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Suria Helang Lui

Month: March 2011

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30 Mar 2011
0 Comments By admin Farm Recipes

Farm Recipes – Rastali Banana bread (Kek Pisang Rastali)

Pisang Rastali

Once the Rastali Banana is ripe, it gets soft after a few days.  So, since I had some ripe Rastali banana, I decided to experiment making banana bread that was easy to make and didn’t take a long time nor use complex ingredients.  After all, I do not think cooking should be complicated, use as little time as possible (we all have busy schedules), easy to find ingredients and as nutritious as possible without having to think of it as a “Health Food”.
With the abundance of bananas at the farm, I decided that I needed to come up with alternative ways of eating them other than raw or as banana fritters (pisang goreng).  Moreover, I wanted to test how this particular banana tastes when it is transformed to a bread – flavor, sweetness and moistness.
The beauty of Rastali is it has a natural sweetness to it so you can use less sugar.  Since the fruit was produced as naturally as possible, I decided to use ingredients that will add to the nutritional value and are as less processed as possible.
The bread turned out well, springy and soft and slightly moist giving it a light taste with a lovely banana flavour.  It takes about 30 minutes of preparation time, without using any electrical gadgets so you do not need to go out and buy a mixer or own a food processor.  The utensils that I needed were 1 mixing bowl, 1 large bowl (to mash the bananas), 1 whisk, 1 fork or masher (like those you use to make mash potatoes) and 1 spatula.

Ingredients:
8 cups of mashed Rastali banana
6 cups of self-raising flour
2 cups of corn oil or olive oil
2 cups of brown sugar or raw sugar (trying to get the most out of sugar)
8 eggs
2 cups of milk – I prefer to use low fat milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla essence
2 teaspoons of cinnamon – preferably fresh grated.  I used Sabah cinnamon sticks.
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Method:
Using a whisk, mix the eggs, corn oil and sugar until it has blended well and slightly foamy on the top.  Add it to the mashed bananas.  Stir in the vanilla essence. cinnamon and salt.  Add milk to the mixture.  Fold in the flour and pour into 2 cake pans or 1 large pan.  Bake at 175F for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is done (I use a toothpick and stick it in bread.  If it comes out cleanly, it is done).

Next experiment, is Pengat Pisang Udang or the closest I can describe it in English, is a soupy banana pudding(?).

29 Mar 2011
0 Comments By admin SHL Journal

SHL Journal – The Corn and The Tapioca, The Beginning

Once upon a time, there was a land section of 30ft by 20ft, that was covered by healthy weeds.  Seeing as it was such a rich and fertile soil, it seemed a waste to have weeds enjoying its life.  Thus began the back-breaking job of removing the weeds manually, without weed-killers, and turning over the soil as well as adding more compost material to it.  After 3 days of sweat, and 1 day of heavy rain, the ground was ready to welcome the tapioca (Cassava) stem cuttings.  Rows of 6-inch-depth holes, two feet apart were dug, preparing the new home for the tapioca stems.
It is important to know which way to lay the stems or else it will not grow properly as to my knowledge, the tapioca tubers can only grow in soil and not come out like fruits.  Each stem is place, right side up with its “eyes” facing upward, and at an angle and lightly covered with soil and left to begin its new life.

Tapioca shoots

For good quality tapioca, rich soil with good drainage and sufficient water is a necessity,  As the soil factor was covered, this meant that a sprinkler system needed to be implemented to supplement the natural, rain watering.  The source of water for this system is from the upstream source thus it is non-polluted water.  A few days later, lovely green shoots appear on the stems indicating that it has begun its new life cycle.  So now, these new babies are ready to be “more covered” with soil.  The roots have now started to grow but its hold in the soil is still week thus tilling the soil around it and topping the stem with more soil needs to be done carefully so as not to dislodge the roots.

Tapioca trees, 3 weeks after planting

About two weeks later, it has grown to about 1 ft tall and the weeds have started to make an appearance.  Once again, it is “cangkul” action time, turn over the soil, adding some organic fertilizer as well as compost to it.  Rows of tapioca trees were created and it appeared to me that this tapioca patch would be able to support some rows of corn.
It takes about 4-5 months before the tapioca roots can be harvested, making selecting corn to be planted in between it, as the best choice.  The corn should be ready for harvest within 3-4 months.  Just nice timing.  First harvest the corn, which would not disrupt the soil.  Then harvest the tapioca a month later, which will result in major soil disruption, but since the corn has been harvested, it doesn’t matter.

Corn shoots

The ground was prepared for planting, once again being turned over, to remove the weeds.  Corn kernels, from my previous harvest, was sowed in about 1 inch of soil, between the rows of tapioca.  With lovely rain watering them on a daily basis, and the rich soil, 3 days later, they sprouted with the shoots appearing in verticl rolls above the ground.  Now the experiment of the Corn and the Tapioca is in full swing.  The next time that the soil will be worked on will be when the corn is about 6 inches tall. The soil water content will also need to be monitored to ensure that both varieties get the water is needs.

26 Mar 2011
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Farm Recipes – Lemon Basil (Kemangi) Pasta

More often than not, we have pasta Italian-style or “Malaysian-Italian” style with the addition of chilli or sometimes, spices.  With our tropical weather, I like a lighter version of pasta – without cream or butter.  There are many herbs and vegetables on the farm and I decided to try something different today so I experimented with this dish.  With the Kemangi, it gives the dish a slightly lemony flavour balancing the “heaviness” from the pasta and parmesan cheese.  I must say I really enjoyed it and if you are on a diet, watching your cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and other stuff, try this (by the way, I am not the “measuring” kind of cook so bear with me):

Ingredients:

  • Spaghetti, Fetuccine or Linguine pasta
  • 1 fresh, Terung Bulat (oval Aubergine)
  • 2-3 stems of fresh Kemangi (Lemon Basil)
  • 4-5 young leaves of fresh Daun Salam (Indian Bayleaf)
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • fine grated Parmesan cheese
  • chilli flakes (for those who like it a bit “hot”)

Method:
Boil pasta to al dente and drain the water.  Dice aubergine, slice Kemangi and Daun Salam, chop or crush garlic.  In heated olive oil, toss garlic and aubergine until soft. Add pasta.  Turn off heat and add Kemangi and Daun Salam.  Toss them around and salt to taste.  Serve with Parmesan cheese.  Add chilli flakes if you wish.

Based on the ingredients, here’s what you feed your body :

  1. From Kemangi, you get magnesium and beta-carotene – good for the heart, diabetes, stress
  2. From the garlic, natural antibiotic and good for the heart and those nasty bacteria
  3. From Daun Salam, good for diabetes, high blood pressure, reducing cholesterol
  4. From purple Terung Bulat, vitamin A, C, Calcium,etc. – good for the cholesterol, bones, etc.
  5. Pasta – carbohydrates to fuel your body
  6. Olive oil – you all know how great this oil is for you

Of course, to get the best nutrition value, get chemical-pesticide free produce.  If you try this recipe, let me know what you think and if you did variations, please share.

23 Mar 2011
0 Comments By admin Development

Suria Helang Lui – The Story Behind It

Nature’s bounty
When I was growing up, I often heard stories at meal times, mainly from the older generation, of how one leaf or another is good for you and how it has been eaten for generations.  Most of these came from plants and trees that seem to grow easily in the Malaysian tropical weather, with its warm sun and plenty of rain.  Some grow in the forests and jungles bordering the villages, some grow in the area surrounding the houses, some by the streams and rivers and in marsh areas but the one common element it that they seem to require no care, just happily growing.  Through the years, with development and easy access to stores and supermarkets as well as the change in lifestyles, our diet has changed and some of the natural diet benefits have been reduced or lost.
With the commercialization of farms and push for “quantity production” and profits, how our food is produced has changed.  Chemical pesticides and fertilizers as well as polluted waters now are often used – all in the name of producing larger quantities faster and cheaper.  All these chemicals are introduced into our food, which even after cleaning or washing, would still remain within them, albeit in trace quantities.  After years of consumption, the amount of chemicals within our bodies would increase.  Our bodies become more “open” to illnesses and disease.  So, what do we do, we start spending more money to strengthen our bodies with vitamins and supplements and go in search of better quality food.  This is fine for those with bigger disposal income but what about those who don’t.  Cheap food doesn’t mean quality food but at times, for some people, there is no alternative.
Over-run by vegetation

It is from these thoughts within my head, that Suria Helang Lui was born, with a determination to go as natural as possible.  When I acquired the land, it was an overrun of weeds, shrubs and trees and lots of unknown creatures that had overtaken this over 50 years of abandoned paddy field.  Over time, the river and streams had also changed its flow including some additions and deletions of streams, with the last major change occurring in the early seventies after a major flood in the area.  It took me about one year to study the land, looking at the soil, the contour of the land, the vegetation in existence, the sunlight movement, rain pattern and several other factors, before I formulated my development plan.  In my estimation, it would take me about 5 years before it would reach what I would call “maintenance mode”.  This land is rich in its bounty and my development principle was to maximize its features.

I received a lot of advice that the easiest and cheapest way was to bring in a crew with bulldozers and just bulldoze the land to clear it and then I can start building quickly.  This would only take a few days to do and then the land would be nice and clean for me to do whatever I wanted.  The flaw in this advise would be by razing the land, the beauty and natural contour would be lost as well as the top soil – one of the important elements for quality soil for agriculture.

On-off stream, depending on rain
On-off stream, now a fish pond

Not only that, nature had provided for a natural draining mechanism to this land via its “stream-like” pattern on the land.  This is also another important element as this area receives a lot of rain and the streams and rivers can overflow causing floods so why mess with the natural drainage pattern that had protected this land from  major floods.  My intention was to maximize this and turn it into my fish “pond” and start an aquaculture project thus achieving two objectives: flood protection as the fish pond would be my water overflow containment and producing another food source, fish.

Nature’s beautiful gift

The method I used to develop this land is in a way, more manual.  I started by studying the land with many “walkabouts” on the land, using a machete (parang) to clear my pathway.  Then I started using a brush-cutter. I had help, sometimes, from good friends.  This enabled me to see the contour and flow of the land as well as identify what vegetation I wanted to retain and what I wanted removed.  It was a slow process but the benefits were great as I found many plants that I wanted to keep, some that are harder to find, some that were considered as weeds by other but were medicine or food source for me, and some that were just beautiful for landscape.  The additional benefit was that I got a good workout as a bonus while breathing in clean air with lots of oxygen and less pollutants.
I envision this land will become a beautiful farm with comfortable living quarters surrounded by Malaysian plants and trees that are not only beautiful but are a food or medicine source.  Of course, I foresee some farm animals like chickens and geese.  After all, no farm is complete without some animals.The planning for a house with features that take into account the purpose of the farm makes it a bit complex.  I have to plan for work areas for preparation of produce, storage areas for produce and equipment, disposal of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, water and power consumption, ease of access and of course, ease and comfort for my visitors.  All this would take time, effort and money so I had to prioritize.  As such, I use the “Leggo” building method, building in phases with “build-on” concept, starting with a bathroom/storage.  After all, there are limits to time, effort and most of all, money.  Thus the adventure continues……..

21 Mar 2011
0 Comments By admin Edible Landscape, Well-being Landscape

Edible Landscape – Ruku (Holy Basil)

This shrub is also know as Selasih Hitam in Malay (Botanical name : Ocinum Tenuiflorum) and grows to about 1.5 m in height in sunny, good drainage and with regular watering.  It makes for a beautiful shrub in your garden and is propagated via seeds.
Unlike its cousin, Kemangi (Lemon Basil), the leaves and flowers have a licorice-like taste.  Traditionally, it has been used as a treatment for coughs and chest congestion.  It is purported to be used as a treatment for diabetes as it lowers the blood glucose level.  In Ayurveda, it is considered to be “the elixir of life” due to its extensive healing properties such as remedies for common colds, heaches, stomach disorfers, inflammation, heart disease and various forms of poisoning and malaria.  It is also often used in herbal cosmetics due to its anti-bacterial properties.

The leaves are are green which turn to purplish as it matures and it has tiny clusters of flowers at the end of the stem.  When the flowers matures and dries, it produces tiny seeds which is easily blown away by the breeze so on the farm, I let natural propagation to take place.  The stem is purple – color – which makes it an interesting plant to have in the landscape.  Frequent pruning keeps the shrub nice and healthy as the stems tend to dry out after the flower matures.

Similar to the other varieties of basil or Selasih in Malay, the leaves and flowers can be eaten raw.  It is also used as a condiment in savory dishes.  The leaves and flowers can also be dried to convert into a tea.  This herbal tea is prepared similar to other herbal teas and can be served hot, warm or cold.

17 Mar 2011
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Edible Landscape – Kemangi (Lemon Basil)

Kemangi leaves and flowers
Bed of Kemangi

On hot humid days, I love strolling through the beds of Kemangi ( Malay name) , enjoying the lemony fragrance exuded from the leaves of this plant.  I regard this plant as a Super Ulam as it has many health benefits including treatment for stress, asthma and diabetes.  Maybe, that is why I feel so relaxed after the stroll.  Both the leaves and the flowers are edible and has a slight citrus taste to them.
In Malay, some people call it Selasih but as there are various types of Selasih, the more precise name is Kemangi.  The English name is Lemon Basil and the botanical name is Ocimum x Citriodorum. 
Whenever I do my version of the nasi kerabu, I chop some of these leaves and flowers along with bunga kantan, serai, daun salam and ulam raja (all freshly picked at the farm) and the resulting taste is a pleasure to the taste buds and definitely healthy.
This herb also is a great addition to any spicy dish and it lends a citrus-like flavour to the dish.  It can also be added to any seafood that will be steamed such as bawal putih and siakap.

Bundles ready for market

This plant can be propagated from the stem cuttings or seeds.  At the farm, we use the seeds as I feel it results in a better quality shrub.  It grows to about 1m in height and best in bright sunlight with regular watering in rich, organic soil.  Weekly pruning encourages the plant to produce new shoots and flowers whilst providing for sufficient supply for my weekly Sunday morning market.  It takes approximately 2 months from planting before it is ready for harvesting.
The leaves and flowers can also be chopped and dried, preferably in hot, dry area without direct sunlight, to produce a flavourful herbal tea with as much of its health benefits preserved. This tea is brewed in a similar manner to other herbal teas, steeping the tea for about 5 minutes in very hot water.  With its rich taste, I prefer it without adding any sweeteners.
In view of how this herb is consumed, as with all my other produce, no toxic chemical pesticides are used.  Only organic fertilizer is used.
Kemangi is rich in magnesium and beta-carotene as well as flavonoids.  There are many other key minerals and elements that are beneficial to the human body including the heart.  So next time that you are at the markets and encounter this herb, try it and enjoy.

15 Mar 2011
0 Comments By admin Well-being Landscape

Well-Being Landscape – Senduduk

This plant is considered a weed by some but I think of them as an “outdoors first aid kit”.  I have these plants in several locations on the farm so it is nearby should I need them.  It grows on the farm naturally and is known in Malay as Senduduk.

Senduduk Kampung Leaves
Senduduk Hutan Leaves

There are several varieties of this plant from the Melastomacaea family.  There are two kinds that grow on the farm, Senduduk Kampung (Melastoma Malabathricum) and Senduduk Hutan (I am still searching for the botanical name).  There are differences in them.  To start with, the leaves look similar but there are distinct differences.
 The senduduk hutan leaves have a more vivid green color with ridges along the edges as opposed to its”cousin”, which has a darker green and less refined details on the leaves and smoother edge.

It works very well on cuts (which happen quite often) and on insect bites including leech (pacat).  The procedure for application to the affected area is always the same – takes 2-3 leaves, crush them using your fingers until it begins to produce a juice and rub the leaves on the affected area.  
As the farm was previously a paddy field, whenever after several days of rain, on and off, the pacat sometimes seem to appear out of nowhere.  So, when I am walking around the farm, going through some “weedy” areas, there are times when I get bitten by them.  My quick remedy is to take a couple of leaves of the Senduduk Hutan and crush them with my finger until the juice appears and rub it on the bite area.  In less than a minute, I find that the bleeding has stopped and where pacat bites are concerned, the itchiness that often follows after the bleeding has stopped does not occur.After a couple of days, I cannot find any traces of the bite anymore.
Working on the farm, getting cuts and nicks is a common occurence.  The leaves once again, come to the rescue and stops the bleeding.

Senduduk Kampung Flower
Senduduk Hutan Flower

On the farm, the senduduk kampung has purple flowers and senduduk hutan has white flowers.  Both varieties grow naturally on the farm.  I enjoy their beauty whenever I do my “walkabouts” on the farm, a beautiful color addition within all the greens.  The flowers only open in the daytime, at times it is almost as if it follows the time when it receives direct sunlight.
Traditionally, the leaves are used as a treatment for cuts and burns and the young shoots are sometimes eaten as ulam.  So while to some it may be considered a pest, careful growth control can eliminate this problem and yet you can have it available for its beneficial uses.
I have also discovered that the senduduk hutan leaves serves as a “agent” to remove the bitter taste from papaya shoots (pucuk betik) when they are boiled together.  Remove the senduduk hutan leaves and water that was used for the boiling and proceed to cook the papaya shoots anyway you please such as adding them into sayur lemak or doing a stir-fry with achovies and sambal.  Delicious!

12 Mar 2011
0 Comments By admin Edible Landscape

Edible Landscape – Banana Plants

Inflorescence on a 1m high Banana Plant 

Living in a tropical country, in my opinion, Malaysia has ideal conditions for growing bananas (known as pisang in Malay) and the varieties are endless.  The  banana plants also provide a nice, cool shade and is a great water absorber, especially with all the rain that we get here.  At the farm, there are over 400 plants and I especially like to have some around the perimeter of the house as it keeps the house cool.

Pisang Lemak Manis

I am still learning to differentiate the various types of plants before the fruits come out but still have a long way to go.  Among the types planted are Pisang Raja, Embun, Udang, Lemak Manis, Rastali, Berangan, Berangan Kampung, Awak, Abu, Abu Bunga, Telor, Kapas, Nangka and Emas.  I am still trying to locate Pisang Tanduk starter plant.  I am sure that there are other varieties in Malaysia and I am constantly on the lookout for those that I do not have.  My interest is only in local banana plants so Cavendish and those like it are not on my interest list neither are GMO varieties.  For my taste, “original” types are best in taste and flavour especially when you let them “ripen” on the plant itself.  As with my other trees and plants, natural-source fertlizers are what I use and chemical pesticides are a no-no.

There are two types of Pisang Awak, one with seeds and one without.  My personal preference is for those without seeds and I love banana fritters (pisang goreng) for this type of banana and it definitely cuts the enjoyment of this dish when you bite into a seed.  So, only seedless varieties are planted on the farm.  After all, if it is not good enough for me, then it is not good enough for my customers.

Pisang Awak Ripening nicely

The banana plant is really one of the plants whereby the whole plant serves one purpose or another.  Of course the fruit – bananas – have a high nutrition value.  The inflorescense (jantung) also known as the banana heart, can be eaten raw (as an ulam) or cooked in savoury dishes.  The leaves serves as a highly organic, recyclable food wrapper and this is where I can do my bit in preserving the environment – I use it to wrap my produce when I take it to market.  The pseudostem (batang pisang) can be cooked in curries, chopped and fed to my fishes, and as a soil improver by adding more organic content to my soil.  The base root serves as a propagation mechanism.  All in all, a remarkable plant.

Bananas as a food source can be eaten in so many ways:

  1. uncooked, it can be a “dessert”, a great breakfast item on its own or added to cereal, or blended into a banana milk shake and of course, an important component in Banana Split sundae.
  2. in sweet dishes such as pancakes, desserts, breads and cakes
  3. in savoury dishes such as curries
  4. smoked and eaten as a snack
  5. sliced and dried and made into banana chips

Not all inflorescence (jantung pisang) taste good, in fact some are bitter.  I find that the tastiest ones are from Pisang Abu and we sell only these at the market.

Jantung Pisang Abu

Bananas are one of the popular produce at my Sunday morning market stall with Pisang Raja leading the pack.  I am never sure what variety I will have for sale from week to week as it really depends on which is ripe.  I find that letting the bananas ripen on the plant really produces a tasty banana and since I sell what I produce, I can wait till the best time before harvesting and taking to market.  This allows me to compete better against the other vendors.  Most Sundays, I am sold-out and on those that I am not, I am left with enough for my own consumption.  I do not take orders for bananas but sell on a first come first serve basis.  My adventure with bananas continues……

10 Mar 2011
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Sunday Morning market at Sungai Penchala

Fresh vegetables
 Fresh herbs

One of my personal goals is to be able to contribute towards providing healthy, affordable food to the regular people.  So often, vegetables that are labelled as organic are priced out of affordable range for regular people.  As the production levels are only able to meet the once-a-week sales supply, I opted to do the Pasar Pagi at Sungai Penchala.  The produce for sale are what is produced at the farm and vegetables available from the surrounding area.  The decision to do the market once a week is due to philosophy of selling what is obtained fresh from source (i.e. the farm and surrounding area) that is chemical pesticide free.  Basically, what I would eat is what I will sell.
I enjoy selling at this market – it is almost a social event.  I have regular customers who often chide us if we are a bit late.  Mind you, late for them is if we arrive at 7.15am.  As it is a morning market, we usually arrive between 6.30-6.45 allowing us a few minutes to set up before being ready to sell.  This means that our day starts at 4 am, loading the items, driving from the farm to Sg. Penchala, which takes about 1 hour.  It is fun listening to their chit-chat, as they tend to exchange news and joke with each other while waiting for us to get ready or while selecting the produce they want.
Every once in a while, we get customers who insists that they should be sold produce at half-price on claims that everyone else is selling at that price.  With the maxim that the customer is always right, I take the line that maybe they are better buying at that place, of course said in a light banter.  Some opt to go and perform a circuit at the market and return to buy whilst they are others who complain that the other places don’t have what we sell or have smaller “bundles” or are less fresh.  To the latter, sometimes I wish I can say, “Well, Duh!!!!”.
I also once in while, get customers who are “arm-chair quarterbacks” who have tell us that they can do better.  These people, I tend to engage in conversation.  9 times out of 10, they have never done the practical and only the theory.  The 10th person is someone who works for a place that has unlimited resources such as a research institute or a government agency. What I do, I just smile :).  

Smiling faces of my customers at 7.33am

On the other side of the coin, I have some great customers who say things like “I love the freshness of your produce”, “The bananas are the best-tasting that I have had”, “I had never eaten that vegetable before but I got it from you last week, and it tastes good”.  The best satisfaction is seeing people who come and buy week after week.
I learn a lot from these experiences – patience being the key – and take joy in the human interaction.  For all these, Alhamdulillah and SubhanAllah.

10 Mar 2011
0 Comments By admin Edible Landscape

Edible Landscape – Bayam (Spinach)

Lovely vivid green leaves

One of my favourite leafy vegetable, the Bayam ( Spinach), provides for a nice backdrop of a green, leafy bush.  I avoid chemical pesticides like the plague for all my vegetables so the leaves tend to be less than perfect but I wouldn’t trade it for the quality and taste that is produced by being as natural as possible, using organic fertilizer such as from my compost or “burnt” weeds.

By frequent harvesting, it can grow into a nice bush.  To propagate it, allow for the cluster of flowers to bloom and produce its seeds.  With daily watering, and planted in a nice sunny location, the plants will produce leaves in abundance.  When harvesting, cut with care to ensure that you encourage new shoots.
As these spinach are pesticide-free, I love to have them in salads.  There is a natural “sweetness” to it and it is the best way to get all the nutritional value of this vegetable.  My other favourite is just to quick stir-fry with garlic.