Deep-fried Prawns

Deep-fried Prawns

Recipe source :  Doris Choo of Sumptuous Flavours.

My family call this "chau har-look", literally meaning deep-fried prawn. I have a very deep  impression of this wonderful prawn dish. I ate this the first time during my late grandfather's birthday. I was probably five or six years old at that time. I still have vague memories of the house being crowded with uncles, aunts, countless numbers of cousins, other relatives and friends of our large extended family. And I had recollection of large basins of deep-fried prawns set aside on a table, waiting to be arranged onto serving platters for the grand birthday bash. I remember tents being set up around the large sprawling village home to accommodate so many people gathered together.

My family's original recipe probably used a combination of all-purpose flour and rice flour with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Over the years, my aunts and my horde of cousins have added various other ingredients to improve and enhance the taste of the batter. 

All these years I have never attempted to make this until I met some of my relatives recently and we started talking about the good old days. One thing led to another and here is the modified version after adjusting the recipe and gleaning some "secrets"  from the many aunts and cousins who all wanted a say as to what ingredients should go into the batter.  It was fun listening to the friendly banter!

Ingredients

500g medium-sized prawns, remove shells but keep the tails
4 tbsp tapioca flour
oil for deep frying

Marinade for prawns

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Marinate prawns for about 30 minutes

Ingredients for batter

50g plain flour
50g tapioca flour
50g rice flour
1 tbsp custard powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
a dash of pepper
some chopped spring onions or Chinese parsley
150ml water
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt

Method

1.  Mix all the ingredients of the batter until smooth. Set aside.
2.  Heat enough oil in a wok for deep-frying. Heat until hot.
3.  Dredge marinated prawns into the 4 tbsp of tapioca flour. Then dip this dredged prawn into the batter to coat it evenly except the last bit of the prawn's tail.
4.  Place the prawn into hot oil and fry both sides until golden.
5.  Remove and drain on absorbent towels.

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for August 2014 is Flour

Hosted by  Domestic Goddess Wannabe

This event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids 
and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

Steamed Rice Cakes With Shrimp And Pork Rinds ( Bánh Bèo )

Steamed Rice Cakes With Shrimp And Pork Rinds (Bánh Bèo)

Recipe source :  Vietnamesefood.com

I find it very interesting and highly exciting as I participated in the Asian Food Fest every month. Their theme for this month is Indochina. Once again I surfed the internet and read up books to widen my horizon and to learn more about the cuisines and food cultures of Indochina. As I surfed, Vietnamese food caught my attention and so I am going to try out Vietnamese food for this month. 

It is a delight and it gives me great satisfaction each time I am able to cook the food successfully as guided by the recipes. Sometimes I have to make adjustment to suit my individual preference and sometimes it is because of unavailability of the specified ingredients.

It brings me joy that I have unwittingly started on a fantastic journey into the culinary realm of foreign cultures. I shall continue my exploration to gain further insights and knowledge as I find it very rewarding. It enriches my culinary experience as I absorb and feed my basic senses to enjoy the good food and good taste of other cuisines.

Ingredients for rice cakes

200g rice flour
20g wheat flour
500ml water
a pinch of salt

 

Method

1.  Mix all the ingredients together and allow to stand for 3 to 4 hours.
2.  Add in salt just before steaming. Stir to mix well.
3.  Spoon batter into small bowls and steam over high heat for about 5 minutes until cooked.
4.  Use a thin knife to slide around the edges of the bowl and invert them onto a serving dish.

Ingredients for filling

150g minced meat
50g shrimps, chopped
a stalk of spring onion, chopped
1 tsp fish sauce
a dash of pepper

 Stir-fried chopped spring onion in hot oil

Minced pork

Shrimps - roughly chop this up

Method

1.  Place one tsp of oil into hot wok to stir-fry the chopped spring onion for few seconds. Dish up immediately.
2.  Add 1 tbsp oil to wok and stir-fry the minced meat and chopped shrimps.
3.  Season with fish sauce and pepper. Fry until cooked. Dish up and set aside.

To serve

1.  Place a piece of rice cake on a plate. Top with filling of minced pork and shrimps. Add some stir-fried spring onion.
2.  Spoon some Vietnamese dipping sauce over the rice cake. 

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  :  Indo China
Hosted by Kelly of Kelly Siew cooks

Apam Balik (Ban Chean Kuih)

Apam Balik (Ban Chean Kuih)

Recipe source :  Flavours magazine

Apam balik or ban chean kuih in the Hokkien dialect, is an ever popular local kuih. I always pick up a piece or two of this delicious kuih each time I pass by the hawker selling it near the wet market. Each time I have to queue up because demand exceeds supply! The lady is literally selling "hot cakes" because there is always a long queue waiting for her to make them. 

The Chinese lady who sells this apam balik makes them thick and spongy. She uses a very large and heavy metal mould and cut the kuih into several pieces once it's done. Malay hawkers tend to make thin and crispy apam balik which are smaller in diameter. Both versions are equally delicious.

I am so glad I came across this recipe. It's so satisfying to make this at home!

Ingredients for flour mixture (makes 5 pieces)

250g plain flour
20g custard powder
30g rice flour
1 tsp salt
45g sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
310ml water
1 tsp bicarbonate soda or alkaline water
cooking oil for greasing pan 

 The flour mixture which has been set aside for one hour. 

Add bicarbonate of soda or alkaline water after one hour

 Crushed toasted peanuts

Sugar

Toppings

60g sugar
100g crushed toasted peanuts
60g margarine or butter
50g cream corn  (optional)              

Method

1.  Mix all the ingredients of the flour mixture except bicarbonate of soda or alkaline water  together.  Whisk until smooth. Cover and set a side for one hour.
2.  After one hour add bicarbonate of soda or alkaline water. Whisk the batter again to mix well.
3.  Heat a non-stick frying pan over low heat until hot. (I used a 20cm non-stick frying pan).
4.  Add some cooking oil to lightly grease the frying pan. 
5.  Add 3/4 cup batter and swirl the batter around to coat the whole frying pan and the sides as well. 
6.  Cook over low heat until bubbles appear. Add sugar and crushed toasted peanuts.
7.  Add a bit of butter or margarine and spread some cream corn on top of the peanuts.
8.  When the bottom is browned fold the pancake in half and transfer to a plate. 

  Do you find it mouth-watering?

Top Hats (Kuih Pie Tee) 派迪/高顶帽

Top Hats (Kuih Pie Tee) 派迪/高顶帽

Recipe source :  Adapted from Flavours magazine, Vol 7, Issue 2 No. 24 Dec 1999 - Feb 2000

Kuih pie tee is a popular Peranakan snack. The crispy tart shells or cases are made from flour deep-fried in hot oil while the filling is made of shredded yam bean, carrots and prawns. The dainty shells look  very pretty once filled up with shredded savoury vegetables. 

Many local and Thai restaurants serve them as appetisers while waiting for the main course to be served. They are meant to be appetisers yet we always ended up placing extra orders for more pie tee because they are very tasty and addictive! 

Another family favourite of ours!
 

Ingredients for batter

100g plain flour
1 tsp rice flour
1 egg, beaten
1 cup water
A pinch of salt
Oil for deep-frying

Ingredients for filling

1 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
250g prawns, diced
500g yam bean, shredded
160g carrot, shredded
30g Chinese parsley
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 chilli padi for garnishing, sliced

Yam bean, Chinese parsley, chilli padi and carrot

Prawns

Making the shells

1.  Put both flour into a mixing bowl. 

2.  Add beaten egg, water and salt. Mix well.

3.  Whisk the batter until smooth and strain through a sieve.

4.  Pour the batter into a mug.

5.  Heat oil until hot with the pie tee mould in the oil.

6.  Turn down the heat to medium.

7.  Remove the mould from hot oil and dip the mould into the batter so that it is thoroughly coated almost to the brim.

8.  Allow the excess batter to drip off and place the mould into the hot oil.

9.  Let the shell cook until light brown or golden.

10. Store in an air-tight container.

 Pie Tee mould

 Close-up view of the pie tee mould

 Heat the pie tee mould in hot oil

 Then dip the mould into the batter in the mug. 
Make sure the batter reaches a few mm below the top of the mould

 Lower the mould into hot oil. 

Jiggle the mould lightly up and down to dislodge the cooked batter.
 The shell will dislodge and stay afloat

Use a pair of chopsticks to flip the shells to make sure all the sides are thoroughly browned.

A shell which has dislodged and remained afloat

Cooking the filling

1.  Heat oil and saute the chopped garlic until fragrant.

2.  Add prawns and stir-fry for one minute.

3.  Add in the shredded yam bean and carrot and stir-fry until soften.

4.  Add salt, pepper and sugar to taste and cook for a further 5 minutes.

5.  Lastly, add in the chopped Chinese parsley.

6.  Allow to cool before filling up the shells.

Tips

1.  The mould should not be too hot. The batter should not sizzle when the mould is immersed into it.

 2.  Make sure the batter coats the base of the mould.
Otherwise the shells will end up with holes underneath!

3.  Allow the batter to fry a while until slightly harden before dislodging the shells
This is to ensure the shells retain their shapes.
If the shells are dislodged too early, the batter will be soft and unable to hold its shape.

To serve

1.  Place some cooked filling into the shells.
2.  Garnish with Chinese parsley and sliced chilli padi.
3.  Serve with chilli sauce

Cooked filling, ready for serving

Empty pie tee shells

 

Just fill them up. Yummy!

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for March 2014 is Prawn

Hosted by Moon from Food Playground

This event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids 
and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

I am also linking this to Cook-Your-Books #10

 

Organised by Joyce of  Kitchen Flavours

.

Hong Kong-Style Chee Cheung Fun 港式猪肠粉

Hong Kong-Style Chee Cheung Fun 港式猪肠粉

Recipe source :  Adapted from Wantanmien
 
We always order chee cheong fun every time we have dim-sum. I love the silky smooth rice sheets, especially if the rice sheets are filled with shrimps, although I like having char siew as the filling as well.

I came across this recipe from You-tube and it appears to be quite easy to do at home. Mmmm, the result is delicious, although I need more practice to polish up my technique! It was easy to make the chee cheung fun but folding it up may need some expertise. It was steaming hot and very soft. I supposed I require a few more sessions of wrapping them up in order to achieve the desired "professionally wrapped look". 

But looks and presentation aside, it was very tasty! The sauce was equally delicious. I am already thinking of making the next batch. My brain is now set in motion trying to come out with new ideas for the fillings instead of just using shrimps. 

I remember the last time we went to Hong Kong we ate this at an establishment known as Hoi Keng. It had shrimp and char siew fillings and the taste had been etched on our minds ever since.

Ingredients for rice noodle rolls ( makes 6 rolls )

230ml cool water
70g rice flour
1 tbsp tang mien flour
1 tbsp corn flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Ingredients for filling 

150g shrimps, remove shells and veins
1 stalk spring onion, chopped

Shrimps and chopped spring onion

Instructions

1.  Mix the flour, water, salt and oil together. Mix well and rest for one hour before use.

2.  Brush a rectangular pan or a large metal plate with oil.

3.  Ladle some batter mixture into the pan to just coat the base. Add some shrimps and sprinkle some spring onion onto the batter.

4.  Place the pan into a steamer with boiling water and steam for between four to seven minutes until cooked. 
5.  Use a spatula to dislodge the edges before folding up the chee cheung fun.
6.  Place onto a serving dish and sprinkle sesame seed and spring onion to garnish. 

Ingredients for sauce

2 tsp sugar
4 tsp warm water
4 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil

Mix all ingredients together until sugar dissolves.

Garnishing (optional )

1 tsp spring onion, chopped
1 tsp toasted sesame seed

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest : Hong Kong + Macau - Jan & Feb 2014, hosted by Annie from Annielicious Food

 

Kuih Lapis 九层糕

Kuih Lapis 九层糕

Recipe source :  The Malaysian Cookbook....page 29


I made this kuih lapis to be offered among the foods which I have prepared as Thanksgiving at a Taoist temple. It is now fast approaching the end of the Chinese lunar calendar and it is time to offer prayers in gratitude for blessings from the deities for the entire year. 

This is my first attempt at making this kuih lapis which is a Malaysian delicacy using rice flour and coconut milk as the main ingredients. The santan or coconut milk and the pandan leaves made this kuih very fragrant.

The Chinese refer to it as 'nine-layered cake'. I love to eat this by peeling off layer by layer to savour the fragrance and its sweetness. 

Ingredients

185g rice flour
125g tapioca flour
450ml santan or coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
drops of food colouring

Syrup ingredients

280g coarse sugar
150ml water
4 pandan leaves (screw-pine)
 

Method

1.  Sift the two types of flour together. Add santan gradually to the sifted flour. Blend into a smooth batter.
2.  Boil syrup ingredients over moderate heat till sugar dissolves. Strain the syrup and add hot water ( if necessary ) to bring it to 225ml. Pour hot syrup into the blended flour mixture.
3.  Reserve about 160ml of batter and add red colouring ( this is for the top most layer ).
4.  Divide the remaining batter into two portion, one white and one pink. (if you prefer to have more layers of different colours, then reserve a portion of about 160ml each to mix in the colour of your choice)
5.  Boil water in a steamer.
6.  Lightly grease a round cake tin ( 18cm diameter x 5 cm height  ).
7.  Place the cake tin in the steamer.
8.  Pour in a white layer of batter and steam for 4 to 7 minutes till cooked.
9.  Once the white layer is cooked, add in the pink layer and steam the same way.
10. Repeat the process with the batter, alternating the colours, layer by layer. 
11.  Use dark red for the top most final layer.
12.  Cool cake completely (preferably overnight ) before cutting.

Tip :  

Make sure each layer is thoroughly cooked before adding the next layer. The batter will  become opaque once it is cooked.

Bamboo Dumpling 竹叶粿

Bamboo Dumpling  竹叶粿

 

Recipe source :  Adapted from Authentic Chinese Dumpling cookbook 

Ingredients for the dough

30g wheat starch
200g glutinous rice flour
200g rice flour
2 1/2 tbsp castor sugar
50 ml boiling water
250 ml water
65ml cooking oil  

Ingredients for filling

450g radish ( shredded )
150g minced pork
3 shitake mushrooms ( diced )
30g dried scallops ( soaked and shredded )
20g black fungus ( soaked and shredded )
2 shallots ( chopped )
2 tbsp cooking oil
200 ml water

 Other ingredients 

24 pieces bamboo leaves ( cut into oval shape )
24  toothpicks

Seasoning

1 tbsp castor sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp pepper

Radish

 Shredded radish

Top left : shredded dried scallops. Top right :  diced mushrooms 

Bottom : shredded black fungus

Instructions to cook the filling

1. Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil until hot. Saute the chopped shallots.

2. Add in the diced mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add in the minced pork and shredded black fungus. Mix everything evenly.

3. Toss in the shredded radish and dried scallops. Mix well.

4. Add in seasoning and water and cook until the radish are tender and quite dry.

5. Dish up and leave to cool.

Instructions to make the dumpling

1.  Mix wheat starch with boiling water. Mix well to form a dough.
2.  Add in glutinous rice flour, rice flour, sugar, water and cooking oil. Knead well to form a smooth dough.
3.  Cover with a wet cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
4.  Divide equally into small balls. Cover with wet cloth.
5.  Flatten the balls and spoon in filling. Wrap it up and seal the edges.
6.  Brush the bamboo leaves with oil.
7.  Wrap the filled-up dough with a piece of bamboo leave and secure the edges with toothpick.
8.  Repeat the process for the remaining dough and filling.
9.  Place them in a steamer and steam for about 8 to 10 minutes.