Author: Chai Ninja

2 Kaya (Coconut Custard Jam) recipes

Written by Chai Ninja on . Posted in Recipes. Leave a Comment

One of my favourite things to have for breakfast when I go back to Malaysia is Kaya toast. You will find it everywhere and it typically comes in a set. The perfectly charred toast (brownie points if the toast is toasted on charcoal!), slab of butter, thick layer of sweet coconut goodness, rich dark coffee and two soft boiled eggs = heaven. I can taste it now.

Generally, Kaya is usually flavoured with Pandan and green in colour. Pandan is also called Screwpine leaves and grows everywhere in Malaysia. The fragrance is not something I can really describe but it is AMAZING. It features in many Malaysian dishes for its fragrance and also is used as a natural green colouring! If your Kaya is bright bright green, it is probably an essence or colouring. Natural colouring from Pandan leaves can be quite strong but the colour will be darker and duller.

Continue reading

Char Kueh (Fried Turnip Cake)

Written by Chai Ninja on . Posted in Chinese, Gluten free, Recipes. Leave a Comment

Did the title of this post catch your attention? If so, I am almost certain that like me, you are missing this childhood favorite and was trying to find a recipe to satisfy your cravings. 

Well, fear not! I’ve done the recipe testing for you. The version of  Char Kueh I am making is the Kuching styled version. I find that it is more solid and chewy in comparison to the ones you find in Singapore or Penang. We also don’t include spring onions or beansprouts when frying it. Most of the recipes I found was more closely aligned to this style. So, whats a Kuchingnite who is overseas supposed to do? Make my own of course!

Continue reading

Nelson Saturday Market Food: Part 1

Written by Chai Ninja on . Posted in F&B Reviews, NZ Series, Travel. Leave a Comment

For awhile I was stuck in this rut of work and writing anything was the last thing on my mind. But of late, I have a renewed sense of  life. I am about to change job and it almost feels like a cloud is lifted off me. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy my job but there was something about it that also drove me to a point where I was not enjoying life anymore. My job became my life and it was doing nobody favours. But that is a story for another day.

So yes, with this cloud lifted we slowly started going out more and even back to the Saturday market for a casual stroll every week. It seems like there is so much more there compared to a year ago?! Yes, that is how long I have not been to the local market. In any case, there are definitely heaps of new food stalls. We are yet to try it all but have found a few gems so far that we keep visiting each week. So I got thinking, what better way to make an excuse to try ALL the foods than to say that I have to for review purposes to create content for this blog! 

And that is exactly what I am going to do. So this is part 1, next week, we will try something new and update you. Nelson also has quite a strong cafe scene, so perhaps a cafe crawl will be in the works? 

Continue reading

Copyright © The Chai Ninja