TOM YAM SOUP
Ingredients:½ lb chicken sliced
1 packet fishballs
1 packet oyster mushroom
4 cups water
3 tbsp Tom yam paste2 tbsp lime juice1 tbsp fish sauceFried garlic, spring onions and coriander for garnishing
Marinate:1 tbsp rice wine1/2 tsp salt1 tsp sugar
Method:Marinate prawns with salt, sugar and rice wine for at least 15 minutes.Bring the prawn stock to the boil and add in the tom yam paste and stir to combine.Add in prawns and as soon as prawns turn pink, add in the lime juice and fish sauce.Serve hot with garnishes.
TAMARIND PRAWNS
Ingredients:l lb large prawns (shrimps)4 tbsp tamarind concentrate1 teaspoon salt½ teaspoon ground white pepper1 tablespoon sugar½ teaspoon fish sauceOil for frying
Method:If using prawns with heads on, trim off eye portions and legs of prawns, but leave unpeeled.
In a mixing bowl, combine thick tamarind concentrate, salt, pepper, sugar and fish sauce.
Mix in prawns and leave for 15 minutes.
Heat enough oil to coat the bottom of nonstick skillet/frying pan until hot.
Fry prawns in batches to prevent overcrowding, over moderate heat for 3-5 minutes or until prawns are cooked.
ACAR / SPICY PICKLED VEGETABLES
Ingredients :1 cucumber - (removed the seeds) and cut into 4cm strips150g cabbage leaves, cut into 2.5cm squares2 carrots cut into 4cm strips150g long beans, cut into 4cm strips
To make into paste:6 fresh chillies5 dried chillies –soak in hot water until soft6 shallots2 cloves garlic2 cm fresh turmeric root/1 tbsp ground turmeric1” galangal (lengkuas)3 candlenuts/almond or macadamia nuts1 stalk lemon grass, sliced finely1” of shrimp paste (belachan) - optional
Vinegar mixture:1 cup of white vinegar1 cup water6 tbsp of brown sugar (more if you like it sweeter)1 tsp salt200g roasted peanuts, skinned and pounded5 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
For blanching the vegetables:600ml water400ml vinegar2 tbsp salt2 tbsp sugar
Method :
1. Rub cucumber slices with 1 tbsp salt. Leave aside for one hour. Wrap in clean towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out excess liquid. Put all the ground ingredients in a food processor and ground into paste and set it aside.
2. Bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar for blanching vegetables to a rapid boil. Blanch the vegetables (except cucumber) one type at a time for 15 second. Remove and using a clean kitchen towel, squeezed the water out of the vegetable and set it aside.
3. Heat up about 3-4 tbsp of oil in frying pan and stir-fry the ground ingredients until fragrant and the oil begins to separate. Stir in water and vinegar. Add sugar and salt and bring to a boil, then leave to cool completely. Check seasoning as you might need to add more sugar to it.
4. Stir in all the prepared vegetables, peanuts and sesame seeds. Store in a clean jar and refrigerate.
EGGPLANT WITH MINCED MEAT
Ingredients:
2 Japanese/Asian eggplants1 piece chicken breast/or any type of protein – minced2 cloves of garlic - finely chopped2 shallots - sliced thinly2 small red chilies – sliced thinly1 tbsp of fermented bean paste (tau cheong)1 tbsp of sugar1 tsp of dark soy sauce2 tbsp of soy sauce½ cup of water + 1/2 tsp of cornstarch2 spring onion – diced small
Method:
1. Clean and cut the eggplant into 1” length. Season with some olive oil and salt and steam on high heat until soft.
2. While the eggplant is steaming, cook the sauce. Heat up a tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan, stir fry garlic and shallots until fragrant and lightly brown.
3. Add in the fermented bean paste, stir-fry for a few second and add in the meat and chilies. Continue to stir-fry until the meat changes color.
4. Add in all the seasoning and the water. Bring it up to boil and cook until sauce reduce and thicken. Check seasoning.
5. Pour sauce over the steamed eggplant and sprinkle the top with some spring onion. Serve warm.
SPICY STIR-FRY CLAM
Ingredients:
1 lb clams - if fresh - soak in salt water for 1 hr and drain dry - if frozen, do not thaw
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp dried prawns, soaked
2 tbsp curry leaves
10 shallots, chopped
5 chilli padi/red jalepeno chopped
Seasoning
1/2 tsp taucheong/mein see/fermented soya bean paste
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dark soya sauce
dash of chicken stock granules
Cornstarch and water for thickeningMethod:
Heat 2 tbsp oil and saute dried prawns until fragrant.
Add in curry leaves, shallots, chilli padi and stir-fry until aromatic.
Add in the clams/la la, seasonings and stir fry at high heat until well mixed.
Cover with a lid, cook for 2 minutes until clams/la la are opened.
Thicken with corn flour and water, mix well and dish up.
SAGO MELON DESSERT
Ingredients:1 cantaloupe4 tbsp of sago pearls (soak in cold water for half an hour)125ml evaporated milk150ml water2-3 tbsp sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
Method :
1 Bring about 4 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Add in sago pearls and bring it up to boil. Once it boils, continue to stir for a minutes and then turn off the heat and cover the saucepan. Leave it for 20 minutes. At this stage the sago pearls should be transparent.
2 Drain the sago from the hot water in a strainer, rinse under cold running water until it cools down and water runs clear and set aside.
3 Peel and cut mango into cubes. Set aside some of the cut mango for garnish.
4 Blended the rest of the mango, sugar with the 50 ml of water until smooth.
5 In a mixing bowl, mix the blended mango, cubed mango, mango juice and milk. Stir well. Add in the sago pearls and stir until well combined.
6 Chill before serving.
*Note: If mixture is too thick you can always add extra milk or mango juice to it.
