Napa Cabbage Rolls

10 - 11 napa cabbage leaves
10 - 11 chinese chives (to use for tying)
250g minced pork
1/2 tbsp grated ginger
30g shiitake mushroom, chopped finely
25g carrot, chopped finely
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp chinese cooking wine
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fish sauce

• Place all the ingredients (except cabbage and chives) in a bowl and stir to combine.
• Blanch napa cabbage leaves in boiling water for 1 minute.  Refresh in cold water, then drain well and wipe with paper towel. Blanch the chives as well.  Set aside.
• To make the cabbage rolls, place about 2 tbsp of the minced meat onto the cabbage leaf and roll up tightly. Tie the roll with chives.  Repeat until all the minced meat are used up.
• Place all the cabbage rolls in a heat proof plate and steam under high fire for about 10 - 15 minutes.  Carefully pour out the liquid which will be added to the sauce.

Sauce:

1/4 cup water or chicken broth

liquid from the steamed cabbage rolls

2 - 3 dried scallops, steamed

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp sugar

salt & pepper, to taste

corn starch slurry

• Bring the sauce to a boil and add in corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce.  Pour over the cabbage rolls and serve hot.

Nasi Lemak

Recipe for 4 -5 persons

Steamed Coconut flavoured Rice:
3.5 cups Jasmine rice
2.5 cups water
0.5 cup coconut milk (Ayam brand)
blue pea flower extract  (Note 1)
4 tbsp coconut cream (or thick coconut milk)
salt, to taste
pandan leaves, cut and shredded

Note 1:  Boil 3g dried blue pea flowers in 4 tbsp of water for about 3 minutes. Strain and discard the pulp.

• Wash and drain the rice. 
• In a wok, fry the rice (without oil) for about 10 minutes. Then transfer rice into a steaming tray. Add in water, coconut milk and blue pea flower extract, stir to combine.  
• Steam rice for about 15 minutes. Add in coconut cream and fluff up the rice with a pair of chopsticks.  Add in pandan leaves and steam for a further 15-20 minutes. 

Fried Ikan Bilis (dried anchovies):
150g ikan bilis

• Wash ikan bilis thoroughly.  Drain well.
• Spread it out on a baking tray and place under the grill until ikan bilis are very dry. (Or you can put them under the sun to dry the ikan bilis).
• Deep fry the ikan bilis until crispy.  Drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil. 
• Keep in an air-tight container.

Sambal Egg & Onion:

1 bowl dried chillies, dehydrated and cut into 2cm length

1 bowl shallots

1 tbsp grated gula Melaka (palm sugar)

1 tbsp fish sauce

salt, to taste

1 tsp tamarind paste

1/2 cup cooking oil

2 large brown onions, sliced

5 hard boiled eggs, remove shells then deep fried 

• Blend shallots and dried chillies separately.
• Heat up oil in a wok.  Add in blended shallots and fry for about 10 minutes or until aromatic. Add in chilli paste and continue frying for about 10 - 15 minutes.  
• Then add in hard boiled eggs (which had been deep fried until golden brown) and let them simmer for about 10 minutes before seasoning the sambal with salt, palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind paste.
• Lastly add in sliced onions and cook for a further 5 minutes or until just softened. Add a little water if the sauce dries up.  

Dry Chicken Curry:

5 chicken drumsticks

4 tbsp homemade curry paste

3 pieces kaffir lime leaves, torn

0.5 cup coconut milk

water

0.5 cup desiccated coconut, lightly toasted and pound

salt & sugar to taste.

• In a wok heat up curry paste with a little coconut milk, then add in chicken.  Stir well to coat the chicken pieces with the curry paste.  Add in enough water and let it simmer until chicken is almost cooked.  
• Add in kaffir lime leaves, the rest of the coconut milk and toasted desiccated coconut. Season well with salt & sugar.
• Stir well and let it simmer until the chicken is done and sauce dries up.

Dry Bak Kut Teh

I know that dry Bak Kut Teh has been around in Malaysia for quite some time but I haven't had the chance to try it until lately when I was in Malaysia.  I love the strong and robust flavours in this dry version of BKT especially the fried cuttlefish and mushrooms which gave the dish its umami taste. However, I must say I couldn't detect the flavour of  BKT herb or spices in this dry version.

This is my version of Dry Bak Kut Teh which I think is going to be my family's favourite for a while.

Ingredients:

2 pre-packed Bak Kut Teh spices
2 litre water
1 head of garlic

• In a pot, cook the Bak Kut Teh spices in 2 litres of water and garlic for about an hour.  Save broth for later.

450g pork ribs, cut into chunks
300g pork belly, cut into pices
4 dried shiitake mushroom
8 dried chillies
1 big dried cuttlefish
10 pieces tofu puffs
1 tbsp grated palm sugar (or brown sugar)
cooking oil

Sauce:
2 - 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
salt & pepper, to taste

• Soak dried shiitake mushroom  and dried chillies separately until softened. Cut mushrooms into quarters and chillies into halves.
• Wash and soak dried cuttlefish to soften.  Then cut into thin strips.
• Blanch pork ribs and belly in a pot of boiling water for about 5 - 6 minutes.  Rinse and set aside.
• In a wok, heat up about 1 tbsp of oil and stir fry cuttlefish strips until fragrant.  Then add in dried chillies and continue to fry for about a minute.  
• Next, add in pork ribs, pork belly and tofu puffs together with the sauce.  Fry for a little while before adding in the Bak Kut Teh broth. Transfer everything into a claypot and bring to the boil. Then simmer until pork ribs are tender and sauce almost dried up.