Post by SeaDragon on Dec 17, 2017 21:21:29 GMT 10
Wrap in the flavours
By Amy Beh (circa 1997)
HAWKER food wrapped in banana leaves tastes so much better than food wrapped in plain old plastic. It lends a subtle, almost indescribable aroma, but makes a difference all the same.
A banana leaf-lined plate of food also looks so much more appetising. To make it even more appealing, you can cut patterns on the leave.
You can grill or steam your banana-wrapped food and they would be just as aromatic.
Spicy Brinjals with Mussels
Ingredients:
3 medium-size purple long brinjals -- cut into halves, rub with salt and leave for a few minutes than wash; dab dry with kitchen paper towels
1/2 cup pati santan
(A):
1 1/2 tbsp chilli boh
1/2 tsp kunyit powder
6 shallots
3 cloves garlic, pounded
Salt to taste
1 tbsp lime juice
300g mussels, shelled
Oil for frying
Banana leaves
4 limau kasturi (limes), cut into halves
Method:
HEAT pati santan together with ingredients (A) over low heat for about 10 minutes. Fry brinjals until golden brown. Place brinjals neatly on a banana leaf. Arrange mussels over the brinjals and pour coconut sauce over. Wrap up neatly and staple both ends. Grill for 5-7 minutes.
Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle some chopped spring onions and squeeze limau kasturi juice over and serve hot.
Otak-Otak Ikan
Ingredients:
400g ikan merah (red snapper)
(A):
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Maggi Ikan Bilis granules
A dash of pepper
(B) -- Spice Ingredients pound together:
3 fresh red chillies, seeded
3 cm lengkuas
2 cm fresh turmeric root, or replace with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5 buah keras (candlenuts)
2 stalks serai (lemon grass) -- sliced thinly
10 shallots
4 cloves garlic
(C):
1 tbsp chilli boh
1 tsp Maggi belacan powder
1/2 tbsp rice f1our
1 tbsp cornflour
Seasoning:
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Pepper to taste
(D):
1/2 cup pati santan
3 eggs, well beaten
5 limau purut leaves, finely sliced
Daun Kadok leaves (aromatic creepers)
Banana leaves -- cut into 20 x 18 cm pieces, soften by steaming or scald in hot water
Method:
CUT fish fillets into thin slices and season with (A) for 15 minutes.
Grind ingredients (B) into a paste. Mix well the ground ingredients with (C). Blend in (D) and seasoning. Add fish slices into the mixture.
Take 1 piece of banana leaf, place 3-4 daun kadok in the centre. Put 3 slices of fish and 2 tbsp gravy over it. Form a bundle by folding up both the sides to meet in the centre. Fold up both the ends and staple the middle portion to secure. Make as many bundles of otak-otak as possible.
Steam the bundles for 10 minutes over rapid boiling water. Serve hot with rice or white bread.
Ayam Panggang in Dry Sauce
Ingredients:
2 chicken thighs
(A) -- grind together and extract juice:
6 shallots
3 cloves garlic
2 cm ginger
(B) -- mix together:
2 tbsp chilli boh
1 tbsp ground ketumbar powder
1/2 tsp kunyit powder
1/2 tsp jintan manis powder
1/2 tsp jintan putih powder
(C) -- blend together:
1 1/2 cm galangal (lengkuas)
2 stalks serai (lemon grass)
2 buah keras
(D):
4 tbsp plain yoghurt
2 tbsp assam jawa juice
Banana leaves
Method:
WASH and dry the chicken thighs well then score the meat lightly with a knife. Use the juice of (A) to marinate the chicken pieces for 1/2 hour. Keep the pulp of (A).
Heat a wok with 3 tbsp cooking oil. Saute the pulp of (A). Add in (C) and stir well till aromatic. Mix in (B) then (D). Fry till a layer of oil rises to the top. Add in the marinated chicken drumsticks and stir-fry quickly.
Prepare a tray lined with tin-foil. Place banana leaves over the foil. Put the chicken pieces together with the sauce on it. Cover with banana leaves and place a piece of tin foil over. Grill at 220°C for 20 minutes. Turn over the chicken pieces at half time. Serve with onion rings and tomato wedges.
By Amy Beh (circa 1997)
HAWKER food wrapped in banana leaves tastes so much better than food wrapped in plain old plastic. It lends a subtle, almost indescribable aroma, but makes a difference all the same.
A banana leaf-lined plate of food also looks so much more appetising. To make it even more appealing, you can cut patterns on the leave.
You can grill or steam your banana-wrapped food and they would be just as aromatic.
Spicy Brinjals with Mussels
Ingredients:
3 medium-size purple long brinjals -- cut into halves, rub with salt and leave for a few minutes than wash; dab dry with kitchen paper towels
1/2 cup pati santan
(A):
1 1/2 tbsp chilli boh
1/2 tsp kunyit powder
6 shallots
3 cloves garlic, pounded
Salt to taste
1 tbsp lime juice
300g mussels, shelled
Oil for frying
Banana leaves
4 limau kasturi (limes), cut into halves
Method:
HEAT pati santan together with ingredients (A) over low heat for about 10 minutes. Fry brinjals until golden brown. Place brinjals neatly on a banana leaf. Arrange mussels over the brinjals and pour coconut sauce over. Wrap up neatly and staple both ends. Grill for 5-7 minutes.
Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle some chopped spring onions and squeeze limau kasturi juice over and serve hot.
Otak-Otak Ikan
Ingredients:
400g ikan merah (red snapper)
(A):
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Maggi Ikan Bilis granules
A dash of pepper
(B) -- Spice Ingredients pound together:
3 fresh red chillies, seeded
3 cm lengkuas
2 cm fresh turmeric root, or replace with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
5 buah keras (candlenuts)
2 stalks serai (lemon grass) -- sliced thinly
10 shallots
4 cloves garlic
(C):
1 tbsp chilli boh
1 tsp Maggi belacan powder
1/2 tbsp rice f1our
1 tbsp cornflour
Seasoning:
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
Pepper to taste
(D):
1/2 cup pati santan
3 eggs, well beaten
5 limau purut leaves, finely sliced
Daun Kadok leaves (aromatic creepers)
Banana leaves -- cut into 20 x 18 cm pieces, soften by steaming or scald in hot water
Method:
CUT fish fillets into thin slices and season with (A) for 15 minutes.
Grind ingredients (B) into a paste. Mix well the ground ingredients with (C). Blend in (D) and seasoning. Add fish slices into the mixture.
Take 1 piece of banana leaf, place 3-4 daun kadok in the centre. Put 3 slices of fish and 2 tbsp gravy over it. Form a bundle by folding up both the sides to meet in the centre. Fold up both the ends and staple the middle portion to secure. Make as many bundles of otak-otak as possible.
Steam the bundles for 10 minutes over rapid boiling water. Serve hot with rice or white bread.
Ayam Panggang in Dry Sauce
Ingredients:
2 chicken thighs
(A) -- grind together and extract juice:
6 shallots
3 cloves garlic
2 cm ginger
(B) -- mix together:
2 tbsp chilli boh
1 tbsp ground ketumbar powder
1/2 tsp kunyit powder
1/2 tsp jintan manis powder
1/2 tsp jintan putih powder
(C) -- blend together:
1 1/2 cm galangal (lengkuas)
2 stalks serai (lemon grass)
2 buah keras
(D):
4 tbsp plain yoghurt
2 tbsp assam jawa juice
Banana leaves
Method:
WASH and dry the chicken thighs well then score the meat lightly with a knife. Use the juice of (A) to marinate the chicken pieces for 1/2 hour. Keep the pulp of (A).
Heat a wok with 3 tbsp cooking oil. Saute the pulp of (A). Add in (C) and stir well till aromatic. Mix in (B) then (D). Fry till a layer of oil rises to the top. Add in the marinated chicken drumsticks and stir-fry quickly.
Prepare a tray lined with tin-foil. Place banana leaves over the foil. Put the chicken pieces together with the sauce on it. Cover with banana leaves and place a piece of tin foil over. Grill at 220°C for 20 minutes. Turn over the chicken pieces at half time. Serve with onion rings and tomato wedges.