an overdue post; Steamed caramel cake/ kek gula merah kukus, kuih koci and onde-onde

I have been meaning to put these on the post, unfortunately as  Ramadhan is in the last 10 days... I have been so busy with cookies for Syawal. In addition to that, I am also in the middle of making baju raya for Aleesya and for myself... As for now, the top part of the dress has been done and the skirt is on its way. Let us hope that all will be finish before the fasting month is done.

Steamed caramel cake.

Ingredients (serve 2 people)
75mg sugar
50 ml hot water
35 mg melted butter
2.5 tbs evaporated milk
1 egg beaten
75mg plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
an extra 35 mg sugar

Method
1. make a caramel by heating the 75mg sugar in a saucepan. Once the sugar has turned to brown in colour, pour hot water.
2. Cool the caramel to room temperature. You should be able to obtain about 1/3 cup of caramel at this point. If less, add an extra water to make it 1/3 cup.
3. add melted butter, milk and beaten egg to the caramel mixture. Stir well until combined.
4. sift all the dry ingredients and mix with the liquid mixtures to form a smooth batter.
5. line the 6 ramekin dish with greaseproof paper.
6.pour the batter into the dish.
7. steam the batter for 15-20 minutes

This one is one of my favourites... It is my first time making them...

ingredients
250 g glutinous rice flour
1 tbs rice flour
1/2 cup black glutinous rice flour
1 1/2 cup water

ingredients of the filling
100g palm sugar
5 tbs water
1pandanus leaf
100g grated coconut/ dessicated coconut
30 of 5 inches x 5 inches banana leafs

method
Mix all the ingredients for the filling and cook for low heat until the filling is thick and glossy.
Cool the filling.

to make the dough
mix all the  dry ingredients in the bowl and add water slowly. Knead the dough to form a smooth pliable dough.

to assemble the dessert.

1. Pinch off small ball of dough and roll the ball to smooth the ball's surface. Create a well in the centre of the ball and insert the 1 tsp of filling within the ball. Carefully pull the dough over and close the well.
2. repeat the process to the rest of the dough.
3. In a heavily bottomed pan, cook 250 ml of coconut milk with pinch of salt. Cool the coconut milk.
4. Dip the dough into the coconut milk and and place the ball on the centre of the banana leaf.
5. Fold the banana leaf as below. Fold the edges over the base to seal it.
6. Steam the desert for 15 minutes.

Onde-onde

ingredients
100 g glutinous rice flour
75 ml pandanus juice from 4 pandan leafs
1 tbs water
100 g palm sugar, grated ( or brown sugar)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs rice flour
50 g grated coconut or dessicated coconut.

method
combine all dry ingredients in the bowl.
add water and pandanus juice slowly and knead the dough to form a smooth pliable dough.
Pinch out a ball from the dough and create a well in the middle of the ball. Fill the centre of the ball with 1 tsp of palm sugar.
Mix the grated coconut with salt.
Bring pan of water to boil, then lower the heat so that the water simmers gently.
Place the ball into the simmering water.
Once the onde-onde float on top of the water, remove the ball and drain off the water. Place the onde-onde in the grated coconut so that they coat evenly.

Kuih Bakar Ubi and Kuih Karipap

Forgive me for not writing earlier. I was too caught up with Ramadhan and Syawal preparation.... Between looking after the little one, cookings, baking cookies and sewing baju raya....

As the time for fasting is long this time of the year, I often overslept whilst putting Aleesya to sleep in the evening time ( I usually pretend to sleep and lie next too her... which often accidentally led me to the sleeping mode). As a result, less time is spend with the computer since I can only do this when she is asleep.

Kuih Bakar Ubi

1kg of topiaca ( the outer hard skin and the inner middle root to be removed).
1 cup of sugar
400 ml of coconut milk

Method

1. Shred the topiaca using the shredder. Add plenty of water to the topiaca, washed and sieved shredded topiaca to remove the bitter topiaca milk.
2. add sugar and coconut milk to the shredded topiaca.
3. level and bake the mixture in square or rectangular baking pan for 200 degree celcius ; 45 minute or until the top layer turns yellow/brown.

Kuih Karipap

Ingredients

400 mg potatoes
500mg mince beef
300 mg onions ( 2 large onions)
Pound 2 shollots, 1 inch ginger, 2 garlics)
1 cinnamon stick
3 tbs chicken curry powder
1 tsp salt

Pastry for (50 karipap)

2tbs vegetable shortening
400g  plain flour
salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Method

1. Fry the pounded ingredients, once the onions turn into brown in colour, add curry powder.
2. Sauteed the onions and add the mince beef. Fry the mince beef until it is well cooked.
3. Add the cubed potatoes. Add 1 cup of water and cook the filling until all the water is dried.

To make the dough.

1. Mix salt into the plain flour.
2. Rub the flour with oil and the vegetable shortening until the flour turn into crumb mixtures.
3. Add water bit by bit and knead the dough until the dough is satin smooth.
4. Divide the dough into 5 small balls.
5. Roll the dough flat.
6. Using the round pastry cutter, press the cutter onto the flat dough. You should be able to get 8-9 round pastry.
7. Fill the pastry with the filling and seal the sides.
8. Pinch the edges with scallop design.
9. Deep fry the currypuff.

Durian pancake and kuih keria

Curiosity killed the cat... that is exactly why I made durian pancake. I have never tasted one but due to overwhelming fuss about it in facebook... I thought I would give a try. To be honest, I am not really a durian fan though my whole family are..... and my verdict...to my surprise... the pancake is sinfully surprisingly delicious. I would definitely make it again!

Durian Pancake

Ingredients ( make 10 small pancakes)

125 g plain flour

250 ml coconut milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pandan paste

durian

butter for greasing the pan

125 ml fresh double cream

Method

mix plain flour, coconut milk, salt and pandan paste in the blender.

using slow heat, heat the non stick pan and grease it with butter.

add 1 ladle of batter into the pan and smooth it into round shape. ( Do not flip the pancake to the other side to produce a smooth finishing of the pancake).

Cold the pancake on the plate. If you want to layer the pancake with the successive pancakes, please separate the pancakes using the plastic to prevent them from sticking with each other.

Beat the double cream until it is thick and stiff.

To assemble the pancake

Put the double cream in the middle of pancake, then add the durian on top of the double cream. Later, add another dollop of cream to cover the durian.

Fold the pancake into a square and chill them in the fridge. 

Kuih Keria

Ingredients

500 mg sweet potatoes

1 1/4 cup of plain flour

salt to taste

3 tbs sugar

1/2 cup water

Method

1. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour.

2. Mash the potatoes and mix it with plain flour.

3. roll the dough into a doughnut shape.

4. Deep fry the dough.

5. in a clean sauce pan, cook sugar and water until it is thick and syrupy. Add the potato rings and coat them with the sugar. Cook under slow heat in which eventually lead to formation of crystallised sugar around the potatoes ring.

Kuih Tepung Pelita

I have to say this one is one of my favourites during Ramadhan.... Alhamdulillah, after numerous attempts through out the years I have finally succeeded making them today.

For those interested making the kelongsong for kuih tepung pelita; you can view the methods here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaWPIpDbLMU

Ingredients

pandanus leaf for kelongsong

A
1 cup rice flour
1 cup sugar
5 cups water
4 pandanus leaf
lime stone paste/kapur makan
1/2 tsp of salt

B
4 cups coconut milk taken from 1 coconut
4tbs rice flour
1/2tsp of salt

Method

Blend all ingredients in A and sift the mixture to remove the  pandanus leaf.
cook the mixture A until it is well cook ( the mixture change from thin green dull consistency to thick shiny green consistency)
add 1/2 tsp of sugar at the base of kelongsong.
put a tbs of the mixture as a base in the kelongsong.

mix all ingredients in B and cook under slow fire until it change into thick mixture/paste.
layer the top of the green mixture with the coconut layer.
Serve it cold.

Bubur Pulut Hitam and Apam Balik

Salam viewers,
Alhamdulillah, today marked the 5th day of Ramadhan.... For the past few days we have been spending our time in Coleraine since hubby is working over the Bank Holiday weekend. The weather has been great for the past 2 weeks and we have been making trips to the beach on a daily basis. Even though I have been living here for number of years, not once have i seen so many people swim in the sea with exception of this year.

Well back to the recipe for yesterday and today;

Bubur pulut hitam

Ingredients
I cup black glutinous rice ( soak for more than 12 hours)
150gm palm sugar
1 tsp salt
200 ml coconut milk
An extra cooked 200 ml of coconut milk. (optional)
1 pandan leaf

Methods

1. Boil the glutinous rice with pandan leaf and water until it is soft and well cook.
2. Add palm sugar and salt.
3. Add coconut milk. Keep on stirring until mixture reach to boiling point.
4. It is now ready to be served with additional cooked coconut milk.

Apam Balik ( for 2 people)

Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda bicarbonate
3/4 cup milk
1 medium size egg
1 tbs melted butter
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
butter for greasing

garnishing
1/2 cup roasted, chopped nuts
1 small tin of sweet corn
1 small tin of ready made custard
sugar

methods

Mix all ingredients excepts the garnishing.
Heat the frying pan and grease it with butter.
Spread the batter thinly on the frying pan like a pancake and garnish the top of the pancake with the garnishing.

Pengat pisang

I have to say, this is one of of my favourite traditional desserts. It is one of the few sweet ones that is being cooked regularly in mak's place. It is also one of the earliest dessert that I learnt to make when I was young.

Ingredients ( for 2 people)
3 bananas
200 ml coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped palm sugar
1 tsp of salt
1 pandan leaf

methods
1. Peel the bananas and cut into smaller pieces.
2. Mix coconut milk, palm sugar, pandan leaf and salt and cook under slow fire.
3. Once the coconut milk started to boil, add the bananas.
4. turn off fire once the bananas are soft.

Kuih Cara

I have to say, this dessert is one of the earliest dessert I learnt to make. I remember making them when I was 10 with our helper in the house. Mak as I remember fondly even until now, rarely make any sweet dessert and in fact, she is more a savoury person.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup of plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

200 ml coconut milk

100 ml pandanus juice ( taken from 4 leaves and blitz with water)

oil for greasing the pan/mould

sugar to fills the cakes

Methods

1.Add plain flour, salt, eggs, coconut milk and pandanus juice into the blender and blend them.

2. Sift the mixtures.

3. Grease the kuih cara mould with oil and heat the mould under slow fire.

4. Fill the mould halfway and and add 1/2 tsp of sugar into the mould ( make sure the sugar does not hit

    the side of the mold to prevent the sugar from being caramelise. Afterward, fill up the mould with the 

    rest of the batter until it is  full.

5. Cover the mould with the covering pan to speed the process of cooking.

6. It takes 6-8 minutes for the cake to cook.

Che' mek molek

The cuisine is well known in Kelantan and Terengganu. It tastes very much like kuih keria only that the sugar is enclosed within the dessert.
I have made a little alteration to the original recipe simply because of different type of sweet potatoes used in this variation in comparison to Malaysian sweet potatoes. The British one has more water; hence boiling the potatoes will make the dough too sticky.

Ingredients

1 kg sweet potatoes
2 cups of plain flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup of sugar cane
oil for frying

Method
1. Bake the sweet potatoes on its skin in the oven 180 celcius for 1 hour.
2. Once they are cold, peel the skin and mash the potatoes.
3. Add flour and make a dough.
4. Make an oval ball size 3 cm from a dough. Make a hole and fill the middle of the ball with 1/2 tsp of sugar.
5. Fry the balls under slaw fire so that the sugar in its cavity is cooked.
6. Enjoy the food.

ramadhan

Ramadhan comes again this year.... As last year, this Ramadhan will be a long one since it happens during summer month. Start at 3 am and break fast at 10pm... It is definitely going to be a challenging one for us. Last year, I have tried to challenge myself to come with one traditional dessert per each ramadhan day. Sadly to say, i have only managed to come with 15 desserts out of 30 fasting days. This year... Insya-Allah I will try again.... But this time I will blog about it with each passing day... so please keep this page open if you are interested with the recipes.

Salam Ramadhan to all the readers out there... May this Ramadhan bring us more takwa and closer to Him and to each other... Insya-Allah.

5:2 diet

Ever since I have passed 30 years of age, maintaining my weight has become an issue... I could no longer eat as much as I used to.... In fact as one's age climbs, the metabolism is slowing down and being at home; it makes things even more difficult ( yes ! I tend to cook and bake more to fill in my free time....)

The discovery of 5:2 diet certainly gives you peace of mind... Alhamdulillah being a Muslim this works brilliantly since you could collect pahala along with helping you to maintain weight.

The 5:2 means 5 days of normal eating regimen and two days of restriction of calories ( 500 kCal for women, and 600 kCal for men). It is certainly diet for people who loves her food. The easy way of doing it is to fast on Monday and Thursday and to eat normally for the rest of the week....

To boost my confident with this new diet, I have recently purchased a new book 'The fasting day Cook Book'... I have tried two of the recipes yesterday... and all i have to say... it is absolutely divine!

KLEFTIKO... ' traditional Greek recipe' ( for 4 people), 350 kCal

Ingredients

8 lamb chops
2 lemons
1 tbs dried oregano
2 tbs olive oil
2 onions cut into 4
2 bay leaves
150 ml dry white wine ( I replaced this with juice of white grapes)
150 ml stock

1. Marinate the lamb with lemon juice. oregano, salt and pepper for few hours.... (i only did mine for 1 hour though).
2. heat the olive oil on the pan and fry the lamb on high heat until it browns on both sides.
3. transfer the lamb into the shallow dish/ pyrex, add the rest of the ingredients into the dish.
4. cover the dish with aluminium foil.
5. Roast the lamb for 160 degree celcius for 2.5 hours.
6. now enjoy the food!

I had this with chips and boiled asparagus...  the taste is almost like roast lamb only the meat is softer and nicer.

Tomato and peach salad with avocado salsa
195 kCal
serve 4

Ingredients

1 large ripe beef tomato (I replaced this with cherry tomatoes, and  I halved them)
2 large firm peaches, cut into small pieces ( I think you could replace this with mangoes if peaches is not in season)

salsa
1/2 small ripe avocado ( cube them)
2 spring onions (chopped them)
1 small red chilli (chopped them)
1 garlic clove crushed
1 1/2 tsp chopped coriander
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

dressing
1 tbs caster sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbs olive oil

Mixed the salad with the avocado salsa. Drizzled the dressing on top of the salad...

Baju kurung: the final part of the dress...

Apologies for taking such a long time to update my blog.... the reasons being are because i was so busy with dresses' sewing for the little one. Alhamdulillah, all were worn during our little escapade home quite recently.

In between these dresses projects, I was also caught up with bakings birthday cakes.... travelling to Paphos, Nice and quite recently to Lake Como.... Lastly but not least was our annual holiday to home. We had such a hectic time at home, between a visit to Jakarta and Bandung and trying to squeeze an engagement party for my little sister.... Alhamdulillah, it all went well and 2 weeks after being back from KL we are still feeling down missing home.

Well, as promised, this is going to be the final part of the making of baju kurung.

1. line the pesaks and the kekek on the floor, making sure the kekek is facing the short/curve part of the pesak.

2. Draw an 'L' line 1 inch away from the outside border of the kekek.

3. Sew the pesak to the kekek following the 'L' line . It will now look like this.

4. Do the same on the other side of the pesak following the 'L' line on the kekek.

5. Now, sew the two pesaks together starting from the middle 'L' point.

6. Line the (kekek+pesak) below the sleeve on the floor making sure the widest part of the sleeve lies on top of the (kekek+pesak).

7. draw an 'L' line on the kekek.

8. Sew the bottom part of the sleeve to the pesak and kekek. End the sewing at the middle point of 'L' on the kekek.

9. now, repeat the sewing on the other side of the sleeve.

10. sew the  2 bottom parts of the sleeves beginning from the middle 'L' point.

11. Repeat point 1-10 to form the left side of baju kurung.

12. Mark the shoulder line on the sleeves.

13. Mark the shoulder line on the body part of the dress. 

14. Now sew the body to the (sleeve+pesak) using the mark located on each fabric as a starting point.

15. repeat the sewing on the other side of the dress.

16. Finish the dress by hand stitching the bottom part of the sleeves and the dress with sembat stitching.

17. Congratulations.... you are finally done with making the top part of baju kurung. It is time to try it on in front of the mirror.

Baju Kurung; Part 4: How to make the neck/leher for baju kurung

There are many methods of making the neck for baju kurung. For most, using an interfacing and bias binder. I somehow like to use the traditional method... it is slightly tedious and time consuming but the result is definitely better than former.

Methods

1. Place the neck interfacing (wrong side up) over the hole of the neck (right side up).

2. pin the interfacing over the neck of the dress.

4. machine stitch or hand stitch (back stitches) 2/8 inches away from the raw edges of the neck.

5. make a slant nip using scissor at the end of each side of the neckline. Trim the interfacing with scissors so that it is 1 inch in width.

6. fold the interfacing inside out.

7. press iron the neck hole.
8. Hand stich the interfacing to the dress using sembat stitches.

I usually do the bottom part last since it is the most difficult part to sembat.

9. Finally add decorative stitches like mata lalat, sulam karipap or tulang belut at the edges of the neck.

Now you are done for a day...

Baju kurung: Part 3 ; How to cut the fabric

This is the continuation of long awaiting  ' Making baju kurung' series....

The length of fabric needed for baju kurung (45 inches width fabric)

babies = 1 metre
toddler = 1.5 metres
4-6 year old = 2 metres
7-10 year old = 3 metres
11-14 year old = 3.5 metres
adult = 4 metres depending on size of the adult

if using 60 inches width of fabric:
adult: 3.25 metres of fabric.


Methods
1. cut the pattern from the brown paper. Cut the pattern for the 'leher' according to the photos below.

Cut the quadrangle part on the dress pattern.

2. Fold the fabric horizontally along the "length" of the fabric. Place the 'dress/badan' pattern on the folded fabric. Since the pattern does not include hem/basi, add 0.5 inches on the side of the 'dress' pattern. Add 2.5 inches hem on the lower part of the dress.

Note that there is 0.5 inches extra on the left side of the fabric left for the hem.

3.Fold the folded fabric vertically with size according to the pattern. Don't forget to add an extra 2.5 inches on the lower part of the dress for basi/hem. Cut the fabric.

Place the pattern with the small quadrangle on its side on the folded side of fabric.

4. With the fabric remain folded in to two, cut the 'pesak'. Mark the straight line part of the pesak with 'X'. Make sure you add an extra 0.5 inches around the pesak for basi, and an extra 2.5 inches on the bottom part of the pesak. Cut 2 sets of these.

 

mark the straight line part/ the longer part of the pesak with 'x' along the way with the marker.

5. Fold the remaining fabric horizontally, and cut the 'hand' according to the pattern. Add basi; 0.5 inches around the trace fabric and 2.5 inches on the wrist area for hem. Cut 2 of them.

6. To cut the 'leher', fold the cut dress fabric vertically into two. Mark the midline area with the marker.

7. Mark the quadrangle on to the fabric using the marker on the folded site of the fabric.

8. Using the 'leher' pattern, trace the fabric with the marker using the 'leher' pattern. Make sure that correct side of pattern is traced on to the fabric; "up and down"; up = 1/4 inches away from the end of the shoulder , down = 1/2 inches below from the neck line)

Mark 4 inches straight line from the neck line area.

9. Cut the fabric.

10. Fold the fabric remnant in to 2. Trace the 'leher' pattern again to create an interfacing for the "leher".

11. Cut the fabric.

12. cut the kikik ( 2 of them). Don't forget to add 0.5 inches basi/hem around it. 

The cut fabrics are now ready to be sewn.

You should be left with 2 metres of fabric meant for the skirt/ kain.

You also should get 1 body, 2 hands, 2 kikik, 4 pesak and interfacing for the leher.

I know it is bit complicated, but I really hope that i am making sense here... Please ask if you get lost in any steps.

good luck!