to welcome my 2016

Happy New Year...welcome to 2016

I have almost forgotten about this blog which I created almost seven years ago.  Is it really that long?  Since then many things have happened.  Losing a dear mother to old age was my main reason why.  Second, I lost my job of teaching after having taught for 17 years.  Third, I was very busy trying to complete writing my first cookery book titled Coconut and Kelupis, which was published in 2009

Fourth...family

fifth......food

sixth....health

seventh...charity

eighth...travels

on and on...

 

However, life has to go on.  Here, a cake and candles to start my blog writing of 2016.

 

White roses for my beloved mother

Daun simpur

Bunga daun simpur

This is one of my favourite local flowers of tropical wild trees grown in my native country, Brunei. The tree grows wild, not cultivated, with large dark green broad, serregated leaves and round pinkish buds. The flowers are transparent yellow with delicate petals. The buds pinkish and sap green in colour and once opened revealing yellow flowers. The matured leaves are believed to have anti-bacterial substance that the locals used for wrapping tapai. Tapai is a sweetened fermented cooked rice. The process of fermenting rice is simple to do but to reach or to achieve a delicate and sweet fermented rice involves many factors. The main one is the quality of the yeast cake which helps to raise the rice, sufficient sugar and water to feed the yeast and the texture of the cooked rice.

The leaves can also be used for wrapping fish before cooking. In the old days, the leaves were used for wrapping prepared or cooked food such as fried rice or meat.

Thick rice noodle, fiery flavoured with paste of fresh turmeric, dried and fresh chillies, lemon grass, galangal and sweetened by the delicious creamy coconut milk and prawns, is perfect for in-between meals. Replace the prawns with chicken, pork or beef if you prefer.
Drink? have it with beer or chilled lime juice...hmmnnn..



LAKSA LEMAK
(Hot and Creamy Rice Noodle)

15 ml cooking oil
10 small shallots, peeled and chopped
2.5 cm fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped
15- 20 dried chillies, chopped and soaked in warm water
3 fresh red chillies, seeded and chopped
5 ml/ 1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste)
5 candlenuts
3 stalks lemon grass, finely chopped
2.5 cm lengkuas (galangal), peeled and finely chopped
30 g dried shrimps, soaked to soften

500 g fresh tiger prawns, with shells on
1 litre coconut milk
2 pieces fish cakes, sliced
5 ml/ 1 tsp salt
750 g fresh laksa noodle, blanched or
1 packet of thick and round rice vermicelli,
cooked and drained
250 g beansprouts, cleaned and blanched
½ cucumber, semi-peeled and shredded
1 sprig of mint leaves
1 ginger bud, shredded

1) Grind or pound the shallots, turmeric, chillies, candlenuts, lemon grass, lengkuas, dried shrimps and belacan to a smooth paste. Set aside.

2) Heat the oil in a large saucepan, saute’ the shallots paste until fragrant. Add in the tiger prawns, cook for about 3 minutes until the prawns are thoroughly cooked. Remove the prawns from the saucepan; keep warm.

3) Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Add the sliced fish cakes. Leave to simmer for a minute or two before adding in the cooked prawns. At this stage turn the heat off

To serve: divide the noodles into separate individual serving bowls. Garnish with beansprouts and cucumber. Pour on the above gravy with the prawns and fish cakes. Sprinkle with mint leaves and ginger bud before serving.

Serves 4-6


Note: Step 1 can be prepared a day or two in advance, provided it is keep in the refrigerator.

Ginger buds

It was last year when I made one of my many trips to the Far East when a friend came with this lovely buds and flowers. The moment I saw these my thoughts were brimmed with watercolour painting ideas. An ideal subject. But my dear friend insisted that I should use them as garnishes to hot, spicy noodle dish.

"What hot, spicy noodles" I remarked. "with these beautiful and perfect flowers?

"Yes, they are lovely simply shredded" my friend smiled.

What a beauty! I thought it was a pity to cut those beautiful plants. But at the same time the idea of hot, spicy noodle made me hungry. When she went home, I put these in a vase. No, few days later I took out my watercolour kits and spent many leisurely hours painting. One late afternoon when I was about to put my last layer of the paint, the telephone rang. It was this friend inviting me to go out to open stall to have hot, spicy noodles.

Hot, spicy noodles.....recipe to follow.