药材炖鸡 Steam Herbal Chicken

This is a simple and nourishing dish. Hope you will like it too.

Ingredient:

2 nos Chicken whole drumstick

1 tbsp Dark Soy

2 tbsp oil

1 pkt Herbal Soup Mix (药材汤料)

300-500ml Water (depends on how much gravy you like)

1-2 tsp Oyster sauce

1-2 tsp Soy sauce

1-2 tsp Chinese Shao Shing rice wine (绍兴酒)

1 tsp Dark soy (optional, just for the colour)

Pepper to taste

Drizzle of Sesame oil

1 tbsp Corn starch mix with 2 tbsp water

Method:

1. Pat dry the chicken and rub the dark soy onto the skin.

2. Heat the oil in a frying pan, shallow fry the skin part to get a nice brown colour.

3. Dish out and set aside.

4. Bring a pot of water to boil, add the herbal soup mix.

5. Let it boil for 10 mins or so.

6. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, dark soy, sesame oil and pepper to taste. (Season it according to your taste)

7. Add the corn starch mix to thicken the gravy. Turn off the fire when the gravy is thicken.

8. Place a big sheet of aluminum foil in a deep dish or bowl. Place the chicken drumstick in the middle and pour the gravy and put the herbal onto the meat. (I wanted to serve it individually, so I have make two parcel as two individual serving)

9. Wrap the chicken up like a parcel.

10. Steam the parcel for 2 hours.

11. It's ready to serve. You could serve it with steam rice or noodles.

Today we had it with some buckwheat soba noodles. So yummy!

p/s : I used the Herbal Soup mix which can easily get in any supermarket. Usually is ready mix. It consist of：

Red dates (红枣)

Gou Ji berries (枸杞)

Dang Shen (当参)

Wai Shan (淮山)

Bei Qi (北芪)

Yu Zhu (玉竹)

Shu Di (熟地)

Chuan Xiong (川芎)

* If the soup mix you bought do not have Shu Di (熟地) it does't matter, with "Shu Di" it will give a dark/black colour soup. So you could just add dark soy in your gravy if your soup mix do not have "Shu Di".

Spicy Fried Noodle ala tehhun's style

Ingredients:
Egg Noodle (yellow noodle)
Chicken fillet
Onion, sliced
Garlic, chopped
Sawi, cleaned and cut into 3cm length

Carrot, sliced and julienne into 3cm length
Egg
Oil
Lime wedges

Seasoning:

Fried Chili Paste
Light soy sauce
Dark soy sauce

Oyster sauce
salt & pepper to taste

sesame oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in wok and stir fry onion and garlic until fragrant.

2. Add chicken to cook for 1 minute.
3. Break in egg and stir to cook.
4. Add the sawi and carrot and mix well.

5. Add noodles and the seasoning then mix well.
6. Stir well until is hot and dry.
7. Serve hot with lime wedge.

P/s : You may fry the egg in advance and julienne it, then toss it in the noodle while cooking (step 5).

金针木耳冬菇蒸鸡 Steam Chicken with Dried Lily flower, Black Fungus and Mushroom

This is one of my favourite, simple yet delicious dish.

You can prepare this in advance and steam it when you are cooking the rice. Easy easy....

Ingredients:

500 gm Chicken with bone (cut into 1 inch pieces)

Ginger (sliced or julienne)

Spring onion (cut into 1 inch length)

10 gm Dried lily flower (金针)

10 gm Dried black fungus (木耳)

5 gm Dried shitake mushroom (冬菇)

Seasoning:

2 tbsp Oyster sauce

2 tbsp Soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp Chinese wine

1 tbsp Sesame oil

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp Corn flour + 5 tbsp water

Method:

1. Mix all ingredient into a big mixing bowl. Let it rest for 30 minutes or so.

2. Pour it into a deep dish.

3. Steam over high fire for 20-30 minutes.

4. Serve with steam rice. The gravy is so yummy with just plain steam rice......

P/s:

1. I prefer to use drumstick, thigh and wing part, but you can also use chicken breast.

2. You may also use boneless chicken (300gm, cut into slice or chunck), and shorten the cooking time.

Char Kuih Kak

Ingredient:

For Kuih Kak:

Rice flour

Tapioca starch

Salt

Oil

Water

For stir fry:

Chopped Garlic

Chopped preserved turnip

Dried shrimp, soak and chopped

Prawn (you may use marinated pork fillet, chicken fillet)

Egg

Bean sprout

Chives, cut into 2 inch length

Spring onion, cut into 2 inch length

Oyster sauce

Light soy sauce

Dark soy sauce

Sesame oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

To make the Kuih Kak:

1. Mix rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, oil and water. Pour into a rectangular tray.

2. Steam the mixture for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Remove from steamer and leave it to cool completely.

4. Cut the Kuih Kak into 1.5cm square cube. Keep a side.

To cook the Kuih Kak:

1. Pan fry the kuih kak with some oil in non-stick frying pan. Until all sides are golden brown. Keep a side.

2. Heat some oil in a wok saute the dried shrimp, chopped preserved turnip and garlic. Stir fry until golden brown.

3. Add the prawn and cook for 1 minute.

4. Crack in an egg, stir and break the egg and let it cook for 1 minute.

5. Add the pan fried Kuih Kak. Mix well.

6. Season with Oyster sauce, Light soy sauce, Dark soy sauce, sesame oil, salt & pepper.

7. Add the bean sprout, chives, spring onion and mix well for 1 minutes.

8. Ready to serve.

p/s:

1. Make the Kuih Kak in advance, it's much easier to cut and handle the cool Kuih Kak.

2. You can add some grind chili / chili boh / sambal tumis in "Step 3 of To Cook the Kuih Kak", cook the chili for 1 min, then add prawn.

Baked Sweet Bun

Sardine bun and Chicken curry bun(topped with sesame seeds)

Dough Ingredient:

500 gm high protein flour

15 gm instant dry yeast

1/8 tsp salt

50 gm sugar

1 nos egg

1 nos egg yolk

180 gm milk

80 gm softened butter

Filling of your choice. I used some left over chicken curry and chilly sardine.

Egg wash:

Egg and milk

Method:

1. Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix it well. Then add in butter.

2. Knead the dough until you get a smooth dough.

3. Shape the dough into a ball, place into a big bowl and cover with a piece of damp cloth.

4. Leave it to proof until it doubles in size. Approximately 3-4 hours.

5. Knock the dough down and knead well.

6. Divide into 40 gm each portion and shape into round.

7. Flatted the dough, wrap in the filling and shape into a ball.

8. Place onto a paper cup.

9. Leave it to rise until double in bulk.

10. Glaze with egg wash, bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

11. Remove and cool on wire rack.

12. Once it's cool, ready to serve.

p/s: I have two different filling in my bun, so I have sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the bun in order to identify the filling. After glazed the bun with egg wash, simply sprinkle some sesame on top of the bun and lightly press it to stick on the bun.

Chicken Pie

It has been awhile I didn't update my cooking blog. With the wonderful ramadan timing now, I should be able to do some catch up :-)


Yesterday, I decided to make chicken pie for dinner. It has been awhile I didn't make this dish. I was delighted that it came out well... :D


Ingredients:
Chicken (skinless and boneless), diced into 2cm size
Button Mushroom, diced into 2cm size
Carrot, diced into 2 cm size
Potato, diced into 2cm size
Peas
Onion, roughly chopped
Garlic, chopped
Dried Tarragon
Cream
Salt & pepper
Ready made Puff Pastry
Egg

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Saute onion with oil in a pot until soft.
3. Add in garlic continue to saute till golden brown.
4. Add in chicken and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the tarragon, carrot and potato and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the peas and mushroom and cook for 1 minute.
7. Pour in cream. Mix well and put the lid on, simmer in slow fire for 5 minutes.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste, continue to cook for 2 minutes.

9. Portion into ramekins/pie dish, seal the top with puff pastry and brush with egg wash.

10. Bake in a preheat oven 180c for 15 minutes or until the puff pastry is golden brown.
11. Ready to serve with some salad and bread.

Chicken Stew

Ingredients:
400gm Chicken meat, cut into bite size
1/4 tsp Tarragon (optional)
1/4 tsp Rosemary (optional)
3 Celery stick, cut into cube
1 Carrot, cut into cube
1 Onion, cut into cube
Button mushroom, cut into half
3 Garlic, chopped
1 Bay leave
50ml White/Red wine (optional)
100ml Chicken stock
Salt & Crashed Black pepper
2 tbsp Oil

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken with some tarragon, rosemary, salt and pepper.
2. Saute onion with oil in a pot until soft.
3. Add in garlic continue to saute till golden brown.
4. Add in chicken and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the carrot, celery, mushroom, bay leave and mix well.
6. Pour in wine and chicken stock. Mix well and put the lid on, simmer in slow fire for 45minutes to 1 hour.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste, continue to cook for 10-20 minutes.
8. Ready to serve with some bread.

Tips:
1. You may use this stew for chicken pie filling.
2. You may also serve this with pasta-
Simply boil a serving of pasta and toss with 1 portion of the chicken stew.

And you get this - Simple 1 dish meal

Chicken Char Siew

I tried this because my mother in law doesn't eat pork. It turned out well, and she loves it!

Ingredients:
1.5 kg Whole Chicken drumstick, debone

Marinade:
5 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp Fresh garlic, chopped
4 tsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Shao Xing Rice wine
1 tsp Five spice powder
1/4 Salt
1/2 tsp Red colouring
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp oil

Method:
1. Marinade chicken with all the ingredients for 2 hours or more.

2. Pre heat the oven to 220 c.

3. Place the chicken (keep the marinating sauce) on a rack, grill for 20 minutes until both side are cooked, brushing the marinating sauce on the meat to give a nice shinny glaze.

4. Increase the heat to 250 c and Grill the meat for further 5 minutes until slightly charred.

5. Boil the marinating sauce mixture in a wok until it is thicken sauce.

6. Cut the meat into slices and serve with the sauce.

Tips: 1. You can use chicken breast

Braised Soy Sauce Chicken / 豉油鸡 / 卤鸡

Thanks to Nyuk Shan for sharing this simple and delicious recipe. I cooked this last night and my husband love it!
The original recipe from Nyuk Shan is very simple, I am sure it taste as good as it is!
Because I am using frozen chicken, so I was a bit concern the chicken might have smell (血腥味). Hence, I put in some additional ingredients to avoid the smell and to enhance the dish (提味).

Ingredients:
500gm Chicken drumstick, cut into pieces
2 tbsp Sugar
Dark soy sauce
Light soy sauce
Pepper
Water

Optional ingredients:
3 Ginger slices
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Shallot
1 Star Anise
10 White pepper corn, crushed

Method:
1. Heat up a clean work, put in sugar and let is caramelized till golden colour over slow fire.
2. Add in the dark soy, light soy, pepper and water then bring it to boil.
3. Add in the optional ingredients.
4. Add in chicken. Make sure the liquid is enough to cover the chicken.
5. Cook over low fire till the meat is tender and sauce thicken.
6. Ready to serve. Best to eat with steamed rice or porridge.

Tips:
1. Make sure don't burnt the sugar, or else the dish will taste bitter.
2. If you don't like the dish to be too sweet, reduce the sugar to 1 tbsp.
3. You can use PORK to cook this dish.
4. You can keep the gravy and add in hard boiled egg-卤蛋 (then you get another effortless dish!! Lazy cooking! Horray!!!)

Loh Mai Kai

Ingredients:
500gm glutinous rice, soaked overnight and drain
2 cups water/chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped shallots
2 pieces whole chicken leg meat, debone and sliced
100gm char siew, sliced
1 Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong), sliced
3 black Chinese mushrooms, soaked and cut into thin slices

Seasoning A:
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ginger juice, grated ginger and squeeze out the juice
1 tbsp Rice wine
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp water

Seasoning B:
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp Chinese Five spice powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Seasoning powder (optional)
3 tbsp oil

Method:
1. Marinate chicken with seasoning A for about 2 hours.

2. Heat some oil in wok, saute 1 tbsp of shallots and 1 tbsp of garlic until fragrant. Then add chicken and mushrooms to cook for 2 minutes. Dish out and keep aside.

3. Heat 3tbsp oil in wok, saute 1 tbsp of shallots and 1 tbsp of garlic until fragrant, then put in the glutinous rice and seasoning B and mix well. Dish out and keep aside.

4. Use rice bowl or small stainless steal bowl, arrange mushroom slices, chinese sausages, chicken and char siew. Top up with glutinous rice(don't fill it up so much, keep some room about 1cm) and lightly press it down with a spoon.

5. Fill the bowls with water/chicken stock, make sure the water level is above the rice(aprox 0.5cm).

6. Steam for 50 minutes. Turn over the rice bowl onto a plate and serve.

**Seasoning is subject to individual preference, you can adjust it to your liking.
**You can freeze it up to 6 months. Cool the Loh Mai Kai completely, unmold it from the bowl then use a aluminium foil to wrap it like parcel and Freeze it.
**To cook, take out from freezer(No need to defrost) and steam the whole aluminium parcel on boilding water for 30mins. Discard the aluminium foil and Ready to serve. 

MeatBalls

Ingredients:
500gm meat

Seasoning:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 egg white
1 tbsp sesame oil

Mix together:
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp water

Method:
1. Mince the meat in a food processor until really fine almost like a paste.

2. Transfer processed meat to the cake mixer and use the paddle, beat the meat for 10 seconds, then add in the seasonings. Beat the meat again until seasonings are well blended.

3. Add in the salt, cornflour and water mixture and beat until the meat feels spongy.

4. Heat a small pot of water. Make balls by taking a small amount of paste in your hand and squeeze the paste through the thumb and index finger to form balls. Remove ball with a spoon and put ball straight into the boiling water. Balls ae cooked when they float to the top.

5. MeatBalls are now ready to eat.

Chicken and Pasta in Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
1 portion Pasta(Penne or Rigatoni)
Chicken drumstick/ Chicken thigh cutlets
Button Mushroom, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
20ml White wine (Optional)
150ml Cream
Oil
Salt & crushed black pepper

Method:
1. Cook the pasta to "al dente"; drain and keep a side.
2. Season chicken with some salt and pepper
3. Heat oil in the pan, cook chicken until browned both sides and cooked trough. Cover chicken to keep warm.
4. Drain away some excess oil then add in mushroom and garlic cook for 2-3 minutes or until mushroom are browned lightly.
5. Add wine and stir well until liquid is almost evaporated.
6. Add cream and continue cooking until sauce thicken slightly.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Stir in pasta mix well or until heated through.
9. Dish the pasta into a plate, top with hot chicken.
10. Garnish with some crushed black pepper.
11. Ready to serve.

Thai Yellow Curry Chicken

Ingredients:
4 tbsp Yellow Curry Paste (I am using Pantainorasingh brand)
1 1/2 cup / 400ml Coconut milk
1/2 cup Water
500gm Chicken, cut into pieces
2 tbsp cooking Oil
1/2 tsp Fish sauce
1 tsp Palm sugar/brown sugar
1 Red chili, sliced
Coriander

Method:
1. Heat Cooking oil in a frying pan, add the Yellow Curry Paste and fry until fragrance.
2. Slowly add 1/2 cup of Coconut milk and fry till fragrance.
3. Mix the remaining coconut milk with water and stir well. Add the mixture into the frying pan.
4. Follow with chicken pieces and let it cook.
5. Season with fish sauce and sugar.
6. Serve hot and sprinkle with some red chili and coriander.

Claypot Mushroom Chicken

Ingredients:
300gm Chicken fillet
1 stalk Spring onion, cut into 4cm length
2 clove garlic, chopped
some ginger slices
3 nos Dried Shitake mushroom, soaked and sliced into 1cm thick
6 nos Straw mushroom, sliced into half
1 tbsp oil

Chicken marinate:
1 tbsp Oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
a dash of pepper to taste

Seasoning:
1 tbsp Oyster sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Thickening:
1 tsp Corn flour
1 tbsp Water

Method:
1. Marinade chicken fillets for 30 minutes or longer.
2. Heat a claypot to slightly warm, add oil and fry the ginger and the white part of spring onion until slightly brown.
3. Add in garlic, continue to fry until fragrant.
4. Put in the chicken fillets, cook until it slightly turn white colour.
5. Add in both the mushrooms and mix well.
6. Pour in water, enough to cover the meat. Put on the lid and bring it to boil on a slow fire.
7. Add in seasoning and continue to cook for 10 minutes at a very slow fire.
8. Put in the remaining spring onion and stir well.
9. Pour in the corn flour mixture and stir well and cook for 2 minutes.
10. Ready to serve. Caution: Claypot is hot!

Tasty Crispy Salty Chicken Strips

This is an excellent dish I learned from a food magazine.
It is best to serve as snacks with drinks or as an appertizer.

Ingredients:
300gm Chicken breast meat, cut into strips
5 cups Oil for deep-frying

Marinade:
1/2 nos egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp five spice powder
1 tsp ginger juice
Dash of sesame oil
Dash of pepper
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tbsp plain flour

Seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Method:
1. Mix chicken with marinade and marinate for 1 hour.

2. Deep-fry chicken strips in hot oil until golden brown. Dish and drain.

3. Heat up a clean and dry wok, add in salt and stir-fry at low heat until the salt is hot.

4. Add in five spice powder, ground black pepper and mix well.

5. Lastly add in fried meat strips and stir well quickly.

6. Dish up and serve.

Suggestion:
Served with some Thai Sweet Chili sauce or chili sauce.

Roasted Chicken Wings

Ingredients:
500 gm Chicken Wings
2 tbsp Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chiew [绍兴花雕酒] /Chinese cooking wine
2 tbsp Char Siew Sauce [叉烧酱]
1 tsp Dark soy sauce

Method:

1. Clean and drain the chicken wings
2. Mix well the Char Siew sauce, cooking wine, dark soy sauce in a mixing bowl
3. Put in the chicken wings and marinate it in the fridge for at least 4 hrs
4. Pre-heat the oven at 180c for 15 minutes
5. Lay an aluminum foil on a baking tray and arrange the chicken wings onto the foil
6. Roast the chicken wings in oven at 180c for 25-30 minutes

Tips:
* Roasting the chicken wings on the foil can helps to avoid leaving the stubborned stains on the baking tray