Up Gunung Brinchang on a hazy day

The haze came back after a day or two's break and we decided to go up to the hills to "escape", if there were any escaping possible with the current problems besiegeing the country...

As we were early, the traffic hasn't arrived just yet (before 9 am at Brinchang) but up on the summit of Gunung Brinchang, there were hardly a place to park our car as there were truckloads and truckloads of tourists, locals and foreigners, in successions up the hill. I can only smell diesel smoke instead of the fresh air. So much for the air thingy. It was also quite chilly and misty so no chance of verifying if the haze reached the summits of Gunung Brinchang (at over 2000M)...the road remain tracherous as ever and the tourist truck drivers remain (actually worst than before) rude and gangster-like as ever. They seem to think they own the road since they make a living from it (so third world mentality). Glad it would probably be my last time going up there unless we can get a huge 4-wheel drive like everyone else...

 A skipper, Hasora mus pahanga (endemic to the hills on the Main Range) guarding its sentry point at over 2000M above sea level...

 A fire-cracker plant flower

 tiny red rhododendrons...

 at the corridors of the Sungei Pakas Boh Tea shop...

 the haze is there despite the warm sun...

a tiny white butterfly also localized to the hills: Udara akasa

Jewel from the highland wasteland: the Purple Saphire

a tiny skipper, also a highland species: Aeromachus jhora

Nyonya Glutinous Rice Cake AKA Pulut Tekan

Pulut Tekan is a well-known Nyonya dessert and can be easily made at home if one takes just a bit time at the kitchen...

Ingredients (makes a medium-sized cake for 6-8 persons)

1 kilo glutinous rice, soaked in two different parts overnight

A handful of dried Bunga Telang or Blue Pea flower (Clitorea ternatea)

Salt to season

1/3 cup of vanilla sugar (optional)

1 cup coconut milk

In a cup, pour some hot water over the dried Bunga Telang and let it infuse for 15 minutes. Squeeze and drain the dark indigo coloured liquid. Set aside.

Wash the glutinous rice and drain. Soak 3/4 of the portion separately in a large bowl with clean water overnight, changing the water at least once. The remaining 1/4 should be soaked in the blue liquid overnight.

Drain the rice, season with salt, sugar. Mix the two portions of rice together with the coconut milk, careful not to overmix them. Traditionnaly, they are steamed over a basket lined with banana leaf but if that proves challenging, it can be steamed over a metal plate in a steamer. The time needed would vary according to the thickness of the rice container and the steamer used. The rice should be cooked to the core but still retain its firmness without being "al dente".

Oil a square tin cake mould. Pour in the cooked glutinous rice into the mould and press down the rice to form a firm layer. The cake can be cut according to preference once it cools down. Serve with Seri Kaya (Coconut custard cream). The Seri Kaya can easily be bought from any convenience store or supermarkets but if you can get your hands on those sold in Hainanese coffee shops would probably be the better types...

Perfect with an afternoon cup of English tea with milk...