Pickle - Watermelon Rind

We had a potluck in a friend’s house, so I was searching recipes to see what to cook and found watermelon rind pickles. I was tempted to try it as I still have watermelon in the fridge. The pickles are crunchy. Besides pickles, I cooked vegetarian ‘Loh Mai Kai’ (sticky rice).

Ingredients – Makes your own prefer serving

• 1/8 rind of whole watermelon, without skin
• ½ tsp salt
• 1-2 tsp sugar
• 1-2 tsp vinegar
• ¼-1 tsp ground fresh chili paste (sambal olek)

Method

1. Remove the outer layer of skin from the rind. Slice the rind and add salt in a bowl, stir well and marinate for half hour.
   
2. Wash and drain the rind, then add in sugar, vinegar and chili paste. Stir well and marinate for over an hour. Then serve.

我们要到朋友家聚餐，所以我上纲看看要煮什么。我看到腌白西瓜，刚好冰橱内还有西瓜，真得要试试。吃了腌白西瓜，很脆。除了这，我煮了素糯米鸡。

材料 - 可做随喜份量

• 1/8粒 西瓜白，弃外皮
• ½ 茶匙 盐
• 1-2茶匙 糖
• 1-2茶匙 醋
• ¼-1茶匙 辣椒（sambal）

做法

1. 西瓜白弃外皮后切小段，放在碗，加上盐搅拌，腌半小时。
2. 冲洗白西瓜，然后加上糖、醋和辣椒，搅拌，腌至少1小时。即食。

Rice - Pulut Durian (Sticky Rice with Durian)

During durian season, I found hawkers selling durian with pulut (sweet rice/sticky rice/glutinous rice) in Penang’s night market.

I bought a frozen Thai durian, sometimes it will depend on luck. Why? Because sometimes the taste of Thai durian is okay, but sometimes the fruit is not ripe enough. This time I got one that had no taste at all.

Normally you can smell the durian when you open the fridge, but this one really didn’t have any smell!

Ingredients – Makes 4-5 serving

• A fresh durian
• 150 g glutinous rice
• 80 g thick coconut milk with a pinch of salt

Method

1. Soak the glutinous rice in water over night. Drain water and add coconut milk to the glutinous rice.
   
2. Steam for about half hour or until cooked. Let the rice cool, and top with a little coconut milk. Serve with durian.

榴连季节时，我看到槟城Pasar Malam（夜市）有卖榴连糯米椰浆饭的食档。

有时候买冻泰国榴连要靠运气。为什么？有时味道还好，有时果肉不熟。这次我了一粒无味的榴连。

一般榴连存进冰橱，开冰橱一定会嗅到榴连味，而这粒，完全没嗅到有一点味！

材料 - 可做 4-5人份量

• 1粒 榴连
• 150克 糯米
• 80克 浓椰浆 拌 1撒 盐

做法

1. 糯米浸水隔夜。倒干水，加入浓椰浆。
2. 蒸约半小时或至熟。待糯米饭冷后，加上一点椰浆及配榴连即食。

Egg - Homemade Salted Egg

We are Teochew. I remember when we were kids, my mom cooked rice porridge every morning. I didn’t know whether it was because we were poor, or because she wanted to cook something easy and simple. Sometimes our meal was plain rice porridge with salted egg or canned vegetables. I like salted egg yolk, because salted egg white is always very salty. But if I just took the salted egg yolk and left the salted egg white on the table, my parents would scold me. I just might have half a piece of salted egg for a meal.

Now, I can do homemade salted chicken eggs and I have one and half pieces for a meal.

Why chicken eggs, and not duck eggs? Because the price for duck egg is $0.90/each, but chicken eggs are $0.90/dozen!

An easy way to boil the egg is using a rice cooker, instead of boiling water on the stove. You don’t need to guess when the egg is done; just cook the egg in a rice cooker until the button turns off, then it is done. When I cut the salted egg, the yellow liquid came out. I thought I hadn’t cooked it enough. No, it is the salted egg yolk’s oil.

I cooked rice porridge for a meal, served with salted egg and bak hu (pork floss)… recalling a past memory!

Ingredients – Makes your own prefer serving

• 8 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp ShaoHsing wine (or white wine)
• 2-3 Tbsp kosher salt or table salt

Method

1. Dip egg in wine in a little bowl, roll the egg to wet it all over. Next, roll the egg in salt in a small bowl, coating it well. Put the egg in a container. Continue the process with the rest of the egg. If there is salt left over, sprinkle it on the eggs in the container.
   
2. Close the container tightly, and allow 20-30 days to mature (I checked after 25 days. I cooked 2 eggs and they were matured enough.)
   
3. Fold 1-2 paper towels and soak with water until the water drips out. Put the wet paper towel in the bowl of a rice cooker, and place the eggs on it. Press cook button, and cook until the button turns off.
   
4. Cut the hard-boiled salted egg in half, dig egg out from shell with a spoon, then serve.
   

我们是潮州，想起小时候，母亲早上都是煮稀饭（粥）。不知道是不是窮的原因，还是为了简便，有时候我们一家人就是吃白粥配咸鸭蛋或罐头腌菜，偶尔有肉松… 我喜欢咸蛋黄，因为有时咸蛋白非常咸，但如只挖蛋黄留下蛋白，一定会被父母骂。而且一餐只有吃半粒咸蛋。

现在我不仅自己腌咸鸡蛋，一餐吃了一粒半，蛋白咸度恰好。

为什么腌咸鸡蛋，不是鸭蛋咧？因为鸭蛋1粒$0.99，鸡蛋1打$0.99！

告诉你简便的煮蛋法，就是用煮饭锅煮蛋。无论是生蛋或咸蛋，不用猜水煮多久才会熟。煮饭锅跳制煮熟即是熟了。我切开时，黄液留出，我还以为是未熟。不是没熟，原来是蛋黄油！

我吃着我煮的粥配咸鸭蛋和肉松… 回味一段往事！

材料 - 可做随喜份量

• 8粒 蛋
• 1 汤匙 绍兴酒（或白酒）
• 2-3 汤匙 盐

做法

1. 绍兴酒装在小碗，将蛋全沾上酒。盐放在小碗，沾湿了的蛋沾上盐，然后放进盒或罐。重覆至做完。若盐有余，可撒在盒装内的蛋。
2. 盖密盒子，让蛋腌至20-30天（25天后我煮两粒查看，都恰好）。
3. 用1-2张厨纸，折及弄湿，湿到有水滴下的湿度。将湿厨纸放在饭锅上，然后蛋放在纸上。按上煮制，至到煮饭锅跳制煮熟。
4. 用刀切开蛋成半，用匙挖出蛋壳。即食。

Snack - Kuih Ketayap/Kuih Dadar

Normally I am in the mood to make desserts/snacks, when I can share them with people. If not, I can’t finish them by myself and so don't have the desire to make them.
I made Kuih Ketayap/Kuih Dadar, a Nyonya dish. I took them to meet two friends.
One said: What is this? She is Taiwanese and never had this before.
Another one said: Smell the fragrance, the wrapper is a bit thin, the taste is right. He is Malaysian, of course he knew and his comment is true.

Ingredients – Makes 10-12 servings

Wrapper Batter

• 120 g all purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp thick coconut milk with a pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp Pandan leave juice or Pandan essence

Filling

• 200 g grated coconut
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 80 g palm sugar or brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1.5 tsp corn flour with 1 Tbsp water

Method

1. Mix all wrapper ingredients together in a bowl; whisk well into a smooth batter. Heat a shallow, non-stick frying pan and turn to medium heat. Pour just enough batter to cover the surface of the pan. Flip and cook both sides of the wrapper. Remove the wrapper from the pan, place on a plate. Continue the process with the rest of the batter.
2. Put water, sugar and palm sugar in a pan on medium heat. After the sugar dissolves, add in grated coconut. Stir well and add in corn flour water, stir well until cooked.
3. Place 3 Tbsp filling on a wrapper; roll it up like spring roll, then serve.

通常要做糕点，都希望与人品尝，才有做的劲，不然自己一个人又吃不完。

我做了娘惹糕之一的Kuih Ketayap/Kuih Dadar，给俩位朋友品尝。

一位说: 这是什么？她是台湾人沒吃过。

一位说: 很香，皮有些薄，味道很像。他是马来西亚人，果然识货，评估得很确实。

材料 - 可做 10-12份量

糕皮料

• 120克 面粉
• 2粒 蛋
• 1汤匙 糖
• 1汤匙 浓椰浆 拌1撒 盐
• 1汤匙 溶解牛油
• 1杯 水
• 2茶匙 斑兰叶汁或斑兰精

馅料

• 3汤匙 糖
• 80克 黑糖
• 3汤匙 水
• 200克 白椰丝
• 2茶匙 薯粉 拌1汤匙 水

做法

1. 将所有糕皮材料放入碗搅拌成均勻。用中炉火烘热7寸半平底不贴锅，舀入材料到所有平底锅面边，炉火烘至到两面糕皮翻熟，用铲刮离取出糕皮，重覆至做完。
2. 加水、糖和黑糖在中炉火烘热锅，糖溶解后，转至低热炉火，加入白椰丝和著粉水，炒均。
3. 舀约3汤匙的馅料在一糕皮上，如春卷般卷成条。即食。

Snack - Muah Chee '麻芝'

I didn’t think it was so easy to make ‘Muah Chee’ at home. The ingredients are simple and it only needs to cook for 2-3 minutes in the microwave!

‘Muah Chee’ snack hawkers in Penang are becoming rarer. They prepare the treats at home and mount a container on the back seat of a motorcycle. Then they ride around and stop on the streets around the community to sell it.

Sometimes we see it, but don’t care to have this snack because it is not so special. However, since I am talking about it, you might miss and want to have some ‘Muah Chee’, but can’t find it at the moment. Let’s make some for yourself!

Ingredients – Makes 3-4 servings

• 130 g glutinous rice flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp thick coconut milk
• 180 ml water
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil

Coating

• 1 litter slice butter
• 60 g peanut meal
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar

Garnish

• A little fried shallots
  

Method

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl; whisk well the mixture into a smooth batter.
   
2. Put in the microwave for 1 minute high power. Stir well and put in the microwave 1 minute high power again. Stir well, if you think not cook well, put in the microwave for 20-30 seconds more.
   
3. Add the butter, it will melt and coat the dough. Let the dough cool.
   
4. Mix peanut meal and sugar. Use a bench knife/dough scraper coated with a little butter and cut the dough in small bite size pieces, and then coating with sugar peanut meal.
   
5. Garnish with fried shallots if you desire.
   

想不到‘麻芝’（Muah Chee）这么容易做，很简单的材料，只要两、三分钟放进微波炉就煮熟了！
在槟城已越来越少见卖‘麻芝’ 的，卖这小食点的人是在家煮好了，就用摩托车在后座架上锡装盛具，到处去兜售了！
有时看到有人卖，也没觉得很特别，吃不吃到‘麻芝’ 也没什么会想念。但经我现在一讲起它，你一定会想吃，可是你却未必容易买到它！你就自己做吃吧！

材料 - 可做 3-4人份量

• 130克 水磨白糯米面粉
• 1汤匙 糖
• 2汤匙 浓椰浆
• 180豪升 水
• 1汤匙 食油

沾料

• 1 小塊 奶油
• 60克 花生碎
• 3汤匙 幼糖

撒料

• 少许 炸葱酥

做法

1. 将所有材料放入碗搅拌成均勻。
   
2. 放进微波炉最高温度1分钟。搅拌后，再放进微波炉最高温度1分钟。搅拌后，若觉得不够熟软，再放进微波炉20-30秒。
3. 加上奶油溶解沾著粉团，让粉团温度冷下。
4. 将花生碎和幼糖拌搅均勻。用切粉团刀沾一些油将粉团切成小口块，然后沾上糖花生碎。
5. 随你喜爱撒上炸洋葱。

Cookie - Kuih Kapit

Kuih Kapit is a Chinese New Year cookie in Malaysia, and also one of my favorite cookies. However, to make Kuih Kapit would consume several hours or a whole day. Because we cannot build a fire with charcoal in the house, our method uses the oven broiler.

Ingredients – Makes 2 Milo tins

• 130 g rice flour, sifted
• 1 tsp tapioca starch
• 220 g sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 250 ml thick coconut milk
• A pinch salt
• 80 ml water
• A little cooking oil

Method

1. Mix all ingredients together (except cooking oil) in a bowl, whisk well. Strain the mixture into a smooth batter, cover and leave for 1 hour.
2. Move an oven rack to the highest position and turn the oven on to Broil. Wipe both sides of each mould with cooking oil and pre-heat them under the oven broiler for a few minutes.
   
3. Take the mould and pour the batter on one side of mould (you will hear the batter sizzle if the mould is hot enough), close the mould and put back under the broiler. Allow to broil for about 1 minute. Take the mould out and peek - the kuih kapit should be light golden brown. If not, close the mould and put back under the broiler a little longer. Use a knife to scrape around the edges of the mould to get rid of any excess batter that oozed out. Working quickly, remove the kuih kapit from the mould and fold or roll it immediately. The kuih kapit will become too brittle to fold after only a few seconds. Continue the process with the rest of the batter.
   
4. Store in an airtight container.

Kuih Kapit，多人喜爱的马来西亚华人新年饼之一，也是我很爱吃的饼。可是，要做Kuih Kapit却要花几小时或整天。我们不能在家里烧炭起火，所以是用烘炉烤。

材料 - 可做 2 Milo珍

• 130克 粘米面粉，筛
• 1茶匙 生粉／西米粉
• 220克 幼糖
• 6粒 鸡蛋
• 250豪升 浓椰浆
• 少许 盐
• 80豪升 水
• 少许 油

做法

1. 将所有材料（除了油）放入碗搅拌成均勻，滤材料，然后盖着它1小时。
2. 把烘炉架移去最高层，然后开烤电热。用布拈少许油搽两面模具，放进烘炉架上烤热几分钟。
3. 取出模具，放斜其中一面模具，舀入材料（模具够热的话，你会听到炽烫声），关模具并放进炉烤约1分钟，查看至到kuih kapit呈金黃色。用小刀刮离模具外的材料，取出kuih kapit，快快拆或卷好。重覆至做完。
4. 存在不透风的盒裝。