Friday, 31 July 2015

SESAME PANCAKES




I am sure Jin Doi is known among the Chinese Community

Jin Doi are deep fried sesame balls
wrapped in red bean paste
or groundnuts

As sesame glutinous balls are deep fried
 I have found a good way of presenting it,
PAN FRIED & no oil at all!

It is indeed a healthy version!

Interested?
Just follow the simple steps below
which I adapted the recipe from rumblingtummy23



You will need: (for 8pcs)
100g sweet potato, steamed
1 tsp oil
1 Tbsp sugar
90g glutinous rice flour
2 Tbsp rice flour
50g water (to adjust accordingly)

Filling:
red bean paste (15g each)

1) mash sweet potato while hot
2) add oil, sugar & mix well
3) add rice flour & half of glutinous rice flour & blend together
4) add remaining glutinous rice flour & adjust with water 
5) knead to form a dough
6) divide dough into 8 portions
7) wrap filling & form into a ball and then flatten
8) heat up a non-stick frying pan
9) fry pancakes until golden brown
10) serve hot

Tuesday, 28 July 2015

DURIAN MINI MUFFIN




Looking at these little muffins

you can very well say that there is nothing special by the look
but
you will soon realize
the durian fragrant emerging from these little muffins!

This is a durian season
and moreover, this time durian is in abundance.

When things are in abundance
they tend to be cheap


I have adapted this recipe from Ann's Mini Durian Muffins

250g durian flesh (blended with 1 Tbsp sugar)
160g self raising flour, sifted
1 large egg
70g castor sugar
80g vegetable oil
100g milk

1) preheat oven to 190'C 
2) whisk egg, add sugar & continue beating
3) add oil & milk, stir to combine
4) pour liquid into sifted flour and briefly mix (batter should be lumpy)
5) scoop batter to fill 1/2 muffin cup
6) add 1 tsp durian puree on top of the batter
7)  cover durian puree with 2 tsp batter
8) bake in preheated oven for 25min



Tuesday, 21 July 2015

BRAISED FISH BELLY WITH YAM





Yam is well loved by many, especially the

Foochow people


I remember when I was in Fuzhou 
I saw the yam there as big as my head, some even bigger!

They said,
yam takes one whole year to grow to that size!
So,
yam can be expensive at times.


The various dishes prepared by the Foochow people in China 
with yam includes;

1) sweet yam paste dessert
2) yam paste stuffed in sweet glutinous rice bowls
3) fried yam rings/flowers
4) braised yam
5) yam noodles


To prepare braised fish belly yam you will need the following ingredients:

200g fish belly (from big fish), sliced into big pieces
200g yam, cut into thick pieces
1/2" ginger, smashed
salt, pepper, oyster sauce & soya sauce to taste

1) deep fry fish & yam pieces (half cooked)
2) fry ginger in some oil until fragrant
3) add fish pieces & yam
4) add water and cook until boiling
5) add seasoning according to own liking
6) it is ready when gravy becomes slightly thicken
7) garnish with some cut spring onions & serve


Wednesday, 15 July 2015

FOOCHOW RED WINE PIG'S TROTTER


Red Wine is found in every Foochow home
It is used in daily cooking
as well as
in Celebration and Festive Dishes

紅酒豬腳
Red wine Pig's Trotter
are large pieces of Pig's Trotter
in thick Red Wine Gravy

I could remember during my childhood years
this was a favourite Dish served during Weddings and Birthday feasts
cooked by the Foochow people
in many of the villages in Sitiawan,
like Simpang Tiga, 
Simpang Dua, 
Ayer Tawar 
and Kampong Koh, Perak

It was served in such a big portion that
guests would usually come with their own tiffin carriers
to take home the left over
pig's trotter


Ingredients:

1/2 pig's trotter
1 Tbsp red rice wine residue
1 pc ginger, smashed
2 pc dried cuttle fish
salt and sugar to taste


Method:
1) wash the chopped pig's trotter
2) add ginger and dried cuttle fish
3) cook over medium heat until meat pieces shrink
4) add red wine residue and fry until fragrant
5) add water and cook in medium heat until soft
6) add salt and sugar to taste


Note:
Very often, radish is added to this dish


Do you know that if you have any left overs
you can present it this way?





Just cook this mee sua in boiling water
and add the hot Pig's Trotter soup!



Wednesday, 8 July 2015

SOYA SAUCE PORK




Ethan: Mama, remember you cooked for me the black pork?
Mama: Yes?
Ethan: Can you please cook again?
Mama: Why? Mummy knows how to cook already.
Ethan: No, she cooked not fat one! I like the fat fat one!
              

How many of us adults also like the fat meat?
I remember my father-in-law liked, 
my dad liked,
my husband likes, 
and now
my grandson likes too!


This dish is simple and easy to cook

but you need patience to simmer the meat to perfection.
Believe me, 
it is worth the trouble.

In Foochow, this dish is called 'Lu Nuke'
In Hokkien, 'Dau Yu Bak'
And 
In Penang, it is called Hong Bak

Basically
It is stew pork in dark soya sauce

Sometimes,
Hard boiled eggs are added during cooking
As such
You will have flavourful dark eggs


300gm pork belly
1 tsp dark soya sauce (more if you like darker)
3 tsp soya sauce
1 piece ginger 
1 tsp sugar
1 large bulb garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

1) cut pork belly into bite size chunks
2) marinate with the rest of the ingredients for an hour
3) cook over stove until pork pieces shrink
4) add water to cover 1/2 the level of meat
5) simmer until soft, add water if necessary
      (time taken, an hour or so)

Pork cut in chunks