FRIED SHRIMP BALLS

This kind of shrimp balls is type which I remembered having them during my childhood days where the economy rice stalls used to sell them with a plain gravy.  They looked plain but tastes good. We paid about 20 cents for a few pieces with gravy and a plate of white rice.  This plate of goody was our breakfast and we never got tired eating them.

These shrimp balls are not crispy but they are chewy and has the aroma and taste of prawns.  Simple and nice.  You can just nibble them with satisfaction.

Recipe adapted from Chinese Cuisine Cookbook with modifications

Ingredients

[serves 6]

300 gm prawns - shelled and chopped fine

1/4 tsp each of msg, baking powder and ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cooking wine

1 egg

125 gm all purpose flour

2 tbsp water

1 tsp oil

1 tsp grated ginger

some chopped spring onions

1. Mix chopped prawns with the seasoning ingredients, then add in the egg.  Mix well before stirring in the flour, water and oil.
2. Lastly add in the chopped spring onions.  Lightly stir to combine.
3. Heat up enough oil in a wok or small saucepan [saves oil] over medium heat.  Drop batter by spoonfuls to fry until golden brown or cooked through.  Fry shrimp balls in batches.
4. Dish up and drain on kitchen paper.
5. Serve immediately with or without chilli sauce.
   

I am sharing this post with Cookbook Countdown Event #19 hosted by Joyce and Emily of Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking [Makan2] Foray respectively

BRAISED TAU PAU WITH FISH PASTE

This dish needs a little extra effort to prepare.  First, you need to prepare the paste for the filling, then the frying followed by the braising.  But, it isn't difficult if it is done step by step at different times.

The paste filling can be used to make fish balls for soups or noodles.  It can be stuffed in various vegetables like brinjals, okra, chillies, bittergourd or in soft/firm beancurd.  

Of course, this is a tasty and aromatic dish which is savoury and sourish.  The fresh tofu skin is tasty when it soaks up the seasoning sauce and fragrant.   

Ingredients for Paste

100 gm fish paste

50 gm prawn paste

50 gm minced meat

some chopped spring onions

Seasoning [mixed together]

1 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sesame seed oil

2 tbsp cold water

1 tbsp cornstarch

1. In a mixing bowl, combine fish paste, prawn paste and minced meat with seasoning.
2. Stir in a one direction into a sticky paste.  Add in the spring onions and mix well.  Shape into ball, place in a container and chill for at least 30 minutes or until required.
   
   

Other Ingredients

1 packet [10 pieces] fresh soya skin [tau pau] - defrost

some chopped garlic, ginger, red chilli and spring onions

Seasoning

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp wine

1 tbsp black vinegar

1/4 tsp sugar

2-3 tbsp water

1. Separate the fresh tofu skin and press out excess water.
2. Spread some prepared fish paste on a piece of taupau and top up with another piece.  Press lightly and set aside.  Finish doing the same for the rest.  Dust stuffed tofu skin with some cornflour before frying.
3. Heat up a non stick pan with enough oil to pan fry or deep fry the tofu skin until golden brown.  Dish up and set aside.
4. Remove excess oil from wok, saute ginger, garlic and red chilli until aromatic.  Add in seasoning sauce, bring to boil.  Return the fried  taupau pieces to the wok, braise until sauce is reduced slightly.
5. Dish up and garnish with chopped spring onion.  Serve immediately.
    
   
   

EZCR#78 - NIAN NIAN RU YEE XIA [STEAMED PRAWNS WITH GLASS NOODLES]

The name of this dish already implies that this is an auspicious Chinese New Year dish which is suitable to serve during reunion or CNY meals.

This dish not only has an auspicious name but it is really a tasty and delicious dish fit for CNY meals or other ocassions. The prawns are fresh, sweet and tasty with the steaming sauce. The glass noodles at the base soaks up the flavours, too. It is an awesome dish which I would love to prepare to serve with rice but it  can also be a delish One Dish Meal by adding more glass noodles [low calorie food].

Ingredients

[serves 3]

9-10 large prawns or mini lobsters – sliced lengthwise to open up

1-2 bundles of glass noodles – soaked and drained

3-4 chopped garlic

2 tbsp fried crispy garlic

Some shredded spring onion

Some shredded red chilli 

Seasoning

1 tbsp each of fish sauce, light soy sauce and wine

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp sugar

Dash of pepper

1. Mix both garlic with seasoning.
2. Place glass noodles in steaming bowl. Add in ½ portion of the seasoning mix, mix well with a pair of chopsticks. Arrange prawns neatly over glass noodles and pour balance garlic and seasoning on top.
3. Steam over high heat for 10-15 minutes or until noodles and prawns are cooked.
4. Garnish with spring onions and red chilli. Serve hot.
   

THAI FRIED NOODLES WITH PRAWNS

Kuay-teow Phad Thai Koong Sod aka Thai Fried Noodles with Prawns.  

This is quite an extraordinary char koay teow, different from the Malaysian famous CKT but more like the Indian Fried Koay Teow in tastes and ingredients.  Firm beancurd [taukwa] and ground peanuts are added to this noodle.  It tastes sourish and sweet because of the tamarind juice and gula melaka.  Overall, this is an appetising noodle which I like very much because of the taste.

Do give it a try and you will understand that the taste is close to that of Indian Kuay Teow Goreng.

Recipe adapted from a Thai cookbook 'Healthy and Easy Thai Cooking' [my selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event#9] with modifications.

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

500 gm fresh flat rice noodles [kuay teow]
3 eggs
9 medium size prawns - shelled with tail intact
2 pieces firm beancurd - cut strips
3 tbsp preserved salted radish [chai por] - rinsed and drained
3 tbsp cooking oil
3 tbsp ground toasted peanuts
1 tbsp chilli paste [chilli boh] or Thai chilli flakes
3 tbsp fish sauce
30 gm palm sugar
1 tbsp tamarind paste
4 tbsp water
1 cup beansprout
1 bunch chives [kucai] - cut 1 inch lengths

1. Boil fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind paste and water until fragrant and thick.  Strain and discard residue.
2. Heat oil in wok, pan fry beancurd until golden add in prawns to cook until firm.
3. Add in rice noodles and seasoning and chilli paste/flakes.  Toss well to combine ingredients and leave to fry for a minute before adding in eggs.
4. Stir lightly to loosen noodles, lastly add in beansprouts and chives.  Quickly stir fry to mix.
5. Dish up and garnish with some fresh beansprouts, chives and sprinkle ground toasted peanuts.

I'm sharing this post with Cookbook Countdown #9 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

THAI PRAWN OMELETTE

Thai Prawn Omelette aka Khai-jiaw Koong Sub in Thai is a really simple and easy omelette to prepare yet the result is awesome.  Unbelievably tasty and aromatic.  Here I used free range chicken eggs and the colour is lovely as you can see in the pictures below.

This omelette is good with rice and porridge, should be perfect with coconut milk rice [Nasi Lemak]  or any other flavoured rice.

Recipe adapted from a Thai Recipe Book translated into Bahasa Melayu. 

I ran through the whole book and realised that there could be some typo errors especially with the ingredients [the portion of seasoning is too much for the portion of other ingredients]. For example, 100 gm of flat rice noodles has 4 tablespoons each of fish sauce, tamarind juice and palm sugar syrup. Possible that it is a typo error, do correct me if I'm wrong so that I can daringly add in the seasoning next time when I prepare the dishes.

Anyway, the recipe below is alright.  The omelette is light and fluffy with nice crispy edges.  You can fry them into small omelette or just 1 big piece, it is okay.

Tips - the prawns can be substituted with minced meat and other herbs like basil leaves, kaffir lime leaves and red chillies.

Recipe adapted from Healthy and Easy Thai Cooking [my this month's selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event #9]

Ingredients

3 large eggs

50 gm prawns - coarsely chopped or keep whole

2 tsp fish sauce

some chopped spring onions or coriander leaves

enough oil for frying

1. Break eggs into a bowl, add in prawns and fish sauce.  Beat with a fork to mix.
2. Heat up a non-stick pan with some oil, for in the egg mixture to make an omelette or frying in batches according to preference. 
3. Cover to cook until the edges are firm, flip over to cook the other side until golden brown and edges are crispy.
4. Dish up to serve immediately.

I'm  sharing this post with Cookbook Countdown #9

hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray