I hope everyone have had a great July 4th celebration. This July 4th marks the 7th anniversary of Rasa Malaysia. Yep, seven years ago on July 4th, 2006, I started Rasa Malaysia as a hobby. Never have I thought that this humble blog has flourished into something so big and meaningful…I have to thank you—my readers. Thanks for staying with me and your tremendous support all these years, and I hope to be serving you more easy and delectable recipes in many years to come. Thank you!
Anyway, everything has been going very well for me on Rasa Malaysia and I am so excited that I am one of the contributors to the launch of KithenAid’s new blog “Kitchenthusiasts.” My challenge was “Rock a Cookout” with KitchenAid Outdoor Grill. Summer is in full swing now and I’m sure everyone has many summer BBQ’s to attend to. To me, there is nothing more fun—and delicious—than having your friends and family together for a summer cookout with an outdoor grill.
While chicken, steak, and burgers are popular, I wanted to challenge myself to rock a cookout with fresh mussels. Mussels are briny and they are especially enticing—and aromatic— when grilled over fire. My recipe is quick and easy, and the total prep time and cook time are short so you can have more fun mingling with your friends and family instead of manning the grill all day long. I love pairing these Lemongrass and Coconut Cream Grilled Mussels with cold beer as they are absolutely delightful and addictive.
I don’t like to admit it, but vegetable side dishes sometimes get short shrift when it comes to my meal planning. I’ll often get so involved with making an entree that come dinner time, I’ll quickly steam up some greens or just forgo them altogether. Not that anything is wrong with steamed broccoli or spinach, but sometimes they get, well, monotonous.
Lately, I’ve found myself trying to come up with a new vegetable side for Southeast Asian entrees such as Vietnamese Clay Pot Chicken and Coconut Chicken Adobo. I’m used to steaming or just stir-frying bok choy with a bit of soy sauce or fish sauce, but decided earlier this week to make a fragrant coconut-y version with coconut milk and toasted coconut flakes. It came out so well the first time I made a few other adjustments such as adding sesame oil and sesame seeds.
It’s a very simple side that looks impressive on the dinner table too. The aromas of coconut and sesame blend really well together, and the sauce is delicious on its own or poured over noodles or rice. In fact, with the leftovers, I made an impromptu noodle soup for a quick lunch by reheating the bok choy and coconut sauce, pouring it over boiled noodles, and adding a bit more salt and pepper.
And if you’re looking for an entree to go with the bok choy, be sure to check out the Vietnamese, Thai, and Filipino dishes in the Recipe Index!
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Coconut Bok Choy
Serves 4 as a side
2 tablespoons coconut flakes2 pounds baby bok choy, hard ends trimmed (should have about 1 1/2 lbs after trimming)1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil1/3 cup coconut milk1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce1 teaspoon sesame oilSalt and pepper to taste1 teaspoon white sesame seedsIn a dry skillet, toast the coconut flakes over medium heat until they start to turn golden around the edges but are not yet brown, about 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a plate and set aside.In a wok or large skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the bok choy and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly wilted. (If you’re using larger baby bok choy, tongs may be easier than a spatula.) Add the coconut milk and simmer for another 2 minutes, until the bok choy is mostly tender but the stems still have some crunch. Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper if needed.With tongs, carefully transfer the bok choy to a serving dish and ladle the coconut sauce over the bok choy. Sprinkle the white sesame seeds and toasted coconut flakes on top and serve.
Even though Southern California enjoys warmth and eternal sunshine most of the year, it’s beginning to get colder, especially in the mornings and nights. In colder days, I love preparing myself a piping hot noodle soup or rice dishes. The warmth from cooking in the kitchen and the noodles or rice never fail to warm me up.
One of the recipes that I have meant to try is this coconut lime noodle soup. Its taste is very similar to tom kha gai or Thai chicken and coconut soup. I always love a serving of tom kha gai and with noodles, it makes a perfect and filling meal, especially for lunch.
There are all sorts of Asian noodles available in the market, fresh or dried. For this recipe, it’s best served with rice noodles. The dried and packaged rice noodles or rice sticks look almost like spaghetti, except that they look white-ish in color instead of pale yellow. Rice sticks are usually broader compared to rice vermicelli, which are thin rice noodles. If you live close to an Asian market, you can also get plain fresh (wheat) noodles, and they are available in Chinese, Taiwanese, or Korean food stores. Japanese udon will work great, too. Ultimately, the noodles you choose is your personal preference, I am sure you will enjoy the final dish nonetheless.
For the protein, I chose thin slices of chicken breast and also shrimp for this coconut lime noodle soup. The creamy, savory, and slightly sour soup was utterly delicious and appetizing. More importantly, it’s really easy to make and absolutely delightful. It’s gratifying to have a bowl of this coconut lime noodles, especially when you are feeling the chills from outside.
I am going to make this noodle dish again tomorrow, for my friend who will be visiting. I am just so excited at the thought that I will be eating this delicious noodle dish again very soon!
Once in a while, I have sudden cravings for kuih, or Malaysian sweet cake, which is a delicacy found in Malaysia. I usually crave for onde-onde and kuih bingka ubi (cassava cake). However, making kuih is laborious and takes a long time, and I have no patience to make these two cakes to fix my cravings, so I usually combine two recipes into one and make cassava cake with shredded coconut. The cassava cake looks just like kuih sago, but it’s made with cassava instead of sago pearls or tapioca pearls.
Back home in Malaysia, whenever there is festive season, for example: Hari Raya (Aidilfitri), Malay or Peranakan weddings, various kinds of kuih are served to the guests. I grew up with my late grandmother who was a legendary kuih maker. Every wedding or festive celebration in my family was graced with endless array of colorful kuih, all cut into nice little bite-shaped shapes waiting to be devoured.
Ironically, I didn’t appreciate kuih when I was back home in Malaysia. I was into western-style baking: cakes, cookies, buns and donuts. I thought kuih was unfashionable; little did I know that kuih were such an art form and unique creations of my culture.
Anyway, now that I realized how delectable and dainty these kuih are, I enjoy eating them whenever I have a chance. These cassava cake with shredded coconut is absolutely delightful and lovely, both to the eyes and the taste buds.
Whenever I go home to Malaysia, I would always stuff myself crazy with all sorts of kuih (local sweet or savory cake). One of my favorite is or kuih, or yam cake made of yam (in the US, yam is referred as taro). I have never attempted making kuih in the US though. Today, I have invited a fellow Penangite…
When it comes to baking, I like really simple recipes that are almost fail-proof, yet deliver satisfactory results. Recipes that call for only a few basic baking ingredients, precisely, butter, flour, eggs, and sugar, that create magic when blended together and baked. One example is pound cake. I spotted this perfect pound cake recipe a while ago on Kokken. Seriously,…
Recently, there is a new takeout place near my neighborhood that sells all sorts of popular items—Korean BBQ ribs, japchae, chicken karaage, tonkatsu, coconut shrimp, etc. I have fallen in love with its coconut shrimp and have been packing them for lunch, at least twice a week. The coconut shrimp is unlike others that I have tried before—the shrimp has…
Right after I baked the perfect pound cake, I had some leftover cake flour. Recently, a couple of friends and I were experimenting with layer cake (Indonesian/Malaysian kek lapis) with prunes, so I decided to use the cake flour to make brandy butter cake with prunes, with a touch of brandy added to flavor the cake. I grew up watching…
My love affair with chicken adobo dates back to 2005. A friend who was born and raised in Guam had made dinner one night and served up a rustic-looking and extremely fragrant chicken dish. I had never eaten or even heard of chicken adobo before. But one bite of the juicy dark meat with all its tanginess, sweetness, and soy-sauce-savoriness and I was hooked.
I begged my friend teach it to me the following night. And then proceeded to make chicken adobo at least once a week for the next 2 years.
Over the years, I’ve made chicken adobo countless times, tweaking it along the way until I found a go-to version, changing it up with pork on a few occasions. But it wasn’t until I went to Purple Yam, a Filipino restaurant in Brooklyn, a couple of months ago that I tried coconut chicken adobo. The sauce was darkened by soy sauce, very tangy and garlicky, a tiny bit spicy, with a faint coconut flavor. It was delicious, and it took a lot of restraint for my friends and I to not put in another order.
Now, there are countless ways to cook chicken adobo in the Philippines, and everyone who makes it has a strong opinion of how to cook it and what should go in it. Should there be coconut milk and/or soy sauce, and if so, how much? Should the meat become crispy via deep-frying, pan-searing, or broiling, or not even get crisp at all? And what about sugar? Even with vinegar, the one constant sauce ingredient, should it be coconut sap, rice, cider, or white distilled?
Of course, after the dinner at Purple Yam, I couldn’t not try coconut chicken adobo at home. For the sauce, I decided to make it more coconut-ty by using almost a full can of coconut milk, which gave the braising liquid just enough sweetness. I used fish sauce for its earthy flavor (though soy sauce can be a substitute) and opted for a light amount of garlic. I also added some paprika and cayenne add a subtle smokiness and color.
I ‘ve always seared the chicken at the beginning of cooking, but this time I pan-seared it at the end. It requires a little more effort, as you need to dry the chicken well or else the oil will spit, but the extra crispy skin is well worth it. (You can also transfer the chicken to a roasting pan and crisp it up under a broiler.)
I love the coconut flavor from this dish, and will definitely use it in place of my regular chicken adobo recipe from time to time. Try this out, and let me know how you like it. And if you have your own way of making chicken adobo, especially if it’s an old family recipe, please share in the comments!
Recently, there is a new takeout place near my neighborhood that sells all sorts of popular items—Korean BBQ ribs, japchae, chicken karaage, tonkatsu, coconut shrimp, etc. I have fallen in love with its coconut shrimp and have been packing them for lunch, at least twice a week. The coconut shrimp is unlike others that I have tried before—the shrimp has a juicy sweet taste that bursts in my mouth and the coating is crispy, airy, without being greasy…
While I love going there for my coconut shrimp fix, it’s quite expensive as the $12 lunch box gets me only 4 shrimp. So, I decided to just make my own. I used Tiger shrimp, which is ideal for coconut shrimp because of the texture, but I find the frozen Tiger shrimp in the US pretty tasteless. To sweeten up my coconut shrimp, I added some sugar into the beaten egg, which is for the dipping of the coconut shrimp before coating with the panko and coconut flakes. To make the coconut shrimp extra crispy, I dipped the shrimp into the beaten egg and the coating twice. The end result is an amazing serving of coconut shrimp—plump, juicy, crispy, with a tint of sweetness. I made spicy tartar sauce as the dipping sauce.
I asked my nanny to taste the goods, and she said that it’s the BEST that she has ever tasted. She immediately asked for my coconut shrimp recipe. Try it yourself, coconut shrimp makes a great party food that is sure to please.
Thai Kitchen 12X 14 Oz Coconut Milk Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk Is Made From The Pressing Of Fresh, Ripe Coconut Meat. Use For Curries, Satay Sauces, Baked Or Frozen Desserts, And Drinks.: Gluten Free (Note: This Product Description Is Informational Only. Always Check The Actual Product Label In Your Possession For The Most Accurate Ingredient Information Before Use. For Any Health Or Dietary Related Matter Always Consult Your Doctor Before Use.)
Walk into most any Filipino bakery (in the U.S. and in the P.I.) and you are just as likely to find a display of brightly decorated chiffon cakes as you are to see the plain-jane likes of freshly baked pan de sal and ensaimada.
Big chain Filipino bakeries like Golidlocks and Red Ribbon, as well as smaller mom and pop joints, all crank out various frosted, iced, and overly sugared chiffons ranging in flavors from chocolate, to mocha, to mango, to pandan, to macapuno, and the ever-popular (and ever-purple) ube. Heck, my family even loves the neon tropical chiffon cakes (passion fruit & guava!) from King's Hawaiian bakeries.
Yup. We Pinoys loves us some chiffon cake.
But how on Earth did an American cake come to be such a popular dessert amongst Filipinos? Well, probably in the same way that spam, ice cream, and hamburgers made their way into the Filipino culinary landscape--American tastes and food products crossed over to the Philippines during the American occupation of the Islands in the first half of the 20th century. Ever since then, chiffon cake (and spam, and ice cream, and hamburgers, and many other things) has stuck with us. Ah, colonialism!
Anyways, when the LA Times recently ran this story on chiffon cake (and provided recipes for a basic chiffon as well as chocolate, hazelnut-orange, and pandan-coconut) I knew I had to dust off my angel food cake pan and give one of the Times' chiffon recipes a try. Although I considered ube-fying the basic recipe for chiffon cake, I decided to instead give the pandan-coconut recipe a whirl (my cup runneth over with a crapload of ube recipes).
Not neon green, but still full of flavor
The Times' recipe for Pandan Chiffon Cake is simple enough, with the only possible curveballs coming in the form of pandan leaves and pandan extract--both of which, however, I was able to easily find at my friendly neighborhood Filipino market.
Throwing some pandan leaves and water into a blender provides some instant grassy-nutty goodness in the form of pandan juice. With the freshly blitzed juice and a touch of the bottled extract, the chiffon cake takes on the familiar Filipino flavors of pandan. And to top things off, a simple mix of coconut milk and powdered sugar provides a coconut glaze to complement the pandan.
Chiffon Marbury
The resultant cake was moist, delicate, and rich all at once--immediately negating my need for any future chiffon runs to Goldilocks and Red Ribbon.
To make this Pandan Chiffon Cake with Coconut Glaze, you can find the LA Times recipe here.
Sweet! With chiffon cake so readily found, I usually opt for the easy way and just buy. But this pandan cake with coconut glaze just sounds and looks too good to pass up on trying. Thanks for sharing!
I saw this recipe this week and toyed with the idea of making it, too. Maybe not the pandan version (at 9 months pregnant, I probably wouldn't last long among all the little ol' ladies at the Seafood City), but maybe the simpler version with a coconut glaze while I wait for the baby...Anyway, looks good!
Posted by:Lorena |May 11, 2011 at 09:57 AM Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |
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This coconut milk can be used for making cakes, candies, cookies, ice cream, coconut jam (Kaya), curries and other preparations where coconut milk is required.
This white, thick, creamy milk is made from the meat mature coconuts. Because of its high nutritional value coconut milk is used across the globe in Chinese, Indian, Thai, Filipino, and Hawaiian cuisines. Use Coconut Milk in curries, Kulolo, and ice cream
Description : - Chaokoh Coconut Milk is made from pure coconut. This coconut milk can be used for making cakesm candies, cookies, ice cream, coconut jam,(kaya), curries and other preparations, where coconut milk is required. Suitable for vegetarians. Ingredients : - Coconut Extract, Water, Citric Acid (as antioxidant), Sodium Metabisulphate (as preservative).
A high quality coconut milk, Chaokoh brand, imported from Thailand now offered in the most convenient 5.6 oz serving size, as most recipes call for a relatively small amount. We also carry 13.1 oz if you prefer. Please also see our coconut cream powder, to make a thicker, richer cream especially suitable for dessert recipes. Unsweetened. Product of Thailand.
I know not everyone is an eggnog enthusiast, but I suspect that's because eggnog haters have never imbibed in the homemade stuff--'tis a shame. But to me, it wouldn't be Christmastime if I didn't whip up a pitcher or two of some frothy creamy nog from scratch.
And this year, I decided to stray from my usual straight-up eggnog recipe consisting of cream, milk, eggs, and a Santa-sackfull of bourbon and decided to instead Pinoy-ify my potent potable by adding coconut milk and fortifying the nog with a healthy dose of lambanog.
Lambanog?
Oh, I'm glad you asked. Lambanog is a Filipino moonshine made from the sap of a coconut tree. Add lambanog to some coconut milk eggnog and you've got yourself some high-octane coconutty goodness in a glass--something I like to call LambaEggnog.
Mmmmm. Pormanteau.
Before delving into my coconut milk eggnog recipe, let's first take a closer look at how real Lambanog is made thanks to the following clip from Zane Lamprey's Three Sheets show:
So HOT!
OK, so I don't have access to legitimate Filipino moonshine in my neck of the woods. So I go with the next best thing: Vuqo. Vuqo is commercially made Lambanog that is produced in the Philippines and available here in the States (I got mine at a Filipino market). Altough it's marketed here as "Coconut Vodka", Vuqo shouldn't be confused with coconut-flavored vodka (is there such a thing?), as it's actually distilled from coconut sap. So technically, Vuqo really is Lambanog.
Vuqo: Commercially made moonshine (i.e. not really moonshine)
I've never had lambanog before, so I can't really judge how close Vuqo comes to the real deal. On its own though, Vuqo does have a faint (very faint) coconut aroma and a faint (very faint) coconut taste. It's actually pretty good hooch--and it's even better when mixed into some coconut eggnog.
My coconut eggnog is a thick and creamy concoction that uses coconut milk (obviously) along with whole milk, heavy cream, and egg yolks. Yes, it's rich, but it is the holidays afterall. My recipe also calls for tempering and cooking the egg yolks--something eggnog purists may scoff at, but I had a bad experience with raw nog in the past, so I vowed to always cook my eggnogs.
Also, if you can't find Vuqo or lambanog in your neck of the woods, a good rum goes nicely in this recipe as well. And this nog is darn tasty as a virgin version without booze. I actually hold off on adding any liquor to the entire batch of eggnog because the wife likes her nog sans booze, in which case I just add a chilled shot of Vuqo to my own personal serving glass--customization is king. If you like to spike the punch bowl, then you can add up to a cup of liquor (or really as much as you like) to my recipe, just be sure you taste the liquor and are certain you like the liquor before adding to the nog.
Cheers. And Maligayang Pasko!
Coconut Milk Eggnog with Lambanog (AKA LambaEggnog)
Serves 8-10
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk (preferably the Chaokoh brand) 2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 whole cinnamon stick 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 4 egg yolks 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract Lambanog, to taste More freshly ground nutmeg, for garnish
Combine the coconut milk, whole milk, heavy cream, cinnamon stick, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture reaches a boil, remove from heat, cover pan, and allow liquid to steep for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the cinnamon stick from the mixture and discard. Return the mixture to the stove over low heat.
Meanwhile, using an electric handmixer beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl until the eggs lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar to the egg yolks and continue to beat until the sugar is completely incorporated.
Slowly whisk the warm milk mixture, one ladleful at a time, into the egg yolks, then return the entire mixture to the saucepan on the stove. Heat the mixture over medium heat and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer, or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
Pour the mixture into another medium bowl and set the bowl over an ice bath. Stir the mixture and allow to cool for 10 minutes. After the mixture has cooled, whisk in the vanila extract and any liquor if desired. Pour the cooled eggnog into a pitcher or punchbowl and place in the refrigerator. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Serve by pouring eggnog into individual glasses and garnishing with freshly ground nutmeg.
Props on the post... maybe I will give eggnog another chance. That bottle of Vuqo looks pretty snazzy. I doubt that I'll be able to buy it in Canada, though... the Filipino stores up here don't seem to stock alcohol. :(
this will definitely keep my insides warm and fuzzy haha. so vuqo is lambanog from the Philippines. Wow it looks impressive. I used to love those flavored lambanog in the Philippines before, but your concoction definitely tops all the lambanog flavored ones. Merry Christmas Marvin!
Wow, this looks like really delicious, Marvin! Thank you so much for choosing VuQo for your Christmas concoction! We're glad you appreciate VuQo and it's exactly Filipinos like you that keep us going. Hope you don't mind if we post this on our Facebook page, so our followers can try it as well :)
Clara, you can get VuQo at Pacific Super in So. SF :)
I love the idea of lambanog nog. You should take a look at recipes for coquito, which is a similar drink popular in the Caribbean. Most recipes incorporate condensed milk which is just as boricua as it is pinoy, giving the coconut nog a great, silky texture. It might also lend something good to lamba eggnog.
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(Click Page 2 for the Lemongrass and Coconut Cream Grilled Mussels Recipe)
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Coconut Shrimp pictures (1 of 4)
Thai Kitchen 12X 14 Oz Coconut Milk Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk Is Made From The Pressing Of Fresh, Ripe Coconut Meat. Use For Curries, Satay Sauces, Baked Or Frozen Desserts, And Drinks.: Gluten Free (Note: This Product Description Is Informational Only. Always Check The Actual Product Label In Your Possession For The Most Accurate Ingredient Information Before Use. For Any Health Or Dietary Related Matter Always Consult Your Doctor Before Use.)
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Traditional Indonesian candy
This coconut milk can be used for making cakes, candies, cookies, ice cream, coconut jam (Kaya), curries and other preparations where coconut milk is required.
Rich and creamy, coconut milk tempers the fiery flavors of Thai curries and soups. To save time and effort, shake well before opening.
This white, thick, creamy milk is made from the meat mature coconuts. Because of its high nutritional value coconut milk is used across the globe in Chinese, Indian, Thai, Filipino, and Hawaiian cuisines. Use Coconut Milk in curries, Kulolo, and ice cream
Description : - Chaokoh Coconut Milk is made from pure coconut. This coconut milk can be used for making cakesm candies, cookies, ice cream, coconut jam,(kaya), curries and other preparations, where coconut milk is required. Suitable for vegetarians. Ingredients : - Coconut Extract, Water, Citric Acid (as antioxidant), Sodium Metabisulphate (as preservative).
*One of the best snack ever
Food Service product of Coconut Milk.
A high quality coconut milk, Chaokoh brand, imported from Thailand now offered in the most convenient 5.6 oz serving size, as most recipes call for a relatively small amount. We also carry 13.1 oz if you prefer. Please also see our coconut cream powder, to make a thicker, richer cream especially suitable for dessert recipes. Unsweetened. Product of Thailand.
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