Sam Xao Nuoc Tuong

8 ounces straw mushrooms, or any other fleshy mushroom
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
Freshly cracked pepper
Cilantro leaves

Rinse the mushrooms, patting them dry on paper toweling. Sauté the garlic in oil until lightly browned and fragrant. Add mushrooms while stirring and season with sugar and soy sauce. Sauté until liquid begins to evaporate, then remove from heat. Spoon onto a serving plate and sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper and
cilantro leaves.

Asian Yellow Noodles
Betty Yew

600g plain flour.( all purpose flour)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon alkaline water,combined with 1 cup water.*
1 tsp.salt (extra)
6 tbsp cooking oil

Sift flour into a mixing bowl and add salt.Make a well in the center and pour in alkaline and water solution. Bind mixture together to form a very stiff dough. Knead until well combined.(like you would when making your own pasta) Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until you have a 17cm X 30 cm rectangle. Cut dough into four equal rectangular pieces. Dough is now ready to pass through machine. Adjust knob of noodle machine so that rollers are at their widest setting. Turn rollers slowly and insert a piece of dough. Keep passing through machine, decreasing roller spacing each time,until you get the thickness you want. Then pass dough sheet through the cutting machine to make strands. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Bring a large saucepan of water to a rapid boil. Add the 1 extra tsp of salt and 2 tbsp. cooking oil to the water. Scald noodles for 3 minutes.Stir so that do not stick together. Drain well and put in a large bowl. Add approximately 4 Tbsp of cooking oil and toss well to thoroughly coat the noodles. When the noodles are thoroughly cooled,they can be placed in zip lock bags for storage in the refrigerator or freezer.

*(try an Asian food store for this.It is a colorless liquid,like water, the Chinese use it to make noodles. I do not know why though.) I will find out, though, however think it has something to do,with the texture,that is required for the noodles.Will clarify soon. Or perhaps someone here knows.

Fresh Egg Noodles (Wantan Noodles)

5 eggs
1 tbsp.alkaline water,combined with 3/4 Tbsp. water.
600g plain flour (all purpose flour)
1/2 tsp.salt
tapioca flour for dusting.( At a pinch I suppose you could use cornflour,although I have not tried it)

Break eggs into a bowl and stir with a fork to break yolks,DO NOT BEAT!! Add alkaline water solution to eggs and MIX well.DO NOT BEAT!! Sift flour into a large bowl and add salt. make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in egg mixture. Bind into a ball of very stiff dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface dusted with PLAIN FLOUR/ALL PURPOSE FLOUR,until dough is no longer sticky. Flatten into a rectangle and roll out until you have an 18cm X 30cm rectangle. cut into 4 rectangle pieces. dust each with the tapioca flour to prevent sticking. Cover with a dry tea towel. Leave to stand for about 15 minutes. Adjust knob of noodle machine so that rollers are at their widest setting. Turn rollers slowly and insert a piece of dough. keep passing dough through machine,decreasing roller spacing each time, until you get the thickness you require. Then pass dough sheet through the cutting machine to make strands. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Store in airtight containers or zip lock bags in the refrigerator or freezer. Most noodle recipes require noodles the size of spaghetti strands. The noodles for this recipe are traditionally about 3/16 of an inch thick. The noodles turn almost black,because of the quantity of dark soy sauce used. A totally scrumptious dish!!!

Fried Hokkien Noodles
Courtesy of Monique

600gms Yellow Noodles.
4 ozs small prawns/shrimps. (larger ones can be used too)Remove shells...put shells into a pot and add in about 2 Cup water, place on a low fire and let it simmer, this will make your stock. Devein prawns.
4 ozs. pork filleted into very fine slivers.
5 small squid. (clean and use the body and the tentacles if you like them,or just the body) Cutting them into half, coring the tops in a crisscross fashion but, not right through. And then into half again.
1/2 tsp. Chinese sesame oil.
1 tbsp. light soy sauce.
1/4 tsp. each sugar and white pepper powder.
2-3 ozs. pork fat without the skin. Cut into small cubes.This is a must, but if you do not like it leave it out.Place fat cubes in a hot pan, and cook till a crispy golden brown, and lard is extracted.Remove crispy cubes and drain,sprinkle lightly with salt and leave aside. If you like crackling fat add more!!!.
5 cloves/pips garlic, chopped fine.
5 shallots,sliced fine.
3 ozs. mustard greens, OR Chinese long cabbage.(Bok choi). Cut mustard greens into inch lengths, cabbage into 1/2 inch lengths, vertically.
2 to 3 tbsp. Thick Soy Sauce. (Use the thickest you can find,as there are 2 or 3 varieties of dark soy sauce. The thickest has a different flavor,and is sweeter.Not so salty.
1 tsp. sugar (optional). The sweetness from the fresh prawn shells should be enough to flavor this dish.

Season prawns, pork and cuttlefish fish with sesame oil,sugar and light soy sauce.marinate for about 15 minutes. Heat pork lard in a large wok,and fry shallots and garlic till golden brown.Use about 3 to 4 tbsp lard. Add in the marinated mixture of prawns,pork and squid. Fry for about 5 minutes,or till ingredients change colour. Add in noodles,keep stirring for about 5 minutes, and add in boiling stock, pour through a sieve. Add thick soy sauce and salt to taste.This dish should have a slightly sweetish taste,so use sugar to your taste. When gravy starts to thicken add in the vegetable,stir and cover wok cook for about 1 to 2 minutes. There should be a thick gravy. Add in crispy lard cubes,mix well.Dish out and serve at once!!!! For added flavor,an egg is broken on top of the steaming noodles,and tossed with the noodles at the table,as you would a salad. This dish has to be Eat as soon as it is cooked to get the best flavors.!!!! Prepare ingredients ahead of time. As frying of noodles is very fast.

NOTE:- If wok is small fry in two batches. Use high flame,to achieve best results. If using noodles this size,from the freezer,soak them in hot water to soften them.Or use more stock. When you buy prawns,save the shells and heads,to make stock,freeze in ice cube trays,when set,put into zip lock bags and use as required.

Serve with sliced red chillies in light soy sauce. OR as it is here with a hot mouth tingling,Fresh red chilly and shrimp paste Sambal!

Chilli with Shrimp Paste (Sambal Blachan)
Courtesy of Monique

10 Fresh Red Asian Chillies.remove seeds if you do not like it hot!!!..But the punch will be lost!!
3 tsp. shrimp paste,break up the shrimp paste and roast in a dry pantill crispy and aromatic.OR grill slices till crispy,and powder it.Keep in a jar and use as required.Measure after roasting!!
Juice of 2 little limes(which taste of a cross between an orange and a lemon) OR juice of 1/4 lemon and 1/4 orange.

If you have a pestle and mortar now is the time to use it!!! If not run blender and drop in red chillies which have been sliced,adding in the roasted shrimp paste.Add in the juices. Consistency can be coarse or fine.Remove from blender,taste and then if necessary season with salt and about 1 tsp. sugar.If necessary more lemon and orange juice can be added.This dish should be tangy,hot and slightly sweet to taste!!

Note:-Roasting shrimp paste brings out the flavour and cooks the paste but,it also stinks up the house!Use cooker hood if you have one,and do not want this to happen! If you can get MAGGIE brand of ingredients,manufactured by Nestles they have jars of roasted shrimp paste granules.So convenient to use! I have not tried roasting it in a microwave oven,but I am sure you can,experiment,with timing,roast pieces till dry and crumbly,all you would need to do is break it up with a fork. Can also be roasted in a hot oven,arrange slices on a baking tray,and roast till,crumbly and dry. To remove odor ,place some cloves in a bowl of water and place in the oven or microwave oven!!! OR chop up lemon skin,place in a bowl with some water and leave in the hot oven,or run microwave oven for 5 minutes. To deodorize kitchen simmer some cloves in water,till odor is removed.

Spicy Fried Noodles (Simple)
Courtesy of Monique

This is a simple variation of a popular Indian Muslim Dish, which you would only get in Malaysia and Singapore.

Ingredients to be ground:

12 dry chillies,cut into small pieces, and soaked in water to soften.Adjust chillies to taste.
1 large onion.
4 cloves/pips garlic. Grind or blend to a thick paste.

Ingredients

300gms.fresh yellow noodles
1 medium sized onion,cut in two and sliced.
150 gms.beansprouts
1 large potato,boiled and cubed.(cut potato into 1/2 inch thick slices,pile and cut into half then into 3,that would give you the correct size)
1 large or 2 small eggs.
150 gms.fresh shrimps,shelled and deveined.
2 medium or 1 large tomato,halved and cut into 4 wedges each.
1 tsp. salt or to taste.
2 tbsp.Tomato Ketchup
3 green Asian chillies, sliced 1/8 inch thickness.
1 whole stock spring onion,cut into 1 inch lengths,cut the bulb into,1/4`s.
Half a medium sized cucumber,leave skin on,cut in half length wise and, slice.

Heat wok add oil,and fry ground ingredients until fragrant.Push fried ingredients to the side of the pan,and add in the sliced onion,fry till transparent,add in potato cubes,fry for about 2 minutes,with the onion. Put in the noodles,and fry using high flame mixing noodles with just the onions and potatoes,not the fried ground ingredients,fry for about 3-4 minutes.Make a well in the centre of noodles or push noodle mixture to side of wok,break in the unbeaten egg and prawns,and stir fry them together,scrambling the eggs with the prawns,now add tomato wedges,salt,tomato ketchup and stir well,tomatoes should remain crunchy,now mix every thing in the pain together, that is the fried ground ingredients,noodles,egg and prawn mixture,add in the beansprouts,mix well.Fry for about 5 minutes.tossing to mix well.Add in sliced green chilli,and spring onion,toss to mix.Turn off flame.Remove to a serving dish,garnish with sliced cucumber.SERVE AT ONCE!!! If you happen to have any left over meat curry,either beef or lamb,which is the traditionally meat used when,cooking this dish.Slice the meat,into bite size pieces. Add when you mix all the ingredients together,before adding in beansprouts.Put in 1 or 2 tablespoons of the curry gravy for good measure!!! I have used left over roast lamb, beef or chicken (remove skin).If using roast meat cut in 1/8 inch thick cubes,add to ground ingredients,when ingredients start to smell fragrant,so that the flavours are absorbed by the meats.Proceed from this stage as stipulated.

TIP:- When frying noodles,the wok or frying pan must be large and spacious enough so that frying is fast and there is enough room to swirl the noodles around with out breaking them up too much!!! If not,fry in two batches. Always use as large a flame as possible!!.Lessen flame as necessary. With this dish i.e Spicy fried noodles.If you are not used to frying noodles,as stated, remove fried ground ingredients to a plate,leaving oil in pan,to fry the other ingredients.You will get he hang of it soon enough practise makes perfect!!! Add in fried ground ingredients,when stipulated to mix,everything together before,adding beansprouts. If you add beansprouts at the beginning they tend to turn soft!! Follow these simple guidelines and you will have perfectly fried noodles in next to no time!! Spicy Fried noodles should be slightly crispy,dry and moist at the same time!!

Nasi Himpit
(Compressed Rice Cakes)
Courtesy of Monique <moniclassylady@hotmail.com>

2 1/2 Cups.Rice.(short or long grain rice)
5 1/2 Cups.Water
1/4 tsp. salt
3 screwpine leaves, knotted

Wash rice,drain and add water. Stir in salt and put in screwpine leaves. Cook till rice is done.Stir and mash with the back of a wooden spoon while still hot and moist or blend in Food Processor till mashed. Transfer rice to a 10"X6" rectangular dish place a flat lid on it, which is slightly smaller than the dish.Place a heavy object on top of lid to compress rice. Leave for 6 to 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Cut into 1inch squares to serve with Rendang Tok or any other Rendang or Satay!

This salad is a specialty in the State of Perak.

Pecal
(Vegetable Salad)
Courtesy of Monique <moniclassylady@hotmail.com>

10 ozs. water convolvulus (young shoots only) cut into 2 inch lengths
5 ozs.Bean sprouts, tailed
5 ozs.sweet turnip, peeled, sliced and shredded
5 ozs.long beans, cut into 2in lengths
1 medium carrot, shredded coarsely
1 cucumber, soft centre discarded, sliced and shredded coarsely
2 firm soya bean cakes fried in very hot oil till brown, cool and slice
4 hard boiled eggs, quartered
1 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. tamarind paste mixed with 1/2 Cup water, strain
6 to 8 dried chilies, soaked in hot water to soften
1 inch square dried shrimp paste. Place under a hot grill and toast till fragrant.
1 tbsp.water
4 tbsp.brown sugar
2 tbsp.black shrimp paste (can be purchased from specialist Asian stores)
1 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. salt
10 ozs. shelled and skinned peanuts, roast in a dry pan and ground coarsely
10 shallots, sliced fine and fried till crisp
3 cloves garlic, sliced fine and fried crisp

Scald vegetable, except cucumber, separately in boiling water. Do not overcook. Drain well and arrange on a dish together with cucumber and fried soybean cakes.

Dressing: Heat 1 tbsp oil and fry ground chilies and dried shrimp paste over low heat
until fragrant. Add strained tamarind juice and water and bring to boil. Stir in brown sugar, black shrimp paste and salt to taste. Remove from heat and stir in the ground peanuts. Let sauce cool, just before serving pour sauce over vegetables. Arrange quartered hard boiled eggs on top and sprinkle with fried onions and garlic.