SAMBAL UDANG PETAI – PRAWN SAMBAL WITH PETAI

500g banana prawns
200g petai beans
2 stalk lemon grass, peel and slice
5 red chillies wash and slice
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 large brown onion, peel and slice
4 cloves of garlic, peel and slice
3 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tsp shrimp paste (belachan)
6 tbsp oil
6–8 fresh mint leaves, washed and drained
Salt

Method:
Grind lemon grass, chillies, onion, garlic, and shrimp paste. Heat oil in pan, stir in spices until fragrant. Add prawns and petai beans. Add tamarind juice. Cook over low heat until gravy thickens. Add salt to taste.

Note: Petai beans have a strong flavour. They are definitely an acquired taste. They can be purchased in an Asian Grocery store in the frozen section. Snow peas can be used instead of petai beans. Soak Tamarind paste in soak in hot water to extract the juice. Remove seeds and drain. Add juice in curry.

MOON CAKE FOR CHILDREN – SPECIALITY IN MOON CAKE FESTIVAL

Cooking time about 1 hour. Serves 8-10.

SYRUP:

600g sugar 

2 cups water

1 lime or ½ lemon

Boil ingredients slowly for one hour. Keep stirring until sugar has thickened and turn into golden syrup. Leave at room temperature for 1 month.

600g plain flour

375g syrup

90g oil

1 teaspoon lye water

1 beaten egg yolk (sieve)

1 mooncake mould (children)

Mix all ingredients except egg yolk by hand. Leave at room temperature for 45 minutes. Fill the moon cake mould with dough. Squeeze the dough towards the centre. Knock out on hand and place on baking tray. Brush the surface with egg yolk. Repeat the process until all dough is used up. Pre-heat oven at 400°F or 205°C or gas Regulo No.8 for 10 minutes. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. Serve cold. Leave in airtight container in room temperature. Keeps for weeks.

Note: - If new moon cake mould is used, the mould in the centre has to be soaked in oil and left at room temperature to dry.

MOON CAKE

Cooking time about 2 hours. Serves 4-6.

600g plain flour

375g syrup

(see syrup in Moon Cake for children)

90g oil

1 teaspoon lye water

1 beaten egg yolk (sieve)

Mooncake moulds

Mix ingredients except egg yolk by hand then divide into 12 equal portions.

FILLING:

12oz red beans

4 cups water

125g margarine

250g sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Soak beans overnight. Boil beans in water until soft. Blend to a smooth paste. Place in muslin bag to squeeze out excess water, until the paste is dry. Mix in with margarine and sugar. Cook, stirring over low heat until paste is smooth. Add vanilla essence. Divide into 10 equal portions. Cool.

Roll dough, flatten thinly, fill with bean paste, sprinkle some flour on mould, press in the mould neatly and knock out on hand, place on baking dish. Brush with yolk and bake in pre-heated oven at 4000F or 205°C or gas Regulo 9 for 10 minutes. Bake for 25 minutes until brown.

SERI MUKA

Base layer:
400g glutinous rice, soaked overnight
350ml thin coconut milk
1.5 tsp salt
2 drops pandan paste

Sugar syrup:
250g sugar
100ml water
8 60g eggs

Custard:
30g custard powder
1tbsp plain flour
1tsp tapioca powder
300ml thick coconut milk

Pandan juice:
6-8 drops pandan paste add
100ml water and
1tsp lye water

Method:
Drain rice and put in 30cm round tray. Mix coconut milk, salt and pandan. Steam for about 20 minutes. Boil and dissolve sugar in water. Cool. Beat eggs and stir in sugar syrup. Mix custard powder, plain flour and tapioca flour with coconut milk add pandan juice stir well and strain. Pour egg mixture and custard mixture into a pan, cook gently until thickens and strain. Remove heat from the base layer, compact by using grease proof paper to press it down. Steam the base layer for about 3-5 minutes before pouring pandan mixture and steam gently for about 20 minutes. Cool before cutting into diamond shapes. It is best served and kept in room temperature.

KUEH TALAM

Base layer:
160g rice flour
80g tapioca flour
60g green pea flour
460g sugar
1400ml water mix with 
1 tsp lye water and
6-8 drops pandan paste

Coconut layer:
60g rice flour
40g green pea flour
2 tab tapioca flour
500ml coconut milk
1 tsp salt

Method:

Mix in all the ingredients for the base layer in a pan, mix well. Cook gently and keep stirring until mixture thickens. Sieve the mixture and pour into 30cm round tray lightly spray with oil. Steam on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Mix all the ingredients for the coconut layer in a pan, mix well. Cook gently, keep stirring until mixture thickens. Pour into base layer and steamed for about 20 minutes.

Cool for about 3 hours before cutting into diamond shapes. It is best served and kept in room temperature.