Pandan Kaya Spread 咖央醬

Kaya is a jam made from cocnut milk, eggs, sugar and pandan leaves. Srikaya mean kaya with golden colour, depending on the amount of carmelization of sugar while green pandan kaya is based on the amount of pandan extract. Both of them are popular, as a jam, kaya is typically spread on toast or as fillings in kuih, buns, cakes of puff pastry. This is my mom recipes, she use a bowl to measure all ingredients -- a bowl of eggs, a bowl of cocnut milk, a bowl of sugar and some pandan leaves. I used pandan paste in stead of pandan leaves because it is hardly find at here, the reason I didn't caramized it is because the pandan paste give good green colour already and no need to caramize sugar for colouring.

Source: My mom, seadragon

Ingredients:

6 eggs

sugar (same amount with the eggs)

coconut milk (same amount with the eggs)

1 tsp pandan paste or 6 pandan leaves

Methods:

1. If you don't have double boiler, use 2 pots. One is slightly smaller than the other one, so that it can fit into the bigger pot. The smaller pot shouldn't touch bottom of the bigger pot, use a aluminium rack or else to elevate the smaller pot. Filled the bigger pot with water, the water should at least 1/3 or half of the smaller pot. Bring it to boil.

2. Beat lightly the eggs with sugar till dissolved, add in cococnut milk and stir well. Strain the eggs mixture into the smaller pot, add in pandan leaves or pandan paste and stir continuosly and steam it over gentle simmering water.

3. Keep on stirring kaya non-stop till the the custard is thick, discard the pandan leaves if you use pandan leaves.

4. Cool and bottled the kaya in jam jar.

Notes:

1. If you want make serikaya, fry 3-6tbsp sugar separately and stir in the caramel, add this to the kaya to achieve the golden colour.

2. This homemade kaya can't keep for long time cause we didn't add in preservative, it can be best keep in the fridge.

3. You can do it with bread machine too, it might be much easier.

4. Malasian like to eat it with hot bread toast with a lot of butter and kaya.

Japanese Steamed Eggs 玉子豆腐

This is Japanese Steamed Eggs or known as 玉子豆腐, 玉子 means eggs and 豆腐 means tofu. Actually it taste likes normal chinese steamed eggs but this one is more smoothy, soft and tastier, the most important is it is very east to do and healthy to eat.

Source: YTower

Ingredients:

5 eggs
250ml lukewarm water
1tbsp mirin ( 1tbsp sake plus 1tbsp sugar)
3 drops light soya sauce
A pinch of salt

Methods:

1. Lightly beat eggs, stir in 250ml lukewarm water and mix well.
2. Add in 3 drops soya sauce, a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp mirin, stir well.
3. Drain the eggs mixture and pour it into container. You may see a few bubbles on the surface, use a kitchen tower and wrap over all bubbles for a smooth surface.
4. Steam it over medium high heat for 10 minutes. Served with some light soya sauce.

Notes:
1. Don't overbeat eggs, just beat it very lightly.
2. Just add lukewarm water but not cold water or you will get bad steamed eggs.
3. Mirin helps to reduce eggs smell and for smooth shinny surface.
4. Salt is for helping coagulated eggs mixture to tofu form while a few drops light soya sauce is for colouring.

Pandan Chiffon Cake 班蘭 雪芳蛋糕 - Part 2

This time I used 1teaspoon pandan paste in stead of pandan juice which is very difficult to find at here, the result is pandan paste didn't play a second fiddle. It is so fragnant beside I save a lots of work ---- no need blend my fresh pandan leaves with water again.

Source: Lily Wai Sek Hong, Little Corner Of Mine

Ingredients:

150 g cake flour

1/2tsp baking powder

1/4tsp salt

8 egg yolks

300ml coconut milk

1tsp pandan paste

160g castor sugar

9 egg whites

1tbsp castor sugar

1/2tsp cream of tartar or lemon juice or vinegar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degree celcious.

2. Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and add the castor sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring slowly to disslove the sugar.

3. Set aside to cool. Sieve the cake flour, baking powder and salt.

4. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks till creamy foam, add in sifted flour, pandan paste and coconut milk. Mix until the batter is smooth.

5. Whisk the egg whites lightly and add in vinegar/lemon juice/cream of tartar and castor sugar. Continue to whisk until the mixture is stiff. Do not overbeat or allow the mixture to become dry. Set aside.

6.Gently fold half the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and blend well. Fold in the remaining egg whites and work very lightly with a spatula. Make sure the mixture is well mixed. Place the finished mixture in an ungreased chiffon cake mould.

7. Level and bake in the oven until golden brown (about 45-60 minutes). Remove the cake from the oven and invert the mould immediately.

Notes:

1. Never grease the mould or place baking sheets in the mould or you will get flatten cake.

2. Let it cool at least 1 hour before cut it.

3. Preheat oven at least 15 minutes before start baking.

4. After you mix batter with whipped egg whites, bake immediately.

5. I used vinegar or lemon juice in stead of cream of tartar ---couldn't find at here. You can use self- raising flour in stead of cake flour +baking powder.

6. If you can't find cake flour, use plain flour but reduce 2 tbsp and replace it again with 2tbsp cornflour to reduce their protein/gluten.

Chai Kuih 菜粿

Chai Kuih is a common chinese snack in malaysia, it is a transparent skin dumpling with yam bean filling. I thought it is difficult to do but not at all, it is very easy and no need spend a lots of time to making chai kuih. Malaysian will usually eat it with some chilies sauce.

Source: Amy Beh


Ingredients:

Pastry skin
100g tapioca flour
200g wheat starch, tung min fun
50g glutinous rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
450ml hot boiling water
6 tbsp oil

Filling:
500g yam bean (bangkwang), skin removed and shredded
1 small carrot, shredded
1/4 cup water
1tbsp oil
1 tbsp chopped shallots
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
25g dried prawns, chopped

Seasoning:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Method:
1.Heat oil, fry shallots and garlic until lightly browned. Add dried prawns and stir-fry until fragrant.
2. Add shredded carrots, yam bean and seasoning and stir-fry for about 4 minutes. Add water and cook until the gravy turns thick. Dish out and set aside to cool.
3. For the pastry skin, put tapioca flour, wheat starch, glutinous rice flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Add boiling water gradually and stir with a long wooden spoon. Add in the oil and knead into a smooth dough.
4. Remove, divided into 30-35 portions. Flatten, wrap filling and seal the edges.
5. Arrange the dumplings on a lightly greased or on grease paperon the steaming tray. Steam for 7 minutes. Brush hot dumplings with a little oil before taking them out.

Notes:
1. I use white radish in stead of yam bean cause it is hardly find in Netherlands.
2. When the pastry skin is cooked, it turn to transparent.
3. I add in some red colouring into my pastry skin.

Fried Nian Gao in Spring Roll Skin炸年糕

Nian Gao年糕 known as glutinous rice cake can be store for a long time in the freezer. Peoples likes to pan-fry it with some egg, or pan-fry it with some bread crumbles, or steam it till soft and coated with fresh grated coconut or deep fry it with slices of sweet potaoes and yam in flour batter or deep-fry with wantan skin. But, now I post it with spring roll skin. It is so easy.

Source: My mom

Ingredients:
Nian Gao (glutinous rice cake) sliced,
spring roll skin ,cut into smaller size
Oil, for deep frying

Method:
1. Cut nian gao into smaller size. Cut spring roll skin into smaller size.
2. Wrap nian gao with spring roll skin and sealed it with some water.
3. Deep fry till it turn to golden colour.

Notes:
1. Slice prefer thinner than thicker .
2. Make sure oil is hot enough for frying or they will turn to very oily snacks.