This dish is known by different names depending on which part of Malaysia you grew up in; I know it as har meen (literally prawn noodles), and being pork-averse, I make mine with a combination of prawn and chicken stock, and top it with chicken in lieu of pork. The low-carb version covered in this recipe involves the use of konnyaku noodles (available here in Australia in Japanese or Korean grocery stores, and possibly the health food section of some supermarkets) or, alternatively, zoodles (zucchini strips)

Frankly, since this broadcast, I’ve been more inclined to just bulk up the dish with extra beansprouts, greens and protein, and just skip the noodles altogether. But that’s just me.

Low-Carb Har Meen

INGREDIENTS:

Prawn heads and shells from 1kg of prawns

2L chicken stock or water

5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

⅓ cup oil

4 Tbsps chicken powder

½ tsp white pepper

2 Tbsp (equivalent) rock sugar or white sugar

Separately poached or boiled –

3 zucchinis, shredded, drenched with salt for 20 minutes & drained OR konnyaku noodles

1 Chicken breast, shredded and tossed with sesame oil, white pepper and salt

Prawns, peeled and sliced in half

3 eggs

2 cups beansprouts

2 bunches kangkung, cut into 3-inch lengths

To assemble –

Fried crispy shallots

Fried sambal belacan (shrimp paste sambal)

Garlic chives, cut into 2-inch lengths

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in a stock pot, add garlic and brown.
2. Add prawns and saute until aromatic.
3. Add chicken stock or water, bring to a simmer
4. Add chicken powder, pepper and sugar.
5. Simmer for 30-60 minutes, adjust seasoning, then strain out prawn shells.
6. Assemble noodles (if using) and vegetables; top with soup followed by chicken, prawns, half a boiled egg, crispy shallots, garlic chives and a spoonful of sambal. Serve with a separate side of sambal.

The post How to Make Low-Carb Malaysian Prawn Noodle Soup (Har Meen) first appeared on Jackie M..

Vegan Pulut Panggang

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tbsps  minced preserved radish (usually used in Pad Thai)

1 onion, quartered

5 cloves garlic, peeled

3 Tbsps sugar

1 Tbsp mushroom (or any vegetarian) seasoning granules

⅔ cup desiccated coconut

1 Tbsp chilli crush

4 Tbsps oil

2 cups glutinous rice

1 cup coconut milk

1 ½ cups water

½ tsp salt

Banana leaves cut into 4 x 6-inch pieces, for wrapping; alternatively you can wrap them with cling wrap

METHOD:

1. Combine glutinous rice, coconut milk, water and salt and cook, covered, until done. If using an automatic rice cooker, you will likely need to cook it for 2 cycles.
2. Blend onion and garlic in food processor.
3. Transfer into a frying pan and saute until some of the moisture is eliminated. Add oil and brown the onion mixture.
4. Add all the other filling ingredients and cook until everything is combined and heated through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
5. Place 2 Tbsps of the sticky rice on a banana leaf. Form into a flat, rectangular shape.
6. Place 1 Tbsp filling in the middle, then  roll up like a sushi roll.
7. Secure the ends with bamboo toothpicks or staples.
8. Lightly grill to release the fragrance of the banana leaf before serving. (Skip this step if using cling wrap.)

The post How to Make Vegan Pulut Panggang first appeared on Jackie M..

So, unless you have a death wish, don’t call me a food blogger

Watch the replay of my live cooking lesson on how to make popiah >>

Popiah Garnishes for Assembly

INGREDIENTS:

Omelettes cut into thin strips, made from 4 eggs

½ cup prawns, peeled, deveined and poached (optional)

10 pieces of lettuce leaves

1 cup shredded cucumber

1 cup blanched beansprouts

½ cup fried shallots

⅓ cup crispy garlic granules (optional)

½ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup bottled chilli sauce

Cooked yam bean filling (recipe below)

Popiah skin (recipe below)

METHOD:

1. Place popiah skin on working surface; smear with hoisin and chilli sauce.
2. Add a piece of lettuce followed by popiah filling and small amounts of all the other garnishes.
3. Roll up like a fresh spring roll, then cut into 4 with a sharp knife. Transfer onto plate to serve.

Popiah Filling

INGREDIENTS:

1kg yam bean/sarkot/jicama/sengkuang, peeled and cut into thin strips

1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 cups dried shrimp, soaked
2 Tbsps ground bean paste
1 Tbsp chicken stock granules

1 cup water
2 Tbsps sugar
½ tsp pepper
¼ cup fried onion
2 Tbsps oil

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in deep saucepan.
2. Add garlic and saute lightly.
3. Add all other ingredients; simmer until yam bean is translucent and filling is a porridgy consistency.

Watch the close-up of how to make the popiah dough (with an earlier version of my recipe) >>

Popiah Skin

INGREDIENTS:

500g strong flour (eg. bread flour)

1 Tbsp tapioca starch

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

500ml water

METHOD:

1. Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or dough mixer until ingredients are well-combined. Cover with a layer of cold water or with a plastic wrap for 4 hours.
2. Tip out the water (if using), then using dough mixer on lowest setting, mix until you get a very rubbery dough.
3. Tear off some of the dough with your hand. Smear on a non-stick heavy-based pan heated to between 80-100’C. Cook until the sides begin to lift off the pan; peel and set aside, covered with a towel.
4. Repeat with rest of dough; make sure pan has cooled back down to between 80-100’C in between each wrapper.

The post How to Make Malaysian Popiah – 2017 Edition first appeared on Jackie M..

Serunding

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g cooked beef
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• ½ cup coconut cream
• 1 brown onion, peeled and quartered
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp meat curry powder
• ⅔ Tbsp chicken powder
• 4 Tbsps sugar
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 Tbsps oil

METHOD:

1. Mince beef in food processor.
2. Combine onion and garlic in food processor and mince.
3. Cook onion and garlic mince in heavy-based pan until nearly dry.
4. Add oil and fry until onion is browned.
5. Add all other ingredients and fry on low to medium heat until dry.
6. Allow to cool before storing.

Serunding is the dark shredded meat on the top part of this Nasi Kerabu dish from my Live Asian Kitchen broadcast –

Ikan Goreng (Fried Fish)

INGREDIENTS:

1 fish, about 200g

½ tsp salt

Dash of chicken powder

Dash of pepper

½ tsp turmeric

½ tsp chilli flakes

Oil for pan-frying

METHOD:

1. Cut slits across fish if thick. Rub ingredients all over and allow to marinate for 20 minutes.
2. Heat about 2 Tbsps oil in frying pan; fry fish on both sides  on medium heat until well done.

Ikan Goreng (pan-fried fish) in Kuala Lumpur’s Kampung Baru, a haven for Kelantanese food –

The post How to Make Serunding and Ikan Goreng (Fried Fish) – Nasi Kerabu Part 3 of 4 first appeared on Jackie M..

Chilli Sauce for Dumplings (1 hr 16 mins into video)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups large chillies
5 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
½ Tbsp salt
Cooled, boiled water (if needed)

METHOD:

Combine all ingredients except water in a blender (I used a Thermomix) and blitz on high for about 5 seconds. Add small amount of water as required to get to desired consistency and blend further to get a smooth paste.
Keep in fridge for up to a week or store in freezer.

Recipe link for my chilli crab can be found here >> http://jackiem.com.au/2017/03/14/cook-singapore-chilli-crab/

The post How to Make Chilli Sauce for Dim Sums first appeared on Jackie M..

Eggplant Sambal

INGREDIENTS:

1 large eggplant, cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsps dried shrimp, soaked, drained and lightly crushed
4 Tbsps chilli paste from soaked, blended, dried large chillies
½ Tbsp belacan (shrimp paste) powder (optional)
½ Tbsp chicken powder
1 tsp sugar
Dash of fish sauce
3-4 Tbsps oil

METHOD:

Pan fry eggplant until soft and lightly browned. I used an air fryer and cooked them for 15 minutes at 180C.
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in frying pan. Add minced garlic and dried shrimp; saute until aromatic.
Add all other ingredients and saute until oil separates.
Add eggplant and toss through. Remove and serve.

Visit www.prestigehomeappliances.com.au for more information about the Optimum HealthyFry air fryer used in this recipe.

The post How To Cook Eggplant & Dried Shrimp Sambal first appeared on Jackie M..

Chi Pa (Steamed Glutinous Rice Dough with Crushed Peanuts and Sesame Seeds)

INGREDIENTS:

Dough –

250g glutinous rice flour
1 ½ cups water
2 Tbsps fried shallot oil (or any oil)

Coating –

250g skinless peanuts, roasted
50g sesame seeds, roasted
120g icing sugar

METHOD:

1. Combine dough ingredients and mix till smooth.
2. Pour into a greased 8” pan and steam on medium heat for 45 minutes.
3. Remove and use a wooden spoon to stir in one direction until smooth.
4. Brush with oil to prevent it from drying. Allow to cool.
5. Crush peanuts in food processor until fine. Add sesame seeds and pulse briefly.
6. Add icing sugar and mix well. Adjust ratios of sugar/peanuts/sesame seeds as desired.
7. Cut dough into small ½ x 1-inch pieces (approximately) and coat generously with peanut mixture. Serve with toothpicks.

Click here for the Prawn Stock Paste recipe from this broadcast >> http://jackiem.com.au/2017/01/16/make-prawn-stock-paste-instant-noodles/

The post How to Make Mah Chee aka Chi Pa first appeared on Jackie M..

I sort of split the difference in this broadcast where I retained the use of hearty chunks of beef brisket found in the Malaysian version, but seasoned the soup with some of the spices you would more likely find in a pot of pho – namely star anise and cloves (I would have added a cinnamon stick but for the fact I had none in my pantry).

Beef Noodle Soup

INGREDIENTS:

Beef Soup –

1kg beef brisket, cut into large cubes
1kg beef bones
2L chicken stock
Water to take volume to 6L
½ onion
6 cloves garlic, peeled
3 star anises
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
1” piece of ginger
2 tsps sugar
2 Tbsp chicken powder
Dash of white pepper

Separately blanch –

Noodles (usually fresh rice noodles aka hor fun)
Beansprouts
Asian greens

Optional –

Crispy fried shallots
Herbs
Chilli sauce or soya sauce + sliced chillies

METHOD:

1. Combine soup ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for about 2-3 hours or until the brisket is very tender and the soup is flavoursome. Adjust seasoning as required.
2. Add more water as required during cooking, to maintain the overall volume at about 6L (ie. liquids + bones + meat).
3. FYI I used a pressure cooker – the Optimum Induction Pressure-Cook Pro and it was done in under 45 minutes.
4. Place separately-blanched noodles and veggies in a bowl and fill with soup and beef chunks.

Visit www.prestigehomeappliances.com.au for more information about the Optimum Induction Pressure-Cook Pro used in this recipe.

Click here for the Crispy Fried Onions from this broadcast >> http://jackiem.com.au/2016/12/16/how-to-make-crispy-fried-onions/

The post How to Cook Beef Noodle Soup first appeared on Jackie M..

Kerisik

INGREDIENT:

Block of creamed coconut

METHOD:

1. Cook the creamed coconut in a non-stick pan on low heat, stirring gently until browned.
2. Allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Chicken Rendang

INGREDIENTS:

2kg chicken pieces
2 onions, peeled and quartered
8 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup minced lemongrass
1-inch piece of ginger
3-4 Tbsps meat curry powder
500ml coconut cream
200ml water
2 Tbsps chicken powder
2 tsps sugar
Dash of fish sauce (optional)
3 Tbsps kerisik
4 Tbsps oil

METHOD:

1. Blend onion, garlic and ginger in food processor.
2. Transfer into a bowl; add curry powder and lemongrass and mix to a paste.
3. Saute in a wok until most of the moisture has evaporated, then add oil and fry until browned and oil separates.
4. Add chicken and saute another 2 minutes.
5. Add coconut cream, water, chicken powder, sugar and fish sauce.
6. Simmer, stirring regularly, until chicken is cooked through and dish is a semi-dry consistency.
7. Add kerisik and mix well; adjust seasoning before removing from heat.
8. Serve with plain or coconut-flavoured rice

The post How to Make Kerisik and Chicken Rendang first appeared on Jackie M..

Most recipes online call for oatmeal (seeing that Nestum cereal isn’t that readily available overseas), so that’s what I used. It wasn’t until years later that I found out there’s actually no oats in Nestum, so oatmeal is in fact a lousy substitute for it.

That would explain why my version didn’t crisp up and I had to turn it into a creamy-oatmeal-prawn dish by adding evaporated milk, thus accidentally creating a new dish I named “Jackie M Prawns”. Which was damn popular, I might add.

Cereal Prawns

INGREDIENTS:

300g prawns, peeled, tail intact
1 egg white
3 Tbsps rice flour
Oil for deep-frying

½ cup Nestum cereal
50g butter
2 stalks curry leaves, stalks removed
2 bird’s eye chillies, sliced
2 tsps minced garlic (optional)
1 tsp chicken powder
2 tsps sugar

METHOD:

1. Heat oil to 180°C. Toss prawns with egg white, dip in rice flour, then deep-fry for about 30 seconds or until just cooked through.
2. Remove and drain.
3. Heat butter in saucepan, then add garlic, chillies and curry leaves.
4. Saute until garlic is lightly browned.
5. Add cereal, chicken powder and sugar and lower heat.
6. Add prawns and mix well; cook until cereal is a golden brown colour. Adjust seasoning, remove and serve.

Click here for Kaya recipe >> http://jackiem.com.au/2015/11/11/how-to-make-kaya-toast/

Click here for Pisang Goreng recipe >> http://jackiem.com.au/2016/10/28/make-pisang-goreng-fried-bananas/

The post How to Cook Cereal Prawns, Kaya and Pisang Goreng first appeared on Jackie M..