Kuih Kapit

Traditional Kuih Kapit Mould. Different design
on each side of mould

A few years ago I had made some Kuih Kapit quite successfully on my outdoor gas barbecue grill. This time I decided to stay indoor - the weather was a bit nippy. I decide I would only make a small amount of cookies instead of my usual ambitious attempts. I decided to heat the kuih kapit moulds over my gas stove. Probably, not the most economical but I was making a small amount of cookies. It worked out fine but I think I have to find or fashion a satay style grill for future. I used the recipe from Nonya Flavors.

Chapati and Dal

What to eat, what to eat? After arriving home after our annual binge feast in Malaysia, our stomachs were caught in gastronomical jet lag.... Hunger struck at odd hours. At times, we knew we had to eat but were not hungry. Once night, the solution was a simple Chapati and Dal. Luckily, I had a bag of atta flour in the fridge but the bottle of ghee from my pantry that I opened smelt rancid. I substituted unsalted butter which surprisingly resulted in a richer, more tasty chapati.

Some might say that this is a recipe for Paratha........ it appears that there is a general confusion as to what constitute a chapati or a paratha. Generally, chapati are thinner than paratha. Parathas tend to be more flaky because of the folding of dough. In the past, I had just rolled out the dough ball to circles and cooked them - chapati. This time I folded the dough to form more layers - parathas. Either way, plain good eats!

Basic Dal

Ingredients
2 cups mansoor dal (orange/ red lentil)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 pieces tamarind slices
1 tomato, roughly chopped
2 dried chilies
water to cover

oil to fry
1 teaspoon sliced ginger
1 teaspoon shredded ginger
1/2 onion chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon black mustard seed
2 springs curry leaves (optional)

Method
Rinse dal in a few changes of water. Place dal in a pot with enough water to cover. Add turmeric powder, tamarind slices and chilies. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 25 minutes. Add tomatoes last 10 minutes.

Heat up a pan and add oil. Fry garlic, ginger, onion and curry leaves if used, until aromatic. Add turmeric powder and black mustard seeds. Cook until mustard seed starts to pop. Add the sauteed spice to the simmering dal and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat.