Hokkien Char, the Penang way |
- Hokkien Char, the Penang way
- Sapna Anand’s new Deepavali flavours
- Enjoy 48 hours in Barcelona
- Mourinho happy with Chelsea’s away success
- EU targets Syria with oil, weapons sanctions
- Ready for more halal eats in Ipoh?
| Posted: 18 Oct 2014 06:00 PM PDT
Not to be confused with the Penang Hokkien Mee, this is almost like a non-spicy version but just as tasty and does not have a strong shrimp taste to it. The Penang Hokkien Mee is a spicy, strong shrimp-flavoured dish where its thick spicy soup base consisted mainly of boiling shrimp shells but for the Hokkien Char, it is much simpler and easier to prepare. There is not much earlier preparation needed for the Hokkien char. As its name suggests, it is simply fried noodles, Hokkien style. A plate of satisfying Hokkien char means thin slices of pork (or sometimes chicken), shelled shrimps and Chinese mustard greens stir fried with yellow noodles and vermicelli. What's so special about the fried noodles is that the noodles are often served soaked in thick tasty gravy that has just a hint of the prawns and pork flavours. This makes it neither a soupy concoction nor dry fried noodles as the gravy is just enough to cover the plate, making slurping up the noodles a "smooth" experience. The sauce is mostly a mixture of light soya sauce and dark soya sauce but its main flavours are derived from stir-frying the other ingredients first. This dish should not be confused with the KL Hokkien fried noodles as it tastes vastly different, using different type of noodles. In fact, it even looks different. The KL version uses thick fat noodles and is often very dark in colour due to the use of more dark soya sauce while the Penang Hokkien style uses just a tinge of the dark soya sauce resulting in a light brown dish. The mark of a really good plate of Hokkien char is in how the hawker first prepares the noodles before frying – these have to be the perfect consistency, not too soft or too hard – and of course in the frying style that has to blend all the flavours of its ingredients and sauces together to present a hot plate of gravy-filled noodles. Finally, a plate of Hokkien char is never complete if it is not accompanied with a dollop of aromatic, spicy sambal. We are not talking any kind of sambal but the pungent and spicy type made from grinding chillies and belacan into a smooth paste. There are no specific hawker stalls selling just Hokkien char but it is often one of the noodles sold by Char Hor Fun (fried noodles) sellers in Penang.
Padang Kota Lama Food Court, Lebuh Light Goodall Café, Gottlieb Road Pisa Corner Café, Jalan Tun Dr Awang Free School Food Court, Jalan Terengganu  |
| Sapna Anand’s new Deepavali flavours Posted: 18 Oct 2014 05:55 PM PDT
I have always wondered how Deepavali, or Diwali as it's also known, is celebrated in India though. My best friend recently got married and her new Indian family has introduced her to a variety of different cuisines from all over the subcontinent, each a nod to the particular region's geography, ingredients and local cultures. I can't wait to visit India and experience this first-hand but until that happens, I've been fortunate enough to sample some authentic home cooking from Kerala, Goa and northern India, all without leaving Kuala Lumpur! Imagine delicacies such as chicken xacuti curry from Goa and grilled tiger prawns in turmeric leaf from Kerala – perfect for a Diwali spread!
"What 'New Indian' cooking means to me is adapting to your environment and not being afraid to use new ingredients in traditional recipes. For example, I try to add a local twist by incorporating ingredients common to Malaysian cooking so these dishes can be slightly different from if I had prepared them in Bangalore or San Francisco," she says. For example, instead of making a traditional chicken xacuti curry, a typical dish from Goa, Sapna replaces potato with chestnut which adds some bite. She says, "There are two ways of making xacuti – the Hindu way and Catholic or Portuguese way. The Hindus don't use vinegar as the smell of anything fermented or not fresh isn't sacred. The Catholics in Goa, however, prefer preserved ingredients." As she dry toasts some grated coconut – the smell of which reminds me of my own childhood in Malacca, when my mum would prepare Malaccan Portuguese dishes – and blends other spices, Sapna lights up with the stories she's telling. "Food has so much to do with religion and culture. When the Portuguese king ordered Vasco da Gama to find an ocean route to India, he didn't just want da Gama to bring back spices but also to spread Catholicism. Did you know that in Asia, we never had chillies and tomatoes before the Portuguese brought them? Originally the Hindus thought the red colour of the tomatoes were sinful, possibly because food was offered to God first and these were red as blood." Sapna is a bit of an explorer and world traveller herself. She first came to Malaysia 14 years ago with her husband who was setting up an R&D centre here for his company. "We came over from the UK in 1999 when I was pregnant with my daughter. She was born in Malaysia in 2000, and my son in 2002. Honestly, my children are more Malaysian than Indian – they are Malaysian kids! They prefer Malaysian food, and their comfort food is Malaysian."
Sapna's passion, as it turned out, was cooking. This doesn't mean, however, that cooking came naturally to her. "I remember when I first got married I was asked to cook a vegetarian dish for my husband's family who were vegetarian. I grew up eating fried chicken so this was a challenge! In the end I made a terrible curry for my in-laws. My mother-in-law tells me how surprised she is that I cook so well now!"
This meant I had to travel between the two countries for a whole year – I would study in Bangkok from Monday to Thursday, fly back to KL on Friday to cook for my family and freeze meals for them, and then leave on the last flight on Sunday and reach Bangkok in the early hours of Monday. It was a crazy time but worth it."
After completing the Le Cordon Bleu training, Sapna started teaching cooking classes at home and at 19 Culinary Studio. Encouraging response led to her writing her first cookbook, New Indian Kitchen, for the MPH Masterclass Kitchen series. The e-book version of New Indian Kitchen recently was ranked number two in the Amazon.com bestseller list for European Cooking. ("Possibly due to some of my recipes being seen as fusion," Sapna observes.) Ultimately, Sapna believes that there is a place for tradition and learning the original recipes. She says, "If I don't know how to make the original dishes, I wouldn't know how to make changes to them. I love playing with new ingredients."
(Traditional Goan chicken curry with chestnuts) Ingredients 1 kg whole chicken, cut into pieces 1 large onion, thinly sliced 1 small lime, juice only 1 cup chestnuts, peeled and diced into 4 pcs 2 tablespoons lemon juice for drizzling Coriander leaves for garnishing For the spiced coconut paste: 1 cup heaped freshly grated coconut 1/4 cup poppy seeds 8 cloves of garlic, peeled 7-8 small shallots 4 dried red chillies A 4-inch cinnamon stick 4 cloves 1 small star anise 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 teaspoon nutmeg powder 1 teaspoon turmeric powder Salt to taste Method Clean, rinse, and drain any excess liquid from the chicken. Marinate chicken with salt and lemon juice. Set aside. Put a non-stick pan on low heat. Dry roast the grated coconut and poppy seeds, stirring constantly for about 5-7 minutes until the coconut turns a golden brown. Empty onto a plate and set aside. In the same pan heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Sauté shallots, red chilies, cinnamon, cumin, fennel, coriander seeds, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and star anise for about 2 -4 minutes on low heat. Add the turmeric and nutmeg powder at the end and stir for only 50 seconds to avoid burning the powdered spices. Blend all the spices as well as the roasted coconut and poppy seeds to a fine paste, using a little water. Heat a large heavy bottom pot with 4 tablespoons of oil. Stir in the sliced onion. Sauté until the onions turn translucent. Add the chicken and stir for about 5 -8 minutes. Add the spiced coconut paste, and continue to stir for another 10 minutes until the paste starts to turn deeper in colour. Add chestnuts and enough warm water to cover the chicken. Cook curry for about 20 minutes on medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked and the gravy has a thick consistency. Drizzle with lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or ciabatta bread. New Indian Kitchen by Sapna Anand is available at all good bookstores. To learn more, visit www.facebook.com/mytestkitchen |
| Posted: 18 Oct 2014 05:45 PM PDT
DAY ONE Mercat St Josep de la Boquiera Rambla, 91 Opens 8am-8.30pm, Monday-Saturday http://www.boqueria.info/ Start your day surrounded by the freshest Spanish bites at the best market in the world, as awarded by the 2005 World Markets Congress. With a long history that dates back to 1217 when it started as an open-air bazaar, Boqueria Market is still today the city's go-to place for choice ingredients, both fresh and dry, or to attend gastronomy events and cooking classes at the Culinary Classroom upstairs.
At the eggs stall, for example, suitably decked out like a barn complete with wooden sculpted chickens and ducks, your choice extends well beyond the usual poultry variety to include gigantic emu and ostrich eggs. The mushrooms stall is like a fairytale garden of delights with all manners of fabulous fungi sold by weight while the candy shop will make Willy Wonka turn green with envy with its plethora of colourful sugary creations in whimsical shapes. Don't leave without breakfasting at Bar Pinotxo, a Ferran Adria-recommended stall that's an establishment in itself, known as much for its silky cafe con leche (thick milk coffee) and Catalan delights like cigrons (garbanzo beans with blood sausage, pine nuts and raisins) as it is for the owner, the always-smiling Juanito. To find this 14-seat kiosk, look for its namesake Pinocchio hanging above the counter. La Rambla Boquiera is located along the 1.2km-long boulevard, with a big section closed to vehicular traffic, that's lined with trees and populated by stunning period buildings tenanted by fashion brands, restaurants and cafes.
Plaza Catalunya Stroll the length of La Rambla towards the north and this sprawling square is where it actually begins, as do eight other main streets in the city. Designed by Puig i Cadafalch, the same architect behind Gothic castle Casa de les Punxes, the square came into being circa 1925 and is to Barcelona as Trafalgar Square is to London.
If you want to take in all of the square and the city in one view, head to El Corte Inglés, Spain's answer to Selfridges that was founded in Madrid and has stores across the country.
La Pedrere de Caxia Catalunya Passeig de Gracia, 92 Opens 10am-8pm daily http://www.fundaciocatalunya-lapedrera.com/ Recharged after that coffee and views, it's time to hit the streets again – unless you've been distracted by the shopping at El Corte that is. Leg it about 15 minutes from the Plaza and you will reach this Antoni Gaudi masterpiece, designed as a private residence and completed in 1912. Also known as Casa Mila, it's a cultural centre of sorts that captures the life of Barcelona's bourgeois in the early 20th century by way of a fully-furnished recreated apartment, an auditorium and reading rooms that promote Barcelona culture through concerts, workshops and film screenings.
Join the night tours to discover "Secret Pedrera", with options to include dinner at its in-house cafe and in summer, end your evening with a jazz concert on the roof. Le Sagrada Familia Carrer de Mallorca, 401 Opens 9am-6pm daily, October-March; 9am-8pm, April-September; 9am-2pm, 25-28 December and 1-6 January http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/ If you like what you see at Casa Mila, you'll be positively bowled over at this Roman Catholic church that's also on the Gaudi trail and is still at various stages of construction – a process that has taken a staggering 132 years to date and has an estimated 12 more years to go.
DAY 2 Picasso Museum Montcada 15-23 Opens 9am-7pm, Tuesday-Sunday; free admission every Thursday from 7pm-9.30pm; closed Mondays except public holidays Pablo Picasso may have lived most of his life in France but Barcelona was where the father of the Cubism movement considered his home. The artist himself initiated the idea of establishing a gallery of his pieces in 1960 and three years later, an early incarnation of the museum welcomed its first visitors.
The museum is spread out over five stone mansions built in the 14th and 18th century. Come early to beat the queues and yes, there's always a long one. Underground art Barcelona's subway system is fairly well-connected, placing you within easy reach of the city's top attractions. The Metro stations themselves are often worth a second look, dressed in striking contemporary designs or doubling up as galleries for various works of art. Along the new L10 line, for example, you can view photography installations by Ramon Parramon while the Drassanes station is a sleek showcase of organic shapes and furnishings that mirror the subway cars. There are three stations near Musee Picasso but it's Liceu that will place you on the right track to your next destination. Poble Espanyol Avenguda Francesc Ferrer i Guardia, 13 Opens 9am-8pm, Monday; 9am-12am, Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday; 9am-3am, Friday; 9am-4am, Saturday http://www.poble-espanyol.com/ Barcelona is definitely a Holy Grail for architecture aficionados, who not only worship at all the Gaudi landmarks but also make a beeline for this open-air gallery that was designed as an Iberian village filled with replicas of 117 buildings, streets and squares from around the country and that showed off the various architectural styles. Like Plaza Catalunya, Poble owes its conceptualisation to Puig i Cadafalch and was initially meant to last only six months – that was the duration of the Barcelona International Exhibition 1929, for which this village was built. It proved itself so popular that its demolition never took place and it stands today as the city's fourth most-visited attraction. Magic Fountaion of Montjuic Placa Carles Buigas Show times Every half hour between 9am-11pm, Thursday-Sunday (30 April-30 September); every half hour between 7pm-9pm, Friday-Saturday (1 October-30 April) From Poble, a short walk will take you to this eye-catching landmark that, like Poble, was also built for the Exhibition. Join the crowds in the evening and be mesmerised by the coloured lights, music and water "acrobatics".
Vivian Chong is a freelance writer-editor, and founder of travel & lifestyle website http://thisbunnyhops.com/ |
| Mourinho happy with Chelsea’s away success Posted: 18 Oct 2014 05:44 PM PDT
The Chelsea manager was heavily critical of his team when they lost at Selhurst Park last season and when asked what his players lacked in the game, wrote the word "balls" in a reporter's notebook. Seven months on, Mourinho was asked what had been the key to his side's 2-1 victory and this time wrote "big balls" in the same reporter's notebook. Victory — secured through goals from Oscar and Cesc Fabregas and achieved after both sides had been reduced to ten men following the dismissals of Cesar Azpilicueta and Damien Delaney — maintained both leaders Chelsea's unbeaten start to the league campaign and their five-point advantage over reigning champions Manchester City. This latest victory was achieved without the injured Diego Costa, Chelsea's leading scorer this term with nine goals in his first seven league game. For Mourinho that was a sign his squad had improved as a whole rather than just been strengthened by the arrival of Costa and fellow pre-season signing Fabregas. 'Long way to go' However, the Portuguese boss said it was too soon to talk of the Premier League trophy returning to Stamford Bridge. "If we were in another league, another profile of league, I would say immediately 'yes, we will do it'," Mourinho said. "In the Premier League, we can do it. But it's hard to say we will do it. "There is a long way to go, lots of good teams and difficulties, difficult games and runs in front of us." He added: "The only thing I will say is what is obvious: We are a better team than last season, there was a clear evolution in our team, and not just because we brought in two fantastic players. "One of them wasn't playing today, but our team was still fantastic. I'm pleased. But to win the title, it's a long way away." Mourinho confirmed Costa would miss Tuesday's Champions League clash with Maribor after the striker returned injured from international duty with Spain. "No, he can't play on Tuesday. I have no idea (when he can play). "The only thing I can say is that, after Arsenal, he went to the national team. He played two big matches against Slovakia and Luxembourg, and he came (back) in a condition where he's not available to play for his club." Mourinho then made it clear what he thought of the Spain set-up by adding, sarcastically: "I think he (Costa) will be in great conditions in mid-November to be back for the national team. That is for sure. "Our medical department will take good care of him and he will be in perfect condition. He will play for me when he has free-time from the national team." Oscar put Chelsea ahead with a sixth-minute free-kick but the balance of the game changed after the two dismissals. Blues left-back Azpilicueta was sent off for a 39th-minute challenge on Mile Jedinak and was quickly followed by Delaney who collected a second yellow card three minutes later. Fabregas doubled Chelsea's lead in the 51st minute and Fraizer Campbell's 90th minute reply came too late to affect the outcome. Palace manager Neil Warnock acknowledged Delaney's dismissal had proved decisive — the defender twice fouled Loic Remy — but was critical of the performance of referee Craig Pawson. "It was a silly thing to do, to give the referee a decision to make," Warnock said. "I thought Chelsea influenced him at times today, but he's young. Inexperience, I guess. "He's had better days. But we played really well, should have scored two or three in the first 45 minutes. I really enjoyed it. "It's just disappointing that, on another day, we might have got a result if things had gone our way." — AFP |
| EU targets Syria with oil, weapons sanctions Posted: 18 Oct 2014 05:42 PM PDT
The EU Foreign Affairs Council will vote October 20 in Brussels on proposals by the UK and France to target Syrian officials responsible for use of chemical weapons and Scud missiles, said two EU diplomats who asked not to be identified commenting on negotiations. Those weapons have been used indiscriminately by Syrian forces in attacks that have killed and injured civilians. The sanctions are expected to take effect October 21. The proposals also include listing individuals and entities that facilitate and supply oil and weapons to the regime, similar to a US Treasury action in May targeting Russia's OAO Tempbank and Mikhail Gagloev, a senior bank executive, said the diplomats in Brussels. The move seeks to protect civilians and curb the Assad regime's aerial bombardments of opposition-held areas with chlorine gas and missiles. The United Nations estimates that more than 190,000 people have died in Syria since civil war broke out in March 2011, spilling over into neighbouring countries and creating a breeding ground for extremist militant groups such as Islamic State. 'Compelling confirmation' The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, based in The Hague, said in a report last month that a fact- finding mission has found "compelling confirmation" that chlorine gas was used "systematically and repeatedly" as a weapon in villages in northern Syria. The use of toxic chemical agents to cause death or harm is prohibited by the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined a year ago to avert airstrikes threatened by US President Barack Obama after Syria used the nerve agent Sarin in attacks against rebel-controlled areas. While all 28 EU member-states agree on sanctioning regime officials, divisions remain about how far Europe should go in pressuring the Assad government and its Russian supporters, the diplomats said. Italy has opposed an additional element in the UK proposal, imposing a blanket ban on aviation fuel exports to the Syrian government, saying efforts need to focus on combating Islamic State, according to one of the EU diplomats. Aviation fuel A spokesman for the Italian Foreign Ministry speaking under customary anonymity denied that Italy has opposed the measure. In an e-mail, the spokesman said his country was prepared to approve, along with the rest of the EU, a set of sanctions on Syria that include the ban on aviation fuel exports. Germany, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Hungary and Greece oppose sanctioning Russian firms involved in financing and supplying weapons to the regime, citing concerns about the wider impact on EU relations with Russia, the diplomats said. US and UK officials are expected to lobby for the proposals, and negotiations are expected to continue throughout the weekend, the two diplomats said. — Bloomberg |
| Ready for more halal eats in Ipoh? Posted: 18 Oct 2014 05:33 PM PDT
Although my initial intention was to compile all the recommended outlets into one article, the sheer number of noteworthy halal food stalls exceeded my expectations, and thus, requires a second chapter. This week, let us go beyond the neighbourhood and discover tantalizing halal meals around Ipoh city and even deep within the outskirts of the city. For the first recommendation, it actually took me more than one try to locate the stall, and when I finally did, it was not a cause for celebration as they were closed for a lengthy period — the Raya celebrations. Tough luck. The odd business hours aside, Laksa Perlis is one stall worth your time and effort navigating the labyrinths of Manjoi. If you are armed with a navigation app, then you should be safe. Started in 2008, Puan Rubi and her husband took a chance of kick-starting their venture right from the doorsteps of their home in Manjoi. She hails from Perlis while her husband is from Kedah, and the main reason for the startup according to them was the lack of a really good Malay laksa in Ipoh. While Kuala Kangsar is also renowned for the brand Pak Ngah Laksa — even selling from trucks around Ipoh, the taste of Laksa Perlis is indeed very distinct from the northern Perak version; using fresh sardines from the market to produce the creamy broth spiced up with condiments (that come separately) of chopped onions, julienned cucumber, bird's eye chillies and a halved calamansi lime.
The cucur is served with kuah kacang, a nutty, sweet and spicy sauce that will definitely remind you of a good satay sauce. From the challenging maze of Manjoi, let's move to a famed chicken rice establishment nearer to the city centre; Fuziah Nasi Ayam Pasar Bulat. The proprietors first started selling their popular halal chicken rice at the now-demolished Pasar Bulat or Yau Tet Shin Market, sometimes referred to as the octagon market owing to its distinctive structure, back in 1980.
They serve only ONE item from lunch until late dinner. This is understandable, given the strong track record of their roasted chicken with a light drizzle of their "secret" sauce; savoury and sweet without overwhelming the delicate taste of the chicken. The chicken at Fuziah's is roasted to a crispy finish then served on a bed of lettuce and garnished with scallions. However, the meat tends to be a tad too dry, especially if you pick the breast portion. The chicken rice here comes in individual servings inclusive of fragrant oil rice with a faint, buttery nuance, a bowl of chicken soup and two sauces; their version of a sweet chili sauce and a more punchy finely-chopped bird's eye chillies with soy sauce. The third halal food place in Ipoh that I want to recommend is this impressive Mee Goreng from Cathay Mee Stall (CMS) located near the traffic lights of Jalan Yang Kalsom. This stall has escaped the radar of most travellers, possibly due to its location; ie. parking can be a horror, due to the incredibly popular Nasi Ganja at Yong Suan coffee shop at the other end of the same road. But do not dismiss this stall as being just another generic Indian-style fried noodle stall please.
What makes their mee goreng so special is the excellent mastery of the cook in controlling the fire and tossing in just the right amount of ingredients, ie: bean sprouts, chopped scallions, eggs, prawn fritters, tau kua (dried beancurd) and potatoes coated in a most devilishly-irresistible gravy stir-fried until thickened. Cathay Mee Stall serves an equally noteworthy pasembur (Indian rojak) as well in a ferociously-red sauce that belies its sweet and savoury nature, but feel free to request for an added fiery kick if you are game for a sweating good time. The servings here are pretty generous, and definitely enough to be shared if you're not keen on polishing off a mountain of noodles during lunch. But trust me; one slurp of the sumptuous fried noodles was all it took to convert me into a fan. I sure hope that you are more confident now to bring your Muslim friends around Ipoh for a good meal or two. There are a few other outlets that I would like to share with you, but let us take it one step at a time. Stay tuned, and have a fabulous makan adventure ahead. LAKSA PERLIS (HALAL) RESTORAN FUZIAH NASI AYAM PASAR BULAT (HALAL) CATHAY MEE STALL (HALAL) |
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