This is the third of a series of recipes using yam. When there is only 2 of us (my wife and I) to finish up a whole yam, we have to cook it in different ways as there is no way we can finish a whole yam in one sitting.

Anyway, as yam is sweetish in taste, it is suitable to fry it together with pork tenderloin (the most tender part of pork). I prefer this compared to potatoes as potatoes are not as flavourful. This is not the well-known dish of yam with belly pork slices but more alike the recipe using potatoes and is served in many chinese homes. Again, it is pretty simple to cook and comes in two distinct processes. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a relatively simple dish to cook involving the use of brinjals (some call them aubergines), garlic and dried prawns. You can add in some cut chillies as well. The blend of garlic, dried prawns and dark soya sauce makes this dish very appetising and suited for white rice. I usually add the cut chillies to make this dish spicy but considering that I had to feed my 4 year old daughter as well, I decided to forgo it.

There are essentially 2 parts to cooking this dish. The first is to pan fry the brinjals till it is browned on the flesh side and the second part is to cook it together with the rest of the ingredients. Try to cook the 2 parts in succession as the brinjals can turn into a less appealing colour after cooking. But then again, since we are using dark soya sauce, we can’t really see much of the purplish colour, can we? Read the rest of this entry »

I love simple to cook dishes. And with vegetables, I like them quickly cooked so as to retain the texture and nutrition. Hence, this dish is one of my favourites. Choy Sum (sometimes known as Chinese Mustard Leaves or Chinese Flowering Cabbage or Sawi) is one of the most popular leafy greens available in markets in South East Asia. It can be cooked and eaten on its own or cooked with other ingredients.

In most chinese restaurants (especially those in Malaysia), you can order this dish but the price which they charge (approximately RM6.00 and above for a plate) does not justify the price of Choy Sum and the ease of preparation. It’s like getting ripped off. If you can get them from the market, you can cook this dish by your self at home. As long as you know how to boil water and fry “something”, you can be a chef just like those at chinese restaurants. Read the rest of this entry »

I am fond of ladies fingers (the edible one, that is) but I don’t cook them that often as it is not easy to find good quality ladies fingers (also known as okra) in the market. I prefer those which are tender and of not-too-dark-green in colour, usually not more that 8cm long. The longer and darker coloured ones tend to be older and more fibrous (which would be more suitable for curries and assam dishes).

Anyway, my usual style of cooking ladies fingers are with sambal belacan (chilli based paste) but when I have to feed this to my daughter, I will cook it minus the chilli. This recipe will be more suitable. As always, the key to cooking this dish successfully is to have a really hot wok with matching heat source so that the ladies fingers can be cooked in minimal time. The longer you cook them, the more juice (some call it slime as it’s slimy) will ooze out and the ladies fingers will start sticking to each other. Read the rest of this entry »