Pandan Min Chiang Kuih with Coconut Filling

 

Traditionally Min Chiang Kuih is made from plain wheat flour or all-purpose flour with fillings of peanut, sugar and butter. However, I have modified my recipe of this kuih by using pandan juice instead of water in mixing the batter. I have used coconut flakes to replace roasted peanuts as the filling.

Ingredients (for making 2 thick pieces of 24 cm in diameter):

Fillings:

• 120 g fresh coconut flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 25 g castor sugar

Batter:

• 250 wheat flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 50 g sugar
• 300 ml pandan juice (made from 10 pandans leaves)
• 2 eggs

Pan:

• 24 cm non-stick with cover

Method:

• Prepare the fillings.
• Steam the coconut flakes with salt.
• After steaming, set aside.

• Prepare the batter.
• Blend the pandan leaves with water to obtain 300 ml of pandan juice.
• Put the dry ingredients - flour, instant yeast, baking soda and sugar into a mixing bowl.
• Add the pandan juice to the dry ingredients.
• Whisk till the batter is smooth.
• Crack the two eggs into the batter.
• Mix until they are incorporated into the batter.
• Cover the batter with a cling wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. (Important step for the batter to rise well during cooking.)

• Making the kuih.
• Put the non-stick pan over very low heat.
• Without greasing the pan, scoop 1/2 of the batter into the pan (to get a thick kuih).
• Swirl the pan so that the batter is spread evenly throughout.
• Cover the pan and let the batter cook for about 4-5 minutes or till holes are formed on the surface and the bottom is brown.
• Once the batter is cooked, remove the kuih onto a cutting board.
• Cut the kuih into 2.
• Sprinkle the coconut and sugar onto one half of the kuih.
• Cover it with the other half.
• Repeat the process until the other half of the batter is used up.
• Serve.

Yam Pork Rolls

My family and I love yam. I can easily buy yam during pasar tani days near my house. And most important the yam are very good; they are powdery and soft when cooked. Today I modified my Bak Kian recipe to incorporate yam into it to add a new dimension to the rolls. They are as tasty as the bak kian.

Ingredients:

• 500 g minced pork
• 300 g yam (without skin)
• 50 g finely chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 9-10 bean curd sheets cut to the size of 1/2 of an A4 paper
• A small bowl of water
• Cooking oil for frying

Method:

• Steam and mash yam. The texture depends on whether you would like to bite into the yam or not. I mash them roughly so that I can bite into tiny bits and pieces of them.

• Add minced pork to a large bowl.

• Add all the other ingredients to it and mix till they are well incorporated.

• Apportion these meat fillings into 9 or 10 portions as we do not want any leftover or insufficient fillings at the end. (Nine portions for a thicker roll and ten for a thinner one.)

• Get ready a small bowl of water for sealing the roll.

• Take a piece of the bean curd sheet and put 1 portion of the filling on top of it.

• Bring each shorter sides in.

• Then roll up the bean curd sheet with meat fillings from one end of the longer side to the other.

• Or, you can just roll up the longer side to the other end and just tuck the ends under the roll. (But I think you will get a neater roll with the earlier method.)

• Heat up a pan with cooking oil.

• When the oil is hot, put the rolls side by side.

• When the bottom has turned brown, flip the roll to the other side.

• Once this side has also turned brown, dish it out onto a plate lined with kitchen towel to soak up excess oil.

• Serve.

Cheesey Sweet Milk Buns

 

I love eating milk buns as they are rich, soft and fluffy. Sometimes I add fillings such as grated coconut cooked with gula Melaka to my milk buns to make them into Coconut Buns. At other times I add chocolate chips, garlic butter, sausages, chicken cocktails or cheese slices to my milk buns. Shaping of the buns depend on the fillings.

This round I added more sugar and topped the buns with lots of Mozzarella cheese to make them into Cheesey Sweet Milk Buns.

Ingredients:

• 550 g bread flour
• 40 g milk powder
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 100 g sugar
• 120 g warm water
• 130 g whipping cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 50 g butter
• 100 g Mozzarella cheese or more

Instructions:

• Activate the yeast:
• Add warm water to a bowl.
• Add about half of the sugar to the bowl.
• Add instant yeast to the bowl.
• Stir and wait for 5-10 minutes for bubbles to be formed.

• Add bread flour, remaining sugar and salt to the bowl.

• Add yeast mixture, whipping cream and eggs to the bowl.

• Knead till a dough ball is formed.

• Add butter to the dough ball.

• Continue to knead till window pane is achieved.

• Grease a clean bowl and transfer the dough to it. Cover the bowl with a cling wrap.

• Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to your counter top.

• Punch down the dough to degas.

• Form the dough into a ball.

• Divide your dough ball into smaller dough balls. (My small dough ball weighs 30 g each.)

• Roll each dough ball and place them onto a greased and lined 15 inch x 11 inch pan. (This is my Swiss roll pan.)

• Cover the pan with cling wrap and let the dough balls rise till double in size.

• Meanwhile pre-heat your oven to 175 deg C.

• Once the dough balls have double in size, sprinkle grated Mozzarella cheese on top of them.

• Bake them for 20 minutes. (Tent your pan with aluminium foil if your oven is too hot and the top of the buns are turning dark too soon.)

• When baked, remove the buns from the parchment paper and pan onto a metal rack to let them cool down.

• Enjoy.

Chicken Potato Nuggets

     

Today I decided to create something new for my son. He must have been bored with fried chicken, curry chicken and steamed chicken. Although he has eaten chicken nuggets he has never eaten chicken potato nuggets. Neither have I. Looking around I saw many potatoes in my kitchen. If I were to leave them for another week I think I would have to bin them. So I thought "how about making chicken potato nuggets"? Using my imagination I just thought about the logical processes of making these nuggets using the tools that I have in my kitchen. Besides the potatoes I have my favourite coriander which would definitely add flavour to the nuggets, onions, eggs, cornflour and all the seasonings which I think would make my nuggets flavourful. So, after 1.5 hours my nuggets are ready. Of course the next make would be easier and take less time.

Ingredients:

•  250 g chicken breast
• 140 g potatoes
• 50 g onions
• 10 g coriander
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cornflour
• 1 egg

Method:

• Cube the chicken breast.

• Cube the potatoes and boil them till they are soft. Let them cool down.

• Add chicken breast, potatoes and onions into the grinder/blender/food processor.

• Grind all the ingredients till they form a paste.

• Transfer the paste to a mixing bowl.

• Wash and chop up the coriander.

• Add the chopped coriander to the paste.

• Add child flakes, black pepper, salt, cornflour and egg to the mixing bowl.

• Mix all the ingredients till they are evenly incorporated.

• Oil a steaming plate.

• Transfer the paste to the steaming plate. Level the top of the paste with a spatula.

• Prepare a steamer.

• Once the water in the steamer has boiled, put the steaming plate of paste in.

• Steam the paste for 20 minutes or till cooked.

• Remove the plate from the steamer and let the cooked paste cool down.

• Invert the cooked paste onto a cutting board.

• Cut it into rectangular shape.

• You may pan fry, deep fry or air fry them. (You may keep them in the fridge and pan fry, deep fry or air fry them the next day.)

• Your nuggets are ready to be served.

Brinjal in Garlicky Sweet Spicy Vinegar

 

I usually like to deep fry my brinjal as I find it most tasty when done. The same goes to all other deep fried foods like banana, cempedak and sweet potato fritters, vegetable fritters, fish, etc. However, these deep fried foods may not be so healthy. Steaming our food would be a better option at times. So, today I had steamed my brinjal and then drizzled it with garlicky sweet spicy vinegar. This dish can really whet our appetite.

Ingredients:

• 1 brinjal
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 chili padi
• 75-100 ml rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

Method:

• Wash and cut the brinjal into 4 width wise. Then cut each piece into 4 quarters lengthwise.

• Steam the brinjal till they are very soft.

• Use two forks to break up the brinjal into strips. This is to ensure that the brinjal can get the sauce later. Set aside.

• Chop the garlic.

• Chop the chili padi.

• Heat up the cooking oil in a wok.

• When the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic to the wok. Saute it till fragrant but not brown.

• Add the chili padi.

• Add the rice vinegar. When the sauce boils, turn off the fire.

• Add sugar to the vinegar. Stir till it dissolves.

• Add the salt. Stir to mix.

• Pour the sauce over the brinjal.

• Serve with white rice.

Purple Sweet Potato Swirl Bread

There is an abundance of various varieties of sweet potatoes in our country. The purple and orange varieties are good natural colours for our baking. They make our bakes not only colourful but also interesting especially when we use them to laminate our dough to make  beautiful swirls in our breads.

 Ingredients:

• 300 g bread flour
• 20 g milk powder
• 4 g yeast
• 30 g sugar
• 4 g salt
• 130 g warm milk
• 1 egg
• 30 g butter
• Paste:
• 275 g purple sweet potato
• 15 g butter

Method:

• Filling:
• Remove the skin of purple sweet potatoes and steam them.
• When they have softened, mash them up and add butter to it.
• Mix well and then let them cool slightly.
• Transfer mashed sweet potato to a plastic bag.
• Roll it into a thin sheet.
• Place it in the fridge while the dough is being prepared.
• Dough
• Activate the yeast:
• Add warm milk to a cup.
• Add sugar to the cup.
• Add yeast.
• Stir and wait for 5-10 minutes for foam to be formed.
• Add flour, milk powder, salt, egg and yeast mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Knead till a dough ball is formed.
• Add butter till it is incorporated into the dough.
• Knead till window pane of the dough is achieved.
• Grease a bowl.
• Transfer the dough to it and let the dough ferment till it doubles in size.
• Lamination
• Flour your counter top.
• Transfer the dough to the counter top.
• Roll out the dough to a rectangle which is double the size of the mashed sweet potato.
• Place the mashed sweet potato on the dough.
• Bring both sides of the dough over mashed sweet potato to cover it.
• Seal the top and bottom edges.
• Gently roll out the dough to as long as possible.
• Fold the dough into the centre.
• Then fold it into half. This forms the 1st 4 folds.
• Repeat 
• Gently roll out the dough to as long as possible.
• Fold the dough into the centre.
• Then fold it into half. This forms the 2nd 4 folds.
• Roll out the dough to a long rectangle.
• Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife or a bench knife to cut into 3 (for 3-braided bread) or 4 (for a 4-braided bread) without breaking off the dough at the top.
• Start braiding.
• For a 3-braided bread, cross the left strand over the middle strand. Cross the right strand over the middle strand. Ensure that the laminated side is facing upwards. Repeat until the dough is fully braided.
• For a 4-braided bread, cross the 1st strand over the second, the 3rd strand over the 1st and the 1st over the 4th. Ensure that the laminated side is facing upwards. Repeat until the dough is fully braided.
• Pinch the ends of braids together.
• Tuck the 2 ends under the braid and transfer it to a loaf pan. (I am using an 8 inch x 4 inch x 4 inch pan.)
• Let the dough rise till about 1 inch below the rim. You may cover your loaf pan or leave it uncovered.
• Baking
• Bake at pre-heated oven at 175 deg C for 45 min if covered or 35 min if uncovered.
• Remove bread from the loaf pan immediately after the bread if done.
• Leave it to cool on a metal rack.
• Slice and enjoy.

Pancakes with Coconut Milk

I ate a lot of traditional pancakes in my youth; my mother used to make them for us. They were made from flour, eggs, sugar, milk, water and baking powder. This is the first time I have added coconut milk to my batter and the pancakes were delicious. They will certainly become a regular fixture in my breakfast menu.

Ingredients:

• 125 g all-purpose flour
• 35 g sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup santan
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:

• Sieve all-purpose flour into a bowl.

• Add sugar and salt to the bowl. Mix well with a whisk.

• Break the egg into a bowl with santan and water. Stir.

• Add the egg mixture to the flour.

• Mix the ingredients into a smooth batter.

• Oil a non-stick pan with a piece of kitchen towel.

• Heat up the pan.

• Scoop a cup of batter into the centre of the pan.

• Swirl the pan in a circular manner to spread the batter.

• Cover the pan.

• When bubbles are seen on the batter, open the cover and flip the pancake to cook the other side.

• Transfer the pancake to a serving plate.