Sweet Potato Onde (Sweet Potato Glutinous Rice Balls)

Malaysians are very partial to their local tea time treats and desserts, and being a Malaysian, I am no exception. Some of our local tea time treats and desserts are simple and quick to whip up whilst there are some which require a bit more work due to the number of steps involved. This particular version of "onde" uses sweet potato instead of just flour. The sweet potato gives it a natural sweetness as well as colour. Furthermore this is simple to work and in terms of buying the ingredients pretty economical. I love eating onde because they are bite size and I usually end up popping at least half a dozen in one sitting. Ooops ... I think I've said too much already!







Sweet Potato Onde (Sweet Potato Glutinous Rice Balls)
Recipe from Amy Beh

Ingredients:

150g sweet potato, cubed, steamed until soft and mashed
200g glutinous rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
100ml water
1 Tbsp tapioca flour
100g finely chopped gula melaka (palm sugar)
200g grated fresh coconut (white part only) and 1/4 tsp salt, then steam for 5 minutes and leave to cool.

Method:

1) Bring water, salt and tapioca flour to a boil over low heat. Keep stirring until almost transparent.

2) Pour the mixture immediately into the glutinous rice flour in a largemixing bowl. Stir till it is well absorbed. Add the mashed sweet potato andmix well to form a dough. If dough is too soft, add a little moreglutinous rice flour. If it is too dry, wet your hands and knead the dough.

3) Divide dough into two and roll each portion intoa longish roll. Cut into small pieces.

4) Bring water to a boil in a deep saucepan. Roll the pieces of dough into small balls with your palms. Then flatten the ball and put about half teaspoon of the sugar mixture in the centre.

5) Pinch to seal, then roll againinto spheres. Drop the balls into boiling water until they float to the surface (about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes).

6) Remove the cooked balls with strainer.

7) Roll in grated coconut to coat. Serve whilst still warm.

Rhubarb and Strawberry Sponge Puddings

Although my recent trip to Melbourne had been a short one, I had fun and it was nice seeing my sister and her family again (even though I had seen them over Christmas last year when they visited Singapore). I had a chance to see where they live, their home and their little suburban neighbourhood. I even had time to attend Sunday service with them. I did take some photos, not much, but would like to share with you some scenery around the city.















One famous icon in the heart of the city has got to be the Flinders Street Station. Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban rail network of Melbourne, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city blocks. Each weekday, over 110,000 commuters and 1,500 trains pass through the station. It is the most used metropolitan railway station in Melbourne.



Located on the corner of Swanston and Flinders Streets, is St Paul's Cathedral. This cathedral was built on the site of Melbourne's first Christian service on the banks of the Yarra River after Melbourne was founded in 1835. The architecture of St Paul's Cathedral is described as a revival of the style known as Gothic transitional, partly early English Gothic and partly Decorated Gothic





I also visited another grand church. St Patrick's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, and seat of its archbishop, currently Denis J. Hart. The building is known internationally as a leading example of the Gothic Revival style of architecture. The 103.6 metres (340 ft)-long church is the tallest church in Australia, followed by the St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne. The interior of the church exudes grandeur - inside you will find a huge impressive pipe organ as well as beautiful stained glass windows.











I saw this particular restaurant at a street corner and could not help taking a photo of the frontage. Now I wonder if the owner is actually a Singaporean!



In my last post that I had bought some rhubarb when I was in Melbourne. I have only ever seen rhubarb one time at a local supermarket but was discouraged from buying it as it looked as if it had been sitting on the shelf for about a month. It was shrunken, dried and brown. It certainly did not look like the rhubard I had seen on cable cook shows or in recipe books. for us here in Asian, rhubard is really an "alien" ingredient. Most of us have no clue what it is and some have not even seen it before.



Rhubarb is a perennial plant belonging to the buckwheat family that has edible pink to red tinged leaf stalks and quite large, green, inedible leaves (additonal note after feedback from readers: note the leaves are posionous and cannot be eaten). An old fashioned name for rhubarb is pie plant, which is probably why you see it being used in pies or crumbles. By technical standards, rhubarb is a vegetable, but because of the ways in which it is used in cooking, homemakers usually associate rhubarb with fruits. Traditionally, rhubarb is paired with things like strawberries or ginger, and abundantly sweetened. The result is a tart, sweet, complex flavor which is quite distinctive.



I came across this particular recipe from one of the magazines which I had purchased whilst in Melbourne. I thought it was somewhat interesting as it deviated from the usual pies and crumbles I had seen. However I was somewhat disappointed with the end result. I suspect I had needed to sweeten the fruit compote a bit more. Nevertheless I plan to use the remaining of my rhubard into a crumble or tart instead. Maybe this time round I will be convinced that this vegetable is indeed worth eating.



Rhubarb and Strawberry Sponge Puddings
Serves 8
Recipe Adapted From "Australian Women's Weekly"

Ingredients:

5 cups (700g) trimmed rhubarb, chopped coarsely
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
500g strawberries, hulled, sliced thinly

Sponge Cake:

1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/2 Tbsp cornflour

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C.

2) Cook the rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice and zest in a small pot over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and the rhubarb is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the strawberries to mix.

3) To make the sponge cake, beat the eggs with a mixer for about 10 minutes or until thick and creamy. Gradually add in the sugar and continue to beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Triple sift the flours and fold into the egg mixture. Do not over-fold as you want the volume.

4) Divide the fruit mixture into 1 cup size oven-proof ramekins. Bake for 5 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling hot.

5) Remove from oven and distribute the cake mixture on top of the fruit. Bake for another 18 - 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

I was in Melbourne recently to visit my sister and her family. This would be my third trip there but it has been more than 20 years since my last visit. Surprisingly I don't think much has changed around the city unlike here in Singapore where construction is constantly going on.

I didn't do the "touristy" stuff as I had done that many years ago. I stuck mainly to the suburbs but did go into the city on a weekday. Unfortunately that day happened to rain and the skies were really gloomy. So you could have called it a "wet experience". The rest of the week was good and sunny, by Melbourne standards, temperatures ranging from a high of 21C to a low of 14C. It is nearing the end of autumn, with winter coming round the corner. So it gets dark by 6:00pm.

I popped into the local supermarket, Coles, on several occassions as it was just a 10min walk away. Coles has an amazing range of produces with fresh cuts of meats of all varieties, vegetables, fruits, cheeses and a whole lot more of stuff which would probably take 4 pages to list out. Take a simple produce, for example eggs which we take for granted. At Coles the eggs are labelled "caged eggs" and "free range eggs" and comes in different grammes per egg. The difference in price differs a fair bit as well. Free range eggs cost about 3.5 times more than caged eggs. By labelling the eggs as such it gives the end consumers a right to make concientious choice when buying their produces. Whilst at Coles I managed to buy a bunch of fresh rhubard (in fact I was actually on the look out for it) and hope to experiment with it this coming weekend. I have never had a rhubard before so this would be really interesting. I will post the end results for sure!

I thought it was somewhat befitting to post this particular Lemon Meringue Cupcake recipe as it was first featured in Australia Junior Masterchef. If you have not watched this show as yet, what are you waiting for. You will surely be amazed by the amount of talent shown by these young cooks, some as young as eight years old.





Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
Recipe Adapted from Australian Junior Masterchef series

Ingredients for the Cupcakes:

1 cup pure cream
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups self raising flour
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

Lemon Curd Filling:

3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of cornflour/cornstarch
1 1/2 cups of cold water 3 to 4 lemons, the juice and finely grated zest
3 egg yolks, beaten
50g unsalted butter

To make the Lemon Curd Filling:

1) Place the sugar, cornflour, cold water and finely grated zest in a medium-sized saucepan.

2) Over a gentle flame heat the curd, stirring continuously until it begins to thicken.

3) Add the beaten eggs and butter and continue to heat and stir through until very thick.

4) Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice, adding more to taste as desired.

Meringue:

3 egg whites
1/2 cup caster sugar

To make the Meringue:

1) In a very clean and large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer place the egg whites. Whisk until soft peaks form and then gradually add in the sugar a little at a time until the meringue is thick, smooth and glossy and all of the sugar has dissolved.

Method for the Cupcakes:

1) Preheat oven to 180'C. Place 12 patty cake liners in a 12 hole 1/2-cup capacity muffin pan.

2) Place cream, sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Gradually add flour and zest and continue whisking until mixture is thick and smooth.

3) Divide mixture between prepared liners and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cakes spring back to touch. Cool in muffin pan.

4) To serve, preheat grill to medium-high. Cut a small hole in the top of each cupcake and fill with 1-2 teaspoons of lemon curd. Pipe a swirl of meringue mixture on the top of each cupcake and place under heated grill for 60-90 seconds or until golden.

Roast Chicken with Squashed Potatoes

My parents were in town recently and I decided that a simple dinner was in order. Definitely a "no hassle" dinner that night and to me it would have to be a simple roast chicken. Everything gets dumped into the oven and I don't have to watch it at all. I have done quite a few roast chicken variations before and decided to try something different this time round.

I used rosemary as the main herb which I think is pretty unusual. I have always associated rosemary with a lamb dish. Surprisingly it does taste good with chicken and throughout the roasting process the smell of the herb filled my entire kitchen. The lemon zest added that extra citrus flavour to the meat. I made squashed roast potatoes (I thought the word "squash" was kinda cute) to accompany the roast chicken. I must say that the potatoes were really, really good! As they had been roasted whole, the skin was crunchy when eaten warm.

I would call the entire meal a delicious one and great for entertaining if you have guests.





Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, medium sized 1 whole lemon (zest the lemon and leave the fruit whole)
5 springs of rosemary
2 1/2 Tbsp rock salt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into very small cubes
2 Tbsp olive oil
Method:

1) Grind the rock salt, lemon zest and 2 sprigs of rosemary using a mortar or a food processor. Sieve the mixture. (The finer salt would be used to rub the outside of the chicken and the rest will be used to stuff the cavity of the chicken.)

2) Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. This will help get a crispy skin. Season the cavity with the coarser salt mixture. Then add in the remaining 3 sprigs of rosemary. Cut the lemon in half and stuff it into the cavity. Finally truss the legs of the chicken with some string.

3) Next push the small cubes of butter under the skin of the whole chicken. Try to get the butter underneath as much skin surface of the chicken as much as possible. As the butter melts in the oven, it penetrates the skin and flesh and makes it more flavourful.

4) Then use the finer salt mixture to rub over the entire chicken. Finally using a brush, coat the outside of the chicken skin with the olive oil. Don't use all the oil as you will be basting the chicken several times during the cooking process.

5) Heat the oven to 200C and roast the chicken for about 45 - 55 minutes. Cook breast side up first. Every 15 minutes of cooking time, remove the chicken and brush the whole chicken with olive oil. Turn the bird half way into cooking time, so that the underside gets brown as well.

6) To check if the chicken is thoroughly cooked, pierce the thickest part of the chicken with a skewer. If the juices run clear, then the chicken should be done. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before carving.

Squashed Roast Potatoes

Ingredients:

350g small sized potatoes, washed and with skin
4 sprigs of rosemary

Method:

Boil the potatoes until they are cooked. Remove from pot and place onto a baking tray. Using a large spoon, squash the potatoes slightly and then place a small sprig of rosemary in each. Using some of the drippings from the roast chicken, cover all the potatoes and then roast in a 200C oven for about 35 – 40 minutes.

Banana Butterscotch Cake

I absolutely love desserts which have bananas in them. Especially so if I use the local bananas called "pisang emas" (direct translation is golden bananas) found in this part of the world. They are small in size and when ripen develops black spots on its skin. Once you peel away the skin, you are immediately surrounded by a whiff of delicious sweet banana aroma. The fruit itself is a deep dark yellow tinged with a light brown colour. I personally feel that this particular banana accentuates the flavours of desserts and baked goodies.

I could not help myself in trying out this recipe especially so when it has a butterscotch sauce poured into the cake. It so reminds me of a sticky date cake, warm, comforting and so delicious. This particular cake did not disappoint me at all. In fact I still have a couple of slices in my freezer waiting for my banana cake cravings to creep up on me!





Banana Butterscotch Cake
Makes a 8" round cake
Recipe Adapted from "Fantastic Party Cakes" by Mich Turner

Ingredients:

150g unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
300g self raising flour
80g caster sugar
50g brown sugar
50g chopped walnuts
50g raisins
450g ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Butterscotch:

50g soft brown sugar
35g unsalted butter
2 Tbsp double cream

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line base with parchment paper.

2) Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, raisins and chopped walnuts.

3) Whisk the bananas and eggs together until very thick and creamy, then fold in the dry ingredients and vanilla extract.

4) Transfer to cake tin and bake in the oven for an hour to an hour 15 minutes.

5) About 10 minutes before the cake is ready to be taken out, make the butterscotch. Add all the ingredients into a pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves and is bubbling

6) As soon as cake is ready, remove from oven. Take a skewer and pierce all over the cake. Then pour the butterscotch over the cake. Leave to cool in the tin.

Cinnamon Raisin Muffins

I love eating cinnamon raisin bread so having a baked a version of this in a muffin seems oh so right! The recipe seemed simple enough except it needed two additional ingredients which I do not usually stock up in my larder. This being yogurt and applesauce. Yogurt was simple enough to find but for applesauce I had to buy this from a larger supermarket. The regular local neighbourhood grocery or supermarket would certainly not stock this as most shoppers don't buy it for their regular use.

Over three weekends ago, I tried out the recipe and oh was it so, so good! The smell of cinnamon whiffed through my kitchen and I could not wait for the muffins to be baked. Once they were out of the oven and laid to rest for 10 minutes, I was eagerly picking up, peeling off the cake wrapper and breaking it apart. Since then, I have made these muffins on two other occasssions. These are great pick-me up morning breakfast snacks on the go and even after refrigerating them for two days (ok I made more than my normal share) and then warming them up slightly, they tasted just as good. This is definitely another "keepers" recipe that's for sure!





Cinnamon Raisin Muffins
Makes 12 large or 16 medium sized muffins

Ingredients

3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (or all spice)
1/2 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup granulated sugar
57g (half a stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
170g plain yogurt
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C or 350F degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. Mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and raisins in a small bowl and set aside.

2) Place granulated sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, yogurt, applesauce, and vanilla to bowl. Mix until well combined, about 2 more minutes. Slowly add flour to bowl, mixing well as you go. Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt to batter and continue mixing until combined.

3) Set the batter aside. Pour brown sugar raisin mixture on top of batter and lightly fold into batter using a spatula or wooden spoon. You should only fold this 3 or 4 times - you don't want to incorporate it into the batter too much.

4) Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each one about 2/3 full. Sprinkle each muffin evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

5) Bake for 15-18 minutes, checking for doneness after 15 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cucur Udang (Prawn Fritters) - A Malaysian Tea Time Snack

A few weeks back I was approached by Sophia of Chew On That to do a guest post on her blog. The subject-matter was a tea time snack and I decided to do a Malaysian favourite.

Cucur Udang or Prawn Fritter is one of the all time Malaysian favourite tea-time snacks. These fritters are usually made one or two bite size and therefore makes great finger food. They are crunchy on the outside and the inside is soft and moist when you bite into it.

I have used prawn in this particular one but sometimes the ingredients can be varied to include anchovies, thus calling it Cucur Ikan Billis or Anchovy Fritter. You could also use corn kernels as another main ingredient. These fritters can be found commonly at road-side street carts in Malaysia, in the day time and even at night markets. The ones sold outside are usually round and if they are prawn fritters, a small prawn with it's head and shell intact, is placed on top of the batter before being fried.

Visit my post at Chew On That to get the full Recipe for this delicious snack.