Cilli Padi

When I saw my cilli padi plant, I can’t help but have to put it in my blog because it is so pretty with so many cilli padi. The colour is so vibrantly red. It doesn’t need any effort to plant it. All I did was to throw the seeds into the pot and let it grow. The cilli padi is only about 2cm in length .Though small in size, it is very hot . Good to add into the rendang or curry paste.

Chilli Chicken

Having done the chilli paste on Chinese New Year eve day, I did not have the chance to cook this chicken dish until last Friday.  It is indeed delicious. Thanks to the lady who is generous enough to share this recipe with us.

The chilli paste is very fragrant and my friend suggested that the paste can be used for steaming fish.  Just scoop enough of the chilli paste onto the fish and steam.

Chilli Paste

100 gm dried chilli  -   (soak in hot water and seeds taken out)  ]
7 big red onions   -  cut into small pices                                    ]
1 bowl of small onions                                                             ]   A
2 knobs of garlic                                                                      ]
10 perut limau leaves  -  cut into small pieces                            ]
6 stalks of serai  -  (use the white part only - cut )                     ]


1 tabsp sugar

1 cup or more oil
sugar to taste
1/2 cup soya sauce
salt to taste

Method:

1)    Put all  ingredients (A) into a blender  and add some water.  Blender together into a paste.
2)    Without heat, put oil, cilli paste and 1 tabsp sugar into wok.
3)    Tun on low heat and fry the ingredients until fragrant (about an hour).  Half way through, add in
       soya sauce, salt and more sugar to taste.
4)    Store in glass jars when cooled.  Can be kept in refrigerator until needed. 

Chilli Chicken

1/2  chicken chopped into small pieces (I find that using 2 big chicken thighs is better as the meat
                                                             is more tender)

1)     Fry chicken pieces on low heat to seal the juices (about 25mins until golden brown).  Add in a few   
        garlic pieces.  Dish out and set aside.
2)     Fry  about 4 heapful tabspoon of chilli paste or more for a while  and add in the chicken pieces. 
        You can add a bit of water if too dry. Continue frying until done.  Cover the chicken and off the fire.
        Enjoy!

 Note:    

Try using chicken fillet.  Cut the chicken fillet into small pieces and rub some cornflour into it.  This is
to keep the chicken fillet tender.

Black Vinegar Pork Belly

Chinese New Year is just 2 days away and I hope this recipe  will give you another dish to cook for the festival. No oil is needed.  Just put all ingredients into the pot and stew.

I would say that it is very much milder version  of the normal black vinegar meat dish that is taken during the confinement period by  women after giving birth. Not sour at all.  Thus this is suitable for everybody.  As this is the first time I am cooking it, please make any  necessary adjustment accordingly.  There is no exact measurements of the ingredients here.  The brand of black vinegar I used is call "Hei Mi Cu" from Swee On Woh Sdn Bhd from Penang which is not found in KL but you can substitute with other brands of course.  Thanks to a nice lady who is willing to share the recipes.  

Here I wish all my relatives, dancing kakis, friends, colleagues and whoever is reading this a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year 2012!

Black Vinegar Pork Belly

Ingredients:

Black vinegar   -  1/3 bottle plus 1 bottle of water

3 tabsp oyster sauce          )      mix together and rub onto meat                              
1 tabsp soya sauce            )                                   

Pork belly  -   600 gm  (you can replace with pork ribs)
Young ginger -   2 big pieces about 12cm in length
2 big knobs of garlic -  without skin

1 small piece of rock sugar 
1 small piece of gula melaka - 1 cm thick

Method

1)     Wash the meat.  Scrape the skin off the ginger.  You will find that scraping it with a metal spoon is
        much easier than  using the knife.   Slice them into small pieces.
2)     The original method of cooking asks for a good stainless cooking pot.  Without fire on yet, put all
         the ginger and garlic at the bottom of the pot.  Lay the piece of meat on top with skin facing up.
3)     Pour the black vinegar solution into the pot and switch on the fire.  Cook on medium heat for about
        15 mins. before lowering to low heat for another 20mins.  Turn the meat the other side.
        Add in the sugar (according to taste) and continue cooking
        for another 15 mins. and it is ready.  Cook longer if you want to have a softer texture.
       Arrange on plate and  cut the meat with the scissors when serving.

Apple Crumble

Made this on Christmas day as I have some green apples (7 big ones and 1 small one) in the house.  The ingredients a.re estimated.  I just used a pastry for tarts as the base. Bake the pastry for about 20 mins. and let cool.  I will have to find another pastry which has a softer texture  when baked as mine cracked easily though it tasted okay.  This pastry is suitable for tarts only.   Turned out not too bad for a 1st time. 

Crumble  :  Mix about 100gm chilled butter with 80 gm plain flour until resembles bread crumbs.  Mix  in
                 about 100gm castor sugar and some chopped walnuts.  Leave it in the fridge.

1)   Peel and core the apples.  Cut into small wedges.
2)   Heat up the work and put in  about 50 gm of butter. Add in the apples and about 3 tabsp of water, 1/2
      tsp cinnamon powder, 50 gm sugar (more or less according to taste) and some raisins and cook until
      the liquid evaporates.  When cool, squeeze half a lemon juice over the cooked apples and mix well.
3)  Scoop the cooked apples onto the pastry and spread the crumble on top.
4)  Bake at 160 deg. C for about 20 mins or until golden brown. Should eat it warm with vanilla ice-cream.

Egg Tarts

Made these egg tarts during the weekend.  Not all of them turned out like the ones in the photo.  Some of the egg fillings sort of a sink in the middle.    Making the tart shells is quite tedious but I might try another recipe later.

Baked Cheesecake

Made this yesterday afternoon and I guessed it was not chilled enough when I cut it at night.  It was a bit soft but by morning it has hardened and the texture  is a cross between a  cake and ice-cream.  Friends and colleagues love it. Definitely will  try again as it is easy to make.

Recipe

110 gm digestive biscuit (crushed them in plastic bag)
50 gm melted butter
Option -  I added some crushed almonds/nuts.

1)    Combine crushed biscuit with the melted butter and press until firm onto an 8" loose bottom cake pan.
       Bake for about 10 mins. at 160 deg. C.  Leave aside.

Filling:

500gm Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature
120gm castor sugar
3 large eggs (give it a whisk with a fork)
250gm whipping cream and 2 tsp of lemon juice (lightly whipped)
100 ml full cream milk
1/2 tsp of vanilla essence

50gm cooking chocolate - melted
Optional - Add in a tabsp of brandy

Method:

1)      Beat cream cheese together with the sugar until smooth.
2)      Beat in one egg at a time.
3)      Add in whipping cream and milk at slow speed.
4)      Spoon half portion of the batter into a bowl and add 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence.  (A)
5)      Blend  the melted chocolate into the other portion and beat it until well mixed.    (B)
6)      Spoon (A) onto the biscuit base followed by (B) until finish.  Use a skewer and give the
         batter a swirl.  Bake at 160 deg. C for about an hour.
7)     Open the oven door a little and let the cake cool in the oven completely.  Do not worry if the centre of
        the cake is a bit wobbly.  It should set later.
8)     Best to chill the cake overnight in the fridge.

Steamed Radish Cake (Lo Pak Ko)

My mood for trying out new recipes is back and here is my Steamed Radish Cake (Lo Pak Ko) which is a favourite disk in any Dim Sum Restaurant.   It was already past mid-night when I finished steaming the Lo Pak Ko.  This morning I cut out some pieces and pan fry them for breakfast.  As usual my colleagues will get to try them too.  The Lo Pak Ko can be eaten at it is or pan fried.  I didn't follow the full recipe but it turned out well.

I noticed that quite a numbe of people viewed this lo pak ko dish and must be disappointed that the recipe is not given here.   Please visit TasteHongKong.com for this lovely recipe.