Malaysian Spiced Fried Chicken,  or Ayam Goreng Berempah in Malay, is something I make very often. I teach the recipe along with nasi lemak at my cooking class. The result? Sometimes, I eat it almost every day!

So I came up with a healthier version of it. This is one of my proudest inventions. I even shared this recipe with Nicol David in our Cook Off Challenge. Check out my Youtube video tutorial to see how I do it!

HOW IS IT HEALTHY?

1. BAKED Insted of deep-frying it in oil, I bake it
2. COATED WITH SEEDS To get the crispy texture, instead of coating it in breadcrumbs, I coat it in seeds
3. SPICES I use a lot of powdered spices including turmeric
4. NO OIL I don’t use any oil. Sometimes I like to good oil e.g 1  tbsp of coconut oil

TOOLS

• AirFryer/ Oven
• Blender
• Knife + chopping board

RECIPE CARD

SHORT RECIPE

With a bit of tweaks, it’s possible to make our favourite food healthier.

Do try it and let me know how you like it!

The post Healthy Malaysian ‘Fried’ Chicken | Ayam Goreng Berempah – No Oil, No Breadcrumbs, Keto-friendly appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

The post Homemade KFC Cheesy Potato Wedges appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

This is the simplest nuggets you can make yet no less flavourful. I use chicken breast (just like McD) and season it with garlic and onion powder. Both of these powder gives the MSG-like taste that we are so used to at fast food restaurants. Of course, there’s salt and pepper too. Lastly, they are dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs (I like to use panko), before frying.

Why is our homemade nuggets better than store-bought ones?

1. You know what goes into your nuggets.
2. No artificial flavouring. Only natural seasonings are used.
3. Made with quality seasonings e.g sea salt instead of table salt.
4. Made with the best meat that we can get: fresh and/or free range-chicken.
5. We don’t reuse cooking oil.

How is sea salt better than regular table salt?

Convenient protein

I like making my own homemade nuggets to freeze. To me, it’s convenient protein. When I’m hungry and need some snacks, I’ll just dump it in the oven or air-fryer to reheat. When there are unexpected guest, I can serve them with something homemade and delicious. It’s a wonderful fingerfood to serve at parties too!

TOOLS

• Wok + spatula
• Food processor

RECIPE CARD

SHORT RECIPE

Process 400 g chicken breast into a paste. Add 1 tsp garlic powder + ½ tsp onion powder + ¼ tsp black pepper powder + 1 tsp salt and blend. Form 1 tbsp of minced chicken into nugget size + dip in 1 whisked egg + dip in 1 cup breadcrumbs. Repeat. Fry until golden brown. 

STEP-BY-STEP

PREP: In a bowl, whisk egg. In a shallow dish, pour in breadcrumbs.

BLEND CHICKEN: Chop chicken into large chunks and blend in a food processor until it turn to a paste.

SEASON CHICKEN: Add garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper powder, and salt. Mix well.

FORM NUGGET PIECES: Form 1 tbsp of minced chicken into nugget size. Dip in whisked egg, then dip in breadcrumbs, and place on a plate. Repeat until all chicken is coated with breadcrumbs.

FRY NUGGETS: Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Deep-fry chicken for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.

SERVE: Dish out. Serve hot with a side of chili or tomato sauce.

COOKING TIPS

1. Freeze the nuggets. I normally don’t make this nuggets for eating immediately. It’s my homemade snack when I’m busy or to serve unexpected guest. This is something I make with the intention to freeze. To reheat, bake in oven at 180°C  for 10 minutes.
2. Double the amount. This recipe makes about 20 pieces of nuggets. Sometimes I double the amount. Since I’m already going to spend some time making it, might as well make more.
3. Not too cooked. If you intend to freeze the nuggets, you don’t have to fry until they are completely cooked. It’s enough to fry until the chicken paste is formed into a light golden, solid nuggets.
4. Use fattier parts with some skin Initially this recipe use chicken breast. I tried it a few times. It tastes best using chicken leg with skin.

Make some of these delicious nuggets to freeze. When you’re hungry and need some snacks, you’ll thank yourself for your foresight!

The post Homemade Chicken Nuggets – 7 Ingredients appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

Although this recipe needs very little ingredients, it can be challenging for a new cook. Why? It involves deep-frying. Also, the last step of coating the doughnuts with sugar glazing is not easy either.

However, when made right, it is absolutely delicious. I love bringing this to parties – it’s easy to pick up with fingers and pop into the mouth and always a hit.

My favourite part of making this dessert is glazing the crispy doughnuts with sugar. It’s almost magical to see sugar syrup turn into beautiful snow-like flakes which stick onto the doughnuts!

I like biting into a warm doughnut which is crispy on the outside, soft in the inside, and have different kind of sweetness from sweet potato and sugar. Oh, so good!

TOOLS

• Frying pan
• Spatula
• Chopstick
• Wire rack/paper napkins
• Fork/ potato masher

RECIPE CARD

SHORT RECIPE

Steam and peel 600 g of peeled and chopped sweet potatoes. Mash. Add 6 tbsp flour + 1 tsp salt. Knead. Shape into 15 doughnuts. Fry until golden brown. Make sugar syrup: boil 6 tbsp sugar + 5 tbsp water until thick & bubbling. Off the fire. Mix doughnut until sugar crystallises and coats doughnuts.

COOKING TIPS

1. Use a stand mixer If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook/ knead attachment, use it! It’s so much easier than kneading with hands. Perhaps kneading a small amount of dough is fine. However if you double or triple the recipe, a stand mixer will be a time and energy saver. I normally use a stand mixer.
2. Flavour sugar syrup with pandan leaves. Tear one pandan leaf into a few slits and tied into a knot. Put it together with the sugar and water when making sugar syrup. It will add fragrance into your dessert.
3. To make crispy doughnuts, you must:
   • Add doughnuts into the oil only when the oil is hot enough. Use oil with high smoke point like palm oil.
   • Fry until the doughnut is slightly brown. Don’t afraid of brown spots on the doughnut. It’s delicious and it will be covered with sugar flakes later.
   • Place the doughnuts on a wire rack or paper napkin. Make sure they are separated to avoid the steam from the doughnut from softening the other doughnuts.
   • Add doughnuts into sugar syrup only when the sugar syrup is thick enough. Do not do so when the syrup is still watery.
4.  Adjust the size of the doughnut to your liking. I like to make sure that each doughnut is evenly fried. So I measure each ball. About 50 g is just right for a doughnut that is neither too big or small. For a regular size doughnut, 60 g is good.
5. If you like your dessert very sweet, make more sugar syrup. I’ve adjusted this recipe so that it’s not too sweet. I prefer the sweetness to come from the sweet potato instead. If you have sweet tooth, add another 2 tbsp of sugar when making sugar syrup.

Enjoy!

The post Kuih Keria/ Malaysian Sweet Potato Doughnuts – 5 Ingredients appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

The post Easy Soya Milk Longan Pudding – 5 ingredients appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.

We ordered Nasi Lemak Wrap (made with quinoa, nuts, vegetables and coconut oil amongst other things), cold-pressed juice and a smoothie bowl to replenish our expended energy and rebuild our aching muscles. We thoroughly enjoy the breakfast, especially the Pittaya Smoothie Bowl. It’s made with red dragon fruit topped with bananas, virgin coconut oil, almond milk, cacao nibs, granola, strawberries, bee pollen, desiccated coconut and chia seeds.

I thought to myself:  ‘I don’t mind having this everyday!’. Eating fruits, vegetables, and other food which incorporate a lot of superfood made me feel so good…until the bill came. Then I realise that I cannot be spending RM 18 on a smoothie bowl everyday. It’s only part of my breakfast – may I add.

HOW TO HAVE SMOOTHIE BOWL DAILY & EASILY

I thought out loud on my Instagram that I’ll try to make it at home (Follow me!) and I did. I wanted to create something easy – so easy that it is sustainable to have it everyday. How?

1. Five ingredients. I use only the bare minimum ingredients to speed things up, and make things less overwhelming.
2. Use dragonfruit. Just slice dragonfruit into half and scoop it out. You don’t have to peel or chop fruits.
3. Easily available at supermarkets. All the ingredients that you need are available in the supermarket. There is no need to visit specialty food store to make this.
4. Make in batch and freeze. It’s best to double or triple the recipe and make 4 or 6 containers to freeze. Every night, before you sleep, just place it in the chiller to defrost.
5. Easy toppings. Use topping that you only need to open from a packet and sprinkle onto the smoothie bowl such as granola and chia seeds. I also chose banana because it’s an easy fruit to prepare.

TOOLS

• Blender
• Small plastic containers
• Knife + chopping board

RECIPE CARD

SHORT RECIPE

Blend 1 dragonfruit + 100 ml soy milk. Pour into containers. Top with chia seeds + granola + sliced banana.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

To enhance your already very healthy smoothie bowl, you can top up with more superfood such as:

• Honey
• Bee pollen
• Spices: e.g Ginger Powder/ Turmeric
• Desiccated coconut
• Cacao Nibs
• Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

COOKING TIPS

1. Soy milk replacement. You can replace soy milk with other nut milk e.g almond milk, which was the milk used in the original smoothie bowl that I’ve tasted. However, I think soy milk is a more affordable hence sustainable choice.
2. Use fruit juice. Instead of soy milk, you can also use fruit juice. Juice fresh orange if you have the time.
3. Granola packets. For convenience, I like to buy granola in small packets of about 45 grams.

Enjoy this easy and delicious smoothie bowl!

The post Pink Pittaya Smoothie Bowl – 5 ingredients + 5 min appeared first on New Malaysian Kitchen.