Mamak squid

Inspiration for this fish came from the ubiquitous mamak stores in Malaysia. In KL, you can order your meat or seafood of choice to be deep fried to heart attack heaven. A 100-gram serving of squid set me back RM12. At home, I spent half of that to get four times as much. How? Buying your squid whole and cutting it at home really helps to bring down cost.

Mamak Squid
400g squid, cut into 1-cm rings (About 4 medium squid)
1 medium onion, julienned
1 tsp salt, tumeric, chili powder
Half a cup of flour
Oil for frying

1. Squid disassembly basics: Peel off thin outer skin, pull out head and tentacles, cut off tentacles just below the eyes (remove beak from tentacles and also discard head), remove plasticky quill-like backbone from main body. Chop body to rings and tentacles to bite-sized bits.
2. Season squid and onions in a bowl with salt, tumeric and chili. Cover and leave in the fridge for an hour.
3. Heat oil to 240 (C). Drain squid and onion mixture from excess moisture and then dredge lightly in flour. Deep fry until crispy, about two minutes. Drain and serve!

Cost Breakdown
Total cost RM4.20++
Cost per serving RM2.10++
Squid RM4
Onion RM0.20

Tags: Deep fried squid, Mamak sotong

Bocconcini & Tomato Pasta

Time to experiment with a new cheese!

Bocconcini is basically balls of young mozarella cheese soaked in water. Its not only yummy, its also a great source of calcium and iron. Its great to use in salads and even on pizza so just drain away the water and you're ready to go!

In this recipe (which I got from Taste.com.au), I used bambini (baby) bocconcini which is half the size of the usual.

Bocconcini & Tomato Pasta

1 tub of baby bocconcini (220g) - halved
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
Extra Virgin olive oil
1 punnet of cherry or grape tomatoes
1 garlic clove (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon sugar
350g short pasta
Some basil leaves

1. Boil pasta.

2. While pasta is cooking, place the bocconcini in a large bowl with chilli flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well.

3. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add tomotoes and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Add sugar to the tomatoes and garlic and cook stirring until the tomatoes begin to wilt. Remove from fire and add tomatoes and garlic to the bocconcini.

5. By now your pasta should be done so add the pasta to the bocconcini and tomato mixture. Mix well.

6. Tear up some basil leaves (don't be stingy, basil gives the dish a very fresh crisp flavour and its really yummy) and toss well.

Voila!

Hokkien Mee

Depending on who you ask, Hokkien Mee has several incarnations. The Singapore version is a mixed seafood noodle dish fried then simmered in a seafood stock, invented about 40 years ago by Hokkien labourers. In Penang, it's a soupy prawn noodle dish. But its most commonly known incarnation (confusingly enough, found in Singapore as well) is a thick yellow noodles simmered in a black gravy. And very simple to make - although much of the flavour depends on the quality of the stock.

Hokkien Mee (serves 2)
1 packet (500g) of thick yellow aka Hokkien noodles
1 1/2 cup of homemade stock*
200g prawn, chicken, squid or combination (I used only chicken)
1 choy sum or spinach, chopped into large chunks
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp caramel sauce
Pepper to taste

1. Heat wok to high and mix stock with the oyster and soy sauces and sesame oil.
2. When mix starts to boil, add chicken pieces. When chicken changes colour, stir in noodles. Bring to boil.
3. Stir in caramel sauce. Reduce liquid by half, stirring constantly.
4. Add seafood, if using, and reduce sauce on high heat until there's only 20% of stock left or gravy becomes thickened to choice.
5. Turn heat off, mix in vegetables and serve immediately.

Cost breakdown:
Total cost: RM4.70++
Cost per serving: RM2.35++
Noodles RM1.80
Chicken RM2.50
Veggies RM0.40

* A seafood stock based on ikan bilis would be best. Stock cubes would be forgiveable.