Roasted Chicken Biryani / Geroosterde Biryani Kip

Biryani is een klassiek Indiaas gerecht. Op je bord krijg je een feest van verschillende smaken als fris, zoet, zuur en kruidig. ...
Je mag het ook met Biryani rijst (rijst dat is met specerijen gekookt) eten maar ik vind het lekkerder met Basmati rijst. Je krijgt dan wel een explosie van kleuren, geuren en smaken. 

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Biryani is een klassiek Indiaas gerecht. Op je bord krijg je een feest van verschillende smaken als fris, zoet, zuur en kruidig. ...
Je mag het ook met Biryani rijst (rijst dat is met specerijen gekookt) eten maar ik vind het lekkerder met Basmati rijst. Je krijgt dan wel een explosie van kleuren, geuren en smaken. 

(A) Ingredients for 4 big pieces of Chicken (I used 4 chicken legs) :

1cm ginger *                              * Finely chopped. I used the garlic crusher.

4 cloves of garlic *
1/2 tin (small) tomato puree
2 tbp of biryani powder
3 tbp of olive oil

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of dried parsley

1 tsp of oregano 

Mix all the ingredients and marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours.

Place it in the oven (200 deg C) for 25-30 mins

You may use the gravy from the chicken as sauce.

(B) Serve with Raita (yogurt with cucumber and mint) or mango chutney / mint sauce

      (Raita is a condiment.)

500g of Greek yogurt

1 cucumber (seeded and cut into small pieces of blocks)

some mint leaves, finely chopped

1/3 tsp of cumin powder

Salt and pepper (1 tsp) to taste

Mix the ingredients in a bowl. Cover the bowl and leave it in the fridge to cool.

I've not made my own mint sauce before. Perhaps I'll try it the recipe in the link below.

http://www.tasty-indian-recipes.com/chutney-recipes/mint-sauce-recipe/#

Mie Bakso / Meatball Noodle Soup

Bakso Soep is een van de populaire 'Street Food' in Indonesië. Het is een soep met gehaktballetjes of vleespasta - de textuur is vergelijkbaar met de Chinese gehaktbal of visbal. Deze balletjes zijn kant en klaar te koop bij de toko maar ik heb ze zelf gemaakt (met meer gehakt dan bloem 😊). 
Lekker in alle seizoenen!
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Bakso Soup is one of the popular Street Food in Indonesia. It is a soup with meatballs or meatpaste - the texture is similar to the Chinese meatball or fishball. You can get the frozen meatballs at the toko but I've made them myself (more meat than flour 😊)
Delicious in all seasons!




Ingredients for the meatballs: (To be prepared first)
400g minced meat
1/2 red onion, 2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
1/2 an egg (yeah...you got to break one to get half...hahaha)
2 tsp corn flour or tapioca flour
1 tsp white pepper
salt
(I used the dry blender for the onion and garlic)

Method:
Just mix everything and shape them into balls.

Ingredients for the soup:
1/2 red onion, 3 cloves of garlic - finely chopped
1/2 cm of ginger - sliced
2tsp white pepper
1 lemongrass
1 beef cube
salt

(you mad also add Sup Bunjut - Soup spices, if you can get it. But this is optional)
It consists of Dried Coriander Seed, Aniseed, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Star Anise, Clove, Cardamom.

Method:
1) Heat up some oil in a pot. Fry the red onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass till fragrant.
2) Add some water about 4 cups and let it boil.
3) Add the beef cube (and Sup Bunjut) and salt and pepper to taste.
4) When the water is boiled, add the beefballs till they are cooked.

** If you want to add mee hoon, please follow the instructions on the package. Usually, you'd have to soak it first. Heat up some of the soup in a different pot and add the mee hoon, bean sprouts (and cabbage) till the mee hoon is soft. Garnish it with spring onions and fried shallots.
You may also add some sambal kicap at the side.

Simple and Delicious! Even the kids love it! :)

Daging Balado

Daging Balado (licht zuur pittig gekruid rundvlees)
Daging Balado is een specialiteit uit Padang, West Sumatra. Het rundvlees is dun gesneden, gemarineerd in boemboe, gekookt dan gebakken tot donker.
De sambal wordt apart gekookt voordat het rundvlees wordt toegevoegd.
Je kan deze sambal met kip,ei, vis, aubergine, tahoe, aardappel...eten.

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Daging Balado, a slightly sour spicy beef dish, is a specialty from Padang, West Sumatra. You would have probably seen this at the food stalls selling Padang food or in other variations - with chicken, egg, fish, lungs or eggplant.
The beef is sliced thinly, marinated, boiled then fried till it gets dark. The sambal is cooked separately before the beef is added.

I've cooked this with beef and eggs and I must say we prefer it with beef.

Ingredients & Method for the Beef:

a) 1 kg of beef, sliced thinly, about 0.5cm

b) 1 cm of ginger, 5 cloves of garlic, 1.5 tsp of turmeric powder

    I used the garlic crusher - garlic and ginger. Mix these with the beef and let it marinate for a while.

    Then boil the beef with a little bit of salt till it is cooked and there's not much water left. Let the  

     meat cool.

c) Heat up some oil in the wok and fry the beef till it gets dark. If you prefer the meat to be drier, fry

    it a bit longer.

  !!! If you want to make dendeng (like jerky), smash the beef after boiling them. We usually use the

       pestle.

OK, now that the beef is done, let's make the sambal.

    Ingredients & Method for the Sambal:

1 red onion , 1 tomato, 7-10 red chillies (Blend all of these ingredients, not too fine)

a) Heat up the oil from the oil used to fry the beef. May add more oil if needed. (You would need to use more oil than usually to make sambal, but you can throw it some away after you've cooked it.)

b) Fry the blended ingredients till the oil is separated from the blended ingredients.

c) Add salt to taste. Then add the beef and mix them through. And it's done!

Since the Daging Balado is a flavourful dish, you can pair it up with a vege dish that's mild. Here, I've made 'taugeh goreng'.

Taugeh Goreng

  

Telur (Egg) Balado

Nasi Goreng Daging / Nasi Goreng Beef

Nasi Goreng Daging (Vlees) met Garnalen Kroepoek. / Beef Nasi Goreng with Prawn Crackers
*Nasi Goreng = Fried Rice

Er zijn veel verschillende soorten nasi goreng; met kip, vis, vlees, garnalen....Je kan wel creatief zijn - bepaalt wat je wil of wat je in de koelkast hebt.
De basis ingrediënten blijven dezelfde - ui, knoflook, rode / groene pepers

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There are many different types of nasi goreng; with chicken, fish, meat, shrimp .... You can be creative with this dish - decide what you want or what you have in the fridge.
The basic ingredients remain the same - onion, garlic, red / green chillies.

 

Ingredients: I used 3 cups of uncooked rice. Cook it the night before.
400g of beef, cut thinly
8-10 pieces of dried chillies (more if you want it to be spicier) *
2 med sized red onions *
3 cloves of garlic *
1/4 cm of ginger
2 cubes of Ikan Bilis OR use dried anchovies *
3 tbs oyster sauce
3 tbs soya sauce (I did not add)
salt to taste, white pepper, black pepper
sliced carrots, peas
fried shallots (optional)

There is no need to boil the beef first. But make sure that they are thinly sliced.

Method:
1) Blend all the ingredients marked *. If you use Ikan Bilis cubes, these will be added later; do not blend them.
2) Heat up some oil in the wok and then add the blended ingredients. Fry them till they are fragrant.
3) Put in the beef and about 1/4 cup of water. Cook the beef, about 8-10 mins. (You may add more water as needed.)
4) Add the Ikan Bilis cubes and carrots. Then add the oyster sauce, soya sauce, salt, white and black pepper. Mix the ingredients.
5) Add the rice, fried eggs and peas. Mix them well. You may add the fried shallots as garnishing before serving.

Malay Spice - Nasi Goreng Daging 

Sambal Tahu Masam Manis / Sambal Tofu Sweet Sour

Tahu....tofu....there are just so many ways to make them. The tofu here is somewhat different in size. It is one big block which is about 3-4 big pieces that you can get at the wet market in Singapore. You can also get it fresh from the Toko, if you'd like.

This is one recipe that's easy to make and goes with pretty much any other main dishes.





Here, I had cooked Beef Soup (Malay style) to go with the Sambal Tofu Masam Manis. The recipe for the beef soup is simple and I will post that soon.

Ingredients :

1 block of tofu - Cut into small pieces and fry
6 pieces of prawns cut in halves - Stir-fry them till they are cooked
4-5 pieces of dried red chillies *
5 pieces shallots / 1 medium size red onion *
2 cloves garlic *
3/4 cm belacan / shrimp paste / trassi *
1 tbs tomato sauce
2 tbs chilli sauce
1/2 cup of tamarind juice (I used about a teaspoon of the tamarind and add water - not too much)
salt and sugar to taste

Method :
1) Blend all the ingredients marked *
2) Heat up some oil in the wok and fry the blended ingredients till fragrant.
3) Add the chili sauce and tomato sauce. With a medium heat, mix and fry till you see the oil rises.
4) Add the tamarind juice, sugar and salt. Mix them till the gravy thickens. Add the prawns and tofu and mix them thoroughly. And...it's done, ready to be served.

Custard Cream Puff

Gelukt! :)
Custard is een mengsel van eieren en melk dat verdikt wordt door het te verwarmen tot 80 °C. Het wordt gebruikt meestal als een nagerecht. Het lijkt op soesjes maar de vulling is anders.

I am one who looks for something new, for me at least, and simple to try. Of course readily available ingredients too! Gosh, I remember a time when I had wanted to try a recipe that requires custard powder and went to hunt for it, couldn't find it till monthsssss later in a Toko. And then forgot what I had wanted to use it for. Hah.

This was my first attempt at making Custard Cream Puff. I must say it takes skills (which I obviously lack) and patience . But hey, for a first-timer....not bad, right?



1) Ingredients for the filling (Custard) : Make this first before the Puff
* 2 tbp  flour, 2 tbp corn flour (Maizena), 8 tbp sugar
480ml of milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbp butter
a pinch of yellow food colouring

Method:
1) Add the ingredients marked * and 5 tbp of milk in a pot. Stir well  till there are no lumps.
2) Add the eggs and stir well. Then add the rest of the milk and stir again.
3) Cook the mix under low fire. Stir it continuously to avoid it being 'crusty' and getting burnt. Cook till the mix looks somewhat shiny, then add the butter. Stir well and then leave it to cool.
(Het lijkt op vla maar iets dikker.)
4) After it has cooled down, put the custard in a piping bag.

2) Ingredients for the Puff:
125g of self-raising flour / zelfrijzende bloem OR 125g flour + 2 tsp baking powder
100g butter
250ml water
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 large eggs / 4 medium eggs

Method:
1) Boil the water, sugar and butter. Then use a low fire, add the flour and stir till it does not stick to the pot. Then turn off the fire and leave it to cool. Transfer it to a mixer bowl.
2) Add the beaten eggs a bit at a time and the vanilla essence into the mixer bowl. Mix them well.
3) Heat the oven at 200 deg C.
4) Put the mix into a piping bag with a star nozzle. And make the puff. (I place a baking paper on the tray before making the puff.
** A tip : Spray the puff with water to make it 'puff-up' more before putting the tray into the oven. (I did not do this.)
5) Place the tray in the mid of the oven and bake for 25-30 mins, using the top and bottom heat.
   Do not open the oven while they're baking or they will not puff nicely. You will end up with a flat puff.
6) Cut the puff with a pair of scissors and fill it in with the custard. Top it off with powdered sugar. (Not seen in the pic as I didn't realise we were out of it....hahaha).

You can have it at room temperature or chilled.

For pictures, here is the link. The page is in Malay ;
http://www.tengkubutang.com/2015/06/resepi-cream-puff-paling-gebu-lembut.html

Rosemary Grilled Chicken

Hello again....Yes, I've been on MIA for a while. 😊 Was really busy preparing for Koningsdag (King's Day) and the aftermath of it. It was my first time doing with my 2 sons, without my husband around. He had to work that day....but all in all, it went well!

Anyway...it took me a day or two to get back into tune. So, here I am.

My boys and I on Koningsdag, 27 April 2017


Ok, back to what I had made...Rosemary Grilled Chicken. I happened to see a pot of rosemary at IKEA and couldn't resist myself. I just have to get it and I would think of something to make.... :)

Ingredients :

1 kg of drumsticks / a whole med sized chicken cut into 4 pieces

5-6 cloves of garlic (crushed) 

1 tbs dried rosemary leaves

1cm ginger

1tbs black pepper

1 tbs cumin (komijn)

2-3 tbs brown sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs olive oil

Method:

1) Using the mortar & pestle, crush, grind the dried rosemary. Then add the black pepper and cumin. (do not have to grind them finely.)

2) Add the crushed garlic into the mortar. Then add the olive oil, brown sugar, salt and lemon juice. Mix them well. (as shown in the pic below) You may adjust the taste according to your liking.

3) Marinate the chicken for a couple of hours with the mix.

4) Grill the chicken at 180 - 200 deg for an hour.

5) Serve with mashed potatoes and salad.

Fruit Cocktail Jelly

With the warm days coming up ahead, it's time to make some cooling desserts. Fruit Cocktail Jelly is one of our favourites. I'd used agar-agar powder from Swallow Sun. To be honest, I'd prefer the jelly to be a bit more 'stiff'. So I'll be trying the agar-agar/jelly from other brands soon.



It's really simple to make. Just follow the instructions on the packet. However, this time, I'd let it boil longer to make the mix less 'liquidy'. The first time that I made this and followed the instructions, the jelly was somewhat too watery. So this time, I had boiled it longer and it came out much better!



What is your favourite desserts during the warmer months?

Bami Goreng / Mee Goreng

Bami Goreng ala Malay Spice

Ik koop bijna nooit de 'ready made' boemboe pasta want ik vind dat er te veel MSG is. Dus...ik maak mijn eigen verse boemboe...een beetje pittig, just the way we like it.

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I rarely buy the ready-made mix that you can easily get here. I find that there's too much MSG in it. So I make my own from fresh ingredients. I made it spicy, as we prefer it that way.

There are many variatons to this recipe, but the basis of it is about the same.

Ingredients:
400g bami / other noodles
2 eggs, beaten and fried scrambled
500g beef / chicken filet (beef - sliced thinly)
2 cloves garlic *
1 1/2 medium sized red onion *
1/2 cm ginger *
8 pieces of dried chillies * (may use fresh chillies / chilli powder. Add more if you prefer the noodles to be spicier. Since my son can't take spicy food, this is somewhat mild to moderate.)

(* Blend these ingredients fine.)

Other ingredients : prawns, surimi, etc
                              bami mixed veg - leek, carrots, taugeh (bean sprouts) or pak soi




1) Cook the noodles according to the package. I add a bit of olive oil through the noodles after draining the water out.
2) Heat some oil in  a large wok. When it is hot, add the blended ingredients and stir fry till fragrant.
3) Add the meat till it is cooked and salt through the mix. Add the prawns and fry till they are done.
   (If you also use surimi, add it together with the eggs.)
4) Add the veg and noodles. Mix all the ingredients. You might need to add more salt, according to
    taste. Some people add soy sauce. (I do not.)
5) Add the scrambled eggs and mix through the noodles. Sprinkle with fried shallots (optional).
    May add a lime wedge when serving.

Beef & Mushroom - Pot Pie / Puff

I was looking for a pot pie recipe and came across one that I thought is simple and yet tasty. It sure was! My only regret; I should have made more! 

The taste was somewhat familiar; something that we had eaten in Singapore but can't remember where / the name of the bakery. Yes, it has been too long....hahaha.

Anyway, I am so glad for the frozen puff pastry that can easily be bought here, in The Netherlands. Ohhh....did you know? Sometime before 2000 BC, a recipe for chicken pie was written on a tablet in Sumer. Ancient Greeks are believed to have originated pie pastry.

Now, back to the recipe:

* The traditional beef and mushroom combo infused with rosemary and garlic. 

 - 700g beef, cut into 1cm pieces 
- 2 tbs plain flour
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 250g mushrooms, cut into 4 (depending on the size of the mushrooms that you have.)
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped, 2 cloves garlic crushed (I blended them using the dry blender.)
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 beef cube stock, 370ml water
- 2 tbs tomato paste (I used tomato sauce/ketchup)
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- puff pastry

Method:

1) Place the cut beef in a large bowl. Add the flour, salt and pepper. Then mix them evenly. Heat half the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add half of the beef and cook till brown. Repeat with the remaining oil and beef.
2) Add the mushroom, onion, garlic and rosemary to the pan and cook till the onion softens. Add the beef, water, stock, tomato sauce and simmer. Reduce heat. Cook (covered) for an hour.
3) Add salt and pepper to taste. After it is done, set aside for an hour to cool. Then, transfer to a container and cover it. Place in the fridge for about 2 hours to cool completely.

** Note: For pot pie, the sauce would be slightly watery, not as thick for the puff.

4) Preheat the oven (follow the instructions on the package of the frozen puff pastry). After filling the puff pastry, seal it with water and then brush the pies with the egg. For pot tie, fill about half of the bowl with the fillings. Then cover it with the puff pastry. You may want to brush it with eggs to seal it.

** Don't let the frozen puff pastry to thaw completely. When it's just thawed, work quickly or you may stretch it, making it too thin and prevent it from puffing. 

Pot Pie is a type of meat pie with a top crust, generally made of flaky pastry.

Ayam Minang / Gulai Ayam

Padang eten komt uit de keuken van het Minangkabau volk van West-Sumatra, Indonesië. Het is beroemd om zijn rijke smaak van kokosmelk, pittige chili en specerijen.

Ayam Minang / Gulai Ayam is één van de meest populaire gerechten.

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I have always loved food from Padang, West Sumatra and it is very popular in Singapore among the Malay community. It's known for its rich flavour - coconut milk, spicy chili and spices.

Ayam Minang / Gulai Ayam is one of the most popular dishes. 

Ingredients for 1kg of chicken:  

- chicken drumlets (marinate in salt and tumeric powder. then fry till it's half-cooked. You may choose to skip this step. It's just that we prefer the chicken to be slightly 'fried'.)

- 1cm galangal *

- 1cm ginger * 

- 2 med-sized red onions, 3 cloves of garlic  *

- 1-2 candlenuts *

- 6 red chillies * (you may add more if you prefer it to be spicier)

- 2 lemongrass, 4 pieces of lime leaves *, about 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric powder

 (* Blend all ingredients)

- coconut cream
- a cube of chicken stock
-salt to taste (I did not add.)
- tamarind juice (I used the dried asam keping / gelugur)

Method;

1) Heat up some oil in the pot. Add the blended ingredients and fry it till its done, slightly dry.
2) Add some water (3-4 cups. Do not add all the water as you do not want the gravy to be too watery. You can always add more later). When the water is boiled, add the chicken.
3) Then add the chicken stock. When it's dissolved, add the coconut cream. (I used about 100-150ml.)
    (It depends on the brand of the coconut cream that you got and how creamy you would like it.)
4) Add the tamarind juice / asam gelugur and cook it till the gravy thickens.
5) Serve with rice or 'lontong'.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai is een bekend gerecht uit de Thaise keuken - geroerbakte rijst noedels met gemalen pinda’s en rode peper eroverheen. Hoe maak je het?

Pad Thai is a popular Street Food rice noodle dish in Thailand. There are a few variations that I've seen online and I've chosen this recipe as I think it's quite easy to cook, if you have most of the ingredients. 

Ingredients for a packet of rice noodles (5mm) 375g :
* 6-7 tbs oil
* 4 cloves of garlic (minced finely)
* 15 pieces of prawns (can also use chicken filet)
* tofu (cut small and fry)
* 3 eggs (scramble and fry)
* bean sprouts (I did not weigh, it was about 4 handfuls.)
* peanuts (roasted and grounded)
* lime
* Chives (I did not use as I was shocked at how expensive they were.
   I used spring onion instead.
* half medium sized red onion (chopped). (I added this.)

Seasoning:
* 3-4 tbs tamarind juice or rice vinegar (I used the tamarind paste and dissolve it in water.)
* 5 tbs fish sauce
* 5 tbs sugar (I used 4 tbs)
* 6 tbs water
* 2 tsp chili powder (I used 4 tsp)

Method:

1) Boil the dried rice noodles. Follow the instructions on the package. The rice noodles should be soft (chewy and not mushy) after boiling. Rinse the boiled noodles with cold running water. 

2) Mix all the ingredients in the Seasonings in a small bowl. (Ensure that the sugar dissolves completely.) Set aside.

3) Heat up the wok on high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and stir until you smell the aroma.  

4) Add the prawns and stir till they change colour. Then add the noodles and Seasoning. Mix them evenly. Add the bean sprouts and continue stirring till they are cooked. When they are done, add the tofu and eggs and mix thoroughly. 

5) Add the grounded peanuts and mix through. You may prefer to serve this at the side of the plate when serving instead. 

6) Serve the noodles on a plate with a lime wedge (grounded peanuts and crushed peppers) and sprinkle some spring onion/chives. 

 

Keema

Keema 

Een Indiase gehaktschotel met geurige kruiden. Lekker met naanbrood of chapati en een frisse salade.


Keema is a traditional meat dish from the Indian subcontinent. It is typically minced mutton curry (lamb or goat) with peas or potatoes. Keema is also sometimes used as a filling for samosas or naan













Ingredients:
200g minced meat 
1 large onion, 1 inch ginger, 2 cloves garlic - blend
1 potato (diced) - You may want to dice it and then boil it first.
1 tsp coriander and cumin mixture (blend/powder)
2 tsp meat powder meat (I used more)
1/2 cup water
coriander leaves (sliced)
1 cup peas
salt and seasonings to taste
ghee/oil (or mix of both)

1) Saute blended ingredients. Add in the curry powder.
2) Add the minced meat until its cooked. And then the potatoes and water.
3) Cook for 5-10 mins. (longer if you do not boil the potatoes first) *Some people add diced tomatoes 
    too.
4) Add the peas. salt and seasoning to taste.
5) Simmer for about 5 mins.

Can be eaten with Chapati / Naan / Prata / French Loaf...You can even cook further to use this as fillings for Samosa. 

Nasi Goreng Tom Yum / Tom Yum Fried Rice

Tom Yum is bekend als soep maar kan ook als nasi, noodles of pasta worden bereid.

Tom yum, een pikante heldere soep, wordt gezien als een van de bekendste Thaise gerechten. Ook in de buurlanden Laos, Maleisië en Singapore wordt tom yum geserveerd.

"Tom" betekent "koken" en "yum" refereert aan een pittige en zure Thaise salade. "Tom yum" is dus een Thaise pikante en zure soep.
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Tom Yum is usually prepared as soup can also be prepared as fried rice, noodles or pasta.
Tom yum, a spicy clear soup, is one of the most famous Thai dishes. It is also served in the neighbouring countries; Laos, Malaysia and Singapore.
"Tom" means "cooking" and "yum" refers to a spicy and sour Thai salad. "Tom yum" literally means spicy and sour soup.

The basic ingredients for tom yum are : 
lemongrass, lime leaves, bird's eye chillies, galangal

Most of the ingredients above are sold frozen at the toko. Getting a good lemongrass can be quite tricky. I bought a few from different brands to find one that has nice strong smell. 

http://blog.seasonwithspice.com

The ingredients for the nasi goreng:

- 3 cups of uncooked rice - cook and then leave to cool. It depends on the type of rice that you       get. If  it is the soft fluffy rice, it's best to cook it the night before.

- 3 eggs - fried and scrambled

- 2 red onions, 4 garlic (blended / sliced thinly)

- 30g (or more) of tom yam paste

- pak soi / cabbage

- 1 stalk of lemongrass (smashed)

- a few slices of galangal (I did not add.)

- 3-4 pieces of lime leaves

- 3 pieces of chicken thigh (cut small)

- 10 -12 pieces of prawns. 

- Fish sauce (optional)

Method:

1) Heat up some oil. Add the lemongrass, galangal, blended/sliced onions and garlic. Fry till fragrant.

2) Add the chicken till it's cooked. Then add the prawns, tom yam paste and fish sauce. Fry till the prawns are cooked.

3) Add the vegetables and lime leaves. Mix the ingredients.

4) Add the rice and mix the ingredients. Add salt to taste.

5) When the rice is hot, turn off the fire. Sprinkle with fried shallots(optional) before serving.

Thaise Vissoep (Thai Fish Soup)

Deze Thaise vissoep is lekker - van de combinatie van de vis met citroengras, gember, limoenblaadjes (en cili rawit).

This Thai fish soup is tasty - the combination of the fish with lemongrass, ginger, lime leaves (and cili padi). It's also really easy to make once you have the ingredients.

Make this soup on a chilly day and you'll soon feel thoroughly warmed from the inside out.

Ingredients:

Red snapper fish (around 500g)

2 lemongrass, 5 pieces of lime leaves

4 spices

* 1.5 red onion (* sliced) 

* 2 garlic, 2cm ginger 

5 pieces of cili padi (depends on how spicy you would like it)

Salt

spring onion, coriander leaves, fried shallots

1) Heat up the oil. Add the 4 spices, sliced red onion, garlic and ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves

    Stir fry and then add water to make the soup. Let it boil.

2) Add the fish and cili padi (rawit) and lower the fire. Then add salt to taste and fish sauce (if you have). Turn off the fire when the fish is cooked. 

3) Sprinkle the soup with spring onion, coriander and fried shallots before serving. 

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprout (Spruitjes), which looks like mini cabbage, is a very common vegetable found here. You can just 
- boil them, then add salted butter and nutmeg powder or with cheese sauce at the side
- roast them
- add them to stir-fried mixed vegetables

The possibility is just endless. 



Ingredients :

Brussels sprouts
butter, olive oil,
minced garlic, chicken cube, chili flakes

Ingrediënten:
spruitjes
boter, olijfolie,
gehakte knoflook, kippenbouillon, chilivlokken

Method :

1) Boil the Brussels sprouts for about 10 mins, add salt to the water. After they are done, drain them.
2) Heat up the wok. Add a bit of olive oil and butter.
3) Add the garlic and stir-fry it for a while. Then add some water and the chicken cube.
4) Add the vegetables and chili flakes. Mix them well.
    (I did not add anymore salt.)

That's it! This was a side dish to my beef curry. I suppose this can also be a side dish to meatballs and potatoes. Just be creative! :)

Begedil (Aardappelkoekje met gehakt)

I received a note in my mailbox from my neighbour, a student who's doing a project on food from around the world. I responded to it, met him and showed him my Malay Spice page on Facebook. He chose 2 recipes - Cucur Sayur (veg fritters) and Begedil (as shown here). I told him that these 2 are one of the simplest to make and he's happy with it as he too can then try it out. I thought he would choose something more special (to me at least) but he made me realised that simplicity is also good. I look forward to his finished project as he intends to make a cookbook and share it with the neighbourhood.

Begedil is a really simple and common dish that you can find at the Malay stall in Singapore. Some people think that it's time consuming but it's always a hit! One is never enough. Simple food can also be comfort food. :)



Ingredients :
1/2 kg fried potatoes
200g fried minced meat
spring onion, parsley 
fried shallots (optional)
a pinch of salt, white pepper
1 egg (beaten)
oil - for frying




Method :
1) Mash the fried potatoes in a big bowl.
2) Cut the spring onion and parsley fine. Add them and the fried minced meat into the bowl.
3) Add salt, pepper and fried shallots into the bowl.
4) Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
5) Take some of the mix into your hands and make it into a round/a ball. Continue to make them till the mix is finished. (Beware: it is already tempting to eat these.) :)




6) Heat up the oil. Dip the begedil into the beaten egg and put it directly into the pan. 
7) Fry till the egg is done on both sides.

Kuih Bakar Berlauk

My family and I were invited to a Chinese New Year gathering in Eindhoven recently. It was a rather long drive from Amersfoort. But It would also be fun meeting other Singaporeans in a gathering for the first time. 
It took me a while thinking what I should make, since it was a potluck. I wanted to try making something new and decided on 'Kuih Bakar Berlauk'. While I was looking for the recipe, I realised that there were things that I had to do differently. Original recipe calls for it to be done on a stove using a mould that I do not have. (see picture below)

# 'Kuih bakar berlauk' literally means a baked savoury dish cake.
   'Kuih bakar berlauk' betekent letterlijk een gerecht van gebakken cake. 'Lauk' betekent vlees of      
   groentegerechten en dus hartig. 

That's when I put on my thinking cap and made do with what I have. I baked it in the oven and used a less conventional mould (mini cupcakes). My verdict - The taste is still there, perhaps a slightly different texture. 




(A) Ingredients for the batter (about 100 pieces):
600 g flour
500ml coconut cream (I used KARA) + water
5 eggs
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cm of ginger (finely chopped) - I did not add
1 teaspoon yellow food colouring (powder) 

(B) Ingredients for the meat (I used minced meat) :
300 g minced meat
1 - 2  teaspoon white pepper 
1 - 11/2 tablespoon of meat curry powder
1 medium sized red onion *
1/2 cm of ginger *
5 tablespoon of oil
Salt to taste
 ( * finely chopped)

For toppings:
parsley, fried onions, sliced red chilli (deseed)

Method (B):
1) Heat up the oil. Fry the finely chopped or blended red onion and ginger till slightly fragrant. Add the curry powder. Mix till its even. (add a bit of water, if needed)
2) Add the minced meat and stir evenly.
3) Add salt and white pepper and water, if needed. Fry till the meat is cooked and till dry. After it is done, let it cool.

Method (A):
1) Beat the eggs, salt and ginger. 
2) Add the flour and coconut cream. Pour some water and mix till you get a smooth consistency.
    (The mix should neither be too thick nor watery). Add the colouring.
3) Add some of the cooked meat into the mixture. I added about 1/4 of it as my moulds are mini.

Now, let's bake them!
1) Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.
2) Grease the moulds with oil. 
3) Pour the mixture into the moulds. 
4) For the toppings - put the minced meat, parsley, red chili and fried onions.
5) Bake for 15 - 20 mins. 

Bakwan / Cucur Sayur (Groente Koekje)

Bakwan (Cucur) Sayur / Groente Koekje is een populair Maleisische en Indonesische hapje. Er zijn 

verschillende Cucur, zoals met maïs, banaan, garnalen.

Ingrediënten:

200g tarwebloem

½ theelepels bakpoeder

2 rode uien - gesneden

1 – 1½ kopjes water

1 a 2 theelepels zout

¾ theelepel zwartepeper

2 lente ui

Groentemix (Ik gebruikte ‘Basis Roerbak Mix’ van Jumbo)   of

mix 1 wortel, 50g taugeh, 3 koolbladeren

                                                         olie om te frituren

                                                         * je mag ook garnalen toevoegen

1) Doe de bloem en bakpoeder in een grote kom. Voeg zout en water toe. Roer de   ingrediënten tot een beslag. 

2) Meng de groente en voeg toe aan de kom. Schenk iets water bij als het beslag te dik is. (Voeg de garnalen toe als je wilt.) 

3) Verhit olie tot 175◦c. Schep een eetlepel van de mix en frituur dit tot beide kanten licht   bruin wordt. (Even omdraaien tussendoor) Je kunt er meerdere tegelijk frituren, zolang ze     los van elkaar blijven.

Serveer ze met een pikante chilisaus!