My Sister Fifi's Delicious Prawns with Crunchy Coconut

My sister cooks this mean dish whenever we're in Warwick. i absolutely adore prawns and i simply love this dish! its the combination of crunchy, sweet and hot! crunchy from the coconut, sweet from the prawns and hot from those tiny little super hot chillis (we call them cili padi).



Hardy got us some prawns at the market last Saturday and i quickly called up my sister to ask how she did it. it turned out good, but not as good as hers! her wok must be slightly older than mine! hehe... or maybe she's simply a better cook than me!? (thats debatable!)

We bought half a kilo of prawns and by the end of it all, we were stuffed! we seldom buy prawns (i'd say once in every 2-3 months!) ... so i suppose it's alright to spoil ourselves with some cholesterol once in a while!

My Sister Fifi's Delicious Prawns with Crunchy Coconut and Curry Leaves (i dont know what else to name it!)

Ingredients:

1 packet of Desicated Coconut

half a kilo of fresh prawns

3 Cloves of Garlic

Half a handful of Curry Leaves (i put a handful, i simply love them)

5-6 Tiny Super Hot Chillis (cili padi)

Sweet Soy Sauce (i used our favourite Kicap Kipas, the best!)

Method:

1. Heat the wok and pour the desicated coconut in. stir and stir and stir till it gets golden (careful not to burn them!). Once done, transfer them into a bowl.

2. Fry the prawns for about 3-4 mins. Once they turn sassy pink, transfer them into a bowl/plate and leave a tad bit of oil in the wok.

3. Fry the garlic, chillis and curry leaves till the smell gets to you, then add in the coconut and prawns. mix them well and add about 1-2 tbps of soy sauce. mix them well for another min or two.

SEDAP GILA FI! thank you!!!

Deep Fried Calamari

I look forward to every Saturday (who doesnt?). yes, cause its the weekend, yes cause Hardy will get up first before me and bring Aidan to the bed, yes cause we can mess the bed up the 3 of us, yes cause we can actually spend family time, the whole day together, i can stay in the shower slightly longer than normal days, we can do so much and go places together... but one main reason why i love my Saturdays - we can go to the market in Geleen.

We get our supply of seafood (normally just fish), there. but last week, there was a catch! i saw some fresh calamari! fresh! and i didnt hesitate to get them! brought back a kilo of them and didnt know what to do with it! i asked Hardy what i should do with them and he told me to just fry them with some batter like those seafood restaurants do back home... so much for wanting to cut down on those oils!



CRISPY DEEP FRIED CALAMARI

Mix Self raising flour, with rijstflour, salt, pepper in bowl.
Beat one whole egg.
Make sure the calamaris are clean before you cut them into rings.
Dip them into the egg mix and chuck them into the flour mix.
Make sure the oil is super hot before frying them.

Oh, by the way, in case you're wondering, NO, i didnt cook the whole kilo!!! cant wait to see what they've got next Saturday!

Baked Crab Rangoon

I've always love appetizers. but most of them that i love are often fried. i'm really trying to cut back on the oil these days and cook healthy food (yea right!) altho sometimes i really cant help it but to fry those chicken instead of grilling them... but at least i'm making an effort!

One chinese appetizer that is quite well known, fried, is Crab Rangoon. it is absolutely devine and you wouldnt take time to actually dig in those puffy, oily, crunchy skins, and the soft silky center. and only after wiping your plates off clean, then only you'd realise that you have had an oily start to your course! the guilty bit will only sink in way way later and by then it will be all too late!

Being a Malaysian, i simply cant help but to fry most of my food, but i'm more careful now with the oil i choose and the ammount i put in.

Anyway, here it is, my version of Baked Crab Rangoon. i did a mistake by putting 2 layers of wonton skins, i wanted it to have the edgy bit but i think putting one is enough to get it crisp and cooked. you can always use filo pastry but i think you'll be taking away the 'rangoon-ness'. the sweet, delicate flavor of crab and the crunchy texture of baked wonton make an intriguing combination (note: i must say fried is better! but shhhhhh!)



BAKED CRAB RANGOON

1 can white crabmeat - drained, flaked
1/2 pack Philly Cheese (original)- softened
Thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup Light Mayonnaise
Half a handful of fresh corriander leaves - thinly chopped
Won Ton wrappers

1. Mix crabmeat, Philly cheese, spring onions, corriander leaves and mayo.
2. Gently place 1 won ton wrapper in each tin cups or muffin trays, allowing edges of wrappers to extend above sides of cups. Fill evenly with crabmeat mixture.
3. Bake until edges are golden brown and filling is heated through.
4. Serve warm. Garnish with chopped green onions or remaining corriander leaves.