Today Jalan-Jalan Ended Up Masak-Masak (Cooking) Making Organic Kueh Ketayap

Today as I was walking (Jalan-Jalan) outside my house, noticed a a small patch of wild growing pandan bush.  Pandan leaf is known as screwpine leaf in English.  This immediately got me thinking of the Kueh Ketayap that I had the other day that was dark green and full of artificial coloring and immediately thought of making some homemade ones with natural ingredients. 

Wild Growing Pandan Bush - Raw Material for the Kueh Ketayap

A quick check of the pantry and fridge, the only ingredient needed was grated coconut.  Immediately, I went up to the nearest mamak kedai runcit (local grocery store) and got some fresh 'white only' grated coconut.

Getting Fresh White Grated Coconut for Kueh Ketayap

To make kueh ketayap, there is two parts, one is the crepe and the other is a sweet coconut filling.  Recommended to make the filling first, as it needs time to cool down.

Ingredients for the sweet coconut filling:

Ingredients for the coconut filling

• Grated coconut from 1 coconut
• 1.5 cube of palm sugar (gula melaka) - crushed
• 2 tablespoon of raw sugar
• 3 pandan leaves - knotted
• Salt to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon.
• 1/2 mug of water 

Crushed Gula Melaka

Method 
In a large wok, heat up the water than melt the palm sugar, salt and raw sugar; and put in knotted screwpine leaves.  Once the sugars have melted put in the grated coconut and stir till the water evaporates.  Remove once water has evaporated and the mixture is moist.  Keep it aside to cool and get started on the crepe.

Ingredients for the batter

Ingredients for the ketayap batter

• 12 pandan leaves - chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon oil - I used olive oil
• Salt to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon salt

First put 1 cup of water and the chopped screwpine leaves into a blended and blend aways.  Than sift and keep aside.  Rinse the blender, put in the coconut milk, break the egg in the blended and give it a pulse or two. Put in the remainder ingredients and blend.  The batter is ready.

The ketayap batter

 I find using the blender saves a lot of time and it mixes the ingredients nicely.

Making the Crepe
Heat up a pan, melt some butter, pour a bit of batter, swirl the pan to make a thin crepe.  Cook for about a minute to a minute and a half, flip the other side and cook for about another minute.  Continue till all the batter is finished.

Ketayap Crepe

Putting it together
In the center top of the crepe, place a spoon full of the sweet coconut filling and wrap/fold the crepe.

Wrapping/folding the Kueh Katayap

Kueh Ketayap (Dadar) Final Product

After a Bite!!! Yummy!!!

Day Trip to Mitsui Outlet Mall in Sepang

Sunday, 2nd August, my wife suggested that we go to Mitsui Outlet Mall in Sepang.  I had passed it the last time I was headed to KLIA 2 at the beginning of June and wanted to go but forgotten about it. This is the time to get ready, put on some comfortable shoes and head out!

We left our home at about 11:30 in the morning and it was about a 50 minutes drive using MEX Highway than connected to Sprint Highway headed to KLIA.

After the toll, it will be a few kilometers on the left.  It can easily be spotted from the highway.

Sepang Mutsui Outlet Mall from Highway

To the entrance of the car park, in the distance, one could see the beautiful Sepang KLIA mosque on the right hand side.

Entrance to Sepang Mitsui Outlet Mall

The mall as seen from the car park.  

We reached about lunch time, we decided to eat first, to be fully charged before we started shopping.  At the entrance, we stop at the first makan shop called Gao! Gao! Italian Restaurant.  We filled ourselves with Pizza, Buffalo Wings and Risotto!

@ Gao! Gao! Italian Restaurant inside Mitsui Outlet Mall

Next was to see the outlets at the Mall and see if anything catches the eye and to plan the attack strategy.

Directory of Stores @ Mitsui Outlet Mall Sepang

The nice thing about the mall is that it is totally indoor (except for the car park) and the air-conditioned temperature was nice.  Unlike Johor Premium Outlet, where only the stores are air-conditioned and the walkway is hot and humid.

Fully Air-conditioned Outlet Mall.  Perfect for Malaysia's Hot & Humid Weather!

The boyz, me and my son, decided to separate from the Gals, my wife and daughter.  My son and I walked the entire Mall, all 2 floors and called my wife asking her where she was.  And she said only at the 3rd store!!!  We immediately, checked into CBTL and sat there for some time over a Cafe Latte, Ice Blended and a cookie.

Resting @ CBTL

There are many food and beverage outlets at Mitsui Sepang Outlet Mall.  Below is a host of pictures showing them.  It even have a Food Court with many local delicacies and an Old Town in it.

A few makan shop (eatery) @ Mitsui Outlet Mall Sepang

Foodcourt @ Mitsui Outlet Mall Sepang

We were fortunate, without knowing, today was their Grand Launch Celebration and we were treated to Japanese Performance.  Additionally, they had a lot of congratulatory flowers which lightened up the place and additional special promotions.

Mitsui Outlet Mall Sepang Grand Launch Flowers and Performance

Grand Launch Special Deals and Performance

Sale, sale, everywhere!!!  Man, if you have no intention to enter a shop, but looking at the sale signs, one is tempted to enter.  Imagine, up to 90% Off!!!

Sale! Sale! Everywhere @ Sepang Mitsui Outlet Mall

Sale! Sale! Everywhere @ Sepang Mitsui Outlet Mall

Everywhere you look. Sale! Sale! Sale

Some of the outlet, the sale must be extremely good.  Imagine have to line up to get into the store!

Have to line up to get into some of the stores!

At the Mall, being so close to the airport, they have display showing Arrival and Departure times at KLIA and KLIA 2.  So if you are early to catch a flight or going to pick someone up from the airport, you could monitor the flight and get here just on time.  Leave early, avoid jams do a bit of shopping than go to the airport.  A brilliant idea!

KLIA & KLIA 2 Flight Arrival and Departures Schedule

After the whole afternoon there, picked up a couple of pair of shoes and clothing; wallet felt much lighter, we headed home, packed back dinner and reached home at about 7 pm. Tine to get some rest for work tomorrow.

Day Trip to Sekinchan

Last Sunday, 26th July, we decided to make a Day-Trip to Sekinchan, a fishing town.  Hopefully, this will be a start to our planed of discovering 1 town near KL every month.

We started at about 10:30 am, armed with nothing but Waze and Google Map to get us there.

Waze took us there via KL-Kuala Selangor Highway.  Once exited, had to turn left, at Bukit Rotan, we say a beautiful Hindu Temple beside the traffic light and had to visit.  It was a beautiful temple with excellent architecture.  The feeling inside was serene and tranquil. 

After spending some time there, we continued to Sekinchan.  No more stops as we were getting hungry.  Once we reached Sekinchan, we straight headed to Bagan area, that's where all the Seafood restaurants are located.  Not knowing which one to select, we drove to the fisherman wharf. There, we asked a local uncle and he directed us to Restaurant Bagan Seafood.  The food there was excellent. The bill came out to slightly less than RM200.00 for 5 adults and 3 kids.

Entrance to the fisherman wharf area.

Fisherman Wharf

Forgot to take a picture of the restaurant, copied from sekinchan.org

After lunch, we headed to Pantai Redang.  The atmosphere was very festive with music and a lot of activity going on there.  Bought kites for the kids, unfortunately it started raining and could not fly the kite.  Nice point to view the entrance to the wharf.  The famous temple with the red ribbon wishing tree is also located here.

Due to the rain, we left for the paddy fields.

Than we saw a sign to La Familia Orchard, went there and got some fruits.  

All in all an excellent day trip and would definitely be taking friends and visitors there.  Know enough to be an unofficial Sekinchan tour guide.  Hehehe.