This was my second attempt at a vegan version of Kaya; the first time around, I used mashed taro (=> https://jackiem.com.au/2017/02/23/make-vegan-kaya-onde-onde/ ), which basically tasted like sweetened mashed taro. Nice, but you're not fooling anyone who has any inkling of what kaya is like. This new recipe is adapted from one I found at » Read More
How to Make Vegan Durian-Filled Puffs
May 9, 2019 by
I’ve probably said this before but we Malaysians tend to be durian snobs - those of us living overseas buy frozen Thai Mornthong durian out of necessity and desperation because they’re cheap and readily available - and then moan about how tasteless and soggy they are compared to fresh Musang King or XO and all the other varieties of durian that the » Read More
How To Make Vegan Acar (Spicy Pickles)
May 1, 2019 by
This is the same acar recipe (mixed vegetable pickle with crushed roasted peanuts and sesame seeds) that I used for my restaurant except for the omission of shrimp paste (belacan) in order to make it vegan. Please note my philosophy of "agak-agak" ie. guesstimating is in full force here, especially where the sugar is concerned, so take the amounts » Read More
How To Make Petis Udang or Hei Ko (Prawn Paste)
April 10, 2019 by
This prawn paste is sometimes called shrimp paste (not to be confused with belacan/terasi; I know, it's confusing), and it's best known as the base for Penang rojak aka fruit rojak, and as a topping/dip for Penang Assam Laksa. It's molassy, dark brown, sweet and pungent. In Chinese it's known as Hei Ko, and in Malay it's called Petis Udang or Otak » Read More
How to Cook Szechuan Crispy Eggplant With Yu Xiang Sauce
March 12, 2019 by
Iteration 1 - battered eggplant with simmered sauce Yu Xiang means “fish-fragrant” in Mandarin, but I’ve avoided using the direct translation in this title to avoid confusion - there’s no fish in this vegan dish, much like there’s no seafood in hoisin (Cantonese for “seafood”) sauce. “Fish-fragrant” references the fact that the sweet, sour » Read More
How to Make Krepek Ubi Pedas Manis – Spicy Potato, Cassava or Sweet Potato Crisps
March 5, 2019 by
Krepek ubi pedas manis is Indonesian for spicy and sweet crisps made usually from cassava or sweet potato. I’ve previously made and posted the recipe for the sweet potato version but I’ve recently tested it using potato and cassava as well. I also tried a few different variations including using less sauce and therefore a much thinner coating on » Read More
How to Make Egg Noodles II
February 14, 2019 by
During a recent Live Asian Kitchen broadcast on Twitch, I decided to experiment with a couple of different variations of homemade egg noodle recipes and techniques. I made 2 batches of dough - one using my regular Hakka pan mee recipe (ratio of 1 egg : 1 kg plain flour), kneaded in a machine mixer one using 4 eggs : 500g plain flour, » Read More
How to Cook Lobster Yee Mein
January 17, 2019 by
I still remember that time we ordered lobster yee mein (fresh lobster with fried wheat noodles and garlic, ginger and shallots) during lunch in Sydney’s Chinatown; it bumped our yum cha bill to just shy of $1000. We’re talking one lobster shared among the 4 of us, in case there’s any confusion. Thankfully, it was my younger sister, here on a flying » Read More
How to Make Hainanese Roast Chicken Rice
January 8, 2019 by
I prefer my Hainanese Chicken Rice with roast rather than “white” chicken, though my recipe actually calls for it to be deep-fried, since it produces a crispier skin (it’s a personal preference, folks, I know that’s not how most people make it). Here’s my take on Hainanese “roast” chicken rice; I’ll post a new update down the track, especially if I » Read More
How to Cook Oxtail Asam Pedas
December 10, 2018 by
A Wok Around Asia Recipe by MasterChef Malaysia Judge Chef Jo I had the privilege of meeting Chef Johari Edrus during my last trip to Kuala Lumpur, and I was intrigued by the concept of his restaurant, Symphony By Chef Jo, located in Damansara City Mall. The cuisine is "eclectic", meaning it derives ideas, styles, and tastes from a broad » Read More