Let's Cook: Rice

Coriander is my the most favourite herb. In the US it is generally known by the Spanish word cilantro. Coriander leaves have an extremely pungent odour and flavour that lends itself well.

I have always been using coriander leaves to garnish most of my cooking. I was wondering if could use it in the cooking itself. I was inspired by a rice dish that I ate at my uncle's place. It was curry leaves rice. Curry leaves were ground into paste and rice was cooked with it. It was not rich but very spicy and garnished with fried peanuts.

I have used the idea of grinding coriander into paste and cook rice with it. I followed my mom's way of cooking ordinary ghee rice. I have used ghee and evaporated milk for the richness and vegetable stock to give it body.

The ratio of rice and liquid may vary from rice to rice. So, be cautious with the amount of liquid used. The ratio below is just a guide.

Coriander Rice

What do we need:

3 cups basmathi rice

Grind into paste
2 cm ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 green chilli
1 bunch coriander leaves

1 cinnamon bark
1 star anise
2 cloves
2 pods cardamom
1 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp ghee
salt to taste

How do we do it:

Wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes. Later, drain and set aside.

Heat ghee. Fry cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamom until fragrant. Pour the ground ingredients and fry until aromatic and the oil separates. In goes the rice. Fry the rice until well coated with all the ingredients. Pour in vegetable stock and milk. Season with salt to taste. Cook until the rice fluff up.

Serve hot with your favourite dishes.

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Blueberry Cheesecake

Hello everyone. After a long long gap I'm pleased to be back to the world of foodblogging. 2011 has been a hectic year for me with lots of changes in lifestyle and some significant achievements.

In conjuction with Chinese New Year and as a comeback gift I present my ever favourite blueberry cheesecake. This recipe was given to me by my brother who is a great baker.

Cheesecake is a luscious, rich dessert consisting of a topping made of soft, fresh cream cheese. A cheesecake may or may not have a crust or base. This crust is can be made from biscuit crumb, pastry or sponge cake. The filling is made by creaming the cheese and mixing it with eggs and sugar. A range of flavourings may be added to this mixture. It is then poured into a special springform pan and baked. After baking, the cheesecake is thoroughly chilled and generally topped with fresh fruit or with a sweetened fruit sauce, nuts, and/or chocolate.

Cheesecakes may be baked or unbaked. Uncooked cheesecake is made with a biscuit crumb base and a filling made of cream cheese enriched with eggs, flavoured and set with gelatine.

The texture of cheesecake can vary from light and airy to dense and rich to smooth and creamy. Unbaked cheesecake is lighter and creamier than the baked version.

What do we need:

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Filling
2 packages/8oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp plain flour
4 eggs
2 cups blueberry pie filling

How do we do it:

Combine crumbs, sugar and butter. Push mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
Lightly stir the cream cheese until soft and creamy. Beat in sour cream, sugar, vanilla and flour. Add in eggs one at a time. Pour the mixture into the crumb lined pan. Bake in a preheated oven 165° C for 1 hour or until firm to the touch.

Cool the cake completely. Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife to removing the cake. Place blueberry pie filling on top of cake. Chill well before serving.

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

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A Specially Brewed Cake

Living with him or not, I have been baking him birthday cakes for the past few years. This time I was too busy to bake one. Felt so guilty about it. Thus baked a cake the next day. It is a favourite flavour of mine; coffee. Just love the aroma of coffee. I incorporated some chopped almond to give the cake a bite and additional flavour.

Coffee Almond Cake

What do we need:

1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
2 eggs

1 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tbsp hot water

2 tbsp chopped almonds

How do we do it:

Dissolve the instant coffee granules with the hot water. Leave to cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Stir in the cooled coffee. Fold in the sifted flour mixture.

Pour the mixture into a greased and flour or paper lined pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 175° C for about 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Fill and/or frost the cake with your favourite frosting. Decorate as per desired.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAREST BROTHER

The Premier Chinese Fruit

Lychee, also spelled litchi or laichi, is a tropical fruit tree that originated in southern China. It is the most popular Chinese fruit and has been cherished for over 2,000 years.

Lychee fruits are showy and are borne in loose pendent clusters of 2 to 30. It is a drupe, oval, heart-shaped or nearly round shaped and is quite small though at only about 2.5 cm wide and 4 cm long; about the size of a small plum. The fruit is covered by skin or pericarp that is thin, leathery, roughly-textured or minutely warty rind that comes off easily but is inedible. It is usually strawberry-red, sometimes rose, pinkish or amber, and some types tinged with green colour. This skin often referred to as the "shell" encases a layer of glossy, succulent, thick, translucent-white to grayish or pinkish fleshy pulp which usually separates readily from the seed. The flesh is similar in texture to a grape but is chewier. It is edible and consists of a highly developed aril enveloping the seed. The flavour of the delicately scented flesh is distinctive, sub acid, sweet, exotic, and very juicy. In the centre is a single glossy dark-brown nut-like seed of about 2 cm long and 1–1.5 cm in diameter. The seed, which looks like a buckeye seed, is inedible as it is slightly poisonous.

Fresh lychee fruit still in their skin will explode if thrown onto a fire. Lychee naturally dehydrates in just a few days. The skin turns brown and brittle and the flesh becomes dry, shriveled, dark reddish brown and the flesh becomes brown and crisp. As it resembles a nut, dried lychee is nicknamed “lychee nut”. It has a raisin-like, richer and musky flavour. The flesh of the dried lychee is eaten like raisins, as a snack. The Chinese use it to sweeten their tea.

Other than potassium, lychee contains various minerals. It is rich in vitamins B & C and is a fairly high source of vitamins E and D. Eaten in moderate amounts, it is believed to relieve cough and is said to have a beneficial effect on gastralgia, tumours and enlargements of the glands. Though the Chinese believe that excessive consumption of fresh lychees causes fever and nosebleed, they use the seeds to relieve neurological pains and orchitis. A tea of the fruit peel is taken to overcome smallpox eruptions and diarrhea. According to legends, ancient devotees have consumed from 300 to 1,000 of fresh lychees per day. In India, the seeds are powdered and used for intestinal troubles. Decoction of the root, bark and flowers are gargled to alleviate ailments of the throat. In the USA, lychee roots are being experimented on a type of tumour.

When purchasing, choose lychee that has bright coloured skin and free of blemishes. Lychee could be kept at room temperatures for only two or three days. Therefore, place it in a plastic bag and refrigerate unpeeled for up to a week.

Lychee is a premier dessert fruit. Though available tinned and dried, it is most relished fresh; peeled and pitted. It is also used to make ice cream, juice, candies and wine. Recently, I flavoured my jelly with lychee.



Lychee Jelly

What do we need:

1 tin lychee
5 g agar-agar strands
2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
A pinch of salt
A few drops of food colouring

How do we do it:

Soak the the agar-agar strands in water for an hour. Wash and drain. Cook with water.

Strain the lychees and save the syrup.

When the jelly strands have dissolved, add the lychee syrup, sugar and salt. Cook until the sugar dissolve. Colour the jelly mixture with a fre drops of food colouring. Mix well.

Roughly chop the lychees and scatter in a mould. Strain the jelly mixture into the mould onto the lychee pieces. Chill in fridge. To ease unmoulding of the jelly, ensure that the moulds are wet before pouring the jelly mixture. Serve Lychee Jelly cold.

That Perfect Breakfast

I was so hungry this morning. Starving for a sweet buttery breakfast. So, quickly whipped up a pancake of my favourite flavour; vanilla.

Vanilla Custard Pancake

What do we need:

1 1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup custard powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp melted butter

1 tsp butter

How do we do it:

Sift the flour, custard powder, baking powder and salt.

Mix the egg, milk, sugar and the melted butter together. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Combine the egg mixture with the flour mixture. Cover and leave the batter to meld for about 30 minutes.

Lightly grease pan with a touch of butter. Drop a tablespoonful of batter. When the pancake is full of bubbles, flip over and cook for another 30 seconds.



Serve Vanilla Custard Pancake warm with a drizzle of maple syrup, honey or vanilla sauce.

Happy Deepavali 2009

This year is a special Deepavali to me as I get to celebrate it for the first time in my own place after marriage. Though busy at work, I still managed to make some festive delicacies.

Clockwise from top: Ghee Balls, Achi Muruku, Pineapple Jam Tarts & Muruku
Centre from left to right: Blackforest Cookies, Orange Cookies & Custard Cookies

Wishing Hindus Thoughout The Globe a Very Happy & Prosperous Deepavali

The Rocky Pastry

Rock bun is a specific type of pastry, distinguished by the hard, crust-like texture and sweet taste. This spicy British pastry usually also has a sugar-crust topping and is full of coarsely chopped dried fruit. Rock bun is also called rock cake as it is a cross between a cookie and a small cake. It is made using the rubbing in method. This method achieves a dry and open texture. Rock bun is baked in small mounds, which take on a rocklike appearance.

I made my very first batch of rock buns at school when I was 14 years old. Ever since then, I fell in love with the rocky pastry. Similarly, my sister and children too love them.

Rock Buns

What do we need:

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup cold butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup mixed dried fruits
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp clove powder
1 cold egg
1/4 cup cold milk


How do we do it:

In a food processor, place the flour, baking powder and cold butter. At a low speed, mix the ingredients until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Mix in sugar, the spices and the dried fruits with a metal spoon.

Slightly beat the cold milk and egg together. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Gently stir just until the dough binds together. Drop the dough by teaspoonful on a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake at 200° C for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on wire rack.



Enjoy Rock Bun with a cup of tea.

A Comeback, an Anniversary and a Birthday

Hello there everyone. Here am I once again, back to the blogosphere after a loooooong gap. I am now living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for good. It took me this long to really settle down.

Yesterday we celebrated 2 occasions, the 5th anniversary of my motherhood and my dearest daughter’s 5th birthday. It is the greatest day in my life. Being a mother is an invaluable gift. 5 years passed by just too fast. My lovely daughter has grown up that it’s now difficult for me to carry her.

She said “amma, for my birthday I want everything princess.” As a doting mother, it’s my duty to fulfill her desire. I made a princess cake, my brother made a princess jelly and my sister dolled my daughter up to become a princess.

The 3 Princesses

As usual I prepared quite a number of items for the party.

The Food Spread

My brother made multi-layered and multi-coloured jelly. I baked Pineapple Jam Cake as the base and Vanilla Cake as the gown.

Princess Jelly and Princess Cake

Prawn Fried Rice

Grilled Spicy Chicken

Carrot and Broccoli Soup

Potatoe and Tuna Bruschetta

Mixed Vege Salad

Rock Bun and Marble Jelly

Cream of the Pastry

Pastry cream or crème pâtissière in French is a rich, thick egg custard that is cooked on the stovetop. It is made with a combination of milk or cream, egg yolks, sugar. Plain flour or corn flour is used to thicken the texture. Other than the traditional vanilla flavouring, it could also be flavoured with chocolate, coffee, liqueurs, lemon or fruit purées.

Pastry cream is used as filling or stuffing for many French desserts like cream puffs, éclairs and napoleons. Also used to fill tarts, buns, Boston cream pie, some Italian and various other pastries.

Pastry Cream

What do we need:

1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp plain flour
1 pinch salt

1 tbsp unsalted butter

How do we do it:

Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds out. Add the scraped vanilla pod and the seeds into the milk. Bring the milk to a boil and remove from heat.

Beat the egg yolks, sugar, salt and flour together. While whisking constantly, pour in half of the hot milk in a slow steady stream into the egg mixture. This is to prevent the eggs from curdling. Add the egg mixture to the remaining hot milk. Cook over low medium heat while whisking constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce the heat to low and whisk for 2 another 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter. If using vanilla extract, also stir in.

Cover with cling film and press down so that it touches the surface of the cream. This is to prevent a skin from forming. Cool to room temperature before storing the pastry cream in the refrigerator.

Whisk the cream until smooth when using.

The Green Condiment

This is my favourite condiment. It is a must to go along with chinese food. Therefore, every chinese restaurant would have them served in the centre of each table.

Green Chilli Pickle

What do we need:

15 green chillies
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

How do we do it:

Wash and drain chillies well. Thinly slice the chillies. Place the sliced chillies in a jar.

Mix vinegar, water, salt and sugar, until sugar dissolves. Pour mixture into the jar onto the chillies.

The chillies will be ready the next day. It could be refrigerated for months.