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Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I actually hesitated to make a separate recipe post cos this is a repeat of my original Tangzhong Bread recipe. But only 1/2 recipe is used. It all started out as a hunch; I was doing research and brainstorming for ideas. "Why not use only 1/2 of the Tangzhong Bread recipe" just popped into my mind. And the rest is history. I was always amazed by the hot dog buns that restaurants put on the table. I mean, I still am. Their hot dog buns aren't our regular typical smaller version. Theirs look more like sandwich bread. Honestly, I dislike store-bought burgers and hot dog buns (as soon as I started making them myself). They tend to be inferior in texture and flavor. Don't you agree? Anyhow, I thought of making this a standalone recipe just because it will be easier to link up my future hot dog adventures. And you should've guessed it by now. I have 1 hot dog recipe coming right up, so please stay tuned. If you have a great idea, make it to fruition and do not allow anyone talks you outta it. Ingredients: (Make 1 loaf) Tangzhong: Bread Flour, 18g Water, 88g Dough: Active Instant Dry Yeast, 3g Whole Milk Lukewarm, 70g Bread Flour, 170g Demerara Sugar, 15g Sea Salt, 2g Eggs, 20g Room Temperature Softened Unsalted Butter, 20g + More For Greasing Egg Wash, 1 Egg Yolk + 1 TBSP Whole Milk Equipment: Oven Bread Pan (196 x 106 x 110 mm) Directions: Prepare the tangzhong. In a skillet over medium-low heat, add flour and water. Stir to combine well. *Make sure no large lumps.* Continue cooking until it thickens. The roux should stick to your spatula without falling. Transfer into a bowl. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge overnight. Prepare the dough. Take the roux out of the fridge and place it on a counter at room temperature at least 1 hr prior to making the dough. In a bowl, combine milk and yeast until the yeast has dissolved. *The milk has to be lukewarm.* Set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Mix to combine well. Gradually pour in the milk mixture while mixing with a spatula. Fold to combine well. Add in egg. Fold to combine well. Once it becomes a dough, knead the dough inside the bowl until all the nooks and crannies of flour are kneaded into the dough, about 5 mins. Add in the tangzhong. Knead for about 3 mins until the tangzhong is fully incorporated. Add in the butter. Continue kneading for another 3 mins. Transfer onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 8 mins. *Do take note that the tangzhong and butter have to be at room temperature.* The dough should be tacky, but not sticky, and it should pass the " window-pane " test. If the dough is too dry, add in water, 1 TBSP at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add in flour, 1 TBSP at a time. Lightly grease the bowl with some butter. Transfer the dough back to the greased bowl. Cover with cling film and let rise for 30 mins. It should slightly rise. Punch down the dough and fold the top, sides and bottom to the center. Flip, cover and let rise for 1 hr or until doubled in size. This process is sorta to ensure that the yeast is activated. *You can do a test by poking a floured finger into the dough. If it doesn't spring back, the yeast is activated properly and the dough is ready.* Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cover with cling film and let rest for 15 mins. This is called the bench rest which allows the gluten to relax. Grease bread pan with butter. Divide the dough ball into 2 portions. Shape each portion tightly into a ball. Transfer into the greased bread pan. Cover with cling film and let rise for 1 hr. Preheat oven to 175 degree celsius or 350 fahrenheit. The dough balls should rise to fill up all the corners of the loaf pan. Whisk egg wash until well combined. Brush the egg wash onto the dough. Wack into the oven and bake for 45 mins or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven. Immediately unmold onto a wire cooling rack. Set aside to cool down completely. I am able to slice out 4 hot dog buns from the loaf. Use this hot dog bun for your hot dog adventures. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video After the collaboration, I knew I have to make a version of sambal hijau. Maybe this journey has rekindled my heritage being of Indonesian blood. Or maybe, I am intrigued to experiment with the process myself. Indeed, it took quite a bit of research, trial and error before I nailed it. Needless to say, this is the best version of sambal hijau I'd managed to create. I used 3 types of green chilies for flavor contrast. Padrón for an earthy and sweet taste, Jalapeño for that heat and chilies padi for that extra kick. I was on cloud 9 when I was able to get my hands on fresh tomatillos! Yes, I got tomatillos and all the chilies from La Mexicana ; a local Mexican grocery store. If you are looking for authentic Mexican supplies, you know where to get them. Speaking of tomatillos, you can of cos use jarred ones. I am not judging because I know fresh tomatillos are pretty rare in some parts of the world. Anyway, I hope you will give this vegan-friendly sambal a try. Ingredients: (Make 1 Pint) Padrón, 200g Jalapeño, 200g Green Chilies Padi Deseeded, 2 Garlic Crushed, 3 Cloves Fresh Tomatillos Coarsely Sliced, 3 or 1/2 Cup Jarred Tomatillos Red Onion Coarsely Chopped, 1 High Quality Olive Oil, 2 TBSP Lemongrass White Part Only Crushed, 1 Stalk Kaffir Lime Leaves Crushed, 3 Sea Salt, Pinch Demerara Sugar, Pinch Dried Mushroom Powder, Pinch Peanut Oil, 1 TBSP Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Food Processor / Blender Oven Directions: Transfer Padrón and Jalapeño onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Wack into the oven and roast until lightly charred. Remove from the oven, flip and continue roasting until lightly charred. Remove from the oven and transfer into a large bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside for 30 mins. After 30 mins, remove the seeds from the chilies. Use a knife to scrape the flesh from the charred skins. Transfer the flesh into a blender. Add in green chilies, garlic, tomatillos and onion. Add in 1/4 of hot water. Blitz until smooth. *If you prefer a chunky texture, you can pulse it a few times to your preference.* In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the green chili paste. Add in lemongrass and lime leaves. Stir to combine well. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt, sugar and mushroom powder. Give it a stir and bring it up to a slow simmer. Cook until the paste has thickened. Fish out the lemongrass and lime leaves. Transfer into a sterilized jar. Add peanut oil and chill in the fridge. It should last for 1 month. Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I seem to be on a chili roll recently. Harissa is actually a Tunisian hot chili pepper paste with Baklouti Peppers and roasted red peppers as the main ingredients. Yes, this is originated in Tunisia. I can't find Baklouti Peppers anywhere in Singapore, and I am using some Mexican chilies from La Mexicana . This chili paste is very versatile and almost in the realm of sambal. If you can't get your hands on any of the mentioned Mexican chilies below, you can use whichever dried chilies that you can find. Lastly, caraway seeds are a must for that distinct harissa flavor. Do not miss that ingredient out. In closing, I hope you will give this recipe a try. Ingredients: (Make 1 Pint) de Árbol, 15 Guajillo, 2 Red Bell Peppers, 2 Cumin Seeds, 1 TBSP Coriander Seeds, 1/2 TBSP Caraway Seeds, 1/2 TBP Garlic, 3 Cloves Smoked Paprika, 1/2 TBSP Cayenne, 1/2 TSP Sumac Powder, 1/2 TSP Tomato Puree, 2 TBSP Fresh Lemon Juice, 1/2 Lemon Sea Salt, Pinch High Quality Olive Oil, 98g Equipment: Blender Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Spice Grinder Directions: Rehydrate the chilies in a bowl of hot water. Set aside for 30 mins. Grill bell peppers on an open fire stovetop until charred all over. Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside to steam for 30 mins. Toast cumin, coriander and caraway seeds on a skillet over medium heat until the aroma permeates your kitchen. Transfer into a spice grinder and blitz until powder forms. Set aside. Once the chilies have been hydrated, remove the seeds and transfer into a blender. *You can leave the seeds on if you desire.* Remove the charred skins from the bell peppers. *Do not be tempted to wash it off and it doesn't have to be perfect.* Remove and discard the seeds as well. Transfer into the blender. Add in the toasted spice blend, garlic, paprika, cayenne, sumac powder, tomato puree, lemon juice and salt. While the blender is blitzing, slowly stream in half of the olive oil. Blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust for salt or lemon juice. Give it a final blitz. Transfer into a sterilized jar. Transfer the remaining half of the olive oil into the blender to "clean" up all the leftover nooks and crannies. Blitz and transfer into the harissa. Store chilled in the fridge. It can be kept for up to 1 month. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video As I was deep in my research for more Palestinian dishes, I came across this fascinating flatbread. I saw artisans rolling out dough onto a huge cushion and slapping the dough onto a large dome (which happens to be an oven). Isn't that fascinating? You can search on YouTube for better visuals, I mean a video can paint a thousand words. Taboon is a very underrated flatbread as compared to the more popular Pita. And I think it deserves more recognition. Anyway, this flatbread is usually served as a base for a very iconic Palestinian dish called, Chicken Musakhan. Please stay tuned for that recipe. In the meantime, let's get started with this flatbread. Ingredients: (Make 4 flatbread) Starter: Bread Flour, 60g Active Instant Dry Yeast, 1 TSP Demerara Sugar, 1 TSP Lukewarm Water, 118g Bread: Wholemeal Flour, 30g Bread Flour, 90g Sea Salt, 1 TSP Dried Basil, Pinch Dried Parsley, Pinch Dried Thyme, Pinch Dried Oregano, Pinch Chili Flakes, Pinch Sumac Powder Preferably Hexa , Pinch High Quality Olive Oil, 1 TBSP + More For Greasing Equipment: Cast Iron Skillet / Taboon Oven Directions: Prepare the starter. In a large bowl, combine bread flour, yeast and sugar together. While mixing, gradually add in the water. Continue mixing until it becomes smooth. Cover with cling film and set aside for 1 hr. Prepare the bread. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients, except olive oil. Mix until well combined and transfer onto the starter. Combine until everything is well incorporated. Add in the olive oil and continue mixing until it comes into a dough. Once it becomes a dough, knead the dough inside the bowl until all the nooks and crannies of flour are kneaded into the dough, about 5 mins. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. If the dough is too dry, add in water, 1 TBSP at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add in flour, 1 TBSP at a time. Lightly grease the bowl with some olive oil. Transfer the dough back to the greased bowl. Cover with cling film and let rise for 90 mins. It should almost double in size. Punch down the dough and fold the top, sides and bottom to the center. Flip, form into a ball, cover and ferment in the fridge overnight. The next day, sit the dough at room temperature for 2 hrs. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Shape and form each piece into a ball. Cover and let rest for 15 mins. Heat a skillet over medium heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball into a round disc to about 1/8 inch thick. *I do not have a taboon cushion, so I am just gonna use a metal bowl.* Grease the bottom of a metal bowl lightly, olive oil. Transfer the rolled dough onto the metal bowl. Gently pull and stretch to thin out the dough. *If you feel like the dough is getting too thin, stop.* Carefully transfer the dough onto the heated skillet. *If you happened to have a taboon over, use it.* Brush the dough with olive oil. You should see bubbles start to form. Once the bottom is lightly browned, flip and cook for another 2 mins. Remove from heat and repeat the process for the remaining dough balls. *Keep the rest of the dough balls covered while working on one.* Transfer the cooked taboon to a plate and cover it with another plate. *This is to keep the flatbread warm while waiting for the rest to be cooked.* Serve it with some Chicken Musakhan (stay tuned). Stretching and pulling the dough on the bottom of a greased metal bowl. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I did not know that pickling is a process until the day I learn how to cook. All those times, I assumed that pickles are just some preserved cucumbers on burgers. To this day, I am still wondering why they are called pickles. Anyway, as soon as I found out about pickling, I was absolutely fascinated by the whole process. Americans are very good at pickling; they can pickle just about anything, from carrots, onions and garlic to chili, cucumbers and even fruits. They even have pickle pie! I am not really into pickles tho as I will always remove them from my burgers. But as I grow older, I grow wiser. I begin to understand the term "the perfect bite". Acidity is pretty essential in almost every dish. Because you want an element to cut thru' the richness and pickled veg is the best option. You can use the below recipe for your pickling adventures. It works on pretty much any vegetables and fruit. Be sure to thinly slice them. I will be using these pickled onions for my next recipe. Stay tuned. Ingredients: (Make about 1L) Water, 500g Apple Cider Vinegar, 500g Granulated Sugar, 400g Sea Salt, 24g Equipment: Sauce Pot Sterilized Jar Directions: I'm gonna pickled some red onions and cucumbers. Slice red onion thinly. Peel the layers into separate rings. Using a potato peeler, peel the cucumbers into thin slices. Transfer into sterilized jars. To add flavor, I will be adding some coarsely sliced green and red chilies. In a sauce pot over medium heat, add all the ingredients. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring it up to a boil. Let it boil for 3 to 5 mins. Pour into the jars. Set aside to cool completely. Close the lid tight. Keep chill in the fridge for at least 24 hrs before using. Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I actually made this recipe some years ago. As one of my goals for 2021 is to revamp some of my old recipes; kinda to breathe life into them again. This is one of those recipes and many more to come your way. I do not like to brag, but this is a pretty versatile dough. You can use this dough to make bao, turnover bao sandwiches, or swirl the dough to make mantou. Hell, you can even deep fried the mantou. I am using a mixture of flour to build more structure for the dough. The end result is a fluffy, soft and chewy bao. I will be creating more recipes with this bao technique in the future, please stay tuned. In the meantime, let's get started. Ingredients: (Make 8 bao) Canola Oil, 60g + More For Greasing Whole Milk, 240g Granulated Sugar, 25g Active Instant Dry Yeast, 2 TSP Cake Flour, 240g Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 240g Sea Salt, 6g Baking Powder, 1 TSP Baking Soda, 1 TSP Canola / Peanut / Vegetable Oil, For Greasing / Frying Equipment: Steamer Dutch Oven 3.5" Round Cookie Cutter Directions: Preparing the dough. In a bowl, add oil, milk, sugar and yeast. Stir to combine well or until the sugar and yeast have dissolved. Set aside for 5 mins. In another large bowl, add flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Create a well in the middle and gradually pour the oil mixture into the flour mixture while still stirring with a spatula. Once it comes together as a dough, knead the dough inside the bowl until all the nooks and crannies of flour are kneaded into the dough, about 5 to 8 mins. Transfer onto a lightly floured surface and continue kneading for 5 to 8 mins. The dough should be soft, smooth and it should pass the " window-pane " test. If the dough is too dry, add in milk, 1 TBSP at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add in cake flour, 1 TBSP at a time. Form the dough into a ball. Transfer onto a lightly greased bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside to rise for 90 mins or until doubled in size. After 90 mins, fold the corners to the center, flip and shape into a ball. This is to deflate the dough to sorta make sure that the yeast is probably activated. Cover and ferment the dough in the fridge overnight. You can freeze the dough at this point. You can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge the day before using. The next day, allow the dough to sit at room temperature before shaping, at least 2 hrs. There are 3 methods to form into buns; ball, turnover and swirl. Ball bao method: Divide the dough ball into 8 equal pieces with a weighing scale, depending on the size you desire. Form each into dough balls. Turnover bao method. Divide the dough into 2. Roll the dough out on a working surface into a rectangle with a thickness of 1/4". Using a cookie cutter to create as many discs as possible. Fold the discs into halves. *It is not a good idea to re-roll the scrap dough into turnover bao. You can use the scraps to shape into ball bao.* Swirl method: Divide the dough equally into 2. Roll the dough on a lightly floured working surface, into a rectangle, about 1/4" thick. Starting from the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log. Tuck the dough tightly as you roll. Once a log shape is formed, slice the dough into 1" thick pieces. You can slice 2" thick pieces if desired. Proofing and steaming. I usually cut parchment paper into a large circle to fit my steamer's tray and lightly grease it with oil. You can prepare an individual paper for each bao. Place the bao onto the greased parchment paper and cover the bao with a lint-free kitchen towel. Proof for 1 hr or until doubled in size. Prepare a steamer. Wrap the entire lid of the steamer with a kitchen towel. *This will prevent any water vapor from dripping onto the mantou or bao.* As soon as the water comes to a rolling boil, steam the bao for 11 mins. Turn off the heat and tilt your steamer cover to allow hot steam to escape for 2 mins. Remove from heat, slice and serve. Fried the mantou: You can also deep fried the swirl bao aka mantou. Add oil into a dutch oven, about 2 inches in depth, over medium high heat. *To check if the temperature of the oil is ready, place a wooden chopstick into the oil. If bubbles start to form, the temperature is ready for frying.* Gently drop the swirled bao into the oil away from you. Deep fry until golden brown on all sides. Remove from heat and drain off excess oil on a wire cooling rack or a plate lined with kitchen paper. Repeat the steps for the remaining swirled bao. Slice, sandwich with your favoite ingredients and serve. The classic ball method... The turnover method... The swirl mantou method... The deep fried mantou method... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video A lot of people have been asking me about this underrated underused syrup. This is actually coconut palm sugar syrup. It is widely used in Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine, especially in dessert dishes. It has that caramel coconuty nutty aromatic flavor profile. It goes really well with coconut, spicy or pandan dishes. I prefer to drizzle mine over some frozen yogurt for that extra sweetness. You can try making some pandan pancakes or waffles with some drizzling of gula melaka syrup. I hate to say this, but it tastes so much better than maple syrup. Maybe in the future, I might post that recipe. In the meantime, let's get started with the recipe. Ingredients: (Make 1 Cup) Water, 63g Gula Melaka Corasely Chopped, 150g Pandan Leaves Tied Into A Knot, 6 Equipment: Sauce Pot Directions: In a sauce pot over medium heat, add in all the ingredients. Stir until the gula melaka has completely dissolved. Bring it up to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for 1 min or until the syrup coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and pass it thru' a sieve over a bowl. Discard any residue and set the syrup aside to cool down slightly. Transfer into a sterilized jar. It can be kept up to 1 month chilled in the fridge, I like to serve gula melaka syrup over some frozen yogurt with some blueberries and ground macadamia nuts. View from my apartment... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video Just like gula melaka syrup, quite a handful of you lovely people have been asking about Kecap Manis. It is a sweet soy sauce with a thicker consistency. It is vastly used in Indonesian cuisine, as a dipping sauce, a stir-fried dish or even as a marinade. I believe you can purchase kecap manis in any Asian grocery. But if you can't get your hands on any kecap manis, then you come to the right place. This recipe is for you. I added some spices for more flavors. You can skip the spices steps and just cook soy sauce with coconut palm sugar (aka gula melaka) and molasses into a thick syrup. It is very much like a teriyaki sauce. Let's get started with the recipe. I served my kecap manis with some fried eggs, nori flakes, salt and shichimi togarashi. Ingredients: (Make 1 Cup) Star Anise,1 Cloves, 2 Cubeb, 1/2 TSP Garlic, 2 Cloves Ginger, 1/2" Soy Sauce, 127g Gula Melaka Coarsely Chopped, 85g Molasses, 1 TBSP Equipment: Sauce Pot Directions: In a sauce pot over medium heat, add in star anise. cloves and cubeb. Toast until aromatic. Transfer into a pestle and mortar. Pound until the spices are coarsely ground. Transfer back into the sauce pot. Add garlic and ginger into the pestle and mortar. Pound until paste forms. Transfer into the sauce pot. Add in soy sauce, gula melaka and molasses. Turn the heat up to medium and stir to combine well. Continue stirring until the gula melaka has dissolved. Bring it up to a simmer. Continue simmer for 2 mins or until it coats the back of a spoon. Pass thru' a sieve over a bowl. Discard all residue. Set aside to cool down slightly. Transfer into a sterilized jar. It can be kept up to 1 month chilled in the fridge, View from my apartment... I know drizzling a sweet soy sauce over eggs sounds weird, but you needa give it a try... Recipe Video: This recipe is featured in my ECookbook:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video I am not sure if this should be called a recipe. I have some leftover fresh turmeric from my previous recipe: Eggs Benedict Don Fit For A Queen. So, I thought why not turn them into powder. Turmeric is largely used in Indian and South East Asian cuisines; from stews to marinades to even beverages. It has that pungent earthy bitter aromatic with a peppery spicy taste. Ingredients: Fresh Turmeric Equipment: Oven Spice Grinder Directions: Preheat oven to 100 degrees celsius or 212 fahrenheit. Peel the fresh turmeric with a spoon. *Wear gloves while doing so.* Coarsely slice the peeled fresh turmeric to about the same thickness. Transfer onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Wack into the oven and bake for 1.5 to 2 hrs or until the turmeric has dried completely. They should be crispy as well. Transfer into a spice grinder and blitz until powder forms. *You can pass the powder thru' a fine sieve to ensure no large chunks.* Store in a sterilized jar. I like to keep them in the freezer for a prolonged period of time. From fresh... To dry... Recipe Video:

Jump To Recipe Jump To Video If you know me well enuff, you will know that I don't eat pork as much as I can and I always preach about how bad pork is. Some may disagree, but turkey bacon is a good alternative. This jam goes well with almost anything; toasts, sandwiches, burgers and maybe even pizza? Lol! Hmm... Guess I will have to explore that in the future. Anyway, you can omit the alcohol and use coconut extract instead; you can even try vanilla paste or extract. Don't be alarmed with the use of coffee for this recipe. Trust me. You will be surprised with the end result as the coffee sorta brings out the rest of the ingredients. I had seen chefs use chocolate on their curries too or coffee on steaks. We will have to explore that as well. I usually just spread this jam on some buttered toast or with my scrambled eggs (which I will show you very soon), because this tastes so good, even on its own. In closing, I really hope you give this recipe a try and treat yourself to one of the finest jams. Ingredients: (Make 1 pint) Ancho, 1 Adjust To Preference Dried Mushroom, 1 Cumin Seeds, 1/2 TBSP Cinnamon Stick/ 1/2" White Peppercorns, 6 Sesame Oil, 2 TBSP Turkey Bacon, 400g Red Onion Coarsely Sliced, 1 Sea Salt, Pinch Garlic Crushed, 4 Cloves Apple Cider Vinegar Preferably Organic, 58g Fresh Espresso / Strong Brewed Coffee, 180g Dark Muscovado Sugar, 50g + Pinch Maple Syrup Preferably Grade 'A', 45g Dark Rum / Bourbon / Brandy, 59g Stubb's Liquid Smoke, 2 TBSP Equipment: Blender Spice Grinder Cast Iron Skillet / Pan Directions: Hydrate ancho in a bowl of hot water. Set aside for 30 mins. Toast mushroom, cumin, cinnamon and peppercorns in a skillet until aromatic. Transfer into a spice grinder and blitz until powder forms. Set aside until ready to use. In the same skillet over medium heat, add sesame oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the bacon. Sear the bacon until crispy browned on both sides. Remove from heat and coarsely slice them into bite size strips. Transfer the bacon into a blender. In the same skillet, add onion, season with salt and sugar. Saute until lightly caramelized. Add in garlic. Saute until aromatic. Remove from heat and transfer into the blender. Add in the vinegar, coffee, sugar, maple syrup and rum. Pulse it a few times until well combine and the bacon is in fine pieces, but not a paste. Return the mixture back into the same skillet over low heat. Bring it up to a simmer and add in the liquid smoke. Give it a quick mix and simmer for about 30 mins or until the liquid has almost evaporated. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. The consistency should be sticky and syrupy. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Give it a final stir. Remove from heat and set aside to cool down completely. Transfer into a sterilized jar. *It can keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.* Recipe Video: