NYONYA  DUMPLINGS

As a young girl ,I do not know how to cook at all.One of my colleague she asked me whether I want the old magazine, that was in the late 70,  I accepted it. After reading  the magazine,  I put the stack of magazine aside. I can't bear to throw away. A few years later, while spring clean my room, decided  to  throw away the stack of old magazine. Before throwing away, I  goes through every pages,the recipe pages was very
attractive , I  tears out the recipes pages that I want and click into many files. All the recipe have been with me till now.  After married having children, I decided to try this recipe,to my surprise,turn very delicious,my children likes it plus my sibling.The recipes was given by a nyonya ladies. This is authenic nyonya dumpling.
Wish to share with  other who are interested  in this recipe

NYONYA DUMPLINGS

INGREDIENTS  FOR THE RICE

1 1/2 kg  glutinous rice
4 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
Bunga telang flower a handful soaked in 6cup  of hot water to get the blue colouring

METHOD:

1.Wash the rice 2 to 3 times,  divided into 2 portion, one portion soaked in plain water  overnite.
2. The other portion soaked in blue colouring overnite.
3.  The other day,drain the rice place in a steamer, line the bottom with a piece of cloth.
4. Mix the two portion rice together.Steam over high heat for a hour.
5. In the meantime, mix the water with the salt. After the rice has been steamed for 20 min, lift up the lid of the steamer and sprinkle about 1 tbsp of salt water over the rice ,mix well with rice.
6.Cover the lid and repeat this twice till all the water is used up. after  1 hours,off the heat. Ready to use.

INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING

150g garlic,peeled and pounded till fine
300g pork belly without skin
900g lean shoulder of pork
80g  dried mushroom
150g tang kway (preserved chinese melon)
300g sugar
150g coriander seeds
8 to 10 tbsp thick dark soya sauce,according to taste
10 cups water, salt to taste
6tbsp oil

METHOD

1.Bring the water to boil and add all the pork.Boil over medium heat for 30 to 40 min till pork tender.
   Drain and when cold,dice into small cubes.reserve the water,filter the water,put side for later use.
2. Soak the mushroom till soft,drain,squeeze dry,cut off the stalk and dice into small cubes.
3. Dice the preserved melon into dice.
4.Dry fry the coriander seeds in a wok for 20 min over low heat till fragrant and slightly crispy.
   Pound or process till very fine. Sieve and discard the rough bits.
5. Place a wok over medium heat, add oil.When it is hot,add the pounded garlic stir fry till fragrant.
    Add in diced pork,stir fry for about 3 min,add in the diced mushroom stir fry for 3 min,add in diced melon
   stir fry for another 3 to 4 min till well cooked.
6. Add the sugar and coriander powder and stir to mix well. Add enough soy sauce for the mixture to be a
    a deep brown.  Taste for salt, add in the reserved water. Keep on stir frying till the mixture bind well
   and the mixture is thicken.Leave  to cool and keep aside. The filling can be cooked a day ahead and in
  the fridge.

   TO WRAP THE DUMPLINGS
 Some bamboo leaves /the large pandan leaves. The dry bamboo leaves have to boil in a big pot of water
for 1/2 an hour. Drain the water,wash and wipe dry. a roll of raffia string.

Traditional the dumpling s are formed into the shaped of a pyramid with a three sided base.
When all the dumplings are formed. Boil for 2 hours,remove and dry. Consume the same day or kept in the fridge,take out and steam again before eating.

 P/S ; when cooking the filling ,the coriander smell very strong,is  o.k. the next day the smell turn to mild.
          This nyonya dumpling taste have  to be sweet and  have the smell of the coriander . The sweetness
           you  adjust to your like. It best to fry the coriander seed and process to powder than to buy the
          ready powder form.

ORANGE STEAM CUPCAKES

This recipe from anncoo journal blog. Just happen I have some oranges, looking at the recipe is quite easy to make.Just give a try, it turn out nice

INGREDIENT ;

250 g. self raising flour
100 g. fine sugar
1 egg , lightly beaten
50 g.butter, melted and leave to cool
210 g.fresh orange juice +40g water -250g
1 tbsp orange zest
60 g. orange strip and diced to small pcs.
a drop of orange colouring.

METHOD :

1.Add orange juice,water,colouring and sugar together in a small pot,stir with a handwhisk under low heat
until sugar dissolved and leave to cool,. Do not overboil the orange juice otherwise you'll get a bitter taste of it.
2.Sieve self raising flour into a large bowl. Pour the orange juice directly to the flour,follow by beaten egg
and melted butter. Stir well with a handwhisk.
3. Lastly add in the orange strip and orange zest,fold well with a rubber spatula.
4. Pour into the papercup 3/4 full and steam at hight heat for about 10 to 15 min or until cooked.

STEAM BANANA CUPCAKE
This recipe  I got from other blog. Is simple and easy method . The texture is soft , taste nice with a banana
flavor.

STEAM BANANA CUPCAKE

Ingredients:

180 gm butter
150 gm fine sugar
2 egg -beaten lightly
250gm self  raising flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
220gm mashed banana
50 gm evaporated  milk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence /  I omit

METHOD  :

1.Cream the butter and sugar till light and creamy.
2.Pour in egg gradually and beat till creamy.
3.Add  in evaporated milk,mashed banana,vanilla essence and mix well.
4.Add in self raising flour, bicarbonate of soda and beat for a while only.
5.Pour into the papercup and steamed for 20 mins or until cooked

 GREEN CHILLI

 At a time,  I use green chilli for cooking,  I just  throws the seed outside the house. It grows by itself.
Well,  this green chilli is not hot.

LLONG BEAN RICE

Ingredients:
Long bean 300gm (wash,cut into 1 1/2cm)
Shallot 80 gm ( peeled,slice thinly)
Dried shrimp 80gm (soaked for 10 min,drained,cut into small pcs)
Pork belly ( half frozen the meat,easily to cut thinly then cut into thin strips)
Fish sauce 2 tbsp
400ml water ,300 gm uncooked rice
salt

Method,
1. Heat 5 tbsp oil in wok, saute shallots until slighe brownish
2. Add dried prawns, fry still fragrant.
3.Put in pork belly,stir fry a min, add the long bean, fry still well mix.
4.Add in the rice,fry stir evenly put in 2 tbsp fish sauce, salt to taste.
5. Pour  rice mixture, 400ml water stir evenly, is in the rice cooker,cook till done.

KOREAN SAUNA HARD BOILED EGG

I watched many korean drama,usually there a small part showing  the actor /actress went to a sauna, they order this hard boiled egg. I wonder how it taste like. I search the internet for this recipe. I finally found the blog: My korean kitchen. I use ordinally rice cooker to cook for 4 hours to get this effect. How it taste like.
Just like ordinary hard boiled egg. Maybe this egg will taste bit of  smokey , if cook longer.

KOREAN SAUNA HARD BOILED EGG

INGREDIENTS:

6  large eggs
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Method:

1.Egg need to kept at room temperature for at least to 2 hours.
2.Dissolve the salt in half a cup of water.
3.In the rice cooker put in egg and salt water together to cook.
4. After cooking for an hour,  I open to have a look, one of the egg, has a slight crack,saw the egg white
   is still white,
5.I added in 1/4 cup of water and cook for another 3 hour more or till the water dry up.
6.I peel one of the egg,show slightly brownish.

INGREDIENT;

1 cucumber slice
small pineapple,skinned,sliced cut into small pcs
1 big onion peeled,sliced,cut into bite size
2 red chilli,sliced

PICKLED SAUCE;

small bowl of white rice vinegar,4 tbsp of sugar

METHOD;

Mix all ingredient and pickled sauce together  in a bowl. Stir to mix well.
Keep in the fridge for 1 to 2 hour, take out  and ready to serve with the Nasi Beriani Rice and the Ayam Masak Merah.

This recipe is passed by mouth from a long time friend who married and followed her husband  to stay in Kelantan .  The place she staying ,lot of Chinese man married to Thai women. Hers neighbour is also Thai
women, she mix around and spokes good Thai . They taught her the local Thai dishes. This is  one of them.

THAI FRY DRY CHICKEN

Ingredients;
5 chicken thighs,deboned, slicely thinly
10 small shallot (peel and cut into chunk)
1 Thumb size  galangal (wash, scrub, peel and cut into small chunk)
2 stalk lemongrass (slice thinly )
6 clove garlic (sliced thinly )
2 inch fresh turmeric (Peel and slice thinly )
20 chilli padi (slice )
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup basil leaves
2 limau perut leaves, slicely thinly /  optional
cooking oil

METHOD :

1.Rub salt over the chicken and set aside
2.Grind spices to a fine paste in a food processor
3. Heat some oil in a wok, add the spice mixture and stir fry for 2 mins  or 3 mins
4. Add in chicken meat, fry for second, add in fish sauce and a tablespoon of water.
5. Lastly add in the basil leaves and quickly  stir fry it.
6. Dish onto a plate and serve with white rice.

This is the dish that I cooks for my children breakfast  when they requested for it.  Is a traditional dish.
Normally can buy from outside,they will give very little cooked preserved salted radish.If  I  cooked this
rice cake ,the portion of preserved salted radish will be a lot more.Go with chilli sauce and sweet sauce.

CHWEE KUEH (STEAMED RICE CAKES)
Ingredients:
250 g. rice flour
1 tbsp cornflour
300ml water
800ml hot boiling water
1 tbsp salt,2 tbsp oil

METHOD:
1.Mix riceflour,cornflour,salt,300ml water in a bigger pot, mix and stir well
2. Pour the hot boiling water slowly into the rice batter,stirring all the time to prevent lumps from
forming. Last add in 2 tbsp oil and mix well.
3. Greased the mould cup and steam for 5 min over moderate heat.Pour the rice batter into the cup mould.
Steam for 15  to 20 min  over high heat. . Remove rice cakes from steamer and allow to cool.

TO COOK THE PRESERVED SALTED RADISH
300g dice preserved salted radish ( chai poh )
10 clove garlic, dash of pepper, dash of  black soy sauce

1.Soaked the preserved salted radish  in a pot of water for half an hour, it will not be so salty.
2.Drain off the water, set aside.
3 Heat a pan with 8 tbsp of oil, add in garlic, fry till fragrant.
4. Put in preserved salted radish,  fry and stir while adding  the pepper, dash of black soy sauce and fry  over medium heat for 10 to 15 min . off the heat ,dish into a bowl.
5.scoop on top of the rice cake, serve with  chill sauce.

Two weeks ago, my good friend came back from Singapore. She passed me past issue magazine,I flip through the cookery column. I saw this simple and easy plus healthy food. Just happen in my fridge got some fresh big prawn just bought yesterday. I decided to give a try. Taste nice. give a try.make about 11 lettuce leaves.

ASIAN EGG ON A BOAT
by Melvyn Lee, chef and owner of Mei The Funky Chef

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 small  red onions,finely chopped
3 medium prawns, peeled, deveined and diced
3 cherry tomatoes,halved
1 tsp xo sauce
1 tbsp water, if needed
4 eggs
salt and pepper,to taste
some Romaine lettuce leaves, washed and plucked from  stem

Direction:
1.  Pour the vegetable oil into a pan over medium heat and saute the red onions.
2.  Once the onions are translucent, about 4-5 min, toss in the prawns, cherry tomatoes and XO sauce. Add a tablespoon of water to the mixture if it gets too dry.
3.  In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and season them with salt and pepper.
4.  When the prawns are pink, about 3-4 min, reduce the heat to low and mix in the beaten eggs.
5.  Turn off the heat once the eggs start to firm up, but are still a little runny.
6.  Spoon the egg mixture onto the lettuce leaves and serves.