Penang Nyonya Sweet and Sour Fish

I was goggling for a simple Penang fish recipe and I found this from Rasa Malaysia, Penang Nyonya Cooking.  Eh... to my surprise, this is a Penang dish and  this steamed sweet sour fish is not new to me and others too.  I used to prepare this steamed fish and sometimes I would just deep fry the fish but use the same sauce.  It is simple and very appetizing. Give this a try if you haven't and you would not regret.  

For deep fried, sometimes I added apples to the sauce and it's yummy.  Will post this fried sweet sour fish soon.

Ingredients :

- 1 whole fish (washed, marinated with salt and pepper)

Sauce (to taste) :

- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1 tomato (chopped)

- 2 red chili (finely chopped/blended)
- 1 tsp preserved soy bean paste (tau cheong)

- 1/2 cup tomato sauce

- 4 tbsp chili sauce

- a dash of apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

- a dash of ligh soy sauce

- salt

- a dash of sugar
- water
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch mix with 2 tbsp of water (to thicken the sauce)

Method :

1) Steam the fish until cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove, discard the water and set aside.

2) To prepare the gravy, heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok. Add onion and chili.  Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes or until soft.
3) Add preserved soy bean paste and stir-fry until fragrant over low heat.
4) Add tomato,chili sauce, tomato sauce, light soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar and water. Bring to a slow boil.
5) Add cornstarch solution and stir quickly for a few more minutes.
6) Pour the gravy over the steamed fish.  Serve with steamed rice.

Guess what?  I had in fact prepared extra gravy as I know my children would love it.  True enough, we finished up all the gravy!

The gravy itself is so appetizing and yummy... :)

I am submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest, Penang Month hosted by Alan of Travelling Foodies

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

Easy Kapitan Chicken Curry

This is a very easy curry dish using instant paste.  To me, the curry paste is not too spicy and suitable for kids who are learning to take spicy food.  As I like my curry to be spicier, so this time I added some homemade chili paste to it and the spiciness is just right for my children too.  If you don't have time to pound all the spices yourself,  then try using instant curry paste.  This time, I used Seri Murni.  You can use any of your preferred brand.

Ingredients :

- 1/2 free range chicken (washed and cut into bite sized)

- 1 packet of instant Kapitan Curry Paste (any brand)

- 2 stalks lemongrass (washed and cut into your preferred length)

- 1 cup coconut milk (I used Ayam brand coconut milk)

- 3 tbsp Homemade Chili Paste (optional)

Seasonings : (to taste)

- salt

Method :

 1)  Heat up some cooking oil in a wok or pan.  Add kapitan curry paste, lemongrass and chili paste.  Stir fry over medium heat until aromatic.

2)  Then add chicken and continue stirring for about 10 minutes.

3)  Add water.  Stir and mix well.

4)  Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked over low heat.

5)  Lastly, add coconut milk, stir and mix well.

5)  Add salt to taste.  Serve hot with steamed rice or bread.

I am submitting this dish to the Little Thumbs Up event hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders,(http://everybodyeatswell.blogspot.be/2013/06/little-thumbs-up-its-curry-time.html) organized by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of my little favourite D.I.Y. 

I am also submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest, Penang Month hosted by Alan of Travelling Foodies

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Braised Pork Belly with Red Glutinous Wine Lees (紅糟,Ang Zhao)

Ang Zhao (紅糟) or Red Glutinous Wine Lees is beneficial to our health as it is believed to have cholesterol lowering function.  My family always have homemade red glutinous wine and after harvesting the red wine, we keep the lees in the fridge.  It stays good for many years.  I like to use the lees when cooking meat, mushrooms or use it to fry rice.  It is very delicious.

Using lees to braise pork or chicken is quite popular among my family members.  This is a homely dish and I am sure most local Chinese (Malaysia) know this dish especially those from Manjung, Perak.  It is easy and yummy.  

Ingredients :

- 2 strips of  pork belly with skin (washed, cut into big pieces and marinated )

(alternatively you can substitute pork belly with chicken too and add some woodears or dried mushrooms)

Seasonings for marinate (to taste)

- 2 tbsp red wine lees

- 2 whole garlic (washed but do not peel the skin)

- 1/2 tsp cumins

- 1 star anise

- 1 cinnamon stick

- salt

- soy sauce

- sugar

- pepper

- 2 cups of water

Method :

1)  Marinate pork belly with all the seasonings for at least 30 minutes.

2)  Place everything into a pot and add 2 cups of water.  Cover and bring to boil.

3)  Lower the heat to the smallest and braise for about 40 - 50 minutes until the meat is tender and the gravy is thickened.

4)  Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.

Hope you like it and do give it a try.  If you do not have the lees, you can add some rice wine to it too.

If you are interested in any Red Glutinous Wine recipes, do have a look at the following links :

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

Braised Ang Zhao Chicken with Arrowhead (慈菇/ngaku)

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Stewed Pork Belly with Mui Choy (梅菜)

Mui choy is preserved mustard green.  There are 2 types of mui choy; salted and sweetened.  Do not underestimate this humble mui choy.  It is very delicious and you can prepare it anyway you like, be it steamed, braised, stewed or even for soup.  Most Chinese like to prepare it with pork or chicken depending on their preferences.

Stewed Pork with Mui Choy is a very common and popular dish among Chinese.  It is easy to prepare and yummy.  You can substitute pork with chicken and it is still yummy.

Ingredients :

- 1 strip of pork belly (washed, blanched and cut into bite sized, marinated with seasonings)

- 1/2 bowl salted mui choy (washed, soaked for abt 40mins to 1 hr, washed and cut)

- 1/2 bowl sweetened mui choy (washed, soaked for abt 30mins, washed and cut)

- 2  thumbsized ginger (crushed)

- 1 whole garlic (crushed)

- 3 shallots (chopped)

Seasonings for marinate : (to taste)

- salt

- soy sauce

- caramel sauce

- sugar

-1 tsp cooking wine (optional and not for marinate)

Method :

1)  Heat oil in a wok and saute ginger, garlic and shallots until aromatic.

2)  Stir in pork belly and mui choy and keep stirring for about 2 minutes.

3)  Add enough water, cover and cook at high heat for 5 minutes.

4)  Turn the heat to low and stew for about 40 minutes.

5)  Add cooking wine (optional) and mix well.

6)  Dish up and serve with steamed rice or Teochew porridge.

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Ayam Masak Merah (Spicy Chicken with Tomato Gravy)

Ayam masak merah is a very delicious dish.  I would usually use instant paste as it is easy and fast to prepare.  However, this time I decided to follow all the necessary steps when I saw the recipe from Wendy at Johor Food Fest hosted by Annie, with some minor modification.

Ingredients :

- half chicken cut into bite pieces (marinated with turmeric, pepper and salt, set aside for about 30 minutes

- 3 red chilies

- 1 thumbsized ginger

- 1 whole garlic

- 4 shallots

- 1 red onion (sliced)

- 2 tomatoes (finely chopped)

- 1 cinnamon stick

- 3 cloves (bunga cengkih)

- 3 cardamoms (buah pelaga)

- 1/2 cup tomato ketchup

- 1/2 cup santan (coconut milk)

-1/2 cup canned green peas

- salt (to taste)

- sugar (to taste)

-cooking oil

Method :

1)  Blend shallots, chilies, ginger and garlic.

2)  Heat oil in a wok and pan fry marinated chicken until golden brown.  It is ok if the chicken is not cooked.

3)  Dish up and set aside.

4)  Leave about 2 - 3 tbsp of oil in the wok.  

4)  Lower the heat to medium and saute the blended ingredients until glossy.

5)  Put in cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and sliced onions.  Keep stirring until the onions is translucent and soft.

6)  Put in tomato ketchup, chopped tomatoes and coconut milk.  Stir and mix well.

7)  Return the fried chicken to the wok and cook until the gravy is reduced and thickened.

8)  Lastly add the green peas, salt and sugar.  Let it simmer for a while and it is ready to be served.

Serve hot with rice.  

"I am submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest, Johor Month hosted by Annie of Annielicious Food"

I'm also linking this post to September 2013 Cooking With Herbs Blog Challenge hosted by Lavender and Lovage.

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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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