Steamed Taro Talam (Talam Keladi)

This kuih consists of two layers. The bottom layer is made with rich taro flavour. You’ll absolutely love the topping. 

I love anything with taro; taro ice cream, taro powder flavoured drink, taro rice, taro cake, taro fritters, yam basket, taro chips, taro cheesecake, taro stew, you name it, so how could I give this kuih talam a miss! I love the slightly sweet but nutty very unique flavour of taro especially the large variety with purple flecks in the flesh.

Photo courtesy of Google

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is a tropical tuber that has a starchy texture, kind of gluey, when cooked. It can’t be eaten raw, it needs to be cooked first as it contains oxalic acid which can irritate your throat and mouth. That goes for the leaves and leaf-stems too.  Scrub them well, put on a pair of gloves and remove the skin with a paring knife or a vegetable peeler. Gloves are called for due to the presence of oxalic acid crystals which can irritate sensitive skin. Some people are sensitive to oxalic acid that their hands get all itchy just by touching it. If you don’t have disposable gloves then coat your hands with cooking oil before peeling and remember not to touch your eyes! Simply rub some oil on your hands when handling it and this should help keep the taro rash away. Oxalic acid is not deadly, just unpleasant.

Once the corms are peeled, cut or slice them as needed for your intended use or place in a bowl of salty cold water to prevent discoloration.

Steamed Taro Talam (Talam Keladi)

Source : Chef Asma

Ingredients for Bottom Layer

2 cups rice flour

3 tbsp tapioca starch

300 ml thick coconut milk

8 tbsp sugar

1½  tsp garam

700 ml water

300 gm diced taro

Directions

Prepare a 10"x10"x3" baking tray and line with plastic wrap.

Peel the taro, wash with salty water and dice, slightly thicker than half cm. Steam for 5 minutes until soft then weigh it. Set aside.  

Mix the rice flour, tapioca starch, coconut milk, sugar, salt and water. Stir until smooth. Strain into a medium sized pot. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula until the batter begins to thicken slightly but still runny enough to pour.

Add the taro and give it a quick stir. Pour onto the baking tray, level surface with a plastic spatula and steam on high heat for 30 minutes. 

Ingredients for Top Layer

1½ cup all-purpose flour

250 gm sugar

3 whole eggs

250 ml coconut milk

500 ml water

A few drops of purple colouring

Yam flavouring – optional

Directions

Mix the ingredients and stir until smooth. Strain into a medium sized pot. Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens slightly but still runny enough to pour.

Pour over the taro layer. Cover the top of the baking tray with a cling wrap then steam on high heat for another 40 minutes. After 30 minutes, take of the cover of the steamer and steam (uncovered) for 10 minutes.

Take out from the steamer and remove the clip wrap. Leave to cool before cutting into diamond-shaped or rectangle-shaped pieces with a plastic knife.

Roti Canai (Indian Flatbread) #2

Here is another recipe for Roti Canai that Hub always make. The recipe is so much simpler than the one that Hub used to make which has lots of ghee and condensed milk.

Of all the slightly difference recipes that we have tried, this turn out the best and are the easiest to flip and stretch. We only leave the dough to rest for about 20 minutes. I know it is actually harder to stretch the dough without tearing it but as the saying goes “Practice makes perfect”. 😁

Roti Canai (Indian Flatbread) #2

(Adapted from HomeKreation)
(makes 16 to 18 pcs)

Ingredients

1 kg all-purpose flour
600ml water (I used 500ml only)
1 whole egg
3 tsp sugar
1½ tsp salt
3 tbsp margarine - melted
Vegetable Oil

Directions

In a mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients except for margarine and vegetable oil. Knead till smooth and the texture of the dough is not too sticky and gooey. 

Add the margarine. Knead again. Divide and shape into 16 to 18 equal size balls. Place in a bowl. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Oil the kneading space slightly.

Take one dough ball, oil it slightly and flatten it further with palm then flip gently a few times to make thin film, as thin as possible. Sprinkle some oil on it, fold into square or desired shape.

Preheat a pan, grease it and pan-fry the bread for 2-3 minutes each side. Transfer the bread onto chopping board, whack it side way with both hands to separate the layers to make it fluffier. Transfer to serving plate. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Serve warm with your favourite curry.

Steamed Chocolate Cupcakes

My daughter is a chocolate lover. If she’s had a bad day this is certainly something that will brighten it for her.

The great thing about this recipe is that the cake batter really can be made in a bowl without the use of a heavy-duty mixer. Be sure to check with the skewer for doneness. This cupcake is also perfect for all sorts of get-togethers. 

This recipe yield 53 small cakes. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Steamed Chocolate Cupcakes

(Adapted from: AzlitaMasamManis)

Ingredients

2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup condensed milk
1 cup corn oil
1 cup water
2 whole eggs
1 tsp soda bicarbonate
4 tbsp cocoa powder

Directions

Blend sugar, condensed milk, corn oil, water and eggs to mix well. Sift in flour, soda bicarbonate and cocoa powder. Blend well to make sure the batter is evenly mixed. 

Spoon the batter into small cup, three-quarter full then tap a few times. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes. (do not open the steamer during the steaming process or the cake might collapse).

Put the steamed cake on a wire rack to slightly cool down before unmoulding.

Malta Beef Stew

My daughter loves this.  A savoury slow cooker stew with potatoes, carrots, celery and herbs. I used a pressure cooker to shorten the cooking process or else you’ll need to cook it for about 1 hour or so to soften the meat. If you wish to have a thicker stew then add more corn starch. We like our stew very thick. We also like it beefy so I always add a little more beef. For beef I always use chuck steaks and for lamb I like shoulder chops.

You can use beef broth over beef stock cube and water.   I love the flavor the herbs give to it. The browning process also really put some great flavor on that meat and the yummy bits stuck to the bottom of the pan easily came off during the deglazing with the liquids.

Malta Beef Stew

Ingredients

600g beef – cut into 1-inch cube

1 yellow onion - cut into wedges

4 cloves garlic - crushed

4 sticks celery – chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 carrots - chopped into bite-sized pieces

3 potatoes – peeled and diced

1 can (about 320ml) Malta Malt Drink

2L water

1 beef stock cube

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp dried rosemary

2 bay leaves

½ tsp coarsely ground Black pepper

Parsley - chopped

1 tbsp corn starch 

Directions

Season the beef with salt, pepper and coat with a little flour. This helps to dry the surface of the meat and helps better browning.

In batches, brown the beef in a thick-based pan with some olive oil. Transfer the meat into a bowl. Set aside.

Add a little more olive oil into the pan. Sauté the onion and garlic for a minute to soften the onion.

Add the celery and carrots then stir to combine. Cook this for about 2-3 minutes.

Pour the Malta Malt Drink into the stew. Gently scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula, to release the black bits.

Transfer to a pressure cooker. Pour the water into the cooker and add the beef stock cube. Return the beef into the stew.

Add rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, ground black pepper and potatoes then bring to a boil.

Put on the cover and allow this to cook for about 30 minutes.

Dissolve cornstarch in 3 tbsp cold water and stir into the stew to thicken the gravy. Top with chopped parsley and serve.

Baked Cream Cracker Cake (Bingka Cream Cracker)

Not everyone loves cream cracker. But this baked cream cracker cake is soft, moist and deliciously rich. This is my daughter’s favourite cake and pink is currently her favourite colour.

It’s so much easier to make this cake, just need to mix everything together and bake. The cake tends to be rather soft when you first take it out the oven. If you find it is under baked then simply return it into the oven to continue baking till completely done. Still tasty though! Enjoy it after it cools down for a firmer texture. This cake can be eaten during breakfast, as an afternoon snack or just as dessert. 

Baked Cream Cracker Cake

Ingredients

140 gm cream cracker
85 gm all-purpose flour
1 cup castor sugar
3 whole eggs
700 ml evaporated milk / coconut milk (500 ml coconut milk + 200 ml water) 
1 tbsp butter – softened
½ tsp pink colouring
½ tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
½ tsp sesame seeds

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 180C for about 15 minutes. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil and pop in the oven for 10 minutes.

In a food processor, blend the cream cracker together with the flour until fine crumbs are achieved. Set aside.

Blend eggs, sugar, evaporated milk, butter, pink colouring, vanilla extract and salt to mix well. Add the mixture of flour and cream cracker. Blend well to make sure the batter is evenly mixed.

Take out the baking pan from the oven and pour the batter into the baking pan. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Unmould and leave to cool for another 1 hour or so. Cut into rectangular pieces. 

Enjoy!

Remembering Datuk John Gaisah

This post is a tribute to my most favourite local singer of all time. 

Music has always been a huge part of my life even though I can't sing, dance or play an instrument. I got my love and appreciation of music from my paternal grandaunt. She played John Gaisah all the time. That's what started my interest in John Gaisah.  

Over the years, I’ve remained a John Gaisah fan. However, it’s only much later that I was able to start my own record collection.

Now, every once in a while, I would put the CD on the player and close my eyes. That means more than you know.

His songs really bring back great memories of my childhood. I know almost all of his songs by heart and would sing along to some of his songs. 

Born as Lapius John Gaisah on 8th April 1955 in Sinsuran Village, Tambunan, Sabah.

In 2012, he was honoured with a posthumous award of the title ‘Datuk’ in conjuction with Sabah Head of State Tun Juhar Mahirudin’s 59^th birthday celebrations, as an acknowledgement of his contribution and services to the state’s music industry. It's a long overdue award but it's better late than never. He had contributed a lot to the music and cultural development of Sabah.

John successfully raised the state’s image through his multi-talented roles as a musician, singer and song writer, especially in the local Kadazandusun dialect. John, who was once dubbed Sabah’s Tom Jones, had carved a name for himself in the industry after winning third place in the Bintang RTM 1976 competition which was won by the late Sudirman Arshad. After Bintang RTM 1976 John breathed new life and propelled Sabah’s music industry, through Kadazandusun Murut music, to the nation’s mainstream music industry.

John died tragically at 26 in a road accident at Kilometer 2, Penampang road on August 11, 1981.

He was a multi-talented artiste who could sing, play music and write songs and many of his songs are still popular today. The gifted musician had written many songs in his short lifetime.

Dear John, 
Your songs never left us. Thank you for giving so much. Rest in peace!

P/S

It is very difficult to choose one song of him as all his songs are equally awesome. These are my favourites – Nupus Ku Dia Oi Honey and Soira Osorou Ku. To me, these are not just songs but it is a journey down the memory lane. So, kick back, plug in your headphones and travel back in time with me.

Samosa

When the school gates shut, it can be hard to work out how to keep all that young energy channelled. Here is another school holiday cooking project. Encourage your children to help you in the kitchen to cook up some magic and learn some key skills along the way. Get them to learn how to fold the samosas.

Have a lovely weekend folks!!!!

Samosa

Ingredients

1 packet of regular frozen spring roll wrappers
400gm minced beef
3 potatoes – peeled & diced
2 yellow onions – finely diced
3 cloves of garlic - minced
2 tbsp meat curry powder
Salt – to taste
Sugar – to taste
A bunch of Chinese parsley – chopped finely

Egg white

Directions

Heat up a skillet and add the oil. Sauté the onion and garlic until aromatic.

Add the minced beef and stir-fry until cooked. Add the curry powder and the potatoes. Stir to mix well then pour in ½ a cup of water.

Seasons with sugar and salt. Continue to cook over low heat until the potatoes are tender and completely cooked through and the mixture is dry. 

Add the parsley and stir for a few seconds. Turn off the heat, remove from the skillet and let cool.

Peel off the spring rolls wrapper one by one carefully. Keep covered with clean wet kitchen cloth to keep it damp and avoid drying as instructed in the pack. Cut each sheet to 3 equal-sized rectangle strips.

Scoop 1 table spoon of the fillings in each strip, over the top. Fold into triangle samosas. (To learn in detail on how to fold it, you can refer to video in the YouTube).

Pinch the edges and all corners to make sure they are sealed tight and there is no leakage. Brush the outer edges of the wrapper with the egg white. Repeat the same until the filling is used up.

Deep fry the samosa until golden brown. Remove from the oil and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve warm.

Steamed Caramel Cupcakes

The school holidays are a good time to encourage the kids into the kitchen to cook. They will love measuring, mixing and baking their own treats. It may make a mess but it will be lots of fun for them and there will be a tasty treat at the end of it to share.

It is also a great way for your kids to spend some time away from the TV and build their confidence in the kitchen. So get your kids in the kitchen to create these tea time treats, perfect for 8-14 year-old to show off their cooking skills.

This recipe yield 35 small cakes. Steam cooking the cakes yields an extremely soft and spongy texture. 

Steamed Caramel Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup hot water
2 whole eggs
½ cup cooking oil
2 tbsp margarine/butter
2 tbsp sweet condensed milk
1 tsp baking soda/sodium bicarbonate

1½ cup all-purpose flour

Directions

To make the caramel syrup, place the sugar in a small heavy-based saucepan and heat over low heat until the sugar caramelizes and  turns golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour the hot water onto the caramel (be careful not to get burned as the caramelized sugar will start to splutter).  Return the saucepan to the heat and boil the caramel over low heat for a few minutes until completely melted and a syrup is obtained. Set aside to cool.

Sift the flour and baking soda into a mixing bowl. Put aside.

In a blender, combine the eggs, sweet condensed milk, oil and margarine / butter. Then blend well for about 3 minutes.

Add the cooled caramel into the mixture and blend slightly to mix well.

Pour the liquid mixture into the mixing bowl. Gradually incorporate by stirring gently with a whisk to make a smooth batter.

Spoon the batter into small lightly greased cup, three-quarter full then tap a few times. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes. (do not open the steamer during the steaming process or the cake might collapse). Put the steamed cake on a wire rack to slightly cool down before unmoulding.

If you are using a baking pan then steamed it for 45 minutes.