NYONYA CHAP CHAI

Ten days of strictly meatless meals for my family.  Gosh!, great achievement and is it possible that we can cut down our meat intake from now on?  Must keep it up, at least 75%, maybe??? All depends on my hubby, if he can we all can.

This is a Nyonya [Peranakan] style mixed vegetables shared by Baba, Kenny Chan.  The recipe was published in Home Cooking Magazine February 2001 Issue.  I had this magazine since then but have not got down to try the recipe.

There are numerous versions of the Nyonya Chap Chai, even myself have tried preparing this dish in different ways at different times.  I have never tried using prawns in this dish.  Again, here I have omitted the prawns in the recipe [250 grams small size prawns] because I want to prepare a meatless dish.  This dish will look a little darker if the taucheong you used is of a darker colour.

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking Magazine February 2001 Issue with modifications

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

20 dried lily buds – soaked, knotted and remove the hard tips.

2 strips dried beancurd stick [tau kee] – soaked in warm water with a dash of salt for 20 minutes

1 tbsp black fungus [bok nee] – soaked

3 dried mushrooms – soaked and sliced

A few slices of ginger

1 small bundle of glass vermicelli [tunghoon] – soaked for 5-10 minutes, cut 3 inch sections

100 gm cabbage  - break into small pieces

Some slices carrots

2 tbsp oil

1 – 2 tbsp preserved soybean [taucheong] - chopped

1 cup water

Salt, pepper and msg to taste

1. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, sauté ginger,  mushrooms until fragrant and taucheong.  Fry until aromatic.
2. Add in cabbage, carrots, black fungus and beancurd stick.  Stir fry for awhile, add in seasoning.
3. Stir fry to mix well, add in water, bring to boil until cabbage is tender.
4. Lastly add in tunghoon and dried lilybuds. Tastes to adjust seasoning.  Cook until sauce is slightly reduced.
5. Dish up to serve, garnish with chopped Chinese celery [kin chye].