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

Deep fried Stuffed Tofu Puff with Cabbage 包菜酿豆卜

I am almost forgotten to share with you this recipe which I learnt from a pakcik (uncle) during Bali trip. This deep fried stuffed tofu puff is one of the item from "gorengang"- it means fried things in Indonesia which cover wide range of crispy goodies, e.g pisang goring (fried banana), ubi goring (fried sweet potato), and etc...

 

All ingredients used are normal, but we like a special aroma which come from adding the coriander powder..

This was one of the recipe featured in Y3K magazine..

Deep fried Stuffed Tofu Puff with Cabbage

Ingredients

24pcs tofu puff
200g cabbage, thinly slice
40g carrot, thinly slice
1 Chinese chives, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated

Seasonings

3/4tsp salt or to taste
1tsp chicken stock powder
1tsp coriander powder
A dash of white pepper

Crispy batter

100g water
50g self-raising flour
10g rice flour

Method

1. To combine cabbage, carrot, Chinese chives, grated garlic with all seasonings in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. To prepare crispy batter, mix water, self-raising flour and rice flour till smooth batter, set aside.
3. Make a slit on each of the tofu puff, stuff cabbage filling into the tofu puff.
4. Heat oil in a wok, dip each stuffed tofu puff in the prepared batter, deep fry over medium low heat till golden and crispy.
5. Enjoy deep fried tofu puff with sweet chili sauce.

Recipe by, Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

Choon Pniah ( Nyonya Egg Spring Roll ) 娘惹春餅

Thinking to join Alan Travelling Foodies's MFF Penang event, but I have cooked few Penang foods before like Penang Assam Laksa , Penang prawn noodles (a very old recipe, will re-port if I cook this again) and Ju Hu Char ( never post this before), so I don't want to sharing the same recipe..
I went through the old Flavours food magazines and I found this Choon Pniah (Egg Spring roll) recipe shared by Theresa Goh. The earlier yummy crab laksa recipe is from her too. She is come from a Peranakan family in Penang. I like all recipes shared by her, going to try out more her recipes in the future.

 

The filling is similar like the normal spring roll which use yambean

But the homemade egg spring roll make this spring roll special, unlike using the store-bought spring roll wrapper, very crispy like eating biscuit. This homemade spring roll has slight chewy texture and has slight egg aroma.



 

Wrapping Choon Pniah

 

We also like this special homemade Worcestershire dipping sauce. It taste sweet, sour, salty with spices aroma, yum!

 

I found to enjoy with daun Kadok also taste nice..

 

In this hot and heavy haze day, we enjoyed this Choon Pniah with a bowl of mung beans and barley dessert soup, simply perfect!

 

Original recipe required to place cooked crab meat on top of filling before wrap the spring roll, since I couldn't get crab meat, so I replaced with fresh prawn meat.

Choon Pniah ( Nyonya Egg Spring Roll ) 娘惹春餅

(Recipe source: adapted from Flavours Food magazine, recipe by Theresa Goh, with minor changes)
*makes 9 spring rolls, with some leftover filling

Filling

125g chicken, diced (mix with 1/2tsp cornstartch)
100g fresh prawns, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
30g carrot, shredded
400g yambean (sengkuang), shredded
2 soaked Chinese black mushroom, shredded
1/2tbsp soy sauce, or to taste
1/2tbsp sugar
1tsp salt or to taste
Pepper to taste
Cooking oil
water
dark caramel soy sauce for colouring,optional

Method

1. Heat oil in a work, fry garlic and onions till aroma but not browned.
2. Add in chicken and prawns, fry until aromatic.
3. Add in carrot, yambean and mushroom, fry for 1min before adding water. Allow to cook until yambean is translucent and dry, about 15mins. Set aside to cool.

Homemade Worcestershire Sauce

 2 cloves

1 pc small cinnamon
½ star anise
3tbsp water
1tbsp dark soy sauce
1tsp light soy sauce
1tsp mustard ( I use dijon mustard)
1 and 1/2tbsp white vinegar
1 and 1/2tbsp caster sugar
1/4tsp salt or to taste

Method

1. Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan, bring the sauce to boil and lower the heat, simmer uncovered till sauce turned thick, took about 10mins.

Wrapper

150g plain flour

1 tbsp corn flour
1 egg
1/4tp salt
300g water

Method

1. Combine the flour and cornflour in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add in the egg, salt and water, mix well.
2. Lightly grease a 7” non-stick pan over low medium heat. Place a scoop of the batter onto the centre of the pan and swirl to coat the pan to make a thin crepe.If batter is too thick, add water to thin it down.
3. The crepe is done when the sides start to curd. Remove from pan and make another crepe. Stack crepes on a bamboo basket.

To assemble and fry-place some filling on a crepe and roll up to enclose the filling completely (seal with glue (1tbsp plain flour + 1 1/2tbsp water). Heat enough oil in a wok for deep frying. Slip in the rolls, several at a time, and deep fry over a medium flame until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

To serve – Cut spring roll into 3 segments, serve with cut chillies and homemade Worcestershire sauce.

I am submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest, Penang Month hosted by Alan of Travellingfoodies

Corns and Pumpkin Savory Pancakes 玉米南瓜煎饼



The other day I made this simple and tasty savoury pancake for lunch..Basically I just modified from the earlier Japanese savoury pancake Okonomiyaki recipe.



Corns and Pumpkin Savory Pancakes

(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

150g cabbage, finely shredded

1 red chili, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
150g pumpkin, finely shredded
1 corn on the cob, use knife to slice the sweet corns
1 slice of Ham, chopped
2 eggs
1 and ½ cup plain flour
1tsp salt or to taste
1tsp chicken stock powder
Pepper
50ml water

Method

1. Combine cabbage, chili, onion, spring onion, pumpkin, sweet corns and ham in a mixing bowl.
2. Add in seasonings, eggs and flour, slowly add in water and mix till a mixture.
3. Pan-fry a spoonful of the mixture in a well-greased moderately warm frying pan till golden on both sides.
4. Serve hot with sweet chili dipping sauce.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Zoe (Bake for Happy Kids) and Mui Mui (My Little Favourite DIY) and hosted by Esther (Copycake Kitchen).

Homemade Croutons ( Oven-baked )

I like to eat Caesar salad, it is quite expensive to take a plate of Caesar salad at the restaurant..I went through my cookbook and realized that it is so easy to make it at home..But before i can make Caesar salad, first i need to prepare Croutons (small piece of sauteed or rebake bread)..

There are two method to make croutons, either pan fry or oven bake..I tried both ways, and we prefer oven baked croutons, more crunchy than pan fry version..and easy to prepare..

The steps..

My son taking this crouton like taking potato chips, non-stop eating!!!

   

I prepared this Bento and bring it to school for kids, Caesar salad and Croquette (will share recipe later).

Homemade Croutons ( Oven-baked version)
(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

2 slices white bread
20g butter (salted), melted
A pinch of salt

Method
1. Use a scissor, trim the crusts off, cut into even- sized small cubes (can get about 50 small cubes).
2. Spread melted butter on a baking pan, add in bread cubes, sprinkle salt and lightly toss it well.
3. Bake at pre-heated oven at 180C for 5-8mins, remove the pan from oven, lightly toss the bread, continue to bake for another 5-8mins.
4. Let it cool completely, store in air-tight container for later consume.

 

Homemade Candy Haws (Tanghulu) 冰糖葫芦

I have never eaten the real Candy Haws(Tanhulu)冰糖葫芦 (A snack food popular in China that is made from sugar coated haws, yam or other fruit skewered on a bamboo stick; similar to candied apples, also 糖葫芦) in China before. Last week, i got a chance to try it at the "Beijing street Setia Alam" show organized by the house developer at my place.

The candy haws that i tried was not using the real fruit which is Haw (we can't find this fruit here) but instead they use cherry tomatoes and grapes. The taste was incredible, first bite is a very crispy sugar coated skin and followed by sour juices burst from the cherry tomato, that was really YUMMY!
I am very thick skin and asked for the recipe from that guy preparing this candy, but i have no luck ^_^ .. Anyway, I managed to find a good video showing how to prepare this candy and immediate i try this at home.


1. prepare fruits on the bamboo sticks.

2. Cook sugar and water, Do Not try to stir the sugar!

3. Big bubbles generated over high heat

4. Light golden colour and small bubbles appears and it is ready to coat the fruit

You can also replace with other type of fruits eg strawberry, berries & etc! This is also a great snack for a party, all kids will love this!

Happy Trying !!

Homemade Candy Haws (Tanghulu)冰糖葫芦

(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

200g coarse sugar

100g water

Cherry tomatoes

grapes

Bamboo sticks

Method

1. Thread two cherry tomatoes and one grape through a bamboo stick. Complete all fruits before cooking syrup.

2. Add sugar and water in a heavy bottom saucepan, cook over medium low heat for 5 mins. Do not stir the sugar!

3. Increase to high heat, continue to boil for 5mins. There will be full of big bubbles.

4. Change to low heat (smaller bubbles now), syrup is formed with light golden colour, dip bamboo stick with fruits in the syrup and quickly coat a thin layer. Enjoy!!