Category: Vegetarian

Bowl-licking good layered potatoes.

Layered potatoes – my favourite way of eating potatoes! It’s creamy, salty & peppery all at the same time. It is comfort food at its highest level. It makes me fat but do I look like I care?

If you’re going to get fat, the only legit way to do so is by eating loads of layered potatoes. And guess what, it’s mind-boggling easy to make them. Cooking skills, what cooking skills? As long as you can slice potatoes without slicing your fingers off, you’re ready to make layered potatoes.

All you need are two medium potatoes, one yellow onion, milk, whipping cream (optional), salt and pepper. Easy peasy!

# – 2 medium sized potatoes – peeled and sliced.

# – 1 onion – sliced.

# – Just in case you don’t know what sliced potatoes and onion look like…here you go.

# – Place a layer of sliced potatoes in your casserole dish.

# – Follow by a layer of sliced onions.

# – Season with salt and pepper evenly & generously. Then repeat – a layer of potatoes, a layer of onions, salt & pepper until the final layer ends with potatoes.

Now the next step is totally optional but I highly recommend it because it gives the dish an exceptional creaminess only good, fat, real whipping cream could give you. The inclusion of whipping cream though would make this dish a bit more expensive (for Malaysian) but if you like dairy like I do….make it happen!

# – Pour whipping cream all over it till just about submerging the bottom layers of potatoes/onions. Skip this step if you’re going for a healthier version.

# – Then, pour milk to fill up just below the uppermost layer.

# – Now stick it in the oven for 1 hour at 180 degrees celcius. You could turn it up to 200 degrees for the last 10 minutes to give it a nice browned top crust :D

It is totally normal for the top to bubble while in the oven. Don’t panic because it’s a good thing!

# – Tadaaaa!

# – The soft, creamy, peppery potatoes. O M G!!!

# – The creamy sauce is to die for!

And the only way to finish the dish is this:

This dish is perfect for parties because it’s so easy to make and you can just stick it in the oven and go about doing other things.

I implore you to try this. You will thank me. You will be eternally grateful to me.

Kim’s Mom’s vegetable curry with no curry.

I love this vegetable curry! The recipe was conceived by my Mom and when I asked her for it, I was so surprised by its simplicity.

There’s no fancy curry powder or spices involved and best of all, the ingredients needed are ridiculously cheap. You can make a massive pot and eat it from morning to supper :D

# – Cast of characters – A bowl of peeled and chopped potatoes, a bowl of diced onions, some fried tofu (if you like them), chopped ladies fingers, chopped long beans, chopped cabbage, chopped garlic, 2 or 3 stalks of lemongrass, half a handful of curry leaves, 1 cut red chilli with seeds removed, a small carton of coconut milk and most importantly….chilli paste (chili boh/cili giling)! Oh! And eggs and 1 chicken cube (not pictured).
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# – Heat some oil in a big pot and fry up the onions, garlic, curry leaves, lemongrass, chillies and chilli paste till fragrant. If you’re not very good at eating spicy food, don’t get too heavy handed..you can always add more chili paste later for kick, but you can’t reduce it.

# – In the meantime, boil up some eggs. You’d need them hard boiled.

# – Add water to the pot till slightly more than half of bowl.

# – Now add the chicken cube into the chilli mixture and stir till completely dissolved.

# – Throw in fried tofu and potatoes.

# – Then add in all the vegetables – cabbage, ladies fingers & long beans. You can add other vegetables that you like too though preferably they are good for stewing/long period of cooking. Now boil till the cabbage are wilted and have absorbed all the taste.

Generally, just use your feeling with this dish. If it looked a bit dry, add water + salt. If it has too much water…boil longer till it reduces. Remember to taste along while it’s cooking, if too spicy or salty, add more water. If not spicy enough or too bland, add more chili paste!

# – After boiling for a while and about 3 minutes before serving, pour in the coconut milk and mix.

# – Wah, so serious! I should probably dress nicer from now on when I cook :P

# – Chuck in the hard boiled eggs now. Please, please peel them first.

# – Hmmmmmmmm.

# – Serve with rice.

With piping hot rice, it makes for a delicious and satisfying meal especially on a cold, rainy evening. But I can’t resist eating it on its own also :P

Happy cooking!