Chinchards in Paprik Sauce

Instead of black tilapia we used fried chinchards (chencaru) instead, as my husband does not take fresh water fish. We fried the chinchards without removing its thick layer of outer skin. My niece Shazana helped prepare the Paprik Sauce, as normally found in Thai restaurants.

Method:

2 onions, 5 cloves garlic, 2.5 cm ginger, 2.5 cm galangal, 2.5 cm fresh turmeric root were pounded.
All pounded ingredients were lightly fried in a saucepan. When fragrant, 3 tabsp of chilli paste was added and the frying continued. A stalk of lemon grass was crushed and added with 5 sprigs of kaffir lime leaves. 700 ml water and 3 tabsp of Thai fish sauce were added. The juice of two big limes (limau nipis) was squeezed into the pan. 2 tabsp sugar was added. If the sauce is not thick enough you can a little chilli sauce to thicken it. Add more lime if the sauce is not sour enough.

Two tomatoes cut into 8, 1 sliced fresh chilli, half green capsicum sliced, were added to the sauce.
You may also add sprigs of Chinese celery (daun Sup) to add flavour to the sauce.

The cooked sauce is then poured over the fish and eaten with hot white rice.

Tonight, my brother from Alor Star and his family visited us.

We had the above, plus fried black tilapia in plum sauce as done in an earlier dinner with red tilapia. I think red tilapia tastes better. We also has grilled chicken and a kerabu of long beans and cucumber for dinner.

Only the rice remains as a leftover. It will be made into fried rice for breakfast.

Earlier today we all congregated at my cousin's house in Sunway Damansara. Efi had just moved into the townhouse and we had a little housewarming and "doa selamat"(prayer for safe passage ). Her parents and several aunts, uncles, greataunts and great uncle, cousins, and a nephew ( all from my side of the family from Alor Star) were there. Later some of Efi's friends turn up.

The menu for the housewarming was scrumptuous tomato rice with fried chicken, beef and mixed vegetable curry, chicken in tomato curry and mixed fruit rojak.

Red Tilapia in Sweet and Sour Plum Sauce

Tonight's dinner comprises of fried red Tilapia in sweet and sour plum sauce and "pecal" salad ( mixed vegetables in peanut sauce). (The bottom picture shows the pecal before it is mixed with the sauce)

Winter melon (kundur) was added with pieces of carrots to the plum sauce as recommended by the famous Malaysian chef, Chef Wan. Upon eating it, I thought putting slices of pineapple or unripe mangoes would also be as interesting and they would compliment the plum sauce. The vegetables in the pecal were boiled tapioca leaves ( from our backyard), long beans and bean sprouts added with cut cucumber. It was not a full pecal recipe as the salad was meant to be eaten with rice. Afif's orange drink added to the oomph of the meal.

Tomorrow we plan to prepare Thai paprik sauce with black Tilapia. We are having a freshwater fish feast as my husband is out of town. Freshwater fish is not in his cup of tea.

We bought the tilapia at Tesco's. They had removed the scales and gutted the fish. As with fresh water fish, we had to wash it in tamarind juice to remove any fishy smells, before adding salt and powdered turmeric. The Tilapia is then deep fried. I think Tilapia and catfish is best fried though I have eaten grilled Tilapia before with tamarind juice mixed with sliced fresh chillies, onions, lemon grass and kerisek (roasted coconut) and it tasted great.

To make the plum sauce, two onions, 2.5 cm ginger, 3 cloves garlic and some peppercorns are pounded before being lightly fried Some water is then added. The cubed winter melon is then dropped into the saucepan, followed by cubed carrots and a few dried Chinese plums. Half a bottle of plum sauce is then added.

When the vegetables are cooked, the plum sauce is poured onto the Tilapia in a dish. Some Chinese celery and fresh chillies are used to garnish the dish.

It is not a Bed of Roses

The debate on fresh doctors in government service had not ended. The letter sent by the Perak State Director of Health, reproduced below, adds fodder to the debate.

Not easy being a doc

I would like to refer to the recent letters about housemen and sick doctors. The job of a medical officer is very demanding and carries a heavy responsibility, especially now, as patients are more aware of their rights, have high expectations, are medically more knowledgeable and more litigation conscious. Housemen, their parents and those who aspire to be doctors should realise this.
Housemanship requires psychological and physical endurance. If one is unable to cope with the demands during this period, then one may succumb to stress, and the possibility of making medical errors is higher.
Many want to be doctors without realising that they have to make a lot of sacrifices.
A medical student is responsible only for himself, but once he graduates and becomes a doctor, he is responsible for the life of his patients.
The medical profession is rather unique in that although a doctor may have obtained a medical degree, he still cannot practise because he still has a lot to learn especially the practical skills of medical management.
In fact, the medical degree is just a licence for them to start learning how to practise medicine. Medical doctors will not be given full registration unless they pass their housemanship training. Housemanship is the time when newly-graduated doctors are trained not only to manage and administer the medical management under supervision to patients but to withstand the endurance of working long hours, day and night, weekdays and weekend.
There was an incident when a new doctor entered the ward for the first time, and a paediatric patient collapsed in front of her. She was stunned and unable to respond whereas the nurses tried to revive the child. Unfortunately, the child died.
The doctor did not come to work for three days. On the fourth day, she came to see me and said that she had chosen the wrong profession, and subsequently left the hospital. As mentioned in your papers, there are doctors who get “sick”.
A doctor can be held liable in an action of negligence if he fails to exercise that degree of care and skill which is expected of him. Medical errors do happen when doctors misdiagnose, delay treatment or administer the wrong dosage.
As such, a houseman who examines more patients, spends longer hours in the wards and handles more procedures will become a better and more confident doctor.
Housemen should not complain about the long working hours and being scolded by their seniors and specialists. Teachers and lectures have been scolding students since ages because they want their students to succeed and be better than them.
As part of their training, housemen have to report for work long before the official hours and work through lunch and dinner if need be, and know every detail of their patients.
They should love their work and enjoy the satisfaction of seeing patients under their care recover. No patient should die because of a houseman’s incompetence. Inexperience is not a defence.

So housemen should go to work with the right attitude and acquire knowledge, skills, stamina and patience so that they can be confident of working alone anywhere in the country.

DATUK DR AHMAD RAZIN MAHIR,
Pengarah Kesihatan Negeri, Perak.

Well said, Dr Razin

Tonight we had this delicious simple to prepare meal.I made the mushroom soup ( with low fat milk and mushrooms and a sprinkle of oregano and pepper) and the grilled chicken in barbeque sauce. Nurul, my eldest daughter who is back for a holiday, prepared the salad while Zaty my youngest daughter and faithful helper made her favorite garlic bread. Except for the barbeque sauce which was bought from the hypermarket, the rest was made ourselves from basic ingredients

Afif who came home starving after his futsal outing, ate all the above with rice and soya sauce. That's fusion menu of which Malaysians are familiar with.

Learning to Cook

Picture above is the meal cooked by Zaty entirely by herself a few days ago. She managed to cook a complete meal comprising of white rice, Ayam Masak Merah based on my instructions, and mixed vegetables.

The other caption is Afif taking his turn to fry some fish.Suddenly he has acquired an interest in cooking? Cannot be... Maybe my comment earlier stirred him on.

A Little Spice to Make Food Nice

I don't know when Afif will be interested to learn to cook. I just hope he can live on sandwiches, cornflakes and Maggi noodles when he goes to Sheffield next year.Right now he is busy playing the XBox. Cooking is the last thing on his mind. Hopefully when he is on his own he will learn to cook simple meals from recipes in this blog when the time comes. Actually, we learn best when we are in need. Just like taking on another language in a foreign country. The Bangladeshi workers can speak good Malay now. They have to . If not how to survive? Now they can even flirt with the local Malay girls and get the latter's parents worried.

I found a few good tips in a recent newsletter. It is from Nestle Nutrition reproduced from Maggi's website. It is about adding a little spice to make food nice.

It says a pinch of cinnamon powder, a few bay leaves and a pip of garlic will enhance the taste and aroma of the dish. Of course, I agree with this statement. I use the sweet cinnamon and jintan manis (fennel seeds- top left picture) to add sweetness and avoid using sugar.I have yet to learn to use bay leaves which I bought sometime ago. But using kaffir lime ( daun limau purut) leaves and turmeric leaves (daun kunyit) and torch ginger flowers ( bunga kantan- centre picture) is no stranger to me as I love the flavour they add to a particular dish.

For best results the article on spices suggests these little "secrets:

• Buy spices in small amounts as aging robs their flavour and aroma.


• To test the freshness, rub a bit of spice between thumb and index finger and breathe in the aroma. If it is not present, discard it as it is no longer fresh.

• Store spices in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight.

• Less is best. Start with a small amount of spices and add more if insufficient. To much makes the food bitter instead of enhancing its flavour.

• Cooking releases the aroma and flavour of spices. So if you stew, add spices in the last hour. However, if using in cold dishes, you need time for the spices to release their flavour.

• Spices like bay leaves, lemon grass, ginger and peppercorns can do with a bit of crushing to release their flavour. That is why they are crushed with the pestle before being thrown into the pot.

• Spices like mustard seeds, aniseed, curry leaves, cumin and fenugreek needs to be fried lightly to release their aroma and flavour

• One can experiment with the different spices to see their suitability.For example, fenugreek (halba- top right picture) is great at masking the fishy smell of seafood, while nutmeg is usually used in baked foods,beverages and puddings.

• To keep soups clear, bag up the spices in a small muslin pouch (bunjut) before adding to the soup before boiling.

Now we understand why our grandmother's freshly ground spices in curries, korma and the like tasted so good, unlike the spices we buy from the Mamak store and keep it for months before using.

No Room For Ignorance

I am reproducing a letter published in the Star on 19th Dec 2008 from a senior doctor in Seremban who felt that he/she has to response to the houseman issue and give the senior officer's side of the story.

No room for ignorance in hospital wards

I AM a senior doctor who works in a government hospital with house officers. Having read letters and comments by these house officers and their parents regarding the harassment by their senior colleagues, let me share some of my experiences.

> A middle-aged man, admitted to ward for severe diarrhoea, died due to hypovolemic shock (life-threatening fluid loss). The reason: The house officer on call did not check the patient’s vital signs documented in the record chart.

> A house officer during his morning rounds continued serving potassium supplement even though the patient has hyperkalemia. The reason: He did not review the patient’s drug chart during rounds. He did not trace results of blood tests taken two days ago.

> A young man was transferred from a district hospital for chest pain. The doctor who first saw him had missed the ECG findings of acute myocardial infarction (severe heart attack).

As a result, the man received delayed treatment, and ended up with heart failure. The doctor was a house officer from my hospital, sent out to the district hospital after having completed two years of house officer training.

> A man who collapsed in the ward at 7am was left unattended. The house officer who was on call the night before had left the ward to take a bath, even though he had been informed that the patient was unstable. The patient died due to a delay in administration of CPR.

These are some of the scenarios where the house officers got a shelling from me, not only because of their severe deficiency in knowledge, but due to their attitude and half-hearted manner when dealing with patients.

Then there are house officers who habitually come late to work, even later than their senior colleagues. And there are house officers who don’t take blood investigations on time for patients with dengue fever and never bother to trace the results on time, putting patients at risk.

There are also house officers who smoke in the doctor’s room and house officers who go out drinking late into the night, and are unable to come in to work the next morning due to a severe hangover.

These are the house officers that I have scolded. They grew up, finished their two years’ training and became my colleagues.

Some of them became my good friends, and appreciated what I had taught them. Yet, some will not even look at me when me meet and keep on making silly mistakes when treating patients.

I do not scold house officers for no reason. I don’t get paid for that. I don’t expect them to be superb in knowledge, but the basic knowledge that was acquired from medical schools must be there when they start working.

How do you call yourself a doctor when you do not even know how to perform CPR? Most importantly, one must work with a conscience. Yes, they are allowed to make mistakes, but never at the expense of the patient’s life due to their lousy attitude or severe deficiency in knowledge.

To the parents of these young doctors, have you heard the other side of the story before defending your children? Did they tell you why they got scolded at work?

And if you find out that your child caused a patient’s death, simply due to his poor knowledge and lousy working attitude, will you be able to sleep well at night?

To the house officers who complain a lot, if you can’t even handle negative comments from your senior colleagues, how can you survive when you face demanding patients and family members?

It’s disheartening to see that the public is trying to sensationalise this issue without hearing the other side of the story.

As for myself, I will still scold them if I need to. Of course, I will praise my house officers if they have done well. I don’t mind being unpopular, because it’s not a popularity contest, and my conscience is clear.

A DOCTOR,

Seremban.

So, all housemen and would be medical graduates, please be well equipped with the right mindset before you start your national health service. Be ready to be humble and have an open mind.Most important of all, be ready to LEARN.

This Year's Korban

I am very happy with our korban this year. The bull was a strong one with little fat. Before the slaughter, it was already pacified and everything went without much drama unlike last year when the bull did not give up and tried to escape its fate.

See Zaty's blog for the photos.

Since the Eidul Adha, we have been having beef every now and then. Not every day, as I think it is too heaty.We had fried beef slices on the second day and for today's lunch we had fried rice with beef slices from last night 's dinner. Tonight we had rice vermicelli soup made from the ribs. Zaty's fried shallots complimented the soup really well.

I promised Ikmal to post my fried beef slices recipe and here it is:


Fried Beef Slices made from fresh korban meat.

You need 1/2 kg beef, cut across the grain in thin slices and marinate with the following spices for at least one hour.( You must remove all fat and membranes so that the meat is tender. In case of korban meat, I bury whatever part that is not cooked or eaten so that the sacrifice is accepted by God and the sacrifice is not a futile exercise.)

You may add a little liver or spleen if you like. I find fresh organ meats taste okay if it is lean.

Spices:

1 tsp fennel seeds (jintan manis)
1 tbsp coriander seeds (ketumbar)
2 candlenuts ( buah keras)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cube beef stock
1 tbsp vinegar ( Putting a little vinegar helps tenderize the meat)
The dry spices in red font are grinded in a grinder without any water and added to the rest of the ingredients.

Heat a kuali or deep frier and add 2 ladles of oil. Fry some sweet potato slices, remove and set aside.Fry the beef slices in medium heat and stir continuously until the meat is cooked.When meat is cooked you may remove excess oil. Add in 2 sliced big onions and 5 sliced fresh chillies and continue to cook. Finally, add in the fried sweet potatoes and 2 tbsp of soya sauce. Stir for a minute and serve with hot white rice.

Note that no water is added in the cooking. The dish is served together with the oil used in the frying.

This dish is not idle for weight watchers but I guess it is better than preparing beef rendang which is even more "fatal"

More on Training of Young Doctors in Malaysia

Further to my previous post, two opinions in subsequent editions of the Star are given below:

Docs in Good Hands

I WOULD like to refer to comments and SMS messages in response to the report “Sick doctors” (Sunday Star, Nov 30) and the letter by Dr T. K. Khoo from Iowa, US “Housemanship can drive you crazy” (The Star, Dec 1).
The writer’s comments on the working conditions in Malaysia were very unfair. The working system here is totally different from that of the US or any other western country.
In most places in this country, we are still very short of doctors and other health professionals; still lack modern health infrastructure and facilities and have to deal with overcrowding
Therefore, we cannot avoid working long hours. In order to practise the shift system, we need a very large number of doctors from housemen right up to specialists and consultants. The public hospitals and health centres just cannot cope with that.
Despite the working conditions, many improvements have been made to ease the burden of doctors. These include increased renumeration for junior doctors; more allowances; sponsoring of registration to conferences and call allowances etc.
Now, about the “public yelling, abuses and dressing down”. Just because you saw it once, it does not reflect the situation in the whole country.
The working conditions for housemen are now far, far better than what it was 10 to 20 years ago. This so-called inhumane treatment by seniors is mostly a thing of the past.
The majority of housemen receive good guidance and supervision, and now with the new system in which a specialist is specifically assigned to a group of housemen as supervisor/mentor, they will be even better treated and trained.
Of course I do not deny that there are a few bad apples amongst us who treat juniors very badly. But please look at the other side of the coin.
The quality of medical graduates now is definitely on the decline. Nowadays, we have to deal with discipline and attitude-related problems. Some of the housemen have poor work ethics; they come in late, go off early, are very choosy about postings and refuse to do what is expected of them.
We can thus expect them to respond pretty badly like breaking down and crying; there are also those who call in their parents to confront the consultants for giving them a bad time. Some go into depression, even to the level of becoming neurotic.
Those who do well during housemanship rarely have problems with the seniors. Even if they are reprimanded, they can take it in their stride.
Let’s face it; working as a doctor in a public hospital, especially at junior level, is definitely tough and demanding.
I do not advocate training junior doctors in an inhumane manner. But do not tell me that a yell, like a parent reprimanding their kids for making mistakes, is also out of the question.
How else would you train these junior doctors, especially when a patient’s life is in their hands? I would rather yell and rattle them a bit to toughen them up so that they remember their mistakes for life.
GOVERNMENT DOCTOR,
Kuala Lumpur.
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Be aware of challenges facing medical students

I REFER to two recent reports in The Star, in particular the Sunday Star front page headline “Sick doctors – at least five found to suffer from mental woes every month.”
The report may sound alarming, but nevertheless it is a reality that mental health problems affect all strata of society and doctors are no exception.
The sad truth is there is still so much stig­ma attached to mental disorders, resulting in people delaying or not seeking help and getting the appropriate treatment.
The National Mental Health Registry report on schizophrenia for the period 2003-2005 showed that on average, it took a period of 28 months for people suffering from schizophrenia to seek treatment from the onset of first symptoms.
It is believed that many people who suffer from depression, anxiety or other disorders suffer in silence while people around them pretend that there is no problem.
Undetected or untreated, people with mental disorders live with limitations in their mental and social functioning, besides suffering distress in their daily lives.
Schizophrenia, one of the more severe forms of mental disorder, is a chronic dysfunction of the brain which is the result of a combination of psycho-biological and socio-environmental factors.
It is not due to the fault of anyone, just like other chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension or bronchial asthma.
Many mental disorders are often triggered by stress or adaptation difficulties in new environment. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential to limit mental and social dysfunction associated with the disorder.
Medical students are subjected to tremendous stress during their studies, what more in a foreign country and having to learn a foreign language as well as adapting to a new culture.
They are subjected to further stress during housemanship training. Therefore, it is desirable that parents and students themselves be aware of the challenges of a medical course and medical career, and weigh their readiness before embarking on it.
The Malaysian Mental Health Association would also like to urge the public to be aware of, and be supportive of people with mental health problems.
For those who suffer from mental disorders, do not fear or feel ashamed of your problem. Seek help from a counsellor or a doctor, and get early treatment.
DATIN DR ANG KIM TENG,
President,
Malaysian Mental Health Association.

The second opinion should be treated with caution as not all people with depression end up as mental patients.To be depressed for one to two days may be normal but if a person is depressed for longer than 2 months, then there is a problem.

There are other ways to soothe depression before you seek professional help. Maybe you can seek God's help (through Zikir and Quran recitation for Muslims), or have slow talk with close friends and family and people in similar situations. Family and peer support is a great help. After all housemanship does not last forever. Even in the US, interns face the same problems of having to work 30 hours in a stretch.

Doctors have to have passion to help and keep up with the antics of ill people. They must keep the reason and objective to be doctors at the back of their minds and see the challenges as a means for them to be groomed to be great doctors of the future. Anyway, the training of doctors is not like other professions. Life itself is a non tradeable and irreplaceable commodity. Doctors cannot afford to risk making mistakes. That's why we must understand the harsh training they have to go through sometimes.

A tip for young doctors... If you have done well in your training, (in theory and in clinical practice) and you are sincere to serve and learn, you can take all this in your stride. Those with discipline and ethical problems are not cut to be doctors anyway.

POSER FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS TRAINED OUTSIDE MALAYSIA

The following news articles appeared on the December 1st issue of the Star.

It should be of interest to Ikmal and his friends who are pursuing medical studies abroad.

Students being trained locally are aware of the conditions in the hospitals during their housemanship period. Personally, I think the government should do something to remedy the difficulties due to the long working hours imposed on fresh housemen when they start working after graduation. Sometimes I think the senior doctors purposely like to bully the new interns instead of giving them a friendly helping hand.

On the students' part, they should come back to serve in our hospitals with an open mind. There is no need to compare with the advanced or otherwise poor conditions they experienced during their training overseas.Even locally trained students get a culture shock when they start their medical career in Malaysian hospitals.

Students should concentrate on mastering the clinical skills and knowledge during their medical training and be prepared to adapt and learn some more when they return. They must remember that the housemanship does not last forever. Nowadays it is even easier to pursue further postgaduate qualifications after the housemanship. So , there is definitely a better life after the houseman period. There is no need to feel depressed and regret you became a doctor.

Many medical students suffer from depression

By M. KRISHNAMOORTHY, THE STAR

KUALA LUMPUR: Many Malaysian medical students overseas who take examinations in a foreign language suffer from depression when they return.
Physicians for Peace and Social Responsibility (PPSR) vice-president Datuk Dr Abdul Hamid Abdul Kadir said that large numbers of young Malaysians were being trained in foreign medical schools in Indonesia, Russia, India, Poland, Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
At a forum on Saturday organised by the PPSR, it was highlighted that at least five such houseman are found to suffer from mental illnesses every month.
“These countries have varied systems of medical training and different types of patient care, based on the emphasis of the country. As a result, many of the students who go there undergo a culture shock,” said Dr Abdul Ha­­mid.
“Coming from different universities, backgrounds and experiences, they have difficulty relating and working, especially the weaker students,” he said, adding that there had been a sudden sprouting of many public and private medical schools.
While the schools have increased, however, the number of teaching hospitals have not.
Dr Abdul Hamid said that although there was an increasing demand for doctors, the standards and quality of patient care should not be compromised.
“These are the major concerns which the country’s healthcare and medical educational planners have to constantly bear in mind so that the value systems governing the training of our doctors are never lost sight of in the short term and the long term.”

Crabs in Sweet and Sour Chilli Sauce

I was given the duty to prepare the lunch spread for the bride and groom at a relative's wedding recently. This is called "makan beradab" in Malay. As this was the first time I was given the honour, I was a bit panicky. There was not much preparation, let alone the right ingredients. I was given 3 of each of 3 types of fish; siakap ( sea-perch), gerut-gerut (white snapper) and bawal hitam (sole), 1 kg of prawns, 2 kg of crabs and 1 kg of squids.

I cooked the snapper with bird chillies in coconut cream (as in masak lemak), the siakap and bawal were fried and later bathed in sweet and sour sauce. The squids were stuffed with prawn balls and cooked in curry and the crabs were boiled in shallow water before being added to the sweet and sour chilli sauce.I did not fry the crabs as time was running out. I had only slightly more than 2 hours to prepare all the dishes with the help of 3 volunteers.

I improvised the stuffed squids by stuffing with the prawn balls as that was the only thing suitable that I found in the fridge at the time. It was supposed to be stuffed with potatoes but the ones I found were already past its expiry date.

The crabs were prepared as follows:

Ingredients

2kg crabs 1 cup tapioca flour mixed with cornflour 3 cloves garlic, minced 10 shallots, chopped 2.5 cm ginger, crushed 2 stalks lemongrass, crushed 3-4 tbsp oil 10 red chillies, seeded 5 dried chillies, soaked 2 cups water Seasoning 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tbsp chilli sauce 2 tbsp tomato sauce 1 tbsp vinegar 1 tbsp ikan bilis stock granules Method Clean crabs and remove the top shell and crack the pinces. Trim the legs and cut the crabs into halves. Toss the crabs and put in a saucepan. Add a little water so as to cover 1/3 of the pot. Cook the crabs for 10 minutes or until they turn red and strain. Blend red and dried chillies together until fine. Heat oil in a wok and fry shallots, garlic, ginger and lemongrass until fragrant. Add blended chillies and combined seasoning. Fry for a while until aromatic. Pour in water and bring to a simmering boil. Add the crabs and continue to fry until well coated with the sauce and the gravy is thick. Dish out and serve immediately.You may sprinkle with slices of Chinese celery (daun sup) and lace the plate with lettuce and sliced cucumber before putting in the crabs.

I did not have the time to take the photos of all the dishes. The setting of the table and the decorations of the plates were done by someone else.

Next time if ever I get the opportunity for prepare for such a feast I hope I would be told earlier so as I could be better prepared with the ingredients and plan the right recipes.

The general food prepared for the general invitees to the wedding were: nasi hujan panas ( I didn't see how it was prepared), fried chicken, dalca (with leftover chicken pieces, young bananas, carrots, and other vegetables),pajri nenas (pineapple in sweet curry) and beef in chillies and soya sauce). The latter was nicknamed Congo beef.

Overall the food at the wedding was sumptuous, thanks to the concerted efforts of everyone concerned. I am proud to say that in this village the traditional spirit of gotong royong ( cooperation among the villagers) is still very much alive.

Positive Parenting

Further to my comments on parenting in the last post, I came across an interesting article in the last Sunday Star.

I know I have yet to be a grandma, but I feel that my children need to be aware of the demands on parents once they have children of their own. Children have rights over their parents just as parents have rights over their children.For us Muslims, how we discharge our responsibilities will be questioned on the Day of Judgement. We do the best we can and hope our children forgive us if we have not performed as well as expected. Eventually, we pray that God forgive us too for our weaknesses.

The following is an excerpt from the Star article:

To achieve optimal development for your child, you must first understand the concept and this can help prevent potential problems.

THE key to nurturing your children to become well-rounded adults is to understand that it’s not really about what you want your children to be, but about doing your best to develop your children to their full potential.

Consultant paediatrician Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail, says: “Unfortunately, some parents are just too eager to ensure their children get a head start. You’ll be surprised to know that some five-year-olds nowadays are spending their weekends in tuition classes.

There is a range of normality in child development. For instance, some parents may think their child is slow, but this child could actually be functioning within the normal range of development.

“And when these children do not turn out the way their parents want them to be, the parents get so upset that they begin to be less affectionate to the children. This in turn has such a negative impact on their development and self-esteem.”

So as to ensure children develop to their full potential, parents need to understand how all the aspects of child development interrelate with one another from birth to maturity.

Datuk Dr Zulkifli remarks: “Knowledge about child development definitely helps. Ask your child’s doctor for tips and suggestions, and seek clarification on what you don’t understand. You can see a paediatrician for consultation even when there is nothing wrong with your child or he/she may give an appointment because there is a slight doubt regarding your child’s development that needs more detailed assessment.

“Also, talk to your child. Find out what he likes and dislikes so that you will not ‘torture’ him without noticing it. ”

Understand to prevent

Child development is the process whereby a baby develops to become an independent functioning adult. According to consultant paediatrician Dr Hussain Imam Muhammad Ismail, development is about acquiring skills of increasing complexity leading to independence.

“Child development can be divided into four main areas: fine motor, gross motor, speech and language, and personal and social skills,” says Dr Hussain. “These four functional areas make a person a wholesome individual.”

He defines the four areas as thus:

· Gross motor – A process by which a baby acquires independent mobility. It is like the hatching behaviour of chicks; innately programmed, rather than learned.

· Fine motor – This has to do with the ability to use hands to manipulate objects, which requires visual-spatial skills.

· Speech and language – Revolves around the need to communicate, acquire new ideas and exchange them and mature intellectually. Written language, unique to humans, is what allows us to stand on the shoulders of our ancestors and go forward.

· Personal and social skills – Requires you to learn to interact with others and even yourself.

Range of normality

Dr Hussain says that it’s important for parents to know that there is a range of normality. For instance, some parents may think their child is slow, but this child could actually be functioning within the normal range of development.

“One should not hurry to label a developmental delay because it is usually determined over a few examinations, unless it is an obvious case of global delay as with Down syndrome,” he says, adding that parents should follow the levels of progression and that any expectations should not exceed the normal pace.

“Children will only walk when they are ready to walk. Putting them in walkers at six months of age does not make them walk any earlier and may result in serious domestic accidents,” Dr Hussain emphasises.

Developmental problems are not uncommon, as 10% of children are affected by them. However, the vast majority of children are only mildly affected. Children with mild developmental problems do get better and have a high chance of becoming independent adults with proper in-tervention, help and added attention.

However about 10% to 15% of children with developmental delay are severely affected with impairments that will limit their independence as adults.

Impairment, disability and handicap

These three terms are often misunderstood. Dr Hussain addresses this issue with an interesting point: “Impairment is a problem you have. For example, vision problems. But if you wear glasses, your vision is no longer impaired. If you don’t or cannot correct this, however, it becomes a disability, which then involves your interaction with social limitations. If you cannot do what society expects you to do, you then become handicapped.”

He states, however, that if society is willing to become more accommodating, disabled people can function within the limits of their disability and become productive and independent adults. Fewer individuals will then become handicapped.

Causes of developmental problems

Congenital

Developmental problems that are congenital can be broken down into two groups: genetic endowment and specific genetic disorders.

“If you come from a family with a history of learning disorders, there is an increased tendency for you to have certain intellectual problems,” says Dr Hussain. “This is what is meant by genetic tendency. The same applies for diabetes and hypertension”

On the other hand, specific genetic disorders lead to recognisable syndromes. Individuals with Down syndrome, for example, have an extra chromosome 21 that causes a delay in all aspects of development, especially intellectual functions, language and social skills.

Dr Hussain says that this is the most common specific chromosomal developmental problem in this country, and one that does not get better with time.

Sub-cultural

Sub-cultural factors cause about 10% of mental retardation. Dr Hussain explains: “Everything from poor housing, malnutrition and poverty to a lack of motivation, self-esteem and opportunities tend to compound matters, resulting in mild, intermediate or severe mental retardation.”

Preventing developmental problems

Not all developmental problems can be treated. Depending on the time of intervention and the degree of seriousness, Dr Hussain says there is no guarantee that a problem can be corrected. “As with other problems, prevention is better than cure.”

Some measures that can be taken to prevent developmental problems include:

1. Screening pregnant mothers

Screening can help detect problems like AIDS and syphilis which can lead to mental retardation. In addition all children should be immunised against rubella to prevent congenital rubella syndrome.

2. Screening newborn babies

All newborn babies should be screened for congenital hypothyroidism. If these children are treated early, they will develop normally. Newborns should also be monitored for high levels of jaundice as this is another highly preventable cause of brain damage.

3. Assuring safe delivery

Delivery should be conducted in a safe environment to avoid birth injury and trauma.

4. Planning pregnancy

Women who plan to get pregnant should take their age into consideration. If you are above 35 years of age, you face an increased risk of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome.

5. Eliminating sub-cultural causes

There will be better opportunities for self-improvement with affirmative actions to improve nutrition, housing and education and providing support to those exposed to sub-cultural causes. Urban poverty and the developmental consequences of living in squatters should be urgently addressed

6. Ensuring more means for early intervention

There is a great need for allied health professionals in Malaysia. A lack of therapists and multi-tasking by nurses cause early intervention to be simplistic and not tailored to the needs of individual children.

Dr Hussain concludes, “Both unrealistic expectations and denial will hinder optimal child development. Don’t delay intervention, seek help when concerned.”

Common pitfalls of parenting

If you’ve ever felt that children nowadays are growing up on fast-forward mode, you’re not alone. Consultant clinical psychologist Assoc Prof Dr Teoh Hsien-Jin, for one, is someone who agrees with this view. “We’ve noticed that there is a change in development within this country,” he says. “For instance, four-year-olds nowadays can easily operate DVD players or use hand phones to take photos.”

Assoc Prof Teoh says that although many parents are proud of such accomplishments, they don’t seem worried about whether their children develop basic social skills. “Parents today are overly concerned about academic achievement and are neglecting their children’s social development.”

He points out some common areas where parents often go wrong when it comes to equipping their children with the necessary social developmental skills, and what they can do to remedy the situation:

1. Leaving it all to the maid

Successful parents do not always bring up successful children. This is because their commitment to work often leaves them little time to spend with their young ones. These parents instead leave their children totally in the care of the maid, depriving them of the love and affection they need from parents. Spend some time with your children and let them know that they still have a secure relationship with you.

2. Not allowing them to help out

Your children are never too young for simple chores. Besides, you cannot always do things for them. Some parents give in so much that their children begin to boss them around.

Letting children help with things around the house will help them develop. Folding blankets, making their own beds and allowing them to set the dining table will not only improve their motor skills, but will also give them a sense of responsibility that boosts their social development.

3. Praising only the ‘As’

Praising your children definitely makes them feel happy. But why only praise them when they do well in their exams? Do you praise them when they act in a school play? Or sang on Teacher’s Day?

Address your children’s talents and encourage them even when you think they should be doing something else. Try to understand and see things from their point of view. Remember that you’re not always right. For all you know, it could be something that they would want to do for the rest of their lives, so recognise and appreciate all their abilities.

4. Telling yourself that ‘they are just children’

You notice your child spitting on his friend’s hamster, but all you do is laugh and ignore it, thinking that there is no need to scold him as he’s just a child.

When parents do not correct such behaviour, or worse still, become role models by behaving badly in front of their kids, children will grow up thinking that it’s okay to misbehave. This often leads to anti-social behaviour that will be practised throughout their lives. Children need to learn the appropriate social behaviour. If you do not start now, when do you think you should?

5. Letting them learn solely from TV

Some parents think that placing their children in front of the television all day will improve their vocabulary and make them more intelligent. Little do these parents know that real interaction is essential. Children may understand words that they hear on TV, but will not know how to use that particular word until they practice it.

The next time you let your children watch television, join in and talk to them. Discussing subjects that interest them will develop speech and language skills and also encourage creative thinking.

6. Using threats and lies

How often have you used phrases such as “Come inside or the ghosts will come after you” or “Behave yourself and I’ll take you to the mall”? Many parents think that threatening, “blackmailing” and lying to their children will gain them some compliance and respect. They don’t think, however, of the negative images, thoughts and false hopes they’re instilling in their children.

Children are vulnerable, they get hurt and confused easily. Threats and lies will only add up and interfere with their personal and social development.

Assoc Prof Teoh has these words of advice: “Think carefully about what you are doing to your children now. If you wish for the community to move forward, nurture your children’s abilities and mould them to become good individuals. Build a good foundation for the future because your children will be passing it on to the next generation.”

This article is courtesy of the Malaysian Paediatric Association for the Positive Parenting Programme. For further information, please visit www.mypositiveparenting.org. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader’s own medical care. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

Parenting Skills

(Pictures are for illustrations only)










To be a parent is not easy. Once a parent, always a parent. No resignation accepted. The product of years of hard work or no work at all, is only known and appreciated when the offsprings reach maturity or have children of their own.

Family values are passed from generation to generation. Good values are sustained and bad ones discarded when good external factors prevail such as a good educational environment and responsible peer influence.

Tonight while having dinner at a Mamak restaurant, I was shocked to see how a young mother handled her quarrelsome sons. The elder brother (about 6 or 7 years old) on disagreeing with his younger sibling had poured some water on the latter (about 3 or 4 years old). As kids often do, the younger brother went into a crying tantrum for his Mum' sympathy.Seeing the younger son wet put the Mum in a defensive mood. After consoling the smaller son, she turned around and stared angrily at her elder boy. The boy pretended not to notice his Mum's angry reaction.Guess what the Mum did? She took the glass of water and splashed on her elder son's shirt.

My, my,my, now, who is the Mum and who is the child? The Mum whom I think should be neutral in all feuds between her children was now quarrelling with one of them. What message was sent to the younger sibling?Go ahead and fight.Retaliate when provoked....

Now I know why the young of today are violent and will not give way. Why the young does not respect the old. And each individual only cares for himself and his self-interests. Good values such as love, respect, tolerance, compromise, forgiving and generosity are not being nurtured from young. No wonder teachers find it difficult to teach this values to even elementary school children when the adverse values have been imparted to them from birth.

Normally one studies hard to succeed in exams and formulate strategies to succeed in business endeavours, but when it come to daily life, one often drifts with the flow and forgets the heavy responsibility when becoming a parent.To be responsible for another person's life is no easy matter. Some parents do not care to learn to be the best that they can be. They think getting married and having children are part of life's norm. Often one does not realise that good parenting like good sales techniques can be learnt.

The first step to good parenting starts when you select your life partner.Good traits and attributes will beget good values. One must be able to be sensitive and observant to notice flaws in character that may affect future relationships. For Muslims, the prophet Muhammad s.a.w once mentioned that to seek a spouse, one looks at four things: his/ her looks, wealth, family pedigree and faith, and he recommended that faith should be the criteria. It is the faithful who performs regular prayers (solats) and practises everything a good Muslim should do. A God-fearing person will be guided in all his/ her actions. One must be able to differentiate the hypocrites from the sincere and the moderates from the extreme.

Good parenting also starts before conception. Planning and getting the right information is important. So before one gets married and have children, one should learn and get acquainted with the knowledge of how to nurture the baby while it is still in the womb.Good nutritional habits in pregnancy have to be practised for good quality foetus.

Once the baby is born, his/ her physical and social development milestones has to be monitored so that any abnormalities are detected early. Parents should also set targets for the child's development. For example, my children must be able to read and count to 100 before they finish kindergarten and must finish the Quran recitation before they reach secondary school. Once they are in the best class, their peers are more competitive and hence, they are in the right environment to succeed. No matter how careful you are, often peers are more effective in moulding a young person's character.

Physical development is easy to observe but parents must also provide spiritual guidance. Values are imparted from the time the child opens his eyes and starts to learn from his environment. Learning is often through imitation and observation. Hence, parents are being observed all the time by their offsprings. They have to walk the talk and set a good example by practising what they preach. It is no more " do as I say, not as I do".

However, I believe at the end of the day, it is God's grace and mercy that decides whether we succeed during the time spent on Earth, even though it is also said that we reap what we sow.

Cucur Jagung ( Corn Fritters)

It is very dull and gloomy in Kuala Lumpur at the moment. It has been raining nearly every day that the clothes do not seem to dry. In fact they are more frequently soaked that I have to rinse and spin them again before leaving them on the clothes line again.

On rainy days eating corn or banana fritters come to mind. Since I am alone at home,I can only cook in cyberspace. I do not fancy eating anything fried at the moment after the work- out we had this morning on Zayye's insistence.

Making corn fritters is easy enough. Even Ikmal can make it as it is among his favorite food.


Ingredients:

500g wheat flour
150 g sweet corn, grated from the cob
50g shrimps,shelled
2 eggs, beaten
5 red chillies, 3 onions (finely sliced)
1 sprig spring onions (daun bawang) or chives (daun kucai) cut into 2.5 cm long
a handful of bean sprouts (taugeh)
a pinch of turmeric powder
5g salt

300 ml water

some cooking oil for deep frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in red font in a large bowl. Add in water and mix thoroughly. If the mixture is uneven and there is flour yet unmixed, the batter may explode while frying and your face may end up like the wrinkled cucur.

Heat up oil in a kuali or wok. (Deep frying in an electric fryer is a safe option if you have a fryer).
You can use a spoon to transfer the fritters from the batter to the frying pan. Or you can use your fingers to scoop and shape the batter into a small ball using your thumb, fore finger and middle finger. Use your thumb to drop the fritter into the oil gently. If your drop as a rate of 5 miles per hour you may splash your pretty face. So do it gently....one at a time.

Use a ladle to turn the fritters as they cook and turn brown. Then you can strain the oil and serve the corn fritters hot.

I love to eat them slightly salty or with peanut sauce (as in satay sauce)

A Mother's Love

I would like to relate something I witnessed recently.
I attended a kenduri (doa selamat) on Sunday for the safe passage of my husband's aunt,her husband and daughter on their coming trip to Mecca to perform the haj.When nearly all the guests have left,a taxi pulled up near the house.A frail lady in her 80's or 90's came out of the taxi being assisted on both arms by two persons.I saw that the manner she was walking was unusual.Upon close scrutiny, I noticed that she was blind.Then it dawned upon me,how lucky the man was,that his mother, on hearing that her son is going on his haj journey of repentance and self-discovery, and with all her disabilities and difficulties, came to give her blessings!I pitied the mother because the last time I saw her before I left for home, she was fast asleep on a mat placed under the front porch.The trip must have exhausted her.

For us Muslims,before we go to the Holy Land, we have to perform the taubah to seek God's forgiveness for all our past misdeeds. We also have to seek forgiveness from our fellow brethren and close associates.To a man the first person, he has to seek forgiveness and blessings is his mother.How poignant it is to see the mother in all her hardships coming instead of waiting for her son to come to her.The love of a mother knows no bounds.

Nasi Ayam (Chicken Rice)

Chicken Rice originates from China. The Hainanese chicken rice is popular in Malaysia. It is now accepted and eaten by all races in Malaysia.
A relative passed away recently on 1st November. It is normal to hold tahlil prayers and a kenduri after the funeral. On the first day, we prepared nasi ayam. As the villagers has not done it before, it was my call to help out. Luckily, my sis-in -law also has some experience. My experience involved cooking in a small quantity for my family. So pooling our various experiences we managed to come out with a delicious spread that night. I am proud that the sauces I made came out tops.

The recipe for nasi ayam for a small family (of 4 or 5 )is as follows:

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken with skin, boiled in 1.5 litres water and removed. Add salt and powdered turmeric to chicken and let in marinate for 30 minutes. Fry the chicken in hot oil till brown. Cut into small pieces when serving with rice.

For the soup:
4 cloves garlic
8 small onions
2 cm ginger
1 stalk lemon grass
2.5 cm galangal
4 cm cinnamon bark
4 cloves
3 star anise
1/2 chicken stock cube, preferably Knorrs
salt

Fry the sliced onions, garlic, ginger and spices in a little oil till fragrant. Add in the chicken stock from the chicken that has been boiled, leaving about 3.5 cups for the rice. Add in the galangal and lemon grass that has been squashed. Add in salt and chicken stock to taste. Boil and keep aside.

Sauces:

Chilli sauce: (Grind in a blender or pound in a stone pestle and mortar)
6 fresh red chillies
4 cloves garlic
4 tabsp vinegar
2 tabsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

(Sugar, salt and vinegar can be varied according to your taste)

Soya sauce: (grind in a blender or pound)
10 bird chillies
2 tabsp black sweet soya sauce
a little sugar if chillies are too hot
2 tabsp vinegar
4 cloves garlic

Garnishing:
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
a few lettuce leaves, cut to bite sizes
2 tomatoes, sliced

Preparing the Rice:
3 cups white rice, washed and strained

Pour in about 3.5 cups of the chicken stock (from boiling of the chicken above) in a saucepan or rice cooker, throw in 2 (tied and twisted) screwpine leaves (daun pandan) and let boil before adding in the washed and strained rice. Add in a little turmeric, a cut of butter and 1/2 chicken stock cube and a little salt. Make sure all ingredients are mixed thoroughly in the stock. Cook normally until rice is fully dried and cooked.

To Serve:

Dish out the rice on individual plates. Add in 1 or 2 cut chicken pieces. (You can remove the skin if you want, before eating). Add in the vegetable garnishings. The rice is eaten with the soup and the chilli and soya sauces poured on top.

Some people also eat the chicken rice with pounded raw garlic and ginger, served separately.
Others may add vegetables such as Chinese cabbage in the soup.

LOSING WEIGHT

My son, Afif ,went for a medical checkup recently and when the results were out, he was advised to lose 12kg in 6 months. That's the weight he gained in 2 years while studying for his IB plus the 4 months at home when he practically only ate and slept( except for the one month he worked at Secret Recipe).

To help Afif on his new challenge, the doctor gave him a slip of paper on the nutritional dos and dont's.

Afif has 1 year (not 6 months as recommended by the doctor) to lose the extra weight before the next medical checkup, one year from now, before he flies to Sheffield to continue his studies.

I had read somewhere that in addition to 3 sessions of 30-minute exercises a week; to lose weight one needs to do 5 things:

• reduce salt
• reduce sugar
• reduce fats
• reduce oils
• reduce red meat

I did that, years ago, but with 2 hours of brisk walking a day, 5 days a week and lost 3kg in a month.I had the time to myself then as the children where all at school and my husband was at the office.

The doctor's list included the following dont's:

A:The high salted foods :

• all types of bottled sauces (tomato, soya, chiili, barbeque sauces Lea & Perrins), stock cubes and monosodium glutamate
• processed foods like nuggets, sausages,and the like
• cheeses
• preserved foods like belacan, cencaluk, budu, salted fish, vegetables and salted eggs, smoked meat, etc
• Food extract like Marmite, Bovril
• Salad Dressings, mayonnaise and cream

B:The high calorie foods :

• All types of rice other than plain boiled white rice. That includes nasi lemak, nasi beriani, nasi goreng and nasi ayam
• All types of fried noodles and curry noodles
• Rendang, Curries cooked with coconut milk (santan),
• The Malaysian favorite roti canai
• All fried kueh like karipap, and all kueh made with santan like kueh talam and Afif's favorite 'kueh sampan'.

C:The high cholesterol foods:

• Organ meats
• egg yolks
• anchovies with the head and guts as in nasi lemak at the stalls.
• butter, margarine
• red meat and chicken skin
• condensed milk (so no more teh tarik)

The Dos are:

High fibre foods like:

• Fresh Fruits
• Vegetables
• Cereals
• Lentils
• Wholemeal breads
• Red Rice or high fibre rice

Recommended:

Use less oil to cook. If needed, use corn oil, olive oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil or palm oil.

When eating out choose low calorie menu like sandwiches, asam laksa, noodle soups, tom yam soups, grilled or steamed fish, asam pedas and gravy with no coconut milk.

I find that in Malaysia, the problem with our people is that they put too much sugar in everything they cook especially at the hawker stalls. It is indeed a challenge when eating out as all the gravies has sugar in them. I hate it when they even put sugar in curries and laksa.

I wish Afif the best of luck. He has enrolled at the campus gymnasium to help him achieve his target weight faster. Increasing your metabolism is another strategy to lost weight. The body will try to conserve energy once you reduce food intake, so exercise will indeed help the body to use up excess fats and make the body systems more efficient.

Where's my jogging shoes? I need to start losing weight too.

Making Curries

I was back in my home state twice in 2 weeks. The first time was to visit my grandaunt who was hospitalised after a fall. She's 79 years old and her memories were failing fast. I called my aunt this morning and learnt that her recovery has been great as she has regained much of her health and her dementia has improved. Maybe, the fall put the files in her brain back in place!

Last weekend, I visited my sister and got a tip that our Mum had passed to her. Being the eldest, she took care of my Mum most of the time when she first started working and later when she got married.My Mum stayed longer with her than with her other children.
Making curries was the first dish we learnt as children, after cooking rice. Mind you, there were no rice cookers back then. My first curry was a bit to sourish, but everyone said it was delicious. I was only thirteen then.

I was cooking curry last weekend in my sister's kitchen. As usual I premix the curry powder with water before adding to the fried onions, garlic, curry leaves and pounded ginger amd mixed fenugreek.Sis told me that to make the curry red, you just throw in the curry powder into the fried ingredients without premixing them in water. True enough when I came home and did as she suggested, my curry turn red instead of yellowish. Previously, I had added chilli paste to make the curry red thinking that the curry powder did not have enough chillies.

Well, children, that's my Mum's tip I learn from my sister. I should visit her more to get more tips.

Belacan Dinner

Ikmal has been home for over a week now. Despite coming down with a cough and cold, he is ravishing all the food he had missed and some which he had not eaten before.

Yesterday it was Paddington pancakes and Vietnamese food at one of the popular shopping malls. Tomorrow he is going to another shopping mall with his friends and has been given tips by his sister on which restaurant to patronise.

Tonight's menu is one of Ikmal's favorites. It is a pity that fish is expensive at the place where he studies and he cannot find grated coconut. The dinner was cleaned up in minutes with no leftovers at all.

The meal consisted of rice with fish in sour gravy (Kuah Pindang), grilled chinchards (Cencaru) accompanied by sambal belacan (chillies grounded with heated shrimp paste) and angled beans kerabu.

To make the pindang is very easy. Pindang is suitable for people on a diet as it involves only boiling.

Things you need:

2 medium size ikan kembong or mabong (mackerel). You can also use ikan parang, ikan tamban (herring) or Spanish mackerel (tenggiri). Gut and clean fish. Rub salt and turmeric powder to fish and let stand for 5 minutes.

To be blended in an electric blender:

2 large onion or 6 shallots
4 fresh red chillies
1 (2.5 cm) cube dried shrimp paste(belacan)
2.5 cm ginger
2.5 cm galangal

1 lemon grass stalk, bruised

3 - 4 pieces dried tamarind skin (asam keping)

1/2 ikan bilis or anchovy stock cube
1 tsp salt
700 ml water

Optional:

2 sprigs polygonum leaves ( daun kesum)
1 torch ginger flower ( bunga kantan), sliced fine

or

sliced cucumbers

Cooking Method:

Place all the blended ingredients, lemon grass and dried tamarind skin in water in a pot. Cook to a boil. Add salt and stock cube and the optional ingredients. Lastly, add in the fish, stir by adding the liquid to the fish without disturbing the fish. Fish cooks very fast and cooking it for too long could break it to pieces.

To prepare the grilled fish:

Grill the cleaned, slightly salted chinchards, by placing them on a heated grill lightly greased with a little cooking oil tp prevent them from sticking to the grill or skillet. Grill should be on low heat. I prefer the fish to be slightly moist when cooked. No salt is required if the fish is fresh.

Sambal Belacan:

Sambal belacan is simply pounding about 3 red chillies with 6 bird chillies in a pestle and mortar and then adding about 2.5 cm cibe heated belacan and finally adding tamarind juice or lime juice.I do not add salt or sugar as I feel they are not necessary. The belacan is already salty and I do not fancy sweet sambal as sambal is supposed to be hot.

The angled beans kerabu will be posted at a later date.

Curry Mee (Yellow Noodles in Curry)

Eating a bowl of curry mee drove my sugar level up by 3 points. That episode confirmed my diabetic status.

I now limit to my intake of curry mee and try to abstain as much as possible.

However, those who are not diabetic or hypertensive can enjoy a delicious bowl of curry mee now and then.

A Penang version of curry mee combines seafood with chicken or beef. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

1.5 kg yellow noodles
500g beansprouts (Taugeh)
Mustard leaves (sawi) or water spinach (kangkung)
500g fresh shrimps, remove head and shell
1.5 kg cockles, boiled and shelled
200g chicken meat or beef, cut into 3cm squares
200g fish balls
half fried bean curd (sold in 100g to 300g packets)
100g beef curry powder
1 ladle scoop chilli paste
6 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2.5 cm ginger, grounded
5 cm galangal, grounded
3 stalks lemon grass, hit with the handle of a knife
a sprig of curry leaves
1 ladle cooking oil
salt
sugar if preferred
beef stock cube, if preferred
tamarind juice
200g coconut milk equivalent to 1 coconut or as your preferred thickness

Garnishing:

4 hard boiled eggs, quartered
4 red chillies, sliced
2 stalks spring onions and 2 stalks Chinese celery, sliced
2 limes, sliced
some sliced deep fried shallots

Method:

Pour some boiling water over the yellow noodles in a bowl and strain. Set aside and let the noodles cool.

Next scald the sawi or kangkung and taugeh and set aside.

Heat the cooking oil and fry the shallots, garlic followed by the ginger, galangal, lemon grass and curry leaves.

Add the chilli powder and chilli paste. After the chilli and curry powder is cooked, add the chicken or beef. Add the coconut milk followed by the shrimps and cooked cockles. Add in some water if the coconut milk is too thick.

When the curry boils, put in the fish balls, half fried bean curd, salt, tamarind juice (and sugar if you like).
Cook until curry boils, stirring occasionally.

To serve:

Place some noodles in a small bowl. One bowl per person. Add the garnishing, taugeh and sawi or kangkung. Pour in the curry. Serve hot.

For an extra hot curry, you may add fried chilli paste or chilli pickles to your bowl of curry mee.

To make the fried chilli paste, heat some oil and fry some chilli boh in them on gentle heat.

Fresh green, red or bird chillies can be pickled in vinegar added with salt and sugar.

Eid Mubarak

Yesterday was the second day of Eidul Fitr. The day before, after morning Eid prayers and our annual photo session the family headed for the kampong. (See photos in Zaty's blog as I have not uploaded them to my computer yet). This year, my sister and her 2 sons from Melaka is spending the Eid holidays with us.

Normally, there is no traffic jam on the first day of Eid but this year it is otherwise. People jam the highways and Federal roads despite the high petrol prices!

After 9 houses and feasting on rendang, ketupat, lemang and countless other delicacies, Ikmal suffered a bout of food poisoning. Afif, Zayye and Zaty also complained of tummy upset.Maybe, their tummies got shocked by all the spices, chicken, meat and and cockles. The non-stop eating took a toll and they had to take the morning off. The house nearly became a hospital zone.

In the afternoon, Ikmal and Zayye helped prepare chicken soup and mixed with potatoes and vegetables. They got the thumbs up the delicious soup.

Tomorrow I think we will make a special dish called sotong kangkong. (cuttle fish with water spinach in peanut sauce). Today we had curry mee, beef floss (serunding) rendang, lemang and ketupat at 2 houses we visited.

In Kuala Lumpur where we live, Eid is celebrated for 1 month. So expect the feasting to continue....

Over the 2 days my sugar level and blood pressure has gone up. After all this is over, I am resuming my morning exercises before things get worse.


Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

Maaf Zahir dan Batin

Nasi Beriani Accompaniments

The nasi beriani Johor is eaten with mutton, beef or chicken cooked in a special spicy gravy together with mixed vegetable pickle.

Mutton Beriani

Ingredients:
1 1/2 kg mutton, cut into cubes
2 liter water
200 g beriani powder
150 ml cooking oil
1/2 tin evaporated milk
salt, (sugar, stock cube, if desired)
Frying ingredients:
3 sticks cinnamon
3 star anise
6 cloves
6 cardamoms

Grounded Ingredients:
50 g dried chillies
2 onions
10 cloves garlic
10 cm ginger

Cooking Method:

Heat oil in a wok and fry the frying ingredients.When the aroma rises, add in the grounded ingredients and fry till slightly dry. Add the beriani powder and cook till fragrant over low heat.
Add the mutton, water and seasonings. Stir continuously until the mutton is cooked. Add in the evaporated milk and cook till the sauce thickens.

You can add in 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or tomato sauce if you prefer. The recipe above does not require you to do so.

You can substitute the mutton for 1 1/2 kg beef or 1 chicken, cut in as curry dishes. Don,t forget to remove visible fat and skin the chicken.

The mixed pickle recipe has been included in a previous post.

Nasi Beriani Johor

I picked up a recipe magazine at the Mamak store yesterday. I was attracted to the title "250 Juadah Enak Rumah Terbuka". As the festive season is just around the corner, I felt tempted to see what is new. I found a weird recipe putting strawberry jam in a fruit pickle. I prefer my pickles a bit sour not sweet, thank you.

The nasi beriani recipe and the accompanying dishes seems interesting. It is from the owners of a restaurant in Shah Alam. Below is my translation of the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 kg Basmathi rice
1.5 liter water
1/2 tsp beriani powder
3 stalks mint leaves
5 tabsp ghee
1/2 tin evaporated milk
1 tabsp vinegar
a dash of yellow colouring
salt
1 stock cube, chicken or beef flavour
To be fried:

3 star anise
2 stick cinnamon
6 cloves
6 cardamoms
1 large onion

Blended or grounded ingredients:

2 onions
5 cloves garlic
10 cm ginger

Method:

Wash the rice and soak for 10 minutes.Strain.
Heat ghee in a saucepan and add in all the frying ingredients.Stir until fragrant. Add in the grounded ingredients together with the beriani powder and mint leaves.Stir well.Add in water and let boil before adding the rice, evaporated milk mixed with vinegar, salt,and stock cube.I have deleted the sugar as I don' like sweet beriani rice. Stir the mixture. Close the saucepan with its lid and allow the rice to cook over a low heat. After the water has been absorbed and the rice dries, sprinkle in the colouring and stir the rice.

The recipe does not mention any garnishing. I would prefer if you add finely cut Chinese celery (daun sup), toasted cashew nuts and raisins as garnishing.

If the beriani does not cook well because of insufficient water, take it out of the saucepan and steam it in a steamer for 10 minutes.








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Bihun Sup(Rice Vermicelli in Clear Soup)

Bihun sup can be eaten at any time and is also a popular dish on the second day of Eid when people normally get tired of the rich rendang and other fatty dishes eaten on the first day.

You can prepare the soup with either chicken or beef / bones.

The bone and beef soup is popular in the northern part of Malaysia where the vermicelli is soaked overnight in water mixed with turmeric to colour it yellow.

I normally prepare the soup with chicken as I prefer its taste. The beef and bones soup can be too cholesterol laden for my liking.

My recipe for bihun soup is as follows:

Ingredients:

400 g bihun or rice vermicell
1 medium size chicken, cut into small pieces and skin removed
(Can substitute 500g beef and 1 kg of beef bones for chicken if you prefer)
3-4 fish balls

1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 bundle mustard leaves (daun sawi). (Use spring greens or kailan if you cannot find sawi)


to be squashed with the knife handle:

2 cm ginger, (halia)
2 cm galangal ( lengkuas)
1 stick lemon grass (serai)

For initial frying:

3 tabsp cooking oil
5 shallots
3 cloves garlic

3 cardamoms (buah pelaga)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (jintan manis)
5 cloves (cengkih)
4 cm cinnamon stick
3 star anise ( bunga lawang)
1 tsp black pepper, grounded
1 tsp coriander seeds (biji ketumbar),grounded
soup spice powder, from supermarkets (optional)

Seasoning:

Salt
1 Knorr non MSG soup cube stock

Garnishing:

1 sprig Chinese celery ( daun sup)- sliced in 3 mm pieces
1 sprig spring onion (daun bawang)-sliced in 3 mm pieces
some fried shallots



Chilli Sauce:

10 bird chillies (cili padi) and 4 cloves garlic blended with some soya sauce, sugar, if desired; and vinegar.

Preparation:

Boil some clean water in a saucepan and dip in the vermicelli. Strain once the vermicelli turns white and softens. Takes about 3 minutes. Next dip the beansprouts for 2 minutes and strain, followed by the mustard leaves. The latter will take a longer time to cook. Place the vermicelli, beansprouts and mustard leaves separately in a big plate.

To prepare the soup, heat the oil and fry the spices till fragrant. Add in the shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, lemon grass and grounded black pepper and coriander seeds. You can add ready made soup spices bought at supermarkets at this stage.

Stir and add the chicken and water. Cook until the soup boils. Put in the fish balls. Add salt to taste and soup stock cube.

To serve, place the bihun in a bowl add the scalded vegetables on top. Add the garnishings and pour in the hot soup. Add in the chilli sauce if you want a "hot" (pedas) soup .

Of Noodles and Soups

Today for the first time in many years, I don't get to prepare the meal for iftar. Since enrolling for a personal development course in August, I have been busy out of the house. Today I finished way past 5 30 pm. How glad I was to come home to a readily cooked meal, with compliments from my dear husband and my youngest daughter, Zaty, whose been returning every weekend since the fasting month began. As usual my son, Afif prepares the drink and today it was cold Ribena blackcurrant drink.

The mee goreng (fried yellow noodles) was delicious considering my husband has not cooked since the early days of our marriage. Way, way long time ago. It is nice to taste something different from my usual mee goreng.

Tomorrow, I will prepare soto for them. I have already boiled the meat for the pegedil and has
also cooked the nasi empet. ( See my earlier soto recipe). I am using the layer chicken which I will boil in the slow cooker in the morning. Old chicken makes good soup for the soto.

Ayam Masak Merah (Chicken in Red Sauce)

This chicken recipe complements the tomato rice posted earlier. Beef can also be substituted in place of chicken.

The recipe below is a family recipe where I come from.

1 kg chicken, skinned and cut into small parts

Blend and marinate with the chicken:

4 cloves garlic
4 candlenuts
2 cm ginger

You may fry the chicken if you wish but not until it is fully cooked. The chicken should not be too crisply as it would not assimilate with the sauce.

Other Ingredients:

3 tbsp ghee or cooking oil
6 onions, 1/2 grounded and 1/2 sliced
5 cloves
5 star anise
5 cardamom pods
5 cm cinnamon stick
2 lemon grass, crush by hitting with the handle of your knife

3 tbsp chilli paste, or chilli boh
4 tbsp tomato puree
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
2 cups water


Seasoning:

chicken or beef stock, depending on what you use
salt and sugar


Garnish:

mint leaves
fried sliced shallots

Here's how you make it:

Heat the ghee or cooking oil in a saucepan on low heat. Add the sliced onions, spices and crushed lemon grass. When fragrant, add in the grounded onions and the balance of the marinate. Now add in the chilli and tomato paste. Stir continuously and add in 1/2 cup thick santan (coconut milk). Add the chicken, stirring regularly. Add 2 cups of water and stir till cooked. Add more water if you feel the sauce is too thick. You may add 1 cube beef stock, salt and sugar to taste.

You may also add mint leaves and sliced fried shallots as garnishing. This dish goes well with tomato rice and acar timun.

Variations:

• Instead of chilli paste you can substitute with curry powder.
• If you do not wish to use coconut milk, you can use chilli paste with tomato sauce instead of tomato puree.

Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice is normally eaten during Eid or any special occasions. it is popular in the Northern State of Kedah.

Ingredients:
1/2 tin evaporated milk
2 tins rice, washed and tossed
1 1/2 tins water
1cm ginger
3 onions
3 cloves garlic
3 cloves (cengkih)
3 star anise (bunga lawang)
3 cardamom seeds (pelaga)
1.5 cm cinnamon stick
1 sprig lemon grass ( serai)
2 screw-pine leaves (pandan)
1/2 tin tomato puree
3 tbsp ghee

Garnishing (Optional):
A handful of raisins
Some cashew nuts, toasted
Fresh cilantro (Chinese parsley or daun ketumbar), Chinese celery ( daun sop) and spring onions( daun bawang)- cut into 1 cm strips.


Heat the ghee in the saucepan or rice cooker. Fry the ginger, onions, garlic, pandan leaves and all the spices.
Add the water mixed with evaporated milk and let it come to the boil. Add the tomato puree and rice.
Stir occasionally until the water dries up. When the rice is nearly cooked, add in the raisins and leave with lid on till fully cooked. Serve the rice in a large plate. Sprinkle the garnishings, if preferred, before serving.

My Mum's Chicken Recipe

This recipe I inherited from my late Mum. It is ideal for beef and duck as well. Guests could not tell it was the duck that my Mum cooked. They thought it was chicken.

Ingredients:

0.7 kg chicken ( 1 small chicken) or beef

• 5 cm ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 shallots
• 5 cm cinnamon stick
• 1 nutmeg seed, crushed and remove the shell
• 3 cardamom seeds (pelaga)
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds(ketumbar)
• 10 cloves (cengkih)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jintan putih)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds (jintan manis)

The above ingredients are pounded or finely blended.

juice from 1 lime ( limau nipis)
1/2 bottle tomato sauce
10 almonds grounded
1/2 tbsp black pepper powder
1/2 tin evaporated milk
100g ghee

Heat the ghee in a saucepan and pour in the grounded ingredients and black pepper. Fry until fragrant. Add in 1/2 cup water, the tomato sauce and evaporated milk and add the chicken which have been skinned and cut to small pieces as in stew or curries.

Add the almonds and cook until the sauce is nearly dry. Lastly, add the lime juice.

Delicious with tomato rice or beriani rice.