crispy fried beef liver

I love beef liver when it is fried really crispy
I'd just eat it on its own for entree or snack!
that's how much I'm crazy over this food :)
if it is cooked any other way I'm not for it ..lol!

So simple to make!



Wash 300 g of beef liver thoroughly under running water and remove all traces of blood

place cleaned liver in a medium sized pot and pour enough water to cover it

the liver would rise a little according to the height of the water as it is light

add in 1 tsp of salt and 1/4" of crushed ginger to remove its odor 

put the pot on the stove on medium fire and cover the pot slightly

bring it to a boil and turn the liver regularly for even cooking

let it boil for 30 minutes and off the fire

remove the cooked liver from the pot and place it on a plate to rest

when the liver has cooled down slice it thinly to about 1/4" thickness

mix 1 tsp of salt + 1/2 tsp turmeric powder + 1/4 tsp chili powder 

sprinkle all over the sliced liver and mix evenly using your fingers

wash your fingers and heat a wok or pan with enough oil for frying

keep the fire to a medium low and fry evenly on both sides

when the liver turns black in color it is crisply cooked

voila!

hhmmm...so yummy! haha! 

street style chickpeas

This is definitely my most favorite snack since childhood

I just love the way it 'melt' between the teeth on first bite!

this cool weather makes me crave this delicious treat

more and more :)

making it..

soak approximately 300g of dried chickpeas overnight in a medium sized pot

fill the pot with water almost full as the chickpeas absorb water and double in size

by next morning white foams appear on the surface of the water

rinse the chickpeas thoroughly until the foams completely disappear 

remove small stones and any dark brown chickpeas and give it a final rinse

fill up the pot with clean water ~ same height as the chickpeas 

toss in a pandan leaf and boil over medium heat for half an hour or so till it soften

add 3 tsp salt and 3 tsp sugar and simmer for 5 mins 

off the fire

leave the cooked chickpeas in the pot to rest

scoop only the desired amount of chickpeas from the pot and serve warm

leave the rest in the pot ...just like street hawkers do  :)

cream of mushroom soup

Among all the creamy soups available

I think you would agree if I say mushroom soup is everyone's favorite :)

It sure is mine and here is a great recipe I am sharing

very simple to make and delicious! 

what's more.. it is so suitable for vegan :) 

Here is how simple it is making this awesome goodness :)

on the stove heat a medium sized non-stick pot over a medium fire

toss in 1 Tbsp butter into the pot and let it melt

add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and stir well to combine the melted butter with the oil

vegetable or cooking oil is added to prevent the butter from getting burnt

saute 6 sliced brown button mushroom + 1 diced onion + 1 crushed garlic till fragrant and crispy

add in 1 tsp salt and keep stirring till water from the mushroom subside

then add 2 Tbsp flour and mix all ingredients well and stir vigorously to form "roux"

roux is where the flour gets thickened and clings well with all the ingredients like a dough

pour in 2 cups of low fat milk into the pot and stir well

by this time the roux breaks up and can be seen floating in the soup

stir once and allow it to boil till the soup thickens

taste for salt and off the fire

voila!

your very own homemade mushroom soup :)







a word on mushrooms
add as many mushrooms as you like and as many varieties as you desire
you may chopped them into small pieces instead of slicing it
I was using only 6 button mushrooms as that was all I had in my fridge :)
more mushrooms give more flavor and goodness!

blanched okra in sambal

I love okra very very much..
is it okra or ladies fingers ..you may ask
they are the same vegetable... only differ in size
the smaller ones are okra whereas the longer ones are ladies fingers
no matter how it is prepared
be it in curry or blanched or fried they add so much flavor to the dish :)

Both the okra and the sambal are prepared separately



Blanching the okra
wash 8 okras under running water until thoroughly clean
on the stove, half filled a medium sized pot with water and bring it to a boil
toss in all the okras and a pinch of salt and continue boiling for 3 mins
after 3 mins remove all okras from the boiling water and put them on a serving plate
cover the plate with a lid and set aside
this way the okra continues to soften without ruining its shape, color and minerals



Making the Sambal
heat 3 Tbsp cooking oil in a wok and saute 3 Tbsp chili paste + 1 tsp salt till crispy
add in 1 tsp tamarind juice + 1 tsp sugar
stir thoroughly well for another minute and off fire
gently scoop the sambal out of the wok and pour them all over the okra
ta-daaa!!



serve hot
truly delicious when eaten with warm white rice :)



a word on the chili paste
the chili paste used in this recipe were made by myself
it consists of blended dried chilies, shallots, ginger, turmeric, belacan (shrimp paste), sugar and salt

crispy crisp fried chicken

Who doesn't like fried chicken..

what's more if it is cooked very very crispy?!

you will say goodbye to KFC with this recipe

sorry Colonel Sanders.. :p

very very simple to make!

cut 1 chicken thigh into 3 smaller parts, wash clean and dab dry with kitchen towel

grate 1 clove garlic + 1/4" ginger over the chicken and add 1/2 tsp salt and mix well

scoop 2/3 cup of corn starch into a bowl and coat each pieces evenly with the corn starch

on the stove heat the wok on medium fire and pour in enough cooking oil for deep frying

fry each piece separately or together if the wok fits..till golden brown

remove from the oil and put it back into the oil for second frying

this method of double-frying makes the chicken very very crispy and it stays that way

it also cooks the chicken thoroughly

and what do you know..

it is finger licking good!

bubur cha cha

I've been craving for  Bubur Cha Cha for quite some time

and what could be more welcoming than the rainy season we are in now

simply perfect timing! :)

although I didn't have all the ingredients in hands..no sago and no yam
I had to consider them as optional for now
well ..when one's craving sets in there is no stopping to it
so I make do with what I have :)
ok.. enough said





lets get to the making of it



peel 2 small (about the size of your palm each) sweet potato, white and orange color, 

wash it thoroughly and slice it around 1/2" thickness then dice it into small bite sizes

place in a medium saucepan together with a pandan leaf + 3 cups of water + 1 tsp salt

 boil over medium heat until the sweet potato becomes soft

test this by using the fork or wooden skewer and when it goes through easily it is cooked

add in the red dough balls (scroll down for the making of it)

and 3 Tbsp sugar and simmer for 5 mins

last but not least add in 200 ml of coconut milk

stir thoroughly and bring it to a boil

taste for sweetness and if need be add sugar to your liking

off the fire






the making of red dough

mix 1 Tbsp of tapioca flour + 3 Tbsp boiling water
be careful of the extremely hot water so use a spoon when mixing
then knead using your fingers and add more flour if needed bit by bit to form a soft dough
make a tiny dent in the middle of the dough
with steady fingers pour 1 drop of red food coloring into the dent
fold the dough gently to close up the dent and soak in the red color thus prevent it from slipping out
just in case the color slipped out which is pretty much the case with me
 there's nothing much you can do except to continue kneading with red color all over your fingers
don't worry... it washes off so easily
make small balls from the red dough or
roll out the red dough flat using your fingers and cut it into small squares
boil some water in a small pot and toss in the red balls or squares
when it floats to the top the dough is cooked
tadaa..!!

spring onions

I was reaching out for shallots the other day as I was cooking

to my horror..I saw green shoots appearing on many of the shallots

well..what did I do then?

throw it away? Noo.. NEVER!

Good and nice shallots always end up in my cooking pot

but those with new shoots goes to my mini garden :)

yes..I do have a garden

not those huge well laid garden..wish I have that

just a few pots to 'rescue' desperados like these

my swift thinking was to plant them

so I washed them well (quite a number) and shoved it into

my lemongrass pot which could fit them all pretty well

after 5 days..what do you know..voila!

see the photo below

quite a handsome amount to last me for a month or so :)

my mini garden is for planting herbs only

local herbs especially as I used them quite often in my cooking

do you have a mini garden?

all you need is a sunny spot by your window

well..that's what got me started anyway :)

zucchini chips

I've always wondered if zucchini and cucumber are the same

because they look almost the same from the outside

only after slicing it open do I realize that they are different

cucumber contains lots of water whereas zucchini are almost dry

and after a successful attempt on  ratatouille
I am deep-frying zucchini as chips!
and it tastes so yummy :)

here's how easy it is to make:


wash and dab dry zucchini with a kitchen towel

on a chopping board thinly slice the zucchini using a sharp knife or mandoline slicer

on a stove heat up 1 cup cooking oil for deep frying in a wok

when the oil is hot enough gently put in slices of zucchini and let it fry for a minute

turn it over the other side and let it fry for another minute or till golden brown

meanwhile line a colander with kitchen towel

remove the fried zucchini from the hot oil and drain excess oil in the colander

sprinkle lightly with fine salt all over the zucchini

serve hot

eat it on its own or as a side dish

bon appetit! ;)

sup ketola

I must say..

this is one of our family's favorite dish! 

so simple to make yet very tasty and delicious :)

even those who hate vegetables would savor this..lol!!

To make this:


soak 10 dried anchovies in a small bowl for 10 mins and then remove its heads and intestines

rinse it clean and pat it dry using a clean cloth or kitchen roll and put aside

on a stove heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a medium pot over a medium fire

toss in the anchovies and fry them for a minute or until golden brown

then saute 2 chopped garlic + 1 diced shallot + 1/4" sliced ginger

add in 1 cup water and allow it to boil

meanwhile remove the hard skin of the ketola wash it and cut it into half lengthwise 

slice the ketola into half-inch thickness and toss them into the pot

wash 3 button mushrooms and slice it thinly before adding into the pot

add 1 tsp salt and let it boil for 1 min before tasting the soup

then break an egg into the soup and cover the pot

wash a handful of tanghoon or glass vermicelli and toss into the pot

stir all the ingredients in the pot once, taking care not to break the egg

off the fire and cover the pot let it rest for 5 mins before serving

garnish with scallions

a word on glass vermicelli

always add this last in cooking for soup as it will suck all the moisture in it
so don't worry if your soup gets too watery while you cook ;)

orange cloves honey

Looks like the haze is here to stay in KL :'(

this means my health would be affected to a certain extent

so...I'm taking this lovely and delicious concoction 

which I made it myself as a precaution 

to soothe my throat and lungs

The making of it :

soak 1 orange in a bowl of 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water for about 15 mins

this would remove all pesticides embedded inside the skin of the orange

rinse well under running water and cut the orange into 1/4" slices

arrange these slices inside a clean glass bottle and toss in 10 cloves

pour honey slowly onto the orange slices just enough to immerse them

leave some room inside the bottle for the liquefied honey to rise up later

close the bottle and keep refrigerated for 4 hours

by then you will notice the orange slices 'floating' to the top of the bottle

take a wooden spoon and taste the honey

uuummphhh... simply pure goodness

scoop the honey from the bottom of the bottle to bring to the top

the honey looks like jelly at this stage due to the presence of pectin

keep on mixing thoroughly and the liquefied honey would turn watery all over

consume as you like be it on its own or mix with a little hot water

keep unused honey refrigerated at all times

a word on this concoction

always choose raw and unprocessed honey
and consume it as and when you like

this is not a drug

so enjoy and heal beautifully :)

cekodok

This is one of my many all time favorites

be it for breakfast or tea or anytime

especially... during rainy days

simply heaven with a cup of hot nescafe or 'teh tarek' 

uuuummhh :)

Here is how I made them:

soak 10 dried anchovies for 5 mins and remove its head and intestines

in a mixing bowl break one egg and beat it well with a fork

add in the cleaned anchovies + pinch of salt +1 finely sliced shallot + 1/4 cup water

mix all ingredients well by beating it again

then add in 3 Tbsp flour bit by bit and mix well till it becomes a smooth batter

add more water if need be to get a dropping consistency

take 1 spring onion and slice it finely and mix well into the batter

on a stove heat a wok and pour in plenty of oil for deep frying

when you see tiny bubbles on the surface of the oil it means the oil is hot enough

scoop 1 tsp batter and slowly lower it into the hot oil 

try to form a tiny ball shape with each scoop

depending on the size of the wok you could fry 5 to 6 balls at one go

leave room for the batter to increase in size while frying

fry on both sides till golden brown

meanwhile place some kitchen tissues on a serving plate 

scoop the fried 'cekodok' from the wok and and put in on the serving plate

serve hot with chilli sauce for dipping!

buon appetito! :) 

oh..that's Italian for "enjoy your meal"

cough remedy

My homemade remedy for sore throat and cough. 
Simply delicious.. 
and the best part is it works!
cough syrup never worked on me
if you are like me here is your sweet alternative
sure is a sweet success..anytime :)

wash and then slice 2 lemons and arrange in a glass bottle as in the picture above

wash 6 twigs of rosemary and push them through between the sliced lemons

pour honey slowly into the bottle just enough to cover the lemon completely

leave some room inside the bottle for the liquid to rise up later

put the lid on the bottle and refrigerate for 4 hours

after 4 hours mix the honey with a wooden spoon

scoop from the bottom of the bottle and bring it up

by this time the honey looks like jelly due to the presence of pectin

mix well and the jelly would be diluted

mix 2 spoons of honey into warm water and sip slowly

enjoy the great taste!

keep refrigerated at all times

a word on honey

the many benefits of honey has helped my lungs healed quickly when I was recovering from pneumonia as well

keep it handy in the fridge at all times 

makes excellent substitute for sugar in tea and you will love its great taste :)

always use pure and unprocessed honey

chicken soup in miso

I had the sudden urge to cook chicken in miso today
I've no idea how to go about making it as I've never tasted it before
but I figured it should be like cooking chicken soup with miso added towards the end

and my guess was right!

it was a sweet success :)

Here's how I did it:




wash 1 chicken thigh and cut into smaller pieces

marinate them in 2 grated garlic + 1/2" grated ginger and set aside

heat a medium pot and pour in 1 Tbsp cooking oil

while the oil is heating up toss in 1 cinnamon stick + 1 star anise + 4 cloves and let the aroma of the

 spices invade your kitchen

saute 1 diced onion until fragrant and transparent

add in the marinated chicken thigh and stir-fry it for a few minutes before adding in water just

 enough to cover/immerse the chicken in it

toss in 1 sliced celery stalk + 3 sliced mushroom + 1 sliced carrot + 1 cut green chilly

cover the pot with lid halfway open and allow all ingredients to boil

add in 1 tsp salt to bring out the ingredients' flavor

simmer gently until the gravy thickens slightly

off the fire and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and scallions

allow the bubbles of the boiling soup to subside

add in 1 small packet of Miso paste into the gravy  and mix well

taste for saltiness

serve immediately

a word on Miso paste
it must be added last and after the fire is off
this is to allow the enzymes in it to remain active
boiling temperature just kill it all
if extra salt is needed add it in the soup during eating

Thai green curry

Ever tried Thai green curry before?
apparently there are many ways of cooking this dish
I'm using this recipe as I have all the ingredients called for ready in my kitchen
and this is my first time cooking as well as eating this curry
so you can imagine what I went through
it is seriously
HOT!!!

Simply follow these 2 steps

Making the paste

      on a stove heat up a non stick saucepan over low heat and toss in 

      1 tsp coriander seeds + 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and keep stirring for 3 mins

      transfer both spices into a mortar and pound them till fine and keep aside

      using the same mortar, pound the following ingredients till fine

• 1 sliced shallot  
• 1 Tbsp sliced lemongrass 
• 1/4" galangal 
• 1 cut celery stalk
• 3 peppercorns 
• 1/2 tsp shrimp paste (belachan) 
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar 
• 9 chili padi 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp juice of kaffir lime
• 1/2 tsp zest of kaffir lime

     mix the grounded spices together with the above pounded ingredients to form into a smooth paste

Making the green curry

on a stove heat up a medium sized pot and pour in 2 Tbsp cooking oil

saute the above paste for 4 mins until the aroma fills up your kitchen 

then add in 1/4 cup thick coconut milk (santan) and mix thoroughly with the green paste

add in 1/4 chicken which has been washed clean into the pot

add enough water just to cover the chicken and mix all ingredients well

 cover the pot with lid half open and let the chicken cook

add in 1/2 diced red bell pepper and 3 kaffir lime leaves and cook for 3 mins

then add in 3 tsp fish sauce, one spoon at a time and taste for saltiness

lastly if need be..add in 1 tsp freshly squeezed kaffir lime juice 

and off the fire

a word on the chili
If you are not a great fan of chili padi please use half the chili in this recipe
if I were to cook this dish again which I like to..I would half the amount of chili
I love chili but my tummy couldn't take it!
 Haha..


Special thanks to Mamak Haji for his recipe :)

rice vermicelli in soup

Rice vermicelli..you said? where is it?
Haha!! That's my way of having rice vermicelli in soup..
you can hardly see it
the veggies and garnishing pretty much hide it :)

Lets see the making of it, shall we..

I'm using 2 stoves at the same time in cooking this recipe

 on one stove put enough water in one pot to boil half a packet of rice vermicelli

meanwhile on the other stove heat a medium sized pot and pour in 2 Tbsp cooking oil

saute 1 sliced shallots till crispy then add in 2 cups beef stock + 2 cut tomatoes and allow to boil

blanch 3 cut squids in the stock for 1 min and remove it immediately when it turns opaque white

place the cooked squids in a separate bowl for later garnishing

then add in 1 thinly sliced eryngii mushroom + 200g cut choy sum into the stock

and continue to boil for 2 mins just to cook the veggies

add in 2 tsp salt and taste the stock

stir all ingredients well and off the fire

by this time the rice vermicelli is already cooked

drain the hot water completely from the pot of the rice vermicelli

you may want to use a colander for this purpose

put the rice vermicelli in a serving bowl and pour enough stock over it

arrange the choy sum + eryngii mushroom + squids on top of the rice vermicelli

garnish with scallions

best eaten with chili padi in soy sauce + freshly squeezed calamansi juice

Bon appetit! 

a word on the beef stock

I keep beef stock in the freezer at all times

it comes in handy when the recipe calls for some stock as a base

whenever I brought home beef I would boil the beef in water + grated garlic + ginger 

when the soup has completely cooled down I would freeze them in containers

 separate the beef from the soup if you want to and label them

classic fried rice

Such a simple ancient recipe
my mom would cook this instantly when my brothers and I had a hunger "pang" in-between meals
those precious childhood memories I'm reliving it today
...just the food, I mean :)

Here's the making of it:

heat a wok over medium fire and pour in 2 Tbsp of cooking oil

fry 1 Tbsp of cleaned and washed anchovies till crispy and golden brown

then add in 1 diced shallot + 3 crushed garlic + 1/2" thinly sliced ginger and saute till crispy

add in 2 tsp chilli paste + 1 tsp salt and continue sauteing till the chilli is crispy and becomes dark red

add in 1 chopped Eryngii mushroom and fry for 1 min (optional)

finally add in 1 cup cooked rice and mix well all ingredients together to get an even color and taste

continue frying the rice until it becomes crispy and light

sprinkle 1 tsp of soy sauce all over the rice and mix well

off the fire and serve hot

garnish with scallion

a word on the cooked rice

it is a common practice to use leftover rice when making fried rice
however I cooked fresh rice that very morning and fried them after 30 mins they are cooked
I try not to keep rice overnight as the process of fermentation begins right after the cooked rice has cooled down
I have added Eryngii mushroom for added flavor to this classic recipe
Enjoy :)

chicken curry

Original recipe is from my mom
I've made some adjustments to it due to time constraint
one day I hope to make them just like my mom did it
all from scratch!

meanwhile enjoy this :)

Here's how you do it:


cut up a 1/4 chicken into smaller sizes and wash clean and final rinse in salt water

the salt water would remove all traces of blood and slimy stuff as well as trapped feathers

marinate the cleaned chicken in 3 grated garlic and 1" grated ginger..keep aside

on a stove heat a medium size pot and pour in 2 Tbsp cooking oil

toss in 1 stick cinnamon + 1 star anise + 4 cloves + 2 cardamom as the oil is heating up

then toss 1 diced onion and saute all spices together and let the aroma of spices invade your home!

when the onion has turned transparent toss in the marinated chicken and mix well

meanwhile in a bowl, put Baba's curry powder for chicken (small packet) and add water bit by bit to form a smooth paste

add this paste into the pot and stir it well with the chicken and spices for 2 mins

then add in water into the pot just enough to immerse the chicken in it

add in 2 cut tomatoes + 1 cut big potato + 2 cut green chillies

when the potato is cooked add in 1 Tbsp yogurt + 1 tsp salt 

continue boiling until the gravy thickens then taste the curry

add in some cilantro and off the fire

serve hot with rice or bread












a word on chicken curry
after the fire is off, NEVER cover the pot with its lid
let the curry rest in the pot without its lid for about 15 mins or so
this is to prevent the curry from turning bad and smelly
this restriction applies to chicken curry only

baby spinach in miso

Probably the easiest veggie dish I've ever made!

simple..delicious..and healthy

if you are a miso lover

this is your treat 

Here is all there is to it:

soak 1 tsp of dried anchovies in a bowl of water for 5 mins to remove its head and intestines

wash the anchovies clean and put it in a pot

pour 2 cups of water into the pot and boil the anchovies gently for 10 mins

add in 300g clean baby spinach and continue boiling

when the spinach is cooked.. off the fire

add in 1 small packet of miso paste into the pot and mix thoroughly

serve immediately!

easy right? :)

a word on miso soup

a good and delicious miso soup needs fish stock as a base

I'm using anchovies as it is readily available here

it is important to note that the fish stock is not boiling when miso paste is added into it

boiling temperature will only destroy the good enzyme found in the miso paste

grilled eryngii mushroom

If you love eating mushroom you're gonna love this

So delicious and very simple to make

I'm loving it from the first bite!

Here's all it takes:


cut off the root of the mushroom, wash it clean and dab it dry with kitchen towel

thinly slice the mushroom about 1/8" lengthwise

heat a non-stick pan on low fire and pour very little oil..just enough to oil the pan

shake the pan to spread the oil evenly

place the sliced mushroom on the pan and let it cook for 2 mins before turning it to the other side

cook till golden brown on each side

remove from the pan and serve immediately

sprinkle salt and ground black pepper

delicious as appetizer or veggie dish

and a heaven for vegans :)









 a word on pan-searing
this method of grilling requires the mushroom to be really dry
otherwise there would be lots of hot oil jumping out of the pan hurting you
be careful okay :)

crispy chicken gizzard

Simplest recipe ever and boy does it tastes great! :)

thanks to Ane Haneefa of Manisa Turkey

your touch and your food always add warmth to my family!!

missing you so much Ane

till we meet again ..

All you need to do is:

wash 200g chicken gizzard real clean and cut them into smaller pieces

remove excess water from the cleaned gizzard

on a stove heat a medium non-stick pot over a medium fire

pour 1 Tbsp cooking oil or just enough to oil the surface of the pot

toss in the chicken gizzard with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder and mix well

immediately cover the pot with its lid as the oil starts to 'jump' on contact with the gizzard

after 2 mins when the oil has stopped 'jumping' take off the lid and stir the gizzard well

slow down the fire and cover the pot again and allow the water in the pot to dry up 

keep stirring for even cooking and golden color

when the gizzard has become crispy turn off the fire

serve hot

a word on the crispy gizzard

make sure the water has fully dried up in the pot before you turn off the fire

to get a crispy and crunchy fried chicken gizzard

makes an excellent side dish! 

beef stew

Is this the best ever beef stew I've ever tasted?

yes! because it was a rainy day and I was really hungry!

lol :)

here's how simple it is to cook the stew

marinate 250g beef with 2 grated garlic + 1/2" grated ginger and put this in a pressure cooker

add adequate water into the pressure cooker and cook for 20 mins

or until the beef is cooked and tender

on another stove heat a medium pot over medium heat and pour in 2 Tbsp cooking oil

saute 1 cinnamon stick + 1 star anise + 4 cloves + 1 sliced onion

then add in the beef stock + 1 sliced potato + 1 tomato + 2 sliced mushrooms

allow the vegetables to cook before adding in 1 tsp salt

then add in the cooked beef into the pot

let it simmer over slow fire for 10 mins

final taste for the stew..add more salt if you have to

off the fire and let the stew rest for 10 mins before serving

garnish with cilantro

 serve with rice or baguette!

when served with rice accompany this with sambal belacan

or 

cut chili padi in fish sauce and fresh lemon juice

a word on cooking with pressure cooker

I usually cook mass quantity of beef into the pressure cooker

when the beef is cooked I would divide the beef into equal portion and freeze them

whenever I feel like eating beef I would thaw just 1 portion and cook them

this saves a lot of time :)

masak asam tumis kepala ikan jenahak

Fish head is best cooked in curry

that's what we have been told and it is true no one can deny that

however today I have the urge to cook fish head in asam tumis ie purely chili base

I'm so glad I did as it turns out to be so delicious

right from the first bite!

Lets get started shall we..

clean the fish head thoroughly

it is best to get your fishmonger removed the gills for you

after washing away the blood rub salt and tamarind paste on the inside of the fish head

and immerse it in a bowl of water and let it sit for some minutes

meanwhile in a mortar pound finely 5 shallots + 3 garlic + 1/2" ginger

heat a medium pot over medium fire and saute the above pounded ingredients till fragrant

then add in 4 tsp chili paste + 1 tsp salt and saute till the chili gets crispy

add in 1/4 cup water + 1 tsp tamarind puree + 2 cut tomatoes and allow it to cook

slowly lower in the fish head into the pot and cover with lid and let it cook for 5 mins before you turn

 the fish to the other side to cook for another 5 mins

by now you get more gravy in the pot from the fish head

mix well and do it slowly to avoid the fish head from breaking up

final taste for salt on the thickened gravy and off the fire

throw in 1 kaffir leaf and cover the pot

hhhmmm...

the fragrant from the kaffir leaf when combined with the gravy is awesome!

serve hot with white rice











a word on the vegetables
the best and recommended vegetable for asam tumis is ladies finger
I ran out of it so I use tomatoes instead :)

sambal goreng sotong

Sambal goreng is my all time favorite dish

it is quite versatile and can be cooked with any type of seafood and meat

very much sought after when serving nasi lemak, ketupat, "ubi rebus" and also sandwiches

the key to successful sambal goreng is never to add water during cooking

and do not use blender to chop up any of the ingredients

here is where the pestle and mortar comes in handy

and the older it is the better..

Very simple to make:

in a mortar, pound 4 shallots + 2 garlic + 1/2" ginger until fine

heat a medium pot over medium heat and pour in 5 Tbsp cooking oil

saute the pounded ingredients then add in 5 tsp chili paste/chili boh with 1 tsp salt

reduce the fire a little bit and keep stirring all ingredients until the chili gets crispy

then add in 1 tsp concentrated tamarind puree and mix thoroughly

add a dash of sugar and 1 sliced onion.. continue stirring

taste for balance of saltiness, sourness and sweetness

add in 5 cleaned and cut squids and stir well until it is cooked

which shouldn't take more than 2 mins

off fire and serve immediately

a word on tamarind
if you are using the normal tamarind paste
just throw out the seeds and put the paste straight away into the sauteed chili
otherwise the concentrated tamarind puree makes an excellent subsitute