Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: Being of Indonesian heritage, I am quite embarrassed that I have never seen or heard of this chili sauce before; sambal hijau originated in Indonesia. Maybe perhaps, my grandma didn't introduce this sauce to the family. It is basically a concoction of green chilies, herbs and spices, somewhat like a spicy tangy pesto. With that thought in mind, this is proving quite a challenge to create recipes using sambal hijau as the main ingredient. Remember that I wanna create recipes with ingredients that you can find in your pantry? I had stepped outta that zone for this collaboration. Kinda like leveling up to intermediate stages. For starters, this is thrice cooked eggs in a spicy stew. This technique is quite iconic in Indonesian cuisine. Usually, the eggs are boiled, deep fried and cooked in spicy chili sauces. But, I find that the sauce somehow covered the beauty of the eggs. And that's how this dish was born. Please do not expect Instagrammic runny yolk porn tho as the eggs are cooked thrice. The stew is of cos fulla flavors with sambal hijau as the contrast. The fried boiled eggs are like sponges soaking up all the wonderful flavors from the stew. Enuff talking, let's get started with the recipe. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Eggs, 5 Grapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, For Deep Frying Ginger Finely Minced, 1/2" Garlic Finely Minced, 3 Cloves Bay Leaf, 1 Star Anise, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 1" Cloves, 3 Vegetable Stock Homemade , 1 Cup Tamarind Paste, 1 TBSP ShaoXing / HuaTiao Wine, 1 TBSP Light Soy Sauce, 1 TBSP Sambal Hijau Homemade , 1 Heaped TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Slurry, 2 TSP Cornstarch + 2 TSP Water Sesame Oil, 1 TBSP Coriander Finely Chopped, A Handful Equipment: Sauce Pot / Dutch Oven Egg Piercer (Optional) Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Vegetable Stock " page for the recipe. Please visit my " How To Make Sambal Hijau " page for the recipe. Pierce the bottom of the eggs with an egg piercer. Add 1 inch of water into a sauce pot. Bring it up to a slow simmer over low heat. Gently add the eggs into the simmering water. Cover and cook for 6 mins. Remove from heat and immediately drain and put it under running water. Add ice. Once cool enuff to handle, slowly peel the eggs. Pad the eggs dry. Add 2 inches of oil into the sauce pot or dutch oven *To check if the temperature is ready for deep frying, insert a wooden chopstick. If bubbles appear around the chopstick, the oil is ready.* Gently add in the eggs using a spider. Flip once bottom half is golden brown. Deep fry until golden brown on all sides. *You may have to do this in batches.* Remove from and transfer into a wire cooling rack or on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Carefully drain the oil, leaving just enuff for stir frying. Add in ginger and garlic. Saute until aromatic. Add in bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon and cloves. Stir fry until aromatic. Add in vegetable stock and deglaze. Add in tamarind, ShaoXing wine, soy sauce and @chillibellasg ’s Sambal Hijau. Stir until well combined. Add in the fried eggs. Bring it up to a simmer. *Make sure the sauce pot is small enuff so that the eggs can submerge properly.* In a bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth to create a slurry. Add that slurry into the stew. Stir until well combined. Simmer for about 3 to 5 mins or until thickened. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt. Add in sesame oil and give it a final stir. Remove from heat. Transfer the eggs onto serving plates. Drain the stew and discard any residue. Pour the stew over the eggs. Garnish with some coriander. Serve immediately. Not your instagramic yolk tho... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: I bet you have seen the viral TikTok corn ribs recipes that are popping up everywhere. I thought I give it a try. Well... it turns out that slicing the corns lengthwise is a huge challenge. Firstly, it is quite dangerous to handle. Secondly, it had made my knife blunt and I would not recommend anyone making the corn ribs. I already bought the corns, so this is pretty much impromptu. I sliced the kernels from the cobs, which is so much easier compared to slicing the corns into wedges, toss them in a very simple Sambal Hijau based vignette, and finally smoking them in their boats-like-husks. Yes! Smoking them in my Personal Size Stovetop Kettle Smoker from Nordic Ware . My daughters who dislike spicy food and corn, actually finish these without many complaints. That's when I know this is really good. This is like those corn salads, but a leveled-up one, my kids commented. I guess I need to start researching how to make Sambal Hijau, so anyone can try this recipe. Stay tuned. Ingredients: (Serve 4) Corn Preferably Organic and Non-GMO, 2 Ears Dried Parsley, Pinch Cherry Tomatoes, 12 Sambal Hijau Homemade , 2 TBSP Adjust To Preference Sesame Oil, 2 TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch White Pepper, Pinch Mushroom Powder, Pinch Kewpie Mayo, 2 TBSP Sriracha Powder, Pinch Equipment: Stove Top Smoker Pan / Grill Smoker Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Sambal Hijau " for the recipe. Remove the husks from the corn. Wash the husks and corns thoroughly to remove the silk. Slice the husks into halves. Set aside. Slice the kernels from the cobs. Transfer the kernels into a large mixing bowl. Toss in parsley, tomatoes, sambal hijau, sesame oil, salt, pepper and mushroom powder until well combined, Prepare your smoker as per the instructions manual. I am using Nordic Ware's Personal Size Stovetop Kettle Smoke r . If you have an outdoor grill and smoker, it will be awesome too. I am using the "wet" method as instructed. Grease the grilling pan with sesame oil. Place the 4 husks onto the pan. Spoon the kernel mixture into the husk, distributing evenly. Place the cherry tomatoes on top. Smoke the corns for about 25 mins. While the corns are smoking, mix equal parts of mayo and sambal hijau in a small bowl. Slide the corn boats into each serving plate. Drizzle the mayo mixture over the top. Sprinkle dried parsley and sriracha powder over the top. These are the corns which I'd used. Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: I kinda dislike the iconic Indonesian noodles soup dish, Mee Soto. Maybe, I have not tasted one that is as awesome as my grandma's, or maybe, I just dislike the yellow rubbery noodles that most eateries used. Even tho, some are using vermicelli, it still doesn't come close to my grandma's version. Her soup alone has so many flavors going on that will leave you wanting more. Making this is kinda of a homage to her. Even tho, I flipped the dish upside down and made it into my own (hope she won't kill me for doing this), every bite is nostalgic. Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that my version is on par with hers. I am not even close. All I am saying is I replace some elements of the dish which I dislike and implemented some new modern approach. Like, reconstruct the soup into gelatin sheets for example. Yes, she is definitely gonna kill me. I find out that doing so actually compacts the flavors very well rather than cooking a pot of soup for hours. As for the yellow noodles, I replaced them with enoki mushrooms. By doing so, the mushrooms add so much more textures and flavors. My secret? White soy sauce. You have to get your hands on this light and delicate sauce. No, it is not Chinese light soy sauce; it is from Japan. The negative part is that the gelatin sheet started to melt before I can snap some photos. Perhaps it is the insane humidity in my kitchen or maybe the enoki is still hot? I even tried with agar agar powder and the texture is bad compared to gelatin. You can give it a try (with 1/2 TSP of agar agar) and let me know what you think. In closing, I really hope you will give this modern take on a classic dish a try. Ingredients: (Serve 4) Gelatin Soup Sheet: Vegetable Stock Warm Homemade , 300g Dried Shiitake Mushrooms, 3 Coriander, 5g White Peppercorns, 1g Lemongrass White Part, 1 Stalk Garlic, 1 Clove Ginger, 1" Galangal, 1" Candlenut / Macadamia Nut, 1 Olive Oil, 2 TBSP Red Onion Finely Sliced, 1 Black Cardamom, 1 Green Cardamom, 1 Clove, 1 Star Anise, 1 Cinnamon Stick, 1" Sea Salt, Pinch Sambal Hijau Homemade , 2 TBSP Adjust To Preference Sesame Oil, For Brushing Gelatin Powder, 1.5 TSP Enoki: Olive Oil, 2 TBSP Garlic Thinly Sliced, 1 Clove Red Chili Deseeded Thinly Sliced, 1 Enoki Mushrooms Washed Thoroughly, 180g Unsalted Butter, 1 TBSP Soy Sauce, 1 TBSP Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Dried Mushroom Powder, Pinch Nori Flakes, Pinch White Soy Sauce, 1 TBSP Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Sauce Pot 9" Round Cake Pan / 8" Square Cake Pan Food Processor / Blender Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Vegetable Stock " page for the recipe. Please visit my " How To Make Sambal Hijau " page for the recipe. Make the Gelatin Soup Sheet Rehydrate dried mushrooms in warm vegetable stock  for 30 minutes. Toast coriander  and white pepper  in a dry skillet until aromatic. Blitz toasted spices in a food processor with: Lemongrass Garlic Ginger Galangal Candlenut In the same skillet over medium heat , add olive oil and sauté onions until translucent. Add whole spices: black & green cardamom, clove, star anise, and cinnamon. Season with salt and sauté until fragrant. Add the mushroom-infused stock along with the rehydrated mushrooms. Stir in sambal hijau  and simmer gently for 3–5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove mushrooms and strain soup through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Discard solids. Let cool for 15 minutes. Set the Gelatin Lightly brush a cake pan  with sesame oil. Transfer the strained soup to a sauce pot over medium heat . Stir in gelatin powder  until fully dissolved. Bring to a simmer for 1–2 minutes. Pour into greased cake pan and refrigerate for 1 hour , or until fully set. Prepare the Mushroom "Pasta" Finely dice the reserved shiitake mushrooms . In a skillet over low heat , poach garlic and chili in oil for about 10 minutes —barely simmering. Add enoki and diced shiitake mushrooms . Toss to combine. Add butter and soy sauce. Sauté until softened. Season with salt, pepper, mushroom powder, and nori flakes. Add a splash of white soy sauce  and give it a final toss. Remove from heat. Plate Use a 3.5" cookie cutter  to punch out discs from the chilled gelatin sheet. Gently lift each disc with an offset spatula and place onto serving plates. Twirl the sautéed mushrooms like pasta and mound them on top of each disc. Garnish with extra nori flakes. Serve immediately. Looks like pasta or noodles doesn't it? This just melts in your mouth... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: As a kid growing up, my grandma used to cook this at least once every 2 weeks. Yes. I have been eating tempeh since I was a kid. I have learned to enjoy it. Before tempeh has become a popular choice in the vegan community, it has been used in lots of Indonesian dishes centuries ago. I always wonder why it took the rest of the world so long to discover tempeh. Anyway, when it comes to tempeh, I will always choose the top quality I can find. This is when I discovered Angie's Tempeh ; her tempeh is 100% plant-based, organic and non-GMO. Be sure to check her out. Angie's Tempeh Angie's Tempeh You know this is top quality. For those who are still new to tempeh, it is actually made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. Very much like sourdough or bread making, a tempeh starter is used. I will not dive too deep into the process, maybe I will save this for another day. Back to this dish, my grandma had loads of versions for this dish. It pretty much depended on what she can get her hands on during her grocery shopping. This is hands down, my favorite version. Maybe just a notch higher than her leeks version. I will definitely show you lovely people that dish in the future. Of cos, I have to add some of my "chefy" touches to this dish, by adding liquid smoke and white soy sauce for example. I even have 2 different types of tempeh. One is fried and the other is stir-fried, this is to add distinct contrast of crispy and chewy textures. To add another layer of texture, I dredged the tofu with cornstarch and fried them. Trust me, you would wanna do this extra step. In closing, I hope you will give this recipe a try for every bite is nostalgic. Ingredients: (Serve 8) Tofu Firm, 200g Corn Starch, 1 TBSP Smoked Paprika, 1 TSP Grapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, For Frying @angiestempeh 's Tempeh Sliced, 400g Red Onion Thinly Sliced, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch Demerara Sugar, Pinch Garlic Thinly Sliced, 3 Cloves Sambal Hijau Homemade , 1/4 Cup Kecap Manis, 3 TBSP White Miso Paste, 2 TBSP Green Beans Coarsely Sliced, 5 Adjust To Preference Dried Mushroom Powder, Pinch Liquid Smoke, 1 TSP White Soy Sauce, 1 TBSP Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Sambal Hijau " page for the recipe. Wrap tofu with a kitchen towel. Put some weight on it and set it aside for 30 mins. Most of the moisture should release from the tofu. *If you have a tofu presser, use it.* Slice the tofu however you prefer. I sliced the tofu into 16 pieces. In a shallow bowl, mix corn starch and paprika together. Dredge the tofu lightly with the paprika mixture. In a skillet over medium heat, add about 1 inch of oil. *To check the temperature of the oil, simply insert a wooden chopstick. If bubbles start to form around the chopstick, the oil is ready.* Carefully, add in the tofu. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off excess oil. In the same oil, add in 200g of sliced @angiestempeh 's tempeh. *I sliced the tempeh rather thinly. You can slice them however you prefer.* Fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off excess oil. Drain the skillet, leaving just enuff oil for stir frying. Add in the onion. Season with salt and sugar. Saute until lightly caramelized. Add in the remaining 200g of @angiestempeh 's tempeh and garlic. Stir fry until aromatic or until the tempeh starts to cook. In a small bowl, mix sambal hijau and kecap manis together. Add this sambal mixture into the skillet. Saute until well combined. Dissolve miso paste in 1/2 cup of hot water. Add this miso mixture into the skillet and deglaze. Bring it up to a slow simmer. Add in the fried tofu, tempeh and green beans. Stir fry until well combined. Continue to stir fry until the green beans have slightly softened. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and mushroom powder. Add in liquid smoke and white soy sauce. Give it a final stir fry. Remove from heat and transfer onto serving plates. Serve this over some rice or noodles immediately. Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video This recipe is featured in my ECookbook: This is the last recipe of this project and do I save the best for the last? Yes! This is probably the best dish I have made this 2021 (so far). Probably. I was brainstorming for ideas for this collaboration and a question kept popping inside my head, can I make a dessert with a spicy tangy pesto-like sambal hijau? Then I saw David Kinch's Green Garlic Infused Custard appeared on YouTube and everything is history. I adjusted and simplified his recipe quite a bit, cos you know... Anyway, the dish is broken down into 2 elements: the custard and the garnishes. Making the custard is quite straightforward. As for the garnishes, the broccoli is dissected into 2 parts: the trimmed florets and the stems. What David Kinch did was fry the trimmed florets and poached the stems. By doing so, he created 2 different textures and flavors, while still retaining the broccoli fragrance. Genius, isn't he? It takes some effort, but in the end, it is all worthwhile. That silky smooth warm custard with layers of flavors and aftertaste with 3 different textures. Light, elegant, savory and a spicy aftertaste, do I need to say more? Ingredients: Inspired by David Kinch (Serve 4) Custard: Spring Onions, 5 Stalks Sesame Oil, 25g Olive Oil, 25g Vegetable Stock Homemade , 480g Garlic Crushed, 2 Ginger Crushed, 1" Sambal Hijau Homemade , 2 TBSP Adjust To Preference White Soy Sauce, 1 TBSP Eggs, 3 Garnish: Broccoli, 8 Florets Sake, 13g Mirin, 19g Soy Sauce, 4g White Soy Sauce, 3g Water, 19g Demerara Sugar, 9g Grapeseed / Peanut / Sunflower / Canola Oil, For Frying Dried Lavender, A Pinch Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Steamer Sauce Pot Directions: Make the Custard Base Coarsely slice spring onions, separating green and white-pulp parts. In a skillet over low heat , warm sesame and olive oil. Add white-pulp spring onions  and gently poach for 2–3 minutes. Add vegetable stock, crushed garlic, ginger, and green parts  of spring onions. Simmer gently for another 2–3 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a large bowl and discard residue . Stir in sambal hijau and white soy sauce. Let cool for 5 minutes. Steam the Custard Prepare a steamer over medium heat. Crack eggs into a pitcher. While whisking the stock mixture, slowly add eggs one at a time , fully incorporating. Strain custard through a sieve into 4 serving bowls. Discard any residue; do not press through. Tap bowls gently to release air bubbles. Cover loosely with cling film. Steam for 6 minutes , then remove from heat and cling film. Let rest to firm slightly. Prepare the Garnishes Poached Broccoli Stems Trim florets; thinly slice stems. In a saucepan over low heat , combine: Sake Mirin Soy sauce White soy sauce Water Sugar Swirl to dissolve sugar. Add sliced stems and poach for 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Crispy Broccoli Florets Heat 1 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat . Oil is ready when bubbles form around a wooden chopstick. Place broccoli florets in a sieve and lower gently into the oil. Fry until crispy, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. To Plate Drizzle sake poaching liquid  over each bowl of custard. Top with crispy florets , followed by poached stems . Sprinkle with lavender . Serve immediately while warm Every mouthful is a flavor bomb... A flavor bomb indeed... The spring onions I'd used... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Despite having a pandemic in this crazy time, there is still a lot of turmoil across the globe. You should have known about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. I am not gonna dive into politics on this website, but rather, I will be posting recipes from Palestine as well as Israel as a peace offering. I mean, food brings people from all walks of life together, so I don't see why not. Anyway, let's start off with this hearty meal called Ful Medames. This is originated from Ancient Egypt and it is considered "peasant food". It somehow traveled its way to Palestine. And it has become a staple breakfast dish, especially during Ramadan as it is a rather filling meal. Ful Medames deserve more recognition compared to the famous Baba Ganoush or Hummus. It is mashed fava beans cooked with garlic and olive oil. It is also traditionally garnished with some herbs and fresh tomatoes, but I decided to amp things up. Just a little. Anyway, please give this recipe a try. Ingredients: (Serve 2) Cherry Tomatoes With Vines, 400g High Quality Olive Oil, 3 TBSP + More For Brushing Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Garlic, 3 Cloves Cumin Powder, 1/2 TSP Shatta Homemade , 1 TSBP Adjust To Preference Canned Fava Beans, 400g Parsley, A Handful Sumac, 1/2 TSP Scallions Finely Sliced, For Garnish Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Oven Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Shatta " page for the recipe. Slow Roast the Tomatoes Preheat oven to 90°C (200°F) . Place cherry tomatoes vine side down  in a baking dish. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 2 to 2.5 hours , or until shriveled like raisins. Check at the 2-hour mark. Start the Fava Beans Base In a mortar and pestle , pound 2 garlic cloves with salt and 1 TBSP olive oil  into a paste. In a cold skillet , add 1 TBSP olive oil  and the garlic paste. Turn heat to medium  and sauté until aromatic. Add cumin and ½ TBSP shatta chili paste . Sauté until fragrant. Drain the fava beans and add to the skillet with 3 TBSP of their liquid . Avoid using all the liquid to control saltiness. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Turn off heat. Smash beans using the back of a spatula for a chunky texture. Make the Parsley-Sumac Paste In the same mortar, add: ½ TBSP shatta 1 garlic clove A handful of parsley A sprinkle of sumac Pound into a rough paste. Return to heat, add ¼ cup hot water  and stir to loosen the mixture. Adjust water for desired consistency. Blend if a smoother texture is preferred. Fold in the parsley paste into the fava mixture until well combined. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Remove from heat. Assemble and Serve By now, the cherry tomatoes should be done roasting. Serve the ful medames in a bowl, topped with the roasted tomatoes. Scatter with sliced scallions. Enjoy immediately with Palestinian flatbread . Pro Tip If using fresh fava beans , soak them overnight and cook until soft enough to mash. Control salt by using less bean liquid and salting gradually. Beautiful isn't it? Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Yes, I know that I am posting, yet another Shakshuka which you probably have seen for the thousandth time. And you must be wondering why is the title in Hebrew and not Arabic. Now that I got your attention, please hear me out: Shakshuka or Shakshouka first originated in Ottoman North Africa in the mid-16th century. Rumors have it that the original version, which is a stew, contains meat. The origin of the dish remains a matter of some controversy with competing claims of Moroccan, Tunisian, Turkish, and Yemeni origins. So why the Hebrew title? Tunisian Jews actually created a spicy vegetarian version of the stew to make it "pareve" (it is kinda like vegan but eggs that are laid are allowed). That version was brought to Israel where it was widely adopted and known today. That's quite a bit of history lessons for you lovely people. As I was pondering how to elevate this dish up a notch, I decided to keep this dish as simple as possible without changing too much. I did, however, poach the tomatoes to give it a much vibrant flavorful oomph. And of cos, harissa is added to give it a Tunisian authenticity. I know simply posting recipes from Palestine and Israel doesn't make any difference, but at least I know that food brings people together. I hope there will be peace between both parties. Ingredients: (Serve 3) Chili Thinly Sliced, Deseeded, 1 Garlic Thinly Sliced, 3 Cloves High Quality Olive Oil, 1/4 Cup Tomatoes Canned, 400g Sea Salt, Pinch Black Pepper, Pinch Yellow Onion Finely Minced, 1 Homemade Harissa, 1 TBSP Adjust To Preference Eggs, 3 Parsley Corasely Chopped, For Garnish Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Directions: Please visit my " How To Make Harissa " page for the recipe. Add chili and garlic into a skillet with olive oil. Turn the heat up to low. *The chili and garlic should be barely simmering. If the heat is too high, the chili and garlic will be burned.* As soon as the garlic starts to brown, remove it from heat. Drain thru' a sieve and into a bowl of canned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Set aside until ready to use. In the same skillet over medium heat, add onion. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until softened and translucent. Add in the tomato mixture and harissa. Mix until well combined. Create 3 craters. Slide eggs into the craters. *I prefer cracking my eggs into a cup and sliding them into the craters. This is to prevent any broken shells or rotten eggs.* Bring it up to a slow simmer. Cover and cook for 1 to 2 mins or until the egg whites are set. *If you prefer hard-boiled yolk, you can cook it longer.* Remove from heat. Garnish with some parsley. Serve immediately over some pitas (you can check out my homemade pita recipe ). Recipe Video:

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: