Turnip With Prawn & Carrot Dumpling 虾仁沙葛萝卜粿

  Turnip With Prawn & Carrot Dumpling 虾仁沙葛萝卜粿

Recipe source :  Cookbook ~ Authentic Chinese Dumpling published by Famous Cuisine Publisher Sdn Bhd

I was at the MPH Bookstore at the Mid-valley Mega Mall when I came across this cookbook titled "Authentic Chinese Dumpling". I grabbed it immediately and made a bee-line to the cashier's counter to pay for it. There are so many mouth-watering dumplings inside this cookbook. I am so happy with it. It's almost as if I have found some treasures! I just can't wait to try my hands at all the wonderful looking dumplings!

Today I am trying out - turnip or yam bean with prawn and carrot dumpling. It fascinates me to see the tiny carrot shreds sprinkled across the translucent dumpling skin. It's beautiful !. And its very tasty too!

Skin Ingredients

150g wheat starch ( Tang mein fun in Cantonese- 澄面粉)
50g tapioca flour
40g carrot  (shredded )
320ml boiling water

Filling

400g turnip or yam bean ( peeled, shredded )
150g prawns ( shelled, diced )
3 shallots ( chopped )
1 stalk spring onion ( diced )
100ml water
2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp pepper

Spring onion, shredded carrot and turnip or yam bean

Instructions to cook the filling

1.  Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil. Saute chopped shallots over low heat until fragrant.
2.  Add prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
3.  Add shredded turnip or yam bean and toss it for about 5 minutes.
4.  Add in water and the seasonings.
5.  Bring to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, reduce to medium heat and simmer until turnip is tender and slightly dry.
6.  Add in spring onion and mix well.
7.  Dish up and set aside.
8.  Leave to cool.

Instructions to make the skin & wrap dumpling

1.  In a mixer, add wheat starch, tapioca flour and boiling water. Mix until it becomes a dough.
2.  Add in the shredded carrot and knead until dough is smooth.
3.  The dough is rather sticky. Dust a flat tabletop with flour and knead a while.
4.  Roll out dough into a large rectangle. Use a Chinese rice bowl to cut round circles of the dough. 
5.  Cover the rest with a wet cloth while working with the piece in hand.
6.  Spoon filling into a piece of round skin and wrap it up to form a semi-circle.
7.  Pinch the edges to seal.
8.  Arrange dumplings on a greased steamer and steam over boiling water, over high heat for about 8 to 10 minutes.
9.  Remove from heat and brush with oil immediately. 
10. Ready to serve.

All wrapped-up and ready for steaming

Can you see the tiny carrot threads sprinkled across the the translucent skin ?

Isn't it beautiful ?

Prawn Balls Mushroom Soup 香菇虾球汤

Prawn Balls Mushroom Soup 香菇虾球汤

Recipe source :  "Knorr Chicken Stock"


The soup was infused with the flavour from the Shitake mushrooms. The taste was rather unique. SK lamented that the prawn balls were not as bouncy like fish balls. I suppose it was not meant to be bouncy. Personally, I found the prawn balls rather tasty and unique with its peppery taste. 

Ingredients

250g fresh prawns, shelled & chopped into paste
90g dried Shitake mushrooms, soaked in water to soften
2 cubes chicken stock
Dash of pepper
2 tbsp cornflour
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp corn oil
1 tsp sugar
6 cups water

Shitake mushrooms - soaked in water to soften

Instructions

1.  Mix prawn paste with pepper, cornflour, egg and salt.
2.  Roll into balls.
3.  Heat corn oil
4.  Add in 6 cups of water to boil together with 2 cubes of chicken stock, sugar, mushrooms and prawn balls.
5.  It's ready when the prawn balls turn to pinkish colour.
6.  Pour into a large soup bowl.

I am submitting this post to Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

The ingredient for May 2013 is mushrooms

This event is linked to Little Thumbs Up 

 

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

Dried Shrimp Sambal Sandwich 辣椒虾米酱三明治

Dried Shrimp Sambal Sandwich 辣椒虾米酱三明治

 

Ingredients

4 pieces of bread
4 tbsp dried shrimp sambal
some butter or margarine to spread on the bread 

Dried shrimp sambal

 

Instructions

1.  Spread butter on the 4 pieces of bread
2.  Add 2 tbsp of  dried shrimp sambal  on one piece of buttered bread
3.  Top up with another piece of buttered bread
4.  Cut the set of sandwich into triangles
5.  Repeat the steps to make another set of sandwich.

Yummy!

Braised Mixed Mushrooms With Solomon's Seal 四菇焖玉竹

Braised Mixed Mushrooms With Solomon's Seal 四菇焖玉竹

Recipe source :  Adapted from a booklet titled " Vegetarian Malaysia" distributed together with Flavours magazine 

The extra zing comes from the Solomon's seal or "yuk chuk" in Cantonese. It blended very well with the other Chinese herbs and sauces resulting in a very delightful and refreshing dish of mixed mushrooms.

Ingredients

6 dried Shitake mushrooms, soaked in water to soften
1 tin canned button mushroom
1 packet fresh Shimeji mushroom
1 packet fresh Inoki mushroom
1 tsp wolf berries

For Braising Stock

500ml water  ( 2 cups )
2 slices young ginger
5g Solomon's seal or "yuk chuk" in Cantonese
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Cornflour Solution

1/2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl

Instructions

1.  Combine all the ingredients from the braising stock together with the soaked Shitake mushrooms and bring to the boil in a wok.
2.  Allow to boil for 5 minutes before lowering heat to braise for 15 minutes.
3.  Add button mushrooms, cook for 1 minute.
4.  Then add fresh Shimeji mushrooms, Inoki mushrooms and wolf berries.
5.  Thicken with the cornflour solution.
6.  Ready to serve.

 
Top left : Shimeji mushrooms. Top Centre : Solomon's seal or yuk chuk in Cantonese.  Top right : canned button mushrooms.

Bottom left : Inoki Mushrooms. Bottom centre : wolf berries. Bottom right : soaked dried Shitake mushrooms

I am submitting this post to Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

 

This event is linked to Little Thumbs Up
The ingredient for the month of May 2013 is mushroom

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

Sweet Red Bean Paste Bread 豆沙饼

Sweet Red Bean Paste Bread 豆沙饼

Recipe source : Video from Aeri's Kitchen

I made a large batch of red bean paste and I needed to find some recipes which use red bean paste as fillings. I found this step-by-step video on making sweet red bean paste bread at  Aeri's Kitchen.
This sweet bread is tasty. My family loves it.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups red bean paste
2/3 cup lukewarm water
2/3 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tsp dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
some melted butter for brushing
some black sesame seeds for garnishing

Instructions

1.  Pour the flour into the bowl of a cake mixer. 
2.  Make three holes in the flour and pour in the salt, sugar and yeast into one hole for each ingredient
3.  Cover up with the flour and pour in the lukewarm water and lukewarm milk.
4.  Use the dough hook and mix until all the ingredients are well blended.
5.  Add in the melted butter and mix until a smooth dough is formed.
6.  Cover the dough with cling film and set aside to rise until double in size, about 45 minutes to one hour.
7.  Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Divide the bean paste into 12 balls.
8.  Roll out one piece of dough into a round circle and wrap it around one ball of bean paste. 
9.  Press down to form a flat round pancake. 
10. Using a knife or a pair of scissors, make 8 cuts round the pancake ( see picture below )
11.  Place some sesame seeds onto the centre of the pancake and place it on a greased baking tray. ( See picture below ).
12.  Repeat until all the 12 pieces are completed.
13.  Set aside to allow them to rise for about 15 minutes.
14.  Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree C for 20 minutes.
15.  Brush with melted butter while the bread is still very hot.

Cut 8 slits round the flatten round dough. 

Put some black sesame seeds onto the centre

Pan-Fried Glutinous Rice cake 煎糯米豆沙糕

Pan-Fried Glutinous Rice cake 煎糯米豆沙糕

Recipe source : Adapted from the video food4444lyfe


The original recipe from the video used peanut butter as filling. I substituted the peanut butter with red bean paste. I doubled the quantity of ingredients used in the original recipe. The skin is crispy and fragrant when eaten while they were still warm. The rice cakes  were sweet and chewy when cooled down totally.  

I will definitely make them again as both SK and I like them very much.  We like the chewy texture and find them very delicious.

Ingredients

80g water
50g coconut milk or santan
2 tbsp sugar
40g hot water
200g glutinous rice flour
2 tbsp oil ( optional )
8 tsp red bean paste
some cooking oil for pan-frying 

Instructions

1.  Mix 80g of water with coconut milk and set the mixture aside.
2.  In a big bowl, dissolve 2 tbsp sugar in 40g of water.
3.  Add in the glutinous rice flour and the coconut milk mixture. 
4.  Add in 2 tbsp cooking oil (optional ).
5.  Mix all the ingredients together and knead into a smooth dough.
6.  Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
7.  Roll out one portion of dough and flatten to form a small circle.
8.  Place one tsp of red bean paste onto the centre of the dough.
9.  Wrap up the red bean paste and roll between both hands to form a ball. Flatten the ball to form a small disc.
10.  Repeat the steps to complete making 8 pancakes.
11.  Add some oil to a frying pan and pan-fry the rice cakes on both sides until done.

Bird's Nest Soup With American Ginseng, Lotus Seeds & Lily Bulbs 燕窝炖花旗参

Bird's Nest Soup With American Ginseng, Lotus Seeds & Lily Bulbs 燕窝炖花旗参

Bird's nest  is a delicacy which is highly priced. It helps to strengthen the lungs and regenerate skin cells. It is believed to be good for the complexion. When stewed or double-boiled with other Chinese herbs, bird's nest make a very delicious and nutritious herbal brew or tonic.

Ingredients

3 pieces bird's nest
12 slices American ginseng
6 red dates, seeded
60g cane rock sugar
9 pieces lotus seeds
9 pieces lily bulbs
480ml water

Instructions

1.  Remove dirt from bird's nest and soak until soft. Rinse and place bird's nest into 3 porcelain jars or containers with lids.
2.  Place lotus seeds into a bowl and pour boiling water to soak the lotus seeds for a while. Remove the core. 
3.  Divide all the ingredients into 3 portions.
4.  Put in the American ginseng, red dates, lotus seeds, lily bulbs, cane rock sugar and water into the 3 jars.
5.  Cover the lids and  double boil for 3 hours.

 The bird's nest  before soaking

 The softened bird's nest 

 

 American ginseng

 

Lily bulbs  

 Red dates

 Lotus seeds

Cane rock sugar

Nourishing herbal brew