A Day of Cooking Malasian Food

The launch of yesterday did not feel as though My Day was truly my day. I stayed up late on Saturday night. That’s unusual. Sometimes I feel ready for bed at 18:30! But not last night. I was full of energy all afternoon and evening, and I think it was due to getting more oxygen, thanks to prednisone.

Fred came in howling to wake me. Then Sheba joined in with her anticipatory panting. I had to get up. Damn! Not only that, I had a demanding self-determined agenda to get underway. I vacuumed thoroughly everywhere, and dusted shelves so that Dave and Ursula would not know the truth.

First, I made the dipping sauce for the roti, and I am not happy with it. I’m going to seek out other recipes, and I’m going to get higher quality ingredients. I don’t trust Jimmy Pattersons cheap products that flood our shelves at Nester’s, so I’m going to check out Wishbone or find products with a brand name I respect when I make my next batch. But this batch will do for my first testing of making roti.

This isn't a very interesting photo, but it was delicious dip for the roti

Then I had a quick spa before taking Her Highness for our morning walk, and when I got back, it was time to get busy. As I measured ingredients for the salad dressing, and roti, I realized that I had everything I needed to offer David and Ursula dinner instead of just coming over for roti. They were keen to join me, so I came home and rushed into action.

I’m so familiar with making Laksa, I don’t even refer to my notes. I charged into getting it done before I started on the roti, and for the first time I very successfully used my air fryer to defrost the cod and prawns. I learned this new method because microwaves are hot and harsh heaters. I added cilantro, sliced leek, noodles, and sliced hard-boiled egg.

Laksa is so easy to make and so, so delicious. The only hard part is
finding the right spice mixture and amount to use.

As the Laksa came together, I tasted it and loved it. And that made me take a taste of the curry dip that I made for the roti, and it tasted much better after having been at rest for a while. That encouraged me as I headed into the hardest part of baking—making the roti for the first time in my life.

I have no confidence going into new bakes, but once I’d made the dough and I saw it rising in the bowl after 9 minutes of kneading, I felt a little more optimistic. That was the first rest. It was an hour long. Next, I had to divide the dough into four balls, coat them with ghee, and set them aside to rest for another hour. This is the second rest and it’s the rests that make the process take so long. And the next step was the hardest; I was very nervous going into it.

I divided the dough into 4 bts to make 4 roti.

Once they are all stretched, twisted and coiled, they rest.

Once they were all cooked, I kept them warm in the oven
and I served the a roti and sauce in ramekins.

I had to stretch the dough of each ball into paper thin consistency, one at a time. After I stretch the dough very wide and very, very thin, I must fold the dough into thin multi-layered strips, brushing each fold/layer with melted ghee. I then twist and roll the folded dough strip into a coiled ball for each roti, and then they get the third resting. I, however, had no rest. There were salads to prepare—particularly shallots to dice into tiny bits, then fry in oil, and then dehydrate in the air fryer. These dried fried shallots are the finest part of the salad.

The next step with the roti involved flattening out the dough balls with the heel of my palms into flat ½” deep round patties that I then fry in ghee, getting both sides nice and brown, and once they are done, I put them on a clean dish towel, and then I put my hands under the towel, and I crush the roti with both hands and it creates a pile of smashed up fried dough that is part crispy and brown, part light, fluffy, and stretchy dough that is a delight to pull apart. To eat it, you pull a part of the roti and dip into the curry sauce, and eat.

So… the meal is laksa soup, roti and dip, and an Asian salad. I’ve baked nothing for dessert, but I have ice cream. I was very busy all day. It is not the usual plan for My Day, but I love cooking and baking, and I love visiting with Dave and Ursula, and tomorrow I rest.

I could not love the salad dressing recipe I found more.

Cutting the shallots, frying them and then dehydrating them is a lot of work
but it is all worthwhile because they are the hits of the salad.

I finished up the table setting and did all my dishes at 16:30. I was totally beat! I’d been go, go, going since 5:00, after rising and going immediately into action. But I had half-an-hour to chill before D&U arrived, and I was positively thrilled with my roti. They looked fabulous, especially for a first try, and they were delicious when dipped in the sauce. Dave and Ursula were very happy and very impressed.

They also loved the laksa. It was their first time having it, and the Asian salad was a monster hit, and Ursula noticed the punch of the fried shallots I’d made. They really liked the dressing as well, so, all in all, a hit dinner, and I’m making it again next weekend.

God bless prednisone. I was full of energy all day.

Dave and Ursula. What great friends and neighbours!