Monday 23 September 2013

Nyonya Style Steamed Red Tilapia

1 Red Tilapia fish (500gm to 1kg weight)
1 tbspn cooking oil
2 or 3 tbsp chili paste
1 large green onion, thinly slice
2 stick lemongrass, thinly slice
1 ginger flower, thinly slice
3 cloves garlic, thinly slice
2 tomatoes, cut into 4
1 tbsp dried shrimp
1 cube fish stock
1 liter plain water
Water (if needed)
Pinch of salt and pepper
Chopped Chinese celery

  1. Heat your large cooking pan and add the cooking oil.
  2. Fry the slice green onion, garlic, until it get brown. 
  3. Add the ginger flower, dried shrimp and lemongrass, stir gently
  4. Add the chili paste and let it cook for awhile by stirring
  5. Add fish stock and the fish into the pan. Make sure the water cover 2/3 of the fish and cover the pan with a lid.
  6. After 10 minutes, turn the fish to another side and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  7. Turn off the fire and add the tomatoes into the steam mixture. 
  8. Move the steam fish and the juice to your serving plate and garnish with chopped Chinese celery

Sunday 22 September 2013

Steamed Grouper Fish with Lemon

1 green onion, slice
3 cm ginger, slice 
3 - 5 red chili, slice
1 tbsp margarine (Or 2 tbsp cooking oil)
1 liter fish stock
Sugar, if its too spicy
1 grouper fish (500gm - 1kg)
2 or 3 tomatoes, cut into 4
Half cup of lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Coriander leave, to garnish

  1. Heat your large cooking pan (with lid) and add the margarine.
  2. Fry the green onion and ginger, for 3 minute and add the chili.
  3. Add the fish stock, and fish. Then cover the pan.
  4. If the soup is not enough, you can slowly add some water.
  5. Don't forget to turn the other side of the fish and keep it simmer.
  6. Finally, add the tomato and pinch of salt. 
  7. *I only will add sugar if it is too spicy.

Saturday 21 September 2013

Peanuty & Creamy Dish: Chili Coconut Chicken

This tasty dishes combines the flavours of lime, peanut, coconut and chili. 

2/3 cup hot chicken stock
1/2 cup coconut cream
2 tbsp cooking oil
8 - 12 skinless, boneless chicken thights, cut into long, thin strips
1 small red chili, sliced thinly
4 spring onion (scallion), sliced thinly
2 tbsp peanit butter
finally grated rind and juice of 1 lime
1 fresh chili and spring onion (scallion), tassel to garnish
boiled rice, to serve

  1. Pour the chicken stock into a measuring jug or small bowl. Crumble the coconut cream into the chicken stock and stir the mixture until the coconut cream dissolves.
  2. Heat the oil in a preheated wok or large heavy pan.
  3. Add the chicken strips and cook, stirring, until the chicken turns a golden colour.
  4. Stir in the chopped red chili and spring onions (scallions) and cook gently for a few minutes.
  5. Add the peanut butter, coconut cream and chicken stock mixture, lime rind, lime juice and simmer, uncover, for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the mixture sticking to the base of the work or pan.
  6. Transfer the chili coconut chicken to your plate, garnish with red chili and spring onion (scallion) tassel and serve with boiled rice. 
Recipe credit: 1001 Classic Recipes from Around the World, pg. 179

Friday 20 September 2013

Quick & Easy Seafood Tomyam

7 or 8 tiger prawn
300gm chicken fillet, cut into small bites
1 carrot, cut round like coin
1/2 can button mushroom
200gm cabbage
2 kaffir lime leave
1 inch galangal
5 red chili
1 big onion, cut into four
2 kiub Tomyam stock OR 2 tbsp Tomyam paste
1 kiub anchovies stock
2 lemongrass
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tomatoes, cut into four
Pinch of salt
Sugar, if its too spicy

  1. Boil water about 1 litre and insert all ingredient exclude prawn and chicken, tomato, lime juice, salt and sugar. Then simmer for about 10 minutes.
  2. Insert chicken and wait until its cook. Then insert the prawn, some salt and sugar if needed. Lastly, add the tomato, and lime juice and let it boil for another 5 minute. Serve while it hot.
  3. You also can add in some squid, beef, fish or veggies to enrich your Tomyam. I add some fish cake into my tomyam and it's yummy.

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Chicken with Yogurt Crust

A spicy, Indian-style coating is baked around lean chicken to give a full flavour. 

1 garlic clove, crushed
2.5cm root fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 fresh green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
6 tbsp low fat natural yogurt
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp lime juice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
salt & pepper
wedges of lime or lemon, to serve

  1. Preheat the oven to 190 degree celcious.
  2. Place the garlic, ginger, chili, yogurt, tomato puree (paste), lime juice and seasoning in a bowl and mix to combine all the ingredients.
  3. Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts with absorbent kitchen paper and place them on a baking sheet.
  4. Brush or spread the spicy yogurt mix over the chicken and bake in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes until the meat is tender and cooked through.
  5. Drain the cooked chicken on absorbent kitchen paper and serve hot with the relish and lemon. Alternatively, allow to cool, chill for at least 1 hour and serve sliced as part of a salad.
Recipe Credit: 1000 Classic Recipes from Around the World, Pg. 164

Sunday 15 September 2013

Beef Daube with Brown Rice

This dish is very French, but also very New Orleans, especially when the beef is perked up with Tabasco and Cajun spices.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 green (bell) pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 kg lean braising steak, cubed
1/2 cup plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 1/2 cup beef stock
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or any kind)
2 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
1/2 tsp tabasco
1 tsp chopped thyme
2 bay leave
1/2 tsp cajun spice mix
Brown rice/French loaf to serve

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan or flameproof casserole. Add the onion wedges and cook until brown on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
  2. Add the celery and (bell) pepper to the pan and cook until softened. Remove the vegetable with a slotted spoon and set aside. 
  3. Coat the mean in the seasoned flour, add to the pan and saute until browned on all sides.
  4. Add the stock, garlic, vinegar, tomato puree (paste), Tabasco and thyme. Heat gently.
  5. Return the onions, celery, and peppers to the pan, tuck in the bay leaves and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning.
  6. Bring to the boil, transfer to the oven and cook for 1 to 2 hours, or until the meat and vegetable are tender.
  7. Serve the beef daube with French loaf or Brown rice.
Recipe source: 1000 Classic Recipe from Around the World, pg. 303

Homemade Singapore Chili Crab

I'm craving for Singapore Chili Crab since last few week, but it was so difficult to find mud crab in town, until my recent visit to AEON Bandar Utama, and I found the live one here. Here we go, my Singapore Chiuli Crab at my style. Taste wise and the thickness, is almost the same with Lion City Restaurant at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (I am confident right?). 

3 clove garlic
1 big union
1/2 inch ginger
6 - 7 tbsp dried chili, blended
4 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 kg mud crab, cut into parts (normally each crab is 800gm to 1 kg)
2 - 3 cup water
1 cube fish stock
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Corn flour, mix with a little water


Serving:
French loaf/steam rice/steam bun
Fresh salad leaf
  1. Blender garlic, union, fish stock and ginger.
  2. Put 2 tbsp vegetable oil into cooking pan and fry the blended ingredients.
  3. After the blended ingredients cooked, add dried chili and tomato puree in the pan and wait until the chili cook. 
  4. Add some water to ensure its not dried up.
  5. Add the apple cider vinegar and stir well.
  6. Add sugar, pinch of salt and taste the sweetness, spiciness and saltiness of the sauce. 
  7. Add the mud crab into the ingredient and mix well. You will see the crab shell will turn to be red colour.
  8. Mix well and make sure the sauce didn't dried up. 
  9. When the crab cooked, add corn flour mixture to thicken the sauce.
  10. Finally turn off the fire, and add the 2 lightly beaten egg on in the sauce and mix well with the crab. 
  11. You can have this chili crab with French Loaf/any kind of bread, steam rice or maybe steam bun too. 


Saturday 14 September 2013

Mediterranean Fish Soup

Juicy chunks of fish and sumptuous shellfish are cooked in a flavoursome stock. Serve with rice, toasted bread or maybe rice noodle.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/4 cup fresh fish stock
2/3 cup white wine/vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 spring each fresh thyme, rosemarry and oregano
450g fish fillet (cod/dory/halibut) skinned and cut into cubes
450g fresh mussel, prepared
400g can chopped tomatoes
225gm peeled prawn
Salt & pepper
Spring of thyme, to garnish

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion and garlic for 2 - 3 minutes until just softened.
  2. Pour in the stock and wine and bring to the boil.
  3. The bay leave and herbs together with clean string and add to the saucepan together with the fish and mussels. Stir well, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the tomatoes and prawn and continue to cook for a further 3 -4 minutes until piping hot and the fish is cooked though.
  5. Discard the herbs and any mussels that have not opened. Season to taste, then ladle into serving bowl.
  6. Garnish with springs of fresh thyme and serve with rice, bread or maybe rice noolde.

Baked Dory Fish with Lemon & Greek Brown Rice Salad

What for dinner tonight? How about making this delicious and salad kind of dish called, Baked Dory Fish with Lemon and Greek Brown Rice Salad.

300gm brown rice
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
4 Dory fish fillet
Large handful parsley, roughly chopped
Large handful mint, roughly chopped
85gm olives, quartered
1 cucumber, diced
Salad leave, chopped in large size
300gm cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice 1 lemon
Slices of lemon
Pinch of Salt
Grounded black pepper
Dried parsley


  1. Cooked the rice following pack instruction, then rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly.
  2. Heat the oven at 190 degree celcius, place the slices of lemon on the baking tray and place the fish fillet on top of the lemon. 
  3. Pinch some salt, black pepper, and dried parsley on top of each fish fillet and put it in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. 
  4. Mixed the remaining ingredient with brown rice and some seasoning. Serve alongside the baked fish fillet. 

Thursday 12 September 2013

Malay Traditional Dessert, Pengat Pisang

Coming back from my Grandma's normally will lead me to bring back many unexpected things such as a bunch of Rambutan, Bananas and other Kampung "village" stuffs. This time, I will share about how I make this sweet and delicious traditional Malay dessert so called, Pengat Pisang (Boiled Riped Banana with Coconut Milk and Palm Sugar).

1 comb banana, cut into your desired size
1/2 liter thin coconut milk
1/2 liter thick coconut milk
1 piece palm sugar, cut into small pieces
4 tbsp white sugar
1 pandan leave, knotted
1/2 cup sago seed
Pinch of salt

  1. Boil thin coconut milk with palm sugar, pandan leave and salt. Keep stir until now and then.
  2. Once it boil, add in the sago seed and wait until its turn to be crystal clear. Keep stir until now and then.
  3. Add the banana, lower the fire and simmer for about 30 minutes. Normally I will put the cooking pot's lid on. 
  4. Add the thick coconut milk and when it's boiled again, turn of the fire.
  5. You can serve this cold or hot, as you wish. 

Wednesday 4 September 2013

Chicken & Lentil Stew with Gremolata



I recently bought BBC GoodFood magazine and found out this delicious stew menu. At first, I am not a stew food lovers and I am more prefer to enjoy fried dishes. But however, this stew dishes really change my mindset about having stew dish for once in awhile.

2 tbsp olive oil
8 chicken drumstick, skin left on
2 onion, very finely chopped
6 tbsp red lentils
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
French loaf, to serve

FOR GREMOLATA
Zest 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Small handful parsley finely chopped


  1. Heat half the oil in a large non stick frying pan, brown the drumstick on all sides, then transfer to a plate.
  2. Add the onion and remaining oil to the pan, and cook for 5 minutes or so until soft. Add lentils, tomatoes, 1 can of water and the chicken cube. Return the drumsticks to the pan. Bring to the boil, then turn down the hear, put on the lid and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Keep an eye on the stew and add little water if it is drying out. Remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened, then season.
  3. Meanwhile make the gremolata. Mix the lemon zest, garlic and parsley together. Sprinkle over the cooked stew and serve with the French loaf, or I am choosing to enjoy it with garlic bread loaf.