Jiu Hu Char (Stir Fried Jicama)

 

The central ingredient for Jiu Hu Char? Jicama, aka, yam beans and in our local Malay language, sengkuang. Thus? Obviously? The birth of Jiu Hu Char which is by far one of the looked forward to dish during or while tucking into a Nyonya meal. Yep. Me and my Nyonya cooking (Ikan Buah Keluak, Nasi Kerabu, Kerabu Taugeh, Nyonya Mee Siam & Nyonya Hot Sour Noodles in Fish Soup)? Usually, as far as I know, the other key ingredient for Jiu Hu Char is cuttlefish. But I decided to do it my way with dried shrimps. Furthermore, I gave Jiu Hu Char a twist by adding button mushrooms. Why can't we? After all, like I always say, its our cooking and its the comfort of the ingredients we want instead of replicating recipes blindly? Sure. Of course (Nyonya Lam Mee & Nyonya Curry Laksa). The pairing for this delightful Nyonya style to Jicama or yam beans? Trust me, you need our power lashing Sambal Belacan or Sambal Terasi. Just so sensational for immediately waking up your palates (Kangkung Belacan). 

Ikan Buah Keluak

Buah Keluak? We spoke about before? We sure did (Ayam Buah Keluak). So, let's just skip the topic to buah keluak and get down to the business of this next recipe. Ikan Buah Keluak. Fish cooked alongside the dark or really brown, inside and outside nuts. The cooking style? Another curry version and what's with fish and keluak as a food couple? Well, I thought I can get my other half-half to taste keluak. Fish (Thai Crispy Fish, Malaysian Fish Sambal & Malaysian Fish Head Curry) according to him is, he claims is brain food for all of us. Duh! Actually I have concluded fish is brain lubricating food for him (Ikan Goreng Kunyit & Ikan Goreng Asam). 

Roti Jala Kari Kambing

Roti Jala? How should I pretty much translate roti jala? Maybe best said as our Malaysian roti and a Malay style (Ayam Buah Keluak, Nasi Kerabu Biru, Sambal Belimbing Ikan Bilis, Kerabu Taugeh & Ikan Goreng Asam) roti or savory flat pancake. Making roti jala, meaning, the roti batter is not a brain cracker. But for me personally, since I made these roti jala for the first time, oh-god, what a killer. Not the batter lemme repeat again, the streaming of it out of the cup actually. The cup you need and this cup with like long teeth below where the batter will be stream out. The first few roti jala I made? Definitely out of shape. Then, after a few rounds, not bad, but still not perfection. And when it came to the much remaining batter thereafter, I decided roti jala will be made as thin pancakes. Ohhhh! Roti Jala by far must be paired alongside a spicy curry and what can be like the match in heaven for roti jala but kari kambing, aka mutton curry (Shahi Mutton Curry, Lamb Rogan Josh, Mutton Kurma & Mutton Keema). Sensational? Ah sensational? Yep. When you dip roti jala in the spicy Indian style curry, millions of knocks on food haven. Delicious. Utterly. Trust me. So, how about you making Roti Jala Kari Kambing? 

For roti jala

1 cup all purpose flour/tepung gandum/wheat flour (mine is all purpose)

1 egg

1 1/2 cup milk (carton milk)

1/2 tsp turmeric/kunyit powder

Water as needed

A pinch of salt.

Method

Add all the ingredients in a bowl except water. 

Whisk together while pouring water bit by bit and continue to whisk for a smooth consistency to stream down the cup.

Heat a flat pan.

Rub a little butter.

Stream the batter from the cup while circling out. 

Cook on both sides.

Careful when you lift the roti as not to break. 

Then either fold or gently roll the roti. 

Do the same to the balance of the batter.

For kari kambing/mutton curry

400g mutton - cut into bite sizes

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp plain chilli powder

** mix mutton with turmeric powder and chilli powder. Keep aside.

Note: you may consider pressure cooking to soften mutton. 

1 large onion - sliced 

Spices - 1 cinnamon, 3 clove, 1 star anize and 3 lightly crushed cardamom

1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp crushed black pepper

2 or 3 dried chillies - snipped

3 potatoes - sliced

2 sprigs coriander leaves - sliced

Salt for taste

1/4 cup oil

Method

Sauté onion, spices and dried chillies.

Add mutton and stir in.

Add coriander powder, and cumin powder.

Stir in.

Pour enough water for gravy.

Stir and simmer to 1/2 soften mutton.

Add potatoes. 

Stir and simmer to soften potatoes.

Add black pepper and season with salt.

Stir, off the heat and combine in coriander leaves. 

Sambal Goreng Udang Pete

Sambal Goreng Udang Pete basically is, Prawn Petai Sambal and petai in Indonesian language is known as pete. Pretty much the pod beans from the flat and bulging in the centre part long beans. The bulge is where the pod beans are in and which you need to remove. Or for easy cooking, just buy the pod beans in packets. My take all the time instead of doing the removing of the pod beans from the long beans. This sambal goreng udang pete is the Indonesian style. Of course, I have previously rolled out a couple of our Malaysian petai recipes (Sambal Petai Ikan Bilis, Sambal Sotong Petai, Sambal Udang Petai)? Remember? Can you recall (Sambal Tumis Bilis Petai, Sambal Petai Udang Kering & Sambal Bilis Petai)?  

Steamed Fish with Fermented Bean Paste

Fish and steaming. We have spoken about before right (Nyonya Steamed Fish, Vietnamese Steamed Fish, Thai Steamed Fish & Hong Kong Style Steamed Fish)? Of course. If I am not mistaken. In fact, I can clearly remember I spoke about fish and steaming in a couple of my recipes (Teochew Steamed Fish & Steamed White Pompret)? Now, what about fermented bean paste, also known as taucu or taucheo? For this, you should refer to my previous recipe of Mee Siam Kuah. Anyway for the gist of it, lemme tell you that fermented bean paste is? The outcome of soy beans fermented in salt over time. And these days, there's a couple of types. The sweet and salty ones, the spicy and salty ones and what not maybe you will discover if you are buying fermented bean paste.

Malaysian Banana Pancakes

Malaysia my, Malaysia mine and Malaysian me! Thus, the banana pancakes I made must be a Malaysian style right (Malaysian Style Sambal Sandwich, Malaysian Lamb Stew, Malaysian Indian Fish Curry & Malaysian Fried Mee Hoon)? Of course. If you asking me. Me the typical Malaysian and me, like, always fancying our Malaysian food and most of the time, my touch of Malaysia for my cooking as well (Malaysian Sour Spicy Fish Soup Noodles, Malaysian Fried Rice, Malaysian Chilli Crab, Malaysian Fried Mee, Malaysian Egg Benedicts & Malaysian Fish Sambal).

Ayam Buah Keluak

Buah Keluak? What is buah keluak? Its the hard nut. If I am not mistaken, only from Malacca and one which is a popular take for Nyonya and I think for Eurasian dishes too (Nyonya Acar Fish, Chicken Vindaloo, Ayam Pongteh & Masak Lemak Ikan Masin Nenas). Picture is attached, so? Have a look and find out if you have seen Buah Keluak before, or you have tasted before, or you have no clue whatsoever what is buah keluak. I? I am quite a buah keluak hero. Tasted. Love it. And not only once. To prepare the buah keluak before you cook? Quite a thing actually. Soak overnight. Enough. Overnight will do and do not fall for the wise cracks who will tell you, you must soak for a week. What a madness advice? Lemme repeat myself again. One night will do or a whole day and while at it, scrub the nuts as many times as possible. Why? You want to ensure that all those, whatever clinging on the nuts are thoroughly scrubbed away and before cooking, give a good crack. Just a crack or a bang with whatever you have for a crack on the nuts. That's about it for cleaning the nuts. Next of course is the cooking and this is the chicken (Rendang Ayam, Ayam Goreng Berempah, Ayam Masak Tiga Rasa & Ayam Masak Merah), cooked buah keluak. Just a simple recipe. The curry style with our pantry friendly ingredients and our Ayam Buah Keluak will be ready. The taste? Well, what should I say? Quite like a muddy gooey inside of keluak which definitely will click and jive with spicy and aromatic curry.