Rojak Mamak (Pasembur)

As a colloquial expression, the word rojak is used in Malaysia to describe an assorted mix of something or even someone….we sometimes jokingly say that a person is a rojak if he/she comes from a mixed-parentage! Now that is funny especially since rojak literally refers to a delectable dish (known to originate from Indonesia)!

For the global foodies, rojak is simply a plate of salad (consisting of fruits and vegetables, eggs and fish cakes and sometimes tossed noodles along with many other choices) that is specifically dressed with yummy peanut sauce. You get a dish of rojak when an assortment of ingredients are assembled on a plate and topped with spoonfuls (not just spritzs!) of the creamy peanut dressing.

Actually, there is a wide variety of rojak available according to regions in Malaysia; the type of rojak that I prepared earlier today is also known as pasembur. Here are some of the ingredients I piled up on my plate of homemade rojak: crunchy fritters (prepared separately), fried tofu, seasoned and boiled potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, coarsely shredded cucumber and jicama, a handful of bean sprouts.

I prepared the spicy and sweet peanut sauce after reading a couple of recipes online, more eager to learn some tips and shortcuts :) I remember once watching Rachel Ray preparing this peanut sauce using crunchy peanut butter, a couple of dashes of soy sauce, spicy mustard and maple syrup. I think that would work too but I made my rojak sauce from scratch. Roasting the peanuts and then pounding them gives the sauce a rather distinct flavor.

As satisfying as any homemade dish can be but not enough to satiate my yearning for the rojak served at the mamak stall in Taman Shamelin, Cheras!

Homemade Sloppy Joe with Oven-Crisped Garlic Bread

This recipe was inspired by Chef Bobby Flay, just so you know. I actually got some ground turkey this time to make some meatballs when I happen to watch Throwdown with Bobby Flay featuring the all-American sloppy joe.

Although I have never cooked it previously or even ordered this sandwich in restaurants, I was tempted to try out because I already have all the ingredients needed at home and to be more exact, Chef Flay made it look super simple! After trying out, I know now it is really the case…

The ground turkey is cooked in rich tomato sauce (I used diced fresh tomatoes and some tomato paste), with diced onions, green peppers, celery and spices (cumin, ground black pepper, chili powder) and a pinch or two of brown sugar with salt to taste.

As usual, I modified the featured recipe by adding less brown sugar and a little more chili powder to suit our taste.

Another thing different is that I served my sloppy joe on garlic bread which I toasted till crispy in the oven. Originally the sloppy joe is served on soft buns so that the gravy will be absorbed by the bun but I wanted something to hold the content better.

A rather interesting take on the regular bread-with-meat meal…just don’t complain about the sloppiness when eating – the name should have given you an idea :)

Chinese Eggplant Sambal

In my Asparagus Stir-Fry with Dried Shrimp post, I did mention on how we Malaysians are hooked on sambal:

“…our famous must-have condiment – sambal! When you blanch dried chilies and then grind it with some belacan (shrimp paste), you have with you sambal paste that be used in infinite possible ways. Ask any Malaysian and he/she would say that nothing can go wrong when it’s cooked with sambal paste!”

Here is yet another one of the infinite possible ways of using the sambal paste to make a delectable dish, this time around using Chinese Eggplants.

I have tried using all the different available types of eggplants: Chinese, Italian, Japanese and Indian and find them all to be wonderful. The Chinese eggplants though are naturally sweeter, to me. This somehow tends to give the spicy sambal a suitable balance.

Here, the eggplants are sliced up and then deep-fried. Separately, I sautée some sambal paste and then when it is completely cooked i.e. when the oil separates from the oil (the chili paste needs to be cooked thoroughly to prevent the chilies tasting raw), I add in the eggplant slices and gently coat them with the sambal.

A sambal-icious side dish!

Medhu Vada with Coconut-Mint Chutney Dip

Most people in the world are probably aware that vada is traditionally a South Indian savory snack. These people would be in for a surprise when they get to eat this crispy delicacy in Malaysia prepared by a Malay (my neighbor in Melaka has a pasar malam stall where she prepares and sells masala vadas) or even Malaysian Chinese. Oh yes, I still remember eating this hot and tantalizing snack prepared and served by a Chinese man in his roadside stall in Gajah Berang. In fact, his variation was special as they were prawn vadas served with chili sauce. Well, that’s how diversely united we Malaysians are :)

It’s not an uncommon sight to see a Malay preparing and selling the vadas or even the popular Chinese snack, pao (or bao), a kind of steamed bun with a variety of filling, both sweet and savory; a Malaysian Chinese preparing and selling Malay kuihs, rendang and nasi lemak or a Malaysian Indian preparing and selling char kway teow! That’s why we mostly prefer to identify ourselves as Malaysians first and then by cultural heritage because we share, give and take so many things among ourselves, especially when it comes to the Malaysian cuisine :)

As for me, this is yet another item that I have never bothered making them when I was in Malaysia mainly because whenever I wanted them, vadas are easily available in all Indian restaurants (all day) and roadside stalls during teatime. Out of the two common vadas, medhu (the donut-like vada with the hole) and dhal (prepared with lentils), I love medhu vada. Prepared the right way, it is usually crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inseide and pairs well with coconut chutney or even yogurt (medhu vada eaten soaked in flavored yogurt becomes dahi vada!).

I’d have to presoak the black gram dhal the night before and then grind it to a thick batter and then flavor the batter with salt, cumin seeds, cut green chilies, onions and ginger. A little long a procedure…so I usually take it easy when I don’t get the hole in the middle like :) and mostly just fry them up by pouring the batter in the hot oil without even trying to shape them. I usually target for perfection in taste and once I achieve that, the shape is really not a concern! I prepared some coconut-mint chutney to dip my vadas in this time. In little oil, I roast some cut onion, ginger, green chilies and a bunch of mint leaves together with some chana dhal before blending them in my food processor.

A wonderful savory snack, best enjoyed piping hot on a cold fall day!

Gobi Manchurian (Crispy Cauliflower Florets in Manchurian Sauce)

At home in Malaysia, mom usually adds cauliflower florets to her Chinese style mixed-veggie dish and we seldom use cauliflower in Indian dishes. It’s only after marriage that I learned to make this dish which happens to be one of hubby’s preferred vegetarian dishes. It’s not just simple to make this dish that can be served as an appetizer but also easy to like eating it :)

Although chlorophyll-lacking, cauliflower is one of the ‘white’ veggies known to be laden with health benefits. As it is the cauliflower may be as not as appealing as other vegetables but when cooked the right way and with the right flavoring, it can become as scrumptious.

Manchurian dishes are kind of popular in India and are a must in Indo-Chinese cuisine. The Manchurian sauce is basically sweet and sour sauce (soy sauce, ketchup, chili sauce and maybe some sweet rice wine vinegar) with individually favored level of spiciness. This sauce is used together with non-veg items such as chicken and fish as well as in vegetarian dishes using paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and like the post here, cauliflower florets.

First, the florets are coated in a batter made of rice flour, besan flour, chili powder and salt and are fried till crispy and golden brown. At this stage itself the fried cauliflower florets become tempting…hmmph…they are deep-fried after all! The crispy florets are then tossed with the prepared Manchurian sauce to make a tantalizing side-dish.