SOMETHING BLUE

19/6/2016
Sunday
Time to share some foodie post...

This bunga telang is a hardy plant and due to the recent rain, have been flowering profusely.  I have plucked the flowers since I do not need anymore plants and just kept them dried.  These beauties are also very beneficial too: antioxidant and antiaging etc. as listed in a recent article The Sun newspaper.  

So, I tried making my favourite kueh- Kueh Serimuka 

The dried flowers (around 20-25 flowers) are boiled with 100 ml water  and let cool to extract the blue colour. 

Soaked about 300 gm glutinous rice overnight in the fridge .  I separately soaked 100 gm  with the blue water and about 200 gm in plain water.  Drain them well the next day.   

Dilute 180 ml coconut milk with 20 ml of water and 1/2 tsp salt.   Mix the rice with the coconut milk evenly   

I used a square tin and place pandan leaves at the bottom of tray before spooning the white portion at the bottom.  Top it with the blue-coloured rice and steam over high heat for 20 minutes. 

While the rice is steaming, prepared the custard:  200ml thick coconut milk, 3 eggs 150gm caster sugar, 100 ml pandan paste (blending 20 pieces of   pandan leaves with 100 ml water) 4 tbsp cornflour, 5 tbsp plain four (I used hoonswee flour instead) 

Whisk sugar, eggs, santan and pandan paste together over pot of simmering water till lump-free and thick (but still fluid). Remove rice after steaming and press down the rice.  Sieve and pour the custard over steamed rice.  Cover with clingwrap and return to steam over simmering water (low heat) for 30 minutes.    

Allow to cool completely before serving.... best with some kaya... 

With the excess dried flowers and pulut rice, I tried another easy recipe.. Pulut Inti.
Again the rice has to be soaked overnight in the fridge(same method as above).

You can either choose to steam the rice separately in a pan and then assembly/pack them with banana leave before serving.  I decided to use these individual tart moulds instead and remember to grease the moulds with oil. Steam over high heat for 20 minutes. 

I realised after steaming that I should have put the blue rice at the bottom of the tart mould, so that it would look prettier:D 

grated coconut cooked with gula melaka 

Allow to cool  and serve with coconut filling.

Just a quick and easy dinner for the weekend..

My mint and rosemary from the garden for  the couscous with dried cranberries

Pour boiling water over the couscous and cover with clingwrap for 15 minutes.  Fluff them and season with salt, pepper and some lemon juice and zest 

Mix in the chopped herbs and toasted almonds and pinenuts. 

To assembly:  spoon prepared couscous on greaseproof baking paper, place saute mushrooms and salmon fillets (which have been seasoned with sake and salt) and sprinkle sliced chillies and ginger on top.    

Wrap up the parcel and bake at 200C for around 10-15 minutes (depend how big the fish fillet)

Voila.....delicious dinner with minimal cooking.