Steamed Pumpkin Cake (Kuih) Recipe

Hi, I'm back again. This time with a kuih recipe...pumpkin cake! Yes not yam..as my hubby don't really like yam. And why pumpkin? Because no matter how i cooked the pumpkin..i still couldn't get my girls to swallow the pumpkin..until i discover this 'secret recipe'! Actually, my mum used to make this yam cake when i was young, i just replaced it with pumpkin. It is an easy peasy recipe..trust me!

Steamed Pumpkin Cake (Kuih) Recipe 

Here are the ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup of rice flour
• 2 tablespoons of wheat flour
• 1 tablespoons of tapioca/corn flour
• 2 cups of pumpkin (shredded)
• 3 cups of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 3 small garlic (chopped into small pieces)
• 1 teaspoon of five spice powder
• 2 teaspoon of Maggi chicken seasoning (cukup rasa)-optional
• A pinch of white pepper powder

     Garnishing

• 1 stalk of spring onion
• 6 shallots (sliced)
• some cooking oil for frying

(I don't like shrimps, so no shrimps in my list! You may add it if you like..both in batter and garnishing ingredients) - Mine: Vegetarian :)

Steps:

1. I prefer to do all the cutting and chopping first. So, get ready the pumpkin (shredded), garlic (finely chopped), shallots (sliced) and spring onion (chopped) . 
2. Now, prepare the garnishing. Fry the shallots till brownish, drain and dry it and set it aside to let it cool down. You may keep it in a jar to maintain its crispiness. (The remaining oil, you can keep it for making the sauce of 'Kam Puang/Kolok mee' - a type of Foo Chow mee. Chop the spring onion and keep it in a container/bowl and place it in the fridge (maintain its freshness).
3. Pre-boil your steamer pot. 
4. Now, put together all the flours, salt, five spice powder and white pepper powder in a mixing bowl. Pour in the water and mix well.
5. Get ready your wok and pour in some oil and fry the garlic till brownish.
6. Then, add the shredded pumpkin in and stir fry for about 5-6 minutes.
7. Now, pour in the batter and continue to stir.
8. As you stir, the batter will thicken..continue to stir till it gets lumpy and dry but still soft.
9. Get ready your cake pan (my pan size: diameter: 20 cm) and grease it.
10. Pour the mixture in and press it well to cover the whole pan evenly.
11. Place the pan in the steamer pot and cover it well. Steam on high heat for 40-45 minutes. (Test with a fork/chopstick. It is ready if it comes out clean.)
12. Take it out and let it cool down before you garnish and cut it.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Steaming time: 40-45 minutes

Enjoy!

P/s: Thanks to my grandma for her tip: Add some wheat flour to the batter to make the texture nicer..not so sticky and wobbly!

Some pictures here:

Useful Tips for Baking Banana Muffins!

Hi everyone. After baking many times of banana muffins for the past two weeks, I had discovered a few simple tips that make the baking process much easier and make the muffins tastier :)

Here, I'm happy to share the tips:

1.   Choosing the bananas...

• Choose the overripe bananas. This is because overripe bananas are easier to mash, make the muffins moister, tastier and healthier. (http://www.herbs-info.com/blog/scientists-find-ripe-banana-dark-patches-combats-abnormal-cells-and-cancer/)

2.   How to mash the bananas...

• After peeling the bananas skin, put all the bananas in a clean plastic bag. A small plastic bag will do, not too small and not too big!
• Tie the plastic bag and press the bananas with your fingers till all are mashed to puree state.
• Cut a hole at one of the corner of the plastic bag.
• Squeeze the banana puree slowly into the mixing bowl. (Please refer to the pictures below)

3.   Use self-stand baking cups instead of a muffin tray with soft muffin cups...

• This will save your time because you don't have to grease the muffin tray and preheat it.
• And save cost as well. For beginners, you don't have to get the extra utensil.
• For city folks in Malaysia, you can get 1 box (20 cups) for RM3.90 at Mr. DIY shops!

4.   How to pour the mixture into the baking cups...

• Get ready another clean plastic bag, pour the mixture slowly into it.
• Tie the plastic bag.
• Cut a hole at one of the corner and squeeze out the mixture slowly into the baking cups. (Please refer to the pictures below)

5. After the Muffins are done...

• After 20-22 minutes, your muffins are done. Do not open the oven door or take out the muffins immediately. 
• Leave them in the oven for about 30 minutes. This is to avoid the drastic change of temperature which can cause the muffins to become flat again.

Hope you find these tips helpful! I really enjoyed baking these tasty yet easy-to-make muffins for my family...especially when I have little helpers around me to help out. My girls love to beat the egg and pour the mixture into the cups :)

Enjoy and share it!

Easy Choco-Banana Muffins Recipe

Another Easy Muffins Recipe: Choco-Banana Muffins

My girls love chocolate cakes. So, I try to add chocolate flavor to my banana muffins. This time, I just add 1 extra ingredient, 2 tablespoon of coco powder to the existing recipe (Easy Banana Muffins Recipe)! And the result was as awesome as the original one :)

Give it a try!

Ingredients (for 6 big muffins):

• 1 egg
• 4-5 bananas (5 if medium size, 4 if large)
• 40 grams of raisins
• 1/3 cup of cooking oil
• 1/2 cup of fine/caster sugar or less
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup of self raising flour
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoon of coco powder

Steps:

1. Get ready 4-5 ripe bananas and mash them. (overripe bananas are better, moister and healthier).
2. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celcius.
3. Crack an egg in the mixing bowl, beat slightly and add caster sugar, raisins and coco powder to it. Continue to beat for few minutes.
4. Then, mix the mashed banana, egg mixture, and cooking oil together (wet).
5. Get another bowl, sieve and mix self raising flour and baking soda together. Then add a pinch of salt (dry).
6. Now mix wet and dry ingredients together. Use your hand mixer to mix it well.
7. Get ready 6 cupcake cups and pour the mixture slowly to each cup till 70% full. (You can get these cups from Mr. DIY shop at RM3.90 for 20 cups. They are easier to bake in oven, you don't have to buy a muffin tray and grease it!)
8. Bake in oven, 185 degree Celcius for about 20-22 minutes. Try it and you will love it!

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Baking time: 20-22 minutes

Enjoy!

Easy Banana Muffins Recipe

The Easiest Banana Muffins Recipe!

Hi, just sharing..I'm not good in baking. But after i tried making these muffins, I'm very confident that all mummies can make these. This is the easiest and the simplest muffin recipe! You don't need to have an expensive mixer and baking utensils. You just need a manual hand mixer and 2 bowls. And of course a simple oven :)

Ingredients (for 6 big muffins):

• 1 egg
• 4-5 bananas (5 if medium size, 4 if large)
• 40 grams of raisins
• 1/3 cup of cooking oil
• 1/2 cup of fine/caster sugar or less
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 1/2 cup of self raising flour
• A pinch of salt

Steps:

1. Get ready 4-5 ripe bananas and mash them. (overripe bananas are better, moister and healthier).
2. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celcius.
3. Crack an egg in the mixing bowl, beat slightly and add caster sugar and raisins to it. Continue to beat till whitish in colour.
4. Then, mix the mashed banana, egg mixture, and cooking oil together (wet).
5. Get another bowl, sieve and mix self raising flour and baking soda together. Then add a pinch of salt (dry).
6. Now mix wet and dry ingredients together. Use your hand mixer to mix it well.
7. Get ready 6 cupcake cups and pour the mixture slowly in each cup till 70% full. (You can get these cups from Mr. DIY shop at RM3.90 for 20 cups. They are easier to bake in oven, you don't have to buy a muffin tray and grease it!)
8. Bake in oven, 185 degree Celcius for about 22 minutes. Try it and you will love it!

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Baking time: 20-22 minutes

Enjoy!

P/s: Thanks to my mum and dad for the splendid kampung bananas (organic)!

Here is the picture of a manual hand mixer and a mixing bowl:

Loom Bands Craze Gallery

Here are some of the pictures of my loom bands' collection! Most of them i did with my girls quite some time ago...

Here, just sharing how my girls play with their loom bands accessories when they were told not to wear them on hands. And as a mum, I really don't want to stop their fun time and creativity...So, I allowed them to put the accessories on their dolls and soft toys :)

Hope all of you have fun too :)

DIY (Free hand): How to Make a Simple Bracelet

How to Make a Simple Bracelet Without Any Tools (Free Hand):

(This project is suitable for beginners or those who do not have any loom bands tools, but still want to try it out! You may use the normal rubber bands at home...)

1. You need 10 purple bands and 10 pink bands for a simple bracelet. First, loop the pink band to your thumb and twist it to make a cross and loop it to your index finger.
2. Take a purple band and loop it to both of your thumb and index finger.
3. Now, pull the pink band up to the top, for both sides.
4. The pink band will go the middle as shown in picture 4.
5. Now repeat step 2 with a pink band.
6. Next, pull the purple band up to the top as in step 3.
7. The purple band will go the middle as shown in picture 7.
8. Repeat steps 2-3 till you finish all the 20 bands.
9. Now, place the s-clip to the end of the last band.
10. Hook the other end to the same s-clip.
11. Your simple bracelet now is ready!

Thanks to my dear daughter! She enjoyed it so much :)

DIY (Loom Bands): How to Make a Rainbow Flower Bracelet

How to Make a Rainbow Flower Bracelet:

1. Get ready 5 sets of bands (5 petals for 1 flower) as shown in the picture. This bracelet needs 6 flowers, so you need 6 different sets of coloured bands. (If you want to make a longer bracelet, you may need 7-8 flowers). Get ready 6 extra bands and a s-clip.
2. Loop the yellow band 3 times onto the 2 purple bands.
3. Repeat the same step to get 5 sets (5 flower petals). Take the petal and loop it to the hook. You may use 2 hooks (I find it easier for me to transfer the petals to the single rubber band!).  Loop all the 5 petals to the hook.
4. Now, transfer all the petals to the single (purple) rubber band. This the most challenging part..Do this slowly or you may need someone to assist you.
5. Pull the 2 ends of the purple band and hook it to a pencil (temporary).
6. Repeat steps 2-5 to get 6 colourful flowers. Hook them to the same pencil.
7. After you have completed all the 6 flowers, take out a flower from the pencil and join the 2 ends of the band to make a knot.
8. Join the flower to another flower using the same method in step 7, make a knot.
9. Repeat step 8 for all the 6 flowers.
10. Put a s-clip to the end of the band (the last flower).
11. Hook the other end of band to the same s-clip.
12. Now, your rainbow flower bracelet is done!