Squid Curry

Bought a nice thick squid from the night market and I love squid.

I went through my kitchen to see what I have and cooked this. I'm not sure what to call it, taste is a bit like Thai Red Curry, but I didn't put in coriander root, nor did I use any kaffir lime rind, but just the leaf. There are no spices in it like an Indian curry.

Acar Awak - MFF Penang #2

I love acar  awak.

The one I grew up eating was similar to the one by Rasa Malaysia, that is vegetarian with no belacan and dried shrimp, and consist of only the basic 5 vegetables. I couldn't decide on an exact recipe to follow because a lot of recipes do differ from one to another, but the basic idea is the same, hot and sourish pickled vegetables with lots of peanuts and sesame.

Sting Ray Asam Pedas - MFF Johor #1 *with video

Oh Johor!

I've spent 3 years in this state. 1 year right in the state capital Johor Bahru (JB) and 2 more years in a bordering area, Selancar of which I'll step into Segamat at least 3 times during the weekdays.

I remembered my year in Johor and that was the best Ramadan experience ever. Usually, the food sold at Ramadan bazaars are a gamble, with 60% 'not delicious' risk, and a very high 'yuck' risk for kuihs. But in JB, I have never bought a kuih that is not delicious. Well, it may not be to my liking, but generally, the taste is good because they don't skimp on the ingredients. Coconut milk is used generously. But to be fair, the price is also higher in JB, but that is worth it. I'd pay for quality kuihs that won't end up in the bin. I don't want to waste my money.

Old Hen Rendang with Puding Leaf ~Rendang Ayam Pencen Daun Puding - MFF N9 #4

I just made this few days back because after I discovered this leaf was available at my neighbour's I wasn't free to try it out, because I had to get an old hen. The local lingo calls it "Pensioned Chicken" because it has retired from its egg laying job.

I think most of you may not be familiar with the puding leaf. Generally, in Malaysia the puding plant is  the garden croton. When I first posted that I found the puding leaf on Facebook, I was asked questions whether I was refering to the garden croton. But in Negeri Sembilan, puding plant is not, it is a magenta leafed plant that is from the same family as edible Amaranth (Yeen choy, Bayam). Some do plant it for ornamental purposes because of the colour contrast it gives to the landscape. This puding plant is used to cook rendang, some dish that  you can only find in this state

Ikan Goreng Bercili ~Fried Fish with Chillies- MFF N9 #2



hehehehe, I missed those scales on the fish's scalp

This is another favourite of mine of the Minang cuisine!

Normally ikan keli (catfish) and Tilapia is used, but then again, any fish can be used. Maybe these 2 fishes are more affordable. But catfishes are more 'buttery' compared to Tilapia. Whenever I see this dish being available at Padang Cuisine Restaurants, I can't help but take one. I must take one, LOL.

Ayam Masak Lemak Cili Api ~ Chicken in Bird's Eye Chilli and Coconut Gravy - MFF N9#1

Negeri Sembilan is a very special state with a strong Minangkabau culture. It's nice to be born as a girl in a Minang family. They practise girl-power, LOL.... and you get to inherit, instead of the guys.

Besides being known for it's horned roof houses, it is famous for it's fiery dishes. It should be so fiery that you can feel your ears hissing, LOL. But then again, you can always tune it down. But that's how fiery it should be.

Black Sambal ~Sambal Hitam Pahang - MFF Pahang #4

I love this! A special sambal from the state of Pahang.

It doesn't look appetizing being black, but for those of you who like having a sprinkling of spicy crispiness, you will enjoy this a lot on your rice and noodles!
I made this as a condiment with noodles and we piled it on. My MIL who was intending to fly back to US asked me to make a big portion for her to bring along.

Mango Salad with Dried Cuttlefish - MFF Kedah Perlis #9

The last of my Kedah Perlis dishes! Phew! All done!

Because this month, I am host cum organizer, I am supposed to do 6 dishes, but since there weren't much on the internet, I decided to do more so that there will be more ideas and more recipes to choose from.

Kerabu or Salad made with dried cuttlefish is quite common in Chinese restaurants, but normally they come with cucumber. But in Kedah, especially Serdang area, the restaurants have come up with versions that uses green mango (see here), guava(see here) or even green apple(see here). Again, I saw this on the TV show,  Taste with Jason (Axian)

Indian Mackerel Curry ~ Gulai Ikan Temenung- MFF Perlis Kedah #4

Ikan kembung (kembong) is the name known to many. In Kedah, it is known as ikan temenung, and fondly loved by people of the state. It used to be cheap when I was young, but not anymore. It's quite pricey nowadays. Usually I eat slightly larger fishes because I'm lazy to go through the bones, hehehe.

Tuna Curry ~ Gulai Ikan Tongkol Terengganu - MFF Terengganu #2

Tuna is locally known as ikan tongkol, ikan aya or ikan kayu, depending on which state you are in.
It’s a budget friendly fish and my fish being at almost 1kg before cleaning is sold at RM8/kg.

Gulai ikan tongkol is usually eaten with nasi dagang, or the other way round, whichever way, LOL.
It is different from Kelantan’s version. From what I remember, Kelantan’s version is more yellowish, tasting slightly more “curry like” maybe due to its turmeric content. Whereas Terengganu’s version is more “assam”, as in sour.

Thai Style Garlic Steamed Fish - Fishy fishy #3

 yummy yummy! I cooked this fish twice and pictures are from my 2nd attempt

This was my first dish using fish sauce(that time, Sept 2011). I’ve never used fish sauce before. And not long before I saw this recipe, I bought myself one small bottle. Some are made from squid, some from anchovies and this bottle I’ve got, is made from pomfret. Experienced fish sauce users, any difference between those that I mentioned? I just have no idea. But one thing I know, it definitely taste more pleasant than fish sauce that comes from China. That is toooooo fishy for me.

Pig Stomach with Pineapple and Chillies - MFF Sarawak #3

I don’t eat innards of the pig, except the stomach. It’s chewy and nice to eat.

There are three ways that I have eaten the pig’s stomach, in pepper soup, in Bak Kut Teh and in porridge. This method will be my 4th and give this a try of you like the idea of hot and spicy, sourish and yet sweet pork stomach.

Malay Red Cooked Chicken~ Ayam Masak Merah- Ayam #2

Recipe recreated on 17 May 2012

When I was a kid, there was a nasi lemak stand operating across the road from our family's coffee stall. That was my first encounter with Ayam Masak Merah. The abang only sold each piece of chicken for 80 cents(25 years ago). I wonder how he makes money out of it, whereas regular fried chicken were at least RM1 per piece that time.

Chicken Rendang - Ayam #1

Yummy! Raise your hands for those don’t like this. Not me.

Rendang is a Malay dish and can be done using beef or chicken. Beef rendang taste best with a sweet end. But not the chicken version. I did not add in any sugar, but the taste is pretty balanced. Although the ingredients are almost the same, the outcome is different.

Ikan Gerang Asam, Nyonya Tamarind Fish - MFF Melaka #1

My first submission to Malaysian Food Fest, Melaka Month. Being the organizer, I am commited to submit minimal 3 entries per month. For Melaka, I have prepared 4. Come and join us, it's not only for bloggers. Have some fun recreating something in your own kitchen. Have some "Melaka" at home :)

One of my favourite ways to eat fish is with asam sauce. There are a few types of asam pedas. The method that I normally cook it, is using Johor's method. I only found out it's Johor's method after doing some reading up regarding asam pedas for this event. Northern states like Kedah and Perlis, employs a slightly different method to cook it compared to the southern states.

Curried Scrambled Eggs - Eggs #3

A dish that I suddenly came up with… because I have done 2 very light tasting dishes and needed a boost of flavour for dinner. This dressed up scrambled egg became the star of the night, the pungency of the spices, the tender texture of eggs and the fresh taste of tomatoes, it's quite an experience. It's also easy to prepare, provided you already have these spices on hand. 

Sichuan Twice Cooked Pork 回锅肉 - Bellygood # 1

I saw this dish demostrated on TV and it looked sooo tasty. I remembered some of the ingredients but forgot some.

Is there sweet bean paste sold here? I don't know what is that and hence skipped it.  I used hot bean paste because I want it to be hot. I also skipped the preserved black beans as not all recipes uses it.

I sliced the pork a bit too thick and so, it's a bit tough. Plus I think I overcooked it. But nonetheless, this dish went very well with lots of rice! Yummy :)

Beef Rendang - Beef Week # 2

Dish done in March 2011

There are many versions of beef rendang. Somehow, I have a certain fondness for the one that is made with  local ingredients that is with lots of roots and bulbs and without dried aromatic spices.

There's a nasi lemak shop nearby and my husband and I adore their rendang. It's fragrant but not spicy, aromatic and with a sweeter end. It doesn't have that spice taste that is almost like a dry Indian curry. It just taste wonderfully aromatic. Their rendang is tender and doesn't need much chewing... melts in the mouth : )

I went scouting around for THE recipe and when I chanced upon this recipe by Hanieliza. It looked almost like that we have here, except it's bigger in size. And the sound of the recipe, yes, it should be the one!

Does it taste like the one I ate at the nasi lemak stall??
Yeessssssss! And my hubby super loves this.

Actually I cooked this rendang for the 3rd time for the CNY bloggers potluck this year and to their surprise it was very tender. *Ahem*. And I used buffalo meat, Indian frozen buffalo meat that sells for RM14/kg at Tesco. Cheap stuff. Don't need no Aussie prime cut. The secret is the marinating and the long hours of simmering. No meat will remain tough with all those gingers.

Beef Rendang

Recipe by: WendyinKK
Adapted from Hanieliza

+/-1kg beef
50gm peeled ginger
40gm peeled galangal
30gm peeled turmeric
4 lemongrass (5 inches from the base), weighing 40gm in total

Grind the above aromatics and mix with the beef. Set aside while you do the rest. The ginger will soften the beef so that cooking time can be reduced.


10 dried chillies
10 shallots (100gm peeled weight)
3 cloves garlic

Snip dried chillies and rub them to remove seeds. Soak in water to soften. Peel shallots and garlic. Grind everything together to form a fine paste (Can add some water, no problem)


3 large turmeric leaves, rolled and snipped
150gm freshly grated coconut (half a coconut), toasted on a pan until golden
1 cup thick coconut milk
Salt to taste
40gm Palm sugar, depending on taste (hubby preferred it to be sweeter and the 2nd time I made this, I put in 60gm and he liked it)

To cook, just combine everything together except salt and sugar, add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and turn to low heat. Simmer for 2-3 hours or until softened. Put in palm sugar and salt and reduce gravy until desired thickness.

*Beef rendang tastes better after being aged for a few days, so if you can, cook this few days ahead before intended serving time, chill in the fridge and reheat it to serve. And the good thing is, you can cook a large portion and separate it for a few meals. Isn’t that fantastic!

If you don't cook beef at home, You can use pork loin to mimic the effect. You may not need the same amount of sugar if you're using pork. Use less water and 1-1.5 hours of cooking should be enough, without marinating with the ginger paste.

Mrs Loh's Chilli Dipping Sauce

Mrs Loh's Chilli Dipping Sauce for Pot Stickers
Recipe inspired by Mrs Loh

4 red chillies + some bird's eye chilli if preferred
2 cloves garlic

Light soy sauce
Sesame Seed oil

1. Rinse chillies and remove most of the seed. Slice chillies. Peel garlic.
2. Process both ingredients together to preferred texture.
3. Place in a saucer and then top with light soy sauce and a generous amount of sesame seed oil.

Hot and Spicy Mayonnaise Prawns - Prawns Week # 3

Recipe tried out: Nov 2011

Another spicy prawn??
Err.. sorry if you hate spicy food.

I think I might have overdosed on the mayo, hence, these prawns look heavily coated unlike love2cook's, of which looks perfect for me. I prefer hers.

But for those of you who love mayo, then throw that white grease in.