Abe's 17th Birthday

Good morning 13th May 2009. Today is my eldest son's birthday. I woke very early this morning. Last night I have set my phone alarm to 4:30 am. Today I want to prepare some nasi dagang to bring to the office. It's has been so long, after I bought the brown rice, I planned to prepare the nasi dagang, but always got something else that need my attention more. So today, I decided to cook some home made nasi dagang for family and friends in the office. Nasi dagang with acar timun, replenished with Gulai ayam and gulai udang. On top of the gulai udang I also add hard boiled eggs. I packed 2 bungkus of nasi dagang, one for my daughter (bekal so that she doesn't need to queue at the school canteen this morning) and the other for my husband. And of course I bring some for my officemates.
So everybody can have a taste to the home made nasi dagang. Although the taste couldn't challenge the professional makcik kat Pasar Siti Khadijah, it still in the edible mode.

The ingredients for the nasi dagang that I prepared are as below:

Nasi Dagang Kelantan

Ingredients for the rice.
1. Of course the brown rice (without this, I couldn't call it nasi dagang)
2. Glutonous Rice
3. White Rice
4. fenugreek or Halba
5. Ginger
6. Onion
7. Garlic
8. Fresh Coconut Milk
9. Salt and sugar
Steps
1. Mix the 3 different rices
2. Put in a big container such as basin or plastic tupperware
3. Pour some water into the container till reach above the mixed rice.
4. Add some fenugreek or halba
5. Let them soak for a night
6. Go to sleep because tomorrow need to wake up early
7. After an overnight, steam the rice. (Usually we use the periuk kukus made in Thailand. Don't worry about that coz the one that Made in Taiwan also will do)
8. After the rice half cook ( around 30 to 40 minutes ) , pour the mixed riced in a big container and pour the fresh coconut milk (if couldn't get the fresh one, you can also use the one in a box such as cap Hanna, ke Adabi ke opps .. no branding here)
9. Stir until evything(ops Ms Swan influences here) everything mix well.
10. Add some salt and sugar
11. Steam again.
12. After half an hour take the mixed rice and pour again in a basin, but this time just add the slices onion, ginger and garlic.
13. Put evything in a tupperware. Ready to be eaten

Ingredients for the Gulai Ayam/ Gulai Udang

1. Chicken (potong 12 atau potong 16 - depend on how big you want the chicken to be). Note : this one is a must have. Or you can replace the chicken with shrimp or ikan tongkol (in other word ikan aya or tuna fish, lovely).
2. Fresh milk
3. Onion to be blend
4. Garlic to be blend
5. Ginger to be blend
6. Tumeric to be blend
7. Rempah gulai "Cap orang memasak". This rempah is recommended by my late-mother in law (she is the best Cook in Kampung Mahligai, Melor). You can find this rempah only in Kelantan.
8. Kerisik
9. Salt and Sugar
10. Gula melaka or "Nissan" can only be bought in Kelantan or Terengganu. If you couldn't have this one, you can replace with the one made in Siam or just replace it with Gula Merah.
11. Budu or Anchovy Sauce. This one can be ignore if you don't like the smell, but if you add this one .. It bring the difference in the taste.
12. Asam Jawa or Asam Keping will do
13. Fresh chillies

Steps
1. Tumis All the blended ingredients
2. Pour the rempah and stir until mix and change the color to redish/orange.
3. Put the chicken
4. Add the asam jawa/asam keping, salt and sugar
5. Wait till evything mixed
6. Pour the fresh coconut milk (For those who want to replace with a more healthy meal, just replace this one with fresh milk)
7. Stir well
8. Add kerisik and anchovy sauce if necessary
9. Put some fresh chillies.
10. Ready to serve.

So, everybody can enjoy the delicious nasi dagang. So that's enough for the nasi dagang, the purpose i'm posting this is to wish my eldest son a happy 17th birthday. Wow, you are getting 17 this year. By all mean, I just want you to know that I still love you like 17 years back. Never getting lesser than that. Hope you study hard for your semester exam, and remember that the SPM is also around the corner. So sharpen your knowledge. Work hard towards it...And I always pray for your best.