African Gateau

Baked this long time ago using my mom's recipe HERE

This time I used another recipe

Source: Hesti's Kitchen with my own slight adjustment

It's using the popular Indonesian steamed brownies recipe for the cake, and I like using her recipe as it doesn't use any emulsifier and it turns out as great

What you need:

For the cake:

A

6eggs

230g caster sugar

1/2tsp vanilla extract

1/4tsp salt

B (sift together)

125g plain flour

50g cocoa powder

1/2tsp baking powder

C

100g unflavoured cooking oil, I used rice bran

75g salted butter

100g dark cooking chocolate (I used semi sweet chocolate)

For the custard filling:

200g sweet condensed milk mixed with water to make it 700ml liquid mix

50g corn starch

20g plain flour

2 egg yolks

1/2tsp vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

15g salted butter

Ganache:

(for future reference, i skipped this time, and honestly, without this, the cake is already so yummy)

175g thickened cream

175g dark chocolate, chopped

50g salted butter

Method:

1. Preheat steamer. If your steamer cover is not the triangular shape type, cover with clean cloth to prevent dripping
2. Prepare 20cm square pan with 7cm height by greasing it with butter and line with baking paper
3. In a pot over medium low fire, heat C until melted and mixed well. Don't let it boil. Set aside
4. Using a mixer on high speed, cream A until pale and thick
5. Add in B mix gently using low speed
6. Add in C and fold gently using spatula
7. Pour batter into the prepared pan, and put in the preheated steamer
8. Steam for 45mins over medium fire (if the fire is too big, the surface of the cake will be uneven)
9. Check using skewer and test if it's fully cooked
10. Remove from steamer, and transfer from the pan to cooling rack. Let cool completely
11. Meantime, make the custard filling: put in a heavy based pot liquid mix, corn starch, plain flour, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Cook while stirring constantly until thickened. Off fire and add in butter. Stir well until butter melts. Let cool, cover using clingwrap touching the surface of the custard, to prevent it from forming "skin"
12. When the cake is cooled, cut horizontally into 2 or 3 parts (I only cut into 2parts)
13. Spread the cooled custard on 1 part of the cake, and cover with another part
14. If you cut into 3parts, do the same one more time on top of the first two layers to form total of 3layers cake
15. If u use ganache, heat cream in a pot until hot and chocolate melted, don't let it boil. Add in chocolate and butter. Keep stirring until the mixture is glossy and smooth. Pour over the cake and let it set for about 15mins

Prata Potato Puffs

Another easy delicious snack
Thanks Anncoo Journal for the recipe

What you need:

5pcs frozen prata
10 hard boiled quail eggs (I didn't have so I used 5 hard boiled eggs, halved)
450g potatoes
3tbsp curry powder (I skipped)
5tbsp fresh milk
1 large onion, chopped
1tsp sugar
1tsp chicken stock powder
1 beaten egg

Method:

1. Peel potatoes and halve them, and steam for about 30mins until soft
2. Mash them, leaving some chunks behind
3. Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Sautee onion with curry powder, if using, until onions are soft
4. Add in potatoes, milk, sugar, chicken stock powder. Stir well. Dish up and leave to cool
5. Thaw frozen prata slightly until it can be folded. Dab your hands with flour to prevent the prata from sticking
6. Place potatoes in the middle and arrange eggs on it. Fold it over, use fingers to make pleats on one side of the prata until fully sealed
7. Place prata puff on a lined baking tray and brush the top with beaten egg
8. Bake in a preheated oven of 200degC for about 20mins. Take it out and brush again with eggs, bake for another 10mins or until it's golden brown

Note:
This is really yummy. It can be freezed too, and airfry before consuming

Nasi Bakmoi Ayam

A dish resembles chicken stew, served a little differently

Recipe source: Diah Didi with my own adjustment (more to the quantity to fit 4 people and 2 meal times)

What you need:

500g chicken breast, boiled and diced
1 taukwa, dice and deep fry until golden brown
some hard boiled eggs, peeled
5 cloves of garlic, peel
5 shallots, peel
1/4tsp pepper
4tbsp dark sweet soy sauce
1tsp salt
1/2tsp chicken stock powder
500ml water (I used the water used to boil the chicken, strained)
a little oil

For the prawn balls:
200g deshelled prawns
100g plain flour
2tbsp tapioca starch
2eggs
2tsp salt
1/4tsp pepper
1/2tsp sugar
oil to deep fry

For the soup:
1litre water
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and bruised
2cm old ginger, peeled and bruised
2stalks spring onion, tie a knot
1/2tsp chicken stock powder
2tsp salt
a few dashes of pepper
a little oil

fried onion
chopped spring onion
sambal belachan / dark sweet soy sauce mixed with cut chili padi

Method:

1. To make the soup: put a little oil in a heavy based pot, fry garlic until fragrant and slightly browned. Add in water, ginger, spring onion. Let it boil. Add in chicken stock powder, salt and pepper. Let boil for a few mins and off fire
2. To make the chicken stew: blend garlic, shallots and pepper until forming a paste. Sautee on a wok until fragrant. Add in chicken, tofu, eggs, and water. Add in dark sweet soy sauce. Stir well and let it boil over medium fire. After boiling, add in salt, chicken stock powder and let it simmer over small fire for about 20mins. Check the taste and off fire
3. To make the prawn balls: blend together prawns, both flours, eggs, salt, pepper, sugar until smooth. Heat some oil in a pot, scoop a little of the paste and drop it into the pot. Deep fry until golden brown
4. To serve: in a plate / bowl, scoop rice, add in chicken stew with tofu and eggs and some of the gravy, pour some soup, sprinkle with fried onion and chopped spring onion. Place some prawn balls too. Best to consume while it's warm. Eat with sambal of your choice

3 Ingredients Oreo Cake

This cake has been trending lately during Circuit Breaker period in Sg
I finally have enough Oreo to give it a try
I added Milo dalgona on top to serve like buttercream and I'm glad I did
It enhances the taste of the cake. Without it, the cake would be too bland for my liking
As for the texture, it can't be compared with the good old fashioned way of making a real chocolate cake. It's more to a fudge texture, very rich. Perhaps I should try baking it in the oven, see how it will turn out
All in all, this is not too bad of a choice when your mood is for something fast and easy. My family still enjoy it :)

Recipe source: HERE

What you need:

28pcs Oreo, split the crust from the cream filling
1tsp baking powder
1cup fresh milk

enough dalgona for topping, or any chocolate ganache of your choice (optional)

Method:

1. Butter a 6inch pan and add in baking paper over it
2. Heat a steamer. If your steamer cover is not the triangular shape, wrap it with clean kitchen cloth
3. In a blender, add in Oreo crust, baking powder and milk. Blend until smooth
4. Add in the cream filling and blend a little more until mix completely
5. Pour batter into the pan and steam for about 45mins over medium high fire until skewer test comes out clean
6. Let cool on a cooling rack and spread dalgona over it if preferred
7. Keep in the refrigerator and transfer to room temperature about 15mins before serving

Tahu Goreng Medan

Nice and refreshing medan style salad :)

Recipe is from HERE with my own adjustment

What you need:

For the sauce:
(seasoning for the sauce depending on the sweetness of the pineapple)
Blend into paste: 5 cloves of peeled garlic, 5 cut large chilis with seed and 2 red bird eye's chilis with seed
1 honey pineapple, peel and discard the eyes, blend into smooth paste
100g gula melaka
125ml water
1tbsp dark sweet soy sauce
1.5tsp salt
2tsp sugar
1tbsp juice of lemon / lime

2 taukwa, cut according to preference, fry until golden brown
Lettuce, iceberg or baby romaine suits the most to me, wash and tear
Blanched beansprouts
Japanese cucumber, wash and cut
Peeled steamed potatoes, cut
Fried onion
Prawn crackers

Method:

For the sauce:

1. Boil water and gula melaka until sugar melted, strain and pour back into the pot
2. Add in just the juice of the pineapple and bring to boil
3. Add in dark sweet soy sauce, salt and sugar, stir well
4. Add in the remaining of the pineapple, followed by the blended paste, stir well until boiling
5. Add in juice of lemon / lime, stir and off fire. Let cool completely and keep in the fridge

To serve, arrange lettuce, tofu, cucumber, potatoes and beansprout on a plate
Pour over sauce with a ladle, sprinkle with fried onion and add prawn crackers

Note:
I like this dish to be served chilled, with the potatoes and tofu warm

Ayam Percik Kelantan

Cooked this once quite sometime back. It's THIS
Needed to retry as it didn't turn out as I wanted to be. Perhaps next time

This time using another recipe from HERE with my own adjustment as my kids do not fancy anything spicy😅

What you need:

1  whole chicken, discard the head and the feet, also the excess fat and chicken, and spatchcock it
400ml coconit milk
1 stalk of lemongrass, bruised

1tbsp tamarind paste, remove the seeds
2tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper
2tsp sugar

Blend into paste:
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
6 shallots, peeled and halved
a big thumb size ginger, peeled and cut
1 stalk lemongrass, chop
1cup water

Method:

1. Rub paste all over the chicken and place in a wok or pot. Leave it for at least 30mins
2. Pour half of the coconut milk and lemongrass. Cook over medium heat for 15mins, add in tamarind paste, salt, pepper and sugar, flip the chicken and continue  ooking for another 15mins
3. Remove chicken. Continue cooking the liquid over small fire. Add in the remaining coconut milk. Stir until boiling and thickened. Check the taste, off fire and put aside
4. Brush chicken on both sides using the gravy and grill either by broiling in the oven until browned or like what I did using my Happycall grill pan. Serve warm

Oven Baked Pork Chops

Recipe is from recipetineats with my own adjustment, and I didn't add in potatoes

What you need:

For the rub:
2tsp worcestershire sauce
4tbsp ketchup
3tbsp light soy sauce
5tbsp brown sugar
2tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4tsp apple cider vinegar

800g pork loin (ideally is bone in as it's juicier, but I didn't have it), sliced to 200g each
If want to add potatoes, it'll be 800g baby potatoes, salt, pepper and 1tbsp olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220degC 
2. Those adding potatoes: Toss potatoes in a tray with olive oil, salt, pepper and bake for 15mins
3. Mix the rub in a small bowl
4. Slather pork chops with the rub on both sides (I dipped them in the rub and keep refrigerated for a few hours, ideally overnight for more intense flavour)
5. Reserve the remaining rub for basting later
6. Take the tray from the oven, Push potatoes to one side, if there's any. Place pork chops and bake for 15mins
7. Take the tray from the oven. Switch oven to grill / broil mode
8. Flip pork chops and brush the rub both sides on them. Put back in the oven about 20cm distance from the source of the heat. Grill for 7 to 10mins until well caramelized
9. Take out the tray from the oven, spoon some juice on the tray and dab it on the pork chops
10. Put back in the oven and continue grilling for 2 to 3mins, this is to get the best color and flavor
11. Remove from the tray and place on a serving plate. Spoon more juice to dab on the pork chops (I poured the juice into a small bowl and drizzle over rice, yum!)

Pisang gapit

Recipe source: Susi Agung with my own adjustment

What you need:

10 very ripe saba bananas

about a tbsp of butter

Sauce:

250ml coconut milk

50g gula melaka

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/4tsp salt

1 pandan leaf, tied into knot

1tbsp corn starch, dilute with a little water

Method:

1. For the sauce: in a pot, mix coconut milk, gula melaka, sugar, salt and pandan leaf. Cook over low fire, stir continuously until sugar dissolved and the sauce starts to get hot and smoky. Add in corn starch slurry, keep stirring until the sauce thickened. Off fire
2. Peel bananas, flatten them with chopping board
3. Heat butter in a pan, cook bananas until golden brown on both sides
4. Place on a serving plate and drizzle enough sauce
5. Can be served either warm or chilled

Strawberries Sando

Japanese fruity sandwich. We're obsessed by it after having them a couple of times from Family Mart

Recipe source: Honeybeesweets

For the whipping cream filling:
200ml whipping cream
30g icing sugar, sifted
125g mascarpone cheese
1tsp vanilla extract (my addition)

some slices of bread
fruits of your choice, I used strawberries
cling wrap

Method:

1. Whip cream and sugar until soft peak, about 5mins on medium speed
2. Add in mascarpone cheese and vanilla, and whip on low speed for 30 secs until well mixed
3. Refrigerate for about 1hour 
4. On a slice of bread, spread cream. Top with fruits, and cover with more cream
5. Cover with another slice of bread. Tighten the sides and wrap with cling wrap
6. Cut diagonally before serving

Beef Burger

I don't fancy any burger with beef patties. So this is a dish for the family but me LOL
Very good review from them, will stick to this recipe
Not exactly a recipe actually, as Nagi from recipetineats said, the best hamburger recipe is made with nothing more than beef, salt and pepper. It's that simple, indeed!

Recipe source: recipetineats

What you need:

For the patties:
1kg minced beef with 20%+ fat
salt, black pepper
3 onions, peeled and sliced into rings
some butter to pan fry
cheddar cheese slices

soft burger buns
romaine lettuce
sliced tomatoes
any sauce of your choice: ketchup, chili sauce, mayo, mustard, honey mustard, anything you like
relish / sliced cucumber pickles will be nice add ons (I didn't have any)

Method:

1. Separate beef to 150g each patty
2. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Make a dent on one side - this will stop the patty from becoming dome shape and shrinking when cooking
3. Heat 1tsp butter and stir fry onion until soft, fragrant and brown caramelized. Transfer into a plate
4. In the same heavy based skillet, add a little bit more butter, let it heat up until smoky
5. Place patties and cook until deep brown with crust for about 2mins. Do not press! (to maintain the juiciness of the patties)
6. Flip and cook for another minute. Add sliced cheese on top, cover the pan and let cook until cheese melted, not more than 1minute
7. Cut soft burger buns into 2 horizontally and lather butter on both sides
8. Place them on a pan, butter side down, and pan fry until golden brown
9. Assemble the burger by placing the patty on the bottom side of the bun, and add with any ingredients of your choice. I used romaine lettuce and tomato ketchup
10. I also used halved cherry tomatoes and fried egg with runny yolks (regretted not taking pics of this, next time I will LOL)
11. Didn't have any relish or pickles was my other regret, must be more prepared next time :P

Salted Vegetable Chicken Soup

Easy, delicious heartwarming soup. Originally used duck, mine was chicken

Source: SpicenPans with my own adjustment

What you need:

500g chicken bone
500g chicken breast
a pot of water
200g salted vegetables (without leaves), washed and cut into 4parts
200g salted vegetables (with leaves), washed and cut into 4parts
3 medium tomatoes, quartered
80g old ginger, skin on, washed and lightly pounded
2 bulbs garlic, peeled
3 sour plum with 3tbsp of the juice, mashed with fork
1tbsp white peppercorn
1tbsp chicken / mushroom stock powder
1tsp salt
2tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Blanch chicken bone and breast by bringing both chicken and water in a pot to a boil. Let boil for another 5mins, drain the water and wash the chicken 
2. Put white peppercorn, garlic and ginger into a soup bag
3. In a soup pot, put the soup bag, chicken, salted vegetables, tomatoes, sour plum
4. Add in water enough to cover all ingredients in the pot
5. Add in chicken stock powder and stir
6. Bring to boil, after boiling, lower down fire to low and let simmer for 1.5hour, covered
7. Check the taste and adjust accordingly. For me, I added salt and sugar
8. Let cook for another 15mins over high fire and off heat

Coffee Pork Ribs

A famous yummy Singapore dish
Recipe source: Spice n Pans with my own adjustment

What you need:

550g prime ribs

Marinade:
1/2 tsp baking soda
1tsp salt
2tbsp light soy sauce
2tbsp oyster sauce
2tbsp Chinese white rice wine
2 egg whites
3tbsp cornflour
a few dashes white pepper
oil for deep frying

Sauce:
3/4cup water (I used the stock in the pressure cooker)
2packs of 3in1 instant coffee mix
2cloves of chopped garlic
1tbsp oyster sauce
1tsp cornflour
2tbsp dark soy sauce
2tbsp honey

Method:

1. Wash ribs, add water and place inside pressure cooker, add water enough to cover the ribs and cook to soften for 1cycle. After done, let cool
2. Mix cooled ribs with marinade ingredients, keep refrigerated for minimum of 1hour
3. Heat oil in a wok/frying pot, deep fry ribs until evenly browned
4. Remove from oil, drain and deep fry once more until crispy
5. Remove from oil, drain and set aside
6. For the sauce, mix everything and pour into the same wok/pot used to fry the ribs minus the oil
7. When it's boiling and starts to get thickened, add in crispy ribs, mix well until all ribs well coated with the sauce
8. Serve immediately

Ampang Yong Tau Fu

Recipe source: The MeatMen with my own adjustment

What you need:

3blocks tau kwa, halved diagonally and slit each half at the center
1 bittergourd, sliced 1inch each and remove seeds
6 large chilis (red or green as you prefer), make a center slit, remove seeds
1 eggplant, sandwich sliced
6 lady's finger, make a slit at each center
enough oil to deep fry

Fish paste:
200g minced prawns
200g toman fillet
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1tbsp light soy sauce
1tbsp corn starch
50ml water

Sauce:
2tbsp oil
1tbsp garlic, minced
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1tbsp oyster sauce
1tbsp black bean sauce
2tbsp sugar
2tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2tbsp water

Method:

1. For the fish paste: blend everything in the food processor until smooth
2. Fill the slits in tau kwa, bittergourd, chilis, eggplant and lady's finger with fish paste
3. To make the sauce: heat oil in a pan, sautee garlic until fragrant. Add in soy sauce, water, oyster sauce, black bean sauce and sugar. Bring to boil, add in cornstarch slurry, mix briefly until the sauce thickened and off fire
4. Just before serving, deep fry all the vegetables and tau kwa. Drain and place on a serving plate and pour sauce over

Whipped Cream Buter Cake

Yummy cake with a very fine crumbs. Not those fluffy sponge cake as what the name is, but it's soft and delicious. Easy to make too
Will be nice with some addition of cheddar cheese, mixed dried fruits or chocolate chips
Infusing orange or lemon flavor will be great too

Source: Tintin Rayner adapted from My Mind Patch

What you need:

Ingredients A:
100g caster sugar
90g butter

Ingredients B:
3 large eggs
1tsp vanilla paste

Ingredients C:
110g cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Ingredient D:
70g whipped cream, room temperature

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180deg. Grease and line a loaf pan 20cm in length (I used 20cm square pan hence the shorter cake)
2. Mix A until pale and fluffy, about 5mins on high speed
3. Reduce speed to medium and add in eggs, one at a time with about 15secs gap time, last will be the vanilla paste
4. Add in C and D in alternate. Start and end with C
5. Pour into the prepared baking pan
6. Steam bake at the middle rack for 25mins
7. Remove the waterbath and continue baking one rack higher at 170degC for 30mins
8. (mine was shorter cake so the timing was 20mins and 15mins)
9. Remove from oven, and transfer to a cooling rack
10. When it's warm, use cling wrap to wrap it to retain the moisture

Kolak Biji Salak

Cannot believe it was 5years ago since I made this dessert :)
Recipe is HERE

This time I used another recipe which is as yummy
Source: HERE

What you need:

300g mashed steamed sweet potatoes
60g tapioca starch
1/4 tsp salt
a pot of water

Gula melaka sauce:
250g shaved gula melaka
600ml water
1/2 tsp salt
2tbsp tapioca starch, dilute in water
2 pandan leaves, tie into knot

Coconut sauce:
200ml coconut milk
1/4tsp salt
1 pandan leaf

Method:

1. Mix well sweet potato, tapioca starch and salt. Shape into small balls or any shape you like, set aside
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add in balls into the pot and cook until they float. Drain and transfer into a bowl of ice water
3. Cook gula melaka sauce by boiling gula melaka, pandan leaves, water and salt. When boiling, strain and ad in tapioca starch slurry. Cook again over small fire until boiling and thickened
4. Add in balls. Cook until bubbling and off fire. Set aside
5. To make coconut sauce, cook coconut milk, salt and pandan leaf over small fire. Stir continuously until small bubbles start to appear
6. To serve, scoop balls into a serving bowl, and pour over coconut sauce