Braised Pork Belly with Taucu (Bean Paste)

This dish is my family's favourite, especially my eldest daughter!  I like to cook this dish too as it is very easy.  Just mix everything together and braise it!  No strict rules or procedures.  Cook it whichever way you like it. It's that simple... :)

Ingredients : 
- 300gm pork belly (washed and sliced)

- 1 /12 tbsp taucu

- 1/2 tbsp five spice powder

- 2 whole garlic (washed but do not peel)

- 3 big thumbsized ginger (cleaned and smashed)

- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

- 1 tbsp sweet caramel sauce 

- 2 tbsp soy sauce

- salt (to taste)

- water

Method :

1)  Place cut pork belly into a wok or pan together with all the spices and seasonings.

2)  Marinate for about 1/2 hour or more.

3)  Cook on high heat until you can see oil (fats from the pork) in the wok or pan.

4)  Add enough water and cover. Boil at high heat.

5)  Then lower the heat and simmer until the pork is  soft.

6)  Serve with rice.

 Yummylicious........

The gravy is great to go with rice or plain steam buns!!

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Canned Sardine Curry

Yesterday, I was thinking of curry fish but too bad I didn't have any suitable fish in the freezer that could be used for curry.  Then, I remembered a friend gave me sardine curry sandwiches sometimes back and it struck on me to cook fish curry with canned sardines.  So, if you don't mind something weird, do give this a try.  It is yummy...

Ingredients :

- 1 canned sardine

- 1 small packet of fish curry powder (25gm)

- 1 sprig of curry leaves

- 2 tomatoes (washed and cut)

- 1 big bombay onion (washed and sliced)

- 1 big red onion (washed and sliced)

- 1 whole garlic (washed and finely chopped)

- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or tamarind juice - asam jawa)

Seasonings : ( no exact measurement as I only added a little of each spices)

- jintan putih (fennel seed)

- jintan manis (cumin seeds)

- halba (fenugreek) 

- soy sauce

-salt

- water

- cooking oil

Method :

1)  Heat oil in a wok or pot and fry jintan putih, jintan manis, halba, onions, garlic and curry leaves until aromatic.

2)  Then, add  canned sardines, tomatoes and enough water and stir.

3)  Add fish curry powder, soy sauce and salt.  Stir.

4)  Cover and lower the heat.  Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

5)  Add vinegar or tamarind juice and mix well.

6)  Serve with rice or bread.

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Steamed Chinese Pomfret (Tau Tai) with Shiitake Mushroom

 

This is one of the dishes I cooked on the 6th day of Chinese New Year for my friends.  It is simple and delicious.

Ingredients :

-1 pomfret (cleaned and marinated with salt and pepper)

- shredded shiitake mushroom

- shredded carrot

- some Chinese Wolfberries (Kei Qi)

Seasonings : (mix all together)

- a dash of salt

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tsp sugar

- 1 tbsp of rice wine

- 1 tsp sesame oil

- 1 tbsp chopped garlic

- shredded ginger

Garnishing :

- stalk spring onion (cut)

- 1 red chili (thinly sliced)

Method :

1)  Boil water in a steaming pot/wok for steaming.

1)  Place few shredded of ginger and spring onions on a steaming plate.  Then, place fish on top.

2)  Add shredded mushroom, carrot and Chinese wolfberries on top of the fish.

3)  Pour mixed seasoning on it.

4)  Once the water is boiled, steam at high heat for about 12 - 15 minutes until cooked.

5)  Garnish with the remaining spring onion and red chili and serve hot.

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Simple Steamed Chicken with Chinese Sausage (lap cheong)

This is a simple and delicious dish.  

Ingredients :

- 2 whole chicken thighs (washed and cut into bite sized and marinated)
-  2 Chinese sausages (removed the casing/peel and sliced)

Marinate : (to taste) There is no exact measurement in my recipe as I cooked according to our taste
- ginger juice
- garlic (finely chopped)
- soy sauce
- salt
- homemade red glutinous wine/rice wine
Method :
1)  Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or more.
2)  Add Chinese sausage on top of the chicken.
3)  Steam at high heat until chicken is cooked.  As I used free ranged chicken, it took longer to cook,  about 25 minutes.
4)  Serve hot with steamed rice.  The gravy itself is so yummy with rice.

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Braised Ang Zhao Chicken with Arrowhead (慈菇/ngaku)

Ang Zhao in Hokkien is red glutinous wine lees (紅糟) and  is used in various Hokkien and Foo Chow cuisines.  Ang zhao  is the lees of the fermentation of  red glutinous wine .  I have few tubs of ang zhao which I really treasure and it can keep for years in the refrigerator.  I also blended some of the ang zhao to make it more fine and smooth.

Here is a simple dish using blended ang zhao which I cooked it on the 5th day of Chinese New Year.  Hope you all like it :)

Ingredients :

- 1 free ranged chicken (washed, cut into bite-sized, marinated with ang zhao and soy sauce)

- 3 big arrowheads (washed, peeled and sliced)

- 2 big thumbsized old ginger (washed but do not remove the skin, sliced)

- 1tbsp of ang zhao (to marinate the chicken)

- 1 cup (or more) of ang jiu (red glutinous wine)

- soy sauce (to taste)

- salt (to taste)

- sesame and cooking oil

- water (optional)

Method :

1)  Heat sesame and cooking oil in a wok.  Saute ginger until aromatic.

2)  Add marinated chicken and stir fry briefly.

3)  Then, add ang jiu and enough water (optional) to cover the chicken.  If you prefer stronger ang jiu flavour gravy, just omit the water but add enough ang jiu to cover the chicken). Bring to boil and lower the heat.  Simmer until the chicken is almost cooked.

4)  Seasoned with soy sauce and salt according to taste.

5)  Arrange sliced arrowhead on top of the chicken.  Let it cook for 5 minutes.

6)  Serve hot.

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #28: Chicken Feast (February 2013) hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker.

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Sitiawan Ang Jiu Mee Suah 红糟面线 (Red Glutinous Wine Chicken Soup with Longevity Noodles) - Repost

 Upon the invitation of  Small Small Baker, I am reposting Sitiawan Ang Jiu Mee Suah.  Thanks Small Small Baker for your invitation :)

Sitiawan is also popular for its Ang Jiu Mee Suah (Red glutinous wine soup with longevity noodles). Red glutinous wine is mostly homemade and most of the residents in Sitiawan know how to made ang jiu. Whenever we cook this dish, we usually use the local mee suah too. As for me, I am used to Sitiawan mee suah. So, whenever I go back to my hometown, I am bound to stock a few packets of Sitiawan mee suah.

When we were young, this dish is a must during our birthdays and the birthday person would be served with 2 hard boiled eggs. Besides birthdays, it is a must for our family on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year as Hokkiens consider the 2nd day of Chinese New Year as the official beginning of the new year. Besides, it is also served to welcome home married daughters when they pay a visit to their parents on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year. The dish when served with hard boiled eggs symbolizes longevity, good health and prosperity.

Ingredients for Ang Jiu Soup :

- 1 free ranged chicken (cleaned and cut into small chunks, marinated with lees for about 1 hour)
- 1 cup red glutinous wine lees(to marinate the above chicken)
- 3 thumbsized old ginger (cleaned but do not remove the skin, sliced)
- 1 liter homemade red glutinous wine
- Sesame oil
- water
- hard boiled eggs (optional)

Method :
1) Heat sesame oil in a pot, add ginger and stir fry until golden and fragrant.

2) Add in marinated chicken pieces and stir for a while.

3) Then, add in red glutinous wine and enough water. Once boil, lower heat and simmer for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

4) Add salt to taste.

How to prepare mee suah
1) To prepare mee suah, bring to boil a pot of water.

2) Add mee suah in and keep stirring to loosen up the strands and to prevent it from sticking to each other.

3) Cook for about a minute and transfer the cooked mee suah to a basin of cold water. Keep stirring.

4) Drain the water and transfer the mee suah to individual serving bowl with some sesame oil (optional) at the bottom of the bowl. Mix well.

5) Serve mee suah with the cooked ang jiu chicken soup and hard boiled egg immediately.

I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #28: Chicken Feast (February 2013) hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker.

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Sitiawan Ang Jiu Mee Suah 红糟面线 (Red Glutinous Wine Chicken Soup with Longevity Noodles)

Sitiawan is also popular for its Ang Jiu Mee Suah (Red glutinous wine soup with longevity noodles).  Red glutinous wine is mostly homemade and most of the residents in Sitiawan know how to made ang jiu.  Whenever we cook this dish, we usually use the local mee suah too.  As for me, I am used to Sitiawan mee suah.  So, whenever I go back to my hometown, I am bound to stock a few  packets of Sitiawan mee suah.

When we were young, this dish is a must during our birthdays and the birthday person would be served with 2 hard boiled eggs.  Besides birthdays, it is a must for our family on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year as Hokkiens consider the 2nd day of Chinese New Year as the official beginning of the new year.   Besides, it is also served to welcome home married daughters when they pay a visit to their parents on the 2nd day of Chinese New Year. The dish when served with hard boiled eggs symbolizes longevity, good health and prosperity.

Ingredients for Ang Jiu Soup :

- 1 free ranged chicken (cleaned and cut into small chunks, marinated with lees for about 1 hour)
- 1 cup red glutinous wine lees(to marinate the above chicken)
- 3 thumbsized  old ginger (cleaned but do not remove the skin, sliced)
- 1 liter homemade red glutinous wine
- Sesame oil
- water
- hard boiled eggs (optional)

Method :
1)  Heat sesame oil in a pot, add ginger and stir fry until golden and fragrant.

2)  Add in marinated chicken pieces and stir for a while.

3)  Then, add in red glutinous wine and enough water. Once boil, lower heat and simmer for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

4)  Add salt to taste.

How to prepare mee suah

1)  To prepare mee suah,  bring to boil a pot of water.

2)  Add mee suah in and keep stirring  to loosen up the strands and to prevent it from sticking to each other.

3)  Cook for about a minute and transfer the cooked mee suah to a basin of cold water.  Keep stirring.

4)  Drain the water and transfer the mee suah to individual serving bowl with some sesame oil (optional) at the bottom of the bowl.  Mix well.

5)  Serve mee suah with the cooked ang jiu  chicken soup and hard boiled egg immediately.

* I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover *

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Braised Sweet Sour Fish Maw (Ko Rue Foo Chow Style)

 

Having grown up in Ayer Tawar, Sitiawan (Perak), where the majority of the Chinese in Manjung are Foo Chows or Hock Chews, our lifestyle, more or less has been influenced by the Foo Chows, no doubt I am from a Hokkien family.  Foo Chow style sweet sour fish maw is a must during Chinese New Year and it is no doubt one of the best dishes we love.   Initially, my hubby could not get used to the sweet sour dish.  He used to be curious why most of the dishes in Manjung's restaurants are sweet and sour; be it fish maw, sea cucumber, etc.  After so many years, he has got used to it and in fact quite like the sweet sour fish maw.  As far as I know, only the Foo Chow style fish maw is cooked sweet and sour.  Do correct me if I am wrong.

What is fish maw?  Fish Maw 花膠/鱼鳔 is an internal gas-filled organ found in most fish and is commonly used in Chinese cooking. Fish maw is believed to be an excellent source of collagen. Dried fish maw is hard, solid, hollow, translucent and must be soaked to soften before cook. Some may prefer to deep-fried it or boiled it in water with ginger and spring onions to get rid of the fishy smell. When cooked, it has soft texture.

We cooked this Sweet Sour Fish Maw on the 3rd day of the Chinese New Year.

Ingredients :

(A)

- 1 pack of fish maw (deep fried, soaked in water, rinsed and squeezed out the water and tear into pieces)

- 1 bowl of fresh bamboo shoot (finely sliced)

-  1/2 bowl of shredded carrot

-  1 bowl of mixed minced pork and small shrimps

-  few dried mushrooms (soaked and finely sliced)

- 1 can of button mushroom (washed and sliced)

- 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

- 1 thumb sized ginger (finely chopped)

 (B)

- White vinegar and/or plum sauce (to taste)
- Tomato sauce (to taste) I used about 1 bottle!
- Garlic chili sauce (to taste) I used  1/2 bottle of Kampong Koh chili sauce

- sugar to taste

- soy sauce to taste

- salt to taste

(C)
-  2 eggs (beaten)
- cornstarch with water for thickening

- cooking oil

- water

Method :

1)  Heat oil in a wok or pot and saute garlic and ginger until aromatic.  

2)  Stir in  minced meat and shrimps until fragrant.

3)  Add the rest of the ingredients (A).  

4)  Stir and mix well. Add enough water.  Let it simmer  until all the ingredients are cooked.

5)  Add ingredients (B) according to taste.  For those who like the dish to be spicier and more sour, add extra garlic chili sauce and white vinegar or plum sauce.

6) Keep stirring while adding the beaten egg and thicken the gravy with constarch.

7)  Serve hot.

* I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover *

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Fake green peas (kacang hijau)

I received this info from a friend via e-mail and feel that I must blog this so that the public would be more careful when buying green peas.  Whether the article is true or not, it is still no harm to take extra care when buying any food stuff.

#Green peas are green rounded pea seeds that are sweet and starchy in taste. Green peas contains twice the protein of most vegetable, so they are a healthier substitute for meat. Three quarters cup of peas provides 6 grams of protein, plus thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and 645 units of vitamin A. Unfortunately most of food industries in developing nations cheating the customers with fake greens peas which are prepared from toxic chemicals (dyes). These industries preparing the green peas from brown peas (cheaper) by soaking them in dye solution for overnight.    

All these chemicals have been banned by US food and drug administration in 1974 itself. Frequent consumption of fake green peas leads to colon and bladder cancer. All these fake green peas banned in US, Canada, all European countries and other developed countries.

Identification of fake green peas: 

1. Put the peas in boil water for 30 seconds. Water turns to green color. 

2. After consumption check your tongue to observe green color stains and light bitter in taste. 

Symptoms 

1. Stomach irritation, pain or acidity. 

2. Urine turns to light green color. 

3. Mild head ache. 

Case study: 

I am a common person too and not aware of these things. After consumption of fake green peas, I got stomach pain, with a little bit common sense, I observed my tongue which was having green stains. The following packet bought from Tesco, Penang on 4th July 2010.

 

As a responsible chemist, I started analysis of the above mentioned peas in laboratory. I find the toxic chemicals (green dyes). Newspaper reference: China daily http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-03/31/content_9664992.htm D. Bharath Reddy Research scholar Centre for drug research USM, Pulau Penang Malaysia 11800. 

Please share, it costs nothing.#

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