Kek Sugi / Malay-style Semolina Cake

Kek Sugi (or Malay-style Semolina Cake) is one of Mom's favourite cakes. Despite being a great cook, she told me that she felt less confident about making this particular cake because the recipe warned that the cake might sink if not prepared correctly. Since I am always up for a baking challenge, I thought that I would give it ago. Boy, was she excited. It was also an opportunity to try something that I would not bake in Sydney for myself because of the high fat content and it also uses 15 egg yolks! I am still thinking about what I will do with the rest of the egg whites. An Aussie Pavlova maybe ... hmmm, too easy... maybe something more challenging ...macaroons? ( ..shiver .. don't think I'm ready for that ) ... stay tuned.

This recipe comes from a series of Malay cookbooks called "Minta Ampun Sedapnya" (loosely translated to mean "Goodness Gracious, absolutely Delicious". These are a compilations of traditional Malay and Malay-inspired recipes contributed by Malay women of Singapore. These recipes have been tried and tested, then compiled by Asmah Laili, a former broadcaster turned renowned cookbook author, who is dedicated to keeping our Singaporean Malay food heritage alive. Mom and sis know her personally and Mom has all of her cookbooks. Last week, Mom gave me one of Asmah cookbooks (Vol. 5) that was written both in English and Malay (yeah!) so I can continue my Malay cuisine learning journey when I am back in Sydney.

Kitchen and tasting notes:

I made half of the recipe and baked it in a 9.5" x 5.5" loaf pan. Mom has been raving about the cake all afternoon. :-) I'm glad that the cake didn't sink and that it met her expectations. I thought that the cake was delicious - buttery, moist and with a tender crumb. The ground almond adds a nice texture to it too. But I can only have it in small doses because it's a very rich cake. It's best eaten at room temperature.

Kek Suji
- Malay Semolina Cake -

Translated from “Minta Ampun Sedapnya”, Vol 1
Recipe by Hjh Fatimah Bte Md Ibrahim Marican

500g butter*, room temperature
15 egg yolks
2 egg whites
320g cater sugar
230g ground almonds/almond meal
3 tbspn all-purpose flour, sifted
340g fine semolina
1 tbspn vanillin or vanilla sugar

*tinned butter (e.g. Golden Churn brand found in Singapore/Malaysia) was recommended.

Day before baking:
- Beat butter and the semolina till well-blended. Cover and leave it for at least 14 hours but no more than 24 hours.
- Toast the ground almond in a dry non-stick frying pan for about 2-5 minutes and cool before storing in an air-tight container.

The next day:
- Beat butter-semolina misture till pale and fluffy.
- Beat egg whites till stiff and fold this gently to the butter-semolina mizture. - - - Beat the egg yolks with the sugar (add sugar gradually) till pale and the sygar has disolved. Fold this into the semolina mixture.
- Add ground almond, flour and vanilla sugar and fold them in quickly but gently till well combined. The recipe recommended that this step by done by hand but I used a spatula.
- Immediately pour the thick batter into the buttered cake tin (11” x 8”). Smooth the top before baking it in a preheat oven (150°C) for 1 hrs 15 mins. Do not open the oven door during this time.
- After removing the cake from the oven, leave it in the pan for 10 mins before turning it out on a wire rack to cool completely.

WHB # 115: Fried Tofu with Sweet Soy Dressing

Limau Kasturi (Kalamansi)

Tahu Goreng is a simple but delicous dish. Use the freshest tofu you can find. It's eaten as a side dish or a light lunch. I wonder if I can convince my meat-man Quikong to try this dish since he is not pro-tofu. I love tofu but the best part about this dish is definitely the dressing which is moreish because it has a wonderful tangy flavour with a hint of sweetness and garlic, as well as some heat from the chillies.

Limau kasturi or kalamansi (Citrus microcarpa) adds something special to the dressing because of its citrusy frangrance that is both sweet and sour at the same time and quite distinct from lemons and other types of limes. The kalamansi is small (2-3 cm in diameter) and the peel is green, yellowish green or yellow in colour. It contains quite a lot of seeds and it has an orange-yellowish flesh. The juice is sour and adds a piquant flavour to dishes. In Singapore, halved kalamansi is served with dishes such as fried noodles and squeezed over just before one tucks into the meal. The juice is also commonly made into a freshing drink.

This will be my contribution to Weekend Herb Blogging #115. This week's host is Vani from Batasari.

Tahu Goreng

Fresh firm Tofu
Vegetable oil for frying
Bean sprouts, root removed, rinsed with hot water & drained immediately
Cucumber, sliced thickly

Dressing:
kecap manis ABC (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
tamarind juice
freshly squeezed kalamansi juice*
garlic, crushed
bird's eye chilli, chopped very finely
roasted peanuts, chopped roughly

Prepare the dressing: Mix all (except for peanuts) of the ingredients together. Taste and adjust the balance (i.e. sweet/sour) of the sauce according to your preference. (* subtitute with fresh lime juice if kalamansi is unavailable.)

Pat dry the tofu and fry it in oil till it is golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Slice it into cubes and transfer it into a bowl. Place some beansporuts and cucumber on the tofu. Drizzle the dressing over the tofu and scatter peanuts on top. Serve immediately.

Tip: The dressing can be used over several days. It also makes a wonderful dipping sauce for dim sum, fried calamari, spring rolls or as a salad dressing. You can also add the peanuts into the dressing and it becomes a thick sauce but I chose to have them seperately so that the peanuts can remain crunchy if I am using the dressing over several days.

Banned: Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

No kidding.

Poppy seeds are not sold in Singapore. We have very strict drug-free laws and that extends to poppy seeds. The sale of poopy seeds is banned in Singapore due to the morphine content. Although the drug opium is produced by "milking" latex from the unripe poppy fruits rather than from the seeds, all parts of the plant can contain or carry the opium alkaloids, especially morphine and codeine. This means that eating foods (such as muffins) that contain poppy seeds can result in a false positive for opiates in a drug test.

So although many bloogers have written about lemon poppy seed muffins, do you see why they are very special if you lived in Singapore? I brought my own supply of poppy seeds just because I wanted to bake these muffins for my sis. She is addicted to these muffins (hmm...that may be a bad choice of words...). If I had more poppy seeds, I would love for my sister to try to this Polish poppy seed cake from Margot's mom.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
(from Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan)
Makes 12 small-ish muffins

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon soda bicarbonate
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup lite sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the lemon glaze:
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
up to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed

For the muffins:
- Preheat oven to 200°C. Coat a 12-capacity muffin tray with nonstick spray or line with paper muffin cups.
- In a bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers to draw out the lemon oils from the zest. The sugar will take on a yellow tinge.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the sugar and whisk till completely combined.
- In another bowl mix together the sour cream, eggs melted butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract with a fork till well blended.
- Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir quickly and gently with a large metal spoon or rubber spatula. Don’t fret if there are some small lumps – do not overmix! Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin tins.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin and then remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the lemon glaze/drizzle:
Mix the icing sugar with enough fresh lemon juice until it reaches a nice liquid consistency. Glaze or drizzle artisticaly on top.

World's Smallest Pineapple Tart

<Kuih Tart - Pineapple Tart

Without fail, whenever I return to Sinagpore, there will be a jar of freshly baked kuih tart, or miniature pineapple tarts, waiting for me. I've eaten these since I was a child. I'm not even sure of the history of this little tart. The word "kuih" usually refers to dessert. I just realised while writing this post that the name "kuih tart" does not make sense because we eat these tarts not for dessert but more as a snack or afternoon tea, and the name also makes no reference to pineapple. But everyone in Singapore and Malaysia knows that kuih tart always refers to these miniature pineapple tarts. In Singapore, they are commonly baked for festive occasions such as Eid, Chinese New Year and even Christmas. The pineapple jam filling is spiced with clove and cinnamon so it smells heavenly when Mom is simmering the jam on the stove.

As I have a busy day ahead of being pampered by my sis (lucky me to have a big sis!), I won't have time to translate Mom's recipe for these melt-in-your-mouth-can't-stop-at-one kuih tart today. But I will do so hopefully before I leave Singapore.

Mom also made these crispy and buttery almond cookies. I'll have to bug Mom for that recipe too because they are addictive. If only Mom wroted down all her recipes, catalogued them and also translated them to English. Maybe that will have to be my next project after I finish my thesis...

Have a great day everyone!!! :-)

WHB #114: Assam Pedas Ikan - Sour Spicy Fish

Daun Kesom (Vietnamese Coriander, Polygonum odoratum)

Today Mom made Assam Pedas Ikan, a Malay dish directly translated as “Sour Spicy Fish”. Every respectable Malay kitchen would have their own version of assam pedas. My mom’s version has the perfect balance of spicy and sour. Daun kesom is an essential ingredient for my mom’s assam pedas.

Daun Kesom, or Vietnamese Coriander, has a coriander-like smell with a clear lemony note. Although it is closely related to water pepper there is hardly any pungency present. In Singapore and Malaysia, the shredded leaf is an essential garnish for laksa, and so, the herb is also commonly referred to in Malay as daun laksa (aksa leaf). More information on this herb here and here.

Mom always uses fish for her assam pedas - usually fish steaks since fish fillet would be too fragile after being cooked in the spicy broth. Today, she used a medium sized snapper head. Yes, you read that correctly. I apologise if this may be hard for many of you to stomach. Some of you know that Singapore is known for our famous Chilli Crab. Well, another dish that is also very popular with locals and some daring tourists is the Fish Head Curry. Fish head dishes are not considered exotic or a novelty. It is easily found in most neighbourhood eateries. When I was in my early 20’s I stopped eating fish head because I was put off by it. But in recent years, I am back to fish head lovin’.

Assam Pedas Ikan
- Sour Spicy Fish

Fish head or fish steaks (e.g. Red Snapper)
2 heaped tspn of powdered tumeric
chilli paste
tamarind juice
4 slices of tamarid pieces
2 medium red onion, peeled and chopped into 6-8 wedges
okra
young eggplant (cut into small wedges)
3-4 stalks of daun kesom
salt
vegetable oil
hot water

Chilli Paste:
4 clove garlic
15 shallots
30 dried chillies (yes, that is not a typo)
1 tbspn of belacan (prawn paste)
1-2 cm of fresh ginger root
water

Tamarid Juice:
2 heaped tbspn of tamarind pulp
1-1.5 cups of hot water

Prepare chilli paste – You will notice that this paste is similar to the one used for sambal prawns, but with the addition of ginger. Roughly cut dried chillies with a kitchen scissors and pour enough hot water to cover the chillies. Leave for 10 mins and drain. Blend the chillies finely with 1 cup of fresh water, and all other ingredients.

Prepare tamarind juice - Soak pulp in hot water, squeeze out the juice and strain.

Now you are ready to cook the dish:
In a large saucepan, heat some oil and over medium heat, stir fry the onion wedges till fragrant. Add the chilli paste and stir fry till fragrant (about 20 minutes). Add tamarid juice, tamarid pieces and tumeric. Add fish and enough hot water to almost cover the fish. When the fish is almost cooked, add the okra, eggplants, daun kesom and salt (to taste). Serve hot with steamed jasmin rice.

This will be my contribution to the first Weekend Herb Blogging for 2008. WHB is a food blogging event sponsored by Kalyn's Kitchen where each week food bloggers around the world photograph and write about herbs, plants, veggies, or flowers, and on the weekend, a Recap with links to all the posts is published by the host for that week. This week’s host (WHB #114) is the founder of WHB, Kaylyn. Do drop by her blog to check out the Recap.

@@@@@@@@@@@@

More Singaporean foods:
Sambal Prawns
Black Glutinous Rice Porridge

@@@@@@@@@@@@

Sambal Udang - Sambal Prawns

This is one of my all-time favourite dishes because I love seafood, especially prawns, and spicy foods. This dish is so tasty not just because I am a chilli addict but also because of the naturally slightly sweet flavour from the unshelled prawns and onions, as well as the tanginess from the assam.

Assam (or Tamarind) is the pulp that is obtained from the pods of the tamarind tree. Assam or Tamarind is a sticky fibrous mass which may sometimes include the seeds. In Singapore, when it is in the form of "Tamarind Pulp" it is known as Assam Jawa and if it is in the form of "Tamarind Pieces" it is known as Assam Keping.

How to use Assam pulp:

To obtain the Assam or Tamarind juice, this pulp is stirred through a little hot water, squeezed and then strained through a muslin cloth/sieve.

How to use Assam or Tamarind pieces:

These are often used in place of the pulp. One or two pieces are added to the dish and then removed when the food has attained the required sourness.

(Tamarid information from here)

~~~~~~~

Sambal Udang/Prawns

1kg large prawns, unshelled
1 tbspn tumeric powder
1 tspn chilli powder
chilli paste
2 medium red onion, peeled and chopped into 6 wedges
tamarid juice
sugar
salt
vegetable oil

Chilli Paste
4 clove garlic
15 shallots
30 dried chillies (yes, that is not a typo)
1 tbspn of belacan (prawn paste)
water

Tamarid Juice
About 1 rounded teaspoon of tamarid pulp
2 tbspn of hot water

Method:

Prepare chilli paste - Roughly cut dried chillies with a kitchen scissors and pour enough hot water to cover the chillies. Leave for 10 mins and drain. Blend finely the chillies, 1 cup of fresh water, and all other ingredients. My mom used to use a motar and pestle but these days she uses a blender.

Prepare prawns - Marinade prawns in tumeric and chilli powder and salt. Leave aside for 15 minutes.

Prepare tamarind juice - Soak pulp in hot water, squeeze out the juice. My mom does not strain the juice.

Now you are ready to cook the dish:
1. In a hot wok, stir fry prawns in a little oil till pink. Be careful not to overcook the prawns. Remove from the wok and set aside.
2. In the same work, add more oil and over medium heat, stir fry the onion wedges till fragrant. Add the chilli paste and stir fry it till fragrant (about 20 minutes). Add tamarid juice and cooked prawns. Add salt to taste and a pinch of sugar. Cook for further 5 minutes.
3. Serve with steamed jasmin rice or coconut rice (nasi lemak) and stir fried vegetables (e.g. water spinach).

Variation:

Mom sometimes add wedges of tomatoes and fresh coriander together with the prawns.

~~~~~~~

Bubur Pulut Hitam - Black Glutinous Rice Porridge

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had a terrific start to 2008. I welcomed the new year with my family back in Singapore. I arrived two days ago and I have not wasted time familiarising myself with a Singaporean passion - eating! Yes, Singaporeans are very proud of our food, which is very diversed - Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasion, Middle-Eastern and everything in between. One can find something to eat 24hrs, 7 days a week. Many restuarants don't even close between lunch and dinner. You can get a delicous meal to fit any budget, from just $3 to hundreds of dollars at acclaimed fine dining restaurants.

I promised some of you that I will do my best to learn some of my mother's recipes during my two weeks vacation in Singapore. However, I have to report that all I have been doing is indulging in Mom's lovingly prepared meals. Her dishes are mainly Malay, Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines. Through the years, she has also adapted these traditional recipes to make them healthier (such as reducing the amount of coconut milk and also grilling instead of deep-frying). My tummy has been very happy the last two days and there is more to come.

I have to admit that this sweet porridge is the first home cooked item that I captured on camera because I was too greedy at other times. It was actually my sister who reminded me to start taking photos for my blog. So, where possible and when time permits, I will take photos and share some recipes. I have to warm you though that Mom cooks by estimation, so it's unlikely that I will have exact measurements.

Today's sweet treat is a simple one but don't be fooled by it's boring looks. It can still excite the palate due to the flavours, texture and is oh-so-comforting. Although it's called "porridge", it is not something for breakfast but is usually eaten for afternoon tea. Variations of this sweet porridge can be seen in Malaysia and Thailand. I think the name of this porridge is a misnomer because when cooked, the glistening, long grains take on a deep purple tinge. Perhaps purple glutinous rice porridge does not sound as appetising....

There are two ingredients that make this such a delcious dessert:

Pandan Leaf - The pandan leaf comes from the Screwpine tree, which can be found in Madagascar, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the tropical areas of Australia. Pandan leaf in Southeast Asia is as frequently used as vanilla bean is in western cuisine. Pandan leaf is also commonly used to perfume savoury dishes.

Palm Sugar - Also referred to as gula jawa or gula Malacca/Melaka. It's a type of sugar made from the coconut tree. There are variable quality of palm sugars out there so when mom gets a hold of a good supply, I eat it like candy. I think that my addiction to palm sugar is probably bigger than my love for maple syrup. I can't find good palm sugar in Sydney, so I get my fix annually when I am back in Singapore :-). More info on palm sugar here.

Bubur Pulut Hitam
(Black Glutinous Rice Porridge)

For porridge:
Black glutinous rice
Palm sugar
Pandan leaf
water

For Topping:
Freshly squeezed coconut milk
pandan leaf
salt

Procedure:

Porridge - Boil glutinous rice with the pandan leaf and water till tender. My mom uses a pressure cooker to save time. The consistency should not be too thick or watery, so add as much or little water to your preference.
Topping - Over low heat, boil the coconut milk with the pandan leaf and a pinch of salt. Add water if it's too thick.

To serve:

The porridge is usually eaten warm but is still delicious at room temperature. Just before serving, spoon some of the coconut milk topping over the porridge.