Recipe : Made with love by Abah

Assalamualaikum and Hi,

My Abah is not like other ordinary father. He is very unique in his own ways. One of his uniqueness is he loves to cook, and he takes control of our kitchen. Abah has been cooking for our family since I was little but what I can remember it was maybe since I was 11 or 12. Mama is also a great chef but yeah she is extremely happy if Abah wants to cook (so she can rest more and it means less work to do!). My Abah is a very particular chef,  he memorised every single step of the recipe such as how many grams, or how much to put. Usually in our culture, we just follow our instinct, or 'agak agak'. That does not apply to my dad because he is precise. Even when he wants to make drink, he has his own measurement. To make tea add seven spoon of sugar to a jug of water. And it works! I want to share two recipes of food I always ask him to make for me, mashed potatoes with gravy and sambal kicap (sweet spicy soy sauce). I'm always a big fan of potatoes! I can eat them all they everyday. Fried, boiled, mashed, baked but not raw..just give them to me I will eat them all. I remember when I was in boarding school and studying in Monash, I always ask him to make mashed potatoes for me. He often nag me saying it is easy to make blablabla (another uniqueness, he loves to nag). One day, I think after I already graduate, I watch him making mashed potatoes and gravy. And it is when I ask the recipe from him! I want to learn more from him because if one day if he is not around, I can always be with him through food. Same goes to my mom too. Okay, as for sambal kicap, it was the best one I've ever had too!!! We eat it with chicken soup, oxtail soup and soto. Ohh so yumm!!. These two are the best recipes ever from him. 

So here they are;

Mashed potatoes with gravy

Mashed potatoes:

Potatoes, milk, and salt

1. Boiled peeled potatoes with salt and some oil.

2. Mashed the potatoes, add milk slowly until achieve consistency you desired. Add salt according to your taste.

Gravy:

Leftover water from boiling potatoes, chicken stock, onions, soy sauce, black pepper, cornstarch, and salt.

1. Using leftover water from boiling potatoes, add on 1 cubed chicken stock, black pepper and onions according to your taste.

2. Once water is boiling, add in soy sauce for colour and salt as per your taste. Then add cornstarch until it thickens. After that, taste and adjust accordingly.

Sambal kicap:

10 green chilies

2 spoon sugar

1 clove garlic

sweet soy sauce

1. Crush chilies and garlic using chopper or pestle and mortar. Then add in sugar and sweet soy sauce. Mix until achieve desired consistency.

This recipe is so good to eat with fried tofu or soto, or just plain soup. For 2nd recipe, usually my sister will do it at home.

I think that's all for now.

Till then,

Adlina