Mee Siam

Ingredients:

500g rice vermicelli  (soak in boiling water for 1 minute)

500g bean sprouts 

5 hard boiled eggs (shelled & quartered)

2 stalks koo chai (chives), cut into small pieces

4 pieces taupok, cut into small pieces

Ingredients A:

2 tbsp chilli paste

5 cloves garlic (minced)

250g shallots (finely sliced)

2 tbsp tau cheo ( lightly pounded)

1 tbsp blachan

3 tbsp dried prawns (soaked and pounded)

1 rice bowl cooking oil

11/2 rice bowls water

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp vetsin

Method:

1.  Heat oil in wok and fry pounded dried prawns for a while then add in rest of ingredients A and fry till fragrant. Remove 3 tbsp of paste with some oil and set aside for gravy. Add in water and bring to the boil.  Add in bean sprouts and fry for a while, push to one side of wok and add in rice vermicelli and seasoning ingredients and stir fry over high heat till gravy is absorbed.  Reduce the heat and stir fry till rice vermicelli is slightly dry and fluffy.

Ingredients for gravy:

8 tbsp taucheo (preserved soya beans)

2 onions, slice thinly

a slice of lengkuas (crushed)

2 walnut-sized assam

8 cups water

6 tbsp sugar

pounded peanuts

3 tbsp of  fried chillie paste

Method:

1.  Knead assam with water and strain out the assam water.  Wash taucheo and drain.

2. Boil assam water with lengkuas, sliced onion, taucheo and the 3 tbsp of fried chilli paste.  Simmer for half an hour, then add pounded peanuts and salt and sugar to taste.

4.  To serve – Put some rice vermicelli into a serving bowl and spoon some assam gravy over it.  Garnish with sliced hard boiled eggs, some chives, taupok and lime.

Pak Choi Kon Soup

Ingredients:

500g shin meat

120g pak choi Kon (dried white cabbage)

20g sweet almonds

15g bitter almonds

 12 dried red dates (stoned)

80g dried oysters

2 pieces dried tangerine peel

salt and light soya sauce to taste

Method:

1.  Soak dried cabbage till softened. Wash thoroughly, rinse and cut into short lengths.

2.  Scald shin meat to get rid of oil and scums.  Wash well and keep aside.

3.  Bring half a pot of water to a boil.  Add in dried cabbage and rest of  ingredients.  Bring to a second boil, turn heat to low and simmer soup for 21/2 hours.

4.  Add in meat and continue to simmer for another 1 hour.  Add seasoning to taste.

Pumpkin Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

500g Japanese pumpkin

2 red carrots

1 chicken breast meat

5 chicken feet

2 litres water (2000ml)

1 tbsp Maggi Concentrated Chicken Stock 

Seasoning:

1 tsp salt

1 tsp light soya sauce

Method:

1.  Rinse pumpkin and cut into big chunks.  Leave skin intact together with seeds. Rinse carrots and cut into pieces.

2.  Scald chicken feet and chicken breast meat in hot water and rinse again under running tap water, drain.

3.  Bring water to a boil.  Add chicken feet and breast meat and let boil for 30 minutes.  Add pumpkin, carrot and Maggi concentrated chicken stock.  Lower heat and simmer soup for another 35 minutes.   Add seasoning to taste.

Mui Choi Braised Meat

Ingredients:

300g pork sirloin (sliced)

300g sweet Mui Choi (dried salted mustard-cabbage)

80g ginger (cut into thin strips)

1 cup rice wine

3 cups water

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

Method:

1.  Soak the mui choi in water, wash clean, drain and cut into short lengths.

2.  Marinate the sliced sirloin with some sesame oil and soy sauce.

3.  Heat wok with sesame oil and saute ginger strips until golden brown, remove and drain off oil.

4.  Saute mui choi until fragrant, add in marinated meat, fried ginger shreds and water, bring to a boil.

5.  Add in rice wine and simmer on low heat until slightly dry.  

Gulai Tumis

Ingredients:

1 promfret (about 500g) wash & cut into slices

1 stalk bunga siantan (torch ginger) sliced

Spice Ingredients:

20 stalks dried chillies (soaked in hot water until soft, drain)

4 fresh red chillies

2 stalks serai (lemon grass)

2 cm old tumeric

5 cloves garlic

30 shallots

1 tsp belachan

Seasoning:

50g assam + 3 cups water

2 tbsp sugar

salt to taste

Method:

1.  Blend all spice ingredients till fine.

2.  Heat oil in wok, saute spice paste until fragrant for about 15 minutes.

3.  Add assam juice and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes, adding more water when necessary to prevent gravy from drying up.

4.  Add in fish slices and bunga siantan, season with sugar and salt to taste. 

5.  Simmer until fish is cooked.

Stir-Fried Chicken With Sesame Oil & Ginger

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

50g old ginger

5 tbsp sesame oil

Seasoning:

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp rice wine

some water

Method:

1.  Wash chicken and cut into small pieces. Blanch in boiling water,  then wash under running tap water, drain.

2.  Scrape off  skin from ginger and cut into thin strips.

3.  Heat sesame oil in wok and saute sliced ginger until slightly brown and fragrant.  Add in chicken pieces and keep on stir-frying until fragrant, add in rice wine and sprinkle with some water.

4.  Add in seasoning and simmer until chicken is cooked.

Jackfruit Jelly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

2 packets agar agar powder

400g sugar

200ml evaporated milk

2500ml water

500g  jackfruit

2 tsp yellow colouring

Method:

1.  Blend jackfruit with 1000ml water and set aside.

2.  Boil 1500ml water with the  agar agar powder and sugar till agar agar powder and sugar dissolves.

3.  Add in the jackfruit puree and stir well till mixture boils.  Add in the evaporated milk and yellow colouring.

4.  Pour into rinsed jelly mould and leave to set.  Chill before serving.

Magic Mirror

Ingredients for Coloured Jelly:

1 packet agar agar powder

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

few pandan leaves

red, green, yellow and blue food colouring

Method:

1.  Boil agar agar powder with sugar, salt, pandan leaves and coconut milk.

2.  When boiled, put into 5 bowls and colour each with red, green, yellow and blue colouring, leaving 1 part plain.

3.  Leave to set,  then spoon coloured jelly into hot plain jelly.

Ingredients for Plain Jelly:

1 packet agar agar powder

1 cup sugar

4 cups water

Method:

1.  Boil agar agar powder with sugar and water till agar agar powder dissolves, strain mixture.

2.  Pour jelly into a jelly mould and add in the coloured coconut jelly from above.

3.  Let set and chill before serving.

Caramel Jelly

Ingredients for Caramel Jelly:

1 packet agar agar powder

1 cup sugar

4 cups water

Method:

1.  Melt 1 cup of sugar till sugar turns brownish.

2.  Sprinkle agar agar powder on top of 4 cups of water and stir well.  Add in caramelised sugar and bring to boil.  Strain agar agar mixture when boiled and let half of it set, keeping the other half warm over a pot of hot water.

Ingredients for Coconut Jelly:

1 packet agar agar powder

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups water

2 cups coconut milk

1 tsp salt

Method:

1.  Boil agar agar powder with sugar and 2 cups water and strain mixture.

2.  Add 2 cups coconut milk and boil again.  Let half of coconut jelly set on top of caramel jelly.

3.  When coconut jelly is nearly set, heat up the other half of caramel jelly and pour on top.

4.  When caramel jelly is nearly set, heat up the other half of coconut jelly and pour on top.

5.  Let jelly set and chill before serving.

Minced Meat Bean Curd Balls

Ingredients A:

300g minced pork

1 Japanese egg bean curd, smashed

10g dried sole, fried, grounded

2 tbsp chopped water chestnuts

1 tbsp chopped spring onion

1 tsp cornflour

Ingredients B:

2 tbsp shredded black mushrooms

some sliced carrots

1 tsp minced garlic

6 stalks choy-sum, blanched, for garnishing

Seasoning A:

1 tsp salt and a dash of pepper

Seasoning B:

100 ml stock

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp cornflour

Method:

1.  Mix ingredients A and seasoning A thoroughly.  Shape mixture into small balls and arrange onto a greased steaming tray.  Steam for 10 minutes till cooked.

2.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok and saute minced garlic till fragrant. Add in mushroom shreds and stir well.  Add in seasoning B, carrot, bean curd balls and bring to boil.  Thicken with cornflour  mixture and bring to a boil.  Dish up and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with blanched choy-sum.

Steamed Eggs With Ham And Tunghoon

Ingredients A:

5 eggs, beaten with 50ml stock

1 salted egg, washed

Ingredients B:

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp minced garlic

100g minced pork

10g tunghoon (rice vermicelli) soaked and cut into short strips

2 tbsp ham cubes

2 tbsp chopped black fungus

2 tbsp chopped spring onions

Seasoning:

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sesame oil

a little pepper to taste

Method:

1.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok and saute minced garlic till fragrant.  Add in the remaining ingredients B and seasoning and stir-fry until fragrant, dish up.

2.  Put beaten eggs into a steaming bowl, add in fried mixture and stir well.

3.  Break salted egg on top of mixture and cover with plastic wrap.

4.  Steam at low heat for 25 minutes or till cooked.

5. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

Mel’s Favourite Angled Loofah Egg Flip

Ingredients:

2 angled loofah

6 medium-sized prawns (shelled)

2 eggs (beaten)

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 slices young ginger

30 gm flaked crabmeat (optional)

3 mushrooms (soaked, sliced)

2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning:

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp oyster sauce

Method:

1.  Wash angled loofah before paring the skin.  Cut into slices and then into 5 mm strips.

2.  Heat a wok with 2 tbsp cooking oil.  Saute minced garlic and sliced ginger till fragrant. Add in mushroom slices and stir fry for a while before adding prawns and loofah.  Cook till loofah becomes soft then add salt and oyster sauce.

3.  Add crabmeat flakes and drizzle in beaten eggs.  Turn off heat and let egg set well.  Dish up and serve.

Mocca Nut Chiffon

Ingredients:

8 egg whites

 5 egg yolks

340 gm castor sugar

180 gm plain flour

60 gm corn oil

110 ml hot water

1 rounded dessertsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

l1/2 dessertsp instant coffee

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 oz thinly sliced raw cashewnuts

few sliced red cherries

Method:

1.  Mix instant coffee with the hot water and leave to cool.

2.  Mix 1/2 amount of sugar to the flour, coffee mixture, salt, baking powder, corn oil, vanilla essence and stir mixture till smooth.

3.  Add in egg yolks one by one and stir until well mixed.

4.  Beat egg whites with remaining amount of sugar until very stiff.

5.  Mix the egg yolk mixture to the beaten egg whites and fold till smooth.

6.  Pour mixture into an ungreased 9″ tube pan or cake tin and sprinkle top with sliced cashew nuts.

7.  Bake in a mod. oven (180 deg C) for first 15 mins. then reduce heat and bake for a further 35 mins.

8.  When cake is baked, immediately turn the cake tin plus cake over a cake rack and leave to cool before turning cake out.  Frost cake with cocoa frosting and garnish with sliced cherries.

Cocoa Frosting Ingredients:

4 tbsp coarse sugar

28 gm hunkwei flour or green beans flour

300 ml water

1 tsp cocoa powder

1/2 dessertsp agar agar powder

Method:

1.  Dissolve agar agar powder in 150 ml water.

2.  Mix sugar, cocoa powder and hunkwei powder with 150 ml water and stir till smooth.

3.  Pour all ingredients together into a pot and bring to the boil, stirring every now and then until well mixed.

4.  When mixture bubbles, remove from heat  and add in vanilla essence.

Cherry Brandy Roll

Ingredients:

10 egg yolks

5 egg whites

225 gm sugar

120 gm softasilk flour

100 gm melted butter

4 tbsp jam

3 tbsp cherry brandy

Method:

 1.  Beat eggs and sugar until very thick, fold in sieved flour and melted butter alternately.

2.  Grease and line 2 swiss roll trays with paper outside trays slightly.

3.  Pour mixture into trays and bake in moderately hot oven (190-200 deg C) for 10 to 15 mins.

4.  When cake is done, turn it over on a piece of greased paper.

5.  Brush with melted jam mixed with 3 tbsp cherry brandy and roll it up.

Kueh Lapis Legit

 

Ingredients:

25 egg yolks

5 egg whites

500 gm butter

200 gm sugar

1 tin condensed milk

170 gm plain flour

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp mixed spices

 Method:

1.  Cream butter with condensed milk, vanilla essence, golden syrup & mixed spices till well mixed and set aside.

2.  Beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and creamy.

3.  Add beaten egg yolk mixture to the creamed butter mixture and mix well.  Fold in sieved flour.

4.  Beat egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar till stiff and fold in the mixture.

5.  Grease and line an 8″ square tin and preheat tin.

6.  For first layer, spread 2 tbsps of mixture in tin and bake in oven 180 degree C for 10-15 mins.

7.  For subsequent layers, grill each layer for about 3 mins.

8.  When top most layer is completed, cover with a metal tray or a piece of foil and bake for a further 5 mins.  It will take longer if the sides are still wet.

9.  Turn cake out onto a metal grid and let cool completely before cutting.