LEMANG OR GLUTINOUS RICE COOKED IN BAMBOO - A GUEST POST

Continuing with my sporadic series of guest posts, today it is an absolute honor and delight for me to introduce you to fellow foodblogger, Maylasian expat and Perth resident Lisa H. who lauched "From My Lemony Kitchen" in February 2009.

Although, her site was meant to be a private food journal rather than a public one, after a year of existence she decided to share her stories as well as recipes with the rest of the world. I am extremely thankful for her change of mind as this woman is very gifted and has a lot to give.

"From My Lemony Kitchen" is a jewel of a blog, especially for if you are a big fan of Southeast Asian cuisine like me and love the wonderfully spicy dishes which hail from that captivating region of the Far East. For our biggest pleasure, Lisa offers many exhaliratingly fragrant family as well as traditional recipes that a part of her heritage, but she also likes to share her Western- and Oriental-style creations (macarons, tarts, Chinese dumplings, chicken tikka, Hollandaise sauce, Goan curry, etc...) with us. And as if was not enough, her talent does not only limitate itself to cooking or baking; Lisa is a great photographer too.

Thanks for making us discover your rich universe!

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When I received an invite from Rosa, we had just started our Eid celebration, which marked the end of the fasting period (a month). Coincidently, during the celebrations, I was in the middle of "experimenting" with this traditional and unique "must-have" dish originating from Malaysia where I grew up and which is known under the name of "Lemang" (pronounce "le – mung").

Thank you, Rosa for inviting me to write and share my knowledge of Malaysian food with your readers.

Reminiscing about my childhood days in the village… As Eid celebration drew nearer, everyone was busy and every shop buzzing with activity. All parents were busy shopping for new curtains, clothes and shoes, something that thrilled and excited us children to the highest point. Some families even went the extra mile and changed their entire furniture or even their car if they could afford such a luxury.

Everyone did "spring cleaning" and spruced up their gardens. Houses and courtyards were decorated with either homemade kerosene lamps or fairy lights. It felt like an Eastern version of Christmas.

Before the beginning of the Eid, kids in the neighbourhood were allowed to play out 'till late into the night and waves of laughter as well as chattering sounds could be heard as they gathered to play with sparklers or small firecrackers. Meanwhile, the adults would get on with the last-minute preparations. It was such a joyous and wonderful moment… We were all anticipating the end of the fasting month of Ramadan with abated breath.

Early in the morning, on the first day of Eid, children were so excited and eager to put on their new clothes and shoes while waiting impatiently for their parents’ permission to leave the house and have fun. Once outside they roamed the neighbourhood, wishing everyone "Happy Eid" and receiving token coins in return.

To me, Eid is the time to forgive and forget as well as to seek for everyone's forgiveness. It also means that it is an opportunity for me to enjoy the abundance of food that is specially prepared for the occasion. One of them, my favourite, being "Lemang".

"Lemang" is a combination of glutinous rice and coconut milk that is pushed into the cavity of a bamboo joint, is lined with banana leaves. The filled bamboos are then placed standing up nearly vertically in a row, and placed over a slow burning wood fire so that the filling cooks or "roasts". It takes a lot of practice and patience to obtain an evenly cooked "Lemang". The whole process usually takes about 3-4 hours.

Once cooked and cooled, the bamboo is split open, thus exposing the creamy cylindrically shaped glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves. It is then sliced into discs and served with "Beef Rendang".

As I am living far away from my home country and can't get a hold of bamboo links - plus I doubt my city council and neighbours would be too thrill if I lit up a bonfire in my backyard in order to cook "Lemang" -, I had no other choice than to resort to making my own "Lemang" in its simplest form.

The idea was to achieve the same texture as the original dish - soft creamy glutinous rice, that is slightly crusted on the outside and has the aroma of banana leaves which's essence permeated the glutinous rice - without cooking them it the traditional way.

I hope I have managed to tempt you to experience "Lemang"and indulge in it, albeit the fact that no bamboo is used in the preparation of this dish and despite the fact that this version is not so perfectly cylindrical in shape. Nonetheless, it is "Lemang" to me…

~ Lemang or Glutinous Rice Cooked In Bamboo ~
Recipe by Lisa Ho at "From My Lemony Kitchen...".

Ingredients:
600ml Glutinous Rice, wash and drain off excess water
1 Can (400ml) Coconut cream
200ml Water
1 Screwpine leaf or pandan leaf, knotted
Salt, to taste
Banana leaves
Cooking string

Directions:
1. Put the coconut cream, water, knotted screwpine leaf and salt into a pot. Bring to a quick boil. Add the glutinous rice. Stir until the glutinous rice has absorbed the coconut cream mixture and no liquid is left. Turn off the heat and put it aside to cool.
2. Wipe clean your banana leaves and lay ithem flat on the work surface, with the lines on the leaf running from left to right.
3. Divide the glutinous rice mixture into 5 parts.
4. Ladle the glutinous rice mixture onto the leaves. Roll them into a cylindrical shape and secure both ends with cooking string, making sure there is no tear in the banana leaves.
5. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, and gently submerge the wrapped lemang into the water. Boil for at least 20-30 minutes (this process will further cook the glutinous rice).
6. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
7. Transfer the lemang into the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the banana leaf wrappers are slightly dried out.
8. Leave them to cool before slicing.

Serving suggestions:
Serve with "Beef Rendang".

Rosa's Note:
It would also make a great accompaniment to my "Fish Rendang".

CHICKEN SATAY WITH PEANUT SAUCE & A GUEST POST

Today, I am about to turn a fresh page in the history of my blog as this Saturday marks the beginning of a new era for me. After having been cordially invited by the charming Leemei of the London-based "My Cooking Hut" to write a guest post for her, my time has finally come to host one of her articles.

You see, I am a recent convert to guest posting and I am quite a virgin when it comes to it. Rich of two wonderful experiences as an invitee, but being a total neophyte when it comes to welcoming somebody else's work on my site, I thought that I'd really enjoy to slip into the skin of a moderator and editor for a while and make my readers discover the work of a fellow blogger they might not already have knowledge of...

So, I am absolutely delighted, happy and so thrilled to have the immense honor as well as great opportunity to introduce you to this talented young woman who is a native Malaysia, the most multifaceted land in Southeast Asia.

Just like her country, Leemei's blog is colorful, exotic, pluri-ethnic and sense-awakening. It is impossible not to get seduced by her mouthwatering recipes that hail from the whole wide world, fabulously refreshing photography and lovely stories.

Thanks for sharing your world with us!

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I have been reading Rosa’s blog for quite a while now. Not only do I undeniably love her for the food she presents, but I also enjoy looking at those breathtaking photos that she takes. Not too long ago, she wrote a wonderful guest post and shared a delicious recipe – "Swiss Sausage Salad" on my blog –"My Cooking Hut".

I was delighted that Rosa invited me to guest post on her wonderful blog. Thank you, Rosa! At first, I wasn’t too sure what I was going to cook, but I knew for sure that I wanted to make something Malaysian.

When it comes to Malaysian food, not many people know it as much as Thai food, for example. Malaysian food is the original fusion food. It results from a melting-pot society, thus it cannot be classified as a type of cuisine since is composed of an array of food hailing from different ethnic backgrounds – Malay, Chinese, Indian, Nyonya, Eurasian and the indigenous people of Borneo. Malaysians love their food and they eat at least 5 meals a day - in small portions.

The passion for food is already naturally instilled at an early stage in life, while still in one's mother’s womb. People talk about food all the time and it never seems to bore them. This portrays how much their lives evolve around food. Their love for it is so strong that it binds Malaysia's diverse ethnic group together.

Although I grew up in an exclusively Chinese family, living in a multi-cultural society means that I have been exposed to different cultures, lifestyle and food since a very tender age. In the kitchen, not only do we stock up some essential Chinese cooking ingredients as well as condiments, but we also have all the important dried spices, fresh aromatic herbs and roots which are generally ground together so as to obtain spice pastes called "Rempah" in Malay and are used in many typical Malaysian dishes.

A traditional mortar and pestle is essential Malaysian kitchen item that is employed when preparing fresh "Rempahs". However, it is getting very common nowadays to grind things ina food processor as it allows one to whizz up spice paste in just a matter of seconds.

Many would think that making spice paste is tricky because there are so many ingredients involved. I have to stress that it is not as daunting as you might think. Once you have gathered the basic ingredients needed, then you are pretty much there. As with many dishes, you can then use it as a base and create your own variations. Cooking is a form of art I have to say.

"Satay" or "Sate" is very popular in Malaysia. It is skewered meat that is marinated with spices, grilled and then served with a delicious peanut sauce. It originates from Indonesia and is also a favorite in other Southeast Asian countries such as such as Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and the Philippines. The types of meats that are used in the preparation of this speciality are chicken, beef or mutton. Chicken and beef "Satay" are the most spread variations and can be found throughout Malaysia.

I remember the best place to scout for really good "Satay" is, without a doubt, the "PasarMalam" or night market. Every Saturday evening, in my hometown back in Malaysia, numerous farmers, fishermen and food vendors gather at a designated place and set up their mobile stalls to sell their produces and food. This always gets me really excited as I cannot wait to check out all the stalls, in particular the food stalls as I could literally buy my dinner from different the food vendors there! Of course, my all time favourite stall has to be the one that selling "Satay".

As you can see the major ingredients used in the "Satay" marinade are also similar to the ones that are incorporated into the peanut sauce. They are very aromatic and play an important role when making a flavoursome base for curry too.

If you've never tried Malaysian food, I definitely recommend you to give this "Satay" recipe a go as it'll be the medium to introduce you to the gastronomy of Malaysia. I am sure that you will fall in love with it as its great for an outdoor summer BBQ and makes a mean party food!

~ Chicken Satay With Peanut Sauce ~

Ingredients For The "Satay":
1 Tsp Dried shrimp paste/belacan, toasted
1.5cm piece Fresh turmeric or 1 Tsp Turmeric powder
10 Shallots, peeled and chopped
2cm piece Galangal, peeled and chopped
6 Cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 Fresh chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 Lemongrass, white part only and chopped
3 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tsp Coriander powder
1 Tsp Cumin powder
A pinch of Salt
900g Chicken thighs, skinned, deboned and cut into chunky strips
Bamboo skewers
Ingredients For The "Peanut Sauce":
6 Shallots, peeled and chopped
1 Red onion, peeled and chopped
1 Fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped
6 Dried red chillies, deseeded, softened and chopped
2 Lemongrass, white part only and chopped
2 Tbs Sunflower oil
1 Tbs Tamarind pulp
200ml Warm water
2 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Soya sauce
100g Roasted unsalted peanuts, chunkily ground

Method:
1. Wrap the shrimp paste in a foil and put in a preheated oven at 180°C (350° F) to toast, for about 4-5 minutes, until aromatic. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, put the fresh turmeric, shallots, galangal, garlic, chili and lemongrass in a food processor, grind until they form a smooth paste. Add the sugar, coriander powder and cumin powder and salt mix until combine.
3. Add the spice paste to the chicken, mix thoroughly, making sure each piece is coated with the spice paste. Cover with cling film, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. To make the sauce, put the shallots, onion, red chilli, dried red chillies and lemongrass in a food processor. Grind until smooth and set aside. Meanwhile, put 80ml of the warm water into a bowl and add the tamarind pulp. Let soak for 15 minutes or until it becomes soft. Use a spoon to break the pulp into a pliable form. Strain through a fine sieve set over a bowl, discard the solid.
5. In a saucepan over medium high heat, put the sunflower oil and add the spice paste. Cook and stir constantly for about 8-10 minutes or until the paste gets darker in color and very fragrant. Add the tamarind water and stir. Add the rest of the water and bring to the boil for a few seconds. Add the sugar and soya sauce, stir and let it simmer for 1 minute or so. Add the ground roasted peanuts, stir and set aside.
6. Thread 4 strips of chicken onto each skewer, in order to obtain a loose S shape. Then pop them under the grill for about 7.5 cm from the heat source, giving them about 3-4 minutes on each side. Alternatively, grill the skewered meat over the BBQ. Place the skewers on warm plates and serve with the peanut sauce handed separately.

FISH RENDANG - POISSON RENDANG

Since my early teenage years, I have been particularly attracted to exotic cultures and foods, especially (but not only either) all that is linked to South-East Asia...

I find that this part of the world is really intriguing as it is so different from where I live. The complete opposite of what I'm used to see, live, experience... Everything there seems so overpoweringly lively, intense, colorful and joyful. In those countries, the tasty cuisine reflects the incredible atmosphere and cultural richness that reigns, the diverse influences which have been assimilated and the biologic richness which never fails to surprise those who live out of this extraordinary paradise!

After having explored (I still have a lot to learn, though) the gastronomy of places such as Vietnam and Thailand, my interest for Maylaysia's culinary tradition has been awakened as it offers a similar wow factor, generosity, opulence, delightfulness, ampleness and capacity to make your tastebuds tingle with blissful pleasure.

Malaysia, is positioned in the heart of Asia and borders Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. Being a multi-ethnic, multi-racial and multi-cultural society which is extremely diverse, this beautiful country offers and wonderful mix of culinary specialities that have been heavily influenced by the cuisines of China, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. As a matter of fact, in Malaysia, many dishes are derived from multiple ethnic influences (see infos on Malaysia cuisine). Each racial group has contributed to the great Malaysian gastronomic heritage. It's cuisine is a fusion of eating habits taken from the Chinese, Thai, Arabs and Indians and to which are added regional variations.

A wide variety of produce is used in this country's cooking (fruits, vegetables, grains, rice, meat, seafood, spices, herbs, etc...). There, food is relatively inexpensive and occupies an important place in people's lives.

I thought that you might be pleased to discover new culinary horizons, therefore I chose to share this "Fish Rendang" recipe (a dish which originates from the Minangkabau, an indigenous ethnic group from the highlands of West Sumatra, in Indonesia) with you. It is a marvelously fragrant and spicy dish that has a holiday touch and a real personality.This refined Malay curry is mind-boggling flavor-wise as it has a complex taste as well as a fantastically smooth sauce texture.

A succulent blend of ingredients, really transporting!

~ Fish Rendang (Rendang Ikan) ~
Recipe taken from "Easy Malaysian-Style Cookery" by The Australian Women's Weekly and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients For The "Fish/Prawns & The Rendang Dish":
450g Hake fillet
300g Uncooked medium prawns
2 Tbs Lime juice
1/2 Tbs Light brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbs Tamarind concentrate (see infos)
2 Tbs Peanut oil
400ml Coconut milk
1/3 Cup (30g) Grated coconut, roasted
Salt, to taste

Ingredients For The "Rendang Paste":
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 Big Red shallot, chopped
5 Cloves garlic, chopped
3 Small Fresh red chillies, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 Tbs Fresh Lemongrass, chopped
3 Tsps Fresh galangal, grated (see infos)
1 Tbs Fresh ginger, grated
1 Tsp Belacan (Malaysian "Shrimp Paste")
2 Fresh Kaffir lime leaves, chopped (see infos)
1/2 Tsp Ground curcuma/turmeric
2 1/4 Tsps Mild curry powder

Method For The "Fish":
1. Cut the fish into 3cm cubes.
2. Combine together the fish, the lime juice and the sugar in a bowl.
3. Cover and let stand for an hour (stirr at regular intervals).
Method For The "Rendang Paste":
4. Blend, process or grind (best way/in a mortar and pestle) all ingredients until they are well combined and form a smooth paste.

Method For The "Rendang Dish":
5. Heat the oil in a pan, over medium heat and add the "Rendang Paste".
6. Cook stirring, about 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
7. Gradually stir in the tamarind concentrate, the coconut milk and half of the roasted coconut.
8. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until slightly thick.
9. Add the fish (and it's juices).
10. Simmer, uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked.
11. Add salt to taste and prawns.
12. Heat thouroughly (about 1 minute).
13. Serve topped with the remaining roasted coconut.

Remarks:
Any firm white fish can be used for this recipe (halibut, striped bass, cod, orange roughy or tilapia).
As replacement for the 3 red chillies, use 1-2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek.
If you can't find Malaysian "Belacan", then you can replace it by Thai/Lao "Shrimp Paste".
The sauce should be thick when served/ready.
This dish improves with age so I usually cook the sauce (coconut milk and paste) the day before I want to eat it, then I reheat the sauce and add the fish/shrimps (points 9 to 13).

Serving suggestions:
Serve with plain “Jasmine Rice“ or “Glutinous/Sticky Rice”.

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~ Poisson Rendang (Rendang Ikan) ~
Recette tirée du livre "Easy Malaysian-Style Cookery" de The Australian Women's Weekly et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Pour 3-4 personnes.

Ingrédients Pour Le "Poisson Rendang":
450g de Fillets de merlu
300g de Crevettes moyennes, crues
2 CS de Jus de lime
1/2 CS de Sucre brun clair
1 1/2 CS de Concentré de tamarin (infos)
2 CS d'Huile d'arachide
400ml de Lait de coco
1/3 de Tasse de Noix de coco râpée et grillée
Sel, à volonté

Ingrédients Pour La "Pâte Rendang":
1 Onion blanc moyen, haché
1 Grosse échalotte, hachée
3 Petits piments rouges, épépinés et hachés
1 1/2 CS de Citronnelle, hachée
3 CC de Galangal frais, râpé (infos)
1 CS de Gingembre frais, râpé
1 CC de Belacan ("Pâte de Crevettes" malaise)
2 Feuilles fraîches de kaffir, hachées (infos)
1/2 CC de Curcuma en poudre
2 1/4 CC de Poudre de curry doux

Méthode Pour Le "Poisson":
1. Couper le poisson en cubes de 3cm.
2. Dans un bol, bien mélanger le poisson avec le jus de lime et le sucre.
3. Couvrir et laisser mariner pendant une heure (tout en remuant de temps en temps).
Méthode Pour La Fabrication De La "Pâte De Curry Rendang":
4. Mixer ou broyer (dans un mortier, c'est meilleur) tous les ingredients ensemble jusqu'à obtenir une pâte homogène et fine.

Méthode Pour Le "Curry Rendang":
5. A feu moyen, chauffer l'huile dans une casserole et ajouter la "Pâte De Curry Rendang".
6. Faire revenir et bien remuer pendant 1-2 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que ça commence à embaumer/libérer des arômes.
7. Ajouter graduellement le concentré de tamarin, le lait de coco et la moitié du la noix de coco râpée et grillée.
8. Faire mijoter, à feu doux, pendant 10-15 minutes, jusqu'à ce que ce mélange devienne assez épais.
9. Ajouter le poisson (et le jus de la marinade).
10. Laisser mijoter, sans couvercle, pendant 10 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que le poisson soit cuit.
11. Saler et ajouter les crevettes.
12. Cuire brièvement (1 minute).
13. Servir saupoudré de noix de coco râpée et grillée.

Remarques:
N'importe quel poisson ferme fera l'affaire (flétan, loup, cabillaud, hoplostète orange ou tilapia).
Au lieu de faire votre "Pâte De Curry Rendang" avec des piments frais, vous pouvez utiliser 1-2 cuillères à café de Sambal Oelek.
Si vous ne pouvez pas trouver de la " Pâte De Crevettes" malaise, alors utilisez la version thaïe ou laotienne ("Shrimp Paste").
Au moment de servir, la sauce doit être assez épaisse.Ce plat s'améliore après un jour. Je vous recommande alors de préparer la sauce jusqu'au point 8 et de la réfrigérer jusqu'au lendemain. Quelques minutes avant de passer à table, réchauffez-la et ajoutez le poisson ainsi que les crevettes crues (points 9 à 13).

Idée de présentation:
Servir avec du riz parfumé ou du riz gluant.