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The Star
6 days ago
- General
- The Star
Umai goodness for Gawai
Umai is a traditional raw seafood dish from Sarawak. Commonly prepared by the Melanau people living along the coast, it is often made with fish but prawns are just as popular. It is Sarawak's answer to ceviche, a dish where the seafood is 'cooked' in acid – typically lime juice – and combined with aromatics to create a refreshing, and tangy dish. This quick-curing preparation requires no heat and relies on the freshness of its ingredients. However, unsanitary preparation may lead to illness. The American Dietetic Association has urged pregnant women to avoid ceviche due to the possible health risks from improper preparation. If raw seafood is an issue for your guests, you can blanch the prawns very briefly before marinating. Umai is Sarawak's traditional dish popular during festivities like Gawai Dayak. — Photos: ARIQ HIDAYAT/The Star In Sarawak, umai is especially popular during festivities like Gawai Dayak. Celebrated on June 1 and 2, Gawai marks the end of the harvest season and the beginning of a new farming cycle. As families prepare a wide spread of dishes to share with guests, umai is often part of the celebration because it is easy to prepare in large quantities. It can also be made ahead of time and is best enjoyed communally. Umai also showcases the region's prized ingredients, including Sarawak black pepper. Known for its strong aroma, complex flavour and bright heat, Sarawak black pepper gives umai an extra layer of depth. It cuts through the lime juice and raw onions with a warm, lingering spice. For an extra layer of fragrance, add a small amount of julienned calamansi rind into the cured prawns. The zest brings out the floral, slightly bitter notes of the fruit and enhances the overall citrus profile. Use sparingly, as the rind is potent and can easily overpower if overdone. Ingredients for a refreshing, tangy 'umai'. Prawn umai Ingredients 500g medium-sized prawns, shelled 400g calamansi limes 1 tsp salt to taste 1 tsp black pepper to taste 1 tsp sugar to taste 100g shallots, finely sliced 150g red onion, finely sliced 60g young ginger, finely julienned 50g red chillies, finely sliced Garnish 50g coriander, roughly chopped 40g peanuts, roasted, dehusked and lightly crushed Calamansi lime halves Directions Cut calamansi limes in half and squeeze out the juice. It should yield about ¾ cup of juice. Finely julienne the rind of about five pieces of half calamansi rinds and set aside. Slice each prawn in half lengthwise and remove the guts. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place prawns in a non-metallic bowl. Add the calamansi lime juice and mix well. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes until the prawns turn opaque. Add salt, pepper and sugar to the prawns. Mix gently. Stir in the shallots, red onion, ginger, calamansi rind, and red chillies. Toss the mixture gently until evenly combined. Adjust the seasoning to your preference, adding more salt, pepper or lime juice as needed. Transfer to a serving plate or shallow bowl. Garnish with chopped coriander, crushed peanuts, and extra lime halves. Serve prawn umai chilled. It can be eaten on its own, with rice or with keropok. It works well as a starter or side dish, especially in warm weather or during festive gatherings.
The Star
23-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Season for rice parcels to shine
MOST folks are familiar with the legend behind the glutinous rice dumpling, also known as chang or zongzi. The dish was created to honour the death of Qu Yuan, the revered poet and patriot, who drowned himself in the Miluo River in 278 BC. Each year, during the Dragon Boat Festival, these leaf-wrapped parcels are eaten in memory of his sacrifice. What many may not realise, however, is that the original dumplings used as ritual offerings were likely far simpler. vegetarian BakChang—ARIQ HIDAYAT/The Star Rather than the rich savoury versions of today, they were plain: glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, sometimes lightly sweetened or filled with bean paste. In ancient China, meat was both costly and scarce. Early chang were more pragmatic than luxurious – made with rice, beans, dates or chestnuts – humble and easy-to-find ingredients. Over the centuries, these dumplings evolved. In southern China, lavish fillings including meat and mushrooms became common, while northern varieties remained sweet or vegetarian, often using red bean paste or jujubes. vegetarian BakChang—ARIQ HIDAYAT/The Star Today, vegetarian rice dumplings have grown in complexity. Some now feature salted egg yolks and mock meats, offering substantial, flavourful alternatives that stand tall next to their meat-filled counterparts. Mushrooms and chestnuts should ideally be braised until tender before wrapping, to harmonise with the softer texture of the rice. If pressed for time, they may be used just as it is, though the contrast may be noticeable. vegetarian BakChang—ARIQ HIDAYAT/The Star As with all rice dumplings, it is essential to let them cool completely before eating. This allows the starches to set, resulting in a firmer, less sticky dumpling. Vegetarian rice dumplings Rice base 500g glutinous rice, soaked overnight 200g black-eyed peas, soaked overnight 3 tbsp granulated sugar 1 tbsp salt 1½ tsp white pepper 2½ tbsp five spice powder 3 tbsp cooking oil 80g shallots, finely minced 20g garlic, finely minced 2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce 2 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tbsp light soy sauce 30 fronds bamboo leaves and hemp strings, soaked overnight Filling 15 caps dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked overnight in 1 cup hot water 15 kernels dried chestnuts, soaked overnight 1½ tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp granulated sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp white pepper 2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce 1 tsp dark soy sauce 1 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tbsp cooking oil 10g fresh ginger, finely minced 15 salted eggs 15 slices mock char siew, optional For boiling 2½ litres cold water 10 fronds pandan leaves 2 tbsp salt Directions Drain the soaked rice and black-eyed peas. Toss with sugar, salt, pepper and five spice powder. Let it marinate for three hours. Drain the chestnuts and set aside. Squeeze excess water from the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Remove and finely mince the stems. Set the caps aside. In a slow cooker, braise the mushroom caps and chestnuts with sesame oil, sugar, salt, pepper, vegetarian oyster sauce and both soy sauces for two hours, until tender. Saute the marinated rice and black-eyed peas with shallots and garlic. Wipe clean the bamboo leaves and keep them soaked in water. In a wok, heat the cooking oil. Saute shallots and garlic until soft, then add minced mushroom stems and saute until fragrant. Add the marinated rice and peas, and cook until lightly seared. Season with vegetarian oyster sauce and both soy sauces. Deglaze with the reserved mushroom infusion and stir until absorbed. Spread out in a bowl to cool. In a pan, heat oil and saute ginger until aromatic. Add braised mushrooms and chestnuts (excluding liquid) and saute briefly. Add the braising liquid and cook until thickened. Cool completely, then strain the gravy and add to the rice. Discard whites from the salted eggs, rinse the yolks in water and set aside. To assemble the dumplings, overlap two bamboo leaves to form a cone. Add a quarter cup of rice, then one mushroom, one chestnut, one egg yolk and a slice of mock char siew (if using). Cover with another quarter cup of rice. Fold the leaves into a tetrahedral pyramid and tie securely with hemp string. When all the dumplings are properly wrapped, bring a big pot of water to a boil. Submerge the dumplings in water with salt and pandan leaves, cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat for two hours. Alternatively, fill a pressure cooker with cold water, dumplings, pandan leaves, and salt, and cook under high pressure for 40 minutes. When cooked, remove dumplings from the pot and hang to drip off excess water. Cool completely, for at least one hour. Store at room temperature for no more than three days, or in the refrigerator for a week.
The Star
09-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Minty, choccy treats for mum
IF there is one thing that captures the quiet splendour of British afternoon tea, besides a properly brewed cup of Earl Grey, it is the mint chocolate biscuit. Wholesome, nostalgic and just a bit cheeky, this dainty delight offers the perfect balance of crumbly shortbread, cool peppermint fondant and the signature snap of glossy dark chocolate. And on Mothers Day, what better way to show a little love than with a homemade version of a classic in an elegant box or on a silver tray? Behind each polished disc lies a labour of love, a masterclass in patience and that most British of virtues – restraint. The most challenging step for this treat is tempering chocolate, an essential process to achieve that high-shine finish similar to polished leather. Three different chocolates come together to make a resplendent treat full of nostalgia and love. — Photos: LOW BOON TAT and ARIQ HIDAYAT/The Star Properly tempered chocolate is the tuxedo of the baking world: smooth, snappy and gorgeously glossy. Tempering is all about chemistry and control. First, melt two-thirds of the chocolate to around 44°C, coaxing it into a glossy liquid. Then stir in the remaining third to lower the temperature to 32°C. Patience is key. Stir gently, take the temperature often and trust the process. If your chocolate sets with a mirror-like shine and a nice snap even at room temperature, you've nailed it. That refreshing tingle on the tongue? It is all down to peppermint, and quality matters. Always opt for pure peppermint extract over imitation essence. While the latter may get the job done, it often has a harsh, synthetic edge that lacks the clean, herbal brightness of true peppermint oil. Freezer-chilled fondant is stamped with a 3cm round cutter, then placed onto the baked 5cm round shortbread base. You can usually find it in the baking aisle of well-stocked supermarkets, health food shops or online from reputable suppliers. A little goes a long way, so one small bottle will see you through many batches of biscuits and the odd hot chocolate too. Serve the biscuits on your best china with a pot of mint tea or nestled in a gift box lined with tissue paper. Here is to mums everywhere who – like tempering chocolate – demand care, consistency and possibly a bit of luck. Mint chocolate biscuits Biscuit base 120g unsalted butter 60g castor sugar 120g plain flour 60g rice flour ¼ tsp salt The tempered chocolate coats the biscuit thoroughly with milk chocolate piped on top as decoration Mint fondant 50g white chocolate 50g unsalted butter 100g icing sugar, sifted 1 tsp pure peppermint extract Chocolate coating 300g dark chocolate, separated Garnish 50g milk chocolate Tempering chocolate involves careful melting and cooling. Directions Beat butter and sugar until combined but not whipped. Sift in the flours and salt, and mix until the dough comes together. Roll between baking paper to 5mm thick, then chill until firm. For the fondant, melt white chocolate gently, then cool slightly. Beat butter and sugar until pale, then fold in the cooled chocolate and peppermint extract. Spread into a 20x7cm rectangle and freeze. Heat oven to 160°C. Stamp out 24 rounds from the chilled dough with a 5cm round cutter. Bake for 25 minutes until golden. Cool completely. Remove fondant from the freezer and stamp out 24 discs of peppermint fondant with a 3cm round cutter and keep chilled until needed. To make the chocolate coating, melt 200g of the dark chocolate in a bain-marie until it reaches 44°C on a cooking thermometer. Remove bowl from heat and add the remaining 100g of dark chocolate, stirring until it melts and cools to 32°C. To assemble the biscuits, dip the bottom of the shortbread biscuits into the tempered chocolate and chill them chocolate-side up for about five minutes in the refrigerator. In the meantime, keep the remaining chocolate runny in the bain-marie but not exceeding 32°C. Flip the biscuit onto a cooling rack and place a disc of peppermint fondant in the centre of each biscuit. Spoon the tempered chocolate on top, allowing it to overflow the sides to cover the whole biscuit. To decorate, fill a small piping bag with milk chocolate and seal with a knot. Place bag in a pot of boiling water or microwave oven, squeezing it to ensure the chocolate melts evenly. Cut the tip off and pipe the milk chocolate in thin stripes across each biscuit, then leave to set fully. Sticky chocolate with a dull surface is a sign of untempered chocolate. Simply place them in the refrigerator and serve cold because they are still delicious. You can always make another batch and try again.
The Star
03-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Green bowl of quiet thunder
IN a world of fast food and loud flavours, there is a bowl that whispers. Thunder tea rice – lei cha fan – is not named for its noise but for the quiet stir of something ancient. Its green hum begins with herbs and ends with nourishment. Just before eating, stir boiling water into the tea paste to form a light soup that can be poured over the rice or sipped alongside as a broth. — Photos: ARIQ HIDAYAT/The Star It is a dish of the Hakka people, who carried seeds and stories far and wide from Hepo Village in China and turned what grew wild and stubborn, into comfort, into sustenance, into home. The nutty-flavoured brown rice is washed clean under cold water until the cloudy rinse runs clear, then steamed and dressed in an array of green vegetables. Dark and iron-rich kailan, crisp and clipped French beans, cabbage like ruffled paper, preserved radish – sharp, salty, assertive, golden and firm tofu and roasted peanuts looking like tiny drums. Each topping is cooked alone, so it may sing its own quiet song. And at the heart of it all, the tea paste. A potion of basil, mint and coriander – leaves that once reached for the sun now blanched and stilled in ice, then spun with sesame and peanut into a paste the colour of wet moss. Bitter, nutty and fragrant – a paste that is more memory than the meal. Fresh basil, mint and coriander, together with roasted peanuts and sesame seeds, form the basis for the tea paste, while the other ingredients play a supportive role to make it a complete meal. Just before eating, pour boiling water on the green paste in a bowl, and the steam that rises smells of gardens, of something both familiar and unnamed. You may pour the soupy mix over the rice, letting it flood the plate or sip it on the side. 'Thunder tea rice' does not shout. It nourishes. It teaches you how to eat slowly again, how to find warmth in bitterness, and how sometimes, the quietest dish is the one that leaves you full the longest. Thunder tea rice Ingredients 3 cups brown rice or 10-grain rice 3 cups cold water Tea paste 150g Thai basil leaves and shoots 75g mint leaves 50g fresh coriander 50g roasted peanuts 40g roasted white sesame seeds 1 tsp salt to taste Toppings 200g kailan, chopped 200g French beans, diced 200g cabbage, sliced 200g salted preserved radish 200g roasted peanuts 200g extra firm tofu ¼ cup cooking oil ¾ tsp salt for seasoning Directions Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Combine with three cups of cold water in a rice cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Once cooked, allow to rest for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Blanch the basil, mint and coriander for 30 seconds until wilted. Immediately transfer to a bowl of iced water to preserve their vibrant colour. Drain well, then puree in an electric power blender with the peanuts, sesame seeds, and salt until smooth, adding a little warm water if needed to help it come together. Set aside. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the tofu until lightly golden on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Once cool, dice into small cubes. Reserve the oil to stir-fry the vegetables. Soak preserved radish in cold water for about 30 minutes to remove excess salt, then drain and set aside. Stir-fry the kailan, French beans, cabbage and preserved radish separately in a hot pan, using a bit of the reserved oil. Season each batch with a pinch of salt to taste. Cook briefly to retain some crunch and vibrant colour, then set aside. To serve, place one cup of cooked rice into a bowl and invert into a soup plate. Neatly arrange the toppings around the rice, allowing each to shine in its own segment. Serve the tea paste in a separate bowl. Just before eating, stir boiling water into the tea paste to form a light, soupy consistency – adding as much or as little as you like. Pour it over the rice and toppings, or sip alongside as a broth.
The Star
25-04-2025
- General
- The Star
Boldly blackened one-wok wonder
SOME dishes don't just feed the stomach – they lodge themselves deep in memory. One of the most unforgettable meals from my childhood is my mum's blackened fried pomfret, a dish so dark and smoky it looked, at first glance, like it had been burnt to a crisp. The first time she served it after marrying my father, her mother-in-law (my paternal grandmother) took one look at the dish and remarked that she had burnt the fish. She hadn't. What she had done was create a dish that would become one of her culinary hallmarks: a bold, unapologetically charred fish, kissed with soy, caramelised sugar, fiery red chillies and a final flourish of lime and coriander. It was a dish her children would ask for over and over again, a cornerstone of many family meals through the years. Besides black pomfret, other fish such as Indian mackerel and hardtail scad may also be used for this recipe. — Photos: ARIQ HIDAYAT/The Star In her original method, the fish was marinated in a mixture of dark soy sauce and sugar before frying. It's a brave move – one that risks the sugar burning before the fish finishes cooking. But my mum has the sort of kitchen confidence that makes such things look effortless. I, on the other hand, lean toward caution. In my version, I've adapted her bold marinade into a separate dressing, preserving the flavour profile while reducing the risk of a scorched pan. This updated recipe is reminiscent of bawal hitam kicap, a dish you might spot at a humble Malay warung, though it carries with it the unmistakable spirit of home cooking – one honed through years of practice and familial instinct. To prepare this dish properly, you must use a wok. Its rounded surface cradles the fish just right, allowing you to fry it evenly without needing an excessive amount of oil. And once the fish is done, that same oil – now deeply aromatic from ginger – becomes the base for your dressing. In the ginger-infused oil, fry the pomfret for about four to five minutes on each side until crispy. It's economical and flavourful, a one-wok wonder. My mum has always insisted that some of this oil be drizzled back over the fish. It keeps the flesh moist and smooth, she says, and the ginger's role is not merely for fragrance – it actively dispels the natural fishiness of pomfret, letting the sweetness of the flesh shine through. While black pomfret (bawal hitam) is the preferred fish for this dish, she has also made it with hardtail scad (cencaru) and Indian mackerel (kembung) with equal success. What matters is that the fish is fresh, firm and able to stand up to a high-heat wok fry. A final note on the dressing: be sure not to overcook the onions and chillies. Their crunch should echo the crispness of the fish, adding a textural counterpoint to every bite. And do not forget that essential finishing touch – a squeeze of lime and a scattering of crispy fried ginger. That burst of brightness lifts the dish from earthy to electric. This dish may have started with a misunderstanding at the dinner table, but over the years it has become a beloved family classic – blackened, bold and beautiful in every way. Reserve two tablespoons of the oil to saute onions, garlic and chillies with dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and sugar for the dressing. Blackened fried pomfret Ingredients 500g black pomfret, scored along the thickest parts 1 tsp salt ½ cup cooking oil, or less if using a wok 10g ginger, finely julienned Dressing 2 tbsp sugar 120g red onion, roughly chopped 15g garlic, thinly sliced 1 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 pods red chillies, roughly chopped Garnish fried ginger 2 sprigs coriander 1 lime, cut into wedges Directions Marinate the pomfret with salt for about 30 minutes. Heat the cooking oil in a skillet to fry the ginger until crispy. Drain and reserve for garnish. In the ginger-infused oil, fry the fish until crispy on both sides. Transfer the fish onto a serving plate and drizzle some of the oil over the fish. This not only removes any fishiness but also maintains the fish's moist, smooth texture. Remove most of the oil from the skillet, reserving about two tablespoons to saute the dressing. Add the sugar into the oil over medium heat, melting it into a caramel. Add the red onion and garlic to saute, then deglaze the skillet with light and dark soy sauces. Finally, toss in the chillies briefly, ensuring that they and the onions remain crunchy. Pour the dressing over the fish, garnish with fried ginger, coriander and lime wedges. Serve immediately with steamed white rice.
