Crispy Crumbed Prawns

Ingredients:
12 prawns
1 egg (lightly beaten)
2 tbsp cornflour
1 cup breadcrumbs
oil, for deep-frying
Dash of salt & pepper

Methods:

1. Peel, devein and leave the tails intact.  Slit the back of each prawn until the tail, but don't cut through.  Place a piece of prawn between a cling film and gently press to flatten it, until all is done.  Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper to marinate.
2. Place the beaten egg, cornflour and breadcrumbs into separate bowls.
3. Dust a prawn with cornflour, dip into the beaten egg and then coat with breadcrumbs, follow by the rest.
4. Heat enough oil in a wok over medium heat, when oil is hot put in the coated prawns, six at a time for about 1 minute on each side, or until the crumbs are golden.  Dish up and drain.
5. Serve immediately to enjoy the crunchiness of the prawns.

Note:  Frying anything which is coated with  breadcrumbs have to be extra careful with heat as breadcrumbs are easily cooked and browned.  Prawns that are flattened or rather known as 'butterflied' are faster to cook than the whole prawns.

Stir-fried glass noodles with prawns and cabbage

Ingredients:
1/2 cup medium size shelled prawns
1 bundle  glass noodles (soaked)
1 tbsp chopped onions
1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 bowl shredded cabbage
water (to add while cooking)

Seasoning:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules
Dash of pepper

Methods:

1. In a  wok put 3 tbsp of cooking oil, when heated put in onions and garlic, stir fry till fragrant.
2. Put in the prawns, give it a quick stir, then put in the cabbage and stir well.
3. Add in the glass noodles and seasoning, stir till well combined, put in some water and let it simmer under medium heat.
4. Stir often to ensure that the glass noodles does not stick to the pan, more water is to be added if required.
5. Once the noodles are cooked through, off the heat and serve.

Terung Asam cooked with fish

Eggplants came in many different shapes, sizes and colours and is the favourite of many. Have you come across one that is yellow in colour with a sourish taste bearing the name Terung Asam or Terung Dayak??  This eggplant is different from the other eggplant which is available everywhere in the world.  The way it is cooked is also different.  As locals here in Kuching and throughout the State of Sarawak we all love this dish very much and is more of an appetizer, so to speak.

If you are not a Malaysian and happen to be in Kuching, and is interested to try this dish, you can buy this eggplant at any market, if it is season time.  Let me share this simple recipe with you all....

What you need?

• 1 terung asam/yellow eggplant
• 3 shallots and 2 pip garlic
• 1 tbsp of shrimp paste/belacan
• 2 red long chilies (I use 1 rounded very hot chili)
• 1 piece of mackerel fish meat 
• 500ml. water (add more if desired during the process of cooking)
• salt (to taste)
• a bit of sugar (to taste)

How to cook?

1. Wash the eggplant, cut into medium size wedges, wash off the seeds and put aside.
2. Pound or blend the shallots, garlic, chilies together with the shrimp paste/belacan.
3. In a clean heated wok, put 3 tbsp of cooking oil, add in the pounded ingredients and stir fry well under medium heat till fragrant.
4. Add in water, put in the eggplant and cover the wok with lid.
5. Stir it often as it boils, add in salt and sugar to taste, and ensure enough water as this dish is soupy.
6. Cook till the eggplant is almost soft then add in the fish and let it boil, turn the fish to ensure that both sides are properly cooked through.
7. Off the heat, dish out and serve hot with freshly cooked rice.

Note:  If you prefer a more spicy soup, slice open one or two red chilies and put it whole in the soup to cook.  A bit of sugar is needed to balance the sourish taste of this dish.

Chicken and radish soup

Ingredients:
1/2 chicken
1 radish
4 slices ginger
4 garlic cloves (peeled and leave whole)
1 star anise
1 stalk spring onion (cut into 1")
600 ml. water (more can be added during cooking, if required)

Seasonings:
1 tsp chicken stock granules
salt (to taste)
MSG (Optional)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp grounded pepper

Methods:

1. Clean the chicken and cut into desired size pieces.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, blanch the chicken, drain and put aside.
3. Peel the radish, wash and cut into pieces.
4. Heat up 2 tbsp cooking oil in a clean wok, fry the ginger, garlic and star anise using low fire until fragrant.
5. Add in the chicken and radish, stir well till chicken meat changes colour and add in the seasonings and stir till well combined.
6. Add in water, cover with lid and bring to boil using high heat.  Lower the heat and let it simmer till chicken and radish are cooked through.
7. Serve the dish in a bowl, sprinkle with spring onion and consume hot with freshly cooked rice.

Note:  Chinese serves soup in every meal.  This chicken and radish soup is more concentrated and nourishing.  

Stir-fried pineapple with sambal belacan

This dish is popularly cooked and served in most fast food stalls throughout Kuching City. I prefer using ripe pineapples so the dish won't be too sour.  Though it's a simple dish but when combined with the sambal belacan it becomes an appetizing dish which many can't resist!

Ingredients:
1/2 medium size pineapple 
water
Salt & sugar (to taste)
2 tbsp cooking oil

Sambal Belacan:
2 red chilies
2 bird's eyes chilies
2 shallots
3 pip garlic
1 tbsp of dried shrimps
1/2 tbsp of chopped belacan (shrimp paste)
2 tbsp cooking oil

Methods:

1. Cut off the hard skin of the pineapple, with a sharp knife slice off the eyes on the flesh and the hard core in the center, rub with salt, rinse and cut into thin slices suitable for stir-frying.
2. Wash and soak the dried shrimps till soft, drain and put aside for later use.
3. Peel shallots and garlic, cut into smaller pieces.
4. Rinse the chilies, cut open to remove seeds and cut into cubes.
5. In a blender put all the prepared sambal belacan ingredients into it with 2 tbsp cooking oil and blend to become paste and scoop into a bowl.
6. Heat up a clean wok using medium fire, put in 2 tbsp of cooking oil, then pour in the blended sambal and stir well.
7. When oil separates put in the sliced pineapple, stir till well combined and put in some water, continue to cook. More water must be added when the sauce is too dry.
8. Taste to get the correct seasoning as the shrimp paste might be salty, add salt if necessary and dash of sugar if the pineapple is sour or else omit it.
9. Once the pineapple is well cooked with the sambal belacan and the sauce is thicker, off the heat, dish and serve with hot rice!

Mashed Potato Salad

I believe most home-cooks tend to agree with me that cooking for a few or even a small group of people are much more easier than for one person.  This is exactly what happens to me when comes to lunch time during weekdays if I am just too lazy to go out.  I won't be cooking a full meal then, but instead just something simple and light to satisfy my hunger.  Today, I am cooking myself a simple Mashed Potato Salad.....

1 serving

Ingredients:

1 potato

1 slice of bacon and ham

Cucumber

Onion

1 tbsp mayonnaise

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp of apple cider vinegar

Methods:

1. Wash, boil the potato with some salt till tender, drain, peel and mash.
2. Sprinkle pinch of salt into the mashed potato, put in olive oil and apple cider vinegar, continue to mix till well combined. Leave aside to cool.
3. Pan fry the bacon and ham, remove from pan and cut into slices.
4. Cut out about 1 inch of cucumber, cut into half, seeded and slice thinly.
5. Cut out a small portion of the onion and slice thinly.
6. Mix mashed potato, cucumber, onion, ham and bacon with mayonnaise till well combined.
7. Refrigerate to chill before serving and garnish as desired.

Watercress

Watercress is high in Vitamin C and E, antioxidant Beta-Carotene and is said to be a natural antibiotic.  When I was young, my mum used to cook this Watercress Soup, which is known to clear heat in the body.  This simple soup cooked with minced meat taste yummylicious.....

Ingredients:

1 bunch of watercress

1/2 cup of minced pork

1/2 tsp of chopped shallots and garlic

1/2 tbsp of cooking oil

1 to 1 1/2 bowl of water

1 tsp of light soya sauce

Chicken stock granules (to taste)

Methods:

1. Pick the watercress, wash and rinse few times, soak for an hour, then drain.
2. Marinate the minced pork with the light soya sauce.
3. In a clean wok, heat the cooking oil and fry the chopped shallots and garlic till fragrant and brown.
4. Pour in the water, add in the chicken stock granules and stir till dissolved.
5. When the water is starting to boil use hand to shape the minced pork into small balls and drop them into the wok.
6. As the water starts to simmer put in the watercress, stir well, taste and once the soup comes to another boil, off the heat and serve.

Note:  There is no specific time to cook watercress.  I prefers it crunchy but for those who likes it soft they will boil it longer, especially when cooked with pork ribs.  

For this next watercress soup, I include dried figs, sweet and bitter apricot seeds and chicken breast meat to enhance its taste and nutritional value.

Few simple steps:

1. Prepare a bunch of watercress and put aside.
2. Rinse 3 dried figs and cut into half.
3. Rinse 1 tsp of sweet and bitter apricot seeds.
4. Clean half a chicken breast and make few slits.
5. Heat 2 bowls of water in a pot, put in all the ingredients except the watercress and boil till cooked through.
6. Sprinkle some chicken stock granules and taste.
7. Add in the watercress, and once the soup comes to another boil, off the heat and serve.

I've got here another watercress dish to share, it's Simple Yet Yummylicious......

Watercress with kei chi and garlic flakes

Ingredients:

2 bunch of watercress

5 pip garlic

1 tbsp kei chi

Seasonings:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp shiao hsing wine

pinch of salt, to taste

pinch of MSG, to taste

Methods:

1. Prepare the watercress leaves as per above, put aside for later use.
2. Peel garlic and slice thinly.
3. Rinse kei chi, drain and put aside.
4. Heat a pot of water, when boiling add in 1/2 tbsp oil and dash of salt.  Put in the watercress, blanch for 1 minute, dish and drain.
5. In a clean wok, heat 2 tbsp. of oil, saute sliced garlic until fragrant.  Add in the seasonings, give it a quick stir, add in watercress and stir till well mixed.
6. Off the heat, dish up and serve immediately with freshly cooked rice.