Sunday, June 30, 2013

Nonya Fried Rice - MFF featuring Penang

Looks like I am not slacking after all, haha! Coming up with another post 2 days later...even I am surprise with myself, haha. Cutting a little close to the dateline...but better not doing it at all right? (self comforting) Anyway, this last post for this month is Nonya Fried Rice which I again adapted from out dear Phong Hong, thanks so much my friend! 
I have to say this is indeed a very delicious and flavorful dish! Really different from your usual fried rice. :P Most of the "punch" comes from the dried shrimp and fresh sweet prawns, yummy! To think that I didn't add much seasoning to that big pot of fried rice. So delicious! I followed Phong Hong's recipe pretty closely this time, here is my copy of it.

Ingredients for Nonya Fried Rice (Serves 4)
1 tbsp garlic, minced
3 large eggs, lightly beaten and seasoned with 1 tsp soy sauce and a dash of pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
5 tbsp vegetable oil
5 shallots, sliced thinly
4 garlic cloves, minced
50g dried shrimp, soaked and chopped finely
150g prawns, shelled and deveined
3 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked till soft and sliced thinly
1 tsp chili paste (I added so little because of my kids)
3 cups of cooked rice, cooled or overnight

Seasoning:
1 tbsp light soy saucce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp caster sugar
a few dashes of pepper
1/4 tsp dark soy sauce

Garnish:
Thinly sliced spring onions
Fried Shallot crisps
  • Heat up the wok and add the oil. Once the wok is hot enough, add in garlic and stir till aromatic.
  • Add in eggs and fried till golden brown. Break it up with the spatula into smaller chunks. Dish up and set aside.
  • Add the 5 tbsp oil at medium low fire. Add in the garlic and shallots and stir fry till aromatic. 
  • Add in the minced dried shrimp and sliced mushrooms and continue to cool till fragrant again.
  • Then add in the fresh prawns and cook till it turned pink. 
  •  
  • Add in the cooked rice, followed by the seasoning. Stir everything together till all the rice is coated with the seasoning and even colored.
  • Lastly add in the fried egg and stir in well. Dish up and garnish with spring onion and fried shallots. Serve while still hot. Enjoy!
 It looks so ordinary, but the taste is extraordinary! Simply heart this, even my family was all praised, haha! Am so glad I still managed to attempt this even it was so last minute, haha!

Okay, will again submit this to this month's Malaysian Food Fest Penang Month hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies.

okay folks, have a great start next week!
Cheers!

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Muah Ji (Steamed Glutinous Rice Kueh with peanut)

Okay, as promised, I came up with another post to submit for this month's MFF blog event. But I do have to apologise to many of my readers and IG friends out there for being patient with me during this period. I must say I really have been neglecting my blog. *sigh* I will try my best to post up all those recipes that you saw me made but not posted. However I foresee that it will get "worst" as the school starts in this second half of the year. Oh noooo! Lol! Anyways, the faster it comes, the faster it goes! ~happy thoughts, fingers crossed please~

Back to today's post! I possibly have made one of the easiest recipes for this month! It Muah Ji or Muar Chee, whichever way you call it. It is simply steamed glutinous rice kueh chunks tossed in sweetened ground roasted peanuts. I cannot remember when was the last time I made this! Why? Lol! It is so yum! I remember having it in Penang a few years back and it was really really good! Why Singapore's or mine not as awesome?! Lol! I guess we just have to make do don't we!?
 
Oh yes, I love my ground peanuts slightly chunky, haha! Love the chewiness with the combination of crunchiness as well, noms! I can eat this all day, haha!

I adapted the recipe from the book "Agnes Chang's Hawker Delights", one of my favourite cook books I turn to when I want local delights! I did made some changes to it as I am not as fan of whole sesame seeds, I omitted it. Here is my version of this delicious treat:

Ingredients for Muah Ji (Serves 2)
For the kueh
250g glutinous rice flour
375ml water
2 tbsp fried shallot oil 
(fried shallot oil is obtained by frying the sliced shallots in oil until golden brown)

Ground Peanut coating
250g peanuts, roasted at 180C for 10-15 minutes, skinned and ground in blender
60g confectioner's sugar
  • Mix all of the kueh ingredients together in a large bowl till it is smooth and no lumps.
  • Prepare a steamer at medium fire. Grease an 8" round steaming pan and pour the kueh mixture in. Steam it for 30 to 40 minutes till it solidifies.
  • Once done, remove from steamer and brush some shallot oil over the surface to prevent it from drying out. Let cool before cutting it.
  • In another mixing bowl, add in ground peanuts, confectioner's sugar and mix well. 
  • Using a sharp kitchen scissors, cut up the cooled steam kueh into small bite size and drop them into the peanut mixture. Coat it well so that it is not sticky. 
  • Pile the coated pieces of muah ji in a bowl and sprinkle some more ground peanuts over it. Enjoy!!

All so simple and yet all so delicious! I can have the whole thing all to myself! Nom nom nom, hahah! Feel free to half the recipe if you like. And this is best eaten on the day you make it.

I am happy to submit this to Malaysian Food Fest Penang Month hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies.

okay folks, have a great weekend!
Cheers!


Thursday, June 27, 2013

Nonya Curry Chicken (Kari Kapitan) for MFF featuring Penang

Yikes! Unbelievable...June is almost over! How did that happen? I guess good times always swing by faster. :P Okay, I guess enough talking and lets get the post up so I might possibly have more time later for another recipe. :)

I have decided to make Spicy Nonya Chicken curry (aka Kari Kapitan) this time, as it's been awhile since I last had good curry. Plus when I saw it at Phong Hong's post, I was pretty sure I had to cook it, haha! Without a doubt, it was awesome, taste, aroma and flavor...burst full of yumminess in every bite. :P
Ever since I started making my own curry paste, there was no looking back. Seriously taste so much better then those packet ones. Much more punch and flavorful plus the gravy is thicker too! Love! Even with the gravy itself, I can devour a bowl of rice on its own, haha! 

I followed Phong Hong's recipe (which I believe was originated from Amy Beh) pretty closely but less of the belachan granulates / paste. I was worried the taste will be too strong, haha! Thanks Phong Hong for again another fabulous dish! Noms! Will post the recipe here for easier reference:

Ingredients for Nonya Curry Chicken (Kari Kapitan) (serves 2-3ppl)
3 chicken legs, chopped into smaller chunks
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
1 key lime (I didn't have kaffir lime)
Salt and sugar to taste
200ml coconut milk
2 or 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled

Curry Paste
4 tbsp of chili paste (see here for the brand I use)
15 shallots, peeled
5 garlic gloves
3 stalks of lemongrass heart
1 inch fresh tumeric (careful don't get stained!)
5 candle nuts (buah keras)
1 tsp belachan paste

  • To make the paste, place all the ingredients in a blender and zap it till it is smooth and creamy. You can either add a bit of water or coconut milk if it is too dry to blend.
  • In a pot, heat up 2 tsp of cooking oil at medium low heat. Add in curry paste and cook it till it is aromatic. Be careful don't let it burn. 
  • Add in the chicken pieces and stir to coat all the meat with the paste well. Once the meat becomes opaque, add in the potatoes and stir well.
  • Cook for another minute and add in the coconut milk. Once the mixture boils, lower the fire to simmer for another 8-10 minutes till chicken is cooked through and the potato is fork tender.
  • Add in the lime juice, seasoning and hard boiled eggs the last, stir gently and serve while still hot with steam rice.Yummy!
OMG, need I say more? This is really very tasty curry guys, you have to try it yourself! Go crazy!

I am happy to submit this to this month's Malaysian Food Fest Penang Month hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies.

okay folks, gotta go and cook lunch now!
Have a good one!