Category: kueh

Asian Fried Mashed Bananas Fritters (Goreng Klodok)

I am going to visit my hairdressers today, not for a hair cut but to visit them as long time friends. It was about ten years ago when I lost control of my unruly hair (there was no rebonding technology then), I met Ethel and Terri. They are two of the most amazing women I have ever met so far. Every time I visit them, it  is like going to my third place where I feel welcomed, loved and happy. Ethel and Terri treat me like their own daughter and they would share with me their life experiences and even till today they would contact me once a while to make sure I am well. Although I do not visit them as often as I would like to, the bond we share is still fresh and strong. One of the interest we shared is the love for food. As Terri said,” We shall eat first then work on it later.” I totally agree with her. So today, I would like to bring something sweet for them for tea, something from my heart.  


Goreng Klodok is a typical Singaporean finger food that can be found at many Malay food stalls. It is getting difficult to find good ones nowadays. The ideal fritters should be packed with bananas, light in the inside and crispy on the outside. In my attempt in making these, I have also added brown sugar to add a depth of flavour to the sweetness and rice flour for the crunch.  




Recipe (24 pieces) 
Ingredients:
  • 500g Ripe bananas
  • 80g Caster sugar
  • 20g Brown Sugar
  • 120 All Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp Rice Flour 
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 60 ml Water
  • 2 tsp Oil 
  • Oil for frying

Steps:
  1. Mash the bananas with a whisk/ fork. We still want some bits of bananas in the mash to have the bite in the fritters. 
  2. Mix in the sugars.
  3. Add in the flours and baking powder. Mix well. 
  4. Add in salt and water. Then lastly the oil. 
  5. Set aside for at least 5 minutes. Prepare for oil for deep frying. I used a small saucepan with 2 inch of oil. Drop a small dough to check for temperature. It should sizzle quickly. If the temperature is too low, dough may absorb too much oil and end up with greasy balls. 
  6. Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into the hot oil. The dough should float up shortly. Make sure both sides are brown before removing from oil. 



I am very happy that Ethel and Terri loved my “heartwork”. The fritters were snapped up so quickly. 😛  This made my day and I am sure it brightened theirs too. If you are reading my blog, please join me in making someone’s day different. Cook for them…  
by Categories: Desserts, Fruits, kueh Leave a comment

Kaya Glutinous Rice cake (Kueh Seri Kaya)

When I was young, my parents would sometimes drive by Katong to pick up some nyonya kuehs for breakfast for the next day. I was not a BIG fan of the asian sweet cakes but there are a few types I adore. In fact, my family members have their own personal favourite. And mine? Kueh Seri Kaya!




























Most nyonya kuehs are made from eggs, coconut milk, flour, asian herbs and some use root vegetables like tapioca and yams or in this case, rice. These ingredients are easily available in Asia and they are relatively cheap. The preparation is easy and does not require much whipping or beating. 



Recipe (12 cm round tray)
Ingredients:

A) Rice (base)

  • 600g glutinous rice, washed once and soaked for 4 hours
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp Salt 
  • 250 ml Coconut milk
  • 125 ml Coconut milk + 125 ml water
  • 3 pieces of Pandan Leaves
Steps:
  1. Drained the glutinous rice. Lay the rice into a 12-cm round tray and steam the rice for 10 minutes. 
  2. Dissolve salt in 60 ml Coconut milk + 60 ml water mixture. Mix into the glutinous rice. 
  3. When it is mixed well, add in the rest of the coconut milk. 
  4. Lay the pandan leaves on top of rice.
  5. Steam for another 30 minutes. 

b) Kaya
  • 35g Plain Flour
  • 240ml Coconut milk 
  • 60 ml Coconut milk + 60 ml water
  • 10 eggs 
  • 230g Caster Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt 
  • 2 Pandan leaves, tie into a knot
  • 120ml Pandan juice, pound the 10 pandan leaves and add 2 tbsp of water
  • 1/2 tsp Green colouring 

Steps:
  1. Mix plain flour with 60 ml Coconut milk + 60 ml water. Set aside.
  2. Mix the eggs in a bowl and strain it through a strainer. 
  3. In a metal mixing bowl or a heat proof glass mixing bowl, mix the eggs with sugar, salt and pandan leaves. 
  4. Add in the coconut milk, pandan juice, colouring and flour mixture. Mix well. 
  5. Put the mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water, double boil it. 
  6. Stir continuously until the kaya thickens and coats the back of a wooden spatula. 
  7. Discard the pandan leaves. 

8. Pour the kaya over the just steamed glutinous rice. 

9. Steam it for 30 minutes. 



10. Set aside 4 hours. Cut and serve!  

I like how this recipe turned out. Very authentic and original! My mum came over and had 3 pieces at one shot! That speaks for itself!
Cheers!

by Categories: Desserts, kueh, Rice Leave a comment

Roti Jala to Celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all my Muslim friends and readers! 

I am glad to see and observe the buzz and joy of the festive occasion in Singapore. My Muslim friends celebrate the end of the fasting month on this day. Many others, including me, irregardless of race and religion join in to celebrate the special day by enjoying delicious Malay delicacies and even visiting our Muslim friends. 

I made Roti Jala, yellow lacy crepes usually served with curry.  The lacy crepes are created by having the batter through a special scoop made of many small funnels. With a few circular movements, the lines are drawn on the greased sizzling pan and batter get cooked quickly. In a matter of minutes, pretty looking crepes are ready to be folded into rolls or triangles and plated. The crepes are best eaten hot with thick curry. However it is up to your preference and that day I wanted something lighter!

Recipe
Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup Carnation milk / Coconut milk
  • Water
  • A pinch of turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 cup Cooking Oil
  • Pandan Leaves, tied into a bundle to serve as a oil brush
Steps:
  1. Mix flour, egg and milk well. 
  2. Add water slowly to the batter to attain a consistency to allow batter to flow smoothly through the Roti Jala funnel. 
  3. Grease a heated pan using the pandan oil brush lightly. 
  4. Using the roti jala funnel, drizzle the batter over the hot pan. 
  5. Using a spatula, carefully lift up the crepe when it is set. Fold it into desirable shape. 
  6. Serve with curry. 


by Categories: Bread, kueh Leave a comment

Crispy Layered Curry Puffs

I grew up in a Singapore heartland and I could get simple and tasty food in the nearby coffee shops and eateries. I could remember Hainanese chicken rice was scrumptious and serving was generous. It can beat the Mandarin Chatterbox $25 chicken rice anytime! My favourite was the Fried Hokkien noodles. They were fried upon order and watching the uncle frying the noodles was truly an eye-treat. Food then was authentic and delicious.  


Today, food is fancier in presentation. Food appreciation is elevated to include different senses. Beside taste, it must be a feast to the eyes and scent to the nose. The recent craze of curry puffs has invited a few brands to compete for a market share. With competition, curry puffs have evolved from the good old days of Epok Epok. 



So what makes a good curry puff? My answers are:

  • Crispy and flaky dough
  • Buttery dough
  • Warm and moist filling
  • If it is Potato filling, hard boiled eggs is a must!
Well, my featured version of curry puff has of course satisfied my own criteria.  And I brought these to Boston Food swap. I would say it created a buzz among the Bostonians in the event. 

Photo from Boston Food Swap



Recipe:
A) Chicken and Potato Filling

  • 1 Chicken Breast, cut into cubes
  • 2 Large Potatoes, boiled and cut into cubes
  • 1 Red onion, diced
  • 1 handful of Cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp Curry powder
  • 1 tsp Tumeric powder
  • 1 tbsp Chili paste (optional) 
  • Black pepper and salt to season
  • Cooking oil
  • Water
  • 2 Hard boiled eggs, cut into 6 segments

Steps:

  1. In a heated wok, add 2 tbsp of oil. Add in chili paste. Fry till fragrant. 
  2. Add in onions, fry until it turns translucent. 
  3. Add in chicken and fry until it turns opaque. Add in potatoes. 
  4. Add into curry powder, tumeric powder, seasoning. Stir well.
  5. Add in 1/4 cup of water. Simmer until the chicken is cooked and water dries up, approx 10 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat and set aside. 

B) Dough 


1) Water Dough

  • 450g All Purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 200ml water

2)  Oil Dough 

  • 200g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
  • 365g  All Purpose flour
  • Some Ice cold water

Steps:

  1. Prepare the water dough. In a mixing bowl, mix flour with salt, add in water slowly to form a dough. Adjust the water accordingly to have a pliable dough. 
  2. Wrap with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. After which, divide the dough into balls of 85g each. 
  3. Prepare oil dough in a different mixing bowl. Mix the butter and flour together. Add some ice cold water to help to gather the dough together. Do not over knead as it may transfer heat and melt the butter. Wrap with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes in the fridge.After which, divide the dough into balls of 70g each. 
  4. Flatten a water dough ball and place a oil dough ball onto the center of water dough. Wrap the oil dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
  5. Roll the mixture dough into a rectangle about 18 cm x 10 cm. Roll the dough tightly into a spiral, start with a shorter end. Rest for 10 minutes. Cut it into 4 equal pieces. Repeat for the rest of the dough. 
  6. Take a piece of cut dough. Roll into a round 1/8 inch  dough wrapper. 
  7. Fill the wrapper with filling and a piece of hard boiled egg. 
  8. Seal the edges with some water. Pinch the ends. 
  9. Deep fry it in medium high heat. Remove when pastry turns golden brown. Drain from oil. 
by Categories: Bread, kueh, Meat, Vegetables 1 Comment

Mummy’s Mee Hoon Kuey

There are times that we will miss our mum’s cooking (well, unless she is not a good cook) when we are away from home. There will be some dishes that you will put a label on them and named them Mum’s signatures. I would call Mee Hoon Kuey as my mum’s signature. It is very different from the ones sold in Singapore hawker centres and foodcourts. It is healthier and tastier. And you know that every piece of the dough is handmade uniquely. 


I remember the times which my brother and I kneaded the dough and made them into bite size pieces. We would try to make them into different shapes. Heart, diamond, snake and many more. This added fun when we eat them. 





I guess you can replace the soup with any clear soup. But I really like how this cabbage soup go hand in hand with the ‘kuey’. 


Recipe (Serve 4)
Ingredients:
Dough:

  • 500g Plain flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Cooking oil
  • Water

Steps:

  1. In a big mixing bowl, mix plain flour with egg and cooking oil. 
  2. Add water 1 tbsp at a time until the sides of the bowl is clean. 
  3. Knead the dough till smooth. 
  4. Cover with cling wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes. 
  5. Boil a pot of water. Let it simmer.
  6. Taking a handful of dough at a time, pinch and stretch bite-sized pieces and drop into the simmering water. Continue with the rest of the dough.
  7. When the pieces floats in the simmer water, it means it is ready to be removed. 
  8. Remove the pieces and soak them in cold tap water. 

Soup:

Ingredients:

Soup:

  • 8 Shrimps, shelled and deveined
  • Pork or chicken slices
  • Half of a small cabbage, sliced
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Cooking oil
  • 700ml of Water
  • 1 tbsp Soya sauce
  • 1 piece of Chicken flavored cube
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • Dash of White pepper
  • Red chillies, sliced 
Steps:
  1. In a heated wok, add cooking oil. 
  2. Fry garlic till fragrant. 
  3. Add in shrimps and pork slices. 
  4. Fry till they turned opaque. 
  5. Add in cabbage. Fry for 30 secs or so. 
  6. Add in water. Let it boil and add in the seasoning. Taste and adjust to your liking. 
  7. Remove the ‘kuey’ from water and put them into the simmering soup. 
  8. Let it boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. 
  9. Serve with sliced chilli. 
by Categories: kueh, Noodles Leave a comment

Singapore Street Food: Chwee Kueh / Kuih

Some food are taken for granted. Especially streets food. I think perhaps it is because they are so easily gotten and hence so easily forgotten. It is when you are away from home and street foods get craved and longed for. 


For those staying in Singapore and been to Singapore would have dined in Hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts before. One of the most popular breakfast food is Chwee Kueh. These delicacies are reasonably cheap and commonly found. I guess that is also a reason not to cook your own Chwee kueh at home.  


I think the secret to a Chwee kueh has to satisfy two key gastronomic qualities. 

  1. Soft but chewy texture of Kueh (dough)
  2. Tasty and fragrant chai poh (preserved radish)

Well, this recipe is marvelous and good enough for Singaporeans to quit queuing for Tiong Bahru Chwee Kueh!



Recipe (18 small moulds) 
Ingredients:
Topping:
200g Chai Poh (Preserved Salted Radish)
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Roasted sesame seeds
1 clove Garlic, chopped
1 clove Shallots, chopped
1/2 tsp Sesame oil 
2 tbsp Cooking oil


Steps:

  1. Soak the Chai Poh for 15 minutes. 
  2. Rinse it twice to get rid of most of the salt. (But do not get rid of all the salt, trust me you want them). Then drain dry. 
  3. In a heated saucepan, add in cooking oil. Add in garlic and shallots. Fry them till light golden brown. 
  4. In medium low heat, add in Chai Poh. Fry well.
  5. Add in sugar and sesame seeds. 
  6. Simmer the chai poh till it starts to brown. It probably takes 15 – 20 minutes.
  7. Add in sesame oil. 
  8. Remove from heat. 

Kueh:
1 cup Rice flour
2 1/4 cup of water
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp cooking oil 
1 tsp salt


Steps:

  1. Mix rice flour, corn flour and salt in a mixing bowl. 
  2. Add water and oil. Mix well.
  3. Pour mixture in a clean saucepan. 
  4. Over medium low heat, cook the mixture till it thickens and cleans the sides of the saucepan. You will have to keep stirring during the process as it may get lumpy. 
  5. Remove from heat. 
  6. Spoon the mixture into small molds. 
  7. Steam the moulds over high heat for about 15 minutes. 
For serving, remove the kuehs from molds with a butter knife (or something similar). Top the kuehs with prepared chai poh. 

If you are not consuming it immediately. You may remove all the kuehs and put them on a plate covered with cellophane wrap. And refrigerate them. Steam for 8 minutes before consumption. 




by Categories: kueh Leave a comment

Homemade Fried Carrot Cake

Are you confused with ‘carrot cake’? Is it baked or is it fried? In Singapore, ‘carrot cake’ is not exactly a conventional cake. Unlike its western counterparts, Singapore carrot cake is steamed and then stir-fry either with eggs or with egg and dark sweet sauce. 


I like to eat fried carrot cake and especially with hot and spicy chilli. There’s a few good carrot cake stalls in Singapore (which my Singaporean readers will be more than happy to know). In the east, there is a stall in Changi Hawker Centre, which is operated by a middle aged couple, serves very delicious and ‘q’ fried carrot cake with dark sweet sauce. Their stall specializes just that dish and unfortunately, it is sold out by mid afternoon. Catch it if you can. 


The fried carrot cake which I am sharing is an authentic Singapore version which is fried with preserved radish, eggs and spring onions. But I added dried shrimps to it which I hope it can add complementary sweetness to it. 



As you are eating fried carrot cake, have you even wonder where is the carrot? Well, you can’t exactly see it. See recipe to find out where’s the carrot!


Recipe (6 servings)
Ingredients:
A) Cake

  • 350g White radish (daikon), grated/ thinly shred and do not squeeze dry
  • 200g Rice flour
  • 300ml Water
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp dried shrimps, soak for 30 minutes and drain
  • Cooking oil

Steps:

  1. Fry dried shrimps in 1tsp of cooking oil till fragrant. Remove and cool. 
  2. Mix flour, salt and water together in a mixing bowl. 
  3. Add in shredded radish and dried shrimps. 
  4. Mix well. 
  5. Pour into a baking tray and send to steam for 30 minutes. 
  6. Cool and refrigerate overnight. 



B) Frying

  • Steamed Carrot cake, cut into cubes
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Preserved radish, soak for 30 minutes and rinse thrice
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 stalks Spring onions, chopped. 
  • 1 tsp Fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp Cooking oil 

Steps:

  1. In a heated wok/ pan with medium high heat, add in 2 tbsp of cooking oil.
  2. Add in chopped garlic. Fry till fragrant. 
  3. Add in carrot cake and fry lightly.
  4. When the carrot cake is well heated, sprinkle the preserved radish and pour in the beaten eggs. Sprinkle half of the spring onions.  
  5. When the eggs are set, flip the carrot cake over. 
  6. Using the spatula, fry the carrot cake such that it will break into smaller pieces. 
  7. Add in fish sauce and rest of the spring onions. 
  8. Fry for another 20 seconds. 
  9. Dish and serve warm. 
* For spicy version, you may add ground chilli paste in step 6. 


by Categories: kueh 2 Comments

Chinese New Year Specials: Kueh Lapis

Kueh Lapis is commonly known as malay layered cake. The cake is rich with egg yolks, butter and mixed spices. Hence it is not for healthy foodies. This is great news as the rest of us can enjoy more of the Kueh Lapis.
As the cake is rich, it is usually served in thin slices. I suggest it to go with some tea to help to remove the richness from your mouth. Nevertheless it is a marvellous cake.

Chinese New Year Goodies 3:


Original Kueh Lapis
This recipe is a knock out!. When I served this to my in laws, it was finished in less than 5 minutes and guess what? They took back some home to enjoy. I also gave a portion to my colleague, she asked if I do take orders. Should I?

Recipe:
30 eggs yolks
2 egg whites
300g sugar
100g sifted flour
400g unsalted butter
4 tbsp condensed milk
1 tbsp mixed spices (available at Sun Lik)
1 tsp ovalet
5-6 tbsp rum (optional)

Steps:
  1. Cream the butter till creamy.
  2. Remove and add in condensed milk and stir well.
  3. In a clean bowl, beat egg yolks, egg whites, sugar, ovalet together till fluffy.
  4. Add in flour, spices, creamed butter and rum.
  5. Stir well.
  6. Preheat the oven (use only top-heat) to 200 degree Celsius.
  7. Lined the 9-inch tray with grease proof paper and grease it.
  8. Grill layer by layer until the batter is finished.
  9. Each layer is about 5 tbsp of batter.
  10. Poke some holes using a fork and press each layer down with a flat spade before batter is added.
  11. When the batter is done, bake it in oven 180 degree Celsius (top and bottom heat) for 8 minutes.
  12. Cool on a cooling rack.

by Categories: kueh Leave a comment