Braised Beef Short Ribs With Daikon

Fall off the bone succulent and tender braised short ribs infused with Asian flavours. It tasted better than the day you cooked it.

Ingredients:
1.2kg beef short ribs
2 medium size daikon, cut into chunks
30g sliced ginger
30g garlic cloves (whole)
1 large onion, chopped
2 dried chillies (optional)
3 star anise
10g rock sugar (or brown sugar)
4 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
salt, to taste
about 3 cups water
oil

• Season ribs with salt.  Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a pot over medium high heat. Sear the ribs until brown , turning occasionally.  Transfer onto a plate.
• In the same pot, add 1/2 tbsp oil and over low heat saute ginger, garlic cloves, dried chillies and onions until aromatic. Return ribs to the pot and add in rock sugar, light soy sauce, dark soya sauce, wine, black pepper and water (enough to cover the ribs).  Put the lid on and bring to a boil, then lower fire and simmer until ribs are almost tender (at least 2 hours). Then add in daikon.  Cook until ribs are very tender and daikon is soft.
• Remove from fire.
• Served with rice.

Bubur Cha Cha

Bubur Cha Cha is a classic Malaysian dessert.  It is an assorted medley of sweet potatoes, yams, black-eye beans and sago cooked in sweet coconut milk. Bubur Cha Cha can be served warm or cold.

Ingredients:
100g black-eye beans, rinsed and soak in hot water for at least 1 hour
1/2 cups sago
1 medium sized each yellow, purple and orange sweet potato 
about 250g taro 
1.5 litre water
palm sugar (to suite your taste)
4 pandan leaves, washed and knotted together
1 can Ayam brand coconut cream (400ml)
pinch of salt

• In a small pot filled with water, boil black-eye beans until soft. Set aside.
• Place sago in strainer and rinse under running tap water.  Then boil sago in plenty of hot water until translucent and cook. Drain into strainer and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
• Peel and cut sweet potatoes and yam into small cubes.  Steam separately until soft.
• Meanwhile, fill a large pot with 1.5 litre of water.  Add in pandan leaves and palm sugar and bring to the boil. Simmer until palm sugar dissolves.  
• Add in black-eye beans, steamed sweet potatoes, yam, sago, coconut cream and a pinch of salt.  Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.  Adjust the desired sweetness by adding more palm sugar (or white sugar).
• Serve hot or cold.  

Kuih Bahulu (Sponge Cake)

Kuih Bahulu Mould

'Kuih Bahulu' as it is known in Malay language, are actually mini sponge cakes. Traditionally they are baked in brass moulds that come in all sizes and shapes. Kuih Bahulu are the Asian version of Madeleines, which are slightly crusty on the outside but  a little dry and spongy on the inside.  They are best eaten with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:
110g caster sugar

4 eggs (weigh about 59g each)

zest of an orange

a pinch of salt

115g cake flour, sifted

oil for greasing the mould

• Preheat oven at 200°C.
• With an electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs and orange zest until thick and pale.
• Gently fold in flour. 
• Grease mould and preheat in the oven for 5 min.  Remove from oven and fill the hot mould to 100% full.  
• Bake for 10 min or until golden brown.
• Remove the mould from oven and using a skewer, gently lift the cake out.  Leave the cakes to cool on a wire rack.
• Grease the mould and reheat for another 2 min before filling up again. Repeat the steps until all batter is used up.