Kuih Kaswi Pandan/ Kuih Kosui Pandan 香兰卡穗糕

I made this Kuih Kaswi Pandan talam style (in a tray) and then cut it into individual pieces. This is how it is supposed to be; cut and rolled in fresh shredded coconut. Some does it in mini cups that makes it similar to Kuih Lompang. Similar but not the same. The main difference besides its appearance is the flour used. Kuih Kaswi uses wheat flour whereas Kuih Lompang does not. Taste wise, there is not much of a difference. If you are curious about Kuih Lompang, I blogged about it here a couple of years ago.

Kuih Kaswi Pandan is a traditional Malaysian/Indonesian delicacy. Like most of our local desserts, it uses plenty of coconut and pandan leaves (screwpine leaves). There is another variation that uses gula melaka (palm sugar) that is equally as good. Kuih Kaswi Pandan has a dense and bouncy texture . It is sweet with a hint of saltiness from the salted shredded coconut. It is also spelled Kuih Kosui.

Yam Cake/Taro Cake 芋头糕

Taro cake or yam cake? Well, in this part of the world, it is called yam cake. Don't be deceived by the name. It is not a cake per se. This cake is savoury with lots of yam and other ingredients such as mushroom, dried shrimp and five-spice powder. I guess most of my Asian peers would have known that already. There is a slight difference between the Hong Kong version and our Southeast Asian version though. Ours is normally eaten steamed while the former is pan-fried after steaming. The Hong Kong version also have Chinese sausage and dried scallops added to the dish.

Crispy Fried Banana/Pisang Goreng 炸香蕉

Everybody knows how to fry a banana. But the ultimate test is to have your bananas crispy and the crispiness to last for hours. I have been experimenting quite a bit with different batter recipes but each time I was left wanting. The problem was always the durability of the crunch. Somehow it does not last as long as those I bought by the roadside. There are many batter recipes out there. Even fried bananas sellers have differing recipes. I personally love the Indonesian method whereby the pisang goreng is coated with another layer of "kremes" or crispy bits. After learning the traits from an actual fried banana seller, I finally managed to come out with a most crispy fried banana.

Chinese Breakfast Recipe - Steamed Radish Cake /Lo Bak Gou 萝卜糕

Radish cake is savoury in nature. This dish is traditionally served during Chinese New Year. It is said that during this time, the radish is most juicy and sweet. But most importantly, it signifies prosperity (yes, the Chinese take their homophones seriously). Nowadays, you can find steamed radish cake whole year around at local Hong Kong dim sum outlets. I, however, still prefer the homemade version as commercial radish cakes tend to stinge on ingredients (Chinese call it 料) for economic reasons. But if you are doing it at home, you could put as much in as you like.

Malay Traditional Kuih - Kuih Lompang

I consider myself blessed to be staying in Malaysia. It has a mix of ethnicity and a diverse culture. Kuih is no stranger to any Malaysian and we have a vast array of it coming mainly from the Malays, the Nyonyas, the Chinese and some from the Indians. The word kuih represents primarily sweet cakes but at times, also include savouries such as pulut panggang, kuih cara lauk and cucur badak. Although diverse, it is made primarily of flour, rice flour, pandan leaf, coconut, sugar and palm sugar. The stark difference with western cakes is that there is normally no use of leavening agent and the texture is more often chewy than fluffy.