Tom Yam recipe

I made tom yam soup recipe. It taste awesome!! I followed the recipe from shiokfood with minor amendment. Sigh...isn't it beautiful?

WHAT YOU NEED

Good quality Chinese chicken stock - 2 cups (500 ml) (not the crap you get from stock cubes)

Fresh or frozen lemongrass (dried lemongrass sucks) - 1 fat stalk (or 2 thin ones)

Galangal - 1 tablespoon (fresh is preferable, dried will do in a pinch - soak dried in warm water prior to use)

Kaffir Lime Leaves - 2-3 (cut into slivers

(If you don't have any of the above, Amazon ships a package of all the fresh ingredients you need for the soup.)

Nam Prik Pao (Thai roasted chilli paste) - 1-2 tsp (depends on how hot your brand of paste is)

Thai bird's eye chillies (or Serrano chillies) - 4-5 (big slices so you can avoid them easily)

Fish sauce - 2 tbsp

Lime juice - 1 medium lime

Onion - 1/4 of a medium onion (sliced)

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Coriander (cilantro for you Americans) leaves - 4 tbsp

Boneless chicken breast - 50 gm (chopped)

Straw mushrooms (or regular button mushrooms) - 4 (sliced)

Spring/Green onions - 3 tbsp (sliced thin)
HOW TO MAKE IT

For the lemongrass, use only the bottom white part (about 6 inches) and discard the woody grass part of it. With the flat side of a cleaver or a heavy object, pound and bruise the lemongrass so it releases the flavour. Cut into 2 inch segments.

Put lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce and stock into a pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Uncover the pot and add the Kaffir lime leaves, chilies, onion, sugar and chicken pieces.

Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add Nam Prik Pao and mushrooms. Simmer for yet another 2 minutes. Now add the spring onions and let it simmer for 30 seconds.

Turn off the heat, add lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Test for saltiness and sourness. If required, adjust with more fish sauce (salt) and lemon juice (sour).

This makes a medium-hot bowl. Some prefer to have it spicier. Find your own comfort level. Remove the lemongrass and galangal before serving if you like. They're not particularly edible. Good for colds, good for a whole lotta things. Your grandma's chicken soup can't hold a candle up to this one. :)

How to make chicken stock?

Nasi Putih Ayam Kunyit Recipe

While working night shift I suddenly feel inspired to cook my favorite Malay food. I chatted with my colleague Hidayah and apparently its actually pretty easy to prepare (Though the conversation was more like marinate with kunyit powder and put in anything u like lah). So on my off day the next day after making my cake in the afternoon, I felt hungry and the next thing i know i was online flipping the web for a good ayam kunyit recipe. I came across a mouth watering blog call Foodilicious (click for the original recipe) and was instantly inspired to cook the recipe in the blog. I have most of the ingredient except cili padi, the fish sauce and bird eye cilli. So i made some changes and cook it with the ingredient I had in hand. Outcome is that I can taste the Ayam Kunyit with a tinge of Cili spiciness in it. The lemon grass and lime leafs enhance the taste of the dish.

I am glad that I finally started cooking my favourite Malay food. The fun part is that I can eat as much chicken as I want and I do not have to ration it when I eat at Malay stall! The Malay stall usually give a few pieces and always leave me craving for more.

Originally the recipe is callled Spicy Turmeric Chicken (Ayam Goreng Kunyit Pedas) Recipe but since I do not have most of the cilli ingredient, my version would lean more towards the usual Ayam Kunyit recipe. Once I get hold of the cili I will try out the original recipe from Foodilicious.

Ayam Kunyit Recipe: Serves 3
Marinate and leave aside
-Half a chicken (debone and cut up the chicken meat into pieces)
-1 teaspoon turmeric powder
-1 teaspoon light soya sauce
-1 teaspoon oyster sauce
-1 to 2 teaspoon home made cilli (its actually blended cili padi)
(Above is just an estimate. In practice its season to taste)

1/2 big onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, roughtly chopped
1 small lemongrass, slices

4 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
1/4 carrot, julienned
4 long grean bean

1 teaspoon light soya sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1-2 teaspoon home made cilli (its actually blended cili padi)

After marinating the chicken. Heat up a frying pan with about a tablespoon of cooking oil.

When the pan is heated well, fry the sliced onion, garlic, lemongrass. When it soften, add in the marinated chicken and stir, until chicken is cooked. Add in carrots, bean and finely sliced lime leaves. Serve with warm rice.