CasualCook

            SESAME PRAWN TOAST Prawn toast is big in flavour and it's fairly simple to put together. The topping is a mixture of prawn, light soy sauce, sugar and white pepper. Then you roll the top with seseme seeds and deep fried to crisp perfection. You can also cook them in the oven, just brush some vegetable oil on the bottom and cook at 200c until golden brown. Let's get cooking! INGREDIENTS - 200g prawns (de-shelled and de-vein) - 1 tsp light soy sauce  - 8 slice white bread (or as needed) - 2 pinch of white pepper - 1/4 tsp sugar   - 4 tbsp white sesame seeds (or as needed) - salt to taste  - cooking oil for deep frying - sweet chilli sauce for dipping METHOD - De- shelled and de-veined the prawns. Put them in a food processor and blitz them to a bitty paste. Scrape into a bowl and season with salt, sugar and pepper. - Trimmed the crust of the bread then cut each slice into three pieces or desired serving size pieces. - Spread the pra...

                    SCONES    I love a buttery, light, moist scones with crumbly corners. They are so quick and easy to make. Spread jam, clotted cream, butter or simply eat them plain. Delicious! Some notes on making SCONES - My golden rule of baking, use quality ingredients. Use real butter not substitute. - Use cold ingredients  - keeping scone dough as cold as possible by using cold ingredients like milk, egg and butter. - I like using frozen grated butter, the finer the pieces of cold butter the less the scones spread and the quicker the butter mixers into the dry ingredients. Unlike a pie crust, don't have big pieces of butter in the flour rather, it has a sandy soft texture.The cold butter creates  that beautiful flaky texture. Try not to over mix the dough or allow it to get warm. It will result a flatter and overly dense scones. ( If you notice the butter become greasy and melty, pop into freezer for 15 minut...

          CREAM CHEESE BROWNIE This is basic brownie recipe layared with tangy cream cheese. A refreshing spin on a classic brownie! The cheesecake itself has the perfect texture - wonderfully creamy and melts in your mouth, pair with the fudgy brownie are simply hard to resist. Some notes on making Cream Cheese Brownie - Use good quality ingredients. It makes a huge difference. - Room temperature cream cheese is a must before it's beaten so it will be nice and smooth with no lumps. - You can leave the coffee mixture out to make a regular brownie. The coffee in the brownie doesn't give a coffee taste but it brings out the chocolate flavour. - Get more creative with the brownie layer and making your own by adding wulnuts, chocolate chips or dried fruits. - You can substitute lemon zest and juice with orange or just keep it plain - though I feel it gives a nice freshness to the brownie. - This brownie works best in a 8 inch pan but you could also make them in a 9 ...

       AYAM GORENG BEREMPAH Ayam Goreng Berempah means "spiced fried chicken" infused with a mix of herbs and spices and accompanied with heaps of crispy crumbs. This ayam goreng berempah goes well with nasi lemak another Malaysian's favorite. Besides the tender and juicy meat, it also has lots of crunchy crumbs bursting with aromatic flavour. Let's get frying! INGREDIENTS - 1kg bone in, skinless chicken  - 6 curry leaves - salt to taste   - 1 tbsp home made dried red chilli paste  ( Receipe in my blog) To blend - 1 big onion - 3 cloves garlic - 2 inch ginger  - 2  inch fresh tumeric - 4 lemon grass ( use upper tender part) - 1 tbsp corriander seeds METHOD - Clean and cut chicken into desired pieces  Set aside. - Blend coarsly ingredients listed " to blend" ( Add little water if necessary) - Coat chicken evenly with the mixed blended paste, dried red chili paste followed by curry leaves. Season with salt. Cover the chicken and leave to m...

            MEE GORENG MAMAK  (MAMAK-STYLE FRIED NOODLES) "Mee Goreng Mamak" means stir frying in malay language. It is a special stir-fried noodle dish sold at Mamak eateries in Malaysia. It's is spicy, savory, sweet and tangy with a hint of nuttiness. A street food that hardly any locals had never tried before. Any street food, of course, comfort food! The main ingredients are yellow noodles, tomatoes and eggs. Other ingredients may include prawn fritters (a popular ingredient), boiled potatoes chunk, squid, chicken, prawns, fried tofu and vegetables. When made at home, Mee Goreng Mamak usually consist whatever at hand. Though there's no exact rules about  what goes in, the combination I have used in this recipe is pretty common. Feel free to switch around the protein and vegetables. The key to the dish lies in the paste  - a concoution of sauces and a combination of several ingredients. Makes this dish authentic and incredibly delicious. L...

 CHICKEN TIKKA BUTTER MASALA A creamy yet mildly spiced chicken dish that gives an irresistible aroma. Rich and creamy with bites of chicken . This is what call pure pleasure. Some notes on making Chicken Tikka Butter Masala - I'm using skinless chicken breast for this recipe. The chicken is marinated for at least 1 hour or overnight for better result. This give the yogart time to tenderize them, building a better result when cooking over high heat. You can use chicken thigh instead if you wish. Go with what you like. - This is a simplified recipe adapted for home use and is made without using a tandoor oven. I'm using regular non stick pan over high heat to sear the chicken. Avoid over crowding the pan helps char ( not burn) the chicken pieces instead of simmering in juices. Chicken pieces should be golden brown and slightly dark brown on the edges. - This recipe normally requires kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves) . It is added to the dish a very small amount. The earthy fl...