INDIAN FOOD

Malaysian Fish Curry

It is a typical fish curry cooked in almost all Malaysian homes. This basic recipe uses a Made in Malaysia Fish Curry Powder. It has just the right blend of spices for an authentic 'Malaysian-tasting' fish curry! Some ingredients vary - Indian homes might cook with ghee [clarified butter], whole spices like mustard seeds, caraway seeds and cumin seeds, fresh curry leaves, tamarind juice, coconut milk and yoghurt.

Malaysian Chicken Curry

It is a typical chicken curry cooked in almost all Malaysian homes. This basic recipe uses a made in malaysia meat curry powder. It has just the right blend of spices for an authentic 'Malaysian-tasting' curry! Some ingredients vary - Indian homes might cook with ghee [clarified butter], add whole spices like star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, mustard seeds or fresh curry leaves.

Malaysian Vegetable Curry

a staple for many of the country's Indian vegetarians, and enjoyed by everybody. This easy dish uses a local made in Malaysian fish curry powder- it's slight 'tang' makes for a tasty vegetable curry.

ROTI CANAI

 Roti Canai


Indian pastry pancake it  is indian origin, this rich and flaky pastry pancake has now come to be known as a favorite Malaysian 'appetizer' in Malaysian eateries all over the globe. Roti Canai also called roti prata is served with a side of curry for dipping, usually a malaysian curry chicken.

SATAY

SATAY

BBQ Sticks - This famous meat-on-a-stick appears on menus from New York  to Amsterdam. The secret of tender, succulent satay is, of course, in the rich, spicy-sweet marinade. The marinated meat; chicken or beef, are skewered onto bamboo sticks and grilled over hot charcoals. Some satay stalls also serve venison and rabbit satay. A fresh salad of cucumbers & onions are served together with a spicy-sweet peanut sauce for dipping ketupat, a Malay rice cake similar to lontong  is also an accompaniment to satay, great for dipping in satay sauce.

KUIH PUTERI AYU

Puteri Ayu is also known as Kuih Nyonya.It is an Indonesian kuih which is green in colour with white coconut topping.It’s a delicious kuih,fragrant with pandan and with a lovely light,moist texture like sponge cake.

This kuih is normally steamed in small plastic moulds which you can get from the night market.Buy as many moulds as you can fill in your steamer so that you steam many kuihs in one time.The kuih comes in many flavoring nowadays and keeps extremely well in the freezer if you have made in a large batch.

Ingredients

2 large eggs
170g caster sugar
200g plain flour,sifted
3/4tsp ovalette

Combine
100ml thick coconut milk
1 pandan leaf (cut in a few small parts)
A few drops of green colouring

Mix
½ a large grated white coconut
1 tbsp cornflour
A pinch of salt

Method:
To extract coconut milk : In a blender ,add in about 1 cup of grated fresh coconut and about 90ml lukewarm water(mix hot and warm water) Add in the cut screwpine leaf and blend together for a few minutes. Sieve and extract the coconut milk + pandan juice.This method is more easier for me .Measure to make sure that you have obtained 100ml of thick coconut milk.Leave aside.
Mix eggs and sugar together with ovalette.
Beat until light and fluffy .Stir in santan/coconut milk mixture and the flour.
Lightly grease small plastic moulds with a little cooking oil and put in a teaspoonful pf coconut mixture into each mould.Press down firmly.
Fill in the mould up to a three quarter full.I have down it half full only so that there is a hole in the middle.If you add in three quarter full , the kuihs will have a hollow in the center.Either ways are exceptable.Steam over rapid boiling water for 12 mins.




Note: You must have ovalette to prepare this kuih so that you get a spongy and fluffy texture

KUIH BOM

Deep fried sesame ball

Deep Fried Sesame Balls is one of the famous tea time snack in Malaysia. The commoner is a famous and new year delicacy among chinese .The malays also has a similar kuih commonly known as Kuih Bom is prepared with a mixture of rice flour and glutinous rice flour has goes thru variations in preparation thru out the years.The filling also varies according to preference. Green bean paste,red bean paste or lotus seed paste are other type of fillings that one can come across when biting into this traditional balls.
This recipe is done with sweet potato and is really tasty .I have used coconut filling as it is easier to prepare .

600g mashed orange sweet potatoes
250g glutinous rice flour
2 tbsp custard powder
4 tbsp fine sugar

Filling:

 
Grated coconut (from 1 coconut)
200gm palm sugar/gula melaka/gula kabung
1 ½ tsp corn flour
1 tbsp water

Coating

 
6 tbsp sesame seeds




Preparation:

 
First prepare the filling : Chop the palm sugar and cook it in low heat with 2 cup of water. Leave it to simmer until the sugar dissolve. Sieve the mixture and return back to heat. Add in the grated coconut and stir until coconut is well combined. Stir at all times and do not leave the mixture to dry out. While its still slightly wet, thicken the filling with the corn flour mixture(mix water with cornflour).The filling will slightly be thick. Close fire.Leave the filling to cool down completely before using.

Combine mashed sweet potatoes, glutinous rice flour, custard powder and sugar.If necessary add water bit by bit and knead into a smooth dough.Knead until the dough is not sticky to hand. Divide into about 40 portions and shape into balls.Leave the dough to rest for 15mins.

Flatten each ball and put in about 1 tsp of filling, wrap up and reshape into balls.Dip in water and coat with sesame seeds.

Heat 5 cups of oil and deep fry sesame balls over medium heat until golden brown.Remove, drain on paper towels .Leave the balls to cool down completely before serving.

KUIH LOMPANG

Motar steamed cakes (kuih lompang)

Malaysia is very famous for their steamed kuihs or cakes. There are so many steamed delicacies that it is going to take a lifetime for us to try and get them one by one. Every community in Malaysia have their steamed delicacies to enjoy . For most kuihs there is no single "original" or "authentic" recipe. Traditionally, making kuih was the domain of elderly grandmothers, aunts and other women-folk, for whom the only (and best) method for cooking was by "agak agak" (approximation). They would instinctively take handfuls of ingredients and mix them without any measurements or any need of weighing scales. All is judged by its look and feel, the consistency of the batter and how it feels to the touch. Each family holds its own traditional recipe as well as each region and state.
Though called by other names, one is likely to find various similar versions of kuih in neighbouring countries, such as Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia. For example, the colourful, steamed Kuih Lapis and the rich Kuih Bingka Ubi are also available in Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam.This Kuih Lompang delicacy comes from the malay community . Lets check out this simple sweet kuih lompang rolled in grated coconut .

130gm rice flour

100-120ml water

120g sugar

250ml water

Screwpine leaf (knotted)

50g sago or potato flour

¼ tsp rose essence

Pink colouring

¼ tsp vanilla essence

Yellow colouring

Green colouring

Coating

Grated coconut (white part only)

A bit of salt

Method:

Combine rice flour with water and knead well. Need not use up all the 100-120ml water.

Boil sugar with 250ml water.Add in the knotted screwpine leaf.Once sugar dissolve boil slightly until become syrupy. Leave to cool.

In a bowl, place the kneaded rice flour and sago flour. Slowly pour in the sugar syrup and mix well.Strain.

Divide the batter into 3 portions. One part add in rose essence and pink colouring.

Another part vanilla essence and yellow colouring.

The final one add in green colouring since the screwpine leaf gives pandan flavouring to the batter there is no need of flavouring it.

Steam 20 small cups(you can use chinese cups ) until hot. When you use 20 small cups, you need to steam 3 times only .Pour the batter filling up to 75% .Steam over high heat for 10minutes. There will be a hollow in the center of the kuih after 5mins.Remove the cups and let cool.Remove the cakes from the cups ,coat with grated coconut mix with salt and serve.

MEE REBUS

Johor is one of the most developed states in Malaysia.The capital city and royal seat of Johor is Johor Baru.Johor, being a major gateway of Malaysia, receives more than 20 million visitors yearly. Many of them hail from the neighboring country Singapore.
When it comes about food ,Johor boasts quite a few of its signature dishes.It is said that the food is influenced by Arabs and the surrounding Malay archipelago.Some of the dishes are a unique blend of ingredients not found anywhere else in Malaysia.Sadly, due to difficult and sometimes complicated recipes, some are rare delights and can only be sampled during festive celebrations.

One of the least well known and a commoner is the Mee Rebus Johor. It is a noodle dish which consists of mee/yellow noodle and served with a tangy ,spicy brown gravy ,top with some condiments.I came across a few version of the recipes, but finally opt with trying out a recipe from the Saji Magazine, Oct 2003 issue.


I cant say its easy because it does take some time to prepare the dish. But it is an one set meal so there is no problem in spending some time for it.The common ingredient one would come across is beef for this dish but I have omitted it since I dont take beef. Beside getting the most fresh products possible to prepare the dish,you have to prepare the stock, then do the prawn crackers and then the gravy. The final bit would be cutting, slicing , boiling and blanching all the rest of the ingredients.

Photo: Center- gravy,followed by from the right, beansprout, prawn crackers,halve
kaffir lime/limau kasturi ,boiled egg, chopped cilantro and spring onions,
sliced firm fried beancurd, red and green chillies slice and finally noodle.

Ingredients:

 1 kg noodle (blanched for 3-4mins)
200gm beansprout (blanched a few seconds)
1 bunch cilantro/daun sup (chopped)
1 bunch spring onions(chopped)
5 red chillies (sliced thinly)
5 green chillies (sliced thinly)
5 calamansi limes / limau kasturi (halve)
2 firm fried beancurd (fry slightly and sliced)
5 eggs (boiled and cut into a few parts)
Some shallot crisps

Prawn Crackers

 
3 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp rice flour
½ tbsp dried prawns(soak in water ,squeeze out after 10mins and pound finely)
Salt to taste


Gravy
250gm prawns
4 tbsp taucheo (fremented yellow bean sauce)
1 cup groundnuts
400gm sweet potato (I used the orange sweet potato)

To grind to a paste
100gm dried prawns (soak in water for 10mins)
2 lemon grass (use the bottom part only)
2 cm galangal
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
10-15 dried red chillies(soak in lukewarm water)
7 shallots
4 garlic

Method:

To Prepare the gravy:

 
Roast the groundnuts and discard the skin.Grind to a fine paste.Keep aside. Use the prawn shell to make 2 cups of prawn stock.
Boil the sweet potato and mashed it fine.Leave aside.
Heat up about 4-5 tbsp of oil, saute the grind ingredients until dried and aromatic.Then add in the prawn stock ,prawns and tauchew. Leave to simmer. Add in salt and sugar to taste. I like the gravy to be slightly in the sweeter side therefore added 2 tbsp of chopped palm sugar/gula melaka.Finally add in sweet potato and groundnuts. This is to thicken the gravy . Close fire until the required thickness is obtained.

To prepare Prawn Crackers: 

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Use about ¼ cup of water to make it into a batter.Be careful not to make the batter too watery.Heat oil, placing a tbsp of batter on a ladle, flatten it with your finger and lower the ladle in the oil and let it fry for a few minutes.Using a spoon slowly take the crackers out from the ladle and let it fry further until brown and crisp.Dish out and drain in paper towel.

Boil the eggs and cut into desired parts. Blanch the noodles and beansprout for a few minutes.
To serve: In a bowl,place noodles and beansprout, crumble the crackers and then pour in the hot gravy.The gravy should be slightly hot at all times.Granish with boiled egg, chopped cilantro and spring onions ,sliced beancurd, red and green chillies and shallot crisp.

Note: If using beef , add in when you add in the stock. Leave the meat to be tender before adding in sweet potato and groundnuts.It is advisable to prepare the prawn crackers at the last minute before serving.