the Weird, Bad and Lazy Cook

Note 1 : Taking inspiration from < https://www.closetcooking.com/french-style-braised-short-ribs/ > and < https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/provencal-braised-short-ribs >. Almost all recipes call for red wine, since we cannot have that, I omit it completely. Though I may need to find substitute. Ingredients 3 pcs beef short ribs, high quality with marbling and lots of meat 1/2 cup celery, sliced on the bias 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced stew size 1/2 cup carrot, diced stew size 1/2 cup shiitake mushroom, quartered  2 pcs dried chili 3 cups beef stock 1 tbsp tomato paste 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 bay leaf A pinch rosemary A pinch thyme A pinch parsley 1 tbsp coarse salt Optional 2 tbsp flour, diluted in water 7-8 pcs pitted olive, halved. Steps 1. Sear the meat with some oil over medium heat. Once browned, remove from pot. 2. Add in celery, yellow onion, carrot and mushroom. Stir fry until wilted. Do not worry about browning. Add in dried chili and stir fry for a while. 3...

Note 1 : This is a combination of recipe between Cikgu Mazenah and Cikgu Amilia. Cikgu Mazenah, which is my mom, learnt it from Pakcu. You know, Pakcu Rasmiza, he was a Head Chef at Sri Malaysia Hotel in Genting. So proud of him! Of course, his original recipe calls for a healthy dash of Ajinomoto or MSG... Hehe but my and mommy's version of course do not contain that. Ingredients: Part A - Soup Enough water to cover all ingredients 7-8 pieces of chicken 1 star anise 1/2 stick cinnamon 1 tbsp garlic paste, pounded 1 tbsp ginger paste, pounded 1/2 yellow onion, sliced lengthwise 1 medium potato, diced stew size 1 stick small carrot, diced stew size 1 medium tomato, diced stew size 1 pc asam gelugur 2-3 stick spring onions, chopped long strips 1 bunch of daun sup, chopped long strips 1 tsp black pepper, pounded 1-2 tsp coarse salt Part B - Rice 3 pot rice, washed and drained 1/2 tbsp margarine 1/2 tbsp cooking oil 1/4 quarter large red onion, sliced lengthwise 1 clove garlic, sliced ...

Ingredients 2 halves of salmon fish head 2 halves of other fish head (used senangin) 1/2 large red onion, sliced thin lengthwise 2 cloves garlic, minced 4-6 tbsp of curry powder (used Baba's meat curry powder) 1/2 box of coconut milk (used Kara's coconut cream) 1-2 inch tamarind bulb, made into 1/2 cup paste 1/2 tomato, cubed large 1-2 stalks of curry leaves 1 pc asam gelugur Salt Steps 1. Wash fish head well with limau kasturi (or kalamansi) to remove slime and fishy smell. Remove gills and other inedible stuff. Drain excess water. 2. In a pot or periuk or kadai, sautee onion until somewhat wilted. Then add in garlic and stir fry until well coated. 3. Add in curry powder. Stir fry until powder is light and blooming. 4. Add in coconut milk, tamarind paste, tomato, curry leaves, and asam gelugur. Add in more water if needed. Simmer under medium heat until boiling. Stir in occasionally. 5. Add in salt and fish heads. Simmer until fish heads aroma has seeped into the curry. 6. Tas...

Note 1 : Inspired by <https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/best-pad-thai/> Ingredients: 200gm pad thai dried flat noodles (or 400gm kuey teow halus) 6 prawns 5 squids (3 squids) +2 tbsp isi kerang 1 tbsp garlic minced (4 ulas) 2 tbsp onion minced (1 biji bawang medium) 2 tbsp thai palm sugar or "nise padi" (or 2 tbsp jaggery) +3 tbsp sugar 4 tbsp fish sauce  (7 tbsp fish sauce) 1 tbsp oyster sauce (original don't have) 1 tbsp soy sauce (original don't have) 3 tbsp tamarind paste + 1 1/2 or 2 cups of water A bunch of chives, sliced matchsticks 1/2 firm / soft  tofu, diced to small cubes A bunch of bean sprouts, if you like +1 egg, if too watery. Usually I don't put. Garnish: Coarsely ground peanut Thai chili flakes Calamansi or "limau kasturi" Noodle Prep: 1. Soak pad thai noodle in warm water to soften. Drain water once tender. If using kuey teow halus, simply soak in tap water (room temp) & rinse a few times to remove the excess noodle oil & lime...

Note 1 :  So source of inspiration is < https://steamykitchen.com/30476-chinese-eggplant-recipe-spicy-garlic-sauce.html > and < http://www.kimchimom.com/korean-style-steamed-eggplant-and-my-individual-medley/ >. Perhaps, it is more Chinese than Korean. Note 2: The recipe calls for a Chinese Black Vinegar. God knows what is that so... Chinkiang Vinegar it is.  Note 3: Why I use Carotino oil? It is delicious! Also, the charred colour on your grilled eggplants is amazing! If you don't have it? Don't lose your mind, just use regular oil. Don't have oil as well? Damn, then just grill it dry. I don't care. You're the one eating it.  Ingredients: 3 small eggplants (or 2 medium ones) 1 large garlic clove 2 slice of ginger 2 tablespoon minced yellow onion 1 bird's eye red chili 1/2 large green chili 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp chinkiang vinegar 1/2 tsp sugar 2 tbsp water Carotino oil (to grill eggplant) Spring onion (to garnish)   Steps: 1. Slice eggplants to 1...

Note: I winged the recipe. Came quite close to one. Even smelled the same. Ingredients Part A 1 part chicken keel or chicken breast 2 tsp of turmeric powder 1 tsp salt A pinch of dried basil leaves A pinch of dried mixed herbs Part B 1 pot white rice (around 1/2 cup) 1 pot short grain rice (around 1/2 cup) 2 cloves garlic 1 small red onion rose 1 thin slice ginger 2 tbsp yellow onion 2 tbsp yellow capsicum 1/2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp cooking oil 1 star anise 2 dried chili 2 bay leaves 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp salt 1 cube chicken stock, broken into pieces 2 pot water (or around 1 to 1 1/2 cup water) Steps: Part A 1. Slice chicken parts into thin, rectangular pieces. 2. Marinade chicken with all ingredients in Part A . Set aside. Part B 1. Wash all rice before cooking. Drain and set aside. 2. Pound small red onion, garlic, and ginger into a smooth paste. Set aside. 3. Finely dice yellow onion and yellow capsicum. Set aside. 4. Heat butter and oil in a rice cooker pot. Add in star anise to sa...

Note 1 : This is a combination of recipe taken from < https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/galbi-jjim > and < https://www.koreanbapsang.com/galbijjim-korean-braised-beef-short/ >. Maangchi took a more traditional approach, while korean bapsang is more "modern" and "sweetened" approach. I like it savoury so I reduce the amount of sugar. Note 2 : Galbi in Korean refers to the beef short ribs, or literally "ribs". Jjim in Korean refers to stew; braised dishes which is cooked under low heat for a long period of time, resulting in tender meat and mostly evaporated gravy. Note 3 : I don't really use all beef short ribs because... well, pricey and no meat. I buy beef chuck bones and top it up with other beef meat parts. I bought Australian Frozen Beef Chuck Bones and Australian Chuck Tender Slice. Ingredients Part A 500gm beef chuck bones (can use short ribs) 300gm beef chuck slices 1.5-2L water 2 cloves garlic, smashed 1 inch ginger, smashed 1 tbsp go...

Note 1:  Yes, this is Uyghur food. I am not entirely sure how to re-create the taste of Ding Ding So Mien from our favourite Tangritah Uyghur place in Adelaide < https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Halal-Restaurant/Tangritah-Uyghur-Restaurant-344234136317297/ >.  Note 2:  I adapted from Laghman + Dapanji recipe. Both noodles and gravy, recipes are from here < https://silkroadchef.com/2015/01/10/uyghur-style-laghman-noodles/>, <https://silkroadchef.com/2016/05/12/soman-uyghur-chopped-lagman-noodles/> and <https://silkroadchef.com/tag/dapanji/>. Ingredients: Noodles (So Mien) 1 cup flour 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup hot water Oil for sealing Gravy 3 cloves garlic 1 inch ginger 1/2 yellow onion 1 stalk spring onion 1/4 cup mushroom 1/2 tomato 1/4 cup capsicum 1 tbsp coriander leaves 1 star anise 3 dried chili 200 gm minced lamb or mutton 2-3 tbsp of light soy sauce 2 tbsp tomato paste 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tbsp sugar Water Chili Oil 1/2 cup ...

Note 1: My apologies to all Italians. Please do not be offended. Most suburban, traditional Malay households in Malaysia call all pasta "spaghetti" regardless of shapes. We would be lucky if our parents from the 80's or 90's even knew spaghetti at all. Please note I am using Penne. Note 2: For those of you who did not know, "cili blend" is a staple household ingredients in most traditional Malay households. It starts with any "cili kering" (dried chili) that you cut roughly with scissors, and boiled in water until "kembang" (enlarges) and soft, then blended with a small amount of water. This is the key ingredients to a lot of Malay "sambal". Ingredients: 400gm penne* (at least 4/5 out of the packets) 2 bawang merah kecil rose 1/4 tbsp garlic 1/4 cup oil 1 pcs star anise 1/2 medium bawang merah besar 3 tbsp cili blend 1 can tomato puree** 1/2 cup pasta water 1 can tuna chunks*** Seasonings: 8 pcs of pitted black olives**** 2 tbsp...

Note 1: My mom has been hankering for the old-fashioned raisin cake. God knows what kind of cake, it is only her that remembered the taste. So, I scoured the internet and adapted from this recipe < https://bakingwithgranny.co.uk/recipe/sultana-cake/ >. Looks easy enough to follow. Note 2: My mom only likes margarine, especially of Pelangi brand. She hates milky flavour, so that is why our household did not use butter. Also, my mom did not grow up with milky butter. Note 3:  If using loaf cake mould, perhaps need to increase baking time to 40-45 minutes. Ingredients 1/4 cup black raisins 1 cup butter (or Pelangi margarine) 1 cup sugar 2 caps vanilla essence (or Star Brand) 5 eggs Grade B 1/2 tbsp baking powder 1/4 tbsp baking soda 2 cups flour (perhaps should try 1 1/2 cups flour) Steps 1. Preheat oven under 180-200C for 15-20 minutes. Grease the cake mould. 2. Soak black raisins in hot, boiled water for around 30 minutes. Strain to remove water. Set aside. 2. Cream butter a...

Note 1: I have adapted from my usual Mom's recipe and < https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/chicken-korma-recipe >. Quite lazy to make Kurma from scratch... Note 2: I do not usually add in sugar because my chicken kurma is usually accompanied with Sambal Belacan and Pajeri Nenas Kuning or Acar Mentah. They are usually quite vinegary and sweet, the perfect accompaniment to cut all those heaviness. If you want your kurma to be sweet though, feel free to do so. Part A 1 large red onion 1 tbsp garlic 1 tbsp ginger 3-4 pcs candlenuts (or buah keras) 2 tbsp of almonds flakes (or kepingan badam) Part B 1/4 cup cooking oil (or more if needed)] 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 3 cardamom pods (slightly crushed) 1/2 large red onion Part C 4++ tbsp kurma spices (or rempah Kurma Adabi) 7-8 pcs chicken (or around 1 kg chicken) 1 small box of coconut milk / cream (or 200ml of Santan Harmuni) 2 jugs of water (or around 2-3 L) 1/2 potato 1/4 carrot 1/2 purple brinjal 3 hard-boiled eggs 1 large...

Note 1: Found this dish when attending a friend's wedding in Sarawak. Needless to say, became my favourite version of "Pajeri" after that. Note 2: Not really sure what "Pajeri" means. I had only eaten 3 kinds of Pajeri in my life; Pajeri Nenas, Pajeri Nenas Kuning, and Pajeri Terung. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka defined Pajeri as such < http://prpm.dbp.gov.my/cari1?keyword=pajeri >. Note 3: Recipe is adapted from < http://embunrosaliza.blogspot.com/2014/11/pajeri-nenas-kuning.html >. Note 4: In case you do not know, "hiris mayang" calls for a vertical slice to the onion (pole-to-pole as they say it). < https://aht.seriouseats.com/2012/08/the-burger-lab-whats-the-best-way-to-slice-onions-for-burgers.html >.  "Julienne" or "hiris matchstick" calls for really fine string slice to the garlic and ginger. < https://www.finecooking.com/article/slicing-ginger-into-matchsticks#:~:text=Start%20by%20peeling%20the%20piece,slice...

Note 1: Literal translation - nasi (rice), minyak (oil), hujan (rain), panas (hot or warm). It is termed "Nasi Minyak" because it is cooked using some kind oil or fat. The term for "Nasi Hujan Panas" came about from vision of food colourings put on Nasi Minyak, resembling a hot rain (I guess). Used to only be served during weddings. But now, people have enough money to serve it on ordinary days. Note 2: This recipe is majorly based on < https://norazlitaaziz.blogspot.com/2014/08/nasi-minyak.html >  Note 3: Writing down this recipe while listening to < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr6yFeDh2Pw > Note 4: Minyak sapi / ghee needs to be heated together with some other cooking oil because ghee burns easily (it is from clarified butter). They have lower burn point, which when exceeded, will taste extremely burnt and bitter. Note 5: Be careful when using food colouring. Around 4-5 drops max for the whole pot. 1. Nasi Minyak / Hujan Panas Part A: 3 cawan beras...

Note 1: Original recipe was based on Pound Cake, which means 1 pound butter, 1 pound sugar, 1 pound flour. I roughly translated that to be butter : sugar : flour : egg = 1:1:1:1 cup. Note 2: Never cream butter and sugar more than speed 2. Always use slow or medium speed when using a beater. Note 3: It is easier to beat egg to a stiff peak / until blooming using a manual balloon whisk, rather than using a hand mixer. Do not use a beater that has remaining butter mixture sticking to it. Clean it first. Note 4: Be careful not to over-beat the cake batter after adding flour because it can cause cake batter to be doughy (due to gluten formation; desirable in a bread, but not for a cake)   Ingredients: 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 caps vanilla essence 6 eggs 2 cups flour 1/2 tbsp baking powder 1/4 tbsp baking soda Optional (if making marble cake): 1 tbsp cocoa powder for every 2 scoops of cake batter Steps: 1. Preheat oven to 180-200C (depending on your oven) for 15-20 minutes. 2. Gre...

Note 1: A spin-off of: i) Mom's usual rendang recipe ii) Rendang daging < https://www.aziekitchen.com/2018/06/rendang-daging-yang-sedap-dan-sangat.html > iii)  Rendang daging hitam Pahang < https://khairulhakimin.com/rendang-hitam-pahang-dendeng-pahang/ > Note 2: Aspire to be as good as rendang hitam Jamil < https://www.sueizza.com/2017/06/rendang-hitam-kuala-lipis-rendang-jamil.html >. Abah kata rendang hitam Jamil ni asalnya dari kedai Haji Mahmud yang berniaga area-area tangga dekat Lipis tu jugak. Note 3: Semasa rendang agak kering (contohnya semasa step menumis, atau step akhir mengeringkan rendang), kerapkan menggaul rendang supaya awas-awas tidak terbakar di dasar kuali. Note 4 : Resepi rendang menggunakan kelapa parut < https://resepi.my/rendang-daging/ >. Mungkin patut slow cook sampai jadi rendang tok untuk imitate rendang jamil. Part A 3 ulas bawang kecil merah rose India 1/2 biji bawang besar merah Part B 2 sudu besar biji ketumbar (3 tbsp) ...

Note 1: Baking powder is to risen the cake. Baking soda is to leaven (or more like flatten) the cake. However, baking soda is also needed to create air bubbles in the cake and to bring depth into any chocolate taste. Baking powder is made up of baking soda + any other things. Note 2: This is a combination of butter pound cake & chiffon cake recipe < https://www.indulgewithmimi.com/super-fluffy-and-soft-japanese-chocolate-chiffon-swiss-cake-roll/ > Part A 1/2 cup of fresh milk 1/2 cup of chopped chocolate bar 2 tbsp of cocoa powder Part B 1 cup of butter* 1 cup of sugar** 1-2 tsp of vanilla essence 6 large egg yolks***  (to retest with 5 eggs again) 2 cups of flour**** 1/2 tbsp baking powder 1/4 tbsp baking soda Part C 6 large egg whites*** (to retest with 5 eggs again) Topping 1 cup fresh milk 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk  (please reduce if chocolate bar is already sweet) 300-400 gm chopped chocolate bar  (consider milk cooking chocolate bar) 1/2 cup cocoa p...