MALAY STYLE FISH CURRY

Recently discovered that the Malay style fish curry is awesome and not that difficult to cook.  I have been eating this kind of curry from the school canteen decades ago.

I do not know if this is one here is the authentic version but the taste is very close to the one that I had at a very popular Malay restaurant. The curry is not that sourish or sweet or ‘lemak’ with coconut milk. The spiciness of it depends on individual preference [adjust the quantity of curry powders used]. 

It is the taste that makes me and my hubby fell in love with this curry and cooking it very often whenever we have fresh fish from his fishing trip.

Moreover, you can cook this curry without having to blend or pound the ingredients and ingredients. The heat of the curry comes basically from the curry powders. This curry recipe is suitable for cooking fish, prawns, squids and also eggs [if preferred]. Adding lady’s fingers or brinjals makes it complete for a meal with rice. You can also serve it with Papadum as extras. NICE.

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

600 gm fresh fish blocks – cleaned

3 hard boiled eggs – optional

10 ladies’ fingers 

1 big onion – cut wedges

1 tomato – cut wedges

Several small red or green chillies

3 sprigs curry leaves

1 stalk lemongrass – lightly crushed

3 cloves

1 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp fenugreek – optional

1 red onion - chopped

50 gm fish curry powder [about 5 Tbsp]

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

3 pieces tamarind slices [Assam Gelugor] - rinsed

550 ml water

2-3 tbsp thick coconut milk

1 tsp salt to taste

1 ½ tsp sugar

5 tbsp cooking oil

Fenugreek [Halba in Malay]

1. Mix curry powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder with some water into a paste.
2. Boil tamarind slices with water for about 10 minutes or until the water is sourish in taste. Set aside.
3. Heat up a wok or claypot with oil, sauté mustard seeds, cloves, fenugreek, lemongrass, curry leaves and chopped onions until aromatic. Add in the powder mix, continue to fry until oil separates and fragrant. 
4. Add in the boiled tamarind water. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the coconut milk, chillies and seasoning to taste. You can cook the curry until this step in advance then add the other ingredients just before serving time.
5. Turn to high heat, add in onions, tomatoes, eggs and fish slices to cook for 5-7 minutes [depending on the thickness of the slices]. Place blanched ladies’ fingers over cooked fish and eggs.
6. Serve immediately with rice. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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EZCR #12 - FRAGRANT BRAISED 3 FLAVOURED CHICKEN

A dish so easy to cook yet so yummy to eat. You have all the 3 types of tastes in this awesome chicken dish. The sauce is sourish, sweet and savoury that is perfect spread over steaming hot rice.

Makes a complete meal by just adding some veggie [fried or blanched according to individual preference].   I served it with  a simple stir fried cabbage, carrots and broccoli.

How is the taste of this dish? My hubby says ‘Good’, me too.

Ingredients

[serves 3]
3 big deboned chicken thighs – fats removed but skin intact
Some toasted black and white sesame seeds
Some shredded spring onions – I omit cos’ I forgotten to buy
Seasoning [combine]
2 tbsp each of light soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine and sugar
3 tbsp calamansi [limau kasturi] juice

1. Heat a non-stick wok without oil, pan fry the chicken pieces [skin side first] until brown, then cover to cook for awhile.
2. Flip over the chicken pieces to fry the meat side with the oil that has oozed out from frying the skin side until brown.
3. Pour in the seasoning sauce to boil until it is bubbly. Add a little water and continue to braise till sauce is bubbly again and slightly reduced.
4. Dish up the chicken pieces. Sliced and place on serving platter.
5. Pour sauce over chicken, sprinkle sesame seeds and garnish with spring onions [if using].
6. Serve immediately over rice.
   
   
   
   

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NYONYA SAMBAL UDANG [PRAWN SAMBAL]

Sambal Udang is one of my favourite curry but not so much with my hubby. He avoids eating prawns. No idea what’s the reason and because of this, I had to cook only a small portion [1/2 portion].

This is a very tasty, aromatic prawn sambal.  The curry is thick, just a little sourish, not really sweet and the spiciness is acceptable. Overall, I opined that it’s nice. It’s good serve with steaming hot rice and better still I would love it with coconut milk rice [Nasi Lemak] and sliced cucumber. 

Recipe Source – adapted from Nyonya Flavours

Ingredients

500 gm medium size prawns – shelled 

5-6 tbsp oil

10 gm tamarind pulp mixed with 250 ml water

1/4 tsp salt to taste

2-3 tbsp sugar to taste

Ingredients for Spice Paste [Blended together]

15 gm [10] dried chillies – soaked

100 gm [10] shallots

10 gm [2 cloves] garlic

1 stalk lemongrass – sliced

40 gm toasted belacan

1. Prepare spice paste by blending all the ingredients in a processor until fine.
2. Heat oil in wok, sauté spice paste with salt and sugar until fragrant and oil separates over medium low heat.
3. Strain tamarind juice and discard the pulp. Pour into wok and stir to mix well.
4. Bring to boil for a minute, then add in the prawns to cook.
5. Bring to a boil until the prawns are cooked.
6. Dish up and serve with rice.
   
   
   

I'm sharing this post with Cook Your Books Event #24 [June 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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BLACK PEPPER PORK SLICES

The other day we just had Stir Fried Black Pepper Fish Fillet and like it very much.  Now another dish with black pepper again. This recipe calls for deep frying of pork cubes but I have changed it to pan frying of meat slices. With pan frying, less oil is needed and using a non-stick pan to do the cooking is hassle-free.

The meat slices are pan fried to brown and a little charred then coated with the sauce ingredients. It’s a perfect dish to serve with rice just like with fish fillets.

Recipe Source – adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 89 [modified]

Ingredients

300 gm pork tenderloin – sliced ½ cm thick 
Marinade
1 tbsp light soy sauce, ¼ tsp salt and 3 tbsp cornstarch
1 big onion – peeled and cut wedges
1 tbsp ground black pepper
Seasoning [combine]
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
4 tbsp water
½ tsp cornstarch
Some shredded cabbage
Some shredded red carrot

1. Marinate sliced pork with marinade for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat wok with little oil, add in shredded cabbage and carrot to cook until softened. Dish up on serving platter.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick wok, pan fry pork slices until brown and slightly charred. 
4. Add in ground black pepper, stir to mix well. Push aside, add in onions and pour in combined seasoning sauce.
5. Stir to mix until gravy has thickened slightly. Coat fried meat slices with sauce. 
6. Dish up onto fried cabbage.  Serve.

I'm sharing this post with Cook Your Books Event #24 [June 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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EZCR #11 - PAN FRIED CRABMEAT PATTIES

This is an easy pan fried crab meat patty which can be served as snack or light lunch. It is fried in a piece then cut into small squares to serve with sweet chilli sauce or mayonnaise.

To get a crispy texture, the batter has to be more watery and deep fried.  Here, I pan fried it cos' I didn't want to use too much oil for frying.

Ingredients
[makes 1 big piece]
½ bowl of crabmeat 
1 big yellow onion – peeled and sliced
½ carrot – shredded
½ cup plain flour
3 tbsp low fat milk or water
½ tsp each of salt and pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl. Mix well into a sticky and thick paste [add more flour if it is too wet].
2. Heat a non-stick pan with 2 tbsp oil. Pour in mixture and spread out to get an even thickness like frying a pancake over low fire until firm at the edges.
3. Flip over to fry the other side until cooked through about 5-10 minutes.
4. Turn to high heat to fry for a few seconds before dishing up.
5. Cut into wedges or small squares.  Serve with chilli sauce or mayonnaise.
   
   
   
   

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CHAR MUA EU BAK [SESAME OIL GINGER MEATBALLS]

This is a confinement dish and also a common dish that we use to cook at home cos’ it is so easy to prepare with only a few ingredients.  The meatballs and gravy are very tasty and aromatic, goes well with rice or porridge.  Sometimes, we would add in blanched pig liver and kidneys.  If you don't like innards, then adding fried eggs is a good option too.

The original recipe from the book Nyonya Flavours uses chicken [see my earlier post]  which I replaced with minced pork.

Recipe Source – Nyonya Flavours [modified]

Ingredients

300 gm minced meat with some fats – shape into meatballs

50 gm ginger – shredded

20 gm [2 cloves] garlic – chopped

1-2  tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy bean paste – chopped or use fine type

½ tsp salt to taste

¼ tsp dark soy sauce for colour

1 tbsp shaoxing wine or more to taste

½ cup water or more

1.  Heat oil in wok,  sauté ginger and garlic until fragrant and golden brown.
2. Add in the soy bean paste.  Stir to mix well.
3. Put in the meatballs one at a time.
4. Add in water, dark soy sauce and wine.  Bring to boil.
5. Add in salt to taste.   Add more water if needed.
6. Lower heat and simmer until meatballs are cooked and gravy is reduced slightly.
7. Dish up to serve.
   
   
   
   
   
   

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