WISHING YOU A HAPPY YEAR OF THE OX

WISHING YOU A HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Enjoy this explosive Chinese 24 Festival Drums performance recorded in Power Centre Petaling Jaya.

Steamboat Dipping Sauce for Chinese New Year Reunion Steamboat Dinner

I guess everyone would be busy preparing to welcome the year of the Ox. Families would gather around this time of the year for steamboat reunion dinner. This is one of my favourite dipping sauce recipes and it is great companion for Steamboat. Enjoy it! Ingredients Oyster Sauce, 3 table spoons Garlic, 1 bulb, chopped finely Bird Eye Chili (Cili Padi), 5 pcs, chopped finely Light Soya Sauce, 5 table spoon Lime, 2 pcs, remove seeds and use the juice Sugar, 1/3 teaspoon Mix all the ingredients together and stir until well mix. Wishing you a Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year!

Volunteer Firefighters of Raja Uda, Butterworth (Pasukan Bomba Gotong Royong Raja Uda Butterworth)

The Community Fire Station on Raja Uda main road, Butterworth.

(Pasukan Bomba Gotong Royong Raja Uda Butterworth)

Raja Uda, Butterworth used to be known as a notorious place. It was very common to hear stories of gang fight and extortion from this area. However, the Raja Uda I knew in the past is no longer notorious and businesses are thriving in this area. This place is a shopping heaven for ladies! There a lots of boutiques, clothes vendors and ladies accessories along the whole stretch of Raja Uda Road. All items are sold at very reasonable prices. I have heard that people from nearby town and also Penang Island would travel all the way to shop here. So, if you don’t mind shopping at a crowded area near a wet market, then head for this place if you happen to visit Butterworth. The food here is good too! Many years back there are many attap (palm leaves) and wooden houses in Raja Uda, so during Chinese New Year, while playing with fireworks brought joy to some, it often set off uncontrollable fires to houses here! During that time we only have one fire station that serve the whole Butterworth district. Therefore, it was very common that by the time the fire engines arrive at the scene most of the houses were already burned to the ground. Some of the businessman and residents in this area came out with the idea of starting their own private fire brigade. Most of the volunteers are hawkers, pork sellers, normal working residents and other business owners. Whenever there is a fire, these volunteers will drop whatever they are doing and rush to their community fire station, don the fire fighter uniform and protective gears. They will then drive their fire engines to the scene and put out the fire. Their response time is faster because their private fire station is located in the heart of Raja Uda. Today, this fire station is still operating and fully supported by everyone here. Bravo, to all the contributing residents and businessman!

Lobak and Leng Chee Kang Stall, Sin Tat Garden Raja Uda Butterworth (Only Available During Festivals at Temples around the area)

Friendly and sporting Mr. Loh posing for my camera at his lobak stall The lobak that I bought................................................The Leng Chee Kang Stall One thing I missed after staying in KL for so long are the Lobak and Leng Chee Kang Stall that are set up whenever there is a celebration at Chinese Temples around Butterworth, along with the opera show, of course. These make shift stall normally have very small tables and chairs. Other common hawker foods that accompany this kind of lobak stall are the Assam Laksa, Leng Chee Kang (sweet dessert drinks) and also the sotong kangkung (squid and water convolvulus with sweet spicy sauce). I met Mr. Loh the owner of this type of Lobak Stall (Chinese 5 spice Meat Rolls) in Raja Uda during the recent Kew Ong Yah festival in Raja Uda. He is well known among the locals around this area. My favourite choices are the lobak, prawn fritters, fried tofu and fu chuk. Dunk these in the chili and also the thick lobak sauce, the taste is yummy. After eating all the fried spicy stuff, a bowl of Leng Chee Kang provides a refreshing dessert!

Fried Stingray Recipe

Some people do not eat stingray because of the high urea content in the flesh and it is suppose to be detrimental to one’s health. The urea concentration is higher than sea water salt content, so pure water actually goes into the body of the stingray through osmosis process instead of flowing out like other normal fishes in the sea. Don’t let me scare you with this findings.........stingray still taste good, so is ok to eat moderately. There are many recipes for cooking stingray and the easiest is to fry it. I love to eat stingray fried with some turmeric and curry powder.

Ingredients

Stingray Cut, 1 piece

Curry powder, 1 table spoon

Chili paste, 1 table spoon

Turmeric (kunyit), ½ table spoon

Lemongrass, 1 pc, pound finely

Lime/lemon, 1pc, use the juice

Sugar, ½ teaspoon

Salt to taste

Soya sauce, 1 teaspoon

Butter, 1 teaspoon

Oil for frying

Marinate the stingray with curry powder, chili paste, turmeric, lemongrass, lime juice, sugar, salt and soya sauce. Heat up wok and fry the stingray until it turns golden brown. Take out the stingray from the wok and spread some butter on it evenly. Taste good if eaten with some birdeye chili (cili padi) with soya sauce and lime juice. Note : You can also grill the stingray, instead of frying it.

Related post 1)http://peteformation.blogspot.com/2009/05/traditional-turmeric-nyonya-assam-fish.html 2)http://peteformation.blogspot.com/2008/10/curry-stingray-yong-tau-foo-chap-sheet.html 3)http://peteformation.blogspot.com/2009/06/chili-dried-salted-sting-ray-with.html 4)http://peteformation.blogspot.com/2009/07/bbq-sting-ray-recipe-ikan-pari-tuka.html 5)http://peteformation.blogspot.com/2010/03/simple-nyonya-curry-stingray-recipe.html 6)http://peteformation.blogspot.com/2010/06/quickie-fried-spicy-lemon-stingray-tuka.html 7)http://peteformation.blogspot.com/2010/05/fried-shark-ikan-yu-with-tamarind.html 8)http://peteformation.blogspot.com/2010/05/creamy-curry-stingray-with-okra-recipe.html 9)http://peteformation.blogspot.com/2010/03/quickie-fried-curry-stingray-recipe.html

Assam Laksa, Jln Kurau, Chai Leng Park, Prai, Butterworth

This Assam Laksa owner operates from one of the terrace house in Jalan Kurau in Chai Leng Park, Prai, Butterworth. One will easily miss this laksa stall if you are not familiar with the place. The stall opens around lunch time until late afternoon tea time. I was in this area one afternoon and decided to check out the laksa. The laksa gravy is full of flavour and the turmeric smell is strong. No problem for me, the more pungent the soup the better it is, plus with the addition of wild ginger flower garnish, the taste is heaven. I love laksa with thick soup without adding any har ko (shrimp paste) as the har ko normally spoils the natural taste and also the laksa will become too sweet. The spicyness and sour taste is just right. Overall the laksa from this stall suits my taste. As the location of this eatery is in a house, it is not so pack with people like a normal restaurant or coffee shops with many stalls, so I can enjoy the laksa soup slowly and peacefully till the last drop! After finishing a bowl of laksa, I ‘sapu habis’(eat) all the ice kacang, yummy! The price per bowl is RM2.50. They owner also sells Bak Chang (Meat dumplings), Tong Sui, Ais Kacang, Siam Laksa, Yam Cakes and Oyster Porridge. A bowl of yummy assam laksa.............................The terrace house converted in to an eatery! Address: 92, Jalan Kurau, Chai Leng Park, Prai 13700, Butterworth. (Opposite Chai Leng Park Multi Purpose Hall and Thiam Chye Workshop) GPS Latitude 5°23'8.45"N Longitude 100°23'37.05"E Map to Chai Leng Park, Jalan Kurau Laksa Stall or rather a House

2009 Countdown New Year Party and Fireworks Display at Desa Parkcity

Desa Parkcity, on new year eve night..................The large crowd ushering the New Year! Desa Parkcity was packed with people when I arrived there 15 minutes before the countdown begins. The ‘Bomba’ (Firemen) were already on standby, getting ready for the fireworks display. I managed to find a parking space quite far away from the waterfront commercial centre. The guards cordoned off a big area in the park where all the fireworks display system have been set up. As, I was walking towards the commercial area with my little daughter, I can clearly hear the music being played and there was a party on in the commercial centre! We found a good spot just across the ground where all the fireworks are set up, but we realized later that we were actually very near too it and the sound of the fireworks were very loud indeed. After waiting for around five minutes the countdown begins. Here is a short video I took on the countdown and the fireworks display. Not a good shot, because I was too near the fireworks set up area!

Here are some random photos I took. What a nice New Year 2009 Party at Desa Parkcity!

Cute models in nice dresses and mask!

Live Band ! Man on stilts.............................................................Air filled playground for children! Games counter.....................................................................Fire Eating Stunts! Unfortunately, after the party, some irresponsible people littered the nice park with loads of rubbish and snow foams on the rock! What a shame!