The Aftermath of Delivery- and Sweet potato and Coconut Balls

What a whirlwind three weeks. The promotion of a "parent" means we hardly have any sleep. They say sleep deprivation is the worse kind of torture and I think I understand why!

Many of my friends ask me if it was true that when a mum sees her baby, the pain is forgotten.  My answer to that is..... no. Contraction pain is like cramps, except it grows in intensity and later on, frequency. It is also called labour for a reason- pushing really takes energy and technique. The pushing pain is very different to contraction pains, since the theory is that we are working with the contractions to push. It takes stamina and strength. I was sweating buckets. Hubby told me after that the room was cool but all I recall was feeling really hot and sweaty.

The pain that I remember most is the recovery. Coming back from theatre, I had to wear special socks to prevent DVT. I have a borderline blood disorder that makes me slightly more susceptible to clots, plus the heavy duty epidural for the surgery means this risk has increased. The socks were uncomfortable and it came with a pump which is suppose to increase blood flow. I felt stuck to bed. Once the epidural starts wearing off, slowly and surely, I begin to feel the soreness and tenderness. One good thing is after delivery,the hospital staff is very willing to provide pain relief and at that point, I had to take some.

Holding Asher was difficult but I managed to later that afternoon and breast feeding began. It wasn't ideal as I couldn't begin breast feeding soon after he is born. Luckily though, Asher was keen and a few days later, my milk came in.

Within 6 hours, I managed to get out of bed and walked a couple of steps. The next day, I managed to shower. I still couldn't move smoothly and needed the midwife or hubby's help to carry baby to me. The pain in day 3 appears to be the worst, and I was tired easily even though all I did was to feed Asher , eat, sleep and walk around my room! However, by the end of week 1, while I was still waddling and feeling weak, I could get out of the bed smoothly.

Fortunately, physiotherapists at the ward provided ultrasound services which helped quicken recovery for tears. I stayed in hospital for 6 days (as Asher had jaundice) and I received physio treatment for 5 days. That, ice and pelvic floor exercises helped. Oh and a soft cushion on a hard chair!

While I did not forget the pain, I did not forget the joy either. I'm still a little in disbelief that we have a son. Or the amazement that he was in me just a mere 3 weeks ago. While I'm still not fully recovered, and goodness know when I can return to the gym, at least I can walk and move better now.

 To change the topic drastically, I wanted to share this recipe before I delivered. I made this in a week before Asher was born. When I was on leave, have plenty of sleep and had a big tummy. These sweet little things are kuehs. Kuehs are not really a dessert but a tea time treat. In all honesty, I have never had this kueh before. I saw it in the recipe book by Andrew Koh "Nonya Kueh Passions". I think it is probably a modern version of ondeh ondeh.

Chewy on the outside and a sweet red bean paste on the inside, I was pleased with the outcome. The recipe did not state how many one can made. It reckon I made 80 of them!! Hubby had to take them to work and I was giving them away to other friends.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Balls (Made 80)
500 grams glutinous rice flour
50 grams sugar
450 ml water
350 grams mashed sweet potato
100 grams butter

100 grams wheat flour
150ml warm water

100 grams desiccated coconut
pinch of salt
500 grams red bean paste

Mix desiccated coconut with salt. Set aside.

Steam or microwave the red bean paste so it is slightly warm and soft. Mine was a pre packaged from the fridge.

Mix wheat flour and warm water together till it form a cooked dough. Place this dough with rice flour, sugar, water, sweet potato and butter together. Blend till a dough is formed.

Divide dough into tablespoons. Wrap a tsp of red bean paste in the dough. Cook the dough in a pot of boiling water. It will float up when it is done. Coat it with desiccated coconut.

Kueh Talam

 I am not afraid to embrace my Chinese heritage. I left home when I was 16 years old but still have fond memories of where I grew up in. Many of my memories are with my granny who adores bringing me out to try different chinese food. Almond milk dessert and different kuehs are just a few of the many that we would have on our Chinatown trips.

Looking back when I was in my late teens/early twenties, I probably did not embrace my culture as much as I should have. I went through a phrase where I wanted steaks and pork chops, instead of chicken rice and herbal soups. Fries please but not my stir fry veges.

Slowly but surely, I realised what I have missed. Living away from my parents and grandmother make me appreciate them even more. And where I am from and the rich different cultures that we are exposed to.

I had fun making this Kueh. While it is not Cantonese-more like Nonya, it is one of my favourite one to have as a child. I love the coconut cream and the pandan flavour in this. It is probably one of my most successful kueh other than Ondeh Ondeh. The only regret is that my green layer seems thicker than my white one! Alas, I only used Pandan extract but hey...whatever it takes.

Kueh Talam

Green Layer
60 grams rice flour
20 grams tapicoa flour
20 mung bean flour
150 grams sugar
125 ml of water + few tsp of pandan extract (or 125 pandan water)
250 water
1/2 tsp alkaline water (I mixed water with bicarb soda)

White Layer
30 grams rice flour
30 grams mung bean flour
250 ml coconut cream
1/4 tsp salt

Green Layer- Combine rice flour, tapioca flour and mung bean flour in a double boil pot (glass bowl on top of saucepan). Mix sugar with it.

In a jug, mix all wet ingredients together. Slowly mix it with dry ingredients till smooth. Cook it for around 15 minutes till the mixture thickens.

Pour into a 6 by 6 square tin and steam it for 20 minutes.

White layer- combine rice and mung bean flour. Add salt. Pour coconut cream and cook in double boiler for 5-10 minutes till thickens. When the green layer is down, pour on top of tray. Steam for another 20 minutes.

Cool and cut in pieces.

Pandan, Rose and Vanilla Steam Rice Cake

I have been trying to experiment and make kuehs (Nonya Desserts) lately. It has been on my mind to master some of them at least. Previously, I have tried making Ondehs Ondehs, and of course the Bubur Pulut Hitam. It just seems like such a challenge, but I do miss having them. It's like a piece of home at home.

Making them also made me appreciate the simplicity of just heading out to the shops to grab a few of the kuehs for afternoon tea back in SG or KL. The challenge in making these kuehs is the lack of availability of fresh pandan leaves- often, I could only purchase it frozen and tasteless. I use pandan paste as a substitute but it really isn't the same.

One of the kuehs that most children like is the 9 layer cake. I love to peel each layer and eat it slowly. Recently, I came across a similar recipe but uses rose water instead. In fact, it has 3 distinct flavours, using vanilla and pandan as well.

The final result was "ok". I'm not sure why it feels a little thick or not as "smooth". maybe I have added in too much flour. I would also add more rose water (adjusted recipe below)

Back to the kitchen for more testing!

Pandan Rose, and Vanilla 9 Layer Steam Rice Cake from "Little Nonya" 
600 grams rice flour
5 tbsp of tapioca flour
450 grams sugar
750 ml coconut milk
1800 ml water

1/4 tablespoon of rose water + few drops of red colouring
1 tsp of pandan paste
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine flours, sugar and water. Add coconut milk and water till batter is form. Separate into 3 bowls.

Add vanilla extract to one. Pandan paste to another, and rose water  + red colouring in the 3rd.

Pour pink layer first in 9 inch by  9 inch tray. Steam for 5 minutes. Followed by white layer then green. Repeat each layer, steaming each for 5 minutes. Leave to cool before cutting it up.

Failed Attempt of Kueh Salat

So for a few days, I whispered to myself daily...."In order to appreciate positives, we have to embrace the negatives. When there is failure, then we appreciate success."

As part of making Kueh Salat, not only do we need to steam the glutinous rice, the custard topping needs to be stirred constantly till it becomes like a creamy looking thick custard. Pour it into the glass pyrex pan, steam it and da-duh, beautiful looking kueh.

Of course, I was distracted (haha, sorry was going through abit of a stress week that particular week!),as I was also making"Lo Mai Kai" (Steam Glutinous Rice with Soya Pork and Mushrooms) at around the same time frame. I was trying to make use of my packet of glutinous rice as much as possible. Not that we are going to finish everything but just to share it with family and friends.

So the custard became lumpy and overcooked just as I glance over to check. It's too late though. Can't be salvaged.. and the lumpy custard was poured into the tray... steamed.. My heart goes out to the custard! Poor custard, it wasn't meant to be! 

back to the drawing board with this one....

Ondeh Ondeh

I love October. The weather is gorgeous (usually!), we know that Christmas (my favourite holiday!) is around he corner, and to top it off, traditionally for us many changes occur.  It signals that I am turning older and we made the commitment to get married in October 2007.

Therefore, I think it makes perfect sense that a blog design change is due in October ;p

Ok, the above doesn't quite make sense really but I do think a fresh change is needed. Afterall, so much as happened and this blog no longer just "speak:" about food and my uni life! I read through my older posts and had a good chuckle ot myself how this blog started when I was struggling with my honours-with Mr AR still my very innocent housemate.. I read beneath the lines and realized the reading and commenting isn't as innocent as I once thought it was.  Now, he is my husband and I have moved away from whinging and being more appreciative of life and food of course!

A fresh start- I love it. The layout is the same for the time being but the links have changed-I have updated a few things on the right side of the interface. I"m trying to enlist hubby to make more code changes but that's because I'm really quite technologically challenged and prefer to use talents around me.... :p So I am hoping for more changes (for the better) in the near future.

In the mean time, I would like to share with you a dessert/tea time snack that I made recently for a pot luck party. Ondeh Ondeh is a traditional kueh for the Malays. I love the texture of this and when you bite into it, a lovely sugar squirt fills your mouth. The sweet syrup is made of gula melaka- a type of brown sugar.

I have taken this recipe from my favourite kueh book of all times by Patrica Lee.

Ondeh Ondeh

300 grams glutinous rice flour
200 grams + sweet potato
2 tbs tapioca flour
pandan leaves (I used essence-around 3-4 drops-but I can it can be increased to even 8 drops)
2-3 drops of green food colouring
pinch salt
100 grams palm sugar grated and mixed with 1 tablespoon white sugar
250 grams grated/dessicated coconut

Skin sweet potato and steam for 15 mins (I chopped them up first). Mash while warm.

Mix pandan essence and water to make around 200 ml of pandan juice (around 190 ml of water and then drops of pandan essence). add salt and green coloring

Mix both flours in a bowl. Add in mash potato. Knead the mixture with the pandan juice. Add more of the pandan water if a little dry.

Pinch dough and roll into a small ball. (I floured my hands). Put a little palm sugar into the center and seal well. Put aside.

Bring a big sauce pan of water to boil. Drop ondeh ondeh into boiling water. While it rises to surface, keep it boiling for another 2 mins. Scoop up, drain and coat in grated coconut.

PS- optional to steam coconut with pandan leaves and salt for 10 mins and cool.