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Make Butter Chicken in the Oven!

Easy Cake & Cookie Recipes

Put the Oven and Air Fryer to Work!

Have you tried these recipes yet?

Sharing some easy and some so-worth-the-extra-effort recipes you can pull off in your kitchen.

From pasta sauces and easy bakes to simple curries and rice dishes I hope to inspire some new cooks to get busy in the kitchen.

thesuddencook

In Malaysia 🇲🇾. Hi, I’m Hema 👋.
News Editor ✍️ @makchic
Also creator of www.thesuddencook.com
Click ⬇️ below for recipes.

Turning 48 🥳 today and sharing my birthday with

Turning 48 🥳 today and sharing my birthday with Mother’s Day this 2026. As I inch my way out of my late forties, I’m constantly amazed by His good works 🥰✨Around 4 months ago I was made News Editor of the organisation I work for. This was only made possible because the women I work with continue to believe in me 🥹A full circle moment indeed as I started my work life as a junior reporter more than 25 years ago.In between I got married, worked in more places and had kids. Then stopped working…temporarily to take on life’s biggest promotion …💕 motherhood. Today the kids are older, the balance is greater. The mind is allowing me to champion for myself again. The cooking continues to be a huge passion - something I continue to be thankful 🙏 for. The sharing of recipes comes from the heart, the taking of photos and creation of content gives me joy. 48 is me being my biggest cheerleader again 🥰Thank you all for being on this journey of The Sudden Cook with me 🎉🎉🎉🎉

I have 2 of my 👏Instagram Inspos to thank for t

I have 2 of my 👏Instagram Inspos to thank for this cook. I was inspired by @theviskitchen’s Ikan Masak Kicap (which is on rotation here) and @jacobscornerrecipes Kicap Pedas Sunny Side Up Eggs. I took inspo from both recipes and this is what works for us. I use 5 eggs 🥚Throw in some sliced onions and pounded or minced ginger and garlic. I also add in half a 🍅tomato. Wait till it’s mushy and all have mixed well. I add in the sauce which is a combo of ✅3 tbs light soy sauce + 3 tbs dark soy sauce + 3 tbs tomato sauce + 1 tsp sugar. Add in some water and allow to boil. I crack in the eggs and allow to cook. 🧑‍🍳 I also cover and allow the eggs to set a bit more after switching off flame. Garnish with air fried ikan bilis and coriander. Honestly the ikan bilis takes it to the next level ❤️I love getting inspo from homecooks. I might bookmark the recipes, I might only look at it in 6 months time, then I might try making it in another few months… it’s a process but one that brings joy 🤩 You can add in cili padi into this recipe too for extra kick. #eggs #telurmasakkicap#recipes

𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗸𝗲🍰It’s a yummy bake. Highly recommended for beginner bakers. Besides grating the 🍊orange rind and juicing it, the rest of the steps are pretty straightforward. This bakes at 160C in my oven. I’ve learnt early on, that like every child, every oven is different. So some ovens would need a higher temp. 🙏The marriage of butter and orange is sublime. To us, the cake is not too sweet - I would say just nice with a buttery flavour and orange hit ✨Full recipe here:➡️ https://thesuddencook.com/easy-orange-butter-cake/Let me know if you plan to try it!#orangebuttercake #recipe #baking #cakes #orange

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗖

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀🎉My first post of 2026. It feels great to be well again. Putting up this post is like giving the middle finger to this month of Feb which I found to be badly behaved. 😷Falling sick after looking after other members of the family who were sick-er or sick-ish left me… yup sick as well. The appetite was at an absolute low, the energy levels were poor and the coughing had me feeling like crap. We are better now. ❌February 2026 you are welcome to leave. People have recovered. Baking was done. 💕Onto better news. Sometime in Jan, I loved that due to a mix up of ordering some butter via an online mart, I wound up getting a few cream cheese blocks instead, which led me to try out this recipe. The recipe was taken from @preppykitchen . A nice soft cream cheese filling is poured onto a runny 🍫chocolate batter to result in a fudge like cupcake base with a luscious cream 🧀cheese filling dotted with chocolate chips. As I regain in health and discover new recipes and baking try outs, February 2026 I’ll see you never. 😘For the full recipe:https://thesuddencook.com/cream-cheese-chocolate-cupcakes/#cupcakes #creamcheese #chocolate #baking

𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 The way to my heart is some good quality baking ingredients apparently. When I was gifted a pack of @callebautchocolate 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 by my secret 🎅Santa at work, oh my baking muscle twinged. I used the dark chocolate chips in my brownie baking today, made as an upcoming dessert for a Christmas party. These brownies never fail to impress. 💕I then add a sprinkle of sea salt onto each individual piece. The contrast of the saltiness of the top layer of the brownies combined with the fudgy 🍫 dark chocolate interior is a Christmas present in your mouth. Trust me. 🙏Full recipe here. Of course the dark chocolate chips and 🧂 sea salt are optional but they do take these brownies to the next level. ✅➡️https://thesuddencook.com/easy-and-delicious-brownies/

Helping me with the reel but 𝓃𝑜𝓉 exactly

Helping me with the reel but 𝓃𝑜𝓉 exactly helping me in the kitchen 😏Here’s hoping he makes more of an effort to help me cook. He currently has skills in the kitchen which include:✅StirringSay Less.But onto the 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 recipe. This recipe was inspired by @recipe_tin I love butter chicken but I love more that it’s all done in the oven.The ingredients, are often what I have on hand. The chicken is marinated first to add flavour.A quick mix of ghee, tomato paste and cream is then added onto the chicken and in it goes into the oven.Tender, succulent pieces of chicken come out of the oven coated in a lush, thick-ish creamy tomato based gravy with added richness from the ghee and cream. Best enjoyed with rice or roti. 🎉 It truly is a one pot wonder.For the full recipe:➡️https://thesuddencook.com/baked-butter-chicken/#recipe #butterchicken #bakedbutterchicken #chicken #chickenthighs

𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰

𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐’𝘮 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯It almost didn’t happen. Motherhood. ❤️But ten years ago today, it did. I remember the years of trying before we finally conceived. 🥹I remember crying myself to sleep, and in the middle of the day, after every failed test and crying even more on regular random days. 😔I remember the mild sadness that was my default emotion. The 🩹pain may have gone but the scars have remained. There is no testimony without a test. 🙏And what a mother of a test it was. Hope. That’s all we had. Trusting was all we knew. Out came a boy and a girl on 2 Sept 2015. 🤰If you’re struggling to conceive, don’t give up. The journey might be one of the hardest you’ve had to ride, but you will get there. Reach out and if you’re blessed, you will have people who will journey and pray with you like we did.𝘕𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯🎉𝘏𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 10𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 #1 𝘢𝘯𝘥 #2

😭😭😭😭 I went thru a funny spell early t

😭😭😭😭I went thru a funny spell early this year, when I would screw up almost every meal. ❌The stews would be too watery, the carbonara over salted, the fried fish under salted, the bolognese too bland and the list went on. Not sure what was happening 🤷‍♀️. My confidence in the kitchen took a major beating and I threw myself a pity party. 👌But somehow I was determined to prove the voices in my head wrong. That I was quite capable of cooking like normal and even could master a recipe or two in the process. Slowly the cooks became better and as for mastering a new recipe: ✅Enter: Chicken Kurma. It all started with an impulse kurma powder purchase, followed by a look and try into the recipe on the back of the pack— subsequently modified to suit what works for us. ❤️Kids are fans. It’s on rotation and the voice in my head squashed for now. Here’s to trying more recipes, my husband sharpening the kitchen knives 🔪and asking the inner critics to 🤫For the full recipe and step by step photos: ➡️https://thesuddencook.com/delicious-chicken-kurma#chicken #chickenrecipes #chickenkurma #recipe #chickendrumsticks

🔟Reflecting on the last ten years as I turn a y

🔟Reflecting on the last ten years as I turn a year older today. A decade ago I became a mum.😩The level of exhaustion experienced in parenting twins during their newborn days, was something I will never forget. 👩‍🦳Along the way I realised white hair can indeed get whiter and eye bags could indeed get bigger 😳🙏As they grew older, I learnt to put myself higher on the to-do list but more importantly on the prayer list.😷Along came the pandemic which in hindsight, very much spiritually matured both my husband and I.🌟Around this time, thesuddencook.com was re-born and it has been a delight watching its reach. ❤️Fast forward few years later, the kids entered primary school and I re-entered the workforce.Balance was restored. Here I am now. Balanced 47, let’s go🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉Thank you for being on this journey of thesuddencook with me. #godisgood #blessed #birthday

𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞

𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐞𝐫🤫 Using a *shortcut* ready made paste to make the ikan bilis sambal was the highlight of prepping for this meal. But don’t tell the Air Fryer, who was put to work good and proper with roasting the peanuts, frying the ikan bilis and cooking the 🍗Ayam Goreng Berempah. Cutting the 🥒 was easy. Cooking the eggs was pretty mundane. Cooking the 🍚rice with the proper amount of coconut milk and water, plus adding the right amount of salt and throwing in some ginger slices was a pain. ❤️But making the sambal using the sambal tumis paste I got from the TTDI market, was something new. And new always excites. 𝐅𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐤𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐬 For a long time the most popular ‘recipe’ on thesuddencook.com was how to use the air fryer to fry ikan bilis. Here are some things to remember:✅If rinsing the ikan bilis before hand, be sure it is dried well✅Pre-heat the air fryer ✅Coat ikan bilis well in oil ❌Don’t overcrowd the tray✅Leave it to crisp up after it’s out Full recipes:➡️ https://thesuddencook.com/how-to-get-crispy-ikan-bilis-in-an-air-fryer/➡️ https://thesuddencook.com/air-fryer-ayam-goreng-berempah#nasilemak #ikanbilis #airfryer #ayamgorengberempah #fry

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠Rendang is a favourite of mine. It’s like a luxury holiday. Not a staycation or budget vacay. A truly lux, well-planned vacation 🏝️ which takes meticulous planning and a certain amount of day dreaming prior to happening.This was my ❤️ love affair with making this rendang. I’ve been wanting to make this for the longest of time. Different things kept cropping up like 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 children, husband and house duties. Today I neglected them all. Rendang was made. I researched cooking gurus @khairulaming , @sheenacookingpassion and @che_nom who all 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 me thru their rendang reels and recipes to keep making this happen. Rich, savoury and just the right amount of spicy - chicken rendang on my mind 😍➡️Chicken Rendang Recipehttps://thesuddencook.com/chicken-rendang/➡️Beef rendang recipe here: https://thesuddencook.com/beef-rendang/#hariraya #rendang #chickenrendang #beefrendang #aidilfitri2025

𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗲

𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝗳𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗺❤️This was one of the first few recipes on thesuddencook.com when I first started the site 4 years back. It is also one of the highest read because I figure it’s quite a simple recipe. ✅We like yee mee. We like the soft, slightly chewy but spongy texture as it soaks up the sauce and pairs with the other ingredients. 💡You could 𝐬𝐮𝐛 the pork with prawns which my recipe is based on. Chicken would work just as fine. This is going on rotation more often for sure. ⭐️Note on the yee mee: I merely soak it in boiling water for one minute. Then drain. Full recipe➡️ https://thesuddencook.com/braised-yee-mee#dinner #yeemee #braised #recipe #noodles

I’ve been neglecting my third child😢. The one

I’ve been neglecting my third child😢. The one who is patient and never tires of me. I showed it some 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞though this month as I made it a point to rekindle the connection before 2024 is up. So up went a new post. 🎉The latest recipe on thesuddencook.com - Macaroni Goreng got its inspiration from an 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 of places. It has become a favourite with the kids. Cooked pasta coated in a sauce made up of pantry staples combined with bite-sized chicken and veg of choice.Back to the third child. It never talks back, always listens and doesn’t whine. I clearly have a favourite. 🤩 www.thesuddencook.com - your siblings drive me nutso sometimes but you, you - stay behaved. Latest recipe here:➡️https://thesuddencook.com/macaroni-goreng/#dinner #recipe #pasta #goreng #macaroni #macaronigoreng #pastagoreng

My first real teacher when it came to cooking was

My first real teacher when it came to cooking was definitely my 💁‍♀️sister. I only discovered the cooking passion ‘suddenly’ at 28 and by this time it was an open secret that she was a great cook. I would ask her very basic questions because I truly was a beginner in every sense of the word. My next teacher taught me to think out of the box. Now a bit more apt at cooking, I was introduced to her during the pandemic. She taught me that it’s ok to include soya sauce and oyster sauce to a pasta dish (!) with 🧈butter and 🧄garlic and have it taste absolutely delicious. She taught me how (though it sounded odd to me), adding 🥬kale into chicken soup is acceptable and turns out delish. And last night she taught me how to make 🥚Egg Foo Yong. Using minced pork and 🍤prawns with a little side sauce that brought the dish together. It was well enjoyed. So thank you @mariongrasby. You’ve made cooking a nice, pleasant adventure for me since 2020. #mariongrasby #marionskitchen #recipe #beginner #cooking

I remember thinking vividly that baking with not o

I remember thinking vividly that baking with not one, but two toddlers was just too.much.work. 😢And I was absolutely right. ✅When they were younger I would try. I would try to make it work by inviting them to bake with me. My son would insist the flour be strewn on the counter top as a sort of track for his small little cars 🚘. My daughter would insist I add a whole tub of chocolate chips into the batter. I would insist they leave my kitchen. Some sort of crying would be taking place by this time😭 (most of the time by me). My patience wore thin and it was the absolute worst. Times have changed. One has gone on to be a great little helper 😍. Here’s a Chocolate Cupcake recipe the kids love. ➡️https://thesuddencook.com/moist-chocolate-cupcakes/#baking #recipes #chocolate #cupcakes #chocolatecupcakes

Delish Baked Butter Chicken by @recipe_tin. Are yo

Delish Baked Butter Chicken by @recipe_tin. Are you a butter chicken fan? This recipe is super straightforward. No marinating ahead of time needed. No stove cooking. 🎉Marinate the chicken thighs with salt, Garam masala, cumin etc. Then in a baking dish add ingredients for the sauce like passata, ghee and cream. Add chicken to said baking dish. Bake. Enjoy with rice and a veg or roti if you prefer. The sauce comes out with a lovely red hue combined with a smooth, silky, creamy texture. Chicken is nice and tender. It was the ease of making this dish on a busy weeknight which I totally appreciate. Most ingredients are on hand. Passata is something I use when making bolognese too. On the hunt for more busy weeknight recipes please. For the full recipe head to:https://www.recipetineats.com/one-pan-baked-butter-chicken/#recipetineats #dinner #butterchicken #butterchickenrecipe

🍗Roast Chicken the only way I know how. Using

🍗Roast Chicken the only way I know how. Using a dry rub made up of spices like ✨paprika, salt, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric + some crushed 🧄Add in some olive oil and create a paste. Rub all over butterflied chicken. Allow to marinate. Pop into oven. We ❤️ the chicken roasted with a slight char on the skin. Tender and moist, juicy flesh. For the recipe and tips head to:➡️https://thesuddencook.com/how-to-roast-chicken#roastchicken #recipe #dinner #chicken

I like using the mortar and pestle to 🔨pound in

I like using the mortar and pestle to 🔨pound ingredients. It’s like a nice step to release some antsy 🤪energy. Also it’s the first day of school holidays. But of course there is no connection between that and said antsy energy…ahem. This version of 🍗ayam goreng berempah using the air fryer requires me to pound some lemongrass, 🫚ginger and 🧄garlic into a rough paste. That with some meat curry powder, salt + turmeric powder create some kind of ✨magic paste. Let the chicken marinate for a while for good results. Pop into air fryer. There is also something about bruising (another good stress reliever, whacking the end of a long stem of lemongrass with the 🔪knife) (again nothing to do with school holidays) lemongrass so it releases its 🎉magic. Full recipe:➡️ https://thesuddencook.com/air-fryer-ayam-goreng-berempah/#dinner #recipe #airfryer #airfryerrecipes #ayamgorengberempah

𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙗 #46

𝙅𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙗 #46 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙. 🎵You’ve been faithful through my story, You are worthy of all glory🎵We sing this in church every Sunday. I feel like it was written for me. From having two children in my late 30s to back to being gainfully employed in my mid 40s, He has been faithful. I am blessed with a work tribe a girl could only dream of. I get to write and create again. Most of all, I continue to enjoy cooking and the therapy it brings. He has been faithful. Grateful for all that I have, prayerful for all I continue to need. Glad to be on this journey of being The Sudden Cook with you. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉#46 #grateful #thankful #foodblog #recipes

Pasta carbonara for dinner tonight. I’ve used an

Pasta carbonara for dinner tonight. I’ve used angel hair pasta (my least 😳 favourite) as it’s what my daughter chose on our last trip grocery shopping. In a bid to fake encourage her to choose what pasta she wanted, she chose my least favourite one 😭. I’ve got a couple of pasta dishes on rotation here. Some paired with 🍤 prawns, some with chicken and like tonight’s one with 🥓bacon. Some use short pasta (spirals are a favourite). White sauce versus red. I personally prefer the lighter sauces like the cherry 🍅tomato pasta sauce I do occasionally. Pesto (using sweet basil 🌿)is a favourite too. Basil plants are easy to grow unless you neglect them then they die. Just ask my garden. 🪴 Some nights are pasta nights. Recipes:➡️https://thesuddencook.com/pasta/#pasta #pesto #bolognese #carbonara #alfredo #cherrytomato #recipe

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