. Squeeze some lemon juice for an extra zest.

serves 2-3 people

Fried Okra with Chilies (Bendi Goreng Bercili)

Okra or ladies' fingers are famous among the Indians and also Malays. They are also eaten in a certain quantity to fix constipation problems. Some may prefer to just boil the okra and eat them with some sambal belacan which in itself is a delicacy. But this dish is cooked with some fresh red chilies and some shrimp paste (belacan) and very best eaten with rice. Do try!




Ingredients
10 okra/ladies' fingers (sliced thinly)
2 garlic, pounded
1 big onion, pounded
5 fresh red chillies, pounded
1 inch shrimp paste,pounded
200gm fresh shrimp (optional)
a pinch of sugar
1 lime juice
salt, to taste
oil, for cooking


Methods

1. In a heated pan, pour some oil. When the oil is hot, put all the pounded ingredients. Stir for a minute.

2. Put in the fresh shrimps and stir until tender. Then add the sugar and lime juice.

3. Add the okra and some salt and cook until tender.


serves 2-4 people

Pancake with Apple and Cinnamon Sauce

This morning I woke up with a craving for sweet breakfast. I normally would not prefer anything too sweet, but I guess there is no harm to whip up this kind of dish once in a while! So, I went to the kitchen and bulldozed the pantry looking for things that I can cook for breakfast. There were some apples in the fridge, and some flour in hand, so I guess I would make a simple pancake with some apple sauce! Do try!


Ingredients

For Pancakes

200gm flour
1 egg
100ml fresh milk
1 table spoon sugar
water, enough to make a thin batter

* Mix all ingredients and make a thin batter

For Apple Sauce
1 Granny Smith apple, cubed
1 Macintosh apple, cubed
( you can actually use any apple available to you, in my case these two)
1 tea spoon honey
3 table spoon brown sugar
1 table spoon coarse sugar
1 tea spoon cinnamon powder
1 tea spoon nutmeg powder
1 table spoon margarine or butter

Methods

1. First, make your pancake. Apply a very thin batter in a non-stick frying pan that has been coated with some margarine or butter. Cook briefly and flip the sides and fold it into a triangle shape. When it's done, put in a plate.

2. In a pan, put the margarine or butter. Add the apples which have been cubed and cook for about a minute. Add a little bit of water if it becomes too dry. Stir for a while until the apples are quarter cooked.

3. Then add brown and coarse sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon powder and cook until the sauce thickens. Then add the honey.

4. Put the apple sauce on top of the pancake, and drizzle some honey for an extra zest!

serves 2-3 people

Chicken and Mushroom Stir Fry

I can eat a dish like this simply anytime. It is very easy to do, fast to prepare, simple and yet very tasty. For this stir fry chicken and mushroom I used dried shitaake mushroom which must be soaked first before cooking and also oyster mushroom. But you can choose any type of mushroom that is available in the market, preferable 2 or three kinds for varieties. Do try!

Ingredients
500gm chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
10 dried shitaake mushroom, halves (soak first until tender)
200gm oyster mushroom, halves
3 garlic, finely chopped
1 big onion, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
1/2 red capsicum, cut into 1cm cubes
1/2 green capsicum, cut into 1 cm cubes
1/2 yellow capsicum, cur into 1cm cubes
1 table spoon fish sauce
2 tables spoon soy sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
oil for cooking

Methods
1. In a pan, pour some oil. When the oil is hot, put in the onions, garlic and ginger. Stir for a while until the ingredients become soft.

2. Then add the chicken breast. Stir until the chicken is cooked.

3. Add the mushroom, fish sauce, soy sauce and stir fry for about 2 minutes.

4. Lastly, when the mushroom are cooked, add salt and pepper and the red, green and yellow capsicum briefly. Do not overcook the capsicum or they will become soggy.

5. Serve is a serving plate. You can eat it on its own or with a plate of white rice.


serves 2-4 people

Pasta and Chicken Balls in Tomato Sauce

This is a one of the family favourites. It is not Asian, but it has been well accepted in this country. I thought it would be nice once in a while to share something which is quite universal. To add a little zest, I have also added some spices to make it more flavourful. First, you have to boil the pasta with some salt and oil. You can also use any kinds of pasta besides spaghetti. The sauce is also just like any tomato sauce that you make for any pasta at home. For this dish that we had as our lunch a few days back, I used spiral pasta which is soft and chewy. Do try!

Ingredients

500gm spiral pasta ( boil until tender with some salt and oil)

Chicken Meatballs
500gm minced chicken
a pinch of salt
1 tea spoon cumin powder

1 tea spoon coriander powder
pepper, to taste

(mix all ingredients and form small chicken balls. Fry until golden brown)

Tomato Sauce
4 garlic, thinly sliced
3 big onions, thinly sliced
10 fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 table spoon tomato puree
1 tea spoon dried Italian herbs
1 tea spoon cumin powder
1 tea spoon coriander powder
1 table spoon sugar
1 sprig spring onions, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Methods
1. In a pan, fry and saute the big onions and garlic until golden brown.

2. Add fresh tomatoes and tomato puree. Cook and stir until the tomatoes are turned into thick sauce. You may add some water if the sauce is too thick.

3. Add cumin, coriander powder, dried Italian herbs and sugar. Stir well.

4. After a minute, add some salt and pepper to taste.

5. Add the fried chicken balls and sprinkle some chopped spring onions if any.

6. In a plate, put the cooked pasta and add the chicken balls and the tomato sauce before serving.


serves 4-6 people

Fried Fish Sambal (Sambal Ikan Rebus Goreng)

This is a fish sambal which uses pounded dried chilies. The ingredients are quite similar to ikan bilis sambal that we use for nasi lemak. For this sambal, I used fried fishes that have been boiled for a while in a pot. When the fishes are tender, take them out and marinade them with some salt and tumeric powder and fry until crispy. Then you can make the sambal and add the fishes last. Do try the recipe!


Ingredients

2-4 Ikan Rebus (poached fish), fry until crispy

Pounded ingredients
2 garlic
1 big onion
50gm dried chillies (soak in hot water until tender before you pound them)
1cm shrimp paste

Other ingredients
2 table spoon white vinegar
salt, to taste
sugar, to taste
oil

Methods

1. Fry the fishes until crispy. Take them out and put in a plate.

2. In a pan, put a little bit of oil and add the pounded items. Stir well until the oil submerge from the mixture. Add some sugar, salt and vinegar up to your taste buds. Let the mixture thickens a bit.

3. When the mixture is thicken, add the fishes and stir well until all fishes are well coated with the chilli mixture.

4.Take the fishes out and serve in a plate with some white rice.

serves 2- 4 people

How to Make Sardine Curry Puff (Karipap Sardin)

Do not know how to prepare sardine curry puff? Then watch this video and follow the easy steps to make one!

Four Types of Barbeque Sauce

Having a barbeque is one great way to relax while enjoying good, casual food among family and friends. It is a good idea if we prepare barbeque sauce ahead and experiment with different kinds of barbeque sauce of different flavours. I would like to share with you four types of barbeque sauce that I got from eat.my that I thought would be useful. Thanks!

Ingredients Cola Barbecue Sauce 250g of barbecue sauce 290g of Coca-Cola or Pepsi A stick of butter or margarine Salt & pepper Mango Barbecue Sauce Ripe mango (peeled and cubed) 250g of mango chutney 120g of minced onion 15g of minced garlic 875g of canned crushed plum tomatoes with the juices 30g of cider vinegar 15g of molasses (available in many organic stores) Tabasco sauce Orange-Sour Cream Sauce 450g of sour cream 125g of brown sugar 30g of orange juice 30g of orange liqueur (or a tablespoon of Sunquick) 5g of grated orange peel Blueberry Barbecue Sauce 30g of vegetable oil 60g of minced onion 15g of minced jalopeno chillies (or pickled green chillies) 60g of ketchup 60g of vinegar 45g of brown sugar 45g of Dijon mustard A tablespoon of Tabasco sauce 500g of blueberries

Methods Cola Barbecue Sauce This one is an interesting twist to the brown sauce; and a good substitute, too. The slight sweetness from the cola and its tangy undertones give the familiar flavours of brown sauce a rejuvenating lift to poultry, lamb or gamey meats. It can also be used as a marinade for steaks or chicken, if you are adventurous enough to evolve its recipe! 1. In a saucepan, simmer 250g of barbecue sauce, 290g of Coca-Cola or Pepsi and a stick of butter or margarine. 2. After 45 to 60 minutes, take it off the heat and season with salt and pepper. Just know that this sauce is not meant to have a thick consistency. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mango Barbecue Sauce The appetising orange colour of this one will remind you of processed baby food but the flavours are way more sophisticated. It has a gentle tangy edge to its sweetness with spicy up-lifter which makes it a perfect companion for grilled prawns and all types of white meat, fish, chicken and even duck. 1. In a saucepan, throw in a peeled and cubed ripe mango, 250g of mango chutney, 120g of minced onion, 15g of minced garlic, 875g of canned crushed plum tomatoes with the juices, 30g of cider vinegar, 15g of molasses (available in many organic stores) and a dash of Tabasco sauce. 2. Cover the saucepan and simmer these ingredients on low heat for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens. 3. Then puree or mash through a strainer and season with salt and pepper before serving. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Orange-Sour Cream Sauce At first taste, I thought this one was orange cheesecake in a spoon. Its orangey zesty undertones help cut the creaminess of its consistency and flavour. However, it is a surprisingly terrific companion for a variety of grilled fruits like pineapple and melon. My favourite´s the grilled papaya with a dollop of this creamy, zesty sauce. Papaya´s meaty, juicy quality gives the sauce a terrific body. Now, the best part is that there is no cooking required. 1. All you need to do is mix together 450g of sour cream, 125g of brown sugar, 30g of orange juice, 30g of orange liqueur and 5g of grated orange peel. You do need to refrigerate it for a few hours before serving. 2. Cut fruits of your choice in thick, chunky slices and grill them for a minute or two on each side. Allow for the flesh to be seared to have that smokey flavour. Tip: You can replace the orange liqueur with a generous tablespoon of Sunquick. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Blueberry Barbecue Sauce Rajesh advises that you consume this sauce the same day you make it. Believe me, spreading this tangy and plummy sauce on your grilled meats makes a world of difference. You´d love the deep purple colour too! Although it is rather zesty on your palate at first contact, its hint of sweetness will come through to complement the flavours of lamb, beef or gamey meats. 1. Now to begin, heat up 30g of vegetable oil in a saucepan. 2. Saute 60g of minced onion and 15g of minced jalapeno chillies. When these wilt, add 60g of ketchup, 60g of vinegar, 45g of brown sugar, 45g of Dijon mustard and a generous tablespoon of Tabasco sauce. 3. Bring it all to a simmer before adding 500g of either fresh or frozen blueberries. 4. Continue simmering on low heat for another 10 minutes until the sauce thickens. 5. Once it is off the heat, puree or mash through a strainer and season with salt and pepper before serving. A tip: You can replace the jalapenos with pickled green chillies. Just add one or two cili padi for a local kick.