Bakwan jagung jamur

Bakwan jagung or corn fritter is one of our favourites. 

I usually make it without measurement. 

Just combine all the ingredients:

flours (all purpose and a little bit rice flour), 

corn kernel, 

grated carrot, 

finely sliced spring onion,

 egg, 

water, 

garlic, 

shallot, 

salt and pepper. 

Then, fry it until golden brown. 

Sometimes I like it thin and crispy but other time I prefer it soft and fluffy.

One thing for sure, eat them hot with chili and a cup of tea...

This time I sneak oyster mushroom to the batter. 

Nothing change. 

My children still gobble them all up. 

I am submitting this post to little thumbs up event this month, organised by Zoe of bake for happy kids, Mui mui of my little favourites DIY, and Joyce of kitchen flavour.

Lapis india

The idfb challenge 10 is about kue lapis traditional. As you know, Indonesia is a home of kue lapis or layer cake, from baked kue lapis like lapis legit or lapis surabaya to the steamed one like lapis beras, kue pepe and a lot more. It is not easy to make a kue lapis. It needs patience and a lot of time. We have to bake or steam one layer at a time for about 5 - 10 minutes and then pour the next layer over the already baked or steamed one and so on until all the batter is all used up.

My only experience making kue lapis is about 2 years ago when I was still living in Perth. I wanted to eat kue lapis beras pandan so badly at that time that make me dare to make it myself. My steamer was so small and even I didn't have a baking pan. I used a small enamel bowl that only fit 1/4 part of the recipe. It was so challenging but the taste was sooo delicious though it was not pretty. It didn't have an even layer, some parts were bumpy. Maybe because the heat was too high or my stove produced uneven fire.  Some layers were also thicker than the others. Maybe because I already pour the next part of the batter while the previous layer was not set yet. Or maybe because I didn't measure the batter before pouring. 

Therefore I am so happy to find this lapis india recipe at mba Hesti's blog. As I read at kompas online and surya online, this lapis india is a favourite and now become an icon from Banjarmasin. It seems simpler than the other kue lapis. We do not need to divide the batter into 2 or more parts. We only use 1 batter and surprisingly the layer forms its alternating color by itself. We also do not need to bother about uneven layer because it is the wavy that make this kue so pretty and special. 

I only made half of the recipe and used a 16 cm square pan. It took 2 and half hours though I used a blender to speed up mixing the batter. The longest time was of course at steaming or layering stage. There is love and attention for every layer. Learning from my experience, I measured the batter and wait patiently until the previous layer set before pouring the next one. But all was paid of when I saw the result. This kue is so pretty, sweet and soft like pudding. Just as Banjar people say: nyaman banarrr...  

Ingredients:

300 ml coconut milk

300 ml water

2 pandan leaves

150 gr palm sugar (gula aren)

1 sachet hunkwe flour

1/4 tin sweet condensed milk (I used 2 sachet@42 ml)

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 tsp salt

Direction:

• Greased all sides of a 16 square baking tin. Line with baking paper and grease again the paper.
• Place on a steamer and heat on high.
• Finely sliced palm sugar. Combine with water and pandan. Boil until the sugar dissolve. Set aside to cool.
• Place coconut milk, hunkwe, sweet condensed milk and salt in a blander. 
• Strain the sugar mixture to the blander. Pulse to dissolve the flour.
• Add in eggs. Pulse again until all well incorporated. Strain it to a bowl.
• Pour 3 laddle (100 ml) of the mixture to the baking tin.
• Cover the steamer lid with kitchen towel and steam for 5 minutes or until set.
• When the previous layer is already set, stir well the mixture and pour again 100 ml over it. Do it until all the batter is all used up. After the last layer, steam it for about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let it cool.
• Enjoy!

Bakso Wortel Jamur

I am not really familiar with mushroom. The veggie seller who comes daily to sell veggies to my surroundings rarely bring mushroom except oyster and sometimes with request, button mushroom. Unfortunately, my son doesn't like those two. So I almost never cook mushroom. Until some days ago, I found that the mini market near my home now selling dried black wood ear, shitake and white coral mushroom. Directly those three moved into my basket. 

I already know what to make with them. First is this bakso wortel jamur (carrot and wood ear mushroom ball in clear soup). Actually I wanted to make bakso rambutan that is meatball made of chicken, shrimp, carrot, mushroom and glass noodle. But I forgot to buy the glass noodle, so it's only bakso wortel (carrot)  jamur (mushroom), then. 

It turns out so good. My children love it, on its own or as a soup with warm rice. No complaint about the mushroom, oh it's really nice.

Banana yeast bread with custard, streusel and choco chip

Whenever I go to a bakery I always so impressed with how they shape the bread with various toppings and fillings. I laugh to myself who make bread mostly with the standard topping and fillings like cheese or chocolate.

My children, in fact, never get bored with my bread but I think it is the time to try something else. So some days ago I made streusel for the filling and custard for the topping of my banana bread. It consumed more time of course, but seeing smile in my daughter's face delighted me.

Ingredients:

For bread:
2 tsp instant yeast
50 ml warm water
175 gr mashed overripe bananas (from 3 small bananas)
400 gr bread flour
100 gr sugar
15 gr milk powder
1 egg
2 tbs oil or 50 gr butter
1/2 tsp salt
extra flour

For streusel filling:
15 gr flour, toasted
50 gr milk powder
50 gr margarine
15 gr powdered sugar
25 gr chocolate chips

For custard topping:
200 ml milk
25 gr maizena
50 gr sugar
1 egg yolk

Method

Make the bread:

• Dissolve yeast in 50 ml warm water. Set aside.
• Combine mashed bananas, flour, milk powder, sugar, and egg with a wooden spoon.
• When the yeast is already frothy, pour it into the mixture and knead until all are well blended. We can use the mixer with the dough hook or just our hands.
• Add oil or margarine/butter if you like and salt and knead again until the dough is elastic. Drop extra flour spoon by spoon if the dough seems too wet.
• Round the dough into a big ball and put in the greased big bowl. Cover with cling wrap or damp tea towel and let rise until double in size for about 60 minutes.

While waiting, make the filling:

Mix flour, margarine, milk powder and sugar with a fork. Stir in chocolate chips. Set aside.

Then, make the topping:
Combine milk, flour and sugar in a saucepan. Boil on low until it thicken and bubbling. Remove from the heat. Add the yolk, stir it quickly until well incorporated. Transfer to a piping bag and set aside.

Continue the bread making:

• Punch the dough. Knead again briefly.
• Cut the dough into 35 gr each, roll it into a ball and place it on a greased baking pan.  
• Flatten the dough, fill with the filling and roll it again.
• Cover and let rise again for another 60 minutes or so.
• Heat the oven. Brush the bread with milk and pipe the custard on it. Bake until golden brown.
• Enjoy ...

Source: Sajian sedap

Buku 'Kue Special dalam Cup' by Sedap

Tahu Gunting

Just like tahu telur, this tahu gunting or also known as tahu tek is very popular in East Java. It is a dish that contain fried tofu (tahu), beansprout, cucumber and rice cake (lontong) with peanut-petis sauce. The tofu is cut using a scissor (gunting) rather than a knife. That's why it is called tahu gunting.

   

Tahu gunting
By Seri Masak Femina Primarasa via Mlebu Pawon


Ingredients:
4 firm tofu
100 gr bean sprout, trimmed
1 cucumber
2 - 3 stalks Asian celery
lontong/ketupat
kerupuk

for sauce:
4 garilcs
3 chilies
2 tsp palm sugar
1 tbs peanuts, fried
2 tbs petis udang/dark shrimp paste
2 tbs sweet soy sauce
75 ml water
1 tsp vinegar 5% (I didn't use it)
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Heat oil on a wok. Fry the tofu until golden brown (marinade with garlic, coriander and salt if you like). Drain and cut cube.
Place bean sprout on a bowl. Pour in hot boiling water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove and drain.
Peel the cucumber (I didn't do that to add green colour on the dish), discard the seed and chopped.
Wash the celery and finely chopped.

for sauce: Grind garlic, chilies, palm sugar and peanuts until fine. Add petis, water and sweet soy sauce. Mix well. Add the vinegar. Mix well. Taste with salt if necessary.
Serving: Slice ketupat/lontong, place on a plate. Top with the fried tofu, bean sprout, and cucumber. Pour the sauce. Garnish with celery and kerupuk.
Enjoy...

Brownies Kukus Ketan Hitam

Have you tried this Bunda Ricke Indriani's black glutinous rice steamed brownies?

Yes? Then you must be agree with me, this brownies is soooo good, taste and texture wise. The chocolate is just right, not too strong but pair perfectly with the black glutinous rice.  The texture is moist and to my surprise it is not as gritty as  the black glutinous rice steamed cake I made before. Surely, this will be one of the favorites.

No?

Then you have to give it a go... it really worth a try...

I only made half of the recipe and used an 18 square pan. Due to the lack of time, I skipped the 9th to 11th steps and just pour all the batter in the pan. But I am sure it will be nicer with the chocolate filling in the middle. Hmmm...

Ingredients:

6 eggs

200 gr sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbs vanilla

2 tbs sweet condensed milk

250 gr black glutinous rice flour

20 gr cocoa powder

100 gr dark cooking chocolate

200 ml oil

chocolate rice for the filling

Methods:

1. Heat enough water in a big pan.
2. Melt chocolate and oil on a stainless bowl over that simmering water. Remove from the heat and stir well.
3. Grease a 20 square baking tin and line the bottom with wax paper.
4. When the water already hot enough. Off the stove and remove the pan to the table. Place the eggs, sugar, salt and condensed milk on a heatproof bowl. Put the bowl in the pan with hot water. Beat on low speed until the sugar dissolve. Remove the bowl from the heat. Increase the speed to high, beat again until thick and pale. Off the mixer.
5. Heat again the water in the pan. Place a steamer on it.
6. Add the flour and cocoa powder in the batter while sifting in 3 batches. Fold it carefully.
7. Remove some of the batter to a bowl. Pour in the oil and chocolate mixture. Fold it slowly and carefully until well incorporated.
8. Pour it back to the batter. Fold it well. 
9. Pour half of the batter in the baking tin and steam it on medium heat for 10 minutes. 
10. Sprinkle the chocolate rice and pour the remaining batter and continue to steam for 30 minutes.
11. Remove from the steamer. Let stand for about 10 minutes. Then invert the cake onto a plate.
12. Enjoy!

One ingredient banana "ice cream"

One afternoon I handed a cup of this 'ice cream' to Rachel, my daughter.

"What's this, mom?" She asked.

"Ice cream" I answered with smile.

She popped a spoonful to her mouth and said,

"It tastes banana, it smells banana, it has the colour of banana"

"Of course, it is banana ice cream, made only of banana" I replied.

"Only banana? no other things?"

"Nop" 

She took another spoonful and sip it slowly, tried to taste it more carefully.

"Well...?" I asked

"It is soft and creamy like ice cream"

"I like it"

We can find this 'ice cream' recipe in lots of food blogs. It is damn easy to make this "ice cream'. We only need to cut the ripe bananas into small pieces and freeze it. After a couple hours or so, put the frozen bananas in a food processor then blend and blend and blend again on high until they turn out creamy like ice cream. Eat immediately before it melt.

My daughter might find it interesting but my boy did not. He thought that it was too banana-y, like just a mushy cold banana. Though I added a dash of cocoa powder on the second batch and turned it into chocolate banana "ice cream". He still said no. 

Do try it to know whether you are agree with my daugher or my boy...

Black Glutinous Rice Steamed Cake

It is really annoying when the internet connection is down. For me who is just a super beginner in the kitchen, I rely fully on the internet to find recipes or idea what to cook. Just like that day, I needed to make black glutinous rice cake but I couldn't browse anything. What should I do? Calm down Anna ... couldn't get a new recipe, just used the old one then...

From the same recipe of putu ayu ketan hitam, I skipped the coconut layer and  poured the batter into a round 18 cm baking tin instead of putu ayu molds. Simpler and faster, right? The batter was a bit thin so that the cake became dense, but still moist. It was sweet and tasty with a unique gritty texture. It's kind of  eating bubur ketan hitam in the form of a cake. My sister loves the colour and the texture but my boy find it unappetizing. What about you?