Tuna Croquettes

Recipe:

Ingredients:

(A)

300 g potatoes

1 small can tuna chunk (150 g), drained

1 red chilli, seeded and chopped

some black pepper to taste

1/2 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 tsp lime juice (optional)

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil/cooking oil ( for stir-frying onion)

4 - 5 tbsp plain flour

some bread crumbs

1 egg (beaten)

2 cups oil for deep-frying

Method:

1) Boil potatoes. Peel skin off and mash. Heat oil; stir-fry onion until fragrant, remove from fire.

Mix in all ingredients A until well combined.

2) To make croquettes, brush a little oil on hands, shape the tuna mixture into oval or round flat shapes. Coat with plain flour, dip in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs.

3) Heat up oil for deep-frying, deep-fry patties at medium-low heat until golden brown. Dish, drain and serve while hot.

Pumpkin Cheese Slice

I have lately been having sleepless nights because my mind has been swirling with wondrous thoughts. You see, I bought over ten cooking books from Taiwan recently and all the recipes look so tantalizing. I just feel so tempted to try my hands at them but the problem I face is - I do not have enough time. Haha, so I have to face difficulties choosing which one to do everyday.

I eeny-meeny-miny-moe and I will start with this book.

Verdict: I have been experimenting pumpkin with bread, kueh, chiffon cake, muffins etc... this is the first time with cheesecake. The colours are very eye-catching. The yellow portion (cheese) melts too easily once you put it into your mouth. It may not be the best tasting but however, the colours are too attractive to resist another bite.

Recipe: (adapted from 美味糕点新主张)

Ingredients:

Base:
170g biscuits (crushed or finely milled)
50 g unsalted butter (melted)

Cheese cake:
140g pumpkin (without skin – steamed and mashed into puree)
280g cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
25g icing sugar
40g egg yolk
20g egg white
15g unsalted butter (melted)
25g fresh cream

60g egg whites ) Beat in a clean and dry mixing bowl
40g caster sugar )

Method:
1) BASE: Grease and line with parchment paper. Combine all the ingredients and press into an 8”x8” baking tin. Chill in the fridge for use later.

2) CHEESE CAKE: Sift icing sugar in a mixing bowl, add in softened cream cheese, and beat well. Place bowl over boiling water, stir till sugar dissolves (use egg whisk).

3) Remove from boiling water, add in egg yolk and egg white, beat until mixture binds.

4) Add in pumpkin puree and mix well

5) Add in butter and fresh cream mix well.

6) In a clean and dry bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, add sugar gradually and beat until stiff.

7) Add in pumpkin batter, mix well till all combine.

8) Pour batter onto baking tin.

9) Bake in preheated oven in water bath for 180 degree C for 15 minutes; reduce the temperature to 140 degree C for 20 minutes.

10) Remove from oven, leave to cool. Chill m in the fridge for 3 hours till the cake is firmed enough to remove form the cake mould.

11) Cut with a warm knife, cut into 16 slices.

Note: Strain mashed pumpkin into fine pumpkin puree

Chocolate Chiffon Cupcakes

Recipe: Adapted from 美味糕点新主张

Ingredients:

Chiffon Cake: (makes 12 cakes)

(A)

60 g corn oil

80 g fresh milk

20 g unsweetened cocoa powder

80 g Hong Kong flour or Top flour

80 g egg yolks (about 5 eggs)

(B)

160 g egg whites

90 g fine sugar

Chocolate custard:

45 g egg yolks

60 g fine sugar

15 g Hong Kong flour/ top flour

210 g fresh milk

½ tsp vanilla essence

100 g fresh cream

80 g bitter sweet chocolate

5 g butter

Method for chiffon cake:

1) Place corn oil and fresh milk into a metal mixing bowl, warm over low heat. When mixture is slightly boiling, remove from heat, add in cocoa powder, stir well, then add in egg yolk , stir well and mix well.

2) Fold in sifted flour and mix until becomes cocoa batter.

3) In a clean, grease-proof bowl, beat egg whites for a few seconds until frothy, add 1/3 of sugar, then beat hard until soft peaks form when the whisk is raised. Beat in the remaining sugar a tablespoon at a time a nd beat just until stiff not dry, shiny peaks form.

4) Take 1/3 egg whites mixture add into cocoa mixture. With a spatula, gently fold the egg whites in few additions, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until just blended.

5) Fill up mixture into paper cups till 3/4 full.

6) Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree C for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 150 degree C , continue to bake for 15 minutes.

Method for chocolate custard:

1) In a mixing bowl, use egg whisk to beat eggs and sugar.

2) Add in sifted flour, mix well.

3) Add in milk a little in few times, mix well.

4) Add in vanilla essence, boil over low heat, stir occasionally to avoid burnt at the bottom.

5) Cook until the mixtures becomes thick and bubbling, remove from heat.

6) Add in butter, stir well and blend well.

7) Let (6) sit on ice, stir until cold and smooth.

8) Double boil chocolate and fresh cream until smooth. Leave to cool.

9) Add in (7) and mix well. Transfer to a piping bag (with nozzle), insert the nozzle into the cake and gently squeeze the custard till ooze . Sprinkle icing sugar on top and serve.

Note:

The cakes shrink is normal.

Potato And Minced Pork Croquettes

Recipe:

Ingredients:

250 g potatoes

1/2 tsp salt

100g minced pork

1 /2 onion, peeled and chopped

some black pepper to taste

Coating:

4 tbsp plain flour

1 small egg

some bread crumbs

Method:

1) Cook potatoes in boiling water until soft, drain. Peel and mash into paste while still hot.

2) While cooking the potatoes, heat up a non-stick frying pan with little oil, saute the big onion until fragrant. Dish up.

3) In a mixing bowl, mix all ingredients until well combined.

4) Divide mashed potato mixture into 15 equal parts and form into cylinder/round shapes. Coat with plain flour, dip in beaten egg and coat with bread crumbs .

5) Heat up oil, deep-fry potato croquettes at medium-low heat until golden brown and cooked. Dish up and serve.

Cincaluk Fried Rice

(

My niece, who runs a Nonya Restaurant in Melaka, had recently passed me a bottle of her super premium quality cincaluk. From my past bad experience ,cincaluk is very salty and smells stale. But until the day I patronized her restaurant, her cincaluk fried egg omelette changed my biased impression.

Today is my first attempt at frying rice with cincaluk. Actually I was inspired by one of my recipe books - they had dishes like cincaluk chicken; fried cincaluk omelette; fried rice and others.

My cincaluk fried rice turned out to be good and fragrant. We enjoyed eating it. My daughter suggested that if the dish had more lime leaves, some curry leaves and other herbs, it will have the similar taste to Nasi Ulam.

If you like cincaluk, give it a try. But make sure you buy a good quality one (better grade).

Recipe:

Ingredients:

(A)

2 tbsp cooking oil

1 medium onion, peeled and shredded

1 red chilli, shredded

1 green chilli, shredded

100 - 150 g chicken breast, cut into pieces

12 medium size (or more) prawns, shelled

4 bowls cold cooked rice

2 lime leaves (shredded)

(B) Blend together:

1.1/2 tbsp cincaluk

2 red chillies

2 red chilli padi (optional)

3 shallots

1 pip garlic

1 lemongrass (serai)

2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning:

1tsp sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp water

Method:

1)Heat up oil, saute blended ingredients until fragrant. Add in onion, and stir fry until soft.

2) Add in chicken, prawn and stir fry until the meat is cooked. Add in seasoning and stir fry for a while.

3) Add in cooked rice and stir fry until well mixed and fragrant. Add in chillies and stir fry for a while. Dish up and serve.

May be you will like to visit this Authentic Home-Cooked Peranakan Cuisine:

Banya Restaurant

154, Taman Melaka Raya,

75000 Melaka.

Tel/Fax: 06-282 8297

Pumpkin Huat Kuih - 南瓜发糕

My Huat Kuih looks beautiful and springy in texture, but just do not understand why they don't smile (means split open).

为什么今天做的发糕不会笑（裂口)? 幸好做出来的颜色是美美的啰，还有口感是QQ的.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

A)

100 ml water

1 tsp instant yeast

100g plain flour

B)

250 g plain flour

2 g double-acting baking powder

200 g pumpkin (steamed and mashed)

150 g sugar

150 g coconut milk

1 whole egg

Method:

1) Combine ingredients A and mix well, cover with a piece of damp cloth and rest for 1 hour at room temperature.

2) Add in mashed pumpkin and sugar into mixture 1) , stir well and pour in coconut milk, mix well.

3) Fold in sifted flour and double-acting powder, blend well till well mixed.

4) Spoon batter into paper cups or small tea cups (grease) till 3/4 full.

5) Steam for 20-25 minutes.

Vanilla Cupcakes With Cheese Frosting

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Cake:

150 g butter, softened slightly

150 g caster sugar

3 eggs

180 g self-raising flour, sifted

50 ml fresh milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

40 g butter

120 g cream cheese, softened at room temperature

140 g icing sugar

1/2 - 1 tsp strawberry paste

Method:

1) Preheat oven at 190 degree C.

2) Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

3) Beating in eggs one at a time. Ensure each egg is well-incorporated before adding the next one.

4) Fold in half the sifted flour, add milk and vanilla and then fold in the remaining flour without over-mixing or beating the mixture.

5) Fill paper-lined patty tins with cake batter, filling them up 3/4 full.

6) Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cakes are well risen and golden brown.

7) In a mixer beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add in icing sugar and strawberry paste, till well mixed.

8)Swirl frosting onto cooled cupcakes.