Kuih sagu with gula melaka sauce

You will need:

• 1 cup Pandan Tapioca pearl (sagu)
• 4 cups water
• 1 chunk of gula melaka (you can substitute with brown sugar)

Direction:

1. Boil water on a medium heat.
   
2. Pour sagu in the boiling water and let it simmer for 15 - 20 minutes. You will notice that the sagu will become clear (transparent) and that shows the sagu is ready.
   
3. Meanwhile, heat the gula melaka with 5tbs water in a different pan until all gula melaka is dissolved. The consistency is up to your likings. (More water if you like it thin). Alternatively, you may heat the gula melaka with some water in microwave.
4. Once the sagu is ready, pour in small moulds or ramekins. Leave to set for a couple of hours.
5. Serve the sagu with gula melaka.

Note: This recipe was observed once upon a time at Auntie Wa's house. The quantity in this recipe is purely guessed.

Double chocolate brownies

You will need:

• 175g unsalted butter (extra for buttering)
• 250g dark chocolate
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 150g plain flour
• 150g walnuts or pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
• 200g milk chocolate chips (or roughly chopped chocolate)

Direction:

1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Line the base and sides of a 30cm x 20cm x 3 cm baking tin with baking parchment, then butter.
2. Melt the butter and dark chocolate together either in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave on a low setting. Stir until smooth and then leave to cool a little.
3. Whisk the sugar and eggs together with electric beaters until pale and thick. Mix in the vanilla and melted butter and chocolate. Sift the flour and fold into the batter with the chopped nuts and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 35 minutes.
   
4. Cool in the tin, then cut into squares. Makes 18.

Source: Olive Magazine, March 2007

Baked raspberry cheesecake

You will need:

• 8 digestive biscuits
• 50g butter, melted
• 600g cream cheese
• 2 tbs plain flour
• 175g caster sugar
• vanilla extract
• 2 eggs plus 1 yolk
• 142ml pot soured cream
• 300g punnet raspberries
• 1 tbsp icing sugar

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Crush the biscuits in a food processor (or put in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin). Mix with the butter. Press into a 20cm springform tin and bake for 5 minutes, then cool.
2. Beat the cream cheese with the flour, sugar, a few drops of vanilla, eggs, the yolk and soured cream until light and fluffy. Stir in half the raspberries and pour into the tin. Bake for 40 minutes and then check, it should be set but slightly wobbly in the centre. Leave in the tin to cool.
3. Keep a few raspberries for the top and put the rest in a pan with 1 tbsp icing sugar. Heat until juicy and then squash with a fork. Push through a sieve. Serve the cheesecake with the raspberry sauce and raspberries. Serves 8.
   

Source: Olive Magazine, March 2007

Banana and Ginger Tatins

You will need:

• 200g Golden caster sugar
• 60ml water
  
• 375g pack ready rolled puff pastry
• 1cm piece root ginger (peeled and finely grated)
• 4 large bananas (thinly sliced)
• 2tsp milk
• vanilla ice cream OR creme fraiche (to serve)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/ gas mark 7. To make the caramel sauce, dissolve the sugar in a heavy saucepan with 60ml water, then boil rapidly for about 5-7 minutes until it starts to turn golden. Remove from the heat - it will continue to colour.
2. Cut 6 circles measuring 10cm each out of the pastry. Put a pinch of ginger into 6 holes of a Yorkshire pudding tin. Spoon some caramel sauce on top, then cover with the banana slices and top with a pastry circle.
3. Press the pastry gently into the tins. Brush with some milk and bake for about 20 minutes until crisp and golden. Invert onto a serving plate while the caramel is still hot (use a spatula to help you hoick out any banana that gets stuck). SErve with vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche. (serves 6)

Source: Olive Magazine, March 2007

Udang goreng pedas Wah

You will need:

• 12 medium sized prawns, with or without the heads
• 3-5 dried chillies
• 1 medium sized onion
• a tiny bit of shrimp paste (optional)
• salt to taste
• a pinch of sugar OR a tinge of honey (optional)
  
• Some oil to fry
  

Direction:

1. Blend together dried chillies, onion and shrimp paste.
   
2. Marinade the prawns with the blended ingredients, salt and sugar or honey. Set aside for fifteen minutes.
3. In a wok, heat oil and fry the prawns until pink and crispy.
4. Serve while hot.

Source: My Grandmother, Wah.

Note: The original recipe does not include honey or sugar as the prawns are already sweet as they are. I purposely add some honey to counter the heat from the chillies. It caramelised (not hangus!) hence the dark red in colour.

This recipe to me is a simplified recipe of sambal udang, a one step cooking method! I just love it when my Wah cooks this for us. It's her speciality besides her ayam percik, bifstik daging and telur separuh masak (seriously!).

Kak Elle's Beef with spices

You will need:

1. 500g beef or lamb
2. 1 big onion
3. 2 cloves of garlic
4. 2 lemon grass
5. 1cm ginger
   
6. 5 dried chillies (about 5cm each)
7. 1 tsp coriander seeds
   
8. 1 tsp cumin seeds
9. 1 tsp fennel seeds
10. 500ml water
    
11. 1 piece of asam keping
12. salt to taste
13. 3-5cm gula melaka (or brown sugar)
14. 2tbs oil
    

Direction

• Blend ingredients no.2 - 9 to a fine texture.
• Heat the oil in a preheated wok. Fry the blended ingredients until fragrant.
• Add in the beef/lamb and water.
• Toss in the asam keping, brown sugar (or gula melaka) and salt.
• Cook the beef/lamb until tender.
• Serve with rice or bread.
  

Source: Adapted from Kak Elle's blog. Please refer here for the original recipe.

Note: I used lamb instead of beef for this recipe. Also, I did not have galangal, I don't know why i replaced it with ginger? I have never used galangal in any of my recipes to tell you the truth!

Another thing was, Kak Elle used 'jintan'. In Malaysia there are two types of jintan; manis and putih. When I started cooking her recipe, I realised that I didn't know which jintan Kak Elle was referring to. So I added in both, fennel and cumin (which one is j.putih and manis eh?) Anyway, the outcome was fantabulous! We rarely eat chilli hot food nowadays, so this one has really spiced up our menu for the day! Thanks Kak Elle.

Deep Fried King Prawns wrapped with fresh egg noodles

You will need:

• 12 fresh king prawns
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 48-60 strands of fresh egg noodles
• fresh baby spinach, to decorate (optional)

Directions:

1. Clean the prawns and prepare them to suit your likings. (eg: either to remove the shell or not. You may remove the head for better presentation too)
   
2. Add all the ingredients (except the noodles) in a bowl and marinade for 10-15 minutes.
3. Wrap one prawn with 4-5 strands of fresh egg noodles.
4. Deep fry in hot oil until the prawns change colour to pink and the noodles become crispy.
5. Drain excess oil on kitchen paper towel.
   
6. Arrange the prawns on baby spinach. Serve while hot with chilli sauce.
   

Source: From my vague memory of watching one of Ainsley Harriott's cooking programme, about 4-5 years ago! I tried to google for the exact recipe, but there was no match so far. If I'm not mistaken, Ainsley used skewers and removed the shells and deveined the prawns before frying.

Oh yes, I made up the ingredients for the marinade too. But two key ingredients were definitely prawns and fresh egg noodles.

Prawn Baguette

You will need

• 1 loaf fresh baguette (or french bread)
• 100-150gm cooked prawn (I used frozen ones)
• 2 tbs mayonnaise
• 2 pieces of iceberg lettuce, sliced
• a pinch of black pepper
• butter (optional)
  
• slices of 1 tomato (optional)
  
• slices of half cucumber (optional)
• Lemon (optional)
  

Direction

1. Slice the baguette length way. Lightly toast in a warm oven or grill. Spread with a thin layer of butter (optional).
   
2. Mix the prawns with mayonnaise lettuce and black pepper. Sandwich it in between the sliced baguette.
   
3. Serve with sliced tomato, cucumber and a squeeze of lemon. (All are of course optional).
   

Note

Prawn sandwich or baguette will be my choice when we have to grab something for snack here in the UK. I'm sure there are many versions of prawn baguette, but I love mine simple with crunchy lettuce.

Sambal tumbuk Mbah

You will need

• 5-10 green chillies
• 1 medium sized onion, diced
• 1 tbs anchovies (ikan bilis)
• 2cm shrimp paste (belacan) (quantity is actually up to you)
• a pinch of salt (optional)
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• lemon/lime juice from half lemon OR tamarind juice from 1tsp tamarind

Directions

1. Fry the chillies, onion, anchovies and shrimp paste for 1-2 minutes. Drain on a kitchen paper towel.
2. Using a mortar and pestle (lesung batu), pound the fried ingredients coarsely. (I think it's nicer if the texture is not too fine)
3. Scoop into a bowl. Add the salt and sugar, if using. Finally squeeze in the lemon/lime juice or tamarind juice. Mix well and serve.

Note

1. Serve with fried fish or fried chicken, and slices of cucumber.

Source: From my late Johor Grandmother.

Roti John

You will need:

Bread

• 2 x 15cm loaf french bread
  
• 200g minced meat
• 1 tbs rempah sup Adabi / rempah kurma Adabi (optional)
  
• 2-3 eggs
  
• 1 medium onion, diced
  
• salt and pepper (to taste)
  

Chilli Sauce (Optional)

• 3 red chillies
  
• 1 small garlic
  
• 2-3 tbs tomato sauce
  
• sugar (to taste)
• a pinch of salt
• 2 tsp vinegar
  

Direction:
Bread

1. Prepare the minced meat first. Fry in a little bit of oil. Add in the onion, salt, pepper and the kurma powder if you are using it. Set aside.
   
2. Beat the eggs.
   
3. Cut the french bread length way in the middle. Put a layer of minced meat evenly and then pour the beaten eggs.
   
4. Fry on VERY LITTLE oil in a non-stick pan. Press on the bread so that the meat will stick on the bread.
   
5. The frying shouldn't take long since the meat has already been cooked earlier on.
   

Chilli Sauce

1. Blend the chillies with the garlic until you get a fine texture.
2. Warm the blended chillies in a small pot with the rest of the ingredients.
   
3. Switch of the heat when you see the first sign of boiling bubbles.
   

To Serve

1. Eat with sliced cucumber, sliced tomato and iceberg salad.
2. It is nicer to eat the bread with the chilli sauce. Some may not like the heat, so they can omit the process.

Note
Honestly, this is a 'hentam' resepi based on my old memory of eating my very first roti john in Singapore with my aunt, Mak Jah. I still remember it strongly that it was wrapped in light-brown paper and the veges were all soggy because we waited to reach home to eat it. At least, you will get freshly cut vegetables when you do it yourself at home.