怀旧的马来西亚菜

大学时代，我有两个很要好的新加坡室友。两个都是煮饭高手，其中一位的妈妈在她小时候就在新加坡电视台教学煮菜。受她们的耳濡目染，我也喜欢上马拉西亚菜。

老公best friend去年结婚了，温柔可人的太太是马来西亚华侨。最近他们传来喜讯，我们都超开心！准妈妈都是最想念家乡美食。这顿马来西亚菜一半是为了慰解准妈妈怀乡的胃口，一半也是纵容我自己怀旧的情怀。

肉骨茶

肉骨茶明明没有茶叶，不知道怎么叫肉骨茶。我室友她们常常煮这个汤，那药材的香味充满了整个厨房，我们都喜欢里面的豆腐泡，这次我特别用了两包。

我用焖烧锅。肉骨茶香料包，一整颗蒜，香菇五朵，加清水大火煮至沸腾。放入猪小排，豆腐泡，再次沸腾后，把焖烧锅內锅放入外锅。上桌的时候再放入烫过的小白菜。



Beef Rendang
这个咖喱很香，我也是用焖烧锅煮的。最好提前一天做好，放过夜，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

当当当！当晚最受欢迎的明星菜来了！记得大学时候，我问马来西亚同学他最喜欢的家乡菜是什么，答案就是这个。真的很香。要赞老公在下雨天还在外面烧烤这道菜。老公best friend说跟他们在马来西亚当地吃的很像，只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

马来西亚受印度影响也很深。
买的冰冻的Roti，火上两面煎一煎，好香。小朋友超喜欢。
Dhal Curry用电锅，煮熟一杯lentil，加一小勺cumin powder, turmeric, chili powder, salt。 通常用高压煮的Dhal都很水水的，用电锅就比较干。



Nasi Lemak
The de facto nation dish of Malaysia。记得大四那年寒假，我和两个室友一起去美东玩了一趟。每到一个据点，她们都找马来西亚餐厅。有一天我们在外面逛好晚了，最近的一家马来餐厅槟城还有一个多小时远，大家都饿了。我说算了，随便吃点吧。我室友坚决地摇头，“不行，我要去槟城，我都能听到Nasi Lemak在叫我的名字了！”



这也是今天晚上准妈妈最最怀念的家乡美食。她好喜欢喔。我跟盈盈学的菜谱。谢谢盈盈！

椰浆饭用新鲜椰丝，香兰叶，香茅，姜蒸熟。 小鱼干用Sambal辣椒虾酱炒香。 配白煮蛋和小黄瓜。

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.

马来风光
记得大学时代有一天回家，室友正在家里做sambal酱。虾酱的那个味道经过烤和blender，一开门闻到，差点没呛过去。后来吃过几次，倒是越来越喜欢。当然要做这道菜啦。


虾酱做的sambal酱，蒜头，炒空心菜。可惜我没有用大火，油也放的太少，炒出来水水的。

菜齐了



客人带来的摩摩喳喳



有木瓜，红枣，莲子，白木耳，枸杞。每次都不同的。

这顿马来西亚菜，让我好想念大学室友，也怀念那些青葱岁月。准妈妈对我说，来到美国这一年，最想念的就是家乡食物。希望这顿饭稍稍满足一下她的家乡胃。这就是美食的魅力吧。