Kuih Keria is arguably my favourite doughnut. Not just because it’s delicious, but it is as healthy as a doughnut can be. While Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts are made from flour and sugar, our local doughnut is made mostly from sweet potato. Although this recipe needs very little ingredients, it can be challenging for …
Kuih Keria/ Malaysian Sweet Potato Doughnuts – 5 Ingredients Read More »
On the first day of Chinese New Year, every year without fail, my relatives will pay a visit to the Buddhist temple. Although neither a believer or a vegetarian, I do enjoy the special plant and soy-based dishes prepared for the festivity. Among my favourites are chicken drumstick made from soy milk (the ‘meat’ is …
I first tasted sardine paratel at a cafe which offers modern local cuisine. One of their most popular sandwich is toasted bread with sardine paratel fillings. The common canned sardine is made so much more interesting with spices; browned onions, fragrant curry leaves, and hot chillies. This is an incredibly easy dish when you’re in …
If soup is my comfort food, curry is a treat. Soup soothes my soul but curry stirs excitement. What kind of spices is in the curry? Are there potatoes in it? Will it be too spicy? The thing with curries is that you’ll never know until you take a bite. I have long searched for …
People often say: never trust a thin cook. Well, you can trust that a thin cook cooks food that keeps you slim. My palate naturally gravitates to light and healthier food. I’ll choose asam laksa over char koay teow, and kuih bingka over pisang goreng. When I cook, I tend to cook lighter food – even if …
Every Reunion Dinner, my family will either make Buddha Jump Over The Wall (佛跳墙) or Fish Maw Soup. Since I strongly oppose to eating Shark’s fin, now that I take over from my mother in preparing Chinese New Year feast for my family, I will always boil the latter. Recently, I went to my mother’s …
I know that not everyone like vegetables, but it’s news to me that some people dislike fruits. How can it be? Fruits are so sweet and delicious! When I try to cajole these fruits-hater from taking a bite, they casually said “I don’t need fruits, I’m not constipated!” But fruits is not good only for …
Thai Chilli Salt (Prik-kab-klua) – 3 ingredients Read More »
Lunar New Year to Orientals is like Christmas to Westerners. It is the most beloved and anticipated festival of the year. When I was a kid, I looked forward to buying and wearing new clothes, playing with my cousins, visiting relatives, receiving angpao (red envelopes/ 紅包) and eating all sorts of cookies. Now, I most look forward …
Hakka Yam Abacus Seeds With Vegetables (Suen Poon Chi/ 算盘子) Read More »
My late grandmother used to always make a huge plate of deep-fried oyster balls during Chinese New Year. I remember she would wrap it in caul fat, something that looked like a see-through net which the kid in me found incredibly fascinating. I truly enjoy the taste and texture of this dish – it’s out …
Hakka Deep-Fried Stuffed Dried Oyster (Yong Hou Si/ 酿蚝豉) – 5 Ingredients Read More »
I have a confession to make: I don’t particularly like salad. Most people are surprised by this as they think a health advocate must like salad. But plate of salad for lunch will make me very unhappy. Instead, I prefer my vegetables cooked. I like them stir-fry with garlic or roasted with herbs in the …
Whenever there’s party, I love to bring jelly. Probably because for the longest time I didn’t have a stand mixer, so there’s not much dessert that I could make except for fruit skewers and jellies. But even after I got a stand mixer, I still make more jellies than cakes. Due to the fact that I’m …
Gula Melaka Agar-agar (Palm Sugar & Coconut Jelly) Read More »
Many Chinese begin the morning of Lunar New Year with Buddha’s Delight or Lo Hon Zai (simplified Chinese: 罗汉菜; traditional Chinese: 羅漢菜). As it’s a mixed vegetables dish, commonly known as chap chai (literally: mixed vegetables in Chinese). This dish is named as such because it is traditionally eaten by Buddhist monks who are vegetarians. Various …