Sweet Bitter Gourd Porridge (Meatless Recipe)

Have you ever heard or tried cooking porridge with bitter gourd? Sounds weird, isn't it? This dish is the result of my 'spur of the moment' recipe. I wasn't feeling well and wanted to eat something simple and refreshing and yet feeling lazy to do all the preparation, cooking, washing, mopping, etc. Then I realized that my homemade salted duck eggs are due for 'harvest' (exactly 21 days) and I was so excited to try it. Ahaa... let's have plain porridge with salted eggs... but...I doubt my children would like it just with salted eggs! So, while 'ransacking' my fridge, I found 1 miserable bitter gourd which had ripened! BUT... I don't want to do any frying..... So, my weird idea and 'lazy mode' is the result of this porridge. Guess what???? Surprisingly, it's quite delicious and not bitter at all but slightly sweet due to the Chinese Wolfberries (and the bitter gourd was fully ripened!) So, if you are curious how you are going to react to this weird porridge, just give this a try.

Get a ripe bitter gourd if you don't like the bitter taste.

Ingredients :

- 1.5 cup rice (I used brown rice)

- 1 bitter gourd - use a spoon to discard the seeds (washed and sliced thinly)

- 2 tbsp fresh wood ear mushroom (washed and sliced thinly) - you can use dried ones

- 1 tbsp Chinese Wolfberries (washed)

- 1 tbsp shredded ginger

Seasonings : (to taste)

- salt

- soy sauce

- miso

- sesame oil

Method :

1)  Wash rice and add water accordingly; as to your usual porridge requirement.  Cook porridge at medium high heat. 

2)  When the porridge is semi-cooked, add bitter gourd and wood ear.  I added hot water as my measurement of water was not accurate.  Cover.

3)  Let it boil for about 5 minutes and lower the heat to medium low. Add shredded ginger and slow cook for about 1/2 hour or until the porridge is ready.

4)  Add the Chinese Wolfberries and salt to taste.  Stir and mix well.  Turn off the heat.  Cover and let it stand for about 20 to 30 minutes before it's ready to be served.

Season it with soy sauce and some sesame oil.  Have it with homemade salted duck eggs.

Or if you don't like salted egg, then what about some miso?  It's yummy too :)

Or, like me, have it both; miso and homemade salted duck eggs and seasoned with a dash of soy sauce and sesame oil. You must be wondering how 'salty' am I!!! Well, NO, just nice as I added a bit of everything!

Do give this porridge a try if you DARE to be different! hahahaha...

I'm linking this post to Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommelier.

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Kajang Claypot Chicken Wine (Fah Tui Kai/Drunken Chicken)

I used to cook chicken wine using my homemade red glutinous rice wine.  However, this Kajang Claypot Chicken Wine is slightly different from my usual Sitiawan Ang Jiu Keh which we would eat it with Mee Suah.

Sitiawan Ang Jiu Keh which we would eat it with Mee Suah (click for the full recipe if you want to try this  popular dish of  Sitiawan, Perak)

The difference here is that instead of red glutinous wine, it used Chinese Cooking Wine (Hua Tiao Chiew) and it has big onions in it. This Kajang Claypot Chicken Wine is adapted from Y3K(29) pg 52 with minor modification.

 

Overall, it's very delish and appetizing.

Ingredients A : 

- 250gm chicken (cut into pieces and marinated with soy sauce)

- 1 tbsp deep-fried minced garlic (I used 3 cloves garlic but without deep fried)

- 3 slices ginger (I used 2 big thumbsized ginger as I love it with lots of ginger)

- 1/2 big onion (I used 1 big onion, cut)

- 3 tbsp superior stock (I used 1 cup of hot water)

Seasonings A: (for marinate)

- 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce (I omitted as I prefer the original taste)

- 1 tbsp soy sauce

- 1/2 MSG (I omitted)

Seasonings B : (to taste)

- 1/2 dark soy sauce 

- salt

- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

- 1 cup of homemade red glutinous rice wine (my addition to the above)

- some sesame oil (my addition)

Method :

1)  Arrange ginger, garlic and marinated chicken in a claypot or sandpot.

2)  Add hot water and cover.  Cook at high heat for 5 minutes.  Then lower the heat to medium heat and cook till chicken is semi-cooked.

3)  Add dark soy sauce, red glutinous rice wine and big onions. Let it simmer for about 3 minutes.

4)  Drizzle Chinese cooking wine and sesame oil.  Stir and mix well. Bring to a quick boil.  Add Salt to taste.

5)  Serve hot with steamed rice.

Do enjoy :)

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Books # 2 organised by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

and to Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommelier.

I am also submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest Kuala Lumpur Selangor Month hosted by Shannon of Just As Delish.

 

To receive new updates, do LIKE me on FACEBOOK.   Thanks! http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/6015563 Follow this blog with bloglovin Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me comments.. I really appreciate all your visits and comments! Have a nice day :)

Fish Fillet in Sour Orange Gravy

 

Earlier, I had posted Sweet Fragrant Rosemary Salmon and I used orange juice for the gravy.  Surprisingly it was very delish.  My kids complained that they couldn't really see the gravy as it had all dried up.  I still remember I used 3 oranges for the juice as the oranges were quite small.  

Sweet Fragrant Rosemary Salmon

So, this time I use orange juice for fish fillet as my girls have been pestering me to cook fish with orange juice gravy and they specifically requested for more gravy!  Instead of using salmon, I used treadfin fillet (ikan kurau). Coincidentally, I spotted this recipe from YumYum 44, page 9!  

Look at the gravy! Tempting isn't it?  It was all gone in seconds! If you prefer lesser gravy or a more crystallized gravy, reduce the orange juice and simmer the gravy until it's almost dried or crystallized, just as I did it in my previous post on Sweet Fragrant Rosemary Salmon.

Recipe sourced from YumYum 44, page 9.

Ingredients :

- 2 pieces of ikan kurau fillet (marinated with salt)

- few slices of ginger

- 2 oranges (take the juice and the pulp)

- 1/2 lemon juice

- 1 tbsp shredded lemon rind

- oil for frying

Seasonings : (to taste)

- salt

- 2 tbsp sugar

Method :

1)  Heat oil in a wok and deep fry fish until golden brown on both sides.  Dish up and set aside.

2)  Leave 1 tbsp of oil in the wok.  Saute ginger until fragrant.

3)  Then add in orange juice, lemon juice, seasonings and bring to boil.

4)  Lower the heat and add in the fried fish and shredded lemon rind.

5)  Simmer for 10 minutes or until the gravy is thickened or crystallized, depending on your preference.

6)  Serve with steamed rice.

The tangy sweet sourish gravy is very appetizing and yummy :)

Do adjust the flavour and thickness of the gravy according to your taste.

Most kids love this gravy.  Do give this a try :)

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Books # 2 organised by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

I'm also linking this post to Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommelier.

To receive new updates, do LIKE me on FACEBOOK. Thanks! http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/6015563 Follow this blog with bloglovin Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me comments.. I really appreciate all your visits and comments! Have a nice day :)

Fragrant Eggplant Rice (using Toshiba Rice Cooker)

I bought some eggplants the other day but still wondering how to prepare it in a different way.  I used to either pan-fried or stir-fried (click at the links for the full recipes) it.  

I remember seeing eggplant rice in one of my collection of YumYum recipe books.  So, this recipe is from YumYum (41) page 73.  It's a very simple and homey dish.  We had it with Chinese Mustard Chicken Soup and a simple stir-fried baby bok choy.

Recipe source : YumYum 41, pg 73, with some minor modification

Ingredients :

1.5 cups of rice (I used brown rice)

- 2 medium-sized eggplants (washed and cut)

- 1 bowl pork belly (sliced)

- 1 tbsp dried shrimps (washed and finely chopped)

- 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped) 

some oil (I used ghee)

Seasonings : (to taste)

- salt

- light soy sauce

- sweet caramel sauce (kicap manis)

Method :

1)  Cook rice in a rice cooker.

2)  Meanwhile, heat oil in a wok.  Saute garlic until fragrant.

3)  Then, add dried shrimps and stir fry until aromatic.

4)  Add in pork, eggplant and seasonings.  

5)  Stir fry until well  mixed.  Dish up and set aside.

6)  When the rice is almost cooked (before the beep sound), transfer the fried ingredients into rice.

7)  Close the lid and let it keep warm for about 1/2 hour.

8)  Stir and mix well.

9)  Close and continue to keep warm until it's ready to serve.

My hubby likes it with some chopped chilies + Chinese coriander + soy sauce

Do enjoy :)

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Books # 2 organised by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

I am also submitting this to Back 2 School Event by Kachuss Delights 

To receive new updates, do LIKE me on FACEBOOK. Thanks! http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/6015563 Follow this blog with bloglovin Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me comments.. I really appreciate all your visits and comments! Have a nice day :)