Lotus Root Soup

Ingredients:  (To serve  6-8 people)
1kg pork ribs
2 sections of lotus root (about 450g)
1 big arrowroot (粉葛) (about 400g)
1/2 cup peanuts, washed and soaked overnight
6 red dates
1 dried squid, cut into small pieces
salt & pepper, to taste
2.5 L water

• Wash and scrape off the skin from the lotus root.  Cut into slices.  
• Peel the skin off the arrowroot and cut into pieces.
• Boil a large pot of water, add in pork ribs and blanch for about 5 minutes.  Rinse the pork ribs and set aside.
• Place 2.5L water into the pot and bring to the boil.  Add in all the ingredients except salt and pepper.  Bring to the boil again over high heat.  Then lower the heat and simmer the soup for about 3 hours.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Vegetarian Sambal Tumis

Blend together:
250g fresh red chillies, cut into pieces
7g turmeric, sliced
30g galangal, sliced
30g lemongrass, sliced
10g bunga kantan (torch ginger), sliced
1 cup water

Seasoning: (to taste)
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp sugar
1 tsp mushroom seasoning
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)

5 tbsp cooking oil

• Place water and all the ingredients into a blender and blend until fine.
• Transfer blended ingredients into a heated frying pan and cook on low heat, stirring continuously for about 5 minutes.  Then add in cooking oil and sugar.  Cook until sambal starts to turn a deeper red.
• Add in the rest of the seasoning.  Cook for another 15 minutes until oil separates from the chilli.
• Transfer sambal into a clean and dry glass container.  Keep it refrigerated.

Sponge Cupcakes

Recipe Source:  Nasi Lemak Lover

[Makes 13]

Ingredients: 
(A) Using large eggs
3 egg whites
65g icing sugar (I used 55g caster sugar + 5g rice flour  (sifted together)

(B)
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
50g corn oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
65g self-raising flour (I used 65g plain flour + 1/2 tsp baking powder)

(C)
13 paper cups

• Preheat oven to 170 deg C.
• Using an electric beater, whisk egg white until foamy.  Gradually add in sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks formed.  Set aside.
• Using the same beater, beat egg yolks, whole egg and oil until light.  Then add in sifted flour and mix well to form a smooth and thick batter.
• Add 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk batter and stir to combine.  Then lightly fold in the rest of the meringue.
• Spoon the batter into the paper cups about 2/3 full and bake for about 30 minutes.
• Remove cupcakes from the oven and set them on a wire rack to cool.