Mee Rebus, a classic dish brimming with the flavours of Malaysia!

Ingredients:

 

Method:

Serving Suggestions:

CHICKEN STOCK

Cuisine : All Around the World
Recipe Type : Stock
Difficulty : Easy
Yields : 1 - 11/2 Litre of Stock
Author : SM


Preparation Time - 10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 2-3 Hours

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken Bones - 1 Kg.
Onions - 1 No.
Garlic - 2 Cloves
Leeks - 1 Stalk
Celery - 1 Stalk
Thyme - 2 Sprigs
Bay Leaf - 1 Leaf
White Peppercorns - Few

METHOD :

• Combine all the ingredients in a large Stock Pot.
• Cover it with cold water and bring it to boil.
• Once it starts to boil, reduce the flame.
• Using a slotted spoon skim off and discard any scum and fat from the surface.
• Simmer for 2-3 hours, skimming occasionally.
• Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Discard the Bones and Vegetables.
• Allow the stock to cool.
• Cool and store them in air tight containers.

NOTES :

• This stock can be used immediately.
• Can keep in the refrigerator for 4 Days.
• Can Freeze for up to 2-3 Months.
• Divide the stock into smaller portions and Freeze them.
• Remove the solidified fat from the surface of the stock before using it.
• Boil the Stock for 2-3 minutes before using it.
• Can make this stock from left over chicken roast carcasses.
• But I feel raw carcasses yields cleaner and better-tasting stocks.

NASI LEMAK

 

     Widely proclaimed as Malaysia's NATIONAL DISH - NASI LEMAK.  Rich, fragrant and all the tastier rice dish is not only popular in Malaysia, but also in neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Indonesia, especially in Eastern Sumatra, Brunei and Southern Thailand. Nasi Lemak also can be found in the Southern Philippines prepared by Filipino Muslims.
     NASI LEMAK is considered to be one of the most famous and commonly served breakfasts in Malay Cuisine. Though commonly eaten for breakfast, the versatility of the dish has made it so common to be eaten at any time of the day.  Least to mention that it can be served in a variety of manners. This unique dish is often sold wrapped in banana leaves, newspaper or brown paper, or served on a plate.  The wrapping itself is so unique, that I was literally awed by seeing it for the first time.
     In olden days, hard-working villagers would eat a hearty Nasi Lemak for breakfast before starting their day. Farmers needed a balanced meal in the morning to keep them active for the whole day, Nasi Lemak provided all the essential nutrients required for their tough toil in the farms.  Once a farmer's meal has become the favourite dish of Malaysia & Malaysians.
     Most of the hawker centres, restaurants, road side shops, food courts, highway rest and service area restaurants all sell nasi lemak in Malaysia and Singapore.  In mornings we can see nasi lemak hawkers popping-up anywhere nearby schools, offices or on road sides owing to its popularity as a breakfast item along with other local delicacies and snacks.
      Nasi Lemak literally means, Fatty/Oily Rice, where, 'Nasi' stands for 'Rice' and 'Lemak' stands for 'Fatty/Oily' in Malay.  But the true meaning says it to be as rich creamy rice, as the rice is steam cooked in Coconut Milk and Screwpine (Pandan) Leaves, which gives a distinctive flavour to the rice. The rice is traditionally served with:

• Hot and Spicy Sambal Chillies, 
• Coconut Rice,
• Deep fried small variety of Fish or Ayam Goreng (Fried Chicken)
• Roasted Peanuts,
• Crisply fried Anchovies (Ikan Bilis),
• Hard Boiled Eggs and 
• Freshly sliced Cucumbers. 

Cuisine - Malaysian Cuisine
Course - Main
Spice Level  - High
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 30 - 45 Minutes
Cooking Time - 45 Minutes - 1 Hour

 

HOW TO MAKE MALAYSIAN NASI LEMAK

FOR HOT AND SPICY CHILLI SAMBAL:

INGREDIENTS:

Dry Red Chillies - 10-12 Pieces.
Birds-eye Chillies - 5-7 Pieces
Shallots - 10 Nos.
Garlic - 3 Cloves.
Dry Shrimp Paste(Belacan) - 2 Teaspoons
Tamarind - 2 Teaspoons
Salt - To Taste
Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka) - 3 Teaspoons
Onions - 1 No.
Anchovies - 2 Tablespoon (Optional)
Oil - 3 Tablespoons

METHOD:

• Soak the Dried Red Chillies in hot water for 20-30 minutes until they are soft.
• Dry roast the Shrimp paste until fragrant.
• Grind soaked Dry Chillies, Roasted Shrimp Paste, Birds Eye Chillies, Garlic and Shallots into a smooth paste.
• Soak the Dried Anchovies for about 10-15 minutes.
• Clean and wash them well and allow it to dry on a paper towel.
• Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the Anchovies and keep it aside.  
• In the remaining oil saute the ground paste on a low flame for about 10-15 minutes.
• Saute them until the raw flavour goes and oil separate from the mix.
• Add tamarind extract and boil it for another 5 minutes on a low flame.
• Add salt and palm sugar and mix well.
• Finally, add the onions cut into rings and deep fried anchovies and give a quick stir.
• Leave this on a low flame for 3-5 minutes. 

• I used the long- wrinkled variety which is less spicy. To reduce the spiciness can snip off the soaked dry chillies into two and de-seed them.
• Blend the shallots coarsely.
• Adding the onions cut into rings, gives a good texture to the sambal.
• Can make the sambal chillies without fried anchovies too.
• If adding fried anchovies deep fry them first and drain them on a paper towel. 
• Can use the same oil to saute the sambal.
• Anchovies and dry shrimp paste will add saltiness to the sambal, so add salt at the final stage if necessary. 
• Can add sugar instead of Palm sugar.
• Serve it at room temperature.

 

FOR COCONUT RICE 

COCONUT RICE FOR NASI LEMAK

 

Ingredients:

Raw Rice /Fragrant Rice  - 1 Cup
Thick Coconut Milk - 1/2 Cup
Thin Coconut Milk - 1Cup
Screwpine Leaves (Pandan leaves) - 3-4 Leaves
Ginger - 1/2" Piece (Optional)
Garlic - 2 Cloves (Optional)
Oil - 1 Tablespoon
Salt - To Taste

• A good brand of Fragrant Jasmine Rice or Basmati Rice is preferable for this recipe.
• Rinse the rice once or twice, moving your fingers through the rice, until the water runs clear.
• Soak the Rice for at least 20 minutes before cooking in other methods, except for steaming.
•  If cooking in a steamer, soak the rice overnight or at least for 2-3 hours.
• Use extra water along with coconut milk while cooking in a sauce pan.
• Slightly bruise the Screw pine leaves and tie them into a knot before adding it to the rice.

We can cook the rice in three methods :

METHOD: 

  In a Steamer:

( Rice : Water Ratio - 1:11/2 Cups)
     Cooking in a steamer is considered to be the more authentic way of cooking Rice for Nasi lemak.(The KUKUS Method). It is supposed to be more delicious as each grain is separated and fluffy. If freshly squeezed coconut milk is used, then the rice is one of the tastiest with its natural flavours infused. But this method is slightly time-consuming, as it needs soaking time and comparatively a little bit of extra cooking time. But it is a lot easier compared to other methods, as we can control the cooking process and also, we don't need to bother about water ratios. The texture of the rice turns out perfect every time.

• Soak the rice overnight or at least for two to three hours.
• Boil enough water in the steamer,  fill half of the pan with water.
• Place the rice in a dish.
• Pour in coconut milk into the dish, together with the rest of the ingredients.
• Steam until the coconut milk is well absorbed by the rice 
• Steam for about 20-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked. 
• While cooking, carefully fluff-up the rice with a fork in between, so that all the grains are perfectly cooked.
• Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes
• Fluff up the rice with a fork before serving.

In an Electronic Steamer:

• If using an electric steamer, fill the steamer's water reservoir to the "max" line.
• Place 1 cup of Rice and 11/2 Cups of Coconut Milk in a bowl.
• Drizzle a bit of oil, salt and rest of the ingredients to the rice and mix well.
• If your steamer has multi-level,  place the rice bowl at the lowest level.
• Cover the rice bowl.
• Turn on the steamer and set the timing for 20-25 minutes.
• Once it is cooked remove the rice bowl from the steamer and allow it to cool down for few minutes.
• Fluff up the rice before serving.

In an Electric Rice Cooker :

( Rice : Water Ratio - 1:11/2 Cups)
This is one of the easiest methods, and most of the time, I end up cooking the coconut rice in this method.

• Place 1 Cup of Rice in the rice cooker
• Add 11/2 Cups of Coconut Milk.
• Drizzle a bit of oil, salt and rest of the ingredients to the rice and mix well.
• Cover the Rice Cooker and turn it on.
• Cook until it automatically turns off.
• Leave the in warm mode for another 5-10 minutes.
• Allow it to cool for few minutes.
• Fluff up the rice with a fork before serving.

Notes:

While cooking large quantities of rice, this method is not advisable  for two reasons:
       1) The oil from the Coconut Milk will prevent the rice from cooking properly.
       2) And it is not possible to get evenness in texture and flavour of the rice.

In a Sauce Pan:

( Rice Water Ratio - 1:2 Cups)

• Heat a little bit of oil in a heavy based saucepan over medium heat.
• Add 1 cup of Rice into the pan and fry it on a very low flame for few minutes until the oil is absorbed.
• Add 11/2 cups of Coconut milk, 1/2 Cup of Water to the rice and mix well.
• Sprinkle Salt and rest of the ingredients to the rice and stir well.
• Keeping the sauce pan uncovered, bring the rice to a boil.
• Once the water begins to boil, lower the flame.
• Cover the pot and cook the rice in low flame for about 15-20 minutes.
• Once the rice is cooked, remove from fire and keep it aside for at least 10 minutes to cool down.
• Fluff up the rice with a fork or a chopstick before serving.

DEEP FRIED FISH :

     Any variety of small fish suits this recipe.  Can also serve Fried Chicken along with Nasi Lemak. I have used small Bawal Putih (White Pomfret) in this recipe.  The main trick is to get crispy fried fish.  For best results use a big wok with very hot oil and, it can be double fried.

Ingredients:

Small Variety Fish - 1/2 Kg.
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Pepper Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Salt - To Taste
Oil - To Fry

Method:

• Clean the fish.
• Marinate it with the ingredients mentioned under 'To Marinate' for at least half an hour.
• Keep it refrigerated until you fry it.
• Heat oil in a wok on a high flame.
• Drop the marinated fish into the oil and fry them for 5-7 minutes.
• Allow it to drain on a paper towel.
• Fry them for a second time, before serving.

Notes:

• When you drop the fish into the oil, the oil must be very hot and you should hear a nice sizzling sound.
• Fry the fish on a high flame
• For crispier fried fish, fry them for a second time before serving.
• In Double frying - the first time when you fry, the moisture is removed from the fish and when it's fried for the second time it totally dries up the fish giving a total crispness to the fish.
• Marinating the fish with the salt, pepper and turmeric powder, also dehydrates the fish.
• Leave the marinated fish in the refrigerator, uncovered.

FRIED PEANUTS & ANCHOVIES:

Ingredients:

Peanuts - 1/2 Cup
Anchovies - 1/4 Cup
Oil - To Deep Fry
Salt - To Taste

Method:

• Deep fry the Peanuts & Anchovies on a low flame.
• Fry them in batches.
• Remove them from oil and drain them on a paper towel.
• Sprinkle some salt if necessary.

 

HARD BOILED EGGS:

     Perfectly boiled eggs, mixed with coconut rice and sambal chilli is a perfect combination for Nasi Lemak. The egg can be done in a variety of ways but hard-boiled eggs go hand-in-hand with this dish.

Method:

• Pour water into the pot and add eggs into it.
• Switch on the flame and allow it to boil.
• Once the water boils, cover the pot, lower the flame and let it cook for another 15 minutes.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool. 
• Peel the eggs, when it is warm.
• Allow it to cool down before slicing it with a sharp knife.

Notes:

• It is easy to peel the eggs when it is still warm.
• To ensure perfectly sliced eggs, slice them when they have cooled down.
• Stir the pot occasionally, while boiling the eggs, this is to ensure that the yolk remains intact at the centre.

 

FOR FRESHLY SLICED CUCUMBERS: 

• Local variety Cucumbers are served with Nasi Lemak usually.
• I don't season it with salt or pepper. Plain cucumbers are perfect for the dish.
• Cut both the ends and peel the cucumber with a peeler.
• Then cut them into thin slices. 

Finally, Nasi Lemak is done!!!

     Serve Coconut Rice, Fried Anchovies and Peanuts, Deep Fried Fish, Hard-boiled Eggs, freshly sliced Cucumbers along with Hot & Spicy Sambal Chilli. Nasi lemak accompaniments are very much up to you. Fried fish or Chicken, hard-boiled or fried eggs all suits the dish.  For a more authentic experience, eat with your hands!

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

     This Chicken recipe is a wonderful combination of Sweet & Sour taste, which is definitely a tongue tickler.  Within various Chinese Cooking methods, Sweet & Sour method is one variation, which is fancied all around the world.  It is cooking Chicken, Fish, Pork or Tofu along with Sweet & Sour Sauces.  It goes extremely well with simple Fragrant Jasmine Rice or Fried Rice Varieties.
     This is a very simple recipe.  But the real trick and taste lie in the consistency of the sauce and the batter used to marinate the chicken.  When you bite the chicken pieces it should be slightly crunchy, but at the same time, they should be delicate, smooth and succulent. The Sweet & Sour Sauce should be light and it should coat the chicken pieces all around evenly. And they shouldn't turn soggy. Some recipes call for Pineapples or Cucumbers along with Chicken, Onions and Bell Peppers.
     Any dish with a mix of tastes and flavours have always fancied me, especially sourness and sweetness mixed together, hold my taste buds to an extreme that they linger in my senses too deeply.  This dish is one kind that suits the trick.  It is also a family favourite.


Cuisine : Chinese
Course : Side Dish
Spice Level  : Low
Difficulty : Medium
Serves : 4
Author : SM

Preparation Time - 10 - 15 Minutes
Cooking Time - 10 -15 Minutes

INGREDIENTS :

THAI PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE

     Thai Pineapple Fried Rice called Khao op Sapparot in Thai is one of my favourite Thai dishes. Best about this Thai Pineapple Fried Rice is its bright yellow hue and the way it is served.  It is usually served in a pineapple bowl which gives a cheerful tropical feel to the dish.  This is a fancier version of Fried Rice which has Cashewnuts and Raisins in it. The aroma of Jasmine Rice, the slight sweetness from the Pineapple and nuts adds a special note to this beautiful dish.
    Thai Pineapple Fried Rice is traditionally prepared with fresh pineapples, canned pineapples can also be used for the purpose. If using a fresh pineapple, cut into halves and scoop out the flesh carefully from inside leaving the outer skin intact and you will be rewarded with a beautiful pineapple bowl to serve out Thai Pineapple Fried Rice.
     Fried Rice is ubiquitous to the region from which it originates.  So the taste, flavour, type of rice and sauces used for the dish varies from region to region.  Any Long grained variety of rice suits best for Fried Rice, but Thai Cuisine uses their unique Jasmine Rice, which is aromatic long-grained and slightly stickier.  Most of their fried rice recipes are flavoured with Fish Sauce (Nam Pla) rather than with soy sauce.

For more FRIED RICE RECIPES, Click here... 

Cuisine - Thai
Course - Main
Spice Level  - Low
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 20 - 30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 15 -20 Minutes

HOW TO COOK THAI PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE        KHAO OP SAPPAROT

INGREDIENTS :

For Thai Pineapple Fried Rice :

Jasmine Rice - 11/2 Cups
Prawns / Chicken Pieces - 150 Gms
Eggs - 2 Nos.
Pineapple - 100 Gms
Shallots - 3 Nos.
Garlic - 3 Cloves
Bird's Eye Chillies - Few
Dried Shrimp Paste (Belacan) - 1 Tspn
Cashew nuts - 2 Tbspn
Raisins - 1 Tbspn
Oil - 2 Tbspn
Butter - 2 Tspn

For Sauce :

Turmeric Powder - 1 Tspn
Pineapple Juice - 1 Tbspn
Soy Sauce/Fish Sauce - 1 Tbspn
Chicken Seasoning Powder - 1 Tbspn
Salt - To Taste
Sugar -  A Pinch

METHOD :

• Mix the Ingredients mentioned under 'For Sauce' in a bowl and keep it aside.
• Dice the Pineapple into bite sized pieces.
• Clean and cut the Chicken into small pieces.  
• Clean, remove shells and devein the Prawns.
• Heat a little oil in a pan and scramble the eggs with a dash of salt and keep it aside.
• Dry toast the Dried Shrimp Paste until aromatic.
• Heat the butter in a pan and roast the Cashew nuts, sprinkle some salt over it and keep it aside.
• In the remaining butter fry the Raisins for few minutes.
• Heat Oil and Butter in pan, saute Shallots, Bird's Eye Chillies and Garlic until shallots turn translucent.
• Add the toasted Dried Shrimp Paste and give a quick stir.
• Add in the Chicken pieces and fry for a while, add Prawns and fry them until they are 1/2 cooked.
• Pour in the Sauce Mix and fry for a while in medium high flame.
• Add the cooked Jasmine Rice and fry them until the rice grains are dry and evenly coated with the sauce.
• Add the scrambled eggs to the above and mix well.
• Add Pineapple pieces, Roasted Cashew nuts and Raisins and stir fry for few minutes.
• Scoop out the Thai Pineapple Fried Rice into the Pineapple bowl.
• Garnish Thai Pineapple Fried Rice with Scallions and serve hot with any side dish of your choice.

NOTES :

• Any fragrant long-grained rice variety can be used for the recipe.
• Use a day old cooked rice for best results. Obviously, keep them refrigerated.

STEW WITH MINCED MEAT

     Stew is a delicately flavoured, curry with only a slight tinge of spices and aromatics and of course a lot of Coconut Milk. What is it about Kerala Cuisine without coconuts?  This recipe calls for minced meat, instead of meat chunks, and the ground paste gives a twist to the traditional Stew.  It is a perfect combination for bread, Appam and Idiyappam.

     This recipe is adapted from Vanitha (a Malayalam Magazine).  My MIL reads this fortnightly, and also collect these books.  Whenever she visits Malaysia, she brings few editions for me.  I love to see the pictures and scroll immediately into recipe pages before pondering into other articles. All the more I am a big fan of Mrs. K.M. Mathews (founder and editor of Vanitha Magazine), it was she who brought in the recipe culture into simple minds.  She has the glory of taking Kerala Cuisine across the globe.  I have a huge collection of her recipes, which I have been collecting since my childhood from Malayala Manorama and Vanitha.

For more recipes from GODS OWN COUNTRY - KERALA  click here...  

Cuisine - Kerala
Recipe Type - Stew
Course - Side Dish
Spice Level - Low
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 4- 6
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 20-30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 15-20 Minutes

For more MUTTON Recipes, Click here...

 

HOW TO MAKE STEW WITH MINCED MEAT

INGREDIENTS:

Minced Meat - 500 Grams
Carrot - 1 Cup
Green Peas - 1/2 -3/4 Cup
Potatoes - 1 Cup
Onions - 1 No.
Tomato - 1 No.(Optional)
Thick Coconut Milk - 1 Cup
Thin Coconut Milk - 1 Cup
Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 2 Tablespoons
Coriander Leaves - To Garnish

To Grind:

Dry Red Chillies - 4 No's.
Ginger - 1/2"
Garlic - 4 Cloves
Cardamom - 2 pods
Cloves - 2 No's.
Cinnamon - 1/2" Stick
Vinegar - 1 Tablespoon

METHOD:

• Grind the ingredients mentioned under 'To Grind' along with vinegar to a smooth paste.
• Clean, Peel and dice Carrots and Potatoes.
• Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the diced Potatoes until 1/2 cooked.
• Remove the potatoes from the oil and drain them on a paper towel.
• In the remaining oil, sauté Onions and Curry leaves until onions turn translucent.
• Add the ground paste to the above and fry them until oil separate from the mixture.
• Add Tomatoes and sauté until they are well cooked.
• Then add in thhe Minced Meat and sauté it for a while until the colour changes.
• Next, add Carrots, Peas and Shallow fried Potatoes to the above.
• Sprinkle some salt and enough water for the Vegetables and Minced meat to cook.
• Once the vegetables and minced meat are cooked, pour thin coconut milk and mix well.
• Leave this to boil on a very low flame, stirring occasionally.
• Finally, pour in the Thick Coconut Milk and give a quick stir.
• Leave this on a low flame for a few minutes.
• Finally, garnish it with Coriander Leaves.
• Creamy Minced Meat Stew is ready to be served with Appam, Idiyappam, Puttu or any dish of your choice.
• Goes well with Bread too. 

NOTES:

• Shallow frying the potatoes are truly optional.
• If you want bit more spicy stew, can add few Green Chillies while sauteing the onions, or finally sprinkle some white pepper over the stew (this is to retain the white colour of the stew).
• If cooking the meat and vegetable in a pressure cooker, just cook it for a whistle.  
• Minced meat tends to cook sooner, and the vinegar makes it soft and succulent.
• I usually add about 3-4 teaspoons of Milk Powder along with Coconut Milk, which yields you with a creamy, white Stew.  But it is purely optional
  

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

      This is a simple stove-top Chocolate pudding.  The best about this recipe is that it is very easy to make, yet it is rich, creamy and delicious. When it comes to desserts, I feel puddings are always a delight and infinitely adaptable to your whims. As simple as it is, but you can make it look more glamorous with a little bit of dressing.  Just a dollop of whipped cream, some chocolate shavings or just dust some cocoa powder over the pudding, they can really dazzle your palate. 
     The process of making pudding is quite simple. Puddings are usually made with milk or cream, sweetened and thickened by cooking them briefly on the stove top or in the oven.  Unbaked puddings get their thickness and rich, creamy and silky texture from a mixture of corn starch and egg yolks.  Needless to say, Chocolate pudding gets its intense flavour from the chocolate.

Recipe Type - Pudding, Dessert
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 6
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 5-10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 5 -10 Minutes
Setting Time - 3 -4 Hours

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE PUDDING

 

INGREDIENTS :

Milk - 2 Cups
Sugar - 1/4 - 1/2 Cup
Cocoa Powder/Cooking Chocolate - 1/3 Cup
Corn Starch - 4 Tspn.
Egg Yolks - 3 (Large)
Vanilla Extract - 2 Tspn.
Salt - 1/4 Tspn.
Whipping Cream - 3/4 Cup

METHOD :

• Mix 11/2 Cups of Milk, Sugar, Cocoa Powder in a Sauce Pan.
• Cook this is on a medium high heat.
• Once cooked, remove from fire and keep it aside.
• Whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of Milk with Corn Starch, Salt, Egg Yolks and Vanilla Extract in a bowl.
• Gradually whisk the above hot milk and cocoa mixture into the egg mixture until well incorporated.
• Cook this mixture over medium-high heat whisking constantly, until it comes to a full boil.
• Reduce the heat and whisk again until the mixture thickens for about 2 -3 minutes.
• Pour this into small cups.
• Cover the cups and refrigerate it for 3-4 hours or until set.
• Serve the Chocolate Pudding with a dollop of whipped Cream on top.

NOTES :

• Whisk the mix throughout the cooking process.
• If you have lumps in the pudding, strain it through a fine-mesh.
• The pudding mix would be slightly thin and runny when warm.
• But it would be firm enough when cooled.
• Smooth the pudding tops gently against the surface before refrigerating.
• Put a cling wrap on top or cover the pudding mould/cups before refrigerating. 
• Adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste preference.
• Pudding stays good for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.