Friday 26 August 2011

Ad: My Lempeng Adventure


So last week, I was having this psycho craving for lempeng. Lempeng is basically the Malaysian version of pancakes. It can be eaten sweet or savoury. The most common accompaniment to the lempeng is honey, sugar, curry and sambal (dried chili sauce). I satisfy all my lempeng cravings at Restoran D'Cengkih in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI). I'm telling you, the lempeng there is sooo soft and is salted perfectly. If you're lucky and got it fresh from the pan, it even has that added crisp to it - a bite of heaven I tell you. Plus, the sambal at D'Cengkih is definitely one of the best I've had! Couple the two and you just can't help but ask for more!

Ok so yeah, last week I was craving for those awesome lempengs but how on earth was I supposed to satisfy my cravings then? For those of you who do not know, we are almost at the end of the fasting month, Ramadhan. Thus, last week we were all fasting. Since lempeng is typically served for breakfast, there was no way that D'Cengkih would be making them this month. I was extremely upset and I started wondering if any other restaurants served lempeng. Of course I couldn't think of any restaurants. I was about to give up and try to ignore my cravings when I remembered my dad saying "It's so easy to make" every time I sulked when D'Cengkih ran out of lempengs.

That was when I decided to go on Youtube and see if there were any lempeng tutorials available. To my luck, there were a few, but not many. I had to tweak the recipes a little because they were a little different from what I wanted, but don't worry, this was an easy peasy experiment! So all you have to do to get the recipe is to go to www.youtube.com and type "lempeng" or "Malaysian lempeng" in the search box.

First, let's go over the things you need.
i. 2 cups of wheat flour
ii. 2 eggs
iii. a pinch of salt
iv. 2 cups of water

The measurements are just a rough guide. Basically you just have to mix all the ingredients together and whisk until they are well combined. Here's how I did it:

Step 1: Put the flour in a mixing bowl (or any bowl big enough) and then add the salt. Then, stir for about a minute or until you think the salt has been spread evenly. I added the salt first because I wasn't sure how thick the batter would be after adding in the water and eggs; if it was too thick and sticky then it may be harder to mix the salt evenly.

Step 2: Add in the water to the mixture a little bit at a time while stirring. This makes it easier to stir and helps the mixture combine better.

Step 3: Add in one egg and mix well. After this step, the mixture will thicken slightly. If the batter is still rather watery, then add in another egg. At this stage it is up to you to decide if any more flour needs to be added to the batter. Basically you want your mixture to be thick, but not too thick. Kind of like a well blended juice, but slightly diluted. LOL sorry if this doesn't make sense, but there really isn't any other way to explain it and if it doesn't turn out right, well try it again another time. You just have to use your judgement this time!

After mixing all the ingredients, the batter should look something like this:
Ok so now you're ready to fry it! It's better to use a non-stick wok or pan, but if you don't have one, just added more oil. Ok so pour in about a table spoon or so of cooking oil into the wok. Use a spatula to spread the oil over the wok so that it covers a larger area. By the way, put the stove on medium heat. Now take a spoon or ladle and pour some of the better onto the wok. It will look something like this:
Now you have to act quickly. Use the spatula to spread the batter out. When you pour the batter into the wok, most of batter will form a pool in the middle. Because we want the lempeng to be rather thin and light, we have to spread the batter out and make it cover a wider area of the wok. Once it has cooked and is no longer runny, either add more batter to the wok and repeat the process (if you think it isn't big enough) or flip it on the other side. But remember, you must not move the batter at all while it is cooking or it will affect the texture of the lempeng and it might tear.
Once it is cooked, it will look something like this:



Now flipping the lempeng is a little tricky, especially because it's so slippery lol. But don't panic, just try it again and again, very gently, until you manage to do it. It's ok if it does not flip over completely, just make sure you correct it so that the lempeng doesn't fold or overlap. Basically you wait for the other side to cook as well, and flip it over a few more times and you're done when the lempeng turns to a slight golden brown.

Once it's done, fold the lempeng into half and remove it from the wok, onto a plate. The reason for folding it in half BEFORE shifting it to a plate is so that it doesn't tear. It should look like this when it's done:
As you can see, there are some visible tears on my lempeng. That happened when I moved the lempeng from the wok to the plate without folding it in half first. The lempeng is very thin so it tears easily. So remember, don't make the same mistake that I did! Fold your lempeng first! So you keep repeating the steps until you finish all your batter. I folded my lempeng to a quarter of its original size. I did this because that's how D'Cengkih serves them and also because I think it looks more presentable that way. In the end this was how my end result looked like:


I was really happy with how they looked but I had to wait til Maghrib (the time for the sunset prayer) when it's time to break fast to try it. When finally it was time to break fast, I was soo excited! I had it with sardines but I really wished I had it with either sambal or curry. But oh well, it was nice but I didn't put in enough salt. I could never tell how much 'a pinch of salt' is anyway. I prefer it to be slightly thinner too, but I have to say that it was a good attempt for a first timer! So what are you waiting for? Give it a try!

Have a great lempeng adventure! ;)
Ad

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Far: first hijab tutorial! Turban style

Salam all!

seeing that this Raya is looming towards us, its better to get ready now before its too late!
here, I would like to share with you a very simple way to wear your scarf with this Raya season's hot kaftans. Bejewelled kaftans are in girls! and be ready to flaunt them!

ps: Though this is a great way to show off neck and chest details, it is not really covering our aurah as our chest and neck should be covered, however this is great for beginners who are just getting used to the hijab and it is also suitable to wear around our muhrim and girls :)

FIRST STEP!

make sure you have equal length of scarf in both sides, tie a knot to secure it.


Then, swing one side over your head, imagine criss crossing both sides as you do the other side of the scarf.


Do the other side (remember: crisscross!)


Then scrunch up the ends behind, and neatly fold it in.


It will look something like this:




And your done! to jazz it up, pick a brooch, and secure it anywhere you like! This beautiful number is one of miss Haneesa's gorgeous designs!



Hope you girls enjoyed my very first tutorial! 

Another Awesome Girl and Writer!

Ad
Hey you! Yes YOU dear reader! I'm glad you've stumbled upon my section of this blog! I'm Adlina, or better known as Ad. I think the best word to describe me is unpredictable. Sometimes I'm all crazy and loud, and then suddenly I'm all quiet and zoned out and so on. Oh and I'm also an Accounting major (let's see if you can guess what contributed to my craziness :P). I love love love writing and experimenting in the kitchen! My section is mostly dedicated to food and cooking..or well, learning to cook. Frying eggs were the only cooking skills that I used to have (for a very long part of my life). Now..well I can boil eggs too! Kidding, kidding hahah. I'm honestly not great at cooking, but I can't help but love playing around with all the different elements involved in it. I love just throwing in different spices and ingredients and then finding out how the dish will look and taste. Of course this whole experimenting thing is fun; however, it can also be frustrating and messy (like super duper messy). It may not be everyone's cup of tea. In my opinion, if you don't have the passion for it, then you most probably won't have the patience for it. I love all kinds of food, so can you just imagine the whole world of possibilities that I have on my hands? From pasta, steaks and quesadillas to mee bandung, dim sum and nasi biryani. You name it! My section also includes food reviews. Dining out is always on the agenda for me and my family; we're always on the hunt for delicious, drool-worthy, omg-it's-so-nice-I-want-to-sew-my-ass-shut (yes, I got this from How I Met Your Mother) food. So tag along as I go on my gastronomic adventures. My experiments don't always turn out right, but at least you will know what to avoid right? ;)
Here are just some of my experiments!
Custard Pudding


Cheesy Beef Lasgna



Mini Cupcakes (baked these with Haneesa, couldn't have done this without her!)



 Cupcakes (again, epic failure)



Donashi! (tried to copy Big Apple Donuts')



Lempeng (Malaysia pancakes)


Tuesday 16 August 2011

lol. yes, we are still introducing the Girls

Emma

Hi there! I go by the name Emma. Yes, I’m a student of a local private university here in Malaysia. My segment in this awesome blog of ours is related to dance or fitness. Here are a few things you need to know about me:
  1. I’m not a fitness expert nor am I a ‘dancer’. I’m just a normal girl with an interest in dancing since the day I learned how to walk. Yes, I’ve danced and performed for school, college, and university events, but I am not an expert. I don’t have professional training nor do I take dance classes regularly. But that doesn’t mean that I have Never went for dance classes :). As for the fitness part, I am not the one with the best body shape in the world, but I really want to share information or tips in fitness, the simplest work out to a bunch of drinks or food for all of you to savour through consumption.
  2. I’m still young. 22, to be exact. They say that age is just a number, isn’t it? Anyway, my point is, being at this age, doesn’t make me that knowledgable in fitness. So much so that I don’t guarantee that every post will cater to everyone of both sexes and of all ages. For every post, I will definitely write my review and will try my very best to identify groups of people who could benefit most. But you can still read, watch, or experiment them yourselves nevertheless.
  3. I’ll try to eliminate potential biases. Since I love dance so much, I tend to have biases towards certain dance genres, choreographers, or anything at all pertaining to the routine. So, I will try to post routines that can be beneficial to a larger population despite them either choreographed by those I’m not a fan of, or of dance genres that I don’t really like. My favourite dance show is of course So You Think You Can Dance. The only season that I managed to watch every episode of every week (both performance and results shows) is Season 7 (I happen to be a big fan of Billy Bell, Kent Boyd, Lauren Froderman). However, I did watch a lot of the performances from other seasons with the likes of Travis Wall, Katee Shean, Twitch, and a whole lot of them. Other than SYTYCD, I enjoy watching Got to Dance UK (Ashley Banjo *melts*). I used to watch Live to Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew too.
  4. I study human behaviour. A bit off topic, but an essential ‘about me’ information. As side interest, I like listening to people’s story about their life. From what they did during the day, what happened at work, which boy won a girl’s heart, which woman managed to impress a man with her charm, whose pet went to see the vet for the first time, and the list goes on. I’d like to go into the helping profession, therefore listening and empathy skills are the fundamental elements of self that I need to develop. So, should you need to talk to anyone about anything at all, you are welcome to talk to me. If you need some points or opinions regarding anything at all, I am here to help. With that, you can help me sharpen my skills too. Helping is indeed a beneficial act, isn’t it?
There you go :). Just a quick reminder: I’m not an expert in anything. Well, perhaps in retail therapy and laugh therapy, and with a hunch of interest in dance. Hope you’ll find my segment as educational as much as you find it entertaining. *wink*



We're still Introducing the girls.. :)

Farhana
Hi! I'm Far! I am a newbie hijabi, trying and sharing with you guys different hijab styles, fashion tips for different body types while keeping modest:) I'm a teacher juggling studies (English Literature and History), responsibilities, fun n my outfits;) I hope through my posts and this blog, I get to inspire people that the hijab is not intimidating, it can be creative, fun and pretty while at the same time achieving its goal as a symbol of modesty and piety.



Haneesa Z.
Speciality in Arts and Crafts

What started out as a simple interest in paper mache volcanoes turned into a love for all forms of crafty projects; From card-making to crochet, arts and crafts has always tickled my fancy and my interest just keeps growing year after year. There’s always a new project I want to try out! Whether I’ve seen it from YouTube or simply a gentle inspiration from Mother Nature, my yearning is always met as I am allowed a spectrum of craft supplies around KL, all because of the rise of interest in DIY projects.







In this blog, my collection of button pins will be showcased through the other demonstrations, namely the Hijab Tutorial section.. So keep an eye out! Drop an email or comment if you see something nice, unique, or something you simply must, must have! Who knows? You might be the delighted owner of these handmade treasures one day ;)

Introducing the Girls!

Hi there! let's get to know each other. We here at The Awesome Project are all vivacious, intellegent girls who like nothing more than fun and working hard to fulfil our dreams. scroll down to meet us!

Aiysha

Hi! My name is Aiysha. I'm in my 2nd year of degree and I LOVE to bake! Since my grandmother passed away I'm even more determined to perfecting my baking skills since she was my biggest fan. I'd like to turn this into a business someday. I've already even started a bit with the help of my family and friends. I hope you will join me in my baking adventures where we will learn together! See you soon :)

Here are just some of the delicious treats I have done in this pass year:


                                             Vanilla Macarons





                                          Apple Pie

                              
                                       

                                           Chocolate Cupcakes





                                          Scones




                            Red Velvet with Pink Rosette Icing





                                          Vanilla Cupcakes





 flowerpot with Salted Caramel Cupcakes and Banana Split Cupcake





          Red Velvet with Mascarpone  (My best seller!)


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