Lepat Pisang(Steamed Banana Pudding)

Ingredients:

1/2  lb pisang emas or pisang rajah
2 oz sugar
1/4  coconut  (grated white)
1  1/2 oz flour
8  pieces banana leaves(about 6" wide)
2  pieces pandan leaves



Prepare steamer.

Soften and wash the banana leaves.  Wash and cut the pandan leaves into 2" lengths.
(The banana leaves can be softened by pouring hot water over them.)

Peel and mash the bananas and mix in the sugar, coconut and flour.

Put a piece of pandan leaf on a piece nof of banana leaf and put a tablespoonful of the mixture on top of it.

Fold the banana leaf over to form a neat rectangular packet about  2  1/2 "  by 1  1/2" and steam
for 15 to 20 minutes.

My Stories: The Lady in Pyjamas and Hair Curlers

My Stories: The Lady in Pyjamas and Hair Curlers: A newcomer in the form of a sophisticated lady with lacquered nails and a made-up face, shifted into the house a few doors away from mine, ...

Ah Ngoh's Food Ideas: Local Malaysian Cakes...what are they?

Ah Ngoh's Food Ideas: Local Malaysian Cakes...what are they?: Local cakes called 'kuih' are very different from the cakes which we made from butter, sugar, eggs and flour.  Instead of using the...

Ah Ngoh's Food Ideas: Jemput Pisang(Banana balls)

Ah Ngoh's Food Ideas: Jemput Pisang(Banana balls): 1/2  lb pisang emas 2 oz flour 1 oz sugar oil for deep fat frying Peel and mash the bananas. Add the sugar and sieved flour and mix ...

Jemput Pisang(Banana balls)

1/2  lb pisang emas
2 oz flour
1 oz sugar
oil for deep fat frying

Peel and mash the bananas.

Add the sugar and sieved flour and mix all together.

Drop a spoonful of the mixture at a time into the hot oil and fry.
till golden brown.

Drain well before serving.

Local Malaysian Cakes...what are they?

Local cakes called 'kuih' are very different from the cakes which we made from butter, sugar, eggs and flour.  Instead of using the said ingredients, the following ingredients are used, such as sago, sweet potatoes, bananas, yam, rice flour, coconut, pulut rice or pulut flour, tapioca or gula melaka.

Sago:

There are two types of sago- the large sago and the pearl sago, the latter being more commonly used.  Sago is made from the pith of the sago palm and is actually not a cereal, although for convenience, it is often classified as one.  Sago is composed mainly of starch.  When cooked, it is of a soft , sticky texture and is rather flat in flavour unless coconut or coconut milk is added to it.


Bananas  :

Many kinds of bananas are available in Malaysia.  They are grouped into dessert bananas or bananas for cooking.  Dessert bananas are sweet , of a good flavour and smooth texture, and are often eaten raw.
Some of the more common dessert bananas are pisang emas, pisang hijau, pisang rastali and pisang susu.
Bananas for cooking are not so well flavoured and the texture is coarse.  Cooking improves the flavour and makes them more tender and easily digestible.  Some bananas for cooking are pisang rajah, pisang nangka, and pisang tandok.  Sometimes the dessert bananas are used for cooking to give the food its delicate flavour, but bananas for cooking are not good eaten raw.


Gula Melaka  :

Gula melaka is a brown sugar made from the juices extracted from the flower shoot of the coconut palm.
Gula melaka is sold in cakes; the best and cheapest ones come from Melaka.  Good quality gula melaka is dark brown in colour and is fairly easy to cut through. It keeps well  in an airtight container in a cool place.  Gula melaka has a lovely flavour but is not very sweet, so the addition of a little granulated sugar to it improves its sweetness.


Rice Flour  :

Rice flour is used either dry or damp.  Dry rice flour makes a very good plain coating
batter but it is not good for the steamed 'kuihs' which should be made from damp rice flour.
Damp rice flour is made by  soaking rice for  1/2  a day and then grinding it wet.   After grinding
the rice a batter like mixture is obtained.  This mixture is put into a clean flour bag and hung up
till all the water drains away and only the damp rice flour remains in the bag.


An excerpt from a 1960s book

Sambal Sandwiches- a favourite during school days

1/2  sandwich loaf                                                              2 tabsp dried prawns
2 teasp tamarind                                                                   8 - 10 onions
1/4  cucumber  or  3 red tomatoes                                     6 - 8 dried   chillies
  parsley or chillies                                                            1 small piece of belachan
butter,oil, salt , sugar

Pound the dried chillies, onions and belachan together till fine.

Pound the dried prawns.

Add 4 tablespoonfuls of water to the tamarind and strain off the
tamarind juice.

Heat up 2 tablespoonfuls of oil in a frying pan and fry the pounded ingredients
for 2 or 3 minutes.

Add in the dried prawns and fry for another minute or two.

Add the tamarind juice, about 1/2  teaspoonful of sugar and a little salt
if necessary and fry all together till it is well cooked.

Season to taste and cool it on a plate.

When the filling is cooled, make the sandwiches using sliced cucumber or tomatoes.

Garnish the sandwiches with parsley or a chillie flower.


Note  :   Many other sandwich fillings can be used, e.g.  sliced cold meats, salmons,
crab meat, peanut butter, Marmite, Bovril, etx  Crisp lettuce leaves can also be used in place of cucumber or tomatoes.

Ah Ngoh's Food Ideas: Favourite Old Fashioned Sandwiches

Ah Ngoh's Food Ideas: Favourite Old Fashioned Sandwiches: Recipe from an old book in the 1960s...... Sardine Sandwiches: Ingredients : 1/2   sandwich loaf 2  sardines (in tomato sauce) **(t...

Favourite Old Fashioned Sandwiches

Recipe from an old book in the 1960s......

Sardine Sandwiches:

Ingredients :

1/2   sandwich loaf
2  sardines (in tomato sauce)
**(this means the smallest can)
1/4  cucumber
1/2  tabsp. chopped onion
1/2  lime
butter, salt, pepper, parsley


1.  Prepare the sandwich filling.
Chop the onion finely and squeeze a little lime juice over it.
Wash and slice the cucumber thinly.
Remove the bones from the sardines and flake the fish.
Mix the chopped onion, salt, pepper, and enough sardine gravy to the flaked
fish to get  a creamy filling.
2.  Slice and butter the bread thinly and put them in pairs.(8-10 slices)
3. Divide the filling according to the number of sandwiches to be made.
4. Spread the filling on every other slice of bread.
5. Arrange the cucumber slices over the filling and close the sandwich.
6. Put 2 or 3 sandwiches one on top of the other and press them firmly together.
7. Trim off all the crust and cut sandwiches into the desired shape.
8. Garnish the sandwiches with a sprig of parsley and serve the sandwiches neatly.



Egg Sandwiches  :


Ingredients

1/2  sandwich loaf
2 eggs
1/4  cucumber
1-2 teaspoon mayonnaise
butter, salt
pepper, parsley


1.  Boil the eggs till they are hard boiled.
Then cool them in cold water.
 2.  Prepare  the sandwich filling:
a)  Wash and chop up or slice the cucumber thinly.
b)  Shell the eggs and mash them up with a fork.
c)  Add mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to the eggs and mix together
to get a well flavoured creamy filling. (Chopped cucumber is to be mixed with this filling)
3.  Slice the bread thinly and butter it.
4.  Make the sandwiches , trim off the crust, and cut into shape.
5.  Serve the sandwiches attractively.

Ah Ngoh's Food Ideas: Citrus 'N' Fruit Sherbet

Ah Ngoh's Food Ideas: Citrus 'N' Fruit Sherbet: Ingredients: 1  1/4 cups milk 1/2   tbsp fresh grated orange peel 3/4   cups fresh squeezed orange juice 1/2   cup mashed papaya or ba...

Tomato and Leek Flan

Ingredients  :

Savoury Pastry....please refer footnote for method in making this pastry

3 leeks( if you are a leek lover, you may a little more)
4 tbsp tomato puree
1  1/2 tsp basil ( can use fresh basil leaves but have to chop finely to bring out the flavours)
2 tins peeled tomatoes( you can use fresh ones but cooking time will be
longer because you have to cook till it is drier)
2 tbsp oil
salt, pepper


Method  :


Slit the leeks lengthwise, and wash well under running water.(Be careful
to wash away hidden fine sand in between the leaves)

Drain well , then cut across into strips.

Saute in oil until soft, but do not over fry till they becomes brown.

Put in the tomatoes to the pan cutting them roughly into smaller pieces with
the frying ladle.

Allow the mixture to reduce for about 15 minutes.

Stir in the puree and basil.
Season to taste.

The filling should be fairly firm , not watery.

Spread over the prepared pie shell.

Bake at  about 200 degrees Celcius for half an hour.


How to prepare the Savoury Flan Pastry:

Ingredients :

250g  dl  plain flour
100g cottage cheese
100g butter or margarine

Method :

1) Rub the fat into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Work in the cottage cheese and allow dough to rest in a cold place.

Remember to cover it to avoid drying.

Rest for about half hour.

The dough can be made one or two days ahead.

2)  Roll out the dough to line a shallow pie dish, measuring up
to 30 cm in diameter.

Press the dough up the sides of the dish and prick the base with a fork.

3)  Either fill the pie shell or bake it blind for about 10 minutes before filling.
 If the filling is quite firm, there is no need to bake the pastry blind first.

To bake blind, prick the pastry all over and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Bake at about 200 degrees Celcius. for about 10 minutes.

Fill and bake for a further 20 minutes.

Citrus 'N' Fruit Sherbet

Ingredients:

1  1/4 cups milk
1/2   tbsp fresh grated orange peel
3/4   cups fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2   cup mashed papaya or bananas
1/2   cup sugar
a little salt (1/16   of a teaspoon...very little)


Method  :

Making Sherbet in a Refrigerator/Freezer:


In a large bowl , mix all the above ingredients together.
Stir until sugar dissolves.
Pour into a shallow pan.
Freeze until mixture is firm around the edges(about 1  1/2 hours)
Spoon into bowl.
Beat until smooth.
Return to freezer.
Freeze until firm.
Makes 3 1/2  cups.


Variation:

Substitute grapefruit juice and peel for orange juice and peel.
But do not add grapefruit peel during the freezing process.
Stir in the grapefruit peel after ice cream is made.

Classic Butter Cake/Orange Cake

Ingredients(for butter Cake)

180g butter
150g sugar
5 eggs
260g self raising flour
50g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla essence


Ingredients:(for Orange Cake)

4oz butter  )
4oz sugar  )       Cream together
2 big eggs )

4oz self raising flour
Juice from 1 orange
Rind from 1 orange

Method:

Cream butter and sugar.
Add beaten eggs.
Add flour slowly
Add orange juice and rind last.
Bake in preheated oven at 170 to 175 degrees Celcius for half to one hour.

Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients:

300 g chocolate chips
175g self raising flour
50g cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
175g unsalted butter
100g castor sugar
4 eggs

Method:

Sift flour, cornflour and baking powder togehter.
Cream the butter and sugar until creamy and pale.
Add eggs gradually.
Fold in the flour , followed by the chocolate chips.
Grease a loaf tin.  Pour the batter into the tin and bake in a preheated oven
for about an hour.  Temperature of oven is between 170 to 175 degrees Celcius.

Orange Butter Cake

Ingredients  :


250g butter
80g sugar
5 egg yolks
Rind of half an orange
Juice of half orange
1 tsp vanilla essence

150 g self raising flour sifted with half a tsp salt


5 egg whites
25g castor sugar

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celcius.

Line a 20cm cake tin with greaseproof paper.
Grease well.

Cream butter with sugar until light and creamy.
Add egg yolks one at a time.
Beat until light and fluffy.
Add essence , rind, and the orange juice.  Blend well.
Fold in flour gradually, and mix well.

Whisk egg whites and sugar until stiff.
Fold meringue into flour mixture gently.

Turn mixture into prepared cake tin.

Level up mixture at the sides but allow a shallow well
in the centre. This enables the cake to level up evenly during baking.

Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until cooked through when tested
with a skewer.