Tan-tan mee

Ingredients

300g noodles
100g minced pork/beef
2 tbs dried shrimps
2 tbs shallots
3 tbs fried dice peanut
2 tbs preserved schechuan vegetable
1 tbs diced spring onion
2 cup stock

Sauce
1 tbs shiau xing wine
3 tbs hot broad bean paste
1 tbs zhen jiang viniger
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs chilli oil
1 tbs sesamine oil
1 tbs dark soya sauce
1tbs light soya sauce

Instructions:

1. prepare sauce by adding everything in sauce ingredients together and set aside
2. fry shallots and shrimp with 1 tbs oil until aromatic
3. add minced pork/beef & szechuan vegetables
4. add stock and sauce then set aside to be used later as gravy
5. boil water and blanch noodles until soft and pot in a bowl
6. place gravy in to noodles, add peanut, spring onion and serve

Apple crumble

Ingredients
1 cup flour
½ -1/3 cup white sugar
1 stick butter (125g)
2.5 large apple
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup oat
cinnamon powder 1tsp
** corn starch

Instructions:
1. Peel apple, core and slice to 2-3mm thick
2. Pour brown sugar and cinnamon powder (and corn starch) and let it sit and leave aside
3. Mix flour, oat and sugar and mix with butter
4. Split pastry to 3 parts. Use 2 to cover the base and side of 6 inch cast iron skillet.
5. Place skillet on small fire for 10 minutes.
6. Let skillet cool. Place apple mixture in skillet.
7. Cover the skillet with the remaining 1/3 pastry.
8. Pre heat oven and place skillet in oven for 25 minutes at 180C

Lontong

Ingredients 1
Long beans 120g
French beans 120g
Carrots 160g
Cabbage 100g
Eggplant 100g
Dried bean curd sheet 2pcs
Hard bean curd cake 2 pcs
Tempeh 2pcs (banana leaf wrapped)
** bamboo shoots 300g
** so hoon soaked

Ingredients 2
Coconut milk – medium 1 cup
Salt 1 pinch
Sugar 1 pinch

Rempah
Dried prawns 2 tbs
Small red onion 10
Dried chillies 10
Garlic 6
Tumeric root
Buah keras 2-3

Ingredients 3
Cooking oil 3 tbs
300ml water

Instructions
1. Pound rempah until fine
2. Fry the rempah on medium heat until aromatic
3. Add water and boil for 2 minutes
4. Add Ingredients 1 and boil for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. Add Ingredients 2 and gently stir.
6. Turn off fire.
7. Serve on rice cake and optional topped with satay sauce or sambal.
8. Decorate with egg and/or rendang.

Otak-otak

Ingredients

Kurau fish (cut 1 cm cube) 125g
Coconut milk – thick ½ cup
Egg 1
** rice flour 1tsp – give firm texture
** msg 1 pinch – for added flavour

Rempah:

Dried chillies 12
Fresh chillies 2
Small red onions 6
Garlic 2
Tumeric root 2cm
Lemongrass 1
Belachan (slightly toast) 2cm cube
Double lime leaves 2
Coriender powder 2 tsp
Buah Keras (candle nut) 4
Salt 1tsp

Wrapping:
Daun Kaduk (pepper leaf)
Banana leaf 20cm X 20cm steamed to soften

Instructions:
1. Blend rempah in a blender or pounder depending on the amount of time you have. If blend, add coconut milk and blend until fine. If pound, pound until paste like then add coconut milk to rempah in a bowl.
2. Mix the rempah with fish and egg and ** ingredients if preferred.
3. Place 1 daun kaduk on the middle of the banana leaf. Scoop 3 tablespoon of fish mixture on to the daun kaduk.
4. Wrap the banana leaf to form a pouch.
5. Prepare wok for steaming. Make sure water is boiling. Steam for 6 minutes in a wok with steaming plate on medium heat with cover.
6. Take out of steamer with a thong. Serve immediately.
7. Otak-otak should be jelly-like.

New York Cheesecake (version 2)

Check out my new site: Cheesecake Only

This is adopted from American Test Kitchen recipe with some modifications.

Tools of the trade:
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl
Beater
Fork
9 inch springform tray
12×12 inch tray
Cup/glass with flat base

Note: Manual method assumed. 12×12 inch tray is to prevent a messy oven, a 10-12 inch round plate will do as well.

Ingredients:
1kg Cream cheese
3 tablespoon sour cream
6 large eggs
2 egg yolk
1.25 cups sugar + 1 tablespoon
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ lemon freshly squeezed
8 pieces of Digestives
100g butter + 10g
2 pinch salt

Note: Butter, not margarine. “Buttercup” brand is margarine. I usually use SCS or Golden Churn. Do not get “lite” or “softened” or “spreadable” cream cheese as they often lack fat or have too much moisture resulting in disaster, I use Anchor or Kraft Philadelphia. Unlike commercial cheesecake, there is no flour required. Sugar is coarse white, if using fine, reduce to 1 cup. All ingredients are at room temperature.

There are many methods to make cheesecake. Most will use a constant heat method and also a water bath. My method does not use either; a more unusual approach of high to low. Get the ingredients ready when following the step below as it is a continuous flow of multitasking.

Part 1

Place rack on oven to 1/3 level of the oven. Start oven at 160C.
Crush Digestives with a fork till it is about the size of rice grains in a small mixing bowl.
Mix in 100g butter and 1 table spoon sugar.
Butter the base of the spingform tray with about 1 teaspoon butter. Slightly more is ok.
Spread the Digestives-butter mixture to the base of the spingform tray. Use a glass with flat base and flatten the mixture evenly across the bottom of the tray.
Oven should be 160C by now, place the spingform tray on a larger tray (12×12 tray) and place in oven for about 20 minutes (set timer). Proceed with Part 2 while waiting.

Part 2 (Bracket items are multitask items)

Put cream cheese in to large mixing bowl. Break it up to smaller pieces. Add sugar and cream with the beater (about 5-10 minutes).
(Take out the spingform tray from Part 1 and let cool for about 10 minutes, set oven to 250C)
Add lemon juice, salt, vanilla extract & sour cream in to the cream cheese mixture and mix for about 2 minutes.
(put cooled spingform tray in freezer for at least 10 minutes; without the large tray)
Add egg and egg yolk, mixing 1 at a time and mixing for 1 minutes after adding each egg. Make sure that the mixture is smooth with no lumps. If there are lumps, mix somemore.
Remove springform tray from freezer. Generously spread the inside walls of the springform tray with about 1 teaspoon butter.
Check if oven is 250C, if not, wait until the oven is 250C and leave the springform tray in the freezer. The reason for this is to ensure that the butter applied remains stuck to the walls of the springform tray. This is to make sure that the cheesecake separates from the walls later.

Part 3

When oven is 250C, place springform tray on the larger tray. Add the cream cheese mixture in to the springform tray and place it in the middle of the oven is a fast manner so as not to loose heat. 250C is VERY hot, so safety first!
Leave it at 250C for 10 minutes; you will notice that a brown crust develops. You may want to take this opportunity to wash up the stuff. Once the 10 minutes are up, set the oven to 95C (without opening the oven). Leave it for 90 minutes in the oven. What to do while waiting 90 minutes? Go out to a cake shop and get yourself a slice of New York Cheesecake for a blind tasting test later.
This is an unorthodox method for making cheesecakes, but it develops a nice brown crust and a smooth center. The sides usually separate from the walls of the springform tray with this method and develops a nice dark brown crust.
Once 90 minutes is up, leave it to cool for about 2 hours before putting it in the fridge. Leave it in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. The refrigeration/cooling part of this process is just as important as the baking.

Part 4

Remove the walls of the springform tray. Cut with a hot knife (place steel knife in hot water between cuts). Now, that your cake is ready and you also have a similar cheesecake you bought from the shop while baking, you can do a blind taste test to see which cheesecake is better. Enjoy.

Sago Gula Melaka

Ingredients

Pearl Sago 200g
Panda leaf (screw pine) 3 pieces
Palm sugar (Gula Melaka) 60g
Brown sugar 20g
Honey 20g
Salt 2 pinch
Sugar 1 tablespoon
Thick coconut milk 2 cups

Tools

Large boiling pot
Strainer
Large bowl
Mold (small bowl)

Pandan stock

1. Knot the Pandan leaf boil in a pot with 1 cup of water (or a little more) for 10 minutes.
2. Reserve 2 tablespoon for Gula Melaka Syrup and remainder for boiling with Sago Pearls.

Sago pearls

1. Soak Sago Pearls in water for 30 minutes.
2. Fill a large boiling pot with about 1 liter of water with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of sugar and pandan stock.
3. Put in soaked Sago Peals in to the pot and let the Sago Pearls boil under low heat stirring constantly but slowly. (note: put sago peals in cold water and then start boil)
4. Boil until Sago Pearls are transparent; 20-30 minutes. If there are still white core, add up to another liter of cold water and boil under low heat stirring constantly for another 20 minutes. If it still does not have a clear core and it is still white, proceed to the next step.
5. Prepare strainer over a large bowl of cold water, preferably with filtered water running. 6. Make sure most of the strainer is submerged in the water.
7. Using a ladle, scoop the boiled sago and pour in to strainer with running filtered water; one quarter of the sago at a time.  Strain till cool to the touch, usually 2 minutes.
8. Put each quarter in a bowl mold.
9. Leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Gula Melaka Syrup

1. Most would use pure Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka), for me, I prefer to use 3 different sugars to get the desired taste and texture. Use 100g of palm sugar only if desired.
2. Crush the Palm Sugar, place in a small sauce pan.
3. Add 2 tablespoon of pandan stock.
4. Add brown sugar and honey.
5. Under low heat, melt the sugars until dissolved.

Coconut mixture

1. Add a pinch of salt in to the coconut milk.

Assembly

1. Loosen sago from mold. Place sago in a medium bowl by first placing the mold upright and the bowl upside down on top of mold. Then flip it over and shake mold to loosen sago.
2. Pour half a cup of coconut milk over the sago.
3. Then pour 1-2 tablespoon of Gula Melaka Syrup over the sago.
4. Decorate with a mint (optional) and serve.

Kung Hei Fat Choy

 

Seasoning A

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon ginger wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
¾ cup stock

Seasoning B

1/3 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon light soya sauce
2 teaspoon rice wine Seasoning C

¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon ginger wine
¼ cup stock

Seasoning D

½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon ginger wine
¼ cup stock

Other Ingredients

125 g dried oyster soaked overnight
12 black mushrooms soaked overnight
15 g dried fat choy soaked for 1 hour
250 g fresh young bok choy (napa cabbage)
1 spring onion shredded
2 slices fresh ginger shredded
½ cup oil or lard
1 ¼ teaspoon cornflour

Instructions

1. Drain soaked oyster and wash thoroughly
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in wok and sauté spring onion and ginger lightly.
3. Add oyster and Seasoning A in wok and simmer for 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and steam oyster in a steamer for 45 minutes or until tender.
4. While oysters are cooking, steam the black mushroom with Seasoning B in a separate bowl for 30 minutes. (Upon 30 minutes, drain.)
5. Drain the fat choy and sauté in 1 tablespoon of oil for 30 seconds on moderate heat. Add Seasoning C and simmer until softened. Drain liquid.
6. Heat wok with the remaining oil and sauté the vegetable for 2 minutes then add Seasoning D and cover. Cook until tender and drain.
7. Drain oyster and reserve liquid.
8. Arrange vegetable at the bottom of the plate. Place oyster on top of vegetable followed by mushroom and fat choy. Arrange as presentable as possible.
9. Mix cornstarch with some cold water and add to reserved liquid from the oyster; simmer in a wok until thickened. Pour over plate and serve immediately.

Braised Abalone in Oyster Sauce

Ingredients 

Canned Abalone 250g net
Dried ham 100g
Broccoli 2 heads

Stock
Retained canned abalone juice 250g
Chinese wine 2 tablespoon
Scallions 1 stock
Ginger 1 slice
Water ½ cup

Seasoning (half used)
Oyster sauce ¼ cup
Dark soy sauce 2 teaspoon
Rice wine 2 teaspoon
Salt ½ teaspoon
Sugar 2 teaspoon

Corn starch 2 teaspoon

Instructions

1. Drain canned abalone and separate abalone juice. Cut abalone in to thin slices.
2. Prepare stock. Add abalone in to stock for 15 minutes under low heat.
3. Remove abalone and drain; retain stock and add 1 cup of water to stock.
4. Cut ham to thin slices, thinner than abalone.
5. Put in retained stock under low heat for 10 minutes, remove ham and drain. Retain stock.
6. Bring a pot of water to a boil, about 1 litter. Add 1 pinch of salt. Add broccoli to boiling water for about 60 seconds, cool and drain.
7. Using a large bowl, arrange abalone and ham by alternating them on the sides of the bowl. Place broccoli green side down over the abalone-ham until bowl is full and packed.
8. Prepare seasoning by mixing all of them together, Heat wok and add seasoning (half) and half cup of stock. Bring to a boil. Dilute corn starch and add to seasoning until thick.
9. Place a large plate over the abalone-ham-broccoli bowl face down. Turn them over so that the bowl will release its shape on to the place. Pour seasoning over the broccoli.

Szechuan cabbage

Ingredients
Napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage) 1 whole cut to 2 inch cubes (4 inch square)
Szechuan peppercorns 1 teaspoon
Dried chili 5 pieces stem removed
Vegetable oil 2 tablespoon
Salt ½ teaspoon
Soya sauce 1 tablespoon
Sugar 1 teaspoon
Millet vinegar 1 tablespoon (chinese vinegar)
Sesame oil 1 tablespoon

Tools
Wok with cover

Instructions

1.In a wok. heat oil over medium heat and add the peppercorns. Once peppercorns are black and oil is fragrant, remove peppercorns and discard.
2.Add dried chili in to oil until black.
3.Increase heat to high, add cabbage and stir for about 1 minute, add a tablespoon or two water. Cover with a wok cover for 2 minutes.
4.Add salt, soya sauce, sugar and vinegar, preferably mixed before adding to wok. Cut heat and stir for about 20 seconds.
5.Serve on a plate, pour sesame oil evenly on top of the dish.

Tempeh from existing tempeh

Much instruction on the Internet describes how to make tempeh from a starter kit or spores. I have not found one which describes making tempeh from existing tempeh. It seems illogical to make tempeh from spores all the time; how did they make tempeh before the Internet?

Ingredients

Soya beans 300g
Vinegar 4 tablespoon
Tempeh 50-100g

Instructions

1. Soak soya beans for 8-12 hours
2. Once soaked for at least 8 hours, dehull and split beans in to half by kneading the beans and rubbing the beans between hands. Do so until about 90% of the beans are dehulled.
3. In between dehulling the beans, wash off excessive hull by pouring the excess water away and adding fresh water.
4. Boil 2 litre of water in a pot with a lid and add 3 tablespoon of vinegar.
5. Add dehulled beans in to boiling water and boil for 30 minutes. Watch out for overflow.
6. Once boiled for 30 minutes, drain as much water as possible.
7. Turn fire to a low heat and stir beans until relatively dry. This is to allow excess water to evaporate. Dry is defined as no water transfer if touched. Should feel like a damp cloth.
8. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar in to dry beans and mix.
9. Leave to cool in pot until almost room temperature. Less than body tempreture.
10. Use existing tempeh and break them down to small pieces.
11. Add the tempeh in to the beans.

Fermentation

1. Using a safety pin or a paper clip, perforate 2 20×20 cm plastic bag, preferably resealable ones with holes 1 cm apart.
2. Place beans in to plastic bags and flatten with 2 chopping boards.
3. Place in a warm place, between 25-30C for 3 days.
4. The first 24 hours, you should see most of the beans covered with white stuff, and some black patches. The beans will feel warm during this period.

Harvest after 3 days. For basic preperation, cut pieces in to 1 inch square, season with salt and tumeric and fry until golden brown.