How to cook Rendang Padang

This is the recipe for Rendang Padang if you want the glorious taste without that overly-rich oil feel that makes you weep with guilt after. - Recipe taken from The New Paper (Sunday) 20th April 2012. Original recipe is from Madam Tumiar Simandijuntak, 78 from Medan, Sumatra.

Recipe for Rendang Padang:


Ingredients:

• 1 kg of Beef, cut into 4cm-thick slices
• 10 dried chillies
• 4 red chillies
• 10 shallots
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 5 cm-thick piece lengkuas (galangal)
• 5 cm-thick piece old ginger
• 4 stalks of lemongrass (use only 7cm of the root part)
• 4-5 kaffir lime leaves
• 1 daun kunyit (tumeric leaf)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 coconuts (only grated white portions)
• 2 slices of assam keping (sour fruit)
• 1 tbsp of tamarind mixed with 2 tbsp of water. Strain and reserve.
• 250ml of water
• 2-3 tbsp of cooking oil

Method:

1. Soak the dried chillies for 20 mins. or until soft. Rinse chillies and set aside.
2. Put half of the grated coconut in a muslin cloth and pour in the 250ml of water. Squeeze to extract the coconut milk. Refrigerate.
3. Heat the wok or a non-stick frying pan. Fry the remaining grated coconut over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning. Do not use oil. It should take around 30 mins. to get the grated coconut to brown.
4. Allow to cool, then blend till fine. Set aside 3 tbsp for use later. Store the remainder in a glass jar and refrigerate.
5. Grind the dried chillies, red chillies, shallots, garlic, lengkuas, old ginger and lemongrass together to make the rempah. Use a little water to help the process if you are using a blender.
6. Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil in a pot over a small fire. Add the rempah and fry until it browns and give off a strong aroma.
7. Add daun kunyit and lime leaves.
8. Add beef and fry until the beef is coated with rempah.
9. Add the coconut milk and 1 tsp of salt or more to suit your taste, and the ground coriander.
10. Next the assam keping and tamarind juice. Cover and allow to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for two hours until the beef is tender.
11. Add in 3 tbsp of the toasted grated coconut and stir thoroughly.
12. Serve with hot rice.

Credit: Hedy Khoo - hedykhoo AT sph DOT com DOT sg 
Photo Credit - Camemberu

Pickled Papaya (Jeruk Betik)

Pickled Papaya (Jeruk Betik) made with red chillies, salt, vinegar and sugar. Simple appetizer which taste both sweet and sour, a delightful combination.

Recipe for Pickled Papaya (Jeruk Betik):

• 300g. young raw papaya
• 2 red chillies
• 1 tsp salt
• 140 ml. vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Slice papaya thinly.
2. Cut chillies lengthwise.
3. Season papaya and chillies with salt for about half an hour.
4. Rinse papaya and chillies. Wipe dry.
5. Sun for half an hour.
6. Mix vinegar and sugar until sugar dissolves. Taste.
7. Add papaya and chillies.
8. Stand for about half a day before serving.

Image credit: ighosts

How to make Pandan Chicken (Ayam Panggang Daun Pandan)

Grilled chicken wrapped in pandan leaves. Marinated chicken soaks up the pandan fragrance as it cooks slowly over the grill.

Recipe for Pandan Chicken:

• 1/2 chicken
• 8-10 large screwpine leaves (pandan leaves)
• 1/2 grated coconut to get 70-140 ml thick coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cm galangal (lengkuas)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder (serbuk ketumbar)
• 1/4 tsp fennel (jintan manis)
• 1/2 tsp sugar or to taste
• 1/4 tsp salt or to taste

Method:

1. Pound galangal to get its juice.
2. Mix all the ingredients together except chicken and pandan leaves.
3. Cut chicken into 8-10 suitable-sized pieces.
4. Marinate chicken with coconut milk mixture fir at least 1/2 an hour.
5. Wash and wipe dry screwpine leaves (pandan leaves).
6. Wrap each chicken with a screwpine leaf and staple the ends.
7. Grill both sides of wrapped chicken for 15-20 mins till chicken is cooked.
8. Remove screwpine leaves or serve chicken wrapped in them.

Variations:

• Deep fry wrapped chicken
• Wrap chicken with grease proof papper and deep fry the packets.

Image credit - newiiy

How to make Ikan Pepes

A slightly less risky snack of cooked fish, wrapped with pounded ingredients and grilled in a banana leaf parcel. Looks good, smells great, but wasn't anything special. Simple Singapore food.

Ingredients for Ikan Pepes:

• 4 medium sized fish (horsemackerel)
• 10 dried chillies (soaked in water)
• 6 shallots
• 3 garlic
• 1 thumb-sized turmeric
• 1 slice ginger
• 1 lemon grass
• 1 thumb-sized galangal (lengkuas)
• 1/2 grated coconut
• 1 tsp salt
• banana leaves

Method:

1. Wash and clean fish. Drain.
2. In a mortar, pound chillies, shallots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, lemon grass, galangal to a fine paste. Keep aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine pounded ingredients, grated coconut and salt. Mix well and coat each fish with the mixture. Wrap each fish in banana leaf. Place in oven and bake (or grill over a charcoal fire) for 30 minutes, turning over once or twice during baking.
4. Enjoy!

Printable Version - Ikan Pepes

Image Credit by avlxyz

Hot Curried Crab

Hot and Spicy Curried Crab made with curry leaves, dried chillies, halba seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, chilli padi and jintan manis.

Ingredients for curried crab:

• 2 kg fresh meaty crab - cleaned and halved
• Salt to taste
• 4 sprigs curry leaves
• 4 dried chillies, broken up
• Cucumber slices to serve with crab - optional
• 1 tsp halba seeds
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• 6 tbsp oil
• 20 twin shallots, sliced 
• 4 cm piece cinnamon stick
• 2 limes
• 1/4 litre thick coconut milk extracted from 1/2 scrapped coconut

Spices to grind:

• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 20 dried chillies
• 10 ripe chilli padi
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 cm piece turmeric
• 1 tbsp jintan manis

Method:

1. Heat oil in saucepan. Fry firstly the shallots till golden brown, adding dried chilli, mustard seeds and halba, cinnamon and curry leaves.
2. Meanwhile mix thoroughly the ground spices with coconut milk and salt, pouring this into the saucepan, stirring well.
3. Add the crab and cook quickly over high heat till crab is cooked and dry.
4. Lift from heat and squeeze limes over.

Printable Version - Hot Curry Crab

Image Credit by byte

Sayur Asam (Asam Rebus)

A must-have item on the menu for every Javanese Singaporean. This soup has some kind of appetizing effect because of the use of tamarind or (dried) sour starfuit as one of the ingredients.

Ingredients for Sayur Asam:

Vegetable for the soup

• 100 g long bean
• 1 chayote
• 50 g corn
• 100 g young jackfuit
• 50 g Gnetum gnemon leaves and fruits (Belinjau)
• 50 g raw peanuts
• 105 g galangal
• 2 salam leaves
• 20 g fresh tamarind or Asam Jawa tamarind paste, or 5 (dried) Belimbing sayur

Spice paste, using food processor grind the following ingredients:

• 1 fresh red chili pepper
• 2 shallot
• 2 g belacan
• 1/2 tbl. salt

Method:

1. Clean the vegetables, cut into bite size
2. Boil 1.2 liter of water in a pot
3. Put the spice paste and the ingredients, with vegetables needs longer cooking time first (corn, peanuts, young jackfruit, etc.)
4. Add salt and sugar to taste

Recipe Source: Cookbook:Sayur Asem
Image Credit: tephaniewong

Pulut Panggang Recipe (Grilled Glutinous Rice in Banana Leaves)

Pulut panggang literally translate to English as "Grilled Glutinous Rice in Banana Leaves". This kuih is made with pulut rice, grated coconut, dried prawns, coriander and belacan. Delicious Malay kuih wrapped in banana leaves.

Ingredients for Pulut Panggang:

• 1 lb. (500g.) pulut rice (soaked overnight)
• 1 grated coconut (for santan)
• pinch of salt
• cooking oil for brushing
• some banana leaves (dipped into boiling water; cut into 6 inch/15cm. squares) 

Filling Ingredients:

• 1/4 young grated coconut (use white flesh only)
• 2 Tbs. dried prawns (soaked, drained & pounded)
• 1 1/2 tsp. coriander powder (roasted)
• 2 tsp. sugar
• salt to taste

Pounded:

• 2 buah keras
• 8 small onions
• 2 red chillies (seeded)
• 1/2 in. (1cm.) cube belacan
• 4 Tbs. cooking oil

Method:

1. Drain soaked pulut rice.
2. Add 1 cup water to grated coconut for santan and squeeze out 1 1/2 cups santan.
3. Mix drained pulut rice with santan and salt. Steam till cooked (do not allow it to become too soft).
4. Dry-fry the young grated coconut over low heat till very lightly browned. Pound till fine.
5. Heat 3 tablespoons cooking oil over low heat and fry dried prawns till dry and fragrant. Dish out.
6. Heat another tablespoon cooking oil. Mix coriander powder with pounded ingredients and fry till fragrant. Add fried dried prawns, sugar and salt and mix well.
7. Place a tablespoonful of pulut rice on one edge of a banana leaf, spreading it along the leaf. Put some filling on it and cover with another tablespoonful of pulut rice.
8. Roll up and secure ends with toothpicks. Repeat procedure till all ingredients are used up.
9. Brush with oil and grill, for 20 mins. turning rolls periodically.

Printable Version - Pulut Panggang

How to make Jemput-Jemput Pisang

This Jemput-Jemput Pisang recipe is made with over ripe banana which gives it a lovely banana flavour at its best. Related recipe - Easy Goreng Pisang recipe (Thai Fried Bananas).

Ingredients:

• 2 over ripe banana mashed (preferable over ripen pisang emas)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 dash salt
• 1½ cup self-raising flour (sifted)
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Mixed above ingredients well together until it is homogenize. Make sure that the overall mixture is neither too dry nor too watery. 
2. Heat the wok with vegetable oil (almost 1 litre for deep frying) with medium fire. Slow down the fire as we are going to fry the batter. 
3. Use a clean spoon dip with oil before scoop the dough into the medium heat frying oil. Fry the jemput-jemput pisang gobs until it turns dark brown. 
4. Tossed its from the oil to plates with kitchen serviette paper. Serve hot as snack.

Note: Deep fry the Jemput-Jemput Pisang in medium heat as sugar tend to make the fritter black quickly on the outside. If you use regular flour make sure you add in some baking powder to make the dough fluffy and soft.

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How to cook Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi

Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi or Chicken in Coconut Cream with Birds Eye Chili in English, is a spicy rich yellow coconut gravy that is cooked with chilli padi. While this recipe uses chicken, it can be substituted with prawns, flower crabs or fishead. Depending on your tastebuds, you can add more or less chillies if you wish. Recipe for 4 pax. Other similar recipe - Ayam Kurma (Korma Chicken), Opor Ayam (Braised Chicken with white Sauce) .

Ingredients for Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi:

• 1 chicken, cut into 8 pcs, washed and drained
• 1 litre coconut milk
• 3 tomatoes, cut into 4
• 1 stalk lemongrass, lightly bruised
• 3 kaffir lime leaves, lightly bruised
• 1 turmeric leaf, torn to 2
• Salt to meet the taste
• Vegetable oil
• ½ cup water

Rempah to blend:

• 10 red bird's eyes chillies
• 10 green bird's eyes chillies
• 3 large red onions
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 inch old ginger, peeled
• 1 inch of fresh turmeric, peeled
• 5 candlenuts

Chicken marinate:

• 1 tbsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp grated ginger, salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate chicken pieces with ginger, turmeric powder and salt for at least 30 minutes. Fry chicken until ¾ cooked and put aside.

2. Finely blend rempah ingredients into paste.

3. Using the same oil in pot, pour in the ground ingredients, torn tumeric leaf, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and fry till oil appear, fragrant (Medium heat - Do not burn).

4. Add the fried chicken, coconute milk and water. At this stage, keep it to a simmer for the rempah to adsorb to chicken and until the gravy thickens.

5. Add tomatoes and salt to taste.

6. Once chicken is cooked, serve with steamed white rice.

How to make Ayam Percik (Pasar Malam Chicken)

Ayam Percik is a popular local delicacy among Malay Singaporeans, which is available at Pasar Malam stalls (night market) and Geylang Serai Bazaars during the month of Ramadan. Ayam Percik (percik means - basting/drizzle/sprinkle) is juicy,  aromatic and so flavourful. This recipe is originaly a Malaysian recipe from Kelantan, makes a great Hari Raya Aidilfitri cuisine. Traditionally, each marinated chicken parts are clipped with a pair of custom-made bamboo tongs, which prevents the chicken meat from shrinking during the grilling process.

Ingredients for Ayam Percik:

• 1.5kg Fresh chicken, cut into 6 pieces, cleaned and drained
• 5 Tbsp Vegetable oil
• 2 tsp Tamarind Pulp
• 4 Lemon Grass, bruised
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Thick Coconut Milk
• 1½ Tbsp Sugar
• Salt to meet taste

Chicken Marinade:

• ½ tsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder

Rempah to blend:

• 4 Candlenuts,  (buah keras)
• 6 Cloves Garlic
• 10 Dried Chillies, soaked in Hot Water
• 3 Red Chillies, seeds removed if you like
• 2 cm, ¾ inch Ginger
• 6 Shallots
• 1 inch galangal

How to make Ayam Percik:

1. Mix well until the chicken is coated with the marinade and set aside for at least 1 hour or preferable overnight.
2. In a blender, blend rempah ingredients and ground finely.
3. Over medium heat, fry the spice paste, tamarind and lemon grass stirring continuously to prevent sauce from burning until aromatic.
4. Add water and cook for another 3 minutes.
5. Pour in Coconut Milk, sugar and salt and simmer over a medium fire for 5 minutes.
6. Grill the chicken over a low charcoal fire or under a grill (griddle pan or charcoal grill), basting frequently and  repeat this process of coating the chicken with gravy, until the chicken is cooked.
7. Serve Ayam Percik while hot with steamed rice.

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How to Make Kuih Lapis (Steamed Layer Cake)

Kuih Lapis, Kueh Lapis Recipe. Tasty Asian Dessert. Easy Steps.

Ingredients :

230g rice flour
45g corn starch
840 ml coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pandan paste
A few drops yellow and red colouring

Note : For this kuih you can use any color or as many layers as you like.

For the syrup

280g castor sugar
250ml water
3 pandan leaves

Directions:

1. Mix the sugar, water and pandan leaves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves completely. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, cornstarch and salt. Add in coconut milk, mix well. Stir in syrup. Strain the batter to ensure it is free from lumps.

3. Divide batter into 3 equal portions. One add in the pandan paste (green), one in yellow coloring and one in red coloring. From each color portion divide into 3 equal portions (this will ensure you will get 9 layers of kueh)

4. Place a greased 8 inch tray in the steamer and heat up for 4–5 minutes.

5. Steam the batter layer by layer. Pour the 1st layer of batter on the heated tray. Cover and steam over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until set.

6. Follow by the next color and steam for 2-3 minutes and then the next layer.

7. Repeat the steps, alternating the color until all the batter is used up.

8. After the final layer is set, steam over the boiling water until the cake is cooked through, about 25 minutes.

9. Allow the cake to cool before cutting into squares to serve.

Nasi Goreng Pattaya Recipe

Without being affected by its Thai sounding name, nasi pattaya is originated from Malaysia. Nasi Pattaya  is a simple fried rice shaped like a pouch which is available at malay restaurants or hawker stalls in Singapore.  Nasi Pattaya is often served with with sliced cucumber, tomato and drizzled with ketchup or chilli sauce.

Nasi Goreng Pattaya Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice
3 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 skinless boneless chicken leg, cubed
1/2 cup of diced carrots
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1/2 cup of frozen corn seeds
1 tspn ketchup
2 tspn soy sauce
pinch of pepper
salt to taste
2 eggs, beaten for the omelette
oil for cooking

Method

1. For the pattaya fried rice:  Saute sliced shallots and garlic with a little bit of oil until light brown fragrant. Add the chicken and carrots and stir-fry until cooked.

2. Add the cooked rice and peas - mix well. Season with soy sauce, ketchup and salt and pepper according to taste. Stir the rice is evenly until completely mixed and heated through. Set aside.

3. For the omelette: Lightly beat the eggs and season with a pinch of salt. Heat the pan, brush evenly a little oil over (medium heat). Pour in eggs and swirl the pan by the handle to make a thin omelette. Let the omelette cook and brown at the bottom.

4. When the omelette is done, place the fried rice in the center of the omelette and spread it accordingly. Fold the edges into an envelope shape, making sure to overlap the parcel a bit. Carefully flip the omelette onto a serving plate. Drizzle ketchup or chili sauce over the top. Enjoy!

How to make Agar-Agar Pandan

Agar-Agar Pandan or Coconut milk pandan flavored jelly is easily available at the cake shop or bakery in Singapore. You can see this in almost any 'malay jamuan' (party or special occasion) you attend in Singapore, and it is a really common yet popular dessert. Agar-Agar Pandan is totally natural, even with pandan leaves (screwpine) as the natural colouring and essence. You should be able to buy the pandan leaves from some herb and spice shops, if you are not in Asia.

Agar Agar
Available in powder and strip form (dried), agar is made from seaweed and does not have any calories. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans it is used as a setting agent for sweets. Flavourless it takes on the flavours it is mixed with and sets to a firm, pick-upable texture.

Ingredients:

1 packet of agar-agar, rinsed (usually 35gram per packet)
4 glasses (large) water
1/4 cup brown sugar or enough to taste
2 eggs
2 cups coconut milk/cream
6 pandan leaves washed
A pinch of salt

Method:

• Grind 3 pandan leaves and extract its juice through a strainer.
• Boil the water in a medium saucepan with the remaining pandan leaves.
• Add in the agar-agar and boil till it is all dissolved.
• Stir in the brown sugar and pandan extract, till all sugar is dissolved. Turn heat to low.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl, and mix it with coconut milk/cream with a pinch of salt.
• Pour the egg-coconut cream mixture into the saucepan with the agar-agar, stir well and let it simmer for a short while, then turn the heat off.
• Transfer the agar-agar mixture into your desired molds or containers. Chill it when cool and set before cutting into serving pieces.

Note:

• Any container can be used as a mold. You may use little cups, ice cream bowls, and ice trays with all kinds of shapes.
• You can adjust the texture by altering the amount of water - slightly more water for a softer texture, and less water for something more solid.
• If normal strip form agar-agar cannot be obtained, you can use powdered agar-agar too. The amount would be the same: 35 grams strip = 35 grams powder.

How to make Roti Boyan (Boyanese Bread)

Recipe for Roti Boyan (Indonesian Bread). Roti Boyan is a pancake bread made of dough composed of fat, egg, flour and water. Roti Boyan is traditionally served with "Sambal Ikan Bilis", which is a really satisfying snack. Sold at malay stalls for about $2.50 each. The Baweanese are a significant community among the Malays of Singapore. "Boyanese" refers to a dialect group in the Malay community.

Ingredients :

For the skin dough
1 kg flour
200g butter
400 ml lukewarm water
3 onions sliced (Fry the onions till half cooked and slightly soft)
Salt to taste

The filling
600 g potatoes - washed, remove skin, boil till soft, and mashed
4 to 5 eggs
100 g spring onions - chopped
3 onions - diced
1 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste

Method :

To make the bread :
Mix water, butter, onions and salt. Add in flour, a little at a time into the liquid mixture and knead till a soft dough is formed. Make into a few small balls (must be in even numbers) and leave to rest for a while.

To prepare the filling :
Mix well mashed potatoes, egg, chopped spring onion, diced onion, pepper and salt.

1. Roll flat one of the doughs and brush some oil on top. Roll like a swiss roll and swirl it like the shape of a cinnamon bun. Leave to rest while you finish doing the same thing with the rest of the doughs.
2. Roll flat the swirled dough. Spread some filling on top and cover with another piece of flatten dough.
3. Secure the edge.
4. Fry with a bit of oil on low heat till golden brown.
5. Serve hot with Sambal Ikan Bilis.