Pumpkin Creme Brulee

I always love pumpkin for its versatility both in sweet and savoury dishes. Whenever I'm making fish curry i love to have some stir fry pumpkin as a side dish as i feel both are an awesome combination. After making the pumpkin stir fry there are some left over pumpkin and i tried them in my dessert...pumpkin creme brulee.

What i love in creme brulee is actually the fun part of playing with my kitchen torch and the nice thin layer crust of sugar that cracks with a hit of spoon. The crunchiness of caramelized sugar and the smooth and silky custard base that melt in your mouth are simply irresistible. Nicely flavored with sweet pumpkin this is a dish you wanna serve to impress your guest.

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp pumpkin spice

For Topping

1/4 cups granulated white sugar

Methods

Preheat oven at 300'F or 148'C .

Over a medium-low flame, heat the cream while stirring frequently. Once the cream comes to a simmer point. Switch off the flame.

In a bowl add eggs and sugar. Whisk till well blended.

Add the hot cream slowly into the egg mixture while constantly whisking to avoid the eggs from scrambling. Add the pumpkin spices and stir well.

Strain the mixture in a large pouring cup. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well.

Place 6 ramekins in a baking deep baking tray. Fill 8 ramekins with the custard and place the baking tray in a preheated oven.

Fill the baking tray halfway with boiling water. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool completely before cover the ramekins with cling wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon  sugar over the chilled custard and give it a good swirl to spread the sugar evenly.

Using a kitchen torch, caramelized the sugar.

Serve immediately.


Notes.

• To make a pumpkin puree, simply cut pumpkin into chunks and steam for 10-15 minutes till well tender and mash using a masher to a fine puree or just dump them steamed pumpkin into a food processor to get a fine paste.

Crab Briyani

Briyani is my youngest daughter Jeevana's favourite dish in the world. Believe me or not when we were visiting India she ordered briyani in almost all states we visited and for all fourteen days. That much is her love for briyani. At home when it comes Sunday she always suggest for briyani and as mom i tried my best to fulfill her wish.

When i went to Sunday wet market, i was tempted to buy crab it was so fresh that i can't resist. Back home i made this delicious crab briyani which burst with flavor. Not only my little girl Jeevana but the whole household love the flavorful mouth watering crab briyani.

Ingredients

2 large crabs, wash and cleaned
2 cups basmati rice, wash and soak with water for 30 minutes
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup curd/yogurt
1/4 cup ghee/clarified butter
1 large onion, sliced
2'tbsp ginger-garlic paste
5 green chillies,slitted
2 large tomatoes,chopped
1 tsp chilly powder
2'inch cinnamon stick
1 pc star anise
3 pcs cloves
e pcs cardamom pods
2 pcs mace
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup mint leaves,chopped
1/3 cup coriander leaves,chopped
3 cups water
Salt to taste

Method

Heat ghee in a large pot and saute cinnamon stick,star anise,cloves,cardamom pods,mace,bay leaves,green chillies and bay leaves till fragrant. Approximately for 1-2 minutes.

Add chopped onions and saute till raw smell leaves. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds.

Add in the chopped tomatoes,coriander leaves and mint leaves. Saute till the leaves wilt. Add chilly powder and saute for another 10 seconds.

Add the cleaned crab and 3 cups water. Bring it to boil and season with salt. Add the soaked rice and cook till the grains are fully cooked..

Serve hot with cucumber raita

Cincaluk Omelette/Fred Egg With Fermented Prawn

One of the best loved Nyonya dish which is the favourite for many as well as me. Cincaluk is a local product made of fermented shrimp used to enhance flavor in many Malay or Peranakan dish.. Most of the time cincaluk served as dipping sauce.

I bought a bottle of cincaluk during a visit to Historical city of Malacca which is known for the Baba-Nyonya (Peranakan) heritage. When i came home the first thing came to mind is this delicious simple cincaluk omelette. Its easy and simple to prepare in no time. A perfect bachelor recipe and goes really well with hot white rice.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp cincaluk
4 large eggs
1 red chilly,seeded and chopped
1 large red onion,chopped
1/3 tsp pepper powder
3 tbsp peanut/vegetable oil for frying

Methods

Drain cincaluk to discard the brine. Keep aside.

In a bowl, beat eggs and add chopped onion and red chilly. Stir.

Add the cincaluk and pepper powder. Mix well.

Heat oil in a frying pan and pour in the egg mixture. Cover with lid and cook for 1-2 minutes till the bottom of the omelette golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side for another 1 or 2 minutes.

Transfer to a serving plate

Notes

• Do not add salt into the egg mixture as the cincaluk are salty enough 

Pumpkin Loaf

I bought a whole pumpkin in wet market during the weekend shopping thinking of making pumpkin sweet soup..but i never made one. The pumpkin was sitting in my kitchen counter for almost 2 days now when i opted to bake pumpkin loaf for our breakfast. This is a very simple and easy pumpkin loaf recipe which can be done in a jiffy without using hand/stand mixer.

While the baking going on the oven, the whole house smelled heavenly with the sweet fragrance of the pumpkin spice. You can opt for brown sugar to replace with the granulated white sugar for more intense depth flavor but i'm happy with the flavor of granulated sugar as well. This is moist,dense and bursting with pumpkin flavor loaf make an ideal breakfast treat.

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1//2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup water
2 egg whites
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

Methods

Preheat oven at 350'F or 180'C and greased a 9'inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, add all purpose flour,cake flour,baking powder,baking soda,salt and pumpkin spice. Mix well.

In another bowl, whisk egg whites,maple syrup,sugar,vegetable oil,pumpkin puree and water. Whisk well.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix till combined. Do not over mixed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Bake for 40 minutes or till a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Cool on pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Spicy Chicken Rendang

Selamat hari raya to all Muslims around the world. Today marks the second day of hari raya and officially its a holiday here in Malaysia. Traditional Malay food are abundance to share with family and friends during open house which is a custom here during Raya and other festivals. One such dish is Rendang which made of beef or chicken and usually serve along with ketupat (steamed rice cake) or lemang (glutinious rice cooked in bamboo).

Today i'm sharing fiery chicken rendang recipe which is apt to serve for Raya celebration. All the ingredients needed in making of this mouth watering dish can be found in all Asian groceries. I love the turmeric leaves in this dish and please do not skip them while preparing this gorgeous rendang. Another must have ingredient is the kerisik, toasted coconut pounded into a paste which lends flavor and texture to the dish. Serve the delicious rendang with rice or bread and enjoy

Ingredients

1 kg chicken, cleaned and cut into medium pieces
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt

To Blend

8 shallots,peeled
1 large onion,peeled
6 cloves garlic,peeled
7 tbsp dried chilly paste
10-11 birds eye chillies
1 inch ginger,peeled
2 inches galangal,peeled
4 stalks lemongrass
1 inch fresh turmeric,peeled
3 candlenuts
Water

For the Gravy

2 1/2 tbsp kerisik (toasted and pounded coconut paste)
200ml coconut milk
2 pcs kafir lime leaves,thinly sliced
1 pcs fresh turmeric leaf,thinly sliced
1 tbsp tamarind paste
Salt to taste
3-4 tbsp cooking oil


Methods

In a large bowl, add chicken pieces,turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and marinate for 30-35 minutes.

In a blender, add all the ingredients listed under "To Blend" and grind into a fine paste with little water enough to make a paste.

Heat oil in a wok, and fry chicken pieces into batched till 3/4 cooked. Set aside.

In a different wok, add 3-4 tbsp cooking oil. Saute the blended paste till fragrant for 5-7 minutes with occasional stirring till oil separates.

Add the chicken pieces and stir. Add the coconut milk,tamarind paste and season with salt. Stir and cover with lids. Cooked for 10-12 minutes.

Add the kerisik and stir. Cook for another 1 minute.

Transfer to a serving plate.

Kancheepuram Idli

When we visited Bangalore two years ago i came across of a road side stall crowded with people of all ages and out of curiosity i checked out the stall and bump into this mouth watering kancheepuram idli steaming all the way in large trays. Unfortunately. the stall are too crowded and we were just after having tons of pani puri minutes ago, we skipped the chance to savour the piping hot and soft kancheepuram idli.

Back home i kept on thinking about the missed chance of tasting the idli and started to surf net for the recipe. I made this kancheepuram idli for Sunday breakfast and the girls became excited with the "new face" idli. The idli was tempered with spices for extra flavor and unlike ordinary idli i steamed it exactly like how the vendor in the Bangalore sold them in a large tray. Once cut into pieces it look like a beautiful cake. Serve with sambar and chutney.

Ingredients

For The Batter

1/2 cup raw rice
1/2 cup poha/flattened rice/aval
1/2 cup parboiled rice
1/2 cup white urad dhal
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp salt

For Tempering

1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp asafoetida/hing
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 sprigs curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp ghee


Methods

Wash and soak the par boiled rice,urad dhal,and fenugreek seeds overnight. Soak poha for 8-10 minutes.

Grind the parboiled rice,urad dhal and fenugreek seeds with a cup of water to a slightly coarse paste.  Keep aside.

Grind the poha  with 1/2 cup into a smooth paste . Add the poha paste into the urad dhal mixture and mix till combine.

In a pan, heat ghee and temper mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter add the cumin seeds,curry leaves,black peppercorns asafoetida for 1-2 minutes.

Add the tempered ingredients into the batter and season with salt.. Mix well and cover the pan with lid and let it ferment overnight or at least 8 hours.

Lightly grease a deep bottom tray with ghee and pour in the batter. Steam the idli for 18-20 minutes.

Serve with sambar and chutney

Notes

• Do not add too much water, the batter should be thick and not too thin

Skinny Chicken Tikka Masala

As the name suggested, skinny chicken tikka masala is an ideal dish for weight watcher. Its not that i'm a weight watcher but once in awhile i love to try dishes with some twist in it and this skinny chicken tikka masala its one of them. When i say skinny it means no fatty creamy added to the dish. As we all know chicken tikka masala gravy loaded with rich and luscious full fat cream which i avoided in this recipe.

I have posted the ordinary chicken tikka masala which we used to get in restaurants long ago thus, this time i tried my hands with a different healthy version of the dish. As taste wise, i promise you no compromise, u'll never miss the cream in this delicious dish. Kashmiri chilly powder lends a beautiful fiery colour to the gravy and don't be scared they are not spicy at all. Kashmiri chilly powder solely used for their beautiful colur when added to any dish. I paired my chicken tikka masala with flavoured rice and a simple vegetable stir fry. This gorgeous looking dish goes well with white rice or Indian flat bread as well.

Ingredients

1 kg boneless chicken
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups water
2 green chillies,chopped
1 large onion,chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3 large tomatoes,chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp Kashimiri chilly powder
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lime
Handful of chopped cilantro
Salt to taste

Methods

Marinate the chicken for 1 hour with buttermilk,yogurt and lime juice

Heat a grill pan on medium-high flame and start grill the chicken pieces till char on both sides.

Heat the oil in a pan, saute the onion till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute till fragrant. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till soft.

Add the green chilly,garam masala,Kashmiri chilly powder and tomato paste and saute for a minute. Add the grilled chicken pieces,water,fenugreek leaves,cilantro and season with salt.

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes till the chicken fully cooked and the gravy slightly thickened.

Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy with rice or roti/Indian flat bread.

Pani Popo-Samoan Coconut Cream Bun

When i visited my wet market, i came across of the coconut milk vendor selling freshly squeezed coconut milk which is so  thick and creamy. I bought a huge packet on impulse without having any idea what to do with it. Worst come to worst, it will goes into my curries... little i knew i'll bump into this delicious looking bun in net. As the name suggested, coconut cream bun or pani popo infused with rich and creamy coconut milk and a great excuse to make them since i have coconut milk handy.

Its fluffy,rich and moist with a generous pouring of coconut milk over them. Jeevana love every bite of this gorgeous bun. The girls enjoy them as much as i enjoy making this beauties. This recipe definitely going into my pin.

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/3 tbsp instant yeast
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup milk powder
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
4 tbsp warm water
1 large egg
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt

Topping

1/2 cup thick coconut milk
3-4 tbsp granulated white sugar

Methods

In a bowl, combine butter and 1/2 cup coconut milk. Warm in microwave till the butter melted. Keep aside.

In a standing mixer attached with hook paddle, add all purpose flour,instant yeast,warm water,egg and salt.

Add the butter mixture into the flour mixture and start the stand mixture. Let it mix for a good 15-20  minutes.

Transfer the dough into a greased a large bowl and cover with clean kitchen towel. Place the bowl in a warm place for about 60-90 minutes to proof.

Greased a 9 inch square baking pan. Punch the dough down and divide the dough into 12 equal size balls. Place the balls into a greased baking pan and cover with kitchen towel. Proof the dough for another 30-40 minutes in a warm place.

Preheat oven at 374'F or 190'C. Pour the 1/2 cup coconut milk over the buns and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or till golden. Remove from baking pan and let it cool.