1. Do you have a restaurant somewhere?
2. Do you do other markets?

If you’re one of those people who’ve asked me these questions and thought you caught a glimpse of an eyeroll from me in response, I want to reassure you that you’re not paranoid. I have been known, in my hubris, to assume everyone’s followed my lifestory intently over the past two decades.

Anyhow I’ve gradually come to the realisation that thirteen years is a long enough time that I should probably revisit this so that I can, if nothing else, just point to this blog post next time someone brings this up (and save him/her from copping one of my unwarranted eyerolls).

So, here we go –

Question 1 – Do I have a restaurant?

I used to – on Majors Bay Road, Concord. It was one of just two restaurants on that strip that were included in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Under $30 Guide back in its day.

I closed it to look after Noah – who was born with Down Syndrome, duodenal atresia, AVSD, and hydrops fetalis – and who spent the first 217 days of his life in hospital, in both the NICU and the PICU. Three times in seven months, I got called in the middle of the night from the hospital to prepare for the worst.

I was told Noah’s condition was not survivable; I was encouraged/coerced to withhold treatment by the medical staff on the basis that –

• even if he did survive surgery he would be a vegetable for the rest of his life,
• I would have to give up everything to look after him, and
• he was never going to be a productive member of society anyway

Nobody believes me when I tell them this, or they brush it off as a non-systemic issue despite my evidence to the contrary.

Anyway, I chose to give up my restaurant to look after him full-time, though ironically, his need for ongoing therapy and medical follow-ups aside, all the doom and gloom from the so-called experts never came to fruition.

Miraculously one day after I posted publicly about my struggle as a single parent of a severely-disabled child, two guys, oblivious to my life drama, walked into my restaurant and asked if I wanted to sell it (the lease, not the business).

I played it cool, picked a figure off the top of my head, they negotiated it down but not by much, and thirteen years later they’re still going strong, operating as a cafe, and I couldn’t be more happy for them.

Question 2 – Do I do other markets?

Short answer, currently no, I only do Concord Hospital Market, and that’s only once a month, 11 months a year.

Long answer – my market life actually preceded my restaurant – and when I quit the latter, I confidently figured I’d just go back to doing a couple of markets a week instead of being tied down to a restaurant around the clock, and I could just bring Noah along with me in a portable cot.

Then the drama started – first, some anonymous campaigner at Orange Grove Farmers’ Market decided to go around collecting signatures for a petition to prevent me from bringing Noah along.

Rather than regurgitate the details, here’s a previous blog post I published – Why I’m Quitting 

That left me with one weekly market ie. Concord Hospital – and the drama carried on over there as well –

Not once –  Déjà Vu All Over Again (yes, it’s a deliberate tautology – eyeroll – I did French at uni)

But twice – Enough Is Enough

Just when you thought it was all sorted, Covid lockdowns hit, which meant I had ZERO markets for 3 years (being a hospital, they were extra careful to shut down everything even before the official mandates, and they didn’t reopen until way after the lockdowns were removed).

When Concord Hospital Market resumed, the organisers said they would start off with monthly events and gradually ease back into weekly ones.

It’s been three years and the markets are still running only once a month, and in fact when I checked a couple of  months ago, the new staff members had no idea there were any plans to go back to weekly markets.

Question 3 (Bonus Round) – Would I consider doing other markets?

If you know a good event that takes place on weekdays that can allow me to make it back to Kogarah before 4.00pm, let me know – reason being, among other things, that I got rid of my van during the lockdowns and I now have to hire a vehicle each market day, and it needs to be returned before 5pm.

So, what do I do now? Well, two main things – 

Handcrafted Dry Curry Pastes
I now produce small-batch dry curry paste kits — the same recipes I used in my restaurant — that ship worldwide. They let people cook real Malaysian food at home without the need for perishable fresh pastes or specialist ingredients.

Get yours here – Shop.JackieM.com.au

Malaysian Hawker Pro
I also run an online training programme called Malaysian Hawker Pro, designed to teach Malaysians and Singaporeans abroad how to recreate proper hawker dishes that are good enough to sell — not watered-down versions you find on TikTok and in lifestyle magazines.

Details here – MalaysianHawkerPro.com

Oh yeah, and I published an award-winning cookbook called The Durian Cookbook, and founded a group called Masters of Malaysian Cuisine where we partner with Tourism Malaysia and the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and I ran a culinary tour to Malaysia blah-blah-blah.

The post What Happened to Jackie M’s Restaurant? first appeared on Jackie M..

I remember wondering why she would even think I knew anything about gnocchi because last I checked, it wasn’t Malaysian. Like it or not, that’s how I’ve always been when it comes to cooking; across the 33+ years I’ve been in the food space, I’ve always been tunnel-visioned to the exclusion of most other cuisines. 

That’s the same when it comes to South African cooking. My partner-in-crime Paul Gray, as most of you would know, is from South Africa. Paul is an outstanding cook in his own right, but because I tend to hog the kitchen most days of the week, I don’t get nearly enough exposure to his cuisine.

Some of you might even remember the good old days of our Masters of Malaysian Cuisine (MOMC) broadcasts during the Covid lockdown, when Paul would cook along live on air with Liam Ghani, who’s a Malaysian based in South Africa.

Since they stopped doing so (for various reasons – including that the lockdowns ended, and Paul moved to Sydney, etc.), I’ve had many people reminisce about how much they enjoyed watching these “boys” cook and banter about South African life, food, and culture.

I’m still hoping we can loop Liam back in some day, but in the meantime, I decided to get Paul back in front of the camera (instead of behind it, which is where he is most times – all our MOMC videos are edited, and sometimes filmed, by him), hence why we went Live last Friday on fairly short notice.

Paul made a steak using rump cap (a cut that I would never have thought would work for this purpose), while I contributed some obligatory Malaysian and Malaysian-inspired sides like a shortcut Acar, a Garlic & Butter Potatoes with chillies and curry leaves, and a shortcut coconut rice (although Paul ended up making it).

Here’s the replay of the broadcast for you to check out (it’s actually multi-streamed across our social media and YouTube channels) –

 Here are some tips extracted from the broadcast:

South African-Style Steak

Paul’s method for cooking the steak is a “reverse sear,” which is ideal for thicker cuts of meat.

Cut of Meat: A rump cap (also known as picanha) was used. Other good cuts include ribeye or Scotch fillet.

Preparation:

For a better crust, you can coat the steak in salt and leave it uncovered in the fridge for up to 24 hours to help draw out moisture.

Before cooking, pat the steak completely dry with a paper towel. A dry surface is crucial for getting a good sear.

Cooking Technique (Reverse Sear):

1. Place the steak in an oven on a low heat (130°C was used). Cook it until it reaches your desired internal temperature for doneness (e.g., 48°C for medium-rare). Using a meat thermometer is the most accurate way to do this.
2. Remove the steak from the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes before searing.
3. Heat a cast-iron pan until it is very hot. Add a fat like beef tallow, followed by some butter just before finishing.
4. Sear the steak for approximately two minutes per side to develop a crust.
5. Once seared, it is crucial to let the steak rest for at least five minutes before cutting. Resting allows the juices to recirculate throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavourful steak. A useful tip is to rest the steak on a grill rack so that the bottom doesn’t get soggy and lose its crust.

Easy Coconut Rice (Hack)

This is a quick method for making coconut rice without the risk of burning the rice due to the starch in the milk.

1. Cook your rice as you normally would, but add a bit of salt to the cooking water.
2. Once the rice is fully cooked, fluff it up with a spoon or spatula.
3. Add about two tablespoons of coconut milk powder directly into the hot, cooked rice.
4. Mix vigorously to ensure the powder is evenly distributed and fully incorporated.
5. Place the rice in a sealed container (like a thermo server) to keep warm and allow the powder to fully hydrate.

Quick Acar (Malaysian Pickled Salad)

This recipe uses a “hack” of starting with a pre-made sambal base.

Ingredients:

• Vegetables: Cabbage, carrots, and cucumber.
• Base: Any leftover or store-bought sambal.
• Dressing: White vinegar, water, sugar, salt, raw minced garlic, and turmeric powder.
• Add-ins: Crushed roasted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, and fried onions.

Method:

1. For a quick-prep hack, chop the cabbage and microwave it for about five minutes to soften it, instead of blanching it in a large pot. Leave the carrots and cucumber raw for crunch.
2. Combine the vegetables in a bowl. Boil a solution of vinegar with a little water (around a 4:1 vinegar-to-water ratio) and pour the hot liquid over the vegetables.
3. To the vegetables soaking in the vinegar, add a generous amount of sugar, salt, turmeric powder, and minced garlic. Mix well.
4. After a few minutes, drain off some of the excess liquid, but not all of it, to avoid the acar being too dry or too watery.
5. Mix in your sambal base. Add fried onions, which help to thicken the sauce and add texture. Finally, stir in the crushed peanuts and toasted sesame seeds.
6. Adjust the seasoning with more sugar or salt until you have a balanced sweet, sour, and savoury flavour.

Potatoes with Garlic, Coconut Cream & Curry Leaves

This is a creamy, Malaysian-style side dish that can easily be made vegan.

1. Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Cook them until soft by microwaving, steaming, or roasting. For extra texture, you can briefly deep-fry or air-fry the cooked potatoes until the outside is slightly crisp.
2. Heat oil in a pan (use vegetable oil for a vegan version). Sauté minced garlic, curry leaves (fresh is best, but dried works), and sliced chilies until aromatic.
3. Stir in coconut cream and season with mushroom seasoning (a vegan alternative to chicken powder), a pinch of sugar, and pepper. Let the sauce simmer and thicken slightly.
4. Add the pre-cooked potatoes to the pan and toss until they are well-coated in the creamy sauce.

Paul and I plan to continue doing these broadcasts regularly; if you’re not already on my email list (where I send updates/recipes/etc.) – you’re missing out. Just pop your name and email address here – JackieM.com.au/email

The post How to Cook Steak & Accompaniments – South Africa Meets Malaysia first appeared on Jackie M..

Nasi Kebuli is a fragrant rice and crispy chicken royal dish that’s famous the Malaysian state of Pahang. The word “Kebuli” is an abbreviation of the royal honorific “ke bawah duli (yang maha mulia)” (kind of like “his Majesty” etc.). I didn’t grow up in Pahang so this backgrounder on Nasi Kebuli is courtesy of our Masters of Malaysian Cuisine (MOMC) chef Zaleha Olpin who IS from Pahang, and from my own reading at the Aku Anak Pahang Malay-language blog. Nasi Kebuli is said to be a middle eastern-Arabic dish which became popular in India, and then Indonesia and Malaysia. In Malaysia itself, it was a favourite in kampungs (rural villages) in Pahang, and especially in the Kuala Lipis region.

Sultan Mahmud Shah of Pahang (1914-1917) visited Kuala Lipis with some 60 of his followers, and when he requested for a meal with chicken, a local gentleman by the name of Hussin served him Nasi Kebuli, and the rest is history.

In this episode of Street Food Journeys: Malaysia featuring the state of Pahang, I had a go at making Nasi Kebuli, with the recipe tweaked to be accessible to Australian cooks.

Watch the replay of Street Food Journeys: Malaysia Series 1 Episode 3 on Pahang here (my cooking segment kicks in at about the 15:30 mark) >> https://youtu.be/KL7QWoBanfc

Nasi Kebuli

INGREDIENTS:

1 brown onion
1-inch piece ginger
4 cloves garlic
2 stalks lemongrass
1 tsp crushed pepper
1 TBSP coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp galangal powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 TBSP oil
2 cups water
2 chicken Maryland pieces (thigh plus
drumstick)
2 tsp salt
1 TBSP chicken powder (optional)
2 TBSP spice mix
2 TBSP oil
2 cups Basmati rice, rinsed
1 tsp salt
2 tsp chicken powder
Water
Oil for deep-frying
1 cucumber, sliced

METHOD:

1. Blend spice ingredients in a food processor;transfer into a saucepan and fry until oil separates.
2. Remove two TBSP spice mix and set aside. Add water to the saucepan along with salt and/or
   chicken powder and chicken, and bring to a simmer.
3. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is just done. Remove chicken pieces and allow to drain on a rack.
4. In a separate saucepan, mix the rinsed rice with the remaining 2 TBSP spice mix and toss well on low heat.
5. Transfer into a rice cooker or saucepan, add water and some of the sauce from the spice marinade that was used to simmer the chicken;
   cook until done.
6. Heat oil to 180C; fry the chicken pieces until skin is crispy (about 5 minutes).
7. Mould rice in a bowl, transfer onto serving plate, add chicken and serve garnished with cucumber slices and optional tomato sambal.

Other guests in this episode include Zaleha Olpin, who made a Pahang version of Pulut Panggang (grilled sticky rice rolls wrapped in banana leaf), our resident award-winning tour guide Shaukani Abbas, Masters of Malaysian Cuisine co-founder Paul Gray, and TV host and TikTok star Mark O’Dea.

Our MOMC group publishes a free recipe eMagazine which we send to our email subscribers. Here’s the issue which accompanied Street Food Journeys: Malaysia Series 1 >> Click to View or Download

Sign up to our email list so you don’t miss a single issue >> MalaysianChefs.com/JoinToday

The post How To Cook Nasi Kebuli (Crispy Chicken & Rice) first appeared on Jackie M..

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 result when used in Asian recipes.

For step-by-step instructions, here’s my video on making your own chilli paste –

The post Chillies (30 Days 30 Asian Ingredients Series) first appeared on Jackie M..

Kuih Ketayap, also known as Kuih Dadar in my part of Malaysia, is a popular teatime snack which consists of pandan-infused crepes rolled with a coconut and palm sugar filling. It’s an easy recipe to attempt, and the ingredients should be readily available at any well-stocked Asian grocery store. Should you have trouble finding pandan leaves (readily available fresh in Cabramatta, #postcode2166), you may substitute it with canned pandan juice, or a few drops of pandan concentrate. This recipe is courtesy of Parkroyal Penang Resort, from my Wok Around Asia project.

Watch the full video here (5 mins) >>

Kuih Ketayap

INGREDIENTS:

Crepe Batter:

20 pandan leaves

600ml water

400g plain flour

4 eggs

250ml coconut milk

pinch of salt

METHOD:

1. Cut pandan leaves into 1-inch lengths. Blend with water and strain.
2. Combine with the rest of the ingredients, mix well, sift and set aside.
3. To cook, brush oil on a non-stick pan and heat. Ladle some batter on it and swirl to make a thin crepe. Cook until crepe starts to lift from the pan.
4. Remove and set aside; repeat with rest of batter.

INGREDIENTS:

Grated Coconut Filling:

400g grated fresh coconut

400g chopped gula melaka (dark brown palm sugar)

4 Tbsps white sugar

200ml water

2 pandan leaves, tied in a knot

2 Tbsps cornstarch

METHOD:

1. Combine palm sugar, white sugar, water and pandan leaves in a saucepan, and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Discard pandan leaves.
2. Add grated coconut and salt and simmer until slightly dry. Add cornstarch to thicken. Allow to cool.
3. To assemble, put a spoonful of coconut filling on each crepe, fold in the sides and roll up like a spring roll.

My Wok Around Asia project is made possible through the support of the following >>

The post How to Make Kuih Ketayap (Coconut-Filled Crepes) first appeared on Jackie M..

The most popular version of Long Yoke, aka Bak Kwa, is made with pork, but since I don’t eat pork, I make mine with chicken mince. I could have sworn my parents used to make it with sliced beef as well, but it’s late as I type this, and I don’t want to wake my poor stepmom up with a phonecall to check.

In any case, in this Live Asian Kitchen broadcast, I had some beef mince (not sliced beef) to use up, so I decided to make a batch with it, and it was far superior, in my opinion, to the chicken mince version. It didn’t help that the chicken I was using was a fine mince (unlike the coarser grind I used to use when I made it for my business), so the texture came out weird, like devon.

Watch the Live Asian Kitchen replay to see how it’s done from start to finish >>

This was the recipe I dug up from my restaurant files, though in all honesty I can’t be sure if it was really the same one we used back in the day (I haven’t made it in years), since I vaguely remember adding red food colouring to ours, which isn’t listed here.

Nonetheless, it turned out fine, so here it is –

Adapted from Tazz in the Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:

500g minced chicken

1 1/2 Tbsps fish sauce

1 Tbsp thick soya sauce (aka cooking caramel)

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp 5 spice powder

1 tsp oil

METHOD:

1. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl, use a pair of chopsticks or a fork and stir vigorously in one direction until a gluey paste is formed.
2. Pre-heat oven to 125°C.
3. Place meat on a large piece of parchment paper.
4. Cover with clingfilm.
5. Roll into a thin sheet (about 2mm thick).
6. Bake at 125°C for about 20 mins.
7. Increase temperature to 180°C and bake for about 20-30 mins or until the sides are charred.
8. Cool and cut into pieces.

The post How to Make Chicken or Beef Bak Kwa (Barbecued Minced Meat) first appeared on Jackie M..

However, this particular batch turned out different enough (in a good way) that I thought it worth sharing. Plus there’s the added element of serving it with egg noodles as an alternative to boiled rice.

There were several points of difference in this chicken curry recipe; I can’t nail down which of these elements helped lift it a notch above my usual effort but it’s worth considering next time you’re in an experimental mood –

• the use of turmeric leaf which was generously given to me by a fellow former Malaysian, Haryati
• a different brand of curry powder
• fresh chillies (I usually omit adding chillies)
• a different brand of coconut cream

Watch the Replay to get the most out of this recipe –

Malaysian Chicken Curry with Turmeric Leaf

INGREDIENTS:

2kg chicken drumsticks
8 cloves garlic
1 ½ onions, peeled & quartered
4 Tbsps (Malaysian) Parrot Brand meat curry powder
2 large chillies
3 Tbsps minced lemongrass
1 turmeric leaf, tied in a knot
2 cups Rasaku coconut cream
2 cups water
2 Tbsps chicken powder
1 tsp salt
⅔ Tbsps sugar
4 Tbsps oil

To serve:

Rice, or –

Fresh egg noodles, cooked in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then drained. Different types of egg noodles will produce different textures; in these photos, I used “wonton noodles” ie. thin egg noodles that look like they’re lightly coated with flour, available in the refrigerated section of Asian grocery stores.

METHOD:

1. Combine garlic, onion and chillies in a food processor and blend.
2. Mix to a paste with minced lemongrass and curry powder.
3. Heat a heavy-based pan and saute the curry paste with oil until the onion is browned.
4. Add chicken drumsticks and saute a further 3 minutes.
5. Add all other ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked. Adjust seasonings as needed before removing from heat.
6. Alternatively, after step 3, transfer all ingredients into a pressure cooker and pressure-cook for 15 minutes. This will produce a more saucy (ergo: watered-down, therefore add more seasoning as needed) chicken curry, which you can use as a curry base for egg noodles.

The post How to Cook Malaysian Chicken Curry Noodles first appeared on Jackie M..

I’ve had an aversion to pork since I was a kid, so I have no recollection of ever having eaten Bak Kut Teh (BKT), which is traditionally made using pork spare ribs. The smell of BKT is quite unmistakable however, and hard to avoid if you grew up in Malaysia or Singapore. Since I knew how it’s meant to smell, I felt vaguely confident going into this Live Asian Kitchen session despite it being my first attempt at the dish, and despite using chicken as a substitute.

I know this sounds like a cop-out, but nobody I know actually makes Bak Kut Teh using their own mix of spices; they buy pre-made BKT packs, either from their local Asian grocery store, or from their Chinese herb shop. You will see why when you read the ingredients listed on the packs, further down in this post.

I managed to pick up two different brands of BKT spice mixes during my recent Wok Around Asia trip; one was made in Johor (A1 Brand) which is the southernmost state in the Malaysian Peninsula, and the other was made in Penang (CKC Brand), up north.

This gave me the perfect opportunity to test both out in front of my Live online audience, and along the way, I found out there are different versions of BKT floating around; for instance, the Singaporean version is meant to be lighter and more peppery, whereas in Malaysia it’s darker and richer.

I had been told prior to the broadcast by KL native Alexx Lee of MyBlueTea.com.au that eating BKT with fried crullers (yow char kway) is a uniquely Kuala Lumpur-thing. During the live video, however, Lisa Lee Allerton of AussieTrendHandicrafts.com, who’s from Penang herself, insisted she did in fact enjoy hers with crullers, so there you have it. A mass of culinary confusion all round, the lesson here being that even we Malaysians don’t see eye-to-eye regarding our own food.

Further research tells me that some typical sides that work well with BKT are –

• Crullers (as mentioned previously)
• Lettuce
• Yam rice
• Meat floss (this sounds odd even to me, but apparently it’s the done thing at some stalls in Penang)
• Steamed rice

I found from testing both brands of spices, that they are worlds apart in flavour, cooking instructions and even in what’s in them; the A1 brand BKT pack contained what looked like a couple of mega-sized teabags, while the CKC brand had a combination of whole herbs and a smaller teabag of powdered spices.

I’m reposting the cooking instructions for both brands, and I’ve also added below, what I used in mine (along with splitting the difference between the two sets of instructions).

Watch the full replay to see how I tackled these recipes, along with their outcomes >>

A1 Bak Kut Teh Spice Pack (made in Johor, Malaysia)

Contents –

Cinnamon, angelica pepper, aralia cordata, sinensis, star anise, paurantii, cigusticum, radix rehmanniae, rhisoma atraclylodis, radix glycyrrhizae, rhizoma lingustic

Cooking instructions –

Combine meat, 1 garlic bulb, thick soya sauce, light soya sauce, oyster sauce, salt, msg, water and spices; simmer for 30 minutes, add pepper before serving.

CKC Bak Kut Teh Spice Pack (made in Penang, Malaysia)

Contents –

Fructus jujubae, polygonatum odoratum, codonopsis pilosula, rehmania glutinosa, fructus lycii, rhizoma linguistici, angelica sinensis and spices

Cooking instructions –

Combine water, bak kut teh spices, meat, 3 garlic bulbs, salt & soya sauce; simmer for an hour.

Tldr; the A1 version produced a very dark BKT, and the CKC version produced a light, very aromatic soup.

Ingredients I used, along with what was specified on the packs –

1 whole chicken, about 1.6kg
8 dried mushrooms, soaked in hot water, drained
8 tofu puffs, halved
1 Tbsp chicken powder for every 1 cup of water

Let me know if you have a favourite brand of BKT spices, and also what your favourite side dishes are; as mentioned at the start, this is all very new to me, and I’ll admit I’m still trying to wrap my head around its popularity

Finally, a shoutout to AussieTrendHandicrafts.com, the Australian distributor of Diamond Dotz facet art, for sponsoring the Giveaway for this broadcast; Karen Khoo of Melbourne won this Flower Mandala Diamond Dotz kit just by tuning in to my Live Asian Kitchen >>

If you know anyone who’s interested in sponsoring Giveaways for my Live Asian Kitchen shows, just get them to drop me a line

The post How to Cook Chicken Bak Kut Teh (Chik Kut Teh) first appeared on Jackie M..

I have a confession to make – I don’t spend a lot of time browsing through pretty pictures on Instagram; it’s just not how I consume content. No surprise then, that I missed the recent trend in blue butterfly (aka blue pea) flower-infused images of food and drink on social media. Apparently a clever cocktail trick is to add citrus to a blue-coloured drink and watch it magically turn purple or pink. Who knew?

I’m really loving this blue pea trend at the moment! My mum would grow these when I was growing up, and we used to have them in our kaya and glutinous rice kuehs. Reminds me of home have you tried blue pea? Do you like it? #invite #coohalexandria #smoothies

A post shared by Tammi Kwok (@teafortammi) on Nov 19, 2017 at 2:50am PST

It’s the last day of our Australian winter and I’m sending it off with blue sushi coloured with butterfly pea tea. #vegan #plantbased #veganofig #cleaneating #detox #healthy #eathealthy #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #healthyeating #healthykids #lovefood #weightloss #detoxfood #fitnessfood #fitnessmeals #japanese #butterflypea #TheWeekOnInstagram #eatyourveggies #babyshower #sushi #blue #bluefood #veganfood #rainbow #veganrecipes #heresmyfood #lunch

A post shared by F I O N A S H E P P A R D (@rawcrush) on Aug 31, 2017 at 2:40am PDT

When the founder of MyBlueTea.com.au sent me some sachets of natural blue butterfly flower extract in powder form, I got right down to integrating it into my Live Asian Kitchen broadcasts via traditional Malaysian recipes such as Nasi Kerabu, Onde-Onde and Kaya in, completely oblivious to the snazzy new ways Australian cafes and nightclubs are using the product.

Blue onde-onde made using blue butterfly flower powder gifted by My Blue Tea. I have been drawing Giveaways for My Blue Tea products on my Twitch channel all week; make sure you Follow me at Twitch.tv/JackieMFood for your chance to win. #twitch #twitchcreative #asianfood #asiancooking #liveasiankitchen #food #foodshare #foodie #foodlover #foodporn #foodgasm #foodstagram #getinmybelly #instaeat #sharefood #instafood #devourpower #foodblog #EEEEEATS #huffposttaste #tastespotting #foodgawker #instayum #buzzfeedfood #foodcoma #foodforfoodies #nomnomnom #foodieforlife #homecooking

A post shared by Jackie M (@jackiemsydney) on Sep 16, 2017 at 6:02pm PDT

Call me old school if you like, but these live videos did stir up great excitement among my audience of overseas Malaysians because blue butterfly flower – known as bunga telang in Malaysia – was one of those ingredients that nobody really knew where to buy outside of Malaysia. Frustrated Malaysian expats could finally rejoice at the prospect of enjoying Pulut Tai Tai and Nyonya Chang without doling out for return flights to Malaysia.

The truth of the matter is, blue butterfly flower was hard to find because its use even in its native setting is relatively limited. While the Peranakans in Malaysia have been using blue flower extract since the 1500s, it remains to this day a niche product within the realm of Southeast Asian cooking.

In fact, the first time I ate Nasi Kerabu in Kuala Lumpur, the signature blue rice was actually made using artificial colouring. As it turned out, even in Malaysia, they couldn’t find fresh blue butterfly flower in a big, urban city like KL.

Soon Kueh aka Chai Kueh with a blue twist (dumplings filled with yam bean/sengkuang/jicama and dried shrimp) from my latest Twitch Live Asian Kitchen. Congratulations to all 10 winners of my Blue Flower Products Giveaways courtesy of My Blue Tea Replays under Past Broadcasts at Twitch.tv/JackieMFood #gifted #twitch #twitchcreative #asianfood #asiancooking #liveasiankitchen #food #foodshare #foodie #foodlover #foodporn #foodgasm #foodstagram #getinmybelly #instaeat #sharefood #instafood #devourpower #foodblog #EEEEEATS #huffposttaste #tastespotting #foodgawker #instayum #buzzfeedfood #foodcoma #foodforfoodies #nomnomnom #foodieforlife #homecooking

A post shared by Jackie M (@jackiemsydney) on Sep 18, 2017 at 1:59pm PDT

So why use a natural extract when you could achieve similar effects with artificial colouring? Quite simple – studies have shown that the blue butterfly flower holds antioxidant properties and is useful for memory enhancement and the treatment of a wide range of health issues from depression to weight control. It’s been widely used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for centuries.

In any case, I’m all for cultural appropriation if it means, as in this instance, easy accessibility to a rare cooking ingredient thanks to increased marketplace demand. You can try to hunt down dried blue butterfly flowers in specialty stores, or you can order them online in powder form (made from 100% blue butterfly flowers) from MyBlueTea.com.au

Special broadcast on my Twitch channel tonight, where I’ll be using Blue Butterfly Flower (Bunga Telang) Powder in my cooking AND drawing some Giveaways of this exclusive product. See you at Twitch.tv/JackieMFood at 5pm Sydney time (GMT+10) today #gifted #twitch #twitchcreative #asianfood #asiancooking #liveasiankitchen #food #foodshare #foodie #foodlover #foodporn #foodgasm #foodstagram #getinmybelly #instaeat #sharefood #instafood #devourpower #foodblog #EEEEEATS #huffposttaste #tastespotting #foodgawker #instayum #buzzfeedfood #foodcoma #foodforfoodies #nomnomnom #foodieforlife #homecooking

A post shared by Jackie M (@jackiemsydney) on Sep 12, 2017 at 8:51pm PDT

Another winner with our Blue Butterfly Pea Powder – 3D Jellycake – the ocean so surreal. Enquire – WWW.MYBLUETEA.COM.AU Thanks Siew. #3djellyart #mybluetea #bungatelang #clitoriaternatea #foodporn #bakery #masterchef #australia #bluefood #melbourne #jellycake #trendyfoods #foodie #instafood#foodstagram #love #natural #healthyfood #bluefoods #desserts

A post shared by My Blue Tea (@my.blue.tea) on Nov 27, 2017 at 9:50pm PST

To find out more about Blue Butter Flower Powder, visit www.mybluetea.com.au or www.facebook.com/myblueteaAU/

The post Blue Flower Power And The Case For Cultural Appropriation first appeared on Jackie M..

Sup Soto

INGREDIENTS:

1 piece chicken breast, poached, cooled and shredded

2 cups beansprouts, blanched

½ lemon (optional)

2 eggs, boiled and halved

6 pieces white medium firm tofu, fried until browned, then quartered

2 ketupat (compressed rice squares), cooked and cut into squares – (omit if opting for low-carb)

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1 onion, quartered

5 cloves garlic

1-inch piece of ginger

30g Sup Soto spice mix or mild curry powder mix

1-inch stick of cinnamon (optional)

2 star anises (optional)

1 ½ L water or chicken stock

250ml coconut milk (optional)

3 Tbsps chicken powder

2 Tbsps oil

Fresh coriander and sliced spring onion for garnishing

METHOD:

1. Combine onion, garlic and ginger and blend in food processor.
2. Transfer into a deep saucepan and fry until most of the moisture has evaporated.
3. Add oil and saute until browned.
4. Add spice mix and fry until aromatic.
5. Add water, coconut milk, chicken powder and cinnamon and star anises.
6. Simmer for 10 minutes; adjust seasoning, then remove from heat.
7. Arrange chicken tofu, egg, ketupat and beansprouts in a bowl; top with soup and serve optionally with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and sambal.

The post How to Make Indonesian Sup Soto (Low Carb) first appeared on Jackie M..