Ayam Masak Lemak(Chicken in Creamy Coconut)

Ayam Masak Lemak is a typical Malay dish that is easy and simple to cook.We can easily find this dish in any Malay food vendor or stall in Malaysia..The most important key ingredients of this dish is coconut milk,turmeric powder and lemongrass..These day we can easily find "ready made" Ayam Masak lemak paste on supermarket shelf .If you are up to challenge you can make this dish from scratch.Actually it's quite simple nothing elaborated. Some Cook like extra hot and spicy for this dish.You can add in blended chili to infused the fiery flavorful in order to bring extra kick to our taste bud.Again it's up to individual tastebud ,some people like it mild and some people like this dish hot and so on...As for me I like spicy plus extra gravy that will bring flavorful creamy pleasant coconut aroma to this dish.There is no hard rule to follow when cooking this dish..

Ingredients:
(A)
1 whole chicken,about 3-4 lbs,wash and cut to small pieces
1 can coconut milk,400 ml
1 cup milk


(B)
1 stalk lemongrass,sliced
1 bulb garlic,peeled
4-5 chili pepper,removed seed or Thai's chili
4-5 tbsp oil
*blend or pound (B) until fine*
2 tbsp brown sugar or regular sugar
2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
salt to taste
2-3 tbsp turmeric powder
Method:
1:Prepared large deep skillet at medium high heat with some oil.Add in (B) sauteed until fragrant,then add chicken,turmeric powder and coconut milk.
2:Simmer chicken for 30 minutes,if it's too dry add in extra water or milk(1 cup or more).Add in chicken bouillon powder,sugar and salt to taste.Simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until cooked.
3:Check the seasoning before remove from heat and serve warm with rice or noodle.

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Surimi Tofu with Shrimp

I heard about surimi tofu but never try until now. When I saw surimi tofu at frozen section at Asian supermarket ,I quickly grab a pack of fish flavor surimi tofu home with me.I wonder how it's taste.Of course the price of this tofu is above regular tofu.It's taste bland just like regular tofu or full of fish flavor? To my surprised ,this tofu taste nothing like regular tofu or silken tofu ,it's more like fish cake texture and flavour!! The packaging really deceived me!! I didn't expect the body of surimi tofu bouncy and compact!! it's really taste delicious, luscious and delightful!!

Ingredients:

1 pack surimi tofu,thawed
6-8 large shrimp,shelled and deveined

3 cloves garlic,peeled and chopped
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp white pepper powder
2 tbsp corn flour+ 2 tbsp cold water,dissolve
1/2 cup water
1 stalk scallion,washed and cut small
2 tbsp oil

Method:

1:Heat medium pan or skillet with oil ,place surimi tofu into the pan,fry both side slightly,set aside .(You can omit the step coz the tofu it's self is well fried) Add in garlic ,fry until fragrant,then pour in water and seasoning.
2:When the gravy bubbly,add in shrimp and corn flour dissolved,mix well immediately,do not let it sit or stick into a lump.Cook for 5 minutes before add in surimi tofu .Check the seasoning.
3:Sprinkle cut scallion before dish out and serve warm .

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Sambal Udang (Spicy Prawn)

I believed sambal udang is a nyonya dish ,correct me if I'm wrong.It's literally translate to English as spicy prawn .I remember when I was young and lived in Kayel with my grandmother and mom ,both of them love to cook this dish occasionally.Both of them are from Penang island and it's understandable most of the time they cook all their soul nyonya food . At that time I still don't really understand that sambal udang or all the food they cooked is Nyonya food.Every weekend my grandmother will make one special dish for the whole family..It's either Otak Otak,Achat,Prawn Mee,Assam Laksa,Popiah,Steam Nasi Kunyit with Curry Chicken and etc..I wish I learn from my grandmother how to make or what is in the recipe but at that time I don't know how to appreciated the *jewel* food she prepared for us..I recalled my grandmother told us to pick young betel leave from her backyard when she want to make otak otak or make us shelled shallot or prawn when she want to make prawn mee and we really hate that kind of chores.Of course ,what you expect 8 or 10 years old kid know or appreciated.We only know how to eat yummy delicious food not slaving our self in kitchen for hours peeling this and that.They really make all their food from scratch not like today we can just buy the paste from supermarket shelf and ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.Even though many years has pass but I still remember vaguely how my mom make this kind of dish.One of this dish is Sambal Udang! FYI my 87 year old grandmother is still very much alive but unfortunately she lost all the cooking touch. Anyway mine version of sambal udang is slightly off from my mom or grandmother, I guess..but it's still acceptable accordingly to me!! hahaha!

Ingredients:

1 lb large shrimp or prawn,shelled and deviened*you can use medium size*

(A)

15 shallot,peeled

10 red long chili

5 cloves garlic

100 gm dried pepper(soaked overnight)* add extra if you like extra spicy*

1 tbsp salt

1/2 cup oil

2 tbsp belacan granulated*I fried from fresh belacan*

(B)

2 tbsp tamarind powder

5-6 tbsp sugar or to taste

salt to taste

1/2 cup water ,plus extra if necessary

Method:

1:Blend (A) in blender or pound until fine.Prepared deep skillet or wok with some oil an medium at high heat.Add blended sambal paste,sauteed for 15 minutes or until oil floated on surface.

2:Add in clean shrimp into the sambal paste follow by (B).Sauteed for 10 minutes or until shrimp cook.Do not over cook shrimp,it will get tough and hard.

3:Check the seasoning before remove from heat.Serve with rice or noodle.

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Rendang Chicken Maki (Dry Curry Chicken Sushi Roll)

Have you ever heard or try rendang sushi roll,no? Well,I have some leftover dry-curry-chicken-rendang-ayam in the fridge and think it's quite an interesting ingredients to use rendang chicken and cucumber to make sushi roll. What should I called my new found sushi roll? Destruction Rendang Sushi Roll? What do you think,interesting or weird combination? Well,I think if any sushi chef see what I done to their creation (sushi roll ),he or she will have heart attack!! lol! Actually making rendang chicken roll is not bad at all,it's like eating rice with rendang chicken and nori in a neat and small packet.Maybe you should try it one day if you're up to the challenge!! thumb up!

Ingredients:(A)
For making su-meshi/ vinegared rice
1 cup calrose rice/sushi rice
2 tbsp mixed sushi vinegar
1/4 cup water

For 2 Rolls:

1 cup dry-curry-chicken-rendang-ayam ,deboned with gravy
2 sheet seaweed paper/nori
1 cucumber,peeled and shredded

some roasted sesame seed

Method:

1:You need a nori sheet,place nori sheet stretching from you.Make sure you place the nori dull side facing upwards.
2:Spread the vinegared rice out evenly over the nori sheet .Using one hand to prevent rice spilling over the end of nori,gently press down the rice with fingertips of your other hand.
3:Leave about 2 inch free on the far side,and 3/8 inch free on the side nearest to you.
4:Spread dry-curry-chicken-rendang-ayam with the gravy , cucumber and some sesame seeds on the rice on nori sheet facing you in oblong shape.(Add in some mayo or rice to hold all ingredients together in case it's fall apart)

5:Firmly roll up from the end nearest you,taking care not to squeeze out the contents
6:Firmly hold the bamboo mat to roll up.
7:Use sharp knife to cut into 6 or 8 pieces and arrange the roll on the plate.

8:Serve with some wasabi and soy sauce or by itself.

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Stir-fry Crab Leg with Ginger and Scallion

If you're my regular reader you can see I posted many type of crab recipe that I had tried. I'm a crab lover,regardless it's fresh or frozen,blue or red,I really don't care as long as it's crab!! Months ago when I shopped at Asian market I saw few packet of pretty good size crab leg at the frozen section.Without wasting time I grab a pack of crab leg and throw in my shopping cart.I totally forget about the frozen crab leg until I rearrange my box freezer...Well,I like to use ginger ,garlic and scallion when cooking crab.That my signature herbs when it's comes with crab.The frozen crab is not bad at all.Beggar can't be choosy,right?

Ingredients:

1 packet or 2 lbs frozen crab,thawed
5-6 cloves garlic,peeled and shopped
2 inch ginger,peeled and shredder
1 stalk scallion,washed and cut 2 inch
3-4 tbsp premium soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp oil

Method:

1:Heat large skillet with oil ,ginger and garlic,saute ginger and garlic until fragrant or lightly brown.Add in crab leg,soy sauce,rice wine and sugar.
2: Keep stirring crab leg with the seasoning until well combined or for 10 minutes.Check the seasoning.
3:Add in cut scallion before dish out and serve warm.

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Char Keoy Teow with See Ham(Cockle)炒粿条

Finding fresh cockles(see ham) in US and A is not really easy. I guess the demand for this species is not really great here.You won't find fresh cockles or it's called blood cockles anytime in any local market as easy as in countries like Asia.During summer I found few Asian market in Chinatown do sell fresh blood cockles but it's really pricey!! a pound with shell for $6.99 or higher!! Yes ,of course I bought a pound or two whenever I see the fresh cockles in season since I miss and craving for it..Well,now I don't have to wait for summer to eat fresh cockles.These day we can find fresh cockles in frozen section in Asian market .It's as good as the one that just fish out from water..We can just eat fresh cockles as it's or use it when fried keoy teow..There is a famous Malaysia restaurant in Flushing,New York who have Cockle Char Keoy Teow in their menu.I like this restaurant because the chef who make this dish know how to make this dish taste so delicious with his skill to cook this dish with wok hei 镬气..Well whenever I visit Flushing I'm sure drop by at this restaurant to order this special noodle dish but unfortunately travelling to Flushing is quite a fuss with limited parking and traffic all the time,not to said getting summon ticket is as easy as ABC!! So solve my craving I decided to cook Cockles Char Keoy Teow at home.Yoo.....hoo!! the taste really close to the one sold at the restaurant but still lack of wok hei!! well,beggar can't be choosy ,right?

Ingredients:
2 sheets fresh rice flat noodle (chow fun) cut 1 inch
1 pack or 1 lb fresh cockles,shelled
5-6 fresh garlic,peeled and chopped
2 Chinese sausage,soaked before removed skin and sliced
1/2 lb minced meat
300 gm pork,sliced
10 shrimp,shelled and deviened
1 lb mung bean sprout,washed
1/2 Chinese chives,washed and cut 2 inch
5 eggs
some cut Thai's bird chilies
2 tbsp oil

Seasoning:
2 tbsp premium soy sauce or to taste
1 tbsp caramel thick soy sauce or to taste
2 tbsp oyster sauce or
1 tbsp ground white pepper powder

Method:
1:Heat large aluminum skillet or wok at high heat.(To get better wok kei,don't use non-stick skillet).Add in sliced Chinese sausage,fry sausage lightly brown ,remove to a plate.Then add oil and eggs,scramble ,do not over fry,still retain moist remove eggs to the plate.
2:Add in oil and chopped garlic,fry until fragrant,then add in minced meat and sliced pork,fry for 1 minute before add in cut chow fun.Try to use chop stick or toss the noodle with spatula to prevent the noodles from getting mushy or disintegrate.
3: Add in all the seasoning,keep tossing the noodle well or for 5 minutes.Use spatula to moved the noodle to one aside.Add in shrimp and cook before add in cooked eggs ,cut Thai's chilies,cockles and Chinese sausage together.(do not overcooked cockles)
4:Toss in Chinese chives and bean sprout into the cooked noodle,mix well.Do not over cooked bean sprout.Immediately remove noodle from heat.
5:Serve warm immediately.

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Steamed Black Sea Bass with Ginger and Scallion

Black Sea Bass is an exclusive salt water (marine)fish.It's consider type of Grouper which found abundant off the waters of New York. They can be found in inshore waters (bays and sounds) and offshore in waters .I recalled many moons ago when I went fishing on party boat ,mostly all I caught was black sea bass.Fishing on the party boast is fun and exciting coz it's guarantee you will catch any type of fish at the bottom of the ocean but unfortunately I had seasick each time when I was on the party boat.Due to my seasick I have to fish offshore on the beach or at the pier.I remember each time when I went fishing on the beach I have to bring EPD(Environmental Protection Division ) rules and regulation which it's has limit,size and type of fish that we can bring home with us.We can't caught and bring home whatever fish we like and if we get caught by this EPD officer,we not only will get heavy summon ($500-1000)but we also need to appear at the court in front of the judge to explain why we not follow the rules applied.Mostly people here fish for fun and then release .It's called catch and release.Well,since I don't fish during winter and miss having sea bass,all I can do is to hop over to Asian market to buy the fish.I love Black Sea Bass coz the meat is so delicate fine ,soft and tender.Black Sea Bass is a good low-fat source of protein and magnesium.The best way or method to enjoy this fresh healthy Back Sea Bass is to steam ,in order to taste the delicate freshness of the fish.

Ingredients:

2 Black Sea Bass,removed gills,scales and entrails in cavity
2 inch ginger,Peeled and cut julienne
3-4 cloves garlic,peeled and sliced
1 stalk scallion,washed and cut 2 inch
4-5 tbsp oil
4-5 tbsp premium light soy sauce

1 small red pepper,sliced for garnishing
Method:

1:Prepare steamer with enough water at high heat.Place both Black Sea Bass in a heat resistance plate(prefer deep plate).When steamer water is rolling boil,place fish onto the steamer and steam for 10-15 minutes.
2:Meanwhile,heat skillet with oil at medium heat,add in ginger and garlic,fry until fragrant or golden brown.Pour soy sauce into the skillet and immediately remove from heat.
3: Sprinkle cut scallion and red pepper on the fish and pour fry ginger and garlic mixture onto the steamed fish.Serve warm with rice.

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