Home cooking

Baba's quote for today.

"Speak soft and sweet; sympathise with suffering and loss and ignorance: try your best to apply the salve of soothing words and timely succour"

My late mother-in-law's nonya rendang is unbeatable. During the years that I lived with her, I was fortunate to pick up a few secret recipes which have now become family favourites. I will share the recipe for the rendang chicken.

The difference in the method is that the chicken is seasoned with kunyit powder and salt and then deep fried. The rempah (consisting of onions, dried chilli, garlic, lengkuas, buah keras, garlic and prawn paste) is sauteeted before adding the pieces of fried chicken. Add some water and stir and then add santan and allow the mixture to simmer. Add salt to taste. Dish out and garnish with fried juliened ginger. The rendang chicken is in the picture above.

I have now mastered the art of preparing roast pork. The ideal cut is the belly meat but ask the butcher to give you a block of about eight inches by ten inches or a piece to suit your oven size. Season the meat part with salt,pepper, five spice powder and rice wine. If you like you can slot in pieces of chopped garlic for added flavour. As for the skin, rub with salt and pepper and some vinegar. Leave the piece, skin side up in the refrigerator overnight. Bake in medium heat for 40 minutes or until cooked. Then put heat on high to enable the skin to blister. The roast pork is then ready. You can see the result in the picture above.

The other picture was taken from the condo balcony in Metro Wangsa Maju. The dome has an unusual design and the pink colour of the rest of the building offers good contrast to the fresh green surroundings with the hillock in the background. Observe the LRT Putra line on the right. A good combination of nature, development and religion!! Inspiring after a hard day's work!!