Indonesian Soto Daging (Indonesian Beef noodles)

INDONESIAN BEEF NOODLES

(SOTO DAGING INDON)

500 g Beef Brisket or Shin
500 g Omasum tripe (Chinese: 牛百頁 / 牛柏葉) *
300 g Beef tendon
1 large piece leg bone with marrow
3 litre water
salt & pepper to taste

1 kg dried rice vermicelli, soake and blanch

For soup broth:
6-8 shallots
2 pips garlic
1" knob turmeric (kunyit/ 姜黄) or 1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1" knob fresh ginger, sliced
1" knob galangale (lengkuas/ 南薑),sliced
1 lemon grass,about 4" length (serai/ 香茅草),bruised

Spices Ingredients:
4 tbspn coriander (ketumbar) seeds
2 whole star anise (bunga lawang)
4 cardamon seed pods (buah pelaga)
1" cinnamon stick (kayu manis)
1 tspn Cumin seeds (jintan putih)
1 tspn fennel seeds (jintan manis)
1 nutmeg (buah pala), shell removed and crush seed

For garnishing:
500 g beansprouts,blanced
1 medium cucumber, julienne
150 g chinese celery, sliced
200 g browned shallot crisps
5 limes or calamansi, halved
some birds chillies
Tobasco Sauce*

1.  Prepare a stockpot and put to boil 4 litres of water.

2.  In a food processor or mortar & pestle, grind the shallots, garlic and turmeric root to form a paste.

3.  Heat up 3 tbspn cooking oilin a pan and fry the grounded shallots in (2) until fragrant. Transfer to boiling water. Add the sliced ginger and galangale into the water.

4.  In a pan, fry the spices in medium fire until fragrant. Put to grind or pound coarsely. Put these into a muslin bag or a large-enough stainless-steel tea leaves infuser (see photo below). Add this to the boiling pot of water.

5.  When water comes to a boil again, add the meat, omasum, tendon and bone.  Simmer until meat is soft. The omasum and tendon will take longer to soften. Remove from stock and keep covered until ready to eat.

6.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

7.  Slice the cooked beef meat,omasum and tendon into bite size pieces.

8.  To serve, put a handful of rice vermicelli into a medium bowl. Add some sliced meat, omasum or tendon, julienne of cucumber and blanced beansprouts. Ladle in the stock broth and garnish with brown shallot crisps and chinese celery.

9.  To be eaten with a squeeze of lime/calamansi juice and cut birds chillis or Tobasco sauce as a dip.

* Notes: Omasum tripe is also called leaf tripe. See photo below:

Hakka Glutinous Rice Dumplings

HAKKA GLUTINOUS RICE DUMPLINGS

The 5th moon festival falls on the 5th day and 5th month (double 5)of the lunar calendar and its also called the Dragon Boat Festival and is a national holiday in China. People in China eats zongzhi , drink realgar ( xionghuang 雄黃) wine and race dragon boats. The dragon boat is celebrated to commemorate the attempt to rescue Qu Yuan, a famous chinese poet and scholar in the 278 BC who committed suicide by drowning himself.The zongzhi were initially made and thrown into the river to prevent the fish from eating Qu Yuan's body.

The shape for this recipe of zhongzhi is pillow-shaped. Both end of the bamboo leaves have to be trimmed and allow 3 leaves per dumpling and dried grass reeds (comes together with your bunch of dried bamboo leaves) for strings for tying.

Ingredients:

2 kg glutinous rice

2 bunches of dried bamboo leaves

1 kg belly pork + 1 kg shoulder pork without skin or 2 kg boneless chicken whole leg without skin

2 tspn 5-spice powder for meat + 2 tspn extra for rice

20 dried black mushrooms, soaked overnight in fridge

300 g dried black-eyed peas or fresh Berlotti beans and/or dried peanuts, soaked overnight

45 pcs dried oysters, soaked overnight in fridge

200 g dried chestnuts (buah berangan), soaked overnight in fridge

20 salted duck egg yolks, steamed and halved

salt and sugar  to taste

dark soy sauce for colour

6 shallots, chopped

2 whole pods garlic, chopped

cooking oil

1. Soak rice in a basin of water overnight. Drain. Stir in 2 teaspoons of 5-spice powder and 4 teaspoons of salt or to taste

2.  Squeeze out water from soaked mushrooms. Slice mushrooms.

3.  Marinate pork pieces and sliced mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of thick, dark soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of 5-spice powder and 2 tablespoons light soy sauce.

4. Heat up 1/2 cup of cooking oil in a large wok and fry the drained rice and toss with a ladle until oil seeps into rice grain and becomes translucent. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of dark, thick soy sauce for colour.  Dish out onto a basin.

5.  In the  same wok, heat up 4 tablespoons of cooking oil and brown the chopped shallots and garlic.

6.  Add in the marinated pork and mushrooms and toss until pork is cooked. 

7.  Add in the drained oysters, chestnuts and peanuts.  Stir to coat with the dark soy sauce and gravy.

To assemble:
1. Take a leaf and add 2 tablespoons of rice onto it and spreading it out, holding it on your left palm.
2.  Add 1 piece of belly and shoulder pork each, a few slices of mushrooms, some peanuts/beans,1 piece of oyster, half an egg yolk, 1 piece of chestnut and a spoonful of gravy. Top with 1 tablespoon of rice.
3.  Fold over both end, overlapping each other to cover.
4. Holding one end of the exposed side upright with your left hand, take another leaf to close up the other side and folding over by bringing it over to the back and front on both ends of the leaf.
5. Do the same for the other exposed side with another leaf.
6.  Tie securely with a reed as string.
7.., Repeat until finished.
8. Meanwhile, get ready a deep stock pot. Arrange the zhongzhi in the pot neatly, leaving about 3" to 4" of space  from the top.
9.  Fill it up with water to cover. Add 4 tablespoons of salt into the water.
9. Bring to boil and simmer for about 4 to 5 hours or alternatively, use a pressure cooker to cook in 1 hour.

Fiddle-head ferns

Pucuk Paku

Matured Midin (Stenochlaena palustris)

MIDIN Shoots

Jungle ferns are naturally organic and they are free (if you pick them yourselves, that is). Originate from the local natives of Malaysia and Asean countries, they are also found in the United States of America! They are eaten stir-fried with a spicy mixture of shrimp paste, chillies, shallots and garlic or just blanch them and then tossed in a salad dressing in Western or Malaysian style. The Westerners calls them fiddle-head ferns of 'pucuk paku' in Malay language. There are other varieties which are red in colour when young which is called 'midin' and another variety which has a hairy texture and both are mainly eaten by Sabahans or Sarawakians (in the island of Borneo).

Here is a simple dish of strir-fried fiddle-head ferns (Midin) with just ginger, garlic and a dash of rice wine:

300 g fiddle-head ferns (Midin), shoots only
2 pips garlic,sliced
5 slices of young ginger
cooking oil
a dash of chinese rice wine
salt to taste

1.  Heat a wok with 3 talespoons of cooking oil.

2.  Fry garlic until brown with a teaspoon of salt in the oil. 

3.  Add in the Midin and ginger slices. Toss and stir with ladle for 2 seconds or until vegetables turn a dark green. Add a dash of rice wine.  Dish out and serve hot.

Banana & Peach Crumble

Here is a quick and simple dessert that you can make using the food processor. The crumble topping is not your usual crumble mixture but rather a cookie mixture which makes its 'shorter' than the usual and more decadent. Serve with your favourite ice-cream. I like the old-fashioned, plain, vanilla ice-cream.

Banana & Peach Crumble

1 large canned peaches in slices, about 480g drained weight

4 large bananas

juice from 1/2 lemon

zest from 1 lemon

pinch of cinnamon powder

For the crumble:

80 g salted butter

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup soft brown sugar

1 cup almond slivers

Vanilla Ice Cream

Method:

1. Empty a can of drained peach slices onto a 8" oven proof dish.

2. Skin and slice bananas into 1/2" thickness and put them on top of the peaches.

3. Grate the zest of the lemon and sprinkle it over the bananas and peaches. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the mixture. Add a few dash of cinnamon powder lightly over the fruits.

4. To prepare the crumble, slice the cold butter into about 2mm thickness and put them into the food processor.

5. Measure the flour and add this into the butter.

6. Process until mixture turns to breadcrumbs (about 1 minute).

7. Empty mixture onto a mixing bowl and stir in brown sugar.

8. Spoon mixture onto the fruits.

9. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for about 40 minutes.

10. Sprinkle almond slivers and bake on a further 10 minutes or until nuts turn brown.

11. Spoon mixture onto dessert bowls, cutting down each servings with a large spoon.

12. Serve with vanilla ice-cream at the side.

EVERYTHING ROSELLE

ROSELLE  FRUITS

The Roselle is a hibiscus flower and the calyx of the fruits can be eaten.  They are rich in Vitamin C and use primarily to make drinks or even jam or preserves. In here I would like to share with you recipes to make drinks, jam/preserves, pie and muffins.

ROSELLE FRUIT JUICE

1 kg Roselle fruit calyx (stem and seeds removed)

500 g coarse grain sugar and 1 litre water for syrup

3 litres water, extra

Method:

1.  In a saucepan, bring sugar and water to boil under sugar is melted. Cool syrup before use.

2.  In a fruit juicer, juice the Roselle calyx. Reserve the pulp for making jam/preserve later.

3.  Add the cooled syrup and the 3 litres water extra to the extracted Roselle juice.

4.  Serve chilled.

5.  Keep well in the fridge for up to one week.

ROSELLE JAM

Reserved Roselle pulp (from above recipe)

juice from 2 lemons + seeds for pectine

1.5 litre water

1.5 Kg coarse grain sugar

Method:

1.  In a large heavy-based stainless steel pot, bring to boil the Roselle pulp, lemon juice + seeds and water to boil.  Simmer for 45 minutes.  Off fire and leave to soak overnight or for 8 hours.

2.  Add sugar and bring mixture to a slow boil until sugar is melted.  Boil rapidly for about 30 minutes.

3.  Bottle the hot jam into sterilized jars and seal immediately.

4.  To vacuum-pack the jam, keep bottle upside down until jam is cooled to room temperature.

5.  Keep refrigerated.  Keeps well for up to 6 months.

Serving suggestions: 1. For toasts, pancakes or waffles as a spread. 2. In muffins/cakes making 3.  As an accompaniment to roast meat. 4. As a filling for pies and tarts 5. For ribbon sandwiches with roast meat or cold cuts

ROSELLE  MUFFINS

250g unsalted butter

100g caster sugar

4 large eggs

250g all-purpose flour, sifted

1 heapful tspn Bicarbonate of Soda

1 cup Roselle Jam + 12 tspn Roselle Jam,extra

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180 deg Celsius.

2.  Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

3.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until just combined.

4.  Fold in flour and sodium bicarbonate.

5.  Stir in jam.

6.  Spoon into muffin cases until about 3/4 full.

7.  Top with a teaspoonful of jam each.

8.  Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes.

9.  Makes about 10-12 muffins.

Nasi Kerabu Kelantan (Kelantan Rice Salad)

This is a very healthy rice salad that is tasty and nutritious with lots of herbs and rich in Omega 3 from the sardines.  The rice is coloured with blue pea flowers.  The sardine fish floss can be made ahead and frozen until ready to use.  You might want to reheat it by tossing it in a hot wok for a few minutes. Below is a picture of the blue pea flowers:

For the Fish Floss:

1 Kg sardines, cleaned and gutted.

2 cups firmly packed grated coconut (white part only)

16 shallots, peeled

4 lemon grass/serai, white part only and sliced thinly

2" ginger, skinned and sliced

molasses sugar, pepper and salt to taste

1.  Heat up a grilling pan and grill sardines until just cooked. Remove bones and flake fish. Mash and keep aside.

2.  Pound shallots, lemon grass and ginger until fine.

3.  In a wok, dry-fry the grated coconut until quite brown. You can see some that are still white but quite dry.

4.  Add in the pounded ingredients and the fish meat.Continue to fry, tossing constantly with your ladle until fragrant and quite dry, about 20 minutes.

5.  Stir in molasses sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

6.  Divide into 4 portions. Each portion will be for 4 servings.  You will need 1 portion here and freeze the other 3 portions for use another day.

For the blue rice:

300 g rice

20 clitoria (blue pea) flowers

1 lemon grass, about 4" length, bruised

water for boiling rice

salt to taste 

1.  Wash rice with a few change of water.  Add salt and lemon grass.

2.  In an electric blender, blend flowers with some water until fine.  Strain the coloured water into the rice cooker.  Top up with more water, up to double the volume of the rice.  

(In this case, 300g rice is actually two measuring cups of rice and water should come up to level 2 markings inside the rice cooker).

3.  Put rice to boil as you normally would.  

4.  After cooking, keep rice warm until ready to use.

For the sambal tumis sauce:

3 tbsp chilli boh (Dried chilli paste or sambal olek)

5-6 shallots, peeled

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1/2" ginger

1 stalk lemon grass, about 4" length, sliced

1.5" square belachan/prawn paste

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp tamarind paste, mixed with a little water and discard seeds

cooking oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

salt to taste

1.  In a food processor or mortar and pestle, process or pound shallots, garlic, ginger and lemon grass until fine.  Mash in the prawn paste and the chilli paste.

2.  Heat up some oil in a wok and fry blended ingredients until fragrant in medium fire.

3.  Add in tamarind paste and coconut milk and bring to boil, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes.

4.  Add in sugar and salt.  Sauce should be not too thick in consistency.

5.  Dish out and serve as a condiment at the side with the rice salad.

Tossing of the rice salad:

You can use a variety of herbs you like for the rice. The common ones are turmeric leaves, basil leaves, cekur (finger root) leaves and polygonum leaves.  You can also add thinly sliced string/long beans or four-angled beans and blanched bean sprouts.

2 fresh turmeric leaves, remove center rib, roll up and slice thinly

1 bunch of basil leaves (use either Thai Basil or Sweet Basil), sliced thinly

1 bunch cekur leaves, sliced thinly

1 bunch polygonum/daun kesum leaves, sliced thinly

100-150g long beans or 4-angled beans, sliced thinly

2 cups bean sprouts, loosely packed, blanched

1.  In a large deep serving bowl, toss the rice with the sliced herbs and the fish floss close to serving.

2. Serve rice accompanied with the grilled assam fish or prawns and sambal tumis at the side.  You can also serve it with salted duck eggs, if preferred.

Ham & Vegetables Soup

HAM & VEGETABLES SOUP

1 chunk smoked ham, about 600g, cubed

4 bacon rashers, chopped

2 large onions, chopped

2  tbsp all purpose flour

1 litre chicken stock

1litre water

4 sticks celery, chopped

2 large carrots, cut into chunks

4 waxy potatoes, cut into chunks

2 tomatoes (optional)

3 Bay leaves

Freshly crushed black pepper

Chopped parsley for garnishing

1. In a heavy based pot, brown the bacon until crispy.  Add in onions and stir-fry until transparent.

2.  Add in flour and fry until brown, stirring constantly in medium fire.

3.  Fry ham pieces lightly for a minute.

3.  Pour in chicken stock and water.  Bring to boil, covered.

4.  When boiling, add in all vegetables and bay leaves.  Bring to boil again and simmer for about 1 to 2 hours.

5.  Served garnish with chopped parsley and ground black pepper with garlic bread on the side.

Serves 6-8

CINCALOK PORK OR CHICKEN

CINCALOK PORK

1

1 strip belly pork*, about 1" wide, skin removed or 2 pcs boneless chicken wholeleg (Marylands)

2 tbsp cooking oil

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp cincalok**

1 tbsp tamarind paste

2 tbsp brown sugar or to taste

1/2 tspn dark, thick soy sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce or to taste

1 medium onion, sliced into thin wedges

1 red chilli or 4 bird chillis, sliced 

brown shallot crips for garnishing

1. Slice belly pork thinly. Mix tamarind paste with a little water.  Remove seeds.

2.  Heat up oil in wok and brown garlic.  Add in pork and stir-fry until cooked.

3.  Make a well in the center and put in cincalok and let it cook for a few seconds. Stir.

4.  Add in tamarind water, sugar, light and thick soy sauces and chopped chillies.  Stir-fry until quite dry.  Check the taste.

5.  Lastly stir in onion wedges and cook until just done.

6.  Dish out and garnish with brown shallot crisps.

Serves 4

Notes:
* You can replace belly pork with boneless chicken whole leg with skin removed. Slice along the grain.
**  Cincalok is preserved tiny shrimps in brine and fermented rice. If you are living overseas, you can buy it from Asian food stores:

BASIC PRAWN STOCK

Do you always throw away the prawn shells and heads after you peel a batch of prawns or shrimps? Well, the next time that you do, reserve the heads and shells and keep them in the freezer until you have collected enough to make a basic prawn stock. The stock can later be used to cook Thai Tom Yam Soup, Malaysian Prawn Noodles or even a starter soup for a hotpot or steam boat.  Here is the method to make the Basic Prawn Stock:

Basic Prawn Stock

Prawn shells and heads from peeling a batch of 1 kilogram of medium-sized prawns or shrimps.

2 pips garlic, crushed and peeled

1/4 cup cooking oil

2 liter water

Heat up oil in a wok. Add in prawn shells and heads together with the garlic and stir-fry until the shells are dry, crispy and aromatic.  Transfer to a pot and add in the 2 liter water. Deglaze  the wok by adding a little water and add this to the pot as well.  Bring pot to boil and simmer for about 2 hours. Strain and use as required.  Discard prawn shells and heads.

The  stock can be used as a base stock for Thai Tom Yam soup, Ipoh Kueh Teow soup, Penang Mee Yoke (Prawn Noodles), Singapore Laksa, Sarawak Laksa.

Chinese Barbecue Pork (Cha Siew)

CHINESE BARBECUE PORK (CHA SIEW)

(Serves 6)

1.2 kg belly or shoulder pork

sugar, salt and pepper

oil for shallow frying

This is a very simple recipe that it is NOT about the recipe but the method in cooking this dish. The meat is cooked in a pot and the result is a golden, sticky and tender caramelized pork strips.

1. Cut pork into 1" strips as shown below and marinade pork with sugar, salt and pepper.  Allow about 1 tablespoon to sugar per strip of pork while salt and pepper  about 1 teaspoon each.  Leave to marinade in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

2.  Heat a heavy-based pan and pour in oil to come up to about 1/2" from the base of the pot.  When oil is just hot,  arrange strips of the marinated pork in a single layer in the pot. Add in half of the marinade Reduce fire  to a minimum and cover.

3. After about 35-40 minutes, the sugar would just began to start to caramelized. Add in the remaining marinade.

4.  Once the underside has started to get  brown, turn over to cook the otherside, covered.  After another 15-20 minutes, the meat would have turned a golden brown.

5.  Remove and drain. Cool slightly before cutting into bite size pieces.

Note:  You can substitute pork with boneless chicken whole leg (leave whole).  Cooking time should be reduced by half by allowing to cook in medium-high fire so as the sugar can be caramelized faster and chicken requires shorter cooking time.  

BANANA & PEACH CRUMBLE

(Serves 8-10)

This recipe is not your usual fruit crumble recipe. This crumble mixture has a cookie texture which makes it more 'short' or buttery that my family likes.  You can also add about 3-4 tablespoons of rolled oats to the crumble mixture for more bite.

1 large canned peaches in slices, drained

3-4 large bananas

2 tbspn lemon juice

grated rind from 1 lemon

few dashes of cinnamon powder

Crumble mixture:

160g g butter, chopped
1.5 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup soft brown sugar

1 cup chopped nuts (almond or walnut)

1.  Using a 8"square glass pan (I use Pyrex), place sliced peaches at the base of pan.

2.  Peel bananas and slice thickly (about 1/4") and place these on top of the peaches.

3.  Pour in lemon juices and sprinkle on rind and cinnamon powder.

4.  In a mixing bowl, rub in chopped butter into flour and stir in brown sugar.  You can also do this very quickly in a food processor; just put the crumble mixture into the food processing machine and process until just combined.

5.  Spread crumble mixture evenly on top of the fruits.  Top with chopped nuts.

6.  Bake it preheated oven in moderate temperature (180 deg C) for about 30-40 minutes or until brown.

7.  Serve hot or cold with vanilla ice cream.

AYAM GORENG BEREMPAH

Some of you who has been following my food blog and has read the articles from the beginning, I wrote about meal planning. At most times, I have already planned my menu for the week the minute I bought my fresh food from the market.
Marinated meat can be kept in the fridge in the chiller section for as long as 4 days.  Make sure that your fridge is not overcrowded otherwise it is difficult for your fridge to maintain the right temperature or not cold enough.

AYAM GORENG BEREMPAH

(Serves 4-5)

3 chicken whole leg 

marinade:

5 cm young galangal

3 cm  fresh turmeric root

2 shallots

2 garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash chicken whole-leg and cut a score each at the thigh and drumstick.  You can choose to skin the chicken if you like.

2.  Pound or process the marinating ingredients and stir in salt and pepper into the paste.

3.  Rub chicken with the marinating paste. Put into a container, covered and keep in fridge until ready to cook. It can keep for at least 4 days in the chiller section of the fridge.

4.  Heat enough oil to cover at least half the chicken in a wok for deep frying. I like to use a cast iron wok or alternatively you can use a deep fryer.

5.  When oil is hot enough, put in the chicken together with all the marinade. Turn fire to medium  and cover with a wok cover.

6.  Fry until chicken is brown on the underside and turnover to fry the otherside. Cover and fry further until chicken turns a rich golden brown colour.  The marinade added together when deep frying gives the chicken a nice rich colour and makes it more flavourful.  Covering the wok with a wok cover when frying creates a certain pressure in the wok and assists in cooking the chicken faster without drying out too fast, resulting in a juicier fried chicken.

7.   Serve fried chicken hot. 

Grilled Lamb Chops In Honey Mustard Marinade

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS IN HONEY MUSTARD MARINADE

(Serves 4)

8 pcs Lamb shoulder or leg chops

Marinade:

2 tbsp prepared mustard

5 tbspn Lea & Perrin Sauce

1 tbspn honey

1 tbspn mixed herbs

salt

black pepper

Mint Sauce for serving

Method:

1.  In a small mixing bowl, mix marinade ingredients evenly. Coat lamb chops with the marinade and put in fridge for about 4-5 hours or overnight.

2.  Set your oven to Grill mode.

3.  Arrange marinated lamb chops onto a wire rack in a single layer. Grill lamb chops for 20 minutes.  Turn chops over and grill for a further 5 minutes.

4.  Serve accompanied with mint sauce.

Variation: You can also use boneless lamb shoulder. Just double or triple the marinade recipe and allow a much longer grilling time. Having the cooked meat a little pink on the inside is fine but not bloody.

Hakka Braised Duck in Red Bean Curd

HAKKA BRAISED DUCK IN RED BEAN CURD

2 Kg whole duck, cleaned 

Marinade:

2 pcs red bean curd + 1 tbspn sauce

3 tbsp light soya sauce

4 shallots, minced

4 cloves garlic,minced

200 ml Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce
1/2 tspn 5-spice powder

1.5 tbspn thick dark soya sauce

3 tbspn sugar

2 whole star anise

2-3 cups water

Oil for deep frying

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1.  Wash and pat dry duck inside out. Reserve the feet, gizzard, liver and heart.

2.  Mash and mix marinade ingredients in a small bowl and rub in the marinade onto duck's skin, the inside of the cavity and the gizzard, liver and heart.  Leave to marinade in fridge for about 3 hours.

 3.  Heat enough oil in a wok to cover at least half the duck for deep frying and browning. 

4.  Drain the duck of the marinade and reserve the marinade. Deep fry the duck until skin is golden brown.  Remove duck from oil and drain.

5.  Leave about 3 tbsp of cooking oil in the same wok and fry minced shallots, garlic and star anise until onions and garlic are brown.  Stir in reserve marinade, oyster sauce, 5-spice powder, dark soya sauce, sugar and water. Bring to boil and add in the duck and the fried innards.

6.  Reduce fire to a minimum and leave to braise duck until just tender, about 45 minutes. Test by poking a blunt chopstick into the thickest part of the duck. If it goes in easily, the duck is ready.

7.  Remove duck and innards from the wok. Bring fire to a maximum and continue to boil sauce to reduce to a thick and glossy sauce. Check taste and adjust to your preference.

8.  Cool duck before chopping into bite size pieces, arranged decoratively on a serving platter. Top with sauce just before serving and garnish with coriander leaves.

Nyonya Vegetable Acar (Nyonya Spicy Vegetables Pickles)

NYONYA VEGETABLE ACAR

(NYONYA SPICY VEGETABLE PICKLE)

Serves 6-8

For the vegetables:

1 large cucumber

1 medium cabbage

1 large carrot, peeled

200 gm long beans

2 red chillies

2 green chillies

2 tspn salt

Hot boiling water

Grounded ingredients:

15 dried chilies, seeded and soaked in cold water overnight

4 red chilies, seeded and chopped

10 shallots, peeled

5 cloves garlic

3 cm fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced

3 cm fresh galangal, peeled and sliced

4 candlenuts

Pickling liquid:

1/2 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tspn salt

Grounded, toasted peanuts or toasted sesame

seeds for garnishing

1  Cut cucumber into 4 lengths.  Cut out center core to remove seeds and then into strips of about 3 mm thickness.  Cut carrot into the same length as the cucumber.Slice each length into 3 mm thickness and then julienne. Toss sliced cucumber and carrot with 1 teaspoon of salt.  Leave aside.

2  Separate leaves of cabbage and cut leach leave into quarters. Cut long beans into 1 inch length.  Scald cabbage and long beans in hot boiling water and drain.

3  Using a tea towel, wrap a handful of sliced cucumber and carrot and squeeze out water.  Do the same with the scalded cabbage pieces and long beans. Put out to dry in the sun on a bamboo tray for about 1 to 2 hours.

4  Remove seeds from chilies. Half, lengthwise and slice at a slant into 1 inch length.  Put out to dry in the sun with the rest of the prepared vegetables.

5  Heat oil in a wok.  Fry blended ingredients in medium fire until fragrant, about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly.

6  Add in vinegar, sugar and salt.  Bring to boil and stir until sugar melts.

7  Off the fire and stir in dried vegetables and mix well.  Is using toasted sesame seeds, you can stir them in now.  If using grounded, toasted peanuts, its best added just before serving.

8  Leave vegetables to pickle for at least 4-5 hours or overnight before serving.