Putri Salat Durian

Ingredients

bottom layer

550g glutinous rice (soak 45min and strain)

100g white coconut (optional)

420ml coconut milk (150ml Kara coconut cream + 270ml water)

2 tsp salt

Directions

• prepare 10x10 tray generously oiled and base lined with 1/2 aluminium foil
• mix coconut milk, salt and glutinous rice
• steam for 30min or till cooked
• press down the glutinous rice to slightly compact it (can use parchment paper or flat base of mug)

custard topping/serikaya

240g sugar

600ml coconut milk (350ml Kara coconut cream + 250ml water)

60g flour

7 eggs

salt

vanilla

yellow coloring

200g durian pulp

Directions

• mix all ingredients in a blender and whisk only for a while till all ingredients mix well
• cook on very low heat till warm/steaming
• add in blended durian pulp and cook till slightly thick in consistency (not too long or it will start to curdle)
• pour custard over the glutinous rice and steam for 45min
• remove from steamer and let it cool down till any moisture on the custard evaporate on its own

• once kueh is fully cooled (the sides start to detach from the tray) using a plastic knife loosen the sides
• place a bigger tray over the top and swiftly turn the tray upside down so that the glutinous rice side is above
• remove the aluminium foil and place a plastic sheet over it
• using the bigger tray, use the same technique to flip over the kueh
• cut the kueh using plastic baking knife

Foodnote: From potluck session, ended up learning to make this durian putri salat which are really awesomeness. Same recipe can be used to make the common putri salad... just replace the green coloring with pandan juice/paste. Will try that soon. Love the soft glutinuous rice and the custard is just so smooth and yummy. The recipe is also straightforward and easy. Thanks to the good chef for all the great tips.

Hummus

Ingredients

2 cans chickpeas drained and rinse (keep the liquid)

6 cups of water

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp of minced garlic (abt 3-4 cloves)

1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup of chickpeas water

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1/2 cup tahini

2 tbsp olive oil

sprinkle: sumac, cumin powder, smoked paprika, chilli flakes or parsley and olive oil

Directions

• boil the chickpeas with baking soda and simmer for 20mins
• meantime, mix the garlic with lemon juice and salt and soak for 10mins
• strain the garlic mixture to get the lemon juice
• strain the boiled chickpeas and add cold water
• swish around to remove the skin of the chickpeas as much as possible
• put chickpeas in the food processor with the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of chickpeas water and whip for 1min
• add the tahini and olive oil and blend for another min
• add sprinkle on top and done

Foodnote: Tried hummus to eat with bazlama and it is delicious. Making it again for a potluck session and love it.

Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
1 cup cocoa powder

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1.5 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp bicarbonate soda

(combine the above dry mixture)

2 eggs

1 can evaporated milk

1 cup melted butter

Directions

• prepare and pre-heat steamer
• beat eggs till light
• add milk and melted butter
• mix together dry ingredients until batter is smooth
• pour into baking cake tray that have been greased earlier
• cover lightly with aluminium foil
• steam for about 45mins till stick comes out clean
• let cool before serving or topping with fudge

Chocolate Fudge Topping

200g condensed milk

0.5 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp coconut oil

20g cocoa powder

a pinch of salt

Directions for Fudge

• combine and cook the above in slow fire until thicken
• let it cool before scooping the fudge over the cake (just covering the top and let the fudge drip to the sides)
• other decorations may be added (eg. sprinkles, shave chocolate, cocoa powder, m&m etc)

Foodnote

(Sun, May 10, 2015) I don't usually bake cake but this is just too simple to make and yummy too. Also since I'm already using the steamer to make apam beras, might as well just continue while I'm still in the mood. Also to celebrate mother's day lah for mum, her super assistant bibik and my 2nd sister in law as she is coming later. Love this cake on its own.... not sweet, so moist, soft and delicious. It is actually bitter sweet... just like our life and memories aaaawwww...

Made this again on Fri, Dec 10, 2021 for my friend's birthday. This time I use Valrhona cocoa powder just to clear the stock. Love the decadent bitter sweet taste of it. Brought out memories of the last time I made it for my mum. Will continue making it for special occasions as it is easy to make and delicious. Super glad everyone loves it.

Bazlama / Turkish Flat Bread

Ingredients

500g bread flour

160g warm milk

160g warm water

10g instant yeast

10g sugar

8g salt

18g olive oil

wash: melted butter + crushed red pepper + chopped parsley/spring onion

Directions

• in a large bowl, mix warm water and milk together and add in sugar and yeast
• stir till yeast and sugar dissolve then add flour and salt
• mix till all liquid have been absorbed then add in olive oil and salt
• knead till all comes together, round and rub oil over the dough
• cover the bowl and rest the dough till double in size (about 1hr)
• divide into 6pcs and round each dough
• cover with clingwrap to prevent from drying
• in the meantime pre-heat a non-stick pan on medium heat
• lightly flour one dough and roll flat
• grill the flat bread without oil on both sides till puffy and fully cooked

Foodnote: Recipe from here. Since my old oven is already acting up (the heat goes up so high suddenly) and I still want to bake bread... I ended up making flat bread. Just nice since my friend is going to make hummus so it will compliment with the Turkish flat bread. I tried making just to see the portion and it turns out nice and soft. I ate with curry mince beef loaded with lots of carrots and potatoes. Yummeh... 

Walnut Cranberry Sourdough Bread

(Time is just a guide. Adjust accordingly)

10am (activate starter)

14g sourdough starter

27g water (I use Perrier)

23g bread flour

4g whole wheat flour

- mix all in a covered glass container and mark the volume with a rubber band

1pm (autolyse dough)

starter should start to double in size at this point

50g whole wheat flour

275g bread flour

253g filtered water

- in a bowl, mix the above ingredients until water is fully absorbed

- cover the bowl and leave dough autolyse for 1hr

2pm (add activated sourdough starter)

starter should be ready for use and triple in size after 4hrs

65g sourdough starter

- add to the autolyse dough and mix with rubaud method till well incorporated about 3min

- cover bowl and rest for 30min

2:30pm (add salt)

6g sea salt

- mix again using rubaud method for about 3min and let it rest for 30min

3pm (first fold)

- wet hands, stretch the dough upwards from each corner and fold NSEW and rest 30min

3:30pm (2nd fold + add ingredients)

60g chopped lightly toasted walnut

30g chopped cranberry

- wet working surface and transfer dough

- pull stretch the dough out to squarish shape and sprinkle w+c in the middle 1/3 section

- tri-fold top over (to cover the w+c) and sprinkle w+c on the top folded section

- fold bottom over (to cover the w+c) and sprinkle w+c in the middle 1/3 of the section

- fold over the right side and sprinkle w+c over it

- finally fold over the left side to cover the w+c

- gently transfer the dough to a container (preferably squarish) cover and rest for 1hr

4:30pm (3rd fold)

- coil fold NSEW and rest for 1hr

5:30pm (4th fold)

- coil fold NSEW and rest for another 1hr

6:30pm (pre-shaping)

dough should be firm, fluffy and slightly increase in volume. 

It should jiggle like jello... if not, do another fold 

- lightly flour working surface and gently stretch out dough

- tri-fold the dough gently from top to bottom and again from right to left

- use a scraper to round the dough and create tension

- rest for 10min

- prepare proofing basket by dusting all surface with rice flour using a sifter

6:45pm (shaping and retardation)

- flip the dough over gently and spread out but try not to lose the gas

- tri-fold the dough gently from top to bottom

- from the short edge, roll down the dough so that it fit into the proofing basket

- use scraper to transfer to proofing basket seam side up

- pinch sides to the middle to form a bit more tension

- retard in the fridge for 12-16hrs

anytime from 7am up to 1pm next day (prep for baking)

- pre-heat oven with a dutch oven+cover in the oven for 45min-1hr @ highest temperate depending on oven about 230°-250°C

8am (baking)

- take dough out from the fridge and flip to transfer onto a parchment paper

- brush off any excess flour on surface of dough

- take a bread lame and swiftly score across from top to bottom (or other design) of the surface about 1.5cm deep

- take out the dutch oven from the oven and carefully transfer the dough+parchment paper into the dutch oven and cover

- bake for 20min

- take out the bread and bake on a rack for another 10-15min @ 220°C till desired color

- let bread cool down completely for about 4-5hrs completely cutting

Foodnote: baking sourdough bread is really time consuming but very satisfying. First time trying to add walnut and cranberries since I have both on hand and wanted to clear both. I don't get a nice rise and oven spring much to my disappointment. Still a lot to improve in my sourdough baking technique but the bread is delicious and I might want to try with other ingredients eg.dates+almonds next time. This recipe is from here. 

Marble Cake

Ingredients

355g unsalted butter

2 cups sugar (400g)

3 cups plain flour (384g)

6 extra large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I use vanilla butter)

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup plain yoghurt

1/2 cup milk

100g semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp ACV (optional)

Directions

• pre-heat oven to 160°C
• 
  if using bundt cake pan, prepare it first... evenly spread butter using brush & flour it generously afterwards (remove excess flour)
• melt chocolate bain marie method, mix in cocoa powder & ACV (if adding) and leave to cool
• in a mixer with whisk attachment, cream butter and sugar till fluffy (KA5 for 3-5min)
• add eggs one a time scraping the edges with each addition
• add vanilla and mix to combine
• add all dry ingredients in 3 portions
• mix in yoghurt and milk using a spatula
• take half of the cake mixture to fold in the chocolate mixture
• scoop to pan or bundt cake pan and use spatula or chopstick to form swirling marble effect
• smooth the top and bake for 40min till skewer comes clean
• let the cake cool for 10mins and invert to remove from the baking or bundt cake pan

Foodnote: Ate this marble cake before made by my friend and it is delicious. Decided to try to make it today. Recipe from here. Turns out very nice. Definitely will make it again. My bundt cake pan is a bit too big. Will use a smaller one next time :D

The first time, I only try half the portion. 2nd time I do full portion that will fill the whole bundt pan. Will definitely need to bake for longer approx 50-60min or till skewer comes clean. 40min should be good for square tray that is not too deep.

Sourdough Bread (Dutch Oven)

Ingredients

levain

40g starter

40g bread flour

40g filtered water (I use Perrier)

dough

270g bread flour

30g wholemeal flour

215g filtered water

60g active levain

6g salt

Directions

• prepare the levain by mixing all ingredients and let it ferment for 4 hours
• on the 3rd hour, mix the bread flour, wholemeal flour and filtered water in a bowl and let it autolyse for 1hr ie. till the levain is ready to use
• measure 60g levain and mix with the flour mixture and let it rest for 15min
• sprinkle salt and mix again then let it rest for 20min
• wet fingers and do a NSEW stretch and fold then rest for 20min (1st fold)
• repeat NSEW stretch and fold then rest for 20min (2nd fold)
• repeat NSEW stretch and fold (3rd fold) and rest for 1hr
• spray working surface with water and transfer dough over
• stretch it wide and fold... transfer to lightly oiled container or bowl and rest for 45min
• stretch and do coil fold and rest for 30min
• do another coil fold and rest for 1hr
• in the meantime, prepare and flour banetton (I use rice flour)
• flour working surface with flour (plain or bread flour) and also surface of dough
• invert the bowl and transfer the dough to working surface... flour the top of dough 
• gently fold and shape the dough according to banetton used
• transfer to banetton, flour the top and cover with plastic... let it rest for 15min
• leave the dough in the fridge for cold retard for 12hrs up to 18thrs
• preheat the oven and dutch oven at 250°C for 30min
• transfer the bread dough to a parchment paper, flour lightly and do scoring
• carefully transfer the dough with the parchment paper into the pre-heated dutch oven and bake covered for 30min
• open the cover of the dutch oven and continue baking for 10-15min till achieve desired color
• remove bread from dutch oven and let it cool on a wire rack
• let it cool down before cutting

Foodnote: Trying the recipe from Katherine Kwa here. Very long process but ok lah. I just want to practice more on making good sourdough bread and also testing my new sourdough starter. The bread turns out super awesome. I can't believe I can bake such pretty bread woohoo. The oven spring... chekidaut!!!

I bake the bread using a very pretty 4 quart enamel dutch oven that I bought from amazon. Love it so much because not only the pwetty pwetty flowers and sweet color but it is very light compared to cast iron or the IKEA glass cloche. 

Below is a better picture that is more insta-worthy hehe...

Cat Loaf

Foodnote: Bought this cat mould online and finally use it to bake bread. Use my favourite killer toast recipe. I also use the paddle attachment on my KitchenAid instead of the hook. Just a tip that I gather from class. The final dough is divided into 3 portions. 5g cocoa powder added to 1 portion and kneaded by hand. This is to form the special marking on the cat's face hehe.

Dough is easy to manage and the bread is really super soft, fluffy and flavourful because this bread uses milk, egg and butter. If baking open top, might need to cover the top into 10-15min because the sugar content will give it a dark skin. Very good recipe and one of my favourite. Recipe is for one loaf.