Butter Cake

                              

When I first started baking, I started with baking Butter Cake. It is named as such as butter is its main ingredient. Other ingredients used to bake the Butter Cake are flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, eggs and milk.

I am sure many people love the Butter Cake as the butter in it adds flavour and moisture to it. This cake is buttery, rich, moist and soft. It is good for breakfast and tea-time. It tastes great with a cup of piping hot coffee.

Ingredients:

• 225 g butter
• 140 g sugar (can be increased to 200 g for those with sweet tooth)
• 4 eggs
• 200 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 65 g milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

• Prepare your baking tray. Grease and line an 8 in x 4 in x 4 in loaf pan or a 8 in square pan.

• Pre-heat oven to 170 deg C. (The stated temperature may differ from that of your oven.)

• Sieve flour and baking powder.

• Add salt to the flour and mix them up. Set the flour aside.

• Cream butter and sugar till they are light in colour and fluffy. Scrape down the side of the mixing bowl at least once to ensure all butter and sugar are mixed together.

• Break an egg into a bowl first. (Do not break the egg directly into the batter to avoid contamination with the ingredients if the egg is bad.)

• Add the egg to the batter and continue to mix the batter till the egg is fully incorporated.

• Repeat this till all the eggs are used up. (I scrape down the side of the mixing bowl after every addition to ensure total incorporation of the ingredients.)

• Fold in the flour to the batter in 3 additions, mixing well after each addition.

• Add in the milk and mix well.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Level the top of the batter.

• Bake in the pre-heated oven for 40 minutes or till a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

• Remove the cake from the pan to cool down completely on a metal rack.

• Serve.

Braised Grouper

Braised Grouper is one of the most delicious dishes enjoyed by every member of my family. I cooked it very often, especially when I can get hold of fresh Grouper. Usually I buy mine at the pasar malam where there are only 1 to 2 stalls selling seafood. However, during the Movement Control Order, I bought mine online from one of the suppliers in Tanjung Karang. The fishes were very fresh. Of the different types of Grouper I love the Flower Grouper. Its flesh is smooth and very sweet.

Ingredients:

• 800 g of Flower Grouper
• 2 tubes of egg tofu
• 6 big leaves of napa cabbage
• 2-inch carrot
• 5 pieces of Shiitake mushrooms (medium size)
• 2-inch ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Cooking oil
• Seasonings - light and dark soy sauces, salt and pepper powder
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 2 - 3 cups of water

Method:

• Frying the tofu.
• Heat up a wok with cooking oil.
• Cut the egg tofu into cylinders of about 0.5 cm height.
• Add 1 tbsp of corn flour onto a plate.
• Place the cut tofu cylinders onto the plate of corn flour and coat them lightly with the corn flour.
• When the oil is hot, place the coated tofu cylinders into the oil.
• Fry till they are slightly golden brown.
• Remove and set aside the fried tofu when done.
• Frying the Flower Grouper.
• Wash and cut the fish into 2 cm thickness. (Keep the fish head for other use.)
• Heat up a wok with cooking oil.
• When the oil is hot, add the fish slices into the oil.
• Fry till the slices are golden brown.
• Remove and set them aside when done.
• Wash and cut the napa cabbage to about 2 inches long. Put them into a colander to drain off the water.
• Wash and cut the carrot into thin rings.
• Soak the Shiitake mushrooms and half them or slice them when they have softened.
• Peel the ginger and slice it thinly.
• Remove the oil used to fry the fish leaving about 2 tbsp in the wok.
• Add the ginger slices to the wok and fry them till they are fragrant.
• Add the garlic to the wok and also fry them till they are fragrant.
• Add the mushrooms to the wok. Fry them till they are fragrant.
• Add water to the wok.
• Add the fried fish slices to the wok. Let the water boil.
• Add the napa cabbage and carrots to the the wok.
• Cover the wok and braise the fish, napa cabbage and carrots till they are soft.
• Remove the cover and add seasonings to the wok:
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder.
• Or all to taste
• Add the fried tofu to the wok and let the sauce simmer for a while. The corn flour coating of the tofu will thicken the sauce.
• Optional - you may sprinkle cut green onions or coriander on top of the braised fish.
• The dish is ready to be served (with cut chilies).

Glutinous Rice Steamed with Black-Eyed Peas

 

I love eating ketupat. However, I have never tried wrapping the glutinous rice with the palas leave. Most of the time I will just steamed it in a tray and cut it to be eaten on its own or with chicken curry. This is the easiest way to satisfy my craving. Furthermore, eating will be enjoyable without the hassle of removing the oily palas leave. 

Ingredients:

• 300 g glutinous rice
• 150 g black-eyed peas (You may substitute the peas with the corn.)
• 240 g thin coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp sugar

Method:

• Wash and soak the glutinous rice for at least 4 hours.

• Wash, soak in hot water (about 2 hours) and parboil the peas for about 20 minutes.

• Add the coconut milk to a bowl. Add salt and sugar to it. Stir so that the sugar and salt dissolve in the coconut milk.

• Prepare a steamer with water. Boil the water.

• Grease a 7-inch steaming tray. (Use a smaller tray if you want a higher layer of rice.)

• Add the glutinous rice and peas to a steaming tray.

• Add the coconut milk mixture to the glutinous rice and peas.

• Put the tray into the steamer.

• Steam the rice over medium heat for about 35-40 minutes.

• Once the rice has cooked, fluff it and ensure that the peas are evenly distributed.

• Put a smaller tray on the rice and press it down so the rice is compacted.

• Remove the smaller tray.

• Let the rice cool down completely before cutting.

• You can serve the glutinous rice on its own or with chicken curry.

Scalloped Potato

 

Scalloped Potato has become a family favourite since I started making it. It is rich in cheese which makes the potatoes very tasty. It paired very well with roast chicken, beef, mutton or lamb. It can also be eaten as snacks.


Ingredients:

• 350 g peeled potatoes
• 100 g Mozzarella cheese
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper powder

Method:

• Grease an oven proof dish (14 cm x 14 cm or 5.5 inch x 5.5 inch) with butter.

• Slice the peeled potatoes into 2 mm thickness.

• Arrange the slices horizontally in an overlapping manner in an oven proof dish.

• Sprinkle grated Mozzarella cheese on top of the sliced potatoes.

• Arrange another layer of sliced potatoes on top of the grated Mozzarella cheese.

• Sprinkle grated Mozzarella cheese on top of the second layer.

• Arrange a final layer of sliced potatoes on top of the Mozzarella cheese. Set the dish aside.

• Add butter into a sauce pan over medium heat.

• When the butter has melted, add chopped garlic to it. Use a whisk to stir the chopped garlic.

• Saute the garlic till fragrant.

• Add flour to the butter. Keep on whisking to prevent clumps from forming.

• Once the batter is smooth, add milk to it. Continue to whisk the batter.

• Add salt and pepper to the batter.

• Continue to whisk till the batter thickens slightly.

• Pour the batter into the dish of layered potatoes.

• Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the batter.

• Bake at 200 deg C for 40 minutes or till the potatoes are cooked.

Cheese-filled Banana Fritters

I learnt how to make Cheese-filled Banana Fritters by watching some videos on YouTube. Some people may think that the combination of banana and cheese is weird. However, they will change their mind once they have tasted it. Cheese-filled Banana Fritters are good as snacks. The sweetness from the banana and the salty cheese give these fritters very flavourful.

Ingredients:

• 4 bananas (I use Pisang Berangan. Pisang Awak can be a great choice.)
• 6 pieces of Mozzarella cheese (2 cm x 2 cm x 0.4 cm) 
• 4 tbsp rice flour
• 2 tbsp wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 small egg
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• A pinch of salt
• Cooking oil
• Cling wrap

Method:

• Peel the bananas and cut them into 2.5-cm length cylinder. There will be a total of 12 cyinders.

• Heat up a pan with oil.

• Put the banana cylinders (standing up) on the pan. Cook for short while to soften them. Remove and set them aside.

• While waiting for the bananas to cool down, add rice flour, wheat flour, baking powder, egg and salt to a mixing bowl.

• Mix up the ingredients and add milk slowly to the bowl till a slightly stiff batter is obtained.

• Take a piece of cling wrap.

• Put 1 piece of banana cylinder (standing up) on the cling wrap and flatten it.

• Place a piece of cheese on top of the flattened banana.

• Take another piece of banana cylinder (standing up) and place it on another piece of cling wrap.

• Flatten it.

• Place the flattened banana on top of the cheese.

• Use a spoon to scoop up the banana and put it to the bowl of batter. Coat it completely.

• Place the coated cheese-filled banana into the pan which was earlier used to fry the banana.

• Fry the banana till one side is golden brown.

• Flip it to the other side for it to be browned.

• Remove the banana fritter onto a kitchen towel to soak up any excess oil.

• Repeat till all the bananas are used up.

• Serve.