Sweet Jelly Delight

Sweet Jelly Delight

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

Sweet memories from my childhood - cool and refreshing jellies. These are among the few simple treats that I learnt to make as a youngster. Unlike now, back in the old days there aren't desserts to be bought in small towns. Whatever you crave to eat, you've got to do-it-yourself. D-I-Y's the word!

I love to eat them as a child, and even now, the child in me continues relishing these wonderfully cool and refreshing jellies!

It is great to have these sweet jellies on hot sunny days or as desserts after a sumptuous meal. 

Ingredients for the red layer

10g agar-agar strips
60g sugar
700ml water
1 pandan (screw-pine) leaf, knotted
 A few drops of red food colouring

Ingredients for the white layer

10g agar-agar strips
60g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 coconut, grated
1 pandan (screw-pine) leaf, knotted
700ml water

Method

1.  Place water, pandan leaf and agar-agar strips into a small pot and boil until the agar-agar has dissolved.
2.  Add in sugar and red food colouring. Keep warm.
3.  Add water to the grated coconut and squeeze out the santan or coconut milk. Add in 1/2 tsp salt.
4.  Place santan, pandan leaf and agar-agar strips to boil until the agar-agar is dissolved. Add in sugar. keep warm.
5.  Spoon 1 ladle of red jelly into cups or moulds of your choice. Wait for it to be almost set. Then add in the white layer. Top up with another red layer.
6.  Repeat the process until the red and white jellies are used up. 
7.  Chill in refrigerator until cold. 
8.  Serve chilled.

Prawn Theldulla

Prawn Theldulla

Recipe source :  The Flavours magazine, Vol 11 Issue 2 No. 40 Sept - Oct  2003


This fine cuisine hails from Sri Lanka. I find this dish wholesome and having a good balance of the various food groups. I like this type of recipe which has protein and vegetables all in one dish, which means the lazy me do not have to cook a few different dishes for the day!

We like the mild blending of spices with the prawns and vegetables. It tasted like a mild curry yet no coconut milk nor curry powder was used in this excellent prawn dish. 

Ingredients

 
500g medium-sized prawns ( remove shells but keep the tails )
1 tsp turmeric
90g shallots, peeled whole
2 medium-sized onions, sliced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 pandan (screw-pine) leaf, cut into 1 cm sections
1 small stick of cinnamon
4 bird's eye chillies, cut
1 capsicum, cut
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 tbsp water                                     ( I used 1/3 cup water )
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp ground black pepper               
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar                                    ( I added sugar to taste )

 Prawns

Top : onions

Middle : shallots

Bottom : cinnamon stick

Top left : capsicum. Top right : tomato

Bottom left : curry leaves. Bottom right : chilli padi

Method

1.  Season prawns with turmeric powder.
2.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and fry shallots, onions, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, cinnamon and chillies. Stir-fry for a minute or until fragrant.
3.  Add prawns and fry for another minute over high heat.
4.  Add capsicum, tomatoes, water and lime juice. 
5   Cook until almost dry.
6.  Season to taste.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Indian Subcontinent

Hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommelier

I am also linking this to Cook-Your-Book #12

 

Organised by Joyce of  Kitchen Flavours

Steamed Chicken Rice 蒸鸡饭

Steamed Chicken Rice 蒸鸡饭

Recipe source :  Adapted from The Miele Workshop (Forrest Leung)

I learnt to cook this chicken rice from the Miele workshop conducted by Chef Amy Beh.

This Vitasteam oven has three tiers where you can steam three different food items simultaneously. You can steam rice on the bottom tier, chicken on the second and then vegetables on the topmost. It is very convenient for busy working mothers.   

I like the perforated steaming trays. I placed the chicken on perforated trays so that the liquid or essence from the steaming chicken could dripped down onto the rice which was steaming under the tray of chicken. The chicken essence further enhanced the flavour of the rice. 

This chicken rice set taste awesome!

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 1/2 cups of rice
1 whole chicken, cut into halves
3 tbsp cooking oil   ( I used chicken fat for extra flavour)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
2 pieces of coriander roots, used the heads only, chopped
3 stalks of lemongrass, bruised
2 pieces of old ginger, chopped
2 pandan leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups chicken stock

A Tip from Amy Beh

Use some sesame oil for brushing the steamed chicken

 Serai or lemongrass

 Chopped shallots and garlic

 Coriander roots, chop these

 Chicken, cut into halves

Pandan/screw-pine leaves

Method

1.  Wash rice and place in a container for steaming. 
2.  Heat chicken fat in a wok to extract oil. Once the oil is extracted, discard the hardened fat. Leave oil in wok and stir-fry the chopped ginger, garlic, coriander roots, shallots and lemongrass until fragrant. Add in salt and sugar. Pour this aromatic paste into the rice and pour the rice mixture into a steaming tray.
3.  Add in chicken stock and pandan leaves. Stir the ingredients to mix well.
4.  Place the tray of rice at a lower rack in the Miele steam oven. 
5.  Then place the chicken halves into a perforated steaming tray and place this perforated tray above the tray of rice.
6.  Close the oven door and set the temperature at 100 degree C for 25 to 30  minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.
7. To check if the chicken is properly done, use a chopstick and poke it in between the drumstick and white meat. Chicken that is not thoroughly cooked will ooze a pinkish liquid.
8.  Remove the chicken from the steam oven and brush the steamed chicken with sesame oil immediately while still hot ( for added flavour ). 

Note : 

The liquid or essence from the steaming chicken in the perforated tray will drip down into the tray of rice which is placed below. This pure chicken essence will enhance the taste of the chicken rice.

 Steaming hot rice. Very fragrant!

Tender kampung ( free-range) chicken

This chicken rice set is exceptionally good ! 

Pandan Flavoured Snow Fungus & Gingko Nut Dessert

Pandan Flavoured Snow Fungus & Gingko Nut Dessert

Recipe source :  Doris Choo


A simple and sweet  dessert which we love to enjoy every now and then. We like to add hard-boiled quail eggs to this "tong-sui" or sweet soup. This dessert requires just a few basic ingredients yet a very tasty soup is brewed.  

I do not normally add pandan leaves to boil this sweet soup. But today, since I have some pandan leaves left  in my fridge, I added a few blades of these fragrant leaves to enhance the flavour. 

Well, I have no complaints. The flavour is definitely better with the added pandan leaves.
 

Ingredients

50g snow fungus, soak until soft and cut into bite-sized pieces
100g gingko nuts, remove shells and membranes
10 quail eggs, hard-boiled and remove the shells
3 blades pandan leaves, knotted together
120g cane rock sugar
1.5 litres water

Instructions

1.  Bring 1.5 litres of water to the boil.
2.  Add in the pandan leaves, softened snow fungus and gingko nuts and boil for 30 minutes.
3.  Remove and discard the pandan leaves.
4.  Add in cane rock sugar and hard-boiled quail eggs.
5.  Boil for a further 10 to 15 minutes or until the cane rock sugar dissolves.

 
I am linking this post to Joceline Lyn of Butter. Flour & Me

This event is linked to Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids

and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

The ingredient for September is "pandan"

Pandan And Fruit Sushi 香兰水果寿司

Pandan And Fruit Sushi 香兰水果寿司

Sweet fruity sushi for my family.  

Recipe source :  Doris Choo


I used pandan leaves and pandan juice to steam the sweet glutinous rice. When the rice has cooled down, I cut them into rectangles to make the sushi base. Then top up with strawberries and kiwi fruits to make fruit sushi. Mangoes will be nice too. Guess I need to try topping up with mangoes next time. 

Ingredients

150g glutinous rice
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
80ml santan,  (coconut milk)
250ml water
3 pandan leaves, cut into pieces
2 pandan leaves, knotted together
3 strawberries, sliced
2 kiwi fruits, sliced

Instructions

1.  Blend together 250ml water with 3 pandan leaves. Strain for the juice. Discard the pandan leaves.
2.  Wash glutinous rice and place them in a square or rectangular container.
3.  Add in the strained pandan juice, salt and santan to the glutinous rice. Add in the knotted pandan leaves and steam over high heat for 30 minutes. Leave to cool.  Once cooled down, cut into rectangles.
4.  Place kiwi fruit slices and strawberry slices on top of the glutinous rice.

I am linking this post to Joceline Lyn of Butter. Flour & Me

This event is linked to Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids

and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

The ingredient for September is "pandan"

Pandan/Screw-pine Leaf Pork Chop 香兰叶猪排

Pandan/Screw-pine Leaf Pork Chop 香兰叶猪排

 Recipe source :  Doris Choo

I made pork chops by using pandan leaves to twine round the pork pieces,  then securing the loose ends with toothpicks. This may not be the correct way to wrap them, but then I wonder whether there is a "correct" way of wrapping the pork pieces?

The wonderful aroma from the pandan leaves wafted throughout the kitchen while frying the pork chops. From the aroma, I knew there and then that the pork chops are gonna be good! In fact, my family found them finger-licking good!. 

Ingredients

450g pork chops
A bunch of pandan leaves for wrapping
Toothpicks
Oil for deep frying

Marinade Ingredients

1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp five-spice powder
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tbsp ginger juice
60g shallots, smack with the sides of a cleaver
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar

Instructions

 
1.  Cut the pork chops into thin slices.
2.  Stir the marinade to blend all ingredients together. Marinate the pork slices overnight in the refrigerator.
3.  Clean the pandan leaves and wipe dry.
4.  Wrap the pandan leaves round the pork slices.
5.  Secure loose ends with toothpicks.
6.  Deep fry in hot oil until done.

 

 

I am linking this post to Joceline Lyn of Butter. Flour & Me

The event is hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

The ingredient for September is "pandan"

Nasi Pandan (Screw-pine Rice)

Nasi Pandan (Screw-pine Rice)

Recipe source :  Adapted from Woman's Weekly

I stumbled upon this recipe while waiting for my turn at the hairdresser's. I jotted down the recipe on a tiny piece of credit card receipt, which was the only piece of paper I had at that moment.  I am glad I did that. This rice dish turned out great! It is infused with the rich aroma  from  the pandan leaves as well as the coconut milk. Both ingredients complimented each other. 


I adapted the recipe as the original portion is too much for my family. Furthermore, I put all the ingredients into a rice cooker instead of steaming it  in a baking tray over hot boiling water. 

I cooked pork curry to go with this fragrant rice. We had  a very satisfying dinner.  

Ingredients

8 pandan leaves (screw-pine leaves)
1/3 tsp salt                    ( original recipe used 1/2 tsp )
200ml water                 ( original recipe used 250ml )
100ml santan (coconut milk)
150ml water
2 drops pandan green colouring     ( I did not use this )
250g rice                      ( original recipe used 340g )

Instructions

1.  Wash rice and set aside to drain.
2.  Blend together the pandan leaves, salt and 200ml water. Sieve to extract juice.
3.  Put washed rice, pandan juice, santan and water into a rice cooker.
4.  Switch on the rice cooker and let it cook until done.


Instructions for the original recipe :

1.  Line a baking tray with banana leaves and put all ingredients into the tray. 
2.  Steam for 30 minutes.

Pandan rice with pork curry at the back

I will post the pork curry later in a separate post

I am linking this post to Joceline Lyn of Butter. Flour & Me

The event is hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

The ingredient for September is "pandan"

Pandan, host by Butter. Flour & Me

Pandan, host by Butter. Flour & Me