Chicken Cutlet

Ingredients:

• 6 Chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless • 2 Eggs • 1/4 Cup freshly grated parmesan cheese • 3/4 Cup Italian bread crumbs • 2 tbsp Butter • Freshly ground pepper to taste • Olive or vegetable oil as needed • Salt to taste

How to make Chicken Cutlets:

• Put the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper. • Pound it with a kitchen mallet or rolling pin till they are evenly about 1/4-inch thick. • In a bowl combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, mix well. • In another bowl, beat eggs. • Dip the meat in the eggs and after that in the crumb mixture. • Put the crumbed cutlets into the refrigerator till nearly time to serve. • In a big skillet, heat butter and oil on medium-high flame till hot. • Cook the cutlets on each side till golden brown, for about 5 minutes till the juices run clear.

Roti Prata

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups flour • 5 tbsp Melted ghee or margarine • 3 - 6 tbsp Vegetable oil • 1 Cup warm milk • 1 tsp Salt

How to make Roti Prata:

• Sift the flour and salt into a big bowl, add ghee and stir till mixture looks crumbly. • Slowly pour in the milk and mix properly. • Knead the dough without adding extra flour till it pulls away from the bowl and forms a soft ball. • Continue kneading till the dough is slightly sticky, for about 10 minutes. • Cut the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball, flatten it slightly and massage it with ghee. • Put the flattened balls on a tray and cover it with a wet cloth. • Let the dough rest for about 5 hours. • Now evenly oil a rolling pan and work surface with ghee. • Roll out each ball and extend it into a paper-thin circle, about 9 inches in diameter. • Heat a skillet on medium flame and grease it with 1 tsp each of a vegetable oil and ghee. • Fry the roti gently for about 2 minutes till the bottom is properly browned. • When the bottom is golden brown and speckled and the roti is puffy, take out it and drain on a paper towel.

Fish N Chips

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable oil for frying
• One  fresh pound red snapper fillets (tilapia or dory for subtitute)
• One  egg, beaten with dash of salt
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

Method

1. In a large heavy skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Dip fillets into beaten egg and dredge in bread crumbs.
3. Gently slide fish into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towels.
4. Serve fish hot with chips and tar-tar sauce.

I recommend you buying the potato chips or fries at the supermarket as the preparation is not worth the effort. But if you are eager to learn and want to make it on your own, try this easy one:

French fries recipe and other potato recipes.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Oil for deep frying
• Salt

Preparing your fries

1. Peel and cut potatoes into even strips.
2. Soak potatoes in cold water for 1 hour.
3. Fry in deep fat at 325° for 5 minutes. Drain.
4. Increase heat to 375° and fry until French fries are tender and nicely browned.
5. Sprinkle generously with salt, then "toss" the fries to mix the salt evenly. ( I suggest about 1 teaspoon of salt, maybe slightly more)
6. Serve hot, serve immediately, and enjoy!

 Tar-tar sauce recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon pickle relish
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, pickle relish, and minced onion. Stir in lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Chicken Chop With Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 piece of chicken breast
• potato wedges
• lettuce
• tapioca flour
• 2 finely chopped shallots
• 1 finely chopped garlic
• 1 egg
• diced mushrooms
• 1 green pepper
• oyster sauce
• Worcester sauce
• thick cream
• salt and black pepper (preferably peppercorn)
• water

Instructions:

1. Tenderise the chicken. If you have a contraption for this, that's fine. As for me, I dont and it all boiled down to brute force. I let my fists do the work.
2. Marinate the chicken breast with Worcester sauce and leave to rest for 30 minutes
3. While waiting, remove the skin of the green pepper. To do this, roast the pepper on your stove. The reason also is that it gives a smoky flavour and add another dimension to the taste. Along the way, you will hear some crackling noises. It truly freaked me out as I thought something might explode. (Just imagine the coroner's report - cause of death by green pepper. What a way to end your life). However, I later learnt that this just means that it's roasting. Keep rotating till every area has blackened. Once done, soak the peppers in cold water to stop the cooking process. Scrap off the skin with the sharp end of the knife and chop accordingly.
4. Once the chicken breast has been marinated, dip it in egg before coating with flour. Cover all areas evenly. Add salt and pepper accordingly.
5. Deep fry the chicken breast till golden brown.
6. To prepare the sauce, saute the shallots and garlic followed by mushrooms and peppers.
7. Add in the oyster sauce followed by water. To heat up things, add in the black peppercorn.
8. Thicken the sauce by adding some cream.
9. Pour onto the chicken and serve.

Sweet Potato Ball

Ingredient:

500g sweet potato (Peel, cut into small pieces)
2 tbsp sugar
40g – 50g plain flour (sifted)
50g tapioca flour

Method:

1. Boil sweet potato with water till soft.
2. Remove and drain, add sugar while its still hot, mash it.
3. Add flour to mix till does not stick to your hands.
4. Coat hand with some tapioca flour, shape dough into small balls.
5. Fry sweet potato balls till golden brown over low heat, drain well.

Kuih Dadar

Coconut Fillings:

Ingredients A:
125g (chopped) gula melaka
25ml water
5 leaf pandan leaf (washed, cut into small section)

Ingredients B:
200g white grated coconut (about ½ coconut)

Method:

1. Cook Ingredients A over low flame till sugar dissolve.
2. Add white grated coconut, toss fry till fragrant (about 10 minutes.)
3. Dish up, remove pandan leaf, set aside for use later.

Batter:
Ingredients A:
15 leaves pandan leaf (washed, cut into small section)
300ml water

Ingredients B:
½  grated coconut
¼  tsp salt

Ingredients C: (Stir till sugar dissolve)
1 egg
1 tbsp sugar

Ingredients D:
200g plain flour

Method:

1. Blend Ingredients A in a blender, pour everything into a bowl.
2. Add Ingredients B, squeeze out 335g of pandan coconut milk.
3. Mix in Ingredients C till well combined.
4. Put flour in a deep mixing bowl, stir in coconut milk mixture from above, strain.
5. Heat up a non-stick flat bottom pan, grease with a little oil, pour in a suitable amount of batter, turn pan around so that batter form a thin round pancake, fry on both side till cooked, remove.
6. Wrap in coconut fillings, roll up and serve.

Yield: about 15 rolls

Chinese Rice Dumpling

Ingredients:

1 kg glutinous rice (soaked 1 hour then washed and drained well)
Bamboo leaves and raffia string for wrapping

Filing:
400g belly pork (remove skin & cut into cubes )
150g dried mushrooms
200g dried chestnuts ( soak in boiling water for 1 hour and remove skin)
10 salted egg yolks
100g dried shrimps (soak in warm water)
100g mung beans (soak in boiling water for 1 hour, drain and add a pinch of salt and mix well)
2 tsp chicken stock granules

Seasoning:
2 tbsp Chinese Five Spice powder
3 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp pepper
3 tsp dark soy sauce

Others ingredients:
2-3 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic – chopped finely
6 shallots – sliced thinly

Method:

1. Soak bamboo leaves in boiling water overnight. Clean and wipe the leaves with damp cloth.
2. Marinate pork with dark soy sauce, five spice powder, sugar, salt & pepper for 2-3 hours.
3. Heat oil in a wok, fry shallots and garlic till fragrant. Add marinated pork, dried shrimps, chestnuts, mushrooms. Add ½ cup water and 2 tsp chicken stock granules. Stir-fry till pork is cooked. Pour into a bowl & leave it cool.
4. Mix glutinous rice with 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp five spice powder, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce and 1 tsp salt. Stir thoroughly. Heat the wok and stir fry well seasoned glutinous rice and mung beans till heated through. Pour into a big bowl. Leave it cool.
5. Take 2 bamboo leaves, make them overlap slightly and fold into a conical shape. Put 1 tbsp rice into the funnel base. Add 1 tbsp filling and a piece of salted egg yolk. Cover with some more rice. Fold leaves over rice to form a triangular prism. Tie with raffia string.
6. Boil a large pot of water and add 2-3 tsp salt. Drop the bundles of dumpling in and boil for 1 ½ – 2 hours over medium slow fire. Top constantly with boiling water to maintain level of water at all times. When cooked, remove the dumplings and hang to dry.

Soon Kueh

Filling:

Ingredient A:
4 garlic (chopped)
4 onion (chopped)
50g dried shrimps (soaked in water to soften, chopped)
4 mushrooms (soft in water to soften, shred)
500g turnip (peeled, shred)

Ingredient B: (mixed all)
½ tsp black soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
half cube chicken stock cubes
½ tsp pepper
250ml water

Skin:

Ingredient A:
Water: 200g
Salt: ½ tsp
Onion oil: 2 tbsp

Ingredient B: (sifted)
100g rice flour
75g tapioca flour

* reserve ½ bowl onion oil  *
Method:

Fillings:

1. Heat oil in wok, add chopped garlic, onion, dried shrimp and fry over medium heat till fragrant.
2. Add mushrooms and turnip.
3. Add in all the ingredient B (seasoning) and stir fry over small heat till dry.
4. Remove and leave it aside to cool completely.

Skin:

1. In a mixing bowl, add sifted rice flour and tapioca flour.
2. Boiled ingredient A and then add into the mixed flour.
3. Stir quickly with wooden spoon, cover the bowl and place for 10 minutes.
4. Remove and knead into a smooth dough. Divided the dough into 10 portions.
5. Flatten each ball into a thin layer, cut into round, wrapped fillings and seal by picking up the sides.
6. Put into the greased steamer tray and steam for 15 minutes, remove and brush with onion oil.
7. Serve hot with sweet dark soy sauce sauce or chilli sauce.

Teochew Perng Kueh

Ingredients:

(For the Filling)

• 60g Raw Peanuts
• 1-1/4 cup Glutinous Rice
• 420ml Water
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 100g Dried Shrimps, soaked & drained
• 10 nos. Chinese Mushroom, soaked, drained & shredded
• 1/2 cup Fried Shallots

(Seasoning)

• 1/2 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce
• 1 tbsp Light Soya Sauce
• 1 tsp Ground White Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp Ground White Pepper

Method:

1. Boil peanuts until soft, drain and set aside.
2. Wash the glutinous rice. Let soak in the water for about 10 minutes. Drain. Put glutinous rice into the rice cooker; Add in the 420ml water and 1/4 tsp salt; Mix well. Cook as per normal.
3. Heat oil in a wok, add dried shrimps and stir-fry till fragrant; Add mushrooms and peanuts; Add in all the seasoning and fried shallots, stir well; Dish up and set aside.
4. Pour the mixture into the cooked rice and mix well using a pair of chopstick. Leave rice uncover to cool.

(For the Dough)

• 300 g Rice Flour
• 75 g Tapioca Flour
• 40 g Wheat Flour
• 520 ml Boiling Water (more/less depends on the dryness of flours)
• 4 tsbp Cooking Oil

Method:

1. Sift flours into a mixing bowl; Add boiling water and oil; Stir with a pair of wooden chopstick to form a pliable dough.
2. Pour out the dough and knead till smooth; Put it back to the mixing bowl & cover bowl with a damp cloth.
3. Pinch some rice flour into the mould and until mould is lightly coated with flour; Pour out excess flour if there's any.
4. To wrap - Divide dough into small portions. Roll each portion into ball and roll out into a circle. Wrap some filling in the centre; fold up the side and put dough into the mould; Press the dough with your palm and finger to ensure the mould is filled.
5. Turn over and hit at the side of the mould to release the moulded kueh. Put moulded kueh onto a lightly oiled plate. When plate is full; Bring kueh to steam in a rapid boiling water for 10 - 12 minutes. Remover and brush with oil.
6. Repeat step 4 and 5 until dough and filling are finished.

Note to share: Always cover the unused dough with a damp cloth while doing the wrapping. If you like to finish the wrapping for all kuehs b4 steaming, pls remember to brush a little oil on to the kuehs. If not the end-result of the kuehs will be harder and dry. 

Goreng Pisang

Ingredients

• Flour -- 1/2 cup
• Rice flour -- 1/4 cup
• Baking powder -- 1 teaspoons
• Salt -- 1/4 teaspoon
• Water -- 1 cup
• Egg, beaten -- 1
• Oil for deep frying
• Ripe bananas,peeled and cut in two pieces -- 6

Method

1. Mix the flour, rice flour, baking powder and salt well in a bowl. Beat the water and egg into the flour mixture until batter is smooth. Set batter aside to rest for anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
2. Heat the oil in a deep skillet or deep fryer to between 350° and 375°. Working in batches, using a fork to dip pieces of banana in batter to cover. Let any excess batter drip off and drop in the hot oil to deep fry, turning until well browned on all sides.
3. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Variations

• Use 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup water in the batter for a more tropical flavor if you like.
• You can eliminate the rice flour if you like and use 3/4 cups all-purpose flour instead. But the rice flour adds a crispness that will be missing.

Onde onde

Ingredients:

• 14 oz glutinous rice flour
• 10 oz sweet potatoes
• 3 tbsp pandan juice [screwpine leaves] [Substitute: Essence of Coconut mixed with 1or 2 drops of green food coloring]
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp water
• 4 oz gula Melaka [Malaccan sugar] [Substitute: gula Jawa; palm sugar]
• 2 cups fresh grated coconut [Substitute : Unsweetened desiccated coconut or dried coconut flakes]

Method:

1. Break up the gula Melaka [Malaccan sugar] into small pieces [about half to an inch piece size]
2. Peel, cook and mash sweet potatoes
3. Sieve glutinous flour into a large bowl
4. Add mashed sweet potatoes and pandan juice [Substitute: Coconut essence & green food color]
5. Mix well to combine and knead into a dough
6. Form dough into small balls, about 1 inch diameter  
7. Make a hole in the center of the ball and fill with a small piece of gula Melaka [Malaccan sugar]
8. Roll again to make it into a small ball
9. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the dough balls.
10. When they float to the surface of the water, remove and place on a draining tray or sieve
11. Add salt to the fresh grated coconut [Substitute: desiccated coconut or coconut flakes]. Mix well
12. Roll the cooked onde-onde glutinous balls over the coconut
13. Onde-onde is best served warm - pops in your mouth with a sweet sensation of oozing gula Melaka [Malaccan sugar] syrup!

Agar agar

Ingredients:

1 packet of agar-agar, rinsed (usually 35gram per packet)
4 glasses (large) water
1/4 cup brown sugar or enough to taste
2 eggs
2 cups coconut milk/cream
6 pandan leaves washed
A pinch of salt

Method:

• Grind 3 pandan leaves and extract its juice through a strainer.
• Boil the water in a medium saucepan with the remaining pandan leaves.
• Add in the agar-agar and boil till it is all dissolved.
• Stir in the brown sugar and pandan extract, till all sugar is dissolved. Turn heat to low.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl, and mix it with coconut milk/cream with a pinch of salt.
• Pour the egg-coconut cream mixture into the saucepan with the agar-agar, stir well and let it simmer for a short while, then turn the heat off.
• Transfer the agar-agar mixture into your desired molds or containers. Chill it when cool and set before cutting into serving pieces.

Sambal Sotong

Ingredients :

• One lb small or med-sized fresh squid, clean the squid by laying it flat on the chopping board and gently pulling out the head in one direction. Empty the cavity of the squid. Wash it clean. Discard the head  except for a small portion of the tentacles. Slice the squid to thin rings.
• 4 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
• One large onion, sliced
• Two ripe tomatoes, quartered
• One tbsp tamarind paste
• One cup water
• 1-2 tsp palm sugar or dark brown sugar
• salt
• 8-10 shallots
• 2 tsp belacan, also spelt belachan or blacan [dried shrimp paste]
• 4 cloves garlic
• 5 tbsp chili paste
• 4 candlenuts [buah keras/kemiri nuts] [Substitute: macadamia nuts]

(Items in red are to be ground/blended)

To Prepare :

• In a small bowl, using your fingers, mix together tamarind paste and water, then strain and discard seeds
• Using a mortar & pestle or blender, grind shallots, garlic, belacan, candlenuts, chili paste into a paste
• In a heated wok, add oil, stir-fry ground paste until quite toasted and oil starts to ooze, about 5 mins
• Add onions, tomatoes, tamarind, sugar and salt to taste
• Cover, reduce heat to med, simmer till tomatoes are well stewed (mash with spatula) and sauce thickens
• Add squid, stir fry till just opaque - do not overcook as they will become chewy!
• Dish into a serving dish, allow to sit 10 mins or so, for squid to absorb flavors
• Served Sambal Sotong over a banana leaf with steamed rice or Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice)

Assam Laksa

Ingredients:
Makes 10 to 15 portions ("party sized")

• 1.5 kg of fish (Sardine / Kembong / or Mackerel)
• 10 cups water
• 12 dried chillies - scalded and left to stand
• 6 fresh red chillies
• thumb-sized piece of mature turmeric
• 3 stalks of serai
• 300 gm shallots
• 200 gm belachan
• 2 stalks of bunga kantan
• 8 stalks of daun kesom
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cups assam water
• 1 cucumber
• half a pineapple
• 1 big onion
• 1 bunch mint leaves
• 1 stalk lettuce
• 2 sweet pickled cucumber
• laksa noodles

Preparation: 

• The items c) to g) are finely ground; using only 3 of the red chillies for grinding, as the other 3 chillies are sliced and are for the the garnishment, while the fish is deboned after cooking
• The "bunga kantan" and the "daum kesum" are thinly sliced; use only one of the "bunga kantan" for the gravy; the other is meant for the garnishment.

For the gravy:

• Bring water to the boil and cook fish. Debone fish and return fish bones to the stock and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, then strain the stock. Add ground ingrediants to the stock and boil with one bunga kantan and the daum kesum. Simmer for 20 more minutes. Add the deboned and shredded fish and the assam water, and season to taste.

Garnishing:

• Except for the mint leaves which are washed and destalked, slice or shred all the items from n) to s) plus 3 red chilles and the bungah kantan. Arrange the vegetables in separate containers at the table.

Toppings: 

• 1 bowl "haeko" (black prawn paste) mixed with water to flowing consistency

To Serve: 

• Place the laksa noodles in a bowl. Top them with your choice of sliced or shredded vegetable garnishment, then ladle simmering gravy over the noodles. Add a spoonful of "haeko".

Bak Chor Mee

Ingredients : 

Fried Minced Meat :

250g minced chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon of thick dark soy sauce 
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
6/7 pieces of button mushroom (from the can), sliced thinly

Stewed Mushroom :

6 good quality dried chinese mushroom
1 tsp olive oil
sliced ginger
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
hot water

Noodles :

100g rice noodles or mee pok 
bean sprouts
6 fishballs
10 slices of fish cake
spring onion, chopped (optional)
1/2 tablespoon chilli oil
1/2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tablespoon black vinegar
A splash of fish sauce
Fried Shallots

Steps :

Fried Minced Meat
(You can cook this in advance, and pop it into the microwave to heat it up just before serving)

1. Heat the pan with the tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and fry till it just turns a slight tinge of brown.
Add the minced meat and fry till cooked. Remember to break it up to small pieces.
Add the different sauces and fry, on medium-low heat, till all the liquid reduces.
Stirring occasionally. Add the button mushroom till it’s incorporated.




Stewed Mushroom

1. Soak the dried chinese mushrooms in warm water till completely soft for 15 mins. When soft, slice mushrooms to required thickness. Do not throw the water left after you take the mushrooms out.
Squeeze out the water of each mushroom, and cut it into relatively thin slices.

2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a heavy-based pan. Add the slices ginger and fry till tender.
Add the mushrooms and fry till fragrant.
Add the oyster sauce and a few tablespoons of water (from the mushrooms)
cook under medium-low heat and allow the mushrooms to absorb the liquid (plumping it up in the process)

3. Keep adding water (at least 2 more additions) and allow it to cook over low heat for at least 30mins.
so that it’s soft and tender. and bursting with flavour!

Noodles (Best advised to do one at a time):

1. In a large bowl, put the chilli oil, oyster sauce, vinegar and fish sauce and mix till incorporated.

2. Cook noodles accordingly and when done - plunge it into a bowl of cold water. This stops the noodles fromcooking further. Then return to the hot water for a few seconds before putting into the serving bowl with sauce.
3. In another pot, boil the fishballs, fish cakes and bean sprout till they are are floating (takes about 5-8mins)

Plating :

1. Once the rice noodles are done, pour it into the bowl and mix it well with the sauces.
To make sure each strand is coated well with the sauces.
Place the fishballs, fish cakes and bean sprout on the noodles.

2. Put a few pieces of the stewed mushroom in the bowl and top everything up with the minced meat.
Sprinkle with fried shallots and spring onion.

Fishball Noodle

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsps cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cm ginger, minced
• 6 cups water
• 3 tbsps Concentrated chicken stock
• 1 tbsp sliced preserved cabbage (optional)
• 12 fish balls
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• Pepper to taste
• 300gm thin rice vermicelli (mai fun)

Garnishing: 

• 1 cup bean sprouts, tailed and blanched
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1 cm sections
• 1 stalk of scallion/spring onions, finely chopped
• ¼ cup sliced fried shallot

Teh Tarik

• 4 cups water, boiling
• 1/4 cup Orange Pekoe Tea (1 tablespoon per cup), preferably Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
• 6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk (1 1/2 tablespoons per cup), to taste

In a teapot or other non-reactive container, pour boiling water over tea leaves. Steep 10 minutes (this makes a wickedly strong brew).

Strain tea into a large vessel with an easy-to-grip handle (such as a large measuring cup) containing the sweetened condensed milk.

Skill

Tarik or "Pull" the tea by pouring it back and forth into another container in a long stream to generate froth. The longer the stream, the frothier the brew (at least 12 inches / 30 c.). Take your time and be careful, splatters from this can burn. 

Serve the Teh Tarik quickly, before it deflates.

Satay

Ingredients for Satay (Marinade):

1 lb beef (tenderloin, rib eye or flank steak)
1 lb boneless chicken (preferably boneless leg meat)
1 tsp turmeric powder
4 tbsp sugar

Items to be grounded:

12 shallots
6 cloves garlic
2 inch turmeric root (kunyit basah) (Substitute: galangal, lengkuas in Malay, or if both unavailable, substitute with fresh ginger)
1 tsp white peppercorn
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp belacan, also spelt belachan or blacan (dried shrimp paste)

Ingredients for Satay Peanut Sauce: 

3 candlenuts (buah keras in Malay) (Substitute: macadamia nuts)
2 tbsp tamarind pulp
3 cups coconut milk
2 cups roasted peanuts, coarsely pounded
½ cup peanut oil, or vegetable oil
¾ cup warm water
3 tbsp sugar
salt 

Items to be grounded/blended:

2-3 med red onions
6 cloves garlic
5 tbsp chili paste
2 stalks lemongrass, 4 to 6 inch of the ‘white’’ ends only, coarsely chopped
1 tsp belacan, also spelt belachan or blacan (dried shrimp paste)

Others/Miscellaneous :

• 2 seedless cucumber, cut into bite-size wedges
• 2 red onions, cut in bite-size wedges
• about 50 bamboo skewers, soaked in water 1 hr
• 4 tbsp oil combined with 1 tbsp sugar (This is the oil mixture for basting)
• 1 lemongrass stalk - cut the leaves or blades end straight across. Use a string to tie it into a basting brush (optional)

To Prepare Satay:

Grind shallots, garlic, turmeric root (or galangal, or ginger), peppercorn, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and belacan into a paste

Add turmeric powder and sugar to the paste, and mix well. (This is the satay marinade)

Slice beef and chicken into thin long strips, and place into separate containers. To each meat, add half each of the satay marinade, and mix well to evenly coat the strips of meat

Marinate the beef and chicken strips for at least 3-4 hours. Best if marinated overnight (refrigerated)

Treadle 3 to 5 strips of meat onto each bamboo skewer, leaving 3 to 4 inch bare at the 'handle end'

Grill satays on a hot charcoal bbq grill, indoor grill or on a stovetop grill pan until golden brown. Turn and baste often with the sugar & oil mixture, preferably with your homemade 'lemongrass brush'

Serve Satay with a small bowl of satay peanut sauce for dipping, and the cucumber & onion wedges on the side. Satay is often served with Ketupat, (a Malay rice cake)

To Prepare Satay Peanut Sauce:

Grind chili paste, onions, garlic, candlenuts, belacan and lemongrass into a paste

In a bowl, add warm water to tamarind pulp. Using your fingers, squish and mix the tamarind pulp to extract ‘juice’. Strain to discard seeds and fibers

In a saucepan, heat oil, add ground paste, sauté until quite toasted, and oil starts to seep out

Add tamarind juice, bring to a boil, add coconut milk, sugar and salt to taste. Bring sauce to boil again, then reduce to slowly simmer for 10 mins

Add pounded peanuts, simmer for another 5 to 10 mins, or until the sauce reaches a ‘thickness’ to your liking (Note: Add more coconut milk if sauce becomes too thick, and if sauce is too thin, simmer longer)

Serve satay peanut sauce warm, or at room temperature, in a small bowl as an accompaniment for dipping the satays. It is great for dipping Ketupat, (a Malay rice cake), often served with satay