Ipoh Hor Fun

Ipoh Hor Fun - This dish originates from Ipoh, Perak. It is a very simple dish but very tasty. It is normally consumed with steamed chicken and bean sprouts. For the best ipoh hor fun, you should head over to Ipoh. But if you do not have the time or is logistically able to go to Ipoh for it, you may try to cook it on your own. Just follow these simple steps for a nice bowl of Ipoh hor fun.

Ingredients:

• 2 litres of water
• 1/2 chicken
• 300-500g fresh prawns
• Vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp chicken stock powder, optional
• 1 pack fresh flat noodles
• Chicken shreds, for garnish
• Spring Onion (green parts) cut into 1 inch, for garnish
• Fried shallots, for garnish
• Cut chillies, for dipping
• Soy sauce, for dipping

Direction:

1. For broth, peel the prawns and keep the prawn heads and shell for the broth. 
2. Add water into a large pot and add in the chicken. After it is boiled, lower the fire and continue boiling it for another 20 minutes. 
3. In the meantime, pour in the vegetable oil in a wok and fry the prawn heads and shells until they turn golden.  
4. Then shift everything from the wok into the pot. Continue to simmer for about an hour. Add some salt or chicken stock for taste. Then strain the stock and set aside.  
5. Blanch the prawn meat, and spring onion separately in the stock and set aside.
6. Remove the flat noodles and blanch in a pot of hot water for about 15 seconds.
7. Put the cooked noodles in a bowl.  Add a few pieces of cooked prawns, chicken slices and spring onion.  Add the stock and garnish with fried shallots. Cut some red chillies and serve it with soy sauce.

Roast Duck

Ducks contains a lot of fats. So the best way to cook duck is to roast them. This way, the fats can be removed leaving a nicely roasted cripsy roast duck. There are not many steps involve in roasting duck, but it takes a lot of patience to cook one. Remember to turn and baste the duck as many times as possible to get the best result.

Ingredients:

• 1 (5 lb) ducklings
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon powdered ginger

Directions:

1. Clean the duckling making sure that it is dry.
2. Combine remaining ingredients and brush inside and out over duckling; let stand for 1 hour, turning occasionally.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Roast for 2 hours, turning and basting with drippings occasionally.

Malaysia Rojak

Malaysians loves their rojak. In fact rojak sauce is easily available at the local stores and market. But most of the time, we do not know what was added in these rojak sauces. If you would like to prepare one of your own, just follow these simple steps. Add more chilies if you love your rojak sauce very spicy. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 3 -4 large chilies
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar, grated
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons tamarind juice
• 1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped.

Directions:

1. Toast shrimp paste on low heat for 1 minute.
2. Blend/process chillies, sugar and belacan to form a paste.
3. Add salt and tamarind juice. Blend briefly.
4. Stir in peanuts.
5. Cut fruits such as green mangoes, cucumber, tau kwa (hard bean curd), bean sprouts, and etc. If you have shrimp crackers, mix them together too.

Roti Canai

This is the one dish that is easily available every where in Malaysia. A roti canai kosong costs about RM0.80 to RM1.00 depending on where you are. But if you are not in Malaysia and would love to have roti canai and do not mind making some on your own, here is a recipe you may try. The main thing about roti canai is not the ingredient but the technique of making it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cooking oil

Directions:

1. Mix the salt in the water.
2. Place the flour in a mixing bowl and mix the flour into a dough kneed until smooth. Gradually add the salt water and make sure the texture of the dough is not too sticky and gooey.
3. Oil your hands with cooking oil and then make the dough into palm sized balls.
4. In a bowl pour some oil so that the dough does not stick to the bowl. Put in the balls, coating it with oil as you put one on top of each other. After it is all in a bowl, totally immerse it in oil. Leave over night.
5. Oil your kneading space. Take out one dough ball, flatten it out into with you palms until the size of a dinner plate.
6. Flip it a couple of times and spread it out until paper thin.
7. Take the one edge and fold it to the middle. Do this another three times so that it will turn into a square.
8. Grease a flat pan or skillet with cooking oil and cook until golden brown.

Curry Laksa

Have you ever walked into a restaurant and you just love their chili paste but it is not for sale? I have and would actually love to do it myself, especially chili sambals. Of all the chili paste, I find that curry laksa paste is the most fragrant. Here is a simple recipe to cook yourself a good amount of curry laksa paste. I hope you will enjoy it.

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cm fresh ginger, chopped (~2 teaspoons)
• 2 green chilies, seeds removed
• 1 kaffir lime leaf, chopped (optional)
• 2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and chopped (~2 tablespoons minced)
• 2 tablespoons cashew nuts
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 limes, juice of (~.36 cup)

Directions:

1. Grind all ingredients together with a mortar and pestle or in a spice mill or food processor to form a smooth paste.
2. Will last up to 4 days if covered and stored in the refrigerator. If frozen in portions in zip-lock plastic bags, will keep 3 months.
3. Note: To make soup, add coconut milk and an equal amount of fish or chicken stock, hokkien noodles (or egg noodles), spring onions, bean sprouts and fish or prawns. Simmer until tender. Or you can use this paste as a flavoring base for your favorite curry.

Scallops with Bread Crumbs

Have you watch cooking shows on the television and wish that you could just pluck the food out from the television screen? The thought had cross my mind many times but I know that it is just impossible. The good thing about this is that now that you are aware that delicious food does exist and it is not too difficult to cook contrary to our beliefs. I love scallops, so I did my research and stumbled upon this simple recipe. Fresh scallops are great on its own and you do not need much seasoning. Just make sure that you do not overcooked them. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sea scallops
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (approximately)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 lemon
• freshly grated romano cheese

Directions:

1. Roll scallops in bread crumbs.
2. Put olive oil and butter in a large skillet; stir and heat until hot.
3. Add scallops, turning once, until browned on both sides (3-4 minutes); remove from heat.
4. Halve lemon and gently squeeze juice over scallops, then sprinkle with cheese.
5. Cover with a lid and let steep for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.

Barbecue Ribs

Many of us want to cook a delicious meal for our family. However, most of us ended up cooking the same thing over and over again. Going through recipe websites or recipe blogs is a great way to get new ideas for new recipe.

There are many recipes which are available online. How do you choose which recipe to cook?

One easy way is to ask yourself. First, start with cuisine, Asian or Western? Then narrow down further. Asian - Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Malay and etc. Once you have narrowed down to the cuisine you like, choose whether to cook meat, vegetables, noodles and etc.

Most of the time when I have narrowed down to the last step, I would have on my mind the recipe I want to cook for the day. For today, I am going to share with you how to cook this barbecue ribs. Just follow these simple steps.

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs pork ribs
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon hickory smoke salt
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
• 2 cups of barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees f.
2. Mix together the sugar and spices to make the rub.
3. Apply rub to ribs on all sides.
4. Lay ribs on two layers of foil, shiny side out and meaty side down.
5. Lay two layers of foil on top of ribs and roll and crimp edges tightly, edges facing up to seal.
6. Place on baking sheet and bake for 2-2 1/2 hours or until meat is starting to shrink away from the ends of the bone.
7. Remove from oven and heat broiler.
8. Cut ribs into serving sized portions of 2 or 3 ribs.
9. Arrange on broiler pan, bony side up and brush on sauce.
10. Broil for 1 or 2 minutes until sauce is cooked on and bubbly.
11. Turn ribs over and repeat on other side.