Wednesday, 21 December 2016

LAU SAR BAO



If you love Bao, 
you will love its soft spongy texture. 

If you find tau Sar Bao too common or too plain to savor in a dim sum restaurant, 
You will probably opt for Lau Sar bao 
because of its creamy sweet filling. 

When you bite into a hot Lau Sar Bao, 
be careful! 
Its steaming hot creamy filling may burn your tongue.

Bao skin is adapted from nasilemaklover's 
and 
Lau Sar from bakeforhappykids's recipes


1st prepare filling, to be refrigerated until required:
Filling:
60g icing sugar
25g custard powder
25g milk powder
2 salted egg yolk, cooked & mashed
50g butter, softened
1 tsp milk

1. Combine all ingredients, mix well
2. Add milk & put in fridge to harden before dividing into 12 portion
3. Leave in fridge until required

Bao
350g pau flour
1 tsp double action baking powder
1 tsp instant yeast
40g sugar
10g shortening
200g milk

1. All ingredients into bread machine, knead for 15 min until smooth.
2. Leave to proof for 15 min
3. Divide dough into 12 portions each of 51g
4. Wrap filling & place on lined steaming pan
5. Leave bao in the steamer to proof for 20 min
6. Steam bao from cold water for 20min
7. When ready, leave bao in steamer for 2-3 min before opening cover & removing them.

PUMPKIN SPREAD



Taking advantage of the abundant supply of pumpkin, 
I try making use of it to the fullest. 

Among the several recipes that I have experimented, 
this is one of them. 
I present it in bottles as gifts. 

Many like the bright yellow colour just as I do. 
Hope you like it too.



450g steamed & blended pumpkin
130g sugar
50g corn oil
2 tsp pandan juice

1. all ingredients into a saucepan, stir with a wooden spoon and cook over medium low heathy
2. When you are able to see the base of the saucepan, turn the heat to low & continue stirring
3. Remove from heat when it reaches the consistency that you want.

PUMPKIN SWIRL




 I love the bright yellow colour of pumpkin. 

This time 
I use it to make these pumpkin swirl.

White layer:
100g milk
1/2 tsp yeast
165g pau flour
25g sugar
6g shortening/oil
1/4 tsp baking powder

Yellow layer:
All ingredients follow the white layer
But replace milk with blended steamed pumpkin

1. 2 colors, knead separately in the bread machine for 15 min & let it rise 15min
2. Roll the 2 colors separately into rectangle
3. Put the yellow layer onto the white one
4. Roll up like a Swiss roll, make sure it is tightly rolled
5. Cut into pieces of 1.25 - 1.5" & place on grease proof paper
6. Leave the Mantou in the steamer to rise for 20min
7. Steam Mantou from cold water for 15min
8. Do not open cover immediately when time is up, leave it in the steamer for a few min.
         

SIMPLE SOURDOUGH

To start a Sourdough may be a tedious job

I usually get the joy
out of feeding
and
 seeing it becoming more active each day

Mandy Ng has a recipe for
Simple sourdough
to share
Just feeding, no discarding

I like this because there is no wastage

Thank you Mandy Ng for sharing


1st day
7:00am 50g bread flour
                50g bottled water
                1/2 tsp rice vinegar
                Mix well, cover & let rest @ room temp.
1:00pm (after 6hrs) feed 25g flour
                                                 25g water
7:00pm (after 6hrs) feed same amount
After 2nd Day Feeding

2nd day - do the same
3rd day -  do the same

1. After 3rd day, starter can be used for bread with yeast
2. For sourdough loaf without commercial yeast, feed for another 4 days
3. Feed twice a day at room temp, double the amount of water and flour
4. If not baking for the next few days, put in fridge but must feed once every 3 days to keep it going.


This Sourdough is ready for baking
It has risen triple
in less than 3 hours

Note:
To test if the sourdough is ready,
drop some into a bowl of water, if it floats, it is ready for baking


Sunday, 18 December 2016

OK BURGER




Ever wonder why it is called 
OK Burger?
This Burger Bun is made with Rolled Oats & Chia Seed.

Today, many people are taking
oats for fibre.  
and chia seeds
 for health reasons.
Oat Care sounds relevant
but I prefer OK, 
to be short, & easy to remember.

Hence, OK Burger comes into existence!
Are you ready to start?

Burger Patty
300g minced pork/chicken
1 big onions, chopped finely
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp mushroom sauce/teriyaki sauce
1 Tbsp soya sauce
1/2 egg, beaten
black pepper & salt to taste
1 spring onions, cut finely
1 pkt cream crackers, crush with hand
1 Tbsp corn starch

1. combine minced meat, chopped onions, minced ginger, mushroom sauce, soya sauce,
    egg, salt & black pepper to taste. Give it a good stir to bind them together!
2. add spring onions, cream crackers and corn starch. Mix well
3. divide patty into 6 portions & put each portion into a clean plastic bag. Press 
    the bag into a peanut butter bottle cover to shape as shown in the picture below.
    Fold the plastic bag & put the patty onto a tray to freeze until required. 
4. To fry, just heat some oil in the pan and fry the burgers until cooked.  To cook faster,
    you can slice the burger across, half way during cooking.
I have adapted the Bun recipe from Mandy Ng's
Sunny Bread


Burger Bun
100g milk
30g yoghurt
1 Tbsp chia seed
20g oil/butter
1 large egg
210g bread flour
50g rolled oat
20g milk powder
1 tsp instant yeast
50g sugar
3/4 tsp salt

1. all ingredients into the bread machine, bread dough cycle 1.5hrs
2. divide dough into 8 portions, shape into buns. Let rise 60min until double in size
3. brush buns with egg wash & topped with some rolled oats
4. bake in preheated oven 175'C for 20-25min



To assemble?
Simple, anyhow you like...
Lettuce, tomato, cheese, anything that you have in mind
Just stuff everything into this spongy bun.
Sauce? pour or squeeze in as you like it.....
I bet you can't stop at one piece! Enjoy

Monday, 5 December 2016

AYAM MASAK MERAH




Ayam masak merah
is the 1st Malays dish that I learn to cook

I was attracted to its colour
and then the taste

There are many ways of cooking this dish
depending on the various spices used
but
I prefer this simple method

Ayam Masak Merah

1 chicken thigh, chopped into bite size & marinate with turmeric

Seasoning:
1 big onion, chopped finely
1 serai, sliced thinly
1 Tbsp chili sauce, spicy type
1 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp soya sauce
1-2 tsp tamarind, pressed & soaked in 1/4 cup water, & seeds removed
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste

1. fry chicken pieces in oil until dry & slightly brown, remove
2. heat up 1-2 Tbsp oil in the wok, tumis onions & serai until fragrant
3. combine the rest of the seasoning sauce in a small bowl
4. pour the seasoning into the wok & allow to cook through
5. add chicken pieces & salt if necessary
6. remove from heat & allow chicken to soak in the sauce until serving time



Sunday, 4 December 2016

PUMPKIN CRACKERS


Crackers are always welcomed
They are basically made with Tapioca flour

One drawback is that
it needs to be deep fried!

This is made with simple ingredients 
 kneaded together
steamed
sun-dried
and deep fried!

Long procedure but easy to manage, right?


Pumpkin Crackers
500g steamed & blended pumpkin
400g tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper

1. knead together in bread machine for 15min
2. shape into logs as shown, and place on oiled tray
3. steam for 1 hour 10min  until well cooked, leave to cool
4. de-hydrate in the fridge overnight
5. slice thinly across & put in hot sun to dry (3-4 days)


6. keep in air-tight container until required
7. put in hot sun for an hour or so before deep frying to create the extra crisp



STEAMED PAK TONG KOH



When I was small
I love to eat Pak Tong Koh.

It is a sweet white rice kuih
called Pak Tong Koh in Cantonese.
Suppose to be a Nonya Kuih but what is the Hockien name?

I think it is more appropriate to call it Honey Comb Kuih
because of the honey comb apprearance.

When Gula Melaka is used to replace the sugar
it becomes 
'Wong Tong Koh' in Cantonese
meaning yellow colour kuih. Haha!


I have adapted this recipe from:  Rose Kitchen

Pak Tong Koh
90g sugar
4 pandan leaves, knotted
1/4 tsp salt
300g water (divide into 2 portions of 150g each)
140g rice flour
1/2 tsp instant yeast, mix with 1 tsp water
1 tsp oil (I forgot to add in before steaming)

1. In a pot boil sugar, 150g water, salt & pandan leaves until sugar dissolves
2. In another pot, combine flour & 150g water. stir until no lump
3. add sugar solution (when cooled) to batter, mix well
4. mix yeast with 1 tsp wate, stir into the flour batter as well
5. cover with a wet towel & leave aside for 2 hours
6. after 2 hours, bubbles appear on the batter.
7. pour batter into an oiled 6" square pan & steam on HIGH heat for 25min