Apam Balik (煎弄包)is one of my favourite street food because I love eating the peanut fillings in it. I buy it almost every weekend at the Batu 11 Cheras morning market. I would have bought it for my son too but he prefers the crispy type. So, I ventured out to learn how to make it after seeing that many of my friends from my former school days could make them so well.
One of my friends shared the mould with cover for making Apam Balik that she has. She bought them from Melaka thirty years ago!
I am sure you have seen the 5" or the 7" or the 10" in size flat pan currently used by vendors of Apam Balik. You do not have to buy any of them to make your own Apam Balik.
If you use a non stick pot, like I did, you do not have to apply oil to its surface before you cook it.
When I applied too much oil to the pot, this was how it turned out. The colour was uneven. So, I ate my mistake.
Once it is cooked, you can loosen the edge with a spatula. You then pull on it with a tong to fold your Apam Balik in half, right in the pot. I used this sugar tong.
Once it is folded, it will be easier to remove it from the pot with the tong and the spatula.
This is how my first piece turned out.
As I have to cook lunch before I rush off to the bike shop before 10.00am, I decided to use up all the batter that I made and kept overnight in this mixing bowl with cover from Igozo.
I was able to make eight pieces because I used my rice scoop to pour the batter in the pot to cook. My Apam Balik did not turn out very crispy though the edges were. So, if you want your Apam Balik to be crispy, pour in less batter because the thinner the layer is, the crispier it will turn out.
I applied the peanut butter filling only on the two peices that I ate. The rest, without fillings, were kept to be eaten the following morning for breakfast.
I used the same mixing bowl to store them and kept it covered in the fridge.
This morning, we used the air fryer to heat up two pieces for five minutes and they turned out crispy. My daughter likes it, as is, without any fillings added. I had mine with peanut butter, of course.
Here is another version from Asian Inspirations which I have not tried making.
This Apam Balik recipe from Lauren's Kitchen is interesting as it uses instant yeast.
If you prefer the less crispy version, you can watch her making it.
This is a follow up to the remaining Apam Balik I made. I should not have used the mixing bowl to store them. I should have layered each piece with a kitchen towel and store them in a larger container that will allow me to lay them flat in it. Today (13 November), I discovered that they were stuck together and they broke up into pieces when I try to remove them to reheat in the airfryer.
This time, as I wanted them to turn out more crispy, I heated one side up for three minutes and turned them over to heat up for another four minutes. They tasted alright without the peanut filllings. The last peice I made was the crunchiest because I used the last remaining batter which is less than a scoop.
I will stick to my friend's suggestion. Instead of cooking the batter up ahead, I will only cook the quantity I want to eat. I was told that I can keep the batter in the fridge for more than a week.
I am making plans to travel to Turkey for a holiday.
It so happened that one of my friends traveled on the same package with the same travel agency last month. The feedback that I have received from her was:
-we may not like the cuisine served there (got a similar feedback from a friend who was there years ago) -olive oil is used extensively in cooking and even in their salads -lentil soups is served for every meal every day
As I am a picky eater, I did a search on the ingredients frequently used in Turkish cuisine and discovered from Wiki to expect eating these during the trip:
My friend suggested that we bring medications for stomach ailments as, a few days after eating food there, some of them had bloated stomach and diarrhea. I did a research on it and discovered that it can happen if you are not used to eating oily food or food cooked with spices and herbs that can be a little spicy. Travellers with irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) should also be aware that legumes are gas-producing foods and lentils are recognized as part of the legume family. Which is possibly why drinking lentil soup daily can cause some travellers to have:
-diarrhea with abdominal pain or -constipation and feeling bloated or -a combination of diarrhea and constipation
These are the medications some my of friend's traveling mates had to take to relieve their stomach ailments:
-Smecta(dioctahedral smectite): Anti diarrhea and oral rehydration for acute diarrhoea
-Ural Effervescent Powder: Helps relieve that irritation by working to neutralise acidic urine in your bladder. Helps soothe mild cystitis symptoms within hours.
-Colodium(loperamide): Relief of acute nonspecific diarrhoea & chronic diarrhoea associated with inflammatory bowel disease.
-Cetrizet Tablet: Used to treat allergies associated with airways (allergic rhinitis) and Skin (urticaria).
-Stadeltine contains levocetirizine dihydrochloride An antihistamine
-Eno: Fast-acting effervescent fruit salts used as an antacid and reliever of bloatedness due to indigestion. Helps relief wind.
I checked with my pharmacist and he suggested that I take probiotics instead. So, I have decided to take his advise and bought OHMS Probiotics Gold as it can help resolve digestive issues and allergies. If you read this article from Dr Ben Kim you will see why I was so easily convinced. I will also bring some herbal medication for stomach ailments and nausea, since we will be on a cruise during our final trip back to Instanbul. Our tour guide advised us to bring any medications that we need as after reaching Istanbul, we will be traveling mostly to the outskirts and may have difficult locating a phamarcy.
If I do not the medication we need for our stomach ailemts, we can do this bowel massage when we are back at the hotel as it can relieve bowel dysfunction, like constipation or diarrhea.
I was also informed by another friend who had been there, that we will not enjoy the kind of food served at Canakkale. So, though kettle will be provided in hotels in Turkey, I will bring my multi-cooker along as I plan to bring some MREs (Meal, ready to eat). This is just in case we really don't like the food there or our stomach cannot handle them. I bought this unit from Igozo recently as they had a promotion running. It has an automatic turn off feature for safety which I like as I damaged the unit in my bike shop as I forgot to switch it off and it overheated.
However, it does not have a button for high or low heat option, which will be useful if I want to leave my food on the steam rack for a longer period.
I have been eating food product from Brahim's. I used to buy them from Lotus till I discovered that it is cheaper to buy them direct from Brahim's through their website. So far, these are what I have tried and enjoyed eating:
-Nasi Lemak & Sambal Ikan Bilis
-Nasi Dagang
-Pulut Kuning
-Kuah Satay
-Kari Ayam Dengan Ubi Kentang
-Daging Masak Hitam
-Kurma Daging
-Sambal Sotong (sauce is good but sotong tough - may have to heat up for a longer period)
I will be taking with me a variety of rice to go with nine dishes I have selected.
What should I be packing to wear for this trip? I have traveled overseas during winter but not in autumn. What will the weather be like during Autmn in Turkey? Will it rain? This is what I discovered at Weather25, based on their 14 Days forecast:
So, now I have to plan how I should dress up for the weather. I discovered that Uniqlo has a link to Style Book which shares trend that is current for the season for:
As we have visits to some mosques in Istanbul, I will need a headscarf and make sure that I wear modest, loose-fitting clothes that is not too sexy to look at.
-check our Immigration Travel Status Check -convert ringgit to Lira -bring toileteries and an extra set of clothing in a hand carry bag as tour starts right after landing at airport -bring swimming cap if we want to use the hot spring or thermal pools in hotels -have on hand, USD250 (that will be about RM1,170.00) per person and jacket or coat for hot air balloon ride at Cappadocia
Baggage allowed on Turkish Airlines::
-check-in luggage maximum 2 pieces and their total weight must not exceed 30kg -hand carry luggage only 1 piece in cabin size of 23x40x55cm and maximum weight of 8 kg
A portable electronic digital travel luggage scale like this will be handy to bring along.
These are optional:
-There will be wifi connection for internet access on the tour bus and in hotels but I rented ROAMING MAN pocket Wi-Fi which I can collect from the airport. -apply for Big Pay card, a money app for better exchange rate over credit card
These are hotels we will be staying at:
Have I covered everything I need for the trip?
P/S Now my children will know the efforts I put into planning our holidays overseas with them.
I am a sucker for free gifts. It makes me very happy whenever I can get some free stuff with items I need to buy anyway.
My latest buy for my kitchen is this iGOZO Epsilon 32cm Non-Stick Premium Granite Stirfry Wok.
However, this time I don't really need it as I already have a 28cm Shogun wok but (excuse #1) its non stick coating has been damaged due to vigorous washing. I would have continued using (frugality won over carcinogen health risks) it but I was drawn to these free gifts that came with the 32cm iGOZO wok.
I was thinking (excuse #2) that I can give these free items to my son as he has moved out.
I am glad I took my niece's suggestion and waited till the 9.9 sales to buy from their store front at Lazada. Due to the discounts offered (excuse #3), I decided to buy another set of iGOZO Combo Set 2
Tier Tiffin Carrier because I like the set I bought earlier. This time, the Tiffin Carrier is sold bundled with a 510ml Coffee Mug which is (excuse #4) useful for my husband as it is in the right size for the drink holder in his car.
I received these two units of 12cm Double Wall Stainless
Steel Bowls as free gift which is (excuse #5) great for steaming food to heat up in my 28cm Igozo steamer (yup, it was supplied with gifts). I also like things given in pairs (excuse #6= one for me, the other for hubby or 1 for my boy and the other for my girl).
I know that if I google this bowl online, I can find such them at a lower price but I will have to buy in a very large quantity to enjoy that benefit. Most likely, the cost for the gifts are already factored into the selling price. But I always hope that when sellers offer their items with gifts, their intention is to move their product and not profit from the items they give away. What I am glad though as a customer is that the owner of iGOZO has, so far, always been able to source very nice product to give away as gifts. As they did not print the logo of the company on their give-aways, I can also keep them to give away when I have been invited to an improtu event and do not have to time to go out to buy a gift.
Do I regret this purchase? The wok came with this GREBLON® C3 sticker which is its selling point. So, I hope that its non-stick coating will not come off as easily.
I did a search on GREBLON and found out that the C3 standard means that the wok and pot Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating is reinforced with three coat ceremic for optimum non-stick effect. Professional cook can opt for C3+ which is more scratch resistant.
iGOZO shared through the following video on how to choose a good quality cookware by knocking at its base to hear how thick the material is.
The 32cm wok and 20cm pot I received sounded solid. However, I find the weight of the wok, because of its size, is too heavy for me. It makes pouring the food out onto a bowl or plate a little difficult. Now I can only scoop the food out which slows down the serving process. Even if iGOZO had noted the weight on its site, I would not have known that it will be too heavy for me. So, from my experience, it is best to check on the weight of your wok. Then you can lift up something of similar shape and weight to see if it will be easy for you to handle it before making a decision to buy.
I have made up my mind to pass the wok on to my son and use the 20cm pot as my wok. It is possible because I am only cooking for three small eaters. When I go to the market, I can easily find vegetables packed and sold in small portions.
My wooden laddle for rice works well for stir frying dishes in the 20cm pot.
Based on its design, I can only place the laddle on either side of the handle. As you can see, I am also able to cook larger portion of vegetables by filling them right up to the brim of the pot.
Once the pot is covered, it will cook down nicely. Be on a look out as leafy greens seem to cook faster in this pot. Also, don't leave cooked vegetables too long in the pot as the residual heat will overcook them.
I have been able to use this pot to cook most of my dishes. I also discovered that I am able to save on water too as, most of the time, I do not have to wash the pot to cook the next dish. Once you have taken the food out from the pot after cooking, the residual heat will dry up any sauces left on it. You can easily wipe off any bits or pieces of food still on the pot with a piece of clean tissue paper.
I have no regrets getting this set of wok and pot. I hope that you will be able to get them when iGOZO have special offers running, like I did.
This is how I do it. After applying dish detergent, I place what I would like to rinse in a container. By doing that, I can save the water used from rinsing my tableware in the container and use it for other purposes. Currently, the container I am using is a large pot that is missing one handle, which could not be fixed.
It will be great if the basin in your kitchen is large like the one in my house. I can place that container for storing water at the left hand corner of it. If you have a small basin, you can make use of an empty plastic container. The one that I use for the basin in my bike shop is an empty 5kg cooking oil with its top cut off.
For this to work, you must make sure that the container used is clean. I usually wash it once I have used up all the water saved or just before I rinse the next load of kitchen and tableware. Always rinse plasticwares first. Do not soak them in the container with the rest of the items to rinse. Use running water and rinse them over the container.
As I do not want to stain the sponge I use for washing dishes, I re-use soiled tissue to wipe off residues or thick gravies off any item to be washed. I then use the water I have saved to rinse them first before applying detergent.
However, instead of a sponge, I prefer to use a small piece of cloth to apply the dish detergent. The cloth can be a small kitchen towel, table cloth or even a handkerchief for baby or cloth from wet wipes. When I damaged my dry floor dust wiper flat mop I used its refill for the same purpose.
I started doing that when I noticed that sponges for washing dishes tend to break apart easily. I also like it that they can be handwashed. Every week, after handwashing them I will put them in a laundry bag to give them a thorough wash in the washing machine.
These are other ways I re-use the rinsing water that I have saved. I use it to:
-wash the kitchen basin -wash table cloth after wiping tables -splash soil or mud off my verandah -wash soil off my feet and hand after gardening
After which, if still required, I will use fresh clean water for another round of cleaning.
If you have read the book, "Happy Healthy Houseplants", by Jerry Baker, you will discover that aphids hate soap. He recommends that you give your plants a good soapy bath by using 1-2 table spoons of dishwashing liquid per gallon of room temperature water. This is why I am comfortable about using my water for rinsing to water my plants. If you are worried that the suddy water will kill your plant, you can always use it to water your lawn. The soil will filter out chemicals from the detergent so your plants will be safe.
Here is another way you can reduce water usage. Have you tried soaking tomatoes or bell peppers in a large basin of water? You cannot soak them properly as they float on top of the water. I use a 1.5L water bottle with its top cut off and use it to soak greens, such as, tomatoes, bell peppers, green beans and celery. I place a weight like my pestle from my mortar or a heavy metal spoon to hold them down. Sometimes I use a tall tupperware that I bought for my kids when they were young but no longer use.
Sometimes an empty cup works well as weight to hold them down. For very bouyant peppers, I will add water into the cup to hold them in. It should be safe to use the rinsing for vegetables to water your lawns. I usually add that to the container in my basin and when it is full, I bring the whole pot out to water my plants or lawn.
I usually keep my store bought buns and homemade bread in the fridge.
I can easily heat them up in my airfryer when we want to eat it.
Are you aware that you should place a piece of tissue or kitchen towel on the plate in which you will be serving your heated bread, pastries or pizza? If you don't place a piece of tissue or kitchen towel under your heated food, vapours will form on the plate which will make your food soggy. Most of the time, the tissue used is still good enough to be reuse. So, I have been saving them in a plastic container after making sure that all crumbs sticking to it have been removed. I started this habit after discovering Vinda kitchen towel. The paper is so thick that it is such a waste to discard if it can still be re-use.
When I need to clean my stove after cooking, I will use these tissues instead of a cloth. Though soiled, they are still good for absorbing oils and any drips on the stove. In doing that, I now no longer have to wash my table cloth as often.
In the long run, that saves me time and water as I can just discard the tissue or kitchen towel once I am done with them.
You can also consider keeping your used tissue or kitchen towel if you have only used it:
-to wipe your hands dry -to wipe your mouth -to dry up containers, pots or pans
It is best to save your soiled tissue or kitchen towel in an airtight container. That will prevent any ants from getting to them if there are still crumbs or residue from food left that you have missed removing.
Here is another good reason for you to save soiled tissue or kitchen towel. It is also handy for wiping off sauce and stains on your table before you wipe it with your table cloth.
I would have had a hard time washing such stains off my table cloth if I had not use a piece of tissue first.
I also re-use soiled tissues to wipe sauces and residues off my plates, containers, pots and pans before I wash them.
By doing that, I can save the water for rinsing them for other purposes. I will share how I store and re-use such water in my next posting.
Do you know how to measure the diameter of your pots and pans?
You measure the size at the top, from the inside of the pot or pan, as shown from this product information from Igozo, currently, my favourite cooking utensil brand.
Here are some reasons why you need the mesaurement for the pots or pans you have on hand.
If you know the size, the next time you buy another pot or pan, you can buy one similar in size to what you already have. That way, the covers can be interchanged and you will not be stuck with a pot or pan without a cover as it has been damaged.
However, if you have a pot that is smaller in width at its base and wider at the top, you should not have any problem using a cover from a pot of smaller diameter as long as the pot you are cooking with is deep enough and the smaller cover is large enough to sit over the food. So, based on how much food I am cooking, I do not have any problem using covers from my 28cm or 30cm pot or pan to cover this 32cm wok that I have.
So, saying, I do not store my pots and pans with the covers they came with. I store them separately on a pot lid organiser.
Do you like to use your pots for steaming food? I do. So, I am always on a look out for heat resistance bowls that I can use on my rack for steaming. It will be easier for you to find bowls in the right size if you know the diameter of your pot. These are some of my favourite glassware to use as they come with covers. I will use the glass covers if I do not want water vapours from the steam dripping into the dishes, which will dilute the sauces in them.
Recently, I bought this two tier tiffin from Igozo. I like it that it is supplied with two stainless steel containers that I can use separately. I sometimes remove the stainless steel containers and packed food that do not contain sauces in the plastic tiffin carrier.
I discovered that the stainless steel containers fit perfectly on the steaming rack of my 1L mini multi-cooker that I have in my bike shop. So, while boiling water for my coffee in it, I can heat up my leftover home-cooked food to eat on its rack.
The two stainless steel containers can also be used together for steaming food in the Igozo steam pot that I bought recently.
With these containers, I can now heat up more dishes while boiling my soup.
I am sharing all these information because I hope that one day should my children take over my kitchen ware and utensils they will know how to fully utilise them and not think about discarding them if they are still in good condition.
For example, they may have issue using the tall cover of one of my pots if they are cooking something near a wall mounted hood. They can solve this problem by using a regular flat cover of the same diameter from another pot that I have.
Another note for my children:
Just remember not to heat dishes this way when you are boiling herbal soup or lotus root soup as they can affect the flavour of your dishes.
I have lots of stainless steel cooking pots in my home. Some were handed down to me and some were received as gifts. I bought one last year that I have been using everyday. That is because my family loves drinking soup everyday and it can also be used as a steamer. I think that it is an energy saving idea to be able to steam dishes in the same pot that you are boiling your soup in.
Another reason why I bought it is because I think that the supplier is very thoughtful. They supplied the pot with stainless steel bowls and a hot plate gripper that you will need when you are steaming food. Check out the gifts that came with it which makes using it as a steamer easier. And, yes. I received that stainless steel pot with handle too. We often use it to boil instant noodles.
Instead of scalding the soup bones with hot water to clean it, I prefer to place them on a bowl to steam them over the soup. This is because I usually marinate all my soup bones with salt before I freeze them for later use. So the stainless steel bowl that came with the steamer is useful. I will steam the soup bones till it is no longer red. Then I will sieve the liquid in the bowl into the pot of soup and discard the scum.
I also like to use the bowls to steam a dish like this minced pork dish or boil eggs or heat up cooked rice or leftover dishes.
Are you curious to know why the cover for this pot is so high? Other than a steaming rack, it is also supplied with two extra trays for steaming additional dishes. This photo will give you an idea of where the extra trays can be placed in order for you to steam additional dishes.
You can see the slot inside the pot at Level A, where tray 1 can be placed to sit on in this photo.
Tray 1 should be placed in the pot before the water is boiling. You will find this gripper more useful once the water is boiling or when you need to make some adjustment to place the tray to sit properly on the slot. It is also easier to use it to remove the tray from the pot while it is still hot.
Tray 2 can be placed on top of the steaming rack but if you do not have extra item to steam in it, you don't have to use it. I often place Tray 2 on top of the pot itself, if I only have two dishes to steam or heat up. Due to its tall cover, you should not have any problem steaming anything on top of tray 2.
However, you may have issue using the tall cover if you are cooking something near a wall mounted hood, like the one I have in my kitchen. I solved this problem by using a cover of the same diameter from another pot that I have.
You can check out some of the soups I made with this pot cum steamer at the following link:
Yes, I do hope to win something from Igozo for sharing about this pot cum steamer that I bought from them last year. Wish me luck @iGOZO #igozocookandwin
