INTRODUCTION OF FOOD

Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats,proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells in an effort to produce energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.

Historically, people secured food through two methods: hunting and gathering, andagriculture. Today, most of the food energy consumed by the world population is supplied by the food industry.

Food safety and food security are monitored by agencies like the International Association for Food Protection, World Resources Institute, World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Food Information Council. They address issues such as sustainability, biological diversity, climate change, nutritional economics,population growth, water supply, and access to food.

The right to food is a human right derived from the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), recognizing the "right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate food," as well as the "fundamental right to be free from hunger."

DEEP FRIED BUTTER SQUID RECIPE

Most of my raw seafood are sourced from mom, who works at a wet market in Penang. She’d pack them frozen in layers of newspaper so that they remain as such during the journey back to KL. The interesting part is, I usually never really know what I’m getting.

So the latest shipment includes squid, one of my favorite seafood, but also one that I have little experience in preparing. I scouted around the internet a little bit and came up with this recipe ofdeep fried butter squid, an inspiration from several sources, and some personal preference in taste.

                                          home made deep fried butter squid, yum yum

This dish takes a little longer and more steps than most my other recipes, but the end result turned out pretty good, definitely worth the effort and it’ll be something that I shall make again.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon rice flour
• 3 tablespoon corn flour
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 egg (beaten)
• squid (300-500 gram)
• 1 inch ginger
• half a bulb of garlic (you can have more)
• 2 red/green chili
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoon butter
• vegetable oil for deep frying
  
  
  cooking instruction 1 (deep frying):
  • mix rice flour, corn flour, and black pepper in a bowl
  • beat an egg in another
  • clean squid, you can cut them in rings for bigger squid, remember to remove eyes and beak too
  • dip squid into egg, then flour mix, then deep fry till just a shade before the desired golden brown color
  • set a side these fried squid
  cooking instruction 2 (final stage):
  

  • cut ginger and garlic into slices
  • split red/green chili down the middle and remove seeds
  • heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil, then fry garlic, ginger, and chili till fragrant
  • add butter, then squid
  • fry for another 1-2 minutes
  • viola, it’s done!
    
    

Gulab Jamun

Gulab jamun milk balls in thick syrup from Malaysia

Ever so sweet Gulab Jamun!

There is sweet, and then there is gulab jamun. Few sweet treats can match the tooth shockingly good sweeter than sweet syrup soaked milk balls known as gulab jamun.

Where does gulab jamun come from?

Originating in the middle east gulab jamun quickly became immensely popular in the indian subcontinent is the easy answer. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and evenIran all have variations of gulab jamun. As Malaysia has a huge population coming from these regions, gulab jamun has made it here too!

Gulab Jamun from Little India, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

What is gulab jamun made from?

A milky sugar dough is made, traditionally using buffalo milk. It’s then rolled in balls and deep-fried. Then soaked in a syrup made from using either sugar, honey, rose-water or saffron syrup.

What does gulab jamun taste like?

Sweet is an understatement. Usually you can buy gulab jamun from an Indian sweet shop on the streets of Malaysia. Served on the spot in a little dish it’s up to you either to cut and eat, or pop a whole one into your mouth.

Be warned though, popping a whole one into your mouth and biting down will result in a huge explosion of sweet syrup. Which, can either be a sweet lovers delight, or really overwhelming to those who don’t have a sweet tooth.

My experience with this sweet dish

I first tried this in India, then Nepal, now in Malaysia. In India I found it to be a serious boost to the blood steam if you need a pick me up. In Nepal it’s decorated in silver paint in many places. In Malaysia it came slightly chilled. Which, I may add, really was good.

If you get a chance, and want to taste one of the sweetest things on the planet, try gulab jamun.