Air Kunyit Asam

Ingredients
1.5 cups fresh tumeric (kunyit)
2 tbsp or more tamarind juice (I use Adabi Xtra)
a pinch of salt
1 litre or so? water
honey

Directions

• peel tumeric and slice thinly
• put everything (except honey) in a pot and bring to a boil
• once cooled, use a sieve to remove the tumeric and keep the drink in bottles
• store in fridge
• to drink, pour half in a glass of water and top up with hot water
• add honey or syrup to taste

Foodnote

I first had my first "jamu kunyir asem" while on holiday in Semarang Indonesia. It was quite refreshing to drink in the morning and I read lots of good health benefits for women. I made a bottle when I was back from my trip and that's it. Recently a friend gave me lots of fresh tumeric that he planted himself. So as not to let it go to waste, I made the jamu again. Now I have enough stock for 2 weeks. Now... what shall I do with the remaining tumeric?

Asam Pedas Ikan Pari (instant)

Ingredients
stringray or other fish, fish head etc.
sambal tumis (follow recipe minus the ikan bilis)
ginger
fresh tumeric
lemongrass
tamarind juice
black pepper
daun kesum
ladies finger
tomatoes
salt and sugar to taste
salted vege or sawi asin (optional)
oil

Directions

• grind fresh tumeric and ginger to find paste and place into a pot together with sambal tumis and some oil
• add pounded lemongrass and cook until fragrant
• pour in tamarind juice together with the fish
• leave it to boil and simmer for approximately 10mins or so
• (add in salted vege at this point if you want)
• add salt and a bit of sugar to taste... stir in daun kesum
• adjust water to your desired consistency and add in tomatoes and ladies finger till cooked

Foodnote
I love asam pedas (because SPICY) and I like my gravy thick and not watery just like mum used to make. Nice to eat with warm rice or with bread oh yesss. Taste better the next day. I love to put more ladies finger yumm. I called this instant because I always make my sambal stock 3 ways. After I make my cili boh, I will pack some in containers to freeze. The rest I will continue cooking to make sambal tumis. Then I pack my sambal tumis, which I can cook sambal fish, sambal egg, etc. The balance I will add ikan bilis and tadaaaa... easy peasy for whatever dishes I need to cook jeng jeng jeng. 

Jemput-Jemput Bawang

Ingredients
1 large onion
1 red chili
1 cili padi (optional)
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup ikan bilis
a pinch of salt
1 cup of warm water or more

Directions

• heat oil in a wok or pan
• slice onion, red chilli and cili padi in a bowl
• add the rest of the ingredients
• consistency would be thick watery paste
• scoop spoonful of batter and deep fry till golden and crispy

Foodnote

Comfort food! I love anything hot, crispy and spicy. Cannot eat too often but I can finish everyhing at one sitting. Nice to eat with chilli sauce or sambal tumis yum yum.

Another alternative to have soft on the inside and crispy on the outside jemput2 is to use hot boiling water when mixing the batter.

Jemput-jemput Udang Geragau

Ingredients

2 cups udang geragau

1 egg

1 cup corn flour

1 red chilli

1 small onion 

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp whitte pepper powder

a pinch of salt

oil for frying

Directions

• slice onion and red chillies
• combine all ingredients 
• scoop a spoonful and fry till a bit crispy

Foodnote

Very nice oily food hehe. I can eat it as is but good as side dish to rice or fried noodles... yum yum.

Nasi Himpit / Lontong

Ingredients

1 cup rice

4.5 cups water

pinch of salt

Directions

• clean rice and boil with water and salt just like the usual way of cooking rice
• rice should be soft
• quickly fill rice in container and press/level hot rice as much as possible with a spoon or using banana leaf if have lah
• leave to cool
• once cooled can cut like cake already hehe

Foodnote

I still have leftover 'beras cina' from Hari Raya so I make nasi himpit because it is easy. It is really a small serving just for one or 2 person. I'm planning to eat with peanut sauce or meat floss. Maybe I'll just make lontong goreng? Hhhmmm can't decide what to 'tapao' with my nasi himpit for lunch. My rice is not soft enough this time. Will perfect it again next time.

Sambal Tumis Ikan Bilis

Ingredients

cili boh

onion

garlic

candlenut

blachan (shrimp paste)

tamarind juice

sugar

gula perang

ikan bilis

salt

oil

Directions

• fry ikan bilis in some oil and put aside
• blend onion, garlic, candlenut and shrimp paste
• fry blended ingredients in a large wok till fragrant
• add in cili boh and tamarind juice in low flame till fully cooked
• add more water if too thick
• add sugar and salt to taste
• add ikan bilis...cook a bit more and done!

Foodnote

Nice to eat with bread or prata or just plain rice... anything! For just sambal tumis just don't add ikan bilis hehe. Adjust consistency accordingly... I just prefer mine not watery.

Actually I need to stock up my cili boh so I decided to make my sambal 3-ways. I first make my cili boh. Once cooled I pack half in small containers. The other half I added all ingredients except for ikan bilis. I packed half and the other leftovers I added anchovies. Tadaaa.... enough stock to last me for 2-3 months? Maybe less since I can eat sambal almost daily!

Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients
2 fairly large sweet potatoes
2 tbsp cornflour or cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika powder
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Directions

• peel and cut sweet potatoes evenly into 'fries' shape
• soak in water for about 45min or so
• pre-heat oven to about 170°C
• drain and pat dry with kitchen paper
• put sweet potato fries into large ziplock together with cornflour, leaving air inside and shake the content evenly
• add in the rest of the ingredients and shake everything evenly
• place cooling rack on baking tray and lay out the fries making sure it is well spaced apart
• bake for 30min... checking occasionally that the fries are not burnt
• cool fries on kitchen paper... sprinkle salt on it if you wish. I like it as it without the added salt
• fries will be fairly crispy on the edges once cooled

Foodnote

I love sweet potatoes and this is something that I have always wanted to make. Taste nice and very addictive. I bet I can finish all the fries in one sitting *gasp*

Overnight Oats

Ingredients
0.5 cup regular rolled oats
2 tbsp mixed ground almonds and walnuts
about 10 raisins
3 chopped dates
1 tsp basil seeds
1 tbsp ground flaxseed+cranberry (bought from NTUC organic section)
1 packet Higoat milk powder (because I still have few packets available)
1.5 cups water (adjust to preference)
1 tsp maple syrup
or whatever ingredients you have on hand or feel like adding eg. chopped fruits, other nuts, chocolate syrup, low fat milk, cinnamon powder etc.

Directions
Just combine all ingredients and leave it in the fridge for 4hours or overnight

Foodnote
Finally decide to try overnight oats. There are many many many combinations that can be done but I started with whatever I have on hand (ingredients from granola dust recipe) and oh my it is so delicious I can have this everyday. I think what makes it delicious is the dates and raisins which adds to the sweetness. I don't have mason jars but I bought 2 glass containers from Daiso. I just prep the dry ingredients in the glass container and before I go to work, add other ingredients. Left it in the fridge when I reached work... and I have a good sumptuous lunch that is very healthy and filling.

I am totally hooked. Next time will try with fresh berries, bananas or other fruits.