Peanut & Pork Congee 花生猪肉粥

Peanut & Pork Congee 花生猪肉粥

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours


Congee is a very good choice for Chinese breakfast. It is easy to prepare and can be very tasty if boiled to perfection, even with very simple ingredients. 

This is one of our family's favourites. 

Ingredients

150g peanuts, soaked overnight
200g rice, washed and soaked in water and freeze it overnight. See preparation for rice
100g dried scallops
400g pork, cut into slices
3 century eggs, cut into quarters
2 litres water
2 tsp salt, or to taste
dash of pepper
sesame oil

Method

1.  Boil soaked peanuts with 2 litres of water for 45 minutes or until slightly softened.
2.  Add in frozen rice and dried scallops. Continue to boil until the rice grains have broken and turn to congee.
3.  Add pork slices and boil for a further 2 minutes over high heat.
4.  Add in century eggs and salt to taste.
5.  Mix well.
6.  Serve in individual bowls with a dash of pepper and sesame oil.

Be Celeng Base Manis (Pork In Sweet Soya Sauce)

Be Celeng Base Manis (Pork In Sweet Soya Sauce)

Recipe source : Adapted from The Food of Bali

Sweet soya sauce or kicap manis is popularly used in Malay and Indonesian cuisines. I often buy ayam masak kicap ( chicken in soy sauce ) from Malay vendors selling nasi campur ( mixed rice ). I like the tinge of sweetness in the soy sauce. 

So when I came across this recipe as I browsed through the internet for Indonesian food recipes,  I bookmarked this to try out. All you need is a few basic ingredients. The cooking style is almost effortless. 

It was good!. My son, YS  and I, love pork dishes. We polished off this sweet porky dish including the gravy with lots of hot steaming rice. Yum!

Ingredients

1 tbsp cooking oil    ( original recipe used coconut oil )
3 shallots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
300g boneless pork leg or pork shoulder, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
4cm piece of ginger, sliced
2 tbsp kicap manis ( sweet soya sauce)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp black peppercorn, crushed
1 cup chicken stock
4 chilli padi (bird's eye chilli)

 Black peppercorns

 Sweet soya sauce or kicap manis

Top left : shallots. Top right : chilli padi

Bottom left : garlic. Bottom right : ginger

Method

1.  Heat oil in a wok. Add shallots and garlic and saute for 2 minutes over medium heat until light brown.
2.  Add pork and ginger, continue to saute for 2 more minutes over high heat. Add sweet and salty soy sauces, chilli and crushed black peppercorns. Continue to saute for one minute.
3.  Pour in chicken stock and simmer over medium heat for about 45 minutes or until the meat is tender. If the meat becomes too dry during cooking, add a little more chicken stock.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  :  Indonesia  

Hosted by Alice from I love. I Cook. I Bake

Ayam Tempra

Ayam Tempra

Recipe source :  Adapted from Her World Magazine, October 1974

 
The taste is a combination of sweet, sour and slightly hot. Plenty of big onion rings were added to complete the wholesome flavour. I like the sourish lime in this dish, it was very light and subtle but  yet it makes the whole dish stands out with a distinguished flavour.


We enjoyed this dish with hot steaming rice for dinner.  We had a very satisfying meal. Yeah, I would cook this again.

Ingredients

900g chicken , chopped into small pieces
4 big onions, cut into rings
7 green chillies, sliced
5 red chillies, sliced
3 tbsp cooking oil

Sauce Ingredients

300ml water
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
4 tbsp black soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt

 Left : green chillies. Centre : limes. Right : red chillies

Big onions

Method

1.  Rub chicken pieces with a little salt and sugar
2.  Heat cooking oil and fry onion rings, red and green chillies for one minute over strong flame.
3.  Add chicken pieces and let it cook, stirring all the time until meat changes colour.
4.  Add half the amount of sauce ingredients and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
5.  Put in the remaining sauce ingredients, lower heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until chicken is tender and almost dry.
6.  Dish up and serve.

Indonesian Fried Noodle (Mie Goreng Indonesia)

Indonesian Fried Noodle ( Mie Goreng Indonesia )

Recipe source : Adapted from Indochine Kitchen


Wow! This is really hot and spicy! For those not accustomed to hot and spicy food, you better reduce the amount of chillies and pepper for a milder flavour. The spice paste has a very distinct peppery flavour which taste really good, that is if you like spicy food with lots of pepper.

This noodle dish is meatless.

Ingredients For Spice Paste

2 cloves garlic
10 shallots
4 candle nuts, toasted
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns

Pound all the ingredients together using a mortar and pestle or use a spice grinder to mince them.

Using a mortar and pestle to pound the spice paste

Ingredients For Stir-Frying

400g noodles
150g beansprouts   ( I did not use this )
150g Chinese green cabbage, cut into 5 cm length   ( I used choy sam )
5 stalks of spring onion, cut into  5 cm length
3 sprigs parsley, cut into 2cm length
10g chilli padi, sliced
1 tomato, quartered   ( I did not use this )
3 tbsp cooking oil               
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp sweet soya sauce
1/2 cup water

 Spring onion, cut into 5 cm sections

 Chinese parsley, cut into 2 cm sections

 Chilli padi or bird's eye chilli, sliced

 Choy sam, cut into 5cm sections

 Noodle, rinsed and drained

Method

1.  Heat oil in a wok. Add spice paste and chillies and stir-fry for two minutes.
2.  Toss in choy sam, spring onions and beansprouts (if using). Mix quickly and fry for one minute.
3.  Add noodle, tomato, sweet soya sauce, salt, chopped Chinese parsley and water.
4.  Keep stirring until almost dry.
5.  Serve warm. 

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  :  Indonesia  

Hosted by Alice from I love. I Cook. I Bake

Dry-Fried Vermicelli With Inoki Mushroom

Dry-Fried Vermicelli With Inoki Mushroom

Recipe source :  Doris Choo of Sumptuous Flavours

One afternoon, a few days after the CNY, and feeling hungry, I rummaged through my refrigerator for something to cook for lunch. I knew it was about time for me to stock up the fridge as there wasn't much in terms of fresh produce left. Anyway, the vendors at the wet market were still enjoying their Chinese New Year break, and they had yet to resume business! 

I found three packets of inoki mushrooms and a few stalks of spring onions. There wasn't any meat or prawns left at all. Further down the shelves I found some anchovies, scallops and dried shrimps. Well, I think I'll fry some vermicelli with whatever I have in hand. 

I have learnt a new trick from frying soy sauce egg noodles using very little water. And I shall apply that method to fry vermicelli today.

Ingredients

250g vermicelli or beehoon, soaked until soft and drained
3 stalks spring onions
300g inoki mushrooms ( 3 packets )
5 chilli padi
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
4 tbsp cooking oil
50g anchovies, deep-fried and set aside

Sauce Ingredients

1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 1/2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
4 tbsp water
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
dash of pepper

Method

1.  Heat oil in wok. Add in chopped garlic and saute until light brown.
2.  Add in inoki mushrooms and chilli padi. Stir-fry over high heat until inoki mushrooms soften.
3.  Add in vermicelli. Use a pair of chopsticks to loosen the vermicelli and add in the sauce ingredients gradually. Use the chopsticks to mix quickly and evenly. 
4. Continue frying and mixing until the vermicelli is dry and almost sticking to the wok.
5.  Dish up. Sprinkle the deep-fried anchovies on top or around the fried vermicelli. 

Char Siu Pork Buns 叉烧包

Char Siu Pork Buns 叉烧包

Recipe source : Adapted from Feeding the Dragon : A Culinary Travelogue Through China


Char siu bun is a popular choice for Chinese breakfast. It is very convenient to buy pork buns from our local coffee shops and even from roadside vendors during the mornings and evenings. However, I tend to believe that the quality and taste of char siu buns sold at dim sum restaurants are better than those sold at coffee shops. And of course the flavours of pork buns from Hong Kong restaurants are even tastier!

I was very excited when I came across this recipe together with a few other popular dim sum recipes featuring popular foods of Hong Kong.

Ingredients For Dough

1/4 cup water                                            ( I used 3/4 cup water )
5 tbsp milk powder
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar                                             ( I used 1/4 cup sugar )
3 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp vegetable shortening, melted
1 tsp white vinegar
1 1/4 tsp yeast                                           ( I added 1 1/4 tsp yeast )

Method

1.  Combine water, milk and sugar in a small bowl.
2.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and stir well to combine.
3.  Slowly stir in the water mixture and when it is absorbed, stir in shortening and vinegar.
4.  Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.
6.  Meanwhile, cut 10 pieces of grease-proof paper into 2-inches squares. ( original recipe divided the dough into 16 portions )

Ingredients For Filling

2 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp black soy sauce
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp oyster          ( I used 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce )
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 sprigs spring onions, white parts only, chopped
1 1/2 cups char siu or grilled pork cut into cubes (click here to learn how to make char siu)

Two pieces of home-made char siu
One piece is enough to make this batch of pork buns

 

Thickening Solution

1 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp water

Mix well together to form a solution.

Method

1.  Heat oil in wok over medium heat.
2.  Add in white parts of the spring onions and saute for 30 seconds.
3.  Add in char siu cubes and the sauce ingredients. Stir for 2 minutes to mix everything together.
4.  Add thickening solution and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Wrapping the bun

1.  Roll out a portion of dough into a circular disk.
2.  Add 1 tbsp of char siu filling.
3.  Gather the edges together to seal.
4.  Place bun on a piece of grease-proof paper.
5.  Repeat process with the rest of the ingredients.
6.  Arrange buns on steaming trays and steam for 15 minutes.

 

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

Deep-Fried Fish With Tangy Sauce

Deep-Fried Fish With Tangy Sauce

Recipe source :  Adapted from Amy Beh

Ingredients

600g Tilapia
Oil for deep frying
1 tbsp chopped garlic
3 chilli padi
1 stalk spring onion, cut into sections
1 sprig coriander leaves,  cut into sections

Fresh  tilapia

Seasoning Ingredients

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tbsp cornflour

Sauce Ingredients

3 tbsp fish sauce
3 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil

Method

1.  Make diagonal cuts on each side of the fish.
2.  Rub both sides with combined seasoning ingredients.
3.  Heat oil in a wok and deep-fry until fish is cooked and golden. Remove and place on a serving dish.
4.  Remove oil for deep-frying the fish, leaving 1 tbsp of the oil in the wok.
5.  Saute the chopped garlic and chilli. Add in the sauce ingredients.
6.  When the sauce comes to a boil, add in the cut spring onions and coriander leaves.
7.  Pour sauce over the deep-fried fish.

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for February  2014 is Lemon, 

hosted by Grace of  Life Can Be Simple

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

.