Kuih Dangai (Malaysian Coconut Macaroon Pie)

Kuih Dangai ( Makes 4 wedges)

You can definitely double the portion, just double all ingredients mentioned. For baking/toasting , you can also use a regular baking dish for this kuih. If the portion doubled, fit in a bigger pan. This kuih is great to serve warm, it gets soggy when cooled. Pop in the oven or microwave or on stove for reheating.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups grated fresh coconut, press and drain off the juice ever so slightly until you obtain about 1/3 cup coconut milk ( keep it for other use)

• ½ cup glutinous rice flour ( sweet rice flour)
• 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar, ( for sprinkling)  add 1-2 teaspoons for sweeter but no more than that.

Methods:

1- Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 205 Celsius .

2- Grease well a small cast iron pan (yes, this is what I used) with canola oil. Set Aside.

3- In a mixing bowl, mix grated coconut, glutinous flour, white sugar and salt. Stir until well combined. It looks crumbly at this point. Take a scoop of the mixture, pack it up in your palm.. if it comes together, you are good to continue the next step. If otherwise, add 1 teaspoon of glutinous flour.. bit by bit until it comes together if pressing. ( DO NOT add too much flour to the mixture,  kuih dangai will be tough and taste more flour than coconut).

4- In a well greased iron cast pan, scoop half of the coconut mixture in. Press with finger or spatula to fill and fit the pan fully. (why you want to do this? So the sugar won’t oozes to the bottom of the pan while baking.)

5- Sprinkle light brown sugar on the press mixture, leave out the edges about 1/2 inch apart.

6- The other half of the mixture remained, repeat the same thing in step-4.

7- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges browned and crispy.. the top browned and toasted. Remove from the oven. Let it cool for 10 minutes so that caramelized brown sugar is settled  and then cut into wedges. Enjoy while it is still warm.

Note: If using sandwhich makers/toaster, do not toast too long.. 8-10 minutes should be good enough. Sandwhich makers cooks kuih dangai much faster because the heat is direct and comes from the top and the bottom.

If using cast iron, you can also toast/cook on a stove on low heat.

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Besar Island (Pulau Besar), Johor

Besar Island (or locally Pulau Besar) first got its name as “Big Boars Island” because numerous wild boars roamed the island before man inhabited the place. Today, you can’t find a single boar on the island and thus the island was renamed as Besar Island. There are two islands with the same name Pulau Besar. One is near the coast of Melaka and the other one is in the South China Sea which we are talking about it now. Besar Island is located off the east coast of Johor state, Malaysia. About 15km or around 30 minutes leisurely boat ride from Mersing town, Johor.

Besar Island’s highest point rises some 2,000 feet above the sealevel. It is one of the largest island off the coast of Mersing and it is surrounded by 15 other islands, among the popular small islands are Mensirip Island, Harimau Island, Tengah Island, Hujung Island, Rawa Island, Tinggi Island, Sibu Island, Aur Island, and Pemanggil Island. Today, there are around 8 small villages with around 100 residents with mostly do their living as a fisherman. Among the villages, Kampung Tekek is the largest village.

Legend
According to the legend. There was a fishermen couple who transformed into mermaids. The legend was about a pregnant fisherman’s wife who was desperately looking for a kind of seaweed in Mersing water. After eaten that kind of seaweed, she turned into a mermaid. So as her heartbroken husband after eaten the same seaweed. Until today, some of the local folks still believed that the couple mermaids sometimes show themselves floating in the sea around the island eating seaweed. Tourists may find that nibbling marks on the island rocks during low tide is the proof of the existence of the mermaids.

Besar Island is popular for its beautiful vistas, several long stretches of powdery soft and white sandy beaches, and striking scenic beauty. It has attracted foreign film makers to make a film shooting here. In fact, a Hollywood film called “Ocean Lifeguard” was filmed here a short time ago. Another reality show called “Expedition Robinson”, a total of 9 seasons, was shot at Tengah Island and the surrounding islands for years until the show ended its shot in 2005.

Things to do
At Besar Island, you can take a visit to the “Expedition Robinson” filming locations and exhibits. Not to mention water activities like sunbathing, snorkelling, and diving in the crystal clear water. The water is so clear that you can even see the abundant reefs from the water surface. Here, you can find giant cockles that are over 200 kgs and 1 meter long shell on the ocean floor around Mersing water. They have a lifespan of around 70 years and many of them are new habitats on the surrounding islands like Aur Island, Pemanggil Island, Tinggi Island and Rawa Island. In order to protect and preserve marine life from human harm and contamination, Malaysian government has officially announced that within 2 nautical miles around Besar Island as a marine park.

For those who are like to explore when snorkelling, try hop to Harimau Island (or locally Pulau Harimau) and you will find your “private salt water swimming pool”, which was formed by a cavern inside the island. Another private island, Mensirip Island (or locally Pulau Mensirip) which is not too far from Harimau Island, is an island belongs to Johor royal family.

If you are planning to go to Besar Island, please don’t plan your trip during monsoon season around November to January as some of the water activities is stop and accommodation is closed for maintenance.

How to get there
By flight, travel from Kuala Lumpur to Senai Airport in Johor which takes about 45min. Then from Senai Airport change to Mersing Jetty which takes about 3 hours. A boat ride from Mersing Jetty to Pulau Besar takes only 30 minutes. If you want to travel by road to Mersing Jetty use the North-South Highway and exit at Ayer Hitam Toll Plaza. From Ayer Hitam Toll Plaza take road to Kluang. From Kluang Town use road to Mersing. The trip from Mersing Jetty to Pulau Besar takes about 30 min.

Accommodation
Aseania Resort Pulau Besar, D’ Coconut Resort Pulau Besar, Nirwana Beach Resort, Mirage Resort, Sun Dancer & White Sand Resort.

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This crazy thing called baking!

It's been crazy! I've been baking six out of seven nights in a week and the orders keep coming in! And how do I say no, especially to repeat customers who have been so sweet (you know who you are!) I've had little time to write up a blog post, but tonight I just have to ~ Soraya, this is for you! :)

A short one, as I have to go bake some six dozen macarons, four dozen carrot cupcakes and 2 dozen red velvet cupcakes for tomorrow. It may not be a big amount for professional homebakers (now, isn't that an oxymoron?!) but for a part-time baker like me, it is! I haven't been snapping photos of my bakes either and the ones above are some that I managed to take in the past week.

Have a good week ahead!

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South East Asia on Just One Visa?

Travelers may soon be able to enjoy the delights of South East Asia; shopping in Singapore, surfing in Bali, partying in Bangkok and cruising up the Mekong, all with just one visa, if ASEAN get their way.

Thailand is one of the countries expected to benefit more than most from the plan. Courtesy of skyscrapercity.com

A plan is currently being formulated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to instigate a unified visa system in order to streamline travel for tourists in the region, in much the same way as the Schengen visa has done for Europe.

The announcement, which came from the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta as part of its Tourism Strategic Plan for the next five years, is designed to attract ever more tourists to what is already one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations.

Southeast Asia has a wealth of attractions, ranging from the lost jungle city of Angkor Wat in Cambodia, to the Bali beach resorts in Indonesia, and tempts more than 65 million travelers each year.

Immigration checkpoint queues could soon disappear if the plan comes to fruition. Courtesy of derickt.com

This figure could be boosted by replacing the often inefficient, confusing and time consuming visa systems that are currently in place with most ASEAN countries. At present, some countries such as Thailand and Malaysia are relatively easy to enter, with visas on arrival easily obtained. Yet others, such as Vietnam and Myanmar require a mountain of paperwork, photographs and a week to approve.

Visas are currently one of the biggest stumbling blocks that put off many from traveling to the region – rules are constantly changing and tourists never fully understand the visa requirements for each country.

Despite encouraging tourism, Vietnam's visa system is often confusing for travelers. Courtesy of discoveryvietnam.com

However, while the plan has strong support from Southeast Asian tourism bodies, a unified visa could still be some way off. Countries such as communist-run Laos and Vietnam and military Junta-led Myanmar may be paranoid about making entry to their countries easier, while ASEAN has also acknowledged that the visa may be several years away.

With the notorious bureaucratic inefficiency and corruption of several ASEAN countries to contend with, perhaps it’s not a good idea to hold our breath about this one just yet.

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Langkawi Water Festival – A Thai Watersport Jewel

If you are an extreme sports fan, and just happen to be headed to Thailand, then the much anticipated Langkawi Water Festival should be right up your alley. Hosted by the Malaysian resort, this high octane event is an opportunity to be amazed and to cool off under the hot Thai sun.

A wide array of competitions and enjoyable waterborne events are scheduled this year. Everything from ski racing to para-sailing and way beyond is expected. Fishing, boar rides, yachting, kayaking, just about anything sports enthusiasts can do on or under water will be available from April 8th to 11th 2011 at Pantai Cenang.

Aerial view of the beaches at Langkawi

Langkawi is located just 25 km from the town of Kuah, the area offers a variety of entertainment, including an abundance of local bars and eateries, not to mention any number of resort hotel accommodations.  Suggestions for lodging include; AsiaRooms.com, Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort, the Four Seasons Resort,  and the The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa (image below).

The Westin Resort

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Popiah Basah

@ Section 14 Medan Selera, Petaling Jaya

Somedays when my mood strikes, I will delve into places which are not my usual haunts to search for food. One such visit to this tucked away food court led to the discovery of this yummy popiah basah(RM0.70 per piece). Although I have seen this fella making his popiah last year in the Section 14 Ramadan Bazaar, it was my first time visiting him at his stall at the Medan Selera. It was definitely easier to get a taste of his popiah versus waiting in the long queue at the Ramadan Bazaar.

If you want to take a tea break, drop by his stall as his popiah basah is excellent. Turmeric hue yam shreds dotted with tiny prawns, bean sprouts, deep fried shallots and egg are encased in a thin flour skin smeared with the signature chilli and sweet sauce. He dots more of the sauce on top of the popiah which should be eaten straight away to savour all the flavours. Actually writing about this now, makes me hanker for another taste for his popiah basah. I guess you know where I will be for today's teatime break! By the way, this particular Medan Selera has excellent lontong too which is available in the mornings.

Popiah Basah Stall
Lot P4, Pusat Penjaja,
Pasar Section 14
Petaling Jaya

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