Rempah

It was my first time cooking Rempah. I choose to use Alan Goh's blog recipe.  It was really challenging as I was not sure whether I will succeed in rempah making.  Everything went fine except grinding the dry chillies took a longer time. As the dried chillies used was not alot, grinding job made it abit difficult.  But once all the cooking finished, the rempah smell so nice.

Recipe adapted from: https://travelling-foodies.com

Ingredients:

10 red chilies, chopped coarsely
20 dried red chilies, soaked in hot water until soft
10 buah keras(Candlenut)
30 shallots, peeled and sliced
10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
generous thumb length knob of ginger, sliced
generous thumb length knob of tumeric root, sliced
generous thumb length knob of galangal, sliced
8 stalks of lemongrass, lower 1/3 whitish portion only, sliced finely

1 cup cooking oil(for cooking stage)


Method:
1. Blend all the above ingredients except dried chillies. Then blend the dried chillies separately.
2. Pour oil into a heated wok.  Heat up the oil then pour the blended rempah paste in.
3. Using medium low heat, slow cook the paste till it turn to a nice red colour and glister, and when oil separate from the paste.
4. Off heat and let it cool completely before storing in container and let it chill in fridge or freezer.

Crispy Batter Nian Gao

I was goggling for Nian Gao Batter recipe and come across a website stating Crispy Batter Nian Gao. I decided to give it a try and it is indeed crispy.

Recipe adapted from: https://dayre.me/coasterkitchen

Ingredients:
Nian gao, 年糕
Yam (i did not use)
Kumara/ sweet potatoes( i did not use)

100g rice flour
50g potato/ tapioca starch
25g corn starch
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cooking oil
1/8 tsp salt
100 - 125ml cold water
1 tsp castor sugar ( I added sugar apart from the website)

Method:
1. Cut the nian gao into equal squares and thickness of about 1cm each. Set aside.
2.  To make the coating batter, add rice flour, potato/ tapioca starch, corn starch, cooking oil, salt and baking powder into a bowl. Mix it evenly.
3.  Then add in the egg and half portion of the water. Mix it well until it becomes a thick yet a little runny batter.
4. The batter should not be too thin until it is not able to coat the nian gao.
Add more water, little bit at a time, to the batter if needed.
5. Heat up pan with oil. Coat the nian gao with the batter and deep fry till golden brown.

French Crepes

Chance upon this recipe on a Facebook link.  As it require lemon juice which I do not have it on hand, I substitute with vanilla extract.  When I done with the cooking, I ganish with sliced banana, hershey chockate sauce and sprinkle icing sugar on it.  My daughter who is a dessert lover, love this crepe with banana so much.

Recipe adapted from https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154250869703163&id=74052302134

(Half recipe portion, yield abt 7-8 crepes)
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup milk
2 egg
1/2 cup flour
1.5 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp sugar

Method:
1. Blend all ingredients using blender.
2. Heat pan with butter.
3. Scoop batter onto pan and spread batter round the pan.
4. Few second later, flip over to cook till both side slightly brown.
5. Serve with fruits, chocolate sauce of your choice.

Gonger Onion Sliced Pork 姜葱猪肉

As this dish was cook by agaration proportion of ingredients, I can only list down the ingredients I used.  Everytime I cook this, it always look different as it depend on how much dark soya sauce I drizzle in.

Ingredients:

1 pack of pork fillet from NTUC, slice thinly

1/2 yellow onion, slice it

Cornflour

Ginger, slice it

Garlic, minced

Light soya sauce

Dark soya sauce

Chicken powder

Some water

Sesame oil

Spring onion

Method:

1. Marinate the sliced pork with light soya sauce, ginger slices, cornflour and sesame oil.

2. Heat wok and fry some ginger slice and garlic till fragrant.

3. Add in the marinated pork with the ginger slice and stir fry.

4. Add in yellow onion and stir fry till the pork almost cook. Add in chicken powder and dark soya sauce. Add some water in. Test taste it. You can adjust the taste to your preference by adding soya sauce.

5. Lastly add in some spring onion and off heat. 

6. Dish up and serve with rice.

Steamed Tofu with Minced Meat

Another dish that my family like.  I am surprised my kids finished the Tofu as it is their first time eating Tofu. Thank you The Meatmen for your recipe.  I will definately cook this dish again.

Recipe adapted from: http://themeatmen.sg

Method:

1. 2 blocks Vitasoy organic sprouted tofu - Steam

2. 80g shelled prawns

3. 80g minced pork

4. 2 water chestnuts (peeled and chopped) - I omitted this.

5. 2 tbsp chopped spring onions and chilies - I omitted chillies.

6. 1 tbsp light soy sauce

7. 1 tsp sesame oil

8. 1 tsp hua tiao wine

9. ½ tsp white pepper

10. ½ tsp salt

11. 4 wolfberries (soaked)

12. 1 sprig spring onion

Sauce:

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp hua tiao wine

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions:

1.Trim sides of 2 blocks of Vitasoy organic sprouted tofu - Steam

2.Cut each block into half lengthwise

3.Using a small spoon scoop a hole in the center of the tofu blocks

4.Mince 80g of shelled prawns

5. Add 80g minced pork, 2 water chestnuts (peeled and chopped) and 2 tbsp chopped spring onions chili mixture

6. Season with 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp hua tiao wine, ½ white pepper and ½ tsp salt

7. Mix well and add minced mixture to the top of the tofu

8. Add a soaked wolfberry on each tofu block

9. In a bowl mix 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp hua tiao wine, 1 tbsp water, 1 tbsp oyster sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil

10. Mix well and drizzle over tofu

11. Steam for 8-10 mins

12. Cut spring onions into strands

13. Remove tofu from steamer

14. Garnish with spring onions

Pan Fried Salted Fish with Minced Pork Patties

When I saw Miki Mak posted this, I immediately save the recipe. Today I tried cooking it but with some changes to the ingredients.  Thank you Miki for sharing your recipe.

Recipe adapted from and with minor change: http://dingoozatfood.blogspot.sg

Ingredients:

180g Minced Por
20g Salted Fish
1 tsp Coriander (chopped)
1/4 tsp Sugar
1/2 + 1/4tsp Corn Flour
1/2 + 1/4tsp Soy Sauce
Dash of White Pepper
1/2 + 1/4tsp Shao Xing Hua Tiao Cooking Wine
1/2 + 1/4 tsp Oyster Sauce

Method:
1. Pan fried salted fish till fragrant. Let cool completely then break into small pieces.
2. Mixed all the other ingredients together with the salted fish.
3. Shape into round patties and pan fried in wok till golden brown or cooked.

Steamed Pork with Salted Fish

This is a cantonese dish but I cannot remember whether my late ever cook this dish for me to cook. After watching a local chinese drama, in one espisode, this dish was being cook for many time. Thus, today I give it a try.  This is another well received dish by my family. Even my kids love it especially my daughter who keep asking for more.

Ingredients:
100g Minced Shoulder Butt Pork
Salted Fish (about one thumb size, cut into small pieces)
Some Shredded Ginger
Some Chopped Coriander Leaves
Some Coriander Leave or Spring Onion (for ganish)

Seasoning:
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp cooking wine
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp sugar
Tiny pinch of salt
Dash of pepper
1 tsp water
1/2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp Sesame Oil (to drizzle on top before steaming)

Method:
1. Mix pork, salted fish, chopped coriander leaves with the seasoning and leave it in fridge for 30 mins.
2. Take out from fridge and drizzle 1 tsp sesame oil on top. Spread the shredded ginger on top.
3. Steam on high heat for 10 mins or till it is cooked.
4. Ganish coriander leave or spring onion on top and serve.