Ote-Ote / Koheci/ Weci/ Bakwan sayur / Indonesian Vegetable fritter

It's one of traditional Indonesian snack-favorite one. In some places people also eat them as side dish accompanying their main dish. Some areas have different name for it, some call it "Ote-ote" while other area call it "koheci" or "weci" or mostly people call it Bakwan sayur.
Content of mostly vegetables with flour to make thickened, some area put shrimp in it. But generally it's fried vegetables. Serve it warm is always better way to enjoy it, with sambal petis (dark shrimp paste sauce) and birdeye chilly

Ingredients:
• 1 cup fresh shrimp, discard tail and head
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup julienn cut cabbage
• 1 cup roughly shaved carrot / cut into matchsticks
• 1 cup celery leaves chopped
• 1 ½ cup flour
• 1 small egg, beaten 
• Enough water 
• Enough Cooking oil for frying


Puree/ ground these spices:
• ½ medium onion (or 4 small red onions)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 ½ tsp peppercorn
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (or to taste)
• Salt and sugar to taste

How to make:
1) mashed/ puree: onion, garlic, pepper, salt and sugar. Puree also shrimp heads and tails into it.
2) In a large bowl, combine all vegetables, flour, baking powder, ground spices, shrimps and eggs. Give enough water slowly~just enough for wet the flour and all ingredients (not too watery). Stir it all until blended, sample a taste, give the broth flavoring if desired.
3) Heat oil over medium heat, fry the dough a spoonful after spoonful. Fry until pink and cooked through.


Note: if you want to have round shape like mine, heat serving soup spoon into hot oil, make sure the ladle is really hot (if not, the dough will be sticky on it). Then put the dough onto hot ladle, place shrimp on top and dip into the hot oil until the dough is separated by it self from the ladle.

Serve warm with chili sauce or birdeye chillies.

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Plum #Cobbler, Friend's recipe

I got this recipe from one of my foodie friend, Ping from Ping's pickings. Ping has nice page with many great recipes and pictures, in fact I bookmarked some of them ^,^

and this is one of her recipe I've been tried in my kitchen, Plum Cobbler, check on her nice page so you can find some great recipes also, who knows you might try some

Well, here what you need for making plum cobbler:

Yield 4 individual ramekins

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Cheesy Rosemary Bread

I was looking for something quick to eat and great for fulfilling our 'sahur' menu this Ramadhan. In our family, bread is a must at breakfast time. But you know, sometimes I'm bored with plain white bread... 

hmm..what to do? Cheesy bread.. Why not?

So, if you need something cheesy for breakfast or brunch? Try this one.. With rosemary herb flavor in this soft bread, I'm sure you will get same experience with me... Have a try! @(^,^)@

Ingredients I:
• 4 tsp instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cup warm milk
• 1 cup flour
Mix and stir all ingredients I until blended, cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until fluffy & bubbly approximately 30 minutes
Ingredients II:
• 4 ½ cups flour
• 2 medium eggs, beaten
• 150 g cold butter, cut into small squares
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary


Other Ingredients:
• About 300 grams of cheddar cheese for filling, cut into small cubes
• Fresh rosemary for toppings, roughly chopped
• Butter to spread toppings, soften at room temperature

Method:
 Once the ingredients I fluffy, mix in all ingredients II and knead until smooth and elastic. The process can use a machine or manually by hand (like I did).


 After the dough is smooth and elastic (no problem if it's a bit sticky in your fingers,and you can lightly dust your finger with flour if you want), cover with kitchen towel or plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for ± 60 minutes until fluffy and double in volume.


 Punch to remove air from the dough. Divide the dough into some small-same size-balls. You can weigh them up to perform same large circle.
Either you can use my way: Shape the dough lengthwise like a long pipe, then cut into 10 ~ 15 pieces and shape into a ball.

Flatten each ball and fill with cheese to taste, cover and form a ball again. Do the same thing until dough finished.

 Grease your round pan with vegetable oil, place balls on it and make space among them-like the picture. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest again for about 30 minutes.

 If it is near to baking time (about 20 minutes after you put the balls into the pan), pre heat oven at 160 ⁰C. Brush the bread with olive oil or canola oil (or other vegetable oil) and sprinkle with chopped fresh rosemary-like in the picture. Bake until cooked and browned on surface. Once out of the oven,while it's hot, basting them with soften margarine/ butter.

Happy Baking and Happy fasting (^,^)

Rosmarinus officinalis (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Chocolate Almond Steamed Brownies

First, I'd like to say: Happy Ramazan and have a fasting for all Muslims around the world.


I love steamed method to cook my cake. I feel "safe and secure" with it :))  Risk free..

In Indonesia, steamed brownie is very popular (compare to bake brownies) and it's everybody's favorite. Many kind of steamed Brownies we usually vary, start from Pandan flavor to Cheese brownies (-- I know, it's really rare you find those Brownies)

This time I made Chocolate Almond Steamed brownies, the ingredients and method are very much simple so I believe you can make it at your home and present different taste of brownies.

Ingredients:
 3 medium eggs
 ¾ cup caster sugar (if you want more sweet, add 2 tablespoons sugar)
 1 cup flour, sifted
 2 tablespoons almond flour
 3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder, sifted
 Pinch of fine salt
 50 gr dark cooking chocolate (DCC)
 ¾ cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)
 Butter for grease the loaf pan (or cooking spray)
 Almonds for garnish (optional)

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AYRAN - Turkish Yogurt drink

Ayran: the perfect beverage

Ayran is a mixture of yoghurt, water and salt. The thickness may vary across Turkey with those down south preferring something a little firmer. Most commercial manufacturers add approximately 1 percent salt -- about 1 gram for every 100 milliliters of liquid. Unsalted versions are available and can be easily prepared at home. Ayran is the perfect accompaniment to kebabs, döner, lahmacun (very thin, flat-style pizza), gözleme (savory flat, phyllo-style pastry) and some pide (thicker-crust-style pizzas) and börek (savory pastry).
The potential health benefits attributed to the bacteria of yoghurt are related to the traditional, spontaneously fermented milks, not those soured with standard bacteria used in industrial production. Ayran purchased in sealed plastic and foil cups are unlikely to provide the sought-after gastrointestinal assistance; any bacteria present will not survive the harsh internal environment of the human body.
Ayran  is that the process of fermentation sees milk's natural sugar, lactose, broken down, used as food by the bacteria. This makes digestion of both drinks easier than their predecessor, milk. Their other nutritional benefits come from their abundant minerals; calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamins riboflavin, B12, A, K and D.

What you need and how to prepare it:

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CHERRY CLAFOUTIS

Happy Ramadhan to all Moslems in world. Have a 'barokah' fasting time and may God accepted our deeds

My simply Cherry Clafoutis, I think it's perfect dessert for our first day of Ramadhan, which is also festive my summer time here in Turkey. Simple, easy, and quick to make....

Ingredients:

 500 g fresh cherries, remove stems and pitted (traditional version no need to pitted)
 ¾ cup cream and milk mixture 1:1 ( half and half)
 1 tsp vanilla essence
 2 large egg
 ¼ cup sugar (can add 1 tbsp if you want sweeter taste)
 ¼ cup flour, sifted
 Pinch fine salt
 Icing sugar for topping
 Butter/ Margarine for basting the pan

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(mix) Fruity cookies

I always keep something in our cookies jar in case if there is family, friends or neighbors come to visit. Or it's just only for accompany our afternoon tea. Mostly chocolate cookies in it... But today I made something else. Since I found many dried fruit in my storage cabin, so why didn't I make them something? like this cookies......

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggs 
• 250 gr unsalted butter, soften at room temperature 
• ¾ cup brown sugar 
• ½ cup sugar 
• 3 cups flour 
• 2 tsp ground ginger 
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon 
• ¼ tsp ground cloves 
• 1 tsp vanilla powder 
• ¼ tsp fine salt 
• 1 cup mixed dried fruit  
• 1 cup raisins or seeded sultanas, roughly chopped 
• ½ cup roughly chopped dried peaches (if any) 
• ½ cup pecans (or other nuts) roughly chopped 

How to make: 

1) Sift together: flour, salt, ginger powder, cinnamon powder, clove powder, vanilla powder, set aside. In a large bowl, beat together: butter, brown sugar, and sugar, beat until well blended. Beat in eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition, beat about 3  minutes more.

2) Carefully, mix in dry ingredient mixture alternately with fruit mixture plus pecans (or other peanuts). Stir with wooden spoon or spatula until blended.

3) Place the dough in plastic (I use plastic stretch) and shape it long pipe form (as shown),  wrap it carefully and  store in freezer about 40 minutes.
  Note: you can divide the batter into two equal part and wrap individually.

4) After 40 minutes, take the dough from frezer, slice with sharp knife about 0.5 cm thick. Place in baking tray lined with baking paper, do not forget to give a space about two fingers from each other. Let stand about 15 ~ 20 minutes until cookies are slightly thaw.

5) Pre heat oven at 180 ⁰C. Bake for 20 ~ 25 minutes until cooked and golden brown on surface.
Let stand until room temperature before stored in an airtight jar.

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Stuffed Chicken Wings... and I'm back ! ^,^

 It's been for a while I've been absence.. I had some administrative things to do. I'd been to Ankara for few days. Beside went to my embassy, I met some other Indonesian friends there... lovely time. After from Ankara, I went to some other places too... hhh... thanks God, everything are finish now... 

With some Indonesian friends in Ankara

Well... after some time didn't write any post... today I started with one of my favorite.. I'm sure it will be your fave too after you try it ^,^

I love chicken, especially wing part.. I don't know why, I think it more crispy than other part, don't you think so? @(^,^)@

If you are boring just fried them, why don't you try this stuffed recipe or your chicken wing..

What you Need:

 10 clean chicken wings. Discard the bones inside the wings, coat with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a pinch of salt, let stand minimum 30 minutes.

 ½ portion of boneless chicken breasts, minced. (Or you can use 300 gr minced beef)
 200 gr shrimp, discard head and tail, minced.
 2 large carrots, finely shaved.
 1 egg, lightly beaten.
 2 tsp oyster sauce
 1 teaspoon ground ginger
 3 cloves garlic, finely grated.
 Sugar, salt and black pepper powder to taste.
Other Ingredients for coating:
 2 eggs, beaten
 Bread crumb flour/ panko flour
 Cooking oil.

method:
1) In a bowl, mix together, minced chicken, shrimp, carrots, eggs and all seasonings,taste the flavor. Put the stuffing mixture into pipping bag and fill prepared chicken wings with it. Steam for 30 minutes. Allow up to room temperature before coating them.
2) Dip wings  into beaten egg, coat with panko flour, dip in beaten egg and coat with panko flour again. Do same to all wings. Heat oil in deep skillet, fry wings just until golden brown. Drain.

Serve warm with chili sauce and your favorite salad.

served 10 wings

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