Think sweet, spongy, creamy and something of Afrikaan origin and I bet you that this Malva Pudding is a sure-fire recipe to whet your appetite.
Gen, Author of Eat, Play , Clove has decided to share her Step-Mom’s authentic recipe for June’s Monthly Mystery Munchies challenge as we decided that it was apt that while I cooked up a Dutch recipe, Gen would do an Afrikaans one.
Just look at this:
Photo Credit: Gen @Eat, Play, Clove
Doesn’t that look delectable and something you’d want to sink your teeth into?! I know I would and when it comes to pudding, no one can share mine! OK, you can have a little, teeny-weeny bite. Nothing more!
In Gen’s words:
Afrikaans is a derivative of Dutch, with the early Settlers in South Africa being Dutch. I chose malva pudding, which is a sweet, spongy pudding of Cape Dutch origin. It’s topped (flooded) with an abundance of creamy, sweet sauce. A lot of sweet in this one, which certainly appeases my sugar addiction.
I can’t take credit for this recipe, as much as I’d like to! My stepmom, Michele, is a phenomenal cook, and she gave me her recipe a few years ago. Obsessed. This is my favourite hot pudding, and the fact that it’s served with custard and/or ice cream (why not both?) makes it decadent and indulgent, and one for the recipe books. It’s easy, folks, mission-free, and moreish.
I love it that it has apricot jam in there and that it can be served with custard and/or ice-cream or both. This one is high on my list to try and if you haven’t gone to Gen’s yet, I urge you to mosey over to her blog now and leave her some love for her brilliant Malva Pudding Recipe.
Thank you, Gen for the awesome share! This is a fabulous recipe to try! xxx.
Halfway through the year already! Welcome, welcome!
Welcome to a new month and a whole new beginning as we usher in the mid-year with Squirt celebrating his 4th birthday a few days ago and me taking on our Monthly Mystery Munchies #14 with a new challenge, in a new country and a new home all the way from the Netherlands!
Now that we are already (almost) settling in Holland, we just have to go Dutch. You know, as part of my integration programme to the Dutch society.
If you recall, we did a country-swap 2 months back and this month, Gen’s challenge is to come up with something Afrikaan and me something Dutch – all thanks to her foresight for bringing this up a few months ago in anticipation of my permanent move here to the Netherlands. It was the perfect challenge to dish out so as to push our culinary skills that tad further.
Now, here comes the conundrum: I’m not a big fan of Dutch food. Dutch meals are known to be traditionally simple and straight forward with lots of vegetables, potatoes and little meat. Read: Boring. For a foodie like me, that just wouldn’t fly.
When it comes to Dutch food, the first things that pop into my head are bitterballen, their cakes and cookies and everything deep-fried. Those are goooooood. Bitterballen would have been the perfect recipe but I have featured my home-made bitterballen before and surely, I would have to think of something else for this.
I thought of cakes and cookies, but most of the Dutch dessert which I like require a lot of work and it was something I was not prepared to do. Not just yet. I thought I’d stick to the typical traditionally simple and straight-forward theme with easy to find ingredients and one that would be considered as typically Dutch.
We know that the Dutch love, love, love their bread. And cheeses. What better way is there than to combine the two and make a Dutch Onion and Cheese bread for this inaugural-living-in-the-suburb-of-Netherlands challenge! With only a few ingredients, it fits the Dutch theme of simple and straight-forward.
And you know what makes this even more exciting? I have, never in my life attempted to make any kind of bread before. This was my first and I had made it from scratch. The Dutch bread fairy must have shone her light on me to make me feel like I am some kind of a bread goddess when it turned out a.w.e.s.o.m.e! Just look at that:
Before it went into the ovenOut it came, piping hot from the ovenSlice is all up into bite-sized squares. Crispy and cheesy on the outside, fluffy and soft on the inside…Just look at that! The yeast did is the job well. Sink your teeth into those when they are still warm…
There! My first homage to a Dutch dish apart from the Bitterballen. Anyone can make this and if you’ve never tried making bread before, this recipe will make you feel like the Goddess of Brood (Bread):
Sift the salt together with the flour. Once that is done, add in the warm milk and knead into a slightly sticky dough
Cover with a damp cloth and set aside in a dark place. Let it rise for about 1.5-2 hours till it gets to double its size
Shape the dough like a log. Cover and let it rise again for another 1-2 hours.
Then flatten the dough with a rolling pin to about half an inch in height on a flat baking tray. Meantime, heat the oven to about 190 degrees celsius
Once the dough is flattened to the desired height, shape it according to the tray.
Spread the onions slices all over the dough
Cover with the grated cheese and set aside to let it rise again for about another hour or until it's nice and fluffy
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheeses melt with a nice golden colour to it
Remove from the oven. Set aside to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting it into squares
Serve as a snack. Also good for breakfast and lunch!
Enjoy!
Notes
Choose a sweet onion - the yellow or the white onions are preferred because of its sweetness. You can vary the types of cheese you use. Best eaten warm.
Warning: Very Addictive!
Grubbs n Critters https://grubbsncritters.com/
This was made and scheduled ahead before we left Bangkok as I had feared that I did not have the necessities yet to be able to make anything when we got here. My hunch was right – not because I did not have the time nor the equipment, but because I was completely out of order in our first 2 weeks here (a story for another time).
Still. My butt was getting itchy after weeks of being an invalid and when I got just a tad better, I made another attempt with a little twist of ingredients from my in-laws’ kitchen using a mixture of aged and cumin-flavoured cheese, 2 tablespoons of paprika and adding a tablespoon of thyme to the onions. They tasted just as good, if not better!
But enough of gloating about this bread, for I am itching to find out what Gen has made for her Afrikaan dish to share with the world.
Come, come! Come with me and head over to Gen’s blog and see what she has made this week that’s native to her South African roots for this month’s Monthly Mystery Munchies
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Monthly Mystery Munchies features every first Friday of the month in collaboration with Gen, Author of Eat, Play, Clove. Next month will be my turn it seems to choose a theme and I’m still mulling over the whats. It’s getting tougher by the months. Until then!
Indian food gets me going. I love, love, love Indian food and the blend of spices that comes with it. Indian food has got to be one of the best cuisines in the world!
So when I came across a recipe from Nisa Homey on pinterest, I was all fired up just by looking at the picture. I knew I had to give this recipe a go.
The recipe calls for the use of pepper, peppercorns, fennel, garam masala and my all-time favourite spice, turmeric. I am so very glad for the supply of curry leaves I have been able to bring back from Singapore, because without them, it would not be as good.
I have adapted the recipe and the method from the original recipe that I found. It is no original Kerala-style chicken, but having tasted plenty of Indian food, the result was not very far off. This is, mind you, very addictive!
Marinated chicken in the pan This is what you get after adding in the ground spices Ta-daaaaaaaaaa!
What can I say? I’m in love with this dish. The fiery, peppery and all spiced up flavours give all the kick you need in this dish. It feels like suddenly all the senses come alive with the very first bite.
It’s worth a repeat. It was so easy to make too. Really. No kidding!
Kerala Style Pepper Chicken
2016-03-28 04:04:00
Serves 4
Fiery, Peppery dry roast recipe that's guaranteed to lift your spirits!
Marinade chicken with lemon juice, half tspn turmeric powder, pepper powder and half tspn salt for about half an hour. Set aside.
Grind peppercorns and fennel coarsely. Set aside
Heat olive oil. When the oil is hot enough, press the garlic and add in the sliced onions, green chillies and ginger.Saute for about 3 minutes.
Add the chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric powder. Mix well. Season with salt.
Add in the marinated chicken and coconut milk. Mix well. Cover and cook. Let any water from the pan evaporate.
Then add in the grind pepper powder with fennel and mix well. Add cherry tomatoes
Continue to cook on low flame and let the chicken dry roast for about 5-8 minutes or until the colour turns a little blackish-brown.
Stir and mix well.
Add in the curry leaves and give it a good stir for another 2-3 minutes.
Serve with rice.
Notes
The original recipe requires for the use of coconut vinegar as the traditional way of Kerala cooking. However, I have not used it here and substituted it with coconut milk and cherry tomatoes. The use of curry leaves is non-negotiable in my opinion.
Feel free to add more peppercorns if you can tolerate the heat!
