© 2024
0 Items
  • No Products in the Cart
Browsing Tag

Lunch

Mee Siam Goreng (Spicy Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli)

Sprinkling Chopped Spring Onions Garnish onto a plate of Mee Siam Goreng

Here’s something savoury for a change. I grew up with stir fries, and ‘mee siam’ (or Siamese spicy rice vermicelli noodles) is one of my favourites. It has influences from Malay cooking style. My mother used to make the non-spicy version with tomato ketchup, for lunch after I come home from school. It was so good that I always asked for more. There are two distinct variations: 1) dry fried Malaysian style and 2) a wet version with a gravy, often found in Singapore and similar to Peranakan Nyonya mee siam. Its taste is a combination of several flavours in one mouthful: spicy, sweet, salty, sour and umami-ish. Always appetising to me, and so comforting. 

You can find the recipe for the dry stir fried version below. It’s a classic old school one using taucu (fermented yellow soy beans), dried shrimp and tamarind juice to lend unique flavours to the dish. There’s no need for chilli sauce or ketchup. 

Sprinkling Spring Onion Garnish onto a plate of Mee Siam Goreng

Mee Siam Goreng (Spicy Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli)

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie
This spicy stir-fried rice vermicelli dish is a must-have for breakfast, lunch or dinner in parts of Malaysia and Singapore. Its cooking influence is derived from Malay cooking style—strong, spicy and aromatic, combining the richness of local herbs and spices commonly found in Southeast Asia. My version is the dry stir fried style usually found in Malaysia.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Malay, Malaysian, Southeast Asian
Servings 2 persons

Ingredients
  

For The Spice Paste Blend

  • 1 red onion peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp dried shrimp soaked in warm water for a few minutes to soften
  • 1 tbsp salted taucu/taucheo paste (fermented yellow soybeans)
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil

Other Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup cooking oil
  • 3 tbsp wet chilli paste (cili giling)
  • 1 chicken breast, or other meat sliced
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 bunch mustard greens (sawi) leaves and stalks separated, chopped in half; stalks flattened so it could absorb the flavours faster during cooking
  • 2 fish cakes sliced thinly
  • 4 tbsp tamarind juice (assam jawa)
  • 400 g rice vermicelli soaked in water to softened
  • 2 blocks of tofu sliced into small cubes
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 red chillies deseeded and sliced thinly
  • spring onions sliced thinly, for garnish
  • 1 handful bean sprouts washed and tails removed
  • salt and sugar to taste

Instructions
 

  • Blend the ingredients for the spice paste. Set aside.
  • Rub a little salt and turmeric on the tofu then pan fry until golden brown on each side. 
  • Heat oil in a wok on high fire. Stir fry the blended spice paste. If it’s a little dry, add some water. Reduce the fire to medium. Next, add the chilli paste. 
  • Add the chicken breast/meat. Stir until meat turns opaque. Add oyster sauce, then the stalks of the mustard green. Stir fry until vegetables wilt. 
  • Add the fish cakes and fry for another 2 minutes. Measure 4 tbsp tamarind juice and pour into the wok. Stir to mix.
  • Drain water from the vermicelli, then add the noodles into the wok and stir thoroughly until the noodles have absorbed the gravy and ingredients are well mixed. Season with sugar and a little salt (not too much as the taucu is salty already).
  • Turn up heat a little and toss in the remaining mustard green leaves. Stir well to combine until they wilt. Add beansprouts, stir once or twice, then turn off the fire. Garnish with hard boiled eggs, sliced chillies, spring onions and pan fried tofu.
Keyword Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Mee Siam Goreng, Peranakan, Southeast Asia, Spicy, Spicy Stir Fried Rice Vermicelli, Stir Fry

If you made this dish, let me know by tagging @saveurmalaisie on Instagram.  

Continue Reading

Stuffed Tempura Courgette Flowers with Chilli Sauce

Stuffing Courgette Flowers with Feta

It’s peak season for courgettes right now, so I’ve been thinking of recipes to make with them. I have come across traditional Italian recipes using courgette flowers, but I thought I could also prepare them the Asian way, like stuffed and deep fried tempura courgette flowers paired with my classic chilli soy sauce dip. In Asia, fried foods are never far from our palate; most Malaysians would be familiar with fried foods like banana fritters (pisang goreng) and deep fried dumplings (wontons) because we grew up eating them. I love perfectly-airy, crispy and non-greasy tempura. I think the best ones I’ve eaten are from a Japanese-owned yakitori bar in my neighbourhood. Their deep-fried vegetable skewers are naturally sweet, light and crisp, dipped into piquant dashi sauce. What is your favourite way to eat tempura? Also, in tempura making, freshness is everything. You can make it with a wide variety of ingredients like seafood, mushrooms and seasonal root vegetables with low water content so they hold the batter well when deep fried. Namiko from Just One Cookbook has some great tips here!

I filled the squash (courgette) blossoms with feta cheese, minced garlic and mint leaves mixed with some olive oil for flavour. Then I coat them lightly in cake flour so the tempura batter will adhere to it. Just before deep frying, I make the batter with all purpose flour, ice water and eggs in an ice-cold bowl, then whisk it with chopsticks for 15-20 seconds so there was still some floury lumps left, sort of like heavy cream. I find that when you don’t overmix the batter, less gluten forms so the tempura will have a light, lacy layer. I took abit of time stuffing the flowers, so I returned the mixing bowl with the batter into the fridge to stop the gluten process. It’s always better to keep it cold so when you deep fry later, the batter clings nicely to the courgette blossoms. 

When they were ready, I heat up my Dutch oven with 3-5 cm of sesame oil. I waited until the temperature reached 160 C, lightly dipped the blossoms into my tempura batter, then it goes into the oil. The aroma of fried tempura was really wonderful while it was sizzling in the pot of oil. I cracked some salt and pepper on it. I didn’t have any dashi soup stock or mirin in my kitchen so we are going to have it with our favourite dipping sauce made with chopped chillies, chives, minced garlic and soy sauce. 

Tempura Courgette Blossoms in a Pan

Tempura Stuffed Courgette Flowers with Chilli Soy Sauce Dip

These stuffed courgette (zucchini) flowers deep fried in tempura batter make the yummiest snack any time of the day! Have them straight off the dish with your favourite dipping sauce or paired with rice or noodles. Just don't leave them to sit for too long in room temperature or they'll turn mushy. I've listed the ingredients for my classic Malaysian-Chinese style chilli soy sauce dip below (you only need four ingredients to make it), and I really hope you'll give it a try.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine East Asia, Fusion, Japanese
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 325 g olive oil
  • 100 g feta cheese crumbled to tiny pieces
  • 12 pieces courgette (zucchini) flowers washed, stems removed
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • A handful mint leaves finely chopped
  • salt and black pepper to taste

For The Tempura Batter

  • 120 g cake flour sifted
  • 120 g all purpose flour sifted
  • 3-5 cm sesame oil in an empty wok or deep frying pan
  • 1 large mixing bowl keep refrigerated (I normally use metal bowls to keep chilled)
  • 1 large egg
  • 227 g ice cold water (keep it refrigerated when not in use)
  • ice cubes for chilling the water

For The Tempura Sauce

  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 3 pieces bird's eye chillies finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 stalks chives finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Gather the ingredients. Crack the egg into a clean bowl (which has been kept refrigerated) and gently beat with a fork until the yolk and egg whites are barely incorporated.
  • Combine the water and ice cubes in a cup. Give it a quick swirl with a spoon. Strain the water (you should have one cup or 227g of ice cold water), leaving out the ice cubes. Now add just the ice water to the bowl with the beaten egg.
  • Sift the all purpose flour and add it to the bowl with the egg and water mixture. Combine it gently with a pair of chopsticks. Take care not to overmix the batter so there are still some floury lumps left. Return the bowl of tempura batter to the fridge and keep refrigerated until ready to deep fry your courgette flowers.
  • Prepare the stuffing. Combine the feta, garlic, olive oil and mint leaves in a bowl. Gently open the courgette flowers and fill each blossom with a teaspoon of the stuffing. Give the petals a gentle twist to seal it so they don't open during the cooking process.
  • Fill a wok with 3-5cm of sesame oil and turn on the heat. A second before the oil temperature reaches 180C on a cooking thermometer, coat your courgette flowers in cake flour so the batter will adhere to it, then lightly dip it into the tempura batter. Note that too much batter results in crispy exterior and mushy interior. Next, immediately place the flowers into the pot of oil to cook.
  • Deep fry the flowers until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Occasionally turn the flowers so all sides are browned. Fry them in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pot as the oil temperature will drop quickly. While frying, keep your eye on the thermometer and ensure the temperature stays between 160C (320F) and 182C (360F). Any higher than 182C will make the tempura flowers too crispy; any lower than 160C and the tempura will absorb too much oil and won't get crispy.
  • While you're frying between batches, scoop up the excess crumbs in the oil which will burn and turn the oil darker if left in the pot for too long.
  • Once done, place the tempura on a plate lined with kitchen towel or parchment paper to absorb the excess oil. Crack some pepper on it and season with salt.
  • Prepare the tempura dipping sauce. If you'd like to make a tempura dipping sauce with dashi soup stock and mirin, Namiko from Just One Cookbook has a nice recipe for it (I have linked to her website here below!). Enjoy your tempura on the spot while it's hot and crispy!
    Tempura – How to Make The Best Tempura 天ぷら
Keyword Courgette Flowers, Feta, Fried Foods, Seasonal Vegetables, Stuffed Zucchini, Tempura, Zucchini Flowers

If you made this dish, let me know by tagging @saveurmalaisie on Instagram.  

Coating Stuffed Courgette Flowers in Cake Flour Before Deep Frying
Tempura Courgette Blossoms in a Pan
Continue Reading

Kale Masak Lemak with Wild Ferns and Prawns

Flatlay Shot of Chopping Kale

During the week of the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, BoomGrow sent me some pesticide-free kale. So I made a popular Eid recipe, which is kale ‘masak lemak’ with wild ferns (paku) and prawns. ‘Masak lemak cili api’ is a traditional Malay curry that’s said to originate from the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. It’s cooked in the richness of coconut milk and fragrant, flavourful Asian spices like lemongrass and turmeric. When you combine kale in a creamy, spicy stew like this ‘masak lemak kuning’ curry, it tenderises, and voila…  

BoomGrow is Malaysia’s first 5G-connected vertical indoor farm. They grow their vegetables in a controlled environment with proprietary machine farming. With the help of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning algorithms, BoomGrow’s vegetables are 100% clean, sustainable and nutritious. With same day harvest and immediate shipping. Visit www.boomgrowfarms.com for more information about the work they do, as well as to shop online.

(Disclaimer: This is a paid sponsored post on Instagram, in collaboration with BoomGrow)

Cooking Kale, Ferns and Prawns Masak Lemak Style in a Wok

Kale Masak Lemak with Wild Ferns and Prawns

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie
Here is my quick and easy recipe for masak lemak curry with freshly harvested kale from BoomGrow, wild ferns (paku) and prawns, cooked in fragrant Asian spices! If you love spicy, feel free to increase the ratio of bird's eye chillies. I used fresh turmeric root instead of turmeric powder to add a bit more earthy and peppery flavour to the curry. Coconut milk is quintessential in Southeast Asian curries, so a few splashes of it will lend the dish a creamy richness with a nutty, slightly sweet flavour.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Malay, Malaysian, Southeast Asian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 15 pieces bird's eye chillies
  • 5 pieces shallots
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 inches fresh turmeric root
  • 2 stalks lemongrass
  • 2 bunches coriander
  • 2 medium bunches kale
  • 1 large bunch wild ferns (pucuk paku)
  • 6 pieces prawns deveined, but keep the shells on
  • 2 slices tamarind
  • salt and sugar to taste
  • 200 ml coconut milk

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the veggies well. Select the softest part at the fern tip and some leaves; discard the bottom half. Discard top half of lemongrass, remove dried-out layers, bash the woody end with a rolling pin to release the aromatic oils. Remove the hard stems from the kale and slice the leaves into 1 1/2 inch.
  • Blend chillies, shallots, garlic and turmeric. Heat up some oil in a wok and stir fry the blended spices until fragrant. Add lemongrass and chopped coriander. Fry until aromatic. 
  • Put the prawns in. If the gravy is dry, add some water into the blender (which you used to blend the spices earlier), give it a quick swirl, then pour into the wok.
  • Add tamarind slices. Then season with sugar and salt.
  • Pour in coconut milk and leave to boil. Add veggies and cook until just wilted. Turn off the fire and ladle the curry into a bowl. Serve with steamed rice.
Keyword Asian Spices, Kale Masak Lemak Curry, Kale Masak Lemak Curry with Ferns and Prawns, Spicy, Vegan friendly

If you made this dish, let me know by tagging @saveurmalaisie on Instagram.  

Kale Curry (Masak Lemak Kuning) with Wild Ferns and Prawns
Continue Reading

Succulent and Flavourful Cantonese Roast Duck

Over the weekend, we bought a medium size duck. So I made Cantonese roast duck. I call it the “less adventurous” version of a Peking duck, because for the Peking, you roast whole ducks (hung) in wood-fired ovens, rendering out fat and leaving behind perfectly crisp skin. Now I admire (and respect) the hassle and artistry it requires to bring out the flavours of the skin and duck fat. But I’m not sure if I can ever do justice to the Peking. I find the simplified version of the Cantonese roast duck more achievable in a rotisserie oven at home. I’ll also need to thank the uncle at my local roast duck shop for his guidance (he told me just enough to not give away his trade secrets though!) I served this with asparagus salad with Asian vinaigrette dressing and mandarin pancakes made with a simple hot water dough.

Still Life of a Table Setting with Cantonese Roast Duck, Asparagus Salad with Asian Vinaigrette Dressing and Mandarin Pancakes

Succulent and Flavourful Cantonese Roast Duck

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie
My recipe below is not the most perfect, but rather fail-proof enough to accomplish the goal: juicy and succulent roast duck with crackling crisp skin. 
You can pair them with a variety of condiments but I love to have them tucked into mandarin pancakes with julienned spring onions and cucumber/kyuri. Then you just dip the rolled up pancake in a hoisin + minced garlic + sesame oil sauce. Just like how we eat Peking duck! Super yum! Scroll below for the full recipe.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 12 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Air Dry Time 6 hours
Total Time 19 hours 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Entree, Lunch
Cuisine Chinese, Malaysian

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium size duck 2-3kg
  • 2-4 tsp salt

For the marinade

  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp spring onions finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ginger peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine/dry sherry/equivalent
  • 1 tbsp fermented yellow soy bean sauce (taucu)
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

For the glaze

  • 1/4 cup honey/maltose syrup
  • 1/2 tsp red food colouring/red beet/pomegranate juice optional
  • 1 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup warm water

Instructions
 

  • Clean the duck well. Cut away the lumps of fat inside the cavity. Pat dry with paper towel.
  • Rub salt over the entire duck. Refrigerate overnight, about 12 hours.
  • Saute onions, ginger, and garlic till fragrant. Add remaining marinade ingredients. Once it’s boiling, lower the fire and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  • Remove duck from the fridge. Tie the duck’s neck tightly with twine. Pour the marinade into the cavity and sew it securely with a trussing needle.
  • Place the duck head-down into a pot of boiling water. Ladle boiling water over any exposed portions of skin until it has contracted and tightened. The skin will look like tiny goosebumps.
  • Air dry the duck by hanging it head-down with a S hook through its neck. Place a pan underneath to catch any drip. Or place it on a cooling rack with a tray beneath and refrigerate uncovered. Air dry for 4-5 hours.
  • Measure maltose/honey into a small bowl, add rice vinegar and red colouring (if using). Dissolve with warm water. Brush mixture all over the duck. Repeat this step twice.
  • Preheat oven to 200C. Hang the duck in the oven or place on a rack above a baking pan. After you’ve placed the duck inside in the oven, insert a tray of boiling water at the bottom of the oven. Roast for 25 minutes. At the end, baste with the glaze.
  • Lower the heat to 180C and roast for another 30 minutes, basting again with the glaze.
  • The duck is fully cooked if you’re able to slice into the thickest part of the thigh easily, or when a thermometer inserted into the thigh measures 80C.
  • Remove and let it cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. Snip away the twine to drain the juices inside the duck. The juices can be used as a side gravy; just skim the fat off the surface, bring to a boil in a pan and simmer for 2 minutes to thicken the gravy.

Notes

Storage tips:
  1. Store in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply remove from the fridge and let it sit in room temperature for 20 minutes then reheat in the oven at 163C for 30 minutes to get the skin crispy.
  2. To freeze, de-bone the duck, cut the meat into sizeable portions and store in freezer zip lock bags. It can be freeze up to 4 months. To reheat, transfer the duck to the fridge and leave overnight to thaw. Remove and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before reheating (follow the steps at point 1 to reheat). 
Keyword Asian Spices, Cantonese Food, Juicy, Moist, Roast Duck, Succulent

If you made this dish, let me know by tagging @saveurmalaisie on Instagram.  

Continue Reading

Stir Fry Prawns with Garlic and Oyster Sauce

Stir fries are special to Cantonese families, like mine. They’re also a great way to repurpose leftovers in the fridge. I found some small portions of greens and prawns so I decided to re-make my mother’s stir fried prawns with garlic and oyster sauce. Growing up, this is a dish that I will find sitting on our family’s dining table for lunch or dinner, regardless of which day of the week it was. I never figured how to cook it, but lately when I discovered the recipe, I realised it wasn’t so hard to make after all. It’s true when they say the simplest dish is often the hardest to cook, for the smallest ingredients do make a big impact on the final product. My mother didn’t use any greens in her dish but I added them to boost the flavour profile. I was also very excited to try out this new carbon steel wok that I bought for a steal on Shopee! Over the weekend my dad visited us and he helped me pre-season it. With a sharpening stone, he carefully sand down the sharp edges of the wok, rinsed it in water then wiped clean with a cloth. Afterwards he heated the empty wok on a stove over high fire until the inside of the wok turned from a light steel grey to a darker shade, almost black. It’s left to cool on the stove. Cooking oil is poured lightly into the wok and with a kitchen towel, he coat the inside until all surfaces are covered in oil, then leave to dry overnight. Dad told me that carbon steel woks are prone to rust, so I should never let it air dry, neither should I use soap and scouring pad to clean it. Just use oil to coat it after each usage. “After you cook, just let it soak in water for 5 minutes. Then wash with hot water with a bamboo wok brush lah,” he says nonchalantly. 

Stir Fry Prawns with Garlic and Oyster Sauce

Deborah, Saveur Malaisie
This is a perennial favourite in my family when I was growing up. My mother didn't use any greens in her dish but I added them to boost the flavour profile. Glazed in tasty garlic and oyster sauce mix, garlic shrimp stir fry is also one of the easiest meals you can make at home!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Cantonese Food, Chinese, Malaysian, Southeast Asian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 10 pieces tiger prawns cleaned and guts removed but keep the heads and shells
  • 30 g ginger peeled and sliced thin
  • 3 pieces garlic cloves minced
  • 4 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 piece red bell pepper (capsicum) washed and sliced
  • 1/2 cup carrots washed, peeled and shredded
  • 2 cups broccoli washed, and cut; keep the florets
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas washed, and trim the strings and the ends
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp cornstarch for thickening the sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • spring onions for garnishing
  • green lime wedges optional, for garnishing

Instructions
 

  • In a small pot, bring water to boil then blanch the broccoli for 1-2 minutes until tender. Set aside.
  • Heat your wok or medium size skillet with sesame oil. Add prawns and fry on medium heat until both sides turn pink and are cooked through. Set aside.
  • With the remaining oil in the wok, add ginger and saute until fragrant. Then toss in garlic, bell peppers, and carrots. Add some water if it's too dry. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the greens have softened.
  • Whisk chicken broth and cornstarch in a bowl. Return the broccoli to the wok, add sugar snap peas and slowly pour in the chicken broth and cornstarch mix. Stir until well combined then cook for 1 minute until the sauce has thickened.
  • Add in oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and prawns. Stir evenly for 1-2 minutes until incorporated.
  • Garnish with spring onions and lime wedges. Serve with hot rice.
Keyword Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry, Oyster Sauce, Soy Sauce, Stir Fry

If you made this dish, let me know by tagging @saveurmalaisie on Instagram!

Continue Reading
LOAD MORE POSTS
Hello there! I'm Deborah

I love food and photography. If you would like to find out more, head to “About Me” on the main menu.

© 2024 Frejya - Designed & Developed by Sparrow & Snow