Malay Style Briyani Chicken

I love the biryani we get back in Malaysia and the one I had prepared earlier with the ready mix spices just don't taste nor looks anywhere near to that. This time, I decided to try out the recipe that calls for the preparation from scratch instead and yum... it does taste superbly good. Just be cautious that the list of ingredients may look really long.

I made it twice actually and once with chicken and the other is with beef rendang.

For the rice:

• 3 cups basmati rice, soaked at least 30mins, then washed and drained
• 1tbsp butter
• 2 pcs shallot, slice thinly
• 2 cloves garlic (I'm using Australia garlic that is rather huge, it comes out to roughly 3tbsp amount), minced
• 1tbsp ginger, minced
• 1/2tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2tbsp cloves powder
• 1tbsp cardamon powder
• 2tsp tomato puree
• 1/4 cup grated carrot
• 2 pandan leaves, washed and knotted
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/4tsp numeric powder
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup of cashew nuts (I used pine nuts coz i don't have cashew at that time)
• 3tbsp chopped coriander leaves

**Note: I don't have cardamon powder so what I did was use the grinder and grind it to powder form. You may choose to place the entire cardamon, cinnamon or/and cloves in as in original form but it taste better once it is grounded to powder form

1. Heat the pressure cooker up, put in the butter and shallot. Slightly saute before adding in the spices.
2. Next add in the tomato puree and carrot and stir.
3. Add in the pandan leaves next and stir till fragrant (roughly a min) before adding in the rice,  water and evaporated milk.
4. Switch the cooker to risotto mode (KPT13mins) and leave it to cook.
5. Once done, remove and add in coriander leaves, raisins and nuts. Next fluff the rice and mix the new add on stuff evenly.

For the chicken:

• 6pcs of drumstick, marinate with minced garlic (1cloves), ginger (1cm) and 1tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1tsp oil
• 4 shallots, sliced
• 1.5tbsp minced garlic
• 1.5tsbp minced ginger
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 2 cardamon pods
• 4pcs of cloves
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3/4 tsp fennel powder
• 3.4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 knotted pandan leaves
• 2tsp coriander powder
• 1tsp chilli powder

1. Clean the chicken and wipe it dry. Marinate it with the marinate ingredients for at least 30mins.
2. Place the chicken in the air fryer and set at 180c for 5mins.
3. Heat up some oil in the pressure cooker pot and saute the shallots, garlic and ginger.
4. After the shallots soften and it starts to give nice aroma, add in the cinnamon stick, cardamon, cloves, fennel powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and pandan leaves. Stir for 1-2mins.
5. Then add in the chicken and set the pressure cooker to meat mode and KPT for 15mins.

For the beef:

• a piece of beef tenderloin roughly 400g, cut to cube (roughly 1"x1")
• 1tsp salt
• 1/2cup evaporated milk
• 1/8cup of desiccated coconut
• spices to blend
• 3 shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3tbsp of blended chilli
• 2tsp of belacan powder
• 1cm ginger
• 1tsp turmeric powder
• 1 lemongrass stem, cut to small pieces the end part (the top part bruised and leave aside)
• 2 kafir lime leaves, sliced finely
• 1 handful of vietnamese mint
• 2tbsp oil

1. Blend all the ingredients for the spices together till it forms a thick paste. If too hard to blend, add a little water (like a teaspoon or more or less).
2. Heat the pressure cooker and add in the oil to the pot. Fry the spices ingredients till fragrant.
3. Add in the desiccated coconut and fry for another 2mins.
4. Then add in the beef and coat it well with the spices. Set the cooker to meat mode and cook for 15mins.
5. Once released pressure, add in evaporated milk and salt and cook under high saute mode for 8-10mins till the sauce thicken to your preferred thickness.
6. Once done, turn off the power and stir in the kafir lime and vietnamese mint leaves.

For the pickle:

• 1 whole cucumber
• 1 whole carrot
• 4pcs of shallots
• 1tsp salt
• 1cup rice vinegar
• 2tbsp sugar

1. Cut the cucumber to roughly 3cm length, 1cm thickness size. Removed the core.
2. Season it with the salt and leave it aside for at least 10mins before washing off.
3. Cut the carrot to the same size as the carrot.
4. Slice the shallots finely.
5. Heat up the vinegar and melt the sugar in it.
6. Once the mixture cool down, place the carrot, cucumber and shallots in it. Set aside to marinate for at least 30mins before placing it into the fridge.

**Note: You can top up the veggies with the same liquid if they are still there after you finish up the veggies.

Home made Tomato Sauce

This home made sauce is great to go with pasta or to spread on pizza or to cook with some minced or whatever you creativity allows you.

Ingredients:

• roughly 1kg of fat juicy red ripe tomatoes, cut quarter
• 1 large onion, lightly chopped
• 6pcs of cloves
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoon of any type of berry jam
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/2 stick of cinnamon
• 10 tablespoon raw sugar
• a big pinch of rock salt
• 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs
• 2 cups of malt vinegar
• 1 big handful of basil leaves
• roughly 2 tablespoon of fresh mint leaves

Steps:

1. Place all the ingredients except the basil and mint leaves in the pressure cooker (if you don't have one, use a normal pot). Set for it to cook in the pressure cooker for 15mins, or on the stove top for about an hour to soften all the ingredients and it is all juicy and nice.
2. When it is done, turn of the heat and add in the basil and mint and give it a stir.
3. Next, let it cool down slightly before blending them either in the blender or you can use the stick blender.
4. Transfer them back into the pot or pressure cooker and cook with lid open till it thickens and no longer runny. The viscosity should be roughly the same as store bought tomato sauce.

Braised Lamb Shank

I had always been a fan of lamb or mutton but can't really cook them at home coz the big and small bosses don't like it. However, since my small boss no 2 loves any meat, I thought of trying it out. Few days back when we went shopping, lamb shank was on sale.. hmmm... why not try it out with the pressure cooker. Imagining the fall apart and yummy goodness of the veggie.

Ingredients:

• 4pcs of lamb shanks
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion, cut to 8 chunks
• 3pcs carrots, cut to big chunks
• 2pcs of parsnip, cut to big chunks
• 4pcs of big tomato, cut to smaller chunks
• 1/2 tsp of mixed herbs
• 1/2 tsp of fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp of fresh thyme
• 6pcs of fresh button mushrooms
• 1 cup of salt reduced chicken stock
• a big handful of fresh parsley for serving
• some salt and pepper to season the lamb
• 2 tbsp of olive oil

Steps:

1. Heat up the pressure cooker. Pour in the oil and wait for bout 10-15 seconds for it to heat up.
2. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Then brown the lamb shanks on all side in the pressure cooker. That should take about 5-7mins.
3. Add in all the veggies and herbs and stir the mixture.
4. Then add in the chicken stock and cover the pressure cooker. Set to meat function, KPT for 25mins.
5. Once it is done, let the valve drop and then set it to vent and set to bake for 20mins to help reduce the stock to thicker sauce.
6. Served with fresh parsley.

Pizza with home cooked tomato sauce

The big and small bosses both wanted pizza and hence, pizza we make. Hehehe...
Instead of the normal bread dough, I googled for some inspiration and ended up with this olive oil dough which is yummy, with some accidentally modification.

Ingredients for the dough:

• 1.3cups of lukewarm water
• 0.75 tablespoon of yeast
• 0.5 tablespoon of salt
• 0.5 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/8 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 4cups of self raising flour (this is the accident)
• 1/2 cup flour for kneading or shaping use

Method:

1. Premix all the ingredients in a bowl, except the flour.
2. Have the flour in the magimix and slowly add in those wet ingredients till they mix well. Let the mixture mix for about 5mins. 
3. Take it out and leave it in a container with cover to rest (not air tight) for roughly 2 hours.
4. Take it out, give it some "boxing" and kneading. Refrigerate overnight if possible, otherwise at least for 2-3hours. 
5. And it is ready to use. Take the amount required and flatten it. Give the bottom of the pan or paper or pizza stone a spray of olive oil before putting on the pizza dough. This will avoid sticking and gives the dough a soft fluffy taste.

For the topping, I have some home cooked tomato sauce and other toppings like mushroom, pepperoni, sliced chilli, fresh spinach leaves, surimi.

To prepare the tomato sauce (if you want enough for the above):

Ingredients:

• 8cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 10 tomatoes (leave it in a pot of boiling water for about 3-5mins to help removed the skin), cut and chopped, keep about 1cup of the water
• 3 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/8 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 tablespoon of finely chopped bacon

Methods:

1. Saute the bacon and garlic with the olive oil till the bacon is crispy and brown (medium high fire).
2. Add in the chopped tomatoes and season with the rest of the ingredients. Add in the water from the tomato and simmer it for about 5-10mins.
3. If you like your sauce to have the tomato texture, use it directly. Otherwise, you can blend them till smooth before using it to smear all over the top of the pizza dough.

Ham Choy (Salted Vege) Taufu Soup

Ingredients:

1. 1-2 blocks of soft silken Taufu (depend to how much taufu you want to have in your soup) - I use those fr the market small pieces one, not the box packet from supermarket
2. 50g of salted vege (pre soaked in water) - cut to slices
3. 3 cups of ikan bilis stock (add some ginger in it)
4. 2pcs of sour plum
5. half a white promfret (lightly marinated with pepper and salt) - cut to bite pieces
6. few slices of squid
7. 2 pieces of fresh shitake mushroom (sliced)
8. 1 tomato (chopped to small pieces)
9. pepper for seasoning

Steps:

1. Bring the stock to boil.
2. Add in sour plum, salted vege, tomato and mushroom.
3. After about 2 mins, add in taufu, fish and squid.
4. Season with pepper before serving.

Cheesy Tomato Egg

Hubby has been cooking quite a lot lately. Yesterday, he was trying something new, Chessy Tomato Egg. Does not look quite good, but taste nice. Worth posting.

Nutrient Packed Porridge

Had this really nutrient packed porridge for dinner today, tomoto, mushroom, fishball, egg, cranberry bean, black beans and crispy fried garlic (tipu a bit, use microwave).

Served with coriander fish (no chicken)... taste so so... hubby said too strong coriander taste, while I think I prefer plain bake fish... hehehe...

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.

Healthy Dinner - another stock clearance meal

Felt so bad that I have not been updating my food blog for a very very very long time. Since I cooked something colorful and meatless, so just use it to update la...

Steam okra with crispy garlic and dried shrimp + oyster sauce, pepper and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce:

Egg soup with dried mussels, dried scallop, mushroom, tomato, carrot, capsicum with no flavoring...

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

Food Pictures

Bake Tuna with Mushroom

My Fav veg, plain stir fry

Spicy Chilli Fish

Pork Chop Onion Noodle

Fried egg, grilled tomato and prawn, and steam butter carrot

Pork Prawn Burger with Pork Chop

Pictures of Food

Again, these are without recipes. Too long ago, cant remember the recipe well... hehehe...

Taufu Stuff

• 2 small size tomato, cut to half and removed the middle part


• 3 fresh mushroom, removed the stem and chopped the stem


• 1 teaspoon of corn starch - A


• 2 tablespoon of soft taufu - A


• 1 pinch of salt - A


• 1 pinch of pepper - A


• 2 tablespoon of fish paste - A


• 2 tablespoon of pork (chopped) - A


• 2 tablespoon of cranberry beans - A


• 1 egg – A

1. Mixed all A ingredients and the chopped mushroom stem. Blend them in blender.


2. Stuffed the ingredients in the tomato and middle part of the mushrooms.


3. Grilled in oven over 190 degree celcius for 15 mins.

http://www.grouprecipes.com/15016/taufu-stuff.html