u m a m i

Zenxin Organic Food and a Thermomix Demo.

Ten years ago, it was hard to find organic food in Singapore. These days, organic products are easily available in supermarkets and specialty stores. My favourite supplier is Zenxin Organic Food. They have their own organic-certified farms in Malaysia, and whatever they don't grow, they source from other countries to complete their product range. In the beginning, we used their delivery service but now that the Cold Storage supermarkets have been allocating more space for their products, it is convenient for me to pop in to my neighbourhood store about 2-3 times a week to get my supplies. 

Ceri is the Product Manager for their Singapore store. When I sent a general e-mail enquiry to Zenxin for my first delivery, she replied immediately, the time was about 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning! She is great at customer service, very knowledgeable and passionate about her products,  and responds to feedbacks and queries efficiently. In person, she is warm and approachable, and always seem to be bursting with energy and good vibrations whenever we talk or meet.

Yesterday morning I finally made my way to their shop at the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre with V and a friend.  Ceri was in the store, and as it was nearly lunch time, she started making some lunch at their demonstration counter, using vegetables which are not pretty enough to sell but still good enough to eat. She used a Thermomix to make carrot soup for staff lunch. I have never seen a Thermomix in action before, this super all-in-one machine that weighs ingredients, whizzes them like a powerful food processor and then cooks the food.

Garlic and onions ready to be chopped really finely.

Ceri poured in some olive oil and the machine sautees the aromatics. In the meantime, she dropped potatoes through the top opening.

Carrots and about 2 L of water next, plus seasonings. The Thermomix cooks the soup while we shopped.

We sampled some soup. The texture was very fine and smooth, did not require passing through a sieve. It was delicious and satisfying, V loved it so much she scraped the bowl clean. The Thermomix is a nice machine. It doesn't occupy much foot print, the food processor is very powerful, the cooking efficient and there wasn't much clean-up to do after. I do not need another kitchen equipment, but if I was, I would consider getting one.

It was an enjoyable shopping experience, being able to browse and learn at the same time. I planned the trip because I wanted to buy some products which are not so amply stocked at the supermarkets, like dried fruits, flours, nuts, whole grains and miso pastes. Besides Ceri, the other staff are lovely too, always ready with suggestions and advice. It was a bit of drive to get there, but shoppers can apply for a membership card and get an instant 10% discount on their purchase. I'll certainly go back again.

 

 

 

 

Cucur Udang

 

Last weekend I hosted a Tupperware party. It was my first time, yet there was a strong feeling of deja-vu, because I remember attending such parties when I was a child. The best ones involved lots of layered multi-coloured jellies and fluorescent popsicles made with Tang and Ribena.

Our palates though, has since outgrown such innocent treats, something else is called for. I made some vanilla cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, those went down well with the adults and  children alike. For something savory, I turned to my helper. She suggested cucur udang, bite-sized prawn and vegetable fritters. It was too delicious, and were all too quickly eaten up. Here's how to do it. 

Ingredients: 3 types of vegetables, prawns de-shelled, cleaned and cut up into 2-3 pieces, tempura flour, 1 egg, salt, pepper and red chilli powder. Choose vegetables that would retain crispness  but not leach water when cooked e.g. french beans, cabbage, carrots.

Grate the carrots and cabbage, and cut the beans into little discs.

Season the prawns.

Toss the vegetables to mix, and season with chilli pepper, salt and pepper to taste.

Break the egg into the vegetable mix and stir it in.

Add the tempura flour. When I asked her, "how much?" She replied, "until it becomes sticky." Start with 3 heaped tablespoons and mix, until the vegetables are just about held together. She used about 5 tablespoons in the end, and did not need to add any water to loosen the mix.

The batter should look like coleslaw. Add the prawns last. Use hands to shape each fritter, ensuring that each piece has at least a good-sized piece of juicy, succulent prawns. Deep fry, drain and serve. Test the first piece to ensure correct seasoning, batter thickness etc. Can be held in a 50 C oven for a couple of hours before serving.