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

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Goi Guon) 越南春卷

We like deep fried Vietnamese spring rolls but sometime I also prepare fresh type like this, it is refreshing and healthy!

 

Ingredients used..FYI, you can get Vietnamese spring roll wrapper at Tesco..



 

How to wrap Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls..

 

For fresh spring rolls, it is nice to serve with this Peanut Hoisin dipping sauce instead of nuoc cham dipping sauce

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Goi Guon) 越南春卷

*makes 16 rolls

To prepare Peanut Hoisin sauce (Nuoc Leo)

50g warm water
50g hoisin sauce
60g crunchy peanut butter
1tbsp rice wine vinegar
1tsp sweet chili sauce
-Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended

To prepare spring rolls

200g pork tenderloin
32 fresh medium prawns, peel and devein (or reduce half of the quantity if you like to halve the prawn)
½ carrot, shredded
1 cucumber, shredded
A bunch of coriander leaves
A bunch of basil leaves
1 small head butter lettuce leaves
50g dried rice vermicelli, blanched in hot water till soft
Vietnamese rice papers

Method

1. Bring water and one sprig of spring onions to a boil over medium heat in a saucepan and poach the pork for 10mins or until cooked. Remove and set aside to cool. Slice the pork into thin strips
2. In the same pot of water, poach the prawns for 1min or until pink or just cooked. Remove and set aside to cool (You can also halve the prawns).
3. To make the spring roll, briefly dip a rice wrapper in a bowl of water (drinking water) and use a clean cloth wipe off the excess water. Place on a dry surface, place a lettuce leaf onto the wrapper, and top with some pork strips, rice vermicelli, cucumber, carrot and basil leaves. Fold the closest edge of the wrapper over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up halfway. Place 2 prawns, side by side, along the roll and top with coriander leaves, then continue to roll up tightly to complete the folding. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up.
4. Arrange the spring rolls on a serving platter and serve with serving bowls of Peanut      Hoisin dipping sauce on the side.

Recipe inspired by: Homestyle Vietnamese cookbook, with slight changes

Vietnamese Pumpkin flowers stuffed with prawn (bong bi don thit) 越式酿南瓜花

I tried to order this stuffed pumpkin flowers with prawn when we were taking dinner at one of the restaurant at Ho Chi Minh but it was out of stock. Before return home, I was happy to find this edible pumpkin flowers at a wet market nearby hotel, so I brought back some to try out.

 

This was the first time I enjoyed a cuisine using edible flowers..It seem quite hard to find pumpkin flowers at our pasar (market) here ..

Frankly, it was hard to detect the pumpkin flower aroma..

Vietnamese Pumpkin flowers stuffed with prawn (bong bi don thit) 越式酿南瓜花

12 pumpkin flowers, stems intact with stamen removed

Filling ingredients

115g prawns paste
100g fish paste
Dill, chopped ( I replaced with spring onions)
1/2tsp fish sauce
1/2tsp salt or to taste
1/2tsp sugar
Freshly crushed black pepper

Crispy batter- refer to recipe here

Method

1.     Mix all filling ingredients till thick paste.

2.     Take a tablespoon of paste and carefully stuff each pumpkin flower. 

3.     Coat each flower with crispy batter.

4.     Heat oil in a wok, deep fry flowers in batches over medium low heat until crisp and golden brown, place on absorbent paper towel.

5.     Serve hot.

Recipe inspired by : here, by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

Sar Kok Liew ( Yambean Fritters) 沙葛料



I can't remember how long I did not eat this Sar Kok Liew (yambean fritters). And I couldn't remember I ate this Sar Kok Liew at here (Klang valley) or Ipoh. But I can still remember the good taste of this Sar Kok Liew which is slightly sweet from the yambean used.

 

Sar Kok Liew (yambean fritters) usually found in noodle stalls as part of the Yong Liew ( Yong Liew is the Perak equivalent of yong tau foo).

This plate of Sar Kok Liew (together i fried some dumplings and fish balls ) was not a  success one. I followed to the recipe but it turned out too soft and watery, after deep fry, the filling started to fall apart. 

 

Best to enjoy with a bowl of Kong Lou Mein ( dried noodles with soy sauce and oil)

 

without fried pork lard, lard oil and fried shallots, a bowl of Kong Lou Mein will not taste perfect!

 

Nice to eat together with some pickled green chili..

 

This is after 2nd attempted, and it turned out nice and crisp !



Sar Kok Liew ( Yambean Fritters) 沙葛料

(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover, reference: Flavours food magazine-Perak kopitiam treats)
*makes 2 rolls

Filling

460g yambean /jicama (this weight is after squeezed out the water), coarsely shredded
140g fish paste
70g plain flour
2tsp fried shallots crisps
1 and 1/4tsp salt or to taste
2tsp sugar
A dash of white pepper
A dash of Chinese five spices powder

1 pc beancurd sheet (foo pei), soak in water to soften , cut into half

2tsp plain flour + 3tsp water, to make glue
Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Combine all filling ingredients in a mixing bowl to make a sticky paste ( adjust the  flour amount accordingly, depend on water contain in yambean).Divide filling into 2 equal portions.
2. Place each filling on a beancurd sheet and roll the sheet to form a cigar-like roll of 5cm diameter. Seal the edges of the roll with flour glue.
3. Place rolls on a greased plate and steam over high heat for 20mins. Cool, and cut into 1.5cm thick pieces.
4. Heat oil in a wok, deep fry over medium heat until edges are crisp. Remove and drain on absorbent paper towels before serving.
5. Serve with noodles together with other yong liew items (yong tau foo).

I am submitting this post to Malaysian Food Fest Perak month hosted by 
WendyinKK of Table for Two....or more 

Ginger Spinach Salad Tower 姜汁菠菜塔

This is another dish related to ginger. A cold salad with ginger juices. My family still not so keen eating cold salad while taking dinner.

 

Anyway, this spinach salad tower is very healthy with all good ingredients used.

Ginger Spinach Salad Tower 姜汁菠菜塔

(recipe source: modified from here)

150g spinach, cut into 2” in length

1tsp Goji (wolfberries), soak in hot water for 5mins
1tsp sesame oil

1tsp grated ginger

3tbsp hot water
1tsp light soy sauce
1tsp chicken stock power
2tsp white vinegar

Method

1. Blanch spinach in hot boiling water till soften, drained, add in sesame oil, mix well and set aside.
2. Mix ginger, hot water, light soy sauce, chicken stock powder and vinegar in a small mixing bowl, mix well.
3. Mix ginger mixture with cooked spinach and wolfberries. Spoon into a round cup, turn it upside down and serve.

I am submitting this post to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids. 

Chef and Sommelier is hosting for this month's event and Ginger is the theme for July. You can join in the fun and contribute your recipes here.

Stir fried green beans and eggplant with Chinese preserved olive vegetable 清炒橄榄菜青豆茄子粒

I was introduced to Chinese preserved olive vegetables 橄榄菜 when we ordered a plate of stir fried green beans with Chinese olive vegetables in a Chinese restaurant the other day. Since then, I will order this dish whenever we taking meal in outside Chinese restaurant, because my kids simply like this dish a lot. And I also quite often cook this dish at home.
This time, I was using the same ingredients but make a new twist by adding eggplants, it taste good too.

This is Chinese preserved olive vegetables 橄榄菜 , you can get it from wet market or supermarket, easy to get this. And this consider as a vegetarian sauce..

Updated on 14th Apr- This piece of information is extracted from an article in Chinese Newspaper-Sin Jew Daily. Actually Chinese preserved olive vegetables is using mustard leaf but not olive leaf . Air dry mustard leaves then soak in Olive oil (I guess they use Chinese olive oil but not Western type of olive oil) . And I also found a homemade preserved olive vegetable recipe here.

The important point of making this yummy vegetarian dish is you have to deep fry the eggplant and green beans first. After deep fried, both tasted with very nice aroma..



Stir fried green beans and eggplant with Chinese preserved olive vegetable
(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

 260g French green beans, cut into small pieces

180g eggplant, cut into small pieces
1tsp chopped garlic
2tbsp Chinese olive vegetable
1tsp sugar or to taste

 Method

1. Deep fry eggplant pieces till light golden brown, drain on paper.
2. Deep fry green beans till light golden brown, drain on paper.
3. In the same wok, leave 1tbsp of deep frying oil, add in garlic and Chinese preserved olive vegetables, stir fry for a while.
4. Return deep fried eggplant and green beans to the wok, add in sugar, stir to mix well.
5. Dish out and serve with steamed white rice.

What are the differences between Daun Kaduk and Daun Sirih

When I posted Kuih Daun Kaduk and Fried Daun Kaduk, few of my blogger friends were confuse and they thought that I was using  槟榔叶 or 栳叶 or Daun Sirih in Malay. Then I myself started to get confused with these types of leaves too . I wondered if I was eating daun kaduk or daun sirih ^_^ !!. This morning I got a chance to get a leaf of daun Sirih from an Indian lady who is selling daun sirih & fresh flowers in the morning market. I quickly compare the taste between daun kaduk from my backyard and daun Sirih. Finally , I have confirmed that  the plant in in my backyard is  Daun Kaduk, Yahoo !!! (sorry, I am a bit mabuk (drunk and dizzy) and high now because consumed this daun sirih , hehehe)

Here are my comparison :-

Daun Kaduk- Shape-round, shinning, soft and smooth surface , taste a bit lemony then followed by bitter taste, but surprised after cooked, it taste so nice.

Daun Sirih- Shape-same shape like daun Kaduk but longer, dull and a bit rough surface, taste mint aroma, followed by bitter and hot, numb the tongue.

You may find out more from these link here:-
1. Daun Kaduk by Delicious Malaysia
2. Daun Sirih
3. Miang Kam uses Bai Cha Plu NOT Betel Leaf (Bai Plu)

Deep fried Daun kaduk ( Wild Betel Leaf)

Deep fry Daun Kaduk (Wild Betel leaves) can be tasted so aromatic, and dip it with this Tomato & Shallots dipping sauce, they are just so perfect. My kids who are not fancy on eating leaf ^_^ also eaten until non-stop.



I was imitated this special and nice tomato & shallot dipping sauce from a dish we taken during last Bangkok trip. The dish we ordered was fried kangkung to dip with this dipping sauce..



Home-grown daun kaduk (wild betel leaf)..

I still use my prefer crispy batter to deep fry with this daun kaduk

Deep fried Daun kaduk (Wild Betel Leaf)

(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

*makes 30pcs daun kaduk

 30 Daun kaduk leaves (Betel leaves), wash and clean, pat dry

1 quantity of Crispy batter for frying

 Method

1. Dip Daun Kaduk leaf in the batter, thinly coat.
2. Deep fry in hot cooking oil over low medium heat till golden and crispy.
3. Enjoy with tomato & shallots dipping sauce.

Tomato & Shallots dipping sauce

1 cup hot water

2tbsp sugar

¼ tomato, chopped

3 shallots, sliced

3 garlic, chopped

1tsp chopped coriander

1tbsp light soy sauce

1tbsp fish sauce

2tbsp lime juices

Method

1. Melt sugar in hot water, set aside to cool.
2. Add all ingredients in the water, mix well.