Marsha Maung: Write. Cook. Read. Watch. Try. Innovate.

Japanese Curry with Carrots and Potatoes The star of the dish is the mild Japanese curry (apple and honey base) and we just need to get some vegetables into the meal. We got stashes of carrots and potatoes after lunch and we said " Yeah, THAT's what we will have for dinner. Done Deal !" I didn't make the curry paste myself because it's store-bought. Nothing wrong with that, honestly. Healthy, delicious food is the priority.  Simple Pan-Fried Salmon How I made it is simple : Just washed the fish, wiped it down with a paper towel because water and oil are no friends. So, if you hate splatter as much as I do, then drying it makes a world of difference. I, then, seasoned the salmon with just salt and pepper. Heat the pan with a little bit of oil and pan-fry the skin side down for about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fish onto both sides, each for about 1 minute. We focus on keeping meals affordable, we don't have seafood, pork, and other uni...

I won't remove this picture because me and the boys had a laugh about how ugly it looked despite us enjoying it.  It's effing ugly but the only proof of what I made. However, I will replace it with a new picture when I make it again. 😂😂😂 I know this looks ugly but I did my best to salvage what I could, pictures of what I cooked for the day. It's especially regretful today because it was really delicious, the men in the house ate them up, and this was what I salvaged.  Anyway, a couple of days ago, I bought a lot of chicken breasts from the morning market because they're cheaper than the usual parts and decided to rampage the internet to find recipes I can experiment with. And this was one of them and I've kept them in my recipe keeper for some time now. Honey, Soy, Garlic Chicken Breasts. Sweet, Salty, Savory...a combination you can't go wrong with, isn't it? The pictures I posted these few days really don't cut it.  Anyway, it's not t...

As a kid, I never liked Okra or Eggplant because of its slimy nature; no amount of convincing about its health benefits got me to eat them. During one of our family-outings, we ordered a really crunchy okra dish that changed my mind a little. Not all the way but just a little . But just like other greens, it depends on how you want to cook it that will make the difference on how others enjoy it.  I am no expert but I quickly learn from the Internet and YouTube. I think we learn a lot from mistakes. Just a couple of days ago, I burnt down a whole pot of red beans dessert that I wanted to enjoy. Still cleaning the pot two days down. Ah well... OKRA/EGGPLANT with SALTED PRAWNS & DRIED SHALLOTS TOPPING Really important to wash the okra down because this is a skin-in dish. We don't want impurities Heat up water with salt Once boiling, pop the okra into the pot and cook for about 2 to 3 mins Prep cold water or ice water Remove okra and place into cold water to stop the co...

Ready-to-Cook Nuggets We found really affordable ready-to-cook nuggets from a grocery store nearby (a new one we've not tried visiting before) and decided ' Yeah, why not? One night of rice-less and noodle-less dinner sounds good ). Most nights, we make simple stews and soups and partner them up with rice.  Tonight, we just wanted home-made fast-food. We've laid off KFC, McDonalds, and Burger King for months on end.  These nuggets just needed to be pan-fried each side about a minute or two and you're about done. Cooking dinner was a little tedious but I'll explain that later because of the other stuff that needed our consistent attention.  Creamy Mashed Potatoes The mashed potatoes we usually get from restaurants are often layered with some sort of mushroom sauce. We've making this at home a few times and we figured out that we don't need the sauce. We like the buttery and creamy version of The Mash.  The potatoes we had in the kitchen si...

Everyone has a story of when they woke up in the morning with little running time but still need to prep for dinner but late but... That's how sometime the reel rolls, right?  You know chicken chicken situation, right?  Chicken bought whole costs less compared to when we buy them by parts. As in the whole chicken costs RM18 to Rm30 compared to when bought by parts i.e 3 parts chicken thighs would cost RM40 to Rm50 per meal.  If you're a mom, hit me up.  It's something you can quickly pop into the slow cooker and then eat for dinner. Throw it into the slow cooker in the morning before leaving for work and then come home to a simple dinner.  This is something you can pop quickly into the slow cooker in the morning. Seriously. And then come he to dinner.  https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/3555437-rice-wine-ginger-soy-chicken

We found a steal-of-a-deal at the frozen seafood section of a nearby mall. The deals were, not even kidding about it, damn affordable. As with most kids, we love fish but hate bones so, ever since they were young, I've fed them these easy/cheaper dory fish fillets.  The question was whether I want to steam them (easy), air-fry them (mid-difficult), or pan-fry (difficult and long and tedious). But I decided to go with the hard difficulty route because I want the soft white fish to be firm enough. There are hard white fish, and there's soft white fish. Go research them and you will find out more about the texture and temperature management.  Chinese communities are hard stuck on big, fresh fishes and prawns but they're not ingredients we can cheaply get in Malaysia. They're reserved for celebrations. So, we don't usually have them in this house. We're poor so, we usually make just chicken in as many ways as we can.  But since I found the fish fillet, I...

Inspired by Korean and Japanese way of slow-making eggs, I've failed doing this multiple times before so, the foot I started out on for this was on the back foot. But did I want to try it again? Yes.  It was harder and took longer than I thought. Tip is this: You need time and patience. Unlike all the other egg recipes that I tried out, this was...intricately difficult. Don't do it if you don't have the time. 😂 Mine wasn't good enough for me but it was...well...OK, I guess.  What I Used Minced fresh garlic + whisked 7 eggs + julienned carrots + cut-up crab cakes + thinly-sliced spring onions. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand, it doesn't really make a difference in the end.  Tips Based on Experience Beat up eggs and add salt, pepper, and chicken/anchovies bouillon; Set aside Add in other side ingredients into the eggs mix Heat up cooking oil, saute garlic for a few seconds Pour in first layer of egg mix and let cook for a few minutes on M...

Son 1 just started working and after a hard day's work, I want to provide him (and them, eventually) with simple home-cooked food. I tried to take pictures of all the food we've made so far but most of the time, I forget. 😖 Pan-Fried and Air-Fried Chicken Breasts Marinaded butterfly-cut chicken breasts with oil, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika, cumin, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, and a touch of vinegar Marinade for 2 hours Bring to room temperature Pan-fry each side for 2 to 3 mins each side Air-fry for 15 mins Cook sauce with remaining chicken juice in the pan with broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili/tomato sauce and a little bit of sugar Adjust to taste; serve as topping/baste/sauce ENJOY Stewed Cabbage and Carrots This is something the boys have always loved. I used to have leftovers saved up for me but today, they kind of sent-it and did everything in, piling vegetables onto their plates. To them, as long as it's not bok choy. L...

Trying to do some easy prep food and the last few times, I tried to pickle vegetables and reserve tofu and eggs. Success rate is so far around 70% but HOW did we live and survive without the Internet? LOL 1. Leftover rice I don't know about other households but in this one, we try really hard not to waste food and we feel really good when we clean as many things up. These few months, I've got my MoJo back a little and not only are not wasting food (rice, especially) but also simple stuff like marinades and sauces. 👍 2. Microwaved chic breasts - Soy, Honey, Sriracha sauce The chicken breasts were cooked in the oven beforehand and these are leftovers too but they were still good. All we needed was a bit of a re-cook and good sauce. Removed the chicken breasts and cut them into bite-sizes and placed aside. In the pan, remade the sauces with light soy sauce, sriracha and honey. Goddamn delicious.  3. Steamed eggplants with chili and onions I finally learned how to cut the eggplant...

I've been cooking tons these days, trying to make the most of our budget and time, but other days, maybe just.... CAVE IN just once? This has always been one of our favorites, outside of all our Kopitiam favorites, and it's just sad that I did not get the whole promo set thinghy. THIS  is NOT  a Paid Ad. We just liked it.  Some days, we resign ourselves to just instant cup noodles because time is scarce and we have to make do. However, the above was actually a mid-tier cost-inefficient choice. I know. But it's delicious and we like it.  SOMETIMES, you know.  I made some stews, some soups, and today some egg plants together with air-fried chicken chops (that I have no picture of) along the way and I think we're eating good. =)

Always did the normal stewed chicken because it is easier but today I reserved all the chicken drumsticks for this day. This is a collection of drumsticks from a few whole chicken... They're cheaper that way!  Ingredients 1. Blanced and Scored chic marinaded with onion powder, garlic powder, curry powder, paprika, chilli, fennel, turmeric, oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper 2. Refrigerate for 20 mins + to overnight 3. Line up the air-fryer, oil up, air fry for 20 mins, turn over, another 15 mins.  Should be done. If you want crispy skin, add some corn or rice starch after marinading the chic.  TONS OF RANDOM HERBS Also organized all the herbs into Asian, Western, and Fancy. Lol. If you cook a lot you know.  I enjoy the diversity and creativity of mixing my own herbs and I knew nothing about these herbs. I encourage allowing yourself some level of failure and adjustments when you're in the kitchen. To bad I don't have a picture of the final ...

Steamed Eggs, Never Fails.  I've been a fan of Chawanmushi (a name I cannot remember, always) since forever but because I did not always cook, I had no idea about simple techniques I often skip over because home-cooks will be like 'probably won't make a difference' Nah, some of those steps were crucial. Like reducing cooking time, you know. The difference is between putting together a half-cooked chicken and a blackened one. Something like that. We No Training.  When I don't skip over steps, I can come pretty close to reaching the desired results. The above is one of the most satisfactory steamed eggs I've had in years. At least of my own making.  Silky but not as silky as I wanted it to be...but yeah...good and delicious. We demolished it . We will repeat this. Just need to get the ratio right.  Much Cooking.  You get passive injuries from doing repetitive stuff and that includes cooking and handling cookware, washing, cutting, and manag...

Munching on some healthy veg, including braised and pickled ones, has become not just my favorite thing to do, but it's also a part of my survival. Above, that's me munching on crunchy leftover lotus root .  I tried out the pickling thing because I needed to learn ways to make use of leftover stuff, be it onions or cabbage, Sometimes, I don't need to use the whole thing. The endeavors are not yet success stories, so I will share when I can boast with a tiny, little, smidgen of pride.  That was a horrible picture  of the Bak Kut Teh I made the day before... BUT ...it was yummy. 😁😁😁 I mean, it's hard to go wrong with a clean-pop-cook recipe. Made a trip to our local butcher and got ourselves about 800g of pork ribs and couldn't resist. Have been making Western stuff like Cream of Mushroom Soup , Air-Fried Chicken , Carrot and Pumpkin Soup etc, hence the understandable yearn for a Chinese Classic dish. PLUS it is simple and not time-consuming. Yeah, th...

I am putting this here because it's a very, VERY delicious recipe that deserves to be shared. I made this a ton of years ago and, thankfully shared it online. Cookpad was good while it lasted. But I have since lost control of that account and don't remember the account I used to log in.  The platform used to be good as a social media sharing medium for people who cook and want to share their recipes with others who are clamoring for ideas at home.  But now, it's just a commercial app. Ah well... https://cookpad.com/us/recipes/4597214-spice-ly-sweet-slow-cooker-pork-ribs?via=profile

Updated this post with a real picture. Ever since, Son 2 saw me buying some local pumpkin, he's been suggesting this for the longest time. I wish I took a picture of the mushroom soup I made the day before. Edit: I did the mushroom soup recipe a bit earlier) + meatballs and pasta ) I didn't but I will do it the next time I make it. It was absolutely heavenly.  But anyway, these were more or less the ingredients I used and the way I made it.  I made it using the crock pot/slow cooker over a couple of hours because it's an easy and lazy way to melt everything down. Unlike Chinese soups, we just need to cook everything down and then blend everything, and I mean everything , except the juices, down to a pulp.  Before the final serving, just add in as much cooking cream as you want. This is subjective and based on your personal preference.  I don't think AI can recreate the images above. Hehehehe..... 

This is the kind of conversation I have with myself whenever I have to muster up the strength to cook dinner or lunch.  Me: It's a good thing! You're doing something healthy and great for the family! Let's do it. Me: But I'd rather watch handsome guys on Netflix. I'm so tired right now. I just spent the whole day working my ass off. I deserve a break! Me: Yes, that's true. But it's also true that you've been sitting on your ass all day. It's time to stand up and do something else. You can listen to a podcast.  Me: But I can't see anyone cute on a podcast. And it's going to take one hour and I'll be all sweaty and smell like food after that. I am going to need to shower after that. So bothersome. Me: You mean showering is bothersome? Me: No, I mean, the cooking, the heat, the cutting, cleaning, and figuring out what to cook and stock up next....ugh.... Me: So, you mean after sitting at the table working your ass off without moving your ass...

Source: My recipe on Cookpad For someone who advocated very actively about home-cooked meals and managing one's schedule to make healthy, simple, money-saving meals at home for the family, I sure failed miserably for the past 2 years since the pandemic hit. To be honest, the years of the pandemic, getting groceries was tricky and there was just general anxiety about going out...even if it was to get groceries and anything from the stores.  So, for the initial 2 years, I hardly touched the precious utensils in the kitchen. Food from before the pandemic sat expiring on itself. Sauces went bad, and frozen meat simply became permanent residents in the freezer.  I swear, I touched nothing in there. Lunch and dinner were all delivered to the home via apps, so were groceries whenever possible.  I didn't like ordering meat I couldn't quickly eyeball and check online - everything else was OK - so, I still made trips to the grocery store wherever I felt brave enough.  But now ...

Can you believe it? I didn't even take a picture of this. This is so sad...😢😭 Cooking at home, something I used to actively and religiously advocate for It's been closed to a year and a half since we smell did cooking in the kitchen. Work took over my life and I don't really know it happened. I've always been an advocate of clean, healthy living and eating...and it makes me sad.  I have a fully-equipped kitchen and used to cook every single day. I was so fired up about cooking that I have my own recipe-sharing page on Cookpad where I share my simple recipes to encourage others to cook more at home.  I made something really something yesterday and the response I got from the boys was..."Wow, I smell something from the kitchen!" I felt so....overwhelmed.  Realizing that I have given everything, above and beyond, to the work that I do, there's a reason for me to feel proud too. This is the journey I want to embark on now that my boys are grown up. But not a...

My parents and their siblings are sticking the landing as far as Cuti-Cuti Malaysia is concerned. In their twilight years and after going through some pretty tough life stuff, they’ve decided to embark on small little journeys and road trips to wherever their hearts desire once every fortnight. The one ‘uns are usually invited but with our little families in tow and own personal commitments, it’s pretty hard to nail us down for their little sojourns. But we try. It’s particularly hard when we either have little kids with us, work weekends, travel regularly for work as it is (a break from all that traveling is just the kind of break we need, huh?), or when we have no clear working hours. But like I said, we try. Their little outings depend on my Google-expert uncle who is the head of the family and mastermind behind these little road trips. So, we could be heading south one weekend, and then north east the next. We never know until a couple of days before the trip when my da...

As I scurry around from one change to another for the past few months (actually, it feels a lot more like years on end), there's something I really wish I didn't have to forego as much - cooking easy, healthy, simple meals for my family at home. It doesn't have to be anything that will shake the culinary world nor does it have to be chef-worthy cuisine. It could be something as simple as soup, rice, and two sunny side ups. Honestly, I've forgotten how much joy it brings to put food on the table. Minus the exquisite ingredients I cannot afford and the complicated techniques, putting the stove and kitchen to good use actually makes me really happy. At one point in time, I DID put some thoughts into cooking for a living or at the very least venture out into providing the same kind of simple food for people who don't have the time to. During the last month, I either stuffed my face with 7-11 food, fast food, or mamak food. I relied so heavily on food delivery ...