"Ayam Goreng Berempah" - Fried Chicken with Spices

Ayam goreng berempah daun kari

“Fried Chicken with Spices” or better known as “Ayam Goreng Berempah” in the Malay Language is a very popular dish in Malaysia. It goes well with rice, in particular “Nasi lemak”. Please find below my recipe for making “Ayam Goreng Berempah”.

Ingredients

2 kg of chicken pieces
5 shallots
4 cloves garlic
4cm ginger
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp meat curry powder
2 strings of curry leaves (optional)
2 ½ tsp of salt
1 tsp sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp corn flour
Oil for deep frying

Procedure

Pound shallots, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds and cumin seeds.

In a bowl, mix the pounded ingredients with cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric and meat curry powder, salt, sugar, eggs and corn flour.

Mix well and leave the marinated chicken overnight so that all the flavour will absorb into the meat.

Heat oil on a pan and deep fry until chicken is cook and turns golden brown. Drain the fried chicken on the kitchen towel.

Heat up 2 tsp of the leftover frying oil with small flame fire and fry the curry leaves until crispy. Turn off the fire flame. Return the chicken into the pan and mix it together.

My kids love it, I hope you do too.

Recipe -Ah Mai's special Hainanese Chilli Sauce

Ah Mai's Hainanese Chilli Sauce

Our beloved "Ah Mai" who taught me the special recipe - "Hainanese Chilli Sauce"

Today I am going to share with you a traditional family recipe that has been handed down through many generations. I am indeed honoured and privileged to learn this recipe from my husband’s late aunty who was fondly known as “Ah Mai” (aunty in Hainanese dialect). The recipe is making the special Hainanese chilli sauce that goes really well with the “Hainanese Chicken Rice”. Ah Mai told me that “Hainanese Chicken Rice” is not complete without the special chilli sauce. She shared with me the ingredients and the technique in making this special sauce. I have tried it many times and find it  really good.

Ingredients

600 gm of fresh red chillies
5 cloves of garlic
1 inch of ginger
1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of fresh Calamondin juice or lime juice

Procedure

Wash and remove the seeds from the fresh chillies. Blend together with garlic and ginger.

Once blended, pour into a bowl. Mix well with salt, soy sauce and calamondin juice. Taste it and if it is too spicy add a little bit of sugar to suite your taste. Put into a bottle and keep in the refrigerator. You may serve as a dip or eat with the “Hainanese Chicken Rice”.

This article is dedicated to Ah Mai who left us last year. She is dearly missed but never forgotten. Having this “Hainanese chilli sauce” will always remind us of her sense of humour and her caring nature.

Recipe - Stewed Shiitake Mushroom

Stewed shiitake mushroom (Mrs Lee's recipe)

Today, I am going to share with you a recipe for making stewed shiitake mushroom. This is one of the best stewed mushroom dishes that I have ever tasted. This recipe comes from my husband’s good friend, Mrs Elizabeth Lee who cooked and gave us this delicious stewed shiitake mushroom in Kuala Lumpur many years ago. Last year, she came to Sydney for a visit and stayed with us a few days. While she was here she taught me how to cook this delicious dish. I am indeed fortunate to learn from her in making this dish.

Stewed shiitake mushroom

 Ingredients A

100 gm shiitake mushroom
3  cloves garlic
3  slices ginger
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark caramel sauce
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp corn flour
6 dates
1 litre water

Ingredients B

2 tbsp Soy sauce
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Oyster sauce
1 tsp Olive oil
Kei chi (goji berries or wolfberries)

Procedure

Soak mushroom for an hour in tap water.
Remove the stems.

Bring a pot to boil. Put in the mushroom and let it boil for a minute. Sieve the mushroom, set it aside and throw the water.

Cut garlic into big slice pieces.
Cut each slice ginger into 3 thick long pieces. Slightly crush the ginger.

Boil a pot of 1 litre water. Add in all ingredients A. Bring to boil.

Simmer it with medium frame fire until the water level reaches half.

Put in ingredients B and simmer again in small frame fire for half an hour.

Taste and once you are satisfied, ready to serve. You can eat it as a dish or as a side dish.

Food Review at Manta Restaurant, Woolloomooloo

Beautiful view from the restaurant

Today’s food review takes us to Manta Seafood Restaurant at 6 Cowper Wharf Road, Woolloomooloo, NSW 2011. The restaurant is located along the wharf overlooking the beautiful skyline of Sydney CBD with the beautiful yachts docked at the wharf and the sea breeze blowing gently onto our face. This is a fine dining restaurant, therefore our expectations on the quality and presentation of the food are high.

"Classic" baked spanner crab lasagne

We started our lunch with the Manta “classic” baked spanner crab lasagne with shellfish reduction and chervil as starter. It is stated in the menu that this dish is meant to be shared. Well, it is also interesting to note that this dish is listed under the heading “Small” which we take it to mean that portions under this category are meant to be starters or entrees. When the crab lasagne was placed on the table, we could see that the portion was definitely small and it was just enough for us (there were 3 of us in this dining experience) to have one bite each. The crab lasagne is very rich and it is meant to be savoured slowly to appreciate the sweetness of the crab meat together with the chervil and the sauce which was lightly poured by the waiter when it was served. We would give this dish a 7/10 for its quality, taste and presentation.

The King Trout

Our first main was the king trout with crispy skin, celeriac puree, herb gnocchi, Alaskan king crab meat, green peas, shaved brussels sprouts and lemon butter. It is stated in the menu that the king trout was aqua-farmed and came from Gouldburn River in the state of Victoria. The trout was moist and well cooked. However, the “crispy skin” was a let down. It was more “chewy” rather than “crispy”. The celeriac puree gave the trout a nice balance in flavour. We would rate this 7/10 for its quality and taste. As for presentation, we would rate it 8/10.

King George Whiting

Our second main was the King George Whiting, pan-fried sourdough crumbed fillets, kipfler potatoes, preserved lemon, aioli and cornichons (savoury pickled cucumber). The menu states that the whitings come from Kangaroo Island in South Australia and was line caught. We must say that the whiting was fresh however when pan-fried, it changed the texture of the fish and became a bit too dry for our liking. The aioli together with the cornichons complement the whiting but we found that it did not bring justice to the flavour of the fish. We would rate this dish 6/10 for its taste, 7/10 for its quality and 6/10 for a very simple presentation of the dish.

Grilled King Prawns

Our third main was the whole grilled king prawns with parsley, garlic and extract virgin olive oil. The king prawns were fresh and succulent. The grilled parsley, garlic and extract virgin olive oil complements and bring out the beautiful flavour in the prawns. Amongst all the mains, we love the king prawns. We would rate this dish a high 9/10 for its taste and quality and 8/10 for its presentation.

"Angel" chips with truffle oil

We also ordered a side order of Manta “angel” chips with truffle oil and parmesan. The chips or fries were cooked well and tasty. We would rate this side order a 8/10.

In conclusion and based on our dining experience at Manta Restaurant, we enjoyed the ambient of watching the skyline of Sydney CBD in the background and the waterfront in the foreground. The service was attentive as well as prompt. Like in any fine dining restaurant, expect to pay premium prices for the food and service.

Recipe - "Wa Tan Hor" / Cantonese Style Fried "Kway Teow" (Rice Noodles)

Cantonese Style Fried Rice Noodles “Kuey Teow”/ “Wa Tan Hor”

Growing up in Malaysia, one of my favourite hawker fare is the Cantonese style fried “kway teow” or in Hokkien, commonly known as “Kong Hoo Char Kway Teow” or just simply known as “Wa Tan Hor”. I can still vividly remember the hawker stall which was operated by a husband and wife team. Those days, it was common to find hawker stalls selling “Wa Tan Hor” together with the other famous hawker fried dishes such as “Hokkien Mee”, “Lor Mee”, “Chinese Fried Rice” and “Mee Soup”. The husband and wife would be operating as a very efficient team where one would do the frying while the other would be picking the ingredients to create that dish. Well, here is my recipe for “Wa Tan Hor”, hope you enjoy cooking it!

Ingredients

(per serving)

A

250 gm rice noodles
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark caramel sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg yolk

B

1 tbsp shallot oil (refer recipe : http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/jennifers-secret-ingredient-in-her.html)
1 tsp chopped garlic
4 slices of chicken meat
4 shrimps (peeled and de-vein) with tail intact
4 slices of fish cake
1 squid (cleaned and cut into 4 pieces)
Vegetables (“choy sum”/”sawi”/mustard greens); trimmed and washed

Marinade chicken meat with soy sauce, salt, pepper, ginger, sesame oil and corn flour
Marinade shrimps and squid with salt and pepper

C

300 ml chicken stock
[Chicken stock : simmer 1 kg of skinless chicken drumsticks with 1 ½ liter of water for at least an hour. The balance of the stock, you can freeze it for future use.]
½ tsp salt
½ tsp chicken stock powder (optional)
1 tsp chestnut flour or tapioca flour (Dissolve it with some water)
1 egg white

Unlike in Malaysia, you don’t get fresh rice noodles here in Australia. The texture of  the noodles are a little bit hard. So I would suggest that you gently wash the rice noodles in cold water. Boil a pot of hot water and blanch the rice noodles. Set aside and let it cool.

Procedure A

Heat the wok or pan. Put vegetable oil. Stir fry the rice noodles with soy sauce and dark caramel sauce. Add the egg yolk and stir fry until noodles become brownish in colour. Turn off the heat. Remove and place it on a serving plate.

Procedure B

Heat the wok or pan. Add shallot oil. Add the garlic and saute it to lightly brown. Put in chicken, squid, prawns, fish cake and lastly vegetables. Stir fry until cook. Once cooked, remove and set it aside.

Procedure C

In the same wok or saucepan, pour the chicken stock, bring it to boil. Add salt. Put all the ingredients from procedure B. Boil it together for a few seconds. Taste the gravy. Add the chicken stock powder if necessary.

Add in the chestnut flour or tapioca flour. Stir it. Turn off the flame. Add the egg white and stir it well.

Dish the gravy and pour over the fried rice noodles. Sprinkle with some fried shallots. Serve it hot. Best eaten together with pickled green chillies (Recipe : - http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/recipe-pickled-green-chillies.html )

Recipe - Fried "Bee Hoon" / Rice Vermicelli

Recipe Fried “Bee Hoon” / Rice Vermicelli
In this post, I will be sharing with you the recipe for fried “bee hoon”. The main sauces are Chilli and Tomato which are sauces that are not often use in cooking. However in the case of “fried bee hoon”, I find that it makes the dish really delicious! So, let’s get on with it:-

Ingredients

250 g “Bee Hoon” / Rice Vermicelli
1 tsp garlic finely chopped
1 brown onion finely chopped
20 gm dried prawns (de shelled, wash and pound)
10 fresh prawns (peeled and de-vein; cut into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size of the prawn)
1 tbsp soy sauce
¼ white pepper
2 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tsp seafood seasoning stock or ½ cube anchovy stock
Fish cake
2 eggs
Vegetables (choy sum/cabbage/bean sprouts)
200 ml of tap water
3 tbsp of shallot oil or vegetable oil

Soak the “bee hoon”  in cold tap water for approximately ½ hour.
Drain and set aside.
Rinse, wash and cut your vegetables. Set aside.
Beat the eggs, add pepper and salt. Fry eggs omelette style. Cut thinly in strips. Set aside.
Fish cake; slice in strips and pan fried it. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix all the sauces together; soy sauce, white pepper, tomato and chilli sauce.

Heat a big wok or a large frying pan to high flame. Add the oil. Once oil is hot, lower the flame to medium.
   
Firstly, saute the brown onions until medium done, add garlic and saute both till golden brown. Add in the dried prawns and cook it well until it produces an aromatic smell. Next, add the fresh prawns. Once cook, pour all the sauces into the wok/pan.

Put water and bring all your stock to boil. Add the seasoning follow by the vegetables and next put in the “bee hoon”. Mix well with all the ingredients.

Once the “bee hoon” is cook, lower the heat to the smallest and fry the “bee hoon” until it is quite dry. Have a quick taste, add salt or soya sauce if it is not to your taste. Put in the fish cake and mix it well. Turn off the flame.

Remove the “bee hoon” and serve on a plate. Top it with the eggs and garnish it with chopped spring onions (optional) and fried crispy shallots (refer recipe : http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/jennifers-secret-ingredient-in-her.html )

Recipe - Dry Wan Tan noodles

Dry Wan Tan noodles recipe:-

Dry Wan Tan noodles with choy sum, char siu, homemade braised mushroom and pickled green chillies.

My grandma used to make Wan Tan noodles for breakfast and sometimes she packed it for us to bring to school. She loved it spicy and always mixed the noodles with Lingham’s chilli sauce. I prefer to eat it with pickled green chillies.

In Malacca, I lived two houses away from a hawker stall selling Wan Tan noodles. Back then, I love to watch Ah Lek cook the noodles. The noodles textures are always springy and firm never mushy.

Wan Tan noodles are easily accessible in wet markets or Asian grocery stores if you live in Australia.

Ingredients

One handful of fresh wan tan noodles approximately 100gm
Choy sum, trimmed and washed

Sauce (per serving)
1 tbsp shallot oil (refer to recipe : http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/jennifers-secret-ingredient-in-her.html)
½ tbsp dark caramel sauce
½ tbsp light soy sauce
½ tbsp sesame oil
½ tbsp oyster sauce

Prepare a pot of boiling water, add a drop of oil and a pinch of salt. Blanch the choy sum for 20 seconds until cooked. Remember to put the stems first follow by the leaves. Once cooked, set aside.

Separately prepare a bowl of cold water and a bowl of hot boiled water.

Discard the vegetable water. Bring a pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add the noodles and cook it for a minute (taste to test whether it is cook). Then, blanch it in the cold water. Thereafter, quickly blanch into the bowl of hot boiled water. Preferably use a sieve to remove the noodles from the cold/hot boiled water.

Mix all the sauces into a bowl or plate, follow by the noodles. Mix it well.

Serve the noodles with char siu, stewed shiitake mushroom (refer to recipe below), choy sum, a bowl of  Wan Tan soup and pickled green chillies (refer to recipe below). You may also sprinkle some of the crispy fried shallots on top of the noodles.

Recipe for pickled green chillies : (http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/06/recipe-pickled-green-chillies.html )

Recipe for stewed shiitake mushroom : (http://5foodway.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/recipe-braised-shiitake-mushroom.html )