懷舊的馬來西亞菜

大學時代，我有兩個很要好的新加坡室友。兩個都是煮飯高手，其中一位的媽媽在她小時候就在新加坡電視台教學煮菜。受她們的耳濡目染，我也喜歡上馬拉西亞菜。

老公best friend去年結婚了，溫柔可人的太太是馬來西亞華僑。最近他們傳來喜訊，我們都超開心！準媽媽都是最想念家鄉美食。這頓馬來西亞菜一半是為了慰解準媽媽懷鄉的胃口，一半也是縱容我自己懷舊的情懷。

肉骨茶

肉骨茶明明沒有茶葉，不知道怎麽叫肉骨茶。我室友她們常常煮這個湯，那藥材的香味充滿了整個廚房，我們都喜歡裏麵的豆腐泡，這次我特別用了兩包。

我用燜燒鍋。肉骨茶香料包，一整顆蒜，香菇五朵，加清水大火煮至沸騰。放入豬小排，豆腐泡，再次沸騰後，把燜燒鍋內鍋放入外鍋。上桌的時候再放入燙過的小白菜。



Beef Rendang
這個咖喱很香，我也是用燜燒鍋煮的。最好提前一天做好，放過夜，第二天味道融合得更充分。



Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound boneless beef short ribs (cut into cubes)
5 tablespoons cooking oil?
1 桂皮，1 lemongrass
3 丁香，八角，cardamom pods?
1 cup thick coconut milk?
2 teaspoons tamarind pulp (soaked in some warm water for the juice and discard the seeds )?
6 kaffir lime leaves
6 tablespoons kerisik (toasted coconut)?
1 tablespoon palm sugar

Spice Paste:
5 shallots?
1 inch galangal?
3 lemongrass (white part only)
5 cloves garlic?
1 inch ginger?
10-12 dried chilies (soaked in warm water and seeded)

Method:
1. Chop the spice paste ingredients and then blend it in a food processor until fine.
2. Heat the oil in a stew pot, add the spice paste, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and cardamom and stir-fry them until aromatic.
3. Add the beef and the pounded lemongrass and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, tamarind juice, water, and simmer on medium heat, stirring frequently until the meat is almost cooked.
5. Add the kaffir lime leaves, kerisik (toasted coconut), sugar/palm sugar, stirring to blend well with the meat.  
6. Lower the heat to low, cover the lid, and simmer for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is really tender and the gravy has dried up.
7. Add salt to taste. If not sweet enough, add more sugar to taste.

Chicken Satay with Peanut sauce

當當當！當晚最受歡迎的明星菜來了！記得大學時候，我問馬來西亞同學他最喜歡的家鄉菜是什麽，答案就是這個。真的很香。要讚老公在下雨天還在外麵燒烤這道菜。老公best friend說跟他們在馬來西亞當地吃的很像，隻是如果有用炭火烤就更棒了。

Ingredients:
For the satay:?
1 tsp dried shrimp paste/belacan, toasted
1.5cm piece fresh turmeric or 1 tsp turmeric powder?
10 shallots, peeled and chopped?
2cm piece galangal, peeled and chopped ?
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped?
1 fresh chilli, deseeded and chopped?
1 lemongrass, white part only and chopped ?
3 tbsp sugar?
1 tsp coriander powder?
1 tsp cumin powder?
a pinch of salt
900g chicken thighs, skinned, deboned and cut into chunky strips

For the peanut sauce:
6 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, peeled and chopped ?
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped ?
6 dried red chillies, deseeded, softened and chopped
2 lemongrass, white part only and chopped
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp tamarind pulp?
200ml warm water ?
2 tbsp sugar?
1 tbsp soya sauce?
100g roasted unsalted peanuts, chunkily ground

Directions:
1. Wrap the shrimp paste in a foil and put in a pre-heated oven at 180°C to toast for 4-5 minutes until aromatic. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, put the fresh turmeric, shallots, galangal, garlic, chili and lemongrass in a food processor, grind until become a smooth paste. Add the sugar, coriander powder and cumin powder and salt mix until combine.
3. Add the spice paste to the chicken, mix thoroughly, making sure each piece of the chicken is coated with the spice paste. Cover with cling film, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or over night.
4. To make the sauce, put the shallots, onion, red chilli, dried red chillies and lemongrass in a food processor. Grind until smooth and set aside. Meanwhile, put 80ml of the warm water to a bowl and add the tamarind pulp. Soak for 15 minutes until become soft. Use a spoon to break into pliable form. Strain through a fine sieve set over a bowl, discard the solid.
5. In a saucepan over medium high heat, put the sunflower oil and add the spice paste. Cook and stir constantly for about 8-10 minutes or until the paste turns into darker shade and very fragrant. Add the tamarind water and stir. Add the rest of the water and bring to the boil for a few seconds. Add the sugar and soya sauce, stir and let it simmer for 1 minute or so, adjust the seasoning if needed. Add the ground roasted peanuts, if the sauce gets too thick, add a bit more water to thin it up slightly, stir and set aside.
6. Thread the strips of chicken, about three or four pieces on to each skewer, threading them in a loose S shape. Then pop them under the grill about 7.5 cm from the heat source, giving them about 3-4 minutes on each side. Alternatively, cook over the BBQ grill. Serve on warm plates with the peanut sauce handed round separately.

Roti Canai with dhal curry

馬來西亞受印度影響也很深。
買的冰凍的Roti，火上兩麵煎一煎，好香。小朋友超喜歡。
Dhal Curry用電鍋，煮熟一杯lentil，加一小勺cumin powder, turmeric, chili powder, salt。 通常用高壓煮的Dhal都很水水的，用電鍋就比較幹。



Nasi Lemak
The de facto nation dish of Malaysia。記得大四那年寒假，我和兩個室友一起去美東玩了一趟。每到一個據點，她們都找馬來西亞餐廳。有一天我們在外麵逛好晚了，最近的一家馬來餐廳檳城還有一個多小時遠，大家都餓了。我說算了，隨便吃點吧。我室友堅決地搖頭，“不行，我要去檳城，我都能聽到Nasi Lemak在叫我的名字了！”



這也是今天晚上準媽媽最最懷念的家鄉美食。她好喜歡喔。我跟盈盈學的菜譜。謝謝盈盈！

椰漿飯用新鮮椰絲，香蘭葉，香茅，薑蒸熟。 小魚幹用Sambal辣椒蝦醬炒香。 配白煮蛋和小黃瓜。

Spicy Okra
Ingredients:
1 tbsp sunflower oil?
125g okra, sliced
2 tbsp water?a
pinch of salt

chili paste:?
1 garlic clove, peeled and roughly chopped?
1cm ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped?
3 shallots
1 tbsp lime juice

Directions:
1. Put all the ingredients, except lime juice for the chilli paste into a food processor or use pestel and mortar and grind until becomes a smooth paste. Add the lime juice and give it a good stir, set aside.
2. Heat the sunflower oil in a wok, put the chili paste and fry until fragrant under medium heat. Then, stir in the okra and cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Season with salt and add 2 tbsp water. Further cook for 5 minutes until the okra is soft.

馬來風光
記得大學時代有一天回家，室友正在家裏做sambal醬。蝦醬的那個味道經過烤和blender，一開門聞到，差點沒嗆過去。後來吃過幾次，倒是越來越喜歡。當然要做這道菜啦。


蝦醬做的sambal醬，蒜頭，炒空心菜。可惜我沒有用大火，油也放的太少，炒出來水水的。

菜齊了



客人帶來的摩摩喳喳



有木瓜，紅棗，蓮子，白木耳，枸杞。每次都不同的。

這頓馬來西亞菜，讓我好想念大學室友，也懷念那些青蔥歲月。準媽媽對我說，來到美國這一年，最想念的就是家鄉食物。希望這頓飯稍稍滿足一下她的家鄉胃。這就是美食的魅力吧。