Smartie Cookies

this is a recipe that I tried from http://resipicitarasawan.blogspot.com. Sis Wan has alot of simple and yet easy to bake cookies. Thank you Sis Wan..

I just made a few changes to suit the ingredients at home. I substituted brown sugar to castor sugar and add cocoa powder too as my daughter loves anything that is chocolaty....

Source : resipicitarasawan.blogspot.com

Ingredients A
250gm of butter
30gm of shortening
250gm of brown sugar (I used castor sugar instead)
2tsp of essence of vanilla
2 eggs

Ingredients B
460gm of flour - sieve
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1tsp of emplex
1/4tsp of salt
60gm of almonds-coarse and roasted slightly

Decoration :- M&M chocolates/smarties

Method

Beat sugar and butter till creamy, add essence vanilla, egg at a time. Beat till well mix.

Add in all of ingredient "B". Mix well till it is soft dough. Rest for about 10-15 mins.

Scoop a small quantity of the dough, round it, pad flat and decorate with a few pieces of M&M/smarties.

Preheat over, greased baking trays, place the cookies on the tray. Give a gap between the cookies as it will expand.

Bake at 150C for about 15-20mins or till done.

Sothi

A quick and simple dish to prepare. You can serve with achar/chutney, appalam (pappad)and stir fried vegetables.

1 cup of thick coconut milk
2 1/2 cup of thin coconut milk
2 tomatoes
2 green chillies
2 red chillies
2 sprigs of curry leaves
1 tsp fenugreek
1 onions - finely chopped
1 tsp of tumeric powder
Salt to taste

Method

In a pan, pour in the thin coconut milk, also add in tomatoes, chillies, onions, curry leave, fenugreek, salt and tumeric, let it boil on slow heat - stir occassionally. Once the coconut milk boils, add in the thick coconut milk and boil once. Remove from heat immediately. Serve with rice.

One Minute Muffins

source - New Straits Times, July 17, 2010
this recipe was extracted from Eating & Cheating by Gill Holcombe (Hodder & Stoughton)


I was really curious with this recipe whether it works or not as its ingredients are really few and simple. (the write up mentioned that the main ingredients of the ice cream are eggs, sugar and some kind of fat therefore it is the basic kind of cake can be made simply by mixing together ice cream and flour) eemmm very interesting I thought so me and my daughter, Varsha, took it to task with making of this muffins.

True to its simple ingredients, it was done in less than 15minutes. Lets look at the ingredients and the way to do it.

What you need
6 scoops of ice cream ( I use vanilla flavor)
6 tbsp self raising flour
Sugar Sprinkles

note : use a tablespoon to measure the ice cream if you dont have an ice cream scoop.

Method

Take the tub of ice cream out of the freezer about 20 minutes beforehand, or put the right amount of ice cream in a mixing bowl and leave for about 10 minustes to soften up.

Meanwhile, preheat the over to 190C and put paper muffin cases on a baking tray.

Beat the ice cream with a wooden spoon until its really soft and runny, then sift in the flour and stir just enough to mix it in.

Spoon the mixture into muffin cases, top with sugar sprinkles and then bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the cakes are risen and golden.

and cup cakes/muffin couldnt be any simpler......next time will try with different flavor of ice cream....

Pavakai Perathal (Bitter Gourd Dry Gravy)

Bitter gourd is known for its bitter taste.

It also has alot of medicinal value. I prefer to use the small version of bitter gourd - it is much more bitter compare to the one which is longish and lighter in color.

This dish has a bitterish and yet with a slight sweet and sour taste - sweet from the jaggery and sour from the tamarind juice and a little dry.

4-5 bitter gourd
1 onions
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4tsp of mustard seeds
1/4tsp of urad dhall
2tbs of tamarind juice
1tsp of jaggery
a sprig of curry leaves
3 dried chillies - broken in few pieces
1tbs of red chilly powder
1tsp of tumeric powder
Salt to taste
2-3tbs of Oil

Method

Cut ends of bitter gourd, half lengthwise, scrape inside of the bitter gourd, wash and cut into small thin pieces.

Chop finely onions.

Heat oil, once hot, add in mustard, urad dhall.

Once the mustard stop spluttering, add in ginger garlic paste - stir for a few seconds, add in dry chilly and curry leaves, fry for a few more seconds.

Add in onions and fry till soft and light in color. Add in bitter gourd and salt to taste and mix well.

When it is soft add in curry powder, tumeric powder and jaggery and mix well. Stir in tamarind juice and cook till it is well done.

Serve with hot steaming rice.

Curried Oyster Mushroom

Love this simple and yet delicious dish, has a meaty flavor...

250gm oyster mushroom
1 cinnamon
2 cloves
2 cardamon
2 aniseed
1tsp of fennel
2tbs of meat curry powder
1tsp of tumeric
2 onions - chopped finely
1 tomato - chopped finely
1tsp garlic ginger paste
1 sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste.

Method

1. Clean, wash and drain mushroom.
2. Heat oil in a pan/wok. Add in cinnamon,cloves, cardamons, aniseeds and fennel. Fry till fragrant.
3. Add in curry leaves, onions - fry for a few minutes till soft.
4. Add in tomato and cook till the tomato soft.
5. Add in ginger/garlic paste and fry till fragrant.
6. Stir in tumeric, curry powder and salt stir it till mix well with tomato/onion. Add in 2tbs of water mix well.
7. Stir in oyster mushroom, stir well and cook for a few more minutes till the mushrooms are cooked.
8. Ready to serve.

Sambal Ikan Bilis (Anchovy in Hot & Spicy Gravy)

10tbs of chilly paste*
2 onions - sliced finely
2tbs of tamarind juice
1 tomato - cut into small size
a handful of fried anchovies
oil
salt to taste

* Soak dried chillies in hot water, once cooled blend with ginger,garlic, small onions, gallangal, tumeric into a fine paste.


Method

heat oil in wok.**
add in onions and fry till soft.
add in the chilly paste - fry till the raw smell of chilly is gone.
add in tomato - cook till the tomato is soft.
Pour in tamarind juice and salt. stir well. Add in the fried anchovies mix well.
Ready to serve

note : ** ensure the oil is generous so as to be able to cook the chilly paste.

Instant Rasam

this rasam or Indian soup is a quickie. The spices in a rasam is said to aid digestion after a heavy meal....

1/2 cup of cooked toor dhall
a lemon size of tamarind - soaked with hot water -
2 tomatoes - chopped fine
1 onions - sliced
a few garlics - pound coarsely
1tsp mustard seeds
1tsp urad dhall
3tbs of Rasam powder
1tsp of Sambar powder
2-3 dried chillies - cut small
1tsp asofoetida powder (hing)
salt to taste
curry leaves - s few sprigs
coriander leaves - a few sprigs

Method

heat oil, once hot add hing and let dissolve.
add in mustard seeds, urad dhall and let it splutter, then add garlic, onions and curry leaves and fry for a few minutes.
add the chopped tomatoes and cooked till the tomatoes are soft.
pour in the tamarind juice and cooked it for a few minutes.
Add in the cooked dhall and let it cooked up to 1 boil .
Remove from heat and sprinkle some coarsely chopped coriander leaves.
Best eaten with hot steaming rice or out of a cup.

Dosa (Thosei)

Dosa @ Indian Crepes...

my mum's Dosa for her granddaughter...dosa with ghee(clarified butter) and sugar.. nice eaten when it is still hot

1 cup urad dhall
2 cups of raw rice
2 tbs of cooked rice
a little fenugreek
salt to taste

Method

1. wash the dhall and rice and soak overnight (6-8hours)with fenugreek and cooked rice
2. Grind them into fine mixture and salt to taste.
3. Leave it to ferment for several hours.
4. Heat tawa (round griddle)- once its hot, spread a spoon of the batter onn the tawa.
5. Cover for a few minutes. Spread a 1-2tsp of ghee and sprinkle some sugar over the batter and cook for a few more minutes till it is crispy.
6. Fold into 2 and serve hot with chutney or curry/sambar.

Marble Chocolate Cheese Cake

source : www.resipi.net

Ingredients "A"
180gm butter
20gm cocoa powder - sieve
170gm castor sugar
3 eggs
120gm self raising flour sieve with 1 tsp baking powder

Ingredients "B"
250gm cream cheese
60gm cator sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
1 egg

Steps/Method
@ Beat sugar and butter till fluffy
@ Add egg one by one
@ Add flour, cocoa powder - mix well
@ In a different bowl beat ingredient "B" well
@ In a lined pan, pour half part of ingredient "A" and spread well followed by ingredient "B spread well and then balance of ingredient "A" spread well.
@ Bake at 160C for 60mins or till done.
@ Remove from pan when it is slightly cooled. Wait till it is really cooled before serving.

Note : you may add 50ml of milk to the cocoa batter to have moist cake.

Mee Kari

another noodle variety - Mee Kari or Curry Mee...with loads of coconut milk and curry powder - emmmm yummy.....there are many ways of cooking curry mee, sometimes i even use left chicken curry add more coconut milk and curry powder, some seasoning, fish balls, fish cakes, some veges and your curry mee is ready.....

Ingredients

1kg of yellow mee - blanched

for the gravy
2" gallangal
3 lemon grass
5 garlics
some ginger
some fresh tumeric
2 big onions - chopped
these are to be grinded into fine paste

1kg chicken cut into small bites
coconut milk from 2 coconuts
5tbs of curry powder
handful of currry leaves
1 cinnamon
a few aniseed
2 cardamon

fish balls
fish cakes - sliced
1 bowl of long beans cut into 2"length
1 bowl of bean sprouts - blanched
fried beancurd - sliced

Method
Heat oil in a pan. Add in cinnamon, aniseed, cardamon and curry leaves - fry till nice smell.
Add in the grinded paste and fry for a few minutes.
Add the chicken stir well with the paste and let it cook for a few minutes.
Cook the chicken with half of the coconut milk and 5 cups of water. Stir well.
Add in curry powders, salt to taste and mix well - let it simmer till the chicken is well done.
Add fish cakes, fish balls, longs beans and let it cook further on slow fire.
Once it is well done, add in the half of coconut milk and let it simmer on slow fire for a short while. Remove from heat.

To serve - Pour the gravy over blanced noodles and garnish with fried beancurd and bean sprouts. Enjoy.

Minty Chicken Nuggets

This is a recipe that I found while watching one of the cooking shows aired on the satelite tv. I manage to write down the ingredients and not the title of the recipe and I took the liberty to name it as Minty Chicken Nuggets.

Ingredients.
1kg of boneless chicken - bite size
Marinate
a handful of curry leaves
a handful of mint leaves
a handful of coriander leaves
2 green chillies - deseeded
1 tbs of fennel
salt to taste

1 egg
breadcrumbs

Method
Wash, drain and cut the chicken in bite sizes.
Blend the herbs with chillies, fennel and salt into a thick paste and marinate the chicken for a few hours.
Whisk the egg, coat the chicken with the egg and breadcrumbs.
Heat oil and deep fry till golden brown.
Serve hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup.

Agar Agar Taufoo Fah

a very simple and quick one to do. thanks to a posting from wwww.resipi.net, I cant remember the contributor's name, nevertheless thank you for sharing.

15gm jelly strips (I use powder jelly)
10 cups of water
1 tin of evaporated milk (abt 400gm)
1 cup of sugar
2 tins of lychee

boil water with jelly strips till it dissolves. Add sugar cook.
Add the evaporated milk and stir well and wait till 1 boil
wait to cool down serve in a bowl. Just before serving add the chilled lychee together with the sugar content.

Emmm sedapnya...............

Note :- this pudding is of the soft version something like taufoo fah, you cant cut them into pieces - just scoop them out.
Nice eaten if it is chilled for a short while.....

Mee Rebus

This is one of the many popular of Malaysia, literally translated as Boiled Noodle. My mum used to cook this.....I basically remember the main ingredients of this Mee Rebus - dried shrimps and Sweet Potato.

And since I am back here makes it easier for me to find the ingredients. And I scout too for recipes of Mee Rebus - I found this @ dapurkakelle.blogspot.com. thank you very much dapurkakelle

Ingredients

Yellow Noodle - blanched

* 1 lemongrass

* 1" gallangal

* 2 bigs onions

* 4-5garlics

* 4tbs of taucu - I omitted this

* 2tbs curry powder

* 3tbs of dried shrimps

1/2 cup of peanut - blend fine

sweet potatoe (boiled and blend/mashed) or cornflour for thickening effect, I add also mashed potato

lemon juice/tamarind juice

sugar,salt to taste

Garnish

Boiled eggs - half

chopped spring onions

finely chopped red/green chillies

bean sprouts - blanched.

calamansi - half

fried shallots

fried tau foo - I add this

Method

Blend all those marked * to a fine paste.

Heat oil and saute the blended ingredients till aromatic. Add 2 liters of water and boil. Add tamarind juice/lemon juice, sugar and salt to taste.

When the gravy is boiling add the powdered peanuts and cook till another boil. Add the mashed sweet potato/potato to the gravy, stir well and let it boil over low fire for while before dishing out....

To serve - Pour the gravy over the noodles with the garnishing and voila BON APETTIT......,

Steam Fruit Cake

My dad has been pestering me for fruit cake since I am back for the holidays. Emm thought of looking out for something fast and found this recipe -Amy Beh's (www.kuali.com) Steam Fruit Cake.

What shall I say about the cake - its moist and soft, just the right taste of sweetness and my dad loves it...The only problem was that the fruit were much settled at the midway downwards instead of all over the cake..

Steam Fruit Cake

Ingredients

3 eggs

1/4 chup UHT milk

1 tsp brandy (I subsituted this to Sunquick Orange Juice)

325gm mixed fruits

1/2 cup water

250gm butter

150gm castor sugar

1/2tsp vanilla essence

175gm plain flour

2tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda

Method

1. Boil mixed fruits and water over gentle heat until the it is dry. Leave it to cool completely.

2. Beat butter/sugar/vanilla essence till pale and light. Add eggs one at a time and ensure it is mix well.

3. Fold in the flour, stir well and add in the milk, mix. Finally add in the orange juice.

4. Next add in the cooled fruit mixture. Stir well the fruits and the batter. Pour in a greased, floured pan. Cover the the tin with aluminium foil and steam for 2 hours till the cake is done.

Note :-

a. Use hot water if you need to add water for the steamer. Adding cold water to the steamer while in process of baking will slow down the cooking process.

Next time I shall rolled the cooled mixed fruits with some flour to have an evenly distributed fruits....