Thursday, September 25, 2008

A tasty introduction to Kuih Cara

When I was recently back in Malaysia, an old school friend invited me to attend her Malaysian cooking class in Petaling Jaya (see sidebar at right). Aside from nasi lemak, prawn sambal and sago gula melaka, Kuih Cara was on the menu.


It was the first time I had heard of it. My friend, Ana, told us - a class of five 'students', three of whom were visitors to Kuala Lumpur, that Kuih Cara was usually sold at roadside stalls during Ramadan. It's a hearty minced meat appetiser with a base of coconut milk dough flavoured with pounded dried prawns. The minced beef topping is first saute'ed with some curry powder and sliced shallots or onions, while the 'pancake' base is coloured with a pinch of powdered turmeric.

Kuih Cara is cooked in a kuih bolu mould pan on a gas stove (or in muffin pans in a bottom-heated oven when I got back to Switzerland) and garnished with chopped red chillies and spring onion.

Have you ever had Kuih Cara?

22 comments:

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

Uhm. Yeah. I usually get to eat it at stock exchange launches. It's a popular order, I guess. It's nice...savoury and sweet. :-)

Kenny Mah said...

Stock exchange launches? Do they launch new ones all the time? :P

Sorry, just needed to say something silly, hehe.

Haven't tried this myself, though. Will you make them for us, the next time you're in town, Argus? :)

fatboybakes said...

I LOVE THIS STUFF!!!

Lee Ping said...

I have never had Kuih Cara. Would love to take a look at the recipe, especially the pancake portion (is it made from rice flour? etc). Looking at the ingredients, I already know I will like the taste of it. Can't really go wrong with dried shrimp.

Argus Lou said...

Ah, it warms the clams and cockles of my heart to see my three blogger pals here. ^_^

Lyrical, why sweet ah? Both the topping and the base are supposed to be kind of savoury and slightly spicy, no? Come to think of it, the base is kind of like that of roti jala but with added ground dried shrimp.

Kenny, yes, they launch new stocks all the time. Ha ha. Will make them for you only if you let me darken the doorstep of your apartment and have a kuih bolu mould pan AND a gas stove. Go lah for my friend's cooking class! Fun couple's activity, Mah.

FBB, ya ke? You're a true-blue Malaysian, looks like.

Argus Lou said...

Dear Mrs HBT, I will email to you the recipe since you're too far away to attend my friend's cooking class. It does make a tasty and unusual appetizer. Happy experimenting!

LianneK said...

I learned something new today. An interesting cooking class featuring local delicacy and the name of this kueh :-) Thank!

Argus Lou said...

Hi, Lianne. Thanks. Glad you appreciated it.

NKP said...

No, I have not heard of Kuih Cara - it looks yummy. I like your white leaf plate too.

Cynthia said...

No, I've never had it or even heard of it... sounds like a great idea for an appetizer or finger foods for a get-together.

Cynthia said...

Sorry for only now getting back to you abour the burfi sweets.

While I have never made burfi, I have used and found recipes from these two blogs to be excellent.

http://shankari-rajesh.blogspot.com/2008/09/pistachio-burfi.html

http://funnfud.blogspot.com/2008/08/burfi-recipes-badam-kesar-burfi.html

Argus Lou said...

Natashya, thanks for dropping in. I bought the leave-shaped plate in Switzerland but it's made in Thailand. It comes in green, too.

Cynthia, thanks so much for the links for burfi. Will be sure to make some around Diwali, the festival of lights. ^_^

fatboybakes said...

oooh, apart from warming your heart's cockles, we all commented one after another. WHAT are the odds of THAT i ask you!!!!

Argus Lou said...

Ya lah, FBB. And how I wish I could use the cockles for a steaming pan of char kway teow...

(Somehow it feels incestuous commenting on your blog about the same time you commented on mine. Shiver.)

Kak Teh said...

Argus, i love this savoury kuih cara. Never made it though. The inti is just like those you make for currypuffs.
Now you made me yearn for kuih cara!

Argus Lou said...

Hi, Kak Teh. Nice to 'see' you again. My friend must've simplified the inti of Kuih Cara Berlauk. There's no potato or celery leaves in it. And the tasty idea of adding pounded dried prawns to the dough came from her ex-ma-in-law.

fatboybakes said...

guffaw, howwww is it incestuous la? its merely like great minds think alike.

Tunku Halim said...

I love those macro photos. Very enticing lah! :) The lavash bread looks good too. You seem to cater for all human needs ...

Argus Lou said...

Haha, TH. Thanks. Argus World is an almost comprehensive catering service. No karipaps though, at least not yet.

Salt N Turmeric said...

there are 2 version of kuih cara. sweet and savoury. I love them both! But nope, iv not made them myself.

Argus Lou said...

Hi, Salt n Turmeric. Thanks for visiting. Ah, yes, this is Kuih Cara Berlauk (with savoury toppings). I wonder what nice sweet things go on the sweet kuih cara... mmm.

Salt N Turmeric said...

oh for the kuih cara manis, its just sugar. when u bite into it, gotta be careful or else the syrup would splattered everywhere. lol.

My old living-room

My old living-room
In Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

A cherished dream

A cherished dream
To live on a pale beach by a crystal clear sea. (This was taken on the east coast of Johor state, Malaysia.)

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