Indonesian Chiken Sticky Rice aka 'lemper' - naked version

Okay now I know why my mum didn't let me eat this when I was a kid. Cause it can be sooo addictive. I think it's the coconut milk, or I think mum knew I just don't have self control.

This actually the first time I made sticky rice in my life, the fact that I don't have a proper steamer made the process of making it longer, but I think it's worth it :)

The original recipe used shallot and tamarind, but I don't have it at home so as always I did a tweak of the recipe by omitting it. But I'm sure it will taste nicer with the shallot and tamarind..

Sticky Rice Recipe:
250gr glutinous rice
250 ml coconut milk
2 bay leaves
1 tbs lemongrass
1/2 tsp salt

Sticky Rice Steps:
1. Soak glutinous rice for 2 hours - wash - dry - steam for 15 minutes - remove from heat.

2. Boil coconut milk with bay leave, lemongrass, salt and put the glutinous rice, stir until coconut milk dry - remove from heat.

3. Put the glutinous rice back to the steamer - steam until it's done (try to eat it if it's still tough then it's not ready, the sticky rice should be easily mould once it's ready)

Spices:
3 candle nuts
1 tbs whole coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tbs caster sugar
3 cloves garlic

Spices Steps:
1. Fry candlenuts, whole coriander and cumin without oil

2. Put all the spices into the food processor.

Chicken:
1 Chicken breast (boiled and pull apart with hand or finely chop with knife if you're lazy)
1 bay leave
4 kaffir lime leaves
200 ml coconut milk

Chicken Steps:
1. Stir fry the mix spices until fragrant, pour coconut milk, all the leaves and the chicken until the coconut milk mixed thru and dry.

2. Remove from heat.

The presentation:
1. Lay out your cling wrap, and use plastic gloves if you have it.
2. Or prepare to get messy since it's quite sticky.
3. Pour half or the glutinous rice, put chicken on top, seal it with the rice again. Doesn't matter if you feel like a rectangle or round shape.
4. Eat it.


The original 'lemper' used banana leaf as its wrapper, but again I don't have it so I called it 'naked lemper'. Save time to peel the wrapper anyway..hence *danger alert*
But if you have it then by all means, use it!!

This recipe that I found was supposed to make 12 'lemper', but I only ended up with only 10. And why only five in the photo you say? Well..I've already said it's addictive so you do the math.

It's surprisingy easy to make but it just takes time (especially with my so-called steamer) but definitely a great snack to bring/ make for a house party :)

Passion fruit macaron with chocolate ganache

Not exactly the Paris post that I've planned, but since macaron is from France I supposed the entry is still related, in a way. To be honest I was never a fan of macaron's taste. I found it too sweet and found a taste similarity with meringue which also not a cup of my tea but the macaron's look is a different story. I always adore its colours and shapes hence for me macaron is like the idiom 'beauty is only skin deep'.

However after I tasted Pierre Herme's macaron not only it's screaming perfection in its look but it's also tasted amazing, beautiful inside out - definitely not like the macarons that I've tasted before.

So here's my first attempt to create macarons at home. But certainly can't take full credit for this one, the process was led by my friend who did a one day course at Laduree (jealousyy..)

The recipe was based on Pierre Herme's macaron although we did tweak the recipe a bit and made a passion fruit shells in addition. However our one didn't have a strong passion fruits, will do more research where to get a proper passion fruits syrup! Or please message me if you know where to get a good (and affordable) baking stuff.

Beginner's luck :)

We actually tried to make the green tea macaron last time but didn't turn out like we wanted to so I was a bit discouraged then but the disappointment only last for two days. I've been baking more after that, i.e other experiment cakes - I will post it one day (better not saying soon since we both know it's not true).

There's definitely a certain satisfaction when the freshly baked goodies came out from the oven and it's a great feeling when you're able to share it with people that you love, and oddly I actually find piping the dough is soothing.

Ah food definitely makes me happy. Either make it, eat it or taking photos of it.

Indonesia part 2

Started my new job earlier than expected hence the delay (excuses.excuses.excuses..)
But on a more serious note, I actually back to a M-F job so I think I'll have (even) less time to update the blog :(

Anyway now whilst I'm waiting for Moco to cook Sunday Brunch..I'll try to continue with the holiday photos :)

Most of the photos were taken during the road trip from Jakarta-Bandung-Yogyakarta (West Java to Central Java)

assorted crackers on the side road

not in Indo if you don't get the nasi goreng :)

martabak telor..

fresh peanut mochi :)

my fave hotie..

fish belly chinese style

Moco's enjoying taking photos of Prambanan

honey baked prawn in Yogya - surprisingly so spicy!!

fresh grilled corn with the original blue band butter

Chinatown sweets galore

Oh so hungry now! But luckily Moco is ready with brunch, I'm a lucky wife indeed :)
Voila!



Rosti with crispy bacon, soft boiled egg, butter mushroom and salad..yum..


Perfect egg Moco xx

CNY - eve and day ;)

I'm pretty sure I got so many things I wanted to write about CNY dinner on that day but now I just have a big cloud blocking it - which now leave me to write just bits and pieces that I could remember.

I think I'm gonna change my strategy in catching up the post, I'll post the newer event first so it's still fresh in my mind and then slowly going back to the old posts -wait how does it work? umm.. maybe hopefully by then I can remember more the old events? Hm..doesn't sound like a good strategy anymore eh? Oh well we'll see whichever works :)

Back in time, straight after Deus we head to Moco's parents place and greeted by a sexy chick (yet so unlucky) on the table


It's not alone, its companion the duck just rested next to it, not the best shot but Moco's mom was in a hurry to prepare the prosperity salad and trust me I had no intention to delay it ;)


So yeh luckily we managed to come in time just before Moco's mom do some chopping and transform this..

and this..


To this..!


OH..It's so yummy and refreshing to have this salad in CNY since it's almost always fall in Summer

I missed out the making of the shark fin soups so could only took photos of the after-math..


Personally I like the other type of soup that we had in previous CNY - it's the recipe from Moco's grandad so it doesn't feel just like a typical shark fin soups but of course won't complain with this either. Don't forget to add a teaspoon of XO to the soup..delish!

Most of the food were ready to be heated up as well



The trademark fish..

Remember to place the fish to face inside for some luck!

Sea cucumber and Abalone pot

Marinated chicken wings - from memory was left untouched, why eat chicken if you can eat the salad hehe

On the next day, which is the real CNY day we had much simpler meal. By that I mean, no meat involved. Traditionally they have a vegetarian day but Moco and I were specially treated, we're allowed to have meat as long our first meal was a vegetarian. Again I never complained, I love veggies anyway :)

Cleansing soup..

Assorted mushrooms

More Veggies..

The Yin and Yang beancurd and mushroom - how creative is Moco's mom?!

"The so-called prawns"

"The so-called salty fish"

Let's pray and eat :)

Oh and this year we also managed to go to the temple! Moco's mom normally prefer to go the night before so it wasn't too busy but I remember that night we had a thunderstorm.

It's sprinkling a little bit when we went but surely didn't stop people to come and queued for the free vegetarian noodle from the temple!

apparently it's you'll be lucky if you can throw the coin into the hole :)

Busy business this year!

Oh so hard to get the photo, so many people were trying to push in to get some red bags!!

'Till next CNY folks! Hope it's not too late to say may this Dragon year will bring good luck to all of you :)