Hakka Savoury Tangyuan （客家咸汤圆）

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INTRODUCTION

There is no need to ask me when is Winter Solstice festival, it is always 3 days before Christmas , on 22nd December each year.  I am sharing this post earlier because I just want to fulfil my blogging agenda of sharing one tang yuan recipe per year.

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In the first year, I have shared the basic tangyuan recipe in this post: Time To Celebrate Winter Solstice–Chinese Tangyuan or Glutinous Rice Balls . In this post, i have also shared about the background of tangyuan.

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Last year in 2015, i have shared the an alternative to normal tangyuan , sweet pumpkin tangyuan in this post: Pumpkin Glutinous Rice Balls aka Pumpkin Tangyuan (南瓜汤圆）

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This year, I have decided to share a savoury tangyuan recipe which my late parents used to cook though the childhood version do not have any meat fillings.

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This is not my creative recipe, if you Google from the internet, this dish shall be classified under Hakka cuisines. Apparently, most hakka members in my Facebook Group do cook tangyuan in this manner. As per Chinese baike it was written clearly that:

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“客家咸汤圆是一道美味可口的汉族小吃。将材料1揉成糯米团，并分为15等份。将材料2及调味1搅拌均匀作成馅，再一一将糯米团捏成圆薄形，包入肉馅并捏合即可。用少许油加热将材料4爆香再倒入调味2料煮沸後放入咸汤圆，煮至咸汤圆熟为止。接著再放小汤圆，煮熟至浮出汤面就算完成了。吃的时候可以另外加入茼莴叶或菠菜等青菜等，吃起来味道更好。” (Source: http://baike.baidu.com/view/244157.htm)

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If you are unsure how it tastes like, just imagine that the tangyuan is a substitute of noodles in kway tiao or bee hoon or noodle soups. It is just like Fuzhou fish balls except that it is not as springy and fishy as the fish balls .

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: About 15 big tangyuan and some small tangyuan

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Tangyuan

  • 200 grams of glutinous rice flour
  • About 80-100 grams of plain water
  • 100 grams of minced meat
  • 1 teaspoon of dark or light soya sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of Chinese cooking wine
  • pinches of salt
  • sugar to taste
  • 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
  • 2 sprigs of spring onion, chopped

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Soup Ingredients

  • 1 stalk of vegetable greens (lettuce, caixin, tangO, some napa cabbage)
  • 1 teaspoon of dried shrimps
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • 5-6 dried scallops
  • 2 shitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced into small pieces
  • 1 tomato, cut into wedges (optional)
  • Pinches of salt
  • Dashes of white pepper
  • Sugar to taste

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • Put the minced meat, chopped spring onion  and the seasonings (salt, white pepper, sugar, dark or light soya sauce, sesame oil, Chinese cooking wine) in a bowl, use a chopstick to stir in one direction until well mixed. If preferred, you can add in 1/2 tablespoon of corn starch to enhance the binding . Marinate the meat for at least 1/2 hour.

  • Take out about 2 tablespoons of glutinous rice flour, put 1 –1.5 tablespoons of water, stir and knead until it form a soft dough. Flatten the dough and put in a pot of hot boiling water. Once it floats up , drained.

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  • While it is hot, transfer the cooked dough to the remaining flour in the mixing bowl. Gradually add in the remaining cold water and use hand to knead until it forms a pliable dough. Shape the dough into a long stripes and cut the dough into 1.5 cm cube size.

  • Take a dough, shape round, flatten it and put a teaspoon of minced meat in the centre, seal the edges, shape round and put in a tray lightly dusted with some glutinous rice flour. Perform the same for the other 14 portions.

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  • This step is optional. If there are left over dough, you can add some red colouring, knead until the colour is consistent and shape into smaller round balls.

Note:

  • Please ensure that the tangyuans do not touch each other and if there is a lot, you may want to cover both the dough and the completed tangyuan with a piece of wet cloth .

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  • In a pot, put 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the garlic, dried shrimps and shitake mushroom until fragrant. Add about 1 litre of water or meat broth  add the minced meat and scallops. Bring to boil and once it boils, lower the heat to medium and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the tangyuan and once the tangyuan floats up, add the seasonings (salt, white pepper and sugar), tomato and your preferred greens. Simmer for o1-2 minutes and off the heat.

  • The tangyuan is best served hot immediately after it was prepared.

CONCLUSION

If you have never eaten this type of tangyuan before, do give it a try. It is tasty and there are many options in the soup. Feel free to add the ingredients that suits your taste buds.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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For more recipes, you can refer to my RECIPE INDEX (updated as at 13 March 2015)  here and you can follow me at PINTEREST or visit the blog’s FACEBOOK PAGE to keep abreast of my future posts. Also follow me at INSTAGRAM or TSU, a new social network for some more personal sharing other than recipes.

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Food paradize[8]

You can also join the FOOD BLOGGERS AND FOODIES UNITED FACEBOOK GROUP and FOOD PARADISE 美食天堂 to see more recipes. I am posting my daily home cooked food in the above Facebook Group daily. I would be more than happy if you can  post in the Group for the recipes that you tried from my blog.

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If you are a Pinterest user and you are interested to have more recipes, you can join or follow this Pinterest Board set up by me  where there are more than 2600 recipes worldwide and pinned by various bloggers: FOOD BLOGGERS AND FOODIES UNITED PINTEREST BOARD.


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Chinese Peanut Candy (花生糖， 花生条）

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INTRODUCTION

I should be rather familiar with this candy as I was told that this is one of the candies that my late father used to sell.. However, I have no recollection how he did this candy.. Probably, then I was just a small baby and I heard my elder brothers said that the father stir fried these peanut is a wok of hot sand and I can only vividly remember that at the back of our old house, there is a small “heap” of peanut husk…

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These peanut candy is still very common nowadays in traditional cake shop or even the supermarkets. Unlike other traditional cuisines or biscuits, this candy does not seem to phase out of the current development.. Packaging are getting prettier and price are getting costlier..

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I knew it is not a difficult candy to prepare as almost all traditional nuts candy only utilises maltose and sugar. To master this is to get the right consistency of the sugar syrup that will set at room temperature.Too much water in the sugar syrup will make the candy refused to set. But the good news is that these candy can be “re-boiled” again such that you reached the right consistency.

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Yes, this is what I did and it is only successful after my third attempt of re-boiling. If you look closely the colours of the peanuts in the illustration steps and the final product picture, you can see that the final products looks much browner than the illustration. This is because the first and second attempt of the syrup refused to set, I have to put some water and “melt” the soft candy, boil again until I get one that had set. Well, if you have a candy thermometer, it is rather fool proof that when your syrup reaches 160 degree Celsius, it will set at room temperature. 

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Peanut candy has a long history in China and it dates back to 475-221 BC.. It was actually a food catered for the war refugees. As per Chinese write up:

“花生糖是一種糖果，在中國、西歐和美國都甚為常見，花生糖是將花生、麥芽糖、砂糖混合加熱至濃稠狀態，冷卻凝固後切成小塊所製成。早期的花生糖的主材料與作法極為單純，近年來已衍生多種製作方法，例如花生軟糖、花生酥糖；或添加各種副材料以創造多變化的口味，例如芝麻花生糖等。另有以杏仁、核桃、南瓜子等乾果取代花生，即各自稱呼為杏仁糖、核桃糖、南瓜子糖等。”(Source: http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8A%B1%E7%94%9F%E7%B3%96)

“据传花生糖的最早出现时间是在公元前475-221年的战国时候，由于当时各地的都是战火纷纷，人人自危，一些稍为有钱的人家为了生命安全，都纷纷逃避，远离战火。在兵荒马乱的时期，为了携带方便，有钱的人家就将饴糖[1]和以麦芽经过糖化熬煮而成的糖，呈粘稠状，俗称麦芽糖）和花生加在一起熬煮，熬煮过后，再切成不规则的一小块一小块的，这就形成了花生糖的始祖，也是世界上最早的花生糖，在12,13世纪,花生糖首先传入阿拉伯国家,然后传到希腊和欧洲乃至世界各地。” (Source: http://www.baike.com/wiki/%E8%8A%B1%E7%94%9F%E7%B3%96)

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Recipe adapted from: 157.香香脆脆花生糖@ 周老師的美食教室:: 痞客邦PIXNET ::

Servings: About 2 medium CNY cookies bottle of Peanut Candy

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  • 500 grams of peanuts
  • 250 grams of white sugar
  • 250 grams of maltose
  • 50 grams of sesame seeds , toasted
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 150 grams of water

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 STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • Oven bake the peanuts at 150 degree Celsius for 10 minutes. Occasionally stirring is required during these 10 minutes. If you want it browner, you can extend the timing by 1-2 minutes longer.

  • In a pot, put water, salt, maltose and sugar, stir until all the sugar dissolved using low heat. Once the sugar have dissolved, increase the heat to medium and bring to boil. No stirring is required for this step.

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  • Continue boiling until the candy thermometer reaches 160 degree Celsius. If you do not have a thermometer, take some syrup out using  and let it blow under the fan, if it hardens, you can continue to proceed to the next step.  Add the baked peanuts , toasted sesame seeds and transfer the peanut to a “LIGHTLY GREASED” baking paper. Put another lightly greased baking paper on top, use a rolling pin to flatten to your desired thickness. Cut using a pizza cutter while the candy are “WARM” but not yet set. Once cooled completely, store in an air tight container.

Note:

  • If your candy refused to harden, put say half cup of water back to the pot, bring to boil, add the unsuccessful candy, let it boil again. The water will help to loosen the nuts and the syrup will be boiling again. Use the same test again before moulding.

  • The cutting have to be fast when it is warm. Once cooled, it is tough for an ordinary knife to cut the candy. You will have to use some thing hard to knock the candy into pieces. Otherwise, you have to perform the same step as mentioned above via re-boiling.

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CONCLUSION

I have given some to my ex-colleagues.. Her feedback was that it was just like store bought and told me it is a successful batch. I personally like this too. Why not give this a try?

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Hope you like the post day. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Indonesian Crispy Peanut Fritters–Rempeyek Kacang or Peyek (印尼花生脆饼）

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INTRODUCTION

I like this a snack.. It is so addictive and I always bought mine in the neighbourhood provision shop.. But there is one thing that I do not really like is the usage of fennel and cumin seeds… I loved everything except these 2 spices…

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Since some of my Facebook group members are asking me for the recipe, I have decided to try preparing it.. Don’t worry, the spices that I personally do not like will still listed in the recipes but my home cooked version I will have minimum amount of these spices.

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If you are accustomed to the round shape rempeyek, most probably you are used to the Malaysian and Singaporean type of rempeyek where a special metal ladle mould was used in the preparation. However, for Indonesian version, most do not use the ladle and they just let the batter flows by the side of the wok and deep fried.. The end result is a big piece of crispy rempeyek .. Taste of course is the same but it saves lots of time for the batter to be unmoulded from the ladles during deep frying. I have opted this option as  I am not willing to invest in a ladle specially for this snack..

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“Rempeyek or peyek is a deep-fried savoury Javanese cracker made from flour (usually rice flour) with other ingredients bound or coated by crispy flour batter. The most common types of rempeyek are peyek kacang or peanuts granules peyek, however other ingredients might also used, such as teri (dried anchovies), rebon (small shrimp) or ebi (dried shrimp). Today rempeyek is commonly found in Indonesia and Malaysia. Coconut milk, salt and spices such as ground candlenut and coriander are often mixed within the flour batter. Some recipes might also add a chopped citrus leaf to add the fresh aroma and taste to it. The spiced batter mixed or sprinkled with granules ingredient are deep fried in ample of hot coconut oil. The flour batter acted as binding agent for granules (peanuts, anchovy, shrimp, etc.) hardened upon frying and turn into golden brown and crispy cracker.” (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rempeyek)

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

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  • 2oo grams of peanuts
  • 200 grams or ml of thin coconut milk
  • 250 grams of plain water
  • 150 grams of rice flour
  • 50 grams of corn flour
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
  • 4 small shallots or garlics
  • 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
  • Pinches of salt
  • Sugar to taste
  • Some anchovies or ikan bilis (optional)

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • Pound the garlic/shallots, fennel and cumin seeds until fine. In a mixing bowl, put the rice flour, corn flour, peanuts, salt, sugar and coriander powder. Add the shallot/garlic paste followed by the coconut milk or water until it form a thin and watery batter.

  • Heat up a pot of oil under high heat. The oil is considered as ready for frying when a chopstick inserted into the hot oil, bubbles start to emit. Take a small ladle, scoop out some liquid batter and pour along the side of the pot/wok just above the oil, the batter will stick to the side of the wok and the remaining will flow down to the oil. Deep fried under high heat until there is no bubbles and colour starts to turn light brownish. Drained and when cooled completely, store in an air tight container immediately.

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CONCLUSION

Actually, I have followed a recipe which give me the wrong amount of water to be used..It refused to form a batter, I have to double the liquid to come out with this recipe. As such, I did not mention source of my recipe. In order to let the batter flows down and becomes thin and crispy, the batter have to be very watery. Too thick the batter will produce thick rempeyek that is chewy and oily. Remember that high heat shall be used throughout the entire process of deep frying. If you are able to get hold of a ladle, by all means use it. Otherwise, stick to this simpler method if it is for home consumption.

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Hope you iike the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Caramelized Egg Fritters (Sachima or Shaqima 沙琪玛）

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INTRODUCTION

I am happy with this trial of making sachima but I am not happy with the set of images.

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It seems that I really lack of inspiration of taking the photo because my cutting was rather messy. Bear with me readers, I am sure you can cut much better than I did.

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“Sachima, also spelled Shaqima is a common Chinese pastry found in many Chinese-speaking regions. Each regional cuisine has its own slightly different variation of this food, though the appearance of all versions is essentially the same. It is made of fluffy strands of fried batter bound together with a stiff sugar syrup, showing similarity to American Rice Krispies Treats. In Manchu cuisine originally, sachima is a sweet snack. It mainly consists of flour, butter, and rock sugar or rock candy. It is now popular in mainland China among children and adults.” (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sachima)

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I learned to like this snack when I was stationed in China. What I like its its egg aroma and the crispy fritters made from eggs and flour. It remind me of the Chinese rice crispy that I used to have back in hometown.

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This in fact is not in my blogging agenda. When I stumbled across this recipe, I have the urge to try it out immediately. It looks very easy and doable. Yes, it is doable though a bit messy and taste and texture is what I am looking for. Except my cutting skills, I have no regret of preparing this batch of sachima.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: About 15-20 pieces depending on size and thickness

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Dough

  • 200 grams of plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 grams of baking soda or ammonia bicarbonate
  • Adequate corn flour for dusting

Sugar Syrup

  • 100 grams of castor sugar
  • 100 grams of maltose
  • 50 grams of water
  • 3 tablespoons of cooking oil

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • In a big mixing bowl, sift the plain flour and baking soda. Make a well in the centre and add in beaten eggs. Knead until it form a pliable dough . Note that the dough can be very sticky and if you wish, you can use a mixer. Transfer the dough to a surface heavily dusted with corn flour . Let it rest for at least half and hour.

  • After half an our, use a rolling pin to roll it with thickness of about 2 mm thick. Use a knife or pizza knife to cut into think strips of about 2-3 mm wide. Dust the stripes with additional corn flour to avoid sticking to each other.

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  • Heat up a pot of oil and transfer the dough strips to the hot oil, reduce the heat to medium and deep fried until the dough is light brownish. Drain and set aside.

  • In a non stick pan, put maltose, sugar and water together and bring to boil under medium to high heat. Occasional stirring is required. during this boiling process, you will start to witness the bubbles being formed. These bubbles will change in size from small and gradually get bigger. The bigger the bubble, the more sticky is the syrup as water vapour are evaporated leaving the thick syrup in the pan. To test the readiness of the caramelized syrup, take a small spoon of the syrup, place it in a metal plate and cool it using a fan. If after it cooled, a transparent piece of solid sugar is formed, the syrup is considered as done. While you are testing the syrup, reduce the heat to low to avoid over caramelization. When the syrup is ready, off the heat, quickly add in the fritters. . Stir quickly until well mixed.

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  • Transfer it to a baking tin lined with baking paper.and press it until as tight as possible. Quickly put another piece of baking paper on top, use a rolling pin to roll it even. While it is still warm, use a pizza cutter to cut into the desired sizes. Once completely cooled, the sachima shall be stored in an air tight container.

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CONCLUSION

This is a good attempt accept that my cutting is not beautiful. Love the egg aroma and texture of this special snack. Do give it a try and tell me if it suits your taste bud.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Ear Lobe Biscuits or Spiral Biscuits (螺旋饼, 耳朵饼)

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INTRODUCTION

First of all, I have to thank members of certain Facebook Groups who gave me confidence to issue this recipe…

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I told them that I may not wish to issue the recipe because I am not happy with the final products in terms of appearance or I am shy about this batch of ear lobe biscuits..

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I am unsure why i have difficulty in cutting despite that I have deep freeze the dough, the cutting was not smooth and those resulted in funny shape biscuits.. Well, other than the shape, I am extremely happy with this batch of ear lobe biscuits. It is crispy and i especially like the fermented bean curd flavours.

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This is a traditional Chinese snack that  I got it from a Chinese blogger’s website.. This is different from the Western spiral cookies or pinwheel cookies where butter were used and baking were done instead of deep frying.

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I am very confused about the name.. Taiwanese called it pig ear (猪耳朵）， the source recipe mentioned that it is cow ear (牛耳朵）and Indonesian and Malaysian groups called it elephant ear (telinga gajah or 象耳朵）。 In view of this, I have decided to name this as ear lobe biscuits.. (耳朵饼)

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Recipe adapted from : Cow’s Ear Biscuits | Do What I Like

Servings: About 20-30 pieces of Ear Lobe biscuits

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White dough

  • 75 grams of plain flour
  • 40 grams of water
  • 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda

Brown dough

  • 100 grams of plain flour
  • 30 grams of water
  • 30 grams of brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon of lard or corn oil
  • 1.5 teaspoon of fermented bean curd
  • 1 teaspoon of five spice powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
  • Pinches of salt

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for white dough , use hand or machine to knead until it forms a pliable soft and smooth dough. Set aside..

  • In another mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients for the brown dough, use hand or machine to knead until it forms a pliable soft and smooth dough. Set aside.

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  • Use a rolling pin, roll both dough into rectangular shape with about 1-2 mm thickness. Brush the brown dough with some water. Place the white dough on top of the brown dough. Brush the white dough with some water. Roll up the dough carefully into a cylindrical shape as tight as possible.  Use a clingy wrap to wrap the dough and put in the freezer for 20-30 minutes for the dough to slightly harden so as to facilitate cutting.

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  • Get ready a pot of hot oil for deep frying. The oil is consider as ready when a wooden chopstick inserts into a hot oil, bubbles starts to emit out.

  • Take out the dough and use a sharp knife to cut the dough with about 1-1.5 mm thickness. Once the oil is ready, turn the oil to medium and deep fried the biscuits until golden brown. Drain and when cooled completely, store in an air tight container.

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CONCLUSION

When time permits, I will re-prepare the recipe and update the post if there are new developments.. Pardon me for the ugly cookies. I am sure readers will be able to prepare a batch of more beautiful biscuits than mine.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Durian Ice Cream (榴莲冰淇淋）

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INTRODUCTION

I know that this is not the right time to issue the post as durian is very expensive..and 6 small pieces of durian cost me S$15.  I purposely bought these few pieces and beg the seller to give me a durian crust for this photo taking session…

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But I am preparing this based on the durian puree that have sat in my fridge for at least 2 months that I have to get rid of it.. Previously, I used this puree  to prepare durian cream puff and have about 2 cups left..

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Don’t worry, durian can keep in the freezer rather well.. It will not be spoilt that easily.. Durian, if properly deep freeze and defrost, it tastes like ice cream.. It is cold, sweet and creamy.. That is the rationale of designing this recipe…

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This is a simple no fuss recipe.. with only 3 ingredients and 2 steps, its taste is awesome. Pardon me for not being humble to give a self praised..

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I have a few ice cream recipes, and since most households do not have ice cream making machine, steps were simplified such that no ice cream machines were required. Unlike my other ice cream recipes, i have changed the step a bit to make it a lighter ice cream which is easy to scoop out ….

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Since this is the mango season, if you are interested to make mango ice cream, you can refer to this post: Mango Is In Season, So Let’s Start Making…–Mango Ice Cream (芒果冰淇淋）

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: Prepare about 1 litre of ice cream

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  • 2 cups of durian puree
  • 1 cup of condensed milk
  • 1 cup of heavy cream or double cream or thicken cream

** Since I have used cups, i will not convert it to grams. Use any container or even rice cooking measuring cups. As long as the ratio is correct, it will be okay.. It can be glasses, cup, bowl or etc..

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • In a mixing bowl, beat the cream until stiff peak. Set aside for later use. Stiff peak means when you inverted the mixing bowl, the cream will not fall down.

  • In the same mixing bowl, beat the durian puree and condensed milk until well combined. Fold in the whipped cream lightly and swiftly until well mixed. Transfer to your desired container. Keep in freezer for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.

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CONCLUSION

Another simple recipe that have nothing to shout about. With the incorporation of whipped cream, the ice cream is fluffier. Don’t worry about the 1 cup of condensed milk, it will definitely less sweet than the commercial version.. The colour of the ice cream will depend on the durian that you used. While now may not be the durian season, you can still get reasonably priced package durian puree at Geylang fruit stalls. If I don’t remember wrongly, one  package of 1 kg deep freeze durian puree cost only about 20 SGD.  

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Meat Floss Steamed Sponge Cake (肉松鸡蛋糕）

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INTRODUCTION

I have always wanted to prepare this savoury steamed sponge cake after a member in my Facebook Group asked if any one have the recipe.. I have the recipe from a book but I did not have a chance to try out..

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Today, while scrolling my cook book, I found the recipe and decided to try preparing it. It is a Taiwanese cook book and apparently this is a common roadside snack for the Taiwanese..

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The recipe required the preparation using minced meat . However, I am rather lazy to prepare the minced meat early in the morning, I have decided to use pork floss instead. Whether pork floss or minced meat, I believed the taste will blend well..

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Feeling guilty after steaming the cake and as a respect of traditional cuisines, i have stir fry some minced meat for purpose of this illustration so that readers can have a choice of using pork floss or minced meat.

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This is a rather healthy recipe.. very little fats were used. The cake is fluffy and definitely a good breakfast item.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: An 8” round baking tray of steamed sponge cake

Recipe adapted from: 面点新手， 胡娟娟， 2013年3月 肉燥蒸蛋糕 Page 269

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  • 100 grams of meat floss (or minced meat as follows)
  • 160 grams of self raising flour
  • 160 grams of castor sugar
  • 30 grams of cooking oil
  • 5 eggs

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  • 100 grams of minced meat
  • 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon of minced Chinese celery or spring onion
  • 1.5 tablespoon of dark soya sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine
  • 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
  • Dashes of white pepper

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

  • Lightly greased a baking tin with cooking oil.and get ready a steamer with enough water capable of steaming at high heat for at least 30 minutes.

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  • Sauté the minced garlic until fragrant, add the minced meat and stir fry for 3-4 minutes until the minced meat is cooked. Add the Chinese cooking wine, chopped Chinese celery or spring onion, dark soya sauce and white pepper. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes until dry. Dish up and set aside . (Note that this step is optional if meat floss was used)

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  • In a whisking bowl of a standing mixer, crack the eggs and beat until foamy (1-2 minutes). Add the sugar tablespoon by tablespoon. Beat the egg until volume expands to at least 2 times and reach ribbon stage which took about 8-10 minutes at high speed. Ribbon stage means when you took out the whisker, the beaten eggs drip slowly instead of flowing down. Take out the beaten eggs, add the cooking oil slowly and use a spatula to lightly and swiftly mix the batter until well combined.

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  • Sift the self raising flour in 3 stages, use a spatula to fold the batter swiftly and lightly until the batter is well combine. Transfer half of the batter into the baking tray. Steam the cake for 10 minutes. Prior to steaming, make sure that water in the steamer is boiling.

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  • Take out the steamed cake, layer with half of the meat floss or all minced meat above. Pour the other half of the batter on top. Sprinkle again the remaining half of the meat floss (note that minced meat cannot sprinkle on top as it will sink down). Steamed for at least 20 minutes or until a skewer inserts into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Best served warm as a snack.

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CONCLUSION

Remember that you have a choice of either using minced meat or meat floss.. I would think that minced meat will be a better choice as it is moister but I leave the decision to you.

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Hope you like the post today.. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Cuttlefish Like Kangkong, Is It Not Weird? Sotong Kangkong (鱿鱼蕹菜）

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INTRODUCTION

I totally have no idea as to why water spinach or Chinese convolvulus, or kangkong (as in Malay） are teamed up with Chinese style dry cuttlefish… I cannot seems to trace the origin of this dish… I am also unsure the dish belong which races.

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Some said that it is a Penang and Ipoh well known snack but I have to object that as it was found in many parts of Malaysia and Singapore.including Sarawak. I also understand that Rujak Bandung is also quite similar in terms of the ingredients used.

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It is also one of  my childhood snack in Sarawak and was usually sold in the Rojak stalls.. However, it was an occasional treat this as it was a rather costly dish because of the soaked cuttlefish. Those who have purchased dried cuttlefish will know that it is not cheap as with other dried seafoods.

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But I was surprised to find that these soaked cuttlefish are rather cheap in Singapore. I bought a whole cuttlefish for only S$3.50.

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The dish is very simple, just some blanched kangkong, some blanched soaked cuttlefish and served with a special sweet and tangy sauce. The dish was sprinkled generously with some peanut powder and sesame seeds.

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

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  • 1 bundle of kangkong (washed and cut into about 5 cm in length) （空心菜）
  • 1 medium size soaked cuttlefish （发好鱿鱼）
  • 3 tablespoons of petis udang (Hae Ko) （虾膏）
  • 3 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce (海鲜酱）
  • 2 tablespoons of plum sauce （酸梅酱）
  • 1 tablespoons of white sugar (白糖）
  • 1 tablespoon of chilli flakes or chilli powder (辣椒粉）
  • 1 tablespoon of plain water （白水）
  • Some toasted sesame seeds (芝麻）
  • Some ground peanuts (花生）

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • Wash the cuttlefish and cut into small pieces. Note that cuttlefish when blanched will shrunk in size. At such, the ideal size will be about 2cm x 1 cm. Wash and cut the kangkong into your desired size.

  • In a pot, put the thick shrimp sauce (Hae Ko), Hoisin sauce, plum sauce, white sugar, chilli powder and plain water. Stir until well mix and bring to boil under medium heat. The main purpose of this step is to integrate the sauce and the boiling will help to thicken the sauce. It took about 2-3 minutes.

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  • In a pot of hot boiling water, put few drops of oil, blanched the kangkong for about 1-2 minutes. Drain, squeeze dry and transfer to your serving plate. Blanch the cuttlefish for 1-2 minutes, drain adequately (at least 1/2 minute to ensure no water in the cuttlefish) and put on top of the blanched kangkong. Pour the sauce on top of the cuttlefish and dust sparingly with the sesame seeds and grounded peanuts. Best served immediately with calamansi (optional) after it was prepared.

Note:

  • Timings of blanching kangkong and cuttlefish are the critical success factors of this dish. Over blanched kangkong will make the kangkong looked yellowish and lack of crunchiness. Over blanched cuttlefish will make the cuttlefish shrunk in size and become chewy.

  • Blanched kangkong will secrete water after it was blanched. Therefore, before transferring to the serving plate, it is imperative that the kangkong have to be as dry as possible. Otherwise, the sauce will become very dilute when pour on top of the kangkong.

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CONCLUSION

I am generally happy with the sauce as I find that it is delicious. However, it is still slightly different from what I have tasted before in Kuching when young and  I am unsure of the reasons. Well there are many recipes in the internet and every stalls will have its own version of sauce and it is definitely difficult to crack their secret code.. But trust me, it is definitely a delicious and pleasant sauce.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Cheesy Bacon Bread Bites (培根芝士小面包）

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INTRODUCTION

This is a very easy recipe.. Easy to prepare, easy to shape, fast to bake with an awesome texture and taste…Of course taste wise will depend on the types of ingredients you used.

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All these are easy because of its small size… Any shape will do, proofing time is shorter and baking time is even shorter depending on size of your bread..

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I can’t claim this is my original idea and I have obtain the inspiration from the internet. This bake of bite size cheesy buns are rather common especially in Chinese speaking Facebook food groups. ..However, I never read their recipes and unsure what have been used. The common shape is cubical shape..

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This recipe is entirely from my own crazy ideas.. I modified the recipe from the basic bread dough .. Since this is a cheesy bread, most the ingredients I used are diary based.. Cheese never goes wrong with bacon. Since I have some chicken “bacon” at home, I have decided  to pair them up. To enhance the flavour, I have used Italian mixed herb comprising of oregano and etc..

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I am more than happy with this adventure.. The bread is soft and very aromatic …I loved especially the cheesy herbs flavour.  The only disappointment is that I have forgotten to add in pinches of salt.. As such the bread is slightly bland.. Well I have already adjusted in the recipe.. Be it savoury or sweet, this bread is addictive .. It will be a very good snack when you are picnicking, gathering etc..

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings: about 50 bread bites depending on size.

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  • 250 grams of bread flour
  • 100 grams of fresh milk, lukewarm
  • 50 grams of condensed milk
  • 50 grams of cheddar cheese
  • 50 grams of bacon *, cut into small pieces
  • 30 grams of milk powder
  • 20 grams of butter, softened
  • 6 grams of instant yeast
  • 2 grams of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of Italian herbs (optional)
  • 1 egg

* Luncheon meat, bak kwa or sausage bits can also be considered.

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

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  • Add bread flour, milk, condensed milk, salt, eggs and yeast in a standing mixer’s mixing bowl. Use a spoon to slightly stir it until it form a sticky dough. Use the dough hook in the machine to beat the dough at medium to low speed (speed 2 in Kenwood Chef or Kitchen Aid) for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, put the butter and cheddar cheese, change from medium to high speed (speed 4 kin Kenwood Chef or Kitchen Aid) for about 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and leaves the side of the mixing bowl. Take a small piece of dough and lightly stretch the dough. If it can form a thin film of dough without breaking, the kneading is considered as adequate.. This is called windowpane test.

  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, add the bacon bits. Use hand to lightly knead the dough until all the bacon bits are well incorporated. Shape round and let it proof until double in size. Cover with a clingy wrap or wet towel. If the dough is too sticky, flour your hand and continue the kneading.

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  • Pre-heat the oven to 160 degree Celsius

  • When the dough double in size, punch the dough and roll the dough evenly into a 1 cm thickness . Use a cookie mould or any other desired mould to mould out the dough and transfer to a lightly greased baking tray. Gather the sides, roll flat and mould until all its done. Let it proof until at least double in size.

  • Bake in the pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown. Store in a covered container once the bread bites had completely cooled.

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Note:

  • While kneading the dough, if your dough is too wet, add bread flour tablespoon to tablespoon until it form a pliable dough. If it is too dry, add milk or water teaspoon by teaspoon until it forms a pliable dough. There are many factors that may affect the dough condition, condition of flour, how wet is your puree can significantly affect the amount of liquid required. As such, you have to exercise judgment. A bit more or less is acceptable in bread making. 

  • The timing of the baking is relatively shorter and very much depend on your size. As long as the bottom of the bread is slightly brownish, it is considered as cooked. If you want to brown the top, you may need to monitor until it reach your desired colour tone. Over baking, however will make your tiny bread hard.

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CONCLUSION

This is a simple recipe with many variations. I believed it is suitable for new bakers. With its tiny size, any imperfection will not be obvious. If you want it to be sweet version, just add 2 tablespoons of sugar .. Otherwise, it will a savoury version as in the recipe. Feel free to change the bacon to bak kwa or even sausages..  As for cheese, if you like very strong cheesy flavour which does not suit my taste buds, you can use 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese powder to substitute the cheddar cheese.. If you do not like oregano, why not change to chopped spring onion or even coriander?

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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Shrimp Floss Rolls aka Sambal Udang Kering Mini Rolls (虾米卷）

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INTRODUCTION

This Chinese New Year goodies is not something new, I remembered that I have helped my families before when I was a kid..

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It is an easy job but laborious.. What make your cookies stand out as compared to other households will be the neatness of the cookies that you have prepared with love. As I have rather large fingers, I do have difficulty in wrapping these mini rolls.. Pardon me for the fat and rather ugly wrapped rolls. For those who slimmer fingers, it should be much better.

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I do not know who started to blend this Chinese style of pastry with the Malay style of condiments. What I can conclude is that it is definitely a good fusion. The slightly salty, aromatic and spicy shrimp floss was wrapped by the Chinese spring roll skin. After deep frying, the skin will become very crispy..It definitely provide an alternative to the house guest in a tray of sweet buttery cookies.

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As contrast to other recipes in the internet, this recipe uses oven bake. It is fast and you do not need to deal with the messiness in the kitchen resulting from oil deep frying. Taste wise will not be compromised much though definitely oil fried items will be tastier than oven baked or air fried.

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As for the sambal udang kering, you can refer to the post here: Sambal Udang Kering–Dry Shrimps Spiced Condiments (辣椒虾米松）

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WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings : About 4o mini spring rolls.

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STEPS OF PREPARATION

  • Pre-heat the oven to 160 degree Celsius . You are advise to pre-heat towards the end of the wrapping as these wrapping can be rather time consuming.

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  • Cut each sheet of spring roll pastry into 4 equal squares. Line up as in the picture.. Spread the flour paste on the edges of the square. Put a small quantity of shrimp floss on the centre, fold both sides inwards and followed by the sides nearer to you. Roll up quickly..Ensure that the edges stick to the pastry. Otherwise, use more flour paste to seal places that start to loosen. For best result, do not have too much shrimp floss as it will make the rolls hard.

  • Bake in the pre-heated oven of 160 degree Celsius for about 10-15 minutes or until your desired colour tone. I prefer my rolls to be whiter and therefore I have effectively baked for about 12 minutes only. Seal in an air tight container when completely cool. (Note: You can also deep fry the rolls using medium heat until golden brown. )

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CONCLUSION

Oven baked version is very much healthier. In addition, as the recipe for the shrimp floss uses very limited amount of oil, the snack is not as oily as what is commercially sold. Do give it a try and let me know whether or not this suit your taste buds.

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For more Chinese New Year related cookies, snack and steamed cake recipes, you can have a copy of “Easy Chinese New Year Recipes – A step by step guide” that was packed with 30 recipes, 60 pages at a reasonable convenience fee of USD3.50. The recipes covered various recipes from auspicious radish cake to nian gao to traditional kuih bangkit to trendy London almond cookies. Of course not forgetting both type of pineapple tarts. You can purchase by clicking the link above. You can either pay using Pay Pal or Credit card account. Please ensure that you have an PDF reader like Acrobat or iBooks in your mobile phone or iPad if you intended to read it in your ipad or mobile phone. Should there be any problems of purchasing, feel free to contact me at kengls@singnet.com.sg and separate arrangement can be made.

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Hope you like the post today. Cheers and have a nice day.

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I’m submitting this post to Best Recipes for Everyone Jan & Feb 2015 Event Theme: My Homemade Cookies organized by Fion of XuanHom’s Mom and co-hosted by Victoria Bakes

 

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