Modified Luau Fried Rice

Rice – you either like it or hate it . Carbs infused little granules yet sooo delicious. The fragrance it emits when its cook – how the smell fills the house .. Got to love it. Sure it piles on the pounds but in moderation is a great food. Rice a staple in my part of the found can be eaten on its on with gravy or fried. Different regions in Asia have their own blend of fried rice variation. The Malay & Indian communities have a spicy version of fried rice where as the Chinese have a more milder version cooked with soy sauce and a tinge of white pepper and sesame seed oil. My mom uses chili and onion paste with eggs a very simple dish but none the less delicious especially when eaten with fish crackers or sliced cucumbers or both. My version of fried rice is taken from the internet. I modified it here and there and voila I get fried rice. This is one of my favorites and I have sliced cucumber and fried chicken as accompaniment. The actual recipe is called Luau fried rice a Hawaiian/Chinese version of the fried rice and it can be found at http://gohawaii.about.com/od/luaurecipes/r/fried_rice.htm

The modified version of the recipe is below ..

Modified Luau Fried Rice

Ingredients:-
3 cups cooked rice (best left over night)
1 Onions (sliced)
1 inch Ginger (sliced)
2 cloves Garlic (sliced)
3 tbsp Onion paste
1 tbsp Ginger/Garlic paste
¼ tbsp Anchovy granules (optional)
¼ tbsp Chicken granules
2 tbsp Oyster sauce
2 tbsp Light soy sauce
1 tbsp Sesame oil
½ tbsp White pepper

3 Eggs
1 cup Beef (thinly sliced)
1 cup Chicken breasts (sliced)
1 cup Shrimp (tails left on back cut)

5 Shitake mushroom (sliced
4 ears Baby corn (sliced sideways)
1 Carrots (sliced sideways)
5 Snap peas (cut into half)
2 fresh Red chili
2 fresh Green chili

For garnishing
Fried shallots
Green onions (chopped)

Directions:-
1- Break the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly. Fry the eggs, using a
fork breaking the egg so it forms small pieces. Set aside.
2- Heat oil then fry the sliced onions, ginger and garlic for about 2
mins before adding in the beef . Fry until the beef is cooked.
3- Add in the onion and ginger and garlic paste fry for about 3 mins
before adding in the chicken slices.
4- Add in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper,
chicken & anchovy granules. Mix around well for a minute or so.
5- Add in the shrimp and red & green chilies.
6- Add in the vegetables fry for a min.
7- Add in the rice. Mix well before adding the eggs. Fry for 2 mins and serve. Garnish
with shallots & green onions. Accompany this with fried chicken (recipe below) and
cucumber (optional)

Simple fried chicken
Ingredients:-
500gms Small chicken pieces
(breasts cut into small pieces, wings are best)
1 tbsp Chili powder
1 tsp Turmeric
Salt to taste

Method:-
1- Mix all the ingredients together and rub all over chicken set aside for about 20 mins
before frying.

2 - Deep fry till brown then serve.

The amount of sauces used for the fried rice can be adjusted so suit your taste buds. Salt is omitted seeing all the sauces already have salt in it but if you need salt in your diet feel free to add it in. The amount of meats & vegetables are up to your liking too. The fresh chilies are optional. I only added it because we enjoy some spice in our rice. Feel free to omit it.

And the finish product of this recipe is this …..

Its simple fast and yummy .. happy trying, cooking and eating .. ;))

Spicy Fried Kuey Teow aka Rice Noodles

I had a good time at the market I usually do. When I was younger I dreaded the market especially on a Sunday but I seem to be enjoying it now even more.When I was younger the market I frequented was at Geylang Serai and what I really liked it about it was the array of local cakes that was sold there. That was one of the perks of going to the market ;)) .. Anyways my plans of making fried rice changed when is aw some beautiful kuey teow so I decided to make fried kuey teow. I think this will be one long carb weekend cause tomorrow I am definitely making fried rice seeing that I have already cooked the rice hehee anyways .. here is the recipe for this dish. But before that some information on kuey teow …

Kuey teow are noodles made from rice flour. It comes in various thicknesses. It is a soft and tender and its usually fresh compared to other ride noodles. These noodles are either fried or eaten with soup either way its really good. Rice noodles can be found all over South East Asia though it has different variations.

Within Malaysia and Singapore the Malays, Chinese and Indians have their own way of frying these noodles. Mine would be the Malay version which I learnt from my mom like always I have a habit of changing the recipe about ;))..

Below are pictures of some of the little known ingredients used. They include mustard leaves or ‘daun sawi ‘ as its known in Malay, then we have the bean sprouts or ‘taugeh’. I anti taugeh when I was growing for two reasons firstly I dreaded having to remove its little tail and secondly I wasn’t a vegetable fan. When we went out to eat I would usually ask the taugeh to be omitted. But I think over the years I took to the taste and the task of removing its tail before cooking it. Come to think of its actually fun when you have people do it with you ..

The last picture two pictures are of the fish balls another local favorite and ikan bilis or anchovy powder. Fishballs are made from fish meat which have been pulverized by either hand or a machine and shaped into balls. These are usually used in soups and again comes in different sizes. You can get them at most Asian stores if you’re not from Asia.

Ikan bilis powder or anchovy powder is widely used in soups, stir fries and as a food enhancer. It has no msg which is also a good thing. I realize some people can’t stand the taste or smell of anchovies but trust me the powder used in this dish doesn’t have that stinky fishy smell.. I love my anchovies.. ;)) . I am not promoting Maggi or anything but they make the best stock heeee…

For the garnishing I used scallions and Chinese parsley better known in Malay as daun sop & daun bawang and also crispy fried shallots. These two are the norm for most local dishes like friend rice, fried noodles, porridge & soups . The fried shallots are obtainable at any Asian shop but making them fresh is always the best. All you need is shallots which is sliced finely then deep fried its golden brown. Cool it and make sure its completely oil free before storing it in an air tight container. We keep ours in the fridge and it does last longer.

the before & after if shallots ..

Fried Kuey Teow

Ingredients:-
500gms kuey teow
100gms of bean sprouts(taugeh)
10-15 pieces mustard leaves
1 large tomato chopped into chunks
3 small eggs or 2 large eggs
4-5 fishballs (slided)
200gms shrimp
200gms beef (sliced thinly)
200gms chicken breasts (sliced thinly)
1 medium sized onion (thingly sliced)
4-5 tbsp chili paste
3-4 tbsp onion paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
¼ cup soy sauce
1-2 tbsp tomato ketchup
Chicken stock (in powder form)
Ikan bilis stock (in powder form)
Salt to taste.

For garnishing:-
Scallions/green onions (daun sop & daun bawang) – thinly sliced
Fried shallots

Directions:-
1- Heat the oil fry the onions till it softens before adding the ground ingredients frying
them for about 4 or 5 minutes or till fragrant.
2- Next add in the beef and fry until its tender before adding in fish ball,chicken and
shrimp.
3- Add the soy sauce fry for a minute and add n the tomato sauce. Keep frying for 2 mins.
4-Add in the eggs breaking it down to small pieces.
5- Put in the chicken and ikan bilis stock. Keep frying for 1 min
6- Add in the taugeh, mustard leaves, followed by the diced tomatoes. Give it a stir or
two then add in the kuey teow. Mix it well so that all the ingredients blend in and the
noodles well coated.
7- Adjust the taste to your liking. Add in more chillie paste if you like it hot or more soy sauce if you like it a little salty. I used about 2 tsp of salt for this whole recipe.

If anyone does try this recipe please give me some feedback :D

Happy trying!

Saturday Morning Blurbs

i woke up to sounds of drills and pounding arghhhhhhhhhh ............ wished it was the chirping of birds that woke up but alas contractors doing their job on the 4th floor. The neighbors are doing home renovations so there will be noise for a while ... The contractors are usually not allowed to work weekends at housing estates and there rules for drilling and what not by occupants but i guess no ones following the rules this time around but its fine i would probably get used to it after a while just need to tune up the TV and music a little louder than usual..

So its another Saturday morning end of the month again - time really flies its scary sometimes – and with all the violence in the world you wonder if there is a time where people don’t grieve or are confronted with the unexpected which it seems these days are not a good things, it seems people are getting crazier, wars are getting angrier everything that is bad seems to be getting younger and more sophisticated, the advancement of science have obviously been misused .. anyways If I look at the world as it is this morning it will be utterly depressing and seeing that I want to preserve the weekend I will try not to dwell on it …

And it’s the weekend and moms here which is really nice. We were planning on what to cook since last night not sure what we would make so in the end we decided to make fried rice. Chinese style fried rice eaten with fried chicken or even great on its own. I tried this recipe sometime back and it was a hit so I figured I would try it again I will post it on a later blog seeing I need to run to the market to get some of the needed ingredients ..

Anyways mom & I had our usual conversations and we talked about my 12yr old nephew and his heart condition which is getting worst. He has been really sick the past two weeks and have been missing school. He was born with a heart defect and one can only begin to imagine how his life has been. The doctors recommended surgery but his parents are not for it. The first surgery was hard enough as it was I guess now they leave it in the hands on fate. Please keep him in you’re prays that he will be healthy and be able to live life like a normal 12 year old. He will be a teenager officially on the 26th of April I am sure he is looking forward to that day. I must say he has grown since his baby days lol I guess when you live apart and see each other on occasions they grow up without you realizing it. What was really heart wrenching about this whole thing was when he said to his mom that it was better if he died cause of the pain he was feeling .. I am not a mother but I am sure that is the last thing anyone mother would want to hear from her son … I know I cannot fathom how my aunt and uncle must be feeling but as a cousin it is heartbreaking cause he is a sweet kid.. I can only hope and pray for his health and for us to be given strength to deal with this ..

Well anyways that’s it for now .. I am off to the market with my t rusted grocery list ready to face the crowd. Trust me the market Is packed even at noon time – I think it’s a weekend thing that’s when people go marketing and this particular market I go too is usually visited by people from outside this neighborhood too so I am on my marketing adventures .. taa taa for now ..

Muffin Madness

The title of this blog suits the state of madness I was in over muffins. Its been a while since I had muffins and I was certainly craving for some especially after watching the cooking show ‘Nigella Bites’ on television. By the way Nigella Lawson is one of my favorite cooking show hosts. She makes cooking even the most difficult sophisticated dish a breeze and her no care attitude about her body image is something to look forward too – I mean this is the lady who snacks in the middle of the night a big no no in Oprahs book .. heehe anyways I cant afford to snack late at night cause when I wake up I will be bloated heehee sooo anyways .. in this particular episode she made home made granola – yes home made. It looked so simple and delicious and I have since been trying to find the recipe but no avail but I am not giving out .. so if anyone has the recipe please pass it on ;)).. the recipe is called ’ chocolate peanut granola’. She made muffins using the granola and it looked so tantalizing. The muffin recipe is called ‘Chocolate Granola Muffin’. When she describes the dishes it just makes you drool and there is something about sound that makes any dish appetizing especially while you’re making it … Certain sounds sends signals to the brains and it makes you crave for that certain foods heh at least to me it does.. Anyways seeing I cant get her recipes I decided to make muffins from a recipe I found at http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Banana-Muffins-I/Detail.aspx

The recipes make 12 muffins but I halved the recipe instead. This time round I made half ‘banana walnut muffin’ and half ‘chocolate chip walnut muffin'. The main recipe is at the link above – I added some ingredients for these muffins below is the main recipe with additional ingredients for the two muffins ..

Banana Walnut Muffins

Ingredients (makes 12)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional ingredients
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg

Directions
1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2- Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
3- Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
4- In a separate bowl, beat together banana, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in the
sour cream or yogurt.
5- Stir banana mixture into flour until just combined. Add in walnuts and mix
well.
6- Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
7-Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted
into center of a muffin comes out clean.
8-Let cool before serving. For best flavor, place in an airtight container or bag
Overnight.

The final product ‘ Banana walnut muffin’ inside and out …..

Chocolate Walnut Chip Muffin

Ingredients (makes 12)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional ingredients
3 tbsp cocoa powder
½ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup milk

Directions
1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2- Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
3- Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4- In a separate bowl, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in the sour cream or yogurt.
5- Stir wet mixture into flour until just combined. Add in walnuts & chocolate
chip and mix well.
6- Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle some chocolate chips on
top of the batter if you like especially if you love chocolate.
7-Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted
into center of a muffin comes out clean.
8-Let cool before serving. For best flavor, place in an airtight container or bag
Overnight.

The final product ‘ Chocolate Chip Walnut Muffin’ inside and out …..

I didn’t have sour cream on hand so I used yogurt instead which is works just as well to make the muffins soft and moist. I used a little more than 3 tbsp of cocoa powder - which explains why my batter was lumpy. I added a little milk to the chocolate muffin recipe to rectify the problem. The recipe calls for a batter like consistency so I added milk instead of water. For the chocolate chip I used dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate – what can I say I love dark chocolate. I also added walnuts only because my mom loves some crunch in her muffins..

Cooking is about experimentation and the great thing is the many variations you can get from one recipe. The possibilities are endless and on that note …Happy Baking & eating the muffins.

Yellow Miracles

Daffodils

Some things on this earth look as if they were designed to bring happiness to the hearts of humans. The daffodil, with its bright yellow coloring and green stem, is one such creation. The daffodil makes its appearance in the spring, abundant and inexpensive, bringing gladness as sure as sunshine itself to whoever is lucky enough to receive a single stem, or a bunch, of these delicate yellow miracles. It is as if the sun has shed a layer of skin and fashioned a flower out of it.

Color psychologists suggest that too much yellow can be too stimulating, but in small doses it inspires hope and good cheer. The daffodil is a perfect-sized package of yellow for anyone feeling glum or energetically low. It can spur us to action or simply imbue us with a feeling of optimism as it vibrantly glows in our homes or on our desks at work.

The daffodil's presence is ideal in any region where sunshine is scarce as it seems to carry the sun in the soft flesh of its petals. The bulbs are not expensive, and the flowers give so much that you may decide to plant a few in your yard or in a window box. Then again, you may simply wait until they arrive in neat little bundles in the grocery store or flower shop. They are usually very reasonably priced, so you can afford to spoil yourself, and those you love, with a large bouquet.

A daffodil placed under the windshield wiper of a loved one's car says, "Be happy! Spring has sprung! I love you!"

A collection of stems gathered and placed in a Mason jar can be left on someone's doorstep to remind them of the simple beauties that abound in this life.

Don't forget to bless yourself with a vase of these bright blossoms on your kitchen table or nightstand. Every time you see them, you will be filled with the happiness and warmth of the sun

Sunday Recipes - i travelled to india & mexico

I traveled from Indian to Mexico in one day that was what I did - if only in my dream .. I did however travel from my kitchen of course … to my pallets with a blend of an Indian and Mexican dish. I was just in one those cooking moods so I decided a dish for today and another that can last for a few days and can be eaten at any time. I ended up making Keema Mattar a minced meat dish that is from the Subcontinent and it’s eaten with a kind of flat bread called chappati and some tomato & avocado salsa which is fast, quick and taste better if its kept overnight. I usually eat the salsa either on its own or with saltine crackers.

Keema mattar is a popular dish from the sub continents of India and Pakistan. It’s a spicy dish with potatoes and peas and yogurt. Keema is actually minced meat and mattar is peas. Chappatis are a kind of flat bread eaten mainly in the northern states of the sub continent. They are made out of atta flour which is actually wheat flour made out of hard wheat. According to wikipedia hard have a high level of protein and seeing that dough made of atta flour are strong they can be rolled out very thingy. It is a high source of fiber and if the flour is made the traditional way it imparts an aroma and gives a distinct taste to the bread.

The traditional way of making chappatis is a tedious process for someone with no experience like me. Thought I have tried it once I noticed it didn’t quiet come out the way I enjoy my store bought fresly rolled chappatis form Serangoon Road which is also known as Little India and it’s the place when you can find everything from Indian, Pakistan & Bangledesh. Anyways, the making of fresh chappatis involved kneading and rolling and cooking the flatten dough on a round flat skillet turning it about quickly. The finally product is a soft fluffy piece of flat bread as shown below. But hail modern technology they have frozen chappatis which are as good. My favorite brand would be the ‘Kawan’ brand which is a Malaysian product. It is pretty close to the real deal and truly delish. But for those who are keen on trying the home made chappatis I have also included a recipe of it.

the atta flour

atta dough rolled out & cooked chappatis

chappati cooking on a flat pan

**Keema Mattar

Ingredients: (serves 4)
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp ginger garlic paste mix
1 small onion (coarsely chopped)
1 potato (diced)
2 inch fresh ginger (coarsely chopped)
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp ground tumeric
2 tsp cayenne pepper (more can be added if you like it hot)
1 medium tomato (coarsely chopped)
½ cup plain yogurt
1 ½ pounds minced lamb or beef
2 tsp garam masala *
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 green chillies (chopped)
6 tbsp fresh cilantro(coriander)(chopped)
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
Salt to taste

Directions
1-Heat oil in a pan. Throw in onion, ginger and garlic mixture. Stir and fry it until it
browns.
2-Put in the cayenne pepper, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and turmeric. Stir once or
twice.
3-Put in the tomatoes and yogurt. Stir on high heat until tomato is soft.
4-Put in potatoes,meat,salt,garam masala.Stir breaking any clumps for about 2 minutes.
5-Put in one cup water. Stir and bring in to simmer for 25mins.
6-Add lemon juice, green chillies, cilantro and peas. Stir and bring back to simmer.
7-Cover and cook on low heat for 10mins.
8- Feel free to adjust the spiciness of the dish.

*Garam masala can either be made fresh or bought ready made at Indian stalls which sell spices. While writing this blog I learnt what garam masala actually translates too. Garam is the Indian world for hot/spicy and masala is the Indian word for spices hence garam masala. Makes sense to me. Garam masala is a mixture of roasted spices like cumin, coriander, cardamom etc. here is a recipe for the adventurous soul who is keen on making homemade garam masala . Me I just get them ready made so much for adventure huh … heehee..

Garam Masala

Ingredients
4 tablespoons cumin seends
4 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 table spoon cardamom seeds
2 Cinnamon sticks ,crushed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons whole cloves

Directions:
1- Dry roast all ingredients in a heated heavy skillet over medium heat until the
spices emit a toasty aroma.
2- Let cool.
3- Grind to a powder in a spice mill or blender.

the color of a beautifully done garam masala

Chappatis
Ingredients:
Atta flour // 1 tsp salt // 1 tsp ghee(clarified butter)
Warm water

Directions: 1- Prepare dough by mixing together ½ cup of water, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ghee and
just enough wheat flour.

2-Knead well till smooth and soft.

3- Keep aside for an hour.

4-Then shape parts of dough into balls .

5- Dust with atta flour.

6-Roll into chapatis on a rolling board.

7- Smear flat pan with ghee. Keep on flame.

8- Roast both sides of chapati on the flat pan moderately about 2 mins on each side.

The finish product chappatis (store bought) & keema mattar …

** the recipe for keema mattar was from a recipe by Madhur Jeffreys that I found a few years back and im not really sure from which website.

And from a very long blog on Indian food I make my way to Mexico for a very simple dish of tomato avocado salsa. Simple, fast and delicious. I am sure there are many variations of this but this is my version – at least it hasn’t failed me yet.

Tomato & Avocado Salsa

Ingredients
4 medium sized tomatoes (diced)
1 yellow bell pepper (diced)
1 large white onion (diced)
1 avocado (diced)
3 green chilies (seeded & chopped)
½ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

Dressing
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
A pinch of salt
Pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
1- Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together. Pour over mixed vegetables
2-Place all the diced and chopped ingredients in a bowl and pour dressing over.
Mix well. Cover With cling wrap and leave it in the fridge for an hour until all
the flavors are infused.

And here you have it tomato & avocado salsa with saltine crackers …

salsa on saltine squares (pic below)

And that was my cooking travels. Hope it was fun and informative for the reader as it was for me writing it.

Happy cooking & eating ……..

Asian Dessert - Bubuer Kacang Hijau

‘Kacang hijau’ translated means green beans. I searched the web for its English name but I cant find it . It gave me back different kind of beans but not the one I was looking for. So I call them green bean sprout seeds … Sometimes we take certain words in our language for granted and when it comes time to explain or translate were at a lost but that’s were pictures come in and below is a picture of the bean in question.

Mung beans that’s what they are .. I finally found the right term for these green beans. These beans remind of a science project we did back in the day. We put these seeds into a wet cotton ball and let it sit in a bowl and after a while it grows into bean sprouts. It was fun though its like watching your own baby grow ..

Anyways aside from being turned into bean sprouts under the right conditions it’s a great desert too. They use these mung beans in quiet a number of Malay and Chinese deserts. One of the easiest and one of my favorites is something called ‘Bubur kacang hijau’ or ‘ green bean porridge’ . Its simple and though it takes time for the beans to soften its worth the wait.

Bubur Kacang Hijau aka ‘Mung bean porridge

Ingredients
2 cups mung beans
2 cups coconut milk
1 – 1 ½ cups gula melaka (palm sugar)
Pandan leaves aks screwpine leaves ( tied into a knot)
1 cup water
Pinch of salt

Directions:
1- Cook the mung beans in water until its softens. You could even soak it over
night but I prefer boiling them till it softens up.
2- Half way through add in the pandan leaves.
3- When the beans are cooked add in the coconut milk, palm sugar and salt stir together. Cook for a few more minutes until all the flavors are infused.

The finished product shouldn’t be too runny or too thick. An in-between consistency would be the best outcome. Add water in between but not much because this dish needs the thickness of the coconut milk to make it work.

If you’re not big on coconut milk you could possible lessen it. I am not sure about using milk for this though. I do know there are coconut milk which is cholesterol free and its much healthier than most.

When I left mine to sit it thicken up so my mother rectified it by adding more water to get the desired affect. This was my first attempt at this and I think it was ok for a first timer. :D my mom says so lol anyways ..

The thing to remember that it shouldn’t be too thick or too runny …

Happy Trying!

Saturday Pancakes

Today was a rather thundery, dark and not so wet Saturday. The thunder made you think it was going to rain but it didn’t still it was nice cool day not too hot or humid as it was yesterday and its actually a good day to sleep in which I did *grins*. I think it doesn’t hurt to sleep in once in a while. I wanted to head out to the beach but I didn’t seeing the weather could have ruined my day at the beach so in the end I decided to stay home and read, relax do a bit of journaling and pampering. I did however do some cooking. Pancakes for lunch lol yeah it’s a possibility especially when you slept in ..anyways …

Cooking seem to always pick me up apart from writing. I decided to make pancakes today seeing its Saturday and I am in no rush to go anywhere or do anything. I was craving for traditional pancakes . After having did a search for recipes I decided to give my taste buds a new taste of pancakes by attempting to make ‘Oatmeal pancakes’. In all my life this is the first time I have heard of oatmeal pancakes. So I attempted it and it came out pretty good at least for me. I didn’t even use syrup on it – was good on its own. Though I added some flax seeds which is full of nutrients – its good for cholesterol control for one and its great toasted eaten by itself or sprinkled over cereal or salad. Cinnamon was another ingredient that I added to the mix. There is something special about cinnamon in its taste and appearance. I read that cinnamon sprinkled over toast is good for sugar regulation plus it tastes great… The smell of cinnamon reminds me of my moms layered cake yummy …. Anyways here is a picture of the pancakes , I attempted cutting the pancake in half with a butter knife obviously it didn’t come out as well lol but you cant win them all ..

Here is the recipe if anyone wants to try them … This recipe makes 4 servings , I used a small round skillet for this and it’s a little smaller than your regular pancakes.

Oatmeal Pancakes.

Ingredients
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup quick cooking oats
1 tbsp white sugar (I used brown instead)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda aka bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup buttermilk*
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tbsp flax seeds (optional)
½ tbsp cinnamon powder (optional)

Directions
1- Mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, flax seeds and salt in a
bowl.
2- Beat the buttermilk, vegetable oil and egg.
3-Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until you get a smooth
consistency. Some of the reviews from this recipe said that it was kind of
thick so you can adjust it to your liking. I did and it came out fine
4-Ladle about 2 tbsp into a skillet and let it cook. Again the amount you ladle
into the skillet is up to you.

*Note:

Buttermilk substitute.
I have tried looking for buttermilk at NTUC supermarket obviously they don’t have it there. The only place I know that sells them is cold storage, Jason’s and Raffles Market Place so I found a list of buttermilk substitutes that can be used….

1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup yogurt
1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk plus 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice. Let it
stand for 10mins before using in the recipe.
1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk plus 1 and ¾ tsp cream of tartar.
1 cup buttermilk = ½ cup milk plus ¾ cup yogurt.

Happy Trying!

Sawaddee Songkran Peehmai Thai

I think to really get into the spirit of Songkran is to be there to experience but since I am not there nor am I Thai. I figured id read about it and write a little about on my blog. To be honest I never heard of this festival until my Thai friend Ob mentioned it to me. That’s the great thing about the internet – you’re exposed to cultures and things which seem alien to you .like the Thai New Year. Ob was mentioning to me the long holidays she was having because of the new year. She explained to me what it was and it sounded like a fun holiday with a lot of spiritual aspects in it. I mean you get to throw water on people and get yours bad dead cleansed – works for me. I love water and up for a water fight anytime lol .. and the fun part is that they use a water gun you know those super soaker kinds though the small pistol types work just as well .But of course pails, water hoses are used to throw water at everyone, basically anything that can hold water.. . But there is more to this festival as the following article will illustrate…

The Thai New Year (Thai: สงกรานต์ Songkran) is celebrated every year on 13 April to 15 April
At the Thai New Year there are rites and rituals that people participate in as part of the New Year blessings and Buddhist merit-making, One of these is the splashing of water. Water runs deep in the Thai New Year traditions, both as a symbol of cleansing and as a symbol of renewal. These days we tend to recognize the throwing of large amounts of water as the epitome of the Songkran festivities but is has always been the more delicate water splashing that represents the gentle nature of Songkran and the Thai New Year.

The family sprinkling scented water from silver bowls on a Buddha image is a ritual practiced by all Thais in on the third day of Songkran, known as Wan Payawan. This is the first official day of the New Year and on this day people cleanse the Buddha images in their homes as well as in the temples with scented water. The family is dressed in traditional Thai costume and wearing leis of jasmine flower buds. The water is scented with the petals of this flower.
In addition to the cleansing of the Buddha images a traditional Songkran involves the sprinkling of water by younger people on the older people as a tribute of respect and for blessings. This is much different from the water tossing we see on the streets and is a genuinely sincere event whereby scented water is poured over the shoulder and gently down the back of the person. While pouring the water in this manner, people utter good wishes and words of blessing for the New Year. The water symbolizes cleansing, refreshment of the spirit and all good things associated with life.

Related to the water pouring is the ritual of the tying of strings. This involves the tying of strings around the wrists of others and expressing good wishes for the New Year. When a person ties strings to another's wrist, it s a very important event. He or she approaches with a gentle smile and holds out the string by the two ends and then begins to tie. The person receiving the string has his or her arm outstretched with the under side of the wrist facing upward. While tying the strings, the person recites short prayers of blessing spoken directly for the individual.This is one of the most charming events of Songkran and it's one that you should show great appreciation for should someone approach you to apply the strings to your wrist. At Songkran a person could have as many as 25 or 30 strings on each Wrist each from a different person, and these are to be left on until they fall off of their own accord.

As part of the water sprinkling, water splashing and string tying rites, you may also encounter
a person with a small silver bowl filled with a white powder or pasty substance. This is one of the oldest Songkran traditions. The white paste is a sign of protection and promises to ward off evil. The person with the paste is often older and he or she applies the paste to various parts of the face, neck and torso of others. One is expected to leave this paste on until it washes off of its own accord, and while there is a tendency to shy away from this paste because it looks like it might ruin the clothes, it is water soluble and will not harm materials.

There are other rituals and merit-making rites that people engage in at Songkran. In addition to the traditional cleaning of the home and bidding the old year adieu, these include making offerings to local temples and the monks. The offerings include preserved foods cooked dishes, fresh fruit and new robes for the monks. Also people build sand piles on the temple grounds and these sand piles represent personal pagodas built as part of the merit-making ritual.

The traditions of Songkran have a long history and are still observed in the Thai homeland of Sipsong Panna in southwestern China, in Laos and in northern Burma. Songkran or the Thai New Year, is actually the occasion of the passing of the sun from Taurus into Aries. It is a solar event and it marks the beginning of a new astrological year, and this is very important in Thailand. Songkran day always is April 13.

The Thai New Year celebration: always is held on April 12,13 and 14 officially but an entire week will be filled with fun in Chiangmai.

There is a lot more on this festival at the following links – if anyone is curious about it you can go to the link below..

http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/rites_of_songkran.html

To all my Thai friends
Happy Songkran or in Thai Sawaddee Songkran Peehmai Thai
May the new year bring in good tidings, love, happiness, abundance and peace of mind ..

Resources: http://www.wikipedia.com
http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/rites_of_songkran.html

Literature Nerd & Unstable people ..

Its one ot those nights when you know its safe to surf the web and look at the blog others... and find some rather interesting and amusing thing.. today was one such night. I found these tests at one of the many tests sites on the internet apart from blogthings which i love .. anyways i decided to take two tests that left me in stitches - the quetions was funny the results hilarious and maybe just maybe it could be true ......... ;)) I think the first test is true of what i am. i love books the written word writing anything to do with that no science or math for me and they were not my best subjects in school .... as for the second test im not really sure . i have an array of friends so i think the second test is all about entertainment .. anyways ..

take the test I DARE YOU .. ;)) enjoy :D ...

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Pengat Pisang (Bananas in Sweet Sauce)

Pengat pisang would be one of my many favorite local desserts. Its simple delicious and pretty fast to cook. I especially love the taste of the sauce. It has a real unique taste to it after all the flavors have infused together. Before the recipe here is a little information to this very deliciously sinful desert. Pengat means sweet sauce therefore this recipe in English is ‘bananas in sweet sauce’ There are a variation of pengat desserts from this region. Some use tapioca while others has a mixture of beans, jelly, yam etc etc . My all time favorite would be the pengat pisang

I used pisang nipah for this recipe …. The Malay word for banana is pisang. As for nipah its actually a type of palm hence it translates to ‘palm banana’. This is the only banana I have tried to make this dish with and I don’t think I would ever change it. But I think any cooking banana would do for this recipe so if anyone has tried the alternative please do share… Pisang nipah is also delicious when made into banana fritters. A simple recipe of dipping it in batter and frying it. I like the very ripe pisang nipah. It has a natural sweetness to it compared to other bananas.

The banana ‘Pisang Nipah”

The banana flesh ….

The palm sugar used for this recipe has been melted which makes it easier to cook. To make the palm sugar syrup all you need are blocks of palm sugar and water. Cook it until you get your desired consistency. The amount of sugar to water should be about 3:1 to get the right consistency.

I like mine in between thick and runny. Once its cooled , run through a strainer to remove the husks and put in a bottle and store in the fridge so when you want to make a desert that calls for palm sugar syrup you already have it handy.

Pengat Pisang (Bananas in Sweet Sauce)

Ingredients:
10 pieces ripe bananas
2 pieces pandan leaves
1 ½ cups coconut milk
¾ cups water
A pinch of salt
1 ¾ cups palm sugar (gula melaka)

Directions:
1-Remove banana peel and make a little slit on the banana flesh.
2-Put the bananas and a little water (enough to cover the bananas) into a pot
along with the pandan leaves. Cover and cook for about 10mins.
3- Next add in the coconut milk, palm sugar & salt. Stir until the ingredients
are mixed well.
4- Let it simmer for about 5mins and then turn off heat.

Adjust the sweetness and thickness of the dish to your own liking. And when its done this is how it is …

Happy Trying another yummy desert from Asia!