Easy Recipe - Minced Meat Tofu 肉酱豆腐

Hi, again!

Today I will be introducing a Chinese Style Minced Meat Tofu. There are many variations to Minced Meat Tofu, some like to fry the tofu, some like to cut the tofu into small pieces and some like to use sliced Japanese tofu. In line with my easy recipe theme, I am using steamed whole tofu. No cutting, no frying. It is also my personal preference as I like soft tofu.

Kuih Kaswi Pandan/ Kuih Kosui Pandan 香兰卡穗糕

I made this Kuih Kaswi Pandan talam style (in a tray) and then cut it into individual pieces. This is how it is supposed to be; cut and rolled in fresh shredded coconut. Some does it in mini cups that makes it similar to Kuih Lompang. Similar but not the same. The main difference besides its appearance is the flour used. Kuih Kaswi uses wheat flour whereas Kuih Lompang does not. Taste wise, there is not much of a difference. If you are curious about Kuih Lompang, I blogged about it here a couple of years ago.

Kuih Kaswi Pandan is a traditional Malaysian/Indonesian delicacy. Like most of our local desserts, it uses plenty of coconut and pandan leaves (screwpine leaves). There is another variation that uses gula melaka (palm sugar) that is equally as good. Kuih Kaswi Pandan has a dense and bouncy texture . It is sweet with a hint of saltiness from the salted shredded coconut. It is also spelled Kuih Kosui.

Pandan Huat Kuih 香兰发糕

Huat kuih gets its name from its explosive top. The word huat in this context means expand, and kuih basically means our local traditional cake. Traditionally huat kuih is used by the Chinese as a prayer offering to deities or god. The more explosive it looks signifies the more prosperous and good fortune for the family.

Steamed Chocolate Cake 蒸巧克力蛋糕

Have no oven but dying to try out your own chocolate cake?

Making a chocolate cake has never been easier. All the measurements are in cups!!!! (If you don't have a measurement cup, I have also painstakingly measured it out for you in grammage).

Steamed Egg with Ginger Juice 姜汁炖蛋

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to stay with my late grandmother in Ipoh. I remember vividly that she made me this humble egg custard dessert that I loved so much. As humble as it was, it was deemed a luxury to us back then. It was silky smooth. It was saporous sweet. And I was a hungry kid. There couldn't be a better match.

Now that I am all grown up, I realised what this dish is all about. Steamed egg with ginger juice is actually a very traditional Chinese dessert of the Cantonese clan. No wonder my grandmother had this dish up her sleeves.  She was Cantonese. This steamed egg with ginger juice is a pretty famous dessert in Hong Kong too. My grandmother's steamed egg with ginger juice, which I totally adore and vouch for, used whole eggs and ginger only, unlike other recipes whereby milk is also added. I only like it one way, that is how my grandmother made it. In case you are wondering what does it taste like, the custard tasted like Tong Kee's famous egg tart minus the tart shell.

Yam Cake/Taro Cake 芋头糕

Taro cake or yam cake? Well, in this part of the world, it is called yam cake. Don't be deceived by the name. It is not a cake per se. This cake is savoury with lots of yam and other ingredients such as mushroom, dried shrimp and five-spice powder. I guess most of my Asian peers would have known that already. There is a slight difference between the Hong Kong version and our Southeast Asian version though. Ours is normally eaten steamed while the former is pan-fried after steaming. The Hong Kong version also have Chinese sausage and dried scallops added to the dish.

How to Get Silky Smooth Chinese Steamed Eggs

The Chinese steamed eggs is a popular dish. It is simple, with only eggs, salt and water as base. Because of its soft custardy texture, it is perfect for elders or babies who do not have the ability to chew. So what's the big deal about steaming eggs? If you think steaming eggs is easy, you are most probably right. But if your quest is that silken, smooth, flawless glob that glides into your mouth and dissolves into nothingness, you might perhaps want to read on:

Lotus Leaf Bun 荷叶包

It has been a while since I last posted a recipe on bao or Chinese bun. Recently, my interest was pique with this Taiwanese Gua Bao which is basically a U-shaped bao whereby you put your filling in the middle just like Western sandwiches. In fact, is was also known as the Chinese sandwich/hamburger. Well, let's not excite you further with this delicious Chinese hamburger today (don't worry, I promise I will comeback to this in coming posts). We are just going to talk about a bun that has that U-shape and functions to sandwich decadent pork bellies and other wonderful fillings - the Lotus Leaf Bun.

Chinese New Year Dinner: Five Spice Meat Roll/Ngoh Hiang/Lobak 五香滷肉

Often, this five spice meat roll would be called ngoh hiang (五香) or lobak (滷肉), the shortened Hokkien dialect for this dish. In the northern states of Malaysia, it is more popularly known as lobak whilst moving southwards, this immensely popular dish is known as ngoh hiang.

You could find this dish sold in many hawker stalls but traditionally, this dish is a staple during Chinese New Year dinner (reunion dinner) for the Hokkiens. Nowadays, it is also a staple for the non-Hokkiens' Chinese New Year dinner.

Steamed Pork With Salted Fish 咸鱼蒸猪肉

Steamed Pork with Salted Fish is unique. It smells like dead fish but the Chinese love it. Definitely an acquired taste if you ask me. It is a common Chinese household dish that most Chinese home cooks would have known. The key to a good Steamed Pork with Salted Fish is its ingredients. You must get good mui heong salted fish (normally mackerel). Mui heong salted fish is prepared through a fermenting process for several days before curing. I normally find those that are brined in oil. They are soft and mushy but the smell is so pungent your whole house would smell like a dead rat. For the Chinese, this is a double thumbs-up.

Chinese Steamed Cake/Ma Lai Go 马来糕

Don't be fooled by the name. It didn't originate from 马来 or Malaysia (Ma Lai Go basically means Malay cake in Chinese). This is not one traditional Malay kuih but a Chinese invention made popular in dim sum restaurants. I am not sure why it is called Ma Lai Gou or Malay cake, but hearsay, it is because of its colour that resembles the skin of the Malays which is brownish in nature. 

There are generally two versions of Ma Lai Go - the easier non-yeasted version and the yeasted darkish version. I am sharing with you the yeasted version, which is also the dim sum restaurants' version. 

Liu Sha Bao/Salted Egg Yolk Custard Bun 黃金流沙包

My husband absolutely love this. We used to go to Puchong to eat dim sum just for this bao.

For those who do not know what this is, let me give you a quick introduction. Its uniqueness stemmed from its oozing creamy filling in the middle of the bao not unlike that of a molten lava cake. I call it an oriental molten lava bun. This dish is relatively new in the dim sum family. It is normally served hot in order for the filling to remain runny.

Easy Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice with Chicken/Loh Mai Kai 简单荷香糯米鸡

If you are a fan of glutinous rice, this is definitely a must have. There are many ways and many versions to this. You can serve this in a big portion to be shared, or in individual dainty parcels like what am doing here. Most of the time, you would get the big ones in Chinese restaurants and the small ones from dim sum outlets. Now, with this easy recipe, you could make it at home with half the time and effort.

Chinese Breakfast Recipe - Steamed Radish Cake /Lo Bak Gou 萝卜糕

Radish cake is savoury in nature. This dish is traditionally served during Chinese New Year. It is said that during this time, the radish is most juicy and sweet. But most importantly, it signifies prosperity (yes, the Chinese take their homophones seriously). Nowadays, you can find steamed radish cake whole year around at local Hong Kong dim sum outlets. I, however, still prefer the homemade version as commercial radish cakes tend to stinge on ingredients (Chinese call it 料) for economic reasons. But if you are doing it at home, you could put as much in as you like.

Pumpkin Mantou/Pumpkin Steamed Bun 南瓜馒头

This is another pumpkin dish that I did for my son, camouflaged in mantou, or chinese steamed bun. He adores mantous and baos, but hates pumpkin. I just can't just leave something so nutritious like pumpkin alone. I used my trusted basic bao recipe and adapted it to add pumpkin puree. The result is this golden, fluffy, gorgeous mantou that is plain delicious. It can be eaten as it is, or used as an accompaniment to dishes that calls for mantou. You can also add different fillings in the middle to give it more flavour.

Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens (Mui Choy Kau Yoke) 梅菜扣肉

COMPLETE WITH STEP BY STEP PICTORIAL GUIDE

I have finally found my first guest contributor. He is no other than my hubby. He works as a Chinese chef and as all Chinese chefs, they are a bit secretive to reveal their traits. But he is supportive of me. Hence, this recipe. He has been doing this recipe for years and I have to say his mui choy kau yoke or pork belly with preserved mustard greens is well received amongst his customers. If you ask me, this dish is more home-cooked comfort food than restaurant food, just perfect for my humble blog. Whatever it is, I welcome his contribution.

The Hakkas like their dish basic and humble without much refinement. Therefore, it is no wonder that this dish looks totally unappealing with its dark and disarranged appearance. However, whoever who has tried this dish before would know that it is really a hidden gem. The hours of slow cooking added with the unique taste of mui choy (preserved mustard greens) combines well to give you an umami taste that makes you hunger for more! For some, it is an acquired taste but for me, it is love at first bite. Totally love the taste of the pork belly with preserved mustard greens!

This classic dish has so many steps, it is absolute madness. My advice would be to make a big batch and keep it frozen. Then you can savour the taste without having to go through all these steps over and over.

Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens (Mui Choy Kau Yoke)

Makes 18 slices of pork belly (approximately 4-5 people)

Ingredients

600 g pork belly
600 g salted mui choy (preserved mustard greens)
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 1/2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp tapioca starch
6-7 slices old ginger
8 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp oil
oil for frying

Cooking Instruction

1. Wash and soak mui choy from all the dirt and salt. Soak in water overnight changing the water every few hours. Drain mui choy, squeeze dry and cut into 1 inch at the stem and about 2 inches for the leafs.

2. Blanch pork to remove odour and impurities. Prick the skin with a meat tenderiser (see pix). Dry meat with a kitchen towel. Rub some dark soya sauce on the skin to give the pork belly some colour.

3. Heat some oil in a wok/pan. Sear pork, skin side down. Be careful with the oil splatter when putting the pork in. I made a mistake of not drying the meat enough resulting in hot oil splattering on my hand. Once skin becomes cooked, remove from oil and soak it in water to rid excess oil. Drain pork and cut into slices of 1/2 inch thick. Set aside.

4. Fry mui choy in a wok with no oil until dry. Remove. Using the same wok, heat up 3 tbsp oil. Add ginger slices and garlic. Fry until fragrant. Add fried mui choy into wok again and continue to fry. Add pork and seasoning into wok. Then add water just enough to cover pork. Simmer for about 10-15 mins. Turn off heat. Add tapioca starch that has been mixed with one tsp water to thicken the sauce.

5. Arrange pork belly into a bowl, skin side down. Pack mui choy over the pork slices. Cover with aluminiun foil.

6. Steam bowl of pork for 3 to 4 hours in very slow fire. The longer it is steamed, the more flavourful and tender the meat is.

7. Remove aluminium foil. Put a plate on top of bowl and make a quick turn. There you have it. The "downside-up" pork belly (扣肉) !

Note:
If you have a stove pressure cooker, put bowl into pressure cooker with about 2 inches of water and cook in high pressure for 30-40 mins.

Update 6/4/2019: Instant Pot/electric pressure cooker is a popular tool now. Here's the adapted recipe. 

1. Follow step 1 to 3. 
2. Then add some oil in pressure cooker, and saute the garlic and ginger in bake mode until fragrant. Add in preserved mustard and continue to fry until the vege dries up. Remove.
3. Add all the pork belly into the pressure cooker. Add seasoning, starch and water just enough to cover the vegetables (not too much). Close lid and cook at KPT  (keep pressure time) 25 mins. Leave it for another 10 mins after timer beeps before manual release. Serve.

Malay Traditional Kuih - Kuih Lompang

I consider myself blessed to be staying in Malaysia. It has a mix of ethnicity and a diverse culture. Kuih is no stranger to any Malaysian and we have a vast array of it coming mainly from the Malays, the Nyonyas, the Chinese and some from the Indians. The word kuih represents primarily sweet cakes but at times, also include savouries such as pulut panggang, kuih cara lauk and cucur badak. Although diverse, it is made primarily of flour, rice flour, pandan leaf, coconut, sugar and palm sugar. The stark difference with western cakes is that there is normally no use of leavening agent and the texture is more often chewy than fluffy.

Steamed Spareribs with Black Beans 豆豉蒸排骨

Steamed spareribs - this is my husband's favourite dim sum dish. In fact, it is many people's favourite dish, me included. It is amazing that something so delicious can also be so ridiculously easy to make. All you have to do is marinade and steam.

Steamed Meat Bun (sang yuk bao) 生肉包

The first time making this, the filling turned out quite dry. My mother's exact words where "good flavour but kon jang jang (in cantonese, it means dry)". I couldn't agree with her more. Therefore, in my second attempt, I did the following changes: