Traditional Mooncake 传统莲蓉月饼

Mooncake / Mid-Autumn festival is approaching soon, another 2 weeks to go. This year i managed to make my own mooncake at home. I was so confident and thought that it shouldn't have any problem for me to make this traditional baked mooncake as those recipes i have sound easy....But it turned out i have to re-do few batches to get a success baked mooncake!

This was my 1st baked- the skin all cracked and the crust was hard.
I immediately run to the bakery ingredients shop where i bought the mooncake ingredients and asked to the shop worker for what reason for a cracked mooncake. Then only i realized that I did not wait for the half cooked mooncake to cool down then only apply egg wash. Check out below recipes for more tips to get a success mooncake.

wrap lotus paste (with matcha powder) with dough, check below recipes on how to wrap...




one hand holding the mooncake and another hand take picture, not bad huh, hehehe..

These are half-cooked mooncakes (before apply egg wash), and I only have these two patterns

I don't really fancy mooncake because it's sweetness, but i still like to learn how to make this..

I was made reference to  鲸鱼蓝蓝蓝 and Anncoo Journal recipes and worker from the bakery shop with minor changes.

Traditional baked mooncake 传统莲蓉月饼
*makes 4 mooncakes x 3” diameter


120g Hong Kong flour水仙粉
72g golden syrup 糖浆
32g peanut oil 花生油
1/2tsp Alkaline water 碱水


440g lotus paste 莲蓉馅
Some melon seeds 瓜子


Egg wash- Add 1tbsp milk and 1tbsp water into 1 egg yolk, lightly stir well


Method
1. Sifted flour in a mixing bowl.
2. Mix syrup, peanut oil and Alkaline water, slowly pour into flour.
3. Use a spatula to mix till form a soft dough. Cover and rest it for 20mins.
4. Weight lotus paste 110g each and add melon seeds together, roll into a ball.
5. Weight dough 55g each and roll into a ball.
6. Flatten the dough ball and place a lotus paste ball on top, wrap and seal the dough by slowly push the dough until totally cover the whole lotus paste ball. Slightly shape into a ball again.
7. Dush some flour on the mooncake mould, knock out excess flour.
8. Place mooncake inside the mould, flatten dough to conform to shape of mould.
9. Knock the mooncake mould on solid surface and slowly remove the mooncake and place on a baking pan.
10. Bake at a pre-heated oven at 180c for 7mins.
11. Remove mooncake from oven and set aside to cool for at least 15mins.
12. Apply egg wash (either top only or top & sides) and bake at preheated oven at 170c for 15mins.
13. Remove mooncake from oven, immediately transfer to wire rack to cool. Serve after 1-2 days in room temperature as to let the skin soften.


** reduce lotus paste weight to 80g if you intend to add 1 salted egg yolk. Add matcha powder if you want green tea flavour of lotus paste.

My note- i still feel the mooncake crust slightly hard if compare to store-bought's mooncake, i suspected the egg wash made the crust turned hard. But without egg wash, it will not look glossy !!  Anyway, the crust will turn softer after 24hrs...so the egg wash is not an issue now..

Happy Baking !!

Slim white loaf (17hrs pre-fermention method ) 17 中种

Finally I managed to carry back this cute, slim and long pullman tin (长版纯手工土司盒) from Shanghai, immediately try out the basic white loaf recipe. I can even use this tin to bake cake, in fact this is a very good quality of pullman tin..This recipe is using 17hrs pre-fermnetion method, and resulted a very soft and moist bread.

My son Lucas was so excited to see this cute loaf ..the size of this loaf is 2"x2"x9"..

This is a non-stick tin, no problem at all to remove the loaf from the tin after baked.

The loaf is very soft even keep till the next day.

Basic white loaf
(recipe source: adapted from 茄子袅袅烘焙香 with minor changes)
*makes a 2”x2”x9” loaf

Pre-ferment Dough (17hrs method)
105g High protein flour/bread flour
55g water
1/2tsp active dry yeast


Method
1. Add flour and yeast in a mixing bowl.
2. Gradually add in water and knead till well combine.
3. Cover the dough in cling wrap or a big zip log bag
4. Refrigerate to let it prove for 17 hours or up to 72hrs.


Main dough
45g High protein flour/bread flour
1/4tsp active dry yeast
15g caster sugar
35g-40g full cream milk
10g butter


Method
1. Combine flours, sugar, milk and yeast together in a mixing bowl.
2. Tear the pre-ferment dough into pieces and add to the bowl.
3. Using a stand electric mixer, mix on low speed, adding milk gradually.
4. Mix until dough is well combined and leave the sides of bowl.
5. Add in the butter and mix on medium speed until dough is smooth and stretchable.
6. Shape dough into a ball, leave to proof for 30mins or until doubled
7. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Flatten each portion with your hands to drive the air out. Roll the dough up like swiss roll. Arrange into the Pullman tin.
8. Cover and let rest until the dough has risen to 80 to 90% of the depth of the loaf tin
9. You can either cover the lid or bake it open top. If open top, brush with egg wash. Bake in 170C for 30 minutes.


You can use this basic calculation if you wish to make bigger loaf:-


Pre-ferment Dough (17hrs method)
70% High protein flour/bread flour
37% water
2% active dry yeast


Main dough
30% High protein flour/bread flour
1% active dry yeast
10% caster sugar
23%-30% full cream milk (adjust accordingly)
7% butter


Example of the calculation based on this loaf which used only 150g flour:-
70% High protein flour/bread flour ( 0.7 x 150=105g)
37% water (0.37x 150=55g)

** you can get this tin from taobao online store, check here..

Happy Baking !!

Homemade ketupat daun palas

This year I making my own ketupat daun palas (It is made from glutinous rice that has been wrapped in a woven fan palm (Licuala) pouch and boiled). I was lucky met a makcik (auntie) in pasar (wet market) and she was so kind taught me how to make this ketupat daun palas. She also showing me on the spot how to wrap the ketupat pouch. This daun palas only cost me RM 2.00 (USD0.60) which can make around 35 ketupat.

See the leaf of daun palas before and after open, it can be open so widely! I slice into two pieces as i prefer smaller size of ketupat. The leaves need to open and wipe clean as you will find some hairy husks.

You also need to roll them up to make the leaf more flexible and easy to wrap.

Stuff the ketupat pouch with half cooked glutinous rice.

After a series of twisted and turned, here were the finished ketupat daun palas i made.

cooked ketupat palas

Ketupat daun Palas
(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)
*makes 35pcs

400g glutinous rice
1 and ¼ cup of coconut milk
1tsp salt

Daun palas

Method
1. Cook rice, coconut milk and salt in a rice cooker or steam the rice till half cooked.
2. Fill in half cooked rice into ketupat pouch and wrap accordingly.
3. Boiled ketupat in hot water over low heat for 1-2 hours.
4. Drain and let it cool down for several hours before serve.



I managed to capture a video when makcik showing how to wrap the ketupat pouch...

Eventhough this was my 1st time making ketupat palas, i was satisfied with the taste and perfect when serve this with Beef rendang or Chicken rendang , YUM YUM!!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my Muslim readers Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri Maaf Zahir dan batin, drive safely when balik kampung ! For non-Muslims, Happy Holidays!

Beef Rendang

Today i cooked Beef Rendang and serve with my favourite Ketupat daun palas(It is made from glutinous rice that has been wrapped in a woven fan palm (Licuala) pouch and boiled). Now is the best time to cook these dishes as the local wet warket is flooded with all herbs and ketupat leaves since Hari Raya (Muslim festival) is just around the corner.

I even made Kerisik (toasted coconut) from the scratch..just fry fresh coconut in a pan (without oil) till fragrant and golden brown..

This time I use pressure cooker to cook this rendang, quick and save time. Thanks to my SIL Annie given me this good gift.

Beef Rendang
(recipe source : by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)


600g beef cubes
1 turmeric leave, shredded finely
6 kaffir lime leaves, torn few pieces
3 lemongrass, pounded and torn
1 and ½ cup coconut milk
1pc tamarind peel
7tbsp kerisik (toasted coconut)
4 tbsp cooking oil

Spice ingredients
1 big onion
4 shallots
4 garlics
1” ginger
2" fresh turmeric
small piece of galangal (blue ginger)
3 lemongrass (white part only)
2tbsp homemade chili paste or 15pcs dried chilies (boiled in hot water and de-seeded)

2tbsp palm sugar or to taste
1 and 1/2tsp salt or taste

Method
1. Blend spice ingredients till smooth paste.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker/pot, add spice paste and sauté till aroma.
3. Add in beef cube, lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaves, mix well.
4. Add in coconut milk and tamarind peel, stir to blend well.
5. If use pressure cooker, once 2nd ring rise, turn heat to low, and cook for 25mins.
6. If use normal pot, simmer for 1-1/2hour.
7. Add in kerisik, seasoning with salt and sugar, adjust taste accordingly.
8. Constantly stir till gravy thicken.
9. Serve with nasi lemak, or ketupat or steamed rice.

** please refer to ingredients page if you want to see those ingredients photos.

If you don't take beef, then you can try Chicken Rendang.
I will share with you how to make Ketupat daun Palas in my next post ...

Nanxiang steamed dumplings, Shanghai China 南翔漪园小笼馆

We went to the famous Yuyuan Garden Shanghai, before i share with you the garden's photos, today i share with you first the famous steamed dumplings in this garden, Nanxiang steamed dumplings.

There were so many peoples waiting for a seat, no choice, we purchased by queue up in long line, i think we waited for 45mins...

All dumplings were freshly made on the spot.

Actually the dumpling was not that impressed, no doubt the filling is fresh and good, but the dumpling's skin is a bit thick...But the price is good, RMB 20 (RM 10) for 16pcs of pork & crab dumplings.

I captured a video to show you how fast the worker wrap the dumplings..

Shanghai stir-fried noodles, Shanghai wet market

I just prepared this Shanghai stir-fried noodles for lunch today, using the noodles that i bought from a wet market in Shanghai, only cost me RMB 6.00 per kg (RM 3)..

I like to visit local wet market whenever i on vacation to another country, this is the best place to experience how the local living and enjoy the local foods..We went to this wet market after we took breakfast in one of the noodles shop nearby the hotel we stayed..

We also tried one of their daily breakfast i.e fresh soy bean and steamed paus..and price for one pau only cost RMB 1 (RM 0.50), so cheap ! and the paus skin very soft and good indeed..

This Chinese lady was weighing the dried noodles that i bought..

Shanghai stir-fried noodles
(recipe souce: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)
*serves 5 persons

400g Shanghai dried noodles
6pcs dried Shitake mushrooms, soaked in cold water till soft, sliced
200g green mustard
50g carrot, shredded
100g fresh prawn
100g chicken meat, sliced
3 fish cakes, sliced
3 garlic, chopped
3 shallots, chopped

5tbsp cooking oil
1 and 1/2cup of chicken stock/water

Seasonings
1 and 1/2tbsp oyster sauce
1tbsp dark soy sauce
1tbsp dark caramel sauce
1tsp salt or taste
A dash of white pepper

Method
1. In a pot of boiling water, add dried noodles and cook till about 80% cooked, drain in cold bath and set aside.
2. Heat cooking oil in a wok over high heat, sauté chopped garlic and shallots till aroma.
3. Add prawn, meat, fish cake and carrot, cook through.
4. Add chicken stock and seasoning, bring to boil.
5. Add noodles and green mustard and toss until well mixed.
6. Dish out when noodles almost absorbed all the gravy. Enjoy!
** My blogger friend Quay Po also cooked very nice Shanghai noodles, check out here..

Happy Cooking !!