JustKay

There is also the inedible pandan variety (the leaves are rougher and a bit thorny and the smell is more 'perfume-y') - this is better used as you mentioned. Here is a simple T&T Agar-agar Pandan recipe by Amy Beh (I think). ingredients: 1 packet agar-agar (20-25gm) - not powdered agar-agar but the clear strips 5 1/4C water 1 1/4C sugar 6 fresh pandan leaves 1/4 t green color 1C thick coconut milk (fresh is better although Kara brand in quite good but never use the powdered santan=coconut milk) - add a dash of salt (when using santan always add a dash of salt to bring out more lemak/creamy flavor) - cook agar-agar with water, sugar and pandan leaves until agar-agar is dissolved. - strain - pour out 3C into a bowl and add green color (the agar will have a nice pleasant pandan fragrance) -pour this into a mould (I use 9X9 square cake pan - rinsed out first and leave it wet so the agar-agar won't stick to pan) - boil the remaining agar-agar on medium heat until reduced to about 1C (this is important or the coconut layer won't set well). Add the 1C thick coconut milk. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. - the green agar should be half-set by now - pour out this coconut milk agar mixture on top of the half-set green agar - set at room temperature and then refrigerate - serve chilled ** note - if you let the green agar set before pouring the coconut agar, it will not bind together and the coconut layer will slip off when cut. On the other hand, if you add it to a still liquid green agar, the agars will mix. When done correctly, there will be two layers when cut. You can add knotted pandan leaves to the rice you cook. And especially use it when cooking coconut milk rice (Nasi Lemak) or Nasi Minyak (rice cooked with Ghee). At the moment, no other non-dessert (Malay) dish comes to mind that uses pandan leaves. In Malay weddings, pandan leaves are used as a base to make potpourri - it's not a Malay wedding unless you have this Bunga Rampai.

Oh Pan!!!! You are making me want jemput-jemput nangka. It's been YEARS since I had them. I used to love them. And talk about lempeng .. mmmm ... lempeng pisang with shredded coconut. Cooked on banana leaf. Yumm! I made this when my MIL was here last - it's her favorite lempeng. My mom used to just boil the seeds of nangka or cempedak, just water and some salt. The cempedak seeds taste better though. But behold - these babies somehow over stimulate the intestinal bacteria which metabolise sugars which in turn produce gas. There are now jackfuit chips which are dehydrated jackfruits and they are actually quite yummy. Oh, and there is a dish called nangka Masak Lemak which is unripe jackfruit cooked in coconut milk gravy. Quite yummy too. But never cempedak masak lemak though!

As I am a Johor girl, I love Laksa Johor best. Laksa Lemak - yes, and more. It is a Nyonya dish. My ex-neighbor from Melaka used to make great Laksa Lemak and will always send over a bowl for me. Maybe Arunaputri can share an authentic recipe. Curry Mee (Mee Kari) in Johor is simply yellow noodles with curry BUT the curry has the addition of pounded dried shrimps as well as mashed potatoes (this is what thickens the curry). This is slightly different than Mee Rebus, which has mashed sweet potatoes as well as tauchu (fermented soya beans) and some grounded peanuts and no pounded dried shrimp but rather uses fresh pawns and stock from prawn shells. Although both Curry Laksa and Curry Mee uses curry gravy as the base, the difference (as I know it) is that the Laksa is fish based while the Curry Mee is meat-based and Laksa will always have polygonum and/or mint and some pineaples, raw onions and cucumber as garnishes while Curry Mee will have curry leaves in the gravy and have taugeh, fried tofu as garnishes. But of course, everyone have their own personlized versions. Correct in that the gravy is fish-coconut milk-tamarind based but the most important ingredient which makes Laksa Johor Laksa Johor is the addition of kerisik - grounded paste of toasted grated coconut. You can either make your own rempah or simply use curry powder. Another important spice in making Laksa Johor is the galangal. It is traditionally served with 'wet rice noodles' but people would just use spaghetti. But nowadays you can get dried rice noodles in the suprmarkets which you reconstitute to make the wet rice noodles. Laksa Lemak & Laksa Johor does not have shrimp paste (petis). I think only the 'assam' versions of Laksa will have the petis. Just adding my 2sen. I am happy to see Malaysian food being appreciated (especially Malay food because people are more familiar with Chinese and Indian food)

So Roger .... have you made any tempoyak lately? I suspect the tempoyak dish you had was the simple Sambal Belacan Tempoyak which is just sambal belacan with the tempoyak added, rather than the cooked Sambal Tempoyak which has coconut milk, anchovies and chilles. I am a big fan of durians but I run away from tempoyak. In fact, that stuff is banned from my house. But how does one impose a ban on in-laws? Everytime they come visiting, I pray that they leave the budu, tempoyak, and fermented fish back home. I can somewhat tolerate cincaluk, although I don't eat the stuff.

I tried nightscotsman's marshmallow recipe - vanilla version, and attempted it with Kojel. Kojel is in powdered form and not granules. And 3 packets, though weighs a total of .9oz, measures more than 4t. First, I thought through the recipe trying to figure out how to adapt it to using Kojel which must be dissolved in boiling water and used immediately. According to the marshmallow recipe, the gelatine mixture is cold (at room temperature) when the sugar mixture is added to it. I don't know if this is an important process but I was determined to stick as close to the instructions as possible. Hence, this is what I did. I boiled the 3C sugar, 3/4C water, 1 1/4C light corn syrup (I use Karo brand) and 1/4 tsalt until it reaches soft ball stage. I used the candy thermometer as well as did the cold water test. The thermometer registered 165 when the soft ball stage was achieved. (When it read 140, the syrup was still very watery and didn't pass the soft ball test in cold water.) I then quickly added the Kojel to boiling hot water (1/4C - which is the puree portion substituted). I had 1/2C cold water (added 1t vanila earlier) sitting in the bowl to which I poured the syrup in while whisking at highest setting. At the same time, I had my son help pour in the hot Kojel. So, there I thought I have the hot syrup hitting cold water and also solve the problem of dissolving Kojel in hot water. I proceeded to beat on high for about 20mins but nothing! The mixture turned slightly whitish/opaque but not at all what marshmallow looks like. It also tasted rather sourish. I think this is the off-taste of Kojel. Oh maaaan .... and I though there goes the expensive corn syrup down the drain. I continued beating maybe 5 mins more before giving up. It was just a thick runny mixture still. And then I thought, why not try adding egg whites since the mixture is going to waste anyways. I then quickly whipped up 3 egg whites in another bowl (the syrup mixture is still continued being whipped at high speed with the stand mixer while I do the eggs on another set of mixer) and then nuked the syrup mixture 1 min on high to rewarm it some and then poured this into the egg whites that has been whipped to soft peak stage. The mixture then turned white. After beating the heck out of it for about 20 mins, I then poured the now somewhat stiffer 'whatever' into the prepared pan. I think it does look like marshmallow cream (if I remember correctly - I had one jar sent to me last year). After adding the egg whites, the sourish taste seemed toned down some too. The mixture now taste almost marshmallow-y. It doesn't seem very fluffy although the volume has increased. I wonder what went wrong? Or is it just that Kojel isn't suitable? Or did I adapt the recipe incorrectly? The measuring cup I used is American standard, so it's not the proportion (our cup here is Uk standard). It cannot be the recipe since it's a T&T. I won't be able to cut/taste it until tomorrow evening. Any comments?

Thank you all for the replies. I made pizza dough and freezed it (before rising) and used it aftter 3 days. It was ok but I thought the dough was little yeast-ier and chew-ier too. And yes, the dough did rise just a tad in the freezer. I think the previous dough I froze was not suitable for freezing as it was too soft - hence it collapsed upon freezing. That dough was very, very soft and moist (which makes really, really soft monkey bread) I have half of the dough still frozen - this was frozen after rising and I just punched it down and wrap it up. Now that I can freeze the dough - the next question is : how long does frozen dough last? Any ideas? TIA.

What about DUPLO? Have you guys tried it yet? This is like Kinder Bueno too but it has a whole hazelnut in the center, also made by Ferrero.

Thank you both for the suggestions. Let's see if there are more from others. I might try all the ideas to see which works out best. And of course, will post my findings. I have scrutinized the frozen bread products and I do see some that looks like they might have been parbaked but others looks real raw (but in a nice shape & form).

I plan to make (nightscotsman's) marshmallows on Monday. And if that is a success I plan to try using agar-agar powder because eventually I will have to resort to using this. I will post the results.

I was going to post a question about freezing bread dough. But I Googled first and found this tip on the cooking forum. My question is - at what point is the dough put into the freezer? After kneading is done or after first rise? Which means you punch it down and pack and freeze. Then to use, you thaw and shape and let rise? Is this correct? The yeast roll recipe I make are quite yummy but they make enough for 2 batches. The last time, I freezed after shaping and second rise (just prior to baking) and it puckered/collapsed upon freezing. And didn't quite take it's shape again after thawing. TIA.

Daun = leaves. Daun bawang are green onions or spring onions. Hmmmph ..... I've never heard of that one! What I know is that they grow from 'rhizomes'? That each banana tree will bear fruit only once and then die. And that each tree could have many anak pokok = young tree growing around it. But wild bananas have seeds though. All this banana talk is making me want some banana cake. And this thread is about banana blossom!! And yes my Googling yielded the same results.

My bad - I forgot to do the English version. Thank you Pan. If only there's a Pan for every time that there's a French or other foreign term being used ........ Anyways, kain buruk is rag. Buruk could mean bad too but here it means old. Btw, I just had some durians last nite. Not so good ones though.

Especially Blue Cheese!!!! Not only it smells like kain buruk sebulan tak basuh, but to actually nampak the blue mold!

nightscotsman, thank you for the reply. I have been trying to get more information on the Net and so far I've found out on one site that mentions 1 envelope gelatine is 1T. I visited the Kraft site but wasn't sure if the envelopes of differing brands are of the same weight. I will try using 3 envelopes of this Kojel. The ingredient list is : vegetable gum, adipic acid, tapioca dextrin, calcium phosphate, potassium citrate. Other things mentioned on the box are - to not to let it dissolve nor soak in cold water but boiling water, to use it immediately, to not add pineapple juice and that kojel cannot be remolded once set. I tried to find an official homepage but it doesn't have one? I did ask my friend who sent it but then she doesn't cook much and only make the flavored ones. I think I'll go explore more vegan sites. Or Jewish cooking sites. Of course, there are marshmallow recipes using kojel but I want to make your marshmallows. Plus the 'vegan' recipe says to soak the Kojel for 1/2hr in cold water which makes me skeptical - looks like it's merely a replacement of the word gelatine with Kojel, and not a true recipe using Kojel. Thanks for trying to help out more. I just thought Americans would be familiar with it, but then (now it crossed my mind ) why would you need it because you can use gelatine, right?

nightscotsman, may I ask how much in tablespoons are 4 envelopes gelatin? I have half a dozen boxes of Diet Kojel - unflavored, unsweetened, sugar free jel dessert - recently arrived courtesy of a kind American friend (she's on the sugar free diet, hence the diet Kojel). Each box has one envelope, 0.3oz in weight. How different/alike is this with the gelatine you use. On the box, it also states "Kojel, unlike pure gelatine, is a quick setting jel dessert". Is this a problem? She also sent me some boxes of flavored ones and these are 3oz each. Can these be adapted into your recipe to make flavored marshmallows? These already have the sugar in them, right? My previous attempt to make marshmallow was a disaster (dense and gritty), so I will try your recipe next (also because I really prefer that it contains no egg whites). I will have to resort to using agar-agar powder once this Kojel is exhausted due to Halal/Kosher issues (although she said all I have to do is ask ), and I wonder about the proper substitution measurements. And what about pectin? Is this also a possible substitute? And I really want to be able to make them because my son loves marshmallows and none of the commercial ones available here are truly Halal/Kosher. He can only enjoy them when friends send over the Kosher ones from the US (although they are really produced in Israel). The 3 packets of Kosher marshmallows sent with these Kojels have long since gone. One of them was covered with toasted coconut - quite yummy. I bet they're better dipped in chocolates! A lot of questions, I know. So, thanks in advance for any help. edited to add : Thanks Behemoth and andiesenji for the links.

Thanks for the info. I'll have to check out Tesco's organic flour. Their regular flour looks 'off color'. And 2.50 is cheap for unsalted Anchor. I too buy Anchor for unsalted butter - 2.80 at Wilton's. Fern and Anchor are made by the same company. But come to think of it, Anchor butter does seem whiter, especially the unsalted.

Thanks for the welcome Monica. I have been trying to read all the posts (there are TONS ) all over eGullet and I am really enjoying this place so far. It is indeed a haven for a home baker/home cook like me. I will definitely take up on the offer for help with Aloo Gobi. Once perfected, I want to try Dum Aloo Kahsmiri which is my other favorite dish. I can already make decent Briyani and Tandoori/Tikka. I know there's a whole lot more to Indian food than just these. We tried the Batura the last time we were at Bombay Palace and my kids love it. I have a recipe for it but have yet to try. Now, I'm motivated. And we also tried a new dish (to us) - fish fillets in very thick white gravy. Quite yummy. My second son who does not like hot and too spicy a dish, has been bugging me to find a recipe and make him some. Trouble is, I can't even remember the name of the dish! LOL! Uh, it's 10:45pm here and this is making me hungry. Not good. And .... I've digressed from the topic.

I used to like bone marrow but now it's just gross, gross, GROSS! Is it very popular in the US?

Hello jeniac42. I'm kinda new here. Just wanted to say Hi!

For the benefit of other Malaysians here, exactly what brand and type TP? I use Blue Key mostly. Make my own cake flour and self-raising from it too. For breads I use Anchor hi-protein. And the butter? Your butter must be quite white too, eh? I use either Fern (fr NZ) or Golden Churn (fr Aus) and KerryGold (fr Ireland) if making shortbreads or buttercakes (if I can find it - only certain places have this brand). Thanks TP.

I meant the multiple quotes within a post. Not the multiple 'quotes within a quote' quote. I digresss ....

Yes, I meant shallots. Thanks, Pan. If I mention daun bawang, they'd know what "onion leaves" are? To us, green onions or spring onions would seem to mean a different thing. I'm picturing a makcik here being asked to buy some green onions, she'd have a hard time finding any bawang hijau. Anyways Pan, do Americans know of/use bawang goreng as a garnish? The closests would be those French Onions, eh? I had a friend sent me a can of those, but it seemed like it has been battered lightly before being fried? Can't quite remember. ExtraMSG - no, once you get to the soft petals, leave the thing whole - don't peel further. These soft petals should not be like the deep purple color of the 'outside' petals but rather like fading purple, almost whitish. This is what I suppose being refered to as banana bud. The 'stamens' from then on are good to eat too. But the stem you discard. The banana flower/blossom eaten here are from the Pisang Berangan variety (maybe Pan can help identify that with an english/scientific name), other varieties may not be so suitable for eating and may need 'further treatment'. This info probaby won't help much though as I suspect you don't have much of a choice? But from Andrea's post, it seems that the Vietnamese do not eat the 'stamens'. Only the petals. Anyways, here is one variation for Banana Flower Salad Banana Flower Salad It somehow seems funny to me to refer to it as banana flower. Jantung Pisang literally means 'the heart of banana' and the 'stamens' is what we call Bunga Pisang which translates to banana flower which actually forms each banana. Am I right, Pan? Do tell how do you eat your banana flower. And Nick, your avatar is verrry skeeery.

I'm gonna add my 2sen worth. The banana flower should be peeled until you get to the softer petals. Then stop, and the whole 'flower' is then vertically cut into two and blanched in hot water (salt added) before using in any dishes, be it salad or cooked in some other dishes. There should not be any banana peel flavor after you've blanched it. Over here, the blanched banana flower is simply served with a hot sauce called 'sambal air asam' which is a mixture of pounded fresh chili, red onion, tamarind juice and maybe a tad of belacan (dried shrimp paste) or made into a salad (usually involves shredded coconut). However, this is all Malay cooking. The only thing that I can think of that would make your banana flower taste like banana peel is that if you have used the flower of an inedible specie of banana! And also, we sometimes make a dish out of small unripe bananas - peel and all - someting called Pisang Masak Lemak (banana in coconut milk gravy). So, you see, sometimes we eat the banana peel also (and it doesn't even taste like banana peel then!).

Aloo Gobi. Otherwise, I don't like cauliflowers. Unfortunately, I have not been successful in my attempts to make this at home.

OMG!!!! Read my post - the incident with my Mom.