Healthy Living - Secret to make Sabah's famous Ngiu Chap without MSG

Drool drool - The best Ngiu Chap of Sabah

I missed KK and the food. Whenever I’m back home, I will always look for this one particular dish that I will never get bored of and that is Ngiu Chap.

There’s so many version of making Ngiu Chap or Beef noodle you can find in the internet. I’ve tried to replicate so many recipes and ended with adding lots of MSG just because it doesn’t taste like the ngiu chap I had before.

Hunting recipes online, I found this this recipe from mama adib of dapurarazmunir.blogspot.com. Tried it and I’d swear flashback of my childhood flew across my thoughts.  With a few changes here and there, I’d believe I recreate the ultimate homemade ngiu chap (or so I thought).

NGIU CHAP / BEEF NOODLE

INGREDIENT

Vermicelli noodle or yellow noodle 

BROTH

300g beef bone

300g beef meat 

200g beef tendons (or tripe)

Beef balls

100g soya bean paste/tauchew

10g lump sugar

2 tsp white pepper

2 large onion
5 cm crushed ginger 

5L water

SPICES (Roast spices and place in a small square mesh bag)

½ tsp Szechuan pepper (you can either replace it with black pepper)

4 star anise

1 tsp cumin seed

4cm cinnamon stick

SEASONAL

Salt to taste

Sugar (I prefer to use lump sugar for its mild taste)

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ tbsp dark soy sauce

GARNISHING

Crispy fried onions

Scallion or parsley

CHILLI DIPPING SAUCE 

5 chilli pepper

10 bird’s eye chilli (more for intense spicy sauce!)

5 clove garlic

2 tbsp rice vinegar

4 tbsp lime juice

Salt & sugar to taste

¾ tsp shrimp paste (optional)

First thing first before I reveal the method of cooking, let me tell you the secret to make a good ngiu chap (note that this is fully my opinion).

Start with good beef bones: The broth base is very important. To make a good broth, you must have all the BEEF PIECES especially the beef bones. Knuckle and leg bones are the best.

Use lump sugar or yellow rock sugar: To avoid using MSG, balance the taste with LUMP SUGAR (or even yellow rock sugar) not coarse sugar. There’s a different in taste when using lump sugar or regular sugar in dishes. Lump sugar has  a mild taste to it than regular sugar. I used this brand of lump sugar;

     

                                                        

Simmering it long enough: Everyone knows this, the longer you cook the broth the tastier and intensely flavored it is. Heck, soup taste so good the day after you cook it. I boil the broth for a good 4 TO 5 HOUR. So, use large enough stockpot without you diluting or adding more water afterwards when you find that you don't have much liquid left in the broth after hours and hours of simmering. So find a large good quality stainless steel stockpot.

                                   
  
                               
Roasting spices: Before adding to soup, ROAST SPICES (Szechuan pepper, star anise, cumin seed and cinnamon stick) and place it in a mesh bag. Otherwise you can use convenient packets of 'sup bunjut'. (But i prefer the latter).Roasting the spices gives you naturally sweet flavor.

Now let's get to the method of cooking.

Parboil the bones: Fill large pot with water. Boil water and add the bones while keeping heat on high. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the bones. Clean stockpot and refill pot with bones and 5 litre of water.

Boil the broth: Bring water to a boil before adding the beef bones, meat and tendons. Add all the ingredients in the broth section (except the beef balls); soya bean paste, lump sugar, white pepper, onion and ginger. Add spices (roasted and in a mesh bag) to broth. Simmer for 1 1/2 hour before removing the beef meat. Put aside meat. Continue simmering until broth has reduced by half. Taste broth and add seasoning; salt, sugar, soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Add beef balls and simmer again for another 15 to 20 minutes. Taste broth again and adjust seasoning until tastes perfect.

Prepare noodles and meat: Cut beef meat and tendon and set aside. Blanch noodles in hot water. 

Prepare chilli dipping sauce: Blend all the ingredients.

Ladling and garnishing: Fill bowl with noodles, cooked meat, tendon and beef balls and pour boiling soup on it. Garnish with crispy fried onions and scallion/parsley. 

ENJOY YOUR HOMEMADE NGIU CHAP WITH THE CHILLI DIPPING SAUCE! 

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Of Lifestyle and Fertility

One of my favorite fruit/vegetable juice/smoothie has to be from beetroot . I blend or mix whatever fruits or vegetables I have in the refrigerator but basically my recipe for beetroot juice is;

• Quarter of beetroot
• Celery stick
• 1 frozen banana (makes the juice sweet and creamy)
• Quarter of cucumber
• Bunch of mint leaves
• 1 teaspoon of virgin coconut oil (vco)

Beets are claimed to be one of the healthiest food or superfood you can juice. With lots of benefit it really is worth your time to juice everyday.

I got my virgin coconut oil supply from a relative who is located in Kudat, Sabah. Kudat, my husband's hometown, has always been known for its coconut groves. Recently, VCO (virgin coconut oil) was making its presence with its health values. I got this for a fraction of the price but if you get them from the pharmacies it can be quite expensive. So, for those who are interested leave me a message.

Try my other recipes of juice/smoothie goodness.

Yellow juice/smoothie is made from;

• Half zucchini
• Celery stick
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1 orange
• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 tsp vco

While green juice/smoothie is made from;

• Bunch of spinach leaves
• Half cucumber or zucchini
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 tsp vco

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You Will Never Believe the Bizarre Truth Behind this Indonesian Cuisine

Bosou (Source)

If you are a true Kadazan-Dusun you must have at least consume ‘bosou’ or pickled fish/meat. The main ingredient to ferment the raw fish or meat is what we called ‘pangi’. ‘Pangi’ is made from what the Malay called ‘buah kepayang’. It is a type of nut which is poisonous in nature and in order to consume it one has to prepare it in such a way to get rid of the poison then only you can used in dishes.

Pangi/Buah Kepayang/Kluwak nuts (Source)

According to Chowhound, in Indonesia, in order to process the nut, it would be buried in volcanic ash and allowed to mature. Then it need to be soaked in water for 3 days. The water needs to be changed and the nuts brushed clean daily.

In Sabah though, normally by the Kadazan-Dusuns, pangi is used as a food preservative (as well as for making 'bosou') where pieces of meat or fish will be covered by pounded flesh of the nut before drying them under the sun. Now, I'm not sure whether it is process (of getting rid of the poison) before being used as a food preservative, but by the sound of it the flesh of the nut is just pounded into a powdery substances before using.

Mostly I don’t care what’s in the dish as long as it’s good to eat. But since I think I would like to make ‘bosou’ someday I might as well get to know my dishes. Now, ‘bosou’ might have a pungent smell for some, but when it is stir fried with onion, garlic and bird-eye chilly, you might as well add another bowl of rice. It is so good…I tell you.

Now, imagine my surprise when I come across a recipe which used ‘pangi’ or what the Indonesian called ‘keluwak/kluak/kluwak’ nuts in a SOUP! Now, that bizzare. What would it taste like? I know that ‘pangi’ has a bit of bitterness to it. Black, powdery, bitter substance in a liquid dish?

Introducing Nasi Rawon, a traditional beef stew or soup accompanied with rice (nasi), hence the name. Interestingly, the deep black color of the soup is from the kluwak nuts, the main spices in the soup. This dish is typically from the Indonesian province of East Java particularly in Surabaya.  There is even a restaurant in Surabaya which is called Rawon Setan (Devil’s Rawon) which is listed in tripadvisor and according to some a must visit.

Looks appetizing with the rich black broth

It's interesting human is capable of using deadly resources of food to accustom to our need. Surely there must have cases in the olden days where people died from consuming this type of food before they learn how to process it. 

I wouldn't mind trying one since it's a very popular dish that there is even a version of it in Singapore. I wonder if it's available in Malaysia...

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Reasons You Should Love Brownie in a Mug

It's a fast paced world we living nowadays. Everything's in a hurry. If you are a sweet tooth like me, baking a cake could drain you from all the measuring and cleaning afterwards. That's why this brownie in a mug recipe is perfect for those who's craving for their daily dose of sweet treat but is in a rush.

Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes shows how to make a single serving brownies in a mug, in just 5 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup flour (30 g)
• 1/4 cup sugar (50 g)
• 2 Tbsp (13 g) cocoa (natural, unsweetened)
• Pinch of salt
• Tiny pinch of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup water (60 ml)
• 2 Tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil (NOT extra virgin olive oil, it's too strongly flavored)
• 1 to 2 drops vanilla extract
• 1 small scoop of ice cream or 1 or 2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream to serve.

INsTRUCTION

1. Place flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and cinnamon in a microwave safe ceramic mug. Stir with a fork or spoon to mix well and break up any clumps.

2. Add the oil, water, and vanilla to the cup and stir until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.

3. Place in microwave and heat on high until the mixture is cooked through, about a 1 minute and 40 seconds for a 1000 watt microwave. You may have to experiment and adjust the time for less or more powerful microwaves. If you don't know the power level on your microwave, start with 60 seconds and increase until the brownie is done. It should still be moist when cooked through, not dry.

4. Let cool for a minute and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a teaspoon or two of whipping cream poured over.

Personalized your mug with this microwave safe mugs with your own unique quotes or photos. Order yours at Bavakoo Gifts & Crafts. 

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Best BBQ Chicken Wing at Pasar Malam Inanam Point

One of the best comfort food you can find is not at a fine restaurant but at a night market. Malaysia are popular with night markets or what malaysians called pasar malam. 

Strolling through the stall of pasar malam, one can find the best local delicacies with affordable price.

The one choice of food I can never live without when paying a visit at Pasar Malam Inanam Point is the barbequed chicken wings. 

Over the past few years, the price of one piece of chicken wing has increased but still it remains a favorite by the locals especially for 'pusas' or snack during 'moginum'/drinking session.

Upclosed chicken buttock. I never had these I  find it too 'exotic' to my tasting plus it filled  with fat. 

Sabahan version of murtabak. Compared to murtabak in peninsula malaysia (which is loaded with meat or chicken filling that made it too soggy), sabah version of murtabak is much crunchier. It is actually a kind of folded thin egg pastry.

Aahh, the recently craze of the pisang goreng cheese or banana cheese fritters...or is it banana fritters cheese? For whatever cool name they have for these I love every dessert that KK has to offer. 

But sometimes I miss my savoury pisang goreng. Sounds intimidating but a few years back, pisang goreng teatime session is accompanied with dipping sauce or sambal. 

Whoever come up with these is a genius! Who doesn't love chocolate?

Vibrantly colored cendol or ABC. I would have these once in a while but I prefer my traditional cendol with pulut. I don't trust food with so much food coloring but I wouldn't mind trying once in a while. 

One stop for all. Normally, pasar malam is what I may call the street hypermarket. You can find almost everything in a pasar malam. There's the food section (even stall with table and chairs for you to dine), the groceries section; meat, fish and vegetable and the 'department store' - toys and clothing. 

Time for a night out!

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Beef Noodle Goodness and Comfort

Happy New Year everyone! I'm back in Penang so one of the things I missed when I’m away from home is food. For whatever reason, food provided me an extra comfort, particularly my childhood food. Apart food from my traditional Kadazan-Dusun root such as tuhau, bambangan, bosou, there will always be the day when I crave the much delighted Ngiu Chap.

Ngiu Chap means ‘beef noodle’ in Hakka, or what we called beef stew cooked with the noodle of your choice (bee hoon, mee hoon or kuey tiaw). In your bowl of ngiu chap, you will have chunks of tender stewed beef and beef slices, beef balls, tendons (my favourite!) and tripe.

Originally from Sabah, now you can easily find shop that served ngiu chap in KL and Sarawak. 

Ngiu Chap Sarawak Style

In love with the original Ngiu Chap in Sabah, a man and his wife who have been living in Kota Kinabalu for four years returned to their hometown in Kuching and opened their own stall.

Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap in Puchong

Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap serves one of my favourite beef noodle. The difference from other beef noodles is with their thick almost blackish broth, added with white radish and that special cili padi dipping sauce.

Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap in Damansara also known as Sabah Kampung Beef Noodle

Kah Hiong Ngiu Chap has been working really hard! They have already have several branches in Sabah. I hope they open a branch in Penang.

If you want the lighter version of beef noodle you can find it almost everywhere especially in Penampang and Kota Kinabalu. ­Another favourite of mine is Loi Hin Ngiu Chap.

Sometimes if I'm craving for the taste of beef noodle, I cooked my own version of ngiu chap but somehow its never taste the same. Or I could be heading to Secret Recipe to quench my cravings on their Vietnamese Beef Noodle. What disappoints me though different branches of Secret Recipe have different version of the Vietnamese Beef Noodle. 

Find the best beef noodle in Kota Kinabalu here.

Now I’m craving for a bowl of hot beef stew…..dang it.

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Bento box for My Picky Eater

Since boy is entering his primary school, I'll be preparing him lunchbox since I hate him eating all those junk food sold at the school canteen. Even if there are so many type of food I know that he will only aim for that greasy, limpy, cold fries. 

Preparing lunchbox at 5 am in the morning is still a challenge for me. A month long school holiday and the late night sleeps throughout Christmas week makes it hard for me to drag myself from bed. 

So, some days I opt out from decorating bento and just make sure the food is edible for my boy who only eats one type of vegetable, one type of fruit, seldom eat meat or fish. His favourite food was bread with peanut butter or chocolate spread. 

And, some days I'm not in the mood of taking photos. 

Rice & Sausage with Bread & Cheese

Waffle Pocket with Sausage & Cheese filling and Biscuits

French Toast with Cheese & Boiled Egg with Biscuit and Banana

Rice & Sausage with Egg Sheet

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Homemade Pizza with Homemade Tortilla Wrap

I love pizza and I love making pizza dough. But sometimes eating pizza makes me too full and eventually I only managed to eat two slice and scraped the topping to eat and just throw out the bread.

So what better way to enjoy the delicious topping and still consider it as a pizza? Use a super thin crust pizza!...Or a tortilla wrap! It super crunchy and delicious with your choice of topping.

                       

Original recipe from The Cafe Sucre Farine.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup warm water

Ingredients:

1. Combine and mix flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl. Add oil and water. Mix with a mixer for 1 minute or you can just use your hands. stopping several timesto scrape the sides of the bowl. After about 1 Continue to mix until dough is smooth.

2. Transfer from mixing bowl to a well-floured work surface. Divide dough in half, then in half again. Continue until you have 16 fairly equal portions. Form each piece into a ball and flatten with the palm of your hand as much as possible. If dough is sticky, use a bit more flour. Cover flattened balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes before proceeding.

3. After rest period, heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Roll each dough piece into a rough circle, about 6-7 inches in diameter, keep work surface and rolling pin lightly floured. Don’t stack uncooked tortillas on top of each other or they will get soggy.

4. Serve warm or allow to cool for later use. When ready to use, place a slightly damp paper towel in the bottom of a container (with a cover) that will hold the stacked tortillas. Microwave, uncovered for 15-25 seconds (start with 15) or until warm, then cover to hold heat while serving.

Note: The tortillas will keep well stored in an airtight container or zippered bag at at room temperature for 24 hours or can be frozen indefinitely. To freeze, separate tortillas with parchment paper or waxed paper and place in a zippered bag before placing in freezer.

Enjoy and happy cooking!

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