Taiyaki, fish shaped snacks

I love these Taiyaki snacks, often, you can see these selling like hot cakes in Japan or Korea. There are lots of fillings you can add in  yourTaiyaki, my favourite would be the red bean paste from the azuki beans. You can make the paste yourself or buy a can from your Asian Grocer. Here are some options for taiyaki if you do decide to make some one day.

• Nutella
• Black sesame paste
• Red bean paste
• Peanut butter and jelly ( for the western taste)
• Custard, normal or pandan
• Durian paste
• Sweet potato paste
• Yams

The choices are endless, it's really up to your own individual taste and imagination. Recipe adapted from http://www.justonecookbook.com/taiyaki/

Ingredients:

150 g (about 1¼ cup) cake flour (minus 2Tbsp flour and add 2 Tbsp cornflour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, beaten
200 ml (about ¾ cup) milk
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
100 g azuki red bean paste, I bought a can from asian grocer
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Method:

1. Combine the flour and baking soda and mix together with a whisk. Add sugar and mix again. 
2. Form the azuki red bean paste into long thin shapes about the size of your taiyaki mould
3. Beat eggs, add the milk, mix well, then add into the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix gently putting the batter through the gaps of the whisk. Mix the batter gently.
4. Wrap the mixture in cling film and put it in the fridge to rest for 1 hour
5. Grease the taiyaki pan lightly with oil and warm it up. Fill the pan halfway up with batter.
6. Add the sweet red bean paste on top
7. Pour more batter over the top to cover the beans. Close the lid of the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden. They're ready to eat whilst they're still hot.

Karipap Ayam

One of the great things about living in Malaysia is that you have an abundant choices for meals, there are delicious foods and snacks from the day and night markets, malls, restaurants and street food stalls. And if that wasn't enough, sometimes, the vendors even come to you.

In the morning, you may hear echoes of vendor selling Roti, newspapers even gas cylinder as they go through your back street. In the afternoons, you may hear a lady shouting out "Karipap...... karipap" as she cycles through your street. Best to have your coin purse handy and with you at all times as you would have to bolt out the door and chase her down the street to get to the yummy snacks. This is pretty normal for most suburbs. 

Life in Malaysia can be harsh and hard. These sellers sell their wares for a pittance price, so if you do come across them, don't complain about the price or try to get them cheaper. Support them and be happy and be thankful that you can have their delicious snacks, handmade with love from someone's home. 

Today I live in a land far away, and so I have make these things in my own kitchen. I am lucky that I have resources from the Internet for recipes that I could recreate my fond memories of yummy snacks in Malaysia. My mother is a great cook, she would make all the delicious Nyonya kuihs for us. I love her steamed yam cake, chiffon cake, and bubur cha cha. There's always something on the table for us. And when she wasn't feeling up to it, we would buy ready made food and snacks. Oh God, now I have Hainanese chicken rice on my mind and I should be writing up this blogpost. 

Here's the link to where I found this easy to follow instructions with photos. I am a visual learner, so I found this was pretty easy to follow. Spiral Curry Puffs

Water dough outer, center is oil dough

Chicken Curry

Chinese New Year Pineapple Jam

The making of the Pineapple Jam for pineapple jam tarts prior to Chinese New Year. A very short photo blog.

Ingredients

• 2 Fresh pineapple (chopped and blended) I prefer Queensland Gold, very sweet! 
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• I cinnamon stick (Personal preference) 

Method

• Put all ingredient in pan and cook till liquid is gone ( like a reduction)
• Leave to cool
• Store in sterile jar, can be kept for weeks, months in freezer till ready for jam tarts.

For tarts, please go to http://www.yummystuffgoeshere.com/2011/01/chinese-new-year.html

Gingerbread Men and Xmas cookies

Gingerbread Men and Xmas cookies

Ingredients

• 150g Western Star unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup golden syrup - I used molasses instead of golden syrup!
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• Writing fudge and rainbow chocolate chips, to decorate

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C. Line two large oven trays.
• Place butter, golden syrup and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Add bicarbonate of soda and stir to combine. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl.
• Set aside to cool.
• Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and baking powder over butter mixture. Add the egg and stir until combined. Turn on to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Divide dough into two portions. Shape each portion into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.
• Roll one portion between two sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick.
• Using 6-7cm pastry cutters, cut shapes from dough, re-rolling scraps. Place on the lined trays, 3cm apart to allow for spreading. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake in the oven, 1 tray at a time, until just firm to touch.
• Remove and set aside for 5 minutes to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Decorate using writing fudge and chocolate chips.

Recipe: taste.com.au

This one is sitting on my mantlepiece ;) Hands off Santa!!!