Fish Sauce Curry Chicken

There are really many versions of curry chicken and so long as they are spicy and aromatic, I like.  This one is quite unique as no salt is used.  As the name implies, fish sauce plays a part in seasoning of the curry.

The curry is very aromatic, quite dry with thick gravy coating the chicken pieces.  Taste - not too spicy, sweet and tangy.

Ingredients

Recipe Source - Yum Yum magazine No. 77 - modified

[serves 5-6]

6 chicken thighs or 3 chicken whole legs - cut into bit size pieces-skin removed

125 ml oil 
Seasoning

1 tbsp honey

5 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup water [used only if you want more gravy otherwise omit]

200 ml milk

some lime or lemon juice to taste

Ingredients A - Ground to Paste

6 stalks lemongrass - cut white part only

1 big onion - peeled and cut

5 pips garlic - peeled

5 cm ginger

Ingredients B - Mix together

4 tbsp meat curry powder

1 tsp tumeric powder

1. Ground ingredients A into a paste.
2. Mix B together, set aside.
3. Heat up oil and saute A until fragrant.  Add in B, fry until aromatic.
4. Add in chicken, stir fry to mix well until chicken is firm.
5. Add in seasoning and milk.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer until chicken is tender.  Stir continuously until gravy is thickened.
6. Add in lime juice to taste.   Dish up to serve.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Notes: Visit this site for its' Nutritional Facts [here]
I'm sharing this post with Cook Your Books Event #8 

hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

With this post, I would like to wish everyone 

"A Very Happy Chinese New Year and may this year of the Horse be a safe, healthy and lucky year for all "

Choc Chips Cheese Chiffon Cake

Chinese New Year is coming soon and it's high time I clear my fridge off some items before buying foodstuffs for CNY celebrations [this cake was bake before Christmas Day].    There is this little bit of cream cheese which I put to good use here.  Did you notice that the name of the cake has 5Cs?  In short, just call it 5Cs cake, not too bad, ye!

The cake turns out lovely - fragrant, soft and spongy.  A little savoury from the cheese and sweetness from the choc chips.  

Ingredients For Egg Yolk Mixture

5 egg yolks [I used size A eggs]
15 gm castor sugar [I used 1 tbsp]
50 ml melted cream cheese [double-boiled cream cheese]
50 ml milk
60 gm cake flour [I used superfine flour]
30 gm rice flour
1/4 tsp salt
30 gm choc chips
Ingredients For Egg White Mixture
5 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar [optional]
45 gm castor sugar [I used 3 tbsp]

1. Sieve both flours together and mix in the salt.
2. Separate egg yolks and whites into 2 separate bowls.
3. Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy, drizzle in melted cream cheese.  Beating mixture as you drizzle in the milk until well blended.   
4. Fold in sifted flours and mix until well combined.   Lightly stir in chocolate chips.
5. Preheat oven at 160 degrees C for 10 minutes.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy, add in the cream of tartar [if using].    Continue whisking and add in sugar in 3 batches.  Whisk until soft to stiff peaks.
7. Fold lightly 1/3 portion of the egg white into the egg yolk mixture until well combined.    Then mix with the remaining egg white.  Fold until well combined.  
8. Pour batter into a 19-20 cm [7 1/2 inch] tube pan.   Shake a little to smooth out the batter and tap pan a few times on table top to release trapped air.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and invert immediately to cool cake before slicing.
11. Use a slim spatula to run around the edge of the pan and around the tube to dislodge cake before slicing cake.
    
    
    

I'm submitting this post to Little Thumbs Up January 2014 Event - Cheese organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and me, Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Alice of I Love, I Cook, I Bake

Notes: Visit this site for its' Nutritional Facts [here]

CNY 2014 - Fried Ngaku Chips [Arrowhead Chips]

This will be the last of my CNY delicacies that I'm making for this Chinese New Year.  I chose to make this specially for my late youngest brother, these chips were his favourite CNY snack.  Every year, before CNY he would buy plenty of these [sometimes until the supplier said 'no more stocks'] for my mum and his nephews.   He just loved watching them enjoying these addictive chips and would get the best for them irrespective of the price.   From now these fried Ngaku Chips will be a prayer item that we are offering to him during CNY eve prayers, huh!  We missed him so much.

I wasn't really please with how my chips turned out but these will suffice for now.

For more detail recipe, please hop over to Wendy and Phong Hong's blogs [Table For 2.... or more,  Phong Hong Bakes].
Basic Ingredients
Arrowheads/Brown heads/Ngaku
Oil for deep frying
Salt

1. Rinse the arrowheads.
2. Peel the arrowheads and soak them in a basin of water with some salt added.
3. Drain and leave in a colander to dry.  Slice arrowhead.
4. Heat oil in a wok, add in sliced arrowhead to fry until there is no more visible bubbling of the oil surrounding the chips.
5. Remove with a serrated ladle and drain on kitchen towels.
6. Store in airtight container when thoroughly cooled.

Notes on tips learnt from Wendy [copied from Phong Hong's blogpost]

1. According the Wendy, she did not dry the arrowhead slices and her chips turned out fine.
2. Drop the arrowhead slices vertically into the deepest part of the oil. It will sink at first and then rise to the top.
3. Don't overcrowd the chips when frying and make sure they don't overlap or they will stick together.
4. Be patient, wait until the chips are properly fried before removing from oil or else they will be soggy.

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #39 theme - CNY Rock and Roll January 2014 hosted by Moon of Food Playground.

Green Peas Cookies [CNY 2014]

This cookie recipe was in my must try list for at least a year. As I wasn't baking much cookies this year, I thought it would be much easier baking this simple yet delicious cookie. The original recipe was from Yochana's Cakes Delight and Happy Flour. The ingredients here is 3 portions of the original recipe.

I baked the cookies at 180 degrees C for 15 minutes as I find baking them at 150 degrees for 15-20 minutes yield very soft cookies that breaks easily, mouth sticking and may choke the throat which is dangerous.    Baking at 180 degrees C suits me more as I don't like tongue and mouth sticking cookies even though it melts in the mouth.  Overall, the cookies tasted good.
For convenience, you can get the ready-mix Green Pea Cookie Premix from the bakery stores, they are also good and each portion makes about 2 plastic containers.

Recipe Source - Yochana's Cakes Delight and Happy Flour
Ingredients
[makes 140 pieces]
240 gm fried green peas [bought from bakery store] - blend till fine

240 gm plain flour

120 gm cornflour

150 gm icing sugar

240 ml corn oil

1. Mix ground green peas together with flour and sugar.  Mix well then gradually add in the corn oil.
2. Mix until dough is soft.  Rest for 15 minutes.
3. Roll dough into small round balls and put onto baking tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake at 180 degrees C for 15 minutes [original recipe - bake at 150 degrees C for 15-20 minutes].
5. Leave on wire rack to cool before storing into containers.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   PS: I'll try another recipe of Yochana where egg glaze is used and baking time is 15-20 minutes at 170 degrees C.

I'm submitting this post to the Bake Along event - Chinese New Year Cookies hosted by  Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours 
and Lena of Frozen Wings

 

Oats and Cherry Cookies with Sesame Seeds [CNY 2014]

Saw this lovely cookie recipe of Amy from Amy's Baking Diary. With most of the ingredients ready in my kitchen, I went ahead to bake them but substituting cherries with a combination of cherries and raisins. These cookies were aromatic while baking in the oven.  This is one of the two cookies that I managed to do from the long list of must try cookies shared by many food bloggers.   Sorry the rest would have to wait as I'm afraid my 'mood' may spoil a good recipe.

Like what Amy said, these cookies are crunchy and the aroma from the sesame seeds was nice.  Definitely worthwhile to bake more next time.

Ingredients

Recipe Source - Amy's Baking Diary [recipe from Allan Bakes] with slight modification

[makes 80 pieces]

120 gm plain flour

1 tbsp wholemeal flour

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

a pinch of salt

120 gm unsalted butter - room temperature

60 gm castor sugar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 egg 

1 tsp vanilla essence

140 gm quick cooking oats

140 gm cherries [I add some raisins] - diced

50 gm EA toasted white and black sesame seeds 

1. Sift both types of flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together.  Add back the wheat bran into the flour mixture.  Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until light and creamy [about 6 minutes].
3. Add egg and vanilla essence and continue to beat until well combined [about 20-30 seconds].
4. Gradually fold in the flour mixture [about 20 seconds].
5. Stir in the oats and cherries/raisins and mix well.
6. Shape dough in small balls and coat with mixed sesame seeds.  Arrange cookies on a lined baking tray leaving some space in between cookies. Press lightly to flatten cookies.
7. Bake cookies in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 15 minutes [original recipe is 160 degrees C for 20-25 minutes.
8. Leave cookies in baking tray for 10 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack. Store in airtight container.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

I'm submitting this post to the Bake Along event hosted by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Lena of Frozen Wings