Ramadhan 2013 : Entry #7

It is nearing the end of Ramadhan, with only a week left.

Sad to see this Holy month leave us, so let's all pray and make du'a that we get to meet with Ramadhan again next year.

More of our iftar menu...

I am having a rather bad headache today, so I'm only putting up pics. No mood to type the recipes, besides, the meals were all so simple! :p

Let's hope I feel better since I am unable to take meds.





xoxo

Ramadhan 2013 : Entry #6

It's already the 20th Day of Ramadhan.

Oh my... How time flies! I remember as a child when Ramadhan used to feel as though it was endless, and now I wonder at how fast this holy month is leaving us.

Every year, I try to make my Ramadhan more meaningful than the previous years, and so far, progress has been slow. I am hoping that next year when Aina is older, I can do much better, and at the same time teach her to welcome and appreciate this Holy month.

Anyway, here's more of our daily iftar menu :)

Day 14, I had BFFs over for iftar since hubby was not in. I decided on a simple meal of Noodles with Spicy Beef Broth, Cucur Bawang and Roti John (which was really bland and tasteless!). BFFs brought a whole lot of goodies, too!

I am sharing the basic recipe for the broth/gravy here...


SPICY BEEF GRAVY

you  need:
beef pieces - use a mix of cuts to get the most flavour!
- can be pre-boiled until tender if preferred. reserve the stock.
blend to a paste:
10 - 15 dried chillies - soaked in hot water
10 shallots
2 large onions
4 - 5 cloves garlic
1-inch piece ginger

beef stock
salt, pepper

Garnishes (use whatever you prefer):
Fishball
Fish cake
Cabbage
Chinese greens
Bean sprouts

method:
heat oil in a large pot and fry the spice paste until fragrant. add in the beef stock and bring up to a boil. lower heat and add in the beef pieces, salt & pepper. cook for about 20 minutes, letting all the ingredients blend well, then add in the fishball, fishcake, and preferred vegetables. as soon as the gravy starts boiling again, leave to boil for 2 - 3 minutes, then turn off heat.

place fresh egg noodles in a serving bowl and pour gravy over. alternatively, you can blanch and serve each garnish items separately, but I chose this way to save on washing up!! LOL!

 

And on Day 15, since I wanted to start clearing out my fridge, I decided to make Fried Rice and made some Sambal Gravy for the mussels. Simple, and yet SOOO satisfying!

 

Let's hope the rest of Ramadhan will bring all of us much barakah!

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo

 

 



 

Ramadhan 2013 : Entry #5

I have been ridiculously tired these few days, to the point that I'd fall dead to the world WAAAYY before Aina!! :p

NOT good, because she might sleep late, resulting in her being sleepy the next morning. BUT, so far, Alhamdulillah... she's not given me much trouble in that department.

Two weeks of Ramadhan, and I am glad to say that we have managed to avoid wastage in terms of food. Yes, sometimes our table may seem to be laden with loads of dishes, they are in small quantities, and we can usually finish it all :)

 

On Day 10, I actually had a friend and her family over. so I cooked a little more than usual, and it was just enough for all of us :) 

 

 

SOY SAUCE CHICKEN

 

you need:

chicken, cleaned and cut into pieces

potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes

2 cloves garlic, sliced

4 shallots, sliced

3 slices ginger root

1 small stick cinnamon

1 small star-anise

2 Tbs thick soy sauce

3 Tbs oyster sauce

3 Tbs sweet soy sauce (I used lemak manis cap kipas udang)

3/4 cup water

 

how to:

heat oil and sauté cinnamon stick, star-anise, shallots, garlic & ginger til fragrant. add in the chicken pieces and cook until the chicken changes colour. add in all other ingredients and bring up to a boil. lower heat, cover and simmer until chicken is cooked and potato is tender.

 

Day 11 was Iftar at Mom's place, so obviously there was food all over the table! LOL! I only made a simple dessert, and the rest was Mom. Oh yeah... the kuih was from the local shop and it was only then that I managed to get my yummy kuih cara berlauk!! :D

 

I made bubur sum-sum on Day 13 since my BFF also LOVES it! It is ridiculously easy to make, and since it seems HUBBY also has taken to it, it'll  be repeated again soon :)

 

 

BUBUR SUM-SUM

 

you need:

A: 1 cup rice flour

     750ml coconut milk

     pandan leaves, knotted

 

B: 1 block gula Melaka, chopped

     2 Tbs white sugar

     1/4 cup water

     pandan leaves, knotted

how to:
place items A in a pot and place over low heat. stir throughout the cooking process, and continue cooking until the mixture comes together in a shiny, sticky, thick 'batter'. pour into a large baking tray and let cool. mixture will harden slightly; cut before serving. alternatively, pour a small amount into individual serving dishes.

place items B in a pot and place over low heat. cook until all sugar is dissolved. strain into bowl and cool before serving.

to serve : pour the sugar syrup over the rice 'pudding' and ENJOY!


I am usually NOT into desserts but every Ramadhan, I get the urge to make all sorts of traditional desserts and I have my favourites. Bubur Sum-Sum is one of them, also Sago Gula Melaka, and various types of pengat. Yuppss... I'm all for 'soupy' desserts, not so much for kuih-muih.

Anyway, here's wishing Happy Iftar to all, and let's make the rest of Ramadhan better for all of us :)





xoxo

Ramadhan 2013 : Entry #4

I know it's been quite a number of days since my last post but I have been really busy. Honestly!

And so, without wasting precious minutes (I am now UNBELIEVABLY sleepy!) let's continue with my Iftar menu :)

Hubby did not have iftar at home and so it was BFF and me, with Aina of course :) 

If you notice, kuih cara berlauk appears quite a few times in my iftar menu. I am still searching for the perfect one, and so far, no luck yet! 

Ikan pekasam, or preserved/pickled fish is definitely a must-have in your fridge. It helps tease your palate at times when you don't feel like eating, and believe me, if you've never had it, you MUST try!!

And suddenly I had the urge to prepare Nyonya-style fish head curry. (note the presence of cara berlauk again?) I had BFF over for Iftar again since she's all alone here.

I can't think of recipes to share since I am that sleepy, so I think I'll stop now :p

Hope you enjoy the pics, and get some ideas for your own Iftar menu :D :D :D




xoxo

Ramadhan 2013 : Entry #3

And so I'm back!

Well, it may not be on a daily basis, but I am trying my best to be more consistent :)

Here's sharing Iftar day 5 and 6.

 

 

Day 5, we had Raihan at home hence the slightly more than usual dishes on the table. Since hubby especially LOVES my sambal tumis, I am sharing that particular recipe here :)

 

 

SAMBAL TUMIS

 

you need:

3 large onions, peeled - 1 to be chopped and 2 to  be sliced roughly

10 - 15 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped

20 - 25 pcs dried chillies, soaked in hot water and de-seed.

3 cloved garlic

small piece of ginger

belacan

* combine all the above (except the sliced onions) and process to a smooth paste.

gula Melaka (palm sugar) - quantity depends on your preference

tamarind juice

sugar, optional

salt

 

method:

Heat enough oil in a deep wok (larger base for quicker and even cooking) and fry the paste until fragrant and slightly dry, as the oil starts coming to the surface. I use a medium-low heat for this process to ensure the paste is really cooked properly. add in the gula Melaka and tamarind juice/paste. I usually put in one disc of palm sugar (I buy those discs that are sold at the roadside stalls), and as the sugar melts, I'll keep tasting until I get the level of preferred sweetness. add in the sliced onions and salt, and cook another 5 - 6 mins.

 

* you may add your favourite anchovies, prawns or squid to this sambal :) 

 

I'll also share my ingredients for Leng Chee Kang. I say 'ingredients', because you basically just boil them and assemble to make this refreshing dessert :)

 

 

LENG CHEE KANG

 

you need:

*dried longans

*dried red dates

*barley

gingko nuts

lotus seeds

lily bulbs

white fungus, soaked and cut into manageable pieces

basil seeds, soaked in cooled drinking water

kembang semangkuk, soaked in cooled drinking

preserved melon/dried persimmons

note: not all ingredients may be available at one time, so u can mix, match and substitute accordingly.

 

method:

Place all * items in a pot with rock sugar and water and bring up to a boil. barley should be just tender, and to save time, I usually add in the rest of the ingredients at this stage, and let it simmer on medium-high heat for another 8 minutes.

 

add in the basil seeds and kembang semangkuk just before serving. another optional favourite ingredient is boiled quail eggs. can be served warm or cold.

 



 

So, there are my two recipes. I hope this has helped some of you :)

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo!

 

Ramadhan 2013 : Entry #2

Yep. I've been really bad at updating my blog. Actually, since it's been 'visited' and practically stalked, I have lost the 'heart' to write but I still feel the need to leave something here occasionally :)  Now that I have restricted views to this site, hopefully I will start getting into the mood again!

And so, I am sharing our Iftar menu here from day 3 & 4 :D

 

 

Hubby had to work outstation on day 3, so it was just me and Aina in front of the TV! Yes, I know it is an AWFUL habit but since it's just two of us, the dining table (seats 8) seemed really huge!! I LOVE to make refreshing i.e. 'cooling' drinks for Iftar, and the Barley & Gingko Nut drink was so yummy served lukewarm :D

 

 

BARLEY & GINGKO NUT DRINK

 

you  need:

a small handful of barley

1/2 (small) packet of fresh gingko nuts (you may used dried but have to soak them first)

honey rock sugar, to taste

pandan leaves, knotted

1.5 liters water

 

method:

combine all EXCEPT the sugar in a pot and bring up to a boil. lower  heat, add sugar, and simmer another 20 minutes or so until the barley has softened.  

 

Note: you may also add red dates if you like :)

 

 

On Day 4, we had Iftar at my sister-in-law's house and our contribution was spicy sweet & sour crabs. Hubby had ordered the crabs specially for this, and he managed to get around 5kgs.

 

 

SPICY SWEET & SOUR CRABS

 

you need:

 

1 - 1.5kg crabs

3 large garlic cloves    - pounded to a paste

1-inch piece of ginger - pounded to a paste

2 Tbs ground chilli paste

1 Tbs oyster sauce

2 Tbs sweet chilli sauce

2 Tbs tomato sauce

1/4 cup water (or more, if you want the sauce not too thick)

 

method:

 

crabs must be cleaned and steamed. set aside.

heat oil and fry ginger, garlic & chilli paste until fragrant. add in the sauces with the water and bring up to a boil. add int he crabs, mix well to coat, and simmer another 3 - 5 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with torn fresh coriander leaves and roughly chopped spring onions.

 

 

And so here are two recipes which I am more than happy to share with my readers/visitors.  Hope you all have a blessed Ramadhan ahead!

 

 

 

 

 

xoxo



 

Pulau Ketam Weekend

OH.MY. GOD!

Just found this entry which I had failed to 'post' and while this trip was ages ago, I just HAVE to share this so please bear in mind that this was about 2 years ago!! :p

 

 

 

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and we'd planned to go shopping for shoes (LOONNNGGG story there, so let's leave it at that!) but when we stopped for petrol, hubby decided to change plans and go to Pulau Ketam instead. He's been wanting to take us there for ages, and finally the time seemed right :-)

We arrived at the jetty around 11.15am, and immediately boarded the ferry. Aina was of course excited! She'd been on a boat once, a lake cruise, but she was too young to remember, so this was a new experience for her. She behaved; sat through out the journey, pointing out to boats and birds when she looked out the window. The journey took approximately 40mins.

It's only RM7.00 per adult, and you actually had a choice to go on the closed, air-conditioned boat or the open air one. We chose the air-conditioned one as the weather was just too hot!!

We walked from the jetty (there aren't any taxis, but you can rent bikes if you want to) to the 'town centre', heading for the only seafood restaurant that was 'safe' for us to eat. This restaurant was pointed out by the local police to Mr. Hubby on one of his many fishing and crab-hunting trips.

On the way to the restaurant, we stopped for these :-D

Yup! Deep fried ice cream :-)

It's actually (theoretically, since I've NEVER attempted it) easy to make ~

DEEP FRIED ICE CREAM1. make sure ALL equipment including tray, is ice-cold. line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. use an ice cream scoop to scoop enough number of ice cream servings. place on tray and immediately put back into the freezer.
3. roll out bread to flatten slightly, then cut out rounds using a simple rounded cutter; make sure you have enough pieces i.e. 2 pieces per ice cream serving.
4. have a bowl of water ready (used to seal the edges) and take out the ice cream from the freezer.
5. working VERY fast, place the ice cream in between 2 pieces of bread, seal the edges as tight as you can using the water as glue, then freeze the whole lot again.
6. heat oil (enough to completely drop the ice cream in) and make sure the oil is VERY hot. take the 'breaded' ice cream and drop into the hot oil SLOWLY, then fry till the bread has turned a light golden brown, drain and serve immediately.

Simple, right? But, I've never tried it because the weather is too hot and I'm afraid I'll end up with a pile of ice cream 'soup' :-s

Aina enjoyed her treat, but she mostly just licked the ice cream centre as she would a 'normal' ice cream, ehehhehheee :-D :-D :-D

When we reached the restaurant, we immediately ordered our favourite dishes....

Fried Baby Kailan in Oyster Sauce, Salted Egg Yolk Crab, Fried Rice with Seafood, Fishball Soup and Steamed Fish :-)

Aina was busy yelling at the cat to "Wake up!!!" and the cat finally did and winked at Aina before falling back to sleep ~ LOL

Aina wanted this fan-thingy and so I got it for her to keep her quiet and to 'bribe' her to eat lunch! At least it was something to occupy her during our wait at the jetty :-D

Aina was really cool walking on the sides of the boat :-)

And 10 mins into the journey back, Aina fell unconscious :-D :-D :-D

Cheers!

Ramadhan 2013 : Entry #1

And so I am forced to move back to this previous dwelling since some people find it 'amusing' to stalk and follow me for no apparent reason!

And since when I started this blog it was to be mainly about food, it is most appropriate I guess that I restart this site with a food entry :D

Now, it has to be said that I LOVE Thai Red Rubies, and I try to make it every Ramadhan. Here's the recipe, to share. I know I've posted this before but it helps saves browsing time :)

THAI RED RUBIES

You need:
1 pkt water chestnuts (available from the supermarket), peeled and diceda few drops red or pink coloring
tapioca flour (enough to coat chestnuts)

simple sugar syrup, cooked with a bit of rose water or pandan leaves

thick coconut milk, heated slightly with a tiny pinch of salt
Method:
 1. add food colouring to the diced chestnuts and place in a plastic bag. shake to coat the colour evenly. add in the flour and shake top coat some more. toss through a sieve to get rid of excess flour.

2. bring a pot of water to a boil. place a large bowl filled with iced water near you. once the water is boiling, add in the coated chestnuts and when cooked the 'rubies' will float. scoop out immediately with a slotted spoon and put into the iced water.

to serve, place the rubies with sugar syrup in a bowl and pour the thick coconut cream over. you may add a few slices of jackfruit or even mangoes as garnish and added flavour, as you prefer.

 



Today, the third day of Ramadhan, Iftar will be a simple affair. Will try to post pics later tonite.

Take care, all! :)






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