And the Asian Recipe Winner is Nasi Lemak

My Maylasian friend sent me an authentic recipe.  I'm not sure if I will find everything or how it will turn out, but I'm going to give it a try today. 

Soon Heng Lim says, "One of the easier to make Malaysian recipes is Nasi Lemak, together with Roti Canai, the National dish of Malaysia." 

Nasi Lemak

Ingredients:
300g long grain rice
2 shallots
2 slices ginger
1/8 tsp fenugreek seeds (halba)
1 tsp salt
375-400ml coconut milk (from 1/2 a grated coconut)
2 pandan leaves, knotted (Not sure if you're going to find this in the US! Maybe find a substitute...a fragrant herb) The local Thai restaurant  had this!

Method
Wash rice until clean then drain. Put rice, shallots, ginger, fenugreek and salt in a rice cooker. Pour coconut milk over the rice. (The level of the coconut milk should be 2cm above the level of the rice.) Cook rice until dry then use a wooden laddle to loosen the grains.

Sprinkle the rest of the coconut milk over the rice. Give it a stir with a pair of chopsticks to distribute the milk evenly. Stand for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the coconut milk. Keep rice warm before serving with other condiments.

Sambal Ikan Bilis: OPTIONAL (Soon Heng says, "I suggest you serve the rice with just the Rendang below. After all you are providing just a taster, right?") I'm not making this tonight.

1 bombay onion
1/2 cup dried ikan bilis (anchovies)
1 clove garlic
2 tbsps tamarind juice
4 shallots
8 dried chillies
Prawn paste (belacan) (Optional)
Salt and sugar to taste

Method
Fry the ikan bilis until crisp and put aside. Grind the prawn paste together with shallots, garlic, deseeded dried chilies. Slice the bombay onion into rings. Heat 2 table spoons oil in a pan and fry the ground ingredients until fragrant.

Add in the onion rings. Add tamarind juice, salt, sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally until the gravy thickens. Add in the ikan bilis and mix well. Serve with steaming hot Nasi Lemak.

Beef Rendang (Beef Chunks cooked in coconut milk)- DO THIS ONE

Ingredients:
600g beef topside, cubed

Grind together:
4 tbsp chilli boh
7 shallots
5 cloves garlic
4cm piece ginger
2 onions
4 stalks lemon grass, finely sliced
3cm piece galangal (blue ginger) The local Thai restaurant had this too! 
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tbsp fennel powder
1 litre thick coconut milk (extract from four grated coconuts)
1 litre water
1/2 cup kerisik (pounded dry-fried grated coconut)
1 tbsp finely-shredded daun limau purut (lime leaves)

Seasoning:
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp brown sugar or to taste

Method
Combine beef, coconut milk, water and ground ingredients in a deep saucepan. Simmer over low heat for one and a half to two hours until beef turns tender.

Add kerisik and continue to cook until the gravy turns thick and dry. Add seasoning and daun limau purut. Cook until beef is almost dry.

GOOD LUCK!

It turns out our hostess and her husband had lived in Maylasia for 6 months while he taught some Finns from Nokia. They both seemed to think it tasted authentic and were excited to eat it again.

To see what everyone else brought go to this site  or to see pictures of it go to this site

Responses to my request for Asian Themed Recipes

Do you have an easy, yummy Asian recipe you make? This month's recipe theme is "Asian" and I'm at a loss, except for Top Ramen:) Can you help me out? It would be most helpful. Thanks!

Here are the responses I received. I need to hurry and decide, so I can get the recipe turned in on time:)

Have you ever made the yummy salad with cabbage and uncooked top ramen noodles? This one isn't the salad with top ramen, but another favorite. i love this Asian Noodle Salad. keri

Asian Noodle Salad

adapted from Jamie Oliver
1 package linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed, and cooled
1/2 to 1 head sliced Napa cabbage
1/2 to 1 head sliced purple cabbage
1/2 to 1 bag baby spinach
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
1 orange bell pepper, sliced thin (if available)
1 small bag bean sprouts (also called “mung bean sprouts”)
3 sliced scallions
3 peeled, sliced cucumbers (I didn’t have a cucumber for the photos above, but they’re yummy in the salad)
LOTS of chopped cilantro—up to one bunch
1 can whole cashews, lightly toasted in skillet (again, I didn’t have them for the photos, but have used them before and they’re…sublime.)

DRESSING:
Juice of 1 lime
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 hot peppers or jalapenos, chopped
More chopped cilantro—LOTS
Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on platter.
*Dressing keeps up to three days before serving, WITHOUT cilantro.


Lettuce Wraps

One of my favorite recipes is Lettuce Wraps. My friend Merrigay gave it to me.
Ingredients:

Green onion
Yellow onion
Yellow Pepper
Green Pepper
Red Pepper
( I use whatever onion and pepper or peppers I have on hand...and to me they have always tasted good) Diced...exact amounts I know not...whatever looks good
1 lb hamburger
In a seperate bowl mix: 2Tablespoons(or more)...I usually use 3 to 4 of Soy Sauce; 1 tsp. cornstarch; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/4 tsp. pepper; 4 tsp. sugar.
Add mix and peppers and onions to the hamburger.
When you have it mixed, leave it on the counter until you are ready to fry it.
Fry the mixture
Serve it with cooked rice
Place the rice and mixture in lettuce. (I choose whatever lettuce looks good:))
Enjoy
For whatever reasons I have been told that this recipe does not double well.
Anyways, it is an easy and yummy recipe for me.
Have a great week!
Nancy


Sweet and Sour Chicken

3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. vinegar (someone told me apple cider was better than white)
1/2 c. chicken broth
3 1/2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 lb. chicken (boneless/skinless), cut into strips
Garlic salt
Cornstarch
2 beaten eggs

In saucepan, heat and dissolve first 5 ingredients. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt, then dip each piece in cornstarch, then beaten eggs. Fry chicken in oil until browned. Put chicken in 9x13 inch casserole dish and pour liquid mixture over the top. Bake at 325º for 1 hour. Turn chicken over on the 1/2 hour. Serve on top of white rice.

*Note- We double the sauce part because we like some extra for our rice.

Hopefully this helps some. Let me know how it turns out!

Love Jessica


Hi : the only thing I really make asian is sushi rolls, like the california roll. You need nori (seaweed Paper) sweetened rice and the veggies and fish that go inside. You also need the bamboo mats to roll it in .Do you like those? You can get the directions off the internet. They are so yummy , my kids love them especially with lots of wasabi and pickled ginger.  Other than that I just love the asian peanut dressing and put it on salads or marinade chicken in it and serve with rice.

wendy

This first recipe is one that I used to make a lot for parties. It can be an appetizer and served with rice for a main dish.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings

3 lbs chicken wings
1/2 c flour plus 1/2 c cornstarch
2 eggs (well beaten)

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 c sugar 3-4 T Ketchup
1/4 c water 1 tsp Accent
1 T soy sauce

Use only the drumstick part of the wings and the middle section. Sprinkle with garlic salt and accent. Let stand for 1 hour. Mix flour and cornstarch. Flour pieces in mixture and dip in beaten eggs. Fry until golden in oil. Drain on paper towels. Put in baking dish and pour heated sauce over. it. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
Serve with white rice for dinner. This is easy and yummy! Mom


I found another Chinese Chicken Salad that sounds good. Mom

Chinese Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked Basmati Brown Rice
1 cup cooked chicken breast, cubed
1 cup of sliced celery
1 can 8 oz. sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 c slice fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup diced red pepper
3 T lemon juice
1 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
2 t grated fresh ginger
1/4 t ground white pepper
Lettuce leaves

Combine rice, chicken, celery, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, mushrooms, onions and red pepper in a large bowl. Combine lemon juice, soy sauce, oil, ginger and white pepper in a small jar with lid. Shake well and pour over rice mixture; toss lightly Serve on lettuce leaves. Serves 6. One serving contains 248 calories, 11/5 protein, 5.8g fat, 37.1g carbohydrate, 1.5g dietary fiber, 593mg sodium and 20mg cholesterol.