Sambal Goreng

Sambal Goreng is a traditional Malay dish that is made out of tempeh, tofu, long beans and shrimps. Growing up in Singapore, this is one of my favorite side dish. 

I was unable to get tempeh and long beans in my area so I used tofu, green beans and shrimps. I always thought it would be too difficult  and a long time to cook this dish, but it doesn't take that long. 

Ingredients:

 ½ cup dried chilli, de-seeded

1 onion-medium size

5 cloves garlic

 3 lemongrass, stalks

1-inch square belacan (shrimp paste)

3-inch galangal

1 tbsp tamarind paste (mix with water to make ½ cup tamarind juice)

2 tbsp sugar

1 (8oz) tempe, cut to 1 by 2 inch blocks

1 (8oz) tofu, cut to 1 by 2 inch blocks

1 lb shrimps, shelled & de-veined

some long beans, sliced (like French beans)

Paste -  Blend chilli, onion, garlic, lemongrass, belacan and galangal. Grind until become paste.

Fry tempeh and tofu separately until golden brown. Fry shrimps lightly. Set them aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok. Add the mixed paste. Fry until fragrant. Add sugar and tamarind juice. Stir often. Remove cooked paste and set aside. 

In a clean wok, heat 2 tbsp oil. Fry the long beans for 2 minutes. Add cooked tofu, tempeh and shrimps. Stir-fry for a minute then add the cooked paste. Stir occasionally and season with salt. Mix well and fry for another 5 minutes. 

Serve with hot white rice.

Mee Prata (Fried Prata Noodles)

Last week, I made some homemade prata (Indian pancake). I remember a while back, I saw a recipe that has prata as one of their ingredients. So I used some of the dough to make Mee Prata (Fried Prata Noodles). I also made some Tahu Telur (Tofu Omelette) to go with it.

Mee Prata (Fried Prata Noodles) ~Source: Aneka Hidang Mi recipe book

Ingredients (A):

400g all-purpose flour

80g margarine/butter

salt to taste

sugar to taste

water  (to mix the ingredients together)

Preheat oven to 350°F Mix all together. Knead until well blended. Keep aside for 5 hours.  Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick. Place on the well-greased tray and bake in the oven for about 10 minute. Remove and slice lengthwise thinly.  (I did not use this recipe since I already made some prata. But mixing and kneading the dough is something like how you make normal prata)

Ingredients (B):

400g ground beef

400g shrimps

200g bean sprouts

200g white choy sum (Chinese vegetables), cut

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 tbsp chili paste

1 red chili, cut

1 tbsp curry powder

salt

cooking oil

Sauté the onion until golden brown. Remove from pan. Then fry the chili paste. Add the meat, curry powder, salt, and water. Cook meat until tender. Lastly, add bean sprouts, vegetables, cut red chillies and shrimps. Fry for 5 minutes. Serve hot. Garnish with diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro.

p.s: I don't have the some exact ingredients so I improvised and used what I had; potato, chicken hotdog, tofu, and 1 beaten egg. :)

Grilled Prawns with Kiwifruit and Pineapple

This recipe is from a Singapore magazine but I can't remember the name of the magazine. I had cut out the page, paste the recipe on another paper and filed in my recipe folder. The method is grilling but I just cooked them in the oven. Whichever method you are using, it does not take too long to cook. :)

Source: Magazine cut-out. Makes 6 skewers

Grilled Prawns with Kiwifruit and Pineapple

Ingredients:

12 medium-sized prawns (shrimps), washed & peeled, leave tails intact

1 tbsp Cajun spice

12 canned pineapple cubes

2 kiwifruit, peeled & sliced horizontally

Soak skewers in water before using. Season prawns with Cajun spice for 30 minutes. Alternate pineapple cubes and prawns on each skewer. Leave a 2 cm space near the top of the skewer for the kiwifruit.  Place the skewers on a tray and put them under the grill (medium heat) for 3 to 4 minutes. Take the skewers out from the oven and put a slice of kiwifruit on each skewer. Return the tray under the grill, and cook for another 2 minutes (check that prawns are pink and cooked).

Useful tips

Selection: When a kiwifruit yields to slight pressure, it is ready to be consumed. The softer the fruit, the sweeter it tastes, but don't allow it to get to squishy. 

If you don't want to eat it right away, ripe gold kiwifruit should be stored in the refrigerator. 

Kiwifruit that is still firm will ripen at room temperature, but you can speed up the process by placing it into a paper bag with a banana or an apple. Those fruits produce natural ethylene gas which quickens the ripening process.

Baked Scallops

I had made baked scallops and simple fried rice for dinner the other night. Yums!

Baked Scallops Recipe

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter, melted

1½ lbs bay scallops, rinsed & drained

½ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp dried parsley

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Pour melted butter into a 2 quart oval casserole dish. Distribute butter and scallops evenly inside the dish. Combine the bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, parsley, minced garlic and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle this mixture over the scallops. Bake for 20 minutes or until scallops are firm.

Shortcrust Pastry

I had some fillings left, so I use the shortcrust pastry to finish those fillings. The shortcrust pastry does taste good but not as great as the puff pastry. I feel that it's a little dry and makes me thirsty faster.

The secret to making a good shortcrust pastry is to work the dough quickly and lightly, in a cool room if possible, on a cool surface, and preferably not on a hot day. Once the dough is formed, chilling it for 30 minutes or so helps relax the gluten and set the fat, making the dough manageable and less likely to shrink.

Source: Baking A Common Sense Guide, 
Bay Books 
This will make about 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pastry; enough to line a 23 cm (9 in) tin.

Ingredients:

250g (9 oz/2 cups) all purpose flour

150g (5½ oz) chilled, chopped unsalted butter,

2-4 tbsp chilled water or more

Method:

Sift the flour and pinch of salt into a large bowl, holding the sieve as high as possible, so that they get a really good airing before you begin. 

Now add the butter, cut into smallish lumps, then take a knife and begin to cut the fat into the flour. Go on doing this until it looks fairly evenly blended, then begin to rub the fat into the flour using your fingertips only and being as light as possible. As you gently rub the fat into the flour, lift it up high and let it fall back into the bowl, which again means that all the time air is being incorporated, but do this just long enough to make the mixture crumbly with a few odd lumps here and there. 

Now sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water in, then, with a knife, start bringing the dough together, using the knife to make it cling. Then discard the knife and, finally, bring it together with your fingertips. When enough liquid is added, the pastry should leave the bowl fairly clean. If this hasn't happened, then add a spot more water. 

Press, don't knead, the dough together into a ball. Handle gently, keeping your actions light and to a minimum. 

Press the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest. 

Making the baked curry puff:

Preheat the oven 415°F (210°C). Divide the dough into six portions. Roll out each portion to 1/8 inch (3mm) thick on a floured surface. Using a 6¼ in (16cm) diameter place as a guide, cut six circles. (I used the cookie cutter to make the circles.) Divide the fillings among the circles. Brush the edges with beaten egg and bring the pastry together to form a semi-circle. Pinch the edges into a frill and place on the tray. Brush the pastry with beaten egg and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350°F (180°C) and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until golden.

If you making shortcrust pastry for pies/tarts:

Roll out between two sheets of baking paper or plastic wrap, or on a lightly floured surface. Always roll from the center outwards, rotating the dough.

If you used baking paper to roll out the pastry, remove the top sheet, invert the pastry over the tin, and then peel away the paper. If you rolled on a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry back over the rolling pin so it is hanging, and ease it into the tin. 

Once the pastry is in the tin, quickly lift up the sides so they don't break over the edges of the tin. Use a small ball of excess dough to help ease and press the pastry shell into the side of the tin. Allow the excess to hang over the side and, if using a tart tin, roll the rolling over the top of the tin to cut off the excess pastry. If you using a glass or ceramic pie dish, use a small knife to cut away the excess pastry. 

However gently you handle dough, it is bound to shrink a little, so let it sit a little above the side of the tin. If your dough has 'bunched' down the sides,press the sides of the pastry with your thumbs to flatten it a little. Refrigerate the pastry in the tin for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven.