STIR FRY FRAGRANT CRUNCHY CUCUMBER

Stir Fry Fragrant Crunchy Cucumber, an easy stir fry cucumber dish worth trying instead of salads or just plain cut slices. The cucumber are crunchy after frying and fragrant. Just marinate the cucumber slices with some salt, then grab and squeezed out the water. Rinsed once or twice and squeeze off excess water. This process is to get crunchy cucumber slices.

Ingredients

1 cucumber [<500gm]-quartered lengthwise, pith removed and sliced thin pieces

1 small onion - peeled and sliced

1 pip garlic - peeled and chopped

1/2 tbsp dried prawns - rinsed and chopped

1 small red chilli - cut small pieces

Seasoning

1/3 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

dash of pepper

1 tsp vinegar

1. Season sliced cucumber with some salt.  Leave to rest for 15-20 minutes.  Then grab and squeeze out the liquid.  Rinse once or twice and squeeze out excess water.  Set aside.
2. Add oil to a non stick pan, fry dried prawns until fragrant, add onions, chopped garlic and red chillies.  Fry until fragrant. [I have slightly over fried these ingredients which affects the looks of the cucumber]. The cucumber slices will have a bright greenish look.
3. Then add in cucumber.  Stir fry over high heat for a minute or so.  Add seasoning.  Continue to fry until cucumber is cooked.
4. Add in vinegar.  Mix well.
5. Dish up to serve.

MEATLESS DISH - BRAISED CARROTS WITH TOFU PUFFS

There is nothing to shout about this dish that looks bland. I agreed if just by looks but when considering that you have limited food ingredients in hand, it is worthwhile to try out this dish. Furthermore, just to share a note, this dish tastes good after resting with some thick gravy. Even more delicious if you increase the seasoning but for home consumption, it may not be necessary.

Simple, easy to cook meatless dish with only 2 main ingredients.

Ingredients

10-12 pieces tofu puffs - soaked in hot water, drained and cut diagonally

150-200 gm white carrot - peeled, cut 1/2 cm thick slices

a few slices of ginger [more if you like braised ginger]

some chopped spring onions for garnishing

Seasoning

2-3 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce [mushroom]

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar to taste [optional depending on the sauces used]

a few drops of dark soy sauce for colour

1/4 tsp pepper

1. Soak tofu puff in hot water for 5 minutes, drained in colander to cool then lightly squeezed to release excess water.  Cut halve or diagonally.
2. Fry ginger slices in oil until aromatic, then add in tofu puffs.  Continue to fry for 1-2 minutes.  Then add in sliced carrots.  Stir fry to combine all ingredients.
3. Add in seasoning and enough water to cover the ingredients.  Bring to boil, then lower heat to braise.  Cover with lid  to cook until carrots  are tender and water reduced to thick consistency.
4. Tastes to adjust seasoning.  Add spring onions now or use as garnishing.
5. Dish up, garnish with chopped spring onions.

MEATLESS DISH - STIR FRY CHINESE SPINACH WITH FIRM BEANCURD

Chinese Spinach also known as Puay Leng [Chinese Hokkien dialect], Bayam [in Malay], Por Choy [in Chinese Cantonese dialect] etc. Many people may not be a fan of this vegetable but it does have several benefits, such as for eye care, reduce oxidative stress, help prevent cancer, bone health, reduce blood pressure levels etc. It is an easy and quick cook vegetable suitable for young and old.

This dish can be served with rice or porridge for lunch or dinner. The ingredients can also be used to stir noodles of your choice. Meatless dish can also be tempting, healthy and delicious.

Vegetarian stir fry vegetables are versatile dishes where you can add other ingredients such as mushrooms [different varieties], tofu puff or tofu etc.  For non vegan, you can drizzle some cooking wine, it is alright.  For simplicity, you can just stick to the ingredients used here.

Ingredients

200 gm Chinese spinach - washed, cut into sections

2 pieces firm beancurd - cut thick strips

30 gm red carrot - peeled and cut thin slices

some chopped ginger [for vegetarians]

some chopped garlic [for non-vegetarians]

Seasoning

a few dashes of mushroom stock granules

salt to taste

dash of pepper

dash of sesame seed oil

1. Pan fry beancurd strips in a non stick pan until golden brown.  Push aside.
2. Add in chopped ginger or garlic.  Saute until aromatic.  Add in sliced carrots.
3. Continue to fry for a minute or two, then add in the vegetables.
4. Stir fry to mix ingredients well.  Add seasoning to taste.
5. Dish up to serve.

MEATLESS DISH-STIR FRY LOUFAH WITH TAU SEE

One lovely meatless dish to savour.  Loufah is a sponge gourd, high is potassium, dietary fibre and sugar.  It is a quick cook vegetable which has a natural sweetness when cooked and high water content.  It is not necessary to add water when frying loufah as it releases liquid when is cooked and soft.

This dish is aromatic, tasty and a tinge of spiciness with the dried chillies and ginger.  Great to serve with rice or porridge.  Lovely dish cooked vegetarian style.  It is alright to use dried prawns  as substitute for mock dried prawns.  Notice the liquid in the dish? 

Ingredients

1 medium size loufah [about 400 gm] - remove the green hard skin, cut into wedges

some red carrots - peeled and cut slices

2-3 dried red chillies - cut small sections and soaked to plump up, drained

some chopped ginger and garlic [I loved more for additional aroma]

1 tbsp dried fermented black beans [tau see] - rinsed and drained

2 tbsp vegetarian mock dried prawns [optional]

1-2 tbsp oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp mushroom sauce

1/2 tsp salt to taste

1/4 tsp mushroom stock granules

1. Prepare the ingredients as mentioned above.
2. Add oil to a non stick wok, put in mock dried prawns.  Turn to low heat, stir fry until golden brown [very quick].  Dish up, leaving oil in wok and set aside.
3. Using the same wok and oil, add in ginger, garlic, dried chillies to fry until aromatic.  Add in tau see and stir fry to mix well.  Dish up.
4. Using the same wok, put in loufah and red carrots.  Continue to stir fry until loufah is tender.  Return fried ginger, garlic ingredients.  Sprinkle some water, continue to fry until loufah is soft and cooked through.
5. Dish up, garnish with fried mock dried prawns.
6. Serve hot.

Meatless Dish-Braised Potatoes With White Carrots

Another meatless dish adapted from recipes on you-tube and recreated according to own tastes and preference. This dish tastes better after resting when the flavours are well absorbed. Easy dish to prepare. Goes well with rice or porridge.  You can cooked in small quantity or bigger portion depending on your needs.  It tastes savoury, sweet and sourish.  An appetising dish.

Ingredients

1 large potato - peeled and cut into 1 cm thick slices or wedges

1 small white carrot - peeled and cut wedges

a number of thick slices of ginger - lightly smashed [more if you love ginger]

some toasted sesame seeds

Seasoning

light soy sauce to taste

brown sugar to taste

vinegar to taste

water enough to cover and braise ingredients

1. Prepare the ingredients as abovementioned.
2. Heat oil in a non stick wok, pan fry potatoes until lightly brown or charred.
3. Push aside, add in ginger slices and carrots to fry until lightly brown or charred.
4. Push all ingredients aside.  Add in some brown sugar, let is melt to caramelise a little.  Then add in light soy sauce, give it a good stir to coat the fried ingredients well before adding enough water to braise ingredients until tender.  Add in vinegar.  Taste to adjust seasoning.  Taste should be savoury, sweet and sourish.  Add some dark soy sauce if you like a darker colour for this dish.
5. Braise until gravy is thick.  Dish up, garnish with toasted sesame seeds.