Kuih Kodok *Fried Banana Balls*

I've always thought that Kuih Kodok has got to be the ugliest, most unattractive kuih in Malaysia and if I had a choice at tea time, I would choose the pretty ones to eat first. Like the colourful Kuih Lapis with several layers of colours. So much fun to peel them layer by layer. Oh but I digress....

Yes, I am shallow. I like pretty things, however it was only later on in life that I learnt that, that this simple kuih is so yummy and versatile. You can sprinkle some icing sugar and it will look like snowballs. Served them warm with caramel sauce and icecream or any other sauce for that matter. Add gula melaka syrup and coconut icecream and you will have an Asian Fusion Banana Balls... the list is endless, just imagine it.

This very simple afternoon tea snack brings me back to my childhood. Back from school, dumped the school bag, head straight into my mum's kitchen to announce that I was hungry! This is the easiest thing to make in five minutes. Longer if you have to cut your own banana down from tree, wait for it to ripen..heheh!

Anyway, I made this today, because my mum has not been feeling well lately and I was thinking of her. This was one of those things she could whipped up in minutes, if we had nothing in the house because she had gone out with her gambling "kakis" :) I was not allowed to tell Dad that she had gone to mahjong or whatever.

I feel truly connected to her when I am cooking. I regret that we wasted so much time arguing, when I was growing up. I guessed every family goes thru their JOY LUCK CLUB moment. We should have cooked more! Believe me when I tell you that I am cracking up laughing now, just recalling how fast Mum can pedal on the bicycle coming back from her gambling session with me on the back. This was when we were in Kampong Baru in Sungai Petani.

Anyway, I digress again. Here are the recipe.

Ingredients

4 ripe bananas
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
A pinch of salt
1 tbsp of sugar
Oil for frying

Method

Mashed up the bananas, add all the ingredients, stir to combine.
Heat oil and deep fry batter. Turn sides, remove from heat when brown. It doesn't matter if it is not completely round balls. Mine goes flat once it cooled down. It's the yummy taste that matters!
Serve immediately whilst hot.

Little Penang Cafe KLCC, Malaysia

I went back to Malaysia for a short holiday earlier this year. My sister and I visited Little Penang Cafe at KLCC for lunch one day. We went there early to avoid the long queue. This cafe gets very busy at lunchtime as it is frequented by KLCC office staff and visitors alike.

I ordered my favourite flat noodles, char kway teow. This was my first time visiting Little Penang Cafe and I am already thinking that this could be my favourite cafe in KL. They do street style hawker foods and it tasted as good as it gets for a cafe outside of the Penang Island itself.

This is called ABC or ais kacang. It is a basically shaved ice with fruits and syrup, topped with peanuts and drenched in sweet condensed milk. Similar to a Korean bingsoo, of Japanese Kakigori.

This dish is called Ju Huu char. It has shredded cuttlefish, cooked with julienne of vegetables like carrots, jicama (sengkuang), shittake mushrooms and onions and chives. Basically, you would put a small amount on the lettuce leaf provided, add a little chilli and wrap it up to eat. This is Nyonya Malaysian version of lettuce wraps.

Lastly is deep fried Lor Bak. It is traditionally mince pork meat marinated with chinese five spice, wrapped in beancurd sheet and then deep fried like spring rolls. It is normally a finger food or snacks. We ordered the chicken meat variant. 

More info 

Address: Suria Klcc, Suria KLCC, Jalan Ampang, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Phone: +60 3-2163 0215

Nyonya Achar Version 2

This is a modified version of Nyonya Achar to my previous post at http://www.yummystuffgoeshere.com/2011/03/nyonya-acar.html

Once again, I used peanuts, as I was unable to find candlenut in Regional New South Wales.

I used half and half , of white vinegar and rice wine vinegar this time, and it tasted a whole lot better. Sweeter!

I didn't boil them this time as I wanted a bit of crunch on the vegetables. So I gave them a salt bath instead, the veges had a spa day :)

You can choose to have as many or as little veges as you like. The main important ones are cucumber, carrots and string beans. I used green beans as I was unable to find long beans at this time. Telegraph cucumber was almost $5 each, so I bought a bag of 4 Lebanese cucumber for $5 instead.

It's better if you can use fresh tumeric, but nobody is going to be any wiser if you use tumeric powder instead. I have also added grinded lemongrass this time and omitted the dried shrimps.

I added 5 Habernaro chillies to the red ones for an extra punch and kicks. Don't let the yellowness fool you, this batch of pickles packs plenty of punch!

Lemongrass, shallots, garlic, red chillies, Habenaro chillies and tumeric powder

Fruit and Spice, Penang

The last time I was in Penang, Malaysia, was in 2012 and friends and I visited the Fruit and Spice in Balik Pulau for it's famous Assam Laksa. The owner is Eric Kee and he also has an antique shop within his premises. There were so many items that I would like to own, sadly, my wallet could only afford me, a few bowls of laksa and perhaps some pie tees. These are old Peranakan food favourites, you may know them as Nyonya cuisine.

It's been too long and I am yearning for my friends and Malaysian food again. Foods are best shared with friends and family, and I am missing them a great deal.

Here are some info of the shop:

Fruit and Sprice
Eric Kee
www.fruitnspice.com
202B, Jalan Sungai Pinang
11010 Balik Pulau, Penang.
Email: info@fruitnspice.com

Photo credit : Lin Milne

Photo credit : Lin Tan

Need to start planning for my next getaway to this great island I call home. Home is where the heart is. Or in my case where the tummy is...

Kuih Talam

Decided to make Kuih Talam today just because I have all the ingredients with me for a change :) I did use pandan essence instead of extracts from the real pandan leaves because I couldn't get any fresh pandan leaves here in Wagga. So if it looks radioactive green, please don't judge or better still, send me a pandan tree. Okay thanks in advance :)

I bought this book when I was in Malaysia on my last trip home. I finally got around to reading it and making something out of it today. I am not really sure where all this energy is coming from, I rather be watching Korean drama than blogging or cooking or baking or anything. I can be really lazy sometimes!

So without further ado, no recipes, just photos. You will be able to read the recipe in one of the photo. Happy steaming!

Please note: I mixed and cooked then put mixture into a blender for a smooth consistency.

This is the cover and name of book if you are interested in making Nyonya kuihs, lot of recipes in here.

Kuih Pie Tee

I bought the yambeans aka jicama aka sengkuang from Paddy's Market in Sydney. It was so ninja of me to find it ;) I wanted to make some pie tee but could never find yambeans at the local shops.

I really enjoyed making these, it sure brings back memories of my mum and I, late at night, in the kitchen making what seems like thousands of top hat cases for my convent school fete in Sungai Petani. Mum was a trooper making these for me to sell at school. I can't even remember now what the fundraising was for... was it for the new school hall for Father Barres' Convent? Meh, all I know was there was lots of pie tees eaten that day.

I made these today with dried prawn meat ( hae bee) but if you are feeling generous and for special occasion, you can add crab meat to it... super scrumptous I tell ya ;) Perfect finger party food!

Here are the photos ;) I really had fun making these, it was tedious, my top hats are oddly shaped but they taste fabulous...I inhaled six after my photo shoot.

You can find the recipe here at http://www.singaporelocalfavourites.com/2011/08/how-to-make-nyonya-kuih-pie-tee-recipe.html