Nasi Kerabu Terengganu

Nasi Kerabu is one of the many popular dish which is mostly served at the east coast of Malaysia. 'Nasi kerabu' also translated as rice salad and this special dish normally comes with blue rice and all sort of vegetables & 'serunding' or meat floss with a touch of the unique sweet & spicy gravy. And 'nasi ulam' is quite similar to it as well except that it uses more herbs & green leaves vegetables on it. Too bad that I didn't get to try the original nasi kerabu during my last visit to Kelantan. So, its going into my list to do.

A couple of weeks back, the east coast of Malaysia was strike by horrible flood. Luckily, the university that my girl studying at wasn't involved and she managed to get home a few days later by plane. I just sent her off yesterday. She need to go back early to do some cleaning up in the hostel and preparation for her coming exam which has been delayed for quite some time already since the flood. Hopefully, things will goes well.

The best part of this dish is 'kerisik sambal ikan' or coconut flaked fish. It is absolutely addictive.

Ingredients for kerisik sambal ikan :
2   ikan kembung (scomber) or mackerel, fried till brown & remove flesh
100gm  grated young coconut
1/2 tspn   salt
2 tspn  sugar
4 shallots, sliced
1cm  ginger, peeled & sliced
a pinch of pepper

Method :
(1) dry fry grated coconut in non-stick pan till lightly brown & fragrant.
(2) then pound shallots & ginger, add coconut, fish meat & other ingredients, pound to mix well. Or you use a grinder. Set aside when it is done.

Ingredients for Blue Rice :
2 cups  rice, washed & drained
2 cups hot water
7  'Bunga telang' or butterfly pea flower or a few drops of colouring
1 stalk lemongrass, cleaned & slightly smashed

Method :
(1) soaked 'bunga telang' into hot water for 15 minutes or till colour turned blue then discharged the flower.
(2) now, combine everything into rice cooker and let to cook as usual.

Note : please make sure you're using the same size measuring cup for both rice & water.

Ingredients for fried turmeric chicken :
1/2  chicken, chopped to bite size
1 tspn   salt
1 TB   turmeric powder
2 TB   corn starch

Method :
Combine everything into a big bowl & mix well. Add in about 2 TB of water if the mixture it too dry. Then fried till golden brown.

Ingredients for sweet & spicy gravy :
10 dried chilies, soaked
1 large onion, skinned & sliced
3 shallots, skinned & sliced
1cm  ginger, skinned & sliced
6 cloves  garlic, skinned
2pcs  asam keping
1 stalk  lemongrass, rinsed & slightly smashed
200ml   coconut milk
salt & sugar to taste

Method :
Blend together soaked dried chilies, shallots, onion, ginger & garlic till fine. Preheat frying pan with 1/2 cup cooking and saute lemongrass, asam keping & blended mixture till mixture turned red & fragrant. Finally, add in coconut milk and continue simmering till the sauce became thick. Add in salt & sugar to your taste then its ready.

Other side dish as desired :  cooked salted eggs, cucumber, blanched some beansprouts, fried ikan kembung, serunding daging (meat floss) & prawn cracker.

I prefer handling this dish without the folk & spoon but with my own hands. I simply enjoying it this way. Well, how many of you have tried eating with your own hands so far? You should start trying it out some time. And here's some read up what beneficial regarding eating with your own hands. Click here.

Enjoy & have fantastic week ahead everyone !

Reserved Forest Lesong ~ Sg Kacah Putih

After so many years, I finally be able to visit Reserved Forest of Lesong last weekend for a 4 days 3 nights stay. It was an amazing trip with some other friends. The top picture is the 1st camp side at Sg. Sekin (up steam) It was as beautiful as always. We stopped by to take an hour break then continued on our journey.

Now, here comes our semi hardcore journey. Luckily, it's not rainy season. Otherwise, the route is probably going to be very very slippery and it will take hours to reach to the top. I've been looking forward to visit our last camp side again (3rd camp side) but too bad we have lost track of it.

After a two hours ride, we finally found the entrance. Hubby went into the small path to check with it but still not sure. However, I managed to take down this picture while hubby was away checking on the track. Its the best catch of the day. It was a large deer foot print. We actually bump into one barking deer (kijang) along the way as well. Anyway, everyone suggested to go along with the track for further discovery and we started moving again after a short while.

It was so exciting. Not knowing what is waiting infront of us !!!

Oh wow.... I am totally speechless when I reached this place. The camp side is absolutely stunning ever and its the 5th camp side. Just imagine how tiny we are in this forest !  So, just don't mess up with them. Always keep the place clean & tidy.

Another best catch of the day,  a stunning view of a dead tree along the river.

I found this weird looking stone nearby our camp side. It looks so much like a big foot !

And here's the view of the other side of our camp side. Chilling environment !

One of my favourite photo.

On the 3rd day, after preparing dinner hubby & me heading to down stream to his fishing spot. Its another gorgeous view ever.

And finally, we reached the fishing spot around 7pm. I managed to take this picture before getting dark. The empty space opposite the river is the 4th camp side where hubby used to camp there with his friends.

And hubby finally caught a red mahseer (Ikan kelah merah) on the same night around 8pm.

On the same day, a friend managed to took this picture while he tracking down stream with some other friends. This gigantic tiger foot print picture was taken nearby the 3rd camp side.... with another baby cub foot print as well.

And hubby also found these 'Bunga Engkabang' or scientific name as Shorea Macrophylla around the fishing spot in the monring. These ''Bunga Engkabang' from Lesong is a bit different from the Kahang ones.

And these 'Bunga Engkabang' is from Kahang. There are actually a few species of them and the small ones are the Emburau's (Masheer fish) favourite food.

Finally, the camping trip has come to an end. We are all packed up & getting ready to leave. I will definitely visit again. Can't wait to discover more exciting foot prints in future and of course, the real thing sounds even better. hehe....  Hope you guys enjoying it as well ! Have a great week ahead everyone.

Alkaline~Free Jaggery Sugar Kuih Kosui

Happy New Year 2015 everyone !!!! Wow.... another year gone by, just imagine how time flies. Hopefully, 2015 will bring peace to the whole wide world.... NO WAR, NO more killing & NO more terrifying disaster. As this is my first post on year 2015, I'm bringing in a simple and yet homey type of Malaysian food as a start. Kuih kosui is one of the many famous sweet delicacies of Malaysia. Its an easy and yet delicious gluten-free recipe. Hopefully year 2015 as sweet & wonderful as it is !

Come on, lets start the party.

Ingredients :
(A)
50gm  rice flour
30gm   tapioca flour
20gm   wheat starch (tung fun)
300ml   water

(B)
200ml   water
130gm   gula merah / Jagerry sugar
2 TB   sugar
2 pcs pandanus leaves

For coating :  1 cup  young grated coconut mix with 1 tspn  salt then steam for 10 minutes before used.

Method :
(1) combine ingredients (A) & mix well then set aside.
(2) next, heat ingredients (B) till sugar dissolved then discharge pandanus leaves.
(3) now, pour mixture (B) into (A) and keep on stirring till everything well mixed then heat mixture till thicken. (Note : off the heat immediately once the mixture started to thicken. Keep on stirring as it will became thick paste.)
(4) place the thick batter to individual cups then steam for 15-20 minutes or till the center set.
(5) leave to cool then use a teaspoon to tip out the kuih from moulds, and serve with grated coconut.

I prefer to roll & coat them with grated coconut this way.

Hmmm.... just love the combination between the sweet & fragrant jaggery sugar flavour with salty coconut. I can easily polish them all off.all by myself. >o<  Bet it will be perfect for those gluten-free food taster. So, enjoy everyone and am sending my best wishes & blessings to all my readers. May 2015 brings good health & peace to everyone.