The Singing Pilot Does Cooking: Singapore Style Fried Meehoon

 

Was on off day. Was looking forward to a productive rest day. Don’t really fancy going out to the mall. Weather in Jakarta is currently on the unkind manner. I should just sit home and reevaluate to live life at the humblemost manner. And what the hell am I talking about right now. Within a split minute ( mind was at a slower working pace during off day )

Productivity + staying at home = Cooking!!

 

Done a bit of shopping at the Carrefour which is ten stones throw away from home. Not that close either. It is actually. Again, laziness strikes at its worst during off day. Mind you Vaseline and Sunlight detergent were not included in this productive session. It did actually. I was running out of detergent and my face needs to be in a fairer tone. Now I look exactly like an overburnt loaf of bread hohoho.

 

Hold that thought. I was running out of gas. Need to get a newly filled cylinder. HOHOHOHOHO my gas cylinder looks like a fat spaceship. Never patronize and underestimate due to its petite size, it is adequate enough to keep me supplied with cooking gas for more than 4 months. Considering I was at home like 2 days a week that will explains it all  hahaha.

 

First thing first, soak up those dried chinese mushrooms. They take like forever to be rehydrated.

 

Ya Allah, after 2 hours bathing in a bowl full of liquid, it turned out to be this gooey jelly-ish handful piece of fungus!

 

The mise en place: minced garlic with sufficient amount of black pepper as per your liking, not so julliened carrot, as much as you wanted slices of luscious juicy chicken breast fillets ahaha, few handfuls of beansprout, and meehoon for sure that is. Don’t forget to slice up the rehydrated mushrooms so that know you or might even yourself will not mistakenly take it as a piece of unwanted junk that fall into the wok. Hey introducing my cute rice cooker, looks like Doraemon hahaha.

 

 

I’m turning into my Mama in a way. Just bought this cooking wok and never been this thrilled. I never shop for kitchen appliances and crockeries and to commemorate my shopping debut at the kitchen section, I bought this big wok! hahaha. Ok enough of pity party, sautee the minced garlic and black pepper corns with just right amount of oil, not too much. I’m on a weight watch, yeah right.

 

Toss in the sliced chicken fillet and put the heat on high. Get the meat charred for some hawker style effect. Didn’t happened to me since I forgot to extract out the excess liquid in the chicken huhuhu.

 

Next, julienned carrots and sliced mushrooms. Isn’t this easy???

 

 

Put in some amount of water to evenly cook everything in the wok. You need the liquid to aid the cooking process of the meehoon or vermicelli to make everything sounds more fancy. Then next is to pour in some oyster sauce, I was being generous to myself and poured in extra dollop of it. Support Malaysian product! I saw this Mahsuri brand oyster sauce and without any second guessing i tossed it in the trolley. I should be getting an endorsement deal for doing so ahaha.

 

Salt to taste. Although I did put in the oyster sauce, I just felt like it. No salt means less excitement in life. Right??

 

The cheat. Chicken cubes. Ahahaha as long as it turned out good, why even bother much right??

Let me spill all the emotional rant of my screaming heart, hahaha. I have been coaching my cousin through Blackberry messenger ( how sweet am I haha ) on how to improve her cooking skills and to brainstorm more and more new simple and quickie fix for the family. She is of the low esteem kind of lady. Been cooking repetitively the same dish day in day out. After much sharing sessions, she has improved hell a lot  and the carbonara fettucine recipe that I shared with her is now a hit among her lovely daughters. YES they are really adorable.

What I wanna reiterate is, to be a career woman, and a mother on top of that, is a hell a lot on a person’s plate and I take courage to pull of such stunts. Ahahaha. Having to wake up on the wee hours everyday to get the kids and spouse out of bed, fix up some breakfast in the kitchen, fetch the kids to school, off to work, 9 hours spent on doing whatever tasks in the office, braving herself through the traffic jam and reckless drivers on the road in order to make it in time to reach home to cook up a storm for dinner, and to proceed with other domestic chores if there’s any amount of energy and will left in her.

To all mothers out there: YOU ARE WHAT YOU ARE, PHENOMENAL!!

And to all future mamas and wives, fret not, YOU’RE NOT A SUPERWOMAN. No one will ever be. It’s fictional.

 

Stop punishing yourself if the gulai you cooked turned out curdled, your chicken soup is tasteless and your sauteed veges are overcooked. It takes time and practice to make it near to perfection. Don’t expect perfection. It doesn’t exists! Some of you guys just wonder why you’re not a masterchef in the preparing even the simplest food. Here me, YOU WILL NEVER BE AND STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO THEM CELEBRITY CHEFS except  for Nigella coz her hips are just juicyyyy! hahaha. Those chefs went through professional cooking training and rigorous on job training in the restaurant and I can guarantee you, it is NO FUN AT ALL. Be proud for what you are, A PROUD MOTHER AND WIFE!

To those husbands who are just uncooperative at home, just lounging around on the couch after work, hoping wonderful food will magically appears on the table. BE HELPFUL, LEND YOUR HANDS IN THE KITCHEN. OR DO OTHER DOMESTIC CHORES LIKE FOLDING THE LAUNDERIES, SWEEP THE FLOOR, OR ATLEAST DON’T WHINE OR COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING. KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. Ahahaha.

I truly despise those men who just love to criticise his other half’s cooking, and simply stash his used plate in the sink without even bother to empathize and sympathize on his wife’s burden at home. Rasulullah SAW is the perfect example. He did clean his house, look after his children and even help in sewing. How cool is our Holy Prophet. Be like him.

WOOOOW I AM MAD! 

 

OK back to the kitchen ahaha, stir it well and let the liquid to reduce abit.

 

 

And now, in goes the water  soaked meehoon. And I’m getting hungreyhhh

 

 

Stir stir stir, let’s get physical, Let the remaining liquid to evaporate. We don’t need a watery fried meehoon. It’s disgusting

 

 

Once about to be done, pour in the beansprout. Close off the fire and let the heat of the meehoon to wilt the sprouts. You want it to be crunchy and not thoroughly cooked.

 

 

YEAHHHHHHHHH finally! Sweat all over my face with a plate of love. And why did I squint??

 

By the way I was on Arafah fast, which was the source of my enthusiasm. Hahahaha. The meal is complete with a coke zero, perfect for weight watchers. OK shut up.

 

Packed up some to be given to the owner of nasi padang restaurant. He’s much of a family to me here. Plus point: He can speak malay wuhoo! Hope you’ll try out my recipe!

 

P/S: SITI NURHALIZA RETWEETED MY TWEET ON HARI RAYA KORBAN’S EVE. WUHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!