28 September 2012 by Crave Malay Mail

Friday september 28, 2012 S AT I S F Y I N G

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MID-AUTUMN MOCHI Make these adorable bunnies for the festivities

BUNNY MOCHI

BEAR MOCHI

(MAKES ABOUT 8 BUNNIES)

(MAKES 3 BEARS)

dough 15g plain flour 30g glutinous rice flour 30g rice flour 20g caster sugar 100ml UHT milk 1 tablespoon shortening filling 160g store-bought lotus paste or red bean paste 1 drop pink food colouring extra glutinous rice flour for kneading, dusting hands & work area dough moulding tools

To prepare dough: In a metal bowl, combine all the dough ingredients with a wire whisk. Place the dough mixture into a hot steamer and steam for 10 minutes; or until dough is firm to the touch but still sticky and pliable. Make sure the batter in the bottom of the bowl is firm, check by using a spoon to see if batter is still runny. Remove from steamer; cover with a cling film and leave to cool. Once cooled refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using. Taster Comments: The mochi tasted good with a soft texture. The next time I’ll use more red bean filling. ” CHOO LI-HSIAN, Public Relations professional

EDITORIAL NOTE by Lee Khang Yi

Crave Editor

Be different this Mid-Autumn festival that falls on September 30 and make these adorable bunny mochi for the kids. They take the form of the fluffy animal in honour of the legend of Chang Er who lives iin the moon with the Jade rabbit. Joining the adorable mochi brigade are two bears inspired by a certain Japanese character. And if you have no time to make these, opt instead for our guide on all kinds of mochi that you can indulge in the digital edition. If you are looking for gourmet eats, make your way down to Food Bites at Jaya One tomorrow. It promises to be a fun event with handcrafted ice cream, popsicles, BBQ sandwiches, tarts, cream puffs and brownies. And for hungry tummies, head towards Annie1 for Ipoh delights or Bayu Timor for delectable rojak buah. Email me any feedback you have to khangyi@mmail.com.my. Bon Appetit!

ADVERTISING SALES Rajan Gopal Senior Manager, Direct & Classifieds Direct line: 03 74951282 rajan@mmail.com.my

Mark the eye positions with the back of the brush, brush some water as glue, then place the bright pink balls for the eyes. Repeat for the nose.

ﬁlling into 20g portions and shape into a round ball. Dust your hands with some glutinous rice ﬂour should the dough sticks to the hands.

4. Shape a small tear drop from the dough, dusting with extra glutinous rice; for the ears. Brush with some water and press the ears to adhere. Step-by-step shaping for the bunny: 1. Remove mochi dough from the refrigerator. Knead into smooth and elastic dough. Scale the mochi dough into 20g portions and shape into a round ball. Pinch some dough from one portion. Colour one portion bright pink for the eyes, and another portion a lighter pink for the nose. Scale the

2. Lightly press to flatten one portion of the mochi dough into a circle. Place the filling in the centre of dough. Slowly wrap the dough around it covering the filling and making the edges are sealed. 3. Using your palms, lightly shape the dough into a teardrop like ball of dough. Press the sides of the dough with your fingers to form its sides.

6. From the light pink dough, pinch a little dough and roll into tiny balls to shape the eyes. For the nose, use the deeper pink and make slightly larger balls.

7. Shape a bigger ball from the extra dough for the tail, brush with water and stick the tail onto the bunny. Repeat until all the batter is used up. 8. Refrigerate bunny mochi and serve chilled. The mochi can keep for 2-3 days refrigerated.

Step-by-step shaping for the bear For the head, scale 20g mochi dough and 20g lotus paste filling. For the body, scale 40g mochi dough and 20g lotus paste filling. 1. Lightly press to flatten one portion of the mochi dough into a circle for the head. Place the filling in the centre of dough. Slowly wrap the dough around it covering the filling and making the edges are sealed. Repeat for the body. Wrap the mochi dough around the filling for the head and the body. Shape the head into a teardrop like shape, while you shape the body

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FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2012

dough 15g plain flour 30g glutinous rice flour 30g rice flour 20g caster sugar 100ml UHT milk 1 tablespoon shortening

brown food colouring pink food colouring yellow food colouring

for kneading, dusting hands & work area dough modeling tools

200g lotus paste or red bean paste extra glutinous rice ﬂour

Follow the same method in the Bunny mochi to prepare the dough.

THE MALAY MAIL

In the Kitchen with Eu Hooi Khaw The four-angled bean, which grows in profusion if you let it creep on a fence in your garden, is a very good source of protein and contains all the amino acids, fatty acids and antioxidants to keep you healthy and in good shape. All the leaves, ﬂowers and tuberous roots of the herbaceous perennial are edible too. The plant known by its botanical name psophocarpus tetragonolobus is native to the South Paciﬁc Islands and Papua New Guinea. In India where it was introduced in the 1800s, the young leaves of the plant are eaten like spinach and cooked in a curry. This winged bean or kacang

botol (in Malay) has become one of the most important crops for underdeveloped countries. Just by looking at its nutritional content, you know that you

should eat it more often. It’s high in betacarotene, calcium, iron, magnesium,phosphorous, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, B vitamins, folic acid, arginine, glutamic acid and lysine. We’re used to eating the fourangled bean raw as an ulam, with a dried prawn sambal or just sambal belacan. It’s crunchy and very palatable in a kerabu, or cooked in a spicy fashion. In Chinese restaurants it’s one of the vegetables in the dish known as Sei Tai Teen Wong (four heavenly kings). It is fried together with ladies ﬁngers, eggplant, petai and long beans in a dried prawn sambal.

FOUR-ANGLED BEAN KERABU

t chi bup o m Love to roll u d lazy wn. Rea y o your igital copuy d our here to b on w them. . w on ww y for k c i l C com.m il. mma the link.

10. Draw the mouth using an edible pen. Stick a small piece of round dark brown dough as the nose on top of the mouth. Attach by brushing with water. Repeat for the following dough. You can follow the same method for the pink coloured bear and colour it accordingly. Refrigerate the mochi and serve it chilled.

into a more oval-like shape. 2. Using a tooth pick or a short bamboo skewer, secure the head to the body.

3. Using a modeling tool, shape the body to form two legs. 4. Take some white dough and ﬂatten to form the mouth and the bib for the body. Brush with water and attach. 5. Press the top of the head with the tool for the ears. Shape the ears using two brown balls of dough and two yellow balls of dough. Brush the ear area and stick the ears. 6. Shape a small pink dough into a round and ﬂatten. Press with the tool for a cross pattern. Brush water on white belly

and stick it on top. 7. For the eyes, colour the dough a darker brown and roll into two small balls. Brush with water and stick the eyes. 8. Use the extra dough to shape the arms. Brush the body’s sides with water and stick the arms. 9. For the nose, shape the plain coloured dough into an oval shape. Brush with water and stick onto the face.

12 four-angled beans 3 dried chillies, pan-roasted and cut finely 3 fresh red chillies, cut finely 5 bird-eye chillies (cili padi), cut finely 4 shallots, deep fried till golden with the skin 6 garlic cloves, deep fried till golden with the skin 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar 1 boneless chicken thigh, steamed with a little sea salt and cut into thin slices 2 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts 2 tablespoons shallot crisps garnish 5 dried chillies fried in hot oil and sliced Add a teaspoon sugar into a pot of boiling water and drop the four-angled beans to cook for

two minutes. Remove the beans and place in a pot of cold water to stop the cooking. Drain the beans, cut into small pieces and set aside. Pound all the chillies, the peeled deep fried shallots and garlic into a paste in a mortar. Add the ﬁsh sauce, lime juice and sugar; mix to combine and transfer to a bowl. Combine the paste with the four-angled beans, chicken, peanuts and shallot crisps. Plate the kerabu and garnish with sliced fried dried chillies. Serve immediately.

FOOD bites

GOURMET MARKET RETURNS Foodies can head to Jaya One, Petaling Jaya tomorrow (September 29) for Food Bites. The market, presented by ENO, is all about gourmet eats. This time, it follows a yellow theme, whereby the food sold is made from ingredients with the colour yellow. The market that debuted in May has now doubled to twenty stalls that sell all kinds of food including dishes from Argentina, France and Poland. Look for Tart Art for all kinds of tarts or Kee’s Cream puffs for dainty cream-ﬁlled goodies. Bite into hearty BBQ sandwiches from Andy’s BBQ, and mini burgers from Crazy Juliet. For local favourites with a twist, Smokin’ Salmas will be serving Saffron briyani murtabak and Rendang tok pumpkin curry puffs. Cool off from the heat with handmade ice cream from Forty Licks or The Potong’s popsicles made

from pineapple, Korean soju or sun melon. Or maybe just imbibe yourself with the alcoholic concoctions from Deer Society, and healthy fruit juices from Smooshie Juices. You can also pick up homemade breads from Craft Bakers.

The HELP college will also be conducting a cooking demonstration of saffron seafood risotto at 3pm. Food Bites starts from 11am onwards. Admission is free. Each item sold ranges from RM5 to RM15.

FRIDAY 28, september 2012

AN OLD FAVOURITE

SMOOTH: Creme caramel

CROWD-PULLER: Wanton mee with char siew

SATISFYING: Ipoh White Coffee with Yam cake

UNIQUE TO IPOH: Chee Cheong Fun with mushroom

IPOH MALI

APPROVED

Even though I’m a true blue KL-lite, on occasion I hanker for some food from Ipoh. When those cravings start, I’ll turn to my trusted foodie friend, James who is Ipoh mali (slang that means from Ipoh). It is through him that I discovered this no frills place, Annie1. Annie1’s menu has quite a few popular items – Curry laksa, Chee cheong fun but the big crowd-puller is the Wanton mee. The noodles is said to be a hometown specialty of the owners from Menglembu, a hop and a skip away from Ipoh. For my first visit here, I order the Dry wanton mee with char siew (RM5.60). The egg noodles are firm with no alkaline aftertaste. The strands don’t clump together and taste good with the chunky succulent char siew. The noodles can also be enjoyed in a soup form. You have a choice of various toppings such as curry chicken, braised chicken feet, oyster sauce chicken, stewed spare ribs and braised pork trotters. Even though the place runs like a kopitiam franchise whereby you fill the order chit

THE MALAY MAIL

and pass it to a foreign worker, there is a homemade air with their dishes like the savoury Yam cake (RM3). The simple snack is uplifted with bits of yam to give it texture, while dried prawns give it flavour. Die-hard Ipoh foodies can enjoy the Chee cheong fun mushroom (RM4.20), a rarity in the Klang Valley. This dish hits the comfort spot with the steamed rice flour rolls doused in the mushroom and minced meat gravy. Purists can enjoy the rolls with the sweet reddish sweet sauce (tim cheong) and pickled green chillies. My only gripe is the Curry laksa. Like a pretender of its aromatic Northern counterpart, Annie1’s version lacked the requisite spicy and smoky flavours I look for in my curry noodles. Nevertheless, my Curry laksa supreme (RM8.50) was satisfying albeit cholesterol laden with coconut milk and a topping of char siew, pig skin, wantons and pork ball. The Ipoh coffee (RM3) has all the hallmarks of the real deal - aromatic with a smooth consistency and its signature

ROJAK buah, Sarawak laksa and Fried cheong fun was high on our agenda when we went to lunch at Bayu Timor Restoran & Kafe recently. We had these, and added to that an Oxtail soup as an afterthought, and Nasi lemak from the lunch set. Bayu Timor is a café cum teak furniture shop in Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya that has been around for at least 15 years. We liked the cosy ambience and the furniture. These pieces including the various décor items on display, are all for sale. The cafe offers an extensive menu of local and Western dishes. During lunchtime, it is bustling and I saw people taking away boxes of Nonya kuih, they are also well known for. The Rojak buah (RM7.50) was exceptional and we liked it a lot. There were fruits such as papaya, pineapple, sour green mango and kedondong, mixed with vegetables like cucumber, water spinach and beansprouts in it, all the requisite ingredients for a good rojak. The salad was brought together by a delicious, sweetish and lightly hot prawn paste sauce with the aromas of toasted belacan, and even a sliver of the torch ginger flower. It was served with a generous sprinkling of crushed toasted peanuts, and topped with fish crackers. The Fried cheong fun (RM8.50) was done like Char kway teow except the smooth rice rolls were not unfurled and fried whole. You could taste the heat of the wok in it, together with the flavours of the prawns, chicken, beansprouts, egg, garlic and chilli sauce. The sambal belacan served on the side, added more oomph. Nasi lemak (RM21.90) was

frothy head. You can order it hot or cold but I prefer it chilled. For a sweet end, go for the Crème caramel (RM3) that brings back memories of an iconic Ipoh coffee shop, known as “The Hall of Mirrors”. The smooth dessert is served with a glass of ice water to alleviate its sweet taste. Or try the White lo mai fan (RM3), an unusual sweet version topped with kaya. The soft and not clumpy glutinous rice is delicious eaten with the sweet and smooth coconut and egg “jam”. During weekdays, scoring a place here needs a patience of a saint, since parking spaces are scarce around the busy Damansara Uptown square. Aim instead for the weekends when the parking spaces are readily available. Annie1 Family Restaurant, 18-20, Jalan SS21/58 (Same row as Baskin-Robbins), Damansara Uptown, Petaling Jaya. Open: 7.30am to 9.30pm (Monday to Friday), 8.30am to 3.30pm (Saturday, Sunday and public holiday). Crave pays for all its meals and all its reviews are conducted anonymously.

BY Eu Hooi Khaw

one of the selections from the set lunch menu, and it came with a mushroom soup and ice coffee. You could have either rendang tok or chicken rendang with it. We got the chicken rendang that came with thick spicy gravy infused with lemongrass. This was served with a conical- shaped rice that was surrounded by sweet tasting sambal, peanuts and crackers. The rice was perfectly cooked, with the grains well infused with coconut milk touched with a little salt. I have not had a good Oxtail soup (RM17.90) in ages and this lightly spiced one came up to mark. The creamy soup was full of shallot crisps, chopped Chinese celery

leaves, and had large tender chunks of oxtail. I could have had just this satisfying soup on its own and be happy. In addition, we also ordered the Sarawak laksa (RM13.90). Unfortunately, it was a washout with a watered down curry and minimal ingredients. I went to the counter and ordered a selection of Nonya kuih: Seri muka, Kuih talam and Ubi kayu. It was all really good kuih, but my favourite is the Seri muka , with its layer of blue-tinged glutinous rice at the bottom. The Onde-onde is very popular here too. The kuih was 80 sen per piece, and it was of a good size. For breakfast, they serve muffins, scones, bread and jam, assorted kuih or pastries with a cup of coffee or tea for just RM5.50. The same is served for tea from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. You could also have Pie tee , Roti jala with chicken curry, Carrot cake or Brownies for the morning and afternoon. Bayu Timor Restoran & Kafe, 13 & 15, Jalan SS24/8, Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya. Tel: 0378042960. Open: 10am to 8pm (Monday to Saturday), 10am to 3pm (Sunday).

Clockwise: A selection of Nonya kuih, Fried cheong fun, Oxtail soup, The cafe is decorated with teak wood furniture and decor items sourced from Indonesia, Rojak buah.

Friday september 28, 2012 S P E C IAL

D I G I TAL

E D I T I O N

THE MAGIC OF MOCHI Chew on this Japanese delicacy

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FRIDAY 28, september 2012

Strawberry Omochi Look out for these large mochi that are exclusive to the bakery’s stall in Tokyo Street. The mochi is best eaten well chilled for a chewier texture. Hidden within the baby pink mochi skin is fresh whipped cream, strawberry, red bean paste and a piece of sponge cake. The combination works well together that one bite is never enough. The omochi is sold for RM5.50 per piece. RT Pastry House, Lot P6.45.00, Tokyo Street, Level 6, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur.

THE MALAY MAIL

Mochi is a Japanese rice cake that is traditionally made by pounding glutinous rice. The dessert comes in different fillings and is moulded into a round shape. In Japan, mochi is traditionally eaten in a New Year soup for longevity and prosperity. When prepared fresh, the mochi is soft and sticky. It is best enjoyed chilled. Slowly savour the mochi with each bite. As you chew on it, this allows you to thoroughly appreciate its smooth texture, sticky goodness and the sweet flavours. Nowadays, the Japanese confection has gone international. It is highly adaptable, taking on local flavours wherever it goes. In Hong Kong, it is paired with mango, where it is served in their popular dessert houses. And inevitably, here in Malaysia, it pops up with a marriage with our local star, the pungent durian that will make you go “oishi” or delicious in Japanese.

Q Mochi This Taiwanese dessert shop prides itself for its soybean milk, herbal jelly and taro ball desserts but we reckon its best product is the Q mochi. The texture of this dessert lived up to its “Q” name, being soft and ultra chewy. Each order is a mix of white and brown sugar mochi, topped with a generous sprinkling of toasted coconut shreds. The brown sugar version with is our favourite. The Q mochi is available for RM8.90. Currently the shop is running a special buy-one-get-one-free promotion until further notice. Meet Fresh is at G138, Ground Floor, 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya; LG-18A, Lower Ground Floor, Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur; Lot CF-30, Concourse Level, Paradigm Mall, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya; Lot 6.35.00, Level 6, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.

Mango Mochi Specialising in all things mango, this Hong Kong dessert shop serves their version of mango mochi dusted with dessicated coconut. The texture of the mochi is rather soft and not sticky to the teeth. Hidden within its golden yellow skin is a nugget of fresh mango, that is more sour than sweet. It comes with three pieces priced for RM4.90. Hui Lau Shan is at FK107, First Floor, 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, Tel:03-77221145; L3-77(P), The Mines Shopping Mall, Seri Kembangan, Tel:03-89431145; K-0201 & K-02-03A, Second Floor Central, Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur, Tel: 03-21410040; Lot 6.43.00, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Tel:03-21103313.

Durian Mochi Especially for those who love durian, these coconut dusted mochi is filled with the creamy pulp. While the mochi lacks any chewy taste, the durian filling is aromatic as D24 durians are used. The mochi is sold in a box of three pieces for RM7.50. Unfortunately, they tend to squash the mochi in the small container that causes it to lose its round shape. Durian Durian is located in a kiosk on the Lower Ground Floor, Mid Valley Megam Megamall; KCE13, Concourse Level, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur.

THE MALAY MAIL

FRIDAY 28, september 2012

Abekawa Mochi In Japan, this type of mochi dessert is usually eaten together with kinako (soybean powder). However, in this Japanese restaurant, their version comes with a very generous topping of finely ground toasted peanuts mixed with sugar. The slightly chewy mochi with the sweetened peanut topping is best enjoyed with a cup of hot green tea. Expect to fork out RM16 for this dessert. Kampachi, Lot 6.09.00, Level 6, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Tel:0321489608.

Mochi Sweets Started last year, this shop has elevated the chilled mochi into gourmet treats that we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop eating. In terms of texture, the mochi is far superior compared to the rest with its pleasant chewy taste. You will be spoiled for choice, as the mochi comes in thirteen flavours. For the traditional Japanese taste, go for the all-time favourite red bean and green tea. And if you are feeling adventurous, pick the tangy mango yoghurt or the caramel macchiato. If you are confused with so many choices, just pick the gift box of six, that is a selection of their top flavours. It is also sold in gift boxes of 12. Prices start from RM3.50 for the mochi. Mochi Sweets is at P6.15.00, Level 6, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur; S-K-01, Second Floor, The Gardens, Kuala Lumpur; GK-10, Ground Floor (near Jusco), 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya; Lot F1-100C, Frst Floor (Orange Atrium, near Maxis), Sunway Pyramid Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya.

Lotte Yukimi Daifuku Cool off with these chilled delicious bites that marries pliable soft mochi with icy cold milk frozen to resemble ice cream. Once you have tasted these snacks, we reckon you will be hooked. Look for the sweet strawberry flavoured ones or our favourite, the delicious chocolate ones filled slightly tangy strawberry syrup. Each packet is RM6.99 for two pieces. A plastic fork is provided in the packet for you to eat the cold mochi on-the-go. Matsuri Mart, Lot 6.24.07, Tokyo Street, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Tel:03-21430066.