Young Mango Salad

Young Mango Salad

Ingredient:

Young Mango, thinly julienne

Onion, thinly sliced

Coriander leaves

Bird eye chili, sliced

Fried Ikan Bilis

Lemon/Lime juice

Thai Sweet Chili sauce

Method:

1. Mix mango, onion, coriander leaves, chili, lime juice and a little sweet chili sauce.

2. Dish it to a plate, sprinkle fried ikan bilis on top.

3. Ready to serve.

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.

Jiao Zi / 饺子/ 水饺 / Dumpling

Ingredients for Jiao Zi dough/ dumpling wrappers:
3 cups Plain Flour
1 cup Water
1/4 tsp Salt

Ingredients for the filling:
500gm Minced pork
1 tbsp Finely chopped Ginger
2 springs Chive/ Spring Onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp Light soya sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tbsp Seasame oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Cornflour

Method to prepare the dumpling wrappers:
1. Shift flour into a big bowl, add salt and mix well.
2. Slowly stir in the water, make sure add the water little by little until it form a smooth dough (until no flour lump will be sticking on the hand). Knead the dough into a smooth ball. Cover the dough which a dry cloth and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

Method to prepare the filling:
1. Add the spring onion, ginger, soy sauce, salt, rice wine, pepper and corn flour to the meat and mix well.

Method to make Jiao Zi:
1. Knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball, then roll it into a long sausage shape. Divide the dough into small pieces. Roll and flatten each piece out into a circle about 2.5 inches in diameter wrapper.

2. Place a small portion (about 1 heaped tsp) of the filling into the middle of each wrapper. Wet the edges of the dumpling with water. Fold the dough over the filling into a half moon shape and pinch the edges to seal. Continue with the remainder of the dumplings.

3. To cook the dumpling (水饺):
I. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add in some salt and oil.
II. Put in the dumplings, gently stir it so they don't stick together.
III. Bring the water to a boil again, and add 1/2 cup of cold water.
IV. Cover and wait for the water to a boil for a third time, the dumplings are ready when it float.

V. Remove and drain the dumplings.
VI. Place it on to a plate, drizzle a few drops of sesame oil.

V. Serve with ginger, garlic & vinegar or chili sauce.

Tips:
1. You can make this in big quantity and freezer it (Lightly flour the container, before put in the dumpling)
2. When you want to eat:
I. DO NOT Thaw the dumpling, just put it into a pot of lightly salted & oiled Boiling water.
II. Boil it for 10-15mins, the dumpling is ready when it floats
III. Remove and drain the dumplings.
IV. Place it on to a plate, drizzle a few drops of sesame oil.

Dumplings should serve hot. 饺子/ 水饺

The dumplings can also be Fried (Guo Tie/锅贴).
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add a single layer of dumplings and cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan slightly to make sure they don't stick.
2. Add some corn flour water(corn flour mix with water), cover and steam for 2 minutes, then uncover and continue to cook until the water has evaporated. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
3. Serve with ginger, garlic & vinegar or any dipping sauce.

Guo Tie/锅贴

Ginger, Garlic & Vinegar sauce:
Simply mix grated ginger, grated garlic with some black vinegar and light soy sauce.

Deep fried Lady Finger Fish

Not really sure what's the real name for this fish,
but over here they call it Lady's Finger Fish.

Ingredients:
Lady's Finger Fish
Corn Flour
Plain Flour
Salt and Pepper

Dipping sauce:
Mayonnaise
Lime

Method:
1. Clean the fish, remove the head and pat dry.
2. Mix equal amount of corn flour and plain flour in a deep plate.
3. Season the flour with lots of salt and pepper.
4. Heat oil for deep frying.
5. Once the oil is hot enough, put in the fish for deep frying until it's crispy.
6. Remove and drain on kitchen towel.
7. Put Mayonnaise in a bowl, squeeze some lime juice in and mix well.
8. Arrange the fish in a plate and serve with the lime mayonnaise aside.

Seafood & Vegetables Tempura

Simple Homemade Japanese Meal

Tempura is an all time favourite in Japanese food. It is much easier for people to accept this dish as it is served hot with dipping sauce-Bonsu sauce.
I do not have all the ingredients for Bonsu sauce(so I did not make it this time). However, I served my tempura with light soy sauce or chili sauce or Thai chili sauce.

Ingredients A:
1 tbsp Plain flour
1 tbsp Corn Flour
Salt & Pepper

Ingredients B:
100gm Tempura flour
170ml Ice cold water

Tempura Flour

For Seafood Tempura:
6 pcs Prawn, shelled
6 pcs Fish fillet
1 nos squid, cut into 6cm x 4cm
Some Salmon skin, cut into 7cm long strip and 5cm width
Salt & pepper

For Vegetables Tempura:
10 pcs French Bean
1 nos Sweet Potato, sliced
1/2 nos Carrot, sliced

Things to prepare before you starts deep-frying:
a pairs of wooden chopstick or tong for deep-frying
1 skimmer
1 plate with kitchen towels

Preparation:
1. Make sure all the seafood and vegetables are clean and dry with kitchen towel.
2. Season the fish and squid with some salt and pepper.
3. Mix Plain flour and Corn flour with some salt and pepper in a deep plate (A).
4. Mix well Tempura Flour with ice cold water in a bowl until it become a smooth paste (B).
5. Heat oil for deep-frying at 170-180 c
6. Stand by a plate with kitchen towels.
7. Slightly coat all the seafood and vegetables with (A) keep aside.

Cooking Method for Vegetables Tempura:
1. When the oil is hot enough for deep-frying.
2. Dip the Vegetables in the mixture (B) and put into hot oil to deep-fry for 1-2 minutes or when you see the vegetables are floating with very little bubble(means there are ready).
3. Best to deep fry the root items first like sweet potato and carrot, then the French bean.
4. Use chopstick or tong to dish out the vegetables one by one and place them on to a kitchen towel.
5. Arrange it on the serving plate. Serve it hot.

Vegetables Tempura

Notes:
1. You may use other vegetables like Capsicum/bell pepper, Oyster mushroom, Lady finger, Shitake mushroom, asparagus.
2. Do not cram the vegetables in the hot oil, as each piece needs to be able to float freely.
3. Move them frequently as sometimes the flour mixture might stick together.
4. Skim the flour batter which is floating in the hot oil first before continue the second batch of deep frying.

Cooking Method for Seafood Tempura:
1. When the oil is hot enough for deep-frying.
2. Dip the Seafood in the mixture (B) and put into hot oil for deep-fry for 1-3 minutes or when you see the meat are floating with very little bubble(means there are ready).
3. Best to deep fry the Fish first, then Squids, then Salmon Skin and lastly prawn.
4. Use chopstick or tong to dish out the seafood and place them on to a kitchen towel.
5. Arrange it on the serving plate. Serve it hot.

Seafood Tempura

Notes:
1. Do not cram the seafood in the hot oil, as each piece needs to be able to float freely.
2. Move them frequently as sometimes the flour mixture might stick together.
3. Skim the flour batter which is floating in the hot oil first before continue the second batch of deep frying.

Salmon Sashimi

Salmon Sashimi

Sashimi is very easy to prepare and nice to eat-as you are tasting the original texture and flavour of the meat.
However freshness of the seafood and hygiene is very important when it comes to handle the raw meat and the preparation.
I always use Ice Water to clean the sashimi(to kill the bacteria) which I have learned this from my sushi chef when I did my kitchen training in the Japanese Restaurant at Hyatt Regency KK.
Here are some guide on how to prepare Sashimi

Ingredients:
Fresh Salmon Fillet (tips: best to get the belly part or fatty salmon will do)
Wasabi
Pickle ginger
Japanese Soy Sauce
1 bowl of clean ice cold water

Japanese Soy Sauce(for Sushi and Sashimi) & Wasabi

Method:
1. Make sure you have a very clean work station- clean chopping board, clean & sharp knife, a plate with kitchen towel ready and a serving plate.
2. Clean the salmon & also the skin part(If the salmon you bought is with skin). Then remove the skin.(Don't throw away the skin, keep it for tempura).
3. Place the bowl of Ice cold water aside.
4. Cut the Salmon fillet to strip with a width of 5cm.
5. Slice the salmon into 1cm thick.
6. Plunge the sliced salmons into the Ice cold water.
7. Wash and dry your hand with clean towel, prepare a the plate with kitchen towel.
8. Dish out the salmon and put it on the kitchen towel and pat dry.
9. Arrange it nicely on a serving plate.
10. Serve it with some wasabi, pickle gingers and Japanese Soy Sauce.

Tips: You can prepare this dish in advance. Make sure it's neatly covered with cling film and keep it in the fridge.

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.