INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

This morning, our school assembly cum pre-merdeka celebration was held in the STESMA hall.
Even though it was quite simple, it touched especially when our students recited the poetry on the independence. Our country now celebrates the 51st Independence Day with the theme "Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan". Happy Merdeka Day! No cooking....

MY FAVOURITE LAMB KORMA

My family likes this dish very much. Since this food contains high cholestrol, I only cook this once a while. Therefore, whenever I cook this korma, my children couldn't wait for long, they will eat together with the siblings. I will wait for my my husband to eat.

For those who never cook this dish, it is actually using the same technique of making lamb curry,

beef curry or chicken curry. After the korma paste is well cooked, then mix the lamb with it until it tenders, then only pour the coconut milk and add potato or carrot (optional).

Lamb Korma DaBest

Ingredients:

900g - 1000g lamb (cleaned)

3 cm ginger (halia)

3cm galangal (lengkuas)

2 stalks lemon grass (serai)- (hit to crush)

2 onions (bawang besar)

4 garlic (bawang putih)

1 cinnamon stick (kayu manis)

2 star anise (bunga lawang)

3 cardamon (buah pelaga)

4 cloves (bunga cengkih)

3 tbs korma powder

1 tsp cumin powder (jintan putih)

1 tsp fennel seed powder (jintan manis)

2 stalks curry leaves

tamarind juice

salt and sugar to taste

3 tbs of vegetable oil

2 cups of coconut milk

4 potatoes/carrot/onions (optional)

Method:

1. Boil the lamb with 2-3 cups of water until tender(keep aside).

2. Blend finely together the ginger, galangal, onion,and garlic.

3. Heat the oil, put the cinnamon stick, cardamon, clove, and curry leaves. Then, pour the blended items (no.2). Wait 3-5 minutes until fragrant.

4. Mix the korma powder with some water (mix with the cumin fennel seed powder too) and pour it together with (no.3). Wait for a few minutes until is is well-cooked. If it becomes dry, pour some water to make sure it is well-cooked.

5. When the oil comes to the surface, and the aroma is ummmph....mix it with ( no.1).

6. Make sure that the lamb really tenders. Mix it with the tamarind juice.Then, pour the coconut milk and potatoes or carrot and season to taste.

7. It is nice eaten with beryani rice or tomato rice or even white rice. Happy cooking....

Kuih Raya Practice

Last Monday, I practised the making of "kuih raya"(cookies). Sounds funny, emh?! No, thats all for my children's snacks. At first, they were very happy as if the raya is too near. But, after they have seen the two bottles of cookies, they bored already. For your information, I made the Almond London cookies into three different colours, dark brown (chocolate), pink (strawberry), and white (white chocolate). On the top, I put the crushed almond and the sweet rice. But....it is actually not good for children or even adults. Why? Because they are sweet.....

Here is the recipe for Almond London Cookies:

450g plain wheat flour

250g butter

150g castor sugar

1 egg

1 tsp emplex

1/2 tsp baking powder

cooking chocolate

Almond(whole)

Almond nibs/sweet rice

Method:

1. Sieve the flour,emplex and baking powder together(keep aside).

2.Beat butter and sugar.

3. Put the egg.

4. Put the flour, baking powder and emplex.

5. Mould and make the dough into small round shape and put the almond inside.

6.Make it until all done and arrange nicely into a pan.

7. Bake at 180 C for 15-20 minutes.

8. Dip into melted chocolate , put into a paper cup and sprinkle with the almond nibs/sweet rice.

*Melt cooking chocolate with two tablespoon of vegetable shortening using double boiling technique(boil water in a pot and the chocolate in a pan on top-so that that it will not easily burnt)*

Kamakitchen's Fish Curry

Yesterday, I was fasting. So, I prepared the fish curry for my "buka puasa" (breakfasting). My family likes to eat curry may it fish curry, beef curry or chicken curry. The longer you keep the curry, the taste will be better. But, some people do not want to keep it long, they like it fresh. Its up to you because we have different taste each other, right? There is important tip when you want to cook curry, you must cook the curry paste or powder (mix with water) well. You can know the curry is well-cooked when you see the oil comes up to the surface, then only you can pour the coconut milk and so on and so forth. Here is the basic recipe for the fish curry.

Ingredients:
600g fish (cleaned)

3 tbs vegetable oil

1 onion (chopped)

3 garlic (chopped)

2cm ginger (chopped)

curry leaves

1 stick of cinnamon

2 star anisse

3 tbs curry powder (paste)

2-3 cups of coconut milk

tamarind juice

6-8 ladies fingers

salt and sugar to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil.

2. Put the onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, cinnamon, star anisse until fragrant.

3. Mix the curry powder with a cup of water and pour into it.

4. Pour the tamarind juice together.

5. Wait until 8-10 minutes until it is well cooked (the oil will come out to the surface signifies it is well cooked).

6. Pour the coconut milk and wait until it boils.

7. Put the cleaned fish and boils for another 5-6 minutes.

8. Add sugar and salt to taste.

9. When it is almost done, you can put in the ladies fingers (optional) or any greens.

Acar Buah (Pickled Mix Fruits)

I am already back to Manjung. On my first day, I have to "tune" my mind back to school. After one day , I need to attend another course related to "cooperative by-laws". Since cooperative is now under Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM), there are many things to consider about. Today, I want to share with you the "pickled mix fruits recipe" or acar buah which is very popular during the month of Ramadhan. Some people might find it from their parents back in their village or they can get it from pasar. This acar will be a hot item during this fasting month. For your information, this acar buah is costly because the items are all pickled or dried. Mostly we can get the items from the supermarket either in small pack or loose. As to me, I like to buy the packed ones. Most of the time I put the small pickled fruits which does not need me to cut into small pieces. We can actually put different kinds of fruits, but make sure the fruits are not soft.

Here is the recipe for the Acar Buah:

Ingredients:

5 onions

5 garlic

3 cups of chilli paste

1 cup of oil

2 cinnamon sticks

3 star aniseeds

3 cardamon seeds

3 tbs of "soup powder"

2-3 cups of sugar

1 cup of vinegar

salt to taste

1 pack of dried mix fruits (200 g)

1 pack of raisins or sultanas (200g)

1 pack of dried nutmegs (200g)-optional

1 pack of dried ginger (200 g)-optional

5 to 6 pieces of acar limau (pickled lime)- cut into small pieces

Method:

1. Blend finely the onions and garlic.

2. Heat the oil, put the blended items and the chilli paste together.

3. Mix with the soup powder, aniseed, cardamon and the cinnamon sticks.

4. Fry until it is well cooked. Add some water if it too dry. Fry for some time because this chilli must be well cooked to make the acar nice.

5. Add the vinegar and sugar, add 1 cup of water.

6. Mix the dried fruits, taste the sugar and salt, it is ready to serve.

The acar buah is nice to be eaten with white rice or beryani rice. Yummm.....

Final Day of PTK

Rosli is having his lunch with his roommate, Badrul Hisham
I am posing in the "Coffee Tree" outlet in Penang

The Middle-East Tourists are bargaining the "coffee tree" products
I am posing with my roommate Azilah, happened to be my friend's sister.

I am taking picture with Rossidah, teaching in Bercham
The group presentation evaluators.....

My group was preparing the group presentation to be held on Friday.

Today is the last day of the course. Everybody is looking to go home, but they have another barrier which is sitting for the final examination (UAK). Many were busy looking at their notes as the last preparations whereas some others were just wandering around to calm themselves. What to do? We have to sit for this exam to fulfil the requirement of completing the PTK DG44. Yesterday, my friends and I managed to go out shopping the most popular item in Penang, nutmegs...The taxi driver sent us to one of the most popular place among tourists which is an outlet selling white coffee in Penang. Have you ever heard the brand "Coffee Tree"? According to the taxi driver, it is very popular among the tourists especilally from Middle East. True enough, when we reached there, there were a lot of Middle East tourist flocked in the shop. Some of them bought many packets of different types of coffee. I managed to get one priced RM25.

Now, I am waiting for my husband to fetch me back to Manjung. Well, I am going home...in three months time the result will be released. Hopefully, everybody will be getting the 4-4. Yeah....

Public Speaking

The evaluators are giving marks to the course participants.

Today is the most awaited day for those who are well-versed and familiar of public speaking. But for those who are not having enough self-esteem and proficiency, today is really hoped not be in the calender! Why? Ha...ha...not excluding myself, I'm too...not so confident, what more to present topic in front of evaluators and my course mates. Thanks God, it was all over and congratulations to all my friends. You did it very well. Tomorrow, we are having another slide presentation and the next day will be group presentation. Then...we are preparing for the written final examination which is scheduled on Saturday morning. After that, time to go home....

Discussion Session

After attending two lectures in the morning and one lecture in the afternoon, we managed to do our first discussion session for our group assignment which is planned to be held on Friday morning. Since everyone is required to present at least one issue, therefore we need to delegate our tasks, so that the point will not be overlapping each other in the presentation. The members of my group are very supportive and really helpful. I do not feel stressed. Yeahh...I enjoy attending this course....

Competency Course in Penang

I am posing with my new friend Puan Arbaatun, Puan Hajjah Fatimah
(the presenter).

I am posing with my new friend and the presenter. From left

(sorry,can't remember), Puan Hajjah Raihan and me.

I am back, sifu...I am so sorry for not blogging for almost 3 weeks. This time, I am writing on my course which I am attending for 8 days. For these few weeks, I was quite busy doing my assignments for my competency course requirement which needs me to prepare powerpoint slide presentation and the 20-pages assignment. Due to this reason, I was not able to update my newly-created blog. He..he...when I come back to Manjung, I will learn some more accessories to be uploaded in the blog. Now, I am in Penang, staying at Copthorne Orchids, Tanjung Bungah. I came here with my friend who is having the same competency course as myself. Since I already "saturated" with lectures and assignments, I stop for a while to do blogging. This morning, we had two lectures presented by "iron ladies" which I personally impressed by such excellent presentation. We were presented on "Effective Teaching and Learning" by Puan Hajjah Fatimah Abdullah, a retired senior principal from Trengganu and "Strategic Management and Total Quality Management (TQM)" by Puan Hajjah Raihan, a senior officer from Higher Learning Ministry.