MALAYSIAN LOCKDOWN MEALS [11]

Considered lucky for us, though Stay Home for MCO, we had a thoughtful neighbor we gave us some local Penang durians. It is also very convenient for us to get fresh eggs sent directly to our doorstep by another neighbor who sells eggs at the market. No reason why I cannot bake a cake. So this is the Durian Sponge Cake which I baked to share with the neighbor and for myself. 

This cake is light and fluffy with the pungent aroma of the durian to durian lovers.

Dish 18 - Durian Sponge Cake

Dry Ingredients 

120 gm plain flour

Wet Ingredients [1]

50 gm durian flesh 

30 ml corn oil

1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients [2]

4 eggs 

90 gm castor sugar

1/2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar

1. Mix durian flesh, corn oil and salt together.  Set aside.
2. Break eggs into a mixing bowl, add in sugar and lemon juice or vinegar.  Whisk eggs until creamy light and fluffy.  
3. Fold in sifted flour in 3 batches, lightly fold each addition.  Do not overmix batter.
4. Scoop 5-6 tablespoons of egg mixture into durian mixture.  Mix until well combined.
5. Then mix [3] and [4].  Lightly mix until well combined.
6. Pour mixture into a 6 of 7 inch square tin [lined with parchment paper].  Tap on table top several times to release trapped air.
7. Baked in preheated oven at 150 degrees C for 45-50 minutes.  Test with a skewer before removing cake to cool on a wire rack.  The cake is done when skewer comes out clean.
8. Sliced to serve.

MALAYSIAN LOCKDOWN MEALS [10]

Just 2 simple dishes, they are appetising and delicious that go well with steaming hot rice.  The fried pork tenderloin  with a combination of capsicum and some pineapple slices is tasty and flavourful.  While the cucumber salad is crunchy and taste is not overly sweet and sour.  It is just perfect to savour the salad after resting for several hours and even better the next day.   Keep well refrigerated for 3 days.

Dish 16 - Pan Fried Pork Tenderloin with Capsicum

Ingredients

200 gm pork tenderloin or pork shoulder neck - sliced 1/2 cm thick pieces

1/2 red capsicum and 1/2 green capsicum - seeded and cut strips [can used red and green chillies]

1 big onion - peeled and sliced

some pineapple slices [optional]

some leeks or spring onions - cut sections

some cucumber slices - for garnishing 

Seasoning

1-2 tbsp each of light soy sauce, oyster sauce and cooking wine

1/4 tsp salt and dash of pepper

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp water

1/2 tbsp cornstarch

a few drops of oil

1-2 tbsp hoisin sauce [optional]

1. Marinate pork slices with seasoning [light soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine, salt, pepper and sugar].  Mix thoroughly and add in water.  Continue to mix until all the liquid is absorbed by the meat.  Mix in cornstarch and a few drops of oil.   Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Add some oil to a non stick wok, followed by the meat.  Turn on to medium heat and stir fry until pork pieces are firm. Add in pineapple slices if using. Cover if  oil splutters due to liquid from the meat.  Fry until meat is cooked and slightly charred.  Add in the marinate with some water, continue to cook.
3. Add in the onions, capsicums, leeks etc.  Quickly stir fry to mix well and add in hoisin sauce.  Mix well.  Taste to adjust seasoning.
4. Dish up to serve immediately with rice.

Dish 17 - EZ Pineapple Zucchini Salad

Ingredients

1 medium size zucchini or cucumber - cut sections

1/2 small carrot - peeled and cut strips

1 small onion - peeled and sliced

1 red chilli - seeded and cut strips

1/4 pineapple - cut strips

some salt

Dressing [combined]

2 tbsp each of sugar, vinegar and water 

1. Cut zucchini or cucumber into 4 sections lengthwise.  Remove the seeds,  then cut into 1 inch sections.  Cut each section lengthwise into strips [not too broad].
2. Mix zucchini, carrots, onions and red chilli [except pineapple] in a big bowl.  Add in same salt and mix them well with your fingers.  Leave for 10 minutes to soften the cut vegetables.
3. Rinse the vegetables under running tap water to remove excess salt.  Lightly squeezed out the water.  Drain in a colander.
4. Meanwhile, combine the dressing ingredients.  Mix until sugar dissolves.
5. Transfer cut vegetables to a container, mix in dressing.  Cover and  shake well to mix in the dressing.  Leave in fridge until required.
6. Salad tastes good after several hours.  Keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

MALAYSIAN LOCKDOWN MEALS [9]

I was able to get a whole yam [about 800 grams] from the supermart for below RM10.00. This whole yam is enough to cook a few dishes such as Yam Rice, Yam Noodles, Stir Fry Yam with Chicken, Yam and Sago dessert etc. It is long list as yam for these dishes is not a main ingredient. Moreover, cut yam can be stored in the freezer and keeps well for sometime.

This Yam Rice recipe is an easy one to cook up as all the ingredients are mostly available in an oriental kitchen.

It is awesome, the rice is so tasty, while the yam pieces are soft and aromatic. Even better to serve with a bowl of vegetable soup.  You can either steam the rice or cook it in the rice cooker.

Dish 15 - EZ Steamed Yam Rice with Chinese Sausage [Lap Cheong]

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

200 gm rice - washed and drained

150 gm yam - cut cubes

1 Chinese sausage [lap cheong] - wrapper removed and cut cubes

2 dried mushrooms - soaked and cut cubes

1 tbsp dried prawns - rinsed and coarsely chopped

4-5 shallots - peeled and sliced thinly

250 - 280 ml water [can add the water from soaking of the mushrooms]

1-2 tbsp cooking oil

spring onion - chopped

Seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar or 1-2 dashes of msg

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp each light soy sauce and oyster sauce

some dark soy sauce for colour

1. Heat oil in a wok, saute shallots until golden brown and crispy.  Remove the crispy shallots into a plate.  Set aside.
2. Using the same wok, add in mushrooms, dried prawns and lap cheong.  Stir fry until aromatic.  Add in yam cubes, continue to fry for several minutes.  Reduce heat to low.  Add in rice and seasoning ingredients.  
3. Continue to stir fry for several minutes to mix well and the rice is evenly coloured.
4. Dish up onto a steaming tray or rice cooker.  Add in water and some crispy shallots, stir to mix well.
5. Steam rice for 40-50 minutes [halfway, stir to ensure even cooking] or cook rice in the rice cooker as usual.
6. Off heat, leave for 5 -10 minutes before fluffing up to serve.
7. Garnish with spring onions and crispy shallots.

MALAYSIAN LOCKDOWN MEALS [8]

Easy One Dish Meal for lunch or dinner. Can be considered a quick cook meal with basically 2 main ingredients, that is cooked rice and fresh prawns. But this porridge will tastes awesome with ginger and lots of spring onions.

Dish 14 - EZ Prawns Porridge

[serves 2]

Ingredients

2 bowls of cooked rice or slightly more

3-4 bowls water [depends on the consistency you prefer]

9-10 medium large prawns [shell intact] 

1-2 stalks spring onions - cut long sections

1 thumb size ginger - shredded

1 tsp garlic

1 tbsp preserved soy bean paste [fine type or chopped]

Seasoning

chicken stock granules and salt to taste

dash of pepper and sesame seed oil

1. Bring water to boil in a soup pot.  Add in cooked rice to boil for 5-10 minutes.  Stir to loosen up lumps of cooked rice.  Add in seasoning to taste.  Reduce to low heat.
2. Meanwhile, heat some oil in a pan, saute ginger, garlic and some spring onions until aromatic.  Add in tau cheong [preserved soybean paste].  Fry until aromatic, add in prawns.  Continue to fry for 5 minutes or until prawns are firm, shells turned white or about 80-90% cooked.
3. Dish up onto boiling porridge.  Stir to mix well and leave to boil until prawns are fully cooked [takes only a few minutes].  Throw in the spring onions.  Mix well.
4. Serve hot.

MALAYSIAN LOCKDOWN MEALS [7]

 

12345 or 54321 is a name of a sauce ingredient for fried meats. It refers to the ratios of 5 basic ingredients: cooking wine, sugar, light soy sauce, black vinegar and water. The result is a sticky sauce that coats and flavours the fried meats which is very appetising as it tastes sweet and sour.

I have made some fried tau pau with fish paste filling [fresh beancurd sheets with fish paste filling] and thought it would be good idea to flavour them with this 12345 sauce.  No regrets, tastes good, appetising to go with rice.  You can get ready made fried tau pau from the wet market to prepare this dish but you may need to ingredient the sauce portion enough to braise them.  For vegans, you can substitute with plain fresh tau pau with any filling [beancurd skin].

The other vegetable dish is simple and you can just mix and match the ingredients in so long as you have the Buddha's Gourd.  For vegans, just omit the dried prawns.

Dish 12 - 12345 Fried Fish Paste Tau Pau

Ingredients

4 pieces fried seafood tau pau - each cut into two equal portions

1/2 red capsicum - seeded and cut strips

1/2 green capsicum - seeded and cut strips

some toasted sesame seeds for granishing

12345 Sauce Ingredients [combined]

1 tbsp cooking wine

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp light soy sauce

4 tbsp black vinegar

5 tbsp water

1. Pan fried taupau over medium low heat until golden brown in colour and fish paste is cooked.  Dish up and cut each pieces into 2 equal portions.  
2. Using the same wok, remove excess oil.  Saute capsicum for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add in fried tau pau pieces, pour in the sauce, bring to boil.  Stir fry to coat the tau pau pieces with the sauce.
4. Sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds.  Serve immediately.

Dish 13 - Stir Fry Buddha's Gourd with Taukwa

Ingredients

1 medium size Buddha's gourd - cut half and shredded into strips

50 gm red carrots - peeled and shredded

1-2 pieces firm beancurd - cut strips and place in a colander

some spring onions - cut sections

1 tbsp dried prawns - rinsed and chopped

1 tsp chopped ginger

1 tsp sesame seed oil

1 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning

salt, msg and pepper to taste

1. Pan fry beancurd strips with some oil in a non-stick pan until golden brown and dry.  Dish up.
2. Prepare the remaining ingredients as stated.
3. Heat a non stick pan with oil, saute ginger and dried prawns until aromatic.  Add in fried beancurd and shredded ingredients.  Continue to stir fry until cooked.  You can cooked it till soft or crunchy [according to preferenc]. Drizzle in some water.  Add in seasoning to taste.
4. Stir to mix well, add in spring onions and dish up to serve.