FIsh Ball Noodle Soup

Fish Ball Noodle Soup. No, no. Not market bought fish balls, but made from a scratch, home made fish balls. Yes. Indeed. I made fish balls for a change. Can you believe it? For someone like me who is, if not always, sometimes taking the door to ready made ingredients (Hong Kong Wonton Noodle Soup, Sichuan Noodle Soup &  Bee Hoon Soup), I actually did it for these fish balls in noodles and soup. Why, are you asking me? Well, what should I tell you? Maybe because I wanted fish broth (Cambodian Sour Fish Soup & Vietnamese Fish Soup) from the bones after carefully stripping away fish flesh (Yong Tau Foo) for fish balls. Not bad right? I know. In fact, we had a ball of a time over this Fish Ball Noodle Soup. Really bouncy and no smell soft fish balls, and as I have already told you, fish bones and skin simmered for extracting the broth (Nyonya Spicy Fish Noodle Soup, Salted Fish Bone Soup, Thai Fish Noodle Soup & Penang Assam Laksa). Next? Hand crafted and hand rolled fish balls cooked in the broth till they floated atop and together with the broth, generously poured over noodles, garnished with fried shallots and fried basil leaves atop just my invention at the spur of the moment from the basil leaves grown in my garden. Of course, you can use spring onion or even coriander leaves. Conclusively, Fish Ball Noodle Soup, wouldn't you agree is making your hungry right now and imagine, what a feeling when tucked in during and after rain has fallen down from the sky (Hokkien Hae Mee, Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup & Chinese Vegetable Noodle Soup)?

Malu Kirata

There is Kiri Hodi and there is also Malu Kirata, or Sri Lankan fish coconut stew. Furthermore, when we speak about Sri Lankan food on the whole, how can not include coconut milk mostly (Sri Lankan Carrot Salad) for whichever dish for the matter (Sodhi)? You bet. Of course, we Asians pretty much love the concept of coconut milk tipping into our cooking as well. In fact, why go so far. Even for our Malaysian savory dishes (Salted Fish Pineapple Coconut Stew & Shrimp Coconut Milk) and even for our desserts (Pumpkin Sago Dessert) and I think fish is a diet for maybe everyone around the world regardless whether we are surrounded by sea or not. Over in Malaysia too (Malaysian Fish Sambal) and in my house particularly, we are fish dependent at least twice or once a week and who can be a better Malaysian to speak about fish except Nava K. Various types of fish dishes from near and far beyond has already been my cooking skills (Nadan Meen Curry, Malabar Fish Curry, Meen Puttu & Thai Fish Noodle Soup) and I don't think there will be a full-stop to fish for as long as forever (Burmese Fish Biryani, Mauritian Fish Curry, Vietnamese Fish Soup & Bengali Fish Curry). This Malu Kirata was the latest trended in my kitchen. Perhaps not really the authentic kinda, but trust me, without compromising on Sri Lankan food fab. Masala fried fish tipped into a creamy and tangy coconut milk stew.

Wajik Pulut

Nothing like our Malaysian sugar and sweet delight. A big yes from me personally of course (Pumpkin Sago Dessert, Malaysian Sago Pudding, Kuih Buah Melaka & Bingka Pisang). Not to say I am anti Western desserts, but by far the joy is forever Malaysia made desserts, aka kuih-muih and I might as well include other close to us Asian desserts (Thai Mango Sticky Rice) though so little from other Asian continent I have made. Perhaps who knows in the near future? Maybe. Today, the dessert card I have drawn is this Wajik Pulut (Sweet Glutinous Rice Cakes). Nevertheless, not the traditional or typical one like those made by my mum. Those stirred for almost hours and really heavy sugar loading. I on the other hand decided I can limit the amount of sugar and who said you can't? Not me, lemme repeat myself again. Oh please! Gone are the days we think unless we go heavy on sugar, our Malaysian desserts will not turn out to be as expected. Not so true. Look at this Wajik Pulut. Says it all right? Made within like an hour and without my arms breaking into two. Ingredients for Wajik Pulut? Obviously, glutinous rice which you have to prior steam and later, tipped into the palm sugar, coconut milk and pandan leaves syrup and stirred till you obtain a thick rice mixture. Thereafter, tipping mixture in a tray before spreading evenly. Wajik Pulut? Sedap! Deliciousness! Hail our this, one of it as part of our kuih-muih/local delicacies.

Lemon Bars

Made once before but it headed to almost to disaster. Not to say couldn't be eaten, but I personally didn't like how the pictures of the previous lemon bars.  So, I deleted the recipe after leaving it uploaded in this space of mine for a year. Not at all regrettable because when I decided to make Lemon Bars again, I already knew it. Which and what ingredients and also keeping the oven temperature in control for the birth of these Lemon Bars. Lemons of course, tell me about it? Scent and their tanginess and tartness (Lemon Cashew Rice &  Baked Lemon Chicken). Oh my, I can feel my tongue being tickled right now, and pretty much lemons jiving and dancing well in savory and sweet pleasures (Lemon Cream Pie & Lemon Buttermilk Cake). Naturally then, do we have say anything else when these Lemon Bars are a concern? Oh-my-my. Simply the melting and crumbling moment. The moment you daintily bite in and the scent of lemon an ultimate dessert time (Nescafe Ice Cream, Classic Genoise, Mandarin Orange Cake, Saffron Poached Pears & Chocolate Cheesecake).

Hokkien Hae Mee

Sometimes, don't we have the tendency to cook the same dishes again and again? In fact, if you are asking me about our daily meals, we usually repeat the dishes. Of course, the practically to cooking. I mean, how many new dishes do we actually initiate in a month or even every forth night considering our crisis for time and maybe because we have a certain liking for a specific dish? Mind you, its the same cooking story in my house as well regardless of the fact that since I started this space of mine, I have been exploring a whole lot of new dishes (Singapore Mee Siam, Siamese Laksa Lemak, Malaysian Fried Mee Hoon & Chinese Vegetable Noodle Soup). Not because I want to impress all of you, but for my own cooking pride and also I want to improvise on the dishes I have cooked before. Take this Hokkien Hae Mee as an example. Made before (Penang Mee Yoke) and I guess there's always such as thing as another round of another style or version.

Chinese Ginseng Chicken Soup

Roots, barks, herbs and chicken. Pretty much the centrality for Chinese Ginseng Chicken Soup. Of course, we do have a choice to the high rank and grade Korean ginseng (Korean Radish Soup), but for me personally, its a big no due to its bitterness and strong content. I in fact have tasted Korean ginseng tea and soups which I really couldn't digest and trust me, I almost not only throw up, I actually felt as though my body is on fire. Chinese ginseng (Chinese Chicken Herbal Soup) on the other hand is mild even in soups and I also fancy those home made healthy and nutritious Chinese soups, including the vegetarian variants (Chinese Vegetable Noodle Soup, Old Cucumber Soup, Chinese Tofu Soup & Burdock Root Soup). 

Meen Puttu

Meen Puttu, aka Fish Puttu. What is Meen Puttu? Meen Puttu is basically fish simmered alongside turmeric powder and salt, thereafter shredded/flaked and stir fry with the customary or must have Indian ingredients. Of course when we refer to Indian cooking (Indian Spiced Salmon & Indian Fish Curry), chillies, spices and curry leaves are part and parcel of our cooking, and for meen puttu, we add fresh grated coconut. Pretty much that is the food cooking lingo for Meen Puttu and if you are asking me, I must admit there are other varieties to this fish dish which, do I have repeat myself is a popularity amongst us Indians? Furthermore, sura or shark (Sura Meen Kuzhambu/Shark Curry) is usually the choice, but nothing should stop you from using any other firm fish and even for the Kerala (Tuna Thoran, Malabar Fish Curry & Kerala Fish Fry) or Sri Lankan style (Sri Lankan Coconut Gravy) Meen Puttu, the ingredients are more or less similar. For my version, I opted for tenggiri/Indian mackerel which by far you shouldn't discount against for the outcome of a crumbled and a role play of the favourite Indian tastes Meen Puttu (Tandoori Salmon, Fish Head Curry, Bengali Fish Curry & Meen Kulambu).