Green Glutinous (Ang) Ku Kuih

Should this still be called Ang Ku Kuih since it is not red?  Well, what's the appropriate name for a green ku kuih?  ....

We were invited to a friend's house for dinner and also to meet a couple of their friends from Shanghai.  My husband convinced me to make Ang Ku Kuih to introduce our Malaysian dessert to the Chinese guests.  As I didn't have any yellow flesh sweet potatoes, I used our humble potato instead.  And hoping that the skin will turn out as soft as those using sweet potatoes. Viola!  soft and chewy skin - even till the next day! 

Since the texture of the potato is drier than sweet potatoes, more liquid has to be added into the dough.  I extracted some concentrated pandan juice for colouring and also for the wonderful fragrance. 

Filling:

200g desiccated coconut
50g caster sugar
50g pure coconut sugar
150ml coconut milk
1 pandan leaf, cut into strips
2 tsp cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp water

• Mix everything (except the cornstarch mixture) in a pan and simmer under medium low heat.
• Finally add in the cornstarch mixture and cook until thickens. 
• Once it is cool enough to handle, shape filling into balls of 20g each.  Set aside.

Dough:

300g mashed potato
240g glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp wheat starch (tang meen fun)
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp oil
35g coconut milk
140g liquid (hot water + concentrated pandan juice

• In a mixing bowl, combined mashed potato, glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sugar and oil.  Gradually add in hot liquid and knead into a soft dough.  Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide and shape the dough into balls of  27g each.

To shape Ang Ku Kuih:

• Dust the mould with glutinous rice flour and knock out excess flour.
• Flatten a ball of dough and place a ball of filling in the middle and seal the dough.  Roll gently into a round ball.  Place into the mould and press gently to flatten.  Knock out the kuih from the mould and place on greased banana leaf.
• Steam kuih over medium-low fire for 6 minutes.
• Remove from the steamer and immediately brush  oil over the kuih.

Berries Smoothie

Fancy a healthy liquid lunch?  This Berries Smoothie is absolutely refreshing yet healthy.  It only takes less then a minute in the Spectablend.

Ingredients:

250g strawberries
125g blueberries
1 banana
1 gold kiwi
1/2 avocado
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 tbsp chia seeds

• Soak chia seeds in 1/2 cup almond milk for a about half an hour.
• Put everything into the blender and blend until smooth.

Dan Dan Noodles (担担面)

Dan Dan Mian (Noodles) is one of Sichuan's famous street foods and simply translates to "Peddler's Noodles".  The hawkers used to carry these noodles and the sauce  in two baskets hanging on each end of the poles over their shoulders - hence the name 'Dan'.  This dish is essentially wheat noodles topped with spicy pork and Sichuan vegetable mixture with sauce.

Recently I discovered another version of Dan Dan Mian which is sweeter and creamier than the usual spicy, hot and numbing flavour of the Dan Dan Mian.  This version has the addition of sesame & peanut sauce and also some carrots and cabbage pickles; and not as spicy which I preferred.   I read it somewhere that the Taiwanese version tend to be sweeter, less spicy and have a thicker sauce which include sesame or peanut paste.

Today I decided to cook a vegetarian version of the Dan Dan Noodle with tofu and King Oyster mushroom as the main ingredients. 

Sesame & Peanut Sauce:

I put everything into my new blender Spectablend and blend until fine and smooth. 

50g white sesame seeds, lightly toasted
80g roasted peanuts
200 ml water
3 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp sesame oil

Pickles:
300g cabbage, finely shredded
200g carrot, finely shredded
60g raw sugar dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
100ml lemon/lime juice

• Sprinkle salt over cabbage and carrot.  Set aside for about 20 minutes.  Rinse and drain well.
• Combine sugar mixture and lemon/lime juice together and pour over vegetables.  Mix well and store in a glass container overnight in the refrigerator.

Mushroom & Tofu Sauce:

160g firm tofu, finely diced
130g King Oyster mushrooms, finely diced
90g Sichuan preserved vegetable (Zha Cai), rinsed and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small knob ginger, minced
2 tbsp scallion
1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground into powder
2 tsp chilli bean sauce/ chilli oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
dash of white pepper
2 tsp sugar
3/4 tbsp black rice vinegar
200 ml water
1/2 tbsp cornflour + water (for thickening the sauce)
3 tbsp cooking oil
dash of sesame oil
coriander, for garnishing
cucumber, julienne
Udon noodles

• Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Saute ginger, garlic and scallions until aromatic.
• Add in mushroom, tofu and preserved vegetable and stir-fry for 5 minutes.  Then add in ground Sichuan pepper, chilli bean, light and dark soy sauce, sugar, pepper, black rice vinegar and water.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.  Thicken sauce with cornflour mixture.
• In a pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to instructions.
• Put a serve of noodles in a bowl.  Pour tofu and mushroom sauce over the noodles.  Top with cabbage & carrot pickles, julienned cucumber and spoon a generous amount of sesame & peanut sauce over the noodles.  Garnish with coriander leaves.

Homemade Almond Milk

Blended in Spectablend  blender 

Almond milk is one of the most nutritious milk substitutes available.  It is so easy and quick to make your own almond milk at home.  What you need is a good blender, a strainer and a piece of cheesecloth/muslin cloth.   

Ingredients:

2 cups raw organic almonds, washed and soaked overnight
4 - 5 cups filtered water

• Place almonds and water into the blender and blend until smooth.
• Line a strainer with cheesecloth/muslin cloth; and pour almond mixture into it.
• Squeeze the cheesecloth and extract as much milk as possible.
• Store milk in a sealed container and keep refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Leftover almond meal will not go to waste.  Spread the almond meal thinly on a baking tray and bake in low oven (about 100 deg C) until completely dry.  Dry almond meal can be used in baking cakes, curries, smoothies or even your oatmeal.

Green Smoothie 2

My breakfast shots ~ Green Smoothie

Blended in my new Spectablend which took about 30 seconds to produce a smooth and creamy smoothie.  It is so easy to make a healthy smoothie, all you need is a good blender, fruits, green vegetables and a base such as yogurt, juice or water.  Just remember to always put in your juicy fruits first, followed by dense fruits and lastly leaves. 

Ingredients:

1 banana
1 Packham pear, cored and cut into quarters (leave skin on)
1 cup (tightly packed) baby spinach leaves
1 stalk celery
1 cup low fat Greek yogurt

• Start by pouring yogurt into your blender.
• Then I add in banana, celery, pear and lastly spinach leaves.
• Blend until smoothie is creamy.  However, do not blend for over 60 seconds in order not to overheat or oxidise the fruits/vegetables.  Over blending will results in loss of nutrients.

Low Shu Fun (老鼠粉) / Silver Needle Noodles (银针粉) - 2

Can you tell the difference between the two Low Shu Fun?

Low Shu Fun in minced meat, mushroom and wood ear fungus sauce

I came across this recipe posted by Florence and decided to make another batch of Low Shu Fun using just wheat starch and tapioca flour.  By omitting rice flour, I was hoping to get the almost translucent texture.   I am quite happy with the result although it is nothing like the Kampar  Low Shu Fun. 

Ingredients:  (yields 455g of cooked noodles)

125g wheat starch

60g tapioca flour

1/4 tsp salt

170 ml boiling water

2 tsp cooking oil

• Combine flours and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Pour in boiling water.  With a wooden spatula stir to combine into a rough dough.
• When the dough is cool enough to handle, add in oil and knead until oil is incorporated and a soft and smooth dough is formed.  
• Cover the dough and let it rest for about 20 - 30 minutes.
• Take a piece of dough and roll it into a rope.  Cut into small pieces (the size of green peas).  Shape each pieces of dough by rolling it in between your palms to form a tapered needle shape.
• Put a large pot of water to boil. Add in a little oil.  Put in the noodles.  
• Once cooked, the noodles will float to the top.  Cook for another minute.  Remove the noodles using a slotted spatula and transfer into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Drain the noodles in a colander.  
• Noodles are now ready to be used in your favourite recipes.

 I am submitting this to Malaysian Food Fest Perak Month hosted by WendyinKK of Table for 2 or more

Butter Garlic Buns

Garlic butter buns using the recipe from Kopitiam Milk Buns

(A)  Overnight Sponge Dough:  Mix into a dough and leave overnight in the fridge.
215g bread flour
145g fresh milk
2g instant dried yeast

(B)  Bread Dough:
100g bread flour
30g fresh milk
30g egg (lightly beaten)
7g instant dried yeast
5g salt
60g caster sugar
12g milk powder
45g canola oil

• Bring the overnight dough to room temperature.
• In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the overnight dough (cut into small pieces) together with all the ingredients in (B), except the oil.
• Knead until it forms a slightly sticky soft dough.  Gradually add in oil.  Continue to knead until smooth and elastic.    [At this stage, the dough should be able to stretch to form a window-like thin membrane without breaking - Windowpane Test ].
• Shape the dough  into a smooth ball and place in a greased  bowl.  Cover with  clingfilm.  Then place it in a warm, moist and draught-free place to allow the dough to rise until doubled.
  [To determine if the dough has risen long enough, poke a floured finger into the  dough.  When you remove your finger, the dough shouldn't spring back at all.  If the dough springs back immediately, it is under-proved and needs more time to proof further.]
• Once the dough has doubled in size, press down gently on the dough to deflate it.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface.  Divide equally into 10 portions.  Roll them into balls and let them rest for 15 minutes.
• Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough and roll into an oblong shape. 
• Place the dough onto a greased tray.   Loosely cover with clingfilm and let them rise until just about doubled in size.
• Brush the buns with eggwash and snip a cross on the bun with scissors and place some garlic butter onto it. Bake in a preheated oven (175 degrees C) for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Garlic Butter

100g butter, softened
3 cloves garlic
salt & pepper to taste
parsley (I used dried parsley)

• In a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic until fine. Mixed with the butter, salt and pepper until combined.

Low Shu Fun (老鼠粉) / Silver Needle Noodles (银针粉)

One of my favourite food during my childhood days in Kampar was Low Shu Fun (老鼠粉  - Rat's Tail Noodles) served in a simple clear soup with some fish balls and fried fish balls.  Now after all these years, whenever I visited  Kampar, this is the one thing I must have. 

This short and stubby noodles is known as Rat's Tail Noodles (or Low Shu Fun in Cantonese) to the Malaysians and Singaporeans.  However, people from Hong Kong will shudder when they hear this name - Rat's Tail Noodles? It is named as such possibly because of the shape which is long and tapered like a rat's tail?  However, it is better known as  Silver Needle Noodles (银针粉) or Rice Drops outside Malaysia/Singapore.  

Last weekend I decided to make my own Low Shu Fun from scratch.  After experimenting for hours in the kitchen together with my other half, we finally achieved  the texture that we like - a little chewy and neither too soft nor too hard.  As I didn't have the correct mould to press out the noodles, I had to shape them by hand; a very time-consuming task. However, I think it is worth the effort because everyone in my family loves it, and best of all, it's preservatives or additives free!

Ingredients:  (Makes about 410g noodles)

80g rice flour
50g tapioca flour
40g wheat starch
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp cooking oil
135g boiling water

• Combine flours and salt in a mixing bowl.
• Pour in boiling water.  With a wooden spatula stir to combine into a rough dough.
• When the dough is cool enough to handle, add in oil and knead until oil is incorporated and a soft and smooth dough is formed.  
• Cover the dough and let it rest for about 20 - 30 minutes.
• Take a piece of dough and roll it into a rope.  Cut into small pieces (the size of green peas).  Shape each pieces of dough by rolling it in between your palms to form a tapered needle shape.
• Put a large pot of water to boil. Add in a little oil.  Put in the noodles.  
• Once cooked, the noodles will float to the top.  Cook for another minute.  Remove the noodles using a slotted spatula and transfer into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
• Drain the noodles in a colander.  
• Noodles are now ready to be used in your favourite recipes.

I am submitting this to Malaysian Food Fest Perak Month hosted by WendyinKK of Table for 2 or more

Boiled Chocolate Cake

A really easy recipe adapted from  here


Ingredients:

2 cups freshly squeeze orange juice
zest of 2 oranges
200g caster sugar
250g butter
1/2 cup Dutch cocoa
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
465g self-raising flour, sifted

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.
• Grease and line a 21 x 11cm loaf tin.
• Put water, sugar and butter in a pan and cook over medium-low heat.  Stir until butter is melted. Add in orange zest.
• Sift cocoa into the butter mixture.  Whisk until combined.  Set aside to cool slightly.
• Add in beaten eggs, orange zest and vanilla.  Fold in flour and whisk until smooth using a balloon whisk.  
• Pour batter into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
• Remove cake from the oven and stand on a wire rack for 15 minutes before turning out. 

Piggies-in-Blankets

I am in a bread-making frenzy lately, trying out various recipes I came across in several capable fellow-bloggers' blogs.  We no longer buy bread from the supermarket anymore; hubby is happy eating bread free from preservatives and other additives whereas I am happy having fun  experimenting in the kitchen.  The end result is so rewarding, not to mention the wonderful smell that permeated the kitchen.  

With my favourite Kopitiam Milk Buns dough, I made a batch of Piggies-in-Blankets.

Sweet Potato Buns

I loved the soft and fluffy texture of these buns.  Instead of using potato I used sweet potato which gives a light tinge of orangey to the buns.  This recipe is a keeper.  Thanks to Jane and Sabrina for sharing their Potato Buns recipes.  

Ingredients

250g bread flour
50g mashed sweet potatoes (kumara) - cooled
1 small eggs
50g caster sugar
70g fresh milk (adjust accordingly)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp instant dried yeast
20g butter, softened

• Combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast together until well blended.  Add in eggs, milk and mashed sweet potato.   Knead until it forms a slightly sticky dough.   
• Then add in butter.  Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.  
• Shape dough into a ball and placed in a bowl covered with cling wrap.  Leave it in a warm place to rise until doubled.
• Punch down to expel trapped air.  Divide into 8 equal portions (or required weight).
• Rest for 10 mins.  
• Flatten the dough and then roll up like Swiss Rolls. 
• Place the rolls on a greased baking tray slightly apart.  Cover with cling wrap and leave to proof until doubled.
• Preheat oven to 170 deg C.  
• Brush rolls with egg wash and sprinkle some cheese or sesame seeds over the top.  Bake for 15 mins or until golden brown.