Roti Canai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Durian pancakes weren't the only food discovery that I made in Kuala Lumpur last weekend.

I also found the slightly less smelly and more addictive Indian-style bread, Roti Canai....

 

Roti Canai (known as Roti Prata in Singapore) is a light bread that is sold everywhere in Kuala Lumpur.
It is a thin flatbread with a pancake-like texture that is always made fresh and served warm with a spicy curry sauce to dip it in - no butter here!

Kuala Lumpur seems to have developed a real love for bread - I even found a stall selling some real thick West Country loafs!

What's great about Roti Canai is that it can be eaten any time of day - on its own or as a side dish alongside a curry.
Many locals eat it for breakfast, while we would have it as a mid-afternoon snack.

Here are the best places in Kuala Lumpur for Roti Canai:

 

Restoran Nasi Kandar Arraaziq

Jalan Bukit Bintang

 

PappaRich

24 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Durian Pancakes, Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

I visited Kuala Lumpur for the first time last weekend.

Aside from the Battu Caves, shopping and Petronas Towers, I was told that I must try some durian while in town.

 

Durian is a local speciality fruit that is sold on street corners and is basically Southeast Asia's answer to marmite - you either love it or hate it.

It has a hard shell with spikes that protect the yellow flesh.

 

It also STINKS. Your hands smell for ages after eating it and everybody around you will stare when you walk around with it or order it in a restaurant - so much so that there are 'No Durian' signs posted in hotel lifts and on public transport.

 

Although we were hesitant to try this distinctive fruit, we had heard it tasted great in pancakes so we headed to Lai Po Heen restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental where  durian pancakes is one of the chef's specialities.

 

 

It is true what they say about the smell.
I was away from the table when they were served. 
When I returned I thought I could smell a gas leak....'nope, that's the durian'.
It is potent to say the least and we could tell that people on tables around us were giving us weird looks....maybe not one for a first date...

 

 

 

These tiny little, creamy pancake packages look sweet and innocent but the taste can certainly pack a punch.

It really wasn't what I was expecting and although there was very little durian actually in the pancakes (it was mainly cream) the taste was still very strong and these three pancakes were enough to fill us up for brunch.

 

We had a lovely brunch at the Mandarin and I'm pleased that we can say we have tried durian.

Buuuut, I'm not sure I'm a big fan of the fruit - it's potent and has the longest lasting after-taste ever! I'm sure, with time, it is a fruit that I could grow to love, they just need to learn a way to mask that smell!

Banana and Sweet and Salted Almonds - Ice Cream Recipe

Since moving to Singapore there is nothing we love more than to hit the ice cream after dinner.
First we discovered that Crunch ice cream is available here and then we were enticed by the moreish smell of Coldstone Creamery.
We're eating so much of the stuff that I decided to have a go at making it ourselves.

This recipe is adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow's latest recipe book, It's All Good.
NOTE - I have made a few changes to this recipe, Gwyneth's exact recipe can be found here.

I have always been a big fan of Gwyneth and not just for her acting skills - she has a great lifestyle site, Goop, which shares recipes, fashion tips and homestyle advice.  She has also recently turned her hand to writing cook books.

Her latest book is, just as the title says, all about eating good food.
After a health scare she eliminated a lot of foods from her and her family's diet meaning that the recipes in her book do not include any sugar, gluten and very little dairy but yet are still fun, filling and nutritious.

I love this Banana and Almond Ice Cream recipe and have a constant batch in my freezer to dig in to after dinner.


Ingredients
4 bananas
Finely chopped almonds
Maple Syrup
Salt
Almond Milk

Slice up the bananas and put in the freezer until completely frozen.

Chop up the almonds.
These will be sprinkled on top of the ice cream so the quantity can depend on how much you like almonds!

In a bowl, mix together the chopped almonds, two teaspoons of maple syrup and a pinch of salt and leave to one side.

In a food processor, blend together the frozen banana slices, 120ml almond milk and two tablespoons of maple syrup.
Pour into a container or serve in bowls and sprinkle with the chopped almond mixture.

 

I can't recommend Gwyneth's new health book enough, tonight I'm making one of her fish suppers followed with this ice cream dessert.