Lontong Medan

Ingredients
400g rice (best to use beras cina or beras hancur... if not then normal jasmine rice will do)
550g water (usual amount to cook rice)
1 tsp salt

3 pandan leaves
banana leaves

Directions

• clean banana leaves and run it over stove fire to soften the leaves. Put aside
• cook the rice with water and 1 knotted pandan leaves in a pot or rice cooker
• after 20min after boiling, keep stirring and breaking the rice as much as possible till all the water is absorbed by the rice
• remove from stove and leave the rice to cool to room temperature
• once cooled, scoop about 2 cups of rice to a working surface, squeeze rice to shape into cylindrical shape... put aside and prepare the rest of the rice
• take one banana leaf shiny side up, place the rice on it and roll over (make sure the banana leaf is big enough that it can roll 3x round the lontong... or use 2 layer, small layer inside and bigger outer layer)
• fasten the edges securely with toothpick
• place the lontongs in a pot large enough that water can cover it
• add the balance pandan leaves in the water
• boil for 2-3hours making sure that you check and top up with boiling water every 30min
• cool the lontong by standing it vertically as this will help the lontong last longer

Foodnote: I have always wondered why the lontong made in Indonesia are so evenly shaped, soft and nice. So I try this method that I found here and it is so awesome and easier. Can also see here on how to secure the edges nicely. No more lontong bursting out and I can easily make small quantities.

Kueh Sempret / Semprit / Semperit

Ingredients
250g butter
130g condensed milk
350-400g corn flour

Directions

• in a bowl, mix butter and condensed milk with a spatula till smooth
• add in sifted corn flour in 2 batches till it comes together in soft dough
• let dough rest covered in a bowl or clingwrap for 15min
• prepare baking tray by brushing lightly with butter
• stuff the semprit press (see right image) with dough and press onto tray allowing space in between (cookie will expand a lil bit)
• let the cookie rest for 1/2 hour or more before baking
• decorate each cookie with dried fruit, cut cherry or chocolate chip or whatever if desired
• bake at 150° for 20min
• let it cool before storing

Foodnote: I love recipes that only use few ingredients and this is one easy and yummy recipe. The dough itself smells milky and while baking, my kitchen smells marvelous. Toppings are optional such as chocolate chips, raisins, cherries etc. I use rainbow sprinkles as I have that in my fridge and it added color to my cookies. Niece loves it so can make it anytime as snacks.

Kopchor / Kuih Jongkong

Ingredients
6 pandan leaves cut to smaller pieces
1.5 cups of rice flour
1 tsp of Kopoe pandan essence
1 tbsp of air kapur sirih
1/2 tsp salt

Coconut Cream
1 packet of coconut cream (I use Heng Guan 500ml)
1/2 cup water
2 knotted pandan leaves
salt to taste

Gula Melaka Syrup
can buy ready made or melt gula melaka with water & pandan leaves

Directions

prepare the coconut cream first:

• heat coconut cream, salt and water in a pot with pandan leaves
• cook till it gives off steam (not to boiling point) and put aside to cool (solution should be creamy not too runny or too thick... add a bit more water if too thick)

now prepare the pandan layer:

• clean and cut the pandan leaves and blend with water
• sieve to get 5 cups of pandan juice (add water if necessary)
• pour in a cooking pan/pot and add the rice flour
• whisk till no lumps then the pandan essence followed by air kapur
• bring pot to stove and cook till slightly thicken... whisking all the way to prevent lumps
• when it started to thicken (bubble popping), switch to lower fire and keep stirring
• add salt to taste and take it off the stove
• scoop the green mixture into cups or containers and leave it to cool
• once cool and a bit firm, top it with the gula melaka syrup and coconut cream
• keep in the fridge as it is nicer to serve it cold and it can last up to 4 days

Foodnote: First learn to make this from my aunt on 17th June 2018 while visiting her on the 3rd day of Hari Raya. The portion is huge so 2 days ago I made just 1/2 a portion. It is really yummy and soft. I put in glass containers instead. Would be nicer to wrap in banana leaves but I worried it will spill so.... just so happy to have the opportunity to cook all these ol skool Bawean desserts.

Pulut Kuning / Yellow Glutinous Rice

Ingredients
500g glutinous rice
1pc asam keping
1/2 tbsp tumeric juice
a bit of oil
1/2 tsp yellow coloring
200ml coconut milk (I use Ayam Brand Coconut Milk)
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
banana + pandan leaves (optional but good to have)

Directions

• wash glutinous rice and strain
• add tumeric powder, asam keping, oil and water... soak for 2 hours
• keep stirring so that the color is evenly distributed
• heat steamer till boiling and strain the glutinous rice
• put in a pan laced with banana leaf and top with cut pandan leaves
• steam for 20-25min stirring only once while steaming
• once cooked, remove from pan into a bowl, add coconut milk and salt... and mix thoroughly
• leave for 5min so that coconut milk get soaked in the glutinous rice
• put back into steamer and steam for another 30min or till fully cooked
• finally add sugar and mix again... no more steaming and ready to eat

Foodnote: Since I have lots of time on hand, decided to try and make this to eat with rendang. So yummy. Good to eat with rendang, serunding kelapa, chicken curry, ayam masak merah etc. 

Kueh Lapis

Ingredients

2 cups rice flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup caster sugar

4 cups of coconut fresh milk from 1 coconut (or 500ml Kara coconut cream + 2 cups water)

a pinch of salt
2 cups of water (please adjust consistency)

4 pandan leaves knotted and dropped into water in steamer

Directions

• grease tray and heat steamer till boiling hot (wrap steamer cover with cloth to prevent steam from escaping)
• whisk the rest of ingredients till combined... adding water slowly to make sure batter is not too thick. It should be a bit watery so that kueh is soft after steaming. See below tips
• sift to remove lumps and separate into 2 portions... one white and another with red coloring
• pour each layer to cover base of tray thinly and steam each layer for about 3-5 minutes till firm
• steam last layer for 20 minutes and 5 more minutes without steamer cover to ensure any water on kueh will evaporate off
• leave kueh lapis to cool before cutting to serve

Tips

best to not start coloring first. Steam first layer and check... if it is too soft, add a bit more flour. If it is too firm, add more water. Ensure each layer is the same amount so layers will be even (except for last layer). Make sure kueh is properly cooled before cutting.

Foodnote: Got this recipe from mum. She's trying hard to remember the ingredients. First time I tried (7th June 2015), it doesn't turn out well. So I tried again today... just half the portion this time (using 200ml Kara coconut cream) since it is only for me and my niece. Turns out very nice and soft yippeeee. I'm a bit impatient though and have different scoop for each layer so the thickness is not consistent. But still I am super happy and feel more confident to make this again. Just need to get a proper steamer now woohoo.

Bubur Sum-sum

Ingredients
1 cup rice flour
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups water
a pinch of salt
2 knotted pandan leaves

Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
knotted pandan leaves
small piece of cinnamon stick
gula melaka (optonal)

Directions

• prepare the syrup by boiling all ingredients together and leave to cool
• put all ingredients (except syrup) into a saucepan and stir till flour is evenly mixed
• after that then turn on the heat and keep stirring till mixture is thicker and shiny (bubble start popping)
• scoop into glass container to cool
• pour over the syrup and you can eat it or like me... I keep it in the fridge and consume when it is cold

Foodnote: Love this and also kuih kopchor (just like jongkong). Really miss all the kuih2 that mum used to make. This is a good recipe because it is simple and just like how mum used to make. We don't use gula melaka though many people add that these days. Still can lah if you want just add gula melaka to the syrup. I guess the kueh got it's name because is it soft just like bone marrow hehe. Really yummy because I can't remember when is the last time I ate this. At one look, it looks just like tau huay. Now I know what to do with any balance rice flour woohoo.

Chicken Cornish

Ingredients
Pastry
250g cold butter (or half butter + half ghee)
500g plain flour
a pinch of salt
ice water ~ 300ml
1-2 eggs yolks
italian herbs (optional because I don't have lah)

Filling

• boiled or grilled chicken breast (can also replace with sausage) then cut to cube
• cubed potato
• cubed carrot
• chopped onion
• chopped garlic
• ginger powder
• curry powder
• chili powder 
• pepper and salt to taste
• oil

Directions
Filling

• prepare the filling first and let it cool
• same like preparing curry potato lah
• I cook like epok2 filling but just add the chicken and carrot hehe

Pastry

• rub in cubed butter to flour & salt till it form breadcrumbs
• add ice water in batches till it formed a soft smooth dough
• leave the dough to rest covered for at least 30 minutes
• roll flat and make just like super huge curry puff or epok2
• place the cornish on parchment paper and brush it with egg yolk before baking
• if you have italian herbs, sprinkle on the cornish (too bad I don't have... oh well)
• bake for 35-40 minutes at 170°C

Foodnote: My niece told me she misses the Chicken Cornish from Secret Recipe. Sooo... this is my attempt to make one but this one is "Ciklin's Recipe" hee hee... 

Instant Puff

Ingredients
instant roti prata (I use Springhome)
whisked egg

fillings
curry potato or sardines or sambal ikan bilis etc
chopped fruits also can

Directions

• pre-heat oven to 170°C
• cut the instant prata into half
• place fillings on the dough and fold into two
• use a fork to pinch the open ends
• place on baking tray lined with parchment paper
• brush the top with egg generously
• bake for about 20min or so till puff is golden and crispy

Foodnote: This is a simple recipe to make and it is yummy. Good to make when you have leftover sardins or potato curry etc. or you just need a fast snack to serve guests.