Month: March 2012

Dry Pork Curry

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I first had this at my parent’s friend’s house during Deepavali and instantly, I loved it. It’s definitely not like your usual curry. It’s pork, for one, and it’s not similar to the rich and heavy gravy that you usually get when having curry. It is my idea of a healthier curry! There is no coconut milk added, and you don’t even need to add water! Amazing huh?

I made my mum ask Aunty Lata for the recipe so that she could cook it for us on a regular basis. haha Last year when she came, she cooked it for us for dinner one night and it was perfect for a cold winter night! There and then, I asked her to tell me the recipe verbally while I recorded it down. I stashed it in one of the boxes with my other recipes and forgot all about it!

I was looking for a winter warmer recipe (in Autumn, I know) cause it’s been s0 cold these couple of days and found it folded and clipped in between my food magazines. So I decided to give it a shot and I was so glad I did! It was spicy and tangy and just went so well with quinoa! Of course, it would be awesome with roti and steamed rice too!

I decided to do a step by step photo-recipe so that you will be able to get this dry pork curry on your dining table without much hassle and too much thought! I do hope you all will enjoy!

Aunty Lata’s Dry Pork Curry

Ingredients :

400g pork, sliced (I used the shoulder, with the skin and fat trimmed)

2 tbs curry powder (I used Baba’s meat curry powder)

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp ground white pepper

1 tomato, diced

2 tbs olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 star anise

1 tbs curry leave (I used dried, you can use fresh ones if you have)

1-2 tsp garlic salt

Steps :

1) Marinade the pork in a tupperware with the curry powder, dark soy, garlic and tomato. Mix it till it’s well combined and let it marinade for at least 2 hours. Would be even better overnight!

 

2) In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbs of olive oil on medium-high heat and add the star anise and fry till fragrant. Add the onions and curry  leave and fry till the onions soften.

3)  Pour in the marinated pork and fry till the pork is cooked.

 4) Lower the heat to low-medium and cover the pot, allowing it to simmer for about 30 mins. DO NOT add any water to the pot as the tomatoes and the pork itself would provide sufficient liquid through the cooking process!

5) Lift the lid and allow it to simmer for a further 15 mins, giving the liquid time to evaporate and thicken the curry.

 Serve with quinoa or steamed white rice and ENJOY! (:

So what is your favourite kind of curry? Share with me! (:

Green Papaya Salad with Avocado

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I have been watching Poh’s Kitchen, and I really like how she is able to come up with recipes of things she have tried from different regions and countries. When I first saw this episode of Poh’s Kitchen on the road last year, I was super excited, because she went to Singapore! I was really thrilled (:

She made this amazing green papaya salad which made the mr and I drive out to Footscray Market to get the ingredients immediately. It’s almost like the Thai version of the papaya salad but she mashed an avocado which acted as a dressing that made the dish creamy and appetizing at the same time! Asian fruit salads are one of my favourites, when you have a bite, there is an explosion of different flavours. Sweet, salty, sour and spicy! This salad is exactly it!

It’s a really refreshing salad and it would go really well with any other asian dishes. I highly recommend something spicy like chilli prawn or BBQ stingray. YUM!

Green Papaya and Avocado Salad (adapted from Poh’s Kitchen On The Road)

1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil
1/3 cup ikan billis
2 cups green papaya or paw paw, shredded (see note)
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ cup mint leaves, torn
½ cup picked coriander leaves
4 spring onions, green and white parts, sliced finely
1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
1/2 of an avocado, mashed
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 teaspoons tamarind paste
3 teaspoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons caster sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Steps :

1. Heat vegetable oil in a small saucepan over a medium to high heat. Deep fry the ikan blilis and dry them on a kitchen towel.

2. To make the dressing : combine chilli, avocado, garlic, tamarind, fish sauce, sugar and lime juice in a bowl and mix with a fork  until nicely combined. Check the balance of the dressing and adjust accordingly adding fish sauce for saltiness, sugar for sweetness and lime juice for acid.

3. In a large mixing bowl combine the prepared papaya, tomatoes, mint, coriander, spring onions and dressing and toss very gently with your hands until just combined.

4. Sprinkle the deep-fried ikan billis over the top and serve immediately.

Note : To peel the green papaya (or paw paw), deseed and use one of those Asian peelers with the shredding attachment to shred the papaya to thin pieces. Alternatively, you could cut them into long matchsticks (about 10cm long) using a sharp knife. Try not to use a grater, as it might bruise the papaya and will become very watery.

1st Giveaway : SAVOUR Singapore

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I am really excited. This is the first time I was approached to have a giveaway! (: For a food event nonetheless! What got me even more excited is that it is in collaboration with Nespresso Singapore! How awesome is that?

If you’re a coffee lover, then having a Nespresso machine is definitely a must! My mr got his machine on his first pay check, being the coffee lover he is! And he had absolutely no regrets! It is, in my opinion, a good way to save money! Cause you don’t really have to get your coffees from the cafes anymore. Just make one and put it in a to-go-cup and you’re all set! It’s as easy as pressing a button!

Look at the perfect layering of the coffee and the crema! It’s really the same amazing results everytime!

From now till mid April, do visit http://www.channelnewsasia.com/nespresso to gain more insight about anything to do with coffee. Basically, it’s a Nespresso Coffee Online Encyclopedia! You can learn about the right way to experience the Nespresso coffee the right way. Also there is a contest you can participate in that could win you a Nespresso PIXIE machine. Additionally, they are giving away $100 vouchers to the 1st 10 correct answers daily on the quiz found on the website! So do click on the link to win!

Alright, enough of the amazing machine. Here is the main reason for this post!

Thanks to Nespresso Singapore, I’ve been given  2 tickets to give to a lucky winner to attend this amazing food event, SAVOUR! SAVOUR, is a first of its kind in Singapore, with a philosophy to unite the finest food and drink with a plethora of expert master classes, live demonstrations, fun workshops and culinary shopping. How I wish I was back home, so that I would be able to attend this event! It’s very very similar to the Melbourne Food and Wine show. So if you love food and would love to learn more about certain types of cuisine, this event would be perfect for you!

It’s a 3 day event, but the tickets that I was given is for the 30th of March, Friday at 6pm, and is held at the F1 Paddock & Pit Building.

(Credits: Photo from savour.sg)

So how do you win this? Just leave a comment telling me who you would like to attend this event with and why! This giveaway will end on Thursday 29th of March 2012 at 5pm, and the winner will be announced and notified at 8pm (Singapore time). I do apologise for this short period of time to enter the giveaway, but I assure you, it’s an event you food lovers wouldn’t want to miss!

Watch the video to learn more about the event!

So do leave your comments and I’m looking forward to awarding the one lucky reader a pair of tickets! (:

PS: The giveaway is for the residents of Singapore only. Unfortunately, due to the short period of time, we won’t be able to give the tickets to readers overseas, as you won’t be able to attend the event on time. I do apologise! I’m sure there would be other events in the future!

Disclaimer : This is a collaboration with Nespresso Singapore, and I wasn’t paid to write this post. 

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Congrats Jolene! I will be contacting you on how to collect your tickets! (:

Thank you everyone for commenting! So sorry I’ve only got one pair of tickets to giveaway. There will be more in the future! xx

Boozy Nutty Brownie

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When you think of St Patrick’s Day, you think of stout. Word association I say. That was exactly what we got to have on this special day (: Of course, I am more of a cider girl, so my choice was the Dirty Granny.

We never really celebrated St Patrick’s Day, but this year, I was just really itching to bake something. It has been a while since I used the oven for baking sweets, so I thought I should really get cracking. I bookmarked a recipe from Steph from her amazing blog Raspberri Cupcakes  a long time ago, and as I went through my endless list of “recipes to try”, my eyes was drawn to her ‘Beer & Nut’ Brownie! So I had to give it a try for sure (:

This was a perfect recipe to whip up on a Saturday night, it was quick and definitely delicious! Especially when you’re craving something chocolatey. This would definitely satisfy that craving, or any sweet craving that’s for sure! It was crispy on the outside, moist on the inside! Don’t worry if you’re not a huge fan of the taste of stout (like me), cause like Steph said, the taste of stout is really subtle, you will taste more chocolate than stout for sure! And if you ask me, the addition of peanut butter was just perfect. Yes, peanut butter. Just for extra crunch, I used the crunchy one. YUM!

My brownies didn’t turn out as beautiful as Steph’s though. Sadly, my swirls came out as blobs. haha But nevertheless, it was delicious and definitely something I would make when I am craving for something nutty and chocolatey!

Thanks for allowing me to share the recipe Steph! (:

Steph’s ‘Beer & Nut’ Brownies from Raspberri Cupcakes

(serves approximately 20)
125g semisweet chocolate
100g butter
100ml stout (Steph used chocolate stout but I couldnt find it but the regular stout worked too!)
2 eggs
3 tbsp dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
75g plain flour
190g caster sugar
160g peanut butter (smooth or crunchy, your preference!)

Steps :

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Grease very well and line the bottom and two long sides of a 20x30cm baking tin. Let the baking paper hang over the long edges so that it will make it easier to lift brownie out later.

2. Break up chocolate into small pieces and chop up butter into 1cm cubes and place in a heatproof bowl. Heat over a saucepan of boiling water. Stir and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

3. Sift cocoa powder, sugar and flour into a large mixing bowl. Add melted ingredients, stout and eggs to the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Take care not to overmix or the brownies will be tough. Pour into prepared tin.

4. If peanut butter is coming out of the fridge, you may need to heat it gently in a small saucepan to make it less viscous. Using a teaspoon, place dollops of peanut butter over the surface of the brownie mix. Using a round-bladed knife, swirl peanut butter into the brownie mix.

5. Bake for 22-25 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.

6. Remove from the oven and place tin on a wire rack. Cool completely in tin before removing and cutting into squares. Can be stored overnight in an airtight container in the fridge.

Before you serve, microwave the brownies on high for 20 secs to warm them up and serve with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream. Match-made in heaven. (: ENJOY!

A Review Post Gone Korean Crazy

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We are addicted. Addicted to everything Korean. But more specifically, Running Man! We were introduced to this awesome tv game show by the Mr’s sister, Melissa, and we have been crazy about it ever since! If you haven’t had a chance to watch any episodes, I urge you to watch them! I have to warn you though, you would laugh so hard, you would get cramps or even fall off your chair!

So the last few episodes that we watched, they went around the different cities of Korea buying the famous korean food and snacks at their night markets. That made us drool and made our stomachs growl. We usually watch an episode before going to bed, and boy was that a bad idea. We were so hungry by the time the episode was over. haha

Needless to say, we were both craving for Korean food! If you follow me on Instagram, you would have realised that for my dinners, I’ve been making my own versions of korean dishes just to satisfy those cravings. But after the weightlifting competition the mr took part in last night, we couldn’t resist but to head to Han Guuk Guan at Carlton for dinner since it on our way home.

Han Guuk Guan

Address : 13 Victoria Street, Melbourne Vic 3000

Telephone : (03) 96391747

This family-run Korean restaurant is gem hidden behind taller buildings along Victoria Street. We use to dine there really often when we were living in Carlton a few years ago. But haven’t been there for ages! They serve both chinese and korean dishes and trust me, both cuisines are yummy (Do take note that they only serve korean on Mondays, in case you would like to try their chinese dishes).

The staff were very friendly and the whole restaurant was filled with the delicious smell of BBQ meat. We couldn’t wait to get seated and have our food!

We ordered the seafood pancake as a starter. It was really crispy on the outside and was made with a mixture of vegetables and seafood. It came with a tangy sauce which made it even more delicious!

Though the starter appeared to be small, the mains were huge! The Yu Seul Jaa Jung Meon (Black Bean Noodles with Seafood) was DELICIOUS! There is something about me and black noodles. I can’t have enough of them.  As unappealing as it looks, trust me. When you take your first bite, you will be in love! However, the combination of hunger and delicious food was horrible though, I ate two bowls so quickly, I was stuffed even before the other dish arrived! haha

The Mr was really happy with how delicious the food was! (: And he sure had a big appetite after his weightlifting competition and he finished everything!

of course, we couldn’t resist ourselves from ordering our favourite dish: Soondubu Jjigae (Spicy Seafood Toufu Stew) ! Especially on a cold and rainy night, this was perfect! The soup was really tasty and breaking the raw egg yolk just made the soup/stew thicker.

We definitely left the restaurant full and happy! The price was really reasonable too for the portion size! And what made us even happier was that the Mr did really well at the competition! 3 Personal Best lifts yo! (: Congrats baby!

So the next time you are around Carlton or even the city and you crave Korean, you know where to go! (:



 

A Day to Remember

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Thank you everyone who have congratulated us on our big day (: It was definitely and still is a day we cherish and will remember for the rest of our lives. Here are a few videos that were shared with our family and friends.

This was a pre-wedding video done by the best man, Jacky. Thank you so much for spending so much time to help us with this. It was awesome. Also, a big thank you to my cousin, Darren for writing us an original song (:

This was done by Emotif Videos. The morning express which includes the gate crashing, traditional tea ceremony and our church wedding!

Last but not least, our wedding dinner at Mandarin Oriental Singapore. It was definitely an eventful night. Thanks so much to all who gave speeches, Stephie who sang beautifully and everyone who was there!

Enjoy! (:

Childhood Memories

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Ever had a dish from your childhood that you can remember vividly and you try to recreate it recently? I sure do!

I remember when I was young and I use to head to my 3rd aunt’s house to stay over the weekend. She would call me the day I am heading over to ask me what I would like to have for dinner. The conversation would go like this (direct translation from mandarin) :

Aunt : What would you like to have tonight? (你今晚想吃什么?)

Me : You anyhow cook, I anyhow eat！ (你乱乱煮,我乱乱吃!）

That conversation still cracks me up! haha That’s how horrible my mandarin was (and is, sadly), since I was 2/3 years old! But my aunt knew what my favourite dish of hers was and she would whip it up for dinner when I’m over. So what is it? Fried prawn egg! It’s simple but so so delicious! Till now, when there are family potluck gatherings, she would make it for us!

Since we got back from Singapore, we have decided to abstain from meat on Fridays. It was difficult to prepare lunches for Fridays to be brought to work. You won’t want it to be too messy, and you would want something that could be easily eaten using a spoon. So immediately, this dish popped out in my head! So I have been doing trail and error to get the perfect recipe and I think my last attempt was the closest! The secret is to fry it like an omelet and make sure both sides are nice and brown before using your spatula to chop it into small bits of pieces.

So here’s the recipe! Hope you will enjoy it as much as we do!

Fried Prawn Egg (Adapted from My Aunt)

300g prawns, deshelled, deveined and cut into small pieces

2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

4 eggs

1 tbs olive oil

3 tsp fish sauce

3 tsp sesame oil

white pepper, to season

spring onion, chopped, to garnish (optional)

Steps :

1) In a small metal bowl, season the prawns with 1 tsp of fish sauce, 1 tsp of sesame oil and pepper. In another bowl, crack the eggs in and season the egg with 2 tsp of fish sauce, 2 tsp of sesame oil and pepper.

2) Heat a flat, non-stick frying pan on medium to high heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and fry till fragrant (careful not to burn them). Add the prawns and fry till they are brown and caramelised on the outside. Add the egg and spread it around the frying pan evenly.

3) Turn the heat down to medium and allow it to brown on one side then flip it to the other side, and allow that to brown too. This should take about 3-5 mins (on each side). You may check the progress by gently lifting up the sides with a spatula.

4) Once both sides are nice and brown and crispy, the fun (and distressing I might add) part begins. Use your spatula and randomly chop the omelet into small pieces. Allow it to fry for a further 3-4 mins then serve!

Serve this with rice or quinoa. Enjoy! (:

This is the mr’s portion haha in a “Light My Fire” lunchbox! Doing our bit for the environment! hehe

So dear readers, what is one childhood memory you can’t forget? Would love to hear it!

ps: so sorry about the quality of the photos. They were shot by my iphone4s. Been a bit lazy getting my camera. 🙂

Homemade BBQ Pork (Char Siew)

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I’ve always been a fan of roast meats, especially roast duck and roast pork belly. If you follow me on instagram, I actually head to Golden Harvest Restaurant at Footscray for their roast duck and it’s the best roast duck I’ve had!

It’s usually a treat when we head there for dinner. A celebratory meal (:

Of course another favourite of mine is BBQ pork (char siew) and not just any char siew, specifically my mum’s. Ever since she made her version of BBQ pork, my brother and I have never liked any other versions that we had that is bought. Something that bothers my dad alot is the artificial red colouring of most of the store bought BBQ pork. And mum’s has no sign of that at all.

Tender and juicy pieces of BBQ pork that were cooked in an AMC pot! AMC pots are magic, really. And I’m a super lucky girl, cos whenever I am back for a holiday, mum would surely make her char siew for me. (:

So when I’m back here in Melbourne. Of course I miss mummy’s char siew and I decide to give it a shot, without the AMC pot. haha with my fingers ans toes crossed, I marinated the meat and baked it in the oven!

I have to say, it was close but it’s still lacking the same punch and kick as the one mummy makes. But for now this would have to do and we will just have to keep trying and altering the marinade until we get it spot on! But this definitely satisfied our cravings that night!

So here’s my take on BBQ pork, how do you usually make yours?

Homemade BBQ Pork (An original recipe of Food Made With Love)

400g pork fillet (or any tender cut)

2 tbs Lee Kum Kee Char Siew Sauce

1 tbs Hoisin Sauce

1 tbs oyster sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, chopped garlic

1 tbs shao xing wine

1 tsp ground white pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

Steps :

1) Marinade the pork fillet with all the other ingredients listed above for at least 2 hours (even better overnight).

2) Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. In a deep baking tray, place the marinated pork and pour 1/3 of the marinade on top of the pork. Cover the pork with baking paper to make sure the top doesnt burn (not yet anyways!). Bake for 20 mins and take it out to flip it to the other side.

3) Pour another 1/3 of the marinade on top and bake it for another 15 mins without covering this time.

4) Take it out and flip it for the last time, pouring the remaining marinade on top of the pork fillet and bake it for another 10 mins, or until tender.

5) For the last 5 mins, turn the grill on and allow the top of the pork fillet to char.

6) Allow the pork to rest for 10 mins before slicing it to thin pieces. Remember to scrape all the yummy sauce on the baking tray and serve it with the pork or on the side. ENJOY!

I prefer to have the sauce on my char siew. Have it with your choice of carbs. Of course mine is quinoa, how bout you?

Mummy’s Claypot Rice

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When I first came to Melbourne about 8 years ago, I didn’t know how to cook at all. The only thing I actually knew how to cook was fried rice, and it was horrible. haha. So you can imagine, 1 month before I came here to study, how hectic it would be in the kitchen as mum tries to teach me some basics. So for the first year, I survived on a cyclical menu of decently flavoured fried rice, spaghetti and different simple stir fry. And of course, lots and lots of trail and error. haha

I have to say, all the experimenting spurred my interest in cooking and of course baking. Each time I head back during my long breaks, mum would teach me a few new dishes to cook. I keep the recipes in a notebook, just in case I forget them. (: It’s like a mother-daughter bonding session. Absolutely love it. I know i’ve said it before, but she is my inspiration in the kitchen.

One dish that I absolutely love is her version of claypot rice, with a twist! If you’re thinking, “I don’t have a claypot and I have to get one”. This recipe is for you! Cause it’s cooked in the rice cooker!

I know most people have claypot rice for the crispy and charred parts at the bottom of the claypot, I do have to warn you that this recipe doesn’t have the crispy bits, but it is definitely as yummy! So don’t dismiss this dish just cause it’s missing the crispy bits (although I know how important that is for an authentic claypot rice) but this is really a quick fix for a claypot rice craving!

Mummy’s Claypot Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup of rice

2 chinese sausages, sliced

2 chinese liver sausages, sliced (optional)

5 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced

250g chicken thigh, cut into chunks

10 pieces of chinese cabbage, cut into big pieces

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 tbs oyster sauce

1 tbs shaoxing chinese wine

1 tbs dark soy sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

50ml water

ground white pepper, to season

2 tbs thick dark soy (caramel thick sauce)

spring onions, chopped (to serve)

fried shallots (to serve)

Steps :

1) Rinse the rice and add water (according to the cooking instructions behind the packaging) and take out 2 tbs of water. Leave it aside.

2) Place the chinese sausage and liver sausage in a bowl and steam for 15 mins. Drain the oil and leave it aside.

3) In a heavy based frying pan, heat the vegetable oil and fry the garlic till fragrant, careful not to burn them. Add the mushrooms and fry till fragrant. At this time, start cooking the rice in the rice cooker.

4) Add the chicken pieces and brown them. Add the sauces, pepper and shaoxing wine and 50ml of water. Add the chinese cabbage and allow it to simmer for 20 mins and make sure the liquid is almost completely reduced. Add in the chinese sausage and liver sausage. The rice should be almost done, pour the mixture onto the rice and give it a good stir. When the rice cooker clicks, leave it in the “keep warm” mode for another 20-30 mins.

5) Just before serving, pour the thick dark soy over the rice, top with spring onion and fried shallots. ENJOY!

Even without the crispy bits, this is one solid claypot rice that reminds me of home (:

Easy Peasy Fig Tart

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FIGS. Believe it or not. Just a month ago was the first time I ever had fresh figs! When I tried it, I wish I had it sooner! Fortunately, I scored a bargain at Springvale Market and bought 7 for $2.50! I had to head back to buy more.

Just couldn’t get enough!

So the first time I had it, I slid the top of it twice and stuffed them with ricotta and topped it with honey. It was DELICIOUS! But to be honest, I preferred mine without the ricotta. Just honey! The mr loved his with the cheese though.

So after a few nights of having the same thing, I decided to do something different. Looked into the freezer, and VIOLA! Puff pastry! Perfect. A quick tart it is.

Trust me, it’s the quickest and yummiest thing you would have! The sweetest of the figs, with the buttery-ness of the pastry. That made our night. Of course, to top it up, some macadamia ice cream from Connoisseur. The mr had two! (: Always a joy to see him eat the food I make with the satisfaction on his face.

So for a quick fix to your sweet tooth, I urge you to give this easy recipe a try!

Easy Peasy Fig Tart

1/2 sheet of store bought puff pastry (with butter), cut into 3 or 4 rectangles

3-4 fresh figs, sliced into quarters

caster sugar, enough to lightly sprinkle on top of the pastry

tightly packed brown sugar, to sprinkle on top of the figs

scoop(s) of ice cream, to serve (flavour is up to you!)

Steps:

1) Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius. On the rectangular sheets of puff pastry, lightly sprinkle caster sugar on the top.

2) Place the figs, aligned in the middle. Leaving some space on the sides.

3) Sprinkle some brown sugar on the figs. Bake the pastry for 15-20 mins, or until the pastry is golden brown.

4) Serve with a scoop of ice cream and ENJOY!

ps : you can either place the ice cream on the side, or put it on top like the mr did! haha