Feast!

Feisal and I decided, on a Saturday, to have a 'kenduri' like berbuka. As if the kenduri food in Penang last week wasn't enough. Insatiable, indeed. So what better way than to spend my hungry moments with cooking.

So I cooked these dishes for us (except for the salad of course). Savoured every bite, so much so that I had two plates of rice during sahur. So there, mutton curry, ayam masak merah, perut masak kicap (always has been a favourite) cooked for four (berbuka plus sahur).

*Perut masak kicap - Boiled for 30 minutes. Then saute blended onion, shallots, garlic and ginger, together with the spices (cinnamon, cloves,cardomom). After a while, add in oyster sauce, soy sauce, tomato sauce, one tspn of honey and water. Let it simmer, lastly add in the boiled perut.

*Ayam masak merah- Fry the chicken. Into hot oil, add in spices, blended garlic, ginger and two tbsp chilli paste. After a while, add in a small can of tomato puree, two tbsp chilli and tomato sauce, 1/4 cup of evaporated milk (didn't have any so I used coconut milk) and a pinch of salt.

*Mutton curry-Opt for mutton instead of chicken from the chicken curry recipe. But cooking mutton takes quite some time as its meat is tough.

There you have it. A kenduri-like meal for one pelahap couple.

My aunt-in-law and I just shared lots of recipes this morning and I can't wait to try them out. Anyways, I have been meaning to post this recipe even before I got married since this picture was taken then, so here goes.

*Fry chicken parts (coated in turmeric and salt) until crispy.

* Into hot oil, saute chili, dried chili, shallots, ginger and garlic (blended together).

*Add chili sauce, one tbsp oyster sauce, 3 tbsp tamarind juice and a pinch of shrimp paste.

* Add in the chicken and onion. Done!

Penang

Heading to Penang later tonight. Mak Tok's throwing a party, haha, not. A kenduri 'menyambut cucu menantu' actually. Flattered, so cute of her! I Love Penang and most importantly, its wide variety of food. Batu Ferenggi for DVD hunting tomorrow night with Abu. A nice retreat indeed.

Favourite Dish

I love chicken curry. Especially my Mummy's. This is a recipe I learnt from her, of course.

* Into hot oil; add star anise, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon.

*Add shallots, garlic, ginger, chili (all blended together), lemon grass and few curry leaves right after. Saute for 5 mins, then add in chicken parts and potatoes. Let it simmer.

*Next, pour in the mixture of curry powder (3 tbsp of Baba's curry powder in a cup of hot water) and add additional water, to your liking.

* After 10 mins, pour 1/4 coconut milk, one tsp of 'kerisik', 3 tbsp of tamarind juice (air asam jawa) and a pinch of salt.

My brother always say I make yummier curry than Mummy. awwh! This recipe makes for four. I like my curry to be less creamy and watery. Add more water and coconut milk if you like it otherwise.

Tradition

It is a customary way of thinking. My big brother Fairuz reminded me from Birmingham through Skype, of today. Brother Fairul texted from Qatar, reminding me of the same. Dedek texted past midnight, asking me "have you?".

Us siblings, interwoven with our tradition. Exchanging intimacies through a new level, as indicated, we are world's apart from each other.

Happy 58th Dear Handsome Father of ours, Hj. Mohamed Zain Abang Ismail.

Might I chime in? Two tickets to Bandung and Jakarta next year for two. (Not for the Birthday Boy, whose eyes are only set for tickets to the UK). So Mira called. Asni phoned. I said sure, it'll be fun! And so it is, the wives-hood of the travelling pants.

Jakarta Zoo, oh so wonderful. InsyaAllah. Muna, make up your mind fast!

I don't write much. I eat much.

The ever gloomy days eventuated in more eating and less writing.

* Sear the flour-coated beef. Remove. Fry chopped onion until caramelized, add in the beef, chopped potatoes and carrots.

* Pour a cup of chicken stock, two tbsp full of oyster sauce and tomato puree, and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
* Lastly add the broccoli, one tsp courn flour, a pinch of black pepper and one tsp dry bassil.

*Serve with french toast or white rice.

And a simple dessert..

* Put 1 litre of water to boil. Add 100gm caster sugar, mango gelatine and a can of evaporated milk. Stir for 5 minutes.

* Cool in the fridge. Serve with fresh, sweet mangoes.

* This recipe makes a great longan pudding as well. Puree a can of longan, and just add agar-agar sheets instead of any flavoured gelatine.

Every Friday would be Go-Western Night. However, Feisal and I attended a doa selamat-house warming at my cousin's, leaving us preparing for a western lunch on what was otherwise last night's dinner. * Coat the fish fillet (seasoned with salt and pepper) with beaten egg, flour and bread crumbs.
* Fry until crispy.
* Fry potato wedges (coated with curry powder)
* Mix purple cabbage with thousand island.

Quick and easy, always the way to go.

So here I am

I've decided to succumb to my eager and bored fingers, and revamp the blog.

And write, although I have lost the simple ability to.

But I do want to fill the gaps of the many weeks I have left blank, leaving me writing in retrospect.

And I wriggle my fingers to start.

A possible M.

My sunny life was interspersed with a dot. A seemingly harmless dot.

May I introduce to you; Life. Welcome to my life.

The month I adjusted to becoming a wife

Attuned to Feisal's living pattern in Subang, I cook three to four dishes daily. Some lazy days, I make sandwiches. (Recipes will follow suit).

That is the only art that I had to get myself accustomed to. Cook fast and be a fast cook.

His on and of snoring and sleep-talking? (Mostly work related). I just turn a deaf pair of ears on. No art required.