Brownie- Easy recipe

I am not an ardent fan of brownie, as the amount of butter that goes into making them, makes me queasy. But on a lighter note, I am also not that rigid. I would rather have it as occasional treat than to never have them or never made them reality phase. Dear daughter was craving for these brownies and that’s how it was made and relished.

This is a very basic recipe for brownie. Use of good quality chocolate powder and chocolate chips makes the brownie more flavourful.

Now to the recipe

Brownie

Recipe requirements

• ¾ cup of flour
• ½ cup + 2 tbs of sugar
• 100 Gms of butter
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup of Caotina/chocolate powder
• 1 cup of chocolate chips
• 1 tsp of vanilla essence
• ¼ tsp of salt

Method

• Melt butter in Microwave for about 30-40 sec. Take out the bowl and add in chocolate powder and sugar .Melt chocolate chips also in a separate bowl.Mix ingredients of both the bowls very well.
• Now in a separate bowl, add in flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well.
• Add in 1 egg at a time and vanilla essence mixing in very well .Add 2^nd egg also, blending well.
• Now add the chocolate powder,chocolate chips, sugar and butter mixture to the flour mixture.
• Prepare a square baking tray.Pour the brownie batter to the tray.
• Bake brownies at 160 deg C for 30-35 mints or the middle of the brownie cooks through well.
• Take out and cool. Enjoy.

Happy Cooking 

Ikan Tongkol/Tongol Tuna Fish curry

I have recently tried Tongkol fish here in Malaysia. This fish reminds me of Tuna, actually the texture for this fish is very similar to Tuna, as both the fish belongs to the same group. The size is small as compared to big Tuna. This fish curry turned out very flavourful and fresh fish tastes way better than those canned tuna that we get in most of Western countries, plus point is, this fish has lower or no mercury contamination as compared to the larger tuna chunks.

Any tuna recipe can be very well replaced by Tongkol. So, the steamed Tongol pieces can be made into delicious croquettes recipes and can also be used in as a filling in sandwiches or rolled up in a roti-wrap. These Togkol fish wraps can be made ahead and stored in fridge. You can replace chicken or other meat from many such recipes and include Tongol fish. The fish is firm and has a lovely texture.

Now to our usual way of making fish, Tongol Fish curry in a Bengali style with garlic and ginger and some spices.

Ikan Tongkol/Tongkol Tuna Fish Curry

Recipe requirements

•  Tongol Tuna Fish – 3-4 medium size fish cut into three pieces
• ¼ inch ginger root
• 2-3 garlic
• 1 large tomato
• 1 cup of coriander leaves

For tempering and seasonings

• 2 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 and ½ tsp of red pepper powder
•  1 tsp of coriander powder
• ½ tsp of cardamom powder
• ½ tsp of cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp of salt or as per taste
• 3-4 green chillies
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 6-7 tbs of mustard oil

Method

• Marinate fish pieces in salt and turmeric powder.
• Heat up a fry pan. Add 3-4 tbs of mustard oil, fry fish pieces for about 3-4 mints each side. Take out in a separate plate.
• In that fry pan itself, add more mustard oil, add in cumin seeds, green chillies slit in between.
• Add in grated ginger and garlic. Fry 1-2 mints at med-high flame or till a nice garlicky smell starts coming.
• In a small bowl, add in turmeric powder, red pepper powder, coriander powder, cardamom powder, cinnamon powder and salt and give a nice mix with bit of water just to dissolve all the dry ingredients. This masala paste will be required now.
• Add in chopped tomato now. Fry the tomatoes till oil separates out. Add in half cup of chopped coriander leaves and the masala paste. Keep on frying this masala paste for about 5-7 mints or till the masala gets little bit dry and oil separates out.
• Now add in fried Tongol tuna fish pieces. Add in 2 cups of water and lower the flame. Let it cook for about 8-10 mints.
• Add in chopped coriander leaves for garnishing and take out in a serving bowl.
• Serve warm with rice.

Happy Cooking 

Best Places for eating out in Kuala Lumpur -family friendly

I have blogged about best places for eating out options in Kuala Lumpur in my previous post. You can find details here. This is another part of that growing list of eating joints. Kuala Lumpur is a foodie’s paradise with so many options to choose and the list is endless.

This makes it difficult to pick and sort. Like previous post the only criteria for this post is also family-oriented, so I have skipped bars and pubs. Although Kuala Lumpur has its fair share of these places as well. Bukit Bintang, Bangsar and central Kuala Lumpur, especially near KLCC point, there are many bars and pubs. We haven’t been to those places, so can’t elaborate much and also we don't go out for eating on weekdays. But those are very touristy places and food price wise is little hyped.

There are some relaxing places in other adjoining areas, where food is delicious and well worth it. The satellite city Petaling Jaya is one such nice and lovely place with many good options of bars and pubs. Just to name a few- 1.The Roof which offers impressive 360 deg View from its rooftop arena just like the name suggests. 2. Dukes and Duchess-a neighbourhood pub with warm and friendly locals. In Bangsar – 1.Mercat Barcelona gastro bar serving Spanish.2 The Social and 3.Alexis bistro just to name a few.

Talking about local places – I should mention Masjid India and Brickfield, where one can explore various Indian restaurants as well.

Below mentioned eating joints are all family friendly. We have been frequenting couple of these places and are very much in love with them.

1.  Bala’s Banana leaf – Bangsar .This is another great place for local food served over banana leaf. They have pick, eat and pay options as well. I really liked their Madras filter coffee in small steel glasses. Price-$$
   
2.  Three little pigs and a wolf- Bangsar -Non-Halal – so what’s in a name? Everything. As the name suggests, it’s a non-halal restaurant. I haven’t tried the lunch menu as such. But really liked their café latte, cappuccino and varieties of cakes and desserts.
   
   They have a nice kids playing area with various toys and books for hyper active kids, while parents can enjoy their meal and also watch their kids play nearby all under one roof. Price-$$$
   
3.   Delicious- Bangsar village – This is one posh dining option in Bangsar village 2.We have tried their pasta dishes and they turned out nice and flavourful. Last weekend we even did a take-away of some desserts. Their chocolate brownie with walnuts and red velvet cake are really worth trying, especially the brownie. Price-$$$
   
4.  Manhattan Fish market– Mid valley shopping mall and Nu central shopping mall - Fish and I don’t need to add much. All the recipes are based on one main ingredient –fish. So, we have baked, poached and fried as well. We have tried their Greek inspired Mediterranean fish recipe and spicy baked fish which we found delicious. Their pepper mayo poached salmon burgers is one thing you should try if you visit this restaurant. Price-$$$
5. Kenny roger’s Roasters- Outlets at various places in KL – Berjaya times square and 1 utama shopping mall -Roasted chicken with varieties of sides. Coleslaw, mashed potatoes triple bean salad, crisp garden salad etc. Their Nasi lemak ayam is worth trying. Price-$$$
6. Bar B Q Nights– Jalan Perak- If you crave for kebabs then this is the place you should be visiting and plus point is it is very near to the main touristy attractions. In fact you can take a walk from KLCC Suria shopping mall to the this place but avoid doing during day hours .Nice and leisure stroll is recommended in evenings only. Their chicken reshmi kababs, malai kababs and various combo meal platters are worth trying. Price-$$$
7.  Ted Boy bakery- Bangsar – Coffee and bakery goodies are best here. Egg baked Shakshouka and their hearty breakfast options are well worth mentioning here. Price-$$$
   
8.  Absolute Thai – For a delectable Thai cuisine, you should visit here. Their spicy Thai Papaya salad and Pineapple fried rice, Pandan leaves chicken, stir-fried chicken with cashews, green curry, red curry and tom yam soup are worth trying. Price-$$$
9. O’Brien’s Irish sandwich – If you are craving for some delicious sandwiches, then this is one of the best places to have perfect hand-crafted sandwiches. Their triple club sandwiches and smoked salmon sandwiches are worth trying. Price-$$$
10.  Du Viet Vietnamese – Sunway pyramid – We came across this restaurant by chance when we were in Sunway pyramid shopping mall for ice-skating session.
    
    Traditional chicken and prawn noodles (Pho Ga Tom noodles), their ala-carte menu- lemongrass chicken
    
    stir-fried chicken with basil, Vietnamese sandwiches - Lamb Banh mi ,
    
    chicken banh mi are really delicious options over there.
    
    They have outlets in KLCC as well. Price-$$$
11. Sarvana Bhavan- Bangsar – I don’t need to write their menu, everyone is fully aware of the menu. I personally like small idlis soaked in ghee sambhar.Price-$$
12.   Delhi Royals – Fine Indian dinning option. This restaurant just like its many Indian counterparts in Malaysia has all the various orangey or dark or creamy and silky gravies that we can possibly imagine about Indian cuisine.Vegetarain recipes includes dal makhani and other paneer dishes. I was there with a group of ladies to attend a cookery show by their in-house chef on a particular day, as part of our Indian expat club outings. I personally liked the vegetarian kababs they served that day. Their chat varieties – papri chat and gulgappas are also worth trying. Price-$$$$
13. Yellow apron – sec 13 Petaling Jaya, PJ- Actually this is mentioned here as my daughter had a lovely get-together for her friend’s birthday celebration there. They all loved the high-tea party, serving bites of various snacks and cakes and tarts with drinks. A lovely and clean place to hang out and spend time with friends and family. Price-$$$
14.    Tokyo Secret- The choices for cakes and bakery makes my heart go gaga about the place.
    
    What not to like about it.
    
    Their Cheese Tarts are absolutely delicious. Price-$$
    
15.  Lavender- One of the most busy bakery joint in Kuala Lumpur.Their PJ outlet in 1 Utama shopping mall is a very bustling place.
    
    Allow at least half an hour even if you want to do take-away on weekends.
    
    Their breads, cakes, scones,puffs, tarts and various baked goodies are absolutely delicious and fresh straight from the oven. They have outlets in mid-valley shopping mall, 1 Utama shopping mall and in Pavilion shopping mall also. Price-$$
16.    The library Coffee bar – 1 utama shopping mall Petaling Jaya-  Grab a cup of coffee and a book and relax .Nice place to have a coffee break. Price-$$
    
17.  Sushi in mid-valley- There is a small outlet for fresh Sushi in Mid valley mall right in front of Tokyo Secret coming out from Garden’s mall entrance which connects Mid valley shopping mall.
    
    The options for Sushi and Inari are many and are very tempting. I have liked their Californian rolls- smoky salmon, avocado , sweet corn and cucumber rolls are worth trying. Price-$$
    
18.  ChaTime- If I don’t mention my favourite Chai outlet in Kuala Lumpur then the list is incomplete – Chatime in midvalley shopping valley. Personally I like their vanilla lite milk tea and basic chatime milk tea. They also serve various coffee drinks. Price-$$ 
    

Over these past years we have explored these various foodie places in Kuala Lumpur and liked it. This list is just an attempt to recall all the wonderful memories of Kuala Lumpur in one go and also if it help others to find good eating places, while living and working here as expats or coming here as a tourist, then the purpose of posting this blogpost is fulfilled.

Coconut Cookies

When I was making these coconut cookies, I was just putting up every ingredients as per my instinct. I had about 250 Gms of freshly grated coconut which I wanted to utilize. These cookies turned out nice and brown, after I took them out from oven. These turned little soft after they have cooled,leaving a nice coco nutty flavour and that it almost reminded me of ‘Thekua’ minus the crunchiness of the Thekua.
If I would have deep fried these cookies , I am sure they would have turned out exactly like Thekua.

Anyways since this is a baked version and also I happened to add eggs, I really can’t call it Thekua.
Thekua as you must be knowing is made during ‘Chat’ Puja in Bihar and in Puja ceremonies, all preparations are preferably vegetarian.
This recipe minus eggs and baking agents can still be made into Thekua.

These coconut cookies were more flavourful the next day.I also added bit of pineapple pieces not required though if you want to skip, can do so. If kept outside these remain fresh for 3-4 days, after that the flavour starts to deteriorate, as we have used freshly grated coconut.
If you wish, you can freeze or refrigerate them and use desiccated coconut in place of fresh coconut. This way the shell life may increase. I will suggest try consuming within 2-3 days.

Now to the recipe for these delicious coconut cookies

Coconut Cookies

Recipe requirements

• 1 and half cup of whole meal flour/Atta flour
• 250-300 Gms of fresh grated coconut
• 1 cup of sugar
• ½ cup of oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 and ½ tsp of baking powder
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• ½ tsp of salt

Method

• Whisk in eggs in a bowl well.
• Take all the dry ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Whole meal flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda and mix well.
•  In a separate bowl mix in oil and sugar well. Add in freshly grated coconut.
• Now add egg mixture slowly into the flour bowl and mix. Add in oil, sugar and grated coconut mixture in batches and keep mixing till you use up whole of the content.
• The dough will be collecting well, but still will be semi-soft. Keep this dough in fridge for about 3-4 hrs.
• Take out and divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each portions to long cylindrical shape and then cut in about a gap of 1 inch.
• Prepare oven. Preheat it at 160 deg C.
• Line a baking paper or foil over baking tray.
• Place the portions at equal distance and gently press them with a fork.
• Bake for about 20-25 mints or till they turn out nice and brown.
• Take out and cool. Enjoy these delicious coconut cookies.

   

As we are approaching Eid soon, shopping malls are all decked up with lovely Eid decorations.

Grocer stores and super-markets are filled with gift hampers as well. Eid is a major festival and is joyfully celebrated in Malaysia.

Wish you all, who celebrate Eid, a very happy and joyous Eid.Enjoy and celebrate with good food

Eid Mubarak!

Kumro Pata Chorchori- Pumpkin leaves and vegetables stir/fry

I was delighted to spot tender pumpkin leaves or Kumro Pata in our local vegetable market recently. I brought back a bunch of leaves and made this pata chorchori.The recipe, well, nothing different than a usual chorchori recipe. I happened to have brinjal, potato, pumpkin, radish and carrot which added a lovely taste and texture to the chorchori.We had with warm cooked rice.

Here to the recipe

Kumro Pata Chorchori- Pumpkin leaves and vegetables stir/fry

Recipe requirements

•  1 whole bunch of tender pumpkin leaves approx. 400 Gms
• 1 medium size potato
• 1 medium size round brinjal
• 1 medium sized radish chopped into cubed
• About a cup of pumpkin pieces  
•  ¼ inch ginger root

For tempering and seasonings

• 1 tsp of turmeric powder
• 1 and ½ tsp of red pepper powder
•  2 tsp of coriander powder
• 1 tsp of salt or as per taste
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 1 tsp of panch phoron
• 5-6 tbs of mustard oil
• 1 tsp of ghee
• 1/2 tsp of garam mosla 

Method

• Clean tender pumpkin leaves and stems properly in water. Sometimes when tender leaves are not available, you can use the fully grown leaves as well. But chop them roughly.
• Heat up a fry pan, add mustard oil, and add in panch phoron and dry red chillies. Let them splutter.
• Now add in finely chopped ginger.
• Add in potato, pumpkin, radish, carrot and brinjal pieces.
• Keep on stir/fry for about 8-10 mints at medium high flame.
• Now add in turmeric powder, red pepper powder, coriander powder and salt. Add sugar as well. Sprinkle little bit of water and keep on stir/fry.
• Add in pumpkin leaves as well. Coat well with spices. Let it cook, covered for about 10-12 mints.
• Add in ghee or butter and garam masala at the end. Gently mix in with spatula.
• Take out and serve. Enjoy with rice.

I am leaving this post with a beautiful sunrise pic.

Wish you all a very happy and healthy holy Ramadan month. Ramadan Mubarak.

Pomegranate Mojito Mocktail Recipe

The days are getting hotter over here in our neck of the woods. We do get rains from time to time as being a tropical country Malaysia, it always rains here. There are two season only here, rainy and summer and each has its own beauty. Summer means we need to keep re-hydrating with drinking plenty of fluids and having light meals as well. When I last went to our local vegetable market, I saw pomegranate, so couldn’t stop myself from picking some for our daily usage. However, I soon realized they are little sour. But I needed to use them anyhow. 

This mojito mocktail recipe comes handy in this case, it’s such a refreshing non-alcoholic drink on a hot summer evening. I really like to unwind myself with a glass of cool pomegranate mojito and a book with me or catch up with dear daughter when she comes back from her school in the evening.

Now to the recipe

Pomegranate Mojito Mocktail Recipe

Recipe requirements ( serve-1)

• 1 fresh Pomegranate
• 2 tbs of fresh lemon juice
• 2-3 tsp of sugar or honey as sweetener
• About half a can of Sprite or 150 ml roughly
• 2 tsp of freshly grated ginger

Method

• Cut pomegranate into half. With the help of hand juicer, squeeze out fresh pomegranate juice.
• Squeeze out excess juice from seeds. Discard seeds.
• Now in a mixer, blend lemon and pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice well.
• Add in freshly grated ginger into the mixture.
• Put this mixture for refrigeration about 2-3 hrs. It will be nice if you can do this overnight.
• At the time of serving, fill in the serving glass with ice cubes as desired.
• Pour this pomegranate juice mix in to serving glasses.
• Now pour Sprite slowly from one side of the glass and give 1-2 stir with a stirrer. Serve immediately.
• This recipe is for 1 glass or 1 serving only. Increase the quantities for 4-5 people as required.
• Serve chilled. You can spike it with rum in place of sprite.This is the virgin Mojito version with out any alcohol.

You all have a relaxing weekend and happy cooking.

Best places to eat in Kuala Lumpur- for family

We have lived in Kuala Lumpur for two years now. It seems like yesterday, when we arrived fresh in Kuala Lumpur with no clues how the city will greet us. We were still adjusting to the new routines here in our host country, exploring local vegetable markets and grocers simultaneously. It was not like easy cake-walk for us, but slowly and gradually we got a hang of this city and its people. With so many varieties of cuisine here, Kuala Lumpur is a foodie’s paradise. Its Malay , Chinese and Indian population makes this city such a thriving and lively place to be in.The cosmopolitan nature of this city means you can easily find high end eating joints at one side and on other side, local small vendors who home-cook food daily, start their small and convenient food-stalls during lunch and dinner hours and sell their home-cooked food. This contrast makes it even more interesting and enticing. We as a family don’t go out often during weekdays. But once a weekend, we do try eating out as it gives me a break from my daily cooking spree. I was thinking to write about Kuala Lumpur's food world, but I refrain myself from doing it from these past years, as I needed some experiences before I could write about this topic.

Here is our list of eating out .The criteria of all these places is one thing-family eating out, where they can sit , have a pleasant talk , spent some time and eat delicious food.If you happen to shop in Shopping mall , there are plenty of eating places one can go and eat.

I have listed good restaurants, local food places(some on a budget) and places where you can grab a bite and do take-aways as well, their food outlets as well.

Now to the list-

      Pappa Rich – Bangsar, Mid Valley Garden mall – tried the breakfast menu thick roti steam with butter+Kaya...…chicken satay , black pepper chicken siew mai , nasi lemak  with curry chicken, Char Kway Teo , Asam Laksa, Curry Laksa, Prawn mee ( my favourite), Ipoh Kway Teo soup with prawn and chicken slices,Hainan steamed rice chicken, Dessert-Cendol and drinks – coolers and iced beverages.Price-$$

      Chilies- 1 Utama, mid valley megamall- Mexican cuisine...Cajun chicken sandwich, Cajun pasta , prawn scampi pasta , Rancharo chicken tacos, Grilled chicken fajita trio( served with 3 flour tortilla + sour cream+Guacomole+salsa+pico de gello , all you need is to make your own fajita and relish) chicken enchilada,  Chipotle chicken fresh bowl ( Tex-mix), watermelon Margarita ( cocktail- those who prefer little spiked Tequila drinks) , classic Mojito, Bloody Mary etc and  I would rather go for Virgin Pomegranate Mojito( alcohol free) or watermelon juice, mango fizz, strawberry lemonade.…..they cater to specific food habits also , like we got chicken quesadilla in place of beef quesadilla as requested.Price-$$$

      Marco creative cuisine - 1 utama shopping mall – fine dining –Their pasta recipes - and dessert...creme brulee with white chocolate sherbet are worth it...Price-$$$$

I  dare you to try their squid ink Japonica rice. Anyone!!

   Mikey’s original New York pizza – mid valley megamall. We tried their Loco Mexican Pizza and chicken parmigiana. The view is also nice over there. You can eat and get to see people all across the shopping mall.Price-$$$

      Breakfast/ Brunch/ High Tea at Corus Hotel – The choice of brunch or high tea recipes are ample over here. A nice and fine dining 4 star hotel. For a nice brunch get-together they have Dondang Sayang Coffee house which serves all day along. The choices are varied – from continental to local Malay cuisine. The ambience is nice and warm. If you like to eat food in a good ambience and in relaxed way, suggest to have weekend High-tea there.Price-$$$$

  Pulp at Papa Palheta- Bangsar for coffee break. 

Their Hot chocolate is also delicious. I have written a review about this place as well here.Price-$$

     Secret recipe – what not to like about it. You can choose variety of pastries. Chicken satay ( Malaysian favourite recipe) , Thai style fried rice, Noodles in tom yum soup, curry laksa, Special seafood Mee Mamak ( Malaysian recipe) , it has good western menu choices as well and their pasta recipes are also worth trying – Pasta Arrabiata spaghetti , spicy seafood pasta medley and lasagne just to name a few are worth trying it.Price-$$

And the absolutely delicious dessert ( array of cakes and pastries- black forest, double chocolate pastry, chocolate brulee,capachino cheese  etc.) . 

Venue- the Midvalley shopping mall and Sunway Pyramid mall. They have branches all across Malaysia and also in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

     Sri Nirvana Maju Banana Leaf – Bangsar – Kuala Lumpur food arena is not complete if you don’t go to these local banana leaf restaurants. Why they are called banana leaf, well food is served over banana leaf, what else. This is a traditional South- Indian food fair to be precise. Two varieties of vegetarian recipe dhal, then followed by non-vegetarian dish, dessert, drinks and poppadum. You can fill your tummy and heart both.Price-$$

     Rasa Uttara – Mid valley shopping mall – local Malay cuisine. We have liked their Nasi Goreng.Specially Ayam Rendang Uttara , Ayam Kari Kaptan.Price-$$

  ChatterBox – 1 utama shopping mall and Bangsar Village – Non-Halal – this restaurant serves one of the most delicious clay pot chicken we have eaten. Simple recipe but served warm every time we have ordered. Their vegetarian food menu is also nice.Price-$$

  Fahrenheit 600 – Publika shopping mall– Their pasta Napoli and Snow white recipes, mushroom chicken lasagne are worth trying. Their breakfast menu is also worth it..Price-$$$ 

Wong Kok – 1 Utama shopping mall, Petaling Jaya, Chinese cuisine- the options for choosing Chinese noodles recipes are plenty. Price-$$

Their black pepper chicken and rice is delicious.

Oasis Food Court in Mid-valley is worth a visit.You have display of many local food joints.Price-$

Food court in Pavillion Bukit Bintang- many local and international cuisine outlet at reasonable price. 

This was part -1 of the foodie journey in Kuala Lumpur, we will post second part in coming weeks.

This blogpost is our way of appreciating Kuala Lumpur and its magnificent food world and it’s cuisine. 

I personally have learned a lot of new recipes, terms and history about local food. I will keep writing about that from time to time.I have also blogged local recipes Belanak Fish curry-here, Singapore style beehun -here and -Prawn Mee soup-here and also with local ingredients Belanak Fish here , Ash Gourd here , Mackerel fish - here, Ong Choi Green leaves- here , Siakap fish - here Sunlady melon here.

I do hope this post will help all of you, who are new to this city and don’t know where to start their foodie journey.

Melon Colada Mocktail Recipe

Our vegetable and fruit market is being flooded with fully ripened melons and cantaloupes these days. I often buy them fresh and we relish juicy melons a lot. Since Malaysia is a tropical country, these fruits are readily available. 

This mocktail recipe was made and relished very much. Mocktails are well, mock, that is minus alcohol. This is such a refreshing mocktail drink for a hot summer evening. Although, you can add alcohol of your choice to spike it and call it cocktail. 

You can use shaker with ice to make this mocktail. I have blended all in a mixer, which is what I have.

As a thumb rule in Pina colada, white rum is added but you can choose any other liquor as well. I have included papaya as well to make it healthy and filling. This is a kid-friendly recipe.

Melon Colada Mocktail Drink Recipe

Recipe requirements (serves-1)

• 2-3 slices of fully ripened Sunlady melon or cantaloupes
• 1 thin slice of fresh papaya
• 12 tsp of fresh coconut milk
•  3 oz. of sprite
•  ½ tsp of honey as sweetener
• Ice cubes and mint leaves for garnishing

Method

• Pick fully ripened and fresh melon and papaya for better flavour. Use freshly made coconut milk for best flavour, otherwise you can use canned one or coconut cream in place of coconut milk.
• Cut and chop melon and papaya into slices. Pick 2-3 slices or wedges from melon and 1 wedge from papaya. Make a mixture with honey and coconut milk in a blender. Now cool it in fridge. At the time of serving take out and mix it with sprite again in mixer. Sprite itself is sugary, so less honey is added. More over the fully ripened melon and papaya gives a nice sweet flavour. Serve chilled with mint leaves.
• Easy and delicious papaya melon colada is ready. You can spike it with alcohol of your choice (rum/vodka/tequila) if you want a nice cocktail.

Happy Cooking Friends and have a relaxing weekend.

Pan Fried Tofu and English Muffin with Chivda Crisp Mix- When East meets West

This recipe, I owe it to my dear daughter. As she is very fond of having her burgers with potato chips- salty and crunchy bites, which she ardently puts in between her chicken patties and burger buns. She herself started eating burgers made this way, when she saw one of her primary school friend spicing up her mundane school lunches with potato crisps, while we were living in UK.
Both kids had their ways to spice up their burgers. Sometimes  even with French fries layered in between. Sometimes with Thousand Island dressing, sometimes with mayonnaise or Ranch dressing and cheddar slices etc but 'Potato chips' also known as potato crisp over there, wins hands down for both of them.

 I know this seems like a circle, and that is how recipes evolve. Although both kids used to love non-vegetarian meals like with chicken burger, this is my attempt to make it little healthy and vegetarian.

I have used sesame oil to pan fry Tofu. I have also used iron skillet to pan-fry tofu instead of normal coated pans.And I must admit, sesame oil imparts a lovely taste to the overall product. I dint go for potato chips, I had my favourite snack – that famous Chivda crisp mix snack you get in packets in India with peanuts, raisins, cashews and corn flakes-‘chivda-crisp mix’ adds the crunch to this burger/muffin recipe.In Bengal while I was staying in Kolkata , I even had with 'Mukhorochak'.

 English muffin is a staple bread in UK and many use it as breakfast bread with jams, marmalade, bacon, ham and cheddarcheese as well. If you don’t get English muffin, then you can also replace it with normal burger buns. I have blogged about a nice home-made bread recipe way back here - Whole-wheat burger .You can make your own burger bun as well. I have omitted mayonnaise to make it  even more lighter. The layering is such a work of joy, olive oil spread, lettuce, pan fried tofu and tomatoes, perfect blend of sweetness, crunchiness and protein.

Here to the recipe

Pan fried tofu with English muffin and Chivda-Crisp mix

Recipe requirements

• 3-4 whole meal English muffin
• 200 Gms of tofu cut into flat square pieces
• 2-3 tsp of sesame oil for pan frying
• ½ tsp of red pepper powder
• Salt as per taste
• 3-4 tbs of Mayonnaise/Olive oil spread
•  3-4 tsp of sesame oil 
• 1-2 tomato cut into slices
• Lettuce leaves

Method
Cut Tofu Pieces and sprinkle red pepper powder and salt over them.Keep aside for 10 mints.
Heat up an iron skillet for pan frying the Tofu pieces. Add in about 1-2 tsp of sesame oil. Now pan-fry the tofu pieces just to get a nice golden-brown layer.

Now assemble English muffin
Cut the bread into half.

Spread olive oil soft spread over English Muffins.

Now place tomato slices, lettuce leaves and pan fried tofu pieces well stacked over one another.

Add in about a handful of Chivda- crisp Mix or spicy corn mix and cover it with another half of English muffin bread. You can add Mayonnaise in place of olive oil spread.
This is a vegetarian version.You can skip Tofu and Olive Oil Spread altogether and replace it with chicken patties or lamb patties and Mayo.Keema Kabab are also nice variations.

Internet reference:

I just love when few fellow bloggers also think like us and writes about it too here-  Finely Chopped..

Happy Cooking Friends and have a great weekend.

French Toast with Strawberry Compote

I have been away from food blogging world for a while now, but that doesn’t mean I was not cooking food or feeding hungry souls in my home. I have tried many local recipes and ingredients during these past days and I have to keep some records for that as well. I may update next couple of blogposts with those ingredients and recipes. But today, I will restrict myself with a delicious breakfast recipe. French toast with strawberry compote. I can’t imagine myself making this on weekdays, as morning is a hurried experience for us. Dear daughter catches her school bus early in the morning and dear husband is also almost rushing through. This scrumptious breakfast needs a relaxing Sunday morning, where one can sit, talk and enjoy the breakfast. Last Sunday made this as our breakfast, thought will share the recipe over here.

I remember a scene in Bollywood film ‘Queen’, where the main lead actress makes French toast for her roommates while holidaying in Amsterdam. And one of them being French himself tells her, well, what she has made has nothing French in it. I know where that was coming from as, French never make their French toast savoury compared to us Indian. French toast for an Indian is mostly savoury served with dollops of tomato ketchup!!  This made me all curious to know the origin of French toast and how it got its name. After many google searches, I came to know that in France it’s known as ‘’ Pain perdu’’ or ‘’Lost bread’’ which is eaten as desserts. This can be accompanied with afternoon tea or an English term for that is ‘High Tea’ snack, but is never made as breakfast. We are grateful to Roman Empire for Colosseum, Pantheon, Spanish steps and Latin language. And to countless inspiration for many Chariot races in Hollywood films ‘ Ben Hur’ for entertainment purposes. I may also like to add French toast to that list as well, as Romans had gigantic appetite for food, three course meal is very Roman. They used to make something very similar dessert with a day old bread or left-over high quality white bread. The first mention about French toast was in a 4^th century Roman cook book written in Latin by Apicius.

From those days to its present form French toast has travelled far across, crossed Atlantic Ocean as well. French Immigrants brought their French toast recipes to America and American coined its name ‘French toast’ and from there no looking back.

Now to the sweet recipe for French toast

French Toast with Strawberry compote

Recipe requirements

For French toast

4-5 whole meal bread slices

1 cup of milk

1 egg

1 tsp of cinnamon powder

2-3 tbs of sugar

Cooking oil to pan –fry toast

Method

Mix in egg, milk, cinnamon powder and sugar in a mixing bowl. Put the bread slices in the mixture and let it sit for 5-10 mints.

Put an iron skillet on flame, add about 2-3 tsp of cooking oil over hot iron skillet. Put bread slices and fry them each side for 3-4 mints at medium flame.

Take out and drain over kitchen towels.

For Strawberry compote

300 Gms of fresh strawberry

3-4 tbs of sugar

½ tsp of lemon juice

2 tsp of olive oil spread

Method

Peel the outer skin of strawberries to get rid of small seeds. Chop strawberry roughly into small pieces.

Now put strawberry and sugar in a pot and keep on cooking. After about 7-8 mints at medium flame, strawberry will start to cook .Take off from the flame when sugar dissolves properly.

Add in lemon juice and olive oil spread and mix well. Let it cool.

Assemble French toast with strawberry compote and ice cream on sides. This is heavenly delicious.

and since its Poila Baishak this weekend ....let me wish all my readers ' Shobho Poila Baishaak'

শুভ পয়লা বৈশাখ। .অনেক শুভেচ্ছা সবাইকে। ...

Coffee Timeout - Pulp By Papa Palheta KL

One lazy Friday afternoon we decided to go for a cup of coffee near our vicinity. This café went unnoticed for a while. Pulp by Papa Palheta in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur is very near to us. 

This designer café is tucked away in a residential neighbourhood, away from hum-drums of crazy shopping malls here. 

The crowd is mostly locals and some from the adjoining industrial area or the office going public. Most of them like to come and unwind after a day’s work in office during weekdays. 

And on weekend the general Instagram public will make a beeline for their coffee. Actually you can find them on weekdays as well. So, yes it’s a very lively and sought after place for coffee lovers and shutterbug crazy people.

I and dear husband were not expecting something out of the world there, but a nice and cosy atmosphere was a welcome change to our mundane routine. 

We got our share of coffee latte, flat white and hot chocolate with a brownie and banana cake slice.

We were satisfied with their blend of coffee. We are not very picky about our coffee either, so yeah for us it was just perfect.Dear daughter also liked her cup of hot chocolate.

We spent almost an hour there sitting, chatting and enjoying our cup of coffee and dear daughter with her share of hot chocolate, also kept both of us entertained with her enticing banters thrown in between.

They also serve big bites aka main entree and breakfast options, in case you have a very hungry and growling tummy. I haven’t tried any of those, so can’t elaborate on their taste and freshness. 

But I was impressed with their range of desserts to go with our coffee. They also house various varieties of coffee that you can buy from them. 

They also serve cold brews in case you like cold things. I was intrigued with their cold brew coffee latte, spiked with hazelnut milk, maybe next time it’s due for me.

The brownie was moist and soft, kind of melt in mouth and the banana cake slice was also fresh and soft. Their desserts scored well for me. In fact, I liked the brownie way better than the banana slice.

The inside of the coffee house reminded us about the old art printing press there.There were some apertures for brewing fresh coffee.

They have remoulded it into a café in the same art printing press premise about four years ago. The décor is nice. Although, it hasn’t got much of seating space as compared to the Instagram and hash-tagged public it receives day in and out. 

Pic Credit- dear daughter

I would suggest to go on weekdays, where you still can enjoy their freshly brewed coffee and sit with your favourite book without interruptions. Another issue is parking which on weekends seems a hassle. 

They also run coffee workshops on many days just in case you need to know all the details of coffee making procedures and coffee beans.

Picture Credit- Dear Daughter

Overall a nice place to spend some time with a cup of coffee with your friends and family in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.All pictures are captured with our smartphones.

Picture Credit- Dear Daughter

Please stay tuned for my best place to eat list in Kuala Lumpur for a family in coming weeks.