Simply Scrumptious Butter Crabs

Malaysian Butter Crab

If there is one recipe that is truly Malaysian, this has to be it.  Malaysia is truly a food paradise and the vast array of food left me gasping for breath when we first arrived two decades ago.   We all enjoyed trying out various cuisines and soon had our favourites.  This recipe was given to me by a  friend after we ooohed and aaahed over it after dinner one day.    Best eaten at home with your fingers as you will want to lick up every single drop of the delicious sauce.

3 large crabs, cleaned, cut, washed and drained;  1 can evaporated milk; 3 tbsp. butter; 3 sprigs curry leaves;  ½ tbsp. minced green chillies (optional); 1/4 tsp brown sugar.

3 slices bread:   Heat oil in a medium sized wok and when very hot deep fry the bread till brown and crisp on both sides. .  Takes less than a minute.  Drain and keep aside.

Heat the butter in a large wok.  Lower heat to medium and saute the curry leaves for a minute or two until crisp.  Add the crabs, chillies, sugar and evaporated milk and cover and cook until the crabs change colour.  This takes about 5 minutes.  Serve with deep fried bread.  Simply Scrumptious and don't worry about making a mess at the table.  This is one dish you will thoroughly enjoy.

Deepavalli Oreo Cake

This is a cake that I made for a friend and I got the icing recipe from Ranita.    It looked spectacular and I was really proud of my efforts.  Make it yourself and see how easy it is to bake a cake that not only looks fancy but tastes out of this world as well.  Happy Deepavalli and may the Festival of Lights brighten the coming year.

The Recipe:

For cake:  1/2 cup butter; 1 cup caster sugar; 1 1/2 cups flour; 2 large eggs; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp vanilla essence OR 2 tbsp cocoa powder;  3 )reo biscuits (remove the icing), crushed.

For Icing:  125 gms cream cheese; 125 gms cream; sugar to taste; 3 Oreo Biscuits (remove icing), crushed.

For Decoration :Oreo Biscuits- Icing Removed and two Almonds.

Mix all cake ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon till thick and glossy.  Bake in a preheated oven in a greased and lined  9 inch round cake pan at 160 degrees C or 325 degrees F for 35 minutes or until skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Cool overnight.

Next day beat the cream cheese (room temperature), cream, crushed oreos and sugar to taste till smooth.  Unmould cake onto a board and spread the  icing all over the top and sides.  Smooth it with a knife.  Take the Oreo biscuits and halve them.  Press them on the sides of the cake.  Cut one half of a biscuit into two and place both on the top of  the cake.  These are the Festive Deepavalli Lamps.  Put the almonds in place.  These are the flames.  Make sure you admire it and take a photograph for your album before you eat it or give it away.  Wishing you a Deepavalli sparkling with joy and glowing with warmth.

Nutty Cheese Cake

Cashew Nut Cheesecake

Early this month, I decided to bake to please myself.  I  have been wanting to try this out ever since I read about it a few years ago.  And it seemed the best time to do so.  As usual I mixed and matched and combined a few recipes.  The end result was scrumptious- even if I say so myself.

The Recipe :

3/4 cup dates, de seed; 3/4 cup almonds; 1 cup broken cashewnuts; 1/2 cup honey; 2 tbsp lime juice and 1 tsp vanilla; sliced peaches or fruit of your choice.

Soak cashew nuts in water overnight.   Grease a cheesecake pan with oil and keep aside.  Grind the dates and almonds seperately to a coarse texture and mix together to form a soft dough.  This is the base.  Gently press it on to the bottom of the cheese cake pan with your fingers and keep in the freezer for 20 minutes or until set.   Next day drain the cashew nuts completely and grind to a smooth paste.  along with the lime juice, honey  and vanilla essence  Pour onto the date and almond base and freeze for two hours.  Decorate with the sliced peaches and serve as a dessert after dinner.  This is a rich, smooth cheesecake that simply melts in your mouth.

Spicy Fish Vindaloo

Pomfret Vindaloo

This is a recipe I got from my Mum's collection of recipes, painstakingly written down  when she went for cookery classes soon after her graduation.  I was frantically copying every thing down as we were leaving Bangalore for Malaysia.  Soon after I was going through my recipe book and came across this one.  The best joke is that when I made it for my Mum she said, " this is a nice .  Could you give me the recipe?!!!"  That being said, let me get on with the recipe.

The Recipe:

1, medium sized pomfret, sliced, washed and drained; 3 tbsp oil; a few coriander leaves; 1/2 a medium sized onion, sliced; salt to taste.

 Grind to a smooth paste:  1 tsp chilli powder; 1/4 tsp haldi; 2 pods cardamom, seeds only; 6 flakes garlic; 1 tsp jeera seeds;  3 tsp vinegar.        

Heat the oil in  a shallow non stick pan and fry the coriander leaves and sliced onion for a few minutes until onion is glazed.  Lower flame and fry the masala (ground paste) until thick.  Add 1 cup water, the sliced fish and salt to taste.  Cover and cook on a medium low flame till done.  This goes well with white rice and is one of the tastiest curries I have cooked.

Apricot Bread Pudding

An Old Favourite

This is

 An Old Favourite with a twist.  Instead of steaming or baking this bread pudding, I merely drenched it with an extra large Herbalife French Vanilla  Shake and left it to soak overnight in the refrigerator.  The result was stupendous and this is a dessert we have frequently because of it's taste, nutritional content and low calorie count.

The Recipe:

For The Shake:  500 ml low fat milk; 4 scoops (60 gms Herbalife French Vanilla Nutritional Mix; 30 gms almond powder/ meal; 1 tsp vanilla essence.  

Blend together for one minute and keep aside till required.

For The Bread Pudding: 8 slices, brown bread, buttered on one side only; 20 apricots.

Soak the apricots in warm water just enough to cover them, overnight.  Next day stone them and boil apricots in the same water till thick and soft.  Extract the kernels from the seed.  

Heat a large nonstick pan and toast brown bread on medium flame both sides till crisp and golden brown.  Layer in a glass dish.  Pour the shake over and leave to soak in the refrigerator.  When well soaked decorate with the apricots and kernels.  Drizzle the juices over.  It is so delicious, it leaves you wanting for more.

Coloured Jewelled Capsicum

Three Coloured Capsicum

I love cooking this dish because the end result is so appetising and colourful.  The brightly coloured, jewelled capsicums just beg to be eaten.  Besides, it's simple and quick and I promise, you will spend about 15 minutes in the kitchen.  It can be served as an accompaniment or eaten alone.  

The Recipe:

3 medium sized capsicums, one of each colour; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp pepper corns, crushed; 2 tbsp olive oil; salt to taste;  1 tbsp thin soy sauce.

Wash, halve, de-seed and cut the capsicums into thin strips.  Heat oil in a non stick pan and stir fry the garlic till fragrant.  Add the capsicum and stir fry on high heat for 2 minutes only.  Lower flame, add the pepper and salt to taste.  Transfer to serving dish.  Drizzle soy sauce over just before serving.  Lip smacking delicious and crunchy to boot.

Mutton & Vegetable Stew With Spices

Mangalorean Mutton Stew

 Just looking at this photograph evokes fond memories.  And I can practically smell the savoury aroma wafting from the kitchen through the house and into the garden where we kids were playing.  This is a traditional Mangalorean dish served with ghee rice or neeru dosa for practically all festive occasions and was a special favourite with us.  Tender mutton chunks cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with spices, onions and curry leaves this is an extra special recipe.

The Recipe:

1 kg mutton with bones, cut into pieces and washed; 2 green chillies slit; 1 cup mixed vegetables, cut into pieces- I used carrots, beans and potatoes; 2 medium onions, sliced fine; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1 inch piece ginger , minced; 3 large flakes garlic, minced; a handful of coriander and mint leaves, chopped; a few spring onions, cut fine;   1 cup thick coconut milk; 1 inch piece of cinnamon; 2 cloves; 2 cardamoms; salt to taste and 2 cups water; salt to taste.

Seasoning:  1 medium onion, sliced fine; 1 sprig curry leaves, 1 tbsp oil 

Heat oil in a shallow non stick pan, add the curry leaves and stir fry a minute.  Next add the onions and fry till golden brown. Remove from fire and keep aside till required

Place the washed mutton with all the ingredients except the coconut milk and vegetables in a large pressure pan and pressure cook 30 minutes or until mutton is tender.  Remove from fire, cool and open the cooker.  Add the vegetables and 1/2 cup water if required and bring to the boil.  Simmer covered until vegetables are cooked.  Now stir in the coconut milk (I used ready to use coconut milk which is a boon to the modern housewife).  Remove from heat and add the seasoning.  Serve with ghee rice or Neeru Dosa.  This is a hot favourite with most of our friends and I often cook it on request.