As a former IT consultant, I do like to keep up with technology, and the Lenovo 500 Multimedia Controller is the latest device I've recently had the opportunity to assess. It is a keypad that's small enough to fit in my hand, and it allows me to select, type, swipe, scroll, increase and decrease the volume and zoom in and out, etc. when I’m » Read More
How to Make Liangfen – Szechuan Jelly Noodles
September 18, 2018 by
A few weeks back, an interesting Facebook video on Szechuan mung bean jelly noodles caught my attention; since I had several packs of mung bean flour in my pantry, I decided to attempt making it during my Live Asian Kitchen broadcast on Twitch. The mung bean flour packs I had are actually what's called Tepung Hoen Kwe and they contain vanilla » Read More
How to Make Spicy Lamb Skewers with Cumin
September 18, 2018 by
I first got a taste of spicy cumin lamb skewers during what was meant to have been a satay feast at my parents' house in Sydney's southwest. In amongst the hundreds of Malaysian satays that were cooked up that day, there were also some Xinjiang-style lamb skewers; apparently it was a dish introduced to them by their new northern Chinese friends » Read More
How To Make Pickled Green Chillies
September 11, 2018 by
Pickled green chillies are a popular condiment back in Malaysia, and most commonly served as an accompaniment to hawker stall dishes like wantan mee (wonton noodles). I make this only very occasionally, since I don't often eat wonton noodles myself, and in all honesty, I don't really measure the ingredients that go into it. Nonetheless, for your » Read More
How to Cook Indonesian Padang-Style Eggplant Balado
September 11, 2018 by
Lately, my local greengrocer has been stocking the variety of eggplant that I grew up eating back in Malaysia (correct me if I’m wrong, but I often see them referred to here as Japanese eggplants), and it prompted me to get some for one of my favourite Indonesian Padang dishes known as Terung (Eggplant) Balado. I air-fried the eggplants in my » Read More
How to Make An Easy Nut-Free Carrot Cake
September 11, 2018 by
I rarely bake because I’m not much of a cake eater, but I have on occasion had to use up some leftover carrots, in which case my go-to option is to bake it into a carrot cake. This recipe was originally sourced from the Thermomix recipe community, but I’ve made so many adjustments that it bears no resemblance to the original. I find Western » Read More
How to Cook Sang Har Yee Meen (Crispy Freshwater Prawn Noodles)
September 4, 2018 by
I remember Sang Har Yee Meen (literally, freshwater prawn crispy noodles) as a popular dish at open-air restaurants in Malaysia, but they're actually pretty easy to make at home. If you're not too fixated about using freshwater prawns, you'll save a few bucks by using a cheaper and more commonly available variety like the banana prawns pictured » Read More
Chillies (30 Days 30 Asian Ingredients Series)
September 2, 2018 by
In this Live broadcast on Chillies, I cover the different types of chillies used in Malaysian and Southeast Asian cooking, and explain their uses and preparation methods. I also reveal a good, cheap substitute that I’ve encountered in my recent trips to my local non-Asian fruit and vegetable shop, and how to “hack” the flavour to achieve the same » Read More
How to Make Nyonya Soon Kuih aka Chai Kueh
August 27, 2018 by
This is a more recent recipe for Soon Kuih or Chai Kueh that I used during one of my Live Asian Kitchen broadcasts on Twitch. I was much happier with the texture of the skin, which was softer and less rubbery, hence why I'm posting it here. (BTW kuih and kueh are the same word in Malay; they can be used interchangeably, though kuih is a more » Read More
How to Make Hakka Lo Pek Pan (Hakka Radish Cake)
July 24, 2018 by
I sometimes feel sorry for those not born into the culture trying to learn all the nuances of Chinese food. It’s hard enough trying to wrap your head around the topic, let alone recognise all the different iterations of specific dishes by different Chinese dialect groups. Radish cake is one such example; the Cantonese version found at yum cha » Read More