Chicken Vindaloo

POINT TO PONDER

In his A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE, Tun talks about a particular person who he seemed to admire at first. In fact, he even thought that the person could be the country's effective leader in the future. Due to this, he tend to brush away any negative thoughts or even negative things that people say about this person until the day when he had to study the evidences himself.

I bet Tun was disheartened with the things that he found out. When I first became a head of a particular department, I too experienced the same thing. There was this person who I thought could go very far and, perhaps, one day took over my position. I did my very best to mould this person but the person, one the other hand had her own agenda.

Behind my back, she wanted to start a coup d'état. Cunningly, she made a great effort to influence a few of my staff against me. It was a non-stop movement. During that time, I felt as if someone had put a plastic bag over my head. I could not breathe and, at times, I felt that I would not be able to survive.

Did I feel like giving up? Many times for sure. However, a word of advice, if you are not doing anything wrong and you are always doing things with good intention, you should hang in there. Perseverance is the word. God will definitely help.

She, on the other hand, has long moved away from the state and, the last time I heard, she is having problem with her second husband. God has His own way of teaching his servants. Like a friend of mine used to say, when something bad happen, you should not take action straight away. At times, we need to let it takes place in its own course.

INGREDIENTS

 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1 large onion (slice not so thinly)
1 teaspoon of cummin (blend or pound it)
A thumb-sized of ginger (pound it) 
1 cup of chilli boh
1/2 chicken (cut into medium size)
2 tablespoon of vinegar (use the vegetable type)
2 sprigs of curry leaves
1.5 cup of water
1 teaspoon of sugar and salt
5 tablespoon of oil

1. Heat the pot. Then pour in the oil.
2. Put in the mustard seeds. They will crackle.
3. Add in the chilli boh, ginger and cummin. Stir until the mixture starts to curdle.
4. Put in the chicken and onion. 
5. Pour in the water.
6. Add in the sugar and salt
7. Throw in the curry leaves.
8. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes for the chicken to cook.

MY THOUGHTS

I personally love this dish. It is nice to eat with hot rice. You can have it together with Fried Mixed Vegetables.

Cake: Banana

POINT TO PONDER

It makes you proud if your children turn out to be good or even better than yourself. My expectations are of course rather high. I want my children to be not only intelligent but also morally good, well-liked, always remember God and a few other good stuff. (Definitely it is not easy being my children.)

As we were walking at a shopping mall, my second daughter said to me if you had not taught me to throw rubbish properly, life would be easier. In her hand, she was holding crumpled plastic and there was no rubbish bin in sight.

INGREDIENTS

240 gram of Ordinary Flour
90 gram of Butter
90 gram of castor sugar
1 cup of mashed banana
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of soda bicarbonate
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of orange juice
2 tablespoons of milk

1. Using the mixer, mix the sugar and butter until the mixture is really light. ( To test, scoop the mixture. When scooping, if it feels light that means the mixture is ready. The other one is its colour. It should be almost white.)
2. Then add in the eggs. One at a time. (You should break the eggs into a cup first to make sure that the eggs are ok to use.)
3. Sieve in a little bit of the flour.
4. Switch off the mixer. Use just steel spoon.
5. Add in the banana. Scoop it into the mixture or make the number eight. (This way you can make sure that the cake will turn out nice.)
6. Sieve in the flour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate. (Same style of doing it. Scoop or make the number eight.)
7. Pour in the orange juice and milk. Mix it well. (Same style.)
8. Pour the mixture into a container 8 inch x 8 inch which has been coated with margarine or butter.
9. Put the container into the oven which has been preheated at 180 for about 20 to 30 minutes.

MY THOUGHTS

My children love the cake especially when it is hot.

I coated my cake with chocolate and sprinkled some sweets on top.

Sardine with Chilli

POINT TO PONDER

It is our culture that we should shake people's hands when we meet. It is not expected, though, people of different gender to do it to one another.

Recently, people have gone a little bit Arabic. They would put their chicks next to one another - left and right sides - while one hand is holding the other person's hand and the other on the person's arm or back. (It all depends on how close you are.) This is usually practised by the women. Men rarely do this.

Is this an important thing to do? It is more of being polite. Apart from that, you will be seen as a cultured person...the old folks will classify this as good manners.

Children should be reminded to do this. We want people to like our children. If people like our children, they will not hesitate to help our children.

INGREDIENTS

1 tin of sardine
1/2 large onion (slice it thinly)
1 red chilli (slice it thinly)
1 teaspoon of soya sauce
2 teaspoons of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of lime juice
oil

1. Heat up the pot
2. Pour in the oil. Not too much.
3. Put in the sliced onion and chilli. Fry until they are limb.
4. Pour in the sardine. Leave it for two minutes.
5. Add in the soya sauce, lime juice and tomato sauce.

MY THOUGHTS

While I was cooking it, I did not think that it would turn out to be good. However, eating it with hot boiled rice, I found it really nice.

We had the dish with Rasam.

Chicken Stew

POINT TO PONDER

Everyone wants to be rich, or should I say that everyone wants to be seen as rich. Who would admit that they do not have money? My neighbour? House number less than 20. This family is a different story. The husband and wife are more of parasite. They love to live off other people's effort. I believe they should live in the jungle as they do not know how to consider other people's feelings.

When they first moved in, they seemed to be nice. We often talked and exchanged information but then when the husband opened a workshop with the aid of ALONG, they started to change. (Perhaps due to the pressure of life or perhaps they became a bit smug - thinking that they were already rich.)

Then, the whole family disappeared. The house was left empty for months. Every now and then, someone would come and stay in the house. Then, all of a sudden, the house was totally empty again. It was at that time when my maid told me about people coming over asking about them. At times, one or two would wait outside for their return. It frightened the wits of my maid. That was when we were told that ALONG was chasing after them. (I do not really understand how ALONG works. Are they the same as bank? But many people say that their rulings are worst than the bank system.)

Just like the way she disappeared with her family, she turned up again all of a sudden. Initially, it was just her and her friends. Praying by burning papers in front of the house - huge pile of papers being burnt. (It pissed me off as the burnt papers filled up my porch and, if we are unlucky, they would land on wet surface thus we had to wash the whole porch as there were black patches every where.)

One night, she came to my house explaining her situation. (Somehow or other she seemed to know that everyone knew her situation.) And she also announced that she had divorced the husband. She claimed that she did not want the husband to even see the children. She believed that ALONG did not know how they look like.

The biggest mistake that people make when they are in a big shit was to lie. It was not even two months when the neighbourhood realized that she was telling fibs. The great liar was pregnant and her tummy was really showing. She could even tell my other neighbour's maid that she wished that she would give birth to a girl. After a while, we saw the husband coming and going from the house.

Now, why do I call her parasite? The whole neighbourhood had to contribute RM400 so as to turn our area into a gated area. Our area used to be infested with all sorts of crime. She refused. When the committee approached her, she shouted at the top of her lung that she did not have the money. No money my head....some of my friends would say.

I remembered when my father was admitted in a private hospital and the bill had come up to RM 15 000. Both my sister and brother were not around and so the clerk had to approach me - me who really do not have much money to spare. I suppose just by looking at my face, the clerk could tell my financial situation. She told me of another person's situation and then asked me whether I could pay. With a pathetic look (I guess), I said we would find it difficult. So she suggested that we paid in installment. (What a relief!) After all the haggling made by me, my siblings paid the bill in cash. Ah! Rich people.

The moral of the story is that one does not have to shout and scream. One can always discuss if one finds oneself in a fixed financial situation. There is always a way out.

INGREDIENTS
A cereal bowl of chicken (bite-sized) - marinate it with the corn flour and pepper.
1 teaspoon of corn flour
1 carrot (cut it into small logs)
1 celery ( cut it about 5mm)
1 tin of button mushroom (cut them into four)
1 large onion (cut it into cubes)
butter (about four tablespoons)
pepper
salt
3 litre water
spring onion

1. Heat up the pot.
2. Put in the butter. Once melted, fry the chicken. When the chicken is slightly brown on both sides, take them out.
3. Put in the onions. Fry them until limb.
4. Add in the chicken, carrot, celery and mushroom.
5. Pour in the water.
6. Add in salt and pepper. If you want a thicker soup, you may want to add another teaspoon of cornflour.
7. Before serving, sprinkle some cut spring onions.

MY THOUGHTS

I have made this before but it tasted much better than yesterday. Anyway, I prefer this dish to be creamier. To get this taste, you need to use a little bit more butter but not too much or else it will become too oily.

Soup: Sup Tulang Merah

POINT TO PONDER

Do people change their ideology, principle in life? Based on my observation, some people do change. However, there are a few who hold strongly to whatever they believe in. Me? I would say that I am the swaying kind - especially facing with those sweet talkers or enthusiasts who are able to express themselves eloquently, convincingly. It will be only after a while I will realize my mistake - realize what it should be truthfully. (Anyway, it is not easy to determine what is right and what is wrong. It is a real scary world to live in.)

Some people are so desperate. They change their ideology so that they will get what they want. The question is, by getting what you want, will you be happy for the rest of your life? Perhaps, you will but the after-life will be questionable.

I still remember when I was studying in Plymouth. The scholarship that I received was not enough. Life, basically, was expensive. If I was not careful, I would not have anything to eat before the end of the month. A friend of mine who loved to buy clothes and went to 'places' would usually eat fried batter towards the end of the month as she did have not enough money for rice or other food stuff.

Living with a tight financial situation was not grand at all. So, at one point, I decided to find a part-time job illegally. (We were not supposed to work - full or part time. That was the condition when we signed the agreement.) The first part time job was with an Indian Restaurant. I was a waitress. To be honest, I found it very humiliating. I felt like a whore - parading in front of the customers with my 'kebaya'. I was asked to put on our traditional female clothing which is usually tight fitting. It was a good thing that the job did not last. Maybe, it was God way of protecting me.

My second and last part-time job was with a Chinese Restaurant. Initially, I applied as a waitress but a waitress in a Chinese Restaurant should not cover their hair - no head gear. So, the owner asked me to take it off. As I wanted the job so much, I told the interviewer that I would take off my headgear or we call it 'tudung'.

Fortunately, when I was in my room, I came to my senses. I did not feel that it was the right thing to do. The more I thought about it, the more vulgar it became. How dare was the guy to ask me to take off my 'tudung'? The humiliation became an anger. I went back to the place and told him that I had a change mind but, to my surprise, he offered me another position. I was given the responsibility of preparing the dessert in the kitchen. Excellent!

We, human, are lucky creatures as we are made with wonderful brain. We should use it  to think things carefully. By standing firm to our ideology or even principle in life, we will gain respect. When people say things to you, think carefully. Is it right or wrong? We should always use our listening skills carefully. Some people are very good with words but people with bad intentions will tend to use words that reflect their characteristics. So, we should always LISTEN with our brain being fully function.

INGREDIENTS

STAGE ONE

1 kg mutton (cut into bite sized)
2 lemon grass (bruised)
a thumb-sized ginger (my thumb is rather small so it has to be double my size. Bruised)
2 cloves of garlic (bruised)

1. Take a 5-litre pot. Fill half of it with water.
2. Put in everything into the pot.
3. Let it boil for 30 minutes.
4. Then, scoop out the mutton and throw away the water.

STAGE TWO

1. 1/2 teaspoon of pelaga and cengkih.
2. 1 inch of cinnamon
3. 1 teaspoon of bunga lawang.
4. 1 1/2 ladle of chilli boh
5. 2 ladles of tomato sauce
6. 1 1/2 teaspoon of tomato paste
7. 3 tomatoes (slice like an orange)
8. 2 carrots (cut like small logs)
9. 2 potatoes (cut into six or four - depending on the size)
10. 1 celery (slice not so thinly)
11. oil
12. salt and white pepper / black pepper
13. fried shallots and daun sup (for garnishing)
14. 2 1/2 litre of water

1. Heat up the pot.
2. Put in the oil. Then, put in pelaga, cengkih, cinnamon and bunga lawang. Fry them for a few seconds.
3. Put in the chilli boh. Once it starts to curdle, add in the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Let them simmer for a while.
4. Pour in the water.
5. Add in the mutton. Let it boil for about 2-3 hours.
6. Towards the last 30 minutes, add in the tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and celery.
7. Add in the salt and pepper.

EAT WITH BREAD.

MY THOUGHTS

As the whole family does not have rice for dinner, this is an ideal meal - especially for me as it is tomato sour and spicy.

Dalca: Vegetarian

POINT TO PONDER

Sometimes, the so-called adults behave like children. We are immature and do not consider other people's feelings. We shout and scream when other people do not give us what we want. Yet, we want people to see us, the adults, as the wise ones, the mature ones.

                  This reminds me of ...an incident when I was young. My mother invited her siblings' families over for dinner. I was so excited. I wanted to make the dinner a memorable one. So, I started to rearrange my room for a game. There were a few stations and each station had a clue and something to do.

                   We had fun playing and eating. When the time came for my cousins to leave, one of them took my clue. I went after him and shouted for him to return in which, being a child, he refused. The clue was just a piece of paper and I could easily make another one but, again being a child, I shouted for the return of my clue. My aunties and my mummy helped to get the clue back. Once they found out that it was just a piece of paper, they were rather displeased. No one understood, at that time, that the piece of paper meant something to me. Being a child, I was pretty possessive with the things that I own.

                   I believe that is why the Muslims in Malaysia are pretty upset with the Christians who insist on using the term that is so dear to them. They have been using it since it first began. The term appears in Quran many times. The Quran is written in Arabic and that is actually the first language of Islam. As for the Bible, I wonder, does it have the term in its original version? The original version of the Bible, I believe, is in Latin? Does it have it?

                   Why do we wish to torment others if the other party really is sensitive over it? If we do not like to be hurt, we should not hurt others too. However, most of us, I find, are rather selfish. "What about me?" they would usually say.

                   There was this person who hurt me badly. When I confronted that person, she could not understand why I was upset. The only that she was thinking of was herself. "What about me?" she said. The best thing of all, I did not do anything to her. When I asked her, she said it was merely my aura. She did not even have the courage to get to know me and yet she could judge me.

 Tst!  tst! tst!

INGREDIENTS

One cup of dhal
2 Carrots (slice them)
one Brinjal (cut it bite size)
2 potatoes (cut into six or four - depending on the size of the potatoes)
3 green Chillies

Pound the following:
1 inch of ginger
2 garlics
1 onion

curry leaves
bunga cengkih, bunga lawang and cinnamon
1 teaspoon of mustard seeds

oil
sugar and salt

1. Boil the dhal until it is really soft. It takes about 30 minutes or so.
2. Then, add in the carrots, brinjal, green chillies and potatoes.
3. In a hot pan, pour in the oil.
4. Add in the biji sawi.
5. After the biji sawi starts popping, add in bunga cengkih, bunga lawang and cinnamon.
6.  Then put in the pounded ingredients into the pan.
7. Finally, the curry leaves.
8. Leave it for about 1 minute. Then, pour it into the dhal mixture.
9. Add in sugar and salt.

MY THOUGHTS

I got this recipe from the internet. It is really nice. I had it with Nasi Briani but you could also eat it with chapatti.

Vegetable: Sayur Keladi Rebus

POINT TO PONDER

My husband had a dizzy spell when he was at the gym two days ago. Initially, he announced that he would be going to the gym with our three sons but then, just before he left, he insisted that I came along. ((I refused at first as I wanted very much to read the article that I have printed.)

          The layout of the gym is pretty impressive. They have a few LCDs that play nice movies. So, when you are on the thread-mill, you really enjoy the walk or the run that you are having. The LCDs are also placed in front of the 'bicycles,.

           I was embarrassed at first as the place was filled with young ones. I, with my humongous body, did not really fit the picture. Once my husband had set me up on a thread-mill, everything else seemed to out of my mind. Twenty minutes on the thread-mill, I moved to the 'bicycle' section but my right knee did not allow me to do it for long. Feeling tired, I stationed myself on one of the provided soft bench and started to read the novel that I conveniently tucked in my rucksack.

          It was just a matter of a few pages of reading, my husband place himself next to me. He softly told me that he was not feeling well - a bit dizzy. His body was perspiring profusely. Not knowing what to do, I just looked at him with my novel still in my hands. He took off his glasses and handed it over to me. Right after that, he slowly collapsed.

        I still could not believe such thing could happen to me. It appeared like unreal but my instinct made me pull him to my lap. His body just went limp. Luckily, there were a few youngsters who saw came to our rescue. One person in particular took exercise-cushions and placed my husband's feet on them - to make them higher, according to him. Then, he brought us a bottle of mineral water and asked me to make my husband drink. Twenty minutes later, my husband came around.

         The next day, I did my own research in the net. In actual fact, my husband was experiencing dehydration. Based on my reading, after a few minutes of exercise, one is bound to perspire and thus, one has to drink so as to replace the water that has been released by the body. This part, I did not know. When we went to the gym on that day, we did not bring anything to drink. My husband went on all sorts of exercise equipment without stopping to drink - and that is the biggest mistake.

INGREDIENT

2 Yam complete with its sprouts. (clean them properly. Cut the sprouts about the length of your
                                                       finger. Then, boil them. This is to get rid of the itchy texture.)

2 1/2 fresh chilli
3/4 anchovies
1 onion
(pound on the chilli, anchovies and onion)
10 cups of tamarind juice (you need at least 1/2 cup of tamarind juice.
10 Basil (Daun Selasih)

1. Pour in the tamarind juice into the cooking pot.
2. Add in the pounded ingredients and the sayur keladi.
3. Let it boil. Once boil, turn down the burner.
4. Add in the Basil. It is now ready to be eaten.

MY THOUGHTS

You must be extra careful when you are cooking Sayur Keladi. If you do not boil it first, you will feel itcy in your mouth.