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Salted Vegetable Duck Soup (咸菜鸭）– A Quick and Easy Way to Prepare This Traditional Soup Dish
INTRODUCTION
This is a soup dish that I have always craved for it。 It is rather extraordinary as not many Fujian Chinese soup dish are as sour as this dish。 However, it is a well liked dish that most Chinese households would have their own recipe for this soup and every household will claim that theirs is the best. Though it is commonly thought of a Hokkien/Teochew/Peranakan (dialects) cuisines. however, to be more precise, it is a Fujian province soup and even in People’s Republic of China, they have recipe for this soup.
When I was young, the soup were only prepared when they were big festivals or religious prayers. The main reasons were that ducks were relatively expensive and will only be served at big festivals. In addition, during religious festivals, lots of food were cooked and it is unlikely to finish all the foods in one day, this soup which is sour was less prone of turning bad if keep for a day or two as most households do not have refrigerators in the 1960’s. Thirdly, duck is very difficult to cook, traditional way will need braising of duck until the meat are soft and tender and the flavour of the salted vegetable starts to penetrate into the duck meat. Therefore, it is cooked only occasionally.
Traditionally, the duck meat were braised for hours before it can be served. It is also a common belief that the soup be left overnight to become even tastier. However, with the introduction of new cooking equipment, the cooking time have cut short considerably. I have used one hour to cook this dish and get the same taste that my mum would have prepared for at least half a day. For this illustration, I have used pressure cooker that cut short the time considerably. However, previously, I have also use rice cooker (soup function) to cook the soup and slow cooker to boil overnight. However, the best equipment is still the usage of pressure cooker followed by rice cooker and finally slow cooker.
The most basic ingredients of this soup are ducks, salted vegetables, Chinese preserved sour plums and gingers. Ginger is a must because it will counter effect the cooling effect brought by the consumption of salted vegetables. Chinese generally discouraged consumption of preserved vegetables as it will introduce “wind” to the body. All other ingredients are side ingredients which in my humble opinion are optional.
To make it even more sour, cooks are using tomatoes (which appeared to be an essential ingredient now), asam kulit (tamarind slices), vinegar, lemon and marinated lemon. Other more common ingredients are dried mushrooms, garlics and red carrots. There are also recipes in the internet that have chilli, brandy as their ingredients!!!!!
For me, a good bowl of soup should be sweet (from the meat broth) and sour (not extremely sour) with a blend aroma of ginger and salted vegetables. Meat must be tender and soft.
WHAT IS REQUIRED ….
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500 g of salty preserved Chinese Mustard
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1 kg of duck meat (about half a whole duck and de-skinned if preferred).
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50 g of red carrots cut in small pieces
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10 small dried mushrooms soaked in water
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3 big whole garlics
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100 g of gingers (peel off the skin)
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100 g of tomatoes cut into big pieces
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2 slices of ginger
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3 sour plums that can easily get from Chinese provision shops.
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6-8 cups of water (estimation)
Note:
Only the salted vegetables, duck, gingers and sour plum are the main ingredients. All other ingredients are side ingredients which are optional and a matter of personal preferences. Volume listed here are also for reference only as it is rather hard for you to get an exact 1 kg duck.. so full flexibility here.
It is advisable that you soak the preserved vegetable first before you cook the soup. I would rather soaked the salted vegetable for a longer time to reduce the saltiness and if the final soup is not salty enough, I will add salt to the dish. I usually soak the vegetable for at least half an hour.
STEPS OF PREPARATION
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Layer your ingredients (except tomatoes) between salted vegetables and meat and other ingredients . Why it is not a must but I have the habits of layering the ingredients to ensure the meat were well seasoned by the ingredients)
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Add 6-8 cups of water or about 1.5 times the height of your ingredients. Note: if you are using pressure cooker, you can use this amount of water. However, if you are using rice cooker or stove to boil the soup, you may need at least 10 cups of water until the meat get tender and soft. It is ok to start with this volume of water and if the volume of water is not enough, you can add water along the way.
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For pressure cooker, select “meat function” and it will took approximately 25-30 minutes. After cooking, let it rest in the pot for at least 15-30 minutes as it will continue to cook. BE CAREFUL WHEN HANDLING PRESSURE COOKER. For rice cooker, select “soup function” and if after the first cooking, the meat is still or tender, you can select another round of soup function and stop when the meat have your required tenderness. I usually cooked this before I went to bed and the next day, every thing is perfect.
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When done, add in the fresh tomato and close the lid and rest for another 10 minutes before serving.
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Preferably served hot with rice .
CONCLUSION
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This is a rather short post on one of the traditional Chinese soup dishes – Salted Vegetable Duck Soup. The reasons for the exact combinations of these two main ingredients are unknown. Possibly duck needs time to braise and salted vegetable can withstand long hour of braising. Ginger is a must, in my humble opinion to get rid of the meat raw smell and also have to role of preventing gas formation when consuming preserved vegetables. Sour plum is the traditional ingredient to make this soup sour though the present method have resort to the use of tomatoes, lemons, tamarind slices and etc. All other ingredients are optional and quantity can varies according to your own preferences.
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Traditionally, the soup was cooked over charcoal stoves where you need at least 2 to 3 hours or longer to get the desire meat texture and soup flavour. However, with the pressure cooker as in this illustration, the cooking time have cut down considerably and it is easier to control the quality of the soup. Rice cooker soup function is another alternatives than can be considered.
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While the soup is tasty and nice, excess consumption is not recommended as this soup is consider as cooling according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. In addition, those with stomach acidity will also need to watch out the volume of consumption.
Hope you like it. It is not as difficult as what it is thought. It is a bowl of soup that I could never resists and you should be proud to modify the recipe to suit your families taste buds. Happy trying. Cheers.
CCC – Cheesy Cassava Cake–A Modified Version of The Traditional Nonya Kuih Bengka Ubi
INTRODUCTION
Tapioca or cassava is a staple root widely consumed in regions like Africa, Asia, Oceania and etc. It is easily propagated and commonly found in South East Asian countries. Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia are the top three exporter of tapioca in the world.
Tapioca or cassava cake is a very common household cake of any races (be in Chinese, Malay, Indian or other races) in Singapore and Malaysia. However, in the Peranakan cooking, Kueh Bengka Ubi is one the most famous items in its cuisines.
There are generally two methods of making cassava cake, by steaming or baking. Chinese preferred to have its cassava cake steamed, as soft as possible and served with shredded coconut (at times this is needed as the cake are so soft and smooth that it is shapeless). On the other hand, the Nonya preferred to bake the cake using charcoal stoves or ovens. Usually, the baked cassava cake have a slightly burnt crusty top and the body is yellowish in colour and texture is rather “elastic”. It is very aromatic with a mixture of fragrances from pandanus leaves, coconut milks and eggs.
CHEESEY CASSAVA CAKE
This recipe is my own without making reference to any recipes in the internet. As usual, I have prepared based on what I think is workable, memories on the cake that I have tasted before and one or two attempts a few months back.
This cake is different in its texture and its taste. Besides the normal fragrance of the traditional cassava cake, the cake have a rich and cheesy fragrance. In addition, as you can infer from the pictures above, the texture is moist but not soggy or sticky. In fact, you can cut it into any shape that you want.
The incorporation of cream cheese had made the cassava cake smoother and creamier. It helps to heighten the flavour of the eggs, coconut milk, butter and the cassava original flavour.
I have used small sago balls to enhance the texture. Grated cassava, under high heat can turn very sticky and subsequently become very chewy. The additions of sago balls somehow will help to sooth the texture making it even smoother.
WHAT IS REQUIRED
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100 g of sago balls – soaked in water (Volume of water should be about 2 times of the sago ball and note that the balls will expand)
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150 g of butter
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200 g of cream cheese
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250 g of granulated sugar
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4 eggs
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200 ml of thick coconut milks
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1 kg of finely grated tapioca or cassava. You can buy in the market and grate it yourself. If you want to grate it yourself, you will have to use the food processor to chop it as finely as possible, and then you can proceed to use a blender (instead of an cake mixer) to perform the following steps. You will need to put in your chopped cassavas, eggs, coconut milks and blend it to as smooth as possible).
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Red and green (pandanus) colouring (optional) – I have resorted to the use of red and green colouring this illustration as I find that the traditional cake are rather dull in colour and I want my cake to look more colourful and appetizing.
STEPS OF PREPARATION
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Pre-heat your oven to 180 degree Celsius.
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Get ready a 8 inch x 8 inch baking tin. Slightly grease the tin with either butter or cooking oil. Dust some wheat flour if necessary.
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In the mixing bowl, beat your butter, cream cheese and sugar using medium speed until evenly mixed. Note that the purpose of this step is not to let you have a fluffy cake like other cake recipes. The beating here is mainly a mixing step, a step to ensure that the butter and cream cheese are evenly mixed.
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Once well mixed, add in your eggs one at a time and followed by the coconut milk. You should only use low speed for this simple mixing purpose. Scrap out the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl to ensure that there are not cheeses sticking to the bowl.
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At this stage, you will notice that the mixture become more and more watery which is normal and hence SPEED SHOULD BE LOW as long as mixing can be performed.
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Add in the grated cassava and soaked sago balls. “Beat” at the lowest speed possible. You will see that after 1-2 minutes of slow mixing, the liquid start to disappear as it was further absorbed by the sago balls.
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Separate into approximately 4 equal portions. One portion with red colouring, one portion with green colouring and the other two portions maintain the original colour.
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Pour the uncoloured portion of the batter to the tin, followed by green and red portion. It is entirely up to readers as to what design you want your cake to cook like. For me , I have opted to have some simple big stripes design. As the batter is not very watery, it is rather easy for you to design your pattern.
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Baked using 190 degree Celsius for about 30-45 minutes or until set. Until set means when you push the baking tin, the centre of the cake does not “vibrate”. Another test is that you insert a skewer in the centre of the cake, the skewer come out clean. However, as this is a cassava cake, cassava when hot can be slightly slimy and as long as you taste it is not raw, the cake is consider as cooked.
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Leave the cake in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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Cutting of cake is best done 3-4 hours after baking to ensure that centre of the cake is completely cool. As long as when you cut the cake, there are some cake stick to the knife, your cake is considered as not cool completely.
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Serving suggestions – you can serve with shredded coconut with white sugar and hot tea or coffee.
CONCLUSIONS
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This is a modified recipe by incorporating cream cheese and sago balls to the traditional cassava cake. The main aim is to smoothen the cake texture and make the cake creamier along with the fragrance of eggs, coconut milk and cassava.
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Resulting from the modification, this will be totally different from the traditional cassava cake that you may have tried. It is soft, slightly springy and with cheesy coconut fragrance. The shredded sugar coconut with heighten the palate and reach another higher dimensions.
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It is easy to cut into your desired sizes and looks presentable in tea party as a snack items.
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If you think that you are a professional Nonya cake baker, you should try and tell me what is your opinion. If you are new to pastry making, this is one item that will not ruin your confidence.
Hope you LIKE it and have a nice day. Cheers
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Is there any relationship between Dragon in a boat and a Peranakan Women?….The process of making Nonya Chang revisited…(Part I)
BACKGROUND INTRODUCTION
Rice dumpling or “Chang” is one of the traditional delicacies that are well loved by the Malaysian Chinese and Singaporean Chinese communities. However, nowadays, most families do not really wrap their own dumplings at home. They will buy the Chang in shops, restaurants or even supermarkets.
The price of the Chang will gradually be pushed upwards by another 100% by the date of the Rice Dumplings Festival (or Dragon Boat Festival or Duan Wu Jie 端午节). Two weeks before the Rice Dumpling Festivals, assuming the price per rice dumpling is SGD 1.50 before the increase, the seller will increase 10cents per day and it will become to SGD2.90 by the time of Festival. This price is grossly underestimated and actual prices can be in the range of SGD3-4 per rice dumpling from a more reputable shop to SGD 5-6 from posh restaurants.
WHY SUCH A HIGH PRICE PREMIUM FOR THE CHANG?
It was a sad fact that peoples of my age are not really keen to make the chang themselves. Chang was able to command a high price premium because of the basic economic laws of demand and supply. There are lots of demands for Chang especially near the Rice Dumpling festival. However, supplies were limited to a few Chang shops since most families are not willing to prepare their own Chang.
The next question will be to understand why families did not consider to wrap their own Chang? In my humble opinion, most people do not wish to prepare their own Chang due to the following factors and beliefs which personally, I think are misconceptions concerning Chang making:
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It is time consuming to make the Chang (see below) as traditional ways of making Chang needs at least 1-2 days;
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It is difficult to assemble all the ingredients;
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It is very “challenging” to wrap the Chang as tying of ropes and shaping of Chang need times to acquire such skills;
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Families are small eaters, they just want to eat one to two Chang and unlike traditionally, most families need lots of Chang for the praying sessions;
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Lack of economies of scales if they only wrapped say 10-12 Chang and it is more worthwhile to purchase from outside stores;
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The increase of household disposal income over the years and the price of Chang is just a small portion of their income.
Due to above the reasons, most families are not willing to wrap the Chang!
TRADITIONAL WAYS OF CHANG PREPARATION
Traditional preparation of Chang can be a laborious process. All ladies in the family were called to help with the preparation. In fact, families and extended families (aunt) or even neighbors may agreed on one day to prepare the Chang together. They will take 1 day for the preparation of the filing and another day for the wrapping and cooking of Chang.
The first day will usually involve the cleaning of the leaves for wrapping, soaking of glutinous rice, the dicing of meats, mushrooms and other ingredients and frying the filings for next day’s wrapping. Early in the morning (may be 4-5 am) in the morning, the wrapping will begin and when a bunch of Chang is ready (about 20-30 Chang depending on your pot for boiling), the boiling or cooking of Chang begins This will take another 2-3 hours per bunch depending on the size of the Chang. By noon, usually, all Chang will be wrapped and all Chang will be cooked by 4pm – 5pm in the afternoon. The ladies will share the results of their hard works (Chang) between themselves and bring their portion back to their respective families. Traditionally, they are using big biscuits tin and boil under a kerosene stove. The tin is specially made fro this purpose only.
Don’t you think so after the Chang preparation, the ladies in each families shall be closer to each other due to the need of communications. I would deemed this as a family gathering or family “unity” exercise!
pic courtesy of :http://nyonyacake.blogspot.sg/ pic courtesy of: http://www.whatsonxiamen.com
REASONS OF MAKING YOUR OWN “CHANG”
Learning how to wrap the Chang is definitely something that I would like to promote among the younger generations. With the various kitchen equipment and aids, the process of preparing the Chang can be shortened considerably and I hope readers will try the short cut method that I will share with you in Part II.
The benefits of wrapping your own Chang are:
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huge cost savings
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more varieties of Chang can be prepared and easily tailored to the taste or special diet considerations of your family members;
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as a gift to relatives and friends.
CHANG DEFINED
“Zongzi (or simply zong) (Chinese: 粽子) is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo, reed, or other large flat leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling. In the Western world, they are also known as rice dumplings or sticky rice dumplings.
Laotians, Thais, (who call them Bachang) and Cambodians (who call them nom chang) have also assimilated this dish by borrowing it from the local overseas Chinese minorities in their respective nations. In Indonesia and Malaysia, they are known as bakcang, bacang, or zang (Chinese: 肉粽; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bah-chàng), a loanword from Hokkien, a Chinese dialect commonly used among Indonesian-Chinese, rather than Mandarin. Along the same lines, zongzi are more popularly known as machang among Chinese Filipinos in the Philippines.”
(SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zongzi)
Therefore, in according to the simple definition, the must have of Chang is glutinous rice and some types of fillings (though there are Changs that don’t have fillings like Kee Chang).
Type of Chang
Fillings of Chang
Every regions or Chinese dialects group will have their own versions of Chang. As economy are more and more affluence, the fillings were change over the years. The following 2 pictures shows Chang will a few types of fillings.
Chang with meat type of fillings. Can you spot an abalone and chili padi in the filings.
Chang which is bean based or no fillings at all
Shape of Chang
You can see there are many shapes of Chang and one of them is called the Pillow Chang. But the basic shape is the triangular shaped Chang. Have you ever seen a cone shaped Chang as shown in the last picture?
Therefore, one can conclude that Chang can have many shapes and fillings and I would not insist whose Chang is genuine and whose is fake. What can be included or what cannot to be included in the Chang.
NONYA CHANG DEFINED
“Nyonya zong (娘惹粽): A specialty of Peranakan cuisine, these zongzi are made similarly as southern zongzi. However, the filling is typically minced pork with candied winter melon, ground roasted peanuts and a spice mix.”
(SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zongzi)
Nonya Chang belongs to the cuisine of Peranakan communities in Singapore and Malaysia. Peranakans are descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Indonesia and Singapore, inter-marrying with local Malays. The old Malay word nonya (also spelled nyonya), a term of respect and affection for women of prominent social standing (part “madame” and part “auntie”), has come to refer to the cuisine of the Perakanans. Nonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients with spices and cooking techniques used by the Malay/Indonesian community.
The nonya Chang is also “pua kiam ti” （半咸甜粽）meaning the Chang is both sweet and salty at the same time. It is different from the Chang is Taiwan or China which are called Kiam Bak Chang (咸肉粽）。
Nonya Chang are generally accepted by all Chinese Dialects group in Singapore and Malaysia. What differentiates a Nonya Chang and other Chang are summarize as follows:
1. The usage of coriander powder and aniseed powder in the preparation both of which were considered as Middle Eastern spice widely used by the Malay communities;
2. The inclusion of candied winter melon to make the Chang sweet and that is where the sweet components come from. This obviously is under the influence of the Chinese culture where candied winter melon are widely used in its desserts and believed to have some cooling effects;
3. The usage of screw pine leaves for the wrapping (Pandanus) as compared to the bamboo leaves generally used in other Chang. This is another indication of localization of Nonya Chang since screw pine leaves are not available in China;
4. The usage of other nonya coloring such as the pea flower to color part the Chang into blue or indigo, but part of the rice are still white or light brownish in color as compared to the dark brown color of rice in the Kiam Bak Chang.
5. The inclusion of “sambal” in the fillings and this usually comprises of minced dry shrimps cooked with numerous types Malay spices.
I hoped that via this explanation, you can draw your own conclusions as to what are the characteristics of Nonya Chang and understand why it is call “half sweet half salty’ Chang.
In the above picture, please note that the usage of reed strings, Pandanus leaves, diced or minced type of fillings, blue color of rice, brown dot in the white colored rice (coriander powder), all these are rather typical of a Nonya Chang.
CONCLUSION
The fact that most families are not willing to make their own Chang is understandable and one of the main reasons is the laborious process involved. However, such process can be shortened and I will share with your the simplified steps to make “my” own version of Nonya Chang. Though my mother in law cannot agree with my process of preparation saying that I am lazy but she never complain about the ‘”qualities” of the “final products”.
Hopefully, this post will give you another perspective of understand Chang and “design your own Chang”. In Part II, I will share with you the details process in making the Chang.
Thank for reading.
Malaysian Singaporean Chinese Food -Kueh Pie Tee
Kueh Pie Tee is a thin and crispy pastry tart shell filled with a spicy, sweet mixture of thinly sliced vegetables and prawns is a popular Peranakan dish. The shells are made of flour and though some stores will make them from scratch, they can usually be found ready made in most supermarkets. Similar to popiah, the main filling is shredded Chinese turnips and carrots, and usually these two dishes are sold by the same stall in hawker centers. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kueh_Pie_Tee)
Once you made popiah (you can refer to my post Malaysian Singaporean Chinese Food – Popiah Sarawak Style), you will think of making some Kueh Pie Tee or “Top Hats” or “小金杯“ of which the ingredients for the fillings are basically the same. Kueh pie tee are usually served as party snacks and the presentations are usually eye catching and outshine other appetizers. Yesterday, I prepared some kueh pie tee using the fillings left over from making the popiah.
RELATIONSHIP WITH POPIAH PREPARATION
Making popiah, as explained in my earlier post, is a laborious “project” that involved using lots of ingredients, processes, kitchen utensils. Therefore, I wouldn’t want to prepare quantity of fillings solely adequate for making the popiah. In addition, I knew very well that if I cannot finish using all the fillings, I can use it for making kueh pie tee, fried spring roll or become a dish for next day’s meals. In fact, it is rather difficult to estimate the exact quantities of the filling required for the popiah due to inconsistency in the sizes of popiah rolled by party guests. Some greedy one would roll a big fat popiah whereas some others may rolled a small one for fear of weight gain, blah blah.blah..
FRESH VS OVERNIGHT FILLLINGS
One may questioned whether it is okay to keep overnight the fillings. My answer is yes. Foods will not become bad or contaminated immediately if you have used a clean spoon to scope the fillings and packed it in a clean container before putting it in the fridge. Once in, don’t take it out before your next use. Of course, not too long. My own guideline for keeping these type of vegetable dishes are not more than a week..
WHAT IS REQUIRED
Besides the popiah fillings which basically consist of julienned jicama, French beans, taukwa, bean sprouts etc. , you will need to have some Kueh Pie Tee cups.
To make the Kueh Pie Tee, you will need to have a mold and deep fried your batters in hot oil. The basic ingredients for the batters are plain water and wheat flours. However, most families would claimed that they have the best recipe for the cups with variations in type of flours and liquid which is reasonable since there are only two basic ingredients. Some add rice flour for a firmer texture and would not be soggy that easily or potato starch. Some add melted butter to the batter so that they have a buttery fragrance. Some add gassy drinks like seven up believing that it will be more crispy.
Whatever it is, I have decided not to make my own cups and purchased in a rather well known “peranakan” or “nonya” shop in Singapore. The reasons are dual fold. Firstly, I do not have the mold and secondly, it involved large quantities of oils for frying. As at May 2013 (intentionally written down as such for future reference), I bought 50 cups for S$17, working out to be 34 cents per cup. If you are still keen to explore the process of making these cups, please visit here.
Beside the left over popiah fillings, I have added two fresh ingredients, namely blanched prawns and egg omelets.
These two are actually optional. In the olden days, prawns were not included as it is quite pricey. However, with the overall increase of family disposal incomes, people are looking for better quality of foods and prawns were included on the assumption that it will make this traditional delicacy look more presentable and appetizing. It would not be a surprise that in future, abalone slices may be added to show signs of wealth in parties for the rich and famous (since most traditional delicacy such as moon cakes, rice dumplings etc. already have this expensive ingredients added).
Eggs are also optional but since it is cheap, might as well add it since my kids love eggs.
STEPS OF PREPARATION
I am rather reluctant to detail the steps of preparation here as the process is very simple and I felt that too detail a description of the process with undermine my readers abilities to cook. The basic steps are:
- Get ready the kueh pie tee cups;
- Scope one spoon of the filling (refer to my popiah post) into a cup;
- Top with eggs, blanched prawns and garnished with spring onions or coriander leaves or Chinese celery leaves as necessary.
From the steps listed above, is it not simple? In fact, it is. It is that simple. As it is a party snack, how you topped your fillings become a crucial element in attracting the guests to take a bite of your kueh pie tee. You may design your own pattern and I can assure you that there are countless possibilities depending on your own creativities.
Kueh pie tee should not be prepared too early in advance as the fillings will make the cups become soggy or not crispy. Therefore, if you are having pot luck parties, it is best that you only fill your fillings may be 10-15 minutes before the party starts. A soggy cup will definitely ruined all the hard works that you have invested in these delicacies. Alternatively, you can consider just give the cups to your guests and let them help themselves.
CONCLUSION
If you looked at my posts, I have intentionally left out the exact quantities of the ingredients for the preparation. My rationale is simple, I am sharing with you how I prepare this in my very own manner and you can use it as a reference in your own context. I believed that I am still far from qualify to teach you how to cook. I always encouraged readers to try their own version after reading my posts. Don’t be ashamed of your own recipes. You should be proud of what you have tailored made for your family or the parties. Since it is not patented like Yangchow Fried Rice, who say kueh pie tee must be prepared like what I said above?
Happy Reading.
Malaysian Singaporean Chinese Food _ Kueh Pie Tee
Kueh Pie Tee is a thin and crispy pastry tart shell filled with a spicy, sweet mixture of thinly sliced vegetables and prawns is a popular Peranakan dish. The shells are made of flour and though some stores will make them from scratch, they can usually be found ready made in most supermarkets. Similar to popiah, the main filling is shredded Chinese turnips and carrots, and usually these two dishes are sold by the same stall in hawker centers. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kueh_Pie_Tee)
Once you made popiah (you can refer to my post Malaysian Singaporean Chinese Food – Popiah Sarawak Style), you will think of making some Kueh Pie Tee or “Top Hats” or “小金杯“ of which the ingredients for the fillings are basically the same. Kueh pie tee are usually served as party snacks and the presentations are usually eye catching and outshine other appetizers. Yesterday, I prepared some kueh pie tee using the fillings left over from making the popiah.
RELATIONSHIP WITH POPIAH PREPARATION
Making popiah, as explained in my earlier post, is a laborious “project” that involved using lots of ingredients, processes, kitchen utensils. Therefore, I wouldn’t want to prepare quantity of fillings solely adequate for making the popiah. In addition, I knew very well that if I cannot finish using all the fillings, I can use it for making kueh pie tee, fried spring roll or become a dish for next day’s meals. In fact, it is rather difficult to estimate the exact quantities of the filling required for the popiah due to inconsistency in the sizes of popiah rolled by party guests. Some greedy one would roll a big fat popiah whereas some others may rolled a small one for fear of weight gain, blah blah.blah..
FRESH VS OVERNIGHT FILLLINGS
One may questioned whether it is okay to keep overnight the fillings. My answer is yes. Foods will not become bad or contaminated immediately if you have used a clean spoon to scope the fillings and packed it in a clean container before putting it in the fridge. Once in, don’t take it out before your next use. Of course, not too long. My own guideline for keeping these type of vegetable dishes are not more than a week..
WHAT IS REQUIRED
Besides the popiah fillings which basically consist of julienned jicama, French beans, taukwa, bean sprouts etc. , you will need to have some Kueh Pie Tee cups.
To make the Kueh Pie Tee, you will need to have a mold and deep fried your batters in hot oil. The basic ingredients for the batters are plain water and wheat flours. However, most families would claimed that they have the best recipe for the cups with variations in type of flours and liquid which is reasonable since there are only two basic ingredients. Some add rice flour for a firmer texture and would not be soggy that easily or potato starch. Some add melted butter to the batter so that they have a buttery fragrance. Some add gassy drinks like seven up believing that it will be more crispy.
Whatever it is, I have decided not to make my own cups and purchased in a rather well known “peranakan” or “nonya” shop in Singapore. The reasons are dual fold. Firstly, I do not have the mold and secondly, it involved large quantities of oils for frying. As at May 2013 (intentionally written down as such for future reference), I bought 50 cups for S$17, working out to be 34 cents per cup. If you are still keen to explore the process of making these cups, please visit here.
Beside the left over popiah fillings, I have added two fresh ingredients, namely blanched prawns and egg omelets.
These two are actually optional. In the olden days, prawns were not included as it is quite pricey. However, with the overall increase of family disposal incomes, people are looking for better quality of foods and prawns were included on the assumption that it will make this traditional delicacy look more presentable and appetizing. It would not be a surprise that in future, abalone slices may be added to show signs of wealth in parties for the rich and famous (since most traditional delicacy such as moon cakes, rice dumplings etc. already have this expensive ingredients added).
Eggs are also optional but since it is cheap, might as well add it since my kids love eggs.
STEPS OF PREPARATION
I am rather reluctant to detail the steps of preparation here as the process is very simple and I felt that too detail a description of the process with undermine my readers abilities to cook. The basic steps are:
- Get ready the kueh pie tee cups;
- Scope one spoon of the filling (refer to my popiah post) into a cup;
- Top with eggs, blanched prawns and garnished with spring onions or coriander leaves or Chinese celery leaves as necessary.
From the steps listed above, is it not simple? In fact, it is. It is that simple. As it is a party snack, how you topped your fillings become a crucial element in attracting the guests to take a bite of your kueh pie tee. You may design your own pattern and I can assure you that there are countless possibilities depending on your own creativities.
Kueh pie tee should not be prepared too early in advance as the fillings will make the cups become soggy or not crispy. Therefore, if you are having pot luck parties, it is best that you only fill your fillings may be 10-15 minutes before the party starts. A soggy cup will definitely ruined all the hard works that you have invested in these delicacies. Alternatively, you can consider just give the cups to your guests and let them help themselves.
CONCLUSION
If you looked at my posts, I have intentionally left out the exact quantities of the ingredients for the preparation. My rationale is simple, I am sharing with you how I prepare this in my very own manner and you can use it as a reference in your own context. I believed that I am still far from qualify to teach you how to cook. I always encouraged readers to try their own version after reading my posts. Don’t be ashamed of your own recipes. You should be proud of what you have tailored made for your family or the parties. Since it is not patented like Yangchow Fried Rice, who say kueh pie tee must be prepared like what I said above?
Happy Reading.
GUAI SHU SHU 