Ramadan & Dates

Dates (or Kurma in Malay) are a must at Ramadan, the holy fasting month of the Muslims. The elders say that one must break fast by eating at least three dates before eating other foods. Dates are one of the most complete food in the world which contain all the important minerals and vitamins needed to rejuvenate the body, especially after a fast. This year Ramadan is from 1st to the 30th of September 2008. The dates varies in price and quality; some soaked in syrup and then dried. Some ripen from the tree and then sun-dried. Some airflown, fresh. The ones we talk about here are either from Iran or Saudi Arabia. They are moist and naturally very sweet, about 1" to 1.5" in length and brown in colour when ripen, unlike the ones from China which are red and smaller in size. Although they are eaten as it is like you would dried prunes, but here is a great recipe for an easy-to-make muffin, or for a more elaborate dessert, you can serve it with vanilla ice-cream and a butterscotch sauce. Unlike the usual baked muffins, this is steamed in a wok and the result is very moist and fluffy muffins with the great taste and smell of brown sugar which enhance the flavour further.

DATES MUFFINS

1.5 cups pitted dates, chopped

1 tspn bicarbonate of soda

1 tspn vanilla essence

60 g butter or ghee

1.5 cups self-raising flour*

2/3 cups soft brown sugar

2 eggs

4 dates, extra, pitted and halved

Butterscotch sauce:

90g butter

3/4 cup soft brown sugar

2 tbsp honey

3/4 cup cream

To serve with vanilla ice-cream

Method:

1 Prepare a baking pan with 7-8 large muffin cases.

2 Prepare water for steaming in a wok and place a stand in the middle. Light the burner and cover wok with a lid.

3 Boil dates with 1 cup of water. Bring to boil and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in bicarbonate of soda, vanilla essence and butter or ghee.

4 Sift flour into a mixing bowl and stir in brown sugar. Mix well.

5 Make a well in the center and add date mixture and eggs. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Mixture should be lumpy with air bubbles in between.

6 Spoon mixture evenly into cupcake cases until almost full and place a halved date on top. When water in wok is boiling, steam muffins on high heat for 20-25 minutes or until cooked.

7 To make sauce: Place all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

8 To serve: Place a muffin onto a serving plate (remove paper casing) and drizzle warm sauce on top and place a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on the side.

More Tips:

How to convert plain flour to self-raising flour:

Ran out of self-raising flour? Add 2 teaspoons baking powder to each cup of plain flour. Sift twice to incorporate it evenly.

Baking powder is made up of 2 parts cream of tartar and 1 part bicarbonate of soda.

BUTTERED SEAFOOD RICE PILAF

If you are a fan of Butter Prawns and/or Salted Egg yolks Crab, try this recipe for a change. It is a fusion of the two dishes with the Spanish Paella. The result: a complete, beautiful, crowd-pleasing one-meal dish with Malaysian flavours! Cook it in a wok or a fairly deep frying pan with lid.

BUTTERED SEAFOOD RICE PILAF

12 mussels or 200 g clams, parboiled and drained

1/4 cup ghee or clarified butter

2 tbsp minced frsh garlic

2 sprigs fresh curry leaves

10 bird chillies, chopped

1 chicken whole leg, deboned and cubed

300 g raw medium prawns/shrimps, shelled and deveined

2 medium cuttlefish/calamari, cut into rings

200 g any white boneless fish meat, cubed

1 small red capsicum/bell pepper, chopped

1 small green capsicum/bell pepper

1 cup Basmati or long-grain rice, washed and drained

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2.5 cups chicken or prawn stock*

2 salted duck egg yolks, steamed and mashed

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp freshly chopped curry leaves extra for garnishing

Method:

1 Heat 2 tbsp ghee and fry chicken cubes until brown. Drain and set aside.

2 Reheat oil and fry mussels/clams, prawns, cuttlefish and fish with 1 tablespoon garlic and curry leaves until just cooked. Drain and set aside.

3 In the same pan, reheat and add in remaining ghee and fry remaining garlic with bird chillies until fragrant. Add in rice and turmeric powder and fry for another 2 minutes.

4 Stir in chicken/prawn stock, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, covered.

5 When boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer until all liquid has almost been absorbed. Stir in the two types of capsicum, mashed egg yolks, all the seafood and chicken cubes.

6 Cook further, covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed and off fire. Let it stand, covered, for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

7 Before serving, sprinkle rice with freshly chopped curry leaves and fluff-up rice with a pair of chopsticks or a large wooden fork.

How to make your own prawn/chicken stock: Fry prawn shells and heads (from 300 g fresh prawns) with 2 tbsp of oil and 2 pips garlic until fragrant and quite dry. Transfer to a pot and add about 2 cups water and 1 chicken carcass. Bring to boil and simmer for about 11/2 hours. Strain before using.