PRAWN FRITTERS

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Ingredients:

(Recipe adapted from here)

500g medium-sized prawns

200g self-raising flour

1/3 tsp baking powder

200ml water

1 flat tsp salt

Pepper

Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Remove the head and shell of the prawn, leaving the tail intact.

2. Rinse and place the prawns in a sieve or basket. Chill in the fridge to allow the prawns to dry.

3. Season with half a teaspoon of salt.

4. Add some pepper.

5. Put back in the fridge for half an hour.

6. Sieve the self-raising flour.

7. Place self-raising flour, baking powder and remaining salt in bowl.

8. Add the water. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth.

9. Heat enough oil to submerge prawns.

10. Dip each prawn into the batter and place into hot oil over medium heat.

11. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown.

12. Place on kitchen paper to drain off excess oil. Serve hot.

THAI-STYLE CURRY CRAB PAU

Ingredients :
(Recipe adapted from The Straits Times)
100ml coconut milk
2 Tbs water
3 eggs
A pinch of ground black pepper
1 tsp fish sauce

For the crab:
2 large live Sri Lankan crabs, approximately 1kg each
30g salted butter
3 Tbs vegetable oil, more if needed
12 candlenuts, finely chopped
4 Tbs dried shrimps, finely chopped
15 shallots, peeled and chopped into chunks
15 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped into chunks
8 Tbs Indian seafood curry paste, which can be bought from any goods stores in wet markets
Salt to taste
2 large red onions, peeled and chopped into quarters
1.5 large tomatoes, cut into quarters
5 large red chillies, seeded and chopped into quarters
5 large green chillies, seeded and chopped into quarters
Leaves from 5 stalks of Thai basil
200ml hot water

For garnish :
3 stalks spring onions, cut into 6cm-long pieces


Method:

1. Stir the coconut milk with the water and set aside.
2. Beat the eggs with black pepper and fish sauce.  Set aside.
3. Remove the carapace of the crabs and wash the insides.  Remove the grey strips on the body and rinse crabs under running water.  Chop off the pincers and chop the bodies in half.  Lightly crack the pincers so that the sauce can infuse the meat during cooking.
4. Set a large wok over medium heat.  Melt the butter together with the vegetable oil.
5. When the butter has melted, add in the candlenut and dried shrimps and try till golden brown and fragrant.  Constantly stir the mixture to ensure that the ingredients do not burn.
6. Turn the heat down to low and add the shallots and garlic (above).  Stir fry for about 3mins, or until fragrant.
7. Add the curry paste. If it sticks to the wok, add in a bit more oil.  Stir fry until aromatic.
8. Add in half the coconut milk mixture and stir.  Add salt to taste.
9. Add the crabs, onion, tomatoes, red and green chillies and Thai basil leaves.  Turn the heat up to medium and stir fry for 2mins
10. Add the hot water and put a lid on the wok.  Allow to simmer for 3mins.
11. Remove from heat and set on a serving plate.  Garnish with spring onions.

Serves 4 to 6

(Changes : I adjusted the ingredients slightly to achieve a dry version of curry crab and used it as a filling for the pau)

SATAY

Ingredients for satay:
(Recipe adapted from here)
2 – 2 1/2 pounds chicken thigh cut into 2.5cm x 2.5cm pieces
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
½ tsp dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons cooking oil
wooden skewers – soak in water for an hour 

To blend :   
3 shallots
2 candlenuts (buah keras)
2 cloves of garlic
3 cm fresh turmeric or 2 tsp turmeric powder
2 cm ginger
2 lemongrass
2 cm galangal (lengkuas)
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tsp fennel seed (jintan manis) - dry roast over low heat till fragrant
1 teaspoon cummin seed (jintan putih) - dry roast over low heat till fragrant
 
1. Mix sugar, honey, cooking oil and salt into the blended ingredients to form a paste.
2. Rub paste mixture into the chicken cubes and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours 3. Thread seasoned meat onto the wooden skewers.
4. Grill over char- coal fire or under hot grill. You can lightly base the meat with some oil while grilling to avoid drying out.
5. Serve with peanut sauce, cucumbers and onion cut into wedges and press rice. 

Ingredients for Peanut Sauce: 350 gram ground roasted peanuts
6 shallots
10 dried red chilies – soaked in hot water until soft
2 lemongrass – smash
1 tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
5 tbsp brown sugar
½ cup coconut milk
1 tbsp tamarind paste
3 cups water
Salt to taste 

Method:
1. Ground the chilies, shallots, and cumin and coriander seeds into paste. Set it aside.
2. In a medium size pot, add in about ½ cup of vegetable oil. Add in the ground paste, stir fry until fragrant and paste turns into darker color.
3. Add in the lemongrass, tamarind paste, coconut milk, water, sugar, salt and ground peanuts. Bring it up to boil and turn down the heat.
4. Let it simmer until sauce thickens or to the consistency of your likings. Check seasonings and see if it needs extra sugar.
5. Serve with satay. 
 

OKONMIYAKI JAPANESE SAVOURY PANCAKE

Ingredients:
(Recipe adapted from here)

(serves 2)
4 to 5 small round cabbage leaves, thinly shredded

1/2 carrot, grated
1 tsp grated ginger (I omitted this)
Your choice of "other ingredients"
( I used sakura ebi~lightly toasted, ngoh hiang~sliced, chopped spring onion) (I used ham)
1/2 cup plain flour 

80 to 90ml water or dashi stock (I used water + 1 tsp dashi stock powder)
1 egg
Salt/pepper to taste 

Toppings:
1 egg, beaten 
Okonomi sauce - enough to spread on pancake
Japanese mayonnaise
Bonito flakes (I omitted this) 
Spring onion, chopped   

Method:

1) In a bowl, whisk together the flour, egg and water (or dashi stock).  Stir in the shredded cabbages, grated carrot, grated ginger, some chopped spring onion and sakura ebi.  Season with a little salt/pepper. 

(Note:  Keep some chopped spring onion and sakura ebi as garnish.)

2) Heat up a frying pan over medium heat and add a little oil to the pan.  Pour in the prepared batter and flatten to form a round thick pancake ~ about 1.5cm thick.  Arrange the sliced ngoh hiang on the pancake.  Cover and cook the pancake for about 2 minutes.  Remove cover and shake the pan a little.  As you shake the pan, listen for a crispy sound at the bottom of the cooked side and check that the batter has set.  Flip over the pancake, cover and cook the other side till golden brown.

(Note:  If you flip the pancake before the batter has set properly, it may break into pieces.)

3) Slide the pancake onto a plate.  With the remaining oil in the pan (or add a little more oil, if necessary), pour in the beaten egg.  Quickly slide the pancake back into the pan, so that the fried egg will stick nicely on the pancake.  Cover and cook for about another minute.  When you remove the cover, the pancake will be nice and thick.  Flip the pancake over again, so that the fried egg is on top.

4) Spread the okonomi sauce on the pancake.  Next, squeeze mayonnaise, sprinkle bonito flakes and the remaining chopped spring onion and sakura ebi over the pancake.  Serve the pancake immediately.

 

MUAH CHEE

  

Ingredients :

(Recipe adapted from here)

(serves 4)
200g glutinous rice flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used 1/4 tsp of salt)
1 tablespoon shallot oil
250ml water
1 teaspoon shallot oil for brushing
150g roasted peanut powder (I used ready made ones)
40g toasted sesame
75g granulated sugar

Method:

1. To make shallot oil, thinly slice 2 shallots, fry with 4 tablespoons oil (about two parts of oil to 1 part of shallot) till golden brown. Leave to cool.
2. Mix glutinous rice flour, sugar, salt, shallot oil and water in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine, make sure flour mixture is completed dissolved.
3. Pour the mixture into a deep dish (I used a 8" corelle dinner plate). Steam over medium heat for about 25mins. Test the centre to ensure it is cooked through. Brush the surface with shallot oil and leave to cool.
4. Mix peanut powder, toasted sesame and granulated sugar in a plate. (Note: I only used up half the portion of the peanut mixture).
5. When ready to serve, scoop small pieces of muah chee with a spoon and toss them in the peanut powder mixture. Serve immediately.

FRIED CARROT CAKE

Ingredients:
(Recipe adapted from here)
150g raddish shredded 
100g carrot shredded -  squeezed dry
3 tbsp chai por (preserved raddish) soaked in water for a while and throw away water
3 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
600g rice flour
1.5 litre of water + 1 cup water + ½ cup water (or 1/3 cup also can)

1. Mix all the water with the flour.
2. Heat some oil in a wok and fry chai por. Add in raddish and carrot and fry for a while. Add in about ¼ cup of water and fry until it gets dry. Mix rice flour solution well and pour into wok slowly.
3. Add some pepper, the salt and sugar. Mix well and cook until mixture starts to curdle up at medium heat.
4. Pour into a greased baking tin and smoothen with the back of a spoon.
5. Steam on high heat for 45 minutes immediately.
6. If there is water on the carrot cake after steaming, pour it away. Leave it to cool down totally before using it.

How to fry black carrot cake.

1. Cut the cool carrot cake into small pieces.
2. Add some oil in a wok, add some minced garlic and fry for a while. Add in carrot cake and fry until a bit brown. Add in some soaked chai por and fry some more. Beat two eggs in a bowl and add it into the carrot cake and let it set a little before stirring. Add in sweet black sauce and fry. If you like it more salty you can add some fish sauce when frying.
Note: I like the black carrot cake a little wet, so I added some water after adding the sweet black sauce to fry until it has become softer and wetter. Before serving, you can sprinkle some chopped spring onion on top.

CHAR SIEW PAU

Ingredients:
(Pau dough recipe adapted from here. Please refer to the video on how to pleat the pau)

For the Tangzhong starter:
(I made half the recipe)
2 1/2 tbsp/25 g pau flour
125 ml water

For the pau :
(I made half the recipe)
 All the Tangzhong starter
240 ml water(do not use all, leave 2 tbsp for adjustment - you might have to use more than this amount)
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp shortening
1 ¼ tsp double action baking powder
3 1/2 cups/480 - 500 gms pau flour
1 ½ tsp instant yeast

For the Tangzhong Starter :
(I followed the boiling method found here)

A Tangzhong starter / Water roux starter is a mixture of flour and water. That is to combine together 1 portion of flour with 5 portions of water.

In a bowl, whisk together the water and the flour until the mixture is well blended and lump free.

Stir the mixture while it cooks over the medium heat to reach 65C/150F (like till thick porridge). It takes about 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and cover with plastic wrap to prevent from drying.

Store the starter in the refrigerator after it has completely cooled down.

To use the starter, measure out the amount called for in a recipe and let it warm to room temperature.

For pau:

Put all the ingredients into the breadmachine bowl starting with the list above accordingly, starting with the starter and ending with the yeast on top of the flour. 
Choose the dough function on the bread machine and press start.

In the initial stage of kneading, check if the dough is binding, add the remaining 2 tbsps of water or add more if necessary.  Do not add too much as if the dough is too soft, the pau will not have a nice shape.

Prepare the filling while the breadmachine is having all the fun.

When the fun is over in about 1 1/2 hour, the breadmachine will beep and you can start shaping the paus.

Cut into equal portions and roll all the portions into a very thin circle before wrapping in filling.

Wrap the first circle and so forth.

Let it rise for 20 minutes.

Heat up the steamer and when water is rolling hot, steam small buns for 7 - 8 minutes and big ones for 12 - 15 minutes.

 For char siew fillings:
 (Recipe adapted from here)

1 heap tbsp cornflour
200ml water
1 tbsp hoi sin sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp cooking wine
2 - 3tsp sugar
pinch of ground pepper

about 175g char siew pork, diced  (I used my own pork recipe)
2 -3 shallots, chopped
a little cooking oil

Method :

1. Mix cornflour with water then add the rest of the flavouring ingredients.
2. Heat oil then fry the shallot till softened. Then add in the mixed liquid. Cook till thickened.
3. Add in char siew and heat off.
4. Leave the fillings to cool.

 

 

CHAR SIEW PORK

Ingredients :
(Recipe adapted from The Straits Times - Life Section)

1kg pork neck, sliced into long strips
2 Tbs light soya sauce
2 Tbs dark soya sauce
2 Tbs oyster sauce
2 Tbs honey
6 Tbs white sugar
1/2 Ng Chee Lee char siew powder (optional red food colouring for the char siew, can be bought from spice shops in wet market) (I omitted this)

Method :
1.  Place the pork in a wide and deep dish.  Mix well with the light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, oyster sauce, honey, white sugar and char siew powder.

2.  Leave to marinate for about 4 to 6 hrs, or overnight in the freezer.

3.  When ready to cook, pour the pork and marinate into a wok.

4.  Cook the pork on high heat for about 15 to 20 minutes with the wok lid on.  Stir occasionally to make sure that the meat is evenly coated with the marinade.  The char siew is ready when most of the marinade has been reduced to a thick gravy and the meat is caramelised.

5.  Transfer the char siew to a rectangular baking dish.  Spoon the remaining gravy over the pork.

6.  Place the dish on the lowest rack in the oven, set to grill mode.  Grill the char siew for 3 to 5 mins, then remove from the oven and flip the meat with a pair of tongs, and cook the other side for another 3 to 5 mins.  You can grill the char siew for a few minutes more, if you prefer it to be more charred.

7.  Slice the char siew to serve with rice, and spoon the remaining gravy over the char siew and rice.

DIM SUM PRAWN ROLLS

Ingredients :
(Recipe adapted from here)

(makes 10 rolls)
250gm prawn meat ( after deshell weight ) my prawns are quite big, each prawn i sectioned into 3
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
60g fish paste
2 water chestnuts, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp cornflour
slightly more than 1/2 tsp of salt (I reduced to a 1/8 tsp)
1/2 tsp of chicken powder (I reduced to 1/8 tsp)
few drops of sesame oil and some white pepper
a small sprig of coriander leaves, chopped (I used spring onions)

1 large sheet of beancurd sheet, cut into 10 pieces of 9cmx12cm
1 tbsp of flour and 3 tbsps of water mixed together for sealing purpose

Method :
1.After cleaning the prawns, pat them dry and mix them with sugar and baking soda for 20 minutes. Rinse them and pat them dry.

2.Mix the prawn meat , fish paste, water chestnuts and the rest of the ingredients well and keep in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3.Place some fillings onto each small piece of beancurd sheet, brush the edges with the flour water solution and roll them up, pinch the sides a little. (I soaked the beancurd sheet in water as it is too saltish)

4. Deep fry them till they are slightly golden.

KOU ROU BAO

Ingredients :
(Recipe adapted from here)

Makes 10-12 buns
1kg whole piece pork belly
5g dried red chillies, seeded
5 cloves garlic
5 star anise
5 slices of ginger
15 whole white peppercorns
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 tablespoons light soy sauce, plus 2 extra tablespoons
4 tablespoon sugar, plus 2 extra tablespoons
1 tablespoon cornflour, mixed with 60ml (1/4 cup) water
some 5-spice powder (I added this)

(I omitted these ingredients)
½ cucumber, thinly sliced
30g toasted peanuts, finely chopped
A handful of coriander leaves
Sriracha hot sauce, optional
Pickled Carrot
2 large carrots
1 cup hot water
½ cup rice wine vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt

Gua Bao Dough
200ml water, at room temperature
7g dry yeast
150g high gluten wheat flour (see note), plus extra for dusting
150g low gluten wheat flour
10g dry milk powder
4 tablespoons caster sugar
A pinch of salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda

Method
1. Prepare pickled carrot a day or a week before. Mix hot water, vinegar, sugar and salt together, stir well until all sugar has dissolved. Julienne carrots into matchstick size about 5cm in length then put them in an airtight sealed jar. Pour the solution into the jar until all carrots are fully submerged. Close lid and keep in the refrigerator up to a month. The carrot taste better after they’ve been pickling for 3 to 4 days.
2. Put the whole piece of pork belly, skin side up, in a large saucepan and fill it with 2 liters of water or until about an inch high from the skin of the pork. Bring it to the boil on high heat, skim out all the impurities floating on the surface.
3. Turn heat down to a simmer, add garlic, ginger, red chillies, peppercorns, soy sauces and sugar, give it all a stir until the sugar has dissolved. Let it braise for 1.5 hours or until the pork is melting tender but not falling apart. Remove the pork from the stock and transfer to a plate, set aside to let it cool down.
4. Meanwhile, to make sweet sauce, strain 2 cups (250ml) of the braising stock into a small saucepan, add 2 tablespoons each of light soy sauce and sugar then bring to boil. Reduce the liquid by half, stir in cornflour water until it thickens. Remove from heat, set aside until ready to be used.
5. Once the pork is cool enough to handle, cut it into thin slices about 5-7mm thickness. Put the meat back in the stock, close the lid and keep warm until ready to be used.
6. To make the bun dough, add yeast to water and let it activate for 10 minutes or until frothy. Add the remaining dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand-mixer with a dough hook. Pour the yeast water into the bowl and start mixing on low speed until it forms a rough dough. Keep kneading the dough for another 5 minutes until the dough feels smooth and elastic. Grease a bowl with oil and put dough inside, cover with cling film and let it rest for 1 hour until the dough has doubled in size.
7. Punch the air out of the dough, transfer it to a floured surface and spread it out into a 40cmx15cm rectangle, then roll it into a tight log. Cut the log into 12 equal size pieces, about 35-40 grams each. Flatten each dough then roll them up into balls. Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, cover with tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. It will double in size again.
8. In the mean time, cut out twelve 8cmx8cm squares of baking paper. Take one dough and using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 8cmx15cm oval shape, dip a chopstick in vegetable oil and place it in the center of the oval, fold it in half then pull the chopstick out. Place the bun on a square of baking paper and put it back on the baking tray, repeat with the rest of the dough. Once completed, cover with tea towel and let it proof for another 30 minutes.
9. Set up a steamer over simmering water, in batches and steam the buns for 10 minutes.
10. To assemble, remove paper from the bun and peel it open, layer the bun with cucumber slices, pickled carrot, slices of pork belly and coriander. Slather with sweet sauce and Sriracha sauce, then sprinkle with peanuts. (I omitted this)

STEAMED RED BEAN BUNS

Steamed Buns with Red Bean Paste
(Recipe adapted from here)

Ingredients:
(makes 12)
300g Hong Kong pau flour
3g baking powder
3g instant yeast
30g caster sugar
160ml water
15g vegetable oil

240g red bean paste

Method:

1. Sieve Hong Kong pau flour and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Add yeast, caster sugar and mix well.
2. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture, add in water and mix to form a dough. Transfer dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough until it becomes smooth (about 5 mins). Knead in the vegetable oil and continue to knead for another 10-15 mins or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.  Take a piece of dough  (about the size of a table tennis ball) and stretch it, you should be able to stretch it  to a fairly thin membrane without tearing off easily, if not continue to knead for another 5 to 10mins.
3. Roll dough into a smooth round, place in a lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and let it proof for about 1 hr or until it doubles in bulk.
4. Punch down the dough and give a few light kneading to release the trapped air bubbles. Divide the dough into 12 portions (about 40g each). Roll each portion into a smooth round.
5. Flatten each dough into a small disc with your palm or a small rolling pin, make the edges thinner and the centre portion thicker. Wrap each dough with 20g of red bean paste. Pinch and seal the seams. Place dough seam side down on a square piece of parchment paper. Cover loosely with cling wrap and leave buns to proof for 20-25 mins.
6. Place buns in a steamer and space them apart so that they do not touch one another. Steam at medium to high heat for 12mins (make sure the water is already boiling before steaming). When ready, remove the lid carefully to prevent water from dripping over the buns. Remove immediately and serve warm. Keep any leftovers in fridge (covered with cling wrap or store in airtight containers) and re-steam till hot before serving.

PUMPKIN MANTOU

Method:
(Recipe adapted from here)

1. cut pumpkin into small pcs. Steam till soft. Mash it while still hot. Set aside till cool before used.
2. Add water and yeast together. Mix well.
3. In a bowl add in flour, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil.
4. Add 2 in 3. Mix well. Knead till you get a smooth dough.
5. Rest dough for 5 minutes.
6. Roll out the dough into rectangle shape (or any shapes you like. I made mine into a rose). Brush some water on top of the surface.
7. Roll up the dough like a swiss roll. (I rolled mine into a rose)
8. cut into small pcs and put the small mantou on the wax paper.
9. Put the mantou in the steamer and proof for 15 minutes.
10. Steam on medium fire for 15 mins. (I actually used 30 minutes to proof)