Ki Ka Ku - Pink steamed buns

Growing up, I would spend a lot of time at my god-mum's house.  If by chance my god-grandma was up from Muar, I would be a happy girl as she would make these delicious steamed buns. Slightly different from the standard fluffy buns, these were sweet, chewy as well as the fluffiness you would expect from steamed buns.
  
The Hakka called it Xi Ban and the Hokkiens call it the Ki Ka Ku. Don't ask me why I only know it as my god grandma's specialty.  You can find these in the local stall selling kuih in wet markets. 

Nine layer Nyonya Kuih aka Kuih Lapis

Do you know how certain foods or smells evoke memories forgotten? Perhaps a day during your childhood or a long-ago holiday in some heady foreign land, remaining hazy in the sub-conscious mind, until you see or smell something which jolts that particular memory in to crystal clear clarity? Yes, this dessert is one such type food for me.  And no matter how young I was, and how old I am now, I still eat it the same way - one thin layer, one mouthful at a time, to savour every last delicious sliver.

Nyonya desserts or nyonya kuih are little cakes or pastries created by the Peranakans or Straits Chinese. Peranakan is a term which refers to the mixed-race descentdant, part Chinese, part ethnic Malay. Baba refers to the male descendants and Nyonyas the females.

Bangkuang Char - Yam Bean Lettuce Cups

I've been loving snack style food recently. Little two-bite morsels that are tasty from the first bite to the last.  Although, I'm not sure it's considered snack food if you eat like 7 or 8 of them? Hmm... anyway, this is where this bangkuang char comes into place - shredded delicious yam beans, wrapped lovingly in a fresh, crisp lettuce leaf.  I feel like this is the Malaysian equivalent to the San Choy Bao (lettuce cup).  When I was growing up, this dish was predominantly served during festive occasions such as Chinese New Year.  This would be eaten with rice, alongside other dishes such as curry chicken, braised pork belly (tau iu bak) and pork stomach soup (tu tor tn'g).  

Penang Char Koay Teow

Penang Char Koay Teow - this is a recipe that embodies so many memories for me.  It has a very soft spot in my heart, not only being a signature dish from my home town, but also a reminder of my very dear late grandmother.  She would cook it for us, however (as with most special, longed-for meals) not as often as we would like.  We would pester her relentlessly before she would give in and put together this delicious plate of noodles.

Char Koay Teow (literal translation fried rice noodles) is something that can be found across any Malaysian restaurant on their menu. Like most things with cultural food though, whether the authenticity is there or not is debatable.  Penang has long been known as the "Food Capital of Malaysia" and is particularly well known for their "hawker foods", mostly featuring incredibly fresh ingredients and made to order.  Char Koay Teow is the very representation of hawker food - fresh rice noodles tossed with tender juicy prawns, crunchy bean sprouts, salty Chinese sausage, fragrant chives finished off with a kick of chilli.  If you visit Penang and don't take the opportunity taste this, you haven't been to Penang at all!

The best way to get that authentic taste in your home is to cook this dish in individual portions, not in one big batch.  Using a cast iron wok and a gas cook top will best replicate the complex, smokey flavour of the dish (often referred to as 'wok hei' or breath of the wok) which is usually the magic factor in all genuine hawker dishes.  

Traditionally, Char Koay Teow would also include succulent de-shelled cockles and crunchy pork lard or rind, however these ingredients are hard to find here so they have been omitted from this particular recipe.  If you are lucky enough to find these additions though, absolutely feel free to toss through the cockles and rind with the prawns.  They're certainly my favourite bits of the dish!  You can also exchange the chicken egg out for duck egg if you're feeling exceptionally indulgent.