I'm quite a curry puff fanatic and always take the opportunity to try any curry puff. Most of the curry puffs sold in Singapore are either sardine, potato or chicken. You hardly can find any offering mutton or beef curry puff. During a trek from my residence to East Coast Park, I happen to find this confectionery - Sha Zah along Joo Chiat Place offering assortment ranges of pastry from curry puff, samosa to epok epok with beef, chicken and mutton fillings.
I purchased a mutton curry puff ($1.50) and beef curry puff ($1.70) to try it out. The mutton curry puff is quite a letdown as I could hardly find any mutton chunks or bits in it. It is predominantly fill with potato laced with smell of mutton goodness.
However, the beef curry puff surpise me as I could taste the chunks of beef when I biting into it. The beef is presently flavor with the right level of spiciness and sweetness. Sha Zah's curry puff are baked in oven. Therefore, the skin at the end might be wee bit hard and at times oiler than those fried version. For those curry puff fanatics looking for chunky beef curry puff, look no further as Sha Zah definitely can satisfy your cravings.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday Cookout Afterthought
I have been on a cooking frenzy for the past 2 days, showcasing my food creation in my blog as well as facebook. This is due to my new digital camera acquisition (Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP1) kudos to Panasonic Viera 3D competition. The FP1 have serve me well this past 2 days in documenting my food creation. I'm slowly getting the hang in operating it.
It's time to pay my final respect to my trusty old PSP camera that had been assisting me in recording my trials and tribulations in cooking for the past few years. I also want to take the opportunity to thanks readers that enjoy my post despite my irregular updates.
It's time to pay my final respect to my trusty old PSP camera that had been assisting me in recording my trials and tribulations in cooking for the past few years. I also want to take the opportunity to thanks readers that enjoy my post despite my irregular updates.
Cha Soba With Roasted Basil Chicken Karaage
I decided to have Soba for dinner to combat the sweltering heat. I prefer green tea soba in particular. However, eat cold soba alone any side dish seem too bland. After rummaging through the freezer, I found a pack of frozen basil chicken karaage that is ideal soba accompaniment.
Cha Soba With Roasted Basil Chicken Karaage
Cha Soba With Roasted Basil Chicken Karaage
- Cha Soba (available at Daiso for just $2)
- Bonito Sauce (available at Daiso for just $2)
- Basil Chicken Karaage (available at NTUC Fairprice)
- Wasabi
Iced Lemon Tea Grass Jelly Drink
Today weather is sweltering hot. Ideal for F1 drivers but not for the average joe who doesn't have air-conditioning install in their residence. Luckily, I bought some "仙草" Grass Jelly - a traditional chinese jelly-like desert consume to cool oneself in the sweltering summer. It's normally offer as plain sugared drink. I decide to give it a twist by adding grass jelly to popular summer drink - Iced Lemon Tea.
Iced Lemon Tea Grass Jelly Drink
Iced Lemon Tea Grass Jelly Drink
- 2 Tablespoon of Nestea Ice Lemon Tea Mix
- 4 Tablespoon of Grass Jelly
- 700ml of Iced Water
Roast Prawn Sauce Chicken
Prawn Sauce Chicken is one of the famous dish in "煮炒" literally translate to food stall that offer ala carte dishes that prepared upon order placement. Prawn Sauce Chicken is deep fried but the oil that used to fry the Prawn Sauce Chicken will not be reusable due to Prawn Sauce stench in the oil. In order to reduce such wastage, I decide to roast the Prawn Sauce Chicken instead of deep fry it. The result is uniquely tasteful as the fried version. It doesn't have the oily feeling while retaining the crispiness of the fried version.
Roast Prawn Sauce Chicken
Before you roast the chicken thigh, heat up the frying pan with oil and sear the chicken thighs both side for about 3 mins. Place the chicken thigh in well oil oven tray and covered with foil to ensure that chicken remain succulent during the roasting the toaster oven.
Place it in the toaster oven and toast it for 30mins. After that, remove the foil and drain the sauce that accumulate on the oven tray. Put it back into the toaster oven without the foil and grill it 10mins till the skins turn brown and cripsy, Then you're ready to serve it with rice or noodle of choice.
Roast Prawn Sauce Chicken
- Prawn Sauce Chicken Powder (Available in all supermart)
- 4 Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Mirin
Before you roast the chicken thigh, heat up the frying pan with oil and sear the chicken thighs both side for about 3 mins. Place the chicken thigh in well oil oven tray and covered with foil to ensure that chicken remain succulent during the roasting the toaster oven.
Place it in the toaster oven and toast it for 30mins. After that, remove the foil and drain the sauce that accumulate on the oven tray. Put it back into the toaster oven without the foil and grill it 10mins till the skins turn brown and cripsy, Then you're ready to serve it with rice or noodle of choice.
Sloppy Joe Cheese Wedges
I absolutely adore chips especially potato wedges. With the excess Sloppy Joe fillings leftover, I decide to made Sloppy Joe Cheese Wedges - a decadent version of Carl's Jr Chili Fries.
Sloppy Joe Cheese Wedges
Sloppy Joe Cheese Wedges
- Potato Wedges
- Sloppy Joe
- Mozarella Cheese
Saffron Chicken Rice
Chicken rice have establish itself as one of the staple cuisine for general singapore populace that you can practically find a Chicken Rice stall in every foodcourt or hawker centre. The default taste for chicken rice more or less is cast in stone. Being a foodie that challenge the norm, I decide to up the ante by adding to saffron (one of the most expensive spice in the world) to this defined cuisine and manage to bring out a whole new taste spectrum.
Saffron Chicken Rice
For old school who like to do all the nitty gritty steps, simply heat up fried pan with oil and pan fry the garlic and ginger for 2 mins till you smell the aroma release from the ginger and garlic. Add in the rice grain and fry for another 5 mins to let the garlic and ginger infused into the rice grain. Turn off the flame and empty everything into the rice cooker and add in chicken stock accordance to the amount of rice used. Add in the pandan leaf, saffron and pinch of salt and powered up the rice cooker. Once it is done, you have your lovely saffron chicken rice.
Saffron Chicken Rice
- Yamie Chicken Rice (available in leading supermarket)
- 5 Saffron strands
- Water
- 1 to 2 cups of Thai Fragrant Rice
- 1 to 2 cups of Chicken Stock
- 1 Pandan Leaf crush and tied to knot
- 5 slices of Ginger
- 5 clove of Garlic crushed
- 5 Saffron strands
- Oil
- Salt
For old school who like to do all the nitty gritty steps, simply heat up fried pan with oil and pan fry the garlic and ginger for 2 mins till you smell the aroma release from the ginger and garlic. Add in the rice grain and fry for another 5 mins to let the garlic and ginger infused into the rice grain. Turn off the flame and empty everything into the rice cooker and add in chicken stock accordance to the amount of rice used. Add in the pandan leaf, saffron and pinch of salt and powered up the rice cooker. Once it is done, you have your lovely saffron chicken rice.
Sichuan Mala Noodles With Prawn Gyoza & Sliced Roasted Chicken
My visit to Kim Gary normally is solely restricted to their curry rice as their curry is uniquely different and I'm unable to emulate. But I'm amused that there are patrons order their noodles dishes as they are generally concocted from instant noodle. Today is cold rainy second day of F1 2010, I intend to cook up instant noodle dish - Sichuan Mala Noodles for dinner that is comparable to those serve in Kim Gary.
Sichuan Mala Noodles With Prawn Gyoza & sliced Roasted Chicken
Sichuan Mala Noodles With Prawn Gyoza & sliced Roasted Chicken
- Sichuan Spicy Seaweed Instant Noodle (currently on offer at $3.15 in NTUC)
- 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon of Chongqing Mala Paste
- 2 Frozen Prawn/Pork Gyoza
- 5 slices of Roasted Chicken (available in major supermart)
Mushroom Sloppy Joe Pizza Naan
I normally dun like the standard pizza base sold in local supermart as most are not partial cook therefore it will take you significant amount of time if you suddenly have pizza craving. Naan is the perfect pizza base alternative as it is readily frozen partial baked and relatively cheaper (you can get 12 frozen partial baked naans at the price of $5.95 at Mustafa) than the frozen pizza base. Sloppy Joe Pizza Naan is the easiest to cook and fastest to make among all my pizza recipe as you do not need to deal with much toppings.
Mushroom Sloppy Joe Pizza Naan
Take one naan and spread the Sloppy Joe evenly on the naan surface. Add in the cherry tomato follow by mushroom slice and finally top it off with mozzarella cheese. Pop it into the toaster oven and toast it for 10 mins till the mozzarella start to brown and it's really to serve.
Mushroom Sloppy Joe Pizza Naan
- Delmonte Sloppy Joe Sauce (available in Jason's Market or Cold Storage)
- 300gm of Minced Beef
- 1 Medium Red Onion diced finely
- 1/2 cup of peas
- 1 Brown Mushroom thinly sliced
- 1 Partial Baked Naan
- 2 Cherry Tomato thinly sliced
- Mozzarella Cheese
Take one naan and spread the Sloppy Joe evenly on the naan surface. Add in the cherry tomato follow by mushroom slice and finally top it off with mozzarella cheese. Pop it into the toaster oven and toast it for 10 mins till the mozzarella start to brown and it's really to serve.
Prawn/Pork Fried Gyoza
Lately, I have been craving for fried gyoza and I decide to have it for breakfast today. For those “十指不占阳春水“ translate literally to those who doesn't do household chores like cooking or cleaning would suggest going to foodcourt or restaurant Ding Tai Fung "鼎泰豐" to settle the craving. Unfortunately, the gyoza offered by the foodcourt or restaurant are unable to satisfied my palate for a more personalized and customize gyoza. I had experiment with many combination of gyoza fillings and by far this is the most flavorful combi that I had concocted. Without further ado, let proceed with the recipe.
Prawn/Pork Fried Gyoza
Next add in the flavoring agent - Hao Chi powder, Maggi Chicken essence, soya sauce and mirn into the mixing bowl. Now it is time to get your hand dirty. With a circular motion, blend the mixture until it sticky enough to form a ball. Next it time to fold the gyoza, you can follow the instruction in this video to fold your gyoza. You can fold all your gyoza and place them on tray with wax paper and freeze them in batches and store them in plastic bag. This allow you to take out the amount you need.
Fire up the non-stick frying pan with drizzle of cooking oil, and add in the frozen gyoza let it pan fry for 5 mins then add in 1/4 cup of water and cover with the fry pan and let it steam until the water dry up and wait for another 10 mins and serve. If you prefer much crispy base, leave it for addition 5 mins or more.
Prawn/Pork Fried Gyoza
- 240gm of Minced Pork
- 1 bowl of De-Shell Raw Prawn
- 4 Brown Mushroom finely diced
- 1 tablespoon of finely diced Garlic
- 1 tablespoon of finely diced Ginger
- 2 stalk of finely chopped Spring Onion
- 1/2 slab of firm Tofu
- 2 teaspoon of Knorr Hao Chi powder
- 2 teaspoon of Maggi Chicken essence
- 1 teaspoon of light soya sauce
- 1 packet of gyoza skin (available at Shen Siong Supermart)
- 1 tablespoon of Mirin
Next add in the flavoring agent - Hao Chi powder, Maggi Chicken essence, soya sauce and mirn into the mixing bowl. Now it is time to get your hand dirty. With a circular motion, blend the mixture until it sticky enough to form a ball. Next it time to fold the gyoza, you can follow the instruction in this video to fold your gyoza. You can fold all your gyoza and place them on tray with wax paper and freeze them in batches and store them in plastic bag. This allow you to take out the amount you need.
Fire up the non-stick frying pan with drizzle of cooking oil, and add in the frozen gyoza let it pan fry for 5 mins then add in 1/4 cup of water and cover with the fry pan and let it steam until the water dry up and wait for another 10 mins and serve. If you prefer much crispy base, leave it for addition 5 mins or more.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Saturday Cookout Afterthought
It had been months since I last update the cookfreak blog as working life (as an IT professional) had taken a toll in both my mental and physical well-being that I took a 3 month sabbatical from work and cooking (including blogging as well).
With current economic situations and inflation, it take one to wonder how one can appreciate the things around you and the things you do in life. I have friends everyday telling me how "sian" they are with their life even those well-to-do friends showing signs of weariness due to stress. Even now, I do not have any answer to this never-ending rat race that seem to entwine everyone including myself.
But one thing I know for sure is my passion for food and cooking never wanes despite all this. As my friends always made fun of me that - "I live to eat" not like them - "eat to live". Truth to their words, I constantly re-invent ways of cooking common cuisine as well as complex one in an economical way everyone can enjoy. I will be sharing in coming post on how one can roast and grill chicken/fish with toaster oven without the need to purchase expensive conventional oven.
With current economic situations and inflation, it take one to wonder how one can appreciate the things around you and the things you do in life. I have friends everyday telling me how "sian" they are with their life even those well-to-do friends showing signs of weariness due to stress. Even now, I do not have any answer to this never-ending rat race that seem to entwine everyone including myself.
But one thing I know for sure is my passion for food and cooking never wanes despite all this. As my friends always made fun of me that - "I live to eat" not like them - "eat to live". Truth to their words, I constantly re-invent ways of cooking common cuisine as well as complex one in an economical way everyone can enjoy. I will be sharing in coming post on how one can roast and grill chicken/fish with toaster oven without the need to purchase expensive conventional oven.
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