If Cikyah Can Cook, So Can You

Cheesy and Gooey, and Loving It!

I have been meaning to try this recipe for quite some time but as usual, the typical reason would be time is not always on my side. However, I finally had the chance to do it. The verdict? It’s cheesy and gooey and I’m loving it!

CHEESY WEDGES

Source : MamaFaMi

Ingredients :

• 500g frozen wedges ( I used Simplot Spicy)
• 5 sliced cheese (orange in color)
• 1 tablespoonful of butter
• 1 tablespoonful of  flour
• 1/2 cup of fresh milk
• 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt ( I used Nestle low-fat)
• Mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoonful of chicken powder (I added)
• 1/2 teaspoonful of chilli powder (I added)

Method :

1. Fry the wedges till crispy and keep aside.
2. Melt butter in a non stick pan over slow fire. next, add in flour and keep stirring.
3. Pour fresh milk into the pan and stir till the mixture thickens.
4. Add in your cheese slices and stir till the cheese melts.
5. Add in yogurt and stir well.
6. Place the sauce and mayonnaise in 2 piping bags ( I just used plastic bags) and pipe onto the wedges.
7. Serve hot.

The Reigning Champion

After quite a number of  trials on ‘educating’ Mr KHz and his two ardent loyal subjects to like muffins like I do, I have finally given up.  Today, I admitted defeat when I helplessly witnessed  the joy on their faces as they munched away their ‘cekodok pisang‘. Here’s the recipe taken from MyResipi.com. Do give it a try for personally, I enjoy eating the outcome from this recipe. Now, I bow to the ever reigning champion.

‘CEKODOK PISANG’

Ingredients :

• 2 cups of mashed, ripe bananas
• 1 cup of caster sugar
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 tablespoonful of soda bicarbonate
• 1 teaspoonful of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoonful of salt
• oil for deep frying

Method :

1. Put mashed bananas, sugar and salt in bowl and mix well.
2. Sieve together flour,soda bicarbonate and baking powder. Mix this gradually into the mashed bananas mixture. if the batter is too runny, add more flour.
3. Scoop batter into small balls an deep fry over medium heat till golden brown.
4. Drain onto paper towel.
5. Serve.

My Belief or Yours?

Truthfully, I love snacks and they more traditional they are, they more appetizing they would appear to me. I do adore all types of Malay kuihs,  pengat keledek, bubur kacang and banana fritters, just to name a few. Despite having a major weight issue, I just can’t forgo these sweet galore, especially those which are piping hot and scrunchy. Please do not jump into conclusion by saying, “Hmm…no wonder she looks like a whale.” I know I’m fighting a losing battle on reducing my weight but I try my very best to limit my intake on these gorgeous creations. I have them only when I have my cravings. This usually happens when I browse through my recipe folders as I update on my recipe collection. The browsing has no common pattern for I’m lousy at filings so my cravings for certain food items could be dragged to a month to be fulfilled.

Some time last week, as I was updating my Breakfast and Tea Recipe collection folder, I came across a snack recipe which has been there for almost three years! One of my reasons for not trying this particular recipe is because of Mr KHz’s claim.  He prefers his mom’s usual prawn fritters and he strongly stated that those sold by the roadside vendors are merely a fried mixture of  flour and water but no prawns! I, on the other hand, grew up with the vendors’ version of prawn fritters so initially, I was quite offended for Mak used to sell her prawn fritters and they were a great hit! So, putting Mr KHz’s belief aside, I ventured into the kitchen and prepared Mak’s version of prawn pritters or commonly known as goreng udang by my family members.

GLORIOUSLY CRUNCHY PRAWN FRITTERS

A CLOSE UP JUST TO PROVE WHY I HAD TO WHIP UP A BATCH OF THESE

As usual, I’ve ammended zarin@myresipi.com’s recipe for I didn’t have all the ingredients stated in hers and, my ‘eaters’ are mere carnivores, so, here goes!

PRAWN FRITTERS

Ingredients :

• 320g flour
• 1 egg
• 1 onion (quartered)
• 1 teaspoonful of MAGGI ikan bilis granules
• 1 teaspoonful of salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups of water
• 1 teaspoonful of instant dry yeast
• 1 teaspoonful of turmeric powder
• enough cooking oil for deep frying
• 15-20 pieces of medium size prawns (cleaned, peeled but leave the tails intact)

Method :

1. In a bowl, mix flour, yeast and turmeric powder.
2. Next, put the remaining ingredients into the blender and grind till fine. Pour this mixture into the bowl containing the flour mixture and mix well.
3. Cover the bowl with cling plastic and let to rise for 30 minutes.
4. Heat up coking oil in a pot over medium fire. Then, lower a metal ladle (I used a 5 cm diameter ladle) into the hot oil. Then, take out from the oil and spoon the batter into the ladle. Top with prawns.
5. Next, put the ladle into the hot oil. Make sure the batter has hardened before pushing it off the ladle.
6. Deep fry till golden brown and drain on kitchen towel.
7. Serve with your favourite chilli sauce.

Note :

“Macam mana rasa cucur udang saya?”

“Hmm..kenapa  tak buat dari dulu lagi?”

“Laa…kan awak kata tak suka cucur udang jenis macam ni, tak suka yang macam orang selalu jual tu.”

“Diorang jual, tepung je lebih, lepas tu, dapat kulit udang je. Charge bukan main mahal!”

“Ni, kira okaylah ya? Boleh buat lagi ke cucur udang versi ni?”

“Hari Ahad buat lagi boleh?”

So….. my dear readers, should I be honoured or regretful? You tell!

Another Stock Finishing Project

‘Rojak buah‘ (Malaysian Fruit Salad) is also my idea of  what a snack should be. There are various brands of ‘kuah rojak’ (the sauce to be mixed with your cut fruits) available in the market but I find the smell of  ’petis’ (a type of shrimp paste made from prawn heads and a mixture sugar and chillies) a bit overpowering. Since I enjoy eating ‘rojak’, I went to myresipi.com to look for an alternative and this wonderful site has never failed me.

I have been using this recipe (ammended, as usual) all this while and whenever we are having a ‘makan-makan’ session in school, I have always been asked to bring this kuah rojak along. I like this recipe because it is simple and keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge.

Last Sunday, as I was ‘studying’ the ingredients in my fridge to figure out what to prepare, I couldn’t help but noticing my ‘kuah rojak‘ container in the fridge. I was very sure that the half-filled container has been around for quite long so I decided to prepare this snack below. After all, I had to use up my cucumber as well. Ah yes, if you also enjoy deep fried tofu, this would be a good snack for you. All you need to do is to deep dry your tofu pieces, cut them into smaller chunks and pour your sauce. It would have tasted better if ground peanuts are sprinkled over but I did not have  any. However, being the glutton me, I finished everything on the plate!

DEEP FRIED TOFU WITH ‘KUAH ROJAK’ AND SHREDDED CUCUMBER

Ingredients  for the sauce :

• 2 bottles of chilli sauce (I used Aminah Hassan brand)
• 1 bottle of sweet soy sauce (I used Kipas Udang brand)
• 15 to 20 pieces of bird’s eye chillies
• 3 cm piece of shrimp paste (belacan)
• 1/4 cup of water
• 2 pieces of palm sugar (finely chopped)

Method :

1. In a pot, put all ingredients and stir continuously over medium heat till thickens.
2. Let to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge.

I Tried Because I Enjoyed Eating It!

Besides baking, I also enjoy snacks, which simply means, indulging myself in deep fried and piping hot items. One item which I really enjoy is ‘vadei’ and I had a trying making a batch this evening for tea. It’s a solo event because I’m the only one who enjoy this treat. Anyway, here’s the photo and the recipe if you wish to try.

‘VADEI’

Ingredients :

• 100g of split lentils (soaked for 3 hours)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 green chilli (finely chopped)
• 1 red chilli (finely chopped)
• a sprig of curry leaves (finely chopped)
• salt to taste

Method :

1. Drain the lentils and divide into two portions. Grind a portion finely and the other coarsely. Once ground, put into a bowl.
2. Mix ground lentils with the other ingredients and add salt to taste.
3. Wet your palms and shape mixture into balls and flattened. I did mine slightly larger than a golf ball.
4. Deep fry in hot vegetable oil till brown and crispy.

If You Find It Tacky, Just Leave

If I’m not mistaken, I started blogging in 2008. So far, I’ve enjoyed my blogging sessions and always feel touched and encouraged with the comments stated by the visitors.  Some time this week, after posting my Salmon Rolls with Cream Cheese entry, I received a comment saying “As if”. I was not angry but rather amused. I have never forced anyone to visit this blog and if this so-called visitor found it tacky, he or she only has himself or herself to blame. Who decided to view my entry at the first place? It is as simple as leaving this page if it does not suit your taste. End of story. Luckily wordpress has put this particular comment as a spam and I had deleted it instantaneously.

Well, let’s move on to something more rewarding than getting annoyed.  Food perhaps? Well, as I was looking for by tinned beans this morning, I noticed a ‘lonely’ packet of MAGGI Curry Flavour Instant Noodles.  Well, since I always look for simple dishes to prepare, this recipe featured in tiffinbiru.blogspot.com has caught my attention for quite some time. Finally, I decided to give it a try. I had further amended the recipe, using lesser ingredients and cooking steps and thank goodness, it turned out to be quite tasty too. If you want to know the actual recipe, just go to tiffinbiru.

‘MURTABAK MAGGI’

Ingredients :

• 1 packet of MAGGI instant noodles (curry flavour) (keep the flavour sachet aside)
• 2 pieces of beef burger patties (finely chopped)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1 red chilli (deseeded and finely chopped)
• a sprig of coriander leaves (finely chopped)
• 2 eggs

Method :

1. Boil the noodles till tender and leave to drain. Divide into two portions.
2. Put some oil in a pan and stir fry chopped beef patties till cook. Put in chopped ingredients and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Keep aside.
3. Mix this mixture with the spices from the flavour sachet and divide into two portions. I shall call this (B)
4. Crack open an egg and mix with a portion of (B) and a portion of  noodles. Mix well.
5. Heat some oil in a non-stick pan and pour the noodles mixture. Flatten it and fry for 3 minutes on medium heat.
6. Then, flip to the other side and fry till crispy. Put onto a paper towel to drain excess oil.
7. Repeat the steps withe the remaining ingredients.
8. Cut into wedges and serve warm.