Nyonya Restaurant at The Strand; Kota Damansara - Tranquerah

Nyonya Restaurant @ The Strand - Tranquerah

Ok, we are still scouring Kota Damansara for halal restaurants to eat in during weekends since I am now almost certain that our favorite brunch place D'Cengkih has closed down...sigh I went there on numerous occasion on different days and it was closed on all the days that I tried.. sadness! 

As you search for good halal restaurants in Kota Damansara, you would also find that quite a few had closed down or shifted elsewhere, like "HM Sri Bagan Kota Damansara" has shifted to Masjid Al-Ghufran @ Pinggir Taman Tun Dr Ismail and "Pondok" is no longer at 17/1 Jalan PJU 5/4, a chinese noodle restaurant is there instead..

I wanted to try Felda D'Saji Kitchen near The Strand cos I thought I will never get the chance to go to Jalan Semarak and I am really craving for nasi campur you know.. sadly.. Felda D'Saji Kitchen only sell mee goreng, nasi goreng and mostly western dishes, we walked out of the restaurant and I told hubby "let's just ask whether Tranquerah is halal..."

So, we headed for Tranquerah at Red Carpet Avenue The Strand and the waitress couldn't really answer my question as she is not very proficient in English, then the manager / supervisor came and I asked whether they are halal certified or pork free and she said that they are not halal certified but they don't use pork and all the meats are sourced from halal suppliers, now I know some people who are quite strict would not accept that, but for us, we ate there that day. 

We ordered: 

Pie Tee @ Tranquerah; The Strand

Pie Tee - The shells were crispy and delicious the fillings were also very crunchy and refreshing with turnips, cucumber, strips of eggs and red bell peppers but I like my pie tee with prawns..

Brinjals and Kangkung Masak Lemak @ Tranquerah; The Strand

As usual, when dining in a Nyonya / Indonesian restaurant hubby will order brinjals, it tasted like bland blanched brinjals but the spicy sambal (a tad too spicy for hubby's liking, but I'm fine with it) on top kind of balance out the taste.

It was our first time eating kangkung masak lemak since we normally eat kangkung belacan but really we are converts now! The whole thing just tasted like a match made in heaven, the creaminess of the gravy, the sweet but slightly nutty taste of the sweet potatoes and the belacan.. nice! 

Udang Masak Lemak @ Tranquerah ; The Strand

Well, I am not really sure if it's Prawns in Coconut Gravy or Nyonya Curry Prawns, but it does taste similar to the malay style of masak lemak, only there's pineapple added to the dish, I really like the taste of the gravy though my kids complained that it was spicy and I am not a fan of poached prawns, I like my prawns cooked very well with the gravy, I don't care what other people say like the prawns will lose its sweetness etc etc.. I am just not used to the taste. So,I am not really sure, but the prawns in this dish tasted a bit like poached prawns and that really put me off. Which was really disappointing for me cos I really like the gravy.

Ayam Goreng Cincaluk @ Tranquerah ; The Strand

This Fried Chicken with Cincaluk was for the kids. It was crispy but somehow lacks the punch I was expecting.

So, among the 5 dishes that we ordered that day, I only like the kangkung masak lemak, while hubby likes the kangkung, prawns and pie tee. We ended the meal with a shared bowl of cendol (hubby's pick what else) but I didn't bother taking a picture cos the presentation and taste was non-descript. We might eat here again maybe to try out other dishes, but I don't foresee it to be anytime soon.

You Might Also Like: 

Jom Cari Makan, Kota Damansara

Waroeng Iga ; The Strand

Makan-makan Kuantan : Sara Thai Restaurant

Makan-makan di Kuantan @ Sara Thai Restaurant; B42 Jalan Gambut, Kuantan

Hari kedua di Kuantan, kami sedang mencari tempat untuk makan tengahari, saya cadangkan kepada encik suami kita cuba Sara Thai Restaurant pula.. restaurant ni pun popular juga di Kuantan... encik suami setuju, saya pun google alamat.. rupa-rupanya Sara Thai ada dua cawangan di Kuantan, satu di Jalan Gambut (Kuantan town) lagi satu di Balok.. Sebenarnya Sara Thai Balok yang lagi dekat dengan Swiss Garden Resort tapi.. kita tak tahu ada cawangan Balok jadi tengahari tu kita ke Jalan Gambut..

Sampai di Sara Thai, restorannya luas, bersih dan selesa tapi takde aircon :) Suami pun order: 

Sotong Telur Asin @ Sara Thai Restaurant; Kuantan

Kali pertama makan sotong telur asin.. Ya Allah sedapnya!!! best kan makan seafood kat Kuantan semua fresh, sotong lembut, putih dan manis.. tambah dengan rasa asin telur dan cili yang tak berapa pedas.. memang licin lauk ni anak beranak makan :p

Makan sedap di Kuantan @ Sara Thai Restaurant

Ayam gajus nam prik untuk anak-anak makan, ayam digoreng dengan sos tiram dan kicap (agaknye) ada rasa manis2 tak rasa pedas.. ok je anak2 makan.. lepas tu ada gajus crunchy.. suami i suka yang ni.. I ok2 je..lagi sedap sotong telur asin haha...

Makan tengahari di Kuantan @ Sara Thai Restaurant

Telur Bistik untuk anak-anak, tapi I lupa nak tanya isi ayam ke daging.. rupa2nya ayam.. telur gebu, tak berminyak dan sos manis.. ni pun licin gak anak-anak makan :)

Kerabu Mangga @ Sara Thai Restaurant; Kuantan

Kerabu mangga ni untuk I. tapi suami pun tumpang sekaki.. selalu I order kerabu mangga dia tak kacau.. entah kenapa haritu lapar ke sedap sangat ni? :p Tapi bagi I kerabu mangga dia sedap, pedas tak berapa, masin masam semua cun je :)

Udang Goreng Tepung @ Sara Thai Restaurant; Kuantan

Last2 suami tambah udang goreng tepung sebab kita order semua portion kecik dan memang portion just nice, cuma haritu anak beranak semua makan selera habis..sedap sangat ke Sara Thai ni sampai pinggan semua licin?? Udang goreng tepung pun best, walaupun udang kecil, tapi fresh sangat, adunan pun berasa tak tawar kemudian disalut lagi dengan serbuk roti.... i like!!

Lepas kenyang makan tengahari, kita round Zawara Kuantan jap, saje je nak tengok.. hmm.. macam tak banyak pilihan je.. keluar balik terus balik hotel dan anak2 main lagi di tepi pantai. Jam 6.45 kita drive ke Kg Cherating Lama untuk firefly tour, otw nampak lah Sara Thai @ Balok.. hmm encik suami pun kata, hah nanti lepas firefly tour kita makan Sara Thai.. I was like "tak jelak ke? Kan tadi tengahari baru makan Sara Thai??"

Kita sampai Kg Cherating Lama dalam 7.45 mlm, register nama, bayar RM25 untuk dewasa dan RM15 untuk kanak2 (total RM80 bagi kami) dan dengar taklimat..beria-ia I bawak kamera tapi tak boleh snap gambar masa tour jadi simpan balik je lah dalam but kereta :p

Best firefly tour ni, highly recommended when you are in Kuantan, the experience of being in the middle of the river at night with the stars over your head and the fireflies coming to you, one landed on my son's head and I caught one in my palm for a short while.. Masya Allah.. an experience that is just too beautiful.. cuma tak recommended untuk budak bawah umur 4 tahun lah, mesti budak tu tak boleh duduk diam kan.. lama jugak dalam kegelapan dengan bau minyak enjin bot, kalau budak tu asyik nak gerak2 takut bot pulak tak stable.. so, I recommend untuk 4 years and above, best! Ni link tour operator tu... http://hafizcheratingactivities.blogspot.com/

Habis tour, kita balik ke Balok untuk makan malam di Sara Thai.. anak2 dah penjam mata dah.. so mak bapak je yang makan..paksa jugak budak2 tu makan sikit.. 6-7 suap dah pejam mata balik haha..

Deco di Sara Thai Balok cantik lagi dari Sara Thai Jalan Gambut.. 

Sara Thai; Balok - entrance

Ini kali kita order:

Udang Telur Asin @ Sara Thai; Balok

Sebab asyik terkenangkan sotong telur asin tengahari tadi, husband I order lah pulak udang telur asin. tapi.. entah ye adakah disebabkan sotong lagi sedap atau memang tukang masak kat Balok ni tak se-skill tukang masak di Jalan Gambut? so.. udang telur asin ni tak mendapat approval..

Ayam Pad Kaprow @ Sara Thai; Balok

Ayam Pad Kaprow.. ayam daun selasih.. hmm... ok2 jelah ada rasa macam pahit sikit.. banyak sangat daun selasih agaknye..

Tom Yum Campur @ Sara Thai Restaurant; Balok

Mummy terasa nak makan tom yum, since anak2 dah tidur, boleh lah maknya yang hirup tom yum.. hai.. tapi lagi sekali.. tom yum disappointing :( 

Telur Dadar @ Sara Thai Restaurant; Balok

Telur dadar ni ok.. 

All in all, encik suami sangat kecewa dengan Sara Thai di Balok.. selepas makan sampai menjilat jari di Sara Thai Jalan Gambut.. dia balik hotel dengan kecewa malam tu hahaha...

Anda juga mungkin meminati:

Ana Ikan Bakar Petai

PD Ostrich Farm

Ana Ikan Bakar Petai & Swiss Garden Resort - Kuantan

Lepas berkelah di Teluk Kemang, Port Dickson cuti Deepavali yang lepas, anak-anak asyik minta main laut.. memandangkan Deepavali ni long weekend, kita layankan bawa mereka jalan-jalan kuantan pulak.. Bila tengok-tengok hotel, encik suami ter'google" hotels in Kuantan bukan hotels in Cherating haha.. jadinya..Swiss Garden Resort menjadi pilihan. Hotel-hotel di Kuantan ni, expectations tak boleh tinggi sangat melainkan u kaya giler dan duduk di Club Med haha! Jadi, sebelum pergi kita dah duk psycho diri sendiri dan budak2 "don't expect too much from the hotel, we are there to play at the beach only yeah?" 

Cuti-cuti Kuantan @ Swiss Garden Resort

Jalan-jalan Kuantan @ Swiss Garden Beach Resort Kuantan

The good thing about Swiss Garden Resort ni, bilik baru dinaik taraf so.. oklah bilik very cozy, pool pun ok cukup bersih, cuma ramai orang dan tak cukup deck chairs. Budak-budak memang enjoy main di tepi laut, Mikail siap kumpul2 seashells and they were so excited nampak ketam hihi.. best tengok anak-anak happy kan? Teringat zaman I kecik2, abah suka bawak kita adik beradik jalan2 bila dia off day (abah kerja syif, so kalau dia off sometimes mak kerja) nenek dan datuk pun suka bawak anak2 dan cucu2 ke tepi pantai naik van di hujung minggu :) memori :) sekarang tengok anak2 main laut, teringat mak abah, datuk dan nenek :"(

Budak happy main pasir @ Swiss Garden Resort Kuantan

The bad thing about Swiss Garden resort ni, makanan dia tak best! Makan luar je lah ye.. soundproofing pun tak bagus, dalam bilik boleh dengar orang jalan2 di aisle dan malam2 dengar baby nangis kat bilik lain, saboor je lah.. its a resort aimed for families anyways, kita mestilah understanding kan? It's not a resort for a romantic getaway yeah :p

Biasalah kita kalau jalan-jalan mestilah nak google "makan best di..." or "ikan bakar best di..." so hasil googling "ikan bakar best di kuantan" nampak gaya yang sungguh famous "Ana Ikan Bakar, "Super Top Ikan Bakar" ada jugak terselit2 "Mail Ikan Bakar" dan satu lagi i terbaca kat blog orang Ketam Masak Telur Asin @ "Marina Seafood Restaurant"...Hmmm.. mana satu pilihan hati? 

Ana Ikan Bakar Petai @ Tanjung Lumpur; Kuantan

Encik suami kata Ana Ikan Bakar je lah, cari kat googlemaps ada Ana Ikan Bakar Petai @ Perkampungan Peramu, jadi kita ikut googlemaps je, ingatkan kecik tempat dia rupanya besar, luar tepi jalan ada, masuk dalam sikit tempat parking, ada lagi tempat besar siap dengan playground untuk kanak2.surau pun bersih (bilik air tak tahu ler, tak check)

Kita datang dalam maghrib gitu (maklumlah boleh jama') belum ramai sangat orang, waiter datang ambil order untuk air dan goreng2, yang seafood dan ikan bakar semua order dekat seafood counter.

Kita order :

Garoupa bakar @ Ana Ikan Bakar Petai; Tanjung Lumpur

Memandangkan yang famous kat Ana Ikan Bakar ni adalah ikan bakar, kita wajiblah cuba kan? Tapi sedihnya, saya dan suami tak berapa suka ikan bakar yang salut daun pisang, kita suka yang bakar terus tu.. yang garing, rasa grill, baru oomph..so, walaupun ikan fresh, isi putih dan manis, encik suami dan i macam ok2 je lah dengan ikan bakar ni..

Sotong goreng tepung @ Ana Ikan Bakar

Yang ni sotong goreng tepung, ingat nak order udang, tapi udang dah habis, ketam pulak kalau order leceh nak makan dengan budak2, lagi2 masa tu budak2 ngantuk sebab syiok main laut, so sotong je lah.. garing, sotong lembut dan fresh, sedap!

Ana Ikan Bakar Petai @ Tanjung Lumpur; Kuantan

Untuk budak2 kita order telur dadar dan kailan (masak apa tak ingat) pun licin budak2 (dan mak bapak budak) kerjakan..

Tomyam campur @Ana Ikan Bakar Petai; Tanjung Lumpur 

Tom Yam memang kita orang mintak tak pedas, jadi budak2 boleh makan, walaupun tak pedas, tapi tom yam tetap berasa, yummy!

Air @ Ana Ikan Bakar Petai, Tanjung Lumpur

Yang tak best, air.. cair kot.. yang makanan semua ok..

Famous habis tempat ni, bila keluar tepi jalan, lalu Mail Ikan Bakar, nampak lagi satu Ana Ikan Bakar Petai depan dia.. waaah.. sampai tiga tempat semua penuh! Kedai2 lain tak de orang pulak, kesian.. verdict makan kat sini? Servis cepat (except for ikan bakar tu lambat sikit sampai lauk lain semua dah habis) makanan boleh tahan tapi takdelah sampai buat kita termimpi2.. nak makan lagi sini tak? Hmm.. encik suami tak nak, dia kata next time cuba tempat lain.. tempat ni ok2 jer..

Map of Ana Ikan Bakar:

Day trip from KL with kids: PD Ostrich Farm and Teluk Kemang

PD Ostrich Farm : You can ride this ostrich if you are brave enough!

It was Diwali holiday and I wanted to do something with the kids, so I asked hubby if he would kindly drive us to Port Dickson to visit the PD Ostrich Farm and later let the kids play by the beach at Teluk Kemang and he obliged :) The kids were pretty excited but I told hubby we should not have high expectations since reviews on tripadvisor were pretty bad. Still, for families staying in KL with small kids and nothing better to do on a public holiday, I would say that it's worth a trip to spend some family time together.

Daytrip from KL with kids : PD Ostrich Farm

PD Ostrich Farm

We arrived at PD Ostrich Farm at about 12.30pm I guess, luckily the weather was slightly cloudy, if not I'm pretty sure it would have been scorching. The entrance fee was RM42 for 2 adults and 2 kids and we bought some food to feed the goats and ostriches. 

Burung Puyuh @ PD Ostrich Farm

Jalan-jalan Port Dickson @ PD Ostrich Farm

Truthfully, we came with no expectations so the condition of the place was not an issue for us, I actually found the place to be quite nicely maintained and the animals were not crowded in small dirty enclosure as I thought they would cos a review in tripadvisor by an animal activist from Hong Kong "was appalled by the conditions in PD Ostrich Farm". Most of the animals in PD Ostrich Farm are domesticated animals fowls, goats and donkeys. I only saw a very sad looking camel that was donated to the PD Ostrich Farm after it was sold to a meat slaughter house when the mini zoo it was in was closed down. So, yeah in conclusion, the visit to PD Ostrich Farm was not so bad after all, the kids by the way enjoyed themselves tremendously. They avoided the ostrich (the irony of it) cos they are scared but they enjoyed feeding the goats and the fowls like they were in a kampung. 

Feeding the goats at PD Ostrich Farm

My adventurous 4 year old sat on a donkey and rode a horse while my timid 6 year old was very much contented with feeding the chickens. The rabbits weren't particularly hungry. 

PD Ostrich Farm : A child can seat on this donkey for free

PD Ostrich Farm : You have to pay for a horse right though (RM5)

We saw the eggplant tree and also starfruit and we started feeding the geese with the fallen starfruits much to their delight (cos they were in an enclosure and no one wants to feed them while only a few starfruits fell inside their enclosure and most of it fell outside their enclosure)

My 6 year old also was mesmerized with the mimosa plant and spent a good 10 minutes just poking its leaves to see it fold inwards and we had to drag him away cos it was getting too hot!

We didn't try the ostrich satay nor stand on the ostrich egg though. 

PD Ostrich Farm : My kid tried to feed the chicks but the feed is to big for them.

PD Ostrich Farm: I think these are ducklings? 

Just in case you need to know how the entrance look like before heading there: 

PD Ostrich Farm is at: Lot 1419, Jalan Kemang 13, 71050 Port Dickson

Afterwards, we headed to Teluk Kemang for some sand play. It was our first time in Teluk Kemang and we didn't know where to head to, we just parked at the first empty spot and then went passed the shops, the guy there then greeted us and asked us if we wanted a table, apparently you have to pay RM20 for a table near the beach and RM30 for a cabana. Since it was quite hot I didn't want to sit out in the open with no shade so we took the cabana, it came with a small table and 5 chairs , so we chilled out in the shade while the kids brave the heat for some sand fun.

Daytrip from KL with kids: Beautiful beach @ Teluk Kemang; Port Dickson

Daytrip from KL with Kids : Beach fun @ Teluk Kemang, Port Dickson

Daytrip from KL with kids : Sand play @ Teluk Kemang

Resepi Ayam Goreng Berempah / Malay Style Fried Chicken Recipe

 

Malay Style Fried Chicken Recipe

(Untuk Bahasa Melayu, sila skrol ke bawah)

This recipe came from one of my mum’s cookbook, I tried it last week and I am keeping it for my future reference.

Malay style Fried Chicken:

1 whole chicken cut into small cuts (I used about 5 chicken wings instead)

2 tbsp meat curry powder

1 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp turmeric powder

1 sprig curry leaves ( I used two sprigs)

1 tbsp flour

Salt

Oil for frying

Blended Ingredients:

3cm galangal

3cm ginger

2 stalks lemongrass (slice thinly so it’s easier to blend)

1 onion

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp fennel powder

How to cook Malay Style Fried Chicken:

1.       Add in the curry powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and flour to the blended ingredients and marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes.

2.       Heat up the frying pan and fry the chicken with the curry leaves till chicken is cooked and crispy.

(Malay Version)

Resepi Ayam Goreng Berempah:

1 ekor ayam dipotong kecil (I guna 5 kepak ayam)

2 sdm serbuk kari ayam

1 sdm serbuk cili

1 sdm serbuk kunyit

1 tangkai daun kari (I guna 2 tangkai)

1 sdm tepung gandum

Garam

Minyak untuk menggoreng

Bahan-bahan kisar:

3sm lengkuas

3 sm halia

2 batang serai (potong nipis-nipis supaya senang dikisar)

1 biji bawang besar

1 sdt jintan putih

1 sdt jintan manis

Cara-cara:

1.       Campurkan serbuk kari, cili, kunyit, garam dan tepung dengan bahan kisar dan perapkan ayam selama 30 minit atau lebih.

2.       Panaskan minyak dan goreng ayam dengan daun kari hingga masak dan garing.

Resepi Udang Goreng Simple / Simple Fried Prawns Recipe

My MIL's simple udang goreng recipe 

(Untuk Bahasa Melayu, sila skrol ke bawah)

This is my mother-in-law’s simplest recipe for frying prawns. When I don’t have the time to cook, this simple fried prawns is my go-to dish. It’s not that simple if you really follow my MIL’s style though cos she would absolutely not use the blender, she would do it the old school way, sitting on the floor just grinding the dried chillies and turmeric to a smooth paste with the pestle and mortar. Of course, that’s what give the dish more oomph, but erm, if you are super lazy like me, blending is the way to go haha..

The simple Malay-style Fried Prawns Recipe is as such:

8-10 extra large prawns

7 dried chillies (or you can also use fresh chillies)

About 4cm turmeric (not powder yeah)

A dash of salt

1 tbsp sugar (I added this, my MIL does not put sugar in this dish)

½ medium sized onion – sliced

2 stalks lemongrass – bruised

Oil to fry

Instructions:

   1. Grind / blend the dried chillies and turmeric to a fine paste, add in the salt and sugar and coat the prawns with the paste.

    2. Heat up the oil (it’s ok to use a bit more) in a wok and add in the onions and lemongrass,

    3. Add in the prawns and cover the wok till the prawns are cooked and the shells are a bit crispy.

     And that’s it!

Malay Version:

Ini adalah resepi ibu mertuaku yang paling ringkas untuk menggoreng udang. Bila dah kesuntukan masa untuk memasak, udang goreng simple ini lah yang menjadi penyelamatku.. simple pun tak simple sangat sebab kalau ikut betul-betul style ibu mertuaku, sama sekali tidak dibenarkan menggunakan blender sigh.. duduklah bersimpuh lumatkan lada kering dan kunyit dengan mennggunakan batu lesung. Of course, natijahnya lebih oomph, tapi kalau I kes malas blend je lah semua huhu..

Resepi Udang Goreng Simple:

8-10 ekor Udang saiz besar

7 batang lada kering (guna lada hidup pun boleh juga)

Sedikit kunyit hidup (dalam 4cm gitu bolehlah..agak2)

Sedikit Garam

1 sdm Gula (ni I tambah sendiri- ikut resepi asal tak de gula)

½  biji bawang besar - dihiris

2 batang serai – diketuk

Minyak untuk menggoreng

Cara-cara:

1    Tumbuk / kisar lada kering dan kunyit hingga lumat, tambah garam dan gula dan salutkan pada udang.

2   Panaskan minyak (lebih sikit pun takpe) atas kuali kemudian masukkan bawang besar dan serai.

3   Akhir sekali masukkan udang dan tutup kuali dengan penutup sampai udang masak / garing.

Siap! 

Resepi Makaroni Bakar Dengan Sos Beschamel

My Simple Makaroni Bakar Dengan Sos Beschamel Resepi

Haritu teringin nak makan makaroni bakar dengan sos beschamel, rindu Mesir lah konon.. jadi google2 resepi sos beschamel dan gorenglah makaroni ikut suka pastu letak makaroni atas loyang tabur sos tabur keju dan bakar dalam oven.. Best jugak menjadi sos dia :) So, I'm keeping this recipe for my reference.

Makaroni goreng ikut suka, kalau I, I buat macam di bawah ni:

1. Makaroni dalam 1 1/2 cawan - rebus dengan air + garam + minyak sayuran sikit, bila dah empuk, tos dan ketepikan.

2. 200gm daging cincang 

    1/2 sudu teh jintan manis

    1/2 sudu teh jintan putih

    1/2 sudu teh ketumbar

    garam

    sedikit lada hitam

    sedikit "italian herbs"

   Gaul daging cincang dengan rempah-rempah di atas dan ketepikan.

3. sedikit mentega untuk menumis

    2 ulas bawang putih - kisar

    1/2 biji bawang besar - kisar

    1 biji tomato - didadu 

    sedikit lobak merah - didadu halus

    2 sudu makan sos tomato

    1 sudu makan sos cili 

    sedikit gula dan garam

Cara-cara menggoreng makaroni:

1. Panaskan kuali dan masukkan sedikit mentega untuk menumis, masukkan bawang putih, bawang besar.

2. Tambahkan lobak merah, tomato, daging cincang, sos tomato dan sos cili.

3. Masukkan gula dan garam dan gaulkan makaroni.

Bahan-bahan sos beschamel:

4 sudu makan mentega,

2 sudu makan tepung gandum

500 ml susu segar

1 biji telur

garam

Di atas adalah resepi yang saya buat sebab saya tak masak banyak, cukup untuk makan 2-3 orang je.. Kalau resepi asal :

6 sudu makan mentega

6 sudu makan tepung gandum

8 cawan susu segar

2 telur

garam

serbuk lada hitam

Cara-cara buat sos beschamel:

1. Cairkan mentega di atas api yang sederhana, masukkan tepung gandum dan pukul (whisk in) campuran tepung dan mentega, teruskan pukul selama 2 minit.

2. Masukkan susu sedikit demi sedikit, teruskan memukul / mengacau (whisking / stirring)  supaya ia tidak berketul hingga mendidih dan pekat (jangan didih lama-lama, susu didih terus matikan api)

3. Alihkan pan dari atas dapur (sebab dapur masih panas walau api dah dimatikan) dan masukkan telur yang telah dipukul sedikit demi sedikit sambil memukul sos dengan pantas (whisk fast while adding in the beaten eggs)

4. Tambahkan lada hitam dan garam ikut rasa. I tak guna lada hitam sebab nanti anak-anak tak tahan.

Cara-cara membakar makaroni:

1. Panaskan ketuhar dalam 175C, masukkan makaroni goreng dalam loyang yang telah disapu sedikit minyak, tuangkan sos beschamel di atas makaroni dan taburkan keju parut diatas sos beschamel (saya guna edam cheese) 

2. Bakar hingga cheese bertukar warna keemasan.

Resepi Sayur Asem

My Simple Sayur Asem Recipe

(Untuk Bahasa Malaysia, sila skrol ke bawah)

Sayur Asem is an indonesian vegetable soup dish that my dad and I love even though we are not indonesians :p hence please do not expect the traditional ingredients like melinjo fruit / leaves in my sayur asem recipe. I just wing it with whatever ingredients that I have in hand. Usually people will add melinjo leaves, cabbages, squash and string beans in the soup but I don't like string beans in soups and I didn't have with me melinjo leaves, cabbages and squash in the kitchen so I used whatever leafy greens I had (that being pucuk keledek i.e. sweet potato leaves) It was also by chance I had extra peanuts on hand (disaster in the kitchen the day before while attempting to cook Mee Rebus Singapore style) and also corn (cos I wanted to try bakwan jagung i.e. indonesian corn fritter but the corn has been sitting in the fridge for a week and I thought let's just make sayur asem) OK.. is it really obvious that I am missing some of my mum's ex-helpers cooking :p

I don't really have all the ingredients required but I felt that the soup came out quite decent. The original recipe from my mum's cookbook (the writer is this famous Indonesian chinese lady who married a Eurasian I think, but I can't recall her name) was:

Ingredients: 

1 squash - diced

1 aubergine - sliced and soak in water

1 packet melinjo fruit

1 bouquet of melinjo leaves

50 gm peanuts - soak in water

5 string beans (cut 1cm in length)

1 ear of sweet corn (cut into 3 or 4)

2cm galangal - bruised

3 bay leaves

1 piece tamarind slice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 liter water

Blended ingredients:

5 small shallots 

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

2 red chillies

1/2 teaspoon salt.

What I used instead was:

2 small shallots

1 tablespoon shrimp paste

1 red chilli

1 piece tamarind slice

1 tablespoon sugar

water as needed

sweet potato leaves 

1 ear of sweet corn

a handful of peanuts 

some slices of sweet potatoes

1 tomato - slices

some slices of carrots

How to cook sayur asem:

1. Blend the shallots, shrimp paste and chilli, heat up the pan, add in water, the blended ingredients and tamarind slice. 

2. Add in the sweet potatoes slices, peanuts,corn and carrots, cover till all are cooked. (it doesn't matter if the water does not fully cover the corn cos if you cover the pan, the steam will still cook the corn).

3. Add in your greens, tomatoes, sugar and salt to taste. 

If you are following the original recipe, just bear in mind to add in the vegetables in the sequence of how long it takes to cook them, so you might put in the peanuts and corn first then the aubergine then the string beans and so on and so forth. (I've never cooked melinjo leaves before so I don't know how long it takes to cook it).

I love this dish! the nuttiness of the peanuts, the sweetness of the corn and the sour taste of the soup just make it a perfect vegetable dish for me.. too bad hubby don't like green soupy vegetables :(  

Bahasa Melayu:

Sayur Asem adalah sup sayur indonesia yang digemari aku dan bapaku walaupun kami bukan warga Indonesia :p oleh itu tolong jangan jangkakan bahan-bahan tradisional seperti daun / buah melinjo dalam resepi sayur asam ku. I main bedal je apa yang ada  di dapur. Selalunya sayur asem menggunakan daun melinjo, kobis, labu cina dan kacang panjang tapi I tak suka kacang panjang dalam sup dan saya tak ada daun melinjo, kobis dan juga labu cina so.. I guna je lah apa yang ada (which is pucuk keledek). Ada juga sikit kacang tanah (hari sebelumnya tu cuba buat Mee Rebus Singapore tak menjadi.. ) dan ada juga jagung (Sebab ingat nak buat bakwan jagung tapi dah seminggu beli jagung pun tak buat2) So.. buat je lah sayur asem ye dari membazir jagung :p

I tak cukup bahan tapi  I rasa sayur asem dia menjadi lah jugak. Resepi asal dari buku resepi mak saya (penulisnya wanita Indonesia berbangsa cina yang famous, dia berkahwin dengan Mat Salleh tak silap tapi I tak ingat nama dia...) 

Resepi Sayur Asem asal adalah:

Bahan-bahan:

1 labu cina - didadu

1 terung - dihiris dan direndam dalam air

1 peket buah melinjo

1 ikat daun melinjo 

50gm kacang tanah - direndam dalam air

5 tangkai kacang panjang (potong panjang 1cm)

1 tongkol jagung (potong 3 atau 4)

2cm lengkuas - diketuk

3 helai daun salam

1 keping asam gelugor

1 sudu teh gula

1 liter air

Bahan kisar:

5 biji bawang merah

1 sudu teh belacan

2 lada merah

1/2 sudu teh garam

Resepi sayur asem I pulak:

2 biji bawang merah

1 sudu makan belacan

1 lada merah

1 keping asam gelugor

1 sudu makan gula

air sebanyak perlu

pucuk keledek

1 biji tomato - dipotong 6

sedikit hiris lobak merah

1 tongkol jagung manis

1 genggam kacang tanah

sedikit hirisan keledek

Cara-cara masak sayur asem:

1. Kisar bawang merah, belacan dan cili, panaskan periuk, masukkan air, bahan kisar dan asam gelugor.

2. Masukkan keledek, kacang tanah,jagung dan lobak merah, tutup periuk sampai semua empuk (tak apa kalau jagung tak ditutup air  sebab wap panas akan menjadikan jagung masak.

3. Masukkan sayur, tomato dan perasakan dengan gula dan garam.

Jika anda mengikuti resepi asal, masukkan sayur mengikut urutan masa memasak, jadi masukkan kacang tanah dan jagung dahulu, kemudian terung kemudian kacang panjang dsbnya. I tak pernah masak daun melinjo, jadi I tak tahu daun melinjo cepat masak atau tidak.

I love this dish! rasa kacang tanah , jagung yang manis dan sup yang masam adalah kombinasi yang sangat enak bagi saya.. so sad.. suami I tak suka sup sayur :(

Idea menu kanak-kanak : mini chicken patties

Semenjak anak mula sekolah dan bawa bekal ni, pening kepala nak masak apa.. dah lah anak I ni cerewet makan, nak bekal kan yang simple2 macam scrambled eggs ke, chicken mayo sandwich ke semua dia tak nak.. asyik nak roti sapu jam, spaghetti, nuggets and hot dog.

Buat masa ni jadual bekal dia macam ni:

Isnin : Roti sapu jam (snek) Spaghetti meatballs (lunch)

Selasa: Roti sapu jam (Snek) nuggets + cheese (lunch)

Rabu: Roti + bacon + cheese lepas tu goreng salut telur (snek) hot dogs (lunch)

Khamis: Home made pepperoni mini pizzas (snek) aglio olio with chicken patties (lunch)

Jumaat: Spaghetti meatballs (snek) Jumaat tiada lunch.

I need more ideas!!! sungguh macam tak sihat menu tu tapi tu je lah yang dia nak makan, yang lain2 I bagaikan mac and cheese or angel hair carbonara with bacon dia tak makan, mungkin sebab mac and cheese and carbonara bila time lunch dah tak panas jadi rasa macam muak. Also I cuba kasi scrambled eggs sandwiches, itupun dia reject!! Nasi goreng cina and even macaroni soup yang kita kena bangun pagi2 masak pun buat penat jer,. balik tengok dalam tupperware dia makan 3-4 suap jer.. sigh.. 

Hari ni first time I try mini chicken patty, selalunya bila kes malas memang I buatkan anak I meatball yang simple (daging cincang + bawang kecil + lada hitam + cheese (jgn banyak sangat nanti lembik) +  garam + sedikit tepung, kepal-kepal goreng dengan butter sikit atas pan) lepas tu  I buat sos spaghetti dan masukkan meatball tu sekali, so far selalu habis kalau bekalkan dia spaghetti and meatball, even though sos tu I buat sendiri tak pakai prego (Sebab baru tahu prego gula dia banyak, sungguh tak sihat) sos spaghetti I simple je, kalau mak dia makan tak tertelan tekak melayu, tapi anak I ok jer.. (bawang, tomato 1 biji, 2 sdm tomato puree, chicken stock buat sendiri sikit untuk perisa, italian herbs sikit, garam, gula)

Hari ni  tak ada idea nak masak apa since carbonara dan mac and cheese kena reject last week, so I thought takpelah kita try aglio olio, tengok macam mana.. then ada ayam filet sikit, I thought kita cuba buat macam yang meatball tu, tapi lebih simple macam patty style je tak nak letak cheese.. Belum tahu lagi menu ni diterima atau direject haha tapi mak dia makan macam ok, rasa macam a very simple chicken patty / kebab, tak banyak rempah sebab untuk budak2 makan. Kalau resepi ni accepted, I rasa hari jumaat boleh tukar menu jadi mini chicken burger untuk snack dia hahahaha.. 

OK ni dia gambar mini chicken patties ni: 

Menu lunch kanak-kanak : mini chicken patties

Resepi (agak2 lah ye, I buat sikit je jadi lah dalam 6 ketul kecik):

1. 2 keping filet ayam (tak tahulah berapa gram, filet yang selalu jual kat pasar raya tu.. amik 2 keping cincang halus-halus, mesti halus tau, kalau tak halus tak jadi patty nanti)

2. sedikit lada putih

3. sedikit jintan putih

4. sedikit garam

5. 1 sdm tepung jagung (yg meatball tu I selalu pakai tepung gandum je, yang ni pakai tepung jagung sebab tepung gandum dah habis, tak tahulah ada beza ke tak)

Kepal-kepalkan jadi macam bentuk mini burger gitu pastu panaskan sedikit butter atas pan (jangan banyak nanti patty berminyak) kemudian masak sampai agak2 garing sikit tepi2 patty tu.. 

Siap! 

Ya Allah.. mintak2  chicken patty ni dia accept.. senang sikit hidup I!!! Susahnya ada anak cerewet makan!!

Tambahan: Mikail dah balik sekolah aaaanddddd... aglio olio dia terima, chicken patties dia complain keras (kes malas nak kunyah kalau boleh semua benda dia nak telan je) so..nampak gaya tetap kena tambah sedikit keju parut, tepung guna tepung gandum maybe jadikan 2 sudu makan....hmmm...