Steam bun

I though this was difficult to make, but I was wrong.
I made: Char Siew Pau, Tausa Pau(red marking), Kaya Pau(green marking)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp Sugar
250ml Warm water
1 1/2 tsp dried yeast or 10gm of fresh yeast (I used dried yeast)
400gm Strong Flour=高筋面粉 (they are also known as Pau Flour/Hong Kong Flour)
2 tbsp Cooking oil(sunflower or soya oil will do)
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

Filling (your choice):
Tausa (Red Bean paste) can get ready made in Japanese food store/Baking shop
Kaya (home-made or can)
Char Siew (diced and mix with some char siew sauce)
Minced Pork

Method:
1. Dissolve the sugar in the warm water, then add the yeast. Stir lightly, then set aside for 10 minutes, or until foamy.

2. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the yeast mixture and the oil. Using a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients to a rough dough.

3. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. If it's very stick, knead in a little more flour- the dough should be soft.

4. Lightly grease a bowl with some oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it so all sides of the dough are coated.

5. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set aside to rise in a drought-free place for 3 hours.

After 3 hours

6. Uncover the dough, punch it down, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. If you are not using the dough straightaway, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

7. When you are ready to use the dough, flatten it and make a well in the center.

8. Place the baking powder in the well and gather up the edges to enclose the baking powder. Pinch the edges to seal. Lightly knead the dough for several minutes to evenly incorporate the baking powder, which will activate immediately.

9. Divide the dough into 12 large or 24 small portions, depending on how large you want the buns to be. Cover with a tea towel.

10. Working with one portion at a time, press the dough into circles with the edges thinner than the center.

11. Place the filling on the dough. Draw the sides in to enclose the filling. Pinch the top together and put each bun on a square of greaseproof paper. (Make sure that you seal them properly. The buns can also be turned over, then cooked the other way up so they look like round balls.)

12. Place the buns well apart in the steamer. Cover and steam over simmering water for 10-15 minutes, or until the buns are well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out hot.
Tips:
1. I did try using all purpose flour to make the bun, but the result is not as good as Strong Flour. The colour is a bit yellowish and it didn't rise as much as the strong flour, texture is also no that good.
2. You can steam it then leave to cool and freeze it up to a week.
3. Use only 1 drop of colouring and mix with 1 tsp of water is more than enough for marking. Use a toothpick to do the marking.

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

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:

Maki - Sushi Roll

Ingredients:
Cooked rice
Nori- Seaweed
Cucumber, cut into long stick
Eggroll
Crabstick
Mayonnaise

Method:
1. Cover the sushi bamboo mat with a plastic bag or cling firm. To avoid the mat get dirty.

2. Place one sheet of nori onto the bamboo mat, on a flat surface.

3. Put the rice along one long side of the nori, leaving a 2cm(1 inch) border around the remaining three sides.

4. Arrange the cucumber stick, eggroll and crab-stick at the center of the rice. Spread some mayonnaise over the ingredients.

5. Using the mat as a guide, roll nori up firmly from the bottom, enclosing rice around centered ingredients. Fold the maki and apply pressure.

6. Fold the mat forwards again and apply more pressure. Press the nori edges together to seal the roll.

7. Using a sharp knife to trim off the uneven ends. Then cut the maki roll into 2.5cm(1 inch) rounds.

8. Arrange sushi on serving plate with each piece facing up.

9. Ready to serve with some pickled ginger and sushi soy sauce.

Tips:
Moisten your hands in a bowl of water. This will stop the rice from sticking to your fingers, when spreading rice over the nori.

Curry Mee

Ingredients for Laksa paste:
6 dried chillies
2 stalks lemongras
8 shallots, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp coriander seeds, roasted
10 white peppercorns
5gm belacan

100ml cooking oil

Laksa Stock:
1 ltr chicken stock
500ml coconut milk
15g rock sugar
2 tsp salt to taste
10 beancurd puffs, halved (Optional)

600g yellow noodles, scalded
200g dried rice vermicelli(Beehoon), scalded
150g beansprouts, scalded

Topping:
Prawn, cooked and shelled
Chicken, cooked and shredded
Egg, hard boiled and shelled

Garnish:
Sambal/Fried Chili Paste
Spring onion, chopped
Fried shallots

Method to prepare laksa stock:
1. Roughly cut up the chillies, lemongrass, shallots and garlic.
2. Pound or blend all the laksa paste ingredients(except oil), until fine.
3. Heat the oil and fry the paste until fragrant.
4. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 5minutes before adding the coconut milk.
5. Season to taste with the rock sugar and salt.
6. Add the beancurd puffs and cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously to prevent the coconut milk from curdling.

To serve:
1. Place some noodles, beehoon and bean sprouts in a bowl.
2. Top with some egg, prawn and chicken.
3. Ladle the laksa over with a few beancurd puffs.
4. Garnish with chopped spring onion, fried shallot and sambal belacan.
5. Serve hot.

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.

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