MALAYSIAN LOCKDOWN MEALS [3]

More homey and simple Stay At Home recipes for the family.  Serve with rice and some cut chillies or sambal belacan can be appetising and satisfactory home-cooked meals.  

My husband bought too much ham for sandwiches which cannot be finished before the expiry date.  So I used the remaining pieces to fry vegetables and also to fry with macaroni.  It's easy, workable and edible, not necessary only to go with bread.

Dish 6 - Stir Fry White Bok Choy With Ham

Ingredients

300 gm white bok choy - wash and cut [separate the white and green parts]

30 gm red carrot - peeled and cut thin strips

2 pieces smoked ham [round ham] - cut strips [can use any types]

2-3 dried red chillies - soaked and cut small pieces

some chopped garlic and ginger

Seasoning

salt, chicken stock granules and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the ingredients as above.  Add oil to a non stick pan, turn on the heat, add in garlic, ginger and dried chillies.  Stir fry until fragrant.
2. Add in the carrots and ham.  Fry until fragrant, then add in white part of bok choy.  Stir fry over medium high heat for several seconds, add in the leafy greens until cooked through.  
3. Add seasoning to taste.  Stir to mix well.
4. Dish up to serve.

Dish 7 - Savoury and Sourish Tofu with Assorted Ingredients Thick Soup

Ingredients

2 dried mushrooms - soaked and cut strips

1 inch thick Szechuan vegetable [zha choi] - sliced and cut strips - rinsed several times [no need to soak]

50 gm red carrot - peeled and cut strips

30 gm lean meat - cut thin strips [optional]

2 pieces dried beancurd sticks - soaked and cut strips

1 piece tofu - cut thin strips

1 tsp chopped ginger

900 ml hot water or more

black vinegar 

cornstarch water for thickening

Seasoning

mushroom or chicken stock granules

salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the ingredients as stated above.  Heat a claypot or soup pot with some oil, saute ginger and mushrooms until fragrant.  Add in meat if using, stir until meat is firm and turned white.
2. Add in Szechuan vegetables, carrots and then dried beancurd strips*. Continue to stir until aromatic, pour in hot water.  Bring to boil for 10 minutes or more to bring out the flavour of the Szechuan vegetables.  You may not need to season soup with salt. *[if dried beancurd strips are soft add in later with tofu]
3. Lastly, add in the tofu, stir well to mix.  Add some hot water if soup is too thick.  Add seasoning to taste.  Bring to boil for 2-3 minutes.  Thicken with cornstarch water.
4. Serve hot in soup bowl with black vinegar and chopped coriander leaves or spring onions.