RECIPE: REFRESHING JAFFA FIZZ

Want to enjoy orangeade with a twist? Why not try it with a dollop of chocolate ice cream?! Yummy…..


Ingredients

Can of very cold fizzy orangeade such as Fanta™
1 to 2 scoops plain chocolate ice cream
Tall glass to serve

Method

Pour orangeade into a tall glass, about ¾ full.

Top with chocolate ice cream. Serve with orange garnish, straw and a long sundae spoon.

RECIPE: REFRESHING LONGAN DRINK

Nothing seems to pleasure my senses at the moment….but it is to be expected with my illness. However, thank god for small miracles, which in this instance, is this LONGAN drink. It is easy to make, refreshing and full of vitamin C. And the sugar helps to sustain your energy too when you are feeling weak. You can get dried LONGAN from most Oriental grocers in Canberra.


Ingredients

1 packet dried LONGAN (see my GLOSSARY post on LONGAN)
Sugar to taste (I used normal Palm (pale variety) and white sugar) – see my GLOSSARY post on PALM SUGAR)
Few slices of fresh ginger (optional)
1.5 to 2 litres water

Method

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a pot. Add in the longan (and ginger) and simmer gently until the dried longan has re-hydrated.

Check the sweetness and leave to cool before refrigerating.

NOTE: Dried Longan has a distinctive taste and differs from fresh or tinned LONGAN (see my GLOSSARY post on LONGAN).

RECIPE: GREEN PEA FLOUR JELLY, PALM SUGAR AND COCONUT MILK SHAVED ICE DESSERT (AIS CENDOL)

I was over at my local Asian grocer when I saw some ready made green pea flour jelly or CENDOL (see also my GLOSSARY post on CENDOL). Not that it is hard to make this jelly; it is more to do with finding the time to do it. As it was, I still had to make the GULA MELAKA syrup but at least I saved on one step.


I have included the full recipe to make this delicious dessert. As you can see, it is very easy to make and so refreshing and delicious. Have you tried this dish with fresh milk instead of coconut milk? Trust me, it's just as nice. When I was at university in Penang, my girlfriend Lina Tan and I used to, without fail, have CENDOL every Saturday afternoon at this stall on Penang Road…..wonder if it is still there???


Ingredients

225g packet of mung bean flour (hon kwe flour) - see note below
Pandan paste (or use a combination of Pandan essence and green food colouring) - a few drops (see my GLOSSARY post on PANDAN LEAF)
Dark palm sugar (or Gula Melaka) - finely shaved and added to a small amount of hot water to make a thick pourable syrup (see my GLOSSARY post on PALM SUGAR and GULA MELAKA)
1 can coconut milk (see my note below)
Ice cubes - for cold ‘bath’ and to make shaved ice or to serve
Ice shaving machine - optional (see my post on ICE SHAVERS)

Method

Place some cold water in a large bowl and add plenty of ice to make a cooling bath.

Place a saucepan over low heat with about 100ml of hot water and slowly add the mung bean flour, stirring constantly.

Once the mixture is thick and paste-like in consistency, add a few drops of the pandan paste and remove from heat.

Put the paste in a wide colander or a large holed slotted spoon and push the paste through the colander/spoon directly into the ice bath. The green flour mixture will slip through the colander/spoon and harden when it drops into the cooling bath. These “green worms” or CENDOL are the key to making this dessert.

Assembly

To serve the CENDOL, layer the ingredients in a bowl or glass, starting with the CENDOL, then the shaved ice, drizzle with the palm sugar and top with 2 to 4 tbsp coconut milk.

Alternatively, if you don’t have an ice shaver, place ½ an inch of the palm sugar in a tall glass, top with 1 to 1 ½ inches of coconut milk, add 1 to 2 tbsp of the cendol, place plenty of ice in the glass and top the glass with cold water. Serve immedietly with a straw and a long spoon.

Note

* If you cannot find mung bean flour then use rice flour.

* The ‘green worms’ can be kept in the fridge, in a sealed container of cold water, for up to 3 days.

* You can also use crushed ice for this dessert. You can make crushed ice by using a blender.

* For a healthier version, subsitute the coconut milk with fresh milk - equally delicious and refreshing.

GLOSSARY: CENDOL

Cendol [pronounced 'chen-doll'] or ais cendol ('ais' being the malay spelling of ‘ice’) is a traditional dessert originating from Java, Indonesia, but also very popular in Malaysia, Singapore, and Southern Thailand .The dessert's basic ingredients consist of shaved ice, coconut milk, starch noodles with green food coloring (usually sourced from the pandan leaf), and palm sugar. Sometimes, red beans, grass jelly, palm seed and creamed corn are added. It is often sold by vendors at roadsides, hawker centres and food courts.


In Malaysia, cendol is usually sold on the roadside by Indian Muslim vendors but in Penang, the best cendol is made by Chinese vendors. It is common dessert fare in Singapore, popularly found in dessert stalls, food centres, coffee shops and food courts, and served by vendors of various ethnic backgrounds. The first Indian-Muslim vendors learnt the skills of making cendol from the Javanese in Indonesia and brought the recipe and preparation methods with them to Malaysia, Singapore and Southern Thailand.

RECIPE: REFRESHING ROSE SYRUP AND MILK DRINK (AIR BANDUNG)

A milky variation to the ROSE SYRUP DRINK where fresh milk or condensed milk and in some instances, soda water is added. You will need to make the ROSE SYRUP in advance (see the recipe HERE) and then assemble the drink. Here’s what you'll need to make this drink.

Ingredients

ROSE SYRUP – see recipe HERE
Warm boiled water
Sweetened condensed milk
or fresh cold milk
A minute pinch of salt - optional
Soda water - optional

Method – to make a glass

Version 1

In a glass, dilute 2 to 3 tsps of condensed milk in ¼ glass of warm water. Add about a tbsp (or to taste) of the rose syrup, plenty of ice and top with water or a combination of water and soda water. If adding soda water, add a few grains of salt to the drink. Stir and serve.

Version 2

Add 1 tbsp of the rose syrup into a glass. Top with fresh milk, stir, add in ice cubes and serve.

Cheers!

GLOSSARY: THE HISTORY BEHIND AIR BANDUNG (ROSE SYRUP AND MILK DRINK)

AIR BANDUNG is the name of a popular drink in Malaysia and Singapore consisting of milk, flavoured with rose cordial, with gives it its distinctive pink colour. The drink is said to have originated during the British colonial days of Singapore.

According to lore, the drink was concocted by an Englishman during his stay in Singapore. He has a distaste of tea, to which he is reputed to have said, during an afternoon tea session with the British officials as "foul-smelling and foul-tasting as dung".

The story continues that in his wandering around Singapore, he came across an Indian drink made of rose extract. The drink consisted of roses dipped in small amounts of water mixed with some spices in water. According to him, when he tried mixing the water with black tea, it merely diluted it and the foul smell still remained. However, he found that when he mixed it with milk tea and sugar, the milk ‘thickened’ the drink and the sugar removed the foul taste. When his colleagues asked what he was drinking, he replied, ‘Banned Dung’, to which his colleagues thought was the mispronunciation of a city in West Java - Bandung (which he had visited on a missionary mission). Hence, the name AIR BANDUNG (‘air’, pronounced ‘ah’ ‘ir’ meaning water or drink in Malay).

In later years, street vendors added red food colouring (which made the drink pink when milk is added) to attract buyers as consumers were confusing the drink with teh tarik, a frothy milk tea, unique to Malaysia and Singapore (which looks like a chai latte). However, these days, AIR BANDUNG only comes in pink.

RECIPE: REFRESHING ROSE SYRUP DRINK (AIR SIRAP)

A drink synonymous to Malaysia, especially for the Malay community and is one of the main ingredients to make another famous Malaysian drink, ROSE SYRUP AND MILK DRINK or AIR BANDUNG and an equally famous dessert, AIS KACANG (shaved ice with red beans).

If you are in Malaysia, you can buy this syrup ready made, in cordial form - all you have to do is dilute it. I however have never found it in Canberra except for a Thai version of this cordial, which tastes nothing like the Malaysian version.

Having said that, this is so easy to make from scratch. In fact, it turns out to be so much cheaper too; except you have to find the time to make it!!!

Ingredients to make the cordial

3 cups sugar
4 to 5 cups water (depending on how thick you want your syrup)
Few drops of cochineal (dark red) food colouring (I ran out of cochineal and substituted with pillar red….to be honest, I rather like the cochineal)
½ tsp rose essence (optional) (see my GLOSSARY post on ROSE WATER and ROSE ESSENCE)
2 pandan leaves – tied in a knot (see my GLOSSARY post on PANDANUS)

Method

Put all ingredients in a clean pot (make sure that there are no traces of yesterday’s meal or smell still in it) and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 mins or until the syrup has thicken.

Leave to cool for 5 mins and whilst still warm, sieve into a jug /bottle to cool and when at room temperature, refrigerate until required.

To make the drink, dilute the cordial, according to your taste with cold water. Add ice cubes for a refreshing cool drink, perfect for summer. If using it to make AIS KACANG, pour over the shaved ice, undiluted.

I will post the recipes for AIR BANDUNG and AIS KACANG in the coming days.

GLOSSARY: CHIANTI

Chianti [Pronounced kee-an-tee] is a famous red wine of Italy, which takes its name from a traditional region of Tuscany where it is produced. It used to be easily identified by its squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called fiasco ("flask"; pl. fiaschi). However, the fiasco is only used by a few wine makers now and most Chianti is bottled in traditionally shaped wine bottles.

Low-end Chianti is fairly inexpensive, with basic Chianti running less than $10 for a bottle. More sophisticated Chiantis, however, are made and sold at substantially higher prices. Therefore, in the case of Chiantis, price is a reflection of quality. Chianti is generally consumed at room (technically "cellar") temperature, like most other red wines.

RECIPE: REFRESHING MIDORI MELON™ WITH LEMON SQUASH (ALCOHOLIC)

During summer, this is one of the drinks that I enjoy sipping whilst lounging under the beautiful tree in my backyard, with a good book in my hand. I have to admit, I haven’t had much of a chance to do this as I have been quite busy and the weather has been quite rotten. But yesterday, I made myself take some time off and enjoyed this refreshing drink, which is so easy to make and so very palatable, even for those who don’t really like to drink alcohol.

Most people tend to drink this with lemonade, which I usually do as well, but I actually like it better with lemon squash. So, the next time you feel like a sweet change, why not give MIDORI MELON™ a try. You can go to the MIDORI™ website to get more cocktail recipes for you to experiment. Just click on the link HERE.

Ingredients
30ml (1oz) MIDORI MELON™
Lemon Squash
Plenty of ice

Garnish such as lemon or kiwi fruit slices

Method:
In a long Collins glass, pour the MIDORI MELON™ over ice and top with the lemon squash. Garnish as desired.

FYI: If you prefer lemonade, just replace the squash with lemonade and follow the above method.

Warning: This drink is so smooth that you will forget you are actually drinking alcohol until its too late. Hic!!!

PS: My friend Zue in the USA asked if there is a virgin version to this drink. Any non alcoholic winter melon cordial should work as a subsitute for the MIDORI MELON™, however I cannot attest to the taste as I have not tried any of the non alcoholic melon cordials. Fee Brothers in New York USA, sell a range of non alcoholic cordials, including the melon cordial. Click on the links for Fee Brothers, Products and Recipes.

RECIPE: REFRESHING BARLEY DRINK

It's funny how you take certain things for granted. When I was growing up and living in Malaysia, there were certain drinks that I used to love – soya milk, grass jelly, chrysanthemum, longan and barley. However, when I came to Australia, I soon found out the hard way that all the things I took for granted whilst growing up, I had to learn to make.

One such thing is this refreshing barley drink. It’s not hard to make, in fact so easy that I am ashamed to actually put this post up. But if you were anything like me and have never had to make something before because the need never arose, (as you can actually buy a big glass of this drink for 50 Malaysian cents…..yes you heard right), then I am sure you will find this post useful. Also, for all of you who thought that barley is only used to make soup or beer, think again. Try this refreshing drink and you will never see barley in the same light again. Also, my friend Hong K in KL assures me that it is good if you have congestion. Drink it cold in summer or warm in winter. Enjoy your REFRESHING BARLEY DRINK.


Ingredients (makes 1.5 to 2 litres)

150 g white pearl barley
2 litres of water
Sugar - to taste
Lemon (optional) – to taste

Method

Boil the barley in 2 litres of water until it has split (around 30 mins). Keep topping up the water to ensure that you will have around 2 litres of drink.

Strain the drink into a jug. You may add about a third of the barley grains back into the jug if you like (this is not necessary – you may choose to discard the barley). Add sugar and lemon to taste. Serve warm or cold.