fish curry

Original recipe from my mom with a slight twist by me

sorry mom.. but it has the same greatness in taste the way you made them

no kidding :)

Here's how I made them

heat 2 Tabsp oil in a medium pot and while it is heating up throw in a pinch of fenugreek (halba)

then sautee 5 sliced shallots and 2 garlic (no need to cut)

throw in a twig of curry leaves which has been washed, rinsed and crushed by your fingers

stir well and let the aroma of the curry leaves invade your kitchen..hhmm!

meanwhile empty Baba's fish curry powder( small packet 25g)  in a bowl and add water
 to make it into a watery paste

pour the curry paste into the pot and stir well and add 1 cup water immediately, mix well

add 3 cut ladies finger + 2 cut tomatoes + 2 green chillies (slit lengthwise) and allow to boil

take 1 Tabsp tamarind and mix with half cup water to make juice and add it into the pot

when the vegetables are cooked add 1 teasp salt and mix well

time to taste the salt and sourness before adding 1/4 cup low fat milk

last but not least 2 pieces pomfret or any other fish is fine

let it simmer before final taste for creaminess+sourness+spiciness and thickness of the gravy

off the fire and let it sit for 30mins before serving to allow all the spices to blend thoroughly

enjoy!



a word on the curry

curry tastes much better the next day so don't worry if it gets too watery as the gravy would
thicken as you heat it up again which is more rewarding :)

fish in sambal

I was feeling under the weather

and I really need something to whip up my appetite

then I remembered the sambal

works all the time ;)

Here's how I did it

2 pieces pomfret fish, deep fried and put aside

(any other fish is fine)

using the same oil sautee:

 pounded 3 shallots+2 garlic+1/4" ginger till fragrant

then add 3 teasp chili boh and 1 teasp salt and keep stirring

until the chili boh turns dark red in color and looks like breadcrumb

add 1 teasp tamarind juice and stir well

tasting time, if not enough salt or tamarind juice add more now

stir well for the last time before turning off the fire

spread the sambal generously all over the fish

voila!

a word on the chili boh

I'm using Puteri Cili Giling which has 'assam' and 'garam' added into it

I'm not adding 'belacan' into my sambal due to allergy. It turns out fine everytime :)

japanese sweet potato

I love japanese sweet potato so much

when I browsed through Youtube videos most of it showed how to bake them

but when my dear friend Nat told me it tastes better boiled instead of baked

I knew I just had to try them out and boy!
was I glad I consulted her :)

Here's how I did it

wash the sweet potato thoroughly with water

immerse it in a pot of water add a pinch of salt and let it boil until you could smell its sweet aroma

take a fork and prick through the sweet potato

if the fork could get through easily all the way inside the sweet potato 

then it is cooked and time to turn off the fire

otherwise give it 5 more minutes and test again

drain the water completely and let the sweet potato remain inside the closed pot

this will keep the cooked sweet potato warm and soft

until you are ready to eat them :)


a word of thanks

thank you Nat for sharing this recipe with me!
xoxoxo :)

fish soup

This recipe is from my late mom

It's my all time favorite soup :)

Here's how I cook it

Heat 2 Tabsp cooking oil in a medium pot

while the oil is heating up throw in 1 cinnamon stick, 5 cloves, 1 star anise, 10 fenugreek 

and let the aroma of the spices infused your kitchen and your home

add 1 sliced onion and sautee together with the spices

add in 2 garlic and finely sliced 1/4" ginger stirring well

then add in 2 sliced tomatoes and 1 green chilly (slit in the middle)

pour in 2 cups water and let it boil

when the tomatoes are cooked add in 1 teasp of salt

mix well and add 2 pieces of John Snapper fish or "Jenahak"

simmer for 10 minutes taste the salt and off the fire

garnish with coriander and scallion just before serving

serve hot :)

a word on the fish
the John Snapper was the only suitable fish I had in the fridge for this recipe
alternatively, Red Snapper and Kurau would make a delicious substitute as well

pasta

I cook pasta when I am pressed for time
Here is a quick meal which can be prepared in less than 30 minutes
very delicious and fulfilling and... my own creation too

Here's how I made them

Boil 1 cup bow tie pasta for 20 minutes or until cooked

While waiting for the pasta to be ready heat a nonstick pot over medium fire on the next stove

add 2 Tabsp oil and when it is hot sautee 2 sliced brown button mushroom
until it is slightly soft 

then add in 1 sliced onion till the onion are almost transparent 

then add in 2 crushed garlic and stir well 

then add in 2 teasp tomato paste and mix well

then add in 2 Tabsp canned tomatoes with 1 teasp salt, stir thoroughly

add 1 sliced green chilly and 2 sliced frankfurter

add just enough water to make a thick gravy

slow the fire and let all ingredients simmer and taste the salt

Meanwhile check the pasta

 if it is ready drain the water and add pasta into the gravy

mix well so that the pasta is coated and soaked with the gravy

turn off the fire and keep mixing thoroughly well then close the lid

garnish with thinly sliced fresh oregano

serve while it it hot..

just before eating squeeze lemon juice all over the pasta :)

Bon appetit!


a word on tomatoes
while it is best to use ripe tomatoes, the canned tomatoes provide a good alternative should you run out of it.
I used "S&W ready-cut diced tomatoes" for this recipe

sweet and sour fish

This is my very own recipe which I created 

after enjoying a plate of this dish in the Marriott Cairo Hotel in Egypt.

I had it on my last day of stay there so I didn't get the chance to ask the Chef how he made it

This is my version of Bamia and I'm using fish instead of lamb or chicken

Here's how I do it:

Pomfret (bawal hitam) fish head - cleaned and deep-fried then put aside

after frying if the oil is too much reduced it to 3 Tabsp

 to sautee 1 sliced onion, 2 crushed garlic and half-inch thinly sliced ginger

 till the aroma fills the air 

then add in tomato paste (3 teasp) with a pinch of salt, keep stirring until fragrant 

then add in 1 cup water and allow it to boil..

add in 6 cut ladies finger together with 2 cut green chillies..let it boil before you put it into simmer..

taste the salt and add in 1 teasp sugar followed by fresh juice of one-quarter of a lemon..

let it simmer until the desired gravy is thick enough

garnish with apple mint leaves

enjoy!

a word on herbs
apple mint herb was chosen in this recipe simply because it's the only herb I have aplenty at the moment in my fridge. I'm in the midst of herbs testing to see how it tastes like and to know if I should plant them for future use. I love to experiment and I really love the fruity taste of this herb. Smells very minty! :)

you can read more about apple mint here

sirap bandung

Welcome to my blog!
Compilation of recipes on my favorite food and drinks made the way I love them :)

...whiff a passion...


I'm starting off with this drink which I believe is Malaysian favorite drink
especially during the month of Ramadhan where this is served in almost
every home for breakfast or "iftar"

with the saying 

"Bismillahir rahmanir rahiim"

I'm sharing my all time favorite drink as today I was really craving for it :)

Simply mix 4 teaspoon Red Horse rose-flavored syrup with 250ml cold UHT milk

and you are on your way to a great treat!

enjoy!

a word on the syrup

Hershey's Strawberry Syrup makes an excellent substitute for the Red Horse rose-flavored syrup!

I do not recommend F&N rose syrup though..the taste is just different and you need to add more sugar

Ooooppss!

Thanks for dropping by

Didn't mean to disappoint you :(

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