Nasi Lemak

Nasi Lemak is not only the name for rice steamed in coconut milk, but is also the name for a whole range of dishes. Though Malay in origin, the Nonyas added more dishes to the menu. Besides the rice, the meal would include Sambal Ikan Bilis, Fried Chicken Wing, Kuning Fish, Otah, sliced cucumber and omelette triangles and etc.

If you are a Nasi Lemak lover, you should have heard or eaten the famous Changi Nasi Lemak call the International Food Stall. They had a great varieties of side dishes to go with the fragrant coconut rice. In Singapore it's very easy to get hold of Nasi Lemak at anytime of the day and from either the China or Malay stalk. So it's a very common dish like Chicken Rice that most Singaporean loves to eat.


This version of Homemade Nasi Lemak that I tried is using the ideas from one of the TCS drama called "Holland V". Since I am those people who loves to experiment with my food. I decided to follow the show to cok the Coconut Rice with Cream Soda and Fresh Coconut Milk and see how it taste like. To our surprised, it really taste good and it's any kind of experience from eating the usual Nasi Lemak rice. So if you are a food explore like me, maybe you will want to give this dish a try........

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 Cup Rice (200g)
125ml Pandan Water
100ml F & N Ice-Cream Soda
150ml Fresh Coconut Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Stalk Lemon Grass, cut into 2 section & lightly pound
6-8 Pandan Leaves, wash & cut into small pieces
3 Pandan Leaves(extra), wash & knotted together

Methods:
1. Place the small pieces of pandan leaves and 125ml of water in a blender and blend it into pandan juice.
2. Sift it and collect 125ml of pandan water.
3. Wash and rinse the rice then soak it in the pandan water for about 2 hours.
4. Add coconut milk, cream soda, panda leaves, lemon grass and some extra 1/4 Teaspoon of pandan paste to the rice if you want a more jade colour on the cooked rice.
5. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer until cooked about 12 minutes(or you can cook in the rice cooker).
6. After the rice is cooked, let it stand for about 20 minutes or more so that the rice will be much fragrant and tastier.
7. Serve it with any dish dishes that you prefer like: Whitebaits, Fried Egg, Fried Chicken or etc.

Fresh Coconut Milk:
1/2 Fresh Grated Coconut
150ml of Water

Methods:
1. Add water to the grated coconut then mix well, squeeze out the coconut juice over a sieve and collect about 150ml of Fresh Coconut Milk.


Fried Curry Chicken Wings
5-6 Medium Chicken Wings
1/2 Packet of Fried Curry Chicken Spices
Some Water

Methods:
1. Mix the Curry Chicken Spices with some water to form a paste then add in the washed and clean chicken wings and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or more.
2. Next coat the marinated chicken wings with some extra cornflour and set aside for about a about 2-3 minutes then deep-fry in medium hot oil and crisp and golden brown.
3. Drain and serve with coconut rice.

Crispy Whitebaits
1 Cup Whitebaits
1 1/2 Tablespoons Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar

Methods:
1. Rinse 1 cup of whitebaits and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Preheat the pan with oil then add in the whitebaits and stir-fry until slightly brown then add in the salt and sugar and continue to fry until golden and crisp.
3. Remember to stir on and off or else it will get burnt easily.

Pumpkin, Cranberry Bean & Cordyceps Soup

Sick of eating and drinking of peanut soup? Why not give a try to this "Pumpkin, Cranberry Bean & Cordyceps Soup". Cranberry Beans(珍珠豆) have a nutty flavor and creamy texture. It's rounded with red specks, which disappear on cooking. These beans are a favorite in northern Italy and Spain. In Singapore, cranberry beans are known as "Pearl Beans", which is a literal translation from its Chinese name and they are sold fresh in their pods in most vegetable stalls.

For Today's soup, we will be using this special bean to stew soup with pumpkin, dried cordyceps stems and pork ribs. This soup will taste sweet and nutty because of the cranberry beans and pumpkin. Do give it a try, if you happen to see some of these beautiful beans laying around at the vegetable stall near your area.


Ingredients:
300g Pork Ribs,排骨
300 - 350g Pumpkin,南瓜
20-25 Pods Of Cranberry Beans,珍珠豆
20g Dried Cordyceps Stems.干冬虫草
4-5 Red Dates,红枣
1 Tablespoon Gou Qizi,枸杞子

Methods:
1. Wash, trim and blanch pork ribs in boiling water, rinse and set aside.
2. Wash, peel pumpkin and cut into thick slices.
3. Remove the Cranberry Beans from the Pods, wash and drain.
4. Wash dried cordyceps stems, red dates and gou qizi, drained and set aside.
5. Bring a pot of water(about 1.5 liters) to boil, add in all the ingredients except the beans, bring to boil and simmer on low heat for 1.5 hours then add in the beans and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.(You can cook on slow cooker using low heat for 2 hours then add in the beans and continue to simmer for another 30-45 mins)
6. Season with salt and serve.

Braised Ee Fu Noodle

Ee Fu Noodle is frequently used in wedding banquets and other important celebrations. It's prepared with the finest ingredients, deep-fried to a golden yellow and served as a royal dish. The most common one is Braised Ee Fu Noodle with Enoki & Yellow Chive.

For today's dinner, we are having Braised Ee Fu Noodle with Prawns, Pork Fillets & Spring Onion. It's a very simple and yet delicious dish that suits everyone in the family..... Especially for those who loves to eat Ee Fu Noodle.......


Ingredients:
1 Piece Of Dried Ee Mee
2 Stalks Spring Onion, cut into section
6-8 Medium Prawns, shelled & devein
150g Lean Pork, cut into strips
1 Teaspoon Grated Ginger
1 Teaspoon Grated Garlic

1. Marinate the pork strips with some pepper, soy sauce, cooking wine and cornflour. Set aside with the shelled prawns while preparing the noodles.
2. Bring half pot of water to boil, add in the dried Ee Mee and stir till soft then drained, rinse with cold water and set aside.
3. Preheat a pan with about 2 Tablespoons of oil and stir-fry spring onion until fragrant, add in prawn, pork strips, garlic and ginger.
4. Continue to fry until almost cook then add in the noodles and seasoning sauce.
5. Cover and let it braised over low heat for about 3 minutes until sauce thicken and serve.
6. You can add in abit more water or stock if you want it to be more wet.

Seasoning Sauce:
1 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
1/2 Tablespoons Light Soy Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
3/4 Cup Instant Chicken Stock
1/4 Cup Water

Methods:
1. Mix all the sauce ingredients together and set aside for later use.

Notes:
You can get this Hong Kong Conton Style Ee Mee at local supermarket like NTUC.

You can add in different ingredients such as mushrooms or vegetables to create your own style of Ee Fu Noodle.

Salad With Breaded Fish

Other than having rice, dishes and soup for dinner..... We decided to have a change for tonight's menu. We are having some vegetables and fruit salad together with breaded fish. Although it might look simple but it's a rather filling meal.

In order to make the salad more complete and filling, I added the breaded fish which I come across this idea from eating out.


Ingredients:
2 - 3 Small Butter Lettuces
8-10 Baby Potatoes
6-8 Fresh Chestnut
1 Tomato, or some cherry tomatoes
1 Avocado, cut into slices
1 Medium Japanese Cucumber, peel and cut into 1" thick
1 Apple, peel and cut into cubes
1 Lemon Juice & Rinds
1/2 Red Onion, thinly shredded
2 Tablespoon Extra Light Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise Sauce
Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Methods:
1. Cut and wash the lettuces then drain and set aside.
2. Boil the baby potatoes and chestnut in a small pot of water until tender.(around 15 minutes)
3. Drained the water, rinse the potatoes and chestnut then peel off the skin and cut them into half each.
4. In a big mixing bowl, add in cucumber, apple, avocado, onion, lemon rinds, potatoes and chestnut. Then drizzle 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, Mayonnaise Sauce and some black pepper into the bowl and mix well.
5. Place the salad and lettuce in the fridge while preparing the breaded fish.

Breaded Fish Fillet:
8-10 Pieces Of Fish Fillet Strips
2 Tablespoons Cornflour
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1/2 Cup Dried Breadcrumbs

Methods:
1. Marinate the fish fillet strips with some salt and pepper for about 10 minutes then dust with some cornflour.
2. Dip the fish strips in beaten egg then coat with dried breadcrumbs and set aside for a few minutes before deep-frying.
3. Preheat a pot of oil and deep-fry the fish strips until golden brown, drained and set aside.

Assemble The Salad:
1. Toss the lettuce into the vegetables salad and mix well then place it on a plate and top with breaded fish and serve.

Notes: You can used with hard boiled egg or breaded chicken instead of fish for the salad.