Mohinga, Burmese Fish Soup Noodle

Recently, we were invited for Lunch at our friend's place. They are of Burmese origin and had served us Mohinga, a type of Burmese fish soup noodle. According to Wikipedia, Mohinga is a rice noodle and fish soup from Myanmar and is an essential part of Burmese cuisine. It is considered by many to be the national dish of Myanmar.

It is sort of like Asam Laksa minus the spiciness, looks a bit like mee rebus and tasted sweet, sour and a little sourish.. a very refreshing combination of natural taste without the use of salt or pepper which are quite core ingredients of most recipe.

After some googling around checking out on different recipes, I had attempted to try this out. Ingredients are quite easily available and all I needed was a little twist and combining the various recipes to render this version.

Please note that I had adjusted some of the ingredients due to my low carb diet, feel free to switch it to whichever you are comfortable. And this may not be authentic dish like those in Myanmar but rather my own adaptation based on information gathered from the internet.

Ingredients:

• 3tbsp of olive oil (you can use any oil like canola, or even peanut oil)
• 1/2tsp Natvia (if using sugar, use 1tsp)
• 1 shallots (sliced)
• 2.5 big onions (sliced)
• 6 garlic cloves
• 4 lemongrass stalk (2 pcs halved lengthwise and the other 2 sliced)
• 4-5cups of water
• 2tsp of turmeric powder
• 1tbsp of anchovies powder/granules (I used the japanese type)
• 2tsp salted anchovies paste
• 2tsp of tamarind paste
• 6 slices of ginger
• 300-400g of barramundi fish (cut to cube pieces, you may use any white fish and original recipe in Burma uses catfish)
• 1tsp of smoked paprika (if you are not cooking for kids, feel free to use crushed chilli)
• 1/4 cup of chick pea powder/flour (also known as garbanzo bean)
• 2tbsp fish sauce
• 4 hard boiled egg (either quartered it or sliced)
• 4 servings of cooked rice noodles (I used dried laksa noodle, boiled for bout 5-7mins)
• chopped red chilli for garnishing (and spiciness)
• sliced scallion for garnishing
• chopped cilantro for garnishing
• lime wedges (we used one lime)
• a packet of pea chips to serve along

Steps:

1. In the blender, blend these ingredients together till it form a paste: 1/2 portion of the onions, sliced lemongrass, smoked paprika and 3 slices of ginger.
2. In a pot (I'm using the french oven aka enamel coated dutch oven), add in water, turmeric powder, garlic (crushed), lemongrass (the halved), 3 ginger slices, tamarind paste, anchovies stock, anchovies paste and fish sauce. Let the boil and simmer for bout 5-6mins.
3. Add in the fish to the simmering broth and let it cook. It should only takes bout 2-3mins depending on the size of the cutlet. Sieve the fish out and side aside. 
4. Remove the lemongrass, garlic and ginger from the broth.
5. Pour the chickpea flour on a pan, on low heat, saute it till golden brown. Dish out and set aside once done.
6. Using the same pan, heat 1tbsp of oil in the pan, sprinkle the sugar in it and saute the shallots till light golden brown. Once down, dish out set aside.
7. Again on the same pan, add in the balance of the oil, saute the blended onion mixture till fragrant, add in the fish to give it a stir and coat the fish with the mixture. Dish out the fish and set aside.
8. Now dish the balance of the sauted onion mixture to the broth and continue to let it simmer. While simmering slowly stir in the fried chickpea flour so that it helps to thicken the sauce.
9. Add in balance of the onion to simmer. Simmer till the onion soften.
10. Once done, assemble the serving with noodle, top with the fish. Then scoop the broth with the onion over it. Sprinkle with chopped chilli, cilantro, crispy shallot and a piece of the pea chips.

Home made Ramen with Tonkatsu Broth

My demanding husband had requested that I prepared the nice tonkatsu ramen and after shopping for all the ingredients, finally, managed to do that.

For the broth (do note it takes a long time to prepared).

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of pork trotters (the one with more bones, less meat, cut to small pieces)
• 1 chicken carcass
• 1 big onion, cut to half, lightly roast in the air fryer (I put it for 5mins, 200C)
• 2 spring onion, cut to half
• 1 pc of ginger, roughly 1 inch
• 4 bulbs of garlic, skin removed
• 5 litres of water

Steps:

1. Put the trotters and carcass in the pot along with 2 litres of the water.  Leave it to boil.
2. Then drain and wash the trotters and carcass. Scrap the skin and bones off those scum.
3. Then put all the balance ingredients plus the trotters and carcass in another clean pot and boil.
4. Next there are two options. You can lower down the fire and boil for 10hours. Second option, use the thermal pot. Once the water boil, leave it to boil another 20mins on low fire and move it into the thermal pot. Repeat the boil for 30mins 8hrs later and do this for 3days.
5. By the fourth day, it should be ready. If you have heavier taste bud, season with some soy sauce, otherwise, you may served it this way.

The noodle:

Ingredients:

• 400g bread flour
• 180ml water

Steps:

1. Pour the flour into the noodle maker.
2. Start the machine and add in the water.
3. Boil some salted water with oil and cook the noodle.
4. Can served with eggs, corn, endamame, flower fish cake, seaweed strips, carrot, charsiew, spring onion, etc

Sup Ekor or Oxtail Soup

Just had the felling of drinking those Malay type of soup and so, I bought a bag of oxtail from the butcher the other day and wanted to try cooking it myself.

Here it goes .

Ingredients:

• 500-600g of oxtail
• 2 teaspoon of cumin seed
• 1 star anise
• some dried chills (I omitted this cause my daughter is drinking, she don't like it spicy)
• a small piece of cinnamon stick
• 1 carrot cut big chunk
• 1 potato cut chunk
• 1 tomato, quartered
• a little oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• a handful of chopped spring onion
• a handful of parsley
• half a big onion, sliced and fried till crispy, for serving
• 1.5l water

Steps:

1. Wash the oxtail, and dry it.
2. Pound the star anise and cumin seed together till it is quite fine and form a paste. put them in the muslin cloth.
3. Pan fry the oxtail till brown all side, leave the cinnamon stick in the oil too.
4. Put the oxtail, cinnamon stick and the paste in muslin cloth in the pot (I uses the pressure cooker). Add in the water. Boil for 2hours. I boil mine on high for 15mins and low fire for another 15mins. If you using chilli, add in now too.
5. Add in the potato, carrot and tomato and cooked for another 2hours (mine another 20mins).
6. Season before serving with salt and top with the rest of the ingredients.

Savoury Pumpkin Muffin

Yes, another muffin recipe again. This time, it is savoury with lots of healthy goodness in it. It has pumpkin, spinach, cheese and onion. This is so yummy... taste better than the sweet version I think.. hehehe...

Ingredients:

• 2 cups self raising flour
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1.5 cup of milk
• 1/8 cup of julienned mini red radish
• 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup of chopped pumpkin + 1/2 cup of shredded pumpkin
• 1/2 cup of shredded spinach

Methods:

1. Preheat oven at 180C.
2. Mixed all the ingredients together except the flour. Mix till it is well blended.
3. Then add in the flour and give it a quick fold.
4. Scoop batter into the muffin pan, 24 minis here... (I lightly oil the tin)
5. Bake for 25mins at 180C.

Salad Craze

Recently, I'm on a little salad craze after watching too much MKR. So decided to do some. Here there is two different salads, roast chicken with roast sweet potatoes salad and rump steak with roast pumpkin salad.

For the roast chicken salad:

Ingredients:

• 5 pieces of chicken drumstick, minus the bottom part (that's how it was sold)
• 1 piece of medium size sweet potato, skinned and cut to cubed of roughly 2x2cm
• 2 pieces of medium size red onion, wedged to roughly 2cm size
• 1 medium size potato, cut to cubed of roughly 2x2cm
• olive oil, salt (use less coz the olives are rather salty), pepper and curry powder
• a handful of sweet peas, removed the sides and cut diagonally across
• 5 pieces of mini radishes with the leaves (washed and sliced thinly)
• half a avocado, sliced to wedges
• spinach
• a handful of crumbled feta cheese
• a handful of black olives
• half a lime juice (for the dressing)
• 1 tablespoon of honey (for the dressing)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for the dressing)
• juices from the roast chicken (for the dressing)

Methods:

1. Arranged the first four items in the baking tray, lined with baking paper.
2. Drizzled with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly grounded black pepper and salt.
3. Sprinkle the curry powder on the chicken only.
4. Roast in the oven at 200C for about 20mins.
5. Add in the sweat peas at the last 5mins.
6. Let it rest in the oven for about another 5mins after turning off the power/fire.
7. Mixed all the ingredients for the dressing together till the honey is dissolved.
8. Mix all ingredients together in the mixing bowl along with the dressing and served.. yum

For the pumpkin salad:

Ingredients:

• Roughly 300g pumpkin, skinned and cut to cube, approximately 2x2cm
• 2 pieces of medium size red onion, wedged to roughly 2cm size
• olive oil, salt, pepper
• a handful of crumbled feta cheese
• a handful of spinach
• quarter a lime juice (for the dressing)
• 1/2 tablespoon of honey (for the dressing)
• 1/4 tablespoon olive oil (for the dressing)

Methods:

1. Similar to the above, lined the baking tray with paper and arrange the pumpkin and onions in it. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast in the oven, 200C for about 20mins.
3. Mixed all the ingredients for the dressing together till the honey is dissolved.
4. Mix all ingredients together in the mixing bowl along with the dressing and served.. yum

Potato Rice Cake

Sophie is such a fussy gal, she needs lots of variation to her food and they need to taste nice (to her standard of course). She has not been taking porridge for a while coz she refuse to eat them. So I had been giving her ABC rice or some time mashed potato, home made burger patties, etc...

Last week, I made potato rice cake for her... no fix measurement for the ingredients, all based on estimate and just dump in:

- a handful of steam potato
- 1 tablespoon of chopped carrot
- 1 tablespoon of chopped spring onions
- a handful of cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon of onions
- 1 tablespoon of minced pork
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- pinch of corn flour
- olive oil for frying

Mixed everything together in a blender. Heat up the pan with olive oil. Scooped with spoon, place it on the pan, press it down and once one side is cooked (after bout half a min), flip over. Ready to serve....

Glutinous Rice Fish Ball Soup

Ingredients:
- 3tablespoon of glutinous rice (soaked for at least 4hrs)
- 500g fish paste (I bought ready made)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 small onion (chopped)
- pinch of pepper
- 5 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon of miso paste
- 1 teaspoon of chopped chilli
- 1 teaspoon of fish sauce
- a dash of sesame oil


1. Mix soy sauce, onion, chilli, pepper and fish paste till even.
2. Formed to small ball shape.
3. Boil the water.
4. Coat the fish ball with the glutious rice. Add in to the boiling water.
5. Mix the fish sauce, sesame oil and miso paste in the serving bowl.
6. When all the balls float up, pour everything to the bowl. Ready to serve.

Prawn Noodle

Ingredients:

- 450g of prawn and shell (remove shell and head and keep aside for the soup), deveined
- sawi (no kangkung in my fridge), roughly 200g
- 4 pieces of dried lar mien (my mom got that from klang for us)
- 6 cups of water for the soup and another 6 cups to cook the noodle
- 1 tablespoon of cane sugar
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
- 2 teaspoon of miso
- 1 tablespoon of sweet soy sauce
- half onion (chopped to small pieces)
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 1 tablespoon of sambal (dont ask recipe coz I got this fr my mom and dunno how it was prepared..)
- one piece of ginger (roughly bout 3cm size)

Method:
1. Boil the shell with the water and ginger for about 5mins. Leave it for another 5mins and remove the shell. Add in sugar and miso.
2. Boil the water and add in the noodle. Turn off the fire once the water boil again and leave the noodle there.
3. Heat up the wok, add in oil and saute the onions. Add in the sambal, and fry till it is fragrant.
4. Drain the noodle and add in to the wok. Lightly stir it.
5. Add in the soup, sawi and sweet soy sauce. Cover the wok and let it boil.
6. Mix the prawn with pepper and salt. Pour in to the wok. Cover for bout 2mins.
7. Done, ready to serve.

* Excluding the preparation of the soup, it takes about 15mins to cook the dish.

Sambal Squid

I cooked sambal squid ytday for lunch with the balance of squid we have in the fridge....
yum2...

Tandoori Chicken

Hubby cooked this for dinner yesterday, from ready made packet... hahaha...

Buttery Spicy Macaroni + ABC Chicken Soup

Had a very funny odd combo dinner few days back, buttery spicy macaroni + ABC Chicken Soup...

I mixed 3 tablespoon of evaporated milk, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 tablespoon of chopped chilli, 2pcs of chopped shallot, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of thai smoke fish paste chilli and 1 tablespoon of thai chilli sauce.

Spaghetti with fried lettuce, tomoto, and onion, served with mixed cream cheese, mixed herbs and parsley.

Colorful Cheesy Omelet

• 4pcs of eggs


• 1/4 teaspoon of salt


• 1/8 teaspoon of pepper


• 1 tablespoon of thinly sliced carrot


• 2 mushroom thinly sliced


• 1/2 onions, cut ring


• 3 tablespoon of cheddar cheese


• 1 tablespoon of spring onion, chopped


• 2 tablespoon of olive oil

1. Saute onions till fragrant.


2. Mix all other ingredients on a bowl.


3. Pour the mixture on the pan and spread it evenly.


4. Cover the pan and cook for 1 min.


5. Flip half the egg over and leave it for another min.


6. Dish and serve.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/20751/colorful-cheesy-omelet.html

Bake Chicken

• 500 of chicken pieces (mixture of chicken wings and drumstick, cut to medium size)



• 1 piece of bombay onion (sliced ring)



• 2 tablespoon of olive oil



• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil



• 1 tablespoon of roughly chopped preserved radish - marinate



• 1.5 pcs of preserved beancurd - marinate



• 1 dash of pepper - marinate



• 1/2 tablespoon of sugar - marinate



• 2 tablespoon of five spices powder - marinate



• 1 sheet of aluminium foil, double layer

1. Mix all the marinate ingredients with the chicken, mix well.



2. Lay the onions on the aluminium foil and top with chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with olive oil and sesame oil.



3. Bake for 25mins under 190 degree celcius.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/20560/baked-chicken.html

Mushroom Steam Rice

• 3 pieces of chinese dried mushroom, chopped to small cube


• 2 cups of basmati rice


• 3 cups of water


• 1 pinch of salt


• 1 teaspoon of olive oil


• 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil for frying


• 1/2 chopped bombay onion

1. Cook rice like normal with water, salt, olive oil and mushroom.


2. Fry the onion separately till golden.


3. Add in to the cooked rice. Stir well.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/15451/mushroom-steam-rice.html

DOM Chicken

Forgot to turn on the flash, so looks kinda dark.

• Half a kampung (village) chicken, those without fats and rear at the back of the house, chopped to medium size pieces


• 3 tablespoon of Benedict DOM - for marinade


• 1 pinch of salt - for marinade


• 1 pinch of pepper - for marinade


• 1/2 bombay onion, cut ring


• 1 tablespoon of oil


• 2 clove of garlic, cut slice


• 1 cup of water


• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1. Marinade chicken with the marinade ingredients for at least few hours.


2. Saute onion with oil till fragrant. Add in garlic.


3. Once the garlic frangrant, add in chicken, water and soy sauce.


4. Cook the chicken with low fire till the water dries up.

DOM Chicken @ Group Recipes

Steam Okra with Fried Vege Topping

• 3 pieces of okra, cut to slice (bout 1cm thickness)





• A pinch of salt





• 1 egg





• 1/2 cup of scallion





• 2 pieces of crabstick, cut to 1cm thickness





• 2 vegetarian meatball (cut to slices too)





• 1 tablespoon of chopped bombay onions





• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce





• 1 teaspoon of oil.





• Pinch of pepper





• 2 cups of water

1. Steam the okra over boiling water for 5mins with the pinch of salt.





2. Mix all other ingredients together except for onions and oil.





3. Saute onion till fragrant.





4. Add in the mixture and fry till egg is cooked.





5. Served on top of the steam okra.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/13607/steam-okra-with-fried-vege-topping.html

Grilled Cabbage with Spicy Sour Sauce

• 1/2 cabbage, sliced side way (bout 50g)


• 1 table spoon of cubed cheddar cheese


• 1 tablespoon of butter (sliced to small pieces)


• 1/2 bombay onion - chopped


• 1 egg


• aluminium foil to grill the cabbage


• 1 kaffir leave (cut to small slices)


• 2 teaspoon of thai chilli paste with smoked fish - for sauce


• 2 teaspoon of sukiyaki sauce - for sauce


• 1 teaspoon of plum sauce - for sauce


• 2 teaspoon of evaporated milk - for sauce

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients evenly and leave it aside.


2. Place onion on the aluminium foil. Top with cabbage, butter and cheese.


3. Grill for 30mins.


4. Top the cabbage with creamy fried egg and the sauce.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/13541/grill-cabbage-with-sour-spicy-sauce.html

Fried Taufu Paste

• 2 pack of soft taufu (white) - cubed



• 2 tablespoon of chopped scallion



• 2 tablespoon of chopped mushroom (cubed)



• 1/2 cup of chopped vegetarian meat ball (cubed)



• 1 tablespoon of chopped bombay onion



• 2 tablespoon of corn flour (sift)



• 5 tablespoon of flour (sift)



• 1 pinch of salt



• 1 pinch of pepper



• 1 egg



• 1 cup of oil for frying

1. Mixed the corn flour and flour with taufu till even. Add in scallion, meat balls, onion, and mushroom. Mix till even.



2. Add in egg and mix again.



3. Oil the pan with one tablespoon of oil.



4. Take a spoon, scoop the mixture and place it on the pan. Press the mixture so it becomes a flat piece.



5. Once one side is brown, turn the piece and fry till golden. Repeat till all the mixture is used up.



6. Served with mayo dip (up next)

http://www.grouprecipes.com/13394/fried-taufu-paste.html