CRISPY VEGETABLE FRITTERS

Crispy Vegetable Fritters

fondly called Bala-bala or Bakwan sayor

is a famous Indonesian Street Food or snack.

This is deep fried!

If you do not mind the fat content

it is a good snack to whip up easily!

Moreover, you can use any vegetable that you can find in your fridge,

e.g. carrots, cabbage, onions, scallions, potatoes, pumpkin etc

Different vegetables will yield different colour bala-bala!

Crispy Vegetable Fritters

250g thinly sliced vegetables

Batter:

70g all purpose flour

30g rice flour

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1/2 tsp chicken stock granules

150g ice cold water

Method:

1. combine all ingredients in the batter, make sure there is no lumps. Strain it if necessary.

2. mix in the thinly sliced vegetables and leave it in the fridge (keep it cold) 

3. heat up the oil for deep frying

4. when oil is hot, scoop a tablespoon of the batter and drop into the hot oil

5. turn it over when the sides start to brown

6. fry until cooked, leave to drip on a strainer

7. serve warm

BAKED SWEET POTATO

French Fries are popular among both young and old.

Knowing that they are unhealthy, being fried with processed oil,

many of us still cannot resist taking a few bites.

In recent years, sweet potato fries have become popular,

more so if they are baked.

This baked sweet potato fries can be prepared very quickly

and is sure to be a hit with children and adults alike.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes

sea salt to taste

a little garlic oil to grease the baking pan

1. pre-heat oven 200'C and lightly coat base of baking tray with some garlic oil

2. cut sweet potatoes into fries after peeling off the skin, and toss in a little salt

3. place them in the prepared baking tray

4. bake for 15min or until just browning on one side.

5. flip over and bake for another 15min to complete the browning.

Note:

Cooking time depends on the oven

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

Zucchini Fritters

I have never tasted Zucchini.
By its appearance, I thought it is another species of cucumber.

The vegetable seller told me it is nice to eat,
simply fry it will do.
So I bought one piece, yellow colour one.

Many of my Facebook friends gave suggestions of how to cook this.
My niece Linda Su suggested Fritters.
And here it is: Zucchini Fritters!

After I googled, I realized that it has 10 health benefits!

Here is an extract from Pinterest:

This recipe is found in www.justataste.com

Zucchini Fritters

1 zucchini 7" length, shredded

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 sprigs scallions, cut into small pieces

1 Tbsp oil

salt & pepper to taste

1. mix some salt to the shredded zucchini, and allow it to stand for 15min

2. squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as possible

3. transfer the zucchini to a large bowl, mix in flour, egg and cut scallions

4. add seasoning to taste

5. heat up oil in a pan

6. once the oil is hot, scoop 2 Tbsp mounds of batter into the pan, press lightly

7. cook for 2-3min, then flip over and cook another 2 min until brown and cooked through.

8. serve warm when it is crispy.

KAYA PUFF

Kaya (Coconut egg Jam)

made into a puff and becomes Kaya Puff.

It is my favourite.

I am afraid I have made the skin too thick as you can see from the photo.

I will roll the puff sheet bigger and thinner next time.

Nevertheless, the layers are clear!

Giving special thanks to GuaiShuShu for the recipe.

Kaya Puff

Water skin: 100g plain flour

                    30g oil

                    1/2 Tbsp maltose

                    1/8 tsp salt

                    45g water

Oil Skin: 75g cake flour

               40g butter

Filling: 250g kaya, chilled

Egg Wash: 1 egg yolk + 1/2 Tbsp water

Method:

1. mix the ingredients for water skin, knead to form a smooth dough.

    rest the dough for 20min

2. mix ingredients for oil dough, lightly knead to form into ball

3. divide the oil dough into 6 portions and shape into a ball

4. divide water dough into 6 portions, shape into a ball & press flat to wrap the oil dough

5. secure the edges, roll into a ball & allow to rest for 10min

6. carefully roll the ball lengthwise into a rectangle, then roll up as if a swiss roll

7. Again, roll the swiss roll flat lengthwise & roll up again.

8. lastly roll the dough into oval about 6" x 4", put 1-2 Tbsp kaya on one side of the dough

9. close with the other side  & seal the edges & pleat

10. place the puff onto a parchment lined tray & egg wash

11. bake in preheated oven 190'C for 20-25min until golden.

SWEET POTATO ONDE ONDE

Sweet Potato Onde Onde

is shared by Zoe Liu @zoebakeforhappykids

I have to agree with Zoe Liu 

that these onde onde are better 

than those made traditionally with tapioca flour and glutinous rice flour.

Besides rich in fibre,

they remain soft & chewy a long time.

They get their natural colour from the sweet potato,

orange, yellow or purple

the choice is yours.

Sweet Potato Onde Onde

makes 20 pieces

Dough: combine & knead to form a pliable, non-sticky dough:

             160g warm freshly steamed potato, mashed

             50g glutinous rice flour

Filling: 80g chopped gula melaka

Coating: mix and steam together, leave aside to cool:

              100g freshly grated coconut

               pinch of salt

Method:

1. divide dough into 20 parts & shape into balls

2. flatten dough & wrap adequate amount of filling inside, dorm into a ball

3. cook these balls in a pot of boiling water

4. once these balls float, remove and drop into the bowl of coconut to coat

5. set aside to cool completely

6. enjoy

POLO BAO

Polo Bao 

served with a thick slab of butter, yummy!

Polo Bao is spoken 

in Cantonese meaning 'pineapple bun'.

These are usually served in Hong Kong Cafe,

better known as 

茶餐厅

which offer mostly Hong Kong food

ranging from drinks, light snacks to heavy lunch & dinner sets.

Polo Bao is soft & sweet.

It is wrapped with a cookie dough on top.

This cookie dough is then scored to make it break when baked,

resembling the skin of a pineapple.

I agree with the owner of this recipe,

Kenneth Goh

 that the buns are best served hot when the cookie dough is crispy.

If it becomes soft when cooled,

simply heat up to make it crispy again.

You will love it because it is delicious,

especially if you have a slab of butter to go with it!

Here is Kenneth Goh's recipe if you are interested:

Polo Bao

yields 18 buns

Bun Dough:

250g bread flour

125g mashed potato

80-100g water

50g castor sugar

30g milk powder, optional

30g butter

2 tsp instant yeast

1 egg

pinch of salt

Cookie dough topping:

75g melted butter

150g self-raising flour

1 egg, medium size, lightly beaten

50g icing sugar

30g milk powder

Others:

1 egg yolk for egg washing

some fine sugar for sprinkling

slabs of cold butter to serve with buns

Preparation:

1. all bun ingredients into the bread machine, bread dough cycle 1.5 hours

2. while waiting for the bread dough cycle to finish, 

    combine all ingredients in cookie dough, mix to form a soft sticky dough. 

    divide into 18 balls, & set aside until required. 

3. when the bread dough is double its size, punch down & divide into 18 balls

4. take 1 pc cookie dough, flatten it in the palm of your hand to resemble a small bowl

5. place a bread dough inside this bowl, press in the cookie dough to cover all the sides

6. place the bun onto a parchment lined baking sheet

7. use a knife to score pattern on the bun, allow to proof until double in size

8. just before sending into the oven, egg wash the buns & sprinkle sugar generously on the bun

9. bake in preheated oven 180'C for 15-18min until golden brown.

BLUE BERRY MUFFIN

When you do not have any fresh blue berries in the fridge.

but the little ones like to have a blue berry muffin,

what can you do?

No worries!

I always soak some dried berries e.g. blue berry or cranberry,

and freeze it until required!

Not in season?

Check my freezer, it is ever ready!

Blue Berry Muffin

A. 100g dried blue berry, soaked in orange juice, drained

B. 50g butter, melted

    10g oil

    70g sugar

    1/4 tsp salt

    1 egg

    110g yoghurt

C. 170g self raising flour

Method:

1. whip together B, add drained blue berries

2. sift in flour & mix to combine, lumpy is ok, do not over mix

3. scoop into muffin cups

4. bake in preheated oven 180'C for 30min until brown.

BANANA SWEET CORN MUFFIN

My 2 little grand-daughters Hannah and Joyanne
love sweet corn.

This Banana Sweet Corn Muffin
is good for them.
It is packed with the goodness of bananas,
less sugar and high fibre!

Banana Sweet Corn Muffin

makes 4 muffins

Ingredients A

100g banana, mashed

1 egg, lightly beaten

35g milk

60g butter, melted

5g corn oil

30g brown sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 tsp salt

35g sweet corn kernels

Ingredients B 

110g self-raising flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1) preheat oven to 180'C 

2) combine A and mix well

3) sift & fold B into the mixture (Do not overmix!) lumps is ok

4) scoop into muffin cups about 80% full

5) bake for 30min

EASY GUACAMOLE

Guacamole

is a traditional Mexican snack enjoyed by many.

I was overwhelmed with its unique taste and texture

when I was first introduced to it!

Its main ingredient is 

Avocado.

Avocado has often been referred to as a Superfood,

because it is loaded with healthy fats, fibre and various nutrients!

It is therefore popular among the health conscious individuals.

This creamy Avocado Dip

is easy to prepare 

and 

nice to eat with tortilla chips and crackers

I have 2 variant here:

One with chopped fresh cilantro 

and another without!

Enjoy it with crackers if you like!

Easy Guacamole

2 ripe avocado
2 lime, juiced
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro/coriander/parsley, optional
salt to taste

Method:
1. pit and take out the pulp from avocados
2. place the pulp avocado in a bowl and mash with the lime juice
3. add salt to taste (if you are serving with savoury crackers, you may omit the salt)
4. fold in tomatoes, onions and chopped cilantro if using
5. chill before serving

Note:
Guacamole can be served within 2 days

MADELEINE

Madeleine
is a good snack because it is in small portion.

You can have it with or without
icing sugar on it!

It looks so much better with 'snow flakes', haha!

Sister Ding Mee Ling,
I would like to thank you
for the various sharing and guidance
starting from the time I know you through Facebook.

I have never tasted,
not to mention baking the Madeleine.

This is a easy recipe shared by Sis Ding Mee Ling
(Author:Shiokman Eddie)
and
the beauty of it
 is that I can make the batter 2 days ahead!

I was so anxious to try out the recipe,
so I baked it anyhow,
without the proper pans
using my little cup cake pans!

Madeleine

3 eggs

100g sugar

10g orange zest

5g lemon zest

120g self-raising flour

1/4 tsp salt

62.5g butter, melted

Method:

1) beat eggs and sugar until it turns pale 

2) add grated zest and salt, mix well

3) mix in flour and melted butter, until well combined

4) refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour (up to 2 days)

5) lightly oil pan, and scoop in the batter

6) bake in preheated oven 180'C for 10-15 min until golden brown

7) cool madeleine slightly before removing from the pan

8) once cooled down, dust with icing sugar

SWEET POTATO BALLS

Sweet Potato Balls

made with orange sweet potatoes

made with white sweet potatoes

Sweet Potato Balls

is a common snack loved by many.

For health reasons many have also refrained from eating it

because it is Deep Fried!

If you are like me,
prefer the sweet potato balls to be soft and tender,
this is the right recipe for you.

If you prefer a chewy type
add 5g of glutinous flour to the dough.

Sweet Potato Balls

300g sweet potato, cut into small pieces

30g sugar

a pinch of salt

60-65g all purpose flour

1. steam the sweet potato until soft

2. add sugar and mash with a fork while it is still hot

3. add salt and flour, knead until just combined (may not use up all flour)

4. roll into balls and leave aside while getting ready to fry

SA KE MA

Sa Ke Ma

is a traditional snack/biscuit love by many.

It is sweet, crunchy and fragrant.

Lucinda Lau 

shares with us this recipe,

with simple ingredients of flour and eggs,

it is transformed into this wonderful snack!

Sa Ke Ma

(A) 150g flour

       2 eggs

       1/2 tsp baking powder

       1/4 tsp salt

(B) 80g sugar

      80g maltose

      40g water

(C) some toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Method:

1. sift flour & baking powder, add salt and mix well

2. beat eggs lightly in a bowl and add to sifted dry ingredients

3. knead together to form a dough, allow to rest for 20min

4. roll dough into a thin rectangle, divide into 1" sections

    and cut into 1/2cm strips, coat with flour if necessary

5. deep fry dough strips until golden, drain & leave aside

6. cook (B) over medium fire until sugar dissolves & thick bubbles formed.
    Continue cooking at LOW heat until-(To test, use chopstick to touch the syrup
    and lift up. If it forms a fine line, it is ready) 

7. Turn off heat, pour fried strips into sugar syrup and toss until well coated

8. add some sesame seeds and transfer to a oiled and lined 6" square pan
    & press while it is hot to compact, using a spoon 

9. leave for an hour before cutting into squares

Note:

Must really press and compact in order to get a nice firm cube!

I did not press mine hard enough!

OVEN BAKED CRUNCHY CHICKPEA

Thank you Sherry Peris

for sharing this recipe.

Never realised that it could be done so easily!

Oven Baked Crunchy Chickpea

200g chickpea -

1. soak overnight

2. boil until soft

3. dry with kitchen towels & leave to air dry

4. season with garlic salt, salt or any of your favourite herbs 

5. bake in preheated oven 230'C for 30-45 min until browned & crunchy

BAK KWA (PORK JERKY)

Bak Kwa

in Hockien is dried meat

is popular during Festive Seasons.

It is a must-have for Chinese New Year

These are sold in bags of 1/2 kg 

or 
boxes of one kilogram each

Nowadays, because of its rising cost,
it is also sold in pieces.

You can see them roasting the slices of meat in front of you

and you tend to believe they are fresh,

never realise that 

many of these were processed weeks ago or even months

Well, these meat slices are really tasty

and you will not stop at one slice!

You can eat it on its own,

with bread,
or as fillings for buns

You can actually make your own
at a fraction of the cost

baked in toaster oven 

1/3 of the recipe

Bak Kwa

400g minced pork
1 Tbsp cooking wine

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 Tbsp dark soya sauce

1 Tbsp fish sauce

Glaze:

2 Tbsp maltose dissolved in some hot water (optional)

Or 

Honey or golden syrup

1) combine minced meat with all ingredients
2) stir with a spoon until the mixture turns gooey, takes about 2 min
3) leave to marinate in the fridge overnight, no need to cover

4) spread meat between 2 parchment paper, & roll to 2mm thick

5) peel off the top parchment paper & bake in preheated oven 150’C  for 3-5 min

6) glaze and bake again 3-5min 

7) drain away juice if any & turn over, glaze and bake 3-5 min

6) take care not to burn the meat!

8) when the desired colour is reached, cool on wire rack

Note:
I used my toaster oven to bake the bak kwa on 21Jan 2021 (2nd photo)

CRISPY CRAB STICK

 Some like it thin

some like it thick

but everybody likes it crispy and nice

A good snack for a gathering

I bought this DoDo brand

because it was recommended by my Facebook friends

Yes, indeed it is delicious

1. unwrap these crab sticks and peel into strips

2. either air dry or chuck in fridge over night

3. when dried, heat up oil for deep frying

4. fry in medium heat, until slightly brown

5. remove & drain well

6. keep in air tight containers

QUINOA GARLIC CROUTONS

Quinoa 

may be nutricious

but not many people like its taste and texture

I cooked it, tossed it in salads, made bread

but 

it is still not so widely accepted!

While searching for a way 

for children to enjoy Quinoa,

I came across Miki Mak's Buttery Garlicious Croutons

@ dingoozatfood.blogspot.sg

Instead of waiting for unfinished bread or unsuccessful bakes,

I baked a Quinoa bread, slice it, cut into cubes

and toss it in butter & garlic powder,

then bake it into crispy little delicious buttery garlic croutons!

Hope my grandchildren will love it..

Quinoa Garlic Croutons

5 slices bread, cut into small cubes

35g salted butter, melted

1 tsp garlic powder

1. put bread cubes on a baking tray, drizzle melted butter over them

2. sprinkle garlic powder on the bread, tossing & shaking

3. bake in preheated oven 150'C for 15min

4. toss & turn bread cube over & bake another 10-15min until crunchy and fragrant!

5. store in air tight containers when cooled. 

MIN JIANG KUIH

Min Jiang Kuih 
also known as Apam Balik in Malay
is a sweet pancake 

with fillings of roasted groundnuts

It is one of my hubby's favourites

This is a popular hawker food

sold in many of the food courts and markets

either in

small pancakes, folded half

or cut pieces from a big pancake

I followed MiMi Bakery House 's recipe and

made this medium size pancake 

which I cut into 7 pieces

Batter:
130g plain flour
1/4 tsp baking soda 
1 tsp baking powder (if omit, add another 1/4 tsp baking soda)
1/2 tsp yeast
1 egg
25g sugar
160ml water

Filling:
125g peanut, roasted & ground
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp butter

1) combine all ingredients in batter to form a smooth batter
2) leave aside for 30-45 min & sieve
3) pour 1-2 laddle of batter into a non stick wok, smooth out 
4) cook on low heat until bubbles appear all over
5) off or reduce heat, sprinkle sugar & peanuts on pancake
6) distribute butter onto peanuts
7) fold pancake over & remove from pan
8) serve hot