Lemak Siput (Chu Chu)

If the French have Escargo, here in Asia, we have Blunt Greepers.

Blunt Greepers; ChuChu in Chinese (choo-choo) or Siput in Malay (see-poot) has been gaining its place on seafood restaurant tables. I have been savouring Blunt Greepers since I was very young. Traditionally, Blunt Greepers were cooked in thick coconut milk with spices. I can have a whole bowl all for myself! Some people cant stand the sight of it, Some cant even bring themselves to savour this! But as travelling became affordable, many of us venture out on culinary expedition. Thats when some of my friends had Blunt Greepers for the first time! In Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia, many eateries serve this delectable dish!

Lemak Siput (Chu Chu)

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Serves: 2 - 4 pax

Ingredients:

1kg live blunt greepers (its really not a lot as the weight of the shell makes up about 70%)

Few Tapioca leaves (to remove excess mud from the greepers)
A quarter of a medium size pumpkin

Few pandan leaves

1 stalk lemon grass

1 small pack coconut milk

2 cups water

Salt and black pepper to taste

Right: Fresh tumeric with the skin peeled.

To blend:

1 medium size red onion

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup dried anchovies (ikan bilis)

3 pcs fresh green chili

5 pcs green bird's eye chili

2 inch fresh turmeric

Method:

1. Break the tip of the blunt greepers for easy suction while eating. I used meat pounder and it really works well!

Left: Full size Blunt Greeper; Right: Greeper with the broken tip, hence smaller in size :D 

2. Clean the blunt greepers by soaking it in salt water and tapioca leaves to remove excess mud till you are ready to cook. The one I bought from the supermarket has been cleaned frm mud. When you are ready to cook, throw the water and soak in clean water for about 5 mins. Then drain excess water and set aside.

3. Cut the pumpkin in cubes and set aside.

4. In a pot, add in the blended ingredients, water, lemon grass, pandan leaves. Bring it to boil. For fast boiling, you can add salt and pepper to taste. Salt helps to increase the boiling point of water hence it will boil faster. You can cover the pot to retain the temperature too.

5. Once boil, add in the blunt greepers and cover pot. You can see that as its boiling, the water will be full of bubbles. Its fine. Thats the juice and mucus from the greepers.

6. Reduce the flame, add in coconut milk, stir once or twice. Then add in pumpkin. Dont stir. Dont cover the pot. We dont want a mushy pumpkin.

7. Bring to boil with medium heat. At this point, dont stir. Just be on guard.

8. As pumpkin cooked pretty fast, switch off the flame once boil.

9. Serves hot with steam white rice. Be careful as you savour the greepers; we dont want you to burn your tongue caused by the hot gravy trapped in the greepers' shell XD

Enjoy!

P/S: Be sure to Follow my Blog to get a heads up when new recipes are posted! If you liked this recipe, share and like this recipe so the world can know about it! Many thanks! xoxo

Beef Patty

I have always love to eat red meat. Beef and Veal; Mutton and Lamb.

I love to eat burgers too. But nowadays, I prefer to have it bun-less. I have always imagine myself sinking my teeth into huge, thick and juicy meat patty covered with melted cheese, served with thick succulent fried Russet potato wedges and grilled tomatoes. Ooooh yummy!!

For dinner today, I am making my own beef patty. Yeay!

Beef Patty

Prep time: 1hr

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves : 4 pax

Ingredients:
To chop in food processor:

1 medium size yellow onion 
1 medium size green capsicum 

4 sticks of smoked turkey franks (I used Doux)

2 slices of white bread

1 whole egg

500gm of fresh mince beef

1 cup mozarella cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Enough Oil to sear the patties

Method:

1. Cut onion, capsicum and turkey franks in pieces (for easy chopping in food processor)

2. In processor, chopped onion, capsicum, turkey franks, white breads and egg.

3. In a bowl, mix the chopped ingredients with the mince beef, mozarella cheese, salt and pepper to taste.

4. Divide the mixed ingredients into four parts.

5. With clean and wet hands, mold each part to form a ball and press it firmly; with thickness of 1 inch.

6. Let it chill in the fridge for 30mins.

7. Preheat your skillet over a medium-high flame. If it's non-stick, add a few drops of regular vegetable oil to the hot pan. You don't need much, you are not trying to fry the patties; you are prepping the pan so the meat will release when it's seared, and to facilitate the rendering process so more fat cooks off. Roll the pan to make sure the oil flows easily (that means the pan is hot). Then add the meat to the pan, and JUST LEAVE IT. Don't flatten it, don't move it around, don't do anything. JUST LEAVE IT ALONE. Got it? 

8. After three minutes, shake the pan and see if the patty moves on it's own. If not, wait 30 seconds, and shake again. If, after another 30 seconds the burger won't move by shaking alone, push the patty on it's side with the flat of your turner/spatula to release it. You don't want to slide your turner/spatula underneath unless the patty can slide, or you might tear up a perfect crust. Turn, and cook the second side for three minutes and repeat the same process. 

P/S: Cooking time is negotiable, depends on the doneness that you want :D

If you want cheeseburgers, have the cheese and the bun ready so they can go on the patty as soon as it's turned. This will melt the cheese...!! Yayness!

So, now its time to enjoy!

Note: Be sure to Follow my Blog to get a heads up when new recipes are posted! If you liked this recipe, share and like this recipe so the world can know about it! Many thanks! xoxo

Prawn Fried Rice

Earlier on, I posted on how easy it was to whip up the Basic Fried Rice.

With the same basic recipe, I am going to whip up the Prawn Fried Rice! :D

Prawn Fried Rice

Prep time: 20mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Serves : 2 pax

Ingredients:

Basic Fried Rice recipe (use overnight rice)

200gm prawns (de-vein and the tails trimmed)

2 tspn corn flour

1/2 cup frozen green peas

3 tspn sesame oil

3 tspn fish sauce

3 pcs bird's eye chili (chili padi)

Salt and Pepper to taste

P/S: Why use overnight rice? 
Left in the fridge overnight, the rice grains will firm up, making it easier to separate and decreasing the chances of your fried rice turning out mushy. If you can’t wait, air freshly-cooked rice to remove moisture and refrigerate the rice for two hours before cooking.

Method:

1. Whisked the eggs, add in fish sauce and sesame oil to the eggs and set aside.

2. Add the corn flour to the prawns and set aside. This is to firm the prawns and create crunchy texture.

3. Heat up the oil.

4. Fry the garlic and onions. Do not over fried, just enough to caramelised the onions.

5. Add in the prawns, chili and green peas. Dont over stir.

6. Add in eggs. When its half done, add in rice.

7. Taste the fried rice BEFORE adding salt. Fish sauce is salty. Different brand will have a different level of saltiness. Add salt if needed. Then add dash of white peppers. (I prefer black peppers)

8. Serves hot. Enjoy!

Note: Be sure to Follow my Blog to get a heads up when new recipes are posted! If you liked this recipe, share and like this recipe so the world can know about it! Many thanks! xoxo

Basic Fried Rice

Rice is staple in Asia. We eat rice at least once a day. Once upon a time, rice was eaten with side dishes and condiments.

Today, as we are busy, we are looking for nice, humble dishes to satisfy our everhungry self. One such dish is Fried Rice. Its simple to cook and nice to eat. Its fail proof too! :D

To me, every cook must know how to whip up the basic fried rice. From there, we can create endless types of fried rice. So here, I am sharing with you the basic fried rice recipe.

Do try my Prawn Fried Rice too! (click here for recipe).

Basic Fried Rice

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Serves: 2 pax

Ingredients:

3 cups of white Jasmine rice (cooked the last night in order to fry it this morning)
2 whole eggs (whisked)

2 garlic (chopped)

1 medium size red onion (julienne)

Salt & Pepper to taste

2tbsp vegetable oil

P/S: Why use overnight rice?

Left in the fridge overnight, the rice grains will firm up, making it easier to separate and decreasing the chances of your fried rice turning out mushy. If you can’t wait, air freshly-cooked rice to remove moisture and refrigerate the rice for two hours before cooking.

Method:

1. Heat up oil

2. Fry garlic and onion. Do not over fried, just enough that the onions are caramelised.

3. Add in the eggs. When its half done, add in the rice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serves while its still hot !

EASY? Yes! Its that EASY!

Note: Be sure to Follow my Blog to get a heads up when new recipes are posted! If you liked this recipe, share and like this recipe so the world can know about it! Many thanks! xoxo