Grandma's Kaya( coconut egg jam)

Ingredients

This recipe is easy to remember as we use equal amount of eggs, concentrated coconut milk and brown sugar. Just measure by bowl or cup will do.

In addition, we require 1/4 cup of sugar(for caramel) and some pandan leaves.

Preparation

1. Beat the eggs slightly in a bowl and strain it through a piece of cloth. Make sure it is properly strained(not lumpy).

2. Put the brown sugar and the egg mixture in a pot and beat to mix well.

3. Add in the coconut milk and stir the mixture for a while to make sure that it is well blended before putting in the pandan leaves.

4. Put the pot on the stove and continue to stir the mixture slowly over very low flame. It is necessary to keep on stirring so as to ensure nothing sticks at the bottom of the pot.

5. Melt 1/4 cup of sugar in another pot.

6. Stir lightly until the sugar melts and is turning brown.

7. Add the caramel into the coconut mixture and continue stirring for about 1 to 1.5 hours until the mixture thickens.

8. Remember to keep the flame low so that the texture of kaya would be fine and smooth.

9. Discard the pandan leaves when kaya is cooked.

Bitter gourd braised chicken

Ingredients

1 bitter gourd about 300g

1 pc chicken thigh ( cut into big pieces )

2 shallots ( cut into thin slices)

5 slices of ginger

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp black bean sauce

1/2 tsp dark soya sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

some salt

some oil

Preparation

1. Cut the bitter gourd into rectangular shapes. Rub it with some salt and leave it for 5 minutes ( to remove bitterness). Wash away the salt.
2. Marinate the chicken with 2 tbsp light soya sauce and pinch of salt for 30 minutes.

3. Heat up some oil in the saucepan and shallow fry the bitter guord for about 5 minutes until it is half-cooked. Dish up and set aside.

4. Pour out the oil and leave about 2 tbsp oil in saucepan.

5. Stir fry the shallot until fragrant. Add in the ginger and chicken.

6. Stir fry chicken for a while over high heat.

7. Return the bitter gourd to the saucepan. Put in oyster sauce, black bean paste, sugar, dark soya sauce and stir fry to mix well.

8. Add in 60ml water and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

9. Dish up to serve.

Bitter gourd and lean meat soup

Ingredients

150g bitter gourd ( cut into thin slices)

50 g carrot ( cut into slices)

100g pork fillet ( cut into thin slices)

1 tbsp corn flour

1 tbsp light soya sauce

some salt

Preparation

1. Add some salt to bitter gourd. Rub it evenly and leave it for about 5 minutes to remove bitterness. Wash away the salt.

2. Marinate the meat with 1 tbsp corn flour and 1 tsp light soya sauce.

3. Boil about 1 litre water in pot. 

4. Add bitter gourd and carrot into the pot and cover to boil over lower flame for 30 minutes.

5. Put in the meat and bring to boil. Do not stir after adding the meat.

6. Add salt to taste when the meat is cooked.

7. Serve the soup hot.

*This soup taste a bit bitter, but it seems that it is good for "cooling" when one feels "heaty".