If you love Chinese food, you will definitely give two thumbs up for this appetizing and satisfying easy-to-cook classic home comfort food

Bentong is famous for its tofu bok/beancurd puff (豆腐卜) and it's a must to bring home a packet or two if you are visiting Bentong market.  You can eat it on its own, cook with curry, braise with meat, etc.  

Try this comfort food if you haven't try it before.  This savory dish is very appetizing when served it with steamed white rice.

Braised Pork Belly with Bentong Tofu Pok /Beancurd Puff (豆腐卜) and Hard Boiled Eggs

Ingredients :-

- 1 strip pork belly (about 500gm to 1kg depending on how much you need)

   (blanch and cut into your preferred size)

-  7 to 10 pcs of tofu pok (cut into halves)

-  1 whole garlic (lightly crushed)

-  some black pepper corn (crushed)

-  1 cinnamon stick

-  3-4 cloves

- 1 star anise

-  5 hard-boiled eggs
-  4-5 cups water
Seasoning : (to taste)
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons dark soy sauce

-  1 tsp sugar
- Salt to taste

Method :

1)  Put all the above ingredients and seasoning into a pot except the hard-boiled eggs and salt.

2)  Bring to boil and add the hard-boiled eggs.

3)  Braise at medium low heat for about an hour or until the pork belly is cooked and tender.

4)  Add salt to taste and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or so.

5)  Serve hot with steamed rice.

Serve with steamed rice

Cheers and have a great day ahead 💗

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Simple Braised Tofu with Minced Meat and what better way to serve it with plain rice congee during this hazy conditions than eating out

First of all, my sincere apologies for MIA for quite a while.  Well, finally I am able to squeeze some time for my readers and followers who have been actively visiting my cyber home even though there isn't any new updates from me.  Of course from the live traffic feed I am able to see new and existing viewers still keep coming in.  I am touched!!!!  My sincere gratitude for all your generous support.

Well, with the current hazy conditions which hit Singapore and Malaysia, most of us have not been feeling well and even our appetite are affected too.  In fact most of the time, I have been cooking savory or plain rice congee for lunch or dinner for my family.  In case you are interested, you may click at this link for more congee recipes rice congee/porridge.

As I was scratching my head what to cook the other day, I realised that I had a medium sized of pork belly in my freezer and 5 pieces of hard tofu.  Aha... why not cook a simple dish to go with plain rice congee?  So, here's this simple yet appetizing recipe.

Ingredients :
- 1 strip of pork belly (blanched and cut into small pieces or minced)
- 5 pcs hard tofu (cut into eight, slightly fried until golden brown)
- 1/2 tbsp fermented soy bean paste/tau cheong
- 1 bulb of garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 Bombay onion (finely chopped)
- water (enough for braising)

Seasonings : (to taste)
- a dash of salt
- a dash of pepper
- a dash of mixed spice
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp caramel sauce (reduce the amount if you don't like your dish to be in dark colour)
- 1 tsp sugar

Method :
1) Heat some oil in a wok and pan fry the tofu until slightly brown.

2) Set the tofu aside.

3) With the remaining oil, add pork belly and stir fry for a while.

4) Then add garlic, onion, and fermented soy bean paste and continue stir fry until aromatic.

5) Add in fried tofu and seasoning. Stir and mix well.

6) Finally add enough water and cover.

7) Let it boil over high heat for about 5 minutes. Then, lower the heat and let it simmer until the gravy is thickened.

8) It takes about 30 to 45 minutes depending on the fire and pot/wok used. Add water if you want more gravy.

9) Dish up and serve with plain porridge or steamed rice.

Another similar dish you might be interested.

Have a great weekend ahead and cheers!

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Flavorful Braised Pork Belly with Pumpkin

My goodness, time really flies and 2015 is entering its second month soon.  My sincere apologies to all for not posting anything since New Year and not visiting my fellow bloggers' cyberhome.  Well, I have been very occupied with a new project (it's a good start for me in 2015; new project means extra pocket money for me, besides my full-time job...yeah! ) which I have been rushing to meet its dateline since I came back from my year-end holidays.  Well, to all who sent their greetings and wishes last year, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and may you all enjoy good health and prosperity in whatever you are doing.

Here's my 1st post for 2015 and I hope you all like this simple but very flavorful Asian braised pork belly with pumpkin.  If you wish to know the health benefits of pumpkin, click the pic  below for more info.

Flavorful Braised Pork Belly with Pumpkin
Ingredients :
- 1 strip of pork belly (blanched and cut into bite size)
- 1 bowl of cubed pumpkin (with the skin intact)
- 1 thumb sized ginger (crushed)
- 1 tbsp fermented black beans (tau si)
- soy sauce to taste
- water
- Cooking oil

Method :

1)  Heat some oil in a pan or wok.

2)  Saute ginger and  fermented black beans until aromatic.

3)  Add cubed pork belly and stir fry for awhile.  Mix well.

4)  Add water until it covers the meat.

5)  Cover and let it boil at high heat for 5 minutes.  Then lower the heat and simmer until the meat is cooked and tender.  This takes about 35 to 45 minutes depending on the type of pot used.  I used AMC medium pot.  Add more water if you prefer more gravy.

6)  When the the meat is cooked and gravy thickened, add cubed pumpkin.

7) Cover and continue to cook until the pumpkin is cooked and soft.  This takes about 5 to 8 minutes.  Add soy sauce to taste.  Stir and mix well.

8)  Serve hot with steamed rice.

A very simple yet flavorful dish

You can substitute pork belly with chicken too. 

A homey dish which our family have never get tired of it since our grandma days.

Note :  No salt is added as the fermented black beans itself is already salty.  

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Easy Peasy Homemade Crispy Roast Pork Belly 脆皮烧肉 using Happy Call Pan

Roast pork belly or 烧肉 (sau rou) is in fact not that difficult to prepare.  Almost everyone can achieve it if you can get the right technique.  You can either use oven, non-stick pan or any of your preferred pan.  As for me, I used Happy Call Pan. To me, searing roast pork using Happy Call pan is a breeze.... no splattering of oil and cleaning the pan is also hassle free!

I adapted this simple homemade 脆皮烧肉 from Agnes Chang's Cookbook 'Let's Eat'.  However, instead of using oven for roasting, I used my treasured Happy Call Pan.  No regrets and I strongly recommend you to use HPC if you have one at home.  

Crispy Roast Pork Belly 脆皮烧肉

Marinade adapted from Let's Eat pg 24 (my modification in red)

- 1.3kg (600gm) pork belly with skin (whole block)

- 1 tsp cooking oil

Marinade (mixed)

- 3pcs (1/2 pc) fermented bean curd (nam yee) - mashed

- 1 tsp (2 tsp) five spice powder

- 2 tbsp chopped garlic (1 tsp garlic powder)

- 2 tbsp chopped shallots (I omitted)

- 1 tsp pepper

- 2 tbsp (1 tbsp) vinegar (for rubbing the skin)

- 3 tbsp (1 tsp) salt for rubbing the skin

Method :

1)  Wipe skin with kitchen towel to remove any water.  Then, using a sharp pin holder or knife, poke the skin all over as shown above.

2)  Rub vinegar all over the skin and followed by salt.

3)  Then, rub marinade all over the meat.  

4)  Leave the marinated meat in a covered container overnight in the refrigerator.

5)  Remove marinated meat from the refrigerator.  Sprinkle and rub some five spice powder onto the meat.  I prefer extra five spice powder for that extra ommph flavor!

5)  Heat 1 tsp cooking oil in your HPC.  Place marinated pork belly on the HPC with the skin side up.  Close the lid and cook over medium heat until cooked.  Do the same to the skin and all four sides of the meat.

6)  Remove  from HPC and leave it aside to cool completely.

 

 7)  Using a sharp knife, chop it into your preferred serving size.

The meat is tender and juicy

 and the skin is crispy and crunchy

Give this a try and you will be surprised that your homemade roast pork belly is in fact better than those store bought ones.

Happy Trying and hope you have an enjoyable week :)

I am linking this post with Cook-Your-Books #19 @ kitchen flavours

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