Stay-Home Cooking #5: Durian Spaghetti by Project Sazu

The Portrait of Durian Great: Today's unmistakably aromatic stay-home recipe comes to us courtesy of Project Sazu, a Shah Alam-based experimental home cook whose youthful cheer and easy laughter make for light-hearted viewing.

If you still have some durian in the freezer, try this fuss-free Durian Spaghetti recipe. You'll need:

Durian
Turmeric
Chillies
Prawns
Shallots
Garlic
Turmeric leaf
Salt

First, portion some shallots and garlic. Cut the shallot into small cubes, mince the garlic, chop up the turmeric. Also fold the turmeric leaf, and remove the seeds from the chillies for a less spicy dish.

Put everything you worked on - except the turmeric leaf, as well as some of the shallots and garlic - into the blender, add a little water, and blend it till you get a slightly watery consistency.

Time to work on the spaghetti. Put some water on a stove and sprinkle salt generously. Toss in the spaghetti once the water is boiling and make sure it goes under.

While the spaghetti is cooking, put some oil in a pan and turn the heat on. Make sure it's hot, then put in the remaining shallots and garlic. Stir until it becomes a little translucent, then add your blended paste and the turmeric leaf.

Finally, add the durian pulp - perhaps around three tablespoons - and stir, stir, stir! If it's too thick, add water and continue stirring. Once the sauce is at your preferred consistency and it's bubbling, put in the prawns. Continue stirring until the prawns are pink and cooked.

It's time to throw in the spaghetti. Keep stirring till the spaghetti soaks up the sauce. You're ready to serve!

Check out Project Sazu for the full video.
Project Sazu:  YouTube

Yi Xin Ge Bak Kut Teh: Hakka-Style Herbal Soup for Home

Clear eyes, full hearts: This bak kut teh can't lose when it comes to a soul-warming home meal. Yi Xin Ge promises packets of beautifully fragrant broth base, rich with herbs and spices, to make marvellous bowls of meat bone tea.

True to its name, Yi Xin Ge's philosophy is "do everything with your heart," encapsulated in the contents of each set - dong quai, Solomon's seal, licorice roots, cinnamon, peppercorn, crystal sugar and the rest of a secret dried herb-and-spice sachet blend that has sold more than 10,000 boxes in the last dozen years.

Preparing bak kut teh with Yi Xin Ge is pretty straightforward - pour the contents of each packet into three litres of boiling water. Add in pork ribs (or chicken) and any other ingredients you'd like to boil, and let it all simmer at low heat for an hour. Also add garlic (one or two, whole) for this to taste exactly like BKT broth. Each packet is suitable for a serving of three to five persons.

In 60 minutes, you're ready to serve! Yi Xin Ge's Hakka-style soup mix is light and clear, pleasurably intense in herbal aromas.

Each packet costs RM23.90. Throughout the current Movement Control Order, Yi Xin Ge is offering a 'Buy 4 Get Free Delivery' promotion for West Malaysia, exclusively for delivery only in West Malaysia. Orders will be sent out the next day after payment is made; customers will receive their order within three days (though it might take up to 4-5 days outside the Klang Valley).

Information and images in this post were courtesy of Yi Xin ge.

To order Yi Xin Ge herbal soup packets, please contact 012-279-3353



Yi Xin Ge
Facebook | Tel: 012-279-3353

Nak Beli Mart: Macam-Macam Ada

Whether you're running low on noodles and coffee in the kitchen, or hoping to replenish your toothpaste, tissues and even three-ply masks, Nak Beli Mart's next-day delivery offers a new one-stop solution to your home shopping needs.

The service is currently available in many parts of the Klang Valley, helping us save a trip to the supermarket. Place your order before 9pm at nakbeli.com.my - with every category from food and beverage essentials to personal and household care represented - and have your necessities delivered to your doorstep the next day.

Prices look reasonable - a chocolate croissant roll starts at RM1.50, a can of baked beans clocks in at RM3.10, and a 200-gram Milo refill pack is RM5.40. Even some extra pampering might not be too costly, with almond milk at RM5.50, blueberry granola bars at RM16.20, and Australian Beechworth honey at RM31.40.

Surgical face masks and hand sanitisers are also currently in stock - the masks are available in sets of 10 pieces for RM15. Delivery fees also start at RM15.

Nak Beli Mart: Website

EDKL Faith For The Future: Cash Vouchers at 80 Restaurants & Retailers

You'll now find more than 80 restaurants and retailers offering cash vouchers in Eat Drink KL's Faith For The Future effort. Purchase a voucher that you can redeem at these F&B venues and earn a 10 percent discount off your bill.

Get your voucher in support of these restaurants at eatdrinkkl.com/faith - the restaurant will receive your payment within three working days of your purchase.

Click here for more information about this effort.

Redeem your vouchers at:

KUALA LUMPUR

Amelio - Desa ParkCity

ANTE - 1 Utama

ANTE - Publika

Atelier Binchotan - Taman Desa

BARO - Sri Petaling

Brasserie Leon - Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Burnin' Pit - Desa Sri Hartamas

Cafe Del Tesso - Bukit Jalil

Chocha Foodstore - Chinatown KL

De.Wan 1958 by Chef Wan - The LINC KL

For Goodness Cakes - Bangsar

Golden Valley - Melawati Mall

Grano Pasta Bar - APW Bangsar

Hanare - The Intermark

Harley's Burgers - Cyberjaya

Harumi 23 - Desa ParkCity

Jungle House (honey retailer) - Mid Valley

Jungle House (honey retailer) - Pavilion KL

Kakiyuki - Cheras

Kakiyuki - 163 Retail Park Mont Kiara

Kakiyuki - Pavilion KL

Kakiyuki - The Gardens Mall

Kayra Authentic Kerala Cuisine - Bangsar

Knowhere - Bangsar

Nutz N Boltz - Desa ParkCity

Pinch Bistro - Bangsar

Playground Coffeery - Taman Melawati

Posh Coffee Roastery - Verve Suites, Old Klang Road

Proof Arcoris - Mont Kiara

Proof Pizza + Wine - APW Bangsar

Purple Cane Tea Cuisine - KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall

Purple Cane Tea Cuisine - Shaw Parade

Purple Cane Tea Cuisine - The Gardens Mall

Purple Cane Tea Houz - Chinatown

RaamRavan - Desa ParkCity

ROOST - Bangsar

Sarang Cookery - Bukit Bintang

Sapore - Persiaran Ampang

Smith Wood-Fired Oven Breadsmiths - Bukit Damansara

Soleil - DC Mall

Sunbather Coffee - Bangsar South

Stoked - Medan Damansara

Tea+ - The Gardens Mall

The Public House - Bangsar South

Toji Sake Bar - Medan Damansara

Vintry Damansara - Medan Damansara

Warung Prima - Life Centre KL

WheyChillin Ice Cream KL - Chinatown

WTF Restaurant - Bangsar

SELANGOR

Aroi Mak Mak - Section 17, Petaling Jaya

Beans Depot - Ara Damansara

Brew 9 - Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam

Cafe Del Tesso - Damansara Kim

Cozy Coffee - Bandar Botanic Klang

g. by forest bean - Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam

GOODDAM - The Hub SS2, Petaling Jaya

Good Food & Co - Jaya Shopping Centre

Good Friends Cafe - SS15 Subang Jaya

Jungle House (honey retailer) - 1 Utama

Jungle House (honey retailer) - Central i-City, Shah Alam

Jungle House (honey retailer) - DPULZE Shopping Centre, Cyberjaya

Jungle House (honey retailer) - Sunway Pyramid

Kakiyuki - Taman Paramount, Petaling Jaya

Kayan + Co - Kajang

LI Restaurant - Damansara Jaya

NALE The Nasi Lemak Co. - Shah Alam

Provisions - Damansara Jaya

Rice & Pot Empire - Damansara Utama

The Locker & Loft - Damansara Kim

The Toast House - SS15 Subang Jaya

Tipsy Boar - Section 17, Petaling Jaya

Tossed! - Jaya Shopping Centre, Petaling Jaya

Vinoble - Petaling Jaya

Vintry Oasis - Ara Damansara

Vintry Symphony - Menara Symphony, Petaling Jaya

Waka Waka Gelato - Sea Park, Petaling Jaya

SABAH

Chiu's - Kota Kinabalu

PENANG

Jungle House (honey retailer) - Queensbay Mall

Stay-Home Cooking #4: Red, White & Green Lasagna by Sassy Chef LS

Our latest home recipe comes from Sassy Chef LS, who has cooked and catered in KL, Bangkok and Berlin in the past decade. This Red, Green & White Lasagna pays tribute to her time in London and love for Italian cuisine.

Sassy Chef LS: 

This recipe was hugely inspired by Gennaro Contaldo, considered one of the Godfathers of Italian cooking in the UK. I love the way he makes his food; it's always very easy and comforting. I love Italian food so much, I used to survive eating pesto pasta for a whole week while living in London. 

One dish that took many attempts to perfect was the classic lasagna. I always had trouble making lasagna because I always doubted the packaging instructions saying to just assemble the pasta without boiling. You can use those thick pasta sheets, but if you are doubtful like me, you have an extra step of precooking the sheets before assembling. 

I learned through watching Gennaro's recipe that if you use egg pasta and layer it with sauces that are more liquidy (even without all the extra cheeses you can dump in), your lasagna turns out to be this beautiful melt-in-your-mouth affair and you probably could finish an entire tray in a sitting. 

I like adding a bit of pesto in my lasagna; it helps cut through the heavier flavour of the white sauce and the acidity of the tomatoes. The idea of this lasagna is to really use the ingredients you have in your fridge and to reduce waste, so you can use anything you want in the red sauce as a substitute to the mince. Get creative!

You'll need:
An oven
8"cake tray / loaf tin
Foil to cover the tray
Whisk
Large pot

Recipe:

Red sauce: (40mins - including prep and cooking time)
1 x onion (roughly chopped)
250g of mince (can be any - I used lamb)
2 large portobello mushrooms (sliced)
1 x tin of tomato (I used Pelati tomatoes)
Handful of basil
Salt and pepper to season
2 tbsp of oil
2 tbsp of white wine (optional, can be replaced with stock)

To make the red sauce:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Brown the mince and mushrooms together, for a few minutes. You will see the water being released from the mince and mushroom. This water needs to evaporate until you have the mixture cooking in its fat.
2. Add the onions to sweat in the released fat for one to two mins. Add the white wine or stock to deglaze, and then add the canned tomato.
3. Fill up half the can with water and pour into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Throw in the handful of basil.
4. Cover and let it cook for 20 mins until it's thick but somewhat runny.

Tip: Check the water level every 10-15 mins. Add water if it's drying up too fast. The idea of the sauce is it should be a bit runny. You will know the sauce is done when you see puddles of oil gathering on top of it. If you thicken the sauce, it works really well as pasta ragu and keeps well frozen for a couple of weeks.

White sauce: (20 mins - including prep and cooking time)
50g butter
2tbsp flour
750ml milk
Handful of grated cheese (can be cheddar, parmesan, padano - it is meant to thicken and give saltiness to the sauce. I used cheddar)
A pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp of pepper

1. Melt butter in the same (cleaned!) saucepan, let butter melt on low heat.
2. Add the flour, whisk together with the butter until they are melded together.
3. Slowly add in the milk, whisk as you go. Keep adding milk till done.
4. Add nutmeg and pepper. Keep whisking and watch for its consistency.
5. As the sauce thickens, add the grated cheese so it thickens up enough to form ribbons when the whisk is held up.

Tip: Always keep whisking slowly on low fire - should take 5 to 10 mins. Again, the sauce needs to be a little runny; over-whisking can cause a very thick sauce.

For lasagna assembling: (1hr - including prep, cooking time and setting time)
Premade basil pesto  (bottled pesto is great, I used DeCecco or Sacla)
One box of lasagna sheets - egg pasta sheets.
Grated cheese
Red sauce
White sauce

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
2. To assemble, prepare a loaf tin / 8" cake tray by first adding a ladle of white sauce on the bottom - this helps the pasta sheet stick and not slip while you assemble.
3. Lay a pasta sheet, ladle over white sauce, drop teaspoons of pesto all over. Lay another sheet of pasta, pour a ladle of the red sauce and layer with pasta. Repeat the white layer with pesto and alternate with red sauce till you finish layering in the tin. You should finish with white and red sauce covering the top.
4. Cover the top of the lasagna with the grated cheese and cover tightly with with tin foil.
5. Bake for 30 mins. After 30 mins, take out of the oven, remove the foil and let the top brown for another 10 mins.
6. Let the lasagna set for 10 mins or so, so it will firm up a little more before you can serve it.

Tip: You can assemble the lasagna into smaller individual portions  (in ceramic bowls) and freeze it for later use; it keeps well frozen for up to 2 weeks. Or you can always freeze the cooked lasagna and reheat it in the microwave or oven before serving.