MY LAZY DAY

Ikan Asam

My brothers doesn't really eat much, and they are a bit fussy and particular about food.... One, can't eat chicken and seafood... Another one, doesn't like some vegetables.... he only eats selected vegetables.... MMMM..... It's not easy to be a 'momma' or I could say a 'cook' for these two guys... For something simple and to make my job easier, I cooked fish and vegetables in one dish... Easy...! 'Ikan Asam' Fried Fish In Tamarind Juice And Vegetables.. Saute onion, garlic and ginger... Tamarind juice, salt and sugar... Some vegetables, for my recipe today.... I love to use zucchini and cherry tomato..... Welcome to the simplicity of Malay cuisine....

HEALTHY CHAPATI

Chapati And Aloo Gobhi

I have learned another new thing... Chapati, a healthy lifestyle... Made of Atta flour, a kind of wheat grown on Indian subcontinent region. I like Chapati compare to Roti Canai or also known as Roti Prata, less oily and very easy to prepare. Unlike Roti Canai, skills needed in preparation process... Only expert can twirl the dough beautifully, you might need to attend some intensive training at Mamak's restaurant or stall.... :p
It is a new thing for me, making chapati... from preparing the dough till cooking it on skillet. The ingredients in making the dough is very simple... A sufficient amount of water and Atta flour, and knead well. Margarine or butter can be added to the dough, the chapati will be more tender. Dough shaped and rounded, pinwheel is used to flatten it... and straight on pre-heated skillet. Not to long, it takes only 5-7 minutes to be cooked on medium heat... Easy rite????
Menu for dinner tonight is Chapati and Aloo Gobhi, a vegetables dish which I find it very tasty and great to be eaten with chapati. 'Aloo' means potato and 'Gobhi' is cauliflower in Urdu language. It's potato and cauliflower dish cooked with some spices, a healthy and very tasty lifestyle..... YUMMY....

Aloo Gobhi

Ingredients :
Potato and cauliflower
Tomato
Chili
Onion
Garlic and ginger
Water
Chili powder
Curry powder
Salt
Cooking oil

• Cut cauliflower and potato into small pieces
• Heat oil and saute onion, garlic, chili and ginger
• Add in potato and cauliflower
• Add in tomato, chili powder and curry powder
  
• Add in water and simmer till tender
  
• Add in salt and ready to serve
  

SZECHUAN CUISINE

Gung Po Beef

Do you know that this Szechuan dish, Kung Pao or Gung Po derived from a name of an official from a late Chinese dynasty....?? .... Lord Bao or Gong Bao.... I was mistaken between Gong Baozhen and Gong Bao Zheng.. Well, Gong Bao Zheng was once an official in the Chinese history, a judge well known in the name in justice. There are films capturing Gong Bao during his life, and he is portrayed with a crescent on his forehead... I still remember, my mom loved to watch 'Justice Bao' drama series... Couldn't miss every 6 pm from monday to friday.... She really loves watching Cantonese drama series and that was her routine everyday when she got back from work.
While Gong Baozhen, which Gung Po dish being named after was also an official in the Chinese history, he was from Sichuan province. The names sound similar but with different pronunciation... mmmm..... quite confusing ya.... Same as what happened when I was looking through internet for some information of a dessert , it's either Pheerni or Ferni...??? Sound similar but they are two different type of desserts...

Ingredients :
1/2 kilograms of beef
Garlic, chili, oyster sauce, dark soya sauce and light soya sauce
Onion, dried chili and roasted cashew nuts
Spring onion
Cooking oil

• Marinade beef with garlic, chili, oyster sauce and soya sauce
• Heat oil and saute onion, dried chili and cashew nuts
• Add in marinated beef
  
• Add in spring onion ad ready to serve

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kung_Pao_chicken

CHICKEN BIRYANI ALA PAKISTANI

Chicken Biryani

I used to cook Nasi Biryani my style.... Almost as same as what we can get from any Mamak's restaurant, but maybe there is some different in taste due to ingredients used and the quantity of ingredients used. But today Abbas taught me how to cook Briyani his style... MMMM...nice and easy, the National Biryani mix can be bought in packet..which is good for 1 kilograms of rice. You need onions, garlic, chili, tomato, salt and yogurt to add in the rice. And one thing which is very obvious.... Cardamon smell.... aromatic, sweet and tangy..... Ms Cardamon meets Mr Briyani... I love it...! Served with my Stir Fry Turmeric And Mixed Vegetables .... YUMMY....YAY....
It does taste different than what we usually can get in regular Mamak's restaurant....and it's really nice to be served with our Ayam Masak Merah and Rendang....

MALAYSIA TRULY ASIA

SWEET VERMICELLI

Ferni

Another new recipe which is very popular in the north of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Ferni is very easy to prepare and the method is similar to preparation of Kheer from my earlier post. I have noticed that most desserts from this region are milk base ..... raisins and almond best to be served with this milk based desserts.
A Bee Hoon look like, thin and made of semolina flour is cook together with milk and sugar, cardamon powder for some spicy dash. Later on, add in butter or ghee and serve with roasted almond and raisins. It's looks like Bee Hoon Soup, but sweet and milky tasty...
This vermicelli can be bought in a shop selling imported goods from Pakistan, located in Jalan Masjid India in City One Plaza. This shop merchandising National brand, spices powder, Biryani mixes and a lot more....
I have noticed one thing.... Most recipes that originates from north India and Pakistan, uses cardamon powder even in the dessert. When I was younger, I used to go to a grocery shop owned by an Indian Muslim gentleman, known him as 'Uncle'. I used to smell a kind of aroma every time I entered the shop, but I didn't know what was that. Only now I can recognized the smell after cooking few of this regional dishes...It's cardamon....! Sweet, spicy and tangy....Ms Cardamon

SPICY STIR FRY VEGETABLES

Stir Fry Turmeric And Mixed Vege

I cooked vegetables with turmeric powder, MMMM.... nice to be eaten with Briyani which I cooked earlier... Both of my brothers were at home, so I think the food is good enough for the three of us. I have prepared Chicken Briyani earlier, it's nice to be eaten on it's own even with out anything else. I have zucchini and cauliflower in the fridge, some tomatoes and onions.... perfect for a stir fry vegetables dish. With a dash of turmeric powder and mustard seeds.....

Ingredients :
Zucchini, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower and onion
Garlic and mustard seeds
Water
Salt
Turmeric powder
Cooking oil

• Cut zucchini, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower and onion
• Heat oil and saute garlic
• Add in mustard seeds
  
• Add in vegetables
• Add in water and ready to serve
  
• Add in turmeric powder and salt