Crispy Spicy Anchovy (Malay Style)

Ingredients:

4-5 shallots ~ slice thinly

20-25 dried chilies ~ cut halves

500g dried anchovies ~ wash, pat dry

1-2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp white pepper powder

1 cup cooking oil.

A little salt

Directions/Instructions:

1. In a pan, heat cooking oil over medium and add sliced shallots. Fry the shallots until golden brown. Remove and drain on a kitchen paper towel. Set aside.
2. Next, fry the dried chilies till they turn dark red.  Remove and drain.  Set aside.
3. Add the anchovies and fry on low heat using the same cooking oil until golden brown or crispy. Remove and drain to remove excess oil. Set aside.
4. Add fried chilies, 1-2 tbsp fried anchovies, sugar, white pepper, and salt. Blend the ingredients in a food processor until they are ground.
5. Add the fried anchovies, ground ingredients, and fried shallots in a large bowl.  Mix it evenly.  Store in an air-tight container.

Khao Soi Curry Noodle aka Chiang Mai Curry Noodle

Ingredients:

12 pcs chicken drumlettes

1/2 quantity of spice paste (recipe here)

800g egg noodles

4 cups chicken stock

6 cups coconut milk

3 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar ~ finely shaved

4 tbsp cooking oil

Wanton wrapper ~ cut thin strips

Bean sprouts

Coriander leaves ~ chopped

Condiments:

Lime ~ edges

Shallot ~ wedges

Sambal ~ Optional

Chinese pickled mustard green ~ Optional

Directions/Instructions:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the spice paste and cook for about 2 minutes. Next, add the chicken and cook for about 2 minutes until browned. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, and palm sugar.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Then, taste and adjust the seasoning with fish sauce, salt, and/or palm sugar as needed. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or saucepan over high heat for the wonton strips. Once the oil reaches 180 degrees Celsius, carefully add a small handful of wonton strips. Cook for about 30 seconds or until they are golden brown. Drain the fried wontons on a paper towel. Repeat until all the wontons are cooked.
3. When ready to serve, divide the cooked noodles into large bowls. Top each bowl with a drumette and ladle the soup over it. Sprinkle with coriander and crispy wonton strips. Serve with lime wedges, shallots, chili paste, and pickled mustard greens on the side.

Khao Soi Curry Paste

Ingredients:

10-15 dried long red chilies

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1 stalk lemongrass ~ finely chopped

4cm galangal ~ finely chopped

6-8 red shallots ~ finely chopped

4 cloves garlic ~ finely chopped

8 pcs turmeric ~ finely chopped

4 lime leaves ~ finely chopped

Directions/Instructions:

1. Soak the chilies in hot water for 10 mins until soft.
2. Add all the ingredients above to the blender and blend until a smooth paste forms. If the paste is dried, add a couple of chilies and water and continue to mix until smooth.

Yaki Udon aka Stir Fried Udon Noodle

Ingredients:

500g Japanese udon noodles

150g shrimp

100g sliced beef

1/2 Yellow onion ~ sliced

3-4 cloves garlic ~ minced

1 cup cabbage ~ shredded

1/4 cup carrot ~ julienned

Sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp honey/brown sugar

1 tbsp mirin

1 tsp black pepper

Directions/Instructions:

1. Season shrimp/beef with salt and pepper.  Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
2. To prepare udon noodles, soak them in hot water for about a minute. Then, using chopsticks, carefully loosen the noodles. Rinse with cold water, drain, and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a wok or large pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes or until opaque. Remove and set aside.
4. Add oil to the same wok, add onion and garlic, and cook until aromatic. Add cabbage and carrot, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the cooked shrimp, udon noodles, and sauce mixture.  Toss them together until the noodles are evenly coated.  Add green onion and mix to combine.  Garnish and enjoy!

Beef Tapa (Filipino Style)

Ingredients:

500g beef sirloin strips

1/4 tsp baking soda (Optional)

2 cup water

Marinade

4 tbsp light soy sauce

4 tbsp brown sugar

12 pcs calamansi - juice

4 tbsp olive oil

10 cloves ~ minced

1 tsp black pepper

Directions/Instructions:

1. Place the beef in a bowl and sprinkle with the baking soda.  Mix until well blended.
2. Add lemon juice and mix again several times.  Then, add all the marinade ingredients to a bowl and marinate the beef for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. Heat the pan over medium heat, and add the marinated beef with water.  Make sure the water is safe for the meat.
4. Cover it with the lid and set the heat to low when it boils. Simmer for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, stir the beef to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Then, increase the heat to medium and let it evaporate the water. Stir frequently at this stage until the water is dry.
6. Serve with fried garlic rice and fried egg.