EZCR#134-FRY TOFU PUFFS WITH CAPSICUM

A very appetising vegetarian dish that tastes savoury, sourish and sweet. It is a quick stir fry tofu puffs dish where the tofu puffs are blanched in hot water to soften and to remove some excess oil.

The tofu puffs are soft and absorb the flavours of seasoning liquid while still maintaining its chewy texture.  Ginger here, gives this dish a unique fragrance.  Very tasty. 

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

100 gm tofu puffs - blanched and cut into half diagonally

50 gm red carrots - peeled and cut slices

1 green capsicum - seeded and cut diamond shapes

1 red chilli or capsicum - seeded and cut diamond shapes

some shredded ginger

some water for sauce

1/2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp each light soy sauce and oyster sauce

dash of mushroom stock granules

1/2 tsp sugar 

2 tbsp vinegar or black vinegar

some cooking wine [optional]

1. Soak tofu puffs in boiling water for 5-10 minutes.  Drain away the water.  When cooled, squeeze out excess water before cutting into half, diagonally.
2. Prepare the other ingredients as stated.
3. Heat up wok, add oil and saute ginger until aromatic.  Add in tofu puffs and carrots.  Stir fry for a minute, add in seasoning sauce.  Stir to mix and add in some water.  Bring to boil to cook the puffs.  Taste to adjust seasoning.
4. Lastly, add in the capsicum or chillies.  Stir until cooked and sauce is reduced.
5. Dish up to serve.

TOFU WITH LEMONGRASS AND CHILLIES

Simple tofu dish that is so easy to prepare yet appetisingly good and tasty. It is so aromatic with the fried lemongrass that I just wanted to serve it right away, not attempting to plate the tofu pieces nicely. A dish worth trying. 

It is suitable for all ages. The tasty sauce is great for rice. Quite an addictive dish if you love tofu.  Nice vegetarian dish [just omit the fish sauce, replace by light soy sauce].

Ingredients

2 pieces tofu - each cut into 6 pieces

2-3 stalks of lemongrass - white part only - finely chopped

1 small red chilli-chopped small pieces [more if you like it spicy]

some chopped coriander 

Seasoning [combined]

1/2 tbsp sugar

20 ml each light soy sauce and fish sauce

1/4 tsp mushroom stock granules

60 ml water

1. Soak tofu pieces in water with 1 tsp salt for 30 minutes or you can do this earlier and leave in fridge until required.
2. Drain before using, cut each piece into 6 small pieces.
3. Heat a non stick wok, add oil to pan fry tofu pieces until golden brown on both sides.  Remove and set aside.
4. Remove excess oil leaving enough to fry lemongrass and red chillies until aromatic.  Add in fried tofu pieces.
5. Pour in combined seasoning and water.  Stir to mix well, then bring to boil for a minute.
6. Dish up to serve.  Garnish with chopped coriander.

STIR FRY CHINESE CABBAGE [包菜]

Cooking up a yummy vegetable dish just with Chinese cabbage. A simple yet delicious a quick stir fry vegetable where the cabbage leaves are cooked yet maintains the crispy, crunchy texture. 

Seasoned with some vinegar and sugar, this dish is appetisingly good to go with rice.  Do not add water as the cabbage will release some liquid when fried. Tastes sourish sweet with a bit of spiciness from the dried chillies. 

Ingredients

300 gm Chinese long cabbage - cut sections 

30 gm red carrot - peeled and sliced

2 dried chillies - soaked and cut small sections

some garlic and ginger - cut strips

some spring onions - cut sections [optional]

Seasoning

1 tsp sugar to taste

1/2 tsp salt taste

vinegar to taste

1. Break apart the leaves of Chinese long cabbage, soak in a basin of water and washed. Cut into sections, separating the root and leaf parts.
2. Prepare the ingredients as stated.
3. Heat up wok, add oil, fry ginger and garlic until aromatic.  Add in dried chillies, give it a quick stir then add in the vegetables [first the root part, then the leafy part].
4. Continue to stir fry over high heat.  Seasoned with salt and sugar.  Stir fry to mix well.  Drizzle vinegar along the side of wok.  
5. Stir to mix well, dish up to serve.

KOCHA BEE STEAMED RICE [EU P'NG STYLE]

This recipe is for some who love eating Hokkien 'Eu P'ng' but are glutinous rice intolerance. Here, I used Embryo Rice. All rice in its natural form is gluten free. Rice is one of the most popular gluten-free grains for people with celiac disease.

Great One Dish Meal recipe for the busy people. Do refer to this post Kocha [Traditional] Steamed Glutinous Rice if you like to cook this dish using glutinous rice. The aroma of the fried ingredients like fried shallots and mushrooms make this rice salivating. 

Ingredients

[serve 4-5]

320 gm rice - washed, rinsed and drained [I used Embryo Rice]

Other Ingredients

6 dried mushrooms - soaked and cut strips

1-2 tbsp dried prawns - rinsed a few times and drained

150 gm pork belly or shoulder meat - cut thin strips

40 gm shallots - sliced

2 tsp sesame seed oil

2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning

3 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp wine

1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce [can omit if you like light coloured rice]

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt to taste

1 tsp pepper to taste

dash of chicken stock granules

1. Heat wok, add 2 tbsp oil, saute shallots until golden brown and crispy. Remove.
2. Using the same wok, add some chopped spring onions [white part] and pork belly meat strips. Continue to fry until fragrant and oil oozes out. Add in mushrooms and dried prawns, fry until aromatic. Add in seasoning and rice.
3. Continue to fry for 1-2 minutes. Add fried shallots, mix well. Dish up into steaming plate. Add about 640 ml water [2 times of rice].
4. Bring water in steamer to boil. Place rice in a steaming tray, cover with lid. Steamed rice in steamer for 30 -40 minutes or until rice is cooked and soft. Halfway while steaming, can give the rice a stir. Keep warm in steamer until required.
5. Fluff up rice, sprinkle with chopped spring onions or coriander and top up with extra crispy fried shallots.
6. Serve with cut chillies or sambal belacan [Malaysian chilli paste].

2020 - TRADITIONAL DOLL MOONCAKE [GARFIELD DESIGN]

I love this doll mooncake dough.  It is easy to mix and fold.  The dough turns out soft and pliable.  Not too greasy.  For my mooncakes, as you may noticed,  I usually omit the egg glaze so that vegetarians can get to enjoy them.

These are plain doll mooncakes without any filling.  My  mom and sisters prefer them without fillings.  Me too, to cut down sugar consumption.

As I have shared in my earlier posts on baked mooncakes, the skill to fold and mix the syrup and flour into a dough is crucial otherwise you may end up with a tough dough which is not easy to roll or mould.  Baked mooncakes need to be aired for several days to get the soft texture and flavour.

This recipe is adapted from You-tube video [My Mommy Cooking].  

Ingredients
[makes 22 Garfield design mould]
200 ml golden syrup
70 ml peanut oil
2 tsp alkaline water
300 gm plain flour

1. Combine golden syrup, peanut oil and alkaline water in a mixing bowl.  Stir with a wooden spatula until well blended.
2. Sift flour and fold in 2/3 of it into syrup mixture using the cutting method lightly.  Add in the remaining and fold until no sign of white flour.  Cover and leave to rest for 3 hours.
3. Divide into small portion sufficient to fill the size of the mould used.
4. Roll each portion into rounds and press onto mould.  Knock out dough and place on baking tray lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees C for 15 minutes.  Remove to cool for 10 minutes.  Returned cooled mooncakes to oven and bake for another 8 minutes or until nicely golden brown.
6. Remove to cool and leave mooncakes to air for several days before serving.  Store in mooncake containers.