By Chef Foo Hai May Kuali, The Star Malaysia, September 7, 2011 Ingredients 1kg tapioca (cassava) 200g sugar 400g thick coconut milk 50g water 3g salt Method Peel tapioca, split and remove the fibrous core in the middle (do remember to remove as it will cause bitterness in your kuih). Finely grate the tapioca. Squeeze off the juice from the grated tapioca as it will cause the texture to be slightly dense and wet. Combine grated tapioca, sugar, coconut milk, water and salt into a saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens. Then pour into greased 8in square cake pan and bake in a preheated 200 degrees Celcius oven for about 40 -45 minutes until golden brown. Cool thoroughly before cutting into slices. Read also: Mad about kuehs Kueh Talam recipe Kueh Lapis recipe

By Amy Beh Kuali, The Star, ANN Malaysia, September 17, 2011 Fried Otak-Otak Rolls recipe Preparation time: About 1 hour Cook less than half hour Ingredients 220g fish fillet, minced 70g shelled prawns, minced 1 tsp rice flour 2 kadok leaves, chopped 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced 1 egg Salt and pepper to taste Pinch of sugar or to taste 1 piece beancurd skin Spices 3 shallots 2 slices ginger 3 slices galangal 1 stalk lemon grass, finely sliced 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tbsp chilli powder Method Combine spices in a food processor. Blend to a fine paste. Remove and add in the egg. Stir in minced fish and prawns to mix. Add kadok leaves and kaffir lime leaves. Adjust with salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Mix in rice flour. Place beancurd skin on a tabletop. Spread the combined fish paste mixture on the beancurd skin. Roll up tightly to resemble a popiah roll. Using a sharp knife, cut the otak-otak roll into 1.5cm-thick slices. Hold on to the cut slices firmly and slowly place into medium-hot oil. Deep-fry until golden brown. Dish out and serve at once.

By Chef Foo Hai May Kuali, The Star Malaysia, October 6, 2011 Ingredients Pandan Sponge 5 egg yolks 40g sugar 60g water 60g melted butter/corn oil 1 tbsp concentrated pandan extract 1-2 drops green colouring 100g super fine flour 5 egg whites 100g sugar Pandan Coconut Filling 400g milk 400g water 150g sugar 3g salt 10g agar-agar powder 300g coconut milk 70g custard Powder 1 1/2 tbsp concentrated pandan extract 1-2 drops green colouring Method Grease 9in round mould with melted butter or corn oil and line the bottom with grease-proof paper. Combine the yolks, sugar, water, melted butter/corn oil, pandan extract, green colouring and flour in a bowl. Mix until the batter is smooth. In another clean mixing bowl, whisk the whites and 100g of sugar until medium peak. Fold the whites into the pandan batter and mix well. Do not over-mix as this will make the volume of the sponge to drop. Pour the light batter into the greased mould and bake at 180 degrees Celcius for 30 minutes. As for the Pandan Coconut Filling, combine milk, water, sugar, salt and agar-agar powder in a saucepan and bring to boil. In a separate bowl, dissolve the custard powder in the coconut milk. Stir in the coconut custard mix into the boiling milk and continue to cook till mixture boils and thickens. Add in the pandan extract and colouring last. Stir well and set aside. To assemble the cake, cut the pandan sponge into three horizontal layers. Place the first layer of sponge into a10in cake ring/ springfoam pan. Pour 1/3 of the pandan coconut filling onto the sponge and smoothen it. Top with the second layer of sponge and spread another half of the remaining filling. Top up with the last piece of sponge, spread and finish of the balance of the filling. Cool it down and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours to allow the custard to set thoroughly. Unmould, garnish as you wish. (You may also cover the side of the cake with whipped topping and coat with desiccated coconut). The cake is ready to be cut and served.

Homemade kaya recipe By Amy Beh Kuali, The Star Malaysia, October 3, 2011 Ingredients 3 eggs 2 egg yolks 150g castor sugar 250ml thick coconut milk, from grated white of 2 coconuts 3?4 screwpine leaves (pandan leaves), knotted Method Break eggs into a mixing bowl. Add in egg yolks and beat by hand until yolks and whites are well blended. Add sugar and keep on stirring continuously to dissolve the sugar. Slowly add thick coconut milk and continue to beat until sugar is fully dissolved and coconut milk is well blended. Strain mixture into a heatproof container. Place container into a double-boiler. Add screwpine leaves to the mixture and steam over gently boiling water, stirring with a wooden spoon for approximately 40-50 minutes non-stop or until mixture turns into a thick custard mixture. Discard the screwpine leaves.  The mixture should now be golden brown. If not, fry one or two tablespoons sugar separately and stir in the caramel. Add this to the kaya to achieve the golden colour. Cool, then bottle the kaya in jam jars.