Butterscotch, Chocolate Chips & Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup (100-115g) butter soften to room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

Directions

• combine flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and put aside
• in another bowl combine butterscotch & chocolate chips and pecans and put aside
• in a mixing bowl beat at slow speed brown sugar, vanilla and butter till light about 3-5 mins
• add egg to the batter and beat till light and fluffy
• fold in the flour mixture a scoop at a time
• finally add all the chips and nuts
• heat oven to approx 170°C
• scoop approx 1 tbsp on a non-stick baking tray, leaving some space in between each cookie
• flatten the cookie a bit as it will not spread out
• depending on the size of cookie bake 10-15 mins
• cool on a wire rack before storing in airtight container

Foodnote

Chocolate chip cookies is a must bake for hari raya because my nieces and nephews love them. This year I'm trying this recipe because I like soft cookies and also I just love butterscotch and pecans. I am using an ol skool aluminium baking tray and usually cookies don't stick to it because of the butter. I bake mine at 15min and rotate the tray in the oven around 10min into baking. This cookie is meant to be soft... but if you like crispy, please leave it a bit longer in the oven. My kitchen smells good wooaahhh. If not for Hari Raya, I will definitely make the size bigger!

Satay Gravy

Ingredients
4 red onions
2 garlic
0.5 cup cili boh
3cm ginger
1 cup of tamarind juice
1 lemongrass (pound lightly)
gula melaka
1-2 cups of roasted ground peanut
salt to taste
oil for frying

Directions

• blend onions, garlic and ginger
• sautee blended ingredients and when fragrant add in the cili boh
• once cooked through, add in the rest of the ingredients
• make sure to taste while cooking\
• leave to cook longer (about 30mins) until red oil is visible on the surface

Foodnote

Planning to make lontong for hari raya and sambal satay comes to mind. I love my satay a little bit on the sweet side. Meat can be added but I just like satay meat on the side and the gravy on its own.

Roti John

Ingredients
4 pieces hot dog bun (usually french loaf)
butter
4 eggs
250g minced beef (Al-Baqa brand from NTUC is awesome)
1 onion diced
2 small garlic chopped
1 tbsp Baba's meat curry powder
1 tsp light soya sauce
0.5tbsp paprika powder (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
a bit of oil for frying
mayonaise
thai chilli sauce

Directions

• stir fry onion and garlic till fragrant
• add in the minced beef and cook till meat is cooked
• add in curry powder, light soya sauce, paprika, salt and pepper to taste
• once cooked put aside in a bowl
• beat the eggs, pour it into the cooked meat and put aside
• slice each hot dog bun on the side but don't detached it
• butter the inner part of the bread on both sides
• heat a non-stick pan and heat the bread, butter side down till it is slightly browned. This is so that the egg mixture don't soacked through the bread and make it soggy
• remove the bread and leave it on a tray
• grease the same pan lightly and scoop the meat/egg mixture in spreading it enough to cover the 2 open sides of the bun
• when the egg looks half cook (the top still a bit wet) put the spread bun over it to cover the egg/meat mixture
• leave for a while till egg/meat mixture is cooked through then flip the bread on the other side (egg/meat mixture side up)
• remove the roti john to a plate and fill it with chilli sauce or mayonaisse before folding

Foodnote 
Roti john usually use french loaf but I have leftover hot dog bun which I ate with curry chicken. Using hot dog bun makes the roti john softer and easier to eat as it is just like eating hot dog. I don't make hot dog with the bun because I don't really fancy sausage. One is not enough though... so I have to eat 2 at one go hehe. You can also include cucumber, lettuce or tomato in the roti john. 

Chicken Curry

Ingredients
5-6 pieces of chicken or wings
1 small potato cut into 4
3 shallots or 1 small onion chopped
2-3 garlic chopped small piece of ginger
5 tbsp curry powder (I use Babas with extra chilli)
dry spices (eg. cinnamom+cardamom+pegaga+bunga lawang)
0.5 or very small piece asam keping
low fat evaporated milk (or coconut milk) up to consistency
enough water
curry leaves
sugar and salt to taste
a bit of oil

Directions

• heat oil and fry onions, garlic, ginger and dry spices till fragrant
• add curry powder and stir for a while before adding in about 1 cup of water and cook till the curry powder dissolved
• cook in low heat till spices look golden and oil starts to be visible then add in the curry leaves and potato
• add in the chicken pieces and when the chicken look slightly cook, leave till the ingredients started to boil
• add in evaporated or coconut milk and continue cooking in slow fire
• when potato started to soften add in asam keping, sugar and salt to taste
• if curry is too thick, add in hot water as the curry will thicken more when it is cooled
• curry is cooked when red oil starts forming and chicken is cooked through

Foodnote

Simple curry.... good to eat with rice, bread or lempeng. I love mine thicker and leftovers will taste even better!

Lempeng (Flat Pancake)

Ingredients
2 cups of flour
2.5 cups of water or fresh milk
1 egg
a pinch of salt
a bit of oil

Directions

• combine everything together and whisk till no lumps
• heat pan and lightly grease it with vegetable oil
• scoop batter and spread it around with the scoop to form a thin layer of pancake
• when no more raw batter is visible quickly flip the pancake to the other side
• pancake is ready when the other side is cooked through

Foodnote
This is a very simple Malay pancake that is very very yummy to eat with curry, sardin, sambal, asam pedas etc. I personally think that this is a lazy substitute for roti kirai/jala hehe... Sometimes I eat my lempeng with just brown or red sugar. I know some people who ate it with condensed milk too. But for now... I am eating it with leftover thick chicken curry.... oh yumm.

Fish Ball Noodle Soup

Ingredients
few pieces of ikan bilis
4-5 fish balls
choice of noodles (I use udon)
few pieces of lettuce
1 tsp of light soya sauce
white pepper powder to taste
ikan bilis cube (optional)
fried shallots
chilli padi
chopped spring onions

Directions

• boil ikan bilis in about 3 cups of water for 10-15 minutes to make ikan bilis stock
• remove ikan bilis or just leave it if you like
• add in fish balls and noodles and let it simmer
• add soya sauce and pepper to taste
• lastly put in lettuce and remove from stove
• pour in bowl and top it with chilli padi, fried shallots and spring onions

Foodnote
This is a very simple and easy recipe for when you want something simple and fast. Better than instant noodle and healthier too. The chilli padi, light soya sauce and pepper can be added afterwards too... adjusting to taste. 

Air Bandung Selasih

Ingredients

1 tbsp biji selasih (basil seeds)

2 tbsp rose syrup

2 tbsp condensed milk

ice water and ice

Directions

• soak selasih seeds till it turn gelatinous
• add rose syrup and condensed milk and stir well
• top up with ice water and ice

Foodnote

Nice drink on a hot day and during ramadan. Yummy! That brand of rose syrup gives it the ol skool taste. Evaporated milk can be substituted for condensed milk.

Squid in Black Ink

Ingredients

squid (rclean and put aside black ink pouch)

onion

garlic

ginger

chilli or chilli padi (slced)

fresh tumeric or powder

salt or ikan bilis cube

a bit of oil

Directions

• chop onion, garlic and ginger and sautee together with tumeric till fragrant
• add squid and chillis together with the squid ink
• add in salt or ikan bilis cube
• water can be added for a bit of gravy
• eat with plain rice... yummm

Foodnote

This is a simple, quick and good dish. Like it a bit spicy and with some gravy.

Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 cup fresh milk

2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

Directions

• whisk flour, cocoa powder and sugar to remove lumps
• heat milk, butter and vanilla till butter melted in low heat
• whisk in dry ingredients into milk mixture a little at a time till mixture is smooth and start to simmer
• add salt 
• ready to pour over ice cream or store in airtight container in the fridge (don't worry it will stay syrupy in the fridge just not in freezer)

Foodnote

Made this chocolate sauce to have it with my avocado shake. It is yummy, not sweet and have a thick consistency.... just nice. I can make my own chocolate milk or eat it with ice cream or bread pudding or many many more ways woohoo... 

I've added 1 tbsp to fresh cold milk and I must say it is so yummilicious and anytime better than store bought chocolate milk!

Air Kathira

Basic ingredients
1 tbsp kathira gum
1 tbsp biji selasih (basil seeds or sabja tukmaria)
4pcs buah kembang semangkuk (malva nuts or umas mangu)
1 can of evaporated milk (approx 410g)
0.5 tsp rose water
enough cold water to top up a jug
ice

sugar syrup
1 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 pandan leaf

optional ingredients that I added
chopped dates
some raisins
half cup of buah kabung (attap chee)
or anything that will be a good addition lah... durian ke, cempedak ke hehe

Directions

• prepare syrup by boiling sugar, water and knotted pandan leaf till all sugar dissolved 
• leave syrup to cool and put aside
• soak kathira gum, buah kembang semangkuk and biji selasih in warm water separately overnight
• the ingredients will expand and turn glutinous... remove any shells or impurities
• add the rest of the basic ingredients (adjust milk and syrup up to taste and consistency)

Foodnote
I love air kathira and I am happy that I can make it myself. Ok I cheated a bit... I don't have rose water and don't feel like getting one bottle so I just use rose syrup. Not too much or it will taste like bandung hehe... 

It is actually quite easy to make. I used to buy the ingredients at a malay stall at the market nearby my place but the pakcik have since close his shop to retire. Lucky for me, I found the ingredients sold at Mustafa. Sheng Siong also have the kathira gum and basil seed but the kembang semangkuk... I just can't find it there. Good drink for fasting month as it is cooling and very refreshing. Must have during Ramadan.

I added the indian name because that is what's written on the packaging if you are looking for it at Mustafa.

Braised Chicken Feet

Ingredients
chicken feet (remove nails and chop into 2)
onion, garlic and ginger sliced
red chilli and cili padi sliced into 2
spices (cardamom, cloves, star anise etc.)
paprika powder
black pepper powder
tamarind water
dark soya sauce
light soya sauce
lea & perrins worcestershire saucetomato sauce
sugar
a pinch of salt
ikan bilis cube
oil for frying
ice cubes

Directions

• clean and dry chicken feet and fry until brown
• once fried immediately soak chicken feet in ice water and leave for half hour or more
• fry onion, garlic, ginger, chillis and spices till fragrant
• add paprika and black pepper
• add tamarind water together with ikan bilis cube and other sauces
• simmer until boiling
• add the chicken feet, sugar and a pinch of salt
• let simmer for about 45min or so... making sure the sauce did not dry up
• ready to be eaten or steam the next day... yummy!

Foodnote
Before anything, I would like to mention that the first time I deep fry chicken feet, the oil splatter all over my kitchen and I have to run for cover hahaha. I am using a shallow pan! Use a wok with cover. Throw the chicken feet in and quickly cover the wok. Leave until there is no more splatter sound then quickly scoop and put it into ice water... pheewww. I am just estimating everything and taste while cooking. It turns out nice and the chicken feet is so soft. I kept it in the fridge to steam and eat the next day. I guess if you don't want to risk having oil splatter all over the kitchen... you can invest in an air fryer (I am still contemplating) or just simmer the feet for longer period I guess. Hmmm are there non bulky air fryer that is cheap around?