My Simple Fried Rice (Recipe 3)

Another Simple Fried Rice from my humble kitchen, comprises of luncheon meat, corn, carrot, onion and garlic.  My usual seasonings of oyster sauce, chicken stock granules and dashes of ground white pepper. As usual I am using Basmati Rice. Let's enjoy this 'Simple Yet Yummylicious' fried rice with carrot and chayote chicken soup...

Fried Rice is always the most simple and yummylicious dish to prepare and enjoy.  I believe, even for those who doesn't cook, they also know how to fry rice.  ~ SMILE ~

The Best Homemade Bread

Not only was I being tempted by the name of this homemade bread, but at the same time being attracted by the looks of it!  With just  few simple ingredients, and without egg and milk, let me share with everyone, a beautiful loaf of 'The Best Homemade Bread!'

"Simple Yet Yummylicious"

Click here for the full recipe.

Let me share some photos which I have captured during the process of baking this great bread...

From a small dough

To a huge dough

From this rolled dough

Rose to above the rim of the loaf pan

Let's have breakfast!

Pan-Fried Curry Lemongrass Chicken with Coconut Rice

It has been quite sometime since I last prepare one plate meal.  This pan-fried curry lemongrass chicken caught my attention recently.  The recipe comes with coconut rice or popularly known as Nasi Lemak.  Thus, I decided to come up with pan-fried curry lemongrass chicken and served with this authentic coconut rice.  I serve this one plate meal with the yummylicious pan-fried chicken, coconut rice, slices of cucumber and topped with a fried egg over the rice.  I did not serve it with the usual nasi lemak sambal and fried peanuts.  It is indeed a 'Simple Yet Yummylicious' lunch!

Ingredients: (serves 2)

(A)  Coconut Rice

• 1 cup basmati rice (washed, soaked for 30 minutes and drained)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 thumb-size ginger (peeled and lightly smashed)
• 1 stalk lemongrass (lightly smashed)
• 2 pcs. pandan leaves (tie into knot)
• 1/8 tsp. salt

(B)  Chicken and marinade

• 2 boneless chicken thighs
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground tumeric
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 stalks lemongrass (tender inner core, finely chopped)
• 1 tsp. corn flour
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil (for pan-frying chicken)
• 2 sprig curry leaves
• Slices of cucumber, for garnish
• 2 fried eggs, for topping over the rice

Methods:

1. To cook the rice: Combine all rice ingredients in a rice cooker and cook until fluffy.
2. Mix chicken with all the marinade  ingredients except corn flour, and let it marinate for few hours to let the flavors seep in.  Stir in the corn flour just before pan-frying.  In a medium heated wok, add in cooking oil, pan-fry  the chicken until golden and cooked through, both sides.  While pan-frying the chicken, in the same pan, place the curry leaves on the side of the pan, with oil, fry until crisp.  Remove the chicken and curry leaves onto a plate and set aside.  
3. To serve:  On each serving dish, place a bowl of coconut rice on one side, follow with pan-fried chicken and the curry leaves over the chicken, then top the rice with a fried egg.
4. Let's indulge....

This yummylicious recipe is adapted from 'Miki's Food Archives' with slight adjustments to suit my cooking preference.

Coffee Buns (Kopi Roti)

This happens to be one of my favorite Buns to bake and enjoy with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, any time of the day.  Recently, I came across this  recipe from foxyfolksy.com, and since I have a bottle of MOCCANA Classic medium roast coffee in my pantry, there is no second thought. I grab hold of all the needed ingredients which are readily available in my pantry and put my baking gear into it.  Tadaaa...

 

When baking this recipe, I am revisiting the recipe for the Buns which I have baked on 19th September 2024,  click here for the recipe.

For the Coffee Caramel Topping recipe, I use the recipe from foxyfolksy.com.  Click the link here for the full recipe.  If you prefer to make use of the whole recipe from this link to bake your Coffee Buns, feel free to do so.  I am incorporating the 2 recipes from 2 different sources to bake this Coffee Buns (Kopi Roti) recipe during this round of baking.

Let me share a few photos which I have captured during the process of baking this yummylicious Buns...

A small dough for first proofing

8 round buns after second proofing

After topping and ready for baking

Let's enjoy!

Pork Blanket Dumplings

For this post, I would like to refer back to my earlier post 'Steamed Dumplings' on 23rd July.  With another packet of the Japanese Gyoza Pastry lying in my fridge, I have been thinking of what to do with it.  It is like, my thoughts are always being heard! I decided to use the same filling recipe for Steamed Dumplings to make this Blanket Dumplings.  Refer the link here for the filling recipe.

For infor, the actual recipe for the Blanket Dumplings is using minced/ground chicken, but  I am using minced/ground pork instead.  Click here for the Chicken Blanket Dumplings.

Ingredients:

10 sheets Japanese Gyoza Pastry

1 tablespoon cooking oil

3/4 cups water

1 sprig spring onion (washed and chopped)

Sauce:

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons PEKIN Spicy Secret Sauce (or chili oil)

Methods:

1. On a flat plate, divide the pork fillings into 10 round balls.
2. On a clean non-stick pan, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.  Arrange the pork balls in the pan and cover each with a gyoza pastry or wrapper.
3. Pan-fry over medium heat for about 1 minute.
4. Add water, cover, and steam for about 5 minutes until cooked through.
5. Uncover and cook for about 2-3 more minutes until the bottoms are golden and lightly crispy.  Switch off heat.
6. Drizzle with the light soy sauce and PEKIN Spicy Secret Sauce or chili oil.  Top with spring onion and serve immediately from the pan.

Let's Eat!

This delicious recipe is adapted from 'CiCi Li' with adjustments to suit my cooking preference.

Pandan Coconut Milk And Dragon Fruit Agar-Agar (Low Sugar)

What not to love and enjoy of this homemade dessert, which is low in sugar and 'guilt free.' ~ Yeah ~

Ingredients:

(A)  Pandan layer

• 60 g. granulated sugar
• 10 g. agar-agar powder
• 600 ml. water
• 100 ml. pandan juice (I mix 100 ml. water with pandan paste)
• 100 ml. coconut milk

(B)  Dragon fruit layer

• 4 g. agar-agar powder
• 40 g. granulated sugar
• 350 ml. water
• 3 small cubes dragon fruit

Methods:

1. In a pot, add granulated sugar, agar-agar powder, water and pandan juice.  Give it a stir.  Put the pot on the stove with medium heat and stir frequently.  Once it comes to a boil, add in coconut milk.  Continue stirring until it comes to a boil, then switch off heat.
2. Wet the prepared container, and pour the pandan layer into the container.  Use a spoon to remove air bubbles, and set it aside.
3. In another clean pot, add granulated sugar, agar-agar powder, and water.  Give it a stir.  Put the pot on the stove with medium heat and continue stirring.  Once it almost comes to a boil, add in the dragon fruit cubes.  Continue stirring for another minute.  Switch off heat.
4. Check the pandan layer to ensure that it has almost set.  You can use a sharp knife to score the top of the pandan layer, but I did not.
5. Pour the dragon fruit layer over a sieve over the top of the pandan layer.  Chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
6. Cut and serve!

I adapted this recipe from 'Miss Ling's Kitchen' with a slight adjustment to suit my cooking preference.

Bitter Melon Chicken Soup

I love Bitter Melon or also known as bitter gourd; whether it is cooked as Soup, stir-fried, suffed with meat filling, and even juiced.  They are really fine for me.  One problem is that my hubby and children is not a fan, so the thought of cooking it is just 'once in a blue moon.' However, this is one dish that I will always include if we are having Chap Fun or commonly known as Fast Food in my hometown.

Recently, I came across a Bitter Melon Chicken Soup recipe, and since the weather is rather heaty off late, so I decided to cook it for dinner.  I add in more chicken slices just to ensure my hubby have a bowl, without the bitter melon.  Anyway, the soup is not bitter at all.

Ingredients: 

1/2 bitter melon (washed)

1 tomato (washed and cut into bite-sized pieces)

1 small bowl of chicken slices

2 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)

1/2 tsp. minced ginger

Dashes of ground white pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cornstarch/cornflour

1/2 tbsp. Shaoxing wine

1 tbsp. cooking oil

2 1/2 cups unsalted chicken stock or water

Methods:

1. In a medium bowl add chicken slices.  Marinate with garlic, ginger, salt, white pepper, cornstarch and Shaoxing wine.  Mix well and set aside, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Prepare the bitter melon: Cut the bitter melon into half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the seeds and white spongy pith.  Slice the bitter melon into thin slices and set aside. 
3. In a heated wok, add cooking oil, and swirl around the wok.  Add in the marinated chicken and stir over high heat for a few minutes or until the meat is slightly charred.  
4. Pour in chicken stock or water, give it a stir and let it come to a boil. Taste for correct seasoning.  I add some chicken stock granules to the soup.
5. Once it comes to a boil, add in bitter melon and tomato, and stir to combine.  Cook until the bitter melon has almost soften, turn off the heat.
6. Ladle into separate bowls and serve immediately while hot.  This soup goes well with a plate/bowl of hot fluffy rice.

This recipe is adapted from 'Souped Up Recipes' by Mandy, with slight adjustments to suit my cooking preference.

One-Pot Long Bean Rice (Tau Kok Fan)

 

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati Rice (using rice cooker cup to measure the rice and water)

3/4 tablespoon cooking oil

10 pieces pork belly (thinly sliced with skin, you can also use bite-size pieces)

1 piece Chinese sausage (peeled and cut into slices)

1/2 tablespoon dried shrimps (washed and soaked in warm water and drained.  Reserve the soaking water for cooking rice)

1 bowl long beans (cut into 2" pieces)

1 big shallot (peeled and finely sliced)

2 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)

1 1/4 cups water (using the same rice cooker cup to measure water)

Seasonings: (mix in a bowl)

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (adjust according to the darkness of your sauce)

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Dashes of ground white pepper

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon chicken stock granules 

Methods:

1. Wash the rice in several changes of water until water runs clear.  Soak for 30 minutes and drain. (I usually soak basmati rice).
2. Heat a wok.  Add cooking oil.  Saute shallots until soft and fragrant.  Add garlic and dried shrimp and stir-fry for another minute.  Add meat and stir-fry until turn color.  Add rice, seasonings, and long beans.  Stir to mix everything together until combined.  Turn off the heat.
3. Transfer all the ingredients into a rice cooker.  Pour in the water and stir to combine.  Make sure everything is submerged in the water to ensure even cooking.
4. When it's done cooking, leave for another 10 minutes in the 'Keep Warm' function.
5. Fluff the rice, dish onto a serving plate, topped with some crispy shallots and garlic; and the dish is ready to be served!
6. Enjoy this delicious one-pot rice dish.

Ready for cooking.

This recipe is adapted from 'What To Cook Today' with slight adjustments to suit my cooking preference.

Braided Matcha Streusel Milk Bread

Another Matcha Bread which caught my attention!  The original recipe uses red bean paste as the filling, but I am using Matcha Streusel instead, being a huge fan of Matcha ~ SMILE ~

In October 2023, I baked this Yummy Matcha Streusel Bread, and love the delicious filling.  So, for this Braided Matcha Milk Bread, I decided to use the same filling, but with a smaller portion as listed below:

70 g. unsalted butter

27 g. caster sugar

20 g. whole egg

34 g. cake flour

47 g. milk powder

4 g. Matcha powder

Click this link here for the instructions to make the Matcha streusel filling.  For the Milk Bread recipe, click the link here for the full recipe.

Let me share some photos captured throughout the process of baking this delicious Braided Matcha Streusel Milk Bread.

Just a small dough ball from the start

The bread dough with the Matcha Streusel filling

Braided and after second proofing

Topped with white sesame seeds and ready for baking

Time to enjoy!

Mongolian Minced Pork Udon

 

Ingredients:

2 portion Udon noodles

1/2 yellow capsicum (sliced)

1 tbsp cooking oil

200 g. minced pork

3 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)

1/2 tsp fresh ginger (peeled and grated)

1/2 small onion (peeled and chopped)

Sauce: (mix in a bowl)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1/2 tbsp Mirin or rice vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp corn flour

Methods:

1. Cook the Udon noodles according to package directions, drain and set aside.
2. In a wok heat the cooking oil, add minced pork and cook, breaking it up with a spatula until it turns opaque.
3. Add in the capsicum, chopped garlic, grated ginger and onion.  Stir and cook until fragrant.
4. Stir the sauce ingredient, then add the sauce into the wok.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly.  The sauce will thicken noticeably.
5. Add the cooked Udon.  Mix and toss everything together until the noodles are evenly coated in the delicious sauce.
6. Divide into serving plates and serve!

This delicious recipe is adapted from 'Chef Marion Grasby' by Mehjouba Dahouk with slight adjustment to suit my cooking preference.

Chicken Herbal Soup

 

Ingredients:

2 chicken Whole legs 

3 pieces dried Chinese yam (huai Shan)

2 tbsp Yi Yi Ren (Chinese barley)

10 g. dried lotus seeds (lian zi)

10 g. fox nuts (qian shi)

10 g. solomon's seal (yu zhu)

5 g. dried longan

5 g. goji berries

2 pcs. honey dates

8 pcs. dried scallops (small)

Water

Salt to taste

Methods:

1. Clean the chicken legs and remove excess fat.  Cut each whole legs into 2 pieces, thighs and drumsticks and set aside in a large bowl.
2. Wash all the herbal ingredients, drain in a colander and set aside.
3. In a pot bring water to a boil, pour some boiling water over the chicken to blanch to remove any impurities.  Remove the chicken and put it back into the pot of leftover boiling water together with all the herbal ingredients, and switch on the heat to high.
4. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
5. Season with salt before serving.

Benefits: Boosting the immune system, revitalizing energy levels (Qi), improve digestion and combating fatigue. 

This soup recipe is adapted from 'Janet's Home Cooking' with a slight adjustments to suit my cooking preference.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:

230 g chicken breast

a pinch of salt

a pinch of white ground pepper

1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1/2 egg white

1/2 cup corn flour (divided)

2 cups cooking oil (for frying the chicken)

Stir-frying:

1 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 small onion (peeled and cubed)

1/2 medium red and green capsicum (cubed)

Sauce: (mix in a small bowl)

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp ketchup

1/2 tbsp vinegar

1/4 tbsp sugar (to taste)

a pinch of salt

For the cornstarch slurry:

1 tsp corn flour

1 1/2 tbsp water

Methods:

1. To marinate the chicken, in a bowl, combine the chicken with salt, white pepper, Shaoxing wine, and egg white.  Mix well and let marinate while preparing the other ingredients.
2. To coat the chicken, mix the chicken with half of the corn flour and let rest for 5 minutes.  Coat again with the remaining corn flour.
3. To fry the chicken, in a heated pot, add cooking oil. Fry the chicken in batches for about 3 minutes until cooked through. Repeat until all is done.  Increase the oil temperature and fry again for about 1 minute until golden and crispy.
4. To stir-fry and finish, in a wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry the onion and capsicum for about 30 seconds, then remove them onto a plate.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the sauce mixture and the cornstarch slurry.  Stir until the sauce thickens. Return the vegetables and chicken to the wok, and toss until evenly coated.
5. Remove on to a serving dish and serve with freshly cooked fluffy rice!

This recipe is adapted from 'cicili.tv' with slight adjustment to suit my cooking preference.

Chinese Tea Eggs

Ingredients:

6 eggs (washed and set aside)

Water (enough to cover the eggs)

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp Lipton tea leaf (use Chinese pur-erh tea leaf if you have)

1 stick cinnamon

1 star anise

3 cloves

1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

1/2 tsp sugar

Methods:

1. Add water to a medium pot and gently place the eggs in it, ensuring they are fully submerged.  Bring the water to a boil over high heat and boil for approximately 10 minutes to ensure the eggs are fully cooked.
2. Transfer the hard-boiled eggs from the boiling water and rinse them under cold water.  Keep the water from boiling the eggs. Using the back of a teaspoon, gently tap the egg shells to crack them.  Return the eggs to the water and add the remaining ingredients: light soy sauce, tea leaf, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, five-spice powder and sugar.
3. Bring the tea mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low.  Simmer for 1 hour (the longer the simmering the better the taste).  Add more water if needed.
4. Serve immediately, or leave the tea eggs in the mixture overnight to further enhance their color and flavor.

This delicious recipe is adapted from 'Rasa Malaysia' with a slight adjustment to suit my cooking preference.

Steamed Dumplings

While I was in a popular Supermarket in KL, I came across this Dumpling Wrappers which is suitable for making Steamed Dumplings.  Since this wrappers are not available in the place where I am from, so I grab hold of two packets, and here goes my homemade Steamed Dumplings.  

Ingredients:

200 g. minced pork

8 medium-sized prawns (peeled, deveined and cut into small pieces)

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 tsp. light soy sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Shaoxing wine

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

3 dashes ground white pepper

1 stalk spring onion (chopped)

1 pack dumpling wrappers

Methods:

1. For the filling, in a large bowl, combine minced pork, prawns, ginger, light soy sauce, salt, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, ground white pepper and spring onion together.  Mix well and set aside.
2. To assemble the dumplings, put a small spoonful of the filling in the center of a wrapper.  Moisten the edge of the wrapper with water using your finger, then fold and pleat the dumpling.  Repeat this process for the remaining wrappers.
3. To steam the dumplings, arrange the dumplings in a steamer lined with parchment paper (punched with holes) at the bottom and steam for 8-10 minutes.
4. Remove the dumplings onto a serving dish and serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Ready for steaming

I serve my Dumplings with this Ultimate Dipping Sauce.

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 minced garlic clove

A pinch of grated ginger

Some fresh chopped spring onions

In a medium bowl, mix all the above ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved.  Ready to serve!

This delicious Steamed Dumplings recipe is adapted from 'Rasa Malaysia' with a slight adjustment to suit my cooking preference.

Stir fried durian flowers with prawns in curry and coconut milk

Came across a stall selling durian flowers when I went grocery shopping one morning at a local market.  I just couldn't help going home empty handed as I have not cook this Simple Yet Yummylicious dish for quite a long while.  Happily coming home with a packet of durian flowers, I quickly clean it and get ready all the necessary ingredients needed.  Since I don't have curry paste, I opt for a quick option of using curry powder.  Though the outcome is less pungent but it does satisfy my cravings! ~ happy tummy ~

Fresh durian flowers

"Simple Yet Yummylicious"

To get the full recipe, click this link here.

Green Matcha Bread Loaf

Since I still have leftover good quality Matcha Powder in my pantry, I will not let this beautiful GREEN colour Bread Loaf pass by without  baking it.  I love the rustic top of the bread, it appears hard while just out of the oven, but once it cools down, it is a delicious, soft and fluffy bread ~ Love It! ~

I am glad to share the beautiful photos which I captured throughout the process of baking this great bread. For infomation, I lightly add some chocolate chips into the dough.

Dough ready for first proofing

Outcome of first proofing

Dough shaped

Dusted with flour for a rustic look
and in to second proofing

After second proofing

Score the top of the dough and
it's time for baking

Tada.. Beautiful loaf just out of the oven

Slice and enjoy!

Click the link here for the full detailed recipe.  Happy baking everyone!

Simple & Hearty Oat Bread

I have always love Oat Bread, and have tried out few recipes from different recipe sources.  Came across this great recipe while I was away for holiday.  This is the first bread recipe which I baked after quite a while.

Click this link here for the full recipe, from 'The Craft Patch.'

I am sharing some photos throughout my journey of baking this Simple & Hearty Oat Bread.  

Ready for first proofing

After first proofing

Shaped and ready for second proofing

After second proofing

Beautifully baked!