The go-to street food in Malaysia and Singapore, this treat is well-loved for its chewy and springy glutinous rice and fragrant sesame seeds or peanut coating. If you’ve never tasted it before, it’s similar to Japanese mochi.
Garlic is one of nature’s best gifts to the kitchen. Spicing up dishes that would have been too bland otherwise, there’s nothing the versatile ingredient cannot do – and who doesn’t love garlic bread? See also: How to make the most of your garlic when home cooking But for us common folk not well-versed in professional cooking methods, preparing garlic is slow and often cumbersome. We peel the tiny cloves one by one with our fingernails, which is not only time-consuming but also unhygienic. We chop it too coarsely or unevenly for recipes that require thinly sliced garlic. Or we get lazy and buy garlic paste from the supermarkets, an inferior replacement for the real thing, filled with preservatives and sub-par flavour. Thanks to some sage advice from the pros, home chefs can brush up their knife skills and learn to cut garlic the right way, to bring out the best of its flavours.
What’s wrong with the way I do it?
Different recipes require different styles of garlic prep. For example, soups, sauces and stews require minced garlic, as the latter’s flavour is most potent and you want the garlic to be incorporated well. Furthermore, it is also unsightly to have stray bits of garlic floating around in your soup. Sliced garlic goes well with sauté dishes and stir-fries. Anyone can chop garlic, but to do it well delivers uniform results. Each piece should be about the same size, to prevent burning and to ensure consistent flavouring. Preparing it as quickly as possible means using the garlic at its freshest – taking too long with garlic prep turns out bitter-tasting garlic, due to oxidisation. A sharp knife will help, but be careful not to hurt yourself.
Peeling, slicing and mincing garlic correctly
Now, let’s break the garlic prep process down to simple steps. First, press down on the bulb of garlic hard with the heel of your
If you’re living anywhere that’s not under a rock, there’s a good chance you’ve seen people sipping on the now-famous Dalgona coffee. Lauded to be a simple barista-worthy creation you can whip up with no more than three ingredients (four, if you count water), the cloud-like beverage has taken the world by storm (pun intended). A quick introduction to the trendy drink: Dalgona coffee is named after South Korea’s well-loved street candy, a sugary and foamy honeycomb snack. A part of what made this so popular amongst the #StayHome crowd and aspiring home chefs is its simplicity and the desire to share homemade creations with others. But at the end of the day, regardless of how pretty, it still tastes of instant coffee mixed with some sweetener. And while a hit among some, it’s understandable how the trend might not resonate with others. That said, non-coffee fans or people looking to level up this drink, we’ve got you covered. It’s time to bring your favourite flavours to new heights and board the Dalgona trend train!
It's not easy to find kerepek layang layang anymore, but today we have a time-tested recipe for this sweet snack. What does it taste like? First, it has crispy layers that are coated with icing sugar, so it's like eating a very small sugar-coated biscuit. Each piece is bite-sized, so before you know it - you could finish the entire bottle (trust us, we tried!). It's extremely easy to make because it's essentially just spring roll skin - which you can find everywhere - and icing sugar. Take care to use icing sugar and not any other type of sugar, otherwise the snack won't have the same mouthfeel. The water and the cornstarch will come together to form a glue. Mix it first and if it's not sticky, add more cornstarch.
If you’re a dim sum aficionado, the Cantonese variety of the common sponge cake is definitely not foreign to you. Called the Ma Lai Go, this traditional steamed sponge is made with fragrant brown sugar, and flaunts a chewy, non-sticky texture. Traditionally, Ma Lai Go‘s biggest challenge lies in a good leavening agent (levain). This recipe however, replaces it with baking powder, allowing you to whip up some nostalgic flavours in no time. Looking for more traditional recipes to try?How about a Pandan Kaya Swiss Roll, homemade kaya, or kuih layang layang? Give it a shot!
Let’s say you have decided to make some brownies for a birthday party the next day. You bought the necessary ingredients from the supermarket and are getting ready to start mixing and baking. But something isn’t right. You sense that you have left something out of your shopping, and true enough, you have forgotten to buy the milk that your brownie recipe needs. Frankly, nobody wants to make a special trip down to the supermarket just to get some eggs or milk. So what can we use around the kitchen that are viable substitutes for common baking ingredients that will not make a noticeable difference in the end result? Let’s have a look at what can be substituted, what can’t, and what possible replacements there are.
Flour
Most baked goods require flour, and different recipes call for different types of flour. For instance, bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, as bread requires gluten for its open, airy crumb and its shape. Cake flour has lower gluten levels, so you can’t use it to make bread. If your recipe requires cake flour, it is possible to add two tablespoons of cornstarch to a cup (128 grams) of all-purpose flour, to make the cake denser. It is also possible to use all-purpose flour to replace bread flour, but your bread may end up less chewy. If this is your first few times baking, it is best to stick to what the recipe requires.
Milk
Baking requires full concentration and when we’re tired or moody, mistakes can happen. I forgot to add milk to my marble cake batter just last week. Luckily, nobody could taste the difference in the end result. Forgetting the milk does not turn out bland and lifeless cakes. It could taste a little dry but to most people, the wonderful aromas of a cake in the oven will mask the lack of milk. You could use any type of nut milk, coconut milk or even soy milk. You could also use heavy cream, sour cream or yoghurt – just dilute it with a little water before using it as these replacements
Ask anyone for their favourite go-to breakfast item and more often than not, kaya toast with two soft boiled eggs will be mentioned. It's not hard to see why - soft white bread spread with a generous amount of creamy kaya together with a thick slab of butter, enjoyed with milky tea or coffee - what are great way to start your day! Kaya at its most basic form is made using eggs, sugar, coconut milk and pandan leaves. The green from the Kaya comes from pandan extract. This recipe is lovingly contributed by home cook Anne Leong.
Singaporeans and Malaysians have long tussled over where dishes like chilli crab, chicken rice and char kway teow originated. Even Malaysia’s former minister of tourism chimed in, claiming ownership of chilli crab, a dish believed to have come from Singapore.This friendly feud stems from the neighbouring countries’ similar food cultures and their long and storied history prior to Singapore’s independence.Despite this, there are some dishes that are no doubt, authentic Malaysian food. Some of these hail from Penang, a city in Northwest Malaysia considered the food capital of the nation, while others originate from the Malay kampungs, or villages, decades earlier.These iconic dishes paint Malaysia’s diverse food landscape; no visit to Malaysia is complete without trying them. In the spirit of Merdeka day, here are five dishes that Malaysians are proud to call their own.
Nasi Lemak
Considered Malaysia’s national dish, nasi lemak is the country’s favourite breakfast food. Coconut rice served with fried anchovies, roasted nuts, a fried egg, fried fish, rendang or chicken, slices of cucumber and a generous serving of sambal, the unique combination of sweet, oily and spicy is unmistakable.Lemak, which means “fatty” in Malay, is derived from the rice which cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaves. It is popular breakfast food in Malaysia and in Singapore, but the high-fat levels from coconut milk and its fried side items make it any health authorities’ worst enemy.Historians believe it has existed as early as 1909, as mentioned by English colonialist Richard Olaf Winstedt in his writings. It is believed th
When you finally get that beautiful and sleek Chef XL, or that ever-versatile Multipro Sense you’ve dreamed of - there’s so much more it can do than just sit prettily on the counter or its basic functions. Extra attachments aside, there are already so many other ways to hack your kitchen helpers and get the most bang for your buck.While these trusty mixers and food processors are great at doing what they are known for, it only takes a little bit of experimenting to discover just how much they can improve your culinary creations and save you precious time. The possibilities are truly endless. But here are 4 kitchen hacks you can start with.
A fluffy, cloudy and smooth meringue made effortlessly
A baker is only as good as their perfectly whipped meringue. It easily transforms a classic lemon tart into a beautiful dinner centrepiece and is delicious as little melt-in-your-mouth sugary bites. However, making meringue is an unavoidable challenge.It’s can be tricky to get meringue to rise in hot and humid weather or with a bowl less than perfectly oil-free, or even with the wrong mixing attachments. Sometimes, it may seem that getting the perfect fluffy and cloudy meringue needs nothing short of the stars aligning. But here’s your hack: chill the bowl. That’s it! It’s that simple. Pop the mixing bowl and beater in the freezer and keep the egg whites chilled in the fridge before whipping, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly the mixture fluffs. (This w
While the concept of eating clean might be appealing, the hassle of creating a healthy meal from scratch might turn some away. When it comes to creating a clean and green meal, salads are your best friend.Easy, quick and chock full of goodness, a good hearty salad is a fuss-free way of getting your daily nutrients while keeping you satiated. To get you started, here are a few refreshing salad recipes that you can toss-up in a jiffy, and give you the wholesome meal you’ve been dreaming of.
Refreshing, clean and delicious, this recipe only requires 3 ingredients, giving you a quick fresh salad with parsley and light lemon dressing. Straight out of the Eastern Mediterranean kitchen, this traditional dish is called the Salata, and is where salads like fattoush and tabouli derive inspiration from.
6 Roma tomatoes, diced (about 3 cups diced tomatoes)
1 Large English cucumber (or hot-house cucumber), diced
1/2 to 3/4 packed cup/ 15 to 20 g chopped fresh parsley leaves
Read more »The go-to street food in Malaysia and Singapore, this treat is well-loved for its chewy and springy glutinous rice and fragrant sesame seeds or peanut coating. If you’ve never tasted it before, it’s similar to Japanese mochi.
Read more »Garlic is one of nature’s best gifts to the kitchen. Spicing up dishes that would have been too bland otherwise, there’s nothing the versatile ingredient cannot do – and who doesn’t love garlic bread? See also: How to make the most of your garlic when home cooking But for us common folk not well-versed in professional cooking methods, preparing garlic is slow and often cumbersome. We peel the tiny cloves one by one with our fingernails, which is not only time-consuming but also unhygienic. We chop it too coarsely or unevenly for recipes that require thinly sliced garlic. Or we get lazy and buy garlic paste from the supermarkets, an inferior replacement for the real thing, filled with preservatives and sub-par flavour. Thanks to some sage advice from the pros, home chefs can brush up their knife skills and learn to cut garlic the right way, to bring out the best of its flavours.
Read more »If you’re living anywhere that’s not under a rock, there’s a good chance you’ve seen people sipping on the now-famous Dalgona coffee. Lauded to be a simple barista-worthy creation you can whip up with no more than three ingredients (four, if you count water), the cloud-like beverage has taken the world by storm (pun intended). A quick introduction to the trendy drink: Dalgona coffee is named after South Korea’s well-loved street candy, a sugary and foamy honeycomb snack. A part of what made this so popular amongst the #StayHome crowd and aspiring home chefs is its simplicity and the desire to share homemade creations with others. But at the end of the day, regardless of how pretty, it still tastes of instant coffee mixed with some sweetener. And while a hit among some, it’s understandable how the trend might not resonate with others. That said, non-coffee fans or people looking to level up this drink, we’ve got you covered. It’s time to bring your favourite flavours to new heights and board the Dalgona trend train!
Read more »It's not easy to find kerepek layang layang anymore, but today we have a time-tested recipe for this sweet snack. What does it taste like? First, it has crispy layers that are coated with icing sugar, so it's like eating a very small sugar-coated biscuit. Each piece is bite-sized, so before you know it - you could finish the entire bottle (trust us, we tried!). It's extremely easy to make because it's essentially just spring roll skin - which you can find everywhere - and icing sugar. Take care to use icing sugar and not any other type of sugar, otherwise the snack won't have the same mouthfeel. The water and the cornstarch will come together to form a glue. Mix it first and if it's not sticky, add more cornstarch.
Read more »If you’re a dim sum aficionado, the Cantonese variety of the common sponge cake is definitely not foreign to you. Called the Ma Lai Go, this traditional steamed sponge is made with fragrant brown sugar, and flaunts a chewy, non-sticky texture. Traditionally, Ma Lai Go‘s biggest challenge lies in a good leavening agent (levain). This recipe however, replaces it with baking powder, allowing you to whip up some nostalgic flavours in no time. Looking for more traditional recipes to try? How about a Pandan Kaya Swiss Roll, homemade kaya, or kuih layang layang? Give it a shot!
Read more »Let’s say you have decided to make some brownies for a birthday party the next day. You bought the necessary ingredients from the supermarket and are getting ready to start mixing and baking. But something isn’t right. You sense that you have left something out of your shopping, and true enough, you have forgotten to buy the milk that your brownie recipe needs. Frankly, nobody wants to make a special trip down to the supermarket just to get some eggs or milk. So what can we use around the kitchen that are viable substitutes for common baking ingredients that will not make a noticeable difference in the end result? Let’s have a look at what can be substituted, what can’t, and what possible replacements there are.
Read more »Ask anyone for their favourite go-to breakfast item and more often than not, kaya toast with two soft boiled eggs will be mentioned. It's not hard to see why - soft white bread spread with a generous amount of creamy kaya together with a thick slab of butter, enjoyed with milky tea or coffee - what are great way to start your day! Kaya at its most basic form is made using eggs, sugar, coconut milk and pandan leaves. The green from the Kaya comes from pandan extract. This recipe is lovingly contributed by home cook Anne Leong.
Read more »Singaporeans and Malaysians have long tussled over where dishes like chilli crab, chicken rice and char kway teow originated. Even Malaysia’s former minister of tourism chimed in, claiming ownership of chilli crab, a dish believed to have come from Singapore. This friendly feud stems from the neighbouring countries’ similar food cultures and their long and storied history prior to Singapore’s independence. Despite this, there are some dishes that are no doubt, authentic Malaysian food. Some of these hail from Penang, a city in Northwest Malaysia considered the food capital of the nation, while others originate from the Malay kampungs, or villages, decades earlier. These iconic dishes paint Malaysia’s diverse food landscape; no visit to Malaysia is complete without trying them. In the spirit of Merdeka day, here are five dishes that Malaysians are proud to call their own.
Read more »When you finally get that beautiful and sleek Chef XL, or that ever-versatile Multipro Sense you’ve dreamed of - there’s so much more it can do than just sit prettily on the counter or its basic functions. Extra attachments aside, there are already so many other ways to hack your kitchen helpers and get the most bang for your buck. While these trusty mixers and food processors are great at doing what they are known for, it only takes a little bit of experimenting to discover just how much they can improve your culinary creations and save you precious time. The possibilities are truly endless. But here are 4 kitchen hacks you can start with.
Read more »While the concept of eating clean might be appealing, the hassle of creating a healthy meal from scratch might turn some away. When it comes to creating a clean and green meal, salads are your best friend. Easy, quick and chock full of goodness, a good hearty salad is a fuss-free way of getting your daily nutrients while keeping you satiated. To get you started, here are a few refreshing salad recipes that you can toss-up in a jiffy, and give you the wholesome meal you’ve been dreaming of.