Cornflake Cookies

Ingredients:

250g butter

200g light brown sugar

375g self-raising flour

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

150g mixed fruits

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp Brandy

about 100g crushed cornflakes

Method:

1.  Mix the dried fruits with 2 tbsp Brandy and leave to soak overnight.

2. Cream butter, sugar and salt until creamy. Add vanilla essence and lightly beaten eggs.

3.  Fold in sifted flour and mixed dried fruits and mix well.

4.  Using a spoon, scoop about a teaspoon of the cookie dough and drop it into the crushed cornflakes.  Roll into small balls and place them on baking tray lined with parchment paper.

5.  Bake in preheated oven at about 160 deg for about 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

Crispy Prawn Rolls

Ingredients:

300g dried prawns
5 buah keras (ground)
1 tbsp chilli paste
1/2 tsp belachan
5 rounded tbsp caster sugar
thinly sliced limau perut leaves
poh piah skin cut into 4 pieces
egg white for sealing the prawn rolls

Method:

1.  Clean dried prawns and remove grits. Place in a blender and grind till fine.
2.  Fry chilli paste, buah keras and belachan with a little oil till aromatic.
3.  Add ground dried prawns and keep on frying till crispy. Remove and add in 5 tbsp sugar and the sliced limau perut leaves and mix well.
4.  Place some prawn mixture on a piece of poh piah skin, roll up and seal with egg white.
5.  Deep fry till golden brown.  Drain on absorbent paper and when cool, store in an air-tight container.

Spicy Cookies

Ingredients:

150g Adam Cheese
250g butter
320g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp chillie powder
1 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tin sunflower seeds
1 tsp salt
1 egg

Method:

1.  Grate cheese finely.
2.  Beat butter with sugar,egg, baking powder, salt, pepper powder and chilli powder.
3.  Add in cheese and sunflower seeds.
4.  Fold in sifted flour and mix well into a dough.
5.  Roll dough out and cut into desired shapes.
6.  Polish cookies with egg and bake in preheated oven at 170 deg C for about 20 mins or until lightly brown.

Sayor Lodeh

Ingredients:

300g long beans
300g cabbage
300g turnip
1 small chayote
1 red carrot
2 brinjals
4 pieces taukwa

2  stalks lemon grass
1 thumb-sized piece galangal

Spice Paste:
3 cloves garlic
10 shallots
5 buah keras
2.5cm ginger
2cm tumeric
50g dried prawns
50g dried anchovies
2 tsp belachan
2 tbsp chilli paste

1.5 litres water
500ml thick coconut milk
200ml evaporated milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 tsp salt

Method:
1.  Clean and cut vegetables into small pieces.
2.  Cut the taukwa to small triangles and deep fry till skin is a bit crispy.
3.  Blend all spice paste ingredients together and mix with the chilli paste.
4.  Heat oil in wok and fry blended spice paste till fragrant and set aside.
5.  Bring 1.5 litres water to a boil.  Add the crushed galangal, serai and all the vegetables.
6.  When vegetables are almost cooked, add the fried spice paste and mix well.
7.  Add the thick coconut milk and evaporated milk.  Season with salt according to taste.
8.  Lastly add in the fried taukwa.

Tang Yuan In Ginger Syrup

Ingredients:

300g glutinous rice flour
300ml water
few drops of red food colouring
1 packet coloured tapioca flour cubes

Ginger Syrup:

1500ml water
4 screwpine leaves
100g ginger, peeled and smashed
200g raw cane sugar

Method:

1.  Place the glutinous rice flour in a big bowl.  Add water bit by bit and knead until it forms a smooth dough. Divide dough into 2 portions.  Colour 1 portion of dough with the red food colouring and knead till the dough is evenly coloured.
2.  Divide both white and pink doughs into 1.5 cm portions and lightly roll them into balls between the palms. Set aside.
3.  Bring 1.5 litre water to a boil. Add the ginger and pandan leaves and boil for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat.  Add sugar and boil till sugar dissolves, remove pandan leaves and ginger.
4.  In another pot, bring 1 litre of water to a boil.  Drop in the glutinous rice balls and let them boil till they float to the surface.  Transfer them with a slotted spoon into the ginger syrup.
5.  Drop the coloured tapioca flour cubes into the boiling water and boil till they float to the surface and are cooked through.  Remove and drop them into the ginger syrup.
6.  Ladle the glutinous rice balls and tapioca cubes together with the ginger syrup into bowls and serve.

Pearly Beans With Chestnuts Soup

Ingredients:

500g pork ribs
300g pearly beans
200g fresh chestnuts
2.5 litres water

Method:

1.  Separate pearly beans from pods.
2.  Parboil fresh chestnuts, remove skin and rinse.
3.  Scald pork ribs in boiling water and rinse well.
4.  Bring 2.5 litres of water to a boil.  When boiling, add in pork ribs and chestnuts. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.
5.  Add in pearly beans and simmer for another 20-30 mins.
6.  Add salt to taste.

Pearly Beans With Sweet Corn Soup

Ingredients:

300g pearly beans
500g pork ribs
1 sweet corn
8 red dates
2.5 litres water

Method:

1.  Separate beans from pods. Wash and drain.
2.  Scald pork ribs in boiling water and rinse well.
3.  Bring 2.5 litres of water to a boil.  When boiling, add in the pork ribs.  Lower heat and simmer pork ribs for one hour.
4.  Add in sweet corn, red dates and pearly beans.  Simmer for another half an hour.
5.  Add salt to taste.

Huai Shan With Pork Ribs Soup

Ingredients:

500g huai shan
500g pork ribs
8-10 red dates
1 tbsp medlar seeds
2.5 litres water
1 tsp salt

Method:

1.  Peel off skin from huai shan and cut into chunks.
2.  Remove stones from red dates and rinse.
3.  Scald pork ribs with boiling water and rinse well.
4.  Bring 2.5 litres of water to a boil.  When boiling add in the pork ribs and boil for 1 hour.
5.  Add red dates, huai shan and medlar seeds and simmer for another half an hour.
6.  Add tsp salt to taste.

Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

300g orange-fleshed sweet potatoes
300g Japanese sweet potatoes
50g dried longans
2500 ml water
120g rock sugar
3 pandan leaves, knotted
1 thumb-sized piece ginger

Method:

1.  Peel and cut sweet potatoes into chunks.  Wash and flatten ginger with the back of a cleaver.
2.  Place 2.5 litres of water in a pot together with the ginger and pandan leaves.  Bring to a boil.
3.  Add in the dried longans, sweet potatoes and rock sugar.  Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are just tender.
4.  Discard pandan leaves and serve.

Huat Kueh II

Ingredients:

300g plain flour
250g brown sugar
200ml thick coconut milk
50ml water
1 egg
1 tsp double action baking powder
5 pandan leaves

Method:

1.  Boil the brown sugar and 50ml water till sugar dissolves. Strain and leave to cool.
2.  Pound the pandan leaves and extract the juice.
3.  Mix the egg with the thick coconut milk and pandan juice.
4.  Mix the shifted flour with the cool sugar solution and mix well, then add in the thick coconut milk mixture.
5.  Dissolve the double action baking powder with 2 tbsp of hot water and add to the mixture.
6.  Pour mixture into small containers and steam immediately for about 20 minutes.

Kaya

Ingredients:

10 eggs
600g sugar
500ml thick coconut milk
4 pandan leaves, knotted
a pinch of salt
a slice of ginger

Method:
1.  Stir eggs and sugar together till sugar dissolves.
2.  Add half the amount of coconut milk with a pinch of salt to the egg mixture and stir well to mix.  Add the ginger and the pandan leaves.
3.  Heat mixture in double-boiler over a low heat.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon till the sugar is completely dissolved.  Remove the ginger and pandan leaves and strain mixture.
3.  Add the other half amount of coconut milk and continue stirring till the mixture is thick and creamy.
4.  Wrap lid of double-boiler with a dry tea-towel, cover and steam kaya for 3 hrs over a moderate heat.

Kueh Bakar

Ingredients:

300g plain flour
300ml thick coconut milk
300ml water
250g caster sugar
50g ghee
8 pandan leaves
3 eggs

Method:

1.  Blend pandan leaves with 300ml water and strain out the pandan flavoured water.
2.  Cream the eggs with sugar till sugar dissolves.  Add in the thick coconut milk and pandan flavoured water.
3.  Fold in the flour and mix well. Strain the mixture.
4.  Melt the ghee in a 9 inches round tin.  Pour in the mixture.
5.  Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degress F for about an hour.
6.  Let kueh cool in tin before turning out.

Kueh Wajik

Ingredients:

600g glutinous rice
250ml water
300ml thick coconut milk
150ml thin coconut milk
300g gula melaka
150g sugar
6 pandan leaves
a pinch of salt

Method:

1.  Wash the glutinous rice in several changes of water and soak overnight.
2.  Spread the drained glutinous rice in a steaming tray and steam the rice for 30 minutes.  Add 250ml water to the steamed rice and mix well.  Add the pandan leaves and steam for a further 30 minutes.  Gently fluff up rice and set aside.
3.  Bring the thin coconut milk, chopped gula melaka, sugar and pandan leaves to a boil.  Stir continuously over a low heat till the sugar dissolves.  Add in the thick coconut milk, stir well and strain solution.
4.  Add the steamed rice.  Cook over a low flame, stirring continuously till mixture thickens.
5.  Spread the cooked wajik on a tray lined with banana leaves.  Press down firmly and smoothen the surface.  Cool till it hardens slightly before cutting.

Ban Chien Kueh

Rising Dough:

2 tsp dry yeast
180g plain flour
300ml water

Method: Mix dissolved yeast with the plain flour and water and leave to rise for 5 to 8 hrs.

Ingredients:

450g plain flour
110 tapioca flour
90g sugar
500ml water
2 eggs
2 tsp alkaline water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:
1.  Sieve plain flour and tapioca flour together into a mixing bowl.
2.  Add in the sugar, bicarbonate of soda, alkaline water and eggs.
3.  Add water gradually and stir until combined then add risen dough and mix well. Cover and keep batter aside for 1-2 hours.
4.  Heat a brass mould or a non-stick pan. Pour a thin layer of batter onto heated, greased mould and spread batter to form a round thin pancake.  Sprinkle with a bit of sugar, cover and cook over medium low  heat until cooked. Sprinkle with coconut or peanut fillings, fold kueh over and remove from mould.

Huat Kueh

Ingredients:

600g plain flour
500g light brown sugar
300g sweet potatoes
11/2 rice bowls water (450ml)
1 tbsp dried yeast
10 pandan leaves

Method:

1.  Remove skin of sweet potatoes, wash and cut into pieces. Boil with some water till cooked, drain and  mash till fine.
2.  Pound pandan leaves and extract the juice.
3.  Sift flour into a mixing bowl, add the brown sugar and mix thoroughly.
4.  Add the pandan juice and cooled, mashed sweet potatoes.
5.  Add in the water bit by bit till enough to form a thick batter.
6.  Dissolve the dried yeast in 2 tbsp lukewarm water, leave till foamy then mix with the batter.  Mix well, cover and leave to prove for 1 hour.
7.  Pour batter into  2-5″ round tins lined with banana leaves and steam over vigorously boiling water for 1 hour.

Alkaline Kueh

Ingredients:

300g rice flour
1200ml water
1 tsp salt
3 tsp alkaline water

Method:
1.  Sieve rice flour into a mixing bowl.  Add in the salt, 600ml water and the alkaline water and mix well. Rest mixture for 10-15 mins before straining.
2.  Boil remaining 600ml water.  When boiled, pour the rice flour mixture into it and stir till thick.
3.  Line a 9 inches round tray with cellophane paper.  Pour the rice flour mixture into it and smoothen the surface with 2 tbsp water.  Steam over high heat for about 1/2 hour or till cooked.
4.  Cool kueh before cutting into serving pieces.  Serve with palm sugar syrup.

Palm Sugar Syrup:

300g gula melaka
150g caster sugar
150cc water
2 pandan leaves

Method:

1.  Boil the above ingredients together until thick.
2.  Remove pandan leaves and sieve.

Kueh Sarlat

Ingredients for Pulut:

600g glutinous rice

300ml thin coconut milk

150ml thick coconut milk

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 pandan leaves

Method:

1.  Wash and soak glutinous rice overnight.  Drain and place rice in a steaming tray, top with pandan leaves and steam over high heat for 15 minutes.

2.  Add 300ml thin coconut milk  to steamed rice, mix well and steam for another 10 minutes.  Add the thick coconut milk, mix well then sprinkle rice with some blue colouring and steam for a further 5 minutes. 

3.  Line the bottom of a 28 cm round tray with banana leaf.  Transfer steamed rice to tray and press rice down firmly with a piece of banana leaf  or a plastic spatula.  Steam tray of glutinous rice over boiling water for 15 minutes before adding the custard topping. 

Custard Topping:

10 eggs

450g castor sugar

500ml thick coconut milk

6 level tbsp plain flour

1 level tbsp rice flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp pandan juice

1 tsp apple green colouring

Method:

1.  Stir eggs with sugar till sugar dissolves and strain into a double boiler. 

2.  Sift rice flour and plain flour into a big bowl, add coconut milk gradually and mix to a smooth batter then strain into the egg mixture.  Add salt, pandan juice and green colouring and stir well.

3.  Stir mixture over a pot of boiling water till it coats the back of a wooden spoon.  Pour custard onto steamed glutinous rice, cover and steam over moderately high heat for 15 minutes.

4.  Reduce heat to low and continue to steam for another 1/2 hour or till a small stick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the custard.  Remove and place tray on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.

Red Bean With Sago Porridge

Ingredients:

250g red beans

100g sago, soaked

200g rock sugar

2 pieces dried tangerine peel

2 pandan leaves, knotted

2.5 litres water

Method:

1.  Wash red beans in several changes of water and remove any grit that rises to the surface.  Rinse and drain.  Rinse tangerine peel briefly.

2.  Bring 2.5 litres of water to a boil.  Add the red beans, pandan leaves and tangerine peel and boil over high heat for 15 minutes.  Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour till beans are softened.  Remove half of beans and blend till fine.  Pour blended bean paste back into pot.

3.  Add rock sugar and continue to simmer over low heat for another 1/2 hour.  Add sago and boil until sago turns translucent.   

Homemade Fish Ball Soup

Ingredients for Making Fish Balls:

1 Spanish Mackeral (about 600gm)

Solution A: 1 tbsp water + 1/2 tsp salt

Solution B:

100ml water

1 tsp salt

a dash of pepper

1 tbsp cornflour

Method:

1.  Clean fish, wipe dry and fillet with a sharp knife.

2.  Scrape out the flesh from the skin and bones with a metal spoon.

3.  Place the fish flesh on a wooden chopping board.  Pound the fish flesh with the back of a chopper until very fine, adding the salt solution A, a little at a time.

4.  Place the fish paste in a big bowl, stir in one direction under very sticky, adding Solution B while stirring.

5.  Take handfuls of the fish paste and throw it against the sides of the bowl till the paste becomes springy.

6.  Grease hands and fingers with a little oil.  Take a lump of fish paste and gently squeeze paste out between thumb and index finger to form small balls. 

7.  Scoop out the balls of fish paste with a spoon and drop them into a bowl of  water salted with 1 tsp salt.  Leave fish balls to soak in salt water for 1/2 hour. 

Ingredients For Soup:

Bones and skin of fish

Fish balls

1500ml water 

1 small head Iceburg lettuce

1 stalk spring onion, shredded

1 tbsp preserved radish ‘tong choi’

Seasoning:

1 tsp salt

2 tsp light soya sauce

Method:

1.  Pan-fry the fish bones and skin till golden brown.

2.  Bring 1500ml water to a boil, add the fried fish bones and skin and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. 

3.  Strain the fish stock into a pot and bring to a boil.  When boiling, add the fish balls and cook over a slow fire till they float to the top.  Add seasoning to taste. 

4.  Add ‘tong choi’ and shredded lettuce.  Sprinkle with shredded spring onions.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ingredients For Chicken:

1 chicken (about 1.8 kg)

1 large piece of ginger, smashed

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tbsp light soya sauce

Method:

1.  Wash chicken and remove excess fat.  Stuff chicken with salt, ginger and garlic.

2.  Fill a deep pot with water making sure water level  is enough to immerse chicken.  Bring to a boil, and when boiling put in chicken and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes till chicken is cooked.

3.  Remove chicken and drain liquid from the body cavity.  Retain chicken stock for cooking rice and soup.  Scoop out oil from stock and use for making chilli sauce.

4.  Add 2 tbsp salt to a big pot of water.  Dip chicken in and soak till it has cooled down.  Drain and brush with 1 tbsp sesame oil mixed with 1/2 tbsp light soya sauce. 

5.  Chop chicken into bite-size pieces and serve garnished with sliced cucumber, tomatoes and coriander leaves.

Ingredients For Chicken Rice:

600gm fragrant rice

700ml chicken stock

5 cloves garlic, minced

8 shallots, minced

1 small piece ginger, smashed

4 pandan leaves, knotted

4 tbsp corn oil

1 tsp salt

Method:

1.  Wash rice, drain in a colander and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

2.  Heat 4 tbsp corn oil over high heat in a wok.  Add minced shallots and garlic, ginger and pandan leaves and fry till fragrant.

3.  Add rice grains and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to a rice cooker and add chicken stock and salt.  When rice is cooked, remove ginger and pandan leaves. 

Ingredients For Chilli Sauce:

10 fresh red chillies

6 cloves garlic

5 shallots

2.5 cm piece young ginger

chicken oil

juice of 10 limes

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

Method:

1.  Blend chillies with garlics, shallots and ginger.  Add vinegar, lime juice and chicken oil.  Add salt and sugar to taste.

Hum Cheem Peang

Ingredients for Yeast Dough:

450gm plain flour

250ml water

Method:

1.  Sift flour onto table, add water gradually and knead into a smooth dough taking about 20 minutes.

2.  Place dough  into an oiled container, cover with  a piece of damp cloth and put on the container lid.

3.  Set aside for 48 hours for dough to ferment.  (Dough will take a longer or shorter time to ferment depending on weather conditions).  The dough is ready for use when it turns sourish.

Ingredients for Five-Spice Doughnuts:

450gm prepared yeast dough

250g sugar 

375gm plain flour

125ml water

1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp alkaline water

Filling Ingredients:

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp five-spice powder

a little water for brushing

Method:

1.  Dissolve bicarbonate of soda in 125ml water and add to yeast dough.  Add sugar and alkaline water and knead for 5 to 10 minutes.

2.  Add sifted flour and knead well.  Sprinkle top with some flour and cover with a piece of damp cloth.  Set aside to proof for one hour or longer.

3.  Sprinkle some flour on table top.  Roll out dough into a rectangular sheet.

4.  Sprinkle some five-spice powder and salt over dough.  Dip brush in some water and brush over mixture lightly.

5.  Roll dough up like swiss roll and cut into 2.5 cm slices.  Flatten each piece into a thin round shape with a wooden roller.

6.  Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.  Drain off excess oil on absorbent paper.

Kueh Pie Tee Recipe

Ingredients:
85g plain flour
150 ml water
1 dessertsp melted butter
a pinch of salt
a dash of ground pepper
1 egg

Method:
1. Sift flour with salt and pepper.
2. Slowly mix in the water and melted butter and mix well into a smooth batter. Sieve batter and let stand for 1 hour before use.
3. Heat oil in a small deep pot for deep-frying.
4. Dip a medium-sized pie tee mould into the boiling oil, remove it and dip mould into the batter covering only about 3/4 length of the mould.
5. Deep fry the pie tee cases in the hot oil until set. Shake off the pie tee case from the mould and fry until light brown in colour.
6. Drain pie tee cases on absorbent paper and cool thoroughly before storing in an airtight container.
7. To serve, put a small piece of lettuce into a pie tee case. Add a tbsp of filling and top with coriander leaves, prawn, crab meat, egg shreds, sliced red chilli and pounded peanuts.
8. Serve with chilli sauce.

Ingredients for Fillings:
1 medium-sized turnip
1 small carrot, shredded
2 cloves garlic, ground
1 shallot, ground
1 tsp taucheo
1/2 tsp vetsin
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method:
1. Peel carrot and turnip and cut into thin strips.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil and fry the ground garlic and shallots. Add taucheo and stir-fry until fragrant.
3. Add shredded carrot and turnip and fry well, adding a little water. Simmer over low heat until cooked. Add seasoning and adjust according to taste.

Topping:
3 eggs
6 tbsp water
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp oil

1 crab (boiled, shelled and shredded)
300g shrimps (boiled and shelled)
butter lettuce
coriander leaves
shredded red chillies
pounded roasted peanuts

Method:
1. Beat eggs with water and a pinch of salt. Heat 2 tbsp oil in pan and fry beaten eggs to egg sheet and slice fine.

Chilliies Sauce:
20 fresh chillies, ground
2 cloves garlic, ground
Juice of 4 limes
1 tbsp sugar
salt to taste

Method:
Mix all ingredients together and add salt and sugar to taste.

Kai Choy Soup

Ingredients:

500g Kai Choy (Leaf Mustard)

500g pork ribs

8 red dates, stoned

3 dried scallops

2 litres water

Seasoning:

1 tsp salt

1 tsp light soya sauce

Method:

1.  Soak red dates till softened, wash and drain.  Wash dried scallops.

2.  Wash and cut leaf mustard into 3 sections.

3.  Blanch pork ribs in boiling water, wash and drain.

4.  Bring 2 litres of water to a boil.  Add pork ribs, red dates and dried scallops.  Cover pot and boil over high heat for 15 minutes. 

5.  Add leaf mustard, lower heat and simmer soup for 1 hour.  Add seasoning to taste.

Ayam Penyet

Ingredients:

6 large chicken legs, deboned

2 stalks lemon grass, crushed

2 bay leaves (daun salam)

1 tbsp coriander seeds (ketumbar)

1/2 tsp ground cumin (jintan manis)

2 tbsp thick coconut milk

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients to grind:

120g lengkuas, peeled and sliced

1 red chilli, seeded

2 cm knob tumeric

4 slices ginger

3 cloves garlic

3 candlenuts (bush keras)

Method:

1.  Fry coriander seeds over slow fire till fragrant then grind coarsely.

2.  Wash chicken and drain well.  Prick chicken all over with a fork.

3.  In a mixing bowl, combine ground spices with ground cumin, coriander, salt, sugar, coconut milk and crushed serai.  Add chicken and mix thoroughly.  Leave to marinade for 30 minutes.

4.  Grease base of cooking pot with some cooking oil.  Arrange chicken in pot, add crushed bay leaves.  Cover pot and cook over moderate heat for 8 minutes.  Turn chicken over, cover pot and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until almost dry.  Remove chicken and drain off excess liquid.

5.  Grill or roast chicken on high heat, 250 deg C until golden brown on both sides.

Claypot Chicken Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (300g)

2 cups water (350ml)

2 chicken drumsticks (300g)

5 dried Shitake mushrooms

2 dried Chinese sausages

2 stalks mustard greens

50g salted fish

Marinade for Chicken:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tbsp ginger juice

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

a dash of pepper

1 tsp cornflour

Method:

1.  Soak mushrooms in warm water till softened.  Cut off  stalks,  drain and squeeze dry.

2.  Wash sausages and cut each into 6 to 8 pieces.  Wash vegetables and cut into pieces.

3.  Fry salted fish in a little oil till crispy and crumble into small pieces.

4.  Wash and cut chicken drumsticks into pieces.  Mix with marinade and salted fish and set aside for 30 minutes.

5.  Wash rice, drain and put into the claypot with the water and 1 tbsp of Maggi concentrated chicken stock.  Bring to the boil over high heat.  When steam holes appear on rice, add the chicken, mushrooms and sausages.

6.  Cover claypot  and continue to cook over low heat for another 15 to 20 minutes till chicken is cooked.

7.  Add vegetables on top, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

8.  Mix well before serving and drizzle some dark soya sauce over the rice. 

Carrot Walnut Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

11/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups castor sugar

1 cup cornoil

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups finely grated carrot

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup crushed pineapple (optional)

Method:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C.

2.  Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl.

3.  Add sugar, cornoil and beaten eggs and mix well.

4.  Add grated carrots, chopped walnuts and pineapples and blend thoroughly.

5.  Pour into a greased 25cm x 25cm  square tin or 2 loaf pans.

6.  Bake at 180 deg C for 40 to 45 minutes, or until done.  Cool cake in pans a few minutes before turning out on a wire rack.  When thoroughly cooled, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

250g cream cheese

125g butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

400g icing sugar

Method:

1.  Cream butter with cream cheese and vanilla essence until light.

2.  Gradually add icing sugar and blend until of spreading consistency.

Waxed Meat (Lap Yoke)

Ingredients:

600g streaky pork

4 pieces raffia string

Seasoning:

75ml sweet black soya sauce

75ml black soya sauce

11/2 tbsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp ‘Golden Flower’ Chinese wine

1/4 tsp saltpeter

2 tsp warm water

Method:

1.  Cut streaky pork into 4 pieces, each about 1 cm thick.  Prick meat all over with a fork.

2.  Bring a pot of water to a boil,  add the four pieces of meat and scald them.

3.  Remove and place meat in a pot.  Add saltpeter which has been dissolved in warm water and rest of seasoning.  Mix well and use a heavy object to press the meat for 12 hours.

4.  Poke a hole through one end of each piece of meat and tie with a raffia string.  Hang to dry in the sun for 4-5 days.

Ang Ku Kueh II

Ingredients for skin:

300g glutinous rice flour

150g sweet potatoes

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp corn oil

250-300ml warm water

1/8 tsp orange red colouring

Banana leaves cut to small circles

Peanut Filling:

300g ground, roasted peanuts

150g caster sugar

some boiled water

Method:

1.  Mix ground peanuts with sugar and add in some water to make into a paste form.  Shape into small round balls of filling for dough.

Method for skin:

1.  Steam cut sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes till cooked and soft.  Mash through a wire sieve and set aside.

2.  Sieve glutinous rice flour into a mixing bowl.  Make a hole in centre of flour and add the sugar, mashed sweet potatoes and corn oil.  Add the coloured water a little at a time and  mix and knead well until the colouring is even and dough is pliable.  If dough is too dry, add a little more water.  Knead till dough does not stick to the hands adding more oil if necessary.  Let dough rest for  20-30 minutes.

3.  Divide dough into equal portions to fit mould and roll each into a round ball.  Flatten each ball of dough slightly and add a small ball of filling.  Pinch and seal the edges to enclose the filling.

4.   Spread some oil over the dough and press into a kueh ku mould.  Knock mould lightly to dislodge kueh and place on a piece of banana leaf .

5.  Place all the kueh ku in a steamer and steam on high heat for 5 minutes.  Remove lid from steamer to let out excess steam.  Cover and continue steaming for another 5 minutes.

6.  Remove kueh ku from steamer and brush lightly with corn oil to prevent sticking.  Cover with banana leaves to keep them soft.

Waxed Sausage (Lap Cheong)

Ingredients:

600g pork fillet

60g pork fat

20g sausage casing

some rafia string

Seasoning:

1 tbsp Chinese rose wine

2 tbsp light soya sauce

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp saltpeter (optional)

2 tsp warm water (to dissolve saltpeter)

Method:

1. Soak sausage casing with warm water till soft. Fix it to water tap and rinse until clean. Drain.

2. Wash and slice pork fillet to about 1 cm thick pieces and pork fat into 1/2 cm thick pieces.

3. Place sliced meat into a big bowl. Firstly, add in the saltpeter solution and mix well. Next, add in the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Leave to marinate overnight.

4. Tie off one end of sausage casing, attach a funnel to the other end and gather sausage casing on funnel tube. Stuff marinated meat into casing. Squeeze to distribute filling evenly throughout the casing. When it is about 12-15 cm long, cut it off and tie with a raffia string. Prick generously on all sides of sausages to expel air.

5. Boil a pot of water. When boiling, put in the sausages to scald it. Remove and hang outside to dry or in a well-circulated area for 4 to 5 days.

6. Sausage may be steamed, deep-fried or baked, all over low heat for about 8 minutes. To serve, slice into paper-thin pieces.

Roasted Sausages

Ingredients:

150g lean meat

150g pork fat

150g liver

10g sausage casing

Seasoning:

1 clove garlic, ground

1 shallot, ground

2 tsp ground soya bean paste

1 tbsp Chinese rose wine

1 tbsp Hoisin sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp spice salt

1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

Gravy:

2 tbsp maltose

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp water

Method:

1.  Mix maltose and  sugar with water and steam till dissolved.  Set aside for later use.

2.  To make spice salt:  Heat a frying pan with 1 tbsp salt till hot then add 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder and fry over low heat till aromatic.

3.  Soak sausage casing with warm water till soft, then fix it to water tap.  Rinse until it is clean then hang up to keep dry.

4.  Cut pork fat into small pieces and season with 1 tbsp sugar for 6 hours.  Blanch in boiling water and drain for use.

5.  Cut liver into small pieces and season with 1 tbsp ginger juice.

6.  Place cut lean pork, liver and pork fat into a big bowl,  add seasoning ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Marinate for 30 minutes.

7.  Tie off one end of sausage casing.  Attach a funnel to the other end and gather sausage casing on funnel tube.  Stuff marinated meat into casing, squeeze to distribute filling evenly throughout the casing.   Prick sides of sausage with a needle then  knot at every 10-12cm intervals.

8.  Rinse in warm water and drain.  Soak sausages for half an hour in 1 tbsp water mixed with 1/4 tsp red colouring.

5.  Place sausages on a metal rack and roast in preheated oven at 180 C for 20 minutes.  Remove and dab with gravy (1), turn over and roast for a further 10 minutes or until cooked and golden brown.  Leave to cool, slice and serve with remaining gravy.