A famous Malacca chicken dish........

The origins.... Malacca (in Malaysia) for 130 years (1511–1641), was a Portuguese colony. The Portuguese first came to trade, then many later stayed back instead of returning to Portugal.

The Portuguese came to trade in their sailing ships

The men married local girls, and thus how a lot of Malacca food has it's Portuguese origins. The chicken tempra among one of them.

This chicken tempra is well known among the straights born Chinese of Malacca.

This chicken tempra recipe with the compliments of my Canadian friend Lee.

Chicken Tempra
Ingredients: ( Serve 6 to 8 )
2 tbsp soya sauce
400 gm onion - slice thinly
30 gm fresh red chillies - slice finely
1.2kg chicken - cut into bite size
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp black soya sauce
salt to taste
4 tbsp calamansi / lime juice
250 mls water

 Best to serve this chicken tempra with rice. I add cardamon, cinnamon stick, star anise to cook the rice.

1/  Marinate the chicken with soya sauce and black soya sauce, chill in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours.
2/  In a non stick frying pan or wok, heat about 2 tbsp oil over moderate heat and fry onion and chillies for 2 minutes.  ( If using non stick pan, put less oil. )

3/  Add chicken pieces and stir fry for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and add sugar and fry for 2 minutes.
4/  Add the water and salt, simmer until chicken is tender and the sauce slightly thicken.
5/  Stir in the calamansi juice, mix well and remove from heat. Adjust the sweetness and sourish taste to your preference. 

A squirt of calamansi juice can lifts the soya sauce gravy to mouthwatering heights. One spoon and it might make you forget your mother's name.

The Porta De Santiago. The remants of an old Portuguese fort in Malacca. Malacca is 210Km from Johor Bahru city, about 2 hours drive.

 The view of Porta De Santiago from St. Paul hill.

The old cannon from the 16th century.

My previous trip was in November 2012. Interior of the St. Paul church, it was built in year 1521.

Old Portuguese tombstones in the St. Paul church.

Twist a lime on it for the light tangy taste.

Clams have long been staple in the culinary world. They have been prepared many ways including steamed, fried or smoked. Clams preserved well and were often dried. Clams noodles is a delicious and healthy one pot meal.

Clams Noodles
Ingredients ( serve 2 )
2 eggs
100gm clams without shells
100gm clear noodles
100mls water
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
Chopped spring onion or coriander leaves
 

Dried clear noodles

Method:-
1/ Soak the clear noodles until soft, drain off the water.
2/ Blanch the clams in boiling hot water until clam smiling at you. Drain off the hot water, remove the clam shells.  Season the blanched clams meat with pepper and keep aside.

3/ Beat the eggs lightly, make sure don't break your wrist.
4/ Add salt and water to the egg and  beat lightly.

Children digging for clams.

5/  In a serving bowl or deep dish, line the bottom with softened clear noodles. Then add the clams meat on top. Next pour the egg mixture on top.
6/  Steam on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Garnishes with spring onion or coriander leaves. Ready to serve.

Pearls have been occasionally found in clams. So if you bite on something hard, check it out......
it might be a pearl. Never can tell, you know.

 Your lucky day!

Well, you know what you can do with that pearl..... give to your girlfriend or wife. And if  you like, well.... you know where to find me.
 
1/  More Iron than Beef
Clams are surprisingly high in iron. So high, in fact, that t-bone steaks and beef liver don't compare. A three-ounce serving of cooked clams, or about nine small clams, has about 24 milligrams of iron. That's more iron than recommended each day for most adults (iron RDA is 18 milligrams per day for pre-menopausal women and eight milligrams per day for adult men and post-menopausal women.) Some individuals, especially women, have a difficult time getting enough iron each day, resulting in anemia if not treated. If you suffer from low iron, eating clams occasionally will help maintain your iron stores.

2/ Heart-Healthy Fats
Clams contain about 140 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids per 100 grams (about 3 1/2 ounces.) How does that compare with recommendations? There are no formal dietary recommendations for omega-3 intake, but studies have shown that 250 to 500 milligrams per day may be useful in achieving optimal heart health. If you are getting tired of eating oily fish each week to meet recommendations, add clams to your recipe rotation a few times a month.

Whats his name checking out any clams on the beach.

3/ Better Than Chicken?
Clams qualify as a lean protein at more than 20 grams of protein and less than two grams of fat in a three-ounce serving. Clams have more protein than oysters and scallops, but roughly the same protein and fat content as chicken. There are major differences, however, in the nutrient profile of clams and chicken. Clams contain significantly more of most vitamins and minerals than chicken. It makes nutritional sense to choose clam chowder over cream of chicken soup!

4/ What About Cholesterol?
Clams contain fair amounts of cholesterol. There is nothing special about the cholesterol found in seafood like clams and shrimp. The reason seafood isn't prohibited for people with high cholesterol has more to do with the low fat and saturated-fat content of seafood like clams. Eating a low saturated-fat diet is much more important in maintaining healthy blood cholesterol than eating a low-cholesterol diet.
 

Sweet sour clams.  Heat up oil and fry garlic until golden brown. Add clams and fresh chillies, stir fry for 1 to 2 mins. Add water, vinegar, sugar, salt to taste. When cook stir in 1 beaten egg to thicken the gravy. Ready to serve.

 Enjoy. Happy Mother's Day. Cheers!