Almond chocolate cake recipe

Are you a chocolate maniac and someone who likes to try new recipes? Then try this cake, it might suit your taste buds, it's kind of Malaysian-styled almond chocolate cake. You don't need butter, all ingredients are easy to find and it's easy to prepare. It's so moist and it tastes much better the next day.. nyummmy! My sister-in-law and friends had tasted it so when is your turn? Give it a try and let me know.  Would love your feed back! 

Ingredients :

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp soda bicarbonate

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup fine granulated sugar

1 cup sweetener or condenced milk

1 egg medium size

1 cup hot water

3/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 tsp butter oil

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Baking Temperature : 170C

Baking Time : 40-45 minutes

Method :

1. Mix all the dry items in a bowl (flour, cocoa powder and soda bicarbonate)

2. On the low speed pf an electric mixer, add the mayonnaise, sugar, butter oil and milk. Beat for 2 minutes.

3. Add the dry mixture alternating with hot water and beat until well combined.

4. Add the cooking oil and sliced almond. Beat until all ingredients are incorporated.

5. Pour the batter into pan.

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 170C.

Chocolate ganache :

1 cup condenced milk

1 vanilla extract

1/2 cup corn oil

1/3 cup cocoa powder

A pinch of salt

Method :

1. Mix condenced milk, vanilla extract, corn oil and cocoa powder in a bowl. Beat until well combined.

2. Pour batter on a pan.

3. On gas stove, place pan on top of it and keep on low heat, keep stirring batter until well combined.

3. Add in vanilla extract and salt. Stir until thicken, then off the gas stove.

Vanilla cupcakes recipe

These are by far the best vanilla cupcakes I ever baked. Brilliant recipe I would say! I thought I had the best recipe, but I have to admit that this is much much better and worth giving it a try! It so rich and moist.  I found the recipe from Food Network months ago but did not dare to give it a try. I changed the recipe a little bit ( I don't like it too sweet). Thanks to Allysa Torey, founder of  famous Magnolia Bakery! 

Ingredients :
Cup Cakes :
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
500 gm unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups fine granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Baking Temperature : 170 C
Baking Time : 15-20 minutes

Method : 
1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Beat butter until smooth and add the sugar. Beat until mixture is fluffy.
3. Add the egg one at a time and beat well.
4. Add the flour, alternating with the milk and vanilla (combined self-raising and all-purpose flour)and beat until well combined.
5. Spoon batter into cupcakes cups, filling each one about 2/3 full.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Vanilla frosting :
250 gms unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups ising sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method :
1. Mix butter and ising sugar.  Beat until smooth and pluffy.
2. Add in milk and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Mini Hawaiian pizza recipe

Actually I'm quite bored being served with big sized pizzas,  cut in to slices and another slice.., we've been doing that for years! I want something that I can just grab and put it all into my mouth.. damn. So I decided to make it a little bit fun this time (kids will enjoy this!) Dough will  make 8 small little pizzas, and add  your favourite toppings.

Ingredients:

Sauce :
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chopped garlic
1 cup chopped big onion

2 large tomatoes 

2 tbsp tomato puree
A pinch of salt
Italian spices
P/s - If you are too lazy to make sauce, you can use ketchup or chili sauce for you base


Method :
1. On a medium hot frying pan put olive oil, chopped garlic and onions. 
2. As soon as the natural sugar in the onions starts to brown on the bottom and edges of the pan, add tomatoes, tomato puree, spices and salt. Let it simmer for 20 to 30 minutes to reduce water content.
3. Pour into blender to make a smooth sauce. Blend for one minute and let it cool down. Set aside.

Topping : Cut into small chunks (Please refer to above picture)

Chicken fillet (fry with turmeric powder or black pepper)
Mayonnaise
Big onions
Pineapple

Tomato 

Green and red capsicum

Olives
Mozarella cheese 


Method :
1. In a small bowl mix chicken, mayonnaise and big onions together. 
2. In another bowl mix olive oil, olive, pineapple, tomato, red and green capsicum. Set aside.

Pizza dough :

3 cups flour (sifted)

1 cup luke warm water (45 C) - Use 1/3 of water and mix with yeast and stir hard until you can see bubble comes out on the surface. If bubble didn't comes out, make another mix. Remember it is important to wake up "sleeping" yeast. No bubble means you won't get fluffy dough!

1 packet yeast 

1 tbsp honey

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

Baking Temperature : 140 C
Baking Time : 20-25 minutes

Method :

1.  Mixed flour, honey, olive oil and yeast mixture together. Knead dough until well combined. Add the water and knead again until dough is elastic and smooth.
2.  Cover dough with dry clean dish towel and let it prove for 45 minutes.
3.  Take a small dough and pat it into small  around shape and put onto pizza/baking tray.
4.  Spread the pizza sauce evenly on top of your base and add mozarella cheese,  and lastly add in your favourite toppings.
5.  Dough need to rise before it's ready to bake. Let it rise again for 10 minutes.
6.  Bake for 140 C for 20 to 25 minutes.

Butter cupcakes recipe II

Absolutely simple cupcakes, and delicious too! I found this recipe while checking out popular cupcake recipes on the net. I made some adjustments on it. I reduced sugar from 125 gm  to 110 gm, because it was too sweet.  These cupcakes have beautiful golden brown tops that spring back when  pressed softly, you will also taste hints of vanilla. They are perfect to be served at anytime.

There are two types of frosting you can choose from to suit your liking. Preparation and baking time will take an hour.  

Ingredients : 

125 gm unsalted butter, softened

125 gm caster sugar

125 gm self raising flour

Pinch of salt

2 eggs (medium size)

2 tbsp fresh milk

Baking Temperature : 170 C

Baking Time : 25-30 minutes

Method :

1. Preheat oven 170 C.

2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.

3. Add the eggs alternating with flour. Add the milk, mix until well combined.

4. Prepare 24 paper cups into the pan.
5. Spoon batter into cupcakes cups, filling each one about 2/3 full.

6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Butter Cream :

400 gm ising sugar

200 gm butter

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Method :

1. Mix butter and ising sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy.

2. Add in vanilla extract and beat until well combined

Vanilla frosting :

250 gm unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups ising sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method :

1. Mix butter and ising sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy.

2. Add in milk and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Steamed chocolate cake with chocolate ganache

A very rich chocolate cake.  It's been a long time since and I've been craving for this one, and dreaming of steaming my own.  Long time back a friend of mine used to bake for me, and I kind of miss the taste of it.  While I was blogging yesterday I found the recipe and have "edited" the recipe to my liking. First time steaming a cake and it's turned out exactly how I want it to be! 

Ingredients :
Cake
250 gm butter
3/4  cup sugar

4 large eggs

2 cup of flour
3/4 cocoa powder
1 cup mix of water and evaporated milk 


Method : 
1. Mix cocoa powder, water and evaporated milk together. Set aside.
2. Beat butter and add the sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time.
3. Add the batter together with dry ingredients. Beat until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not over beat.
5. Steam for 45 minutes.

Chocolate ganache :
1 tbsp margarine
3 tbsp condenced milk
2-3 tbsp cocoa powder
A little bit of water

Method :
1. On gas stove, place pan on top of it and keep on low heat, melt margarine, add the condenced milk and cocoa powder together. Keep stirring batter until well combined. 
2. Add in a little bit of water. Stir until well combined and chocolate ganache thickened.
3. Pour chocolate ganache on top of the cake. 

Vegetarian bukhari rice

You must have heard about Chicken or Mutton Bukhari. This recipe is without any meat what so ever. I designed the recipe for vegetarians. Second time cooking the recipe and we never get enough of it. It goes well with Chicken Rendang. You can serve this during special celebrations or any festive seasons.

Vegetarian bukhari rice
Item A: Fried
1 sinnamon stick
2 star anise
6 cloves
1 tbsp cumins
4 cardamom

Item B: Blend
2 big onions
3 peeps of garlic
2 cm ginger

Item C:
2.5 cups of rice/basmati

Item D
Evaporated milk - 1/2 cup
Fresh milk- 1/2 cup
Water- Half cup (as u wish)

Item 4: (Amount according to ur wish)
Raisins
Fried onions

Method :
1. Heat up ghee on frying pan and add in Item A then item B until until golden brown.
2. Add in item C and fry for 3 minutes.
3. Move mixture onto rice cooker and stir until ingredients well combined.
4. Add in item D. Stir well and leave to cook.
5. For garnishing add in raisins and fried onions.

Pulut Udang/Grilled sticky rice with prawn and coconut filling

Back in my hometown, I used to ask my Aunt to make this for me, but she ended up selling it for profit instead.. hehehe.  Pulut udang is one of my favourite for tea time.  Seating down in front of the TV and eating it with tea or coffee.. NICE! Three days ago I had some spare time so I decided to do my own.  Lots of blogger were blogging this recipe.. so I "edited" the recipe to my own liking. It's damn delicious!

Ingredients:
1) Rice : 300 gm glutinous rice
200ml cocounut milk
A little bit of water

2) Sambal : Blend
Half cup of dried prawns
3 peeps of garlics
6 red onions
2 cm ginger
9 dried chilies
2 lemongrass
Half tsp fenel

3) 2 tbsp cooking oil
200 gm grated coconut
Banana leaves
Lidi ( middle stick of coconut leaves) or skewer

Method :
1.  Soak rice for 10 hours.  
2.  Steam rice until half cook then add in coconut milk leave until cook
3.  Heat up cooking oil and add in blended ingredients until fragrant and add in grated coconut.  Fry until its turn reddish and dry up.
4. Place rice in the middle of banana leave (9' X 11').  Add in sambal on top of the rice and roll/wrap them together.  
5. Put stick into the banana leaves wrapper. This step will stop rice from coming out from the banana leaves wrapper.
6. Bake/grill in the oven at 170C for 10 minutes.

Crab curry recipe

This the most expensive dish I have ever cooked in my life.  But trust me it's really satisfying when it tastes dammmn marvellous! A friend of mine helped me to cook and I've got this recipe from him! My mom and brother liked it so much. I couldn't stop licking my finger.. heheh. Follow the simple method below and your crab should taste the same...yummy!

Ingredients :

1 kg crabs or lobster
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 onion sliced
1 spring curry leaves
2 inch cinnamon stick
2 onions, blend

2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin powder

4 cups water
500 ml coconut milk
3 coriander leaves 
1 tsp vinegar
2  medium size eggs
10 pieces dried chillies
1 tsp salt

Method :
1. Clean crabs. 
2. Fry onions and curry leaves  and cinnamon on hot wok till fragrant. Add in blended onions and fry until brownish. Add in the chilli powder, curry powder and cumin powder, stir for 5 minutes. Add in water and let it boil for 5 minutes.
3. And add in crabs and stir until crabs covered with the spices. 
4. Add the coconut milk, coriander leaves and vinegar. Stir and leave for 10 minutes.
5. Add the eggs, dried chillies and salt. 
6. Off stove right after you see oil floats to the top.

Sweet sour fish recipe

Last month my brother came for a visit and he brought me some fresh fish from Sabah (Borneo). This is one of the last fish we had left in the  fridge. Actually I have never eaten sweet sour garupa here in KL/Selangor,  So I came up with the recipe below to suit my taste buds and as usual it turned out nicely... hehehe (smug face).  Loveee the natural colouring in it, the lemongrass smell and the sweet pineapple, nyum nyummy! Worth trying!

Ingredients:
1) 2 medium size white fish (Fry with flour)

2) Blend:
4 pieces asam gelugor
1 big onion
2 peeps of garlic
1 cm ginger
1 big lemongrass
2cm turmeric

3) 1 onion (cut into small pieces)
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp tomata sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1tsp fish sauce
Half cup of tamarind juice
Half cup of pineapple
Tomato
2 red chilies
Kaffer lime leaves/lemon/onions for garnishing

Method:
1.  Heat up the oil and add in onion, stir until golden brown.
2.  Add the blended items and stir until fragrant.
3.  Add in all the sauces, then tamarind juice, pineapple, and tomato. Leave for few minute until you can see the oil floats to the top.
4.  Your sauce is ready, pour sauce onto the fish, but don't forget to put red chilies and kaffer lime for garnishing.

Sekincan Ikan Bakar Recipe (Grilled fish my style)

Can't get my eyes off this fish.. hahaha. My brother brought this fish all the way from Sabah. It weighed almost 2 kgs! When I'm thinking of how to cook fish, the first thing that comes to mind is I will grill it. I like anything with lemongrass in my recipes, love the lemon mint taste, like very fragrant with light hint of a ginger taste . Without wasting anytime I decided to grill.

I went to Sekinchan Ikan Bakar Restaurant to have their popular (ikan bakar)/grilled cheap fish and had to pay an unbelievable price. I was a little bit upset  to pay my hard-earned money for that cheap fish, so I told myself not to go there anymore.  I'm not a stingy person, but I want something that is  worth for paying for, feel guilty though. Money does not come from the drain alright! Well I'm not going to complaint how good or nasty their grilled fish was, but I have designed a recipe which is slightly like the Sekinchan Ikan Bakar Restaurant has! Bye bye Sekinchan, I am going to cook at home for good!

Ingredients :
1 red/white fish (I used white fish)
3 tbsp cooking oil
2 lemongrass
Kaffir lime leaves
Half cup of tamarind juice
2 tbsp of tomyam paste
Banana leaves or aluminium foil

Blend :
8 dried chililes
5 red onions
5 garlics
2 lemongrass
1/2 tsp belacan/shrimp paste
1/2 tsp dried shrimp
Salt and brown sugar


Grill Temperature : 200 C
Grill Time : 45 minutes


Method :
1.  Heat up cooking oil and add the blended items. Stir well until fragrant or lightly brown.
2. And when you can see the cooking oil floats to the top add in lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind juice and tomyam paste and leave for 5 minutes.
4. Put sauce over fish and wrap it in aluminium foil.
3. Leave fish in the oven for 45 minutes.

Crab with soy sauce

Most people love mud crabs but I loveee blue crabs which are sweeter and cleaner. You can easily get big fat blue crabs in Sabah off the South China Sea and they are a lot cheaper there too!

Back in my hometown in Sabah (Borneo) my brother used to bring giant crabs for me almost every morning! And am happy to say I kinda got addicted to it. I remember he used to advise me not to eat crab everyday because he said if I ate crab everyday, my body will feel weak... it's kinda weird to say something like that but I never asked him why he said so..  And I told him that he was wrong because crab always makes me excited, I feel energized and excited whenever I am eating crab! Hahaha.

He is my younger brother. I've got 2 more younger brothers after him and I am the only girl in the family. When he was in secondary school he loved to go fishing with friends.  Once he came back home in the middle of the night.  The next day a friend of mine told me that my brother fell asleep in class. Back then I often worried about him and his studies as he liked to spend time talking about fishing all the time with his friends at the jetty. My dad worried too that he would not be getting anywhere in life.

Today, everything has changed. He proved me and everyone at home wrong! He transformed his interest to a career and now he is supplying fresh seafood to restaurants, hotels and wet markets around Kota Kinabalu and also receiving some orders from suppliers in Peninsular Malaysia. I'm proud of him.

So when he came to visit last month, I cooked these especially for him and I am glad he loved it to the max! I think this is the most delicious crab dish I ever cooked. You may as well try this recipe. Served best during special occasions such as family gathering.


Ingredients:
10 boiled crabs

1) Heat up cooking oil and add in below:

2 holland onions (blend)
6 shallot (blend)
6 pips garlic (blend)
2 inches galangal (blend)
2 inches ginger (blend)
2 lemon grass (blend)

2) wait until above ingredients caramelized, and add in below until fragrant and the sauce has thicken

6 tbsp chili paste
2 tbsp thick soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp chili sauce

3) and lastly add in below wait for 3 mins, pour onto the crabs and you are done!
salt and brown sugar
2 tbsp tamarind paste

Vegetarian curry recipe

Mixed vegetable curry is an easy Indian food recipe. It is infused with citrus accents from the tamarind juice. I love the unique taste and the smell of it. I've tried to prepare vegetarian curry recipe with idly and thosai and it was damn niceeee!

Ingredients :

3 tbsp cooking oil

6 small onions

3 garlics

1 tomato

1 potato

1 round eggplant

1 carrot

1 tsp fenugreek

3 tbsp fish curry powder

1 tbsp chilli powder

1/2 cup of tamarind juice

Curry leaves

Method :

1. Heat oil on a frying pan and fry the onions and garlics, and add the fenugreek.

2. When it turns brownish put tomato, potato, round eggplant and carrot together, stir fry in a slow heat for about 15 minutes.

3. Pour fish curry powder and chilli powder (in 3 cups of water).  You can put more water if you don't like it hot/ and leave to boil until you can see the oil floats to the top. Add in curry leaves.

4. Vege curry ready to serve.