Merdeka Weekend Baking - Kuih Bahulu

Oh my gosh!

I don't know where to start with this Kuih Bahulu. It was a disaster getting them out of the mould. I don't know what went wrong. The moulds were heated properly and greased with loads of cooking oil but they were so stubborn!

In the end, I turned over the mould like how you would with chiffon cake to remove the cakes. The last four cakes came out fine. However, the second time I made this I turned over the mould but faced the same freaking problem.

Merdeka Weekend Baking - Spiral Curry Puff a.k.a Karipap

On the second day of the long Merdeka weekend, I made chicken curry puff. This curry puff is no ordinary curry puff because it has a flakier and crispier pastry than the normal curry puff. If you love Homi curry puff then you'll love this. It's like homemade Homi curry puff, healthier and less oily. Mind you, these are good enough reasons to make your own curry puffs and your heart will thank you for it!

I found this recipe from a Nyonya kuih cookbook by Ricky Ng but I've altered it here and there. I didn't know spiral curry puff is Peranakan cuisine. Any idea, anyone?

Merdeka Weekend Baking - Onde - Onde

For the three day long Merdeka (Independence Day) weekend I decided to make three types of Malaysian delight so we could enjoy a different taste of Malaysia each day in conjunction with the Merdeka celebration.

On the first day, I tried my hands at making my sis's and my favourite kuih, onde-onde. They use to sell onde-onde in a packet of four and I always find that there is not enough to share, not to mention the onde-onde sold outside are tiny and I always find that they don't use enough gula melaka (palm sugar) especially the crunchy bits, which I love, for the filling. Well, I guess that's just doing business, they have to lower cost by skimping on the good stuff.

Chwee Kueh (Pickled Radish Rice Cakes)

Chwee Kueh is a Hokkien word and it literally means "water cake". This is a type of rice cake eaten with with stir-fried pickled radish.

I was in the mood for light and savory treat, so chwee kueh it was.

I remember whenever my mum brought my grandma to shop at Jusco, we used to buy  chwee kuehs back after shopping. I don't see them selling chwee kuehs anymore, now you see stuffs more popular with the younger crowds such as Mister Donut, takoyaki and seaweed popiah. Kuih bahulu seems to stand the test of time though since Jusco still sells them.

I don't know where you can buy chwee kueh but it's pretty easy to make.

Left: Mui Choi, Right: Chai Po

You can get packet pickled radish ("chai po") from 99 Mart. As for the preserved mustard green ("mui choi") you can get it from the market.

Ang Ku Kueh (Red Tortoise Cake) - A Special Recipe

Soft and chewy traditional chinese cake with sweet mung beans filling

Ang Ku Kueh which translates to red tortoise cake is a type of chinese cake that is considered an auspicious item as it symbolizes longevity and prosperity. These kuehs and red eggs are usually served at special occassions typically, full moon of newborns, important birthdays as well as prepared as offerings to deities during Chinese New Year and "bai thee kong" (prayers during the Jade Emperor's birthday which falls on the 9th day of the first lunar month). 


You don't necessarily have to wait for a celebration to have these delicious cakes. My mum used to buy ang ku kueh for us when we accompanied her to the market and I've been a big fan of ang ku kueh ever since.