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.

Steam Crystal Dumpling

Before

Never thought it could turn out so beautiful (the look of the dumpling) at the first time making it.

After

Ingredient:

Wheat starch

Tapioca starch

Salt

Oil

Hot boiling water

Filling:
Minced pork and prawn

Chopped garlic and ginger

Chopped spring onion

Soy sauce

Oyster sauce

Salt, sugar and pepper to taste

Sesame oil

To make the filling:
Mix all ingredient and set aside.

To make the dough:
1. Mix the wheat starch, tapioca starch and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.
2. Pour in hot boiling water, use a spoon to mix it.
3. Pour in the oil and continue to stir it until the dough it lightly cool.
4. When the dough is lightly cool, kneed with hand on a floured surface. Until you get a smooth dough.
5. Roll the dough into cylinder shape and cut them evenly. Keep it in the bowl and make sure you cover with a damp cloth.

To make the dumpling:
1. Take one small piece of dough, flatten it and roll with a rolling pin until you get a round wrapper shape.
2. Put a tea spoon of the filling in the middle of the wrapper.
3. Pleat the front side of the dumpling and bring the back side forward and seal the dumpling.
4. Place it on a lightly oil banana leave and steam until the dumpling skin is translucent.
5. Ready to serve with some chili sauce.

p/s:
1. This dumpling must be served while it's hot.
2. You may use Chive or Sengkuang filling as known as Chai Kuih.
3. You can make this dumpling in a large quantity and freeze them. Make sure you lightly flour the container before putting the dumpling. Once it's frozen, you can transfer the dumpling into zip-lock bag and store.
4. When cooking the frozen dumpling, Do Not Thaw it. Place it on a lightly oiled banana leave or plate and steam until the dumpling skin is translucent. Frozen dumpling will take a longer time to cook.

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.

Steam Fish

Ingredients:
1 Pomfret
Ginger, cut into julienne
Dash of pepper

Seasoned soy sauce for steam fish
Fried garlic oil
Spring Onion, cut into julienne
Carrot, cut in to julienne

Method:
1. Clean fish, pat dry with kitchen paper. Season the fish with some pepper.
2. Place the fish in a plate, arrange the julienne ginger.
3. Steam fish for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the excess liquid from the fish.
5. Pour the seasoned soy sauce over the fish and continue to steam for 2 minutes or till the fish is cooked.
6. Garnish the fish with some fried garlic & oil, spring onion and carrot julienne.
7. Serve hot.

I use this:

Fried Pomfret served with Ginger & Garlic Soy

Ingredients:
Pomfret
Salt & pepper
Corn flour

Ginger, cut into julienne
Chopped garlic
Light soy sauce
Dark soy sauce
Sesame oil

Method:
1. Clean the fish, pat dry and season with salt & pepper.
2. Lightly coat fish with corn flour.
3. Heat oil for deep frying.
4. Once the oil is hot enough, put in the fish for deep frying until it's crispy.
5. Remove and drain on kitchen towel.
6. Keep some oil in the work and fry the ginger until it's crispy, remove and keep aside.
7. Fried the garlic till golden brown, then remove and keep aside.
8. Arrange the fish on a plate.
9. Sprinkle the fish with some fried ginger julienne, and fried garlic.
10. Drizzle some light soy, dark soy and sesame oil
11. Ready to serve.

Sambal Belacan / Fried Chili Paste

Ingredients:
30 Dried Chilies, remove the seeds and soaked to soften
5 Fresh Red Chillies
10 Shallots, peeled
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled
4 tbsp Dried Shrimp, soaked
2 tsp Belacan
Sugar and salt to taste
Cooking oil

Method:
1. Roughly cut up the dried and fresh chillies, shallots and garlic.
2. Blend or pound chillies, shallots, garlic, dried shrimp and belacan to a paste.
3. Heat up the oil and fry the paste at slow fire until fragrant. Season with salt and sugar.
4. Ready to serve.

Tips:
1. Add just a little bit of water when you blend the ingredients.
2. Should you like the sambal to be more spicy, you don't have to remove the seed of the dried chillies.
3. You may cook this is big quantity and store it in the fridge.
4. You can serve this Sambal Belacan with Prawn mee, Curry mee.
5. You can use this sambal to cook Kangkung belacan, or other vegetable.

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.

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.

Sliced Fish with Ginger and Spring Onion [姜葱鱼片]

Ingredients:
Fish Meat, Sliced
Ginger, Cut into thin julians [切丝]
Spring Onion, Cut into 2 inch length and separate the upper, lower part of spring onion.
Garlic, Chopped
Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chiew [绍兴花雕酒]/ Chinese cooking wine
Corn flour
Water
Oil

Ingredients A:
Salt & Pepper
Sesame oil

Sauce:
Oyster sauce
Light soy sauce
Water
Salt & Pepper
Sesame oil
Method:
1. Marinate the fish with Ingredient A. Set aside
2. Heat some oil in a wok, put in the ginger cook for 1 minute
3. Add in the lower part of spring onion, continue cook for 1 minute
4. Add in the ginger and cook for another 1 minute
5. Put in the fish and cook for 2 minutes until the fish is half cook
6. Add in the sauce bring it to boil.
7. Put in the upper part of spring onion and stir it well.
8. Drizzle a few drops of cooking wine.
9. Mix the corn flour and water make it into a corn starch.
10. Stir in to the starch and cook for further 2 minutes until the sauce is thicken.
11. Ready to serve.

Steamed Prawn

Ingredients:
20 nos Prawn
Chopped garlic
Sliced shallot
Chopped spring onion
Oil for frying

Sauce:
2 tbsp Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chiew [绍兴花雕酒] / Chinese cooking wine
5 drops Sesame oil
5 drops Fish sauce
Salt & pepper

Method:
1. Heat up the wok and add in the cooking oil. Fry the chopped garlic and sliced shallot until golden brown. Set aside.

2. Cut off the eyes part of the shrimp head and de-veined. Pat dry the prawn and arrange on a plate.

3. Season the prawn with the sauce.

4. Steam for 5 minutes on high heat.

5. Garnish the prawn with the garlic & shallot oil and chopped spring onion. Serve hot.