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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Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me comments.. I really appreciate all your visits and comments! Have a nice day :)

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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Chicken Tempra (Re-post)

I have posted this recipe earlier when I cooked this for the last year Mid-autumn festival reunion dinner.  Since everybody liked it very much, I am planning to cook this for this Chinese New Year when I am back home to my mum's house for the celebration.  Then, it crossed my mind that I can actually re-post this for Sonia's blog event on Chinese New Year Delights 2013.

For those who have participated in Yummy Little Cooks's event on Malaysian Food Fest (Melaka Month), I am sure they are very familiar with this simple and yummy nyonya dish.  However, those who haven't try it, do give it a try and you will not regret!  And you will thank Cindy for this very delicious dish!

Ingredients :

- 1 whole chicken (washed and cut into pieces and marinated with jintan manis)

- 1 big onions (washed and sliced)
- 1 bombay onion (washed and sliced)
- garlic (finely chopped)
- ginger (washed and crushed)
- 2 bird's eye chilies (cili padi - chopped)
- cooking oil

Seasonings : (to taste)
- Fennel powder (jintan manis) - I used it to marinate the chicken

- Caramel sauce
- Soy sauce
- Salt
- Brown sugar (I used 5 tablespoons)
- Water (mixed with brown sugar, add enough water to cover the chicken and you would not regret cos' the gravy is very yummy)
- 1/2 cup of lime juice

Method :

 

1) Heat oil in a wok or pan. Fry onions till fragrant. Then, add ginger, garlic and chili. Fry until aromatic.

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

3) Add in seasonings and water except lime juice. Cover and let it simmer over medium low heat until the chicken is cooked and tender.

4) Lastly, add lime juice. Stir and mix well.

5) Dish out and serve.

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

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Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving me comments.. I really appreciate all your visits and comments! Have a nice day :)

Braised Chicken with Beet

Beet has many benefits.  It is delicious and nutritious when make it into juice.  To know more about its benefits, go to Beetroot + Grape Juice.

Beet can be braised with meat or also make it into soup.  The gravy or the soup itself is very delicious..  Here, I have chicken braised with beet.  Do give it a try and you will love it ^_^

Ingredients : (no exact measurement)

- 1/2 chicken (cut into bite sized and blanched)

- 1/2 beet (peeled and cut)

- 2 tomatoes

- 2 carrots

- 1 big onion (cut into chunks)

- 1 whole garlic (lightly crushed)

- 1 thumb sized garlic (crushed)

- 1 star anise

Seasonings :

- salt

- 6 white peppercorns (crushed)

Method :

1)  Add all ingredients into a medium-sized pot.

2)  Add enough water to cover all the ingredients. (To make soup, just add more water).

3)  When boiled, add seasonings and simmer until chicken is soft and tender. 

4)  Serve hot.

The gravy itself is already very yummylicious!!

This dish is simple and when you are busy, just dump everything into the pot and simmer it.  When I have no time to cook, this will be my one dish pot!  My children like to 'banjir' (mix lots of gravy with rice) their rice with the gravy...  Isn't it easy peasy??

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Braised Chicken with Fresh Huai Shan (鲜淮山)

  

Wild Yam or Huai Shan (淮山) is a chinese herb which is sweet and has neutral properties. It is used for treating the kidney, lung and spleen.  Chinese sinsehs also use it to promote urination, lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure, antibiotic, anti aging and improves digestive system. 



Ingredients :

- half chicken (washed and cut into bite sized)

- 1 stick of fresh huai shan (washed, peeled, cut)

- 2 carrots (peeled and cut)

- garlic (crushed)

- ginger (crushed)

- 1 small cinnamon stick

cooking oil

Seasonings :

- salt

-caramelized sauce

- soy sauce

water

Method :

1)  Heat oil in a wok and fry garlic and ginger until fragrant.

2) Add chicken, huai shan, cinnamon stick and carrot.  Stir fry for a while.  Add enough water to cover the chicken if you like more gravy. Otherwise, less water will do.   

3)  Add seasonings and mix well.  

4)  Cover and let it simmer until the chicken is soft and tender or until the gravy is thickened.

5)  If you like, drizzle some rice wine and serve hot.

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Dried Kelp (Seaweed) Chicken Soup

Kelps are large seaweeds (algae) belonging to the brown algae (Phaeophyceae) in the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera.

Kelps grow in underwater "forests" (kelp forests) in shallow oceans, and is thought to have appeared in Miocene, 23 to 5 million years ago. The organisms require nutrient-rich water with temperatures between 6 and 14 °C (43 and 57 °F). They are known for their high growth rate — the genera Macrocystis and Nereocystis can grow as fast as half a metre a day, ultimately reaching 30 to 80 metres (100 to 260 ft).

Through the 19th century, the word "kelp" was closely associated with seaweeds that could be burned to obtain soda ash (primarily sodium carbonate). The seaweeds used included species from both the orders Laminariales and Fucales. The word "kelp" was also used directly to refer to these processed ashes.
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelp
What Are The Nutrients in Seaweed?

Vitamins A, D, E, C, K and B complex
Calcium
Iodine
Protein
Fiber
Iron
Magnesium
Selenium
Manganese
Sodium
Potassium
Omega Fatty Acids
Carbohydrates
What Are The Health Benefits of Seaweed?
Seaweed contains high amounts of iodine, which is needed by the thyroid to help keep it working properly. However, too much iodine can also be a bad thing for the thyroid depending on your thyroid condition. Those with diseases that weaken the immune system can benefit from eating a few pieces of dried seaweed each day because seaweed contains minerals and vitamin in it that help strengthen and protect the immune system naturally. If you are looking for a way to protect yourself from colon, prostate or breast cancer, snacking on seaweed can help you do just that. Seaweed contains many antioxidants in it that help fight off the free radical cells that can cause cancer and even aging in the body. Those of you suffering from inflammatory diseases like arthritis and gout should add seaweed to your diet because it contains anti-inflammatory properties in it that can relieve inflammation and body pains naturally. Everyone can benefit from adding seaweed to their daily diet to help prevent colds, the flu and other viral and bacterial infections. Seaweed can even help everyone stay energized better than a cup of coffee can because seaweed contains B vitamins and minerals in it that help energize the body naturally. Seaweed is even good to eat daily to keep our bones and teeth healthy and strong naturally. Unbelievably, seaweed has more calcium in it than cow's milk. See, everyone can benefit from adding seaweed to his or her diets.

Source : http://voices.yahoo.com/the-heath-benefits-seaweed-10671741.html

WARNING : Kelp has a high iodine content. The iodine content varies greatly from one sample to the next. Excessive iodine can aggravate thyroid problems.

Whenever I go back to my hometown in Ayer Tawar (Sitiawan), Perak, I would get some dried kelp from the market there. I would usually have kelp in soup, braise or stew it. Kelp soup is very easy to prepare and here I have kelp in chicken soup.

Dried kelps need to be soaked in water to become soft. It will expand. Normally, I would soak more than I needed as the cleaned soft kelp can be kept in the freezer.

Dried kelp

Dried kelp soaking in the water. Once soft, it will expand. Clean and rinse several times to get rid of any dirt.

Ingredients :(no exact measurement)

- 5 pcs of cleaned and soft kelp (cut into palmsized)

- 1/2 kampung chicken (free range chicken)- blanched

- 3 carrots (washed and cut)
- Ginger and garlic (washed and crushed)
- Water (enough for the soup)
- Salt (to taste)

Method:
1) Fill medium sized pot with water enough for the soup.

2) Add kelp, carrot, garlic and ginger.

3) Bring to boil.

4) Then, add the chicken. Bring to boil again.

5) Simmer for about 1 hour.

6) Add salt and serve hot.

The soup itself is very refreshing.

This soup tastes better with extra ginger.

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17 Chinese Herbal Soup (Chap Qi Bi)

I used to boil Chinese herbal soup for my family.  One of the herbal soups that we used to take is 'Chap Qi Bi' (in Hokkien).  It means, seventeen herbs of herbal soup.  It is very nutritious and for those who used to have backache, this soup is also very good.  It is suitable for adults and children.

Ingredients :

- A pack of 17 types of herbs (washed) 

 (For those who can read Chinese, you can just copy the above prescription and buy it at any Chinese Medical Hall.  However, I am sorry I can't translate this into English as my knowledge of chinese herbs is quite limited).  

- 1 whole kampung chicken (cut and blanched)

- Few slices of liquorice or 'kam cho'(I prefer to add this even though it is already in the prescription as adding extra of this makes the soup tastes sweeter, better and less bitter).

- salt (to taste)

- water 

Method :

1)  Fill a big pot with water and boil the herbs over medium high heat for about 20 minutes.

2)  Then, add the chicken and boil at high heat for a while.  

3)  Lower the heat to low and let it simmer for an average of about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  

4)  Add salt and serve hot.

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Braised Chicken with Eggs (Kay Hong Minus the Pork Belly)

The first time when I saw Phong Hong's post on Kay Hong (Terengganu Braised Chicken) at Terengganu Food Fest 2012 , I told myself I must try this dish. Too bad, I only tried last week and unfortunately without the pork belly as I have forgotten that day happened to be 'No Pork' day at the wet market. So, I just made do with just the chicken. On the other hand, I think this dish is also suitable for those who don't take pork.

I adapted this recipe from Phong Hong and at the same time from Daphne Hwee Lan Chua with some slight modification.

Ingredients :

 

 

- 1 whole chicken (cut into bite sized pieces)
- 10 hardboiled eggs (shelled)
- 10 shallots (finely sliced)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2tbs preserved bean paste (tau cheong) to taste

- dark soya sauce (to taste)
- Palm sugar (gula Melaka) to taste
- Salt (to taste)
- Oil
- Water (enough to cover the chicken. Add more if you like to have extra gravy)
Method :

1) Heat oil in a wok or pot and fry the shallots until half brown. Then add in minced garlic. Fry until aromatic
2) Then, add tau cheong. Keep stirring over low-medium fire until fragrant.

3) Add in gula Melaka. Keep stirring until all the gula melaka is melted and started to caramelize.

4) Add the chicken and dark soya sauce. Stir well.

5) Add water, salt and hard boiled eggs.
6) Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer until the chicken is cooked and tender.

 

I have no regrets to cook this dish even though it is without the pork belly as it is indeed very delicious. I believe with the pork belly, it will be even better. Will cook it again but this time it will be with the pork belly.

Cook extra so that you can keep it overnight as it tastes even better. Yummy yummy!!

Serve it with steamed rice.

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