Cornbread

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INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (or polenta)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or white granulated sugar)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional: yields a fluffier cornbread)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk shake before measuring
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 200C | 400F and position a rack in the middle. Lightly grease a 9-inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch square baking dish with butter and place skillet/dish into the oven to heat up. 

  (Alternatively for cast iron skillets: heat 1/2 cup of unmelted butter in your cast iron over stove top on medium heat until melted, turn heat off then allow the butter to cool slightly before adding to the batter.)
  

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder (If using), baking soda and salt.
  • Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk, honey and eggs. Mix together well to combine, then add in the slightly cooled melted butter. Mix again until 'just' combined (don't over mix).
  • Carefully remove your 'hot' pan or dish from the oven with oven mitts, and pour the batter into the hot skillet or dish. Listen to that sizzle! That's what you want.
  • Bake until the cornbread begins to brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean (about 20-23 minutes). Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

  NOTES

  If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own! Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar (or fresh squeezed lemon juice) to 1 cup of room temperature milk (full cream, 2% or skim can be use). Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes. Done! Prepare your 'buttermilk' as step one of this recipe to ensure it has soured enough before adding to your mixture.

Honey Cake (Rosh Hashanah)

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INGREDIENTS

• 3½ cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ teaspoon table salt 
• 1 cup (237 ml) vegetable oil 
• 1 cup (237 ml) honey, divided 
• 1½ cups (300 grams) sugar 
• ½ cup (110 grams) brown sugar 
• 3 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup (237 ml) brewed coffee or strong tea 
• ½ cup (119 ml) orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously grease the baking pan(s) with nonstick cooking spray, baking spray, or butter. (Use either three 9-by-5-inch loaf pans, one 9-by-13-inch baking pan, or any equivalent-sized pans.)
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add the oil, 3/4 cup of the honey, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, and orange juice. Mix thoroughly, until all ingredients are combined and no lumps remain.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling each about halfway.
5. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of honey over the batter.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is set all the way through and feels springy to the touch (30 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of your baking dishes). A tester inserted into the center should come out clean.
7. Let cool 15 minutes before removing from the baking dish. Slide a knife around the edges to help loosen the cake, if necessary.

NOTES

1. This recipe makes three 9-by-5-inch loaf pans or one 9-by-13-inch baking pan, or 36 standard cupcakes. 

2. Be careful not to overfill the pans—each pan should only be filled about halfway. 

3. Smaller portions will bake faster so be sure to adjust the cooking times and check early and often.

4. You can cut this recipe down. To make one 9-by-5-inch loaf or 12 cupcakes, use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 1/3 cup honey (save about 1 1/2 tablespoons for drizzling over the batter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/3 cup coffee or tea, and 2 1/2 tablespoons orange juice.

5. To make 2 9-by-5-inch loaves or 24 cupcakes, use 2 1/4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup vegetable oil, 2/3 cup honey (save about 3 tablespoons for drizzling over the batter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2/3 cup coffee or tea, and 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon orange juice.

Seafood Tofu

​Seafood Tauhu ( Tofu)...crispy on the outside n soft inside.

2 tubes egg tauhu ( Japaneese)

100gm minced prawns

1 egg

2 tbsp minced carrot

3 tbsp chopped spring onion

In a bowl, mash the tauhu, break in the egg, add in prawn, carrot n spring onion.

Then add seasoning...

pepper, salt, sugar, oyster sauce, 2 tbsp corn flour n sesame oil.

Mix n stir well.

Pour into a tray lined with cling wrap n steam for 20 mins.

After steaming, leave to cool before cutting into pieces. Best keep in fridge before cutting for better cuts.

Coat with flour n fry till golden brown.

It has the fragrance of Prawn Fritters.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Okra in Coconut Milk

​Okra in coconut milk.

Its a coconut milk based gravy with mild spicyness. Best to serve with plain hot rice. 

Ingredients

250g okra, washed and wiped

1 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp fenugreek

1 onion

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tomato

1 green chili

3-5 dried chilies

2 sprigs of curry leaves

1 1/2 coconut milk (thick version)/ santan pertama

1 1/2 coconut milk (light version) / santan kedua

1/4-1/2 tsp turmeric powder

3-5 birds eye chilies / cili padi

coconut oil / cooking oil

salt

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Semi fry the okra for 1-2mins using medium heat. Remove from pan and keep aside. Using same pan leave about 3 tbsp oil. Add mustard and let it crackle. Add fenugreek. Add onion, cook till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste. Sauté. Add curry leaves, dried chilies, tomato and green chilies. Cook till tomato soft. Add light coconut milk, turmeric powder and let it boil. When boiling, add fried okra, birds eyes chilies, coconut milk (thick version) and salt. Reduce the flame to low. Let it boil. Off the flame when starting to boil. Keep stirring for 1min so the coconut won't separate.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR MORE DETAILS https://youtu.be/b8wbugNVrGg

Lemongrass rice

​Nasi Serai Aroma tinggi dan sedap/ Lemongrass fragrance Rice / Quick and Easy Rice Cooker Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups of basmati rice, presoak for 15mins

3-5 tbsp shallots fried

2 pandan leaves

2 lemongrass

1 stalk of celery leaves

5 shallots

1/2 cup of lemongrass chopped, use same rice cup (blend with 1 cup of water, strain and keep aside

1 1 /2 cup of coconut milk 

3 tbsp of ghee

salt

SPICES

3 cloves of garlic

3 inch ginger slices

1 cinnamon sticks

3 cardamoms

2 cloves

1/2 tsp fenugreek

Method

Heat pan or rice cooker. Add ghee and all the spices. Stir for 1min. Add garlic, shallots, lemongrass and ginger. cook for 2-3mins. Add rice, lemongrass juice, coconut milk, salt and pandan leaves. Mix well and cook rice using your rice cooker. Open lid after 15mins if rice done. Garnish with celery leaves and fried shallots.

FULL COOKING VIDEO https://youtu.be/lDyGNSYyyGc

steamed Tofu with tomato sauce

​Try steaming tofu with tomato sauce, it's really delicious

Ingredient

4 firm tofu/1 block tofu

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp extra hot chili sauce

1 tomato that has been blended

How to cook it:

- cut the tofu into 0.5cm thickness then arrange it on a plate

- finely chopped garlic then transfer to a bowl, add salt, sugar, oyster sauce, extra spicy chili sauce, tomato juice, mix well

- heat the steamer, steam the tofu and tomato sauce for 10 minutes

- remove the tofu from the steamer then drain the excess water from the tofu

- take a few tbsp of tomato sauce and pour it over the tofu

Details on how to cook it, please watch the video on Youtube.

Here is the link https://youtu.be/YxNKvvJ6Wxs

Stir fried pumpkin with curry leaves

​Stir fried pumpkin with curry leaves.

In Penang, I had a regular economy rice place and this was my favorite dish.

It's very simple.

Ingredients:

400g Pumpkin 

2 table spoons of Hae Bee 

2 cloves Garlic

3 shallots

2-3 of curry leaves

Method:

Soak hae bee and chop till fine

Chop the garlic and slice the shallots

Skin some and cut pumpkin into one bite size

Heat oil in a pan and fry the curry leaves, garlic, shallots and hae bee till fragrant.

Add pumpkins and stir fry, then add hae bee water and some more water, cover and cook for 5 mins over medium heat till pumpkins become soft.

Add some salt to taste.

Can add chili padi.