Coconut Milk and Palm Sugar Jelly

Bonjour tout le monde,

Two weeks school holiday come and go every two months here just everytime season change. Unlike in some Asian countries, there is only tropical season and long holiday only begin in November to December and short school holiday around March and Jun or July.

A few days ago, last day at my art class before school holiday, I've made some dessert for my friends in class and this sweet dessert is typical Malaysian and popular dessert are made with gula melaka or palm sugar. One of the sweets that I made are called agar-agar santan gula melaka or coconut milk palm sugar jelly. One of our friends ask for the recipes, and I told her that this recipe just as simple as any other jelly recipe, the only different they are using Asian product like coconut milk and palm sugar. And these product we can get here in Bio shop or Asian grocery shop.

COCONUT MILK AND PALM SUGAR JELLY

Ingredients;

12gm agar agar strips or powder
750ml water
150gm palm sugar, chopped into small piece
200ml coconut cream or milk
A pinch of salt

METHOD;

- Soak agar agar strips with water just to soften a few minutes.
- Place drain agar agar with water in a pot and bring to boil until agar agar dissolved.
- Add palm sugar, stir and let the sugar completely dissolved.
- Add coconut milk and salt and stir for a minute or two. Remove from stove.
- Strain the agar agar mixture and pour to jelly moulds or tray.
- Let the jelly cool a bit before transfer to refrigerator for at least 2 hour before serving.
- Once set, we will see the 2 layer separate like magic...

Bon appétit!

Seafood Paella

Hola, buenos dias!

It's a beginning of spring season now and soon there will be flowers popping up everywhere. The weather has been very good and pleasant over the past few days, winter almost over and no more ice in the car every morning. J'adore le printemps!

Alors, let's talk food now. Paella, Spain's most famous dish, a good food and colorful one dish meal that people want to eat a lot. I made this dish many time even during my holiday in my hometown and sure my family liked paella too.

There are many versions of paella recipe and this one is just a simple seafood paella or paella de marisco which is contains a mix of fish, squids, prawns, clams and mussels.

One big pan of paella for my big family in my hometown

SEAFOOD PAELLA

Recipe for 3-4 people
Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 cups grain rice, washed
4 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked with 1/4 cup water for 1-2 hours
1 tablespoon saffron powder
200g squids
200g prawns
200g fish
200g mix frozen seafood
1 cup frozen green peas
Salt to taste
Olive oil

METHOD:

- Heat little olive oil in paella pan or work and sauté onion until soft and add tomatoes.
- Add bell pepper and squids, stir for a few minutes.
- Add the rice, and stir thoroughly until the rice coat with other ingredients.
- Slowly pour water, saffron threads and saffron powder until all ingredients are all cover.
- Arrange the other seafoods and spreading out evenly around the pan. Salt to taste.
- Simmer in a medium heat, and once the rice is almost cooked, sprinkle peas over the top.
- When rice is cooked, remove from heat and let paella rest for a few minutes.
- Slice lemons and serve alongside paella.

Bon appétit!

Samosa and Spring Roll

Salut tout le monde,

About a years ago, I am watching one of the cooking program from local TV station that showing about making samosa by using feuille de brick or brick pastry. I am eager to know and even starting to see and buy them in supermarkets. Before, I just knew about egg roll wrappers that sold in Asia. I discovered the joys of feuilles de brick and it made a perfectly light and crispy samosas and spring rolls.

Since spring roll and samosa are my favorite snacks, I was hooked and since then I ended up by making these snacks using feuille de brick and to be honest I liked it.

SAMOSA

- For the samosa filling, I used the same recipe for curry puff filled with curry potato.
- How to make samosa at home, I suppose its easy to google or watch youtube and follow the step by step picture or video.

SPRING ROLL

- For the spring roll filling, I used exactly the same recipe for my spring roll  from the previous post.
- We eating spring roll like the real Vietnamese way, rolled up in lettuce and mint leaves and dipped with fish sauce or sweet chilli sauce. The tastes even better that way.
- For both samosa and spring roll, we can use whatever filling inside and whatever vegetables or meat we had at home.


Enjoy and bon appétit!

Prawn Masala

Namaste,

I haven't post any recipes for quite a long time, but today I felt I want to post this prawns recipe just because I crave for Indian food for the past few days. Another reason is this prawn masala taste was really good and mon mari said that this is an exceptional dishes. It's surprising but at the same time I'm happy that he liked it.

For me, this meal doesn't need to be fancy, just something that provide a satisfying meal and we enjoyed the food.

PRAWN MASALA

Ingredients:

200gm prawns, without shell
2 onions, chopped
2 tomato, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 tablespoon tamarind or 1/2 cup tamarind juice
A few curry leaves
Salt and sugar to taste
Fresh chopped coriander for ganish

METHOD:

- Marinated prawn with little bit of salt, lemon juice, a pinch of chilli powder, turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste. Let it aside for 1 or 2 hour.
- Heat little oil in pan and fry chopped onion until soft and brown.
- Add curry leaves, ginger garlic paste and fry for a minutes.
- Add all the powder masala and chopped tomatoes. Let cook for another few minutes.
- Add the marinated prawns, mix well and add tamarind juice.
- Season with salt and sugar and cook until the gravy are slightly thick.

We ate our prawn masala with roti prata and it was really really good. Bon appetit!

English-Style Fish and Chips

Hello,

I haven't eaten a real English fish and chips for almost a year now. But, recently I do made fish and chip at home like real English style fish and chips that we had in England last year. I supposed the tastes even better than a restaurant as mon mari said it was the best fish and chips he's ever had.

It's a big compliment for me and I'm so happy he like it. So, this the simple yet delicious English-style fish and chips recipe.

ENGLISH-STYLE FISH AND CHIPS

Ingredients:

200g fish fillet, cod or white fish
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-11/2 cups sparkling/fizzy water or beer
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying

METHOD:

- In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt and pepper.
- Add sparkling water or beer and mix until it become thick and smooth batter. Let the batter rest for at least 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, lay the fish fillets in a paper towel, season with salt and pepper and toss the fish with plain flour.
- Dip into the batter and deep fried in the hot oil. Fry until the batter crispy and golden.
- Serve with homemade tartar sauce, fries and mushy peas.

What a great food for dinner, bon appétit!