YELLOW WINE CHICKEN

黄酒雞

Yellow Rice Wine Chicken

is a well loved dish among the Chinese

especially the ladies!

It is a dish fit for new mothers.

It helps to expel 'wind' from the body and keeps it warm.

The ingredients are simple but the taste is really good.

Yellow Wine Chicken

1 chicken thigh, chopped into pieces

10 slices old ginger

some black fungus, soaked & cut into strips

1/2 Tbsp sesame seed oil

150ml rice wine, can be less

200ml water

1) fry ginger in sesame seed oil until fragrant

2) add chicken pieces and black fungus to fry

3) add rice wine when the chicken pieces start to shrink

4) add water, cover and bring to a boil

5) when chicken is soft, add salt to taste.

6) serve hot!

TURMERIC CHICKEN

Turmeric
is a commonly used spice in Asia countries.
It is also used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.

It has an active substance known as Curcumin.
And Curcumin is found to be among the most effective anti-inflammatory compound in the world.
It speeds up wound healing.

Curcumin is also used by rheumatoid arthritis patients
because of its pain-reducing characteristics.

Perhaps you may like to have a look at the extract from Dr. Josh Axe

After reading all the benefits of Turmeric
are you anxious to cook this?

Turmeric Chicken

tastes good if it is dry and crispy

It tastes even better 

if fresh turmeric is used

when you do not mind your fingers, knife & chopping board turn yellow

Turmeric Chicken

1/2 chicken, cut into bite size

2-3 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp sugar
salt to taste

3 Tbsp sesame seed oil/cooking oil
1/2 egg, beaten
2 tsp corn flour

1) marinate chicken with turmeric powder, salt & sugar
    leave aside for 1/2 hour or more

2) add beaten egg & corn flour to the marinated chicken
3) heat up oil in a frying pan
4) add chicken pieces and fry until cooked

Notes:

1. egg & corn flour is added to make the chicken tender
2. if you can poke through the the chicken pieces with a chopstick, it is done.

YELLOW GLUTINOUS RICE WINE

黃酒

Yellow Glutinous Rice Wine

is 

commonly used in Chinese Cooking

especially for ladies during confinement.

It is said to strengthen the body immune system

and help to expel wind in the body.

My late mom-in-law said that it is cooling

so need to add ginger to take effect!

I wish to express my special thanks to

Loke Peng

for sharing her mom's secret recipe

which is in gantang, measured with condense milk tin.

I omitted
the little red yeast (for slight pinkish colour) in the recipe.

I have adapted as follows:

Yellow Glutinous Rice Wine

Ingredients:

550g glutinous rice

3 wine yeast biscuits (1 hot & 2 sweet)

Method:

1. cook glutinous rice in a rice cooker and leave to cool completely overnight

2. crush the wine biscuits until fine

3. sprinkle some yeast biscuits at the base of the bottle

4. mix the rice with the yeast, leave some for later use

5. fill the bottle with the rice mixture, press down

6. use bottled water to clean off rice from container and pour into the bottle too

7. sprinkle the remaining yeast on top

8. cover the bottle with a piece of cloth and secure with a string

9. place the cover on top of the bottle, no need to screw on

10. leave in a cool corner, for 30 days

Harvest:

11. strain the wine through a muslin cloth or bag

12. collect the wine to fill into bottles.

Note:

1. utensils and bottles need to be thoroughly cleaned and dry

    to avoid contamination. 

2. discard the residue

HONG ZHAO LU DAN

紅糟滷蛋
HONG ZHAO LU DAN

After extracting the red rice wine, 

I usually keep the Ang Chow 紅糟 in bottles

to be used for cooking chicken, pork or mee sua.

I was attracted to Chef Fiona Lau's sharing 2 days ago, "Hong Zhao Lu Dan"

The colour was so bright and red!

So beautiful and appropriate for the coming CNY Celebration!

I have used less Ang Chow

so the colour not as bright as hers.

Nevertheless, the taste is good.

I have to agree with Fiona Lau that it is highly addictive, cannot stop eating ....

Here is her recipe if you are interested:

Hing Zhao Lu Dan

20 small eggs, hard boiled & de-shelled

160-200g red rice wine residue

700g broth (chicken or vegetable)

1 Tbsp dark soya sauce (to make colour more vibrant)

2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp sugar

40g old ginger, sliced

3 Tbsp sesame oil

1. in Medium to low fire, fry ginger slices in sesame oil until fragrant

2. add red residue and fry 2-3min, taking care not to burn it (it will be bitter if burnt!)
3. add broth, salt, soya sauce and sugar
4. add boiled eggs and bring to a boil, turn to low heat and cook for 10min
5. turn off heat and soak eggs for 2-3 hours or overnight before serving 

DOUBLE BOILED FOOCHOW RICE WINE CHICKEN SOUP

Double Boiled Foochow Rice Wine Chicken Soup

best served hot.

I love it because the soup is clear and flavourful

and 

the chicken is tender.

Foochow Rice Wine is made from Glutinous rice,

so it may be cooling, 

as such ginger slices are added when cooking with Foochow Rice Wine.

With slices of ginger added

it helps to expel wind from the body too.

This is recommended 

for ladies during confinement.

Of course,

you can remove the skin from the chicken

so that it is not so oily.

If you are interested,

this is the recipe:

You will need:

1/4 kampong chicken cut into bite size

few slices of old ginger

1/4 cup rice wine

1.5 cup water

1) all ingredients into the double boiler and steam for 2 hours until chicken is tender

2) serve hot

RICE TEA

Fried Rice Tea

is brewed in a flask 
by simply pouring boiling water

over the fried rice grains, 
and let steep in the flask for 10min before drinking. 

It is cheap and easy to prepare.

Many elderly, my mom is one of them, 
drank this Tea during Confinement after childbirth.

They believe that fried rice tea

does wonders to the body.  

It helps to keep the womb warm, 
improve the immune system, 
wash off body fats, 
quench thirst 
and 
drain body fluid.

As drinking plain water is not advised during confinement, 
Rice tea is a good alternative
 to red dates drink
 which can be quite monotonous at times.

A good remedy to ward off chills in the body. 
For coughs having white bubbly saliva, 
try this rice tea.

Toasted Ginger slices may be added to enhance its effectiveness.

It is easy to prepare.

You need only

1 cup white rice or unpolished rice grains

Method

1. rinse rice grains under running water, shake off excess water.
2. Fry at low heat in a hot pan or kuali until dry.
3. After frying 10min or so, the grains turn golden and it is ready.
4. Let cool before storing in a glass bottle until required.

Note: 

If Ginger is preferred, fry the shredded old ginger until quite dry, 

add the strained rice and fry until the rice grains turn slightly brown

LEMONGRASS CHICKEN SOUP

Lemongrass
is widely used as a herb in Asian Cooking.

In Indonesia
lemongrass is extracted to make mosquito repellant.

How many of us are aware that 
Lemongrass is also a Traditional treatment of coughs and cold?

I only know that Lemongrass can expel wind 

& 

it is good to the new mother 

This is usually boiled in soups.

Smashed shallots are sometimes added 

to enhance the effect 
and also for added flavour 

Lemongrass Chicken Soup
1 chicken thigh, cut into bite size (or chicken bones and feet)
3 lemongrass, smashed
4 shallots, smashed

1) all ingredients into the pot
2) add enough water to cover the ingredients
3) simmer until cooked, 2-3 hours
4) serve hot

Note:
Chicken bones and feet are usually used for cooking this soup.
Whereas the meaty parts are used to cook the main course for the new mother

WARM GINGER DRINK

GINGER

works wonder in our human bodies.

It keeps the body warm
especially for:
a) ladies during confinement, after child birth
b) habitual running nose and cold
c) ladies' general health
d) remove water retention in the body

This is easy to prepare
and can be kept in the fridge for 4 weeks or more.

In the morning,
use a dry spoon, scoop 1 Table spoon of the ginger juice
into 1 cup of hot or warm water.
Add some raw sugar to taste and drink.

It will eliminate the dampness in the body.
Sugar is added to maintain the warmth in the body
so it must not be omitted.

It comes in handy 
when you need some ginger for your cooking
or when you run out of fresh old ginger,
simply scoop a teaspoon or two into whatever you are cooking.

Warm Ginger Drink

1/2 kg old bentong ginger

1) scrape the skin of the ginger, cut into small pieces

2) juice it 

3) bring the juice to a boil

4) remove from heat and allow to cool

5) pour into a glass bottle and refrigerate.

Note:

1. do not drink with honey, may cause stomach upset

CONFINEMENT SESAME WINE CHICKEN

Confinement Sesame Wine Chicken

This recipe is inspired by Mary Adele Ng.

Mary Adele Ng posted this dish

 with a sunny side up egg on top, and strips of fried ginger.

It looks so yummy!

This chicken is cooked without water!

Interesting?

I have simplified her method as follows:

Ingredients:

300g kampong chicken, chopped to bite size

1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

10g ginger, sliced thinly

1 Tbsp light soya sauce

1/2 to 1 tsp dark soya sauce

1/4 - 1/2 cup homemade wine

salt to taste, optional

Method:

1. blanch chicken in boiling water, drained

2. heat up the wok and add sesame oil

3. saute' the thinly slice ginger until fragrant

4. add chicken & stir fry

5. add light soya sauce and dark soya sauce, and stir fry

6. cover and let cook for a few minutes

7. add wine, cover and simmer until chicken is soft.

COPYCAT IPOH SALTED CHICKEN

Ipoh's
famous Salted Chicken
usually comes in one whole chicken,
wrapped in paper.

These are either
sold freshly baked or vacuum packed.

It has become so popular that
many people order as gift packs for Baby's Fullmoon Celebrations.

It comes in a complete package,
with one salted chicken,
2 red eggs with pickled ginger
and 2 angku kuih.

Last time, Salted Chicken is cooked for the new mothers,
during the confinement month.
As such, Dang Qui is added to enhance its benefits.

The traditional method
of preparing this salted chicken is tedious.

Raw salt or unrefined sea salt
is fried over the charcoal stove until very very hot.
Whole chicken,
is seasoned with salt and Dang Gui and wrapped in layers of paper.
Then, make a well in the pot of hot salt,
put the chicken into the hole and cover with salt from the sides of the pan.
Cover the pot with its lid,
turn the heat lower and let it cook for an hour.

I have simplified the method as follows:

Copycat Ipoh Salted Chicken

1 chicken thigh

Salt to taste

Few slices of Dang Qui

1) clean the chicken thigh and pat dry 

2) marinate with salt and dang qui, leave aside for few hours

3) when ready to bake, tuck dang gui pieces between the skin & meat
4) wrap chicken with parchment paper (2 layers)

4) wrap again with aluminium foil 

5) bake in preheated oven 200'C for 50min

6) serve hot

Notes:

1. If cooking a whole chicken
    a) put dang gui pieces into the cavity or stomach of the chicken
    b) lengthen the cooking time to 60-90 min depending on the size of chicken

BLACK GLUTINOUS RICE DESSERT

Pulut Hitam

or Black Sticky Rice

is unpolished Black Glutinous Rice,

full of beneficial minerals.

Recent research has found it to be a cancer-fighting Superfood.

Black Pulut Porridge 

is one of the few desserts that 

a new mother is able to enjoy during the confinement month.

You will get a plain black pulut dessert in most of the hawkers' stall,

served with a splash of coconut cream on top.

If you are cooking your own,

you can cook it with either dried longan or red beans.

Sometimes, white glutinous rice

 is added to give the extra smooth texture to the dessert.

Sharing with you this recipe:

Black Glutinous Rice Porridge

150g black pulut rice, soaked 2 hours & drained

800ml water

2 pandan leaves, knotted

75-100g sugar

pinch of salt

To serve:

thick coconut cream or santan 

1. combine black glutinous rice, water & bring to a boil

2. once boiled, add pandan leaves & cook until soft. 

    Add more water if the liquid dries up. 

    I used the pressure cooker to do the job.

3. once done, remove pandan leaves & add sugar and salt

4. serve with some coconut cream as topping.

Have some left over dessert?

Convert it to 

Black Pulut Ice Potong!

Oh dear, cook too much?

Still have?

Make a Black Glutinous Rice Sponge Cake like me.

PEPPER CORN PIG'S STOMACH SOUP

This Pepper Corn Soup

is popular among the Chinese.

Often times you can order this dish from a coffee shop

which offers simple stir fry dishes. 

It is also one of the popular Confinement Food.

Pepper corn and ginger has been added to expel 'wind' 

If you have a lot of bones left, be it chicken or pig's,

it can be used to cook this soup.

Why bones?

Pig's stomach needs long hours of cooking to soften,

and 

bone needs long hours of cooking to extract the collagen & nutrients.

So, it is just nice to pair them this way.

Of course, if you love to have some meat in the soup,

add it when it is almost done!

There is no exact measurement as how much to put in the soup.

The 2 important ingredients:

pepper corns and ginger, 

both smashed and added to give the extra ordinary taste of the dish!

To clean the Pig's stomach:

1. snip off all fats from the surface of the pig's stomach

2. turn the stomach inside out, wash away the slime under slow running water

3. use a knife to scrap off the remaining sticky substance

4. drain, add 2-3 Tbsp salt & scrub as you would scrub your kitchen towel with your hands

5. add 2-3 Tbsp tapioca starch or corn starch, continue rubbing & scrubbing

6. rinse off the sticky substance & repeat 4 & 5

7. rinse & put into boiling water, cover & turn off heat. Leave aside for 15min

8. can leave to cool or just add tap water to cool down

9. use a knife to scrape off any loose white skin

10. the pig's stomach is now ready for cooking.

FOOCHOW BOK CHOW GEA

BOK CHOW GEA

This is a popular dish

among the Foochow community in Sitiawan

My mom who is 86 years old,

cooked this dish for us

although she has not been cooking for quite awhile!

We meant to help her,

but 

she insisted that we need to learn her traditional way!

I have specifically noted down 

her instructions and explanations for your reference...

1 kampung chicken

1/4 cup old ginger, minced

2 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp corn oil

2 Tbsp rice wine residue

1/4 cup rice wine

soya sauce, pepper & sugar to taste

1. cut chicken into bite size pieces so that the flavour can go right into the meat

2. heat wok, add 2 types oil & fry ginger.  Ginger must be fried until fragrant 

    & a bit brown to get the most flavour

3. add chicken pieces, tossing & frying until meat shrinks

4. add rice wine residue & continue frying.  At this stage add 1 cup water,

    washing down from the sides of the wok! Stir fry & cover the wok, 

    allow to cook for awhile.

5. open the cover to check if the water has been absorbed. If so, add another

    1/2-1 cup water. add soya sauce & pepper to taste. Salt is optional. 

    Cover and cook again.

6. If the chicken is cooked, add sugar to taste & pour in the rice wine. Dish up.

Note:

1) sugar is not added with the seasoning because she does not want it to caramel

    & change the taste of 'Chow'

2) wine is added last so that it does not evaporate so much, so you will get 

    the taste of red rice wine!

BLACK VINEGAR PIG'S TROTTER

This is a popular dish among the Chinese Community

It is cooked

for special occasions

like

celebrations of 

12th day of the birth of a baby

and Birthdays

Although this is a dish loved by many

it is seldom prepared

because it can be quite fattening 

However
Black Vinegar Pig's Trotter
is known for its collagen content in the pig's skin
and
it is for this reason that it is prepared for new mothers

Some like it hot or spicy

with plenty of ginger

while

others prefer it to be mild

but sweet and sour

Basically there are 4 ingredients:

pig's trotter, black vinegar, ginger and black beans

brought to simmer until soften

Sounds easy

but it will take quite awhile for the beans to be softened

and pig's trotter to be cooked

If you are interested, here is the recipe which I gladly share with you

This is the brand of black vinegar I use

of course there are other brands

but you need to adjust the degree of sweetness & sour

according to your liking

Black Vinegar Pig's Trotter

450g pig's trotter, cleaned

65g black beans, soaked overnight

1 & 1/2 cup black vinegar

3 cup water

sugar & salt to taste, if needed

1) bring black beans, ginger, black vinegar and water to a boil

2) simmer until beans are softened

3) at this stage, some prefer to leave it for 4 hours or overnight

4) if not, just add the pig's trotter pieces & simmer until tender

5) add salt & sugar to taste, if required

BLACK BEAN PORK RIBS SOUP

This is 

a soup prepared with the basic nourishing ingredient:

BLACK BEAN

with either

pork ribs
Or 
pig's trotter

for taste & protein & collagen

300g pork ribs or pig leg
50g black bean, soaked overnight
10g wolf berry
8 dried longan
8 red dates, snipped
few slices old ginger

Add if available (Optional)
10g Huai San
10g dang Shen

1) rinse herbs & put all ingredients into a slow cooker

2) add enough hot water & slow boil for 3 hours
3) add salt if necessary 

CORDYCEPS SOUP

CORDYCEPS

are 

known to be effective

in restoring & strengthening

the immune system

It is particularly used

on 

those who are weak 

or
those who have recovered from illness

or 

after child-birth

As such it is an excellent rejuvenator

Cordyceps is an expensive herbs

and

it is normally used on its own

Ginseng can be added

to enhance its performance

Other times

lean pork or chicken breasts

are added to overcome the fishy smell

However

to avoid wastage & loss of nutrients 

everything must to eaten

meat & herbs!

I have double boiled it for 4 hours:

1. Cordyceps alone

2. Cordyceps with lean pork

double boiled for 4 hours

DU ZHONG BLACK BEAN CHICKEN SOUP

Du Zhong & Black Beans

a good combination

for the new mother

Du Zhong 
has a bitter taste
While
Black beans is neutral

To make this soup palatable

Chicken or pork ribs are usually added

Black chicken 

is said to be more nutricious

so
 it is used in this recipe 

1/2 black chicken

2 Tbsp black bean, soaked 4 hours or overnight
1 slice DU Zhong
8 red dates
2 tsp wolfberry
6 dried longan 
salt to taste, optional 

1) Blanch chicken in boiling water, drained
2) put all ingredients into a double boiler
3) cover, bring to a boil & simmer for 3 hours
4) serve hot