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10 Min Dinner: Kickass Hot Gochujang Tofu & Ramen

This is one of my favourite methods to experiment in the kitchen, to concoct recipes on the fly and hope to heaven it works.

Some days, we work long hours or we are sick or just uninspired and have absolutely no strength to go through the arduous cooking process. But I find that these times force me to dig deep into the recesses of my creativity and my fridge. Today, I am sharing my easy Korean Gochujang Tofu inspired dish, yet again with my maniacal lust for kickass heat.

Serves 1-2 Ingredients:

A lust for heat

An appreciation for hot stuff

White Tofu - 2 blocks

Spinach leaves - 2 fistfuls

Hard Boiled Egg - 1 or 2

Ramen Noodles - 1 packet

Cheese - 1 slice

Green Chili - 1 pc

Chili Paste - 1 tsp

Ginger Paste - 1 tsp

Gochujang Paste - 1 pregnant tsp

Shoyu (enhanced with dashi and rice wine) - 2 tsp

Onion Powder - 1 tsp

Garlic Powder - 1/2 tsp

Tomato - Half (or use 1 tsp tomato powder)

Steps:

Boil egg. While it's cooking, wash spinach leaves and cut tofu into cubes

Heat a skillet and fry chili paste, followed by ginger paste. Dilute the paste with a bit of water

As the paste dilutes, add shoyu, followed by onion powder, garlic powder and tomato. Also you can add in the tofu cubes now to soak in as much flavour as possible

Add gochujang paste and taste (see if you need to add sugar to sweeten or salt to heighten the paste)

Add more water and ramen. As the ramen softens, quickly add cheese and stir

Add spinach leaves and the peeled hard boiled eggs

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When life gives you lemons, make Lemon Rice

I love lemon rice. I loved it at first bite.

I uttered a loud “MmmM” shattering a serene pooja session. It was my first pooja experience and my first encounter with lemon rice. It was rather embarrassing, after all, it was not a food tasting session. My initial encounters with lemon rice were always after poojas and they left a deep longing for this food time and again.

Please don’t take this the wrong way, when I holidayed in London, I found that the lemon rice at Veeraswamy (a renowned Indian restaurant at Regent Street, established since 1929) didn’t quite hit the spot for me. Somehow, it didn’t have the deep earthy flavours like the lemon rice served after poojas I’ve been to. So just like how many of my culinary adventures start, I took matters into my own hands. I shall learn how to cook lemon rice as my homage to Malaysian pooja lemon rice!

More than a year ago, I posted two photos of my first few attempts at lemon rice. They were alright but lacked most of the earthy flavours I craved. After some tinkering, I found out what ingredients were missing. I can literally tell you what you may skip, and what you must not. Are you ready?

First, the recipe for 2 pax:

Dhal - 2tbsp

Peanuts - 3tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Green chilies - 2 pcs (I like it spicy, but you can adjust)

Ginger paste - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - generous 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/6tsp

Turmeric powder - 2 generous pinches (approx 1/7 tsp)

Onion powder - 3/4 tsp

Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp

Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp (2 short squeezes)

Sea salt to taste

I know this is a bit odd.

First, cook the dhal in a pressure cooker, with 4 cups of water with a little bit of sea salt for about 1 whistle (or 10 minutes).

Then, add rice in the dhal water and cook it again.

(I found that the dhal I fried in my initial attempts were a little hard and probably needed more oil to soften. Because I wanted to reduce the usage of oil, I’ve devised this very odd method of pressure cooking the dhal before cooking it again with rice. Manjula’s Kitchen soaks her dhal before frying, but there’s a high chance of oil sputtering from excess water, so I avoided her method).

In a separate pot, add 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. When it heats up, add peanuts. (You can add cashew nuts too. It adds nuttiness and sweetness to the dish.)

Most recipes call for mustard seeds to be put in first. But because I am using a ceramic cooker, I find that the mustard seeds overheat too fast and taste burnt if I crackle them from the beginning.

I love the taste of curry leaves, so I add them after the peanuts. Because I want the dish to be earthy and aromatic, the peanuts need to go in first to flavour the oil for about a minute, followed by curry leaves for another minute. Only then, add in the mustard seeds.

(I apologize for the lack of pictures here for every step because at this point, we are working with very quick succession here). 

Now you need to work quickly after the mustard seeds go in. After a split second the seeds sputter, add in ginger paste. 

Allow the heat to work through the ginger paste to release the aroma from the ginger, and then add green chilies.

Turn the heat up.

Add the gang of powders - onion, garlic, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder into the pot. Add water to dilute the mix.

At this moment, take your time, let the concoction simmer over two minutes. Add some sea salt (or regular salt) and taste it. You can breathe easier here.

Now, add hing. Never, ever skip hing (asafoetida). Stir it in and simmer for about 30-40 seconds.

Add the lemon juice  now, little by little. Add more if you like it extra tangy.

You’re nearly there. Add the cooked rice and dhal into the pot. Stir well.

As you are stirring the sauce into rice, drizzle little bit of sesame oil (maybe about 1 tsp) into the mix. This is one of the secret ingredients for an earthy lemon rice.

Finally serve with some sides.

Smile, laugh and share this meal with your loved ones. :)

Important Notes:

Never skip any of the ingredients except if you must, you can remove onion & garlic powder (if you are a strict vegetarian), green chilies (if you don’t like spicy food) and ironically, you can skip the lemon juice. The rich yellow colour comes from turmeric anyway, not from the lemon juice.

From most of my recipe research online, I have not come across anyone recommending to put in cumin and coriander powder. It’s probably unconventional, but I think that they are integral in giving the dish a nice curried taste.

The most important factor in this dish is the balance between ginger paste, turmeric powder and hing. To me, these three ingredients form the foundation of this dish. They are not the front runners - that place belongs to nuts, curry leaves and sesame oil. No, the combination of ginger paste, turmeric powder and hing enhance the aroma of nuts, seeds and oils. Without this alliance, the dish will be flat. They work so well together and are one of my favourite combinations.

I shall write more about my thali project in my next post, and hopefully elaborate more of my favourite spice and aromatics combinations. Til then. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

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The true acid test of good food is when meat is removed from the recipe. But how? Create a new recipe.

You are staring at a delicious 600-calorie meal ensconced happily in my favourite casserole dish. This is an unusually big portion size for ‘normal’ folks, filled with luscious zucchini, tofu pok (fried tofu), broccolini, topped with Chinese and fresh mushrooms amidst delectable Korean Udon. While this may seem like Everest to some, it is still lower than a McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger meal with fries and drinks that clock in at 830 calories. For those who want to eat lighter for dinner, I do personally recommend eating half portion of this Mushroom Jajang Noodles. It should be very filling because of the fibrous goodness of the vege, great texture from tofu and mushrooms plus the refreshing crunch of the bell pepper.

Personally as someone who runs regularly, I won’t break a sweat finishing this (it’s been known that I have an appetite of a 14-year old boy) although I’d still not be able to contest “food inhalers” like my favourite mukbang star, Mommytang and other vegan Youtubers like High Carb Hannah and Freelee the Banana Girl. Although I’m not vegan, I do love making plant-based and vegan meals. They are terribly yummy when done well. You’ll know that it’s good when you don’t miss meat at all.

What does this meal taste like? What is Jajang you ask? Allow me to give you a back story.

About a year back, my husband and I started taking stock of our health and scrutinizing what we eat. Our fridge was once filled with cold cuts, cheeses, eggs, box juices, leftover of my yummy curries (MmmMMmm) ….and some vege. We weren’t terribly overweight, but we did feel sluggish and often resort to cutting our portions down to pitiful amounts just to avoid weight gain. I told my husband that I can’t imagine cutting down anymore because, that would be the same as eating air! So I took an interest in many health Youtube channels and read many articles, listened to e-books for that ONE answer, and I finally can say confidently that there is no ONE answer. There are many solutions, they can even be conflicting e.g. High Fat Low Carb, How Carb Low Fat, Eat Clean, Plant Based, Eating 5 small meals…you name it. All I want is to eat a LOT and not feel like a beached whale after that.

Then I stumbled onto Mommytang’s vegan mukbang channel. Like I said earlier, I place her in the class of elite food inhalers. She can personally be a Korean food ambassador and has inspired me to eat meatless dinners at least 4-5 times a week.

I loved her vegan Black Bean Noodles or Jajangmyeon recipe and decided to try it out one day. After a few attempts, I developed my own Malaysian version that tastes mushroomy, earthy with a hint of spicyness. 

I ran out of this Black Bean sauce at home, so I decided to concoct my own. That is the usual narrative of how I create recipes!

I promise you it’s satisfying, filling and so delicious! The best part is you won’t feel sluggish at all after this.

Ingredients for 2 pax:

Korean Udon 1 roll

Just take one will do. If you plan to load up on veggies even ¾ for 2 pax is adequate.

Zucchini (Green or Yellow) 1 whole vege

Red or Green Pepper 1 whole vege

Broccolini or sliced Broccoli 1 cup

Tofu Pok (deep fried tofu)/interchangeable with White Tofu for even cleaner taste 1 cup

Fresh Mushroom 6 pc

Dried Chinese Mushrooms (make sure to soak for 30 min) 4 pc

Aromatics:

Chili Paste (skip this or replace with a little bit of paprika for less heat) 1 tsp

Ginger Paste 1 tsp

Turmeric 1 pinch

Garlic Powder ½ tsp

Onion Powder 1 tsp

Sauce Base:

Dark soy sauce 1 tsp

Oyster sauce (replace with vegetarian or completely skip this for pure vegans. Just adjust a wee bit more on the soy sauces) 2 dollops

Light soy sauce 2 tsp

Fry the chili paste in 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. This releases the most beautiful scent.

After the chili paste sizzles in water and as it is reducing, add in ginger paste.

Let it sizzle for a while, add turmeric, onion and garlic powder. Give it a quick stir and add water.

Watch it sizzle and add half of the base sauce. Stir.

This is the time to let the magic happen. Just add in Chinese mushrooms and let them rest in the hot base sauce for 5-7 minutes. Allow the heat to release the beautiful aromas. Don’t rush this stage.

Add in  fresh mushrooms. 

Add tofu pok and stir for 2-3 mins. Allow the juices to absorb into the tofu.

Then add broccolini and red pepper.

And top it with zucchini.

Add a little corn starch mixed with water (just 1 tsp will do) to thicken the sauce.

After 5 mins, stir in the Udon.

You can garnish with scallions and stir them in after you turn the heat off. It doesn’t alter the taste if you choose to omit it, I do imagine there are people who are not fans of it…. 

but why????????

Enjoy!

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This is my first go at cooking Jajangmyeon. Added dried chillies for extra kick. I will Malaysianize a new recipe this week, hopefully no epic fail there 😂 #korean #jajangmyeon #vegan #malaysian #spicyaddict #noodles #noodleslover #liftingnoodles

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Cheat Sheet: Steamed Grouper Block Party

To put it mildly, Mondays are ‘exciting’ because I would be doing the week’s prep and also cook two sets of dinner: 1) Meatless Meal for myself 2) A meal with protein for my husband.

So when things get difficult... CHEAT (heeheeheee). I call this the Cheat Sheet because it’s a formula that can be applied for many food items with different ingredients. So time is short, I like to stick stuff into my trusty microwave oven after a moment’s marinade.

Marinade Steamed Grouper Block Party with:

Squid Brand sauce or any Fish Sauce 3/4 tsp 

Soy sauce 1 tsp

Garlic powder 1/2 tsp

Ginger powder 1 tsp

Onion powder 1 tsp

White pepper 1/2 tsp

Lay goji berries, scallions, red chilies on top of fish

After 15-30 min steam fish for 8 min (depending on size)

Victory! No stress!

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Meatless Monday Recipe: Kung Pao Rice Noodles

Sticking My Head in the Fridge Edition

As much as I want to rah-rah every Monday, sometimes the jam and my endless to-do list really stump my cooking inspiration.

Thankfully I had leftover prep and decided to whip something up before they are carted away to feed the garbage can.

Ingredients for 2 pax:

Rice Noodles 1/2 packet

Beancurd (white beancurd or tofu-pok) 1 packet

Vege (Fine beans and cabbage) 1 medium bowl

Scallions

Dried chilies - 5-6 pcs depending on your tolerance

Onion powder 1 tsp

Garlic powder 3/4 tsp

Ginger powder 1 tsp (very important, do not skip)

Kashmiri chili powder 3/4 tsp

Cayenne pepper 2 pinches (optional)

Light soy sauce 1 tsp

Dark soy sauce 1 tsp

Chili paste 1 tsp

Sesame & Sunflower/Canola Oil 1 tsp each

(Rice wine is optional)

Steps:

Blanch rice noodles and set aside

Add sesame and sunflower oil into pan

When pan becomes hot, add chili paste and fry for 5 minutes. Add a little sugar to the chili paste

Start to body up the paste by adding light and dark soy sauce

Then add onion/garlic/ginger powder into the paste. Stir and taste. If it is spicy enough skip the next step. If it’s not spicy enough add kashmiri chili powder and cayenne pepper

Add little bit of water and throw in the vege

After they soften a little bit, add dried chilies

They will quickly cook at this point, so add the rice noodles now

Turn the heat off and add the scallions now. Continue to stir the ingredients with the scallions

Sticking my head into the fridge often yields yummy results. Please try it :)

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What does Ayam Rempah have in common with Batu Seremban?

Smartphone users check their FB 13.8 times a day and 79% reach for the phone within 15 minutes of waking up. These facts were taken from a study three years ago. I can only imagine that these figures have soared dramatically.

I definitely contribute to the statistics, so during one of my check-ins into Facebook one day, I saw a post from an ex-schoolmate asking if someone could sell her Batu Seremban.

(picture taken from flowers-warriors.myshopify.com)

This is Batu Seremban (Five Stones), a very inexpensive game we used to play in school. It requires players to deftly swipe, touch and catch with both use of right and left hand.

I loved playing it as a child because, well, unlike Uno or Scrabble or Monopoly, I can play it alone! My cousins were either away at work or college, so you can say that I enjoyed a lot of ME time :)

Unfortunately, they started spilling at the seams. Little green beans successfully escaped tiny tears and soon, I was just playing with fabric. 

I told my aunt that I needed to buy a new set of Batu Seremban. Very confidently, she said, “Why buy when you can make them yourself?!”

(picture taken from http://www.fabricmadecrafts.com/)

She made me square Batu Seremban. I stared at the stones in horror. Although grateful for my new toy, I was horrified at the idea of playing with a handicap. Unlike the triangular version where the pointed ends made it easier to grab the stone, the compact nature of the square forced me to upgrade my skills. 

With hours of practice (I belong in the generation that had a lot of time on my hands), the handicap turned into an advantage, and I always, ALWAYS win the game. 

Last week, if I was in a Masterchef competition and tasked to make Ayam Rempah, I would dissolve into a puddle of cold sweat and tears. But I did chance upon a pre-mix from a spice store so I was confident that I could at least attempt it, since I just needed to rub the spice mix onto the chicken and start the oven. Aaah the good two-step solution!

Somehow my mind meandered to my friend’s FB posting for Batu Seremban and my initial terror of playing with the square version. It was the same Fear of the Unknown that was holding me back from venturing out of my curries.

Behold Roasted Ayam Rempah Prototype 1. The colour was right but there was a jarring spice in the pre-mix. Back to the drawing board, hmmph.

Introducing Ayam Rempah Prototype 2. This time, I used a whole leg to be served as a main. For this version, I attempted my own spice mix and my husband loved the taste ^^. I learned time and again, if I dared to cook a dish, however daunting it may seem to me, I could always do it! (After a series of failures…haha just being real).

Unfortunately, I think I should not cut the curry leaves and not handle the tender chicken with a tong. The skin broke off so easily. Arrgh.

My third attempt today. 

Look at all the vibrant colours. They look so festive, like a lively Punjabi wedding, always ready to burst out in songs and deol drums as celebrants dance away. 

End Note:

If you feel afraid to try something, because the thought of failure cripples you, just remember that it is only an irrational fear that is holding you back. Just wanted to put this out there, share a piece of my life that will hopefully encourage you.

Try my Ayam Rempah or any of my home cooked meals 

Option 1: Delivery service for those around Bangsar/Damansara/Bandar Utama/Hartamas/TTDI areas

Download Roader app

Click On Demand

Select Eat Later & Click on Bon Vie

(Service charge and a Delivery fee of RM4 is applicable)

Option 2: Self Pick Up

Go to www.facebook.com/bonviekl

PM me to arrange for order and self collection (details to be advised)

(Cut off time for self pick up is 2pm on the day of delivery and as early as 6pm for collection.)

Here is the week’s menu, with some awesome deals if you are ordering more than one!

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Girl... is this eating clean??

Eating clean typically shuns processed foods (brown rice over white, honey over sugar), watching stimulants, salt and sugar intake, upping fruit consumption... sounds good, except sometimes it’s difficult to keep up with such lofty ideals. 

(Is that right, Riri doesn’t think so!)

I’m just a regular person, doing the best I can for myself and my husband when I cook. While I don’t necessarily practise veganism, I do like eating meatless meals for dinner and I dedicate every Monday to that. 

Here’s my recipe for my meal today:

Sambal Tofu-pok with Vege

1 packet of tofu-pok (fried beancurd)

1 cup French beans

1/2 cup okra

1 1/2 tsp dried chili paste

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric

salt and sugar to taste

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Meatless Monday: When Kimchi Becomes an Addiction

True story. I got my hands today on Chongga kimchi because the tiny container (unfortunately I forgot the brand) I bought a few days ago finished in 2 sittings. I decided that the 1kg Chongga kimchi was the one for me. I kid you not, this is all for me. 

When I sampled it, I decided that it was too sweet and not at all spicy for me. The hunt for kimchi has begun!

My afternoon was turned upside down because I had to hunt for coriander powder as well as my beloved kimchi. So my shopping journey literally brought me first to Little India in Brickfields and subsequently to the many Korean marts in Hartamas.

What began as an arduous journey to different cultural destinations became an inspiration for dinner.

Here’s the recipe for Meatless Monday’s special. I call it the K-Namaste Noodles. (25 mins)

Ingredients:

200g Korean Chewy Noodles (jjolmyun noodles)

2 tofu blocks, diced

Scallions

1 tsp Gochujang (Korean Pepper Paste)

½ tsp of freshly grounded dried chillies

¾ tsp of mustard

1 tsp Squid sauce/Tamari

1 tsp of Kashmiri Chili Powder (As opposed to conventional Chili Powder, Kashmiri Chili Powder provides the beautiful colour and aroma of chili without the heat)

1 tsp sugar

Cooking Steps:

Noodles:

Bring water to a boil. When water bubbles, throw the noodles in for 3 min. Remove from hot water and rinse with cold water to deter noodles from cooking further.

Paste & Assembly:

Heat non-stick pan and pour a little oil 

Add dried chili paste and stir it until it dries up. Pour some water, watch paste siizzle. Add sugar

Add Gochujang and stir

Add mustard and stir (if paste gets too thick, add a little water). Ensure consistency is not too runny

Add squid sauce or tamari

Add Kashmiri powder, continue to add water to ensure that the paste stays fluid enough for coating

Add tofu, followed by the noodles

After a few stirs, add scallion. The scallion must only go in when there are 8-10 seconds left before switching off the fire.

Top it with KIMCHI, kyuri and bak choy to grow them muscles.

Such a hearty and clean tasting meal for a Monday. Have a pleasant week :)

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Eating Clean Tip: Well Stocked Fridge

Are you the sort that looks at the person standing in line in front of you, judging every purchase he is making? Many years ago, perhaps 3-4 years back, my shopping cart consisted of a few types of cheeses, a variety of cold cuts and juices among my fresh produce and meat for cooking. I wonder what people thought of me?! Nowadays, we are more conscious of what we ingest and prefer to snack on fruits (expensive habit, but we feel so much better).

Our eating philosophy is just to eat well balanced food. Yes there are days when we have our hawker food, open houses, birthday cakes, lavish dinners but we try to balance it with eating clean on most weekdays and getting a healthy dose of exercise. 

Eating clean is very easy when I have a fridge always stocked with tofu, vege and homemade chicken stock.

Here’s how I whipped dinner up yesterday:

Cajun Chicken with Couscous and Vege

2 chicken breasts

3 big stalks of broccolini

½ kyuri (or cucumber)

½ bowl of couscous

Chicken stock

Chicken Marinade

1 tsp soy sauce

11/2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp cajun spices (or any Mexican spice rub)

1 tsp tomato powder

1 tsp harissa powder (optional)

Sprinkle a pinch of salt and white pepper

Let the chicken marinade at least 3 hours (for busy office people, you can easily do this in the morning and pop it into the fridge)

Cooking it is the easiest part.

I need to thank the geniuses for inventing this. I just turn the dial to 13 Fried Chicken, select Less or More (for 2 chicken breasts, choose Less). This is the best equipment for preparing chicken breast because I noticed that the Microwave Oven starts by steaming the chicken breasts first, then proceeds to air fry it and repeats the process. The result is very succulent pieces of white meat - you will never achieve the same juiciness and taste with the pan fry technique. I know this because I tried it haha… check out my previous blog on my ode to epic fails ^.^

Cooking Couscous

Rinse couscous

Add chicken stock so that it covers the couscous

Heat pan until boils

Turn heat off and let the couscous cook on its own

Vege

Blanch broccolini’s stalk first, followed by the leafy parts

Make sure they are removed from the boiling water within 7 seconds

Chop some kyuri and set aside

After that, just assemble and enjoy!

Let me know if you feel great the next morning :)

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The Busy Vermicelli with Egg Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to stop time but also want to fast forward to the distant future? Well, I’ve been feeling like that for the past few weeks.

Juggling time and managing stress is what we go through every day, and sometimes, and I speak for myself, it’s easy to compromise eating habits.

The ship for cooking slow food has long sailed at this point, all I could think about was comfort food in the form of deep fried meat and dripping gravy.

After debating a good five minutes with myself, I decided to stick my head into the fridge and get creative. Tip: Always keep a reserve of tofu and greens

The best thing about this recipe is, it takes no more than 20 mins AND you just need one pot to cook all the ingredients. And oh.. I cook all the ingredients in layers, not like the stir-fry style of dumping everything in, because you know, I’m not bout that life 💁🏻

Ingredients: Rice Vermicelli (1 ½ squares in the pre-packed packet) I packet of tofu Broccolini 1 generous dollop of dried chili paste 1 ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp harissa powder 1 tsp tomato powder 1 tsp soy sauce Salt and Sugar to taste

Garnish with spring onions

Prep: Blanch vermicelli, set aside Blanch broccolini (when water boils, throw vege in for a few sec and scoop out, there is a danger of overcooking this because the vege will go into the pot again for coating)

Steps: Add a little vege oil and start frying the chili paste. Add water when it begins to dry up, but not too much. Add a little sea salt and sugar to season it Add the tofu to start coating Then add vermicelli and broccolini Crack an egg at the side and continue cooking with the rest of the ingredients After that…enjoy!

This meal is so satisfying, generous and yet you don’t feel bloated in the morning. Try it😉

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Celebrating Epic Fails (with my Cosy Rogan Josh Pasta)

One day, when I was no more than 10 years old, my aunt asked me rather hurriedly to attend to her cooking. I laid down my books (there wasn’t Snapchat to disengage from back in the day) and went to her gas stove. I was hesitant, because I had never even fried an egg or cooked instant noodles before this. I wasn’t sure what to do with the fried rice that was cooking rapidly in the large wok. Perhaps my aunt saw that I started perspiring nervously or that I was just standing there with my mouth open, she reassured me that all I needed to do was give it a stir every now and then. My only job was to make sure that the fried rice did not get burnt. I poured my concentration into it and I was so glad that my great stirring skills had resulted in a rather tasty fried rice. 

So fast forward to one day when my friends were discussing (discussing is a euphemism for bragging ^.^) what dish they could cook, my heart swelled with pride as I chimed in that I could cook too! Yes..! I could cook fried rice!

I didn’t attempt cooking until secondary school when we were required to cook a recipe off our Kemahiran Hidup (Living Skills) textbook. 

I admit, I did not strategize this correctly. Instead of choosing a classmate who had done some time in the kitchen, I chose a goofball much like myself. Both of us combined, we had done a Grand Total of Zero time in the kitchen and have admitted to each other that we did not even know how to switch the gas stove on. I thought to myself, “This is going to be fun! Our dish would be so delicious.” As you can see, logic was not flourishing in my brains at that time. In fact, I was so carefree that logic and realism could not find fertile ground to grow in my brains. 

We chose to cook Nasi Kerabu, a dish we have never cooked nor eaten before. We cooked and assembled the dish according to the recipe and could not wait to try what we imagined to be a superb dish. We have such a healthy sense of self belief. 

As our class was drawing to an end, we tasted our Nasi Kerabu. It tasted like paper. It tasted like sand. Another friend asked me if I washed the ikan bilis before frying it. I said, “Huh, why? Isn’t it clean already?” Safe to say no one tried the food after that outburst. Undeterred, I poured a generous dollop of ketchup into my Nasi Kerabu for taste. Wow.. that must be a dish fit for games punishment. You know, the sort of games you play where the punishment is drinking Coke with soy sauce, wasabi, peanut, Twisties and chocolate. So I decided, cooking was not for me.

Many years later after I was married, I experimented in the kitchen. I was well aware of my culinary shortcomings and decided to use my husband as a tasting partner (synonymous to guinea pig). His praises were loud and effusive and only made me more confident to try more recipes. 

This dish above is my refined Rogan Josh Pasta. I hit the nail on the head, then experimented some more, then failed, then got it right again, tweaked it til I was satisfied with it. 

The instructions are quite tedious but it guarantees bold flavours, succulent meat and a clean aftertaste. 

Here’s the recipe for two:

Boneless Chicken (mix dark and white meat)

Half can of tomato puree

3 tbsp of fennel seeds, 2 tsp of coriander seeds (toasted and then processed)

2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder

7-8 cardamom pods (processed)

1 cup of homemade chicken stock 

Pasta & Greens

Instructions:

Gravy

Pour tomato puree into pan (a teaspoon of oil to grease the pan will do)

Add fennel, coriander, cumin and cardamom powder (don’t add all, keep tasting the sauce and add more when you want the taste to be stronger)

Add stock and stir

Add sugar and salt to taste

Wait for this to cool, then coat the chicken and marinade for at least 2-3 hours. Keep most of the gravy on standby for tossing later

Chicken

Pop chicken to roast in the microwave oven (It needs to have a steam function to keep the meat juicy, especially the white meat. The reason why this is not pan fried is because there is a huge loss of taste on the white meat when done so)

Once done, toss it with the remaining gravy and cooked pasta

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with a side of blanched vege (The vege will be delicious once coated in the Rogan Josh gravy)

It has been a week of many epic fails for me so I thought I should share some goofy stories to commemorate it. 

I hope you have a pleasant week :)

[ciouyourfood]

My Special Project

I have been working on my special project for about a year now and I am so proud, scared and excited that it is coming to fruition...soon!

Am sharing behind-the-scenes in this post. I can’t even begin to tell you how many bak choys and leeks I have used.

Behold, the advancing Legion of Chili Peppers, rapidly advancing to conquer the Land of the Serene Greens. Will the tiny community of Almonds allow safe passage to the Chili Peppers or will they honour their treaty with the Serene Greens sealed in fire centuries ago to defend the border?

Attack is Imminent.

My war captions are just a silly tribute to Game of Thrones, a worldwide phenom which I have yet to watch!

Love working with Kam Wei and Chris because their sparks of creativity really inspire me to think differently. Check them out below:

Special thanks:

Conceptualization & Creative Direction: Kam Wei

https://www.facebook.com/72Forms-1651442715091571/

Photography: Chris Dai

https://www.facebook.com/chrisdaifood/

[ciouyourfood]

~ciouyourfood goes to Australia Edition~

The False Start & The Adventure

Before Sydney, we had spent a few days in Melbourne with relatives. Needless to say, we were treated to sumptuous meals every day.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Am really grateful to my cousins for treating my husband and I to this royal banquet which took about 6 hours for prep and cooking time. 

In Melbourne, we somehow convinced ourselves that we could see exercise as part of our itinerary. But like many self-professed oracles, this was no more than mumbo jumbo, although... the weather was a huge deterrent to our plans.

This picture was taken in Balmoral, Sydney. We were at the peak of guilt, not having committed to our usual fitness routine, so we took to running 10 steps and called it a day. 

But with much difficulty, we managed to redeem ourselves the next day. We pulled ourselves from under the covers and head out into the sun, into the welcoming city, chirping happily with us as we walked along Darlinghurst all the way into The Domain.

We actually started jogging along St Mary’s Cathedral but stopped to take in this magnificent architecture.

I suspected that my husband also wanted to take in a few extra breaths and used photography as a valid reason to hit pause. 

We continued our jog and arrived here at The Domain. I felt so blessed being able to jog in this verdant park that holds so many tales from tourists and joggers all over the world.

Ok ready, get set, here we go...

We’re running for real now ^.^

To really admire this scenic view, I somehow had to tilt my head as I jog to mind where I’m going and keep the Opera House in view. I looked ridiculous tbh.

We continued until we were at the steps of the Opera House. 

This was where I started feeling a little light-headed, not so much from the exertion, but from seeing a healthy build up of tourists.

The environment immediately felt so different with so many people just milling about, sitting at the steps... I headed out at once gasping for air. 

Aaaaa FREEDOM!

I thought to myself, “I shall miss this skyline.”

[ciouyourfood]

~ciouyourfood goes to Australia Edition~

Who Lives Here?

This is Printer’s Lane. One of our many Uber drivers in Sydney refused outright to drive his compact Honda Jazz into this petite lane. But take it from me, because I have witnessed it, a Range Rover and Audi A7 can fit easily through Printer’s Lane just like a hot knife cutting through butter.

Bring your eyes, you are going to need ‘em!

This place proves to be a test of skills for many drivers, but must be the most wonderfully low-key area I have ever seen.

After giving this area a quick survey before checking in, I was excited to explore this area on foot seeing as there is a good mix of cafes, barbers, convenience stores, retail stores and I think I spotted a gym too!

Oh look, we have friendly neighbours. We are getting the sense that we will feel right at home here.

We need to employ green power, i.e. thigh muscles, core and glutes to reach our unit, located THREE flights up. Lucky for us, green power is not something we are too unfamiliar with.

This place lives up to their Manhattan styled loft as advertised on AirBnB.

We could do some ballroom dancing here.

I don’t care even if it’s just boiling eggs, I just had to cook one meal in this perfectly equipped kitchen.

If ever I could imagine a bed I can only describe as “plush - as though you are falling into a dream”, this would be it.

View from Google Earth

Every day, I ask myself, who lives in this unassuming but affluent neighbourhood?

A little background on this Printer’s Lane boutique complex.

https://m.realestate.com.au/sold/property-apartment-nsw-darlinghurst-118354219

Who lives in this particular building block of no more than 10 units?

My mind is wild with imagination, and I enjoyed dreaming up every detail of these tenants’ lives.

Aaah the joys of being on holiday. It is almost like I captured Time and held it captive whilst gleefully rebelling against every rule it has set me.

[ciouyourfood]

The Pan Asian Ox Tail

Aaah the joys of tinkering in my own kitchen ... and having the most agreeable guinea pig is more than I could ever wish for. 

This is a cross between the Western Oxtail and our Malaysian sup tulang. Slightly sweet with a little bit of punch.

I admit the mash is a bit of an odd combination, but I was in such a mood for mash and bak choy, so....that explains the multicultural scene going on in my plate.

Definitely needs more adjustments, but just thought of sharing my experiment here :)

[ciouyourfood]

The Hyper Dramatic Pad Thai

While sitting around having whiskeys last Sunday, I played journalist and initiated a Q&A session. We each had to take turns to name a meat we cannot live without. 

I jumped in before my turn perhaps fuelled by the alcohol to reveal.. duun duun duun..that it was a trick question. I announced that I Can live without meat, but I cannot live without noodles. We considered the statement for a while and switched our attention back to our glasses of whiskey. With that, ended the Q&A session everybody indulged me.

Reading this account now makes me feel like an utter fool, but let’s move on, there’s much to discuss about noodles!

(Picture above taken from Viet Thai Restaurant, TTDI. This Pad Thai was so good it inspired me to learn to cook it and hopefully make it a regular at home.)

Pad Thai noodles are made from dehydrated rice sticks, less than 100kcal for 1 serving, minus the ingredients. I think this is a good base to start because just like pasta, the noodles assume taste easily and these rice sticks do not require too much fat to deliver taste unlike rice vermicelli.

It I could compare the two, rice stick noodles are less high maintenance compared to pasta because I just need to soak them in tap water followed by warm water to ready them for assembly in the pan, unlike pasta that needs to be boiled in the correct water to pasta ratio to avoid clumping.

While peanuts are traditionally used, I experimented with cashew nuts. (Also because I didn’t have peanuts at the time of cooking haha.) Dry roasting the nuts is the best way to release the aroma, don’t skip this step.

I made this as a trial run before I cooked the real Pad Thai for my parents the following day. I learned a few important lessons:

Soak the noodles until they are 99% done. The trial run noodles were soaked until 90% done because I wanted to cook it further with the sauce. The rates of absorption and evaporation are so fast it will cause the noodles to be on the hard side if noodles are only 90% done.

Dried shrimps. You need them for taste, but be prepared to compromise the taste if you are more concerned about your waist line.

Rice stick noodles can absorb taste so well that we do not need to render fat into the carbs unnecessarily. 

The skill in Pad Thai is actually in the balance of all the ingredients. They work in harmony and none screams for attention. A superior Pad Thai also brings out the greatest assets of the rice stick noodles i.e. the thin springiness and chewiness unrivalled by most noodles. 

I was careful not to be heavy-handed with my chilies because my parents don’t appreciate pain like I do. So I de-seeded the chilies and only add them as toppings to scare them a little, hence the name The Hyper Dramatic Pad Thai.