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Basic Ingredients

Agar-agar is a tasteless dried seaweed widely used to thicken soups, sauces and desserts, as it sets without refrigeration. Commonly sold in small packets of fine, white powder, agar-agar is also available in the form of bars, strips and flakes. Powdered gelatine may be used as a substitute although it gives a slightly different texture.

Alkaline water, also known as lye water, is a dilute alkaline solution made from sodium or potassium carbonate that is added in small amounts to noodle, rice dumpling or cake recipes to give a sheen and springy texture to the starch. Small bottles of alkaline water are sold in grocery shops. If you cannot find it, replace with the same amount of baking soda solution (made from 1 part baking soda dissolved in 1 part water).

Banana leaves are used to wrap foods when steaming or grilling them. The moisture within the banana leaf lends texture and flavour to the food, but if you can't find fresh or frozen banana leaves, use aluminium foil. Before using them to wrap food, the leaves should be softened for easy folding, either by pouring boiling water over them in a tub and allowing them to steep for 1 to 2 minutes, or briefly heating them over a low flame.

Coconut cream and coconut milk are widely used in Asian desserts. While freshly pressed coconut milk has more flavour, coconut cream and milk are now available in cans and carton packets that are quick and convenient to use. Consistencies vary from brand to brand, so use your judgment and dilute with water as needed. Thick coconut milk is obtained from coconut cream by diluting by half with water; and thin coconut milk is half again as diluted as thick milk. If preferred, you can make your own from fresh coconuts. For fresh coconut cream, add ½ cup water to the grated flesh of 1 coconut, knead it a few times, then strain it with your fist or using a muslin cloth or cheesecloth. This yields about ½ cup of coconut cream. Thick coconut milk is obtained by adding 1 cup of water to the grated coconut flesh, which will yield about 1 cup of thick coconut milk. Thin coconut milk is obtained by adding another cup of water to the already pressed coconut flesh and squeezing it a second time; this will yield 1 cup of thin coconut milk.

Grated coconut is obtained by grating fresh coconut flesh. Freshly grated coconut can be purchased in many Asian markets. Packets or cans of dried or desiccated coconut, both sweetened and unsweetened, are widely available in supermarkets. To make your own, you first need to open the coconut by tapping firmly on the centre with the blunt end of a cleaver until a crack appears. Drain the juice and continue tapping until the coconut cracks into two. Place the coconut halves in a moderate oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the flesh shrinks away from the shell. Remove the flesh and use a vegetable peeler to shave off the brown outer skin, then grate it in a blender or food processor. This will yield about 4 cups of grated coconut. To toast the grated coconut, spread it on a baking sheet and bake it in the oven at 175°C (350°F) for about 5 minutes until golden brown.

Dried bean curd skin is a thin, cream-coloured sheet made from soybean milk solids. It comes in flat sheets and is sold in plastic packets in the dry goods sections of food stores. Dried bean curd skin packed in plastic bags will keep for up to a year when stored in a cool, dry place.

Durian has attracted a cult-like following. It is called the King of Fruits by aficionados in Southeast Asia, but Westerners usually don't care much for its sweet oniony flavour. Once cut open, the durian gives off a strong odour. Look for it in Asian markets.

Gelatine is an odourless, tasteless and colourless thickening agent that forms a jelly when dissolved in hot water and then cooled. Unlike agar-agar, it is made from boiled animal bones and tendons. Used in jellied desserts, salads and cold soups, gelatine is commonly sold in small packets of fine, white powder, although it is also sold in sheets or granules. Both flavoured and unflavoured gelatine are available.

Gingko nuts are oval and cream-coloured, with hard shells that must be cracked open with a nutcracker. The inner meats have a nutty, slightly bitter flavour and must be soaked in boiling water to loosen their skins. There is also a germ within the gingko nut which needs to be removed as it is bitter. This can be done by either splitting the nut into half and removing it, or by gently pushing it out using a toothpick. Shelled nuts may be purchased frozen or refrigerated in vacuum-sealed packs in Chinese grocery stores. Canned gingko nuts are also available but have far less flavour—add them at the final stages of cooking.

Glutinous rice or sticky rice is a variety of short grain rice that is more starchy than normal rice when cooked. Two types of glutinous rice are commonly used in cakes and desserts: the white grain (beraspulut) and the black grain (pulut hitam). Glutinous white rice is readily available from Asian food stores, while glutinous black grain rice is sold at speciality stores.

Glutinous rice flour is made from white glutinous rice grains that are ground into a powder. It is stickier than normal rice flour and is generally used in dumplings, buns and pastries. Glutinous rice flour made from black sweet rice is black or dark purple.

Mung beans (kacang hijau) are small yellow beans with a bright green seed coat. They are most often sold shelled and sometimes split in dried form. Before using, soak the beans in cold water for several hours and then boil until tender.

Mung bean flour is made from ground roasted mung beans. Commonly mixed in with rice or wheat flour, it improves the texture of rice cakes and noodles. It can be purchased in small paper packets that come in various colours.

Palm sugar (gula Melaka) is a type of sugar made from the sweet sap of sugar or coconut palm trees. Palm sugar varies in colour, consistency and sweetness from a soft, creamy beige type which is sold in plastic jars to a crystalized dark brown palm sugar sold in round disks or blocks wrapped in clear plastic or paper wrappers. The dark brown palm sugar is generally sweeter and more fragrant than the others. Any type can be used as they have the same flavour. If you cannot find it, substitute dark brown sugar or maple syrup.

Pandanus leaves (daun pandan) are the long and slender, blade-like green leaves of the pandanus palm. They impart a fresh floral fragrance and are used as an air freshener across Asia as well as to perfume desserts and rice dishes. Their intense green colour is also used as a natural food colouring. Look for fresh leaves in Asian markets. If unavailable, substitute bottled pandanus essence or rose or vanilla essence.

Sago pearls are tiny dried beads made from the starch of the sago palm. They soften and become transparent when cooked, and have a gluey texture but very little flavour of their own as they mainly consist of starch. Sago pearls are widely used in desserts and puddings in Asian cooking, generally combined with sugar and coconut cream. Dried sago pearls are available in packets. Tapioca pearls may be used as a substitute.

Red beans are also known as azuki beans. They must be soaked before using and are readily available dried in Asian food stores.

You can also buy a canned version that is pre-cooked and sweetened.

Rice flour is made from uncooked rice grains that are ground to a powder. It is often used in desserts. Fresh rice flour can be made by soaking rice grains overnight and then grinding them slowly in a blender. Dried rice flour is readily available in packets.

Taro (ubi keladi) is a starchy root vegetable that is often prepared like a potato. It has a brown and hairy outer skin that must be removed before cooking. Its flesh may be pinkish, purple, beige or white, with the texture of a potato but a unique taste and flavour. It is normally boiled, baked, fried or steamed. There are two kinds of taro—a larger one and a miniature taro similar in size to a baby potato. Choose taros that are dry and firm. They may be stored in a cool and dry place for up to a week. In Asia, taro is often mistakenly referred to as "yam"—although it is not related to yams or sweet potatoes, which are quite different in flavour and texture. The closest substitute is potato.

Sweet Coconut Filling (Inti)

100 g (½ cup) palm sugar, roughly chopped

75 ml (5 tablespoons) water

1 pandanus leaf, knotted

100 g (1 cup) grated coconut

1 Place the palm sugar and water in a pan and cook until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 10 minutes until the liquid starts to thicken and become syrupy.

2 Add the pandanus leaf and grated coconut and continue cooking over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until the coconut filling is thick and glossy. Most of the liquid should have evaporated. Cool and use as desired. Keeps well if stored in a covered container in the fridge.

Makes 1 cup

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Palm Sugar Syrup

200 g (1 cup) palm sugar, roughly chopped

250 ml (1 cup) water

1 pandanus leaf, tied into a knot

1 Place the palm sugar and water in a pan, together with the pandanus leaf. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

2 Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until liquid thickens slightly and is 'syrupy'.

Makes 1 cup

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Pandanus Juice

6-8 large pandanus leaves

150 ml (²/₃ cup) water

1 Rinse the pandanus leaves and, using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut the leaves into 2-cm (¾-in) lengths.

2 Place the leaves and water in a blender and process until pulverized. Pour through a fine strainer and discard the solids. Measure out the required amount of juice called for in the recipe.

Makes ½ cup

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

For maximum flavour and colour, choose mature, dark green leaves over younger, light green ones.

How to make a pandanus brush

Align two pandanus leaves lengthwise, one on top of the other.

Fold the two leaves in half; the folded leaves should be about 12 cm (5 in) in length.

Tie the loose ends tightly with a rubber band or length of string to make a handle.

Using scissors, cut open the looped end of the leaves.

Use the scissors to snip the loose ends to make a brush.

Use the pandanus brush for greasing baking pans or cake moulds.

Bubur Ca Ca

1 small taro, about 200 g (7 0Z)

1 small sweet potato or yam, about 200 g (7 oz)

1 pandanus leaf, tied into a knot

750 ml (3 cups) water

250 ml (1 cup) thick coconut milk

100 g ½ cup) sugar or chopped palm sugar

Pinch of salt

2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced diagonally

1 Peel the taro and sweet potato or yam and cut into small cubes. Rinse well.

2 Place the taro and sweet potato in a medium-sized saucepan with the pandanus leaf and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the taro and sweet potato are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

3 Add the coconut milk, sugar and salt and return to the boil. Add the sliced bananas and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Sago Pearls may be added to the bubur ca ca to give it an interesting texture. Rinse 1 tablespoon sago in a sieve and add at the end of step 2. Then cook the mixture for 5 minutes before adding the coconut milk.

Black Rice Pudding

150 g (¾ cup) black glutinous rice (pulut hitam)

1 litre (4 cups) water

1 pandanus leaf, tied into a knot

120-140 g (½ cup or slightly more) sugar (depending on sweetness desired)

250 ml (1 cup) thick coconut milk

¼ teaspoon salt

1 Pick the rice over for husks and any foreign particles. Wash in several changes of water and then cover with fresh water. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.

2 Drain the rice and add 1 litre (4 cups) fresh water. Bring to a boil together with the pandanus leaf; then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the grains are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 hour. (The final consistency should be creamy and porridge-like; if it looks dry, add more water.) 3 Add the sugar and cook for another 10 minutes then remove from the heat.

4 Combine the coconut milk and salt in a small pan. Heat gently, stirring constantly, until it reaches boiling point. Remove immediately from the heat. Serve the porridge in small bowls with a spoonful of coconut milk swirled over the top.

Serves 4 to 6

Preparation time: 40 mins

Cooking time: 1 hour 10 mins

Sweet Red Bean Soup with

Dried Tangerine Peel

150 g (¾ cup) dried red beans (azuki beans)

1½ litres (6 cups) water

5-cm (2-in) piece dried tangerine peel

100-140 g (½ cup or more) white sugar (depending on sweetness desired)

Serves 4 to 6

Preparation time: 35 mins

Cooking time: 1-1½ hours

1 Pick the beans over for any foreign particles and wash well in several changes of water. Cover with water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.

2 Drain the beans and replace with l½ litres (6 cups) fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the beans are soft, about 1 hour.