Fish Briyani

"I don’t know where I get this recipe, but it has been a  favorite of the family."

*Use seed Spices, Not the ground ones.

Fish Beriani

Ingredients

5-6 slices of Spanish mackerel (Ikan Tenggiri)

A    Blend

2 Fresh fresh Chilies

2 tsp of corianders

1 tsp of cumin

1 tsp fennel

4 shallots

5 clove of garlic

½ inch of ginger

1 stalk lemon grass (cut)

B

½ tsp of ground turmeric

1 cup of evaporated milk

C

3 Cloves

2 Cardamoms

 1 inch of Cinnamon

2 Cups of Basmati Rice

1 Tablespoon of ghee

METHOD

1. Blend ingredients A finely
2. Wash & Soak Basmati Rice for 10 mins
3. Heat ghee & tamper ingredients C for 2 mins
4. Put in the blended ingredients
5. Pour in 2 cups of water & evaporated milk. Season it with salt.
6. When the water boils, put in the fish. Reduce heat.
7. Take out the fish when it is ¾ cooked. Set it aside.
8. Put in the rice & wait for it to cook.
9. Fry the fish after marinating it with turmeric & salt.
10.  Serve with Dalca & Papadom.

Masak Lemak Telur Itik (Duck's Eggs Cooked in Cocunut Milk)

"If you noticed lately I have been giving rather a lot of recipes from the state of Negeri Sembilan. It’s my heritage, and I’m proud of it. Negri Sembilan dishes are sooo easy to make but it can be fiery.Though easy to make, it does take a longer time to cook because of the simmering. If allowed to boil over, the coconut milk will separate into water and cream and the dish is spoiled. So be careful with this.   Go cautiously with the bird’s eye chillies. Though I’m from Negeri Sembilan, I can’t take fiery dishes so I usually take the middle path. Middle path shoud be around 20-25 of the chillies. For those of you who pride yourself for being adventurous please be my guest and test out your endurance factor."

MASAK LEMAK TELUR ITIK 

( DUCK’S EGGS COOKED IN COCONUT MILK)

Ingredients

5 duck’s eggs

20 bird’s eye chillies

1 inch fresh turmeric

3 cups coconut milk

A bunch of tapioca leaves ( pluck the shoots. Twist it into a knot and boil till tender)

1 stalk of lemon grass ( crushed)

Salt to taste

Method

1.      Blend the fresh turmeric with the chillies. Put them in a pot with the coconut milkand the crushed lemon grass . Cook on slow fire. Again never let it boil over.

2.      When bubbles appear, put in the duck’s eggs one by one. To be safe, crack the eggs in a separate bowl. You never know if any of the eggs are bad.

3.      Be careful when stirring, usually I only stir the top of the gravy. We do not want the eggs to break.

4.      Put in the boiled tapioca leaves and let it simmer further for 10 mins. Season with salt.

5.      You can substitute the tapioca leaves with belimbing /balacas

Masak Lemak Ikan Kembong Rebus & Petai (Steam Salted Mackerel Cooked in Coconut Milk With Smell Broad-Beans)

"This is my father’s favourite dish. He can have seconds and thirds when my sister cook this dish. Another contribution from my sister Zaini."

MASAK LEMAK IKAN KEMBONG REBUS & PETAI (STEAM SALTED MACKEREL COOKED IN COCONUT MILK WITH SMELLY BROADBEANS)

Ingredients

1 kg salted mackerel (clean the gills and the stomach of the fish)

3o pcs of bird’s eye chillies ( again depending on your tolerance to the heat)

1 inch of fresh turmeric ( blend with the bird’s eye chillies)

2 pcs asam/gelugor keping (dried assam slices)

3 cups of coconut milk

20 eye of smelly broad beans (petai)

Salt to taste

Method

1.      Prepare the  cleaned fish by arranging them in the steamer. Steam for 10 mins.

2.      Cut the broadbeans into 3-4 eyes. Trim the edges. Scrape off the green skin and boil until tender.

3.      Put the coconut milk, bird’s eye chillies, dried assam slices into a pot. Simmer, stirring it frequently until bubbles appear. Put in the boiled broadbeans. Simmer for another 10 mins.

4.      Gently put in the steamed mackerel. Again as in any ‘masak lemak chilly padi’ watch the gravy like a hawk. Never let it boil over. It must be cook in slow fire. If you are a good hawk, then put the fire to medium, stirring all the time.

5.      After 10 mins, the dish is ready. Be prepared to sweat because of the chilly padi. Enjoy!

Masak Lemak Daging Salai (Grilled Beef Cooked in Coconut Milk)

"This next dish is typically Negeri Sembilan fair. You can also substitute it with grilled catfish. Eat it with ikan pekasam (fermented fish ) or salted  fish. The amount of bird’s eye chillies depend on your tolerance for the heat."

MASAK LEMAK DAGING SALAI ( GRILLED BEEF COOKED IN COCONUT MILK)

Ingredients

1 kg beef (slice  thinly but in big chucks)

3 cups of thickend coconut milk

30 chilly padi ( bird’s eye chillies)

1 inch of fresh turmeric (blend or pound with the chilly padi)

20 belimbing buluh ( balacas in Tagalog) ( optional, can be substituted with 2 young mangoes)

2-3 stalks lemon grass ( crush )

 Method

1.      Heat the coconut milk mixed with the bird’s eye chillies and the lemon grass. Put it over medium fire and watch over it like a hawk. It must not boil over, only simmering.

2.      The grilled beef need to be slice thinly in smaller pieces and boil until tender. Add it to the mixture above. Keep the gravy simmering .

3.      Put in the belimbing buluh/ young mango which had been sliced thinly.

4.      Season with salt and after 10 mins, take it off the heat.

Ayam Masak Mek (Spicey Chicken)

"This next dish was named after a Thai maid we had back in the 80’s. Actually the dish was my mother-in law’s. It was taught to her by my sister- in-law. Somehow it was named after her because she was the one cooking it for us."

AYAM MASAK MEK ( SPICEY CHICKEN )

Ingredients

½  chicken ( cut into small pieces- bite- size)

1 small onions ( not shallots, halved and sliced)

5 pcs dry chillies ( cut an inch apart)

1 tsp ground turmeric

3 tblsp soya sauce ( the salty kind)

2 tblsp oil

Pounded spices

1 tblsp black pepper

2 tblsp coriander

Method

1. Heat the oil. Fry the pounded spices. When the spices turn fragrant, add in the chillies and chicken. Put in the turmeric and sliced onions. Cover.

2. After 5 mins, add in the soya sauce and again cover. Cook for another 15-20 mins in slow fire.Make sure the chicken is not too dry. If dry add in a little bit of water

Ikan Masak Apek (Fish Cooked in Taufu and Fermented Soy Bean)

"This dish is a favourite of my mother-in-law."

IKAN MASAK APEK 

( FISH COOKED IN TAUFU AND FERMENTED SOY BEAN)

Ingredients:

1 pomfret (it can be black or white)

1 leek

2 soft Japanese tofu (the rectangle one)

3 garlic ( sliced)

3 tblsp tau choo ( fermented soya bean , whole)

1 fresh chilly

1 cup oil

2 cups water

Method

1. Cut the fish into pieces according to your preference

2.Wash the leek and cut it into 1 inch length. Then halve it.in

3. Heat the oil and fry the fish, When turning the fish over be careful that the fish do not fall into pieces. A non-stick skillet would be helpful.

4. When the fish is half cooked, take it out and take out half the oil.

5. Fry the garlic but do not brown it. Put in the leek and tofu ( cut it into 6 pieces). Add in the tau choo and cut chilly.  Add in the water.

6. Put back the fish and cook for another ten minutes

Rendang Tok

"The next recipe was contributed by my sister-in-law.This is a typical Perak dish. "

RENDANG TOK

Ingredients:

1 kg beef ( cut into bigger cubes)

( Toast and Dry Blend)

2 tbsp sweet cummin        

2 tbsp white cumin          

1 tbsp cloves                     

1 tbsp cinnamon      

(Blend Finely)

½ kg shallots                  

Galangal – thumb-size     

10 dried chillis                 

Ginger – ½  thumb          

5 cups coconut milk

2 tblsp palm sugar

2 tblsp kerisek – coconut paste

Method

1.   Throw everything except the kerisek into the wok

2.  When the gravy is almost dry, put in the kerisek , lower the fire and wait until almost dry.
3. Taste to have a balance of sweetness and spiciness. Salt to taste

Beef Cook in Tamarind ( Masak Asam Daging Tetel)

"This is my mom’s recipe. It has been a favourite of us when life was simpler and calories need not be counted, nor worries over cholesterol rule our lives. Try it out if you are brave enough for the condemnation of your younger members of the family."

Beef Cook in Tamarind  ( Masak Asam Daging Tetel)

Ingredients

1 kg beef preferably 'daging tetel' ( cut into pieces & put it in the pressure cooker for 1 hour)

1 cup of tamarind juice

A few leaves of 'daun limau perut' (Kaffir Lime Leaves)

1 stalk lemon grass

Salt to taste

 2 tblsp oil

Blended ingredients

10 dry chillies

6 shallots

2 garlic

1 inch ginger

1 tblsp black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil and when hot sauté the blended ingredients and lemon grass until fragrant
2. Put in the beef and let it boil until half of the water has dried up.
3. Put in the tamarind juice and salt to taste
4. Tear up the 'daun limau perut' (Kaffir Lime Leaves) and add it to the gravy
5. Taste for balance of sourness and salt
6. Serve hot with fried salted fish and a hot plate of rice.

Ayam Percik ( Kelantanese Roast Chicken)

“Usually I serve 'ayam percik' with 'nasi kerabu' and tom yam. All my family love this combination including my aunt and uncle and their children."

*So I hope you will try it especially anonymous ( I know who you are but I’ll keep it a secret)

AYAM PERCIK ( KELANTANESE GRILLED CHICKEN)

Ingredients

1 medium chicken (1 kg)

2 cups of coconut cream

Salt to taste

Blended ingredients

5 shallots

1 inch of galangal

½ inch ginger

10 dry chillies

Method

1. Cut the chicken into 12 pieces
2. Blend the ingredients. Then with the coconut cream put it on medium heat
3. When the gravy thickens, put in the chicken. Season it with salt.
4. Take out the chicken when it is half cooked and put it aside.
5. Continue boiling the gravy until it thickens further.
6. Roast the chicken in the oven or grill it until cooked, basting it continuously with the thickened gravy. When cooked, serve it with the reminder of the gravy.

Baked Macaroni

Baked Macaroni

Ingredients:

1 pack of Macaroni

1 can of Coconut Milk

1 can of Tuna

A pinch or so of ‘Jintan Manis’, ‘JintanPutih’

A small block of Ginger

2 cloves of Garlic

½ Red Onion

Spring Onions

4 eggs

Methods:

Boil the Macaroni until soft & cooked. Mix all the rest of the ingredients well and pour into the cooked macaroni (in a casserole dish) and mix well. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 – 30 minutes.

Nasi Kerabu (Salad Rice)

"Another family favourite is the Nasi Kerabu. This is a Kelantanese dish. I do not cook this often since it is tedious and messy."

Nasi Kerabu 
(Salad Rice)

Sambal

1 coconut, blend to get the milk

6 shallots – pound

1tbsp budu

10 tbsp cili boh

Method

Boil everything until the oil appears on the surface and the sambal is thick.

Sambal Ikan

1 ikan selar/kembong – grill on a pan and take out the bones

½  grated coconut – pan-fry without oil like you do for kerisek but do not let it brown.

3 shallots –sliced

1 lemon-grass –sliced thinly

Method

1.   Put everything in a food processor and blend for 3 rounds

Vegetables/Herbs

1 cucumber –peel the skin and cut it into blocks of 3 cm. Then slice thinly around. Do not take the seeds. Roll up the sliced cucumber, then slice thinly.

2. 3 strands of long beans – cut thinly

3. a bunch of salom leaves – cut thinly (optional)

4. a bunch of salam shoots  (local bayleaf) – cut thinly (optional)

5. 2 bunga kantan – slice thinly

6. a bunch of daun kesom – chop-up fine

Budu

1 bottle of budu

1 tbsp local coffee

3 shallots –crush

1 clove garlic –crush

Boil everything. Then sieve the concoction before serving

How to eat Nasi Kerabu

1 cup plain rice

1tbsp sambal ikan

1tsp budu

1 tbsp sambal

Take a generous portion of the vegetables/herbs

Crush a few pieces of keropok or fish crackers

Mix the above together and enjoy!

Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Padi (Chicken Cooked in Coconut Milk)

"Another favourite recipe is a Negri Sembilan staple menu.

It’s so simple but taste fantastic! Some people put in shallots and garlic. Then the taste will be too complex and you will not get the Negri Sembilan taste."

AYAM MASAK LEMAK CILI PADI 
(CHICKEN COOKED IN COCONUT MILK)

Ingredients

1 kg chicken     (cut into 12 pcs)

20 chili padi (blend finely)

2 potatoes         (peeled and cut into 4)

1 stalk lemongrass

2 cups coconut milk (santan)

Salt to taste

Method

1.   Put chicken, chili padi, lemongrass in a pot. Cook over moderate fire with lid on for 5 mins.

2.  When water from the chicken is almost dried up, add the santan and the potatoes

3.  Put in salt and cook over low fire, occasionally stirring.

4.  When the potatoes are done, switch off the fire.

Note:

1.   You can substitute the chicken with fish or beef. With fish, instead of potatoes, put in bitter gourd ( boiled for 5 mins then drained)

2.  Never let the gravy boils over or the oil will separate and the dish is ruined.

Mackerel Cooked In Sour Gravy (Masak Asam Ikan Tenggiri)

"When I think of my favourite recipes, the one most on my mind is Masak Asam Ikan Tenggeri. I always associate it with rainy days spend under the bed, at the time beds were high so that things can be stored under them. You can substitute the mackerel with Red Snapper (Ikan Merah)" 

MACKEREL COOKED IN SOUR GRAVY 
(MASAK ASAM IKAN TENGGIRI)

Ingredients

1 kg ikan tenggeri (Spanish mackerel)

5 pcs ladyfingers ( also known as okra)

Blend:

5 shallots

2 garlic pips

A little bit of ginger, turmeric

A thumb-size belacan (shrimp paste)

10 pcs dried chillies

For frying

1 tsp fenugreek (halba)

1 shallot (sliced)

2 cups of tamarind juice from a ¼ of tamarind

Salt to taste

Method

1.   Heat 2 tblsp oil ( vegetable oil)

2.  Throw in the sliced shallot and fenugreek

3.  When the shallot has browned, add the blended ingredients.

4.  Fry until a delicious aroma fill the room.

5.  Add the tamarind juice and wait for it to boil

6.  Add in the fish and the ladyfingers.

7.  Wait for the fish and ladyfingers are cooked then your asam ikan tenggeri is done!

Note:

1.   You can substitute the mackerel with ikan parang or ikan pari

2.  For variation, throw in a fistful of daun kesum ( poligonum)

3.  I love eating this dish with salted fish and the "ummph" factor doubles up!