When I was living alone and at the busiest point of my life, lentil curry is something I made very often. I make a big pot, separate it in small containers, and freeze them!

ABOUT LENTIL CURRY

In Malaysia, lentil curry (dal curry) is not only enjoyed by the Malaysian-Indian community; every Malaysian loves it! We love eating it at the Mamak (Indian-Muslims restaurant) with roti canai, the Malay word for prata or flat bread.

At home, we eat it with rice too. This recipe is taught to me by Aunty Clara, she cooks this ‘kari dal’ (lentil curry) for her family a few times a week. I first published her recipe here and in my cookbook.

SIMPLIFIED: 25 minutes including preparation, washing, and roti canai!

But this time, I’ve simplified it. Originally she uses dried chillies, fresh red chillies, and milk. I omitted all that. So this dhal curry is not only vegetarian, but also vegan. If you’re on a keto diet, this is perfect as it’s filling and rich in protein.

But I personally love it for its immense health benefits. The potent spices and rainbow coloured vegetables are so good for our body. The best thing is, you can make it in just 25 minutes!

While simmering the curry, I even have time to wash everything up and make a roti canai!

TOOLS

• pot with lid
• spatula
• Knife + chopping board

RECIPE CARD

SHORT RECIPE

COOKING TIPS

1. Mixed Spice is called ‘Halba Campur’ in Malay. You can use mustard seeds as a replacement. Find out more about the mixed fenugreek spice or talipu here. 

Watch the video for more random little tips 🙂

The post Easy Lentil Dhal Curry In 25 Minutes appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

The post Stir-Fry Cabbage With Turmeric & Mustard Seeds appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

How do we protect ourselves and our family from this Coronavirus pandemic? How do we do our best to avoid spreading of the virus? How can we help our medical staff? That's what I've been wondering and working on. Two things that we can do:

1. Practice social distancing by staying at home I do not go out unless to the supermarket. I've found a few smaller businesses that deliver vegetables to my house (Read: 4 Independent Vegetable Delivery To Get You Through This Quarantine). If you really have to go out to buy groceries, go alone.
2. Cook nutritious food I cook using much more herbs and spices that is high in antioxidants e.g goji berries and turmeric than usual. It goes without saying that vegetables and fruits are good for us. But at this time, it may be difficult to get.

 

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Keep yourself healthy for yourself, your family, and frontliners (doctors, nurses, cleaning staff)

I have some close friends working as doctors and nurses who are under tremendous stress. They are not complaining about being tired, but about how people are ignoring orders and making work very tough for them.

When I asked a doctor from a major hospital in KL about what I can do to help medical staff who are combating this pandemic, he said

"Don't get sick - coronavirus or other illness. If you're admitted to the hospital, my attention will be halved. Avoid hospitals/clinics" (rephrased)

A nurse from a major hospital in Selangor said, that on top of following orders from the government to stay at home, we can

"Eat healthy and keep clean.... I've seen a lot of ppl sharing information that is totally wrong. Eg Taking high doses of vitamin c >1 gm a day helps prevent infection n boost immune system. It is totally false. Those so called interview with Prof from God knows where are probably being paid by pharmaceutical companies to give reviews. Everything in moderation is sufficient" (verbatim)

My conclusion is: stay at home and cook. That to me, is not only easy to do but also pleasurable. Let's take this rare opportunity to pick up a skill like cooking and spending time with family!

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Cook simple yet nutritious food...and use the leftovers for another meal

My family has always been cooking at home and eating healthy. But recently, we upped our game by including more herbs and spices into our diet. We've been consuming more turmeric, Chinese herbs, herbal teas.

We are also doing our best to make sure all the groceries that we have at home are used effectively. We made an inventory of food that we have and we don't throw away leftovers anymore; traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that leftover food is not good for health so we normally cook just enough for the day.

So yesterday, we made herbal chicken for dinner and used the leftover to make congee for lunch. It's super easy to do; even if you've never cooked before, I'm sure you can do it. Let's try!

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TOOLS

For steamed herbal chicken

• Wok + lid
• Knife + chopping board
• Plate/bowl

For herbal chicken congee

• rice cooker
• Knife + chopping board

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DINNER: Easy Steamed Herbal Chicken

Easy Steamed Herbal Chicken - 5 Ingredients

21st March 2020

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 20 min

Total: 30 min

Difficulty: Easy

Print This

Easy steamed chicken made with three potent Chinese herbs

By: Sara Khong

Ingredients

• 1/2 chicken + 1 chicken breast - 800 g
• Goji berries (kei chi) - 1 tablespoon or 15 pieces
• Solomon seal (yuk chuk) - 1/4 cup or 10 pieces
• Angelica roots (dang gwai) - 4 slices
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Salt to taste (~ 1/2 tablespoon)
• Chinese Rice wine - 1 tablespoon (optional)

Directions

• Step 1 WASH CHICKEN: Clean chicken thoroughly and place the entire chicken onto a high rimmed plate.
• Step 2 BOIL HERBS: Place solomon seal (yuk chuk), angelica roots (dang gwai), goji berries (kei chi), and water in a wok. Boil for 5 minutes to extract flavour from it. Add salt and mix. Then pour the herbs and water into the plate of chicken.
• Step 3 STEAM CHICKEN: Put a steaming rack and two bowls of water into the wok. Turn on the heat. When water boils, put the plate of chicken in. Cover and steam on medium fire for 15 - 20 minutes until chicken is cooked. Add 2 tablespoon of chinese rice wine (optional)
• Step 4 CHOP CHICKEN: Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces.

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SHORT RECIPE

Clean the chicken. Boil 10 solomon seal + 4 angelica roots + 15 goji berries + 1/2 cup of water for 5 min. Add 1/2 salt. Mix well. Pour into chicken. Steam for 15 - 20 minutes.  Pour in 1 tablespoon of rice wine. Chop chicken into bite size pieces.

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STEP-BY-STEP

Check out some steps in video form at my Instagram.

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COOKING HACKS & TIPS

1. It's easier to chop the chicken before steamingTo make it even easier, chop the chicken into smaller pieces before steaming. Then you don't have to chop after that. But my family is very particular about the juiciness and texture of the chicken. Steaming half of the chicken first before chopping means it's less likely to be dry or chewy.
2. Use free-range/ kampung chicken if you can This chicken feeds on better feed such as corn. Hence it has beautiful yellow skin, in contrast to the pale skin of regular farmed chickens. But during this time, any chicken will do!
3. Learn more about common Chinese herbs If you are not familiar with the herbs I mentioned. Checkout my article: 25 Chinese herbs in English and Chinese. It's common herbs found in a typical kitchen (like mine). 
4. Order herbs online Try to order it online at herbal shops like Chai Huat Hin to avoid going out (Let me know if you know of other herbal shops doing delivery)

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NEXT DAY'S LUNCH: Herbal Chicken Congee (using leftovers)

Herbal Chicken Congee

21st March 2020

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 1 hr

Difficulty: Easy

Print This

Easy herbal chicken congee using leftover from yesterday's meal

By: Sara Khong

Ingredients

• 1 cup of rice (160 ml cup/ 125 g)
• Leftover chicken (about 2 cups)
• Carrot - 1 piece
• Water - 10 cups (1600 ml)

Directions

• Step 1 WASH RICE & CHOP CARROTS: Wash rice until water is clear. Peel and chop carrots.
• Step 2 COOK CONGEE: Put washed rice, carrot, leftover chicken, and water into the rice cooker. 
• Step 3 COOK IN A RICE COOKER: Let the rice cooker do its job. It should be ready in an hour. Serve with fried garlic, spring onions, and soy sauce if you have.

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SHORT RECIPE

Wash 1 cup of rice until water is clear. Peel and chop 1 carrot. Put washed rice + carrots + leftover chicken + 9 rice cups of water into the rice cooker.

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STEP-BY-STEP

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COOKING TIPS

1. Place the chicken in 15 minutes before you’re ready to eat for juicier chicken The above recipe is simplified. I would normally dump everything in. In reality, my Mom is very particular about her chicken and refused to let me put it in earlier with the rice as carrot as she doesn't want to overcook the chicken.
2. Remove the solomon seal. We normally remove the solomon seal before putting into the rice cooker. It has a chewy texture that not many people like. But its good for health and at times like this, I convinced my Mom to just eat it.
3. Eat it together with some fried garlic We are trying to eat as much superfoods as we can. Garlic is one of them. You can make garlic oil and pour it over. Make it in a microwave in just 5 minutes! I like to do it in a small egg pan (Don't let is turn brown like this. I was busy taking the shot and quickly poured it out to stop it from turning black and bitter)

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LET'S COOK & STAY IN!

The least we can do now to help the medical staff by not being a burden. My friend, SC Shekar, a photographer whose art work I admire said this:

Let's see it positively. Now is the time to pick up cooking skill and spend time with family. Be creative about food that you can make with the groceries you have at home. Let's get out of this pandemic together being healthier and smarter.

Stay home, keep clean, and eat healthy!

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The post Easy Steamed Herbal Chicken (5 Ingredients) + Chicken Congee Using Leftover appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

This is the simplest nuggets you can make yet no less flavourful. I use chicken breast (just like McD) and season it with garlic and onion powder. Both of these powder gives the MSG-like taste that we are so used to at fast food restaurants. Of course, there’s salt and pepper too. Lastly, they are dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs (I like to use panko), before frying.

Why is our homemade nuggets better than store-bought ones?

1. You know what goes into your nuggets.
2. No artificial flavouring. Only natural seasonings are used.
3. Made with quality seasonings e.g sea salt instead of table salt.
4. Made with the best meat that we can get: fresh and/or free range-chicken.
5. We don’t reuse cooking oil.

How is sea salt better than regular table salt?

Convenient protein

I like making my own homemade nuggets to freeze. To me, it’s convenient protein. When I’m hungry and need some snacks, I’ll just dump it in the oven or air-fryer to reheat. When there are unexpected guest, I can serve them with something homemade and delicious. It’s a wonderful fingerfood to serve at parties too!

TOOLS

• Wok + spatula
• Food processor

RECIPE CARD

SHORT RECIPE

Process 400 g chicken breast into a paste. Add 1 tsp garlic powder + ½ tsp onion powder + ¼ tsp black pepper powder + 1 tsp salt and blend. Form 1 tbsp of minced chicken into nugget size + dip in 1 whisked egg + dip in 1 cup breadcrumbs. Repeat. Fry until golden brown. 

STEP-BY-STEP

PREP: In a bowl, whisk egg. In a shallow dish, pour in breadcrumbs.

BLEND CHICKEN: Chop chicken into large chunks and blend in a food processor until it turn to a paste.

SEASON CHICKEN: Add garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper powder, and salt. Mix well.

FORM NUGGET PIECES: Form 1 tbsp of minced chicken into nugget size. Dip in whisked egg, then dip in breadcrumbs, and place on a plate. Repeat until all chicken is coated with breadcrumbs.

FRY NUGGETS: Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Deep-fry chicken for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.

SERVE: Dish out. Serve hot with a side of chili or tomato sauce.

COOKING TIPS

1. Freeze the nuggets. I normally don’t make this nuggets for eating immediately. It’s my homemade snack when I’m busy or to serve unexpected guest. This is something I make with the intention to freeze. To reheat, bake in oven at 180°C  for 10 minutes.
2. Double the amount. This recipe makes about 20 pieces of nuggets. Sometimes I double the amount. Since I’m already going to spend some time making it, might as well make more.
3. Not too cooked. If you intend to freeze the nuggets, you don’t have to fry until they are completely cooked. It’s enough to fry until the chicken paste is formed into a light golden, solid nuggets.
4. Use fattier parts with some skin Initially this recipe use chicken breast. I tried it a few times. It tastes best using chicken leg with skin.

Make some of these delicious nuggets to freeze. When you’re hungry and need some snacks, you’ll thank yourself for your foresight!

The post Homemade Chicken Nuggets – 7 Ingredients appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

Read: Dried Shrimp Powder

As I’m not a person who naturally love vegetables, I always make an extra effort to make them taste better by enhancing them with natural flavouring like herbs and dried seafood. Umami-rich dried shrimps and distinctly fragrant Thai basil imparts delicious flavour to slightly caramelised sweet pumpkin.

Pumpkin provides carotene which helps improve immunity; lutein which may help protect against cataracts and related macular degeneration; and potassium which supports healthy blood pressure level.

What I love about this dish is that it is not only healthy and delicious, it’s also incredibly easy to cook. You only need 3 main ingredients: pumpkin, dried shrimps, and Thai basil. All these ingredients can be kept for quite a long time in the fridge. Even if I haven’t had the time to do grocery shopping, it’s something that I can whip up easily.

TOOLS

• Wok with lid + spatula
• Knife + chopping board
• Bowl (to soak dried shrimps)
• Stove

RECIPE CARD

SHORT RECIPE

Heat 1 tbsp oil a in wok over medium heat. Stir-fry 2 tbsp dried shrimps. Then stir-fry 500 g of sliced pumpkin. Pour in 1/2 cup of water + salt. Cover with lid and cook until pumpkin softens (10 min). Add 30 pcs of Thai basil, stir, and serve hot.

STEP-BY-STEP

1. PREP: Rinse dried shrimps and soak them in 1/2 cup of water for 5 minutes (do not discard the water). Chop off the skin of pumpkin and remove its seeds using a knife. Chop into pumpkin into wedges, then into 2 cm thick slices

2 STIR-FRY DRIED SHRIMPS: Heat oil a in wok over medium heat. When oil is sufficiently heated, add in dried shrimps. Stir-fry until dried shrimp is turns slightly darker and fragrant (about 1 minute).

3. STIR-FRY PUMPKIN: Add in pumpkin and stir-fry until slightly golden (about 1 minute).

4. SEASON & BRAISE: Pour in water used for soaking dried shrimps and season with salt. Cover with a lid. Simmer until water evaporated and pumpkin softens (about 5 – 10 min)

5. FLAVOUR WITH BASIL: Add in Thai basil leaves and give it a few stir. Dish out and serve hot.

COOKING TIPS

1. Soak dried shrimps and retain its water. When soaking umami-rich produce like dried shrimps and dried Chinese mushrooms, retain the water and use it in your cooking. The water contains umami flavour which will make your food taste better. (Note: some cook will not do that if they think the produce is not organic/ clean)
2. Use a sharp cleaver. My least favourite part of making this dish is chopping the pumpkin. To make my task easier, I use a sharp cleaver/ Chinese knife to chop pumpkin and its tough skin. It’s much easier!
3. Scrap off the fibre. While removing the pumpkin seeds with a spoon, scrap off the fibre too. This is to prevent the pumpkin from turning too mushy when cooked.

If you want to inject some colour into your diet, eat more plants, and love flavourful dishes, give this dish a go!

The post Pumpkin Stir-fried With Dried Shrimps and Thai Basil – 3 Ingredients appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

After cooking for a while (and being too busy to take a trip to the supermarket), I have developed a repertoire of ‘last minute dishes’. They are made from all the things I normally have in the kitchen at all time. One of the recipes is soy braised chicken with mushrooms.

It’s the perfect dish when you don’t have much fresh ingredients left. If you have frozen chicken in the freezer, you are probably good to go. You will need ginger and dried mushrooms; two long shelf-life ingredients that I always have at home (even if you don’t have them, you can still cook this dish).

Simply fry the ginger and mushrooms in oil until aromatic. Then braised the browned chicken in a mixture of seasonings and spices: soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, sugar, and star anise. Let it slowly cook in the wok until all the flavour is infused into the chicken and mushrooms, and the mixture thickens into thick and tasty sauce.

TOOLS

• Wok with lid + spatula
• Knife + chopping board
• 2 bowls (to soak mushrooms and to mix seasonings)

RECIPE CARD

SHORT RECIPE

Fry 2 slices of ginger + 5 sliced mushrooms in 2 tbsp of oil. Fry 1/2 chicken pieces. Pour in seasonings: 1 star anise + 1 tbsp light soy sauce + 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce + 1 tsp dark soy sauce + 0.5 tbsp Shaoxing wine + 1 tsp sugar. Add enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat until water evaporates.

STEP-BY-STEP

1. PREP: Soak mushrooms (reserve the water for cooking). Slice ginger. Clean chicken throughly. In a bowl, add in all seasonings.

2. FRY GINGER & MUSHROOM: Pour in 2 tbsp of cooking oil in a heated wok. Stir-fry ginger and mushroom in medium-high fire until fragrant (1 min).

3. FRY CHICKEN: Add chicken and fry until golden brown.

4. POUR IN SEASONINGS & WATER: Pour in seasonings and enough water (from the water used to soak mushrooms) to cover the chicken (about one cup). Bring to a boil.

5. BRAISE: Cover and simmer over low heat until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens. Adjust seasoning if necessary e.g more sugar if its too salty or more soy sauce if its not flavourful enough.

COOKING TIPS

1. Don’t peel ginger. It’s not necessary to peel the skin of ginger if you’re using it for flavouring, not eating. Besides, the Chinese believe that ginger skin is ‘cooling’ and balances the ‘heaty’ flesh.
2. Reserve the water used to soak mushrooms. The water used to soak the mushrooms contains umami-rich flavour. Don’t pour it away. Instead, add the flavourful water into the dish to make it even more delicious.
3. Freeze soaked mushrooms. Depending on the thickness and size of the mushrooms, sometimes it takes hours to soften them. When you have time, soak more mushrooms than you need and freeze the rest.
4. Soak mushrooms in hot water. If you want to use dry mushrooms quickly, soak them in hot water. They’ll reconstitute faster in hot water than in cold.

When you have nothing much left in the kitchen next time, remember you can still make a delicious dish with a frozen chicken and common seasonings. Try it!

The post Soy Braised Chicken With Mushroom appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.