Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2014

Wishing all readers and friends celebrating this special occasion, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri :) To everyone else, enjoy the holidays!

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Recipe: Rendang Daging Tok Perak + Indian-style stir fried cabbage (Raya Special)

Once again, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all my Muslim friends and readers. Rendang is a popular dish served during the Raya celebrations, and one of my favourite versions is the dark and dry beef rendang from Perak, rendang tok.

Rendang tok is one of Perak's most famous Malay dishes and was once served within palace confines only. I have never made rendang from scratch before, so I challenged myself to attempt this rendang tok recipe from scratch. The beef is first marinated in a spice mix of coriander, fennel, cumin and black peppercorns for 2 hours, and then slow cooked in coconut milk, spice paste (made of shallots, galangal, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass and garlic), kerisik and several other spices such as cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom and kaffir lime leaves.

Rendang Tok Perak

Kerisik is often used in curries and rendangs, and is simply freshly grated coconut which has been toasted until dark brown and then ground to a paste. It is sometimes referred to as coconut butter and gives rendang its unique taste. Although it can be store bought, it has been said the coconut oil which has been kept for some time can smell stale and unappetizing. Making it by scratch is not difficult, but just takes a little time. The toasted coconut filled the room with a wonderful fragrance. I ground the toasted coconut in a mortar and pestle, which took about 15 minutes however I will try it in a food processor next time to save time (especially if results are similar).

Kids helping measure out the spices for the marinade

Oh yes, yesterday also marked the day that I finally unboxed my new Le Creuset pot which I bought during our holidays in UK. Used it for the first time to cook my rendang tok. :)

Isn't she a beauty?

Although there are not many steps in the preparation of rendang tok, the preparation can be quite laborious, especially if everything is ground/pounded using a mortar and pestle. Using a blender/food processor will definitely save a lot of time but I felt like I had a good arm workout yesterday from using the mortar and pestle ;) Once everything is in the pot, you just leave it to simmer away, stirring ocassionally and allow it to reduce until the rendang is dry; this will take approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Apparently it tastes better the next day after the flavours have infused even more, so I cooked 1 kg of beef, thinking that there would be leftover for Raya, but it was so good (according to Hubby) that he had 3 huge helpings. All gone!

For rendang usually, you can use a cheaper cut, and the slow cooking will tenderise the meat. I had some O'Connor braising oyster blade which was wonderfully tender after 2 1/2 hours of cooking, and very fragrant and flavourful from all the spices used. Great for those who like a rendang with a low spiciness level. Truly delicious rendang tok, however in future I must remember to cook at least 2 kg to feed my hungry family :)

The rendang tok was served with a choice of white rice or lemang, and a Indian-style stir fried cabbage. The lemang is bought from a roadside stall near our home, one of the best accompaniments to rendang. I have also shared the simple recipe for the Indian-style stir-fried cabbage, which is quick and easy to cook.

Look at the beautiful sky last evening with double rainbow ;)

Rendang Tok Perak
Recipe by Baby Sumo, ingredients adapted from Nasi Lemak Lover
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 2 1/2 to 3 hours
Serves 4-5


Ingredients
1 kg beef, cut into 3cm chunks

For the beef marinade
2 tbsp coriander seeds (ketumbar)
2 tsp cumin seeds (jintan putih)
2 tsp fennel seeds (jintan manis)
1 tsp black peppercorns (lada hitam)
1 1/2 tsp salt (garam)


For the spice paste
25 shallots (bawang kecil), peeled
7 cloves garlic (bawang putih), peeled
7 stalks lemongrass (batang serai), cut into segments
1” blue ginger (lengkuas/galangal), peeled
1” old ginger (halia),peeled
½” turmeric ( kunyit hidup), peeled

Other ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp red chili powder (serbuk chili)
7 pcs kaffir lime leaves (daun limau purut), snipped with scissors
2 tbsp palm sugar (gula Melaka)
7 pcs cardamom (buah pelaga)
6 pcs cloves ( bunga cengkih)
1 pc cinnamon stick (kulit kayu manis)

For the coconut milk

1 coconut (300g), added with 2 cups of water - to yield 300ml thick coconut milk and 250ml thin coconut milk

For the kerisik

100g fresh grated coconut

Salt, to taste


1. Lightly toast the spices (cumin, fennel, coriander seeds) in a wok over low heat for 3 minutes or until fragrant. Using a mortar and pestle (or grinder), grind the spices and peppercorn into powder. Marinade the beef with the spices and salt for 2 hours.

2. To make the kerisik, place the freshly grated coconut into a wok over medium heat and toast until it turns to a dark brown colour. Stir frequently, this will take about 15-20 minutes. Once browned, place the toasted coconut into a mortar and pestle and pound/grind until there is oil released from the kerisik (this will take 15 mins). Set aside. If you want to save time, you can also place the toasted coconut in a food processor to produce kerisik.

Freshly grated coconut

Toasted coconut

Kerisik (after being ground for 15 mins)

3. Place the spice paste ingredients into an electric blender with 3 tbsp of water and blend until you get a paste. (Note: The paste is a bright yellow colour)

Galangal (L) and Turmeric (R)

Place the spice paste ingredients in the blender and blitz

4. Place all ingredients (marinated beef, coconut milk, kerisik, spice paste + other ingredients) into a large pot. Bring to the boil over medium high heat, and once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until the rendang is dry and meat is tender. (Note: At the start, the liquid will look a pale yellow, then gradually become a darker brown once the rendang gets drier)

Right at the start of cooking (pale yellow)

After 1 1/2 hours, the rendang is a darker brown, and liquid has reduced

5. Season with more salt, as necessary.

6. Remove and serve with rice or lemang.

Indian-style stir fried cabbage
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 6-7 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
450g cabbage, sliced thinly
2 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp black mustard seeds (biji sawi)
3/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp vegetable stock granules
Salt, to taste

1. In a wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic, black mustard seeds and turmeric, then stir fry for 3 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Add the cabbage and cook for 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened. Season with vegetable stock granules and salt. Serve immediately.

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*This recipe was featured on Asian Food Channel's Facebook page on 5 October 2014.

Recipe: Sambal telur tauhu (Egg sambal with fried tofu) (Raya special)

After I set the "egg" theme for Little Thumbs Up, I made a list of egg recipes that I wanted to cook and this sambal telur tauhu made it to the list. Many Malay stalls will serve this sambal telur, which usually consists of boiled eggs which are deep fried and then cooked in a spicy sambal paste. I love eating this very much so I tried recreating it at home. :)

Sambal telur tauhu (egg sambal with tofu)

When we make this dish at home, we like to use A LOT of onions and also add in an extra ingredient - deep fried tofu. You can get this tofu easily in wet markets or supermarkets - the skin is a dark brown since it has been deep fried. You can omit the fishcakes if you want this to be a vegetarian dish. At home, I do not deep fry my food, so I just shallow fried the boiled egg but you can omit this step if you want a healthier version. It will not really affect the taste of the dish.  It's up to you how many eggs you want to serve per person, but a minimum of two is highly recommended.

This is one of those great, simple dishes - give me a bowl of white rice and this sambal telur tauhu and  I am a happy girl;) Explosive flavours, minimal effort.

For another great sambal related recipe, check out this spaghetti with spicy sambal prawns. To all my Muslim readers and friends, here's wishing you a safe journey home to your kampung and family, and Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Sambal telur tauhu (egg sambal with tofu) 
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
4 hard boiled eggs
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp cili giling
150ml water
1 cube fried tofu, cut into rectangular cubes
30g fishcake, cut into rectangular cubes
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp soft brown sugar
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules


1. Heat oil in a large wok. Then, over medium high heat shallow fry the egg to make the outer layer slightly crispy (if you do not mind deep frying, then it would be better to deep fry the eggs). Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Place the onions and garlic in the wok and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the onions have softened slightly. Then, add the cili giling (I used about 2 tbsp) and fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the water and allow to reduce to about 50% and further soften the onions.

3. Add the fried tofu, fishcake and eggs and allow to cook for about 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes. Season with light soy sauce, soft brown sugar (optional - if u find it too spicy) and chicken stock granules. Mix to coat well.

4. Serve immediately with rice.

Note: For instructions on how to cook hard boiled egg, see Step 1.

*I am submitting this to the Little Thumbs Up "Egg" event organized by Bake for Happy Kids, my little favourite DIY and hosted by me (Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out). You can link your egg recipes here.


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Recipe: Spaghetti with spicy prawn sambal (Raya Special)

The idea to pair spicy sambal prawns and spaghetti first came about when I was brainstorming and thinking of what dish would be best to cook in 1 hour during the Asian Food Channel's first Foodie Face-Off in KL. The theme for the competition was "Raya celebration". Even though I couldn't go in the end (I was concurrently participating in Cuisine Explored competition organised by Le Meridien KL), I decided to test out this recipe which I had concocted in my head in my own kitchen.

Spaghetti with spicy prawn sambal

It is common for many chefs nowadays to pair Asian and Western components together in a dish. I decided to go with a fusion dish, adding a Malaysian twist to a classic Italian ingredient, pasta. Presenting to you, Baby Sumo's spaghetti with spicy prawn sambal.

In my usual prawn sambal recipe, the onions are simply sliced into rings. But for this pasta dish, the onions need to be very fine, so that it can coat the pasta strands once cooked. The onions and garlic are placed into a food processor and blitzed until fine, then cooked with the chilli paste (cili giling) to form the base for the prawn sambal. For texture and appearance, I decided to add lightly toasted cashewnuts. Fresh mint is added as a finishing touch.

If I may say so myself, this is an absolutely brilliant recipe! Every mouthful of this pasta was bursting with flavour. A little heat from the spicy sambal, followed by the cooling effect from the mint leaf, crunch from the toasted cashewnuts, fresh bouncy prawns and slurp-worthy strands of spaghetti pasta makes this simply delightful to eat. I couldn't help but go for a second helping of pasta ;)

If you're thinking of serving something out of the box for Raya, this would be perfect. Easy to prepare and full of flavour, this is a dish that will impress.

I want to eat this again! A nice balance of textures and flavours.

Spaghetti with spicy prawn sambal
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
300g spaghetti
3 onions, peeled
1 bulb garlic, peeled
4-5 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp cili giling
1 tsp light soy sauce, to taste
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)
20 king prawns, peeled and deveined, tails intact

To garnish
A few sprigs of fresh mint
30g cashewnuts
1/2 tsp canola oil
Salt


1. Firstly, lightly toast the cashewnuts in a large wok over medium low heat, for about 5-6 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon oil and stir to coat. Remove from heat onto a kitchen towel and sprinkle some salt. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, place the onions and garlic and blitz until fine. If you do not have a food processor, you can just chop it finely using a knife.

3. Cook spaghetti according to manufacturer's instruction in a large pot of salted water, until al dente. Drain and put under cold running water to stop the pasta from cooking. Set aside.

4. In the wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add the onions and garlic (from Step 2) and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onions have started to soften. Add the cili giling, and fry for another 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until fragrant. Season with light soy sauce and chicken stock granules.

5. Add the prawns and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, until cooked. Add the pasta and give it a quick stir, to coat each strand with the sambal sauce.

6. To serve: Using a two-pronged carving fork, swirl some of the pasta around the fork. Slide the pasta off the fork and mound it in the center of a plate. Repeat for each serving. Divide 5 prawns per plate, then sprinkle with cashewnuts Top with mint leaves. Serve immediately.

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Recipe: One-pot curry chicken with mixed vegetables

I believe most Malaysian families will have their own version of curry chicken. In my family, we have dry and wet versions, as well as spicy and mild ones. This recipe that I am sharing today is a one-pot curry chicken with mixed vegetables - a wet and mild version which my family, including kids love.

This dish has everything you need for a complete and well-balanced meal - protein, fibre, vitamins, manganese and more. I have chosen to use lean chicken breast and some of my favourite vegetables (for a curry dish) including ladies finger, brinjal and long beans.

Curry chicken with mixed vegetables

Because the curry sauce is quite mild and not too thick, you can almost drink it like a soup and I like to drench my rice bowl with the curry sauce. My kids love to do the same, and Baby C also loves the "hot chicken" and ladies finger.

The chicken pieces are cooked first, then set aside while the curry sauce is cooking. The more hardy vegetables such as brinjal and long beans are simmered with the curry sauce - I cook mine for about 10 minutes to get the texture which I like (still a little bite to the vegetables) and the ladies finger is added in just before the dish is ready as it takes very little time to cook.

Overall, this is a very simple curry chicken dish which takes around 1 hour to prepare and cook, plus there is little washing up to do after dinner ;)

Lovely colours.. very appetizing!

Curry chicken with mixed vegetables
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes
Serves 4-5

Ingredients
400g chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 bulb garlic, finely chopped
5 tbsp cooking oil
6 stalks curry leaf
5 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp salt, to taste
200g ladies finger, cut into half
1 large brinjal (approx. 150g), cut into 5x1.5cm pieces
200g long beans, cut into 2 inch lengths
50g fried beancurd (tofu pok)
800ml water
2 red chillies, sliced thinly


1.  In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat, and then add half the garlic and cook for 2 minutes until lightly browned. Add the chicken pieces and cook for abut 5 minutes, until the chicken pieces are cooked through. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Using the same pot, heat the remaining oil (3 tbsp), then add the remaining garlic and stir fry for 2 minutes over medium high heat until lightly browned.

3. Add the red chillies, curry leaf and curry powder and fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Then add the brinjal and stir fry for 2 minutes before adding the long bean and cooking for another 1 minute. Pour in the water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, lower to medium heat and simmer, with cover on, for at least 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked to preference.

4. Add the cooked chicken (from Step 1) and tofu pok,  and cook for another 5 mins, with cover on. Season with salt and taste. Finally, add the ladies finger and cook for 2 minutes. Serve immediately with some boiled rice.

* I am submitting this to Little Thumb's Up "Curry Powder" event hosted by Everybody Eats Well in Flanders. 


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