Home-style Gong Bao Chicken/ Kung Po Chicken 宫保鸡丁

Gong Bao Chicken is undoubtedly a popular Chinese dish. I had a hard time deciding which term to use for this recipe. In case you are wondering, Kung Po Chicken is the Cantonese dialect for this dish, while Gong Bao Chicken is the Mandarin pronunciation. Both are legit and refers to the same thing. Gong Bao is a style of cooking, not unlike your sweet sour chicken. You can use this style of cooking on other proteins too, such as prawns or even frog!

Wat tan hor 滑蛋河 Cantonese Fried Kuey Teow

 

First and foremost, let me do a little introduction on the term Wat Tan Hor. Wat Tan basically means smooth egg and Hor basically means kuey teow or flat rice noodle. It is a well-known dish in Malaysia and its neighbouring country, Singapore. 

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.

Four Heavenly Kings (Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables) 四大天王

It took me quite some time to find the name for this dish. This rather popular dish is no stranger in Malaysia. In fact, it is authentically Malaysian. As to why it was named Four Heavenly Kings, I believe it is the use of four types of vegetables usually brinjal, okra, long beans, and stink beans. The vegetables are interchangeable with others such as winged beans or snake beans. Plainly put, it is just stir-fried mixed vegetables. In true Malaysian style, this dish is usually served spicy with the use of chilli paste or sambal and dried shrimp. It has this unique pungent smell of the dried shrimp and the sting of the sambal. A truly flavour-filled dish indeed.

Sambal Prawns with Stink Beans/Sambal Udang Petai

Ingredients

1 cup stink beans

100 g prawns, shelled and deveined

1 onion, sliced

2-3 tbsp chilli paste/sambal tumis*

4 tbsp spicy dried shrimp paste/sambal udang kering 

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

2 tbsp cooking oil

*sambal tumis can easily be bought in local grocery stores. Alternatively, omit this and add more sambal udang kering and some water.

Cooking Instruction

1. Saute onion in preheated oil in a wok. When onion becomes limp, add in sambal tumis and sambal udang kering. Saute until fragrant. 

2. Add in prawns and quickly stir-fry until it is half cooked. 

3. Throw in bitter beans and seasoning. When bitter beans are cooked, dish up and serve with rice.

Black Pepper Beef 黑椒牛肉

What was meant to be a post on doughnuts became a typical Chinese stir-fried. Yes, I screwed up again. My doughnuts looked like biscuit, unworthy of mention. But all for the better because this black pepper beef is so good I ate a good portion of it.

Many Chinese dishes are stir-fried and mostly in high temperature to get it fragrant. The Chinese call this "wok hei" or breath of wok, very important in Chinese cooking. The high heat fittingly brings out that peppery fragrant with a slight sting to the tongue. Do be careful though as this dish is very "heaty" in nature. So make sure you drink a lot of water or herbal tea or you might just risk getting ulcer or falling sick (the Chinese believe that too much of the "yang" element would upset the balance in the body and hence, making you sick) .

Thai Green Curry Chicken 泰式绿咖喱鸡

I had my first taste of Thai green curry many years ago, not in South East Asia but in London. I was a student then and one kind friend brought this Thai takeaway and shared it with me on a cold winter's night. Needless to say, I was hooked from that fateful day. There is something about the blend of aroma from the herbs and spices with that creamy coconut milk that makes this so aromatic. It is not as intense a dish as its other curry counterparts, yet it holds its unique taste that is utterly addictive.

Stir-fried Beef with Ginger and Spring Onion 姜葱牛肉

I love this dish. Not so much of the ginger and spring onion per say, but I love the tender, springy beef slices. The ginger and spring onion compliment the dish well. It remove that beefy odour and at the same time, lend an aromatic sharp scent to the dish. It is really a match made in heaven. Best of all, this is a very easy dish. Everything happens in less than 5 minutes.

Having said that, it is essential not to overcook the beef or else it would become tough and chewy, spoiling the whole dish in the process. A very high heat is essential to bring out the flavour (the Chinese call it "wok hei"). The beef must not be cooked for too long in the wok. Therefore, do prepare everything beforehand. In order to make the beef more tender and springy, you could treat the beef with a little baking soda and then wash it off.

Stir-Fried Cuttlefish with Yam Beans/Jiu Hu Char 鱿鱼炒

I am not a Hokkien. I never know what jiu hu means until recently. So, for those who, like me, are pretty clueless, jiu hu basically means cuttlefish. And char is pretty explanatory since it is the same char as your char kuey teow (fried flat rice noodle).

Today it is all about stir-fried cuttlefish with yam beans (jicama in US), also known as jiu hu char, a dish common in the north peninsula Malaysia. Jiu hu char is commonly served during major Chinese festivals especially during Chinese New Year. This peranakan or Nyonya dish is surprisingly mild with the absence of the usual heavy use of herbs and spices synonymous with a peranakan dish. However, this simple dish is by no means bland. It draws flavour from the cuttlefish and pork belly adding the necessary depth and aroma to the dish.

Sing Kong tofu 星光豆腐

I am surprised how little information is available for this dish. Maybe I just do not know where to find the info, maybe there is another name for this dish or maybe, it is just popular in my area. If I am not wrong, this is another made-in-Malaysia dish. This dish is basically tofu cooked in thickened egg gravy. The gravy is similar to that of a Cantonese-style fried flat noodle (wat tan hor).

Best Chicken Curry Recipe 加哩鸡

My mother makes the best curry in town. Therefore, I was dumbstruck when she said she liked my chicken curry better than hers. "Really?", I had to ask again. And she reaffirmed with another bite into that glorious piece of meat. I was pretty ecstatic and a bit befuddled at that moment. Hey, it is not often you get a praise from her.

Restaurant-Style "Kuai Fa" Fried Noodles/Osmanthus Fried Noodles 桂花炒面

Chinese restaurants love selling this. In Chinese, the name 桂花 means osmanthus and if directly translated, this would be Osmanthus Fried Noodles. But we know there is no osmanthus here. It is just a name to glorify what we normally called scambled eggs in noodles. It is supposedly called osmanthus because the eggs are fried in a way that bear resemblance to the osmanthus flower. But seriously, the only thing I find similar is the yellowish colour of the eggs.

Ginger and Scallion Fish Slices 姜葱鱼片

Some call it scallion, some call it spring onion, some call it green onion. It is all the same. The Chinese call it "chung"(葱) and when it is paired with ginger (姜), it makes a pretty decent dish. The combination of both ginger and scallion is aptly use to add flavour and smell to the otherwise mildly flavoured fish. The ginger is also use to stave off the fishy smell of the protein.

This is a common Chinese household dish. Well, maybe not so common now since the price of fish has gone up many folds compared the olden days. If you are looking at more quality sea fish such as a fresh grouper, the price could be as high as RM35 per kilo. However, this method of cooking is actually more flexible as the fish is first fried and later combined with other flavours (unlike steamed fish dishes whereby only certain types of fish is suitable).  Therefore, you could even use dory if you fancy.

Honey Sesame Chicken 蜜糖芝麻鸡

Does my honey sesame chicken look 'hot'? If you agree, most probably I had you fooled. The sauce itself is one simple combination of four readily available everyday sauces and a dash of honey. Yes, it is that easy. But most likely people wouldn't know about this when they look at those glazy chicken. No, not even when they bite into those tender juicy chicken laden with sticky sauce. Therefore, I credit this glorious yummy dish to....erm, instant sauces.

Although said to be a Chinese dish, this dish is more popular in western countries. If you do a quick google on Honey Sesame Chicken, you would find most of the contributors for this recipe are non-Chinese. The Chinese are more into roast sesame chicken (another yummy recipe!). Maybe this dish is a spin-off from there but it really doesn't matter. All I know is Honey Sesame Chicken is insanely popular and absolutely delicious.

Chilli Anchovies/Sambal Ikan Bilis 参巴江鱼仔

It is without a doubt nasi lemak or coconut fragrant rice is our national treasure. I believe most people would agree to this. Every household would have some tricks down their sleeves to making a mean plate of nasi lemak. Today I am not going to talk about the rice but its humble accompaniment - the sambal. In fact, it goes hand in hand with the rice and mutually complement each other. Without sambal, nasi lemak is just bland. Most people like to take this sambal as it is but I like it with fried anchovies. It totally elevates the taste by adding texture and flavour to this dish.

Prawn Sambal/Sambal Udang 参巴虾

When it comes to those big juicy prawns, I have a hard time resisting. Pair this with some good sambal tumis, I am sold! These prawns are basically cooked in chilli paste that has a vast variety of aromatics and spices inside. Nothing beats the exotic taste of this dish in all its aromatic spicy goodness. But guess what? It is never too much to have more spicy food as research has found that spicy food actually prevents cancer!(source: Natural News: Jan3, 2009) Here's that perfect excuse to a no holds barred binging.  Pair this prawn sambal with a plate of steamy hot rice or nasi lemak (coconut fragrant rice) for that ultimate perfection.

This recipe here is the extension of my sambal tumis recipe (chilli paste) that I have posted recently. You can prepare this sambal tumis in advance and keep it frozen to be used later in smaller batches. This way your work would be greatly reduced. Once you have handled your sambal, cooking the Prawn Sambal is as easy as 123.

Prawn Sambal/Sambal Udang 参巴虾

Makes portion for 4-5 persons

Ingredients

500 g prawns shelled (I left heads intact)
1/2 portion (approx 260g) sambal tumis (recipe here)
1 tomato, cut into small wedges
1-2 big onion cut into rings
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. Prepare prawns and season with salt, sugar and pepper. Cut onions and tomato.

2. Prepare sambal tumis. When sambal tumis is about ready, add in tomato and onion and stir until it starts to soften. Stir in prawns and cook until prawns are cooked (when it change colour and feel springy). Remove from fire and serve hot with rice.


Variation
1. Replace prawns with squid for a dish of Squid Sambal.
2. Replace onions with stinky beans for that unique taste of stinky beans. 

Chilli Prawn 辣椒虾

Following my post on the sweet and sour sauce, I am now providing another use for this wonderful sauce - the ever famous sauce for chilli crab. Chilli crab is famous in Malaysia and Singapore and it has since gained popularity beyond just these two shores. It has become so significant a dish that Singapore named it its National dish. The sweet and spicy sauce, which I am highlighting today, combines sweet, sour and spicy flavour to give you that perfect umami taste. The sauce itself is so good that most of the time this dish is served with mantou or buns to soak up that sauce for a perfect juicy burst of flavour in your mouth. Awesome!

Chinese Clam Recipe: Kum Heong Lala/Clam 金香拉拉/金香蜆

If you are a Malaysian Chinese, the word Kum Heong 金香 needs no introduction. It is basically a type of sauce that is used in various Chinese dishes. Kum heong is Cantonese and if directly translated, means "golden fragrance". This dish is definitely full with fragrance. The aromatic curry leaves together with shrimp and curry powder makes a powerful taste. Truly an authentic Malaysian dish, this dish is hot and spicy.

Chinese New Year Reunion - Braised Mushrooms with Mixed Vegetables and Beans Gluten 东菇豆荕

These few days has been hectic! I apologize for the lack of attention to this blog. Initially, I planned to slot in a few recipes for Chinese New Year reunion dinner. However, it seems that the time is not on my side. Luckily, I am able to slot in at least one recipe before this reunion dinner. I promise I will do better next year.

Reunion dinner is normally associated with gluttony, well at least in my vocabulary. This year alone my mom has plans for braised duck, big prawns, spare ribs and fried dumplings. But no mention of vegetables. The emphasis is on meat. I couldn't fault her as in the olden days, you can only get these kind of feast during Chinese New Year reunion dinner. Nowadays, people are more well to do and these kind of food is, how shall I put it,  almost mundane. Therefore,  I am concentrating on my veggies instead.

Stir-Fry Caramelised Roasted Pork Belly (Siew Yuk) 焦糖炒燒肉

So what do you do with leftover siew yuk or roasted pork belly that is left in the fridge? The skin is not crispy anymore. It is dry and tough. Here is one dish that might pique your interest. Give your leftover siew yuk a makeover and elevate it to a gorgeous tasting dish. It is amazing what a little bit of effort can totally transform the taste of this dish.