NYONYA STYLE FRIED RICE

Whilst browsing through my collection of recipes, I came across several fried rice recipes. Apart from this Nyonya Style Fried Rice, there are others like Fried Rice Ala Yang Chow, Fried Rice Ala Kampong, Fried Rice With Salted Eggs, Indian Fried Rice and Thai Pineapple Fried Rice. I think I will try them all and share the recipes with all of you.

I find this fried rice good, it is tasty, spicy and extra fragrant from the sesame oil. This is a quick to cook One Dish Meal for the family especially the young if they can take spicy food. BTW, it isn’t that spicy if you reduce the chilli paste used.

Ingredients

[serves 2]

3 cups cooked cooled rice [from about 1 cup uncooked rice]

2 eggs – mix with dash of salt and pepper

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp sesame oil

75 gm chicken fillet – diced

75 gm prawns – diced

2 dried mushrooms – soaked and diced

1 -1 ½ tbsp chilli paste

1 tbsp toasted shrimp paste [belacan]

Seasoning [combined]

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce and oyster sauce

1/4 tsp each of salt, pepper, sugar and dark soy sauce

Garnishing – some chopped spring onions and red chilli

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick wok, pour in eggs and scramble until almost cooked. Dish up.
2. Reheat wok with 2 tbsp oil, sauté chilli paste and shrimp paste until aromatic. Add in chicken, prawns and mushrooms, fry for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add in rice and seasoning, cook over medium low heat and toss well to combine. Add in scrambled eggs and fry until rice is light.
4. Dish up to serve, garnish with spring onions and chilli.
   
   
   
   
   
   

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EZCR#38 - BRAISED PORK BELLY WITH DRIED CARROT STRIPS

I had this dish at a village restaurant [operated by local villages] on top of the hill in Longyan, China which is quite similar to Braised Mui Choy with Pork Belly.  This dish tasted very good with the use of dried carrot strips instead of mui choy.   

So when I saw the dried carrot strips sold by the villagers outside the restaurant, I bought some from them.  It costs about RM 10 per 1/2 kg.  In China, 1 kati is only 500 gm and not like 600 gm in Malaysia.  However, 500 gm of this dried carrot strips is quite a lot.  It is not salty and has the natural sweetness of the carrots.

Ingredients

300 gm pork belly - cut bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic – chopped

3 shallots – chopped
150 gm dried carrot strips - soaked until plump up and squeezed dry

Seasoning

1 tsp salt and pepper

2 tsp sugar, dark soy sauce and sesame seed oil

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 cup water or enough to cover ingredients

1. Heat a non-stick wok without oil, pan fry pork belly pieces with brown and oil oozes out.  Push aside, using the oil from the pork belly, sauté chopped garlic and shallots until fragrant and slightly brown.
2. Add in the dried carrot strips, stir to combine ingredients.
3. Add in the seasoning and continue to fry for several minutes on medium heat. Add in water, bring to boil then lower heat to simmer.  Cover wok while simmering.  
4. Add in more water if gravy has dry up but meat is not tender yet.
5. Continue to cook until meat is tender and sauce almost dry.
6. Dish up, garnish with spring onions to serve.

 

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WINTER MELON CHICKEN SOUP

November seems to be a good month for young couples tying the knot before the end of 2015. There were many wedding invitations received, can say every weekend there have been wedding dinners to attend. Having eaten too much, I started looking back at my collection of recipes, trying to find some easy, light, simple, healthy yet delicious dishes to cook during the week days.
I have tried several and will be sharing some easy home cooked dishes here and hope you may find these recipes useful if you happened to be facing the same situation as me.
This clear soup is very homey with just 2 main ingredients yet it is most welcome for dinner at home. It can be double-boiled or just cook it in a soup pot or claypot like I did. It is quick to cook, too.

Ingredients
[serves 3-4]
200 gm winter melon – peeled and fibrous material and seeds removed – cut big chunks
3 chicken wings [or 300 gm chicken thigh] – cut bite size pieces
5-6 red dates
1 small piece dried cuttlefish or 2 dried scallops
½ tbsp white peppercorns – crushed
2 cloves garlic
700-800 ml water
Dash of msg and ½ tsp salt to taste

1. Blanch chicken pieces in hot water and rinsed.
2. Put all ingredients in soup pot or porcelain tureen of double boiler. Bring to boil and simmer for about 20-30 minutes until chicken and melon are tender [If using double boiler, it takes about 1 hour].
3. Taste to fine tune seasoning.
   
   

Tips: If using a slow cooker – it takes about 1 – 1 ¼ hours with medium low heat.

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STEAMED BANANA CAKE

Here is an easy steamed banana cake recipe....  I had jotted down this recipe from somewhere in my little notebook but forgotten to write down the source. Sorry if this is your recipe, please notify me so that I can link it to yours. I can’t remember whether it is from a printed media or blog.

Anyway, this steamed banana cake turned out well. It is soft, moist but not dense, has the fragrance of the cinnamon that blends well with banana flavour.  The sweetness is acceptable to me. By the way, I used the Cavendish bananas which I bought from Tesco.

With this recipe you can get to enjoy banana cake, steamed instead of baked or even replace the oily fried banana cake [ kuih kolok].

Ingredients

[use a 6 inch square baking tin or aluminium foil tray]

3 eggs

60-80 gm brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

65 ml corn oil

200 gm mashed bananas

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp Rum

100 gm plain flour

1 tsp each of baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder

1. Prepare steamer and greased baking tin.
2. Sieve flour, baking powder, soda and cinnamon powder together, set aside.
3. Whisk eggs, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Drizzle in the corn and continue to whisk until well combined. Add in mashed bananas, mix well.
4. Fold in the sifted ingredients lightly until well combined.
5. Pour batter into baking pan and steamed over medium high heat for 20 minutes. Test with a skewer , if it comes out clean then the cake is done.
6. Remove to cool on wire rack before slicing to serve.
   
   
   
   
   

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BAKED CHICKEN PARCELS

These days, I am using fuss-free ways of preparing tasty, delicious food in my kitchen. Remember the Baked Nam Yee Spare Ribs, Baked Spicy Nyonya Chicken and Baked Pandan Chicken? These are normally prepared by deep frying method.  If these can be baked and yet taste as yummy as fried ones why not for Fried Chicken Parcels [Chi Pau Kai]. Moreover, it is so much healthier and the flavours are well infused in the meat instead of diffusing into the oil.

The baked chicken wrapped with greased proof paper is tender, moist, aromatic and very tasty. I served it with mashed potatoes and a vegetable dish. This makes a complete meal for a carefree Sunday dinner.

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 89 [modified]

Ingredients

[serves 3]

3 pieces deboned chicken whole leg with skin – trim off excess fats

3 pieces greased proof paper [15”x15”]

Marinade

1 tbsp each grated ginger, garlic, small onions and Shaoxing wine

2 tbsp each light soy sauce and oyster sauce

1 tsp each dark soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil

¼ - ½ tsp salt to taste

1. Marinate chicken pieces with marinade for at least 3 hours or overnight in the fridge.
2. Take a piece of greased proof paper, place a piece of marinated chicken whole leg in the centre and wrap up like a parcel, staple to whole the edges.
3. Arrange parcels in a baking tray.
4. Baked in preheated oven at 210 degrees C for 20 minutes or until cooked through. 
5. Remove from oven and serve with mashed potatoes or rice, buns and fried vegetables or fresh salad.
   
   

 Click here for other Roast Meat Recipes

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #28 [November 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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FRIED PORK TENDERLOIN IN SZECHUAN SAUCE

This is a very easy dish to prepare yet surprisingly delicious and tasty with rice.

The meat is fragrant and well coated with the tasty, sourish sweet sauce. Even the ginger slices are tasty.

A quick stir fry dish that can be done within minutes.

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 67 [modified]
Ingredients
[serves 3]
300 gm pork tenderloin [Li Chi Rou] – thinly sliced
30 gm sliced ginger
1 red chilli – sliced stalk spring onions – cut 1 inch length
1 tbsp oil
Seasoning [combined]
2 tbsp each light soy sauce, black vinegar, shaoxing wine 
1 tbsp each ginger juice and sugar
¼ tsp salt to taste

1. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, sauté sliced ginger until aromatic. Add in sliced pork and stir fry over high heat until cooked and brown.
2. Pour in the seasoning sauce , add in red chilli and some water. 
3. Stir fry and braise until sauce is almost dry and coats the meat well. 
4. Lastly add in spring onions. Stir to mix and dish up to serve with rice.
   
   
   
   
   

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #28 [November 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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BAKED PANDAN CHICKEN

Honestly, I do not fancy Fried Pandan Chicken. I find them loaded with too much oil and the oil used to fry them must be discarded – too wasteful. Then, I came across this version of Pandan Chicken using baking method. Instead of cutting the chicken into small pieces then wrap with pandan leaves, I used deboned whole chicken leg, baked in foil with several pandan leaves at the bottom and top.

The nice fragrance of pandan is so aromatic while the chicken is baking in the oven. The baked pandan chicken was awesome with the fragrance of the spices that blend well with the pandan and tasty good. The meat texture is soft and moist.

Now I can enjoy fragrant Pandan Chicken minus the oil. This dish has no oil added at all, a much, much healthy version.

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 89 [modified]

Ingredients

[serves 3]

3 pieces deboned chicken whole leg [with skin] – trim off excess fats

5-6 pandan leaves

Marinade [Blend and Mix]

10 shallots – peeled

6 pips garlic – peeled

1 lemongrass – sliced

1 tbsp coriander powder

½ tsp white pepper

1 tsp kunyit powder

1 tsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp fish sauce 

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp oil [I omit]

1. Marinate chicken pieces with marinade for at least 3 hours or overnight.
2. Line a baking pan with foil, top with some pandan leaves. Place marinated chicken pieces on top in single layer. Top with extra pandan leaves, cover with foil.
3. Baked in preheated oven at 200-220 degrees C for 30 minutes. Uncover foil on the last 10 minutes, change oven mode to grill and grill chicken for about 10 minutes to brown them.
4. Remove from oven and serve with rice and fried vegetables or corn.
   
   
   
   

Click here for other Roast Meat Recipes

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #28 [November 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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