Japanese Curry Mix

This is a simple, easy and yummy delicious dish. I love one dish meal, it help to save time and easy. For this you can choose the vegetable that you prefer and meal or seafood than cook in a pot and mix together.

I prepared with potatoes, carrot, onion, buttom mushroom, green peas and chicken meal. I bought the instant Mild level curry cube and is not spicy at all. The brand I bought is Golden Curry and it can be easily found in any supermarket.

For the water level and curry cubes to put, I refer to the box instruction given and follow. I love my curry mix with a bowl of rice and I keep the left over for the next day lunch. ;)

Yam Rice / Taro Rice (芋头饭)

After cooking the pumpkin rice, my next task is Yam rice. Actually is not difficult or non too complicated at all. The step is similar with cooking pumpkin rice. As I mention before I love Yam, yam cook with any dishes will make my appetite become double. =p

This time my yam rice is a little bit dry, perhaps yam will absorb liquid. I not sure but I will increase a little bit more water the next time. The taste also a little bit bland compare to my pumpkin rice. Non the less the overall is still tasty.

Serving portion: 1 or 2 persons

Ingredients:

• Yam - Use half a yam and cut into cubes (I bought one small size)
• 1/2 cup of uncook rice
• 3 dried mushrooms (pre-soak in the water for 20 min, do not discut the water. Slice into strips)
• 15gm dried prawns (pre-soak in the water for 20 min, do not discut the water)
• 1/2 tbsp oil
• 1/3 tsp garlic
• 1/2 and 1/4 cup of water (Obtain the water from the soaking of mushroom and prawns)
• Spring onions for garnishing (Optional)

Seasonings:

• 1/2 tbsp light soya sauce
• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp black soya sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• Dash of salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat up the wok with oil and fried the garlic until fragrant, add in the dried prawns and stir fry under medium low heat. Add in the dried mushrooms and continue to stir fry for a while.
2. Add in the yam and continue to stir fry than add in the seasonings and stir fry until everything coat with the sauce.
3. Add in the uncook rice and water (water from the soaking of mushroom and prawns) and stir until all the ingredients are well combine.
4. Transfer all the ingredients to a rice cooker and cover the lid, let it cook until is ready for servings.

Bibimbap (비빔밥)

 

I not really a fan of Korean food, more prefer on Japanese food cuisine. But Bibimbap is one of my flavour and I love to order this. Most important is the sauce, the sauce is a little bit spicy but is still acceptable but not all the hawker seller make a good sauce. I try some different stall bibimbap but the sauce cannot make it. Bibimbap is really a healthy and nutrition food, majority of the ingredients is make up of vegetable and is up to your own creative to use different kind vegetables if you want.

 

I know many people crave and love kimchi but is a definitely no no for me. I don't like the taste and smell. Normally when you purchase a set of korean food from the food court, the seller will gave you the side dish like kimchi and ikan bilis but I will always turn down and ask them to keep back. I don't want to waste the food because in the end I won't be touching that side dish. =p

 

 

After I got hook up with the bibimbap, I decided to make my own so I went to those korean mart and look for the bibimbap sauce. The first time I found it selling at Vivo one of the korean mart at S$10+. I got a shock with such a expensive sauce and some more is only 300gm. So I keep hesitant whether to buy or not, in the end I choose not to buy it and look for other korean mart.

Luckily I didn't buy because I found another korean mart selling the exactly same bibimbap sauce at S$7.90, is located at chinatown (upper cross st) near the china square central. The price different is not alot buy at least I save a few bucks. =D

I dish up a non meat bibimbap because I lazy to marinate the meat. So is all vegetables only but it still taste delicious.

Recipe source: http://www.koreanbapsang.com/2010/01/bibimbap-korean-rice-bowl-with.html
*The bibimbap sauce I bought from a Korean Mart or you can make your own DIY sauce too.

Pumpkin Rice (金瓜饭)

Suddenly thought of cooking some pumpkin rice when I chance upon a mini pumpkin at the wet market. So sad when I thought of buying the mini pumpkin on a weekend and so "lucky" that they doesn't have it that day. I saw the mini pumpkin is on a friday and the next day I wanted to buy but haizz. So no choice I choose the giant pumpkin, just one slice of the giant pumpkin not the entire.

 

 

The pumpkin rice is really delicious. My kitchen filled with the fragrance from the pot of rice when it was still cooking. The taste is just right and the pumpkin is so soft which don't even need to chew. My mum help herself with one bowl too and I kept the remaining on the next day for breakfast. 

 

 

Serving portion: 2 persons

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin (I bought one slice not sure the weight, a thin slice. Just nice for 2 persons. Cut into cubes)
• 1 cup of uncook rice
• 6 chinese dried mushrooms (pre-soak in the water for 20 min, do not discut the water. Slice into strips)
• 30gm dried prawns (pre-soak in the water for 20 min, do not discut the water)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic
• 1 and 1/2 cup of water (Obtain the water from the soaking of mushroom and prawns)
• Spring onions for garnishing

Seasonings:

• 1 tbsp light soya sauce
• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• Dash of salt and pepper

Method:

1. Heat up the wok with oil and fried the garlic until fragrant, add in the dried prawns and stir fry under medium low heat. Add in the dried mushrooms and continue to stir fry for a while.
2. Add in the pumpkin and continue to stir fry than add in the seasonings and stir fry until everything coat with the sauce.
3. Add in the uncook rice and water (water from the soaking of mushroom and prawns) and stir until all the ingredients are well combine.
4. Transfer all the ingredients to a rice cooker and cover the lid, let it cook until is ready for servings.

Kueh Puteri Sarlat

Actually i plan to make this Glutinous Rice Sarlat on last Monday as I need the pandan leave but i forgot that market are off on every monday. Too bad, so i change to yesterday and make my first kueh. 

The weather keep raining on and off during this season. Yesterday the rain is horrible heavy and weather is very dark, the photo i took is really bad even though after edited. How i wish i own an DSLR camera. *So greedy =p

The day before i told my mum that i want to make this kueh on the next day morning and she ask me about the ingredient. On the book, the recipe they use for the top layer (kaya layer) is rice flour and my mum said no, don't use rice flour because the top layer will be very hard. So alright i ask her what about tapioca flour and she said yes, tapioca flour is better and the top layer will not be so hard.

I glad that i listen to her, choosing tapioca flour instead of rice flour. (Listen to mama is right)
The top layer is soft and this is the texture we wanted to make. And for the rice is not soft enough to me, even though i have already soaked the rice overnight. 

My mum mahjong kaki friend said the kueh is marvelous (I so happy when people enjoy the food i make but also quite bashful >.<  when they praise me.. hehehe..) and they ate alot. Weeee.. and this time my mum said the kueh is yummy too! Anyway she also got help me out with the kueh making.

Guess what I nearly burn the kitchen as i forgotten to add water to the pot when the kueh is still steaming and my mum smell something chao ta and i got a scolding from her. Thanks to my mum if not the kueh will become chao ta kueh. Hahaha..

Recipe from With love from the Little Nyonya Book
*I half the portion
Bottom Layer:

• 250gm Glutinous rice (soaked for 2 hours)
• 75ml coconut milk
• 200ml water
• 1/4 tsp salt

Top Layer:

• 3 Eggs
• 250ml coconut milk
• 100gm sugar
• 25ml pandan juice (About 10 to 15 pandan leave)
• 25gm rice flour or tapioca flour
• 1 tsp corn flour
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Bottom layer: Drain glutinous rice, add coconut milk, water, salt and stir. Place it in a cake tin with a bed of pandan leaves. 
2. Steam it for 45 minutes till cooked. Allow to cool slightly, then press the warm glutinous rice using a banana leaf to make it compacts. (I omit this step)

How to extract the pandan juice from the leave? I found a blogger who explain in step and easy to read.
http://wendyinkk.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-get-concentrated-pandan-juice.html

1. Top layer: In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar till dissolved. 
2. Add the coconut milk, pandan juice and continue to whisk, gradually add the rice flour and corn flour bit by bit till completely well mixed. Add salt.
3. Pour the mixture by sifting on the warm steamed cooked glutinous rice.
4. Steam it for 25 to 30 minutes till set.
5. Leave to cool completely before cutting into pieces.

Glutinous Rice

Miss this old traditional Lo Mai Kai so much but instead of Kai (Chicken) i omit other ingredient. I start in hock on to glutinous rice when one days, my mum order a glutinous rice from a store at Ghim Moh market. So i taste a few bite and slowly i finished the whole plate and got hock on it and this is the best glutinous rice i have even eaten.

Since i seldom go down to ghim moh market, so i decided to make some plus i craving for it. Instead of using chicken as the ingredient, i replace it with dry shrimps, chinese sausage and dry mushroom. I didn't steam my glutinous for too long, i want the kind of chewy and abit dry texture. I don't really like the kind of sticky and watery texture. I would said depend on each individual palate. =p

After the whole process of cooking and steaming the glutinous rice, i find the texture just right, only the taste is abit blend.

Ingredient:

• 1 sticks chinese sausage
• Dry scrimps - soaked for one hour (depend how many u would like to have in it)
• 5 dry chinese mushroom - soak until mushroom soften and slice
• 1/4 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 & 1/2 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 1/2 tbsp soya sauce
• 1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 250gm glutinous rice
• 1/2 cup of water for cooking (I use the water from the mushroom and dry scrimps)

Method:

• The day before, soak the glutinous rice overnight
• Heat the pan with some oil and the fry the garlic until fragrant. Add in the chinese sausage, dry scrimps, mushroom and continue to fry.
• Add in the glutinous rice and the seasoning, toss evenly to combine and pour the cup of water until is absorbed into the rice.
• Scoop the rice and ingredient into a bowl
• Steam the filled bowl for 20 ~ 30 minutes (depend if u want it to be more sticky or dry)
• Serve immediately while it still hot.