Caesar Chicken Sandwich

Today, I feel horrible. I am down with a flu. Yes, sick leave. I needed it today. Couldn't stand the freezing air cond temperature in the office, and so I went to the clinic this morning and took some medicine. I've been sleeping a lot today, and in between, I've been devouring food. Unfortunately, everything seems almost tasteless to me today.

I hope I feel better tomorrow because I need to get back to work and go to KL for the weekend! :-)

Anyways. I had some chicken breast meat lying in the freezer for about 2 weeks and I decided it is time to get rid of some. I decided to make some nice chicken sandwiches. Lucky me, I also had some other ingredients to make my delicious chicken.

What I used:

2 large chicken breast meats
1/2 stick celery, chopped
1/2 stick spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoon mayonaise
1 tablespoon Caesar salad dresing
lots of black pepper & Cayenne pepper to taste

I boiled the chicken meat over medium heat until it is cooked. While at it, I added 1 teaspoon of salt, just to make the chicken a bit exciting. After it is cooked let it cool for a while. Then, I started shredding the meat into small pieces by using a fork and dump it in a small salad bowl.

With the chicken pieces in the bowl, just dump in the rest of the ingredients in and mix well... Save this in a food container and let it cool in the fridge until you want to eat them.

I used 2 pieces of wholemeal bread for my sandwich, adding layers of lettuce in for that crunchy fresh taste. Tastes so good even though I am sick! I think i'll run to the kitchen now and finish up the remaining... :-)

Suji Ka Halva

See the bigger bowl with a slice of strawberry on it? -- That is suji. Suji reminds me of my childhood times back when mum used to make suji pudding for me. I remember opening the fridge door so frequently just to grab a spoonful of chilled suji in the evenings, leaving the raisins behind. I was not into raisins back then...

After the dinner treat at Holiday Inn, Subang last month, I had been having suji on my mind. I want that taste again. I want to learn how to make such simple yet delicious Indian dessert.

Suji, or semolina, is basically tiny grains of wheat and is used widely in desserts, pizza dough, bread, pasta, and other food preparations. The taste is plain, so it is usually laden with sugars, fruits, and like pizza -- with pizza sauce!

This Suji Ka Halva version of mine came from my Nani (grandmother), and my mum learned how to make this from her, and now, to me. I'm proud to learn how to cook family favourites and introduce it to friends and family... :-) It's amazing how sometimes, you just don't realise you've been eating the same exact food as what your grandparents used to. Ever think of that? What food you cook tells a whole lot about you. Excuse me if this is out of topic -- I am down with bad flu, lying down on my bed, and feeling as if I can doze off any time from my medications...:: Suji Pudding ::

1 cup suji (semolina)
2-3 cups milk (I used low fat, but full cream or fresh is best)
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 small pandan leaf
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Note: You may substitute raisins and almonds for other type of fruits or nuts, they are all fine..

1. Wash suji with water, drain and place aside.
2. Bring to a gentle boil the milk. Add in pandan leaf. Pandan leaf is optional, but, it adds a wonderful aroma to the dessert.
3. Lower the heat, Slowly pour the suji in the simmering milk, and stir continuously, adding the sugar.
4. Have a taste, if it is too plain for your liking, add more sugar in. Add more milk if the texture is too thick. Suji should cook when texture thickens, but can be stirred easily and not too lumpy.
5. Arrange 6 small dessert bowls, and pour in the suji in equal portions.
6. Garnish with raisins and almonds.
7. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours or more, and serve chilled.

This is such a wonderful dessert and I love it so much. It is not too sweet nor too rich, and the simple taste of suji is complemented by the sweetness of raisins, or other fruits, and the crunchy feel of almonds makes it perfect! :-)

Sweet Banana with Sago Dessert

Desserts. Hot or cold, we always look forward to desserts when we dine out, or having dinner at a friend's or relative's house. Even at the hotel buffets, we surely take at least one round at the big table with a wide variety of desserts.

My favourite dessert would be sago. Sago anything. Sago - those white balls of various sizes are just too good to resist. I miss having bubble tea drinks with those big sago pearls. I don't really see much of them in Penang, or ANY. They are not popular I guess... Any one know where to get them in Penang or KL? Perhaps I should open a Bubble Tea Kiosk in Gurney Plaza or QueensBay Mall. :-)

Since I can't get those, I sometimes make desserts at home. Sago goes well with any sweet fruits, like bananas, sweet potato, mango, and jackfruit. It is usually cooked together with the fruits and added milk or coconut cream, and served either warm or chilled.

:: Sweet Banana with Sago Pearls ::
3 tablespoon small sized sago pearls
1 large banana
1 pandan leaf
3-5 tablespoon palm sugar or brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk or coconut cream
2 cups water

Very simple and fuss free dessert to make and very enjoyable while at it too!

1. Wash the sago with water, drain and boil in 2 cups water. Add salt, and whole pandan leave -- you can tie a knot with the leaf. Let simmer till sago turns transparent, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the sugar & stir until it is dissolved.
3. Add in the sliced bananas and the milk, or coconut cream, little by little. Let simmer for 10 minutes, or until the banana softens.
4. Taste it -- it should have the nice banana-ish aroma, light-creamy taste of the milk/coconut cream, and sugars.

Serve warm or chilled, in small bowls :-)
Hope you liked this! I'm going off to the kitchen for some leftovers of this in the fridge! Next time, I'll make iced bubble tea with big sago pearls... I miss it!

Read my other Sago recipe here

Succulent Saucy Crabs

Mmm... Oh yeah... I've got to say this -- I was just in the kitchen eating these yummies. Crabs, anyone?

I can be lazy at hammering or biting those thick hard shells, but the flesh -- is just so tasty, I LOVE CRABS very much. Today, was again another lazy Saturday for me. There is really no place I want to go today. Mum said she wanted to cook some fish and crabs, so, home is the place where I want to be today. It's been a long time since I had quiet weekends at home with my family and have lunch together. My guy was supposed to come over, but... he was unwell. I wish he could come. :-( Maybe next time... (All crabs are mineee!! Oh wait a minute... he don't eat crabs... he he.. so all is mine anyways!)

Dad loves fishing. So does my brother. They usually go fishing every Thursday... somewhere near the Penang Bridge area where fish, prawns, crabs and clams are plentiful. Oh, wait a minute, plentiful was MANY YEARS ago before they recently decided to swallow the sea to make room for bigger bridge and all those land reclamation. So, seafood is not that plentiful. But dad never gives up because fishing is is hobby, his past time.

This week, we had some fresh caught blue swimmer crabs... and here is what's for lunch!
:: Stir Fried Crabs with Tomato Sauce ::
4 large crabs, cleaned and cut to 4
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon turmeric powder

Sounds short and simple, no?

1. Slather pieces of crabs with the turmeric. Heat up a large frying pan or wok with some vege oil.
2. Fry the crabs over medium-high heat until colour changes whitish, and add in tomato sauce and egg.
3. Stir and stir and stir for 5 minutes until crabs cooked.
4. Transfer crabs and sauce on to a large serving dish and have a seafood party!

This is a very simple dish to make and yet, it tastes very delicious. If you like it spicy, add some sliced red chilis while frying! :-)

Pajeri Nenas (Sweet Pineapple Curry)

There are various ways to cook curry, which makes it easy and interesting dish to cook... if you think it's hard, it's not. In Malaysia, the Chinese, Malay, and Indian community cook their own version of curry, which can be different in texture, and taste. Some are thick, some watery, some sweet, some too spicy, some vegetarian, most with meat and it all depends on how you cook it.

Pajeri (or spelled as paceri or pajri or pacheri) is a type of Malay curry you may call it. It is a vegetarian dish, usually fruits or vegetables, and is thick and sweet. It is usually cooked with either pineapples, hog plums (buah kedondong/ambra), or eggplants. I am not sure of the origins of pajeri, some say it's from Pahang, Malaysia. It can also be of Indian origin, am not sure.

What I love about pajeri is the sweet & spicy flavours that comes out from the fresh fruits when you cook them. Spices like cinnamon, cardamon-- adds wonderful flavours to the pajeri. My mother usually cooks pineapple pajeri, though we rarely have it at home. Dad prefers fish curries rather than sweet curries. Me? I love curries. Bring it on! :-)

:: Recipe ::
1/2 sweet fresh pineapple (or 1 can of pineapple)
2 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
5 curry leaves
1 large green chili, sliced in two
1 packet of curry powder, mix with 1/2 cup warm water to create a paste
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 tablespoon kerisik (coconut paste, see recipe below or sold at Asian groceries stores in small packets)
1 can of fresh coconut cream
Spice mix: cloves, cardamon, cumin, & cinnamon. A little of each.
2 tablespoon gula melaka (palm sugar, or dark brown sugar)
a pinch salt

1. Heat cooking oil in a pot, fry the shallots, garlic, curry leaves, grated ginger & mixed spice until aromatic.
2. Pour curry paste in, stir vigorously. Let it cook for 5 minutes. You may add a little bit of water, but not too much. Don't worry if it looks too dry here as you will add the coconut cream soon.
3. Add in pineapples, green chili and coconut cream, stirring. Cover for 10 minutes or until the pineapple softens.
4. When pineapple is soften, add the kerisik (coconut paste), gula melaka, salt. Stir until it dissolves and cover, let it simmer until the curry thickens, about 30 minutes on medium heat.
5. Pajeri is ready when the curry has thicken. Serve warm with steamed rice.

:: How to make your own Kerisik (Coconut paste) ::
1. Toast about 5 tablespoon of desiccated coconut in a small frying pan, over a small heat for about 5 minutes. Stir it from time to time till the coconut is dark brown in colour.
2. Transfer the coconut to a mortar and with a pestle, ground till the kerisik is a smooth paste.

Kerisik is used sparingly in Malay cooking such as curry, some salads, rendang, and more.
You can get them in kedai runcits in Malaysia, or in Asian stores if you're overseas.

Tosai & Capati Breakfast, and a walk down Gurney Drive.

Kapitan's in Gurney Tower has always been a favourite of mine when it comes to Indian food. Whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner, I find the food there very pleasant whenever I feel like going Indian. It's not only the good location (a walk's away from th inspiring Gurney Drive), but the good food and friendly waiters there. I think they even know what I would order each time I go there.

Sometimes, I like to come here in the morning, alone, just to have an ease of mind, quietness, and just be by myself. To enjoy my food. And then to drive along Gurney Drive looking at the beautiful sea along the way.
Masala tosai here is served with dhal, curry and coconut chutney. Inside the folded crispy tosai, you will find delicious vegetarian masala filling, of potatoes, carrots, and some spices. The portion is just nice for my stomach, after I finish it, I was neither hungry nor too stuffed. The amount of potatoes was just right, I would of not really like too much, as you would feel so full if it is too much. I devoured my food and ended up with a clean plate which made them happy!
You may think capatis are plain boring. Yes if you eat it plain... Capati is normally served with a few types of side dish with it. Curry, dhaal, and kheema - egg, vegetarian, of meaty kheema. Here in Kapitan, it is served with curry, dhall, egg and minced chicken kheema. The taste is just so wonderful... even kids love it.

Of my many dining experiences here, I have always find the breads (tosai/capati/naan) to be very soft and fresh... like I could eat on its own. Talking about this sure makes me hungry now...

View of Seri Tanjung Pinang from Gurney Drive

After leaving the place happily, and as I was with my family, we took a walk down Gurney Drive. It was a quiet Sunday morning. Some jogging, walking the dogs, and just out with the kids or family. Gurney and Tanjung Tokong are surrounded by many construction sites, of which houses the prime commercial and residential properties around town.
Need some snack while walking around here? No worries. There are some local snack food vendors around. This is common along this area for convenience.
You can buy various types of penuts, murukus, and snacks like Twisties. Sounds fun to me!

See my other post on Kapitan's Nasi Kandar International

Otak Otak (Steamed Fish in Banana Leaves)

After weeks from being away from my kitchen, here I am. Been missing my mouth-watering home food... And so, today, I have something truly Malaysian to share with you. It's called "Otak Otak" - steamed fish fillets with herbs and coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves. A must-try for everyone who have not already tasted some. Otak Otak is served as an entree, or as a light meal after lunch, before dinner.

So, what is so special about this? It uses a whole lot of fresh herbs, and it is steamed. With this, all the flavourful herbs are retained, fish stays very soft and tasty, and it's a healthy, nutricious deal. The downside to it, is that it takes a lot of preparation and patience. But, from my point of view, it's all worth the effort put in. This time around, it was so much fun for me to be preparing it together with my mum, who told me that she never knew how to cook much food other than Chinese cooking. She learned how to cook Malay & Indian cooking from my Nani (my late father's mother).

This is what it looks like inside the wrapped banana leaf, after it is steamed. White fillets of fresh fish embedded in luxuriously prepared herbal marinade. The banana leaf acts as a container to cook this. There is daun kadok (betel leaves) beneath the fish fillets that brings out the peppery taste, and kaffir lime leaves that makes you wonder "where is that yummy smell coming from? where?!" - it balances out the creamy coconut juice inside this food. It contains a little fresh chili as well, but honestly, this is not a spicy food and everyone can enjoy this yummy savoury fish. If you do not like fish, please just try Otak Otak!

Preparation is not that easy, not too tedious either. Mid-range, really. Ingredients are very natural, and requires minimal or even no cooking. You don't need this much of stuffs as in the picture above, if you're just preparing for 2 person. Here, my recipe makes for about 10 hungry headcounts. :-)

:: Ingredients ::
5 banana leaves, lightly "softened" on the gas stove, cut to about A4 sizes
20 daun kadok (betel leaves), cleansed
6 red chilis (mix greens if you want)
4 stalks lemongrass
1 small galangal
1 inch fresh turmeric
3 medium red onions
10 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
2 tablespoon uncooked rice, browned on the stove & powdered (alternatively use rice flour, but the aroma is different)
1 can fresh coconut milk
1 tablespoon each of salt & pepper
4 eggs, beaten
and
fresh fillets of snapper/mackerel enough for 10 people (about 2 small fillets each)

Blend: lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, onions, chili until smooth.

Pour into a large bowl. Add rice powder, coconut milk, eggs, shredded lime leaves, salt & pepper. Fold in. Have a taste, if it is not salty enough, add a little more salt. By this time, this preparation smells good, I tell you! You can smell all the herbs blended together, it's so wonderful!

Meanwhile, boil the water from you steam cooker. We need it soon!
Clean the fish fillets, cut to small-medium pieces. Best use freshest fish available. Mum bought these from the wet market and they cost about RM40! So it is not such a cheap meal to prepare too often, but it's worth every ringgit (dollar) paid for :-P
Put the fillets into the mixture prepared earlier, and cover the fillets well with the mixture. On a table, arrange in front of you: the fish, the betel leaves, banana leaves, a large plate to place the Otak Otak, some toothpicks to clip the banana leaves, and a small bowl for you to prepare the Otak Otak.
On a banana leaf, place 2-3 betel leaves, pour the fish mixture on to it. Pour about 2 fillets & 2 scoops of the mixture. Be careful not to over flow the banana leaf, or it would be difficult to wrap it! Now, comes the challenging part: wrapping it without breaking it!

This part, my mum took to the challenge. I would had broken it and not have the beautiful Otak Otak... anyways. Wrap the banana leaf and hold it with your fingers, and insert the toothpick into the banana leaf, making it hold firmly. Ensure the leaves don't tear, especially at the bottom. This is the reason why you need to "soften" the banana leaf earlier, on a light fire. Otherwise it tears very easily.We're almost there... Some of the already wrapped Otak Otak. It didn't took long to wrap these, really. I was cleaning up some dirty dishes when my mum finished it. In to the steamer these baby went, and steamed for about 20 minutes. You know it's cooked when the banana leaf turn pale and slightly darkened.
Now, it is ready. Serve warm and enjoy! Eat everything, except for the banana leave, of course! :-)