Deep-fried Bittergourd

Bitter gourd, also known as bitter melon, bitter apple, bitter squash, balsam pear or peria katak in Bahasa Malaysia, is a common food among the Indians. It is claimed that there are many health benefits to be obtained from eating the bitter gourd or drinking its juice. However, there are also side effects to consuming them. Thus, as a general rule, we should consume it in moderation.

We had shied away from bitter gourd due its bitterness. It is only recently that we had acquired the taste of consuming it. Since then it had been featured on our dining table every now and then. One way of cooking the bitter gourd is to deep fry them. This dish can be easily found in Nasi Kandar shops.

There are two types of batter that we can make for deep frying. The first and most basic is to use plain batter and the second is to add turmeric and curry powder. Wash and cut the bitter gourd into two, crosswise. Remove the seeds. Then cut the bitter gourd into thin rings. If you do not want it to be too bitter, it is best to soak the rings in salt water for a while. After that pat these rings dry.

• For the plain batter, use 2 parts of rice flour and 1 part of all purpose flour. Add some baking powder (the amount depends on the quantity of rice flour and all purpose flour) and salt. Stir these ingredients to mix them well. Slowly add water to the flour mixture until a nice consistency is obtained i.e. one which is neither runny nor too thick.

• For the other batter, use 2 parts of rice flour and 1 part of all purpose flour. Add in half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and half a teaspoon of curry powder. However, increase the amount of turmeric powder and curry powder if a lot of rice flour and all purpose flour is used. Add in baking powder and salt. Mix all these ingredients well. Pour in water slowly until you get a nice consistency which can coat the bitter gourd.

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of peria katak
• 100 g of rice flour
• 50 g of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Water, enough to reach a good consistency
• Cooking oil, for frying
• Kitchen towel

Method:

• Wash and cut the bitter gourd into cylindrical rings as thin as possible. Set aside.

• Mix rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt.

• Add water to the flours slowly until a good consistency of batter is achieved, neither too watery nor too thick.

• Add the bitter gourd to the batter. Coat every piece of the bitter gourd with the batter.

• Heat up some oil in a wok over medium fire.

• When the oil is hot, use a pair of tongs to put the bitter gourd into the oil, slice by slice as we do not want all the slices to be lumped together. The bitter gourd will not be crispy if the slices stick together into big chunks.

• When the batter turn brown, dish the slices out onto kitchen towels to soak up excess oil from the bitter gourd. 

• Note: The crispiness can usually stay for up to 1 hour with the right consistency of the batter.

The first two pictures show bitter gourd deep fried with plain batter while the last two pictures show those fried with turmeric and curry powder batter.

Fried Spaghetti, Chinese Style

Typically, spaghetti is served with tomato sauce containing herbs such as oregano and basil, olive oil and/or meat and/or vegetables with sprinkling of cheese on top. While my family loves this style sometimes I cook it the Chinese way using cooking oil, seafood or meat, Chinese mushroom and seasonings. It is still possible to sprinkle some cheese on top of the spaghetti even though it is cooked the Chinese way.

Ingredients:

• 280 g spaghetti (As a rule, 70 g per person.)
• 3 eggs
• 150 g medium-size prawns
• 1 head broccoli
• Optional - cauliflower & carrot
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp pepper

Method:

• Boil the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packaging. Once done, set it aside.

• Wash and remove the shells and veins of the prawns. Give them a final rinse and set them aside.

• I like using broccoli as it is sweet and it gives a contrast to the whiteness of the spaghetti. Wash and cut into little florets. Cut the stem into 1/2 cm thickness. Set aside. (However, sometimes I do add carrots and cauliflowers.) In this instance I will be using only broccoli.

• Chop the garlic.

• Add cooking oil to kuali. Fry and stir up the eggs. When cooked, set them aside.

• Add more cooking oil and sesame oil in the kuali.

• Saute the garlic till fragrant.

• Add the prawns. Fry them till they are cooked. Dish them out to prevent them from being overcooked.

• Add and fry the stems of the broccoli. Half-way through add the florets and stir fry them till cooked, adding some water if necessary.

• Add the spaghetti and stir.

• Add back the eggs and prawns.

• Add the seasonings - salt, light soy sauce and pepper.

• Dish out and serve with some red chillies.

Bangkuang (Yam Bean or Jicama) Char and Popiah

I learnt this dish from my mother-in-law; she cooked it all the time for prayers to our ancestors and my father-in-law. This is purely a vegetarian dish versus jiuhu (cuttlefish) char where cuttlefish is added. To prepare this, we need Bangkuang (aka Yam Bean or Jicama), round cabbage, leek, French beans, carrots and garlic.

I usually buy a medium-sized bangkuang. This is because when we add all the other vegetable, we will end up with quite a sizeable amount of bangkuang char.


Ingredients:

• 500 g bangkuang
• 250 g round cabbage
• 4 - 5 stalks leek
• 50 g French beans
• 100 g carrot
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 to 1 tsp dark soy sauce

Method:

• Peel and julienne the bangkuang.

• Julienne the cabbage.

• Cut 4-5 stalks of leek in a long slanting manner.

• Cut the French beans in long slanting manner.

• Julienne the carrot.

• Chop the garlic.

• Saute the garlic.

• Once fragrant, add the bangkuang, cabbage, French beans and carrot. Fry until these are soft by letting them simmer for about 15 minutes.

• Add in the leek and fry for about 5 minutes.

• Next, season with salt, light and dark and pepper.

• The dish is ready to be served.

• Note: Bangkuang Char is best eaten wrapped in lettuce (Sang Choy). It is tastier when it is kept overnight and fried again in a kuali (not heated up in a pot).

Popiah

Bangkuang Char is the main dish of Popiah. Besides it, other ingredients to make the Popiah are (but not limited to) as listed below:

• Popiah skin
• Lettuce
• Blanched beansprouts
• Steamed prawns
• Fried tau kua cubes
• Fried eggs
• Peeled and steamed crab sticks
• Shallot crisps
• Sweet black sauce
• Chili sauce

Bihun Siam

Sometimes when we don't feel like eating rice, Bihun Siam is a good substitute to fill our stomach. It is easy and fast to prepare.


Ingredients:

• 300 g bihun
• 5 pcs chili padi. Alternative - dried prawns chili flakes
• 3 tbsp minced bean paste
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 250 g bean sprout or more, if prefer
• 50 g chives
• 4 eggs
• 4 pcs taukwa
• 200 g prawns
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup of water
• 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Method:

• Soak the bihun for ten minutes or until soft.

• Prepare the condiments:

• Wash and cut the chilies and put them into a saucer.

• Add minced bean paste into a small bowl. Add rice vinegar to the bowl and stir the minced bean paste and rice vinegar until they are well mixed. Add some boiled water if the bean paste sauce is too thick.

• Wash and cut up the chives and place them into a serving bowl.

• Fry the eggs and place them into a serving bowl.

• Cut the taukua into small cubes. Fry them until they are slightly yellowish. Do not fry them until they are brown as they will become hard. Dish out into a serving bowl.

• Peel the prawns, de-vein them and then wash them. Fry them until they are cooked and then dish them out into a serving bowl.

• Wash the bean sprouts and set aside.

• Peel and chop some garlic.

• Add about 4 tbsp cooking oil into the kuali and saute the garlic.

• When the garlic is fragrant, add water to the kuali.

• Add in seasonings - light and dark soy sauce, salt and pepper.

• Let the water with the seasonings boil before pouring in the bihun. Stir gently until the bihun is totally covered with the sauce. Then add the bean sprouts. Fry until the bihun and bean sprouts are cooked. If the bihun is still hard, add in some boiled water. Dish out and serve with the prepared condiments.

• To serve, scoop some fried bihun onto a plate. Add in some eggs, taukua and prawns. Sprinkle some chives onto the bihun and drizzle it with some bean paste sauce. Add some chillies if preferred.

• Mix the fried bihun with all the condiments before eating it.

• Note: You may also prepare some fried shallots too to be sprinkled on top of the fried bihun to be served.

Baked Chicken Coated with Cornflakes

Baked Chicken Coated with Cornflakes is a delicious snack enjoyed by my family.  I have made this many times and my family has not got bored with it. It can be eaten on its own or with a dipping sauce like chili dipping sauce or ketchup.


Ingredients:

• 3 pcs chicken breasts
• 100 g cornflakes (May be substituted with cereals)
• 100 g all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 sprig of parsley or coriander or spring onion
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Method:

• Line your baking tray with parchment paper.

• Crush the cornflakes into smaller pieces. Pour them into a plate.

• Add salt and pepper to the crushed cornflakes and mix well.

• Wash and chop up the parsley. Add the parsley into the crushed cornflakes and mix well. Set aside.

• Break the egg into a shallow dish and beat it. Set aside.

• Wash and cut the chicken breasts into long strips. Dry them with kitchen towels.

• Place the plates of flour, egg and cornflakes in a row.

• Take a piece of chicken and coat it with flour.

• Next, dip it into the egg.

• Then put it into the cornflakes mixture and coat it completely.

• Line the coated chicken on the baking tray.

• Repeat the process until all the chicken pieces have been coated and lined on the baking tray.

• Bake them in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes or until the chicken pieces are golden brown.

• Serve them hot with a dipping sauce of your liking. 

Minced Pork on Tofu

My family loves eating pork and tofu. There are many ways of cooking these 2 ingredients together and one of these is to steam both together. It is a very simple dish that anyone can dish out.


Ingredients:

• 1 tube of egg tofu
• 100 g minced pork
• 1 tsp corn flour or tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Method:

• Fill the steamer with water and turn on the fire to boil the water.

• Cut the cylindrical soft tofu into one-cm thickness.

• Arrange the tofu on a shallow plate.

• If you were to mince the pork yourself, add some fat to it. (If only lean meat is used, the steamed pork may turn out to be hard. So it is advisable to add some fat to the lean pork to be minced. Alternatively, mix the lean meat with some corn or tapioca flour.)

• Add salt, soy sauce and pepper to the minced pork and stir them so that they are mixed well.

• Shape the pork into balls, the number depending on the number of pieces of tofu.

• Put these balls of minced pork on top of the tofu & steam for about 20 minutes or until the pork is cooked.

• Garnish with spring onions before serving.

Stewed Lamb with Carrots and Potatoes

Stewed Lamb with Carrot and Potatoes is a favourite dish of my family. I usually buy lamb shoulder to make it.

Ingredients:

• 800 g lamb shoulder, cut into 4 slabs
• 2 carrots
• 4 potatoes
• 1 tbsp each of dried herbs - basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano and fennel or 5 tbsp of ready-mix dried herbs.
• 25 g coriander, cut into 1 inch length
• Seasonings - salt, light soy sauce and black pepper powder, to taste
• Water

Method:

• Wash and place lamb shoulders in a pressure cooker pot. [I am using the pressure cooker over gas stove.]

• Peel the carrots, wash them, cut them into chunks and put them into the pot. 

• Peel, wash, cut the potatoes into chunks and put them into the pressure cooker pot.

• Note: I always ensure that each family member has at least 3 pieces of carrots and 3 pieces of potatoes. On top of this I put in a few more chunks so that there are still some left for anybody who wants more.

• Add in the dried herbs.

• Add coriander to the pot.

• Add the seasonings - salt, soy sauce and pepper, to taste.

• Add in just enough water to cover the meat. Cover the pressure cooker and let the meat cook for about 25 to 30 minutes.

• When cooked, serve with white rice or bread.

Minced Pork with Basil

This is a relatively new dish for my family. I have never used basil in my day-to-day cooking except in Western-style cooking, for example, in cooking pasta. One day I was given a lot of basil by a friend and I had to look around for ideas in using the basil in my normal cooking. Thus, a new dish was created.


Ingredients:

• 200 g lean meat with some fat
• 3 gloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce (optional)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• A handful of basil or according to preference

Method:

• Wash and mince the pork.

• Saute the garlic till fragrant.

• Add the mince pork. Fry the pork, adding some water in the process.

• Add in the seasonings namely, salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce (optional) and pepper.
• Once the pork is cooked, add in the basil (the amount is entirely up to the individual). Just stir for a while to mix the basil with the pork.
• Ladle up and serve.

Chicken Braised with Yam

Chicken Braised with Yam is a savoury dish which I learn to cook after eating it at a restaurant which had since closed down.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium size chicken
• 1/2 of a small yam
• 2 tbsp dried prawns
• 3 cloves garlic, choped
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (or more if darker sauce is preferred)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 stalk green onion, cut into small pcs.
• 2 cups water

Method:

• Wash and cut the chicken into bite sizes.

• Peel, wash and cut the yam into cubes, deep fry them and then set aside.

• Using the same oil, deep fry the dried prawns (whole). Scoop them up when they have turned slightly brown.

• Saute some garlic till fragrant.

• Add the chicken and fry till they are fragrant.

• Add seasoning – salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and pepper, to taste.

• Add water to the chicken. When the sauce has boiled, transfer the chicken and sauce into a pot.

• Add the yam cubes and dried prawns.

• Put the pot over low fire and let the contents simmer until the chicken is soft and the yam cubes are mushy.

• Serve the chicken braised with yam in a shallow dish, garnished with spring onions.

Fried Porridge

Fried porridge is a family favourite. It is very tasty and can either be eaten on its own or with chilli sauce. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups porridge
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp dried prawns, chopped or minced
• 1 egg
• 25 g parsley, coriander or chives
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• Cooking oil

Method:

• The first step is to cook the porridge. [Or you may use the leftover porridge from your breakfast, lunch or dinner.] Scoop the porridge into a sieve and let the water drain from the porridge into a bowl. Keep the water for later use, if necessary.

• Transfer the porridge into a mixing bowl. Add the all-purpose flour into the bowl of porridge and mix them to form a batter.

• Add in the egg and mix well.

• Add chopped or minced dried prawns to the batter.

• You may add either parsley, coriander or chives into the batter.

• Season well with salt, soy sauce and black pepper powder.

• Note: The batter should be able to hold together in a nice consistency. If it is too dry, add in some of the porridge water. If too watery, add in some all-purpose flour and mix well.

• Heat some cooking oil in the kuali.

• When the oil is hot, using 2 spoons to shape the batter in a round ball.

• Drop it into the kuali and use the spatula to flatten it.

• After some time, gently turn over the batter to fry the other side.

• Scoop up onto a kitchen towel to soak up any oil on the fried porridge.

• Serve, either on its own or with chili sauce.

Cereal Prawns

In my family only my second daughter, my son and I love eating prawns.  There are many ways of cooking prawns and one of these is to cook them in cereals. I usually buy about ten pieces of the large size (about 5 inches or longer) white prawns to cook this dish as the shells are thin and the prawn meat is very sweet.

Ingredients:

• 10 large white prawns
• 3-4 tbsp cooking oil for frying the prawns
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3-4 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tbsp sugar or to taste
• 6 tbsp cereals
• 3 pc lettuce
• 2 red chilies for decoration

Method:

• Wash the prawns and cut off the tip of the heads (including the rostrum and antenna), the legs and the tip of the tails.

• Give the prawns a good rinse and pat them dry with kitchen towels.

• Heat the wok with 3-4 tablespoons of oil and fry the prawns till they are cooked. Dish them out and set them aside.

• Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the remaining oil.

• Add 2 tablespoons of butter.

• When the butter has melted, throw in the curry leaves and put in a teaspoon of garlic. Saute the till fragrant.

• Spoon in 6 tablespoons of cereals (I use original Nestum cereals) and fry them till fragrant and crispy.

• Add salt and sugar according to your taste.

• Return all the prawns into the wok. Gently coat the prawns with the cereal and dish out onto a plate which has been lined with lettuce.

• Decorate with some red chillies.