COLOURFUL STIR FRY TOFU PUFFS

A homey, colourful stir fry tofu puff dish that is tasty and delicious.  Very economical to prepare at home for the family.  It is a very healthy dish too, with all the colourful ingredients.

The tofu puffs absorbed the simple seasoning sauce [light soy sauce, oyster sauce] and the aroma is enhanced with the addition of sesame seed oil.

A dish which can be served with rice or porridge.  It would be great to use the recipe to fry noodles like rice vermicelli [beehoon], glass noodles [tanghoon] and any noodles of your choice.

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

100 gm tofu puffs - soaked in hot boiling water, cooled and squeeze out the water - cut halve diagonally

1 small piece black fungus - soaked to plumb up, break into pieces

1/2 green capsicum - seeded and cut wedges

1 red chilli - seeded and cut wedges

1 onion - peeled and cut into pieces

some shredded carrots and chopped ginger

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce, oyster sauce, tomato sauce, cooking wine

1 tsp sugar

dash of pepper and salt to taste

1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water [combined] 

1. Prepare the ingredients.  Heat up wok, add in oil.  Saute chopped ginger until aromatic.  Add in tofu puffs, black fungus and carrots.  Stir fry for a minute before adding the seasoning.
2. Add in water, bring to boil and let it simmer for a minute for the puffs to absorb the flavours.
3. Add in onions and chillies.  Give it a good stir and thicken with cornstarch water.  Add a little more water if it is too dry.
4. Mix well and dish up to serve.

POTATO OMELETTE

One-minute omelette, so called by the chef who shared this recipe on you-tube video, who has also generously shared another omelette recipe Egg Omelette With Tofu.  Both are quick cook recipes so suitable for busy people who cooks at home.

I had prepared this a few times and finally sharing it here.  Hope is of use to novice and busy cooks when we run short of ideas on what to cook.

The shredded potatoes are soft and moist and the omelette is fragrant with the lovely crispy edges.  You can fine tune the seasoning according to your preference.

This recipe adapted from OE Cooks with modifications.

Ingredients

2 medium size potatoes - peeled and shredded

3 eggs 

some chopped spring onions

salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and shred the potatoes in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Lightly beat eggs in another bowl.  Add in chopped spring onions.
3. Heat some oil in a wok, stir fry potatoes until soft.  Pour in beaten eggs, spread out mixture and pan fry until the base is cooked.  
4. Flip over to fry the other side until golden brown and cooked through [if you are skillful otherwise, slide the omelette onto a big plate then invert back to the wok to continue frying until the edges are crispy, omelette is cooked.
5. Slide omelette onto serving platter, sliced to serve hot or  serve whole. 

PAN FRIED EGGPLANT WITH FRAGRANT SAUCE

Another vegetable dish quite similar in preparation as this recipe Stir Fry Brinjal and Lady's Fingers.  Once you master the tip on preparing the eggplants or brinjals, you should be able to cook up a variety of dishes with this vegetable.

By coating the eggplants with salt, cornstarch and oil, it will prevent them turning brown and oxidation.  After frying the eggplants retain a nice, bright purple color.

You can choose to fry the eggplant till soft or just tender with a bite in this quick cook style by pan frying them.  You can flavour it with any flavours of your choice be it spicy, savoury, sweet and sour.  A versatile flavour dish you can create easily.

Ingredients

2 medium size brinjal - cut long strip wedges [or according to  own preference]

some salt, cornstarch and oil to coat vegetables

some chopped spring onions

1-2 tbsp oil

Seasoning [combine in a bowl]

3-4 cloves garlic - peeled and chopped

some chopped red chillies or small red chillies

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp each light soy sauce

1 tbsp each of oyster sauce and cooking wine

some dark soy sauce for colour

1 tsp sesame seed oil

3 tbsp water

1. Prepare the vegetables as stated above.  Quickly sprinkle some salt and cornstarch.  Add a few drops of oil.  Shake and mix until the vegetables are coated with the salt, cornstarch and oil.  You can prepare this immediately after cutting the eggplants.
2. Heat a non stick wok with some oil, add in eggplants to fry on a single layer until lightly brown, then quickly stir fry over high heat for several minutes.  
3. Pour in the seasoning and continue to fry until well mixed and vegetables look soft and shiny.
4. Dish up to serve immediately.

CHAI KUIH [STEAMED YAM BEAN DUMPLINGS]

Irresistible traditional Steamed Vegetable Dumplings using a unique translucent wrapper to wrap the simply delicious fried jicama.  The wrapper is made from wheat starch and tapioca flour, is chewy when steamed.  Many may be a little cautious about the fat content in this kuih yet can't resist having a bite if the dainty kuih.

My first posting on this kuih was in 2014 [Steamed Chai Kuih].  It is a lovely recipe where the wrapper stays soft and chewy when cooled and even after a day.  The wrapper recipe here gives the same results.  The recipe portion is smaller than the first [makes about 25 pieces].  Perhaps, for beginners, you can choose to follow this recipe.  

The filling can be prepared a day earlier. 

Yambean Filling-Ingredients and Preparation

250 gm yambean/sengkuang - after skinned and shredded
50-100 gm carrot - peeled and shredded
2 tbsp dried prawns - rinsed and chopped coarsely

1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp oil

100 gm minced meat [optional] - I omit
Seasoning

1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar [I omit]
2 tbsp water [if necessary]

1. Heat up oil, saute chopped garlic until fragrant. Add in dried prawns . Stir fry then add in shredded vegetables. Stir to mix well. 
2. Add seasoning and water [if necessary]. Continue to stir fry until vegetables are softened [cover with lid] over medium low heat and aromatic.
3. Dish up to cool. This filling can be prepared in advance and refrigerate until required.

Ingredients for Dumpling Skin

100 gm wheat starch [tang mien fun] + 2 tbsp wheat starch

100 gm tapioca flour

1/2 tsp salt

400 ml boiling water

3-4 tbsp cooking oil 

1. Combine wheat flour, tapioca flour and salt in a mixing bowl.  Pour in boiling water and stir immediately to mix well.  Cover and leave aside for 10 minutes.
2. Add in oil and knead into a smooth dough [this takes some time].  Cover and rest for 5 minutes.
3. Divide dough into smaller portions. Flatten with a roller into a thin dough, cut into rounds with a 4-5 inch round cutter or lid of a container.  Flatten each piece before wrapping up the filling.  Seal well.  You can wrap up dough in rounds, oval or half moon shapes with pleats according to your preference. Please refer here for illustration on how to wrap the kuih.
4. Arrange dumplings onto a greased steaming tray, steam for 7-8 minutes on high heat.  I steamed for 10-15 minutes using a 2 tier aluminium steamer.
5. Remove, brush with fried garlic oil while still hot.  Serve with sweet chilli sauce.