The Anna's kitchen ~~

If I were not a doctor?
I would certainly, yes very certain,
that I would be a CHEF!
haha.
Not sure a good or a mediocre chef, but somehow a chef!
I don't really know why I love cooking, it maybe because the satisfaction you get every time you get to feed your family and friends.
When they love or pretend to swallow everything you cooked, haha.
I think that is what I love most about cooking.

2018, has given me opportunities to try few new things in Anna's kitchen.
Apart from my usual boring children menus,
and my usual Chicken Rice, Nasik Lemak, Nasik Beriani, and countless Grilled Fish, lambs and stuff.
I came to discover Masak Lemak Daging Salai.

I fall in love with this dish the first time i tried, and I've been spending time to recreate it at home, and voila!!

I have never been a fan of masak lemak, any masak lemak at all.
But for this daging salai masak lemak,
I think the smoky taste of the beef, and coconut milk and spicy bird-eye chillies, give this dish its outstanding taste.
I have tried prepare this dish few times in Anna's kitchen and finally got the taste that I love.
And, of course, a great quality smoke beef is essential for this dish and I found Kuala Pilah smoke beef is the ultimate winner!
Thank you to my bff Nadia aka Mek Nad who would bring the authentic Kuala Pilah smoke beef fresh from her hometown to Anna's kitchen for dinner to-die-for!

I think the most frequent and most wanted dish that I've prepared in Anna's kitchen was undoubtedly this Lala spicy sweet dish!
I discovered Lala after my sister Aida introduced them to me, she is a big fan and I have not tried Lala before. and my, the taste is so distinct, you gotta want more!
After that, it became one of Anna's kitchen favourite dish for 2018 and served to many family and friends since hehhehehe~~

arghh...so yummy!

I think the best part of this dish is the coriander.
You cannot do this dish without it.
I usually put tons of coriander and lurveee the smell!

Seafood galore with bffs, Dr Faridah Hanim and Dr Nurul Amal

Lala pedas 
Recipe:
Tumis crushed garlic(lots of garlic! hehe) + crushed chillies or paste
Masukkan lala (I usually use 1-2kg)
Cook till lala terbukak and keluar air
Masukkan garam sikit, and gula sikit
and lots of coriander (ketumbar)
siap!!

All my friends and family know that I don't really know the quantities of whatever I put in my cooking. Haha~~
You just have to estimate, and practice,
and by the hundred times you done it, you should be a master on how much to put in!

The next new thing in our kitchen for 2018 was Gulai Ketam or Crabs cooked in spicy coconut gravy with tumeric.
Crabs were not really my favourite actually, as they are hard to eat.
I guess you gotta put some efforts to eat them, haha, but being a seafood lover, I could not resist the taste of crabs, the juice when you cook them in that spicy coconut gravy.
By the time you prepare it in your kitchen, the smell will make just about everyone hypersalivating! hahahaha~~ Just how good they are.
And turned out I love them!
I have not tried making chilli crabs and salted egg yolk crabs n such yet, but I am starting with this Gulai Ketam, and it will get better, I promise!hahaha!

Another seafood galore for guests coming to our humble abode.
Spicy sambal udang galah and gulai ketam seen in the pics!

Gulai Ketam
Resepi:
Pound fresh tumeric, shallots, bird-eye chillies
Mix coconut milk together
Put in the crabs, and cook in low to medium heat
Salt to taste, and that's it!!!
(I usually add in a bit of sugar, being Kelantanese you know)

I am not actually a fan of instant noodle.
Yes, because it is not healthy. Ehem ehem. Haha yes it is not!
However, I came across a very tasty Kerabu Megi recently and I just could not resist to try remake it at home.
My nannies love Kerabu Megi, and I kept resisted to do it as it falls under my unhealthy food list, but for this time, I was determined to try recreate the famous thai dish for a challenge!
Haha, takboleh jadi diorg buat sedap, kene try buat sendiri, gitu

Kerabu Megi Anna's kitchen ~~

Resepi:
Kerabu Megi
Cut shallots, tomato, chillies (depends how spicy you prefer), and lots of coriander!
Rebus udang geragau, sotong putih, or anything you want to throw in
Perah air limau nipis
Air gula
Mix them and adjust the taste.
It should be masam, pedas and a little sweet.
Good luck!

Don't you just love good food?...heheh~~

My Udang butter nestum.
My favourite thing to order everytime at the seafood restaurant, and gosh they were expensive!
But now I can make it at home, and taste just the same~~

2019 is just around the corner.
I hope to be given health, wealth and times, and motivation and courage to try more new things, and it will certainly and hopefully be;
-more grilled or oven ideas for fish, chicken and lamb
-will try learn to do own steak and western dishes
-maybe perfecting malay dishes like gulai ayam, kurma, kari and such
-explore exotic dish, hahaha who knows!