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

Chinese Style Prawn Fritters 炸虾饼

This is one of the snack that I like to buy from those Chinese auntie who selling deep fried stuffs like fried banana, fried sweet potato & etc. It is similar to Malay's cucur udang. A thin batter swirl on a Chinese ladle, place few fresh prawns on top then deep fry it. It is best to enjoy by dipping into chili sauce.

Try to use this type of soft shell prawns called White prawns 白虾

I also recorded a video to show you how to fry this Chinese prawns fritter..

 

 

This prawn fritter is crispy while hot, if you prefer more crispy prawn fritter, then you have to make batter crepe thinner as possible..

Chinese Style Prawn Fritters 炸虾饼

Ingredients

500g plain flour or all-purpose flour
20g Self-raising flour

10g corn flour
550ml water
 

250g bean sprouts

40g Chinese chives, chopped finely
1 large red onion, chopped finely

2tsp salt or to taste
White pepper powder
1/4tsp MSG or chicken stock powder, optional

300g fresh white prawns or soft shell prawns 白虾, remove the head but retain the tail

Method

1. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl except prawns, mix well till no lumps.
2. Heat cooking oil in a wok over medium low heat, put in a Chinese ladle into hot oil for several minutes.
3. Remove ladle from the hot oil, scoop 1tbsp of batter, swirl the batter to make into thin crepe.
4. Place 3 prawns on the batter, lower the ladle into hot oil, wait for 1-2mins, gently remove the fritter with a pair of chopstick, continue to fry until golden brown. Repeat the same steps until batter finished up.
5. Drain on paper towel , serve hot with chili sauce.

Recipe by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

Braised Stewed Pork Ribs Meehoon (rice vermicelli) 红焼排骨米粉

My mom used to cook this version of traditional Hokkien braised stewed pork ribs meehoon (rice vermicelli)  when we were young. I love this simple and great taste of braised meehoon, by simply pour a canned of stewed pork ribs 红焼排骨 or pork belly (much oily than use pork ribs) into meehoon, don't need to add much seasonings.

 

Just realized that this type of canned pork ribs not cheap anymore...

 

Separate out the gravy and meat..don't need much seasonings since the gravy itself already very flavourful..

 

I like to enjoy this meehoon with a bowl of sweet soup, like this time we enjoyed with a bowl of boiled tapioca sweet soup.

The other day, I saw my bro Chef and Sommelier also" Hokkien lang" did cook a similar braised mee hoon but he used pork trotters.

Braised Stewed Pork Ribs Meehoon (rice vermicelli) 红焼排骨米粉

*serves 5

1 can of stewed pork ribs or pork belly

400g meehoon (rice vermicelli), soak till soften

150g mustard green, sliced
150g cabbage, sliced
50g carrot, shredded
3 shallots, sliced
3 garlic, chopped

Seasonings

1tbsp light soy sauce
1tsp sugar
1tsp salt or to taste
2tbsp dark caramel soy sauce

1 cup water

Method

1. Separate the liquid and pork ribs from the can of stewed pork ribs.
2. Heat 3tbsp cooking oil in a wok, sauté shallots and garlic till aroma.
3. Add in liquid (from the can ) and water, add in mustard green, cabbage and carrot, bring to boil.
4. Add in soaked meehoon and all seasonings, keep frying and stir well. Cover the wok with a lid and braised the meehoon for several minutes, toss the meehoon in between, do not let the gravy dry up (add hot water if necessary). Add in stewed pork ribs and mix well with meehoon, continue cook till slightly wet. Dish out and serve hot with porridge or sweet dessert soup (like sweet potato soup, red bean soup or etc).

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

Japanese rice burger 日本米饭汉堡

We have never try a rice burger before, until recently we tried a nice rice burger at the Asahiyama Zoo Hokkaido. It was quite a late lunch, we bought some hotdog and ice-cream from a small shop located inside the zoo. My son Desmond didn't want the hotdog, so he ordered a rice burger. After he tasted, he told me the rice burger was very nice. Even we all had finished the hotdog, we still rushed to buy few rice burger to try out, and agreed it was yummy !

 

I even carry back home 2kg of rice from Hokkaido just wanted to make this rice burger ^_^

 

Also made dashi stock from the scratch ..kombu bought from Hokkaido and bonito flakes from local.

 

This time I adapted the dashi stock recipe from Nami Just One Cookbook

I packed the leftover dashi stock in a plastic bag and store in the freezer for future use



 

From what I tasted, the filling for this rice burger was similar to Gyudon (Japanese beef rice bowl)

 

This was how I prepared the rice patties, but I find the rice would fall apart while I enjoying this burger, not sure how the shop made the rice patties so firm and nice..

Japanese rice burger 日本米饭汉堡

 (recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

For the rice patties

2 cups Japanese short grain rice, washed twice and clean.
3 1/2cups water

Method-mix rice and water in an electric rice cooker, cook as per normal

For the Gyudon filling (reference made to cookbook: Japanese cooking recipes)

200g Sukiyaki beef slices
3/4pc yellow onion, sliced
½” ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, grated

100ml dashi stock

1tbsp Japanese light soy sauce
1tbsp dark soy sauce
1 and 1/2tbsp sugar
1/2tbsp mirin
1tbsp sake
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp Kombucha, optional

Method

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over high heat, sauté ginger and garlic, then add in beef slices and stir till colour changed.
2. Add in onion slices, then stock and all seasonings, cook until sauce thicken.

To serve Rice burger-to make rice patties, use a round metal ring, put in cooked rice and press till firmly or you can use plastic wrap. Then use a brush, dip it with the beef sauce, and brush one side of rice patties. You can grill the rice patties on a non-stick pan, or just serve it plain. Assemble like a burger, top two rice patties with gyudon filling, nice to serve while hot. You can re-heat in the microwave oven before serve.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest #1 Oct 2013 : Japan , hosted by Alan from travelling-foodies

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.