Pumpkin Soup - My Malaysian Style

A big or small bowl of soup is anytime and any day favourable. Of course, for the Westerners and Chinese (Chicken Chicken Meatball Soup, Chick Kut Teh, Chinese Black Vinegar Chicken & Chicken Wanton Soup) every day and every meal can be soupy. Either for kick starting their meal or slurped while tucking into the main course. For us Indians, our culture to soup is tipping soup into rice prior to eating (Indian Crab Soup & Indian Mutton Meatball Soup). Nevertheless, there is no right and wrong food formula for soups. However and whichever and between the thick or runny watery soups (Mutton Soup/Sup Kambing & Bee Hoon Soup). Basically, a matter of preference. Pumpkin Soup. Nava K coined, thick and creamy, coriander leaves garnished Malaysian style Pumpkin Soup. 

Grilled Chicken Wings

Are we ready ladies and gentlemen for another grilling cooking technic? I bet you have no qualms right? Grilling by far is definitely and sincerely healthier compared to frying. Grilling too can be done over portable stove top grilling pan. Remember I have already told you before (Grilled Salmon, Grilled Fish Stuffed With Sambal, Grilled Fish In Banana Leaf & Otak Otak/Grilled Fish Paste)? But today, its the grilling in the oven. Fortunately or unfortunately. If you don't own an oven, go ahead and fry. Chicken Wings (Cashew Masala Chicken) on the other hand has already been labelled as unhealthiness, yet if you are asking me, won't you agree that anything every now and then or once a while is fine? In fact, chicken wings are my fav. Marinated with honey (Honey Chilli Chicken) and chilli powder, these are the charred on the outside, and succulent and juicy on the inside Grilled Chicken Wings.  

Curry Mee (Vegetarian)

Curry Mee. The vegetarian version (Penang Curry Mee & Home Made Curry Mee). The power house of any curry mee, definitely must be the curry itself. Get the curry right and you have achieved millions of curry milestones. Otherwise? Keep practicing until you have perfected the curry. Alternatively, what is this curry mee vegetarian recipe doing here? Of course, obviously, if you are considering a totally to vegetarianism or as a base for a non-vegetarian curry. Curry made from homemade curry paste, coconut milk, tamarind, lemongrass and pretty much the customary ingredients for any curry for the matter. Once curry is made, we assemble noodles alongside fried brinjal, fried tofu, green chilli and spring onion, followed by generously pouring curry atop. My cooking style to my Curry Mee Vegetarian? Evidently, says it all. 

Pumpkin And Salted Fish Curry

Don't say anything unless you have cooked or you have tasted Pumpkin And Salted Fish Curry. Otherwise, leave it up to me to do the talking. Salted fish on the whole (Salted Fish Mango Sambal, Pada Salt Fish Pickle & Salt Fish Pickle)? In the first place, are you a salted fish lover? If you are, I say none further and when salted fish is cooked with pumpkin and in a spicy curry? Tad bit of sweetness, tad bit of sourness, tad bit of saltiness and a whole lot of spiciness. I think the picture of Pumpkin And Salted Fish Curry has also spoken? 

Pepper Mutton Curry

When you have been cooking mutton regularly? You should crown yourself as a mutton queen or king. Hahahaha! Jokes aside. Honestly, you should. I have already in fact (Mutton Peratal, Mutton Dalca, Muton Kurma, Masala Mutton Curry & Mutton Keema). Moreover, trust me, you will confidently coin your own mutton recipes. Of course, mutton style of cooking in an Indian household? Must be in a gravy and must be spicy, though you do have options to dry style mutton. Pepper Mutton Curry.  I am not saying anything. I shall leave it up to you. Nevertheless, I am assuming you must be salivating right now? 

Lamb Fried Rice

From Ghee Rice (Ghee Rice, Tomato Rice & Jeera/Cumin Rice), lets proceed to Lamb Fried Rice. Of course rice story in my house will forever be on the go. After all, we Malaysians? I don't know about you, I must admit I am the biggest fan of rice and when we speak about fried rice on the whole, there will be on end (Kampung Fried Rice, Belacan Fried Rice & Chinese Fried Rice). Lamb Fried Rice (Lamb Pho/Vietnamese Noodle Soup)? Leftover cooked rice, minced lamb, potato, red capsicum and we Malaysians, how can we say no to spiciness. 

Ghee Rice (Nei Choru)

Ghee Rice, aka Nei Choru! Walla! Imagine the scent and richness of ghee and also spices in ghee rice (Tomato Rice & Cumin Rice). Furthermore, ghee rice made from basmati rice? What a mini or major revelation of tastiness right? Pairing for ghee rice? Endless (Mutton Dalca, Mutton Kurma, Masala Mutton Curry, Ayam Masak Merah, Chicken Curry Potatoes & Bitter Gourd Prawn Curry). Oh, add some cashew nuts as well.   

Grilled Salmon

If you are beginner to salmon, in other words, you have not much explored salmon or have not cooked before, let me show the way. The cooking way of course (Malaysian Indian Fish Curry, Chilli Soy Fish, Fried Kembung Assam Sauce & Ikan Pari/Stingray Sambal). Salmon unlike our local catch. They pretty much don't need much messing around in terms of ingredients. All you need? Some seasoning of dried oregano, dried mint leaves or other suitable dried herb, plus some crushed black pepper, salt and a tiny bit of oil for pan grilling (Grilled Fish In Banana Leaf, Otak-Otak & Grilled Fish Stuffed With Sambal). In fact, can be done in a jiffy and a dash of lemon juice atop grilled salmon. My-My!  

Bitter Gourd Prawn Curry

Bitter Gourd. I know. Of course I know. Bitterness right? Obviously. Think again. Bitterness of bitter gourd is healthiness and when bitter gourd and prawns have become best friends in this spicy Indian curry. Believe me. Tolerable bitterness which also will be overpowered by spiciness and sourness (Tamarind Prawn Curry) and in return, Bitter Gourd Prawn Curry on the whole as a mouth packing delightfulness (Prawn Spinach Sodhi). So, what are you waiting for. Get the ingredients ready and get cooking. 

Valakkai Chips/ Plantain Chips

Valakkai, plantain or green raw bananas? They sure are a delight when fried as crispy chips? Of course. For a matter of fact, anything fried (Lotus Root Chips, Crab Stick Chips & Fried Shrimp Wantons)? I bet you know what I am talking about? Valakkai Chips. For crunching as a snack or as a side for our rice meals. What is outstanding about my style to frying valakkai? I added curry leaves and shallots. Otherwise, its all equal as other valakkai chips. 

Tomato Rice

Plain rice daily or you will prefer for a change this Tomato Rice? Trust me, effortless made. Thus, why not, why don't you consider (Jeera/Cumin Rice) Tomato Rice? For me personally, sometimes plain rice can be a killer on my palates and even when I heightened rice to another level by adding some ingredients, I am still rice cooker depended. So (Chinese Fried Rice, Belacan Fried Rice)? Rice elevated by tomato, shallots, ginger and garam masala.  

Fried Black Pomfret (Bawal Hitam) In Soy Sauce

What's with black pompret/bawal hitam in my house? Mostly, like directly or indirectly insisted by my other half-half. Why? His favorite amongst the rest of the catch. What about me? I just go with the fish flow because? We women. We are always putting our husbands and our family members in front of us even when food is a concern? We accommodate, or shall I say, as the years passes by, we just tolerate? Think about it, while I move on the recipe. Recipe. Not a winding road cooking show. The start is frying black pompret, thereafter make the sauce and tip over fish (Fried Fish in Soy Sauce & Spicy Grilled Black Pompret).

Tanni Saar (Sweet Leaf In Dhal Gravy)

Tanni Saar. A runny watery Indian dal curry/gravy (Sambar/Indian Dhal Curry) and the two prominent ingredients are? Obviously, we need dal/lentil and the other is tausi murunga keerai/sayur manis/sweet leaf. We are doing fine up to now right? Of course. Making of Tanni Saar? The know how? Get going to the recipe (Dalca/Dhal Mutton Curry) please. 

Sambal Belacan

Let's for a start talk about belacan before anything else. Even before I tell you about Sambal Belacan and how we can make Sambal Belacan. What is belacan? Wish I had a picture to attach, but nevermind. Words sometimes are more profound like belacan instead of picture speaking for itself. Belacan is shrimp fermented in salt over a period of time and prior to being dried in sun. The types of belacan we have in Malaysia. The dark brown in color pieces of belacan or these days, you can easily buy already roasted and powdered belacan, and the best belacan as far as I have tested tasted, is Malacca Belacan. Wonder what is the magic for Malacca Belacan, but it sure taste different and outstanding. The how to belacan? Unless we are referring to belacan powder, the start to belacan before you cook, obviously is roasting and a tiny bit goes a long way mind you. Remember, belacan is salty, so. Thereafter, belacan can be an ingredient for our Malaysian sambal dishes (Grilled Fish Stuffed With Sambal, Sambal Udang & Ikan Kembung Cabai Hijau) and mostly for seafood dishes as far as I know. Of course, we shouldn't discount belacan for vegetable stir fries (Kangkung Belacan) and by the way, have you tried Belacan Fried Rice?

Dum Aloo

If there is Chilli Aloo or even Mysore Bonda, there must be Dum Aloo right? Or maybe I must also include our Malaysian Spicy Potato Ikan Bilis? Most probably. But this Dum Aloo. No. no. Not the standardized kinda. Its actually the Malaysian version to a Dum Aloo. Why? Potatoes (Aloo Gobi) stir fried alongside lemongrass and chilli paste, dried shrimps, tomato and of course, we need shallots and curry leaves. A winning Malaysian cooking formula right? For a vegetarian version, do the right thing. Omit dried shrimps.