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Jump To Recipe Jump To Video My intention was to dive into more Palestine and Israel dishes for this week, but I saw this enormous cempedak fruit in the market. I know I have to get it. It is rare to see an entire cempedak or jackfruit putting up for sale. The recipes that came to my mind are 2 Sri Lankan dishes. One of which is this fabulous Kiri Kos; actually a jackfruit masala stew (yes I still dislike using the word "curry"). But cempedak isn't jackfruit, you must be wondering. Well, let's say that durian and jackfruit have a birthchild and it is cempedak. It has the aroma of jackfruit and the texture of durian. So, in my mind, I was thinking why not? And to my surprise, this tastes even better! Cempedak has that sweet funk that elevates this entire dish. If you do not have the chance of getting any cempedak, you can use fresh or canned jackfruit. I know it is super scarce outside of South East Asia. And fret not, I got you covered as all the tips are included in the recipe down below. This is a rather straightforward and easy recipe, so no excuse for you not to give this a try. Furthermore, this is 100% plant-based and vegan. Ingredients: (Serve 4) Coconut Oil, 2 TBSP Red Onion Finely Sliced, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch Demerara Sugar, Pinch Ginger Finely Minced, 1/2" Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Curry Leaves, A Bunch Pandan Leaves, 2 Coriander Powder, 1 TSP Cumin Powder, 3/4 TSP Black Pepper, 1/2 TSP Mustard Seeds, 1/4 TSP Fennel Seed Powder, 1/4 TSP Cayenne, 1 TSP Turmeric Powder, 1/2 TSP Cinnamon Stick Preferably Hexa , 1 Cloves, 3 Green Cardamom, 3 Tamarind Juice, 1 TBSP Cempedak / Jackfruit, 25 Chickpeas Canned, 400g Coconut Milk, 285g Coriander / Scallions Finely Chopped, For Garnish Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Directions: In a skillet over medium heat, add coconut oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the onion. Season with salt and sugar. Saute until lightly caramelized. Add in garlic and ginger. Saute until aromatic. Add in curry and pandan leaves. Saute until aromatic. Add in the coriander, cumin, pepper. mustard, fennel, cayenne, turmeric, Hexa 's Cinnamon Stick, cloves and cardamom. Saute until well combined. Add in cempedak or jackfruit and chickpeas. *You can use the Aquafaba to make some vegan meringue.* Saute until well combined. Add in coconut milk and 1/4 cup of water. Deglaze and stir to combine well. Bring it up to simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 mins or until the chickpeas are soft. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt. Give it a final stir Remove from heat and garnish with coriander. *You can fish out the pandan leaves and whole spices.* Serve immediately. Pro Tip: I am using fresh cempedak from the entire fruit. I also kept the seeds for another recipe as they can be eaten as well. If you are using canned jackfruit, be sure to taste and adjust for sweetness as they can be quite tangy. Canned jackfruit are young jackfruit and might take longer to cook. If you are using fresh chickpeas, soak them in water overnight. They also take longer to cook. Add more water as needed, 1/8 cup at a time. This is the cempedak fruit. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Who would have thought that the seeds of cempedak and jackfruit can be eaten? What's even more intriguing is that they can be cooked in masala stew like this recipe. I even heard about a deep fried battered cempedak or jackfruit (with their seeds intact) street food snack in Malaysia as well. Hmm... Sounds intriguing right? Maybe I shall give that a try in the future. Anyway, back to this masala stew. The seeds have that buttery nutty funk that really challenges your palate, especially with all the wonderful spices and coconut. This dish is like an indulgence. Never too good to have it on a daily basis, but wouldn't mind once every few months. Kinda like ice cream. Someone did ask why I grind whole spices for this dish and use powdered ones for the Kiri Kos instead. The answer is the seeds are rather bland. Toasting and grinding whole spices will amp up the flavors. It gives the seeds an extra omph. Cempedak or jackfruit on the other hand is rather sweet and tangy, and using strong spices (toasting and grinding whole spices) will mask the flavors. Store-bought powdered spices are rather mild. Hope that will clear any doubts. This is also 100% plant-based vegan recipe and you should give this recipe a try. Ingredients: (Serve 4) Coriander Seeds, 1 TBSP Cumin Seeds, 3/4 TBSP Black Peppercorns, 1/2 TBSP Mustard Seeds, 1/4 TSP Clove, 1 Green Cardamom, 1 Fennel Seeds, 1/4 TSP Curry Leaves, 6 + More Fenugreek, 1/2 TSP Cempedak / Jackfruit Seeds, 25 Pandan Leaves, 3 + 2 Sea Salt, Pinch Coconut Butter, 2 TBSP Desiccated Coconut, 1 TBSP Red Onion Finely Minced, 2 Demerara Sugar, Pinch Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Turmeric Powder, 1/2 TSP Kashmiri Chili Powder, 1/2 TSP Adjust To Preference Basmati Rice, 2 TBSP Coconut Milk, 250g Coconut Cream, 260g Green Chili Corasely Sliced Deseeded, 2 Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Sauce Pot Spice Grinder Directions: In a skillet over medium heat, add coriander, cumin, pepper, mustard, clove, cardamom, fennel, curry leaves and fenugreek. Toast until aromatic. Transfer into a spice grinder and blitz until powder forms. Set aside. Wash the cempedak or jackfruit seeds thoroughly. In a sauce pot, add the seeds, 3 pandan leaves and a pinch of salt. Bring it up to a boil. Continue boiling for 15 to 20 mins or until the husk of the seeds can be peeled easily. Remove from heat and drain. Discard the pandan leaves. Once the seeds are cool enough to handle, peel and discard the husk. Set aside. In a skillet over medium heat, add coconut butter. Once the butter starts to melt, add in the desiccated coconut. Toast lightly until aromatic. Add in the onion. Season with salt and sugar. Saute until lightly caramelized. Add in garlic, turmeric, chili, basmati rice, a handful of curry leaves and the spice blend. Saute until well combined and aromatic. Add in the coconut milk and cream. Deglaze and stir to combine well. Add in the cempedak or jackfruit seeds and green chilies. Stir to combine well. Add and submerge a knot of 2 pandan leaves. Bring it up to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 mins or until the oil separates from the milk solids. The liquid should almost evaporate as well. *Stir occasionally to prevent burning.* Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt. Give it a final stir. Remove from heat and discard the pandan leaves. Serve immediately. This is the cempedak fruit. All the wonderful whole spices. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Pesto is a love or hate affair. It is whether you love the aromatic greens or you straight-out hated it. To be honest, I dislike pesto. Maybe I had some bad ones or perhaps, the greens are too much for me to handle. Somehow over the years, it started to grow on me. Partly, I started to step into the kitchen and cook or bake more which had led me to this endeavor. As far as I can recall, when I said I had some bad pesto, I mean that the pesto isn't even green in color! That's how bad it was. Anyway, I am sure there are thousands upon thousands of pesto recipes online; there's the famous traditional method by SeriousEats whereby the pesto is made in a pestle and mortar. There's also a modern-day technique well explained by the wonderful Helen Rennie . Today, I am using the modern-day method. Let's save the traditional way of making pesto for another day. I am also not using any basil nor pine nuts. I am using what I have in my pantry; which are parsley and stale bread. You can of cos use any aromatic herbs or nuts as desired. For extra complexities, you can use a combination of herbs or nuts. The possibilities are pretty vast. Stale bread crumbs remind me of where I came from. I didn't have much growing up; my grandma would visit bakeries and asked for those unwanted bread ends or trimmings. She would blitz them into bread crumbs. That was pretty much our dinner already, and if any of us complained, we would literally go hungry. Anyway, I hope you will give this recipe a try. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Pesto: Stale Bread, 30g Parsley, 30g Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 TSP Garlic, 1 Clove Parmigiano Reggiano, 8g High Quality Olive Oil, 26g + More For Storing Unsalted Butter Softened, 14g Sea Salt, Pinch Pasta: Spaghetti / Any Pasta Of Your Choice, 100g Hot Water, 400g Sea Salt, Pinch Chili Flakes, Pinch Dried Lavender Preferably Organic, Pinch Sambal Hijau, 1 TBSP Adjust To Preference Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Food Processor Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Sambal Hijau " page for the recipe. Prepare the pesto. Toast stale bread in a toaster or oven until crisp-toasted. Transfer into food processer and blitz into crumbs. We only need 15g of bread crumbs. Keep the remaining 15g chilled in the fridge until ready to use. With 15g of bread crumbs still in the food processer, add in parsley. Blitz until the parsley has broken down. Add in the rest of the ingredients and continue blitzing until everything is fully incorporated. *Scrape down the sides for even blitzing.* *I prefer my pesto with some texture, but if you prefer a smooth pesto, add a bit of water to blitz until smooth and pass the pesto thru a sieve.* Transfer into a sterilized jar and add a layer of olive oil. Keep chilled in the fridge overnight before using. It can be kept chilled for up to 7 days. Prepare the pasta. In a skillet or pan over medium heat, add pasta & hot water. Season the water with some salt. Once the pasta water becomes starchy, add 2 TBSP of the pasta water into the pesto to loosen up. Give the pesto a quick stir. By the time the water has almost evaporate, the pasta should just be under al dente. As quickly as you can, add the pesto into the pasta. Add more pasta water into the jar to clean out all the nooks and crannies. Transfer into the pasta. Immediately, toss to combine well. Remove from heat and sprinkle chili flakes, lavender, the remaining bread crumbs and add in the sambal hijau. Give it a quicky toss. Transfer onto serving plates and serve immediately. Sambal hijau adds that zingy aftertaste... Always choose pasta that has rough surfaces like that... It will create more starchy pasta water, thus no extra cream nor cheese... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: To say that the egg is probably the best versatile ingredient in the world is an understatement. It is essential. Not only do we boiled, fried, baked, scrambled poached eggs, we also need eggs for baking, making desserts, making pasta, etc. Its usage is endless. When my grandma was lazy, she would whip up egg recipes in an Indonesian way. Sambal telur hancur is one of those recipes. Sambal telur hancur is stir-fried eggs with sambal in a large amount of oil. I took a different route with a double boiler and less oil; a chefy route to be exact. My grandma would probably kill me for doing so. I applied Heston Blumenthal's method and adapted J. Kenji López's way of making scrambled eggs. Heston's is using a double boiler and Kenji's is the addition of slurry. Cooking scrambled eggs on a double boiler allows you to have control of the eggs while the addition of starch adds that extra creaminess without any added cream. I love to serve my scrambled eggs over some toast and seared chicken ham. Enuff talking, let's start cooking. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Tapioca Starch, 2 TSP Unsalted Butter, 5g + 5g Whole Milk, 13g Kewpie Mayo, 1 TBSP Sambal Homemade , 1 TBSP Adjust To Preference Eggs, 175g or 3 Large Eggs Pink Himalayan Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Fresh Lemon Zest, 1/2 Lemon Dried Parsley, Pinch Equipment: Double Boiler Cast Iron Skillet Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Sambal " page for the recipe. In a large bowl, add starch and 1.5 TSP of water. Mix until well combined and smooth. Add in 5g of butter and continue mixing until well combined. Add in milk, mayo, sambal, eggs and the remaining 5g of butter. Lightly mix well with a spatula. Do not overmix or whisk. Transfer the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir the egg mixture with a spatula. Continue stirring until the sides start sticking, the eggs start to scramble but still creamy. Immediately remove heat. I love to serve my scrambled eggs over some toast and seared chicken ham. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and parsley. Serve immediately. Eggcellent... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: During my childhood, we would have fried boiled eggs (or thrice cooked eggs) and sambal sauce over some rice for dinner. That's it. We couldn't afford some fancy food like meat nor seafood; sometimes we would have breadcrumbs instead of rice if times were really bad. Sad but fond memories indeed. I thought of re-creating that dish, but I have a fried boiled egg recipe already (with sambal hijau). So I decided to try something different. Something Thai. Khai Jiao aka Thai Fried Eggs is a very popular Thai dish; you can find this dish on the streets or in some fancy restaurants. Khai Jiao will be perfect with the sambal sauce. Do not expect some smooth, no browning, elegant French omelette. This is a crispy, fluffy and greasy omelette. All you need is just 2 ingredients: eggs and fish sauce (which Thais will always have in their pantry). Tips for a successful Khai Jiao are all written in the directions down below. Let's get started with the recipe. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Sambal Sauce: High Quality Olive Oil, 1 TBSP Yellow Onion Thinly Sliced, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch Gula Melaka / Palm Sugar, Pinch Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Ginger Finely Minced, 1" Dried Curry Leaves, Pinch or Fresh Curry Leaves, A Handful Sambal Homemade , 2 TBSP Tomato Puree, 1 TBSP Oyster Sauce, 1 TBSP Fried Eggs: Grapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower Oil, For Frying Eggs, 2 Worchestershire Sauce or Fish Sauce, 2 TSP Garnishes: Pickled Cucumbers & Onions Homemade , A Couple Each Scallions Finely Chopped, A Handful Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Sambal " page for the recipe. Please visit my " How To Pickle Almost Anything " page for the recipe. Make the Sambal Sauce Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and gula melaka, and sauté until lightly caramelized. Add garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Cook until aromatic. Stir in sambal and sauté until well combined. Deglaze with ¼ cup water. Add tomato puree and oyster sauce. Mix until smooth. Simmer gently. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or gula melaka if needed. Give it a final stir and remove from heat. Set aside. Fry the Eggs Use a small skillet for single-egg frying (or any skillet if making more than one). Heat 2 inches of oil over medium-high heat. Beat eggs with Worcestershire sauce using a fork until smooth. To check if oil is ready: insert a wooden chopstick—if bubbles form, it’s ready. Carefully pour in the beaten eggs; they should puff up and bubble immediately. Once the bottom is golden, flip and fry for 30 seconds. Remove and place directly onto the sambal sauce. To Serve Garnish with pickled cucumber and onions. Sprinkle with chopped scallions. Serve hot with butter-toasted bread on the side. The perfect bite? Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This is one of my mother's creations. She is a career-driven lady as she ran her own fashion business. Yes, my mother was a fashion designer. We do not believe in getting a helper in our household, so, she had to juggle between her career and being a mother. She would whip up fast and easy recipes, such as this. Although her cooking was fast, easy and simple, it was still yummilicious nonetheless. Recreating this recipe is like walking down memory lane. Every step, every bite is nostalgic and do not expect some fancy sweet elegant French toasts. This is a savory, spicy, greasy and messy toast; a beautiful mess. What I love about having these toasts (besides having nostalgia), is that crispy exterior and soft custardy interior. It also has that extra umami that leaves you wanting more. You can use any bread you desire, I am just using some stale baguette. Oh yes, stale bread works best for this recipe and in closing, I really hope you give this recipe a try. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Eggs, 3 Sambal, 2 TBSP Red Onion Finely Minced, 1 Scallions Finely Chopped, A Handful Your Favorite Masala Powder (I'm using Madras), 1/2 TSP Sea Salt, Pinch Dried Mushroom Powder, Pinch Stale Bread, 6 Slices Kewpie Mayo, 12 Spread Sesame Oil, 1 TBSP Sesame Seeds, Pinch Nori Flakes / Dried Parsley, Pinch Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Sambal " page for the recipe. Whisk together eggs, sambal, red onion, scallions, masala, salt and mushroom powder in a large shallow bowl until well combined. Spread the bread with mayo on both sides. Dredge the bread in the egg mixture, soaking for about 30 secs on each side. Spoon the onion and scallions over the bread. In a skillet over medium heat, add sesame oil, Once the oil is heated up, add in the bread, onion and scallions side down. Using the back of a spatula, gently press the bread so that the egg mixture adheres to the bread. Once the bottom is crispy brown, flip and cook for another 1 min. Remove from heat and transfer onto serving plates. Repeat the process for the remaining bread. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and nori flakes over the top. Serve immediately. Savory, spicy, greasy and messy; a beautiful mess. Cwispy exterior and soft custardy interior. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: For as long as I can remember when we don't have any food on the table, I would just make sandwiches outta sambal and mayo. That will be my go-to breakfast or brunch or lunch. The more I grow older, the more I cook, bake, experiment and discover. And this is how I elevate from a simple sambal-mayo sandwich into something special. I think you have probably seen this in a fancy eatery which they use pastry instead of bread. Or maybe in a YouTube video? I hate bragging and taking credits, but this is one of the 1st recipes which I had posted back in 2012. I didn't know that it will explode into something viral (same as my black forest jar cake). Either way, it is fun re-vamping some old recipes. Every step is nostalgia. I will be revamping more and more old recipes in the future. Pls stay tuned. In the meantime, let's get started with the recipe. Ingredients: (Serve 3) Sesame Oil, For Brushing Sandwich Bread, 8 Sambal Homemade , 1/2 TBSP Adjust To Preference Kewpie Mayo, 1 TBSP Grapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, 1 TBSP Turkey Bacon, 6 Slices Gula Melaka Syrup / Maple Syrup, For Brushing Eggs, 6 Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Dried Parsley, Pinch Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet Oven Muffin Tin Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Sambal " page for the recipe. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius or 375 fahrenheit. Brush muffin tin with sesame oil. Trim the crusts from the bread. Roll the bread using a rolling pin and slice it into halves. Push 2 slices of bread onto the sides of each muffin mold, making sure the bread sits fully. Plug the center hole with a smaller slice of bread, which is why we need 8 slices of bread. In a small bowl, mix sambal and mayo until well combined. Spread the sambal mixture into the bread cups. *If you need more sambal-mayo mixture, use the same ratio.* In a skillet over medium heat, add in oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the turkey bacon slices. Once the edges start to crisp, flip and cook for another 30 secs. *We only wanna sear the bacon until the edges are crisp brown. They will finish cooking in the oven.* Remove from heat and transfer onto a plate. Brush the bacon with gula melaka syrup, on both sides. Place the bacon slices into the bread slices, overhanging, at the center, just where the bread ends meet. Crack an egg into a cup or bowl. Scoop out the yolk with a spoon and drop it gently into the cups, on top of the bacon. Fill the cups with egg white. Repeat the process for the remaining eggs. *I find that doing it this way will reduce the mess, as the bread cups may be overflowing with egg whites and cause a huge mess.* Wack into the oven and bake for 10 to 15 mins, or until the egg whites are set but still jiggly. Remove from oven, season with salt, pepper and garnish with parsley. Carefully unmold and transfer onto serving plates. Serve immediately. Yolk explosion... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Nasi Lemak is an iconic dish throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. There are literally thousands upon thousands of variations, from Nyonya Peranakan to Johor style to Singapore style to Medan style of Nasi Lemak. All have their own uniqueness. But today, I am making my grandma's recipe with a twist. A twist that is inspired by Chef Saúl Schwarz . When I saw his video popped up on my feed, I knew that I have to give his idea a try. Check out his Instagram and Tiktok , give him a follow while you are at it. My grandma's recipe is her usage of carbonated water and fresh coconut milk. She explained that carbonated water actually makes the rice lighter and fluffier. I know I couldn't get any fresh coconut in this modern age, so, if you have access, please use fresh coconut milk. So, what makes this a healthier version of Nasi Lemak? We all know that most of the ingredients are mostly deep fried, from the sambal ikan bilis to the chicken and fish. But in this recipe, the chicken is actually boiled with the marinade. I added some tips along the way in the directions down below. The tips are to prevent a disastrous mess in the kitchen. Be sure to read and understand before proceeding. Ingredients: (Serve 4) Marinade: Banana Leaves, 1 Large + More For Plating Dried Shrimps, 1 TBSP Dried Scallops, 1 TBSP Dried Anchovies, 1 TBSP Shallots Coarsely Chopped, 4 Red Onion Coarsely Chopped, 1 Garlic Coarsely Chopped, 3 Cloves Ginger Coarsely Chopped, 1" Sambal, 2 Heaped TBSP Adjust To Preference Pandan Leaves Tied Into Knot, 4 Lemongrass White Part Only Crushed, 1 Kecap Manis, 1 TBSP Tamarind Juice, 1 TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Gula Melaka, Pinch Chicken: Chicken Breasts Skinless Boneless, 2 Large Baking Soda, 1 TSP Nasi Lemak: Star Anise, 1 Cloves, 3 Hexa Food's Cinnamon Stick, 1 High Quality Olive Oil, 1 TBSP + 1 TBSP Yellow Onion Finely Minced, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch Gula Melaka, Pinch Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Ginger Finely Minced, 1/2" Pandan Leaves Tied Into Knot, 3 Lemongrass White Part Only Crushed, 1 Rice Preferably Basmati or Jasmine, 220g Carbonated Water, 200g Coconut Milk, 125g Garnishes: Pickled Cucumbers, Onions & Chilies, A Couple Each Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet Large Pot Blender 2 Large Mason Jars Rice Cooker Spice Grinder Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Sambal " page for the recipe. Please visit my " How To Pickle Almost Anything " page for the recipe. Prepare the Banana Leaves Wash banana leaves and pat dry. Lightly toast over an open flame to release aroma and soften. Cut into strips wide enough to line the 4 sides of mason jars. Slide strips into jars and set aside. Make the Sambal Marinade Soak shrimps, scallops, and anchovies in enough water to cover. Steam for 10 minutes over medium heat. While steaming, blend shallots, onion, garlic, and ginger with just enough water to blitz until smooth. After steaming, drain and discard liquid. Add seafood to the blender and blitz again until smooth. Transfer mixture to a skillet over medium heat. Stir in sambal, pandan leaves, lemongrass, kecap manis, and tamarind. Season with salt and gula melaka. Simmer until thickened, then remove from heat and let cool. Marinate the Chicken Dice chicken breasts into 1" cubes. Massage with baking soda and let sit for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly under running water and drain well. Add cooled sambal marinade and massage to coat evenly. Transfer chicken and marinade into prepared mason jars. Seal and refrigerate overnight. Prepare the Spiced Coconut Rice Toast star anise, cloves, and cinnamon until aromatic. Grind into a powder and set aside. In a skillet, sauté onions in olive oil with salt and gula melaka until lightly caramelized. Add garlic, ginger, pandan leaves, and lemongrass. Sauté until aromatic. Deglaze with a little olive oil and remove from heat. Wash rice thoroughly until water runs clear. Drain. Add rice to rice cooker with sautéed onion mix, carbonated water, and coconut milk. Season with salt and stir to combine. Cook according to your rice cooker's instructions. Cook the Chicken in Jars Line a large pot with a kitchen towel (make sure it sits flat and does not hang over the sides). Place jars upright in the pot. Fill with water to about 1" below the tops of the jars. Bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, start the timer and boil for 15–20 minutes. Carefully remove the jars and unlid. Transfer contents to a serving bowl. To Serve Fluff the coconut rice once cooked. Lay banana leaves onto serving plates. Spoon rice over the leaves. Top with sambal chicken and spoon over some of the sauce. Garnish with pickled vegetables and chilies. Serve immediately. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: BBQ Sambal Stingray is an iconic Singapore dish and I was supposed to share this recipe on the 9th of August to celebrate Singapore's 56th independence. The fact of the matter is, I wasn't happy with my 1st attempt. It felt rushed, tasted pretty blend and I couldn't bring myself to share that recipe with you lovely people. Besides, our national day celebration is postponed to 21st August (what an excuse eh?) That's an epic fail... Eventually, I decided to sit down and take the time to craft this recipe thoroughly, rather than just slapped the tempeh with some sambal, smoked it and called it BBQ Sambal Tempeh. Speaking of which, you must be wondering why tempeh and not stingray. Seaspiracy happened and if you have not watched the documentary on Netflix, I suggest you do. We are doing more harm and damage to this planet than we can possibly fathom. Plant-based food doesn't have to be boring, we just need to treat them the same way as we cook our meat. I figured that most of you lovely might not have a backyard or a stovetop smoker, so I introduced liquid smoke into the brine as well as the glaze. All you need to do is allow the oven to do its job. I know that it is a long list of ingredients. But, once you prepped them, it is just brinning, glazing, sprinkling and roasting. Be sure to use the best quality of tempeh that you can find. It makes all the difference. By any chance, if you are in Singapore, there is no reason why you shouldn't use Angie's tempeh . It is 100% organic and plant-based. I know that banana leaves are pretty scarce in most parts of the world, if you can't get your hands on banana leaves, you can use parchment paper. In closing, I hope you will give this recipe a try. Ingredients: (Serve 4) Tempeh: Tempeh Preferably Angie's Tempeh , 2 Large Slices (200g Each) Banana Leaves, 2 Large For Wrapping and 2 Strips For Serving Brine: Water, 500g Liquid Smoke, 6g Sea Salt, 26g Spice Rub: Mustard Seeds, 3/4 TBSP White Peppercorns, 1/2 TBSP Cumin Seeds, 1/2 TBSP Onion Powder, 1/2 TBSP Garlic Powder, 1/2 TBSP Gula Melaka, 40g Sambal Glaze: Molasses, 25g Liquid Smoke, 13g Soy Sauce, 7g Sambal Homemade , 2 TBSP (Adjust To Preference) Garnishes: Pickled Cucumbers & Onions Homemade , For Garnishing Dried Coriander, For Garnishing Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet Oven Spice Grinder Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Sambal " page for the recipe. Please visit my " How To Pickle Almost Anything " page for the recipe. Prepare the Tempeh Use high-quality tempeh (e.g., Angie’s 100% organic plant-based tempeh). Wash banana leaves and pat dry. Toast leaves lightly over open flame to release aroma. Set aside. Make the Brine In a large bowl, mix all brine ingredients until salt dissolves. Divide into two bowls to keep tempeh submerged. Add tempeh to each bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Make the Spice Rub Toast mustard seeds, white peppercorns, and cumin in a skillet until aromatic. Blitz in a spice grinder to a fine powder. Add onion powder, garlic powder, and gula melaka. Blitz again until uniform. Make the Glaze Mix all glaze ingredients until smooth and well combined. Steam and Roast the Tempeh Preheat oven to 205°C (400°F). Steam the tempeh in the brine for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Lay banana leaves over parchment paper. Place steamed tempeh on banana leaves. Brush generously with glaze and dust with spice rub ( reserve ¼ for later ). Coat both sides. Wrap tightly with banana leaves and parchment paper. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes. Finish Roasting Unwrap carefully ( it’s hot! ), brush with more glaze, and dust with remaining spice rub. Return to oven uncovered and bake for 5–10 more minutes, until glaze is sticky and nearly dried. To Serve Plate with fresh banana leaves. Garnish with pickled cucumbers, onions, and a sprinkle of dried coriander. Serve immediately. Beautiful isn't it? Be sure to use the best quality of tempeh that you can find. The perfect bite? Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: For as long as I can remember, I made this recipe after my tiny food tour in Bukit Bintang before Covid19. Yes, BC! This recipe is kinda a throwback. Other than the famous Ramly Burger, the Sambal Ikan Bilis sandwich is also another famous sandwich in Malaysia. Disappointedly, I didn't have the chance to taste it. My tummy just couldn't take in anymore after all the other yummilicious food. You can check out my food tour here . Since I couldn't taste the burger, I decided to make it. In case you didn't know, Sambal Ikan Bilis is a Malay term for stir fried dried anchovies with chili sauce. The Sambal Ikan Bilis sandwich in Malaysia is a very simple sandwich consist of just Ikan Bilis and a few slices of cucumber. I decided to tweet a few elements with some of my touches. I am using a fold-over bao rather than the usual burger buns. Yes! I live for them grill marks. I am also using a simple Greek style yogurt sauce to sorta cool down the spiciness and to cut thru' all that seafoody spicy richness as well. And so here it is my take on the Sambal Ikan Bilis sandwich. Hope you will enjoy making this sandwich as much as I do. Ingredients: (Make 4 bao sandwiches) Sambal Ikan Bilis: Dried Scallops, 1 TBSP Dried Shrimps, 1 TBSP Dried Anchovies aka Ikan Bilis, 2 TBSP Shallots, 4 Garlic, 3 Cloves Red Onion Coarsely Chopped, 1 Ginger, 1/2" Galangal, 1/2" Tomato Puree, 1 TBSP Belachan / Fermented Shrimp Paste, 1 TBSP Sambal Homemade , 3 TBSP Grapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, For Frying Gula Melaka, 2 TBSP Adjust To Preference Dried Mushroom Powder, Pinch Tamarind Juice, 1 TBSP Peanut Butter Preferably Pic's , 1 TBSP Yogurt Sauce: Cucumber Peeled Shredded, 1/2 Coconut Vinegar / Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 TBSP Greek Yogurt, 75g Dried Coriander, Pinch Black Pepper. Pinch Sea Salt, Pinch Bao Sandwich: Homemade Turn Over Bao Homemade , 4 Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Blender / Food Processor Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Bao / Turnover Bao / Mantou " page for the recipe. Please visit my " How To Make Sambal " page for the recipe. Prepare the Sambal Ikan Bilis Soak dried scallops, shrimps, and anchovies in warm water for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve  the soaking water. Blend shallots, garlic, onion, ginger, galangal, tomato puree, belachan, sambal, and ¼ cup reserved seafood water until smooth. Set aside. In a skillet, heat 1" of oil over medium heat. Fry the drained seafood carefully ( it will splatter ) until anchovies are golden and crispy. Remove and drain, reserving 2 TBSP of oil in the skillet. Add sambal blend to the skillet. Add another ¼ cup seafood water to the blender to rinse it, then pour into the skillet. Add gula melaka and sauté until the sambal darkens in color. Stir in mushroom powder and tamarind juice. Add fried seafood and mix to combine. Stir in peanut butter until fully incorporated. No salt added as the seafood is already salty—season to taste if needed. Remove from heat and set aside. Prepare the Yogurt Sauce Place shredded cucumber in a sieve over a bowl. Add 1 TBSP coconut vinegar and a pinch of salt. Stir and let sit for 30 minutes. Transfer cucumber to a lint-free towel and squeeze out all excess liquid. In a mixing bowl, combine cucumber, yogurt, remaining 1 TBSP coconut vinegar, coriander, pepper, and salt. Stir until fully mixed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Chill until ready to use. Assemble the Bao Sandwiches Grill turnover bao on a hot griddle until light grill marks appear. Gently open each bao. Spread a layer of yogurt sauce inside. Fill with a generous scoop of sambal ikan bilis. Repeat for remaining bao. Serve immediately while warm. Don't ya just wanna take a bite? Recipe Video: Sambal Ikan Bilis Sambal Ikan Bilis Bao Sandwich This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: