Zebra Ogura Cake

The Ogura Cake is cottony, light, airy and soft. It is softer and more moist than the Chiffon and Sponge Cake. However, not everyone likes the Ogura Cake as they claim that it is too cottony and not as fragrant and tasty as other cakes like the Butter or Sponge Cakes.

The egg separation and steam bake methods are used in baking the Ogura Cake. It takes a lot of patience and care to bake a successful Ogura Cake. The bowl to be used in whipping the egg whites must be dry and there must be no trace of any oil on it. Otherwise, the egg whites will fail to rise. Secondly, if we over whip the egg whites, the cake will crack. Thirdly, if we bake the batter not long enough, the cake will be under baked and wet inside. However, I am sure that a successful bake will surely be enjoyed by some.

Ingredients:

For the meringue:

• 5 egg whites (Grade A)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 80 g castor sugar

For the flour mixture:

• 10 g dark cocoa powder
• 20 g hot water
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 60 g oil, preferably corn oil
• 80 g whole milk
• 80 g all-purpose flour

Method:

• Line an 8 inch round pan with parchment paper.

• Put a tray of 1 cm of hot water into the oven (below the metal rack where the baking pan will sit).

• Pre-heat oven to 150 degree Centigrade.

• Mix the dark cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl. Stir till the cocoa powder is dissolved and a paste is formed. Set aside.

• The meringue:
• Put the egg whites into a dry bowl without any trace of oil.
• Whip the egg whites and salt.
• Add the cream of tartar.
• Whip till the egg whites are foamy.
• Add the sugar, one-third at a time.
• Whip till the meringue reaches almost stiff peak.
• Set aside.

• The flour mixture:
• Put the egg yolks into a bowl.
• Whip the yolks until fluffy
• Add the oil, little by little, until all are incorporated into the yolks.
• Gradually add the milk and whip till it is incorporated into the mixture.
• Sieve half of the flour into the yolk mixture. Mix well.
• Sieve in the remaining half of the flour and mix well.

• The meringue and the flour mixture
• Put 1/3 of the meringue into the yolk mixture.
• Mix it gently with a spatula so as not to deflate the egg white and until no white streaks can be seen.
• Fold another third into the batter. Again mix the batter gently.
• When no more white streaks can be seen fold in the remaining meringue.
• Divide the batter into 2 bowls.
• Take about 3 tablespoons of the batter and put it into the bowl of cocoa paste. Mix the batter and cocoa paste well.
• Then pour the cocoa batter into one of the bowls. Mix well, again remember not to deflate the batter.
• Take 2 scoops, 1 for the cocoa batter and 1 for the plain batter.
• Take 1 scoop of the cocoa batter and put it into the centre of the baking pan.
• Next, take 1 scoop of the plain batter and put it on top of the cocoa batter.
• Repeat this alternating process until the 2 bowls of batter are finished.
• Place the baking pan on the metal rack.
• Bake the batter at 150 degree Centigrade for 1 hour.
• When done, let the cake cool down for about 5-7 minutes.
• Then remove the cake from the pan and remove the parchment paper.
• Let it cool down completely on a metal rack.
• If the cake is slightly wet, put the cake back into the oven to be dried up by the residual heat.

• Note: It is advisable to keep the cake in the refrigerator if it cannot be finished within the day.

Turmeric and Lemongrass Chicken - Roasted/Baked

 

The turmeric and lemongrass are both culinary spice and medicinal herb. The turmeric comes from the Curcuma longa plant which grows in India and other Southeast Asian countries. The dried root of the Curcuma longa plant is ground into the yellow turmeric powder. The active ingredient in turmeric called curcumin is often used to color foods as well as provide health benefits. The lemongrass is generally cultivated for its scent. However, It does provide some health benefits too.

The combination of the use of turmeric and lemongrass in cooking greatly enhance the aroma of our food besides providing health benefits. Due to this, I usually marinate my meats with one or both these spices/herbs before roasting or baking them. I also use them to cook the various types of curry.


Ingredients:

• Half a chicken
• 2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 8 stalks of lemongrass (white part only)
• cut 5 stalks finely, blend with some cooking oil
• cut the remaining 3 stalks diagonally about 1 inch in length
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Wash and pat dry the chicken with kitchen towel. Put the chicken into a mixing bowl.

• Mix the turmeric powder, blended lemongrass, black pepper powder, salt and cooking oil to form a paste.

• Rub the paste on the chicken completely.

• Cover the bowl with a cling wrap.

• Keep the bowl in the fridge overnight.

• Take the chicken out from the fridge half an hour before roasting or baking.

• Spread some of the cut lemongrass on the chicken before roasting or baking.

• Roast the chicken at 200 degree Centigrade for 30 minutes (turn it half way unless you use the rotisserie function of your oven or the roll function of your air fryer) or bake at 180 degree Centigrade for 20 minutes.

• Remove the chicken from the oven when done.

• Chop it into smaller pieces and decorate with the remaining cut lemongrass before serving.

Lor Mai Fan

Glutinous rice has opague grains (unlike the translucent rice which we regularly eat) and is very sticky when cooked. It is usually steamed as Lo Mai Gai, Lo Mai Fan, Thai Sticky Rice (usually eaten with freshly cut mangoes or durians), Yellow Rice (eaten with chicken curry) or made into Zongzi (rice dumplings). It is also used to make many types of kuih like Seri Muka, Wajik and Pulut Inti.

A few weeks ago I had eaten some (small-sized and squarish) Lo Mai Fan which were wrapped daintily in lotus leaves in one of the hotels in KL. These reminded me to make some so that I can eat to my heart's content. (I had not made them for a long time.) I had not gone out to search for the lotus leaves and thus just steamed them in metal bowls. I added Shiitake mushrooms which the hotel had left out.


Ingredients:

• 250 g glutinous rice, soaked for at least 4 hours and drained
• 25 g dried prawns, washed
• 4 pieces Shiitake mushroom, soaked till they are softened, cut into small cubes
• 1-inch thick yam, peeled and cut into small cubes 
• 5 pieces of shallots, skinned and sliced
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• Seasonings - light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt and pepper
• 1 cup water

Method:

• This recipe makes 8 small bowls of Lo Mai Fan.

• Get your steamer ready. Fill it with water and start boiling the water with low heat as we get the rice ready for steaming.

• Grease the metal bowls with cooking oil for easier removal of the steamed rice.

• Put the yam into the bowls and set aside the bowls.

• Heat up sesame and cooking oil in a wok.

• Add the shallots and saute till fragrant. Remove the shallots from the wok. (Keep them for use with other dishes.)

• Add the dried prawns. Saute till fragrant.

• Add the mushrooms. Saute till fragrant.

• Add the rice and fry them for 3 - 4 minutes.

• Season the rice with light soy sauce, salt and pepper (according to taste).

• Add the dark soy sauce, the amount depends on how dark you want your rice to be.

• Fry till the rice is fragrant.

• Add water to the rice and stir for another 3 - 4 minutes.

• Scoop the rice into the metal bowls. Press the rice down.

• Place the bowls into the steamer and steam the rice at medium to high heat for 20 minutes. (If the rice has not softened, steam it longer.)

• Remove the bowls from the steamer.

• Serve the Lor Mai Fan while it is hot.

Minced Pork on Steamed Tofu

There are so many ways to cook minced pork and tofu (or bean curd) together. Whichever style they are cooked in, the dish will always be loved by most people. Tofu or bean curd is made from coagulating soy milk and pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness (Wikipedia). According to BBC Good Food, 

it is a good source of protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. It is also a valuable plant source of iron and calcium and the minerals manganese, selenium and phosphorous. In addition, tofu is a good source of magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1. However, tofu by itself is quite bland. The good point about it is that it can easily absorb the flavour of our making; in this case, the braised minced pork in soy sauce.


Ingredients:

• 2 piece of tofu
• 200 g minced pork
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk green onion, washed and cut into 1 cm length
• Seasonings - salt, pepper, light and dark soy sauces
• Cooking oil
• 1 cup water

Method:

• Heat up some water in a steamer.

• Rinse the 2 pieces of tofu with water and place them on a metal plate.

• Once the water is boiling, place the metal plate into the steamer. Steam the tofu for 10 minutes.

• After 10 minutes, remove the metal plate with the tofu from the steamer.

• Transfer the tofu onto a serving plate.

• In the meantime, heat a wok with cooking oil.

• Once the oil is hot, saute the garlic till fragrant.

• Add the minced pork.

• Fry the pork till 3/4 cooked.

• Season the pork with salt, pepper and light soy sauce (according to taste). Add a bit of dark soy sauce for colour.

• Add water and cover the wok.

• Braise the pork till cooked and fragrant.

• Open the wok, add the spring onion and give the pork a quick stir.

• Pour the pork over the steamed tofu.

• The dish is ready for serving.

Min Chiang Kuih

Min Chiang Kuih is good for breakfast or as a teatime snack or dessert. I used to buy these from the morning market but the price has been sky-rocketting and the fillings are not as luxurious as they should be. So I used to make them myself so that my family and I could eat them to our hearts' content. It is easy to make as the processes can be divided into 2 parts if you are making a lot; the peanuts can be prepared a day earlier.


Ingredients (for making 4 large pieces):

Fillings:

• 40 g castor sugar
• 100 g roasted peanut, grind coarsely
• 8 tbsp cream corn, 2 tbsp for each piece
• 8 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp for each piece

Batter:

• 250 wheat flour or all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 300 ml warm water
• 2 eggs

Pan:

• 24 cm non-stick with cover

Method:

• Prepare the fillings.
• Roast the peanut at 180 deg C for about 15-20 minutes. Let it cool down. Remove the membrane and grind it. The texture depends on whether you want it to be fine or slightly coarse. Set them aside.
• Weigh the sugar.
• Get the cream corn ready.
• Get the butter ready.

• Prepare the batter.
• Put the dry ingredients - flour, instant yeast, baking soda and sugar into a mixing bowl.
• Add water to the dry ingredients.
• Crack the two eggs into the batter.
• Mix until the batter is smooth.
• Cover the batter with a cling wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. 

• Making the kuih.
• Put the non-stick pan over low heat.
• Grease the surface of the pan with butter/oil.
• Scoop 1/4 of the batter into the pan.
• Swirl the pan so that the batter is spread evenly throughout.
• Cover the pan and let the batter cook for about 4-5 minutes.
• Once the batter is cooked, open the cover.
• Sprinkle the sugar on the kuih, followed by the peanuts, the cream corn and the butter.
• Fold the kuih into two and remove it from the pan.
• Repeat the process until all the batter is used up.

Healthy Vegetable Soup

During cold rainy days it is always good to cook some delicious and healthy soup to warm the body. It can be thick soup - bisques and chowder or clear soup. Bisque is generally smooth (for example, lobster bisque) while chowder is chunky (for example, seafood chowder). Clear soup can be meat soup or just pure vegetable soup or a combination of both.

Vegetable soup is usually made with onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, chopped tomatoes, green beans and corn and seasoned with salt and pepper. Sometimes bay leaf and thyme are added to make the soup even more flavourful.


Ingredients:

• 1 ear of corn
• 2-inch thick of yam
• 2-inch thick of pumpkin
• 1 small orange sweet potato
• 1 small carrot
• 4 leaves of napa cabbage
• 6 pieces of straw mushroom (can be replaced with Enoki mushroom)
• 4 pieces of dried Shiitake mushroom
• 2 1/2 lit of water
• Seasonings - salt and pepper
• Cooking oil

Method:

• Remove the green husk and silk of the corn. Wash and cut it into 3 portions.

• Peel and wash the yam. Slice it into 1/2 inch thick.

• Peel and wash the pumpkin. Slice it into 1/2 inch thick.

• Peel and wash the orange sweet potato. Cut it into 1/2 inch thick.

• Peel and wash the carrot. Cut it into small wedges.

• Wash and cut the napa cabbage into 1 1/2 inch length.

• Wash and half the straw mushroom.

• Wash, soak till soft and quarter the Shiitake mushroom.

• Heat up wok with cooking oil.

• When oil is hot, deep fry the yam, pumpkin and orange sweet potato. This is to prevent them from becoming mushy and clouding the soup during boiling.

• Scoop them up into a bowl when they are a bit brown. Pour hot water over them to remove the oil. Pour away the water and set aside the fried yam, pumpkin and orange sweet potato.

• In a pot, bring the water to a boil. Add corn, carrot and Shiitake and straw mushrooms and let the water simmer for 30 minutes.

• Then add the yam, pumpkin and sweet potato. Continue to simmer till they are soft. you may scoop them up into a serving bowl when they are soft.

• Add the napa cabbage.

• Add the seasonings (according to taste).

• Let the soup boil. Then turn off the fire and cover the pot. (The napa cabbage will become tender without further boiling.)

• Serve the soup piping hot. 

Bak Steak

 

Bak Steak is a hit among the children. My mother-in-law used to cook it for my children whenever she came to visit us. It is a good dish with both proteins and vegetables; in fact this is how we get the children to eat carrots, tomatoes and onions which add sweetness to the dish.

Ingredients:

• 250 g minced lean pork
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp flour (can be all purpose flour, corn flour or tapioca flour)
• 1 medium-size potato
• 1 small carrot
• 1 medium-size tomato
• 1 medium-size onion
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Seasonings - dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, salt & pepper
• Water

Instructions:

• Wash and mince 250 g of lean pork. You may add a bit of fat meat for a smoother and moist texture when you chew the pork balls. The use of just lean meat will result in drier and harder pork balls.

• Peel, wash and cut the potato into 5 mm thick slices

• Peel, wash and cut the carrot into 3 mm thick rings.

• Wash and cut the tomato into wedges.

• Peel, wash and cut the onion into wedges.

• Put the mince pork, egg, flour, salt (according to taste) and pepper (according to taste) into a mixing bowl and mix them up.

• Heat up wok with oil.

• Using 2 spoons shape the pork batter into a ball and put it into the hot oil. Repeat this until all the batter is used up.

• Fry the balls until they are golden brown.

• Scoop them up into a wire-mesh ladle and let the oil runs off. Set aside.

• Using the same oil, fry the potato slices till they are three quarter cooked. Scoop them up and set aside.

• Remove some oil from the wok.

• Saute the garlic till fragrant.

• Add the carrots and fry them till they are slightly soft.

• Add the fried potato slices, tomato wedges and onions.

• Stir fry for a while.

• Add the pork balls.

• Add water, enough to cover the ingredients.

• Add seasonings - about 1/4 tsp of dark soy sauce for colour, light soy sauce (according to taste), salt (according to taste) and pepper.

• Let the sauce simmer slowly until it reduces (the amount depends on your preference) and the tomato and onion wedges and potato and carrot slices are soft.

• Scoop out and serve with white rice.