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A Malaysian Adventure

August 16, 2014

 

 

Laksa Soup a la Corey.  Laksa soup is a spicy Malaysian soup.  Since most of us don't enjoy intense heat I opted to go easy on the spices - mainly the chillis and curry paste. By all means feel free to increase these key ingredients to add some serious spice to the dish.  The soup turned out perfect...a little bit of spice and a whole lot of flavour.

 

I pulled the recipe below off the internet and tweaked it a bit.

 

Ingredients:

 

1L vegetable stock

3 limes - squeeze the juice from 2 and set aside; use the remaining as a garnish, chopped into 4 pieces.

 

3 big cloves of garlic, crushed

1 big 'thumbs' worth of ginger, grated

2 thai red chilies seeded and finely chopped

2 big shallots

Tamari Soy Sauce

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

 

Enough vegetables for 4 chopped roughly the same size (I used)

Carrots

1 Red pepper

Green beans

bean sprouts

 

4 heaping tbsp red Thai curry paste

2 tins of coconut milk

2 tbsp of lemon grass paste (I crushed up my actual lemongrass but the store bought paste is probably better and certainly more easy to work with)

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp brown sugar

 

2 packages or about 250 grams of deep fried (store bought) tofu

 

1 larg'ish pack of frozen udon noodles

 

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

fresh coriander, finely chopped for garnish.

 

Instructions:

 

  1. Mix the garlic, ginger and chilli plus a splash of the lime juice together in a bowl.  Set aside.

  2. Wash and prepare all the vegetables - the carrots and peppers need to be in thin slices.

  3. In a dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp of oil and gently fry the shallots until softened.  Add a splash of the vegetable stock if things start to stick.  Add the bowl of garlic, ginger mixture and stir well.

  4. Remove from the stove and add a splash of soya, the sweet chilli sauce and another splash of lime juice.  Spoon this mixture into a bowl and set aside.

  5. Cook the udon noodles.  Bring water to a boil and lightly salt.  Cook the noodles for a few minutes and then strain and rinse the noodles with cold water.

  6. Heat up the rest of the oil in the dutch oven and stir-fry for a few minutes.  When the veg are almost cooked, add another splash of the soya suce and lime juice.  Pour in the onion and garlic mixture.  Stir in and let it cook for a minute or two.

  7. Mix the Thai curry paste with the coconut milk.  Add it to the vegetable stock and then add both to the pot of veggies.  Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.  

  8. Add the lemon grass paste, turmeric sugar and the bean sprouts.  Simmer for a bit longer.  Just before the soup is ready add the rest of the lime juice and tofu.

  9. Serve the cooked noodles in the middle of bowls.  Ladle the soup around it.  Top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped coriander. 

Malaysian Vegetable Curry.  Kristy adapted this recipe from Yummly making additions for what she had available, and incredibly fresh, from her garden.  Like the laksa, this curry had a mild spice and incredible flavour.

 

Ingredients:

 

Paste:

2 medium onions

4-6 garlic cloves

1 inch ginger peeled

chilli (per taste)

 

Curry:

2 sweet potatoes

2 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

2 zucchini, sliced thickly

1 green pepper, cut into chunks

2 cups of green/yellow beans

4 cups of fresh swiss chard

2 tomatoes, skin removed, quartered

2-3 green chillies, left whole with slits cut

3 tbsp of a curry powder (your choice)

2 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 cup coconut milk

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

4 tbsp ghee

salt

3-4 curry leaves

 

Instructions:

 

  1. Using a mortar and pestle or blender, grind chilli, onions, garlic, ginger into a paste.

  2. In a small bowl, combine curry powder and chilli powder and turmeric with a little water to make a thick paste.

  3. In a wok or pot, heat ghee or vegetable oil, fry the ground paste from step 1 for 2-3 minutes.

  4. Add curry paste from step 2, stir-fry on low heat until quite toasted and oil starts to ooze from paste - don not burn.

  5. Add coconut milk, vegetable stock, tomatoes and season with salt.

  6. Gradually bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.

  7. Add each vegetable in order - those that take longer to cook are added first.

  8. Simmer until just tender, or to your liking of crispness, remove from heat promptly.

  9. Serve hot with bread, Roti, or steamed rice.

 

Mee Goreng.  Prepared by Yolanda and adapted from Ottolenghi and his cookbook Plenty.  Plenty you say? Plenty delicious we say!  Packed with yummy vegetables, spice and flavour this is not the first time we've tried this dish and surely won't be the last.

 

Ingredients:

 

2 tbsp ground nut oil

1/2 onion, peeled and diced

220g firm tofu cut into 0.5cm strips

100g french beans, trimmed and cut in half on an angle

100g choi sum (or pak choi), leaves and stems, cut into large chunks

300g fresh egg noodles

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp sambal olek (or other savoury chilli paste), plus extra to serve

2 tsp thick soy sauce

2 tsp light soy sauce

50g bean sprouts

1 handful shredded iceberg lettuce

1 tbsp crispy fried shallots (available from oriental grocers; alternatively use dry onion flakes)

Lemon wedges, to serve

 

Instructions:

 

  1. Put a wok or large pan over high heat. Once hot, add the oil, then the onion and cook to soften it for a minute. Add the tofu and french beans, and cook to give the tofu a bit of colour - two to three minutes. Stir gently as your cook so as not to break the tofu.

  2. Add the cho sum and, when it wilts, the noodles. Spread them in the wok using tongs or chopsticks - you want them to get a lot of heat, almost to fry. Mix gently, cooking the noodles for about two minutes. Now add the spices, sambal olek, soy sauce, bean sprouts and a tablespoon of cold water, and toss carefully. Cook for about a minute, or until the noodles are semi-soft.

  3. When ready to serve, transfer the noodles into bowls and top with shredded lettuce and crispy shallots. On the side, serve lemon wedges and a small bowl of extra sambal.

Papaya Salad. Yolanda found this gem of a recipe on the internet and Yolandalized it to make it even more delicious. Thanks for introducing us to the wonder that is the green papaya Yolanda!

 

Ingredients:

 

2 cups firm green papaya, grated

1/4 cup chopped green beans

1/4 cup carrots, grated

1/4 cup cabbage, sliced into thin strips

2 tbsp soy sauce

8-10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small green or red chilli, minced

1 tsp lemon or lime juice

1/2 tsp raw sugar, or 1 tsp honey or agave nectar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp roasted peanuts

lettuce (optional)

 

Pineapple Tarts.  These tasty little morsels were adapted from RasaMalaysia by Kristy.  Think shortbread stuffed with deliciously gooey pineapple.  Amahzballs!

 

Ingredients:

 

For the pastry:

220g unsalted butter at room temperature

375g all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 egg yolks

50g confectioners' sugar (icing sugar)

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 egg yolk, for egg wash

 

For the pineapple filling:

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

1/4 cup granulated sugar (or more to taste)

1-1.5 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

 

Instructions:

 

  1. To prepare the pineapple filling (from scratch): bring to a boil grated pineapple, sugar and lemon juice.  Let it simmer for 30 minutes or until it thickens.  Taste to see if it has achieved the desired sweetness.  Add more sugar if necessary.  Sieve in half a teaspoon of cornstarch.

  2. Let the pineapple filling cool to room temperature before using.  It can also be kept in the fridge for 1 week.

 

OR

 

  1. To prepare the pineapple filling from a can of crushed pineapple: use low to medium heat to cook the drained crushed pineapple and sugar until most liquid has evaporated, and the mixture turns golden stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid burning. Taste, add more sugar if needed. Add in 1 to 1.5 tsp of cornstarch to thicken the mixture.

  2. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before using.

 

For the pastry:

 

  1. Sieve all purpose flour, cornstarch, salt and icing sugar into a medium bowl.  Beat butter in a mixer until it turns light in colour and is fluffy. Add in egg yolks until well combined. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until just combined.

  2. Roll pineapple filling into small individual rounds. Turn dough out and roll into small rounds.  Flatten the rounds and use it to cover the prepared filling.

  3. Brush the unbaked rolls with egg wash.

  4. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown.

 

Malaysian Sago Pudding. What can we say about Sago pudding? It really was the most interesting dish of the night. Interesting. Yes. Interesting. So green and so chewy. Reading the description from the website, people often find this dish a talking point because of the texture and appearance of sago pearls. Indeed.

 

Ingredients:

 

8 cups water

1 cup sago pearls

1/4 tsp pandan paste or pandan aroma paste

90g gula melaka (shaved with a knife + 2 tbsp water)

2 tbsp water

1 1/2 cups cocunut milk

vegetable oil

 

Instructions:

 

  1. Bring water to boil in a medium non-stick pot, then rain the sago pearls in, stir with a wooden spoon, before allowing the sago to bubble away. The sago pearls are ready when they turn completely transparent - don't be too concerned if you can still see the slightest dot of white at the centre of each pearl, it will be adequately cooked. Remove pot from heat and tip the contents into a sieve. Standing over the sink, run lots of cool water through the pearls to remove residual starch then, using a metal spoon, fold the pandan paste through the mixture.

  2. With paper towels, grease moulds with the smallest amount of vegetable oil - jelly or disposable plastic cups, anything that flexes a little is good. Divide sago into 4 moulds. Cover with clingwrap and refrigerate.

  3. Meanwhile, in a small pot, bring coconut milk to boil. Cool to room temperature and transfer to a small jug.

  4. Using the small pot, unwashed, combine the gula melaka and water. Bring to boil and then refrigerate.

  5. To serve, ease moulded sago into 4 small bowls, pour about 1/3 cup of the coconut milk into each bow, with a heaped dessert spoon of the gula melaka (or to taste) drizzled over each bowl.

  6. Encourage guests to press a spoon over the top of the sago to collapse the pearls and mix thoroughly with the coconut and gula melaka before eating.

Note:

 

Don't be confused and buy the large tapioca pearls which are used in bubble tea. Uncooked, the sago pearls are white and about 1mm in diameter.

Gula melaka is a Malaysian style dark, palm sugar (extracted from a different species to the type used to make palm oil). Please look for brands that are set in a cylinder shape. It should be very dark brown and soft enough that you can easily dent it with your thumbnail.

Multilayered Butter Cake (Lapis Legit). There is something fundamentally sad about cakes that fail. All that effort and preparation should not end with one scraping half baked cake into the trash. Perhaps the good people at asian-recipe.com never tested this recipe? Perhaps they did and opted instead to set unsuspecting cooks up for failure. Salima gets an A- for her efforts in attempting to finish this cake to a point where it didn't resemble an unfortunate paste like goo.

 

Ingredients:

 

570cc or 30 egg yolks

525-600 g butter, whipped and melted

100g flour, sifted

300g granulated suarg

3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

1 tbsp special layer cake extract (optional)

15g powdered milk

1/2 tsp powdered vanilla extract

 

Instructions:

 

  1. Place the egg yolks, granulated sugar and vanilla into mixing bowl. Beat to very high soft peaks.

  2. Stir in the layer cake extract, flour and butter. The batter should be very thick.

  3. Place wax paper at the bottom of an 8x8x8 inch buttered baking pan. Spread butter on top of the wax paper as well.

  4. Pour 3-4 tbsp of batter into the wax covered pan and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 5 minutes.

  5. Remove from oven and press the cake evenly and then spread butter (not too much, just for flavoring) on cake top. Pour another 3-4 tbsp of batter and bake it again for five minutes. Keep doing this step until the batter is finished.

  6. Serve when cool. 

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