VEGETARIAN BRAISED SOYA PUFFS WITH SESAME OIL

Fragrant braised soya puffs with mushrooms and black fungus in soy sauce is as yummy though meatless.  All the ingredients are tasty and flavourful. With the use of sesame seed oil to cook is a great choice as it gives this dish the extra fragrance and aroma.

Ingredients 

[serves 2-3]

100 gm fried tofu puffs - halved
3 piece fried hollow soya puffs - halved
3 dried mushrooms - soaked and halved
a handful of soaked black fungus
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp sesame seed oil
Seasoning
1 tbsp each of vegetarian oyster sauce and light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp mushrooms granules
1/4 tsp salt to taste
dash of pepper 

1. Heat wok, add in sesame oil.  Saute ginger and mushrooms until fragrant before adding the remaining ingredients.  Stir to mix well.
2. Add in seasoning, stir for a minute before adding some water to braise.
3. Taste to adjust seasoning.  Bring to boil until water is reduced but still moist.
4. Dish up to serve.

AWESOME VEGETARIAN FRIED RICE VERMICELLI

This vegetarian fried noodles is easy to prepare yet awesome.  With the addition of crushed vegetarian 'salted fish' [kiam hoo] makes it even more appetising.  You would not miss meat but will love this meatless noodles.

The sweetness comes from the cabbages and carrot.  Great to serve it with cut small red chillies and lime juice, it is really yummy.

 The crispy golden flakes on top the noodles are vegetarian salted fish [kiam hoo] which is made from foo peh [beancurd sheets].  Ready made ones are available in most vegetarian food ingredients stores.

Fried Vegetarian Salted Fish

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

150 gm rice vermicelli [beehoon]

6 dried mushrooms - soaked and cut strips

1/2 bowl of soaked black fungus [bok nee] - cut strips

100 gm red carrot - peeled and shredded

150 gm cabbage - cut strips

1 stalk Chinese celery - cut small sections

1 tbsp chopped ginger

some fried vegetarian salted fish [kiam hoo] - crushed

2 tbsp cooking oil

cut small red chillies mix with some lime juice

Seasoning

1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp mushroom stock granules

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tbsp dark  soy sauce

1 tsp sesame seed oil

 

1. Bring water to boil in a wok, blanched beehoon for several minutes until soft [about 1 minute].   Drain in a colander.  Set aside.
2. Using a clean wok, fry mushrooms and ginger in oil until aromatic.  Add in cabbage, carrots and black fungus.  Stir fry to mix, add in seasoning [except light and dark soy sauce and sesame oil].  Stir to mix well, add in some water.
3. Place blanched beehoon in wok, add in remaining seasoning.  Toss ingredients well and fry until water is almost dry.
4. Lastly, add in celery.  Mix and dish up on serving platter.
5. Sprinkle crushed vegetarian kiam hoo over noodles.  Serve with cut chillies.

STIR FRY ERNGYII MUSHROOMS WITH CAPSICUM

This is a tasty, delicious meatless stir fry dish.  Light dish and easy to prepare that goes well, great with rice.

 The main ingredients of this dish are:

• Erngyii Mushrroms [Sin Pao Ku] - high in antioxidants that helps protect cell damage and fiber helps boost satiety, improve insulin function and curb appetite
• Sea Kelp [Hai Tai] - natural source of vitamins A, B1 & B2, C, D and E as well as minerals like zinc, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper and iron
• Capsicum - a good soure of dietary fiber and rich in Vitamins A, B6, C, E and folate

 With this dish, you probably wouldn't miss meat when you are thinking of going on meatless diet.

Ingredients
250 gm Erngyii mushrooms - tear into strips
1 green capsicum - seeded and cut strips
1 red chill - seeded and cut strips
1 piece firm beancurd - cut thick strips and fried to golden brown
1 small piece of sea kelp [hai tai] - rinsed and cut thin strips 
some chopped ginger
Seasoning
1 tbsp each oyster sauce and light soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt to taste
dash of pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
some cornstarch water for thickening

1.  Pan fry firm beancurd strips until golden brown.  Push aside. Add in ginger and mushrooms, stir fry until ingredients are fragrant.  Mix well with fried beancurd.
2. Add in sea kelp and red chilli, together with seasoning.
3. Stir fry to mix well, add in some water.  Bring to boil, then add in capsicum.  Mix well and thicken with cornstarch water.
4. Dish up to serve.

5 SPICE EMBRYO RICE CHANG [RICE DUMPLINGS]

When comes the time  for making rice dumplings [chang] for Duan Wu Jie, it is common to hear people advising not to eat too much of the rice dumplings made with glutinous rice.  There are some of my friends who love eating changs but due to health reasons, they opted to make rice dumplings using Brown Rice, oatmeal etc.
So far, I have not made such rich dumplings because my family members and relatives still prefers the traditional Kiam Bak Chang made of glutinous rice.  Even my mom, a diabetic did not refrain herself for it.

Recently, I have started eating Embryo Rice and I was curious to try making a healthier version of Kiam Bak Chang with this rice.  Below is my attempt.  Instead of using Brown Rice [needs soaking] and oatmeal, here I used Embryo Rice [no need soaking] and glutinous rice.  The dumpling looks like this.  The rice is not crumbly and tastes awesome without the 'sinful' feel when you dig in.

Ingredients - Dumpling Filling

20 pieces dried mushrooms - rinsed, soaked and drained - keep whole
20 dried chestnuts - soak with 1/2 tsp alkaline water with some water for 15 minutes.  Blanch with boiling water for 15 minutes then boil for 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside
5 salted egg yolks - steamed with some sesame oil - quartered
2 tbsp each of oil, chopped garlic and sliced shallots [I used 8 shallots and 4 pips garlic]
400 gm fatty pork belly - cut into 20 big pieces
5 tbsp water
Seasoning for Meat
2 tsp each of Chinese 5 spice powder, sugar, oyster sauce and dark soy sauce
1 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt

1. Heat oil and fry chopped garlic and shallots until aromatic and brown.  Dish up 1/2 of it, set aside for frying rice.
2. Add in pork belly, stir fry until meat pieces are firm.  Add in seasoning and continue to fry until aromatic, then add dried mushrooms and chestnuts.  Add in water, fry for 5 minutes or until all the ingredients are well coated with seasoning and water almost dry.  Cool before dishing up, separating the main ingredients [pork belly, mushrooms and chestnuts in a container.   Set aside for later use.  This filling can be prepared a day earlier.
   

Ingredients - Rice

[makes about 20 dumplings]

500 gm glutinous rice - soaked for 4 hours or overnight and drained
500 gm Embryo rice - washed and drained [no need to soak]
2 tbsp each of oil
2 tsp each 5 spice powder and salt
1 tbsp dark soy sauce and 1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp pepper

50 gm dried prawns - rinsed and drained
100 gm prepared peanuts [can prepare days ahead and freezed]

1. Wash peanuts and soak it in salty water for several hours.  Drained and transfer to a freezer bag.  Freeze in refrigerator until required.
2. Heat up oil, saute dried prawns for a few seconds, add in the fried shallots set aside earlier from frying the fillings above.
3. Add in the glutinous rice, stir fry for several minutes before adding the Embryo rice, peanuts and seasoning.  [off heat while adding ingredients].  Stir fry to mix well the seasoning and rice. 
4. Turn on the fire and fry for 5 minutes or until the rice is well mixed with the seasoning and looks clear with a nice soy sauce colour.
5. Dish up and leave aside.
   
   

Wrapping Dumplings

about 40 pieces of  bamboo leaves - soaked in hot water until soft, then wash by wiping each pieces, then wipe dry, set aside

hemp strings enough to tie 20 dumplings

1. Using  2 pieces of bamboo leaves to fold into a cone. Scoop some rice into the cone [I used about 1 tablespoon], place 1 piece pork belly, chestnuts, salted egg yolk and mushroom.  Cover with about 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp rice [depending on the size of chang you wish to make]. 
2. Press the rice firm, cover it with the extended ends of bamboo leaves and form into a pyramid [chang] shape.  Tie and secure it with the hemp string.
3. Finish doing the same for the rest of ingredients.  Trim the edges of the bamboo leaves and excess strings. 
4. Place the changs in a big pot.  Pour water  enough to cover them.  Bring to boil and cook for about 3 1/2 hours or until the rice dumplings are cooked.  Add more boiling water should the to water is reduced below the changs.
5. Remove from water and hang dumplings to dry before storing them or serve warm.

Notes: Some benefits of Embryo Rice - contains selenium said to prevent cataract, helps to remove body toxin and absorption of nutrients