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!

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.

Simple Roast Chicken 简单烤鸡

I was a bit shy to present this recipe as it is really a basic no-frills roast chicken. I decided to pen this anyway. It is for my own future reference as I simply love the original flavours that is this dish. As the title suggests, it is a simple recipe with simple seasonings which are commonly available in the market. I was a bit surprised how tasty were the natural flavours of the chicken and vegetables. The vegetables I chose each has their own natural sweetness or tanginess which comes together perfectly in the dish. You can also replace with, or add other vegetables of your choice. You just have to make sure that the vegetables you chose do not have too much water content or the tray will be filled with juice after your bake. Choose something like potatoes or carrots.

Three Cup Chicken 三杯鸡

Today I tried the famous Taiwanese San Bei Ji which directly translates to Three Cup Chicken. What prompted me to try this Three Cup Chicken is the simplicity of the recipe. It was originally designed to use only three cups of ingredients comprising soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine. However, what the recipe doesn't tell you is that even in the three ingredients itself it has vast difference. For example, some soy sauce are darker and thicker whereas some are more salty. I would advise you to be careful with the soy sauce as we do not want the dish to be overly salty.

Chicken Korma/Ayam Kurma

Chicken Korma has its origins from India. It uses primarily yogurt and spices as base. In Malaysia, it is known as Ayam Kurma. The Malaysian version is paler in colour and uses mostly coconut milk and kurma powder (a premix of spices). It has a milder spiciness compared to its curry peers. It is rich in coconut milk taste with a slight tang from the tomatoes added in.

Curry Chicken Tart 咖喱鸡挞

I was flipping some old recipe books for inspiration when I came across this recipe on curry chicken tart. What I really liked about the recipe was the flaky pastry that involves combining a water dough and oil dough. Unlike western pastries, that is short and crumbly, this type of crust is flaky with many layers. This type of crust is used in many Chinese pastries like egg tarts and ham tan sou.

To make this flaky tart, an oil dough is first wrapped with the water dough. It is then worked like a puff pastry to get the nice layers. I didn't really get very distinct layers. Maybe I worked the dough too thin. I was, however, very satisfied with the taste and crunch.

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.

Chicken pot pie 杯式鸡肉派

Chicken pot pie has become my favourite ever since I had that fateful first bite some 20 odd years ago. At that time, I couldn't comprehend why was it called a pie when it was just a bowl of thicken chicken soup with a puff-up crust on top. I still couldn't.

Baked Cornflakes Chicken Tenders 玉米片烤鸡

This is a simple straightforward dish. But the children love it. It is crunchy and crispy minus the greasy fats. I guess this is one healthier alternative that you don't have to impose on your children. The best thing is that I could just chuck it into the oven and go around doing other chores while waiting.

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe 简单日式照烧鸡

Yes, I know I just posted a teriyaki sauce recipe...and it is not complete if I don't show you how to use it. This recipe is so simple yet so sapid, glazed with that sticky glossy potion. Teriyaki is a Japanese term used for cooking technique that involves grilling or broiling. However, with the advent of technology, we are now also cooking teriyaki dishes baked or pan-fried. Today I am going to pan-fry my chicken in teriyaki sauce. It is simpler and faster than grilling, perfect fit into today's busy lifestyles. Although pan-frying would lose some of that smoky flavour that is related to grilling, the chicken that is pan-fried is actually more moist and tender. This easy teriyaki chicken recipe is my one-pot (or pan) quick solution with only one pan to wash thereafter.

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.

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.

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.

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings in Hoisin Sauce 海鲜酱脆皮烤鸡翅膀

These crispy baked chicken wings are simply yummy. It has a layer of crispy skin but when you bite into it, it is juicy and tender. It has a layer of perfect mouthwatering hoisin sauce* glaze that adds to the flavour. What else can one ask for in a piece of chicken wing? But be forewarned, it does get sticky!

What I like about baking chicken wings is that the fats get rendered in the baking process. But it is no less delicious. So ditch your normal deep-fried wings now. There is a healthier option! If that doesn't make you want to try these out, I am going to let you in to another secret. These crispy baked chicken wings are a breeze to put up. All you need is a simple marinade and they are ready for their oven bath. No sweat at all!

Thai Stuffed Chicken Wings/Peek Kai Yad Sai 泰式酿鸡翼

Chicken wing tips and mid-joints are often left unappreciated. It is basically bones wrapped in skin with a few miserable strands of meat at best. However, these winglets do have high skin/fat content which are perfect for frying, baking, and even grilling as the fats from skin would leave a crispy and fragrant layer when cooked.

This next dish that I am introducing is a Thai dish. The Thais have cleverly elevated this often under-explored winglet and brought it to another level of classy refinement. If you have not guessed, I am talking about Stuffed Chicken Wings, or Peek Kai Yad Sai. Honestly speaking, I have no idea what Peek Kai Yad Sai means. It is a romanised translation of the Thai language. If I have it wrong, please forgive me. However, it doesn't stop me from appreciating this wonderful dish.