Potato chips (in the microwave)

Here's a slightly healthier way to make potato chips without having to deep-fry them.
Slice potatoes really thin, dry them using a paper towel and place them on a microwavable plate.
Spray the potatoes lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt.
Microwave them for 3 minutes on high. Check. And microwave for another 2-3 minutes. It should be lightly crisp.
(Careful, plate will be hot)

Curry Puffs

The original recipe requires you to deep-fry the puffs. I modified this using my mom's short-crust pastry and baked them in the oven.

Pastry ingredients:
4 oz butter (soften)
8 oz flour
some cold water
a dash of salt

Mix the flour, salt and butter into a bread crumbs texture. Slowly add in some cold water (a tablespoon at a time). Knead until it forms into a dough.
Set aside in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Curry puff filling:
5 tbsp oil
1 onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup diced chicken meat
2 large potatoes (boiled and diced)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Fry onion, add spices.
Then add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes.
Leave aside to cool

Preheat oven to 375F

Roll out the pastry dough into approx. 1/4 inch thick.
I use a curry puff mold. Or you can cut the dough into circles.
Place some curry chicken ingredients in the center and shape it into a puff, pinching the sides to seal.

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Lightly brush some egg yolk on top of each puff.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the top looks golden brown.
Serve warm.

Agar Agar

2 tbsp agar agar powder
sugar (adjust to taste)
5 cups of water
pandan juice
green food coloring

Boil all the ingredients until agar agar has dissolved
Pour into molds or into a pyrex dish
Let it cool and store in the fridge for atleast 12 hours before cutting

Here, I used a cookie cutter to cut into shapes.

Kuih Bingka Ubi

Ingredients :
1 lb grated cassava (tapioca)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup coconut cream (and 1 tbsp for glazing)
1/2 stick of butter
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375F
Grease a 7 x 7 baking dish (or 6x6 tin)
Mix all the ingredients in a pot and boil over low heat until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.
Pour into the greased baking dish
Bake for 30 minutes
Glaze the top with coconut cream and broil until golden brown
Cool completely before cutting into pieces.

Sweet Potato Onde-Onde

This is a local Malaysian delicacy. It is sticky on the outside with the sweet sensation of oozing gula melaka syrup inside. Gula Melaka (or Gula Jawa) is made from the sap of the coconut tree and boiled down into a golden brown paste. It is usually sold in tubes or in blocks, and tastes similar to brown sugar.

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes (boiled/steamed, peeled and mashed)
2 cups glutinous rice flour
3 tbsp pandan juice
Warm water

Filling:
Chopped up gula melaka bits

Coating:
Freshly grated coconut (I use frozen grated coconut found in the Asian Grocery stores)

Mix the mashed sweet potatoes, pandan juice and rice flour well. Add some water and knead until a stiff dough consistency is formed. Add more rice flour if needed.
Form the dough into small balls. Make a well in the center and fill it with some gula melaka.
Roll it up again into a ball, making sure the gula melaka is sealed well inside.

Put the balls into boiling water. When the balls float to the surface, remove them with a slotted ladle and roll it in the grated coconut.

Serve

BBQ Pork (Char Siu) pastries

Ingredients :
Pork (country ribs)
Char Siu sauce
Kicap manis
Oil for stir-fry
Green peas

Mix Char siu sauce and kicap manis together. And marinate pork for atleast 48 hours.
Prepare a deep baking dish (fill with 1/2 inch of water) , place a metal rack on top of baking dish.
Place marinated pork on the rack and bake for 25 minutes on 400F. (save marinate for glazing)
Take pork out and turn them over. Brush with marinate. And bake again for another 20 minutes.
Repeat one more time.

Take pork out and wrap in aluminum foil for about 20 minutes.
Carefully remove foil and chop the Char Siu up into tiny pieces. (or chop in a food processor)

In a hot skillet, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add chopped Char Siu and green peas. And stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
You may add 2 tablespoons of water if you feel it is too dry. And 1 tablespoon of kicap manis.
Keep aside.

Preheat oven 375F

Prepare short-crust pastry. If I am in a hurry (or lazy) I usually buy the ready-made Pillsbury short-crust pastry.
Roll it out, and using a round circle cookie cutter, cut a few circles.

Place one teaspoon of Char Siu filling into the center of a circle. Place another circle on top. Press to seal. I use a fork to make the pattern all around. Brush with egg yolk.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm.

Cheat sheet: You can also buy some cooked BBQ pork from a Chinese take-out and chop them up and stir-fry with green peas for the filling.

Recipe for Short-Crust Pastry :
http://www.helpwithcooking.com/pastry-guide/shortcrust-pastry.html

Easy Orange Cake

If you're in a hurry and need to bring something to a party, here's a super easy (and moist and light) cake recipe.

You will need :

1 box of Duncan Hines white moist cake mix (Do NOT add in the other ingredients as directed on the box)
1 can of soda (I usually use Sunkist orange)

Combine cake mix and can of soda.
Pour into a 13x9 baking dish
Bake according to instructions on the box.

For topping :
Dust with powdered sugar
or decorate with cool whip.

In this picture, I put little dollops of coolwhip using a ziplock bag as an icing bag. And add a slice of mandarin orange (canned) on top.