STEAMED PORK AND VEGETABLE BAOS - CHINESE 菜肉包子

Honestly, I'm never tired of paus especially the home-made ones cos' I can choose the fillings that I like.  Given a choice, I'll go for savoury fillings but sweet ones are also good, too.  With sweet ones, I have to exercise some 'control' lest I eat too many of it. 

Anyway, this one is with savoury filling.  It's an easy to prepare pau filling with meat and vegetables.  The recipe is from this cookbook [孟老师的中式面食] which I saw from Happy Home Baking.  I managed to make 14 paus from this dough which weighs about 450 gm.  Only used half of the filling.  I think the filling is enough for 2 portions of the dough recipe.

Verdict - dough is pliable, soft and smooth, easy to handle.  The pleats stay even after proofing and steaming.  These paus are soft and light and the filling is fragrant with crunchy cabbage.

Ingredients for the Filling
[makes 14]
200 gm minced pork [with some fats]

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp juice/water squeezed from cabbage*

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp white pepper

2 tbsp sesame oil

200 gm cabbage

3 stalks spring onions - finely chopped

1. Wash cabbage, chop finely, squeeze out the water [with hand]. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the water*. Mix in 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the cabbage and set aside.
2. Place minced meat in a small mixing bowl. Add salt and add in a little water [squeezed from the cabbage]. Use a pair of chopsticks to stir constantly in the same direction till the water is fully absorbed. Continue to add in the remaining water, a little at a time, stirring with the chopsticks in the same direction. With each addition, make sure water is fully absorbed before adding more water.
3. Add in soya sauce, stir with chopsticks in the same direction, mix well.
4. Add in grated ginger, sugar, pepper, stir with chopsticks in the same direction, mix well.
5. Add in remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, stir with chopsticks in the same direction, mix well. 
6. Add in finely chopped spring onions and cabbage.  Mix well. Leave to chill in fridge for 1 hour.  You can prepare the filling earlier and refrigerate until required.

Ingredients for the Dough
[ dough weighs 450 gm - makes 14 x 30 gm]
250 gm plain flour [I used pau flour]
3 gm instant dry yeast [about 3/4 tsp]
30 gm caster sugar
150 ml water

1 tsp shortening or oil

1. Place all the dough ingredients [except shortening] in a mixing bowl. Knead to form a rough dough. 
2. Add in shortening and knead till smooth. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 5 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 14 equal portions.  Shape each into a ball then flatten to form small discs.
4. Wrap the dough with filling [about 1 tbsp]. Place pau  on paper cup cases.  Proof for 40 minutes or double in size.
5. Place paus in a steamer and space them apart so that they do not touch one another. 
6. Steam over boiling water at high heat for 12 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and leave the lid slightly open for 3 minutes before removing the whole lid. Serve warm. 
   
   
   

Notes:
Keep any leftovers in fridge [store in airtight containers] and re-steam till hot before serving.

EZCR#18 - CHICKEN SALAD WITH GINGER/ONION DRESSING

A nice chicken salad that is easy to prepare. The main ingredient here is chicken meat. Zucchini/carrot are added for a crunchy texture and colour. Mixed with the fragrant ginger/onion dressing, the salad is aromatic. If you like it spicy, replace the oil with Szechuan Chilli Oil.   This dressing is quite similar to ginger/spring onion coulis.

This salad is good for hot and humid weather. It is an appetizing cold dish and the flavour is rather mild [use more ginger/onion dressing for more intense flavour].

Ingredients

Ginger/Onion Dressing

50 gm ginger 

2 stalks spring onions

½ tsp salt or more to taste

1 tbsp spring onion oil* [can replace by Szechuan Chilli Oil]

*Obtained by frying some cut spring onions with oil until lightly charred. Discard the spring onions and set aside oil.

1 chicken whole leg 

1 egg

½ small carrot – peeled and shredded 

½ small zucchini – peeled and shredded

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Blend ginger and spring onions in a blender, add in salt to taste. Mix in the oil, set aside.
2. Blanched chicken in boiling water for 5 minutes, off heat and steep for 30 minutes. Remove, cool and shredded.
3. Beat egg and fry into a thin omelette . Cut thin strips.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix chicken, omelette, carrots and zucchini. Toss well with the dressing. 
5. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately or chilled.
   
   
   

LUO HAN GUO WITH LOTUS ROOTS DESSERT [罗汉果莲藕甜汤]

This is another lovely Luo Han Guo [Buddha’s Fruit] dessert that requires no SUGAR to be added. The second of its kind which I tried after my previous dessert using this fruit. The natural sweetness comes from the Luo Han Guo itself. This recipe was shared by HHB [Happy Home Baking] but accidentally I added some dried longan to it before I refered back to the recipe. Please refer  to Happy Home Baking for the original recipe.

Anyway, this dessert is really good. My neighbour and hubby agreed fully that it is a healthy dessert as no sugar is needed. This dessert is good served hot or cold. Awesome, love the natural sweetness. My friend described the sweetness as ‘Kam Kam’.

Ingredients

[serves 6]

1 Luo Han Guo [cracked]

10 red dates

1.5 litres water

30 gm dried longan

1 section of the lotus roots

 

1. Bring water to boil with luo han guo and red dates for about 20 minutes. Add in the lotus roots and continue to boil for another 15 minutes over medium low heat.
2. Add in the dried longan and boil for 5-10 minutes.
3. Serve warm, cold or chilled.
   
   

SPARE RIBS IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE

This dish is similar to those sold at Dim Sum outlets. The original recipe uses Phoenix claws [chicken feet]. Since I’m not a fan of Phoenix Claws, I substitute it with spare ribs and added some mushrooms Both are perennial favourite alongside ‘dim sum’ old timers like siew mai and har kow. 

Anyway, this dish was prepared and served with rice.

Verdict – very tasty and yummy on its’ own or with rice and porridge. The gravy isn’t salty but aromatic. The pork ribs are tender and has a bite, the mushrooms absorbs well the flavours.  It's awesome.

I cooked half portion of this recipe.  If using chicken feet, marinate them with marinade.  Deep fry and plunge them into a tub of cold water.  Leave them till they puff up.  Remove and drain off excess water before cooking as in Step 4.

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking Magazine [March 2002] with modifications

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

500 gm meaty spare ribs – cut bite size pieces

Marinade – ½ tbsp dark soy sauce + 2 tbsp light soy sauce

10-12 dried mushrooms – soaked and drained

2 tbsp salted black beans – rinsed lightly, drained

1 red chill – seeded and sliced

2 tbsp chopped garlic

Spring onions for garnishing

250 ml water

Seasoning [combine]

½ tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp light soy sauce

3 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar to taste

1. Marinate pork ribs with marinade for about 30 minutes.
2. Pan fry in a non-stick wok until brown. Remove excess oil. Push aside.
3. Using the same wok, sauté garlic, black beans and chilli until aromatic.
4. Add in fried ribs, mushrooms and seasoning. Stir to mix ingredients well.
5. Add in water enough to cover the ingredients.  Bring to boil for several minutes, then lower heat, cover and simmer for another 30 minutes or until pork ribs are tender and gravy is reduced or thick. 
6. Taste to adjust seasoning before dishing up to serve.
7. Garnish with spring onions.
   
   
   
   
   
   

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #25 [July 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

SPICY CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS IN HOT POT

This is a recipe shared by Lam Soon Company using one of their products ‘Fish Sauce’ in a food magazine. Quite a simple recipe to follow yet it turned out to be a tasty and delicious chicken dish served with rice.

It has a very unique salty taste and all the ingredients [chicken, carrots and onions] are full of flavours.

I didn’t cook this in a hot pot as per recipe and is alright to use a non-stick wok.

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 72 [with slight modifications]

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

9 pieces chicken drumlets or ½ a chicken – cut into bite size pieces

2 tbsp oil [1 tbsp if using non-stick wok]

8 slices ginger

8 shallots – peeled and keep whole

5 dried red chillies – soaked and cut into thirds

1 red chilli – seeded and cut into pieces

1/2 carrot – peeled and sliced

1 stalk spring onions – cut 1 inch lengths

1 tsp cornstarch mixed with water for thickening

Seasoning [combine]

3 tbsp fish sauce

½ tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sugar to taste

¼ tsp dark soy sauce 

100 ml water

1. Marinate chicken pieces with ½ teaspoon salt for at least 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in wok, brown chicken pieces, push aside and add in shallots. Fry until aromatic, add in ginger, dried chillies and red chillies. Stir fry until fragrant and mix all the ingredients well.
3. Add in carrots and seasoning. Bring to a rolling boil until bubbly for several minutes and chicken is cooked through [about 5 minutes].
4. Thicken with cornstarch water. Lastly add in spring onions.
5. Dish up to serve with rice.
   
   
   
   
   

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #25 [July 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

TEA LEAF GLUTINOUS RICE DUMPLINGS

The original recipe for these rice dumplings from Amy Beh is a vegetarian rice dumpling recipe. Here, I replaced the vegetarian filling with non-vegetarian filling that is using pork belly and dried prawns. However, I followed the recipe for the rice portion whereby tea leaves are added to the rice.

My kitchen was filled with a very fragrant aroma while the dumplings are cooking.

These were made for my nephew who is working in Singapore and was back during the Raya holidays.  He missed home-made Changs during Duan Wu Jie. 

Recipe adapted from Amy Beh’s book At Home With Amy Beh 2 with modifications

Ingredients For Rice

[makes 20 dumplings]

900 gm glutinous rice flour – washed, soaked overnight and drained

50 gm dried prawns – rinsed and drained

50 gm shallots – thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic – chopped

3 tbsp [15 gm] Siu Xian tea leaves – soaked in 125 ml hot water for 10 minutes. Strain, keep the tea leaves and discard the tea

Small pieces pandan leaves [about 2 cm] – I omit

40 rice dumpling leaves - soaked and cleaned [with hemp strings]

2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp sesame seed oil

Seasoning 

1 tbsp each of salt and sugar to taste

2 tbsp 5 spice powder

½ tsp msg

1 tsp pepper

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, fry shallots and garlic until golden brown. Dish out.
2. Fry tea leaves with remaining oil until fragrant and crispy, add in the dried prawns. Stir fry to mix well. Add in the rice and seasoning, then add in fried shallots and garlic. Stir and toss to mix well. Dish up and set aside.
   
   
    
   

Ingredients for Filling

500-600 gm pork belly – cut into bite size pieces [about 20 to 22 pieces]

10 dried mushrooms – soaked and cut halve

20-22 chestnuts – soaked with a drop of alkaline water and water for about 30 minutes, rinsed and boil in water until soft

5 salted egg yolks – steamed for 10 minutes and quartered

50 gm shallots – thinly sliced

3-4 tbsp oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp sugar

½ tbsp 5 spice powder

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

½ tsp msg

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1. Marinate pork belly with seasoning for 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Heat oil, sauté shallots until golden brown. Add in marinated pork belly. Fry until fragrant and firm.
3. Add in the mushrooms and chestnuts. Continue to fry until seasoning is well absorbed by the ingredients.
4. Dish up and set aside.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

To Wrap The Rice Dumplings

1. To wrap dumplings, take 2 pieces of bamboo leaves and fold into a cone.  
2. Add 1 heaped tablespoon of rice, add a slice of pork, a piece of mushroom,  a chestnut, a piece of salted egg yolk, top up with 1-2 tablespoon of rice.
3. Wrap into a pyramid shape dumpling and secure tightly with a hemp string.  Do the same until all the ingredients are finished.
4. Put the bundles of rice dumplings in a big pot.  Top up with water enough to cover the changs.  Add a tablespoon of salt and sugar to the water.
5. Bring to boil over high heat, then lower to medium and continue to cook for 2 hours or until rice dumplings are cooked.  Replenish with more hot water to the pot when required.
6. Remove and hang to let them dry.  Best to serve rice dumplings warm.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

I'm sharing this with Little Thumbs Up Event [July 2015 - TEA] organised by Doreen from My Little Favourite DIY and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids

 hosted by Cheryl of Baking Taitai

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #25 [July 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours