SEAFOOD TOM YAM

Ingredients:-

8 oz (250 g) shrimp/prawns, shelled and deveined, with shellsreserved

3 cups (24 fl oz/750 ml) water

2 garlic cloves (kratiem), minced

5 kaffir lime leaves (bai ma-good)

3 thin slices fresh or dried galangal (kha)

1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) fish sauce (nam pla)

2 stalks lemon grass/citronella (ta-krai), lower

1/3 portiononly, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) lengths

2 shallots, sliced1/2 cup sliced straw mushrooms

5 green Thai chili peppers (prik khee noo), optional

1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) lime juice1 teaspoon black chili paste (nam prik pow)

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro/coriander leaves (bai pak chee)

Preparation:-

Rinse the prawn shells and place them in a large pot with the water. Heat to boiling, strain the broth and discard the shells.

Add the garlic, lime leaves, galangal, fish sauce, lemon grass and shallots to the stock, then the mushrooms and chili peppers, if using. Cook gently for 2 minutes.

Add the shrimp to the soup, and reheat to boiling. When the shrimp are cooked, place the lime juice and black chili paste in a serving bowl. Pour the soup into the bowl, stir, garnish with the cilantro leaves, and serve.

Pad Thai

Ingredients:-

1 (12 ounce) package rice noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/8 tablespoon crushed red pepper
2 cups bean sprouts
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
3 green onions, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preperation:-

Soak rice noodles in cold water 30 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside. Heat butter in a wok or large heavy skillet. Saute chicken until browned. Remove, and set aside. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into hot oil, and cook until firm. Stir in chicken, and cook for 5 minutes. Add softened noodles, and vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender. Add bean sprouts, and mix for 3 minutes.

BASIL CHICKEN

This recipe is for one of the favorite dishes of the Thai people. They will make Basil Anything – substitute the chicken with pork, beef, squid, shrimp, seafood, . . . anything you like. This dish is often served at breakfast with a deep-fried egg, sunnyside up, on top. One of our particular favorites is to make it with ground pork and lots of Thai chillies. For pork, make sure you use Holy Basil (Bai Gkaprow), as it goes especially well with pork.

Ingredients:-

2-3 Tbs. peanut oil for stir-frying
10-12 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 shallots, thinly sliced (or substitute with 1/2 cup sliced onion) – optional
1 lb. boneless chicken thighs, coarsely chopped, or cut into small bite-size pieces
12-20 Thai chillies (prik kee noo), cut into very thin rounds; or substitute 4-6 serrano, jalapeño or fresno peppers, cut into large slivers with seeds
2 small kaffir lime leaves (bai ma-gkrood), very finely slivered (optional)
2-3 tsp. black soy sauce (the semi-sweet kind), or to taste
2 Tbs. fish sauce (nam bplah), or to taste
1 cup fresh Thai holy basil (bai gka-prow), or Thai sweet basil (bai horapa) leaves and flower buds; or use 1/4 cup dried holy basil, soaked to soften plus 1/2 to 1 cup fresh Thai sweet basil (bai horapa)
Dash of ground white pepper

Preparation:-

Prepare the ingredients as instructed. Leave the fresh basil leaves whole; the flower buds may also be used. The dried holy basil will soften when soaked in tap water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Pull off and discard the hard stems. Drain.
Heat a wok until its surface is smoking hot. Swirl in the oil to coat the wok surface. Wait a few seconds for the oil to heat, then stir in the garlic, followed a few seconds later with the shallots or onion. Stir another 15 to 20 seconds before adding the chicken. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until most of the chicken has changed color on the outside and is no longer pink.
Toss in the chillies, slivered kaffir lime leaves (if using), and softened dried holy basil (if using). Sprinkle black soy sauce over the mixture and stir-fry for another 15 to 20 seconds. Season to taste with fish sauce, then stir in the fresh basil. Toss well. Stir-fry another 1/2 to 1 minute, or until the basil is wilted and the chicken cooked through. Sprinkle with white pepper. Stir and transfer to a serving dish, or spoon directly over individual plates of plain steamed rice.

GREEN CURRY PASTE (KRUNG GAENG KEO WAN)

Ingredients:-

3 pieces dried Laos (Ka), chopped or teaspoon Laos powder

1 teaspoon dried lesser ginger (Krachai) or 1 teaspoon powdered lesser ginger

1 teaspoon caraway seeds or 1 teaspoon ground caraway

12 black peppercorns or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

4 whole cloves or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 whole nutmeg pod or 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 stalks lemon grass, minced

2 tablespoons coriander roots, chopped

2 tablespoons garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons shallots, chopped

1 teaspoon lime zest, mince, or 1/2 teaspoon dried Kaffir lime rind, soak in hot water until soft, then mince

8 whole green Serrano chilies, stemmed, and minced

1 teaspoon shrimp paste (Kapee)

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation:-

Place the whole, dries spices (Laos, lesser ginger, coriander, caraway, peppercorns, cloves and nutmeg) in a mortar and pound or grind to a smooth, somewhat stringy, powder. (Or if you'd like to use a spice grinder, because of its size this will require repeated steps.) Omit this step if ground spices are used. Empty the powder into a food processor; if not available, continue with the mortar and pestle. Add the remaining ingredients, including oil, and process or pound to a smooth, even paste.

GREEN CHICKEN CURRY (GAENG KEO WAN GAI)

Ingredients:-

2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken, boned, skinned and cut into small chunks

2 cups "Thick" coconut milk

2 tablespoons fish sauce (Nam Pla)

3 pieces dried Laos (Ka)

3 tablespoons green curry paste

2 cups "Thin" coconut milk

1/2 cup fresh sweet basil leaves

6 to 8 young citrus leaves

1/3 cup green peas (optional)

6 green Serrano chilies

Preparation:-

In a wok, boil together the chicken, "Thick" coconut mile, fish sauce and Laos until the meat is tender. Remove the chicken to a plate with a slotted spoon and continue boiling until the milk thickens and becomes oily. Add the curry paste and continue cooking, stiffing to help mix the paste, for a few more minutes. Return the chicken to the wok when the mixture is smooth and the paste has released its aroma. Pour in the "Thin" coconut milk and return to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the basil and citrus leaves, peas, and chilies. Increase heat and boil again for 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Black Glutinous Rice

Ingredients:-

1 2/3 cups water
1 pandan leaf
3/4 cup black glutinous rice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 cups coconut milk

Preparation:-

In a saucepan bring water and pandan leaf to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove pandan leaf and stir in brown sugar and white sugar. Continue to cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and remove from heat.

Red Bean Soup

Ingredients:-

1 cup red beans
5 cups water
1 strip dried tangerine peel or fresh orange peel
1/4 cup canned lotus seeds
1/3 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, as desired

PREPARATION:

Soak the red beans in water for several hours to soften them (it's easiest to soak them overnight). Drain. In a medium saucepan, bring the 5 cups of water with the tangerine peel to a boil. Turn the heat down, add the red beans and lotus seeds and simmer, partially covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are softened to the point where they are just beginning to break apart.

Onde onde

This is one of the all time favourite Malay dessert. It is fantastic when you bring them along for a picnic.

Ingredients:-

14 oz glutinous rice flour
10 oz sweet potatoes
3 tbsp pandan juice [screwpine leaves]
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp water
4 oz gula Melaka [Malaccan sugar]
2 cups fresh grated coconut

Preparation:-

Break up the gula Melaka [Malaccan sugar] into small pieces. Peel, cook and mash sweet potatoes. Sieve glutinous flour into a large bowl
Add mashed sweet potatoes and pandan juice. Mix well to combine and knead into a dough. Form dough into small balls, about 1 inch diameter
Make a hole in the center of the ball and fill with a small piece of gula Melaka. Roll again to make it into a small ball. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the dough balls. When they float to the surface of the water, remove and place on a draining tray or sieve. Add salt to the fresh grated coconut. Mix well. Roll the cooked glutinous balls over the coconut. Best served warm - pops in your mouth with a sweet sensation of oozing gula Melaka [Malaccan sugar] syrup!

Kuih Talam

Ingredients for Green layer:-

10 oz rice flour
2 oz sago flour
1 tsp alkaline water
3 cups coconut milk
10 oz sugar
butter, for greasing
3 tbsp pandan juice

Ingredients for White layer:-

2 cups coconut milk
2 oz rice flour
3 oz sago flour
a pinch of salt

Preparation for the Green Layer:-

Sieve rice flour together with sago flour into a mixing bowl
Add coconut milk, sugar and mix well
Add alkaline water, pandan juice, mix well
Pour mixture into a lightly greased tray, just deep enough to form a 1 inch thick layer
Set tray in a steamer, steam for 1 hr - be sure to check there is enough water in your steamer, from time to time, for the duration of the steaming

Preparation for the White Layer:-

Sieve rice flour together with sago flour into a mixing bowl
Add coconut milk, a pinch of salt, mix well
When the green layer is done steaming, carefully remove from steamer, pour white mixture over the green layer
Return to the steamer, steam for 30 mins
When done, carefully remove from steamer When cool to touch, cut into diamond or triangular shapes, serve warm or cold

Bubur Cha Cha

This is a fantastic Nyonya dessert. Most of the Nyonya cooking uses coconut milk, which makes the cooking very tasty and creamy.

Ingredients:-

300g Yam, diced
300g Sweet Potatoes, diced
75g Black-eyed beans, soaked for 3 hours
75g pearl sago
450g garted coconut
5 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons tapioca flour

Syrup:-

125g sugar
4 pandan leaves, shredded and knotted
1 cup water

Preparation:-

Steam the sweet potatoes and yam separately for about 15 minutes or until soft. Set aside.
Boil soaked black-eyed beans until soft.
Drain and set aside.
Put the sago in a sieve. Then place sieve in a large bowl.
Rinse sago under running tap water before cooking the sago in a pot of hot water until transparent.
Remove and rinse under cold water and drain.
Coat with the tapioca flour.
Squeeze and strain grated coconut to obtain thick coconut milk.
Add salt to the coconut milk and keep refrigerated.
Add 5 cups of water to the coconut residue and squeeze to obtain thin coconut milk.
Boil sugar, water and pandan leaves until sugar dissolves.
Add thin coconut milk and continue to boil for 5 minutes.
Add yam, sweet potatoes, black-eyed beans and sago.
Stir evenly.
Add thick coconut milk and at the first sign of boiling, immediately remove the pot from the heat.
Remove the pandan leaves and serve either hot or cold.

Cendol (Coconut Cream Dessert)

Cendol is one of the favourite desserts in Malaysia. It is one of the common Nyonya desserts. It will taste palm sugar. Brown sugar can be a substitute, but it definately taste not the same.

Ingredients:-

2 cups water
1/4 cup cooked moong dal
250 gram tapioca flour
1/4 teaspoon pandan essence
1/4 teaspoon green color
225 gram palm sugar
2 cups coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
crushed ice -- as required

Preparation:-

Bring the water to a boil. Add green color. Mix the cooked moong dal with tapioca flour and add to the boiling water. Mix well to a smooth dough and add the pandan essence. Knead well, roll out into a sheet and cut into strips. Cook the strips in boiling water and transfer them to cold water. Keep the cendol aside. Dissolve palm sugar in a cup of water and set aside. Mix coconut milk with salt.To serve: Put cendol into a tall glass, add palm sugar syrup, coconut milk and top with crushed ice.

"Bak Kut Teh"

The meaning of "Bak Kut Teh" is meat and bone soup. Pork spare ribs are cooked to gether with pepper and spices to make this dish taste great.

Ingredients:-

1lb 6oz (625g) pork spare rib or belly pork, chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons lard

1 tablespoon caster sugar

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon preserved brown soya beans, crushed

1 star anise

1 piece cinnamon bark

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon szechuan peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

3 pints boiling water

light soy to taste

Preparation:-

Marinate meat in peper and salt for half an hour.

Heat pan until very hot, add two tablespoons of lard and fry meat until well-browned.

Remove to dish. In a clean pan heat remaining 1 tablespoon lard and caramelise sugar until light brown.

Add the garlic and soya beans, stir-fry for half a minute, then add the fried meat and everything else except the light soy.

Boil rapidly for ten minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer for two hours until the meat is falling-apart tender.

Remove excess oil from surface before serving, and add light soy to taste.

Hokkien mee

Ingredients:-

600g hokkien noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon of water
60ml vegetable oil
2 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 small fres red chilies, seeded and sliced
2 teaspoons of sugar
200g red capsicums, seeded and sliced
150g green capsicums, seeded and sliced
4 green onions, sliced
100g shredded Chinese cabbage
400g Chinese barbecue pork, sliced
80ml soya sauce
80ml oyster sauce

Preperation:-

Rinse noodles under hot water; drain.
Transfer to a large bowl, separate with a fork (being careful not to break them).
Heat a large oiled non-stick pan; pour in half the combined eggs and water.
Swirl pan to make a thin omelette; cook until just set.
Transfer omelette to board, roll tightly, cut into thin strips.
Repeat with remaining egg mixture.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large pan; stir-fry ginger, garlic, chilli and sugar until fragrant.
Add vegetables; stir-fry until cabbage is just wilted.
Remove vegetables from pan.
Heat remaining oil in same pan; stir-fry noodles 2 minutes.
Add vegetables, pork and combined sauces; stir-fry until heated through.
Serve sprinklered with omelette strips.

Asam Laksa

Ingredients:-

2 lb fresh or dried thick round rice noodle
3 oz tamarind paste
10 cups water
2-2½ lb fresh wolf herring or Spanish mackerel - cleaned, kept whole
3 heaped tbsp sugar
salt and pepper
14 sprigs Vietnamese mint
2 wild ginger buds
4 pieces dried tamarind skins
3 tbsp prawn paste
The items below has to be grounded
6-8 cloves of garlic
5 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced
8 oz shallots
1 inch fresh turmeric root
3 tbsp or to taste, chili paste
1½ tbsp belachan

Ingredients for Garnishing:-

1 large seedless cucumber, skinned and thinly shredded
2 red onions, very finely sliced
1 fresh pineapple, cut into thin strips
10 sprigs fresh mint leaves, stems discarded
1 torch ginger, finely chopped [optional]
4 red Serrano chilies, seeded and finely sliced [optional]
Prawn paste [optional]

Preperation:-

If using dried noodles, bring a pot of water to a rapid boil, parboil noodles until 'al dente'
Remove noodles from boiling water, immediately run under cold water to stop cooking, drain well
If using fresh rice noodles, use a sieve to blanch noodles in hot water briefly
Assemble individual serving bowls - put a handful of noodles in each bowl, ladle piping hot gravy over the noodles
Sprinkle a little of each garnishing on top - shredded cucumber, onion, mint leaves, torch ginger and Serrano chilies
Add a dollop of prawn paste [optional] - and serve hot immediately

Beef “Rendang”

Ingredients:-

2 1/2 lbs beef, cut into 1 inch cubes

12 shallots, chopped (or 2 onions)

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

4 pieces of laos

1 inch of fresh ginger, grated

1 small cup of Sambal Ulek

4 stems of lemongrass

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

5 curry leaves

3 cups of coconut milk

1 teaspoon of tamarind in 4 tablespoons of warm water

2 Tbsp of soy Sauce

salt to taste

Preparation:-

Process the shallots, garlic, laos, ginger, sambal ulek and turmeric to asmooth paste. Dry fry the coriander and cumin until they give off a goodaroma, then grind them finely and add to the paste. Spoon it all over thecubed meat in a bowl and mix it well. Add the curry leaves and marinate for 30 minutes.

Pour the coconut milk and tamarind liquid into a wok and add the spicedmeat and soy sauce and stir until the liquid boils, then reduce the heat andsimmer gently, uncovered, for 11/2 hours, until the meat is tender and theliquid is very much reduced.

Lemang

In Malaysia, the celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the celebration of the end of Ramadan month (the fasting month).

During this festival, you will get the most “lemang”. “Lemang” and “rending” makes the perfect match. They are like bolts and nuts, must go together.

Ingredients:-

1000 gm Glutinous/Sticky Rice
1/2 liter Coconut Milk
To taste Salt
300 gm Sugar
2 nos Screwpine Leaves

Preparation:-

Steam the glutinous/sticky rice with salt until cooked.
Combine durian meat with coconut milk, sugar, salt and screwpine leaves, then boil until the sauce thickens.Serve hot.

Otak Otak

The basis of the dish is that it is some form of seafood with coconutmilk and spices made into a paste, wrapped in banana leaf and grilled.

Ingredients:-
600 gms fish

600 gms crab meat

Half a cup thick coconut milk

One smallish red onion

Two cloves garlic

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

Half a teaspoon sugar

Spices: fresh red chilly to taste, turmeric, galangal (thai ginger),lemon grass, lime peel, coriander seeds.
Fresh banana leaf about the length and width of a videocassette.

Preparation:-

Take all the ingredients and mix-to-death in a blender, or pound to a paste in a mortar and pestle. Spread two rounded teaspoons full of the paste lengthwise in the centre one-third of a piece of banana leaf, leaving a space all around. Foldthe sides over. Encase this again in another leaf folded similarly (a singly-wrapped one will burn and insides will stick to the outsides).

Staple the ends or attach with toothpicks. Barbeque over coals for about ten minutes. The outside layer can blacken in parts, it only adds to flavour and presentation.

Sambal Ikan Bilis

This dish is served in almost all meals. It really gets your appetite to roar for more.

Ingredients:-

1 cup dried Ikan Bilis [Dried Anchovies]
1 large red onion, sliced
½ cup peanut or vegetable oil
3 tsp tamarind pulp with ½ cup hot water to make tamarind paste
4 tbsp or to taste, chilly paste
6 shallots
1 tsp belacan [dried shrimp paste]
4 cloves garlic
1 large onion, sliced into rounds

Preparation:-

Using a mortar & pestle or blender, grind chilly paste, shallots, belacan and garlic into a paste
To a wok or saucepan, add peanut or vegetable oil, heat on high until oil temperature is 350F, fry ikan bilis until crispy
Remove, drain well on paper towels
Remove all but 2 tbsp of oil, sauté ground paste for 1-2 mins
Add red onions, tamarind paste, sugar, salt to taste
Cook until gravy thickens [to a dark reddish brown]
Add ikan bilis, mix to combine, remove from heat
Dish a serving portion of coconut rice onto a plate [or banana leaf!], a little of each garnishing and some sambal ikan bilis - served hot or at room temperature

Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)

One of the most common and simple dish you get every where in Malaysia. Anyway, the best “Nasi Lemak” is when it is served hot. The Coconut smell is fantastic when you open the rice pot.
You can also add some “Pandan” leaves for fragrance enhancement.

Ingredients:-

1-1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or clarified butter
1-1/2 cups coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 salam leaf or bay leaf

Preparation:-

Soak the rice in cold water for 1 hour, wash, and drain. Heat the oil or butter in a saucepan and saute the rice for 3 minutes.
Add the coconut milk, salt, and salam leaf or bay leaf, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Reduce the heat, cover as tightly as possible, and simmer for 10-12 more minutes. Or you can put the half-cooked rice into a rice steamer and steam for 10 minutes. Discard the salam leaf or bay leaf before serving.

Nasi Ulam

“Nasi Ulam” is a traditional dish for the Malays in Malaysia. There are various kinds of preparation for “Nasi Ulam”. It comprises of shredded raw leaves and some spices. Just mix it with rice and it will be ready for serving.
The best part about this dish is that you won’t put your spoon and fork down.

Ingredients:-

1 grated coconut - dry fried and pounded
12 shallots - finely sliced and fried until brown and crispy
10 cloves garlic - finely sliced and fried
1 tumeric leaf - finely shredded
1 tbsp lime leave - finely shredded
600 gms fish - fried and flaked
600 gms small prawns - cleaned and fried in 1 tbsp oil
5 cups cooked rice
1 cucumber - diced
3 red and green chillies - sliced
1 bowl chicken stock
Salt to taste Oil for fryingPreparation:-
Mix the rice with all the ingredients, adding in a little at a time. Use the chicken stock to moisten the mixture to taste. Serve with a “sambal” of your choice.