My days of growing up in Kuching, Sarawak I only ever known cangkuk manis or mani chai cooked 3 ways. In Pan Mee soup, fry with eggs and masak lemak like this. I have seen people adding to BiHoon goreng (fry vermicelli) etc but that’s individual prerogative I believe, not traditional but I can stand to be corrected of course.

I was lucky that a friend shared half her pumpkin with me but boy was it tough to slice. I was so worried that I would cut my fingers. Very stressful. Next time I will ask her to please slice for me too. – kekekekeke I sliced and freeze them waiting and waiting for fresh mani chai. Luckily I found them yesterday at my local Asian shop! I was so happy. Finally I can cook Mani Chai masak lemak.

My mother often refers to this vegetable as Lakian Chai. We eat it quite often including Midin. When we eat outside, if mother believes we are heaty then she would order mani chai and if not we would have Midin goreng belacan. Ah…..those were the days. This is a super easy dish to cook.

Firstly, fry the shallots, remove and keep aside. Do the same with the dried anchovies (ikan bilis). Then using the flavoured oil add in mince onions, lemon grass, garlic and fry.

Secondly, add in the turmeric, pumpkin, chicken stock cube, coconut milk, sliced red chillies or bird eyes chilies and simmer.

Lastly, bring to boil and simmer till your pumpkin has soften. Taste, season, heat off and add in your mani chai. After a good stir topped with the crispy shallots and anchovies. Serve hot.

My hubby is a big fan of chicken breasts. He was so happy when I told him the Sunday passed we are going to Costco to get some chicken breasts. The typical Englishman that he is, is a huge fan of chicken breasts as they have no bones.

However hubby did not know that I was going to make him chicken floss. He was such a happy bunny when he realised and saw me shredding the chicken. Later he kept coming into the kitchen in between meetings and kept asking me if they were ready when I was frying, frying, frying and frying.

I told him “it was the slow and steady one who won the race, have you forgotten?” He gave me such a grin and of course I rewarded him with a small saucer of chicken floss.

He then placed an order for plain congee with chicken floss for breakfast the following morning. – kekekekeke

He got his wish of course.

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When I was young, a long, long time ago my mother used to cook this dish for us five siblings. Sometimes she cooks with prawns and sometimes with lobsters. Growing up in Kuching, Sarawak these used to be very fresh from a friend of my father’s. We all loved this sauce a lot although our lips would be stinging right after. We still eat it with that ‘sishhhh sishhhh sisshhhh’ sound and drown our pain with cold iced drinks. Blissful days.

This is often not only from the chilli sauce but rather from the ginger as well. Mother used lots of ginger. I still remember her telling me, ‘it is only easy to cook just 3 equal types of your favourite plum, tomato and chilli sauce’. I could not recollect where and whence she told me and neither could she now but when my mother said in her ‘that’ tone starting with “It is only easy……” one had better remember and not ask again – kekekekekekeke

Today I am starting to clear my freezer. There is a special box of seafood incoming next week and I need some freezer space for some very sexy Spanish’s Iberico Pork.

I decided to cook my crab claws my mother’s way. I do not cook this often for as I aged I find this dish a tad on the sweet side even though I have lessened the use of plum sauce, which I find to be too sweet.

Anyway this is a guide and this sauce is really easy and nice to make if you have to feed a family. With the amount of ginger it goes well with any seafood, prawns, fish, squids etc.

Have a go and adjust the taste to suit you and your family’s taste.

Note – I used Lingham’s chilli sauce with garlic. The plum sauce was a generic Thai brand and Heinz tomato sauce in equal portions.

Those who know me well know that I do NOT like Katsu curry at all. However my boy loves it as he is not a spicy fan. He doesn’t mind Katsu styled curry though as the ‘heat’ is all right for him. Recently he has been buying Katsu ready meals as mummy has been poorly.

I actually do not like him to do that if I can help it because I know prepared food sold in supermarkets contain a lot of e-numbers. It is not hard to make Katsu sauce from scratch so today I cooked it for him with help from my daughter using chicken thighs.

I even went the extra mile of marinating and then frying the chicken skin to give that extra texture. I do not like soft curried chicken skin myself.

On the other hand my girl prefers my normal Malaysian version curries with added belacan. Hubby will eat both as he eats anything I serve him, no complains. All he asked is that I do not serve him fats and innards. Heck he even like petai, stinky beans that I do not eat or cook myself. Since lockdown he has not had any because we could not visit a friend who sometimes cooks it for him. Poor man, not really. kekekekekeke

A friend gave me a shark fin melon and I have been waiting to do something special with it besides just soup and tong sui.

I was chatting to a friend last week and she told me that she simply loves this melon and could I plan to plant a lot in my garden next year so she can have a few. Shockingly I have found out from her that these melons can be kept for a long long time even years!

Anyway she said some people treat them as noodles and so this light bulb moment was hatched. I want to turn this one into a nice bowl of mock glass noodles soup. I am happy it turned out quite well.

Next I would be using crab stock and even chicken with shredded chicken. The possibilities are endless.

I simply love yam. It is hard to get nice Chinese yam with the purple specks in UK. When there are some, I will always buy a couple of kg bag and store in my freezer. There is not much point buying fresh yam in UK as the few times I tried half were rotten or browned in colour. I much rather buy frozen ones. However frozen with purple flecks is hard to find. Different batches and supplier I suppose.

The ones with the purple flecks are most ‘powdery’ When you slice into them, milky liquid flows out. Those are the best yam. YUM

When I first got it into my head to make this, I could not find a recipe on the net. I have to try a few time of trial and error, too much liquid it’s too soft to fry and won’t hold it’s shape. Too little liquid then you get Yam cake so hard that can ‘hit die dog’ I have come to the conclusion I like mine just soft enough to hold it’s shape.

I was wondering why Chinese Loh Bak Go (Turnip cake) can make and fry like this but no one make yam ones. So a new idea was born. Anyway the hubby always complains that the Loh Bak Go at Yam Cha never have enough ‘liew’. This recipe satisfies our love for yam and the ‘liew’

I deviate this recipe from the normal Steamed Yam Cake with toppings – http://www.julieolive.co adjusting this and that until they can be lightly, very lightly pan fried though hubby preferred his fried a lot more! I find this is also easier to make and you can actually freeze this for a breakfast another day to go with any other Dim sum dishes you might want to make. As for me, as per usual after slicing, frying some to eat the day itself and the next day plus giving some to friends I have nothing left to freeze. maybe I will make double the amount next time.

Note : The amount of dried shrimps, Chinese sausage and any other ingredients you wish to add are all optional and depending on you.

Note : Because I used chicken powder and lots of dried shrimps I did not add any salt. it is entirely optional.

p/s Please leave a message if you have any questions. Enjoy.

TIP – Cuts easier after cooled in the fridge. Wipe your knife with oil after each slice and make sure you knife is sharp.

TIP – If it’s too sticky dust very lightly with some flour before frying.

TIP – Be generous with your yam, dried shrimps, lap cheong etc. Every slice must have lots as we eat with our eyes first then the gob.

Note – It is important to have a good garlic and shallots oil foundation for a tasty Yam cake.

Double Note – Once you get your consistency the way you like, makes notes so you do not forget it and write out your own tips for yourself aka which tray to use, you like your Yam cake to have height etc…..

Hmmmmmm…….I shall stop ‘advising’ or I sound like an old cow moooooing ……kekekekekeke

Recently a friend reminded me I have not make my special crispy shallots rice for a long time. Years! This is because garlic and crispy shallots rice is very moreish and extremely bad for diabetic I peeled a lorry load of shallots and made shallots crisps the other day and I just have to cook the rice to satisfy my craving.

I decided today is the day I treat myself! Tomorrow I will abstain from carbohydrates and sugar both.

I ate a whole bowl of rice and really wanted more so I had another scope. Sacrilege but I can just eat the rice without and accompaniments.

Braised Pork Rice Bowl – Lu Rou Fan (滷肉饭) my way 

Recently in the cooking group I am in many mummies and daddies were cooking pork belly until I can’t stand it anymore. Got to eat Chinese/Asian for the Christmas month of December of British meals is getting too much. I don’t think I want to see another sausage or bacon strip for at least a month!

This is my take on Braised Pork Rice Bowl – Lu Rou Fan (滷肉饭)

The most important different way in which I cook my Braised Pork Rice Bowl – Lu Rou Fan (滷肉饭) is that I like to fry my pork belly skin first. This gives the skin an extra ummmph. The skin also absorb more taste from your stewing ingredients.