Peanut Sambal Chicken

This chicken dish will get people asking for the recipe after eating it =)

It's almost like a satay sauce but just not as sweet and it's way more easy..

In the recipe below, I mentioned that I've browned the chicken first. But that's optional..However, browning it not only adds flavour, but also helps the chicken to hold it's shape better while cooking.

recipe:

20 red chillies

4 cloves of garlic

2 medium sized red onions

1 stalk lemongrass

1 cup of roasted peanuts, chopped roughly

Cut the chicken into pieces

Blend chillies(with seeds), garlic and onions in a food processor

Heat a wok with some oil and brown the chicken pieces until golden brown.

Add in the blended mixture and cook until fragrant

Bruise the lemongrass with the back of a knife and add into pot.

Add enough water to barely cover the chicken

Season with salt

Simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes until the chicken is tender

Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and continue reducing the gravy until it's quite thick

Add the peanuts to the gravy.

Return the chicken to the gravy.

Serve!

Satay Partayy

Satay is Malaysian? Indonesian? I think every country has it's own form of satay..

I just happen to think Malaysian satay is the Awesomest!!

or perhaps I'm just biased..hehe

Yup that big bowl of brown stuff's the satay sauce..peanuty and quite spicy

My brother and I managed to burn all 200 of em satay stick..and boy was it hot..

Once we got the hang of it, we confidently filled the entire grill!

So the Party was a success!

On the menu

Satay

 

Beef Rendang

Pandan Chicken

Glass Noodle Salad

For Dessert

Durian Cake

Ruth's Apple & Rhubarb Pie

 

I just LOVE durian..unfortunately some need a little bit of psycho-ing to try it xP Hence, the fruit cake gesture

Not too heavy, just the right amount of sweet, My Birthday Cake=) 

nyehehehe

 

And those are all the lovely people in my oh so wonderful life =)

Indian Moussaka?

Its a moussaka, no it has meat in it, so its chicken curry, but noo its..nyehehehe just something I thought would taste super!

Cheesy, spicy, meaty, santan-ny, that's what Im talking about

recipe:

5 large potatoes, sliced thinly

2 medium-sized eggplants, sliced very thinly

enough salt to sprinkle on each side of the eggplant and potato slices

2 tablespoon curry powder

2 tablespoon ground coriander

  2tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp ground cummin

3 cloves of garlic

1 small red onion

500g chicken mince

 the same measurements of curry powder, coriander, turmeric and cummin

 5 tablespoons thick santan (or more)

2 instant lasagne sheets

 lotsa shredded mozerella cheese

sprinkle salt over all the sides of the potato slices

toss potatoes with curry powder, coriander, cummin, turmeric

Set aside to marinate (longer the better)

Salt the eggplant slices and place them in a colander, to drain the water that will be released

Leave it for about an hour

Heat some oil in a pot. Fry the garlic and onion

Add the chicken mince and fry until cooked

Add in spices and continue cooking, adding a little water during the process

When chicken is cooked, Add in the santan. Mix well and remove from heat

Season with salt

Layer the bottom of the dish with instant lasagne sheets

Followed by some chicken

then a layer of eggplant

and a layer of potatoes

bring on the cheese!

repeat the process, without the lasagne

cover the top with a sheet of non-stick baking paper(prevents the cheese from sticking and burning)

then cover with foil

Bake in a 190C oven for 40minutes to an hour(till potatoes are soft)

Beef Rendang and Rice Cakes

I've got to say, my enthusiasm for Asian cooking has sky-rocketed!

I wish I had a Nyonya lady to teach me how to cook..and it's a shame how all my grandmother's skillz are going with her..

Therefore,,

END OF YEAR RESOLUTION:- exploit Ah Mar

err hope that doesn't sound wrong in any way..

Anyway!

todays menu features : Beef Rendang

Tastes like the Malay version..you know how indian,chinese and malay curries all taste slightly diff..

I highly recommend this!

The best thing is, you can add as much of whatever you like to suit your prefrence=)

Recipe:

1 kg stewing beef, cubed

salt to season

5 dried chillies

5 fresh red chillies

2 red onions

1 whole garlic

1 thumb sized ginger

1 thumbsized turmeric (can't find it? forget it)

5 tablespoons dessicated coconut

1 stalk lemongrass,cut into 4 parts

3 kaffir lime leaves

4 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

400ml canned santan

3 teaspoons shaved gula melaka

a dash of ground cinnamon

toss beef cubes with salt

toast coconut in a pan(dry fry) till brown

blend both chillies,onion,garlic,ginger,turmeric,toasted coconut with about 1 cup of water 

Heat oil in a pot and fry beef cubes till its a little brown (raw inside)

(I did this in badges)

remove beef from pot and set aside

Heat more oil in the pot

add in the blended mixture. Fry and bring to a boil

Add in the beef, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves,coriander and cumin

Pour in the santan and enough water to cover the beef

Mix well and bring to a boil

Simmer on low heat until the gravy is thick and quite dry

Add in the gula melaka and season with salt if needed.

Add in the dash of cinnamon =)

Optional: stir in another 5 tablespoons of toasted coconut (oh yeah)

Your rendang should be really thick and just dahdahdahlicious

Dhall

Dhalldhalldhalldhalldhalldhalldhall did I mention I love dhall? 

man I drink it like soup its so good so good

MMmmMM! 

onionsgarlicstaranicefenugreekchilliescurrypowdercorianderfennelandlentilswater are all it takes for a lovely pot of dhall..simple, nutritious and great for winter =) 

uuuugghh I want my roti canai!!! Counting down the months till december. Mamak, here I come!

Nasi lemak and Indian food=)

Cold, wet and gloomy..A day like today was a three in one package for misery. You have no idea how much I miss home. If only all it took was a snap to be on the next flight to KL. It's been a while since I've been to my favourite mamak for nasi kandar..it's been even longer since I've eaten road-side nasi lemak..GAHHH desperate for some real food! Without wasting anymore time feeling sorry for myself, I decided to get cooking..and was cheered up :)

 

Indian beef curry, brinjal chutney and fish cutlets

And of course, Nasi Lemak to go with everything=)

My brothers and I were very pleased with how the rice turned out. It was grainy and coconutty just the way it should be. The curry was spicy, full of aromas just like the ones in tze mamak stalls..*Score* I particularly enjoyed the fish cutlets..they were so tasty! and I was quite surprised because I had actually forgotten to add in any salt. Indian food is awesome..right Rae? yeahh=)

The great thing is, everything's easypeasy to make.. For the coconut rice, cook your rice like how you do all the time but replace half the amount of water with coconut milk. Then, add in a reasonable amount of salt before cooking it.. And of course, for many of us coconut milk will come from a can..I managed to find "ayam brand" here in melbourne..

Fish cutlets
500g basa fish, boiled and flaked
250g potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 large onion, chopped
a thumb sized piece of ginger, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
a handful of chopped coriander leaves
2 green chillies, chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 egg
oil, for frying

Mix all the ingredients except tze oil together, using your hands if you need to (i did). Form into palm sized patties. Fry on both sides till golden brown.