Sambal belacan ladies finger

Sambal belacan ladies finger

This dish is quite similar to my older post of spicy dried shrimps with cucumber. It is an appetising dish and easy to prepare. My friend told me that it is good for people whose knee joints are painful. Maybe it acts as a lubricant.

Ingredients:




7 ladies finger (bendi)
3 tbsp sambal belacan3 ripe lime



Method:

1. Blanch ladies finger for a few minutes in pot.

2. Drain the water and cut about 3 cm in length.

3. Put sambal belacan on top with squeezed lime.

4. Serve on a plate.



serving 3-4 person

cooking time: 5 minutes.

Fried Chinese Kale(kailan) with oyster sauce

Fried Chinese Kale(kailan) with oyster sauce

This vegetable has a thick leave. There are two types of this vegetable. One type is the baby chinese kale and the other type is the usual full grown leave. It all depends on what type you prefer. As for me I like the baby chinese kale as it is crunchier, less fibre and sweeter.

Ingredients:

• 7-8 stalks chinese kale (cut into desired length)
• 1 tbsp garlic
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2-3 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Heat up oil in a wok. Saute garlic, add chinese kale and stir fry for a few minutes.

2. Add in oyster sauce and stir for a minute.

3.Serve on a plate.

Cooking time : 5 minutes

Varieties: Any type of vegetables can be cooked using salted fish.

Fried Oyster

Fried Oyster

Oyster is a type of shellfish. It seems that oyster has been enjoyed in Korea for a very long time.
Oyster has a unique taste and a soft texture compared to other shellfish It is best eaten raw if you can. Always consider its freshness when choosing oysters. Fresh oysters have clear, white colour and shiny. It is best to consume oysters as quickly as possible upon purchasing them. Store them at 10°C or below, but do not store for more than a week. Oyster is a highly nutritional and healthy food.

Ingredients:

• 100 g sweet potato flour
• 30 g fresh oyster
• 250 ml water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 dash of pepper
• 5 eggs (beaten with 1 tsp of light soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp sliced spring onion
• 1 stalk Chinese celery
• 1 lime
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• oil for frying

Method:

1. Wash oyster and add sweet potato flour solution. Put aside.

2. Mix sweet potato flour with water, salt and pepper.

3. Heat up the frying pan. When hot, fry a thin layer of sweet potato solution.

4. When it is cooked, spread some beaten egg on top of it. Add in a few drops of light soy sauce.

5. When cooked, flip over the other side, cut into small pieces with the frying ladle. Dish out and put aside.

6. Repeat step 3 - 5. When all has been fried, fry garlic on the frying pan. Put in all the fried mixture, add oyster and spring onions. Fry for 1- 2 minutes. Dish out and served with Chinese celery and cut lime on top.

Note: If you want it to be spicy, add some chilly paste after adding in the garlic.

Set Dosa

Set Dosa

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

My love for set dosa started the very first day i ate it in bangalore. I just love this fluffy thick dosa served in set of three medium sized ones. Finally I did some research for recipe. Most of them were using soda which i didnt want to use. Also found out that they use poha in it. So adapted those ingredients to the my dosa recipe. Outcome was awesome :) Infact I made it like 2 weeks back and before I could click photos, they were over :) And already been asked for repeat. So this week I prepared it again and first thing I did was click the snap :)


Ingredients
2 Cup Rice
1 Cup Idly Rawa
3/4 Cup Udid Daal
1 Cup Poha
1 Spoon Methi Seeds
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Soak Rice, Idly rawa, udid daal and methi seeds seperately in the morning.
• In the evening soak poha for an hour
• Grind the rice to fine paste.
• Mix udid daal and Methi seeds and grind it to fine paste.
• Grind the idly rawa to form fine paste
• Grind Poha as well to the paste.
• Mix all these pastes really well and keep in warm place overnight
• Next day morning, add salt and water enough to make free flowing consistency. Mix well.
• Heat tawa on low-medium flame.
• Sprinkle few drops of oil and pour a cup of batter.
• When the one side is one, sprinkle couple of drops on top of the dosa and flip it to cook the other side.
• When the other side too turns light brown, take it out and serve.

Notes
This dosa is normally served with mixed vegetable, but i dont like it at all so instead i served it with peanut-curd chutney without using optional items. It went well.

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Vegetarian Converts the Committed Carnivores

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Vegetarian Converts the Committed Carnivores

I'm back with a vegetable vengeance!

Lindsey, the only member of the Secret-Secret Geography Club who is a vegetarian, is constantly butting heads with certain members of the group on her choice to eat and prepare only meat-free dishes (*ahem, cough, cough...Steve and Dan). We were brainstorming upcoming dinner party ideas for the Geography Club one night when Dan and Lindsey got into a rift about the presence of meat in our food when Lindsey said "I'd love to prepare an entirely vegetarian meal for you and have you eat your words when you can see how delicious and satisfying an entirely vegetarian meal can be!"

That's when the brain child for our next dinner party was born.

Just to set the stage for you, we live in the middle of what is called "Feedlot Alley"; an area 500km x 500km with the highest concentration of cattle, pigs and chickens in North America. Needless to say, there is no shortage of meat around here.

Dan plotted all the livestock, hog and chicken barns in the area just to give you an idea. Dan's house is marked in blue.

Since we were planning this dinner anyway, it was a nice little added bonus that Foodbuzz wanted to sponsor the dinner and feature it in their 24 Meals, 24 Blogs, 24 Hours event.


We of course had all the Secret-Secret Geography Club members there, which consisted of my husband Steve and myself, Dan & Lisa who hosted and Joel & Lindsey who did the cooking. My good friends Shanna, Tara and her husband Jon drove down for a surprise visit and so ended up joining us for the meatless festivities. Tara and Shanna almost peed their pants they were so excited to be a part of our infamous geography club :)

Lindsey prepped and slaved over her meal and recruited us ladies as her sous chefs for some last minute preparation while the guys talked in the other room about MEAT.


I kid you not, I kept overhearing a drawn out 20 minute conversation about what kind of meat products they could consume as soon as our dinner was over.

"Let's go out and order chicken wings!"

"Yeah like 5lbs of chicken wings each."

"We should have brought pre-dinner appetizers....you know....like sausages wrapped in bacon or something."


While the men discussed animal flesh, we ladies were chopping shitake mushrooms, heating up a tomatillo-green chile enchilada sauce and combining sweet potatoes and black beans.

The ladies of the evening were absolutely fine with consuming a vegetarian meal, in fact, both Lisa and Tara WERE vegetarians at one time. The men on the other hand were a different story. Jon kept talking about bacon, while Steve and Dan thought our dinner was a waste of time. "I plan on being hungry an hour later" Dan said.

Yeesh. Tough crowd.

Lindsey took it all in stride and quietly but confidently prepared our first course. A lovely green Spinach Coconut Soup.


This soup was rich with coconut milk, spinach and hits of fresh ginger and lemon grass. Sauteed shitake mushrooms were served over top as a garnish and added body to the soup (recipe to come later this week).

Everyone's reaction to the soup: pleasantly surprising.

The general consensus as everyone slurped and gulped was that the soup was delicious. The lemongrass and ginger added a nice freshness, while the shitakes provided the sense of "meatiness". Yes, even the men were pleased (although Dan's face would suggest otherwise in this photo).

For the main course, Lindsey had prepared Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas with Spicy Avocado Salad. This my friends was freakin' incredible.

The enchiladas were hearty and yet creamy at the same time with the combination of the black beans and sweet potatoes. The avocado salad was the perfect compliment. I loved the cool, creamy avocado with the spicy dressing. Praises went around the table as we heard exclaims of "WOW" and "Oh my gosh, this is REALLY good."


People went back for seconds and licked both their fingers and their plates clean.

The combination of flavors in this meal were outstanding and perfectly paired.


We moved onto dessert and had a nice refreshing lemon sorbet topped with a raspberry sauce.

As we finished up our vegetarian meal and looked around the table at all the satisfied faces, Lindsey and I thought it was time to let the group in on a little secret:

Our entire meal had been vegan.

And gluten-free.

The men blinked back with stunned looks on their faces. "For real?"

"Yep. And you LIKED it!"


Dan, probably the most skeptical of the night, said it was the best vegetarian food he'd ever had, but of course modified his statement by saying it was "moderately freaking epic." Steve piped up and said a few times that he never knew vegetarian food could be this good and Jon thought the night was incredible and an eye-opening experience into vegetarian food.

Lindsey's mission was a success!

Spicy dried shrimps with cucumber

Spicy dried shrimps with cucumber

This recipe is simple and delicious. My good friend shared this recipe with me. Meat was added to this recipe. In my original recipe I added chicken gizzard and liver.

Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber (sliced thinly)


• tbsp dried shrimps (pounded)


• 1- 2 tbsp sambal belacan


• 30 g meat (boiled and sliced)


• 3 tbsp lime juice


• a pinch of salt


• 1 teasp sugar

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Serve on a plate.

Khatkhate

Khatkhate

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

I loved this dish a lot since my childhood. Probably then I didn't realise it was the healthiest dish that I loved :D Just like the name says it uses almost everything that's in your fridge :)


Ingredients
1 Cup Beans
1/2 Cup Mutter
2 Drum Sticks
2 Corn Cobs
1 Potato
1 Sweet Potato
1 Raw Banana
1.5 Spoon Tamarind
1/4 Cup Jaggery
1/2 Cup Coconut
1/4 Spoon Corriander Seeds
1 Spoon Red Chilli Powder
1/4 Spoon Turmeric Powder
A pinch of Asafoetida
2 Spoon Ghee
Salt to taste

Method

• In a half cup of water add the tamarind and keep aside.
• In a pan, add beans and 4 cups of water and cook over high flame for 5 minutes
• Cut each corn cob into 3 pieces and add the corn cob pieces and another 2 cups of water, Cook for another 5 minutes
• Add drum sticks - cut into pieces, potato cubes, raw banana pieces, pieces of sweet potato and another 2 cups of water. Cook till they are almost done
• Mean time grate coconut, tamarind (with its water that was it soaked in) and corriander seeds adding half cup of water.
• Add it and mutters to the almost done vegetables.
• Add turmeric powder, jaggery, red chilli powder and salt and simmer it.
• In another small pan, add ghee and let the mustard splutter in it.
• Add asafoetida and mix the tadaka with the vegetable.

Notes
You can optionally add 1 cup of pumpkin pieces too, but I couldn't as it wasn't available in the store here.

Mangana

Mangana

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

One of my favorite sweet dish, so much so that every Saturday mom use to make this for lunch and i always looked forward to it. Finally I decided to make it on my own, off course with the recipe help from mom. I modified it a little bit though.


Ingredients
1 Cup Harbara Daal
3/4 Cup Jaggery
1/2 Cup Cashews
1/2 Cup Raisins
3 Cup Milk
A pinch of Cardamom Powder
Salt to taste

Method

• Pressure cook the harbara daal by adding 1.5 cup water over 4-5 whistles.
• Add jaggery, cashews, raisins, cardamom powder and salt and cook over medium flame for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool down
• Add milk to the cooled mixture and serve

Notes
Isnt it simplest sweet dish ever :) The taste is amazing esp because of jaggery, daal and dry fruits.
You can use coconut milk instead of normal milk but since mom uses milk I used same.

Mixed vegetables

Mixed vegetables

Many types of vegetables can be used. It should be crunchy and colourful. The vegetables are cut into bite size.

Ingredients:

• 3 pieces dried mushrooms (cut into halves)
  


• 20 g broccoli (cut into small pieces)

• 20 g cauliflower (cut into small pieces)
  

• 1/2 carrot (cut into strips)


• 1/4 cup button mushrooms (Cut into halves)

• 5 baby corn (cut into halves)
  

• 20 g prawns (peeled)


• 1 tsp garlic (chopped)


• 2 tbsp oil

Seasoning:

• 1tbsp oyster sauce


• 1 tsp light soy sauce


• 1/2 tsp cornflour

Method:

1. Heat up oil and fry garlic and prawns. Put all the other ingredients and fry for 2 minutes.

2. Add in the seasoning.

3. Serve it hot on a plate.

serving: 4 person

cooking time: 10 minutes

cooking time:5 minutes

Lychee Pudding

Lychee Pudding

My friend cooked this lychee pudding for me. I tasted it and it was just like the one in the restaurant. The consistency is just enough. This pudding is usually served in Chinese restaurants. It is a very light pudding served as desserts. If you do not like lychees, other flavours can be added. Children like this pudding if it is put in jelly moulds with different shapes.

Ingredients:

• 1 pkt. 'Mermaid' jelly powder
• 2 cans evaporated milk
• 2 liter water
• 300 g sugar
• 2 pandan leaves

Method:
1. Put all the ingredients in a pot and let it boil. Once it boils, put off the fire.

2. Pour into desired moulds.

3. When the jelly begins to harden slightly, add some lychees on top.

4. Keep in the refrigerator before serving.

cooking time: 10 minutes

note: Do not cover the pot once it boils. This is to prevent the jelly from spilling over the pot

Snow skin moon cake

Snow skin moon cake

This type of moon cake is very simple. You do not have to cook it. After doing it, keep it in the refrigerator. It can last for 4 - 5 days.The glutinous rice flour is steam for 10 minutes before used.

Ingredients:

Pastry for moon cake:

• 300 g cooked glutinous rice flour (kou fen)
• 100g  oil or shortening
• 200 g icing sugar
• 200 ml cold water

Filling for moon cake:

• 600 g lotus seed paste

Method:
1. Sieve glutinous rice flour and add icing sugar . In a bowl add a few drops of green colouring and pandan essence . Add in water to make a soft dough. Use scrapper to add in shortening. Knead till smooth. Divide into 70-80 g balls each.
2. Divide the filling into 150 g each
3. Roll the dough with a rolling pin till flat.Add in the filling in the centre and wrap into a ball.
4. Dust each ball with some glutinous rice flour.Press in a moon cake mould.Take in out and put in a container. Cool it in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Note: Any type of paste can be used.The paste are sold in shops selling cakes ingredients.You can also make it you own.
If you like to try making traditional mooncake, go to my previous post in this blog.

Steamed beancurd

Steamed beancurd

This recipe was taught by my friend. It is suitable for the old and young. A very simple dish which can be done in 20 minutes. It is very nutritious and delicious. Try it and I'm sure many would like it.

Ingredients:

• 200 g minced meat
• 2 pieces bean curd (mashed)
• 3-4 water chestnut (chopped)
• 1/4 carrot (sliced)
• 1 dried mushroom (soaked)
• 6 oyster mushrooms

Seasoning:

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• a dash of pepper

Method:
1. Put mushroom in the centre of a bowl followed by carrot around it. Arrange smooth side of the oyster mushroom on the side of a bowl.
2. Season minced meat, mashed bean curd and chopped water chestnut.Put in centre of the bowl.
3. Press lightly the ingredients in the bowl.
4. Steam for 15 minutes.
5. When cooked, turn the bowl onto a plate. Serve it hot.

cooking time:15 minutes

serving: 4 person

note: minced meat can be replaced with chicken or any seafood.

The Maltese

The Maltese

1600 Park Ave, Chico, CA 95928. (530) 343-4915

When a friend of mine recently called and invited me to accompany her on a Saturday night to catch her boyfriend’s band’s show in Chico, I can’t say at first that I was jumping up and down in anticipation. This had nothing to do with the band’s musical abilities; but rather that my not-so-distant memories of Chico are mostly associated with late nights at Riley’s Bar, out of control frat parties and consuming unnecessary amounts of Goldschlager (yes, I was THAT girl at one point). However, upon rolling up to the Maltese, I was pleasantly surprised. The bar reminded me of the quintessential dive/biker bar…only much cleaner. It’s situated away from the main drag of drunk college kids throwing up their way across Fraternity Row; however, its location is conveniently just a short jaunt from the neighborhood late-night greasy spoon (Jack’s) and a patch of affordable motels for post-partying crashing.

As far as I could tell, the Maltese appears to cater to the non-mainstream twenties to thirties crowd. Most of the crowd was composed of Chuck and jeans wearers, but there was a generous sprinkling of rockabilly and punk types. On the particular Saturday night that I visited, the evening’s entertainment was composed of three bands for a mere $2. From alt-rock to reggae-punk, every musical palate was pleased throughout the course of the evening. Note, there’s no real stage to speak of, leaving you practically nose-to-nose with the bands—but to be honest, I found that to be one the most likeable aspects of the bar, especially when there’s a cute mohawked-guitarist performing. Drinks were plentiful and reasonably priced (they do take plastic) and the bar staff was equally friendly to both regulars and non. I found that I rarely had to wait to place an order nor did I have to scream my order repeatedly, which is often the case at musical venues.

Despite it's rugged-exterior, the Maltese does an excellent job of upkeeping their facilities. The restrooms are surprisingly tidy and properly stocked for a dive bar. I’m not saying I’d lay down and nap on the women’s room floor but it was as clean as most of the higher end bars in Sac. They’ve also taken the time to build a fenced in, cemented patio area for its patrons to smoke refugee style and mingle in. Before you go and start thinking this is the Waldorf-Astoria of dive bars, please be advised that it IS a dive bar and to keep your expectations in check. The décor is typical bar crapola (posters, beer signs, etc), but the joint is able to pull off a feeling of comfort. Trust me, within a few minutes you’ll feel like you’ve been visiting their counter for years. I know if I’m ever in the area, I’ll definitely make a point to stop in the Maltese for a brew or two.

Oyster Sauce Fish

Oyster Sauce Fish

This is another simple dish which can be cooked in 15 minutes. Other fish which can be used are promfret (bawal), siakap (sea bass or perch) and garoupu.
Ingredients:

• 500 g jenahak fish
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• oil for frying

Method:

1. Clean fish and slit open. Season with salt and pepper. Rub cornflour over the fish.
2. Heat oil for deep frying. Fry fish till both sides are crispy.
3. Prepare the sauce. Heat up a tbsp of oil. Fry garlic till fragrant.
4. Add in oyster sauce and 1/4 cup water. Let it boil. When it begins to boil, pour gravy over the fried fish.
5. Serve on a plate.

serving: 3 person

cooking time: 15 minutes

Note: Nowadays we can ask the fish monger to clean the fish. Take this opportunity to save time.

Missing in Action

Missing in Action

WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS?!?!?! you might ask.


Well, it's been a crazy three weeks for sure. Did I ever mention that I got a job?? I went to school for 6 years to become a teacher and graduated a month before having my first baby. The last two years have been spent home with my girls with a few substitute teaching jobs thrown in here and there. I decided not to take a full time job while my girls are still so young, so I kept my eye on part time jobs that came up. This summer I applied for a job teaching at a Christian Preschool twice a week and they loved me so they hired me right away!

My new job has been super busy with it being the beginning of the school year and all. I spent the last few weeks in August preparing things for my classroom and having meetings with the teacher I am sharing my classroom with. This past week was my kids first days of school and they were so darn cute in their pig tails and tiny back packs! Every day I came home and planned for school or crashed on the couch for a big ol' nap and supper was a bit of an afterthought.

Confession: WE HAVE EATEN A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF DRIVE THRU LATELY. It's sad and shameful really. Every time I say "it's supper time" my 2 year old asks "Burger? Fries?" OH NO.

Things are starting to slow down now as I settle into my new routine, so I will be cooking, meal planning, and posting more.

Fingers crossed.

Crispy Fried Fish Skin

Crispy Fried Fish Skin

Usually I use spanish mackeral (tenggiri) for this recipe. I will fry the skin after making fish paste for other dishes. By doing this way, you can make another dish using the fish skin.

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces fish skin (cut into small pieces)
• 1 tabsp cornflour
• salt and pepper
• oil for frying

Method:
1. Season the fish skin with salt and pepper.

2. Mix cornflour with the fish skin.

3. Heat up oil for deep frying.

4. When oil is hot, put in the fish skin. Fry till crispy.

5. Serve on a plate.

cooking time: 10 minutes

Egg fuyong omelette

Egg fuyong omelette

This dish is similiar to the egg omellete.The difference is that other ingredients such as carrot, crab meat, french beans and long beans or any other food can be added. A very simple dish which can be cooked by beginners too. Try it and you won't regret.


Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/4 carrot (shredded)
• small prawns (diced)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp oil for frying

Method:
1. Beat eggs in a bowl.

2. Add in carrot and prawns.

3. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Heat up oil . When hot, put in the beaten eggs in a frying pan.

5. Flip over the omellete.when it is cooked.

6. Serve on a plate.

Serving: 3 person

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Note: Eggs can burn very easily. Turn the heat to medium while cooking.

Paneer Biryaani

Paneer Biryaani

मराठीमध्ये वाचण्यासाठी इथे क्लिक करा

Last week I made this but didn't get time to post it. Long time ago Anuja had asked me about preparing the biryaani with something veg. I remember she mentioned that she doesn't want it with paneer but I just couldn't help but make it with paneer. So sorry for fulfilling your wish only half way through but this recipe is just for you. Hope you get to try it and like it :) It turned out a simple affair and yet very delicious. This one is inspired by Spicy Biryaani recipe but I modified it little bit so as to take Paneer taste into account.


Ingredients
3 Cup Rice
400g Paneer
4 Tomatoes
3 Onions
2 Potatoes
1 Cup Cashews
1/2 Cup Almonds
8 Cinnamon
15 Cloves
15 Cardamons
1/2 Spoon Poppy Seeds
1/2 Spoon Black Pepper
1 Spoon Jeera
1/2 Spoon Saunf
1/2 Spoon Turmeric Powder
1 Spoon Red Chilli Powder
1 Spoon Corriander Powder
1/2 Spoon Ginger Paste
1/2 Spoon Garlic Paste
1/4 Cup Curd
1/2 Cup Milk
2 Pinch Saffron
8 Spoon ghee
4 Spoon Butter
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Cut the paneer into cubic pieces
• In a bowl, mix turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, curd and salt to taste.
• Add cubed paneer pieces in it and mix well so that the marrination is completely covering the pieces. Keep it in dry, cool place for around couple of hours.
• Soak rice in warm water and keep aside
• In a pan add butter and shallow fry the paneer pieces to light brown tinge over medium heat. Keep them aside
• In same pan, in same butter, add 4 cinamon, 5 cloves, black pepper, poppy seeds, jeera, sauf, corriander powder, almonds and 1/2 cup cashews and roast it over low-medium flame till light aroma feels the air. The masalas would be light brown by now.
• Add one diced onion and cook till onion turns light brown. Let the mixture cool down.
• In a mixie grind 3 tomatoes and keep aside.
• Grind the above cooked masala with remaining tomato to form fine paste.
• In a pan, add 2 spoon of ghee and this masala and roast for a while.
• Add tomato puree and salt to taste in it and cook till the gravy thickens
• Add paneer pieces and cook till the gravy dries completely. Keep aside.
• Pressure cook potatoes, cut them into slices after removing their cover and keep aside.
• Warm Milk, add saffron and keep aside.
• In a pan, boil water and add the soaked rice. Cook till almost done.
• Drain remaining water and run it through cold water.
• In a small pan, heat 4 spoon of ghee and add 4 cinamons, 10 cloves, 15 cardmom and salt to taste. Roast for couple of minutes and add it to the rice. Mix well and keep aside.
• Cut the remaining 2 onions into thin slices.
• In a Pan, add little oil and fry the onions onto medium-high flame till they are light brown in color. Keep aside.
• In same oil, fry the remaining 1/2 cup cashews and keep aside.
• Grease the cooker with 2 spoon of ghee and layer biryaani. Spread the potato slices to cover the cooker bottom first. Spread 1/3 of rice, then spread a layer of half of paneer masala, sprinkle some cashews, and browned onions.
• Do the same layering again (Rice, masala, cashews and onions) and then cover it with remaining 1/3 portion of rice.
• Sprinkle Some more cashews and onions, keeping aside a few for decoration.
• Make few through and through holes through the layered biryaani with the back of spatula.
• Spread the saffron milk in them.
• Cover with the lid and pressure cook over low heat for 25- 30 minutes.
• Garnish with left cashews and onions and serve.

Notes
I used 1 layer of rice 1/2 paneer and then again another layer of rice with rice from just 2 cups of raw rice. Also used half quantity of cashews, onions and garnishing spices. Stored the remaining half portion of paneer masala for later use this week. I just had to do the rice and onion portion again and could quickly make the dinner. Helped on the hectic day a lot. :) And it tasted even much better as well because of storing masala for few days :)
I always use the potato layering to cover up cooker so that the biryaani doesnt get burnt while pressure cooking it. I am speechless for that idea, helps a lot.
Also stored the marrinated paneer in fridge since it was quite hot here. But i think even in other time thats a better way so that it dries even further and the marrination sticks to paneer.

Rolled omelette egg with fish paste

Rolled omelette egg with fish paste

This recipe has been passed down by my late mother. She usually make her own fish paste.We just love her home-made fish-paste. The fish paste recipe can be found in my 'Yong taufu recipe'




Ingredients:

• 200g fish paste
• 2 eggs (beaten)

Method:

1. Beat eggs in a bowl. Heat up a frying pan. Fry a thin layer of eggs.When slightly cook, dish out and put on a flat surface.

2. Put some fish paste on the omelette and spread it evenly. Roll the omelette. Steam in a steamer for 5 minutes.When cook slice and serve on a plate.

Note:To make a good thin layer of omellete, the frying pan or kuali should not have a lot of oil. Just rub a layer of oil will do.

Traditional Moon Cake

Traditional Moon Cake

Moon cakes are made during the 8th month of the lunar Chinese calender. The actual date for celebrating the festival is on the 15th of the 8th month of the lunar Chinese calendar. Usually wooden moulds are used for making moon cakes. Nowadays plastic moulds are used because it is much cheaper. There are many designs on the mould. It can be bought at any shops selling ingredients for cakes.

Ingredients:
Syrup:
1/2 kg sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 slices lemon

Boil the syrup for about an hour until it turns golden brown.To test whether it is ready , pour a tbsp of syrup in cold water. If it separates it is ready. If it turns into a ball, the syrup is too thick. Add more more water.When done, keep in a cool place for 2 weeks before use.The remaining syrup can be kept for future use.

Pastry:
350-400 g wheat flour
300 g golden syrup
85 g oil
1 tsp akaline water




Method:
1. Prepare the pastry . Mix all the pastry ingredients in a bowl.If it is too soft, add in more flour.It should be soft but not stick to the fingers. Divide into 6 portions. Each portion about 50 g. Let it rest for at least an hour.

Filling:
500 g red beans (wash and soak overnight)
500 g sugar
200 ml oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
50 g kuaci

1. Cook the red beans till soft and dry. Blend red bean in a mixer while still hot with the skin till fine.
2. To cook the bean paste, pour in sugar and red bean paste in a wok and keep stirring to prevent sticking. When mixture thickens, add in oil and essence.Keep stirring till cook. When it is ready, the paste will leave the side of the wok clean. Dish out and cool it in the refrigerator.
3. When the paste is firm, mix kuaci with the red bean paste. Divide into 6 portions. Each portion about 150g.



3. Flatten each dough and add filling in the centre. Wrap the dough into a ball. Dust it with flour.



4. Shape the dough in a moon cake mould. Press slightly. Then knock it out. Place in a baking tray and brush with beaten eggs. Bake for 15 minutes at 100 degrees celsius.

Note: Other fillings such as lotus seeds, green beans or yam can be used. Egg yolks can be added in centre of the fillings if used. Steam the egg yolk before adding to the filling.

cooking time: 15 mins.
preparation time: 15 mins.

Pineapple And Kiwi Fruit Enzyme

Pineapple And Kiwi Fruit Enzyme

Pineapple helps to speed up tissue repair. It also helps in indigestion.The combination of fruits in this enzyme helps to reduce pigmentation.

There are many types of enzymes.Enzymes are good for the overall health. Any types of fruit can be used to make enzymes. Make sure you use filtered water to wash the fruits and dry it first before making the enzymes.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe pineapple ( peeled and sliced)
• 3 kiwi fruit (peeled and sliced)
• 2 lemon (peeled and sliced)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar/ 100 g oligo sugar

Method:

1. Clean all the fruit and let them dry. When they are dry, slice thinly

2. In a clean dry glass bottle, arrange the fruit layer by layer. Put in pineapple first, then kiwi fruit followed by lemon. Pour in 1/8 cup honey and 1/8 cup brown sugar. Repeat the process till all the fruit are used up.

3. Cover the glass bottle with a piece of cloth or plastic cling wrap. Put in a cold place.

4. Everyday rotate the bottle so that all the fruit juice cover the fruit. Do this everyday for at least two weeks.

5. When done, keep the enzyme in the refrigerator.
6. To drink the enzyme, take 2 tbsp enzyme to a cup of water.

Note: Oligo sugar can be used to replace brown sugar which can be found in organic shops. This sugar is not as sweet and it is good for diabetics.