Nyonya Acar Awak (Malaysian Spicy Vegetable Pickle)

Visually vibrant to the eye and refreshingly piquant to the taste, acar awak is a traditional cold Malaysian pickle bursting with a lip-smacking blend of sweetness, tang and spice as well as a spectrum of textures and crunch levels. A joyride for your tongue, if you will, especially when served alongside hot rice and as an accompaniment to cut through heavier curries.

Some recipes omit the pineapple; I personally find it adds a juicy, succulent sweetness that really elevates this dish. The blending of the paste takes a bit of work, so feel free to double or triple the quantities and make a large batch at one go. Be sure to top liberally with more chopped peanuts and roasted sesame seeds just before serving.

Nyonya Acar Awak (Spicy Mixed Vegetable Pickle)

Serves 12 as a small side

Chop the following into 2” sticks:

1 medium-large cucumber (about 300g), pulp removed

1 medium carrot (100g), peeled

A handful long green beans/French beans (100g)

¼ of a white cabbage (150g)

*You can also use cauliflower or other crunchy vegetables. Measurements are approximate, adjust to taste

Stir in 1 tbsp salt.

Slice 200g pineapple into small chunks.

Line a baking sheet with paper towels and spread everything except the pineapple onto it. Bake on very low heat (about 100C) for about 25 mins to dry out (or if you live in Malaysia/somewhere very hot, feel free to lay it out in the sun for a few hours!)

• Spice paste:

Grind the following together and fry in oil over medium heat for 10 mins until fragrant:

5 shallots/1 large cooking onion

5 cloves garlic

5 dried chillies, deseeded and soaked

2 candlenuts

1 tsp turmeric powder (or 1” fresh turmeric )- if you are multiplying this recipe, do not increase turmeric quantity too much as it can taste bitter. Just add a bit more than 1 tsp.

1 stick lemongrass, white part only

1” galangal

Optional for non-vegetarians: a bit of belacan, dried shrimp

Stir in and bring to a boil:

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp sugar

Stir in and immediately turn off heat:

Prepared vegetables

2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

1/4 cup (about 50g) roasted ground peanuts

Allow to cool completely and refrigerate in a glass jar overnight (or for up to 4 weeks) so flavours can intensify. 

Before serving, leave at room temperature for a short while (so it's not stone cold) and top with extra ground peanuts and sesame seeds. 

Devour with hot steamed rice!

Sago Gula Melaka (Sago Pearl Pudding with Palm Sugar and Coconut Milk)

Like a cold, tropical fusion between sticky rice pudding, creme caramel and a bouncy jelly, this quintessential Malaysian favourite combines the spongy spring of moulded sago pearls with the richness of santan (coconut milk) and the fragrant sweetness of palm sugar (gula melaka) to form a decadent yet refreshing dessert, particularly well-suited for cooling you down after a spicy meal.

For those who are unfamiliar, sago pearls are tiny dry opaque white balls practically identical to tapioca pearls (see picture below). Both turn translucent and soft when soaked and cooked, and more often than not you can use them interchangeably as I do with this recipe. Occasionally instead of white you'll find pearl sago artificially dyed green, red or multiple other colours- personally I prefer my sago in its original form, but they taste the same so feel free to use those if bright desserts are your kind of thing. Do not, however, attempt to substitute gula melaka (pictured below) unless utterly desperate- not molasses, Thai palm sugar or even Indian palm jaggery can quite compare to the glossy darkness and rich woody flavour of Malaysian (or more specifically, Malaccan) palm sugar.

Be sure to make everything at least 4 hours before serving so they have a chance to chill thoroughly.

Sago Gula Melaka (Sago Pearl Pudding with Palm Sugar and Coconut Milk)

Serves 12

• Making the Sago

Soak 200g sago/tapioca pearls in water for 5 mins, then drain.

Raw sago/tapioca pearls

Bring 5 cups of water to boil in a large pot* with 1 knotted pandan (screwpine) leaf (for added flavour and fragrance). Gradually dribble in the soaked sago, stirring constantly to avoid clumping. Boil on low heat for 10 mins until almost translucent, then switch off the heat, cover and let sit in the residual heat a further 10 mins until completely transparent.

* If desired, throw in 

The half-cooked, almost translucent sago

Top up the pot with cold tap water (to make it less gummy) and pour the mixture carefully through a fine metal sieve. Rinse under cold running water whilst stirring with a spoon-the clear sago grains will be quite hard to spot initially but will emerge once all the liquid drains.

*Washing up the sieve is no fun as all the gloopy excess starch will be stuck to it, but use a good scrubber and lots of soap/hot water and it shouldn't take too long.

The drained sago pearls

Stir in a generous pinch of salt and 1/3 cup sugar, then pour into slightly wet individual moulds/cups/serving bowls (having them damp makes it easier to unmould later on) or a large casserole dish if you prefer to have people scoop their own portion. Refrigerate until set.

• Dissolving the Gula Melaka (the shortcut way)

Gula melaka in its typical cylindrical form

Place a 200g gula melaka block (you will only use a fraction of this for the sago but they tend to come at roughly this size) with 3/4 cup water into a bowl. Some recipes say to grate/shave/chop the block first- don't bother as it melts just as easily from whole, and makes no difference whatsoever to the end result!

Microwave on maximum heat at 2-3 min intervals, stirring carefully and breaking the block into smaller chunks with a spoon as it starts to soften. Be very careful as boiling syrup can cause serious burns. Repeat as many times as necessary, stirring in between until it totally dissolves to form a dark and glossy syrup. If desired, sieve to remove any grit (though I never bother as it will settle at the bottom anyway). Refrigerate until completely cold- if your syrup looks too runny, don't fret as it will thicken once chilled.

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*If you don't own a microwave, you can dissolve it the traditional way in a pot over low heat on the stove. As usual make sure to stir constantly to prevent burning.

• Making the Santan (skip this step if you're not bothered about adding pandan flavour)

Combine in a small pot and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly:

100ml fresh coconut milk (do not substitute with powder)

A pinch of salt

1 pandan (screwpine) leaf, knotted

Once it starts bubbling, remove from heat and let the santan cool. Discard the pandan leaf and refrigerate until cold.

To serve, unmould the puddings and serve with a generous drizzle of both toppings. Ensure there is plenty of extra so people can top up to their own taste. Dig in!

Kuih Kodok/ Jemput-Jemput Pisang (Malaysian Mashed Banana Fritters)

SAM TAN'S KITCHEN HAS MOVED! Please visit the new website/online store at www.samtanskitchen.com. You can also follow Sam on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Thank you!

Also known as cengkodok, jemput-jemput or cucur pisang and commonly sold freshly fried as a snack from Malaysia's ubiquitous roadside stalls, the delectable kuih kodok or "toad cake" is so-named apparently due to the fritter's uneven knobbly appearance. The taste however could not be further from its ugly moniker- soft and moist on the inside with a crisp golden brown exterior, it is one of my favourite ways to use overripe bananas (there are only so many banana breads you can make before your tastebuds cry out for variety).

Some versions I've seen of kuih kodok resemble great big stodgy balls of dough more than little squishy fritters- I prefer mine like this, bite-size, packed full of fresh banana and with only a touch of flour to make it puff and crisp. Multiply or modify the recipe below as desired- it takes almost no time or effort whatsoever.

Kuih Kodok/ Jemput-Jemput Pisang (Malaysian Mashed Banana Fritters)

*Makes 5-6 pieces (serves 1)

Combine in a small bowl to form a thick batter:

1 overripe banana, mashed

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp rice flour (for crispness)

¼ tsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

Pinch of salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract (if you feel like it)

*Some non-purists chuck in some dessicated coconut or cinnamon into the mix too- it's not authentic, but I bet it tastes good :)

Heat some oil in the smallest pot you have (so you don't have to waste too much covering a large surface area) over medium heat until hot. Using two teaspoons, slowly drop small balls of the batter in carefully and deep fry quickly for about a minute until golden, flipping frequently to make sure it browns evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on some paper towels.

Serve immediately.

Traditional Chinese New Year Peanut Cookies (Fah Sang Peng)

SAM TAN'S KITCHEN HAS MOVED! Please visit the new website/online store at www.samtanskitchen.com for all catering enquiries. You can also follow Sam on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Thank you!

*Also available under Chinese New Year Cookies to Order- $20 per box of 30 pcs

Chinese New Year is 2 weeks away, and having missed out on all the festivities back home for the past 6 years, I decided 2010 was the time to more actively recreate some of the buzz all the way here in London, at least on the baking front.

I urge you SERIOUSLY, even if you're not Chinese and don't celebrate CNY, to try this recipe. If your life's experience of peanut cookies has been limited to chunky Western versions made with peanut butter and a criss-cross fork pattern, these little devils will be a revelation- crisp to the bite, then crumbly as you first chew, then melt-in-the-mouth, then unbelievably fragrant as the salty nutty flavour hits your tongue. Well-made fah sang peng are an exercise in taste and textural heaven akin to a cross between buttery shortbread and melting moments, except better, because of the added oomph and aroma of peanuts. :)

The recipe below is simple and easy too, the only slightly time consuming bit being the shaping of the cookie with a bottle cap. Most people choose to add more oil so they can roll the dough into smooth solid balls- I prefer to keep the pastry short and crumbly, and I like the rustic and uneven end result with the little cracks around the edges. Just beware- once baked, you'll have one (just to try), two (just to be sure), and before you know it you'd have had thirty.

Don't say I didn't warn you :)

Traditional Chinese New Year Peanut Cookies (Fah Sang Peng)

Makes about 60 cookies, depending on the size of your bottle cap

Blitz 200g roasted salted peanuts in a blender/spice mill until a finely ground powder/paste is formed.

*Note: I used a ready-to-eat Asda Smartprice pack (which was insanely cheap, only 27p!) that was already roasted, salted and had added vegetable oil, hence a more pasty rather than powdery result. If you prefer you can use raw nuts and dry fry/roast from scratch, but remember you'll be adding salt and oil later anyway.

In a large bowl, sift together:

200g (approx. 1 1/2 cups) plain flour

100g (approx. 3/4 cup) icing sugar (essential for the fine texture- do not substitute with normal sugar)

1/2 tsp baking powder

Dash of salt (more if you used unsalted nuts)

Chuck everything into a food processor (or a mixing bowl if kneading manually), add a good glug of vegetable oil- I used rapeseed, but any mild variety like corn, sunflower or groundnut will do- and blend at high speed (or work with your fingers) until a crumbly, dry, short dough that looks like this is formed:

If the mix is still floury, add more oil gradually and keep blending/kneading until the "grainy sand" look (like shortcrust pastry before liquid is added) is achieved, and forms a solid tightly packed mass if compressed. Be sure not to pour in too much oil at one go- you don't want a greasy mess.

To shape each cookie, place a piece of cling film over a clean bottle cap

(I used the plastic top of an HP sauce bottle, about 3cm wide and 1.5 cm deep)

and press in dough tightly. Yank out the cling film to release the cookie and place on a lined baking sheet. Repeat until all dough is used up.

Using the back of a spoon, brush each cookie with a bit of egg wash (1 egg yolk diluted with 1 tsp of water).

Bake at 160 C fan-assisted (or 180 C for non-convection ovens) for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Let cool, then devour!:)

Wagamama-Inspired Asian Soy Ginger Vinaigrette

A tangy sour-salty vinaigrette that makes salads absolutely mouthwatering! :) Inspired by Wagamama's famous dressing, I chuck in a dash of sesame oil and a sprinkling of seeds to add a further dimension to its gorgeous Asian flavours (and it just so happens floating sesame seeds look pretty). Have a taste once it's made and add more soy/vinegar/whatever you like to suit your own preference.

Keep refrigerated. Use on everything :)

Wagamama-Inspired Asian Soy Ginger Vinaigrette

Makes 1/2 cup (125ml)

Stir together well to blend and store refrigerated in a jar:

2 small shallots, finely chopped

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

1" fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1½ tbsp rice vinegar (or other vinegars if you want to change things up)

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp water

100ml vegetable oil

2-3 tbsp light soy sauce (depending on how salty you want it)

Dash of sesame oil

Sprinkling of sesame seeds

Frozen Bananas- Natural Ice Cream

Overripe bananas: probably one of mankind's most common problems. I love banana bread/cakes/muffins but there is only so much of baked banana I can take, so thank you Mum for this easiest and most amazing of tips!

Peel, slice and freeze overripe bananas, then leave at room temperature for a few minutes or briefly microwave for 5-10 seconds. Result: the healthiest, creamiest, naturally sweet and delicious banana ice cream you could possibly imagine. Try it, I kid you not!

Easy Peasy Chunky Guacamole

I like my guacamole simple and unadulterated with just a bit of zing- feel free to add or remove anything to suit your taste and increase the recipe as needed.

Serves one

Mash together roughly:

1 ripe avocado (if you are an avocado virgin, please see "Easy Twisty Way of Cutting an Avocado" below)

Good squeeze of lime juice (I used about 1/4 of a lime)

Few sprigs of coriander, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Serve immediately as a dip, topping or spread on anything and everything imaginable.

Other options: a bit of finely chopped jalapeño, serrano or any fresh hot chilli, minced garlic, chopped onion, diced tomatoes, ground cumin, chilli powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, sour cream, even cottage cheese...

Easy Twisty Way of Cutting An Avocado

Cut lengthwise all the way around (working around the seed) and twist the two halves apart.

Tap the blade of your knife so that it's wedged into the seed, and twist to remove.

Spoon the flesh out with a spoon.