{3-ingredient coconut ice-cream in hermie}

There are so many ice-cream flavours around that I can't even imagine some of them when I hear what a friend has recently tried. Having said that, one of my favourite ice-cream flavours is coconut. However, this is a flavour that is rarely sold in the shops in Australia and I'm sure that if it was, it would be full of additives and numbers that I don't want to be putting into my body. I have found it once in an Asian Grocer, however it was very watery and a granita-like consistency that was very hard to scoop when frozen solid.

So, when I received Adam Liaw's latest recipe book for Christmas, "Asian After Work", I was pleasantly surprised to find the simplest coconut ice-cream recipe in there. I had to give it a go and took it to a friend BBQ for dessert. It was a great hit! Here it is "Thermomix" converted. Enjoy xx

100 grams raw sugar

420 grams coconut milk (1 400ml can)

300 grams thickened cream (about 1 300ml carton)

1. Place sugar into dry TM bowl and mill 10secs/ speed 10.

2. Add coconut milk and cream to bowl and cook 6mins/ 90C/ speed 2 until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warmed through.

3. Pour into a freezer proof container and chill in the freezer for about 5 hours.

4. After 5 hours, pour mixture back into TM bowl and churn 10secs/ speed 6. Then, 2-3 times/ 2 secs/ closed lid position. Re-freeze for about another 5 hours or even better overnight.

5. Serve as is, with a banana fritter or with some sweet tropical fruits like Rambutan & Pineapple (as above).

Makes about 700ml.

Tips: If you don't have thickened cream, you can use pouring cream. However, you may need to repeat step 4 again (which will add time to the freezing length).

{coconut glutinous rice with mango in hermie}

Lately, I've been noticing that more and more people have eating requirements that are either Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Lactose Free, Sugar Free and more. I'm not sure what's happening to our bodies but we either are more in touch with how we feel or something we're eating is affecting us. My little Miss A is one of those such people and needs to eat Dairy and Egg Free. 

Having said that, as my family eat a majority of Asian food and in particular South East Asian, this is not that hard. In a lot of countries like Malaysia and Singapore, it's not that common to eat or drink a lot of dairy and desserts like this are of the norm. They are delicious and actually very easy to make with or without a Thermomix. Enjoy x

200 grams white glutenous rice
250 grams hot water
750 grams water for steaming
200 grams coconut milk, reserve the rest for serving
50 grams sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 large mangos, sliced thinly
2 teaspoons sesame seeds or roasted coconut shavings for serving

1. Place rice into TM bowl. Add hot water and sit for 15 mins.
2. Using TM basket, drain off the water and keep rice in TM basket.
3. Place water into TM bowl for steaming and insert TM basket. Steam 40mins/ varoma/ speed 3. If you find the water bubbling too much, put the temperature down to 100C.
4. Scoop rice into TM Server and cover.
5. Meanwhile, pour out excess water from TM bowl and dry. Add coconut milk, sugar and salt and mix 2mins/ 70C/ speed 2 until sugar is dissolved.
6. Add coconut milk mixture to rice and mix through with spatula.
7. To serve, place rice in bottom of bowl or glass, top with mango, reserved coconut milk drizzled over and sesame seeds.

Serves 4

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: This is a great dessert for a dinner party as you can steam while the main is eaten. Also, you could use a mixture of black and white rice for a more exotic look. Alternatively, the rice could be served with an extra dash of coconut milk and maybe some coconut or palm sugar syrup. Lastly, if your mangos are not as sweet as they should be, increase the sugar to 70-80 grams and it will taste better.

{kaya spread in hermie}

I grew up eating Kaya on toast for breakfast and to this day, it is my favourite spread to have on bread. However, it was something that was processed, came in a tin and for some reason, was quite a bright orange. The original way to make it is to stir the ingredients in a pot for a long time which is not only time consuming, but also tiring. Since getting Hermie, I've tried a few recipes to make this myself, but none have been quite right. They were always a bit like a coconut egg custard instead of a smooth, coconutty spread. I'd been searching all over various food blogs and recipe books and have finally found one that I'm happy with. A big thanks goes to Sam Tan's blog on which this is based.

200 grams brown sugar 
2 egg yolks
3 whole eggs
2-3 pandan leaves, knotted
320 grams coconut milk, the thick white kind

1. Add sugar into TM bowl and mill (if required) 10 secs/ speed 10.
2. Add eggs into TM bowl and mix with sugar until sugar is dissolved 30secs / speed 3.
3. Cook egg sugar mixture 10mins/ 90C/ speed 3.
4. Add coconut milk and pandan leaves and cook 40mins/ 100C/ speed 2/ reverse. Leave the MC out from the lid (or sit it sideways to prevent less splutter from the top) to let the steam escape and the kaya reduce.
5. Check to see if it is thick enough and if not, keep cooking in 10 minute intervals until it is just right.
6. Let it cool for about 10 minutes and then quickly blend 10secs/ speed 9 to get a super smooth consistency.
7. Serve on some hot toasty bread with a big knob of butter melted.

Makes about 400ml

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: This kaya should last 3-4 weeks in the fridge (if you can't resist eating if all the time!).

{spiral curry puff in hermie}

I like puff pastry. What's not to like? It's crispy, flakey and can be used in so many different ways that the ideas are endless. One of these ways is the cheat's way to an easy curry puff. Up until recently, I always used puff pastry for a curry puff because I thought that making them the traditional way was too hard and time consuming. Also, because you could just bake them in the oven and that was it. However, with my sister's kitchen tea looming, I thought I'd give these babies a go and surprisingly, they're not that hard.

These spiral curry puffs are found all over Malaysia and Singapore and I love devouring them when we visit. The fillings are always similar yet different so everyone has their favourite 'best' place to go. Now that I have made my own, I have a lot more respect to the people that make them day in and day out. Another thing to note is that they are deep fried hence the crispiness of the pastry but probably not so good for those thinking about their health. Also, I'm not sure that they store well (frozen or not) when making a double batch, so for me there will always be a place for the puff pastry curry puffs in my freezer. Enjoy!

This dough recipe is from the "Taste of Asia" Thermomix cookbook with some tweaks.

Water Dough:
210 grams plain flour (plus extra to get the right texture. I found my dough was too wet & sticky so needed more to be able to work with it)
pinch of salt
100 grams warm water
1 egg
60 grams butter

1. Place all ingredients into TM bowl. Mix 4secs/ speed 6.
2. Knead the dough 1min/ closed lid position/ knead button.
3. Wrap in cling wrap and set aside in the fridge.

Oil Dough:
150 grams plain flour
100 grams butter

1. Place all ingredients into TM bowl. Mix 4secs/ speed 6.
2. Knead the dough 1min/ closed lid position/ knead button.
3. Wrap in cling wrap and set aside in the fridge. Meanwhile, make the filling.

Filling:
500 grams beef / chicken mince
half an onion, peeled
1 small potato, peeled & cubed 1cm
20grams vegetable oil
2-3 heaped tablespoons curry powder
50 grams water
salt to taste

vegetable oil for deep frying (e.g. rice bran, canola)

1. Chop onion, 3secs/ speed 6. Scrape down the sides.
2. Add cubed potato and oil. Saute 8mins/varoma/ stir speed/ reverse.
3. Add beef mince, curry powder, salt and water to TM bowl. Cook 8mins/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse. Cool entirely in fridge before filling curry puffs.

NOTE: when you taste the filling with the salt already added and it is just right, add just a bit more. This is so that the filling of the curry puff will be delicious and flavoursome when only a small amount is used in each curry puff.

Curry Puff Assembly:
1. Get doughs out ready for rolling. Separate each ball into 4 lots. Lightly flour rolling surface. Place oil dough in water dough and wrap water dough around oil dough.

2. Working with one portion, roll water dough piece into a large circle. Place oil dough in the middle and wrap up.

3. Roll this into a long flat rectangle and then roll this into a 'swiss roll' style starting from the short end.

4. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll into a thin long rectangular shape again. Roll up into a 'swiss roll' again.
5. Cut across the roll in slices so you see the cross sectional layers

6. Flatten each piece into a round disc and place filling in the centre.

7. Fold over pastry to cover filling and pleat the edges. If you need help with this, I learnt from this youtube video.
8. Put aside and complete all other puffs.

9. After curry puffs have been made, heat oil in deep fryer or wok to about 190 degrees. Fry a few (I can do about 6) at a time until golden brown.

Makes about 30.

Bon Appetit xx

Notes: Store these in a dry air tight container. If you want to reheat, place them in the oven on about 180 for 10-15 minutes.

{review: pandan chiffon cake in hermie}

There are cakes and then there are chiffon cakes. Until recently, I didn't know that they are also referred to as Angel cakes. Anyway, I first came across this mysterious cake quite a number of years ago as a child when my Aunty made an orange chiffon cake. It was light, citrusy and a nice orange colour. Then, when I was shopping with my mum in an Asian Grocer shop, I noticed that they had for sale another chiffon cake that was green! It was flavoured with pandan leaves and tasted sooo divine. Since then, I have wondered how this cake was made and if I could do it myself.

Before I had the Thermomix, I had attempted to make a pandan version using another bloggers recipe. It was only half successful due to getting distracted when the cake came out of the oven and not turning the tin upside down fast enough. I just didn't realise that this was so important. It was slightly squashed but nonetheless, it tasted moist with pandan and coconut flavours. I was however very disappointed in myself because I like to think that I can cook anything!

So, this time round I was determined to get it right as this was going to be one of the yummy morsels of food at my sister's kitchen tea. Even though I hadn't tried the recipe from "A Taste of Asia" I decided to give it a go as it was very similar to the previous recipe used... I'm so glad that I did because the results are fantastic. I did however watch the last few minutes of baking like a hawk so that when the cake left the oven, I turned it upside down straight away to 'stretch' out the cake. It is definitely going to be a favourite 'must have' at family gatherings from now on.

Pandan Juice Extract:

This is best done 5-7 days before making the cake

20-30 Pandan Leaves cut into about 1cm lengths

200-250 grams water (to cover leaves)

1. Add all ingredients above to TM bowl. Blend 1-2mins / speed 9. What you are looking for is a pulpy green puree. If this is not enough, I just use the turbo button with closed lid position to keep going until it is done.

2. Strain the pulp into a jar and store in the fridge. Do not move as you want the dark green concentrate at the bottom of the jar. This is mine after 5 days. Pour away the lighter green liquid into something else (it can be used to make other pandan flavoured food) and you're left with the extract.

Pandan Chiffon Cake:
7 egg whites, room temperature
1 pinch cream of tartar
1 pinch salt
180 grams icing sugar (can reduce to 150 grams)
6 egg yolks
110 grams plain flour
30 grams oil (can reduce to 20 grams)
130 g coconut cream
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp Pandan Juice extract

1. Pre-heat oven to 170ºC.
2. Clean and dry TM bowl thoroughly. Heat empty bowl for 2 mins/ 50ºC/ speed 2.
3. Insert Butterfly. Place egg whites, cream of tartar and salt into TM bowl and whip for 3 mins/ 50ºC/ speed 3.5.
4. Add icing sugar through hole in lid, 1 tsp at a time for 2 mins/ 37ºC/ speed 3 until fully incorporated. Set aside in separate bowl.
5. Without rinsing Butterfly, reinsert into TM bowl. Place yolks into TM bowl and beat for 6 mins/ 37ºC/ speed 3 until lemon in colour and doubled in volume.
6. Add remaining ingredients except egg whites and blend to form a batter for 8 seconds on speed 3. Remove Butterfly.
7. Place 60g of the egg white mixture into TM bowl and with dial set to closed lid position, incorporate for 20 seconds on Interval speed.
8. Pour yolk mixture out into egg white mixture and fold in gently using a large spoon until well blended.

8. Pour into chiffon tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until done.

9. Remove from oven and invert tin to cool completely. Cake should just fall out once it is cool enough to release from the tin.

Bon Appetit xx

Notes: Make sure the tin is inverted immediately after removing from the oven. Apologies for not including a picture of a slice of cake... I forgot to take one at the kitchen tea! Also, my cake is a bit 'rough' around the outside because for some reason, I decided to use a skewer to 'help' the cake fall out. If I needed to do it again, I would use my head and use a serrated knife. This recipe is available on the recipe community.

{seremban siew pau/pow in hermie}

The Nonya Lady. The Nonya who? My family knows a woman through my Aunty that happens to make and sell a large variety of yummy Nonya or Peranakan treats throughout the year. This is where I first came across the Seremban Siew Pau. Most people in Australia know the Char Siew Pau that you can eat at nearly every yum cha restaurant that is a steamed white bun that is filled with a pork or chicken filling. This is similar but different. This Pau is not steamed and is in fact baked so that the outside is a crispy pastry. The filling is similar however, in Malaysia it often has peas included. The Nonya Lady's does not have peas and this is actually how I like them.

Anyway, because I like these Pau quite a lot, I thought to myself "what if for some reason the Nonya Lady can't or won't make these anymore?" What was I going to do? Here in Adelaide I really don't think there is anywhere commercial to buy these yummy savoury snacks (correct me if I'm wrong readers). So, I have scoured my recipe books and the web to see what was out there and below is my recipe. It is based on Elin's version with a filling and sauce made from Gourmet Traveller's Char Siew Pau recipe.

The verdict? Well, they were eaten by the family on the same day so they must have been good. Tips for next time include making double the amount so that I can freeze some for snacks and to use slightly less red fermented bean curd on the char siu. Maybe I was a bit heavy handed with using this ingredient but I felt it overpowered all the other flavours. I would also make the char sui and sauce the day before so that it doesn't feel like you're performing a cooking marathon. Enjoy!

{FILLING}

Char Siu:

250 grams pork neck or I prefer a cut with a bit of fat

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons red fermented beancurd (see note)
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
1 tablespoon honey, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water

1. Cut pork into 3cm-thick, 5cm-wide strips, then combine in a bowl with Shaoxing, sugar, beancurd, hoisin, garlic and five-spice, stir to coat, cover and refrigerate to marinate (at least 2 hours, preferably overnight).

2. Preheat oven to 220C. Drain pork (reserve marinade), place on a rack placed in a roasting pan. Add a little water to pan and roast, basting with marinade and turning occasionally, until cooked and slightly charred (30-35 minutes). (I find that to make cleaning of the rack easier, I wrap the 'bars' of the rack in foil so that I can just peel it off when finished instead of scrubbing caramelised marinade off the metal).

3. Brush with honey mixture while still hot, cool to room temperature.

4. Place 3-4cm cubes of pork into TM bowl and shred 10-15secs/ speed 5 until desired coarseness is achieved and set aside.

Pork in the marinade

Pork ready for roasting

Char siu sauce:
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons spring onion, white part only
1 small golden shallot, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
10 grams vegetable oil
100 ml chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon caster sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
1½ tablespoons cornflour, mixed with 50ml cold water

1. Place ginger, spring onion, shallot and garlic into TM bowl. Chop 3secs/ speed 6. Scrape down sides of bowl.
2. Add oil and saute 6mins/ varoma/ speed 1/ reverse.
3. Add in other ingredients (except cornflour) and cook 5mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse.
4. Add in cornflour and cook 1min/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse.
5. Finally, add in reserved char siu and mix manually with spatula. Set aside. Note: if you are making this on the same day as the dough, I would put this in the fridge as it is a lot easier to use as a filling later on when cold.

{PASTRY}

Oil Dough:
240 grams plain flour
60 grams butter
60 grams coconut oil (or ghee or shortening)

1. Add all ingredients into TM bowl 4-5 times/ closed lid/ turbo button. It should have a sand like consistency.
2. Pour out onto bench and form into a bowl. Rest for 30 mins.

Water Dough:
240 grams plain flour
60 grams icing sugar (or raw sugar)
30 grams butter
30 grams coconut oil (or ghee)
120 grams water (I found this dough a bit 'wet' so would acutally add in 100 grams and if required, add in the additional 20 later)

1. If using raw sugar, place in TM bowl and mill 10 secs/ speed9. 
2. Put all ingredients into TM bowl. Mix 5 secs/ speed 5.
3. Knead 1 min/ closed lid/ knead button. Rest for 30 mins.

Dough resting for 30mins

Making the Pau:

1 egg for egg wash

sesame seeds to decorate

1. Divide both the water and oil dough into 24 equal pieces . 

2. Wrap 1 piece of water dough around 1 piece of oil dough.

3. Roll it flat into rectangular shape.
4. Roll it from the short end into a swiss roll and then repeat steps 2 & 3 two more times.

5. Flatten and roll into a round. I find that if I do all the rolling and flattening and rolling for all 24 pieces it's easier and less time consuming.

6. Place about 1 big tablespoon of filling in centre, wrap and pleat into a pau shape. I don't really do anything special and just push the bits together. It just works.

7. Place on greaseproof paper or silicone mat and brush the pau with egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top for decoration.

8. Bake at 190 ̊C for 20 -25 mins until golden brown.

Makes 24 pieces.

Bon Appetit xx

Notes: Red fermented beancurd is available in all good Asian Grocers. It looks like the picture below. Also, I store extra pau's (if any) in the freezer already baked. To re-heat, just put in the oven for about 15mins at 180C.

{acar awak (spicy pickled mixed vegetables) in hermie}

Acar awak is one of those dishes that I remember from a child that my mum would make and then store in recycled glass bottles in the fridge and wonder what was so good about it. Now I realise that this was something that reminded her of growing up in Malaysia and the memories that it brought back when eating it. I think it also has something to do with the fact that when I was young, I couldn't eat much of it because it was quite chilli hot and although I make it now, I don't down size the chilli factor because I think it makes the dish what it is. Having said that, it again is a fine line between eating pleasure and eating pain when I eat this dish. It will keep in the fridge for a good couple of weeks if you don't add the peanut to it. I personally don't add peanuts because we have a nut allergy in the house.

Vegetables:
1/2 continental cucumber, cut into 3 cm long strips with seeds removed
1 carrots, cut into 3cm strips
150 grams green beans, cut into 3 cm lengths
100-200 grams cabbage, cut into 3cm thick
100 grams cauliflower, cut into small florets

Pickling Liquid:
450grams water
300grams white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Spice Paste:
15 dried chillies, soaked in hot water
10-15 grams belacan
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
5 grams galangal
1 stalk lemongrass
2 tablespoons coriander seeds

30 grams vegetable oil (I use canola)
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon vinegar

1. Soak the dried chillies in hot water for the spice paste.
2. Add all ingredients for the pickling liquid into the TM bowl. Heat for 8mins/ 100C/ speed 1.
3. Meanwhile, chop the vegetables as above for pickling. 

4. While the liquid is still hot, set the controls to 2.5mins/ varoma/ reverse/ stir speed. When it boils, remove the MC and add the prepared vegetables through the hole. Drain in a colander. Dry the TM bowl.
5. Add belacan into dry TM bowl. Dry roast 5mins/ varoma/ speed 1.
6. Add in rest of the spice paste ingredients and blend 15-20secs/ speed 7 or until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl.
7. Add vegetable oil into TM bowl and saute 6mins/ varoma/ speed 1.
8. Add sugar, salt and vinegar to TM bowl and cook 2mins/ varoma/ speed 1/ reverse.
9. Finally, add the pre-pickled vegetables and stir through with spatula. Cook a further 1mins 30secs/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse.
10. Store in a clean (preferably steralised) container in the fridge. Serve sprinkled with peanuts as a side dish to something like beef rendang.

Acar served here as part of Nasi Lemak

Makes about 800grams.

Bon Appetit xx

Notes: The vegetable quantities that I've listed above are just a guide. I basically just use what I have in the fridge and what can fit into the TM bowl. In the photos above, you can see that I forgot to add the cauliflower but it still tastes delicious! Also, belacan or dried shrimp paste can be found in all good Asian Grocery stores. Finally, I prefer to make this a day or 2 before being eaten as the flavour develops over those days and it tastes so much more better!

{beef rendang in hermie}

One of the lunches that we used to eat on the weekend growing up was a curry or rendang with roti. Because my mum was a working mum and constantly time poor, the rendang that she would cook would often have a spice paste that originated from a packet and then she would add various ingredients of her own. I ate this from quite a young age so it was one of a number of dishes that I used to 'train' my chilli eating skills on. Not to say that I can eat very hot chilli now however, whenever I eat this beef rendang in a Nasi Lemak with Acar, I toe the line of eating chilli for the pleasure, and crossing over into a world of chilli pain where your tongue slowly starts to lose its feeling from the edges in and you can feel the sweat forming on your head! 

Anyway... back to the beef rendang. After going to cooking school in Singapore a few years back, I realised that all the ingredients that were in the spice paste of a rendang were readily available in Australia and that I was familiar with all of them. A simple trip to the local Asian grocer is all that was needed to come up with a home cooked version of the tasty dish. I then made it my mission to find a super tasty recipe and I didn't have to look far. One of my favourite blogs is Not Quite Nigella and she has written her mother's recipe on the site. I have previously tried it using a good old pot, stick mixer and stove and it was delicious. In fact, I gave some to my mum and dad to try and they too think that it's the best beef rendang that they've had for some time. 

So, this time round, I've tried to convert it (and have also adjusted some quantities) so that I can cook it in the Thermomix. I think it's just as good however, I didn't get the dark caramelly colour of the sauce as dark as I like. It may have been because I wanted to eat it but we'll see what happens when I make it the next time.

120 grams desiccated coconut
1 1/2 teaspoons tamarind paste
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
800-1000 grams beef, cubed about 3-4 cm

Spice Paste:
2 brown onions, peeled & halved
16 dried chillies, soaked in hot water (the original recipe was 30 so adjust to your chilli taste)
2 red chillies (more or less depending on how much heat you would like)
1 big thumb of ginger
1 small thumb of galangal
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons of toasted coconut (from above)

Curry Sauce:
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, bruised
1 slice galangal
2 1/2 tablespoons palm sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (e.g. canola)
560ml coconut milk

1. Place desiccated coconut in a normal fry pan. Dry roast until golden brown. I have tried doing this in the Thermomix and can't seem to get it to brown. I think it's a combination of too much moisture in the coconut and not enough heat from the Thermomix.

2. Meanwhile, place tamarind paste, salt and sugar in an extra bowl. Mix together and add beef.

3.  Add all spice paste ingredients to TM bowl and chop 10-12secs/ speed 6. Scrape down sides of bowl. Note: be careful when opening the lid, a big hit of chilli will hit you in the face and make you cough!

4. Add in rest of spice paste ingredients and cook 5mins/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse until fragrant.

5. Add in half the coconut milk (the thicker,creamy milk) and the beef. Depending on how much beef you're using, I add in the beef pieces and leave the desiccated coconut behind until I see it's not going to exceed the maximum level of the TM bowl. If there's space, I then add in the rest of the coconut. Cook 40mins / varoma/ stir speed/ reverse. Note: Depending on how full your TM bowl is it may 'bubble' over through the MC. If this is the case, change the temp to 100C.

6. Add in the rest of the lighter coconut milk and cook further 40mins/ 90C/ stir speed/ reverse. Check to see how tender the meat is and if you like the sauce runnier or thicker. Cook a further 60mins/ 90C/ stir speed/ reverse if required for a thicker and darker sauce (i do this bit due to the amount of meat cooked but if you use less, then adjust accordingly).

Bon Appetit xx

Beef Rendang shown here as part of Nasi Lemak with Acar, Ikan Bilis and Eggs with Prawn Sambal

{dried prawn sambal in hermie}

Growing up in a Chinese/Malaysian household in Australia has it's advantages. One of those is the array of yummy food that I was exposed to as a child and continue to love eating today. Having said that, a lot of those dishes that my mum used to make can be accompanied by a good sambal. There are many different types including dried shrimp/prawn, belacan, salted fish, anchovy and the list goes on. Today we are making a dried shrimp/prawn sambal that I have come up with from numerous recipes over the years. It is great to store in the fridge and can be eaten with dishes like Nasi Lemak, noodles or rice. If you are new or old to chilli, just reduce or increase the chilli quantities to your palate and you should enjoy the flavour like I do. 

Tamarind paste, kaffir lime leaves, fresh & dried chilli and dried shrimps

10 dried chillies
3 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
100 grams dried shrimp
3-4 shallots, peeled (I have used 1/2 a brown onion as that's all I had)
1 fresh chilli, cut in half
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
50grams + 10grams vegetable oil (e.g. canola)
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon sugar
salt to taste (I used a small sprinkle)

1. Soak dried chillies in hot water. Set aside.
2. Hand cut kaffir lime leaves and set aside. I find that with this small amount of leaves, the Thermomix does not chop them evenly so I prefer this way.
3. Place shrimp into TM bowl. Chop 9-10secs / speed 6-7. Set aside. This step is optional if you are using very small shrimp. However, mine were quite large and I don't want the sambal too chunky.

Chopped dried shrimp

4. Place dried chillies, fresh chilli, shallot & garlic into TM bowl. Chop 3secs/ speed 6. Be careful when you open the lid as a waft of chilli will hit your face. If you're sensitive like me, you'll start coughing! When you've recovered, scrape down sides of bowl.
5. Add 50 grams vegetable oil to TM bowl and saute 5mins/ varoma/ speed 1.
6. Add tamarind, salt, sugar and dried shrimp to TM bowl. Cook 8-10mins/ varoma/ Stir speed/ reverse. Check the sambal about halfway through and you may need to pause and scarpe down the sides of the bowl. Cooking time will depend on how 'dry' you like you sambal. If you like it drier, cook further in 5 minute lots until desired texture is created.
7. Add in the kaffir lime leaves and cook a further 5 minutes. If required, add another 10grams of oil. Cook 5mins/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse.
8. Store in sterilised, dry jars in the fridge.

Makes about 180-200 grams.

Bon Appetit xx

{black glutenous rice dessert (pulut hitam) in hermie}

This sweet dessert brings back memories from my childhood of when my grandparents would visit from Malaysia. When they were here, my family would go and see them for hours every weekend and my sisters and I would play with my cousins all day. More often than not, these visits included afternoon tea and this is where this dessert would make an appearance. It is sweet without being over the top and the rice provides the texture with the right amount of 'bite' to the dish. Some people prefer this dessert soup to be thin and others a thick consistency. I like mine just in the middle but whatever you prefer, just make sure you cook it for either a bit more or a bit less. 

The recipe below is very simple and was given to me when I did a cooking class at the 'at-sunrice' cooking school in Singapore. Unfortunately, they are not performing these 'leisure' cooking classes anymore but hopefully they will resume soon. The spice walk through the garden is very informative especially seeing the spices growing in their natural states and using them straight in the dishes just don't forget your mosquito repellant!. Anyway, I digress. The advantage of cooking this in the Thermomix is that with the continual stirring, you definitely won't have any rice stuck to the bottom of the bowl and burning. Happy cooking!

200 grams black glutenous rice
1250 grams water
2-3 pandan leaves, knotted
110-120 grams palm sugar
125 grams coconut milk (the clear milk)

coconut cream to serve (the white milk)

1. Put butterfly in TM bowl. Place rice, water and pandan leaves in bowl. Cook 40mins / 90C / stir speed/ reverse. (Do not cook at 100C as it will boil and potentially spill out the top. I learnt this the hard way).
2. Check to see if rice is al dente and how much liquid is left. I continue to cook for a further 30mins / 90C / stir speed / reverse with the MC removed to reduce the liquid.
3. Add sugar and coconut milk. Cook 10 mins / 70C/ stir speed/ reverse.
4. Ladle into bowls and drizzle extra coconut cream to serve.

Serves 6

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: I prefer to use the Chef's Choice or TTC full cream coconut milk. This comes in a can and contains the clear and white milks of the coconut. To separate more easily, put it in the fridge before use as the white part will solidify more and will be easier to scoop out.