Images Sweet Leaf (Sayur Manis)

Sweet Leaf, a popular leaf vegetable in Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. We call it "Sayur Manis" or "Cekur Manis"  in Malay. To the local Chinese, it is known as"mani cai".

Sweet Leaf (Sayur Manis)

The great thing about this vegetable is that it is easy to grow in our climate, usually done via stem cuttings. It's a low maintenance plant that is trimmed regularly for it's leaves.

Cooking it
Only the leaves are used in cooking because the lower stemmed parts are hard to chew. It has a natural mild pleasant sweetish flavour. When cooking this, keep in mind that on its own, it doesn't require heavy seasoning. In Malaysia, it is typically stir-fried with egg or boiled in soups. It is also commonly served in Pan Mee , a local noodle soup dish usually sold by hawkers.

To remove the leaves from the stems, we place our thumb and index finger around the stem. Then, slide our fingers across. The leaves will come off as you slide. Rinse before cooking.

Eat the leaves, not the stem!

Where to buy
It can be found in most wet markets and supermarkets in Malaysia.

Storage

It doesn't keep long in the refrigerator. I clear it off within two days because the leaves begin to dry after that.

Check out: Sweet Leaf and Sweet Potatoes in Coconut Soup (Recipe)

Images Grey Oyster Mushroom

The beautiful folds remind me of a Chinese fan. It was hard to resist.....and I was a-l-o-n-e. I admit to picking one up and doing the little fan dance. Shhh..let this be a secret between you and me. Bah! This is the 'internet' I am confiding on.   

Grey Oyster Mushrooms are soft, velvety and cool on the fingers. I love the texture. It is easy to bite into and it has this lovely taste of mild sweet.

Grey Oyster Mushrooms

This mushroom is a versatile ingredient. Be it deep-fried, added into soups, braised or grilled, it tastes just as mmm..mmm..good. Personally, I find the stems a little chewy for soups and braised dishes so I tend to trim it off for later, usually to make stock. It is not always necessary to do this. I just like doing it because I'm biased towards the fluffy part - it is yummy!

It takes only minutes to cook oyster mushrooms. Ideally, add it in only at the last stage of cooking.

Storage: It stays good in a plastic bag for a week or so in the refrigerator. I've never kept it longer. I have however read that you can store it for up to two weeks wrapped in a moist napkin or towel, sealed in a paper bag.

Buying: If it's slimy, don't buy it. Choose plump ones.

Washing: Wash only before use. Swish it in water and that's all there is to it.

Beautiful, isn't it?

Velvety

Here's one way you can enjoy these mushrooms. I had this at a food truck in Johor.

The mushrooms are deep-fried and then sprinkled with a seasoning of salt, sugar and pepper ..at least, that's what I'm guessing is in the powdery substance. Whatever it is, yum stuff!

Deep-Fried Grey Oyster Mushrooms

Images Daun Kaduk (Wild Betel Leaf)

Daun Kaduk

Daun Kaduk aka piper sarmentosum scientifically, is usually used in local cuisine to make ulam (traditional Malay salad) and otak-otak (fish cake).

It looks like a betel leaf, but is smaller in size and has a peppery taste.

It can be eaten raw or cooked - steamed, fried, souped, what-have-you. I have seen it used as a vegetable wrap on several occasions.

It doesn't keep long. Best to buy it closest to the day you intend to use it.

Earlier in the year, my sister-in-law asked me to help her out with an otak-otak dish. That's when I first noticed this leaf. I've probably eaten it before but only made a mental note of it now that I've taken an interest in cooking. You should have seen how engrossed I was with the leaf, scrutinising it as though it were a science project!

Anyway, here's an idea how to use it in cooking:

Otak-otak (Fish and prawns in coconut gravy - to be steamed into a cake)
with Daun Kaduk lined at the bottom

The discovery of a new dish confers more happiness on humanity than the discovery of a new star 

~ Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Images Dried Mandarin Orange Peels

Dried Mandarin Orange Peel

Save those mandarin orange peels!

Did you know that you can dry orange peels and use them for cooking later? It can be included into meat stews, hot soup desserts like red bean or barley soups, hot teas, used as seasoning and it can even be added into cakes. It doesn't just add flavour to cooking, it adds fragrance - it is this bit that gives recipes an extra edge.

I learned this from my aunt who's an ardent cook. It's pretty easy to do when you live in a country where it's summer all year round and it's sunny most times.

How-to:
1) Peel skin from mandarin orange.
2) Scrape the excess pith off the skin (not difficult because there isn't much).
3) Dry the orange peels out in the hot sun for a few days and that's it.

Dried and ready for use - Mandarin Orange Peels

I guess the same can be done with a regular orange but removing the pith may be a challenge for me since it has a thicker layer of white pith.

Of course I could peel it with a knife, slicing just beneath the skin. It helps to have a steady hand. Something I don't have..

Images Nai Pak Choy (Extra Dwarf Chinese Cabbage)

Nai Pak Choy (Extra Dwarf Chinese Cabbage)

Nai Pak Choy in English is regularly referred to as the Extra Dwarf Chinese Cabbage. Other names it is known by locally - Fairlady or Sawi Susu in Malay.

Nai Pak Choy  is a smaller variety of Pak Choy / Bok Choy. Its distinctive trait is its short wide white petioles with dark green crumpled leaves held together by a stem in a rounded head.

The ones I purchased here were grown in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia.

Buying and Storing
Look for fresh colours - the stems should be white and firm. The greens should be a lovely dark, glossy shade and not wilted. In short, they should look crunchy.

Leave it unwashed until ready for use. I left mine in its original plastic packaging for four days in the refrigerator. There were no signs of discoloration or wilting.

Cooking
Before cooking, wash thoroughly. Either dip it in water and swish it around or separate the stems and wash it individually. Dirt is usually lodged in between the stems so that's where you should really focus on.

There are several ways to eat this. I've read that you can have it raw but that's something I've never done so I can't comment on it. I prefer mine cooked in quick stir fries, boiled in soup or with some sort of gravy. I find it really delicious done this way.

Here's a simple recipe on Nai Pak Choy that you can try out : Nai Pak Choy with Pork in Egg Gravy

Nai Pak Choy - Lovely white stems

Nai Pak Choy - Crumpled greens

Images Food Discovery : Rice Balls

Rice-Balls served with Steamed Chicken, Bean-Sprouts
and Boiled Egg in Soy-Sauce.

Have you tasted rice-balls before? My first tasting was in Hoe Kee Restaurant - famous for its chicken rice-balls, which is located at Jonker Street, Malacca.

It's just normal plain cooked rice - rolled compact into smooth round size of a golf ball. As the taste is plain, you would need other dishes to go together with the rice-balls for extra flavour. Of course, steamed-chicken is a must. But it is definitely something that home-chefs can prepare and cook themselves at home. 

You can even 'tweak' the preparation of the rice-balls to your liking, if you are the adventurous type. Examples - adding a bit of other ingredients, herbs and/or spices in the rice - you'll have a more fragrant rice-balls or stuff fillings in the rice-balls like minced chicken, stir-fry mushrooms, etc. Many options.

I, definitely am going to cook and experiment the rice-balls with stuffings as I think it makes the dish more interesting. ^^

Dining at Hoe-Kee Restaurant
(Looks like these dishes are something home-chefs can attempt to cook at home)

Images Herbs and Spices - Uses and Origins (Part 1)

Herbs are in general dried parts of plants, such as roots, blossoms, leaves, flower buds and barks. They are specially cultivated because of their rich, strong flavours. Herbs and spices are used in food preparation to enhance the natural flavour and tastes of the various dishes. In addition they are important for the digestion as they stimulate appetite and the flow of the gastric juices.

Herbs and spices grow all over the world and they are available in different qualities.

Bay Leaves

These are the leaves of the bay laurel or sweet bay trees or shrubs. They may be fresh or dried and are used for flavouring soups, sauces and stews. They are usually included in a bouquet garni or mirepoix.

Aniseed

This plant grows in all the Mediterranean countries and Russia. The seeds come from the ripe umbel and look very similar to the carra-way seeds. It is used for liquors, drugs for colds and coughs, biscuits, fish dishes and pastry dishes.

Basil

It is a plant which grows in any garden. The leaves and the pulps are giving the flavour. It is used for fish and meat dishes, salads and for pickling meat and vegetables.

Cloves

Cloves are unopened flower buds of a tree (8-12 m height) which is harvested in countries such as Zanzibar, Madagascar, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka among others. The buds are picked when green and dried in the sun till they turn to a rich brown colour. They are used for flavouring vegetables, meat dishes, all kinds of fish, cakes, etc.

Cinnamon

It is the bark of the cinnamon shrub. The inner pulp and the outer layer of the bark are removed and the remaining pieces are dried. It has a pale crown colour and is obtained and used in sticks or powdered form. It is mainly used in bakery and pastry work. Doughnuts, Apples & Banana Fritters are passed through a mixture of sugar and ground cinnamon. It is another one of the spices that's blended for mixed spices.

Turmeric 

This plant comes from the Far East but also grows in other countries with similar climate. The root is peeled and dried and then it gets grounded into fine powder of yellow colour. It is mainly used for curry blends specially for the colour of the curry.

Curry

Curry is the name of the blend made from several spices. This mixed spice includes ginger, carraway-seeds, paprika, cayeen pepper, coriander, curcuma, cardamon, cinnamon and chilli pepper, etc. It is used for all sorts of curry dishes. The composition (blend) of the curry powder depends on the individual.


Credit Source - Kitchen & Operation Book 1 (Systematic School of Hotel & Catering Management)

Images Food Discovery : Deep Fried Fish in Three-Flavoured Sauce (aka Three Taste Sauce)

TheThree-Flavoured Sauce Fish, commonly referred to as Ikan Masak Tiga Rasa  in Malaysia, is a delicious Thai dish that is laden in a rich sauce of sweet, sour and spicy - the three flavours that gave rise to its name.

You can order this dish at local stalls offering Thai/Malay cuisine. Here's one I tried at Selera Sri Delima, a restaurant located right behind Kepong Brem Mall.

Three-Flavoured Sauce Fish - Selera Sri Delima

The Basics Of Cooking This Dish
A piece of fish, coated in corn flour and fried crisp.

The recipe for the sauce involves a variety of chopped ingredients, usually - garlic, onion, chili, tomatoes, pineapple and coriander. It is then usually cooked with fish sauce, tamarind juice and a sweet-tasting element such as sweet Thai chili sauce, palm sugar or brown sugar.

This sauce is then poured over the fried fish.

I've never tried making this dish yet but it's just a matter of time before I do. I cannot resist such lively presentation of food!

If you've never eaten this before, I'd urge you to try. Its robust taste will make you crave for more....unless you don't prefer strong flavours of course.

Images Red Plums

Plump Red Plums

A variety of plums can be purchased at most supermarkets in Malaysia. Red plums, however, isn't a local fruit so it may be harder to find in smaller markets and almost impossible to find at roadside stalls. I purchased mine from a hypermarket.

Red plums are juicy and sweet on the inside, but the skin has a sour taste to it. For this reason, I prefer having it peeled when eating it fresh.

Buying Plums
Choose plums which are plump and rich in natural colour. Don't be too alarmed over the whitish coating on top. That is just wax bloom - something produced by the fruit to protect it against invading insects.

It may even be a good thing if you see more wax because it would mean that it has been handled less by people or could be fresher.

Culinary Uses and Storage
Plums can be eaten fresh or cooked into sauces. It is also great for making jam or jelly and compliments many baking recipes.

It can be kept in the refrigerator for about five days. If you have an unripe plum, just leave it outside. It takes just a day or so for it to ripen at room temperature.

Wash well before eating!

How To Cut Plums
There are several ways to do this. A quick search on the internet led me to 5 Tips on How to Eat a Plum in Two Bites - wikiHow. Place your thumbs in the center and pull it apart. Remove the stone and it's ready to be eaten.

I attempted it as instructed but having all that juice wasted on my fingers is just not my cup of tea.  It is, however, a great way to eat if you don't have a knife with you or you want it quick.

The wikiHow way

Knowing how sour the skin is, I decided that it would be best if I removed it first. I discovered that the best way to do this is to use the knife. Peeling it off using my fingers involved too much work. My trusty old peeler was no match against this juicy fruit either.

Slicing it with a knife works best for me

After removing the skin with a knife, I sliced it in the middle, all the way around the stone.
Then, I applied the knowledge I had gained from wikiHow - with thumbs on top, I easily opened the fruit up to reveal the stone. Pull that out and tadaa! That's how I eat plums!

I guess everyone has their own way of doing things. Do share with us how you eat yours.

A Plum Affair