I Miss The Cries Of Kueh! Kueh!

This article in the Sunday Metro section reminded me of the old Kueh man who used to cry out kueh!kueh! in my neighbourhood in Ipoh. Mind you the cries can be heard miles away and once you hear it, you would be on standby as he may just jets by on his old heavy bicycle if you did not notice his approach. This despite the large metal container at the back of the bicycle resembling a large tiffin container. Fortunately his route enables him to make a second approach so if you miss him the first time, you really needed to wait him in front of the gates to make sure you catch him as even though you can hear him miles away, due to some weird science perhaps you do not really hear him when he is nearly on top of you.

If you do manage to stop him however, you would still brace yourself for dissapointment once he opens up the top layer of the containers as your favourite kueh may just be sold out. Mine would be the fried popiah and pulut udang and even though he would sell many varieties of kueh that includes even laksa assam, these two kuehs seems to run out very fast even though one whole tray is dedicated to them. Unfortunately as the article paragraph mentions below, they are now an extinct lot and even though my neighbourhood kueh man was a wiry and fit medium aged man that old time ago, I do not think the age he is now would allow him to continue even if the kueh source he gets his kueh from still exist. Adieu Sir and bye-bye to a tasty era.

“We used to wake up at 4am to start making the kuih (a term derived from the Hokkien dialect referring to bite-sized snacks),” relates Mook Hian Beng, 56, whose father started the business at the site almost 70 years ago.

“At that time, a lot of people got their kuih from Indian sellers who rode on motorcycles or moved about on foot carrying baskets or trays of the snacks.”........

“(Coming into the new millennium), there were no more Indian traders out and about,” explains Mook who took over the business when he turned 18.

“The ones who used to go around passed away or were very old and no one stepped into their places. At around 2004, things in the shop became very quiet.”

Serenpiditious Detour

Yesterday evening after an unsuccessful search for ghee "timbang" at the local Little Indias and cancelled sojourn to the National Monument due to rain and I could not make the right turn to the location, we found ourselves at Bangsar Village. This is an upmarket mall that usually I will have no intention of visiting due to horrendous traffic conditions but I heard good things about their supermarket the Village Grocer so I thought what the heck let's make a quick stop.

The Village Grocer lived up to its reputation of stocking hard to find foreign foodstuff that seems to have vanished from the other supermarkets, the caveat being that the prices reflects the strong foreign currency of the country of origins. For example Kraft Thousand Island sauce from Australia costs 16 Ringgit when it used to cost around 9 ringgit before. Nonetheless we loaded up on some of stuff as a one off treat as I don't think I would be making a return trip and some like the 0ne litre Italian extra virgin olive oil came with a premium of a litre of sunflower oil. (You know the cooking oil situation nowadays right ha!ha!ha!) But the most pleasant surprise I have is that Tucker Box has an outlet within the premises, and as I promised I want to highlight that it is alive and kicking still. Too bad I still have a box of their meat pies in the freezer still, otherwise I would have loaded up myself yesterday.

Generous Servings And Pretentious Up Scales

It has been awhile since I have blogged about my food experiences but what occurred over the past few days has compelled me to come out of hibernation. Firstly I just wanted to note down that despite their usually well deserved reputation nowadays of being price gougers, there are still some who adhere to what their forefathers exercised in times of yore. I was reminded of this when my family had breakfast at this mamak stall located at the end of a row of shop houses near my home, who serves a decent piece of roti chanai but with a killer dhall gravy or curry to accompany it. The fact that despite making their own delicious nasi lemak bungkus, they still offer ones made by outsiders to supplement that household’s income is already a plus in my book, the fact that when tallying up my bill that came to 10 ringgit and a bit he rounded up the bill was a pleasant experience. That only happens in rural shops that I have visited, and to find such practices still exist in big old Kuala Lumpur not only here but certain other mamak establishments reaffirms that not all businesses are profiteers.

That day was followed by lunch at KLCC where since rain cancelled our plans to have it at Ozeki , this gave us a chance to try the newly opened Yuzu within Suria KLCC itself. Walking in we saw some familiar faces that I finally blurted out was this part of the Nippon Tei chain, and to our delight it was an upgraded version of the restaurant that had closed down to our disappointment before. But here upgraded means just that, even though the menu is now offering some upscale food they have maintained reasonable pricing for some of the old favourites. The best thing they have introduced the grilled salmon belly they used to have at their Times square outlet, and my daughters was in Ikura heaven as they were generous with this salmon roe delicacy that seems to be disappearing from other Japanese joints. Another plus was that they are able to offer wagyu beef at very reasonable prices where you can get a grilled wagyu bento at only sixty three ringgit, but I stuck with Wagyu beef don as I knew I had to help my daughters’ finish their large unagi bento since they had ikura temaki on the side. And all this for a meal of three bento sets, 1 grilled salmon belly, two temakis and my wagyu don with drinks only came to around 220 ringgit.

So now let’s come to the pretentious bit where after noticing banner advertisements of the opening of a Sekinchan Ikan Bakar outlet near my place and checking the place out which surprisingly was located in the industrial part of the area and quite inaccessible the day before, we had dinner there last night as Sekinchan had a good reputation amongst food bloggers. Nonetheless warning bells started ringing when I saw the same price per 100 grams for all the types of fishes they had and they were charging the crustaceans at per unit basis. This made my scrooge mode kick in and I picked the most expensive fish available though my wife picked Tilapia to be brought back for her parents who stayed back. I can safely say the food is nice enough but when a meal cost me 78 ringgit because you charged me 32 ringgit for the small garoupa and 25 ringgit for the tilapia and 10 ringgit for a crab, I expect a grand meal but it is not to be. Especially when at that price I can get a kilo of the same at the nearby Sungei Besi market as my wife mentioned. Well I must say good luck to the restaurant for trying to charge upscale prices at the boondocks as I for one will not make a return trip and I do not expect others to make the trip too as Bellamy and other Ikan bakar outlets are as easily accessible, because if they think they can do the same as per their other upscale branches I am afraid this time their market research is definitely off the mark.

Wake up lah!

Last night most of the Malaysian FB postings were about the price increases effective today. But yet I see people are lining up to buy the Ipads or whatever the latest smarphones is in the market, gold at 155 per gram, smokies for 10 bucks a pop and methinks these are the same type of people still griping they can't afford to drive their latest sportscars or new proton inspiras or whatever with such price increases.

And to me these are the also ones who are saying that the government are fooling around with our country's money. To what standards are you holding our government to when I have yet to see Malaysians die of starvation, country people catching rats for food, people rioting for food aid, cars abandoned by the roadside due lack of fuel or whatever images that you see from countries that are truly poor. Until I see again beggars in rags at our mosques or wherever, and Malaysians and not those foreigners preying on Malaysian generosity, I shall not complain but adjust accordingly. Malaysia and Malaysians are not that special to escape economic realities.

Yes prices are increasing, but I still don't want to leave a country in debt to my children. So deal with it.

Register Of RMN Active List Ships - Subsea Combattants

In 1965 the British withdrew from Malaysia their hydrographic assets and platforms and then transferred the responsibilities to chart the nation's hydrographic territory to the Malaysian Navy. The Hydrographic Department of the RMN was later formally established in 1969. The Royal Navy transferred a converted Ton class coastal minesweeper HMS Myrmidon that was commissioned in 1968 as the KD Perantau to become the navy's first survey vessel. This vessel provided the RMN the ability to execute hydrographic activities without any foreign navy's intervention. As KD Perantau alone was not able to meet the demand for hydropgrahic duties, a converted tug KTD Penyu was also pressed for hydrographic duties later on. The later acquisition of modern hydrography vessels enabled the RMN to commence gathering of bathymetric data that not only supplied nautical charts for surface ships but ultimately allows the vessels to be involved in the training , search and rescue missions and assisting in weapons training, anti-submarine warfare and submarine operations. This is especially useful since the Malaysian Navy after a 30 year wait has now received two modern attack diesel submarines to complete their 3 dimensional naval warfare capability. The submarines are not only a very good deterrent but is a very good force multiplier for a small navy like the RMN to act as a credible defence force for the nation. With the hydrograhic force working in concert with the submarine arm, the sub-surface will not be a stranger or an obstacle to achieving success.

Mutiara Class AGS

A225 1976/1977


Displacement: 1905 tons standard, 1949 tons full load
Dimensions: 71.15m x 13.52m x 4.75 m
Guns: Fitted for 1 x 20mm.
Electronics: 2 Racal 1226/1229 Navigation Radar, I Beam, Multi-beam Echo Sounder Atlas Hydrosweep MD 2/30 kHz, Deep Sea Echo Sounder Atlas Deso 25, Sound Velocity Probe 10 Inch, Motion Sensor DMS 3-05, Expandable Bathymetry Thermograph (XBT), 2 X Side Scan Sonar Klein 3000
Propulsion: 2 X Deutz SBA 12M 528 diesels, 1 controllable pitch propeller
Speed: 16 knots, range 8334Km at 16 knots
Crew : 155
Aircraft: platform aft.

KD MUTIARA was built locally in Penang by Hong Leong Lurssen Dockyard. She was originally commissioned to the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Fleet on 18th December 1977 with the pennant number A 152, but was renumbered after taking on grey livery and is the squadron leader to the 36th Hydrographic Squadron. Her endurance renders her sustainability at sea for a maximum period of 3 months. She is fitted with the latest state of the art Hydrographic and Oceanographic surveying system and is complemented with 4 surveying boats and 2 working boats. She has an impeccable record of successful hydrographic surveys and has contributed to the production of more than 50 nautical charts and completed her upgrade in 2004.

Perantau Class AGS

A151 1995/1998


Displacement: 1505 tons standard, 2160 tons full load
Dimensions: 67.8m x 13.3m x 4m
Electronics: Integrated Navigation and Command System (NACOS), X band and S band, ATLAS I Band, Digital Survey and Mapping System 'HYDROMAP', Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS), SYstem LEgere pour mesure le DIStance (SYLEDIS) - Electronic Position Fixing System, 1 multi-beam medium / shallow echo-sounder, 2 dual frequency Single beam Echo Sounder, Hull Mounted Acoustic Current Profiller (ADCP) , Sound Velocity Probe , Sub-Bottom Profiler, Expandable Bathymetry Thermograph (XBT), 2 X Side Scan Sonar Klein 3000
Propulsion: 2 X Two Deutz MWM SB8 M628 diesels, 2 shafts Berg controllable pitch propellers
Speed: 16 knots, range 11, 112 Km at 10 knots
Crew : 96

KD PERANTAU was ordered from Germany’s Krogerweft but was built locally in Penang by Hong Leong Lurssen Dockyard. She replaced the former KD PERANTAU which was decommissioned in 1990. KD PERANTAU was built with a combination of local expertise in shipbuilding and design and the main hydrographic and navigation system are based from German's technology. The ship was designed and equipped specifically for hydrographic surveying operation and conducting meteorological and oceanographic observations mainly in the tropics. he ship also carries two survey launch mainly deployed for surveying in shallow water equipped with shallow water multi-beam echo-sounders and short range UHF differential GPS.

Hidrografi Class HSL

Hidrografi 1 2005
Hidrografi 2 2009


Displacement: 8.5 tons standard
Dimensions: 16m x 4.45m x 1.5 m
Electronics: Navigation Radar, Echo Sounder, Side Scan Sonar
Propulsion: 2 X CUMMINS 6CTA8.3M(SW) diesels, 2 shafts x 1 fixed propeller
Speed: 19 knots, range 834Km
Crew : 14

In addition to the survey launches on board the hydrographic ships, the Royal Malaysian Navy has also commissioned two locally built hydrographic survey launches that operates independently to complement the ships' operations. Based in East Malaysia, these craft will be used for hydrographic survey and data collection.

Perdana Class SSK

KD Tunku Abdul Rahman 2003/2009
KD Tun Razak 2004/2010


Displacement: 1577 tons surfaced, 1711 tons submerged
Dimensions: 66.4 m x 6.2 m x 5.4 m
Weapons : 6 x 533mm torpedo tubes . 18 x Anti Ship Missiles/Torpedoes combination
Anti-Ship Missile: SM39 Block II missiles, Range : 50 Km
ASW: 533 mm WASS Balckshark wire-guided torpedoes. Range : 50 Km
Electronics: SUBTICS combat control system, I-Band navigation radar, Thales DR3000 ESM, TSM 2233 Mk II Hull Mounted Sonar, active/passive search and attack.
Propulsion: 2 x SEMT Pielstick PA4 200 SM D-12 DS Diesels, Exide Hagen propulsion batteries, 1 Jeumont Industrie Motor, 1 shaft.
Speed: 20.5 knots dived, 12 knots submerged ; range 667 Km at 4 knots submerged, 11 112 Km at 8 knots surfaced
Crew : 32


After a thirty year wait where the idea to induct a submarine force into the navy was first broached in the 1970s and the first submariners started training in 1985 but came back not to a submarine but a submarine planning duties, our first two submarines was finally declared fit for duties after passing their tropical, underwater and maintenance tests in november 2010. The Scorpene type submarines were cooperatively built in France and Spain and is based on a nuclear attack submarine design that ensures a very quiet platform in operations. Currently the most modern submarine in the region, these submarines are both armed with both anti-ship missiles and torpedoes that can be launched from their six 533mm torpedo tubes with a weapons capacity of 18 torpedoes and/or missiles. These are the Whitehead Black Shark wire-guided torpedoes from Italy and sub-launched SM39 Exocet anti ship missiles from MBDA and although it has been reported that the submarines can launch 30 mines alternatively, the type and whether the mines has been purchased is unknown. In addition, these submarine has not been equipped with AIPS (Air-Independent Propulsion System) which allows a greater submerged endurance and reduced vulnerability but this can be inserted at a later stage. The induction of these submarines now completes the naval capabilities of the navy in all the operational theatres it operates in.

Nice Idea!

Credit : The Star Thumbnails

Bravo to the maths genius who thought up of this novel way to get to your floor on a lift. Our kids needs such mental arithmetic stimulation trust me!

My Wonderful Beans

I just wanted to share an article on the wonderful petai or what the Mat Salleh calls the stink bean, something that I swear by to relieve my constipation. This only one of the myriad health benefits claimed for the consumption of the beans but you really have to live with the side effects. The stink does not really affect you in the eating process mind you, but more during the release of the by-products process. That is the time when the wash room really needs the deodoriser. But I digress, let's share the article.

Sundaymetro
Sunday November 7, 2010

Wonder beans

By AIDA AHMAD
sundaymetro@thestar.com.my

Petai is good for you, all you have to do to enjoy its goodness is to get over the smell.

YOU EITHER love it or hate it. Those little green pods aptly called the ‘stink bean’ and locally known as petai come packed with a host of nutrients essential for the human body.

The health benefits of petai (Parkia speciosa) clearly outweigh the minor undesirable side effects such as its peculiar smell which some say is quite similar to methane gas. The beans are nonetheless an acquired taste and quite popular in Asian countries such Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Burma and some parts of India.

The flat, edible bright green beans can be consumed either raw or cooked. Unlike the durian which is notorious for its pungent smell and immediate distinct taste, there is a delayed response when it comes to petai.

Chockfull of goodness: Petai has many health benefits.

As you chew through a single bean, it slowly emits a pungency similar to garlic. Some people say there is a hint of bitterness as you swallow it but no two palettes are the same.

The long lingering after taste takes a while to get used to. Like asparagus, petai contains certain amino acids that give a strong smell to one’s urine, an effect that can be noticed up to two days after consumption.

When young, the pods are flat because of the underdeveloped seeds and they hang like a bunch of slightly twisted ribbons – pale green and almost translucent. At this stage they may be eaten raw, fried or pickled.

Petai beans actually look like broad beans and like mature broad beans, they have to be peeled before cooking. Petai can be found all year round and is available in supermarkets and certain wet markets.

People suffering from diabetes are encouraged to consume petai as it helps to regulate a person’s glucose levels.

It contains three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose - and combined with fibre, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

The fibre content also helps with problems of constipation. The petai beans are rich in complex carbohydrates that can give you the same feeling of fullness, thus eliminating the chances of gorging on the wrong foods. Here are other ways the humble petai can help with various health ailments.

Depression – As petai contains tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, consuming a few pods can help one to relax and improve your mood.

Pre-menstrual Syndrome (PMS) – The vitamin B6 in petai helps regulate blood glucose levels which can affect your mood.

Anemia – Petai also contains high amounts of iron, therefore it can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood, thus helps a lot in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure – Petai is very high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect remedy to beat high blood pressure. So much so the US Food and Drug Administration have allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the bean’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Heartburn: Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, eating petai can provide a soothing relief.

While there are many who can’t stand the lingering aftertaste and smell of the petai, some prefer to overlook that.

Housewife Jasmine Anas says she often cooks prawn sambal with petai for her family. “My two young kids haven’t acquired the taste for it yet but my husband loves it with sambal belacan too. I have been told petai has a good cleansing effect on our body as well,” she says.

Chris De Mello, owner of Mum’s Place Restaurant in Damansara Perdana, says their Cencaru Fish and Prawn Sambal, both cooked with petai are a big hit among the customers.

“Petai is actually a local delicacy in Negeri Sembilan, which is where I’m from and it started off as a favourite among the Malay community. But now, it is enjoyed by everyone and even my customers from foreign countries love the pungent taste. The health benefits of petai are huge and it is also known for its natural laxative effect,” says De Mello.

Some restaurants in Klang Valley which serve up good petai dishes include Jaring Restaurant in Bandar Sunway, Restaurant Sambal Hijau in Kg Sungai Penchala and Anggrek Kuring, which has branches in Puchong and Kota Damansara.

How to prepare petai

If you buy them still in their pods, gently break them out and peel off the green outer layer. Blanching them in hot water for about five minutes and eating them as part of ulam (Malay herbal salad) with sambal belacan is a favourite among many. The most popular method is cooking them in sambal, be it prawns or ikan bilis (anchovies).

Petai Recipes

Petai with Fresh Mushrooms and Cashew Nuts

(Courtesy of Jeanie Lee of New Formosa Restaurant)

Ingredients:

200gm halved petai seeds

One large onion, cut into small wedges

Two varieties of fresh mushrooms (according to preference)

50gm cashew nuts

One red capsicum, diced into cubes (Optional: Rub salt over capsicum and roast for 15 minutes until skin blisters, peel and dice into cubes)

One tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce or light soy sauce

Half teaspoon brown sugar (optional)

Method:

Soak petai for 10 minutes and dry. Toast cashew nuts until slightly golden brown.

Heat one tea spoon of oil in a non-stick wok and sauté onions until fragrant. Add capsicum. Add mushrooms. Sprinkle some water and stir-fry lightly and then simmer the ingredients for about three minutes. Add petai and stir-fry about two minutes. Lastly add in cashew nuts, oyster or light soy sauce and a pinch of brown sugar.

Note:

Due to reduced oil and seasonings in this recipe, it is suggested that the petai is soaked for a while to get rid of its strong smell. If you prefer the strong smell, you may cook the petai while sprinkling a dash of brown sugar to enhance its taste. Simmer the mushrooms to release their flavour while simultaneously enhancing the flavour of the petai. Onions are cut into wedges to retain sweetness and texture, which tastes better eaten with petai compared to when cut into rings.

Sambal Petai with Prawns

(Courtesy of The Cooking House in Desa Sri Hartamas)

Ingredients:

Half cup of petai beans

300g fresh prawns, cleaned and shelled

Three shallots

Three cloves garlic

One inch ginger

One cup of dried chillis (boiled in hot water, deseeded and blended with some water)

One stalk lemongrass, crushed

Two tablespoons of tamarind juice

Half cup fresh coconut milk

Pinch of salt and sugar

Cooking oil

Method:

Blend together shallots, garlic and ginger in a food processor. Heat some oil in a frying pan.

Pour in the blended ingredients and saute for a few minutes until fragrant. Add in crushed lemongrass and blended chili. Stir well and add in the coconut milk.

Next, stir in tamarind juice and add in the prawns.

Once the prawns are almost cooked, add the petai beans and cook for another few minutes until prawns are fully cooked.

Season to taste with sugar and salt.