Pulut Pisang

 

On my latest trip to the market, I bought these two Pulut Pisang, a wellknown Nonya dessert.  It's glutinous rice with a piece of banana inside, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed.  I hadn't had it for some time and couldn't resist buying it.  However, my 90 year old aunt says that the

kueh nowadays cannot match the kueh of yesteryears.  "They're all out to make $ only and don't care about quality now," she quipped.  I must say I am inclined to agree with her.

Tee Nya Kuih

 

Here's a delightful dessert for a hot day.  Tee Nya Kuih, very popular in Penang, is traditionally made from rice flour and taken with palm sugar syrup (Gula Melaka).  It's soft and smooth and with its attractive yellow and green colouring, it is hard to resist.  Some people abhor the use of Borax in making it but without it, you wont get the "springy" effect.  I guess a little of it won't kill you.  To Tee Nya Kuih fans, it's worth dying for!  Enjoy some today!

More Food for the Soul

 

Four types of rice - plain white, briani, basmati and tomato -
for our banana leaf lunch

Tandoori Chicken with all the trimmings

Health drink

On another occasion, I took my US cousin, his wife and an aunt for a banana leaf lunch, something which my cousin is very fond of.  We chose the Sri Ananda Bhavan which is conveniently near us and which has ample parking space.  We opted for the vegetarian version of the banana leaf rice and added to that, we ordered a plate of Tandoori chicken.  The waiter insisted that we try out a new health drink which my cousin tried but the less adventurous of us had ginger tea.   And if that wasn't enough, we headed for Ice Kacang and Chendol at the New World Park after lunch!  My cousin said he will be back next year for more of the same!😁

The iconic Ice Kacang

This is a picture of the chendol my cousin
had in Melaka. Yummy!

Another Family Gathering

 

Another family gathering - this time four cousins and an aunt.  We were recently at a seafood restaurant situated near the beach with a nice breeze blowing and a calm sea with fishing boats as view. We ordered a number of popular dishes including stuffed crab shells which I hadn't had in years but it didn't seem to taste as good as it did in the good old days. (My cousins are camera-shy, so I took only pictures of the food!). Of course there was a lot to talk about from current local events to health issues and we sat there from 12 until something like 2.30 p.m.  The restaurant closes at 3 p.m. (to re-open later in the evening) and the waiters kept eyeing us and hovering around our table hinting that we should be leaving!  They must have heaved a big sigh of relief when we finally got up and left!  I wouldn't mind coming back to this restaurant again, it does have a good relaxing ambience, not forgetting very patient waiters!

Pic courtesy of Ocean Green Rest.

Nonya Lunch

 

Veg and Joo Hoo Char

Chicken Lor Bak

Gula Melaka

We decided to try some Nonya food at a fairly new Nonya restaurant near us last week. The restaurant is actually an old bungalow which they had nicely spruced up and has a pleasant ambience and a spacious car park.  We placed our orders for their signature Joo Hoo Char, Chicken Lor Bak and stir fried Potato Leaves with Gula Melaka for dessert.  However we found, to our disappointment, that the food was just passable and the taste was not quite the same as what our mother and grandmother used to cook in the old days using recipes that had been handed down from generation to generation.  Nevertheless, we did enjoy the Gula Melaka which was refreshingly cold and perfect for the present hot weather! Lastly, credit must be given to the friendly staff and the speed in which our orders were served!  Very important for customers who come in very hungry!

"Tortoises" for Tea

 

Red Bean Soup and "Ang Koo"
Red - mung bean paste filling
Green - coconut filling

"Ang koo" (tortoise shape kueh) has always been one of my favourite Nonya kueh and combined with red bean soup, they make an ideal pair for afternoon tea. These little "tortoises" are traditionally red in colour and because of their significance, are a must for auspicious and religious occasions (such as Chinese New Year, birthdays of the elderly, Chinese deities' birthdays and baby full moon parties). Red symbolises joy and happiness while the tortoise shape signifies longevity, auspiciousness, wealth and completeness.  These days "ang koo" can be readily found anytime and come with different fillings such as coconut and peanut.  So next time you eat this kueh, don't forget to tell yourself you're getting a mouthful of blessings and all things good!

Incidentally, I found Mum's "ang koo" mould in one of our cupboards.  It is a most fascinating piece of woodwork - each side has a different design, so four sides mean four designs - and using just one mould!  Aren't the old craftsmen clever!  Glad I didn't give it away.  Pictures below.

Tortoise and leaf design

Leaf design.  Not sure what the design on
the right is called but you can see the
finished kueh in the picture (below left) although the 
design is not exactly the same.

So if you're thinking of making your own "Ang Koo", good luck and have fun!

"Beh Teh Saw"

 

"Beh Teh Saw" biscuits have been popular with the Chinese community for decades.  These small round biscuits with a filling of maltose and a sprinkling of sesame are the products of a biscuit shop in Noordin Street. Incidentally this shop goes by the name of Hock Lok Siew Biscuit Trading.  As many Chinese will know, Hock Lok Siew is the trio of Chinese deities said to represent good luck, prosperity and longevity.  It's no wonder this shop has survived all these years!  Thanks to a resourceful young cousin who gave me a large packet of these biscuits, I have been re-introduced to them after having not eaten them for years!  The shop also specialises in other local and seasonal biscuits such as "Phong Pneah" and moon biscuits.  So do find time to check out this shop!  

Happy New Year!

 

My Shanghai Mooncake

This is my Shanghai mooncake which I treated myself to during the recent Mid-Autumn Festival.  You could say it is a modern variation of the traditional mooncake because the outer skin is short crust pastry but the filling is traditional.  This one has lotus paste filling and altogether, it is a good combination though the pastry wasn't as crumbly as I thought it would be.  Nevertheless, it makes a great dessert for sweet-toothed people like me especially if I nibble it bit by bit while watching telly!  

 

Coconut Buns

If you want something different for tea, how about these coconut buns?  They come stamped with the Chinese character "Fu" (meaning good luck) and a not too sweet filling of coconut.  Make some Chinese tea to wash them down and you're all set for a lovely afternoon tea!

Steaming Pau

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this new stall selling pau at a coffee shop near our wet market.  The vendor was doing brisk business as people crowded round with their orders.  I was impressed by the variety of pau he offered with fillings like brown sugar, tomyam chicken, coconut, red bean, kaya, peanut, vegetable, char siew with bamboo charcoal, to name a few - and they all came steaming hot!  These pau are great for breakfast and if you have the time, grab a chair at the coffee shop and enjoy!

Rainbow Jelly

• It's the Nine Emperor Gods' Festival once again and my sweet tooth led me to this vegetarian outlet where I discovered these lovely, colourful rainbow jelly!  It's actually "santan" (coconut milk) sandwiched between layers of  pink, orange, yellow and green jelly.  It probably is tricky and time consuming to make them, that's why I only see them on special occasions. So pretty and most importantly, not too sweet!  Who can resist them?

Mooncake Biscuits

Mooncake biscuits were my childhood delight and I would look forward to the Mid-Autumn Festival every year if only to savour them!  In those days we worshipped the moon (on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar)and apart from mooncakes and mooncake biscuits, we had many other offerings like young yam, "leng kok" (water caltrops), kueh, pomelo and other fruits.  Although the Festival is still a long way off, some shops are already selling these delightful biscuits.  They come in various shapes like small lions, piglets and fish and are baked to a lovely golden brown. Some have a filling, mostly red bean. They make a delectable item for tea and taste just great with a cup of coffee!

Birthday Buns

I recently attended the 90th birthday celebration of an old friend and in keeping with tradition, we received two big "mee koo's" to take home.  These pink coloured buns, most of the time shaped like tortoises, are popular for prayer purposes or a birthday celebration because they signify longevity.  However nowadays the manufacturers have diversified into other shapes like chicken, fish and plum for variety. The buns are made of flour, baking powder, yeast and sugar and topped with Chinese characters with "good" meanings such as longevity or good luck.  They are available throughout the year with demand being the highest during festive months such as the Nine Emperor Gods' Festival.  For this festival, the buns come in yellow which is the official colour for this occasion.  I like my "mee koo" steamed and sometimes dipped in egg and lightly fried. Makes quite a delicious breakfast and a welcome change from bread!

Pic Courtesy of Pinterest

Custard Buns

I came across these lovely custard buns at a vegetarian outlet recently.  They looked so tempting that I couldn't resist buying one to try.  I was told that the buns were made from a Hong Kong recipe.  Although there is a reasonable amount of custard inside the bun, I think I prefer the savoury ones ("char siew pow"). Still, it was a good item for my tea that day!

Yummy Bean Curd

On my trip to the market this morning, I came across these cute little plates of  bean curd (tofu) at an economy rice stall.  They had just been fried and were piping hot.  They came  topped with chilly sauce, fried shrimps and coriander and I couldn't resist ordering a plate. It was delicious and just right for a little morning snack! I shall remember to visit this stall again on my next trip to the market!

My Favourite Breakfast

Yummy! My favourite "Chee Cheong Fun" for breakfast today!  I usually patronise a small stall at the side of the road near our wet market.  The husband and wife team has been selling there for years and their CCF is still very much in demand.  These freshly made steamed rice noodle rolls which originated in China and Hong Kong are served with thnee cheo (a sweet dark red sauce), hae ko (black prawn paste sauce), huan cheo chiau (chili sauce), oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.  Altogether a tasty, satisfying breakfast!

Yummy Dessert

I had this scrumptious dessert today at the Kek Seng Coffee Shop along Penang Road.  The coffee shop was very popular in the 1970's and famous for its ice kacang and durian ice cream.  Established in 1906 (as written on its signboard), hawker food like Lor Bak, Chicken Rice, Koay Teow T'ng, Popia and Laksa are also available.  I remember my Pa used to take us there in the old days specially for this dessert which was a great favourite with us kids.  It's an excellent thirst quencher and I see they still make their tri-colour jelly! The shop is still being patronised after all these years, though the lunch time crowd was a little thin.

Ma Lai Koh

 

Ma Lai Koh (steamed Chinese sponge cake) is one of my favourites.  This soft, fluffy cake is synonymous with Dim Sum and is specially good when served steaming hot.  It's also easy to make - flour, dark brown sugar, eggs, yeast being the main ingredients.  From what I read, the cake may have originated from the British who brought it to Malaysia as an afternoon tea cake.  The Malaysians then changed the recipe and had it steamed instead of baked. Later the cake travelled to Hong Kong where it is listed on the menu in almost every Dim Sum restaurant.  Interesting, isn't it?  Well, whatever the story, try it out, you'll love it!

P.S. I found my Ma Lai Koh in a shop selling Nonya kueh.

Favourite Kueh

Here are four of my favourite Nonya kueh!  Clockwise from left:

Kau Chan Kueh - 9 Layer Kueh (also known as Kueh Lapis).  When I was a child, I used to count the layers to make sure there were nine and I would peel them off layer by layer to eat!  Still a great favourite with me though they're now not so good as before.

Tau Pak Kueh - Made from glutinous rice flour with nuts and sugar filling.  Take one bite and the filling comes oozing out - really yummy.  However, some kueh makers nowadays can't seem to get the recipe right and their filling is hard and dry.

Ang Koo - "Red Tortoise" kueh made from glutinous rice flour with mung bean filling.  Tortoises are  symbols of longevity and eating these kueh will not only ensure longevity but also bring about good fortune and prosperity!

Seri Muka - A two layered kueh with glutinous rice below and a green custard layer made with pandan juice, on top.

These kueh are great for a tea party or as dessert.  Have a yummy time!