Fried Mee Hoon (Indian Muslim Style)

This recipe is inspired by the way we cook string hoppers (putu mayam). Many people enjoy string hoppers with grated coconut and brown sugar. We, however, prefer it with curry. When there is no curry or when there is a lot of string hoppers left over, it gets fried with eggs and finely shredded vegetables (carrots, beans, cabbage).

Ingredients

1/2 packet mee hoon (rice vermicelli/noodles)

[soaked in cold water for at least 1 hour]

Chicken Fillet

[cleaned and diced]

3 whole eggs

shallots

[10 shallots - sliced]

[2 tablespoons shallot paste]

[fried shallots (bawang goreng)]

2 each - red and green chillies

[sliced]

4 sprigs curry leaves (daun kari)

1 teaspoon mustard seeds (biji sawi)

1/2 cup UHT milk

salt [to taste]

pinch of sugar [to taste]

4 tablespoons oil/ghee [for frying]

Method

Heat oil

Fry sliced shallots till wilted

Add curry leaves

Add sliced chillies

Add mustard seeds

Add the diced chicken fillet

Add shallot paste
Stir fry till chicken is cooked

Break eggs into the wok

Coat all ingredients in the egg

Add the mee hoon

Cook the mee hoon

Add the UHT milk

Season with salt and sugar

Cook till done

Stir in the fried shallots

Enjoy

Pegedel Udang (Shrimp Cutlets)

Ingredients

Onion (chopped fine)
Green Chilli (chopped fine)
Red Chilli (chopped fine)
Spring Onion (chopped fine)
Garlic
Nutmeg (Buah Pala)
Fried Shallots (Bawang Goreng)
Pepper Powder (to taste)
Salt (to taste)

Egg (beaten - for frying)

Bread crumbs (for coating - if desired)

Potatoes
(peeled, washed and sliced)

Shrimp/Prawns
(Shelled, de-veined and washed)


Method

Fry garlic and nutmeg

Fry potatoes till golden
Pound together with garlic and nutmeg
(you can use a dry grinder)

Fry the prawns/shrimp
(Pound or blender)

Place pounded potatoes, chopped ingredients and fried shallots in a bowl

Add the pounded prawns/shrimp
Season with pepper and salt
Mix together

Shape into patties
Dip in beaten eggs
Coat with bread crumbs (if using)
Fry till cooked


There, that's all the side dishes for the Nasi Kuning we had.
Garnish with tomatoes, cucumbers, fried anchovies (ikan bilis),
boiled egg and anything else desired.

Ayam Masak Merah (Chicken in Red Gravy)

Ingredients

Onions (sliced - half for saute
and half for finishing)
Shallots (ground to a paste)
Garlic (ground to a paste)
Galangal (lengkuas)
Daun Salam (local bay leaf)
Cinnamon bark

Chilli paste
Chilli sauce (optional)
Tomato Ketchup (optional)

Salt (to taste)

Chicken
(cut to desired size,
season with a little turmeric
powder and salt)

Oil (for deep frying and saute)

Method

Fry the chicken (half-cooked)
Remove and set aside

Leave a little oil in the wok and saute half the sliced onions

Add the cinnamon bark
and bay leaves

Add the galangal and fry till the onions brown

Add the chilli paste...

... shallot paste ...

... and garlic paste.

Saute until the paste is cooked (fragrant / oily)

Add the chilli sauce and tomato ketchup (if using)

Add the fried chicken

Taste for salt (add as necessary)
Add the balance of the onions
Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes and remove

Serunding Kelapa (Spicy Coconut)

Ingredients

Fresh Red Chillies
Shallots
Garlic
Galanggal (Lengkuas)
(the above ingredients to be ground to a paste)

Daun Salam (local bay leaf)

Oil (for saute)

Grated coconut

Tamarind (add water to make a thin paste)


Method

Heat wok.
Dry fry the grated coconut.

Remove and set aside when moisture evaporated.

Heat Oil in wok.

Saute the ground ingredients until fragrant.

Add bay leaves.

Continue frying until almost dry.

Add the fried coconut.
Add tamarind paste.

Continue to fry until dry.

Nasi Kuning (Yellow Rice)

We were having guests for dinner and wanted to cook something different. So we decided to have an Indonesian dish of Nasi Kuning (Yellow Rice) with Ayam Masak Merah (Chicken in Red Gravy), Serunding Kelapa (Spicy Coconut) and Pegedel Udang (Shrimp Cutlets).

Ingrediants for Nasi Kuning:

Long grained rice (basmati is fine)

Ginger + Garlic + Fresh Temuric
(ground to a paste)

Screw Pine (Daun Pandan)
Serai (Lemon Grass)
Daun Limau Purut (Kaffir Lime Leaves)
Cinnamon Bark
(leave whole)

Don't forget:
Salt (to taste)

Butter

Coconut Milk (Santan)

As usual rice to liquid ratio is 2 : 3

Method

Boil water in steamer

Wash and drain rice.
Steam the rice.

Note: The plastic container is for show only (couldn't find a photographable metal one),
you don't want any toxins leaking into your rice from the plastic.

While the rice is steaming, place the coconut milk in another container.
Add ginger/garlic paste.
Add cinnamon bark and other herbs/leaves.
Add butter.

Let it boil.

When it starts to boil, add rice from steamer.

(The rice does not need to be cooked, it only needs to be steamed for the time it takes
to prepare the coconut milk to boil.
You still need to continue cooking the rice later.)

Cook until the liquid has been almost absorbed by the rice.

Transfer to the steamer and continue cooking.

Wash fresh eggs and place in the steamer.
You'll have boiled (or rather steamed) eggs when the rice is done.

Bon Appetite!

(Wait for the chicken, shrimp and coconut side-dishes.)

Scrambled Eggs with Potatoes

Rather than just baked beans with your scrambled eggs, why not try this variation.

Ingredients:
Potatoes
(6 medium sized, peeled, quartered and sliced)
Eggs
(4 size B)
Onions
(2 medium sized, sliced)

Chilli Sauce
Tomato Ketchup
Oyster Sauce (optional)
Oil (for deep frying and cooking)

Heat sufficient oil to fry the potatoes until it begins to change colour.

Leave aside to drain excess oil.

Remove excess oil, leaving just sufficient for cooking.

Saute the onions until soft.

Break in the eggs and scramble.

Add the chilli sauce and tomato ketchup.

Add oyster sauce (if using)

Add in the potatoes.

Stir in until well mixed.

Done.

Serve.

It also is a welcome side-dish to be served with rice.

Stuffed Bean Curds

I saw my sister's helper preparing Stuffed Bean Curds or Tahu Sumbat Goreng and asked her for the recipe to share on my blog. I've was told that in Indonesia they call it Tahu Berontak (Revolting Bean Curd) and it's stuffed with bee hoon (rice noodles) and taugeh (bean sprouts).

It's nice on it's own or dipped with a little chilli sauce.

The Filling

Ingredients:

Carrots (shredded fine)

Long Beans (sliced thinly)
Minced Chicken (or prawns would be nice)
Shallots (bawang merah) ground to a paste
Garlic (bawang putih) ground to a paste
Salt
Pepper
Cooking Oil

Method:
Heat Oil and saute the shallots and garlic paste till fragrant.
Add the chicken and fry till it changes colour.
Add carrots and long beans and cook till done.
Season with salt and pepper
Remove and set aside to cool.

Prepare the bean curds (tau pok) by slitting one side.

Stuff the bean curds with the filling.
Make sure you do not cut open the bean curd too wide as you will have the filling falling out into the oil when frying.

The Batter

Ingredients
Plain Flour
Rice Flour (a few spoon fulls at add crispiness)
Water
Shallot paste (about 2 tea spoons)
Garlic paste (1 tea spoon or less)
Turmeric powder (just a pinch)
Salt
Kaffir Lime leaves (sliced fine)

Method
Mix the flour with water to make a thick paste.
Add the shallot, garlic, turmeric and salt.
Finally add the lime leaves and mix.

Dip the stuffed bean curds in the batter and deep fry.

Remove when cooked (it turns a golden brown) and drain on absorbent paper.

Vegetarians may omit the minced chicken.