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31 December 2012

Happy New Year 2013



Happy New Year

Bye-bye 2012 and welcome 2013. How do I feel? A little sad, as with all goodbyes, saying goodbye to year 2012, makes one feel nostalgic too. Happy to welcome another year. Another year of opportunities to do and be better in all that I do and love to do and that I do not love but have to do. Ha! Ha! Ha! Happy New Year!

30 December 2012

Baked Otak Otak



The Otak Otak, a fish dish cooked in a blend of spices, thinly shredded limau purut(kaffir lime)leaves and coconut milk. My mum’s signature dish, I remember how she would fill banana leaves that have been folded into packages with the fish mixture for steaming. The waft of delightful spices and aroma filling the air would not fail to stir our appetites.

I have modified the recipe a little, using only the daun kadok(aromatic wild betel leaves), omitting the banana leaves to simplify the preparation a little. My mum would say, “not bad at all.”
  
Baked Otak Otak Recipe

Ingredients :
300 to 400 gm white fish meat (2 blocks of Red Snapper or Garoupa or other similar fish meat)
8 dried chillies (seeded for a mild flavour)
12 shallots
5 pips garlic
1 inch piece of fresh tumeric (about the size of your distal phalange of middle finger
1 lemon grass
½  inch piece of belachan (I do not like it too strong for this dish)
4 tabsp of fish curry powder, or 3 tabsp of wet curry fish paste(this can be bought from the market)
Some limau perut/kaffir lime leaves (thinly shredded)
Half grated coconut, to get half a cup of coconut milk
3 eggs
Sufficient 'daun kadok' or wild betel leaves(a type of aromatic ground creepers) for lining tray or pan
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation :

  1. Grind the chillies, shallots, garlic, tumeric, lemon grass and belachan together.
  2. Mix the ground ingredients with the fish curry powder or wet curry fish paste.
  3. Add the beaten eggs, and mix well.
  4. Add the thinly shredded kaffir lime leaves.
  5. Add in the fish meat that has been thinly sliced.
  6. Stir well, add salt and pepper seasoning.
  7. Line a baking or steaming tray with ‘daun kadok’.
  8. Scoop the fish meat and egg mixture into the tray, leave about ¼ cup of the gravy for spreading over the top of the top 'daun kadok'.
  9. Cover the fish and egg mixture with a layer of ‘daun kadok’.
  10. Pour the remaining gravy onto the ‘daun kadok’ and bake for about 30-35 minutes at at 180 deg. till sides of tray are slightly brown.

NOTES :
·              You could steam the Otak Otak in a plate/tray for about 15-20 minutes instead of baking it.
·              You can estimate the proportion of coconut milk used. It should be approximately 1.5 times the volume of eggs.
·              Some cooks omitted the curry powder and some do add some rice flour to thicken the gravy.


01 December 2012

Nature's Canvas 2

When I put up Nature’s Canvas 1 in August 2012, I was not sure that there will be a follow-up.  But, if you ask me now, I would say I would not know how many sequels there will be.


One thing though, as they say, ‘ Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder’, so it might not necessarily appeal to some of you. Yes, you are right, it definitely is not going to deter me. For me these pictures that I put up have their own unique attraction and beauty.
So, enjoy the ride as much as I have and thanks for taking time to do so.

The yellow flowers in the photo above and the red fruit in the photo below are from the same plant. Fasinating, isn't it? No, I do not know the name of the plant. The photos are from my neighbour's plant. I had previously planted this shrub, but not anymore.







This is one of my favourite flowers, partly because my hubby cared so well for it and it blooms so well.It's flowers exude a light, enchanting fragrance. The photo below is from the same plant and that is its ripen fruit. I was happy to be able to snap this before the birds get to it.



Beautiful, purple lily gives me so much pleasure

I enjoy the light reflected on the water and the leaves. The  flower buds standing majestically, basking in the light
The rambutans lend some colour to the dark twined trunks. :-)
These colourful Crotons look their best after the rain in the morning light.

Fresh and beautiful
Another type of Crotons bathing in sunlight and raindrops
Insects love the rain too

 The pink bougainvillea emerging blooms, common to some but gorgeous to me


Interplay of sunlight and raindrops on Palm fronds
What was I thinking when I took this? My fasination with raindrops
For this shadow image, I have to wait for right moment
The fragrant limau purut bud, flowers and fruit






Wild? So green and luscious, isn't it?


Crimson beauty
Definitely, one of my favourite flowering shrub. This is its bud and so beautiful.

My favourite again, I love the way the bud displays itself, the flower and the young fruit. ......                                               and the fallen petal, so soft and light