EZCR#33 - STIR FRY BRINJALS WITH TOMATOES

One easy to cook Chinese vegetable dish yet it is appetising and tasty.  Suitable for the old and young.

The brinjals and tomatoes are cooked till soft but not soggy. The minced meat is tasty with the seasonings.  Sweet brinjals pairs off well with the sourish tomatoes.  Basil leaves are added which gives a refreshing aroma and brightens up this dish. Moreover, basil leaves and brinjals are perfect combination in a dish.

This dish is good to go with porridge or rice. 

Ingredients

[serves 3]

100 gm minced meat

1 small brinjal – cut wedges

1-2 tomatoes – cut wedges

A bunch of basil leaves

1 tbsp each of chopped garlic and ginger

1 tbsp oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp each of preserved soy bean paste [fine tau cheong], cooking wine, light soy sauce and Apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp chilli sauce

1/2 tsp sugar to taste [I used a dash of msg]

1. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, sauté garlic and ginger until romatic, add in minced meat. Continue to fry until it turns white and fragrant.
2. Add in seasoning and tomatoes. Stir to mix well, add in brinjals [you can deep fry the brinjals first].
3. Cover to cook until brinjals are soft. Add a little water if it’s too dry and brinjals are not soft yet. 
4. Lastly add in the basil leaves. Stir fry to cook leaves and mix well. 
5. Dish up to serve with porridge or rice.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

EZCR#32 - CHICKEN AND KUAH CHYE [MUSTARD] SOUP

Never ending easy Chinese recipes that I have been cooking and sharing them here. These are really simple and easy ones to prepare yet they are definitely tasty and delicious in their own way with minimal ingredients.  Bare in mind they are also much, much healthier than those you get to eat from food stalls outside.

Like this soup, only a handful of ingredients yet it looks and tastes good. The soup is clear, aromatic and flavourful. Chicken meat is tender and sweet. The mustard stem pieces are crunchy.  Boil the soup a little longer if you like the mustard stems soft.  Just this one soup is good enough for a simple meal with rice. Especially suitable for cold weather.

Ingredients

[serve 3-4]

2 medium size chicken whole leg [skin removed] – chopped bite size pieces

200 gm mustard stems – cut bite size pieces

1 tbsp preserved salted vegetable [tung choy] – rinsed twice

A few slices ginger

700-750 ml water

Seasoning – salt, wine and pepper to taste

1. Bring water to boil in a soup pot with ginger and tung choy.
2. In a wok, blanch mustard stems in boiling water until they turned bright green. Dish up and soak in cold water. This is to prevent further cooking.
3. Blanch chicken pieces and rinsed under tap water to remove any scums. Add to boiling soup. Cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
4. Add in blanched vegetables and seasoning to taste. Cook for a further 3 minutes [longer if you like the vegetables to be softer].
5. Serve immediately.
   
   

CHICKEN SERUNDING BUNS

These Chicken Serunding [Spicy Chicken Floss] Buns are made using a soft bun dough recipe.

The buns are soft, cottony and good with the spicy chicken floss fillings. The chicken floss were given by my sister’s Muslim colleague during Hari Raya.  With some leftovers, I also used it to make Chicken Serunding Bread Rolls using Cinnamon Bread Roll dough recipe [see previous post].

The bread dough is soft, smooth and pliable, not sticky to touch and easy to handle and shape after resting.

Ingredients

100 gm Chicken Serunding [Spicy Chicken Floss]

Some toasted sesame seeds

Ingredients for Bread Dough

[makes 12 Buns]

300 gm bread flour

25 gm castor sugar

2 tbsp milk powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp instant yeast

190 ml water

25 gm butter

1. Mix and knead all the dough ingredients [except butter] into a soft dough. Add in butter and continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic.
2. Dust your hands with extra plain flour and shape dough into a ball. Leave in the mixing bowl, cover to rest until double in size [about 20-30 minutes].
3. Punch down dough, divide into 2 equal portions [about 275 gm each]. Shape into a ball.
4. Divide each portion into 8 equal portions [about 35 gm each]. Roll into a ball then flatten into a round disc. Wrap filling with dough and seal the edges well and shape into a round ball.
5. Put them on a lined baking tray. Brush with egg glaze and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds.
6. Proof till double in size [about 30 minutes] and bake in a preheated oven [middle rack] at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes or golden brown.
7. Remove and leave to cool on wire rack.  Immediately brush baked buns with some melted butter if preferred.
   
   
   

SERUNDING BREAD ROLLS

These Chicken Serunding [Spicy Chicken Floss] bread rolls are made using Cinnamon Bread Roll dough recipe.

The rolls are soft, cottony and good with the spicy chicken floss fillings. The chicken floss were given by my sister’s Muslim colleague during Hari Raya which means I only baked buns with the filling once a year... I have used various baked buns' recipes and so far all have turned out good.

The bread dough is soft, smooth and pliable, not sticky to touch and easy to handle and shape after resting.

These rolls can be steamed before serving later if you are not eating them within a day or two.

Ingredients
100 gm Chicken Serunding [Spicy Chicken Floss]
Some toasted sesame seeds
Ingredients for Bread Dough
[makes 12 Rolls]
250 gm bread flour
50 gm plain flour
1 tbsp milk powder
30 gm castor sugar
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp instant yeast
1 small egg – lightly beaten [reserve a little for brushing]
140 – 150 ml cold water
30 gm butter

1. Mix and knead all the dough ingredients [except butter] into a soft dough. Add in butter and continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic.
2. Dust your hands with extra plain flour and shape dough into a ball. Leave in the mixing bowl, cover to rest until double in size [about 20-30 minutes].
3. Punch down dough, divide into 2 equal portions [about 260 gm each]. 
4. Roll out dough into a rectangle. Spread floss evenly on top of the dough. Roll up the dough into a log. Seal the edges well. Cut the log into 6 equal portions and put them on a lined baking tray. Brush with egg glaze and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds.  Do the same for the remaining portion.  You can invert the cut dough, too.
5. Proof till double in size [about 30 minutes] and bake in a preheated oven [middle rack] at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes or golden brown.
6. Remove and leave to cool on wire rack.  Brush baked rolls with some melted butter if preferred.
   
   
   
   
   
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8. See Other Post on Chicken Serunding Buns

COCONUT BUTTER CUSTARD PAUS

These are soft, fluffy and light paus with aromatic, tasty coconut fillings.

The pau skin dough is soft, smooth and pliable. Very easy to handle and pleat. The grated white coconut cooked with butter yields an aromatic, moist and buttery filling. The sweetness is just nice for me.

The original recipe makes 12 pieces but I could make up to 16 paus from this recipe.

Recipe adapted from Coco Kong’s book on ‘Paus’ [slightly modified]

Ingredients for Filling

250 gm freshly grated white coconut

60-80 gm castor sugar

100 gm butter

50 ml water

A pinch of salt

For Filling – Place all the ingredients in a non-stick wok. Stir fry and toss to mix constantly until it turns a pale yellow and almost dry but still moist.  
Dish up and set aside to cool. The filling can be prepared earlier and refrigerate until required. 
Divide filling into 12-16 equal portions before use.

Ingredients for Pau Skin

[makes 12-16]

250 gm pau flour

40-60 gm icing sugar

20 gm shortening

¾-1 tbsp instant yeast [I used ¾ tbsp]

125 ml water

A little yellow colouring for dotting

1. Knead all the ingredients for pau skin [except shortening] until soft. Add in shortening and continue to knead until soft and pliable. The dough is soft, smooth and pliable.
2. Shape into a ball, dust with some plain flour, cover to rest for 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
3. Punch down and divide dough into 2 equal portions. Shape into round and divide each portion into 8 equal portions. Roll into a ball, then flatten each one into a flat disc.
4. Wrap filling with dough and pleat the dough to seal the edges well or shape into round ball and create design with the use of a pincer.
5. Place on paper casing on a steaming tray. Use the end of a chopstick to make a dot of yellow colouring on top of pau.
6. Leave to proof for 20-30 minutes or double in size, steam over high heat for 10-12 minutes. 
7. Remove to serve immediately or cool on wire rack.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Click Here For My Other Pau Recipes

I am submitting this post to
Little Thumbs Up Event - October 2015 Theme - Coconut organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Jess of Bakericious



I am also submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event#27 - October 2015 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

SPICY NOODLES WITH MINCED MEAT SAUCE

This kind of noodle is good to serve during busy days because the minced meat sauce can be prepared earlier and stored in the refrigerator until required. Before serving just reheat and spread them over blanched noodles and some vegetables, that makes a complete meal.

I actually didn’t intend to keep them for later but happens that my MIL was suddenly hospitalized for Hernia operation. I was kept busy having to be in hospital to look after her and hardly have time to cook a proper dinner. We have to keep our meals simple during the duration of her hospitalisation and this kind of One Dish Meal is most welcomed. 

The minced meat sauce is very easy to prepare yet good and tasty with noodles or steaming hot rice too. 

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 67 with modifications

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

Ingredients For Minced Meat Sauce

200 gm minced meat with some fats if preferred

2 tbsp cooking oil

2 tbsp chopped shallots

1 tbsp chopped garlic

Seasoning

3 tbsp preserved soy bean paste [finely chopped] [taucheong]

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1-2 tsp sugar

½ tsp pepper

200 ml water

4 pieces Wantan noodles [fresh or dry]

1 stalk spring onions - chopped

3-4 tbsp Szechuan Chilli Oil or any chilli oil

Some blanched mustard leaves [chai sim]

Some sliced chilli with soy sauce

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, sauté shallots and garlic until aromatic and slightly crispy. Add in minced meat and stir fry until meat turns white. 
2. Add in preserved soy bean paste and seasoning. Stir fry to mix well. Pour in the water. Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Add more water if it is too dry.
3. Remove from heat and set aside or store in container in the refrigerator for later use.
4. Blanch noodles in boiling water until cooked. Dish up and drain.
5. Place on serving platter with blanched vegetables.
6. Spread minced meat sauce over noodles. Sprinkle spring onions and chilli oil on top. Serve immediately.
   
   

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event#27 - October 2015 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours