This is a very traditional home-cooked meal in any Indonesian Chinese family. Known as “Bak Kecap” - literally translation of “pork with soy”, the dish is sometimes served as one dish meal, with the usual pairing of steamed rice.

We literally grew up with this. Sweet and full of carbohydrates. Though the ingredients may seem basic and almost too simple, it has never failed to be an all-time favourite amongst the youngsters in the family. Therein lies the secret to many home-cooked dishes - using simple ingredients for a quick satisfying meal. The meat is marinated for a short time before braised. The cornstarch / tapioca flour is used to improve the texture of the dish and the potatoes are pan-fried to add an extra crunch to it.

This is the recipe for Soft Pork Cubes with Soy Sauce and Potatoes Read the rest of this entry »

In today’s hectic lifestyle, one-dish meals have become a popular choice amongst busy mothers and career women. Today I would like to share with you a simple, healthy and practical one-dish meal that I recently cooked for both my son and myself. I selected my son’s favorite ingredients to be included in this meal (mushrooms, meat, beancurd and edamames) to wet his appetite. I also used my own concoction of “teriyaki” sauce (a combination of light soya sauce, mirin and sugar). With one bowl of rice, we slurped up everything on the plate. This means less washing up too!

The ingredients chosen in this dish, whilst being my son’s favourite, are also packed with nutrients suitable and crucial for a growing child. Of interest would be the edamame, which is packed with dietary fiber, iron, protein, phosphorus, thiamin and copper, and a very good source of folate, Vitamin K and manganese. You might also want to know that edamames have very low sodium content.

Hope you’ll enjoy savouring as well as preparing them. To all Chefs, let’s start wokking now. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m a tea lover, and would try anything that is made from or with tea. The aroma of tea brings out the freshness of the dish or dessert. It is distinct and definitely exotic as tea is not a common ingredient in food cooking, except perhaps Bak Kut Teh, but that is something else altogether because Bak Kut Teh has more to do with herbs rather than tea.

Everyone knows the individual goodness of tea and garlic. This dish has the combination of both tea and garlic, which gives a tea lover a kick in taste. Chicken drumsticks are slowly simmered to absorb the perfect aroma of tea and garlic. What you get is a uniquely flavoured tender pieces of chicken drumstick fit for the entire family!

This is my recipe for Tea Braised Chicken Read the rest of this entry »

If you live in Malaysia, you know that you are very lucky where FOOD is concerned. Malaysians are known for the special relationship that they have with food which is evident from the variety of savory dishes and sweets that one can easily find at every corner. This is especially so during the many festive seasons, one of which was only recently celebrated - Deepavali.

One of the favorite Indian sweets eaten during Deepavali is Sugared Ghee Balls, which is also popularly known as “Neyyi Urundai” or “Payatham Urundai”. True, compared to the other more gloriously colored sweets found during this festival, Ghee Balls do not get full points for looks. In fact, its unstimulating colour and simple shape may even be a “put off” for some. But, for many who have tried it, this sweet has easily become a favorite.

Making it from scratch is relatively easy. The only tricky part is pouring the hot ghee into the flour mixture and molding the balls into shape. One may find that the first few balls take a longer time to make than first anticipated. Don’t let your spirits down if you find this happening to you. Persistence pays off and it won’t be too long before you start getting the hang of it.

Once cooled, pop a ball into your mouth and enjoy the taste as it slowly crumbles into a wonderful sensory delight. You won’t regret it!

This is my recipe for Sugared Ghee Balls. Read the rest of this entry »