Spicy Nonya Fried Rice

If you like your fried rice with a twist, this is the recipe for you. Super savoury and slightly spicy, this is my favourite fried rice recipe! 

Hello!

Here is another Nonya recipe for you. It is a recipe for spicy Nonya fried rice. I must say it is my favourite fried rice recipe because it is so flavourful and really hits the spot.

I have previously given a little insight on Nonya cuisine and its origins. You can read about that in my post for Nonya Chicken Curry.

This recipe’s Nonya influence is evident in its use of dried prawns and lots of shallots and garlic. It also calls for a tablespoon of chilli paste.

If you are afraid of spicy food, you can always reduce the chilli in the recipe or omit it altogether. I have not cooked it without chilli before so I am unable to comment on whether that will have an impact on the taste.

On the other hand, if you can handle your spicy food, you might want to add an additional tablespoon of chilli paste.

Savoury Yam Cake

This is a savoury breakfast food, snack or even tea time treat that is very popular in Malaysian-Chinese cooking. It is made out of a batter consisting of yam and rice flour which is then steamed and topped with a range of savoury toppings including crispy shallots, sesame seeds, and scallions. Best eaten with sriracha sauce!

Hello!

This Monday I am sharing a recipe for Yam Cake.

Yam cake is a savoury breakfast food, snack or even tea time treat that is very popular in Malaysian-Chinese cooking. It is made out of a batter consisting of yam and rice flour which is then steamed and topped with a range of savoury toppings including crispy shallots, sesame seeds, and scallions. Best eaten with sriracha sauce.

I absolutely love yam cake and when I was a child I used to eat it for breakfast every Sunday morning.

If you like yam and have not tried this before, you should definitely try this. I bet you will be hooked!

If you are an old hand at making yam cake, I also urge you to give this recipe a try as the texture is very nice. Smooth and just soft enough, without being mushy. It is also relatively easy to prepare.

I have a very small steamer so when I made this I had to pour the batter into two separate 6” cake tins and steam them one at a time. It is well worth it though as we had this delicious yam cake to eat over the whole of last weekend.

Sago Gula Melaka

A truly classic Malaysian dessert. Served cold with coconut milk and Gula Melaka syrup, it is perfect on a hot day!

Hello hello!

I am introducing a classic Malaysian dessert on Nomsies Kitchen today. It is Sago with Gula Melaka.

It is rather simple to make. Sago pearls are boiled with water and then chilled to make little puddings. It is then served with coconut milk and Gula Melaka (palm sugar syrup). It is really easy to do as most of the time used in its preparation is actually inactive time. My British friends have told me it is somewhat similar to rice pudding.

This dessert is perfect eaten on a hot day. A bite of this and you can just imagine that you are at a beach resort in the Tropics. Ahh, now who wouldn’t want that?

Aubergine with Sambal

Try this mouth-watering vegetarian dish with a spicy kick for your Meatless Mondays!

Hello and happy Monday to you.

How was your weekend? I went for an epic bike ride and can say that I am quite thoroughly in love with cycling now. One thing I really like about where I am living in Newcastle is that it is near the River Tyne and about 13 miles from the beach. So, last Saturday we decided to cycle to the beach in South Shields and back. The weather was sunny and we even managed to have a pit stop for fish and chips in South Shields. The fish and chips in Colmans is just mind blowing and a must try if you are ever in South Shields. From South Shields, we took a 5 minute ferry ride to North Shields, which is just stunning - as seen in the photo below.

Purple Minion mode "on" at Colmans

I am really new to the cycling game so after that bike ride I decided to buy some cycling gear. While we are on the subject of cycling gear, I just need to say that padded cycling trousers are such a god sent! Why have I not tried them before?!? Anyway, I managed to spend more on cycling gear than I did on my bike, which I bought second hand for £40. Well, you need to look stylish on the bike right??

Coming back to food this Meatless Monday, I made aubergine with sambal. Sambal is a Malaysian spicy chilli paste which tastes great with just about anything. I have previously shared my recipe for sambal in my post on okra with sambal.

In that version, I steamed the okra and just ladled the sambal on top. Today’s recipe however is more of a stir fry.

Nonya Chicken Curry

Hello and Happy Chinese New Year to all my Chinese readers. I want to wish you all a very prosperous and joyful year of the horse! I have been enjoying my Chinese New Year and since it lasts for 15 days, I am looking forward to more merriment in the days ahead.

One of the most important meals for us Chinese is the reunion dinner on Chinese New Year Eve. That is the time when the whole extended family gets together and has a sumptuous meal. As it was not possible for me to visit my family in Malaysia, my husband and I had the reunion dinner ourselves. Just the two of us. Hey – that sounds like dinner every other night I hear you say. Yes, you are correct. However, I do make a special effort and we always have loads of fun cooking the meal together.

Vegetarian Curry for Meatless Monday

Vegetarian Curry

Hello and Happy Monday!

What did you do over the weekend? Mine was a weekend of high and lows. We had to put my poor hamster Peanut to sleep, so that was heart breaking :( 

She will be greatly missed. Funny how a small little hamster brought us so much joy and laughter. 

As for the highs - I am going back to Kuala Lumpur for a long visit! It wasn't a planned visit, very much a spontaneous decision. Must truly thank my dearest husband for the nice gift and for sacrificing so much to allow me to visit my family and friends. So, watch this space for more posts from Malaysia. I am super excited and can't wait to be inspired by all the food!

Since it is a Monday, I thought that I would do another Meatless Monday post. I think I am going to challenge myself and try to do a Meatless Monday post weekly. You my dear readers shall keep me honest and ensure that I do not stray.

This week, it is a Vegetarian Curry! It's so flavoursome and aromatic you won't even realise it is meat-free. I tried to give the curry a bulkier texture and more bite by using chunky vegetables like aubergines, carrots and courgettes. I also added Tofu Puffs that act like a sponge to soak up all the curry broth. When you bite into them, all the curry goodness oozes out. Heaven!

Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam) Recipe

Kaya (Malaysian Coconut Egg Jam) on home made Milk Toast

Happy Friday everyone! 

Since I like Friday to be sweet, I am going to share my take on this ever popular Malaysian jam called Kaya. It is a very fragrant and sweet jam made from coconut milk, sugar, eggs and pandanus leaves. Usually eaten on buttered toast, it can also commonly used as a filling in pastries and buns. You can also slather it on top of waffles, pancakes, crumpets, the list goes on! 

The ingredients I use for Kaya

Most families will have their own recipe for Kaya, passed down through the generations. However, the trick about making this jam is that it has to be constantly (I greatly emphasise the word "constant" here) stirred over a double boiler for at least an hour. Because of this time consuming method, most people nowadays have opted for commercially produced Kaya. I think that if you could spare the time, nothing beats a homemade Kaya. The fragrance will knock you over and you will smile when you eat it simply because you know it is a labour of love.

Kaya and warm melted butter sandwiched between homemade Milk Toast

The recipe I am sharing today uses brown sugar. It produces a rougher more granular texture in the Kaya as compared to using castor sugar. I do find that I prefer the richer more caramelised taste and texture of brown sugar. Maybe it is because it is the way my mama makes it. Funny how a jam can trigger memories of an 8 year old you standing over the stove helping to stir the Kaya! 

Chapatis and Malaysian Chicken Curry

Chapatis and Malaysian Chicken Curry

Happy Thursday to you! I do hope your week has been good or as good as it can be.

I am currently enjoying the sunshine and heat we have been receiving in the North East of England. I even went to the beach! Whereupon I discovered to my dismay that I am not swimsuit ready. Sigh.

On to happier things - the good weather means al fresco dining! Must make the most of it while it lasts.

Mee Siam (Spicy Fried Vermicelli Noodles)

 

Hello! 

Today I am going to share a recipe for Mee Siam, also known as, spicy fried vermicelli noodles. It is a very popular dish in Malaysia and Singapore, with both countries having a slightly different variation of the dish. The Malaysian version is dry whereas the Singapore version is served with a spicy gravy.

Being a Malaysian, I am going to be sharing the Malaysian version of the recipe here. This is a very flavourful dish and the spiciness from the dish is nicely offset by the tanginess from the lime juice. These noodles are really easy to prepare and can be cooked with any variety of meat or seafood. The noodles are usually topped with shredded omelette, fried firm beancurd slices and beansprouts. 

To me, Mee Siam can be eaten at any time of the day and in any kind of weather. Back home, it is typically a staple at parties or on a buffet spread as it is generally well received and is equally tasty eaten on its own or with additional curry or chilli paste on the side.

I like it because it tastes just as good cold, hence making it a perfect dish to contribute to a potluck party or barbecue.

Cod Fish Noodle Soup

Hello, happy 1st of July and how was your weekend?

Mine was quite eventful, thank you for asking ;) I had a grand time at the Vamos Festival which was held on Saturday at Newcastle's Highbridge Quarter. It was a real carnival like atmosphere and the smell of various street food permeating the air was oh-so-wonderful. I love how you go to a street carnival where there is a myriad of food stalls and you are trying to pin point which stall a particularly delicious smell is coming from. Then you realise, it's impossible, it is delicious all over. Yum! After the carnival I stupidly stumbled into John Lewis, realised they had a sale on and spent way too much money on unnecessary things.

After all that fun, I wound up having a bit of an annoying cough today. I was really in need of some hot soup to soothe my itchy throat. Nothing spicy or oily to be on the menu.

Since it is a Monday night and I am home alone I was in no mood for time consuming preparations. In fact, I don't think I ever am! Fast, easy and fresh is the way to go I say.

As such, I decided to make a wholesome and throat soothing Cod Fish Noodle Soup. It took me all of 20 minutes to make. Kind of longer than instant noodles from a packet but more nutritious and better for you. When you sauté the ginger, garlic and preserved turnip together, the aromatic fragrance assures you that something good is happening. The hint of sesame oil also adds a nice fragrant punch to the dish. 

May the Kitchen Gods Bless this Blog

Welcome all to this little blog of mine.

Having just moved to the North East of England, I find myself craving for Malaysian food from time to time. Most times it is my mother's cooking I long for. As I cannot simply turn up at mama's house, I have to get cooking! I am blessed that we have a Chinatown in Newcastle and quite a few Oriental supermarkets to enable me to recreate my Malaysian favourites.

Since I have always enjoyed cooking and writing, I hope to share my experiences in the kitchen here. I hope it will bring some enhancement to your world as it has done to mine.