Nasi Ulam

Nasi ulam is a Malay dish, and a staple to many people in Malaysia, especially for the Malays and Nyonya/Peranakan (or Straits-born Chinese). As a multi-ethnic country makes up of Malays, Chinese, Indians, and Eurasians, nasi ulam is much loved by many denizens of Malaysia, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or origin. The reason is very simple: there is nothing not to like about nasi ulam. It is utterly delicious, aromatic, healthy, and extremely appetizing, and great with a side dish of meat or fish. What’s more, it can be a complete meal on its own.

Nasi means rice in Malay, while ulam means the assortment of herbs served during meal times. In general terms, the ulam is equivalent to “salad” and they are usually eaten with sambal belacan, which is the national condiment of Malaysia. However, in nasi ulam, the herbs are sliced finely and mixed with rice and other ingredients. The exotic, earthy, and aromatic nuance of the different herbs, paired with rice and dry-toasted shredded coconut or kerisik yield a richly fragrant and scrumptious concoction that is uniquely Malaysian.

Nasi Ulam Recipe 

Prep Time: 40 minutes 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dried shrimp
1/2 cup fresh or frozen shredded coconut
2 cups cooked rice, chilled
5-6 medium daun kadok (wild betel leaves), finely sliced
1/4 cup Thai basil leaves, finely sliced
1/4 cup mint leaves, finely sliced
1/4 cup daun kesom (polygonum leaves/Vietnamese mint leaves), finely sliced
3 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
5 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemongrass, white part only, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 heavy dashes white pepper powder
3 heavy dashes black pepper powder

Method:

Soak the dried shrimp in warm water until softened. Coarsely pound them using a mortar and pestle. Heat up a wok and dry toast the pounded shrimp until they are dry or smell aromatic. Do not burn the dried shrimp.

Make the shredded coconut into kerisik by stir-frying them continuously in a wok, until they turn golden brown in color. Transfer to the mortar and pestle and pound until fine. Set aside.

In a big bowl, combined the cooked rice and all the herbs, shallots, toasted coconut, and dried shrimp together. Add the salt, sugar, and peppers. Toss to combine well. Serve immediately.

* Kerisik - In Malaysian, Singaporean, and Indonesian cookery, kerisik, or grated and pan-toasted fresh coconut, is used to thicken dishes like curry and rendang. Since the coconut slivers are only slightly dehydrated, kerisik soaks up much of its surrounding liquids.

Pulut Tatai

Pulut Tatai, also called Pulut Tai Tai, is a Nyonya kuih made of glutinous rice. The rice for making pulut tatai is dyed with butterfly pea flower, or bunga telang, so that it appears blue. Usually the glutinous rice is separated into two batches, one blue and the other white. These are mixed together to form a single slab of pulut tatai. A dab of kaya is also placed on top of the pulut tatai to sweeten it.

For Peranakan people,if there's a wedding, this pulut tai tai is a must have kuih. It will be serve on bachelor night party and/or in the morning of the wedding day.

Recipe for Pulut Tatai

Ingredients for the kaya

1. A small bowlful of eggs
2. A small bowlful of sugar
3. A small bowlful of santan
4. Pandan leaves
5. Sugar for making the caramel

Steps

1. Boil a pot of water, using a double boiler or a big pot.
2. Mix and whisk the eggs and sugar together until sugar dissolved.
3. Pour the mixture into a stainless steel bowl or top unit of the double-boiler.
4. Add pandan leaves and double-boiled the mixture until thick and creamy, stirring all the time for about 30 minutes.
5. Strain the mixture and return to pot to continue double-boil. Stirring once a while for 10 minutes.
6. Add santan to the mixture, stir to combine.
7. Continue double boil, top up water level in the boiler or pot when level recedes.
8. Prepare making caramel. Put a few table spoons of sugar in a metal ladle or a small non-stick pan, and heat it on direct flame until sugar turning brown. Do not over-brown the caramel as the taste will be bitter.
9. Add the caramel to egg mixture and stir well.
10. Wrap the lid of the double boiler with a clean cloth and secure. This is to prevent water from dripping into the kaya.
11. Cover the pot with the lid and double boil for about 1 hour or longer. Do not stir during the steaming.
12. When jam is cooked, remove pandan leaves and let the kaya to cool before storing into container.
13. Serve with pulut tai tai or bread.

Ingredients for the pulut tatai

1. Santan + pinch of salt
2. Pandan leaves
3. Banana leaves- Scalded and cleaned
4. 500 g glutinous rice
5. a big handful of bunga telang

Method

1. Wash the glutinous rice and separate it into two equal parts of 250 g each.
2. Take some bunga telang, pour hot water into it and soak for 10 minutes.
   
3. Press the flowers to release the blue color. Drain the water and pour it into the washed glutinous rice.
   
4. Add in more water and press the flowers until the desired amount of water is obtained.
5. Water level must be about 1 inch above the surface of the rice, as the rice will puff up when soaked in water.
   
6. Drain the rice and put it inside a tray in a steamer. Add in santan that has been seasoned with a bit of salt.
   
7. If softer rice is preferred, adjust the water level. Place pandan leaves on top of the rice.
8. Steam until rice is cooked. Mix the two colored rice.
   
9. Pour the cooked rice into a tray lined with banana leaves.
10. Use a piece of banana leaf to flattened the surface and press until it is compact.
11. Place a heavy object on top of the surface.
12. Leave the tray for a few hours until the pulut tai tai is set.
    
13. Cut into desire shaped and sizes.
14. Serve the pulut tatai with the kaya.
    

Ayam Pongteh

Ayam Pongteh or Nyonya chicken and potato stew

Pongteh literally translates to means “meat tea” and that’s how the Nyonyas and Babas in Melaka practised this - eating meat with tea. The pongteh dish as we know it today, started off as a kind of meat stew cooked with taucheo (preserved bean sauce). Pork is widely used as the meat of choice and mushrooms are often added in. 

Traditionally, Bak Pongteh is a special dish served to loved ones during special occasions like celebrations or family gatherings. Along the way, the inclusion of potatoes made its way into the recipe. Nowadays, it is no longer a dish that’s only available for special occasions. It is easily available in Peranakan restaurants and households. 

It is actually an easy dish to cook. Chicken has also become a popular option for this dish. The gravy for Ayam Pongteh should be thick, not watery. The addition of potatoes helps to thicken the gravy which should be a rich brown colour, glistening, and coating the chicken. 

Ayam Pongteh (or the meat version) will taste better when the flavours are left to infuse overnight. Most Peranakan families will cook a big pot of this and refrigerate portions to enjoy over the course of several days. It goes deliciously with white rice, porridge and even plain bread. 



Ayam Pongteh Recipe

Ingredients:

600g chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks100g shallots
100g garlic
2 Tbsp taucheo (preserved bean paste)
1 Tbsp Gula Melaka, chopped
50g dried mushrooms, soaked to soften
2 potatoes, cut into medium-sized chunks
3 Tbsp cooking oil
500ml water/chicken stock
1 tsp salt


Chicken and potatoes, go together like ham and eggs

Shallots and garlic - ever so essential

Method:

1. Blend the shallots and garlic together into a fine paste.
2. Heat up the cooking oil in a wok or deep pot. 
3. Add in the blended shallots and garlic and sauté over medium fire, stirring all the time to prevent the paste from sticking to the pot. Sauté for about 3 minutes, then add in the taucheo and continue to sauté. 
4. Lower the fire and sauté the mixture till the oil surfaces. It is important to sauté the mixture thoroughly until it caramelises as this will enhance the aroma of the dish later. 
5. Add in the mushrooms and potatoes and continue to sauté for a few more minutes. 
6. Add in the chicken, stir and mix evenly with the rest of the ingredients. Continue stir-frying until the chicken is partially cooked. 
7. Pour in the water and add in the chopped Gula Melaka and salt. 
8. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the gravy thickens and potatoes are tender. 
9. Dish up and serve.



Pot of Pongteh



Serve up Ayam Pongteh with other delicious Nyonya dishes for the ultimate Peranakan feast

Rojak

Travelling fruit rujak vendor in Jakarta.

Rojak (Malaysian and Singaporean spelling) or Rujak (Indonesian spelling) is a traditional fruit and vegetable salad dish commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The term "Rojak" is Malay for mixture.

CULTURE SIGNIFICANCE 

In Malaysia and Singapore, the term "rojak" is also used as a colloquial expression for an eclectic mix, in particular as a word describing the multi-ethnic character of Malaysian and Singaporean society.

In Indonesia, among the Javanese, rujak is an essential part of the traditional prenatalceremony called Tujuh bulanan (literally: seventh month). Special fruit rujak is made for this occasion, and later served to the mother-to-be and her guests, primarily her female friends. It is widely known that the sweet, spicy and sour tastes of rojak are adored by pregnant women. The recipe of rujak for this ceremony is similar to typical Indonesian fruit rujak, with the exceptions that the fruits are roughly shredded instead of thinly sliced, and that jeruk bali (pomelo/pinkgrapefruit) is an essential ingredient. It is believed that if the rujak overall tastes sweet, the unborn would be a girl, and if it is spicy, the unborn baby is a boy.

Mangarabar, or rujak making, is a special event for the inhabitants of the BatakMandailing region in Tapanuli, Indonesia after the harvest. Normally the whole village will be involved in making and consuming the rujak.

Mamak rojak, or Indian rojak (Pasembor)

Indian rojak in Singapore.

In Malaysia, mamak rojak (or Pasembur) contains fried dough fritters, bean curds, boiled potatoes, prawn fritters, hard boiled eggs, bean sprouts, cuttlefish and cucumber mixed with a sweet thick, spicy peanut sauce. Traditionally, Tamil Muslim (Mamak) rojak vendors used modified sidecar motorcycles as preparation counters and to peddle their rojak. These mobile vendors now use modified mini trucks. The Pasembor available in Singapore is an assortment of potatoes, eggs, bean curd (tofu), and prawns fried in batter, served with a sweet and spicy chili sauce. In Penang, where it is a local favourite, it is always called pasembor, but in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore it is called rojak.

Fruit rojak

Fruit Rojak in Singapore.

Fruit rojak consists typically of cucumber, pineapple, benkoang (jicama), bean sprouts, taupok (puffy, deep-fried tofu) and youtiao(cut-up Chinese-style fritters). Raw mangosand green apples are less commonly used. The dressing is made up of water, belacan (shrimp paste), sugar, chili, and lime juice. Ingredients vary among vendors with some also using hae ko prawn/shrimp paste, tamarind or black bean paste in the mix. The ingredients are cut into bite-sized portions and tossed in a bowl with the dressing and topped with chopped peanuts and a dash of ground or finely chopped bunga kantan (pink ginger bud).

Penang Rojak in Malaysia.

Penang Rojak is another type of Rojak found in Penang, Malaysia. It is similar to fruit rojak, but adds jambu air, guava, squid fritters and honey to the mixture, emphasizes on the use of tart fruits such as raw mangoes and green apples, and usually omits the bean sprouts and fried tofu puffs. The sauce or dressing for the rojak tends to be very thick, almost toffee-like in consistency and texture.

Asam Laksa

The Asam Laksa.

Smooth round rice noodles immersed in a broth of a seemingly chaotic mix of spices and flavors, thickened with mackerel fish and sour tamarind peel, and topped with heaps of fresh vegetables and herbs for added texture and color. Finally, a squeeze of zesty calamansi lime and a spoonful of sweetened shrimp paste (heh ko sauce).

Everything is included. Every one of the basic five tastes – sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami (savoriness).

And the effect of combining so many flavors?

Harmony. 

Most people often provide a simple conclusion that the dish is of Peranakan Nyonya origin – a cross-cultural mix of Malay and Chinese. While that may be partly true, the explanation omits an important element of asam laksa. That the dish was never created by one person, or one generation, but it evolved over layers of history.

A Simple Recipe for Asam Laksa

Ingredients 
1 kg pre-cooked laksa noodles (or thick round rice noodles) 

Ground spice paste 
15 fresh red chilies and 10 dried red chilies (or 3 tbsp freshly ground chili paste)
10 shallots
6 cloves garlic
1 inch of galangal (lengkuas)
2 cm knob of fresh turmeric
2 stalks lemongrass, minced (use the white part only)
1 1/2 tbsp belacan (dried shrimp paste), or if in block form, use 3/4 of a block

Soup
For cooking fish:
15 cups water
3 stalks lemongrass, lightly smashed (white part only)
1 torch ginger flower, quartered
3 inches of galangal, halved
1 1/2 kg (about 15 fish) fresh mackerel, horse mackerel, fresh sardine, or yellowtail kingfish - cleaned and gutted
1/3 cup tamarind juice (mix tamarind pulp in hot water for five minutes before squeezing it to obtain the juice)
5 pieces tamarind peel (asam keping or asam gelugor)
6 stalks Vietnamese mint (daun kesom)
3 tbsp sugar or to taste
Salt to taste

Garnishing
1 cucumber, thinly sliced into strips
Chinese lettuce, sliced
1/2 medium size fresh pineapple, sliced into small pieces
2 red onions, thinly sliced
Handful of mint leaves (daun pudina)
1 torch ginger bud (bunga kantan), finely sliced
3 red chilies, thinly sliced
2 green bird's eye chilies, thinly sliced

Condiments: 
Calamansi lime
Sweetened prawn paste (heh ko sauce), diluted with laksa soup or water

Process: 
1. Blend spice paste ingredients into a fine paste. 
2. Heat a pot of water and add lemongrass, galangal, torch ginger flower. Bring to a boil and then add fish. Boil on medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked. 
3. Transfer cooked fish to a bowl and let cool. Strain broth to remove spices. Add to the broth the Vietnamese mint, tamarind juice and tamarind peel and continue to boil on low heat.
4. Break the fish meat into tiny pieces, but keep some in bigger chunks. 
5. Add the fish flakes back into the pot, along with the spice paste.
6. When it reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes to one hour. While simmering, add salt and sugar to balance the spiciness and sourness for your taste.
7. Rinse laksa noodles in cold water and strain. Place one serving of noodles into a bowl, and pour laksa soup with fish flakes over the top.
8. Top with garnishing, and serve with a spoonful of shrimp paste if you like.

Enjoy the five tastes – sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami – of Penang Asam Laksa!

Notes:
1. If you prefer your asam laksa soup to be less sour, cut down on the tamarind peel or tamarind pulp. If you like it to be spicy, add more chili to your spice paste. For a more pungent flavour, use more shrimp paste (belacan and heh koh). 
2. Hawker stalls tend to use low quality local mackerel (ikan kembong) in asam laksa. When making the dish at home, you can use a better quality fish like horse mackerel (ikan selar kuning), fresh sardine, or yellowtail kingfish (ikan pelata)

First post

Hi This is ROJAK FRIED RICE. This will be the blog for baba nyonya food