Chinese Crispy Fried Stuffed Eggplants 炸香酥酿茄子

I saw a crispy fried eggplant photo shared by Nami Just One Cookbook in her Instagram, she had this dish in a Chinese restaurant. I know it must be very delicious, as I always prefer eggplant to be deep fried. So I created this recipe and it was well received by my family, even my kids not fancy with eggplant, also gave thumbs up.

 

stuffed eggplants before deep fry

 

after deep fried

 

Love the taste of the sweet sauce that I mix and match, sour,salty and sweet, perfectly matched with this crispy fried stuffed eggplants.

Chinese Crispy Fried Stuffed Eggplants 炸香酥酿茄子

2 long eggplants 

Stuffed ingredients

200g minced pork

1tsp Chinese rice wine

1tsp light soy sauce

White pepper

A pinch of salt 

For the sweet sauce

3tbsp water

2tbsp sugar

1tbsp tomato ketchup

1tbsp dark vinegar

1tsp dark soy sauce

1tsp light soy sauce

1/4tsp Worcestershire sauce

A pinch of salt 

For coating – 2 egg white, rice flour or corn flour , or crispy batter recipe here

Method

1. Cut eggplant slanted about 3cm into few pieces, then cut the middle of the eggplant almost but not all the way through.
2. Mix well the stuffed ingredients, then stuffed into each of the eggplant.
3. Dip eggplant in the egg white, then coat with rice flour, deep fry till golden brown.
4. Cook the sweet sauce in a saucepan, spread the sweet sauce over deep fried eggplants. Enjoy while hot..

Recipe by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

Peach Tangyuan 仙桃汤圆 Glutinous rice balls (steamed method)

I just like to make something difference from the usual Tang yuan (glutinous rice balls) , this Tang Yuan shape it to look like a peach, filling is red bean paste, and using steaming method instead of cooking in the sweet soup. Anyway, it still tasted like normal Tang Yuan or I would say it close to muachi..Chinese people like Peach or 仙桃 as it means Longevity长寿 and Prosperity幸福.

 

 

 

 

My son said I shaped them look more like a Hong Pi Ku (red butt) than look like a peach, LOL !!

 

Peach Tangyuan 仙桃汤圆 Glutinous rice balls (steamed method)

*makes about 10pcs 

150g glutinous rice flour

1tsp caster sugar

100g hot boiling water

 

100g red bean paste

Red food colouring

Matcha powder

 

Toothpicks

Butter knife 

 

Method

1. Add glutinous rice flour and sugar in a mixing bowl.

2. Slowly pour in hot boiling water, use a wood spatula to mix well, then knead till a smooth dough.

3. Take two small dough, one add in red colour and another add in matcha powder.

4. Weight red bean paste 10g each, roll into ball. Take plain dough, weight 15g, roll into ball. Pinch a small pink dough, roll into ball.

5. Brush water on the plain dough, then place the small pink dough at the centre, flatten to become a disc, wrap in red bean ball, shape into ball.

6. Use the butter knife, imprint a line to look like peach shape. Roll two small pieces of green dough then flatten it to look like leaf. Brush water on the dough, stick green leaf on the centre of plain dough, use a toothpick to make the few lines to look like leaf pattern.

7. Place them on a steaming plate that wrapped with cling film. Steam for 10mins.

8. Remove from steamer, immediately brush with some oil to prevent it stick to each other. 

Recipe inspired from here, by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all a Happy Dongzhi Festival 冬至快乐 !!

Hong Kong Style Swiss Chicken Wings 瑞士汁雞翼



Hong Kong Style Swiss chicken wings 瑞士汁雞翼 is a popular dish in Hong Kong but I missed to try out this dish during my visit to Hong Kong last time. Anyway, I tried out this dish the other day, it was succulent and delicious (enjoy it while hot, when turned cooled, it tasted hard ). This dish name called  瑞士汁雞翼 not because it came from Switzerland (瑞士 in Chinese). According to here, In 1860, there’s a HK style Western restaurant called Tai Ping Koon Restaurant (太平館餐廳).  The founder invented a sweet soy type of wings.  A tourist tried it and adored it.  He asked the waiter about the name of the dish.  The waiter’s reply was “Sweet Wings…”.  Due to confusion of Chinglish, the tourist mistaken it as “Swiss Wings”.  Therefore, the funny name has since lasted until the modern days.

 

I adapted this recipe from Hong Kong famous foodie 阿蘇 . And I remembered one of her braised chicken recipe, she use this type of mushroom flavoured of soy sauce, as she said this type of soy sauce able to get nice dark beautiful colour after braised. ..And don't worry it will not taste the mushroom taste..

 

The challenge of this Swiss chicken wings is to get the right taste, the chicken wings must not taste overly sweet instead it has to taste with a bit of saltiness.

Hong Kong Style Swiss chicken wings 瑞士汁雞翼

12 chicken mid-wings ( or more)

1cup soy sauce (superior dark soy sauce)

1cup water
200g rock sugar
1 spring onion, cut 1” lengthwise
3 slices ginger
2 star anise
1tbsp Shaoxing wine
 

Method

1. Bring water to a boil and immerse wings and let boil for 1min. Put the wings in a bath of ice water as this will make the skin tasted crunchy and not easy broken.
2. Add all ingredients in a large pot, bring to boil over medium heat.
3. Turn off the heat, and put the chicken wings ( skin side down) and cover the lid, and stand for 10mins.Turn the wings once and stand for another 10mins to ensure all sides are nicely coated with the sauce. (If you feel the sauce is cooling down, turn on to low heat. Turn off the heat once it has turned hot).
4. Serve immediately once done. You may use the same stock (frozen it) and repeating making this chicken wings later.

reference: refer to this video, recipe by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

Klang Claypot Bak Kut Teh (Pork Ribs Tea) 吧生瓦煲肉骨茶



On the past few days, no sunlight and almost raining everyday. I was busy with running in and out with wet laundry. I even have to sent our daily clothes to outside laundry. I was thinking to buy a dryer but after knew the electricity bill going to increase by Jan 2014, i think I have to drop this idea. So I have no mood to bake or cook any new foods in this kind of weather, Xian!
Anyway, I try to dig out some old photos and recipes, one of the recipe is this Bak Kut Teh (pork ribs simmered in mixed herbs and spices broth ) which I had cooked it few months ago. Also this time i cooked Bak Kut Teh from the scratch..

 

Usually I use my friend's ready packet of "Old Grand Bah Kut Teh"(老手秘方肉骨茶包), which I don't know what herbs contain inside the packet.
One day, I got a ready packet from a nearby Chinese herbs shop, and I was glad that they didn't grind the herbs, I still can see the contents..

I was patiently separate out each of the herbs and count the quantity. Once I separated it out, I realized I don't know some of the herb's name. I went back to the shop, luckily the shop owner willing to tell me the name of the herbs..

 

Beside the standard herbs, i also added few items..

 

And great to know that it tasted almost the same with the usual one I prepared..
In fact, in this cool weather, serving BKT just perfect timing...

 

How to cook, first prepare the herbs pouch..

 

Simmering pork ribs with herbs pouch

 

Cooking fragrance garlic oiled rice

preparing Klang style of Claypot Bak Kut Teh (Klang style is thicker and darker, followed Hokkien style)

 

Klang Claypot Bak Kut Teh (Pork Ribs Tea) 吧生瓦煲肉骨茶

*serves 5-6pax

Chinese Herbs to put into a muslin filter pouch

3 sticks Tong Sun党参
1 slice Gui Pi（cinnamon skin) 桂皮
10 slices Gui Zhi(cinnamon sticks)桂枝
1pc Chen Pi (sun-dried tangerine peel)陳皮
45g Yu Zhu/ Yok Chok玉竹
2 sticks Gan Cau甘草
3 slices Chuan Xiong川芎
1pc Shu Di熟地
1 stick Niu Qi牛七
3 slices Don Gui当归
1/2tsp White peppercorn白楜椒
1/2tsp Black peppercorn黑楜椒
1/2tsp Hua Jiao花椒 , 3 small star anise 八角
1/2tsp Fennel seeds小茴香
1tsp Goji /Wolfberries枸杞

1kg pork ribs, blanch in hot water, set aside

2.5lts water
2 roasted garlics (whole)
1 honey date蜜枣
2 roasted whole garlic黑蒜头
 

2tbsp light soy sauce

2tbsp dark caramel soy sauce
Salt to taste

Method

1. Bring water to boil in a big pot. Soak herbs pouch in hot water for 5mins. Discard water.
2. Add in herbs pouch, honey date and garlic, boil for 15mins
3. Add in pork ribs, season with light soy sauce, simmer over medium low heat for 30mins.
4. Add in dark caramel soy sauce and adjust taste with salt, continue to boil for 15mis. Bak Kut Teh now is ready to enjoy with rice or keep for next step (cook with claypot).

Fragrance garlic oiled rice

4 cups uncooked rice, wash and clean

5 and 1/2cups water (or adjust according to the type of rice that you use)
1tsp salt
½ bulb garlic, chopped
4tbsp cooking oil

Method

1. Fry garlic in cooking oil till golden brown.
2. Add rice in a rice cooker, add in garlic oil, water and salt, cook the rice.

To prepare Clay pot Bah Kut Teh

120g tofu puff
2 sheets bean curd sheets (tau ki), tear pieces, soaked in water to soften and deep fried
Green lettuce
5 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
½ can of button mushroom, sliced

Condiments

Yau Char Kwaior or yautiou油条 (strips of fried dough)
Light soy sauce and chili padi (small chilies) dipping sauce
Fried shallots

Method

1. Scoop some Bah Kut The (meat and soup) into a clay pot. Add in tofu puff, fried bean curd sheets, Shiitake mushroom slices and button mushroom sliced, bring to boil and cook for 2-3mins.
2. Top with green lettuce, serve hot with fragrance garlic oiled rice that top with fried shallots. Dip Yau Char Kwai with Bah Kut Teh soup and dip meat with light soy sauce and chili padi dipping sauce. Enjoy !!

Recipe by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

Chinese Spareribs with shallots 紅葱烤排

When I flipping through a new cookbook that I bought recently, the chopped shallots sprinkle on top a braised spareribs photo was attracted me. I have no regret to try out this recipe, it was very flavourful with melted shallots (braised with a lot of shallots) mix with the soy sauce mixture, juicy , tender, and we especially love the chopped shallots on top, it gave extra spiciness and aroma to the ribs, yum yum !

 

With few ingredients but resulted great taste, this recipe definitely a keeper !

My son Lucas even stuffed the cooked meat with sandwich, and he said it was heavenly delicious ^_^

Chinese Spareribs with shallots 紅葱烤排

(recipe source: reference made to cookbook titled 60 Chinese home cooked dishes, by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

900g prime pork spareribs

1/3cup light soy sauce
1tbsp Chinese cooking rice wine

2pcs star anise

10-15 shallots (depend on the size), removed skin and lightly crushed
3 slices ginger
2 cup water
3tbsp cooking oil
1/2tsp salt or to taste
1tsp dark soy sauce or dark caramel soy sauce
1/2tbsp rock sugar or to taste

Some chopped shallots for garnishing

Method

1. Wash and clean pork spareribs, pat dry with kitchen towels. Marinate with light soy sauce and cooking wine for several hours in the fridge.
2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pot, add in shallots and sauté till brown and aroma. Add in pork spareribs, lightly fry till both sides turned golden brown.
3. Add water, light soy sauce (from marinated sauce), dark soy sauce, ginger and star anise into the pot, boil over high heat. Once boiled, reduce to low heat, continue to braise for about 1hr ( check from time to time and stir the ribs ).
4. Once the meat is fork tendered, add in the rock sugar and adjust the taste by adding salt or more rock sugar.
5. Turn on to high heat to thicken the sauce if any, otherwise dish out and garnish with chopped shallots, serve with rice, sandwich or noodles.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Mich of Piece of Cake at this post.

Hainanese Chicken Chop 海南雞扒

From what I know, Hainanese chicken chop was invented by Hainanese people who worked for the English people during the British colonisation era. Hainanese people put Eastern touch to this Western cuisine, like example marinate chicken meat with soy sauce & etc. My version of Hainanese chicken chop was inspired by a very old restaurant located at Port Klang where they served good Hainanese chicken chop, roti bakar, Hailam mee and etc.

 

This was a plate of Hainanese chicken chop i took at restaurant Sin Kok Thye Port Klang.No Wow nice presentation, but I like their lightly coated chicken chop but not over starchy ,and the meat was well marinated and very flavourful. Also like the watery tomato sauce which has slight savoury and tangy.

 

This is my copycat version ^_^, and it taste almost the same..you know why?

Because I went one round to Ladies, and accidently found their secret ingredient, this was the brand of tomato ketchup they were using, hehehe..Usually i don't buy this brand of tomato ketchup, anyway I bought a bottle just to cook this dish. 

 

For green pea, try to use frozen green pea instead of canned green pea for better colour ..

 

From what I have tasted, they deep fry the potato wedges

 

to make sure potato cook thoroughly, first I boiled them till soft then deep fry

 

I lightly coated the marinate chicken thigh with rice flour or you can use corn flour too.

Hainanese Chicken Chop海南雞扒

(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

5 chicken thigh (~1.2kg), deboned

Marinate chicken ingredients:-

1tbsp oyster sauce
1tbsp light soy sauce
1tbsp sugar
1/2tsp dark soy sauce
1 and 1/2tsp salt or to taste
Pepper

3tbsp rice flour

2tbsp water

Tomato sauce ingredients:-

1 and ½ yellow onion, sliced
160g tomato ketchup (I use Kimball brand)
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2tbsp sugar
1tsp salt or to taste
1/2tbsp light soy sauce
2 ½ cups water
Thicken mixture- mix 1tbsp tapioca flour or corn flour with 5tbsp water, to thicken the sauce

Other condiments

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
80g frozen green peas, blanch in hot water
3 US Russet potatoes, boiled in hot water till tendered, slice it, then deep fry till golden brown

Method:

 1. Marinate the chicken thighs with marinating ingredients, for 3-4 hrs.
 2. Add rice flour and water into marinated chicken thighs and coat it well. Then deep fry till golden brown. Dish up and set aside.
 3. To prepare the tomato sauce, heat oil in a wok or saucepan, sauté onion till aroma, add in water and the rest of seasonings except thicken mixture, cook for few minutes or till onion is soften. Then thicken the sauce with thicken mixture.
4. To serve, arrange the deep fried chicken thigh, cooked green pea, potato wedges and sliced tomatoes on a plate. Pour the hot tomato sauce over and serve. Re-heat the tomato sauce before serve if you are not intended to serve immediately.

 

This is where the restaurant located. And this restaurant is serving pork free foods, you can see our Malay and Indian members are also enjoying chicken chop here.

 

SIN KOK THYE (NEW CATHAY) COFFEE SHOP

 23, Jalan Kem,

 Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.

Opens from 6.30am – 6.00pm.

Closed on Sundays.



Simple Home-style tofu, and how to remove tofu from the box

Earlier I have problem to remove a perfect tofu from the box. After I learnt a new way, I am glad to see the tofu perfectly removed from the box for every attempted.

 

How to remove tofu perfectly from the box?

 

1. use a pair of scissor to trim off the edges of the tofu box, remove the plastic paper.

 

2. open the wall of the box and let tap water running through the gap, repeat the same step for each side, until you feel the tofu is floating on the water.

 

3. Place the tofu with a plate, then flip it over.

 

4. remove the box, and you see a perfect tofu..
Thanks to food4tots for sharing this useful tip !!



Now the tofu is ready to cook, here is the simple steamed tofu that I like to cook..

Simple steamed tofu with dried shrimps and onion

(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

1 silken tofu

3 sprig of spring onion, take green part only, chopped
20g dried shrimps, washed
4 shallots, sliced
 

1tbsp light soy sauce

1tbsp oyster sauce
3tbsp cooking oil

Method

1. Remove the tofu from the packaging, put it in a steam proof dish and drain the excess liquid. Steam the tofu in a rice cooker (while cooking rice ) or in a steamer for 5mins, pour excess liquid.
2. Heat oil in a wok, fry shallots till golden brown and crispy, dish out and set aside.
3. In the same wok, deep fry dried shrimps till aroma.
4. Pour oyster sauce and light soy sauce on the steamed tofu, add in the fried dried shrimps together with cooking oil and sprinkle fried shallots.
5. Serve with steamed rice.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Mich of Piece of Cake at this post.