Brinjal Pachri

Ingredients:

300g green brinjals

1 big onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, ground

1.5 cm piece ginger, ground

1 tbsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp tumeric powder

1 egg-sized tamarind

300ml water

4 tbsp oil

Whole Spices:

2.5 cm piece cinnamon

2 cloves

2 cardamons

Seasoning:

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Method:

1.  Cut brinjals into halves and then each piece in twos.  Soak in salt water for half an hour and rinse before using.

2.  Knead tamarind with 1 bowl water and strain out juice.

3.  Heat 4 tbsp oil in pan and fry the sliced onion until soft and brown.

4.  Add whole spices, ground garlic and ginger, tumeric and chilli powder.  Fry until fragrant.

5.  Add tamarind juice and seasoning to taste.  Add brinjals and simmer till soft and gravy is thick.

Uncle Jimmy’s Fried Mushrooms

Ingredients:

15 pieces fresh Shitake mushrooms

2 big onions, sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 fresh red chillies, sliced

2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning:

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup water

Method:

1.  Rinse mushrooms, remove stalks and cut each piece into 3 slices.

2.   Heat oil in wok,  saute minced garlic till fragrant, add sliced onions and fry till onions are soft.

3.  Add sliced red chillies, mushrooms, seasoning and 1/2 cup water.

4.  Continue to fry till mushrooms are cooked, adding more water if necessary.

Jackfruit Curry

Ingredients:

1 kg unripe jackfruit

150g fresh prawns, shelled

300ml thick coconut milk

600ml diluted coconut milk

1/2 cup cooking oil

1 tsp salt

Ingredients to blend:

 150g dried prawns, soaked

1 stalk lemon grass, sliced

4 fresh red chillies

4 dried chillies, soaked

8 shallots

2 buah keras (candlenuts)

1/2 tbsp belachan (shrimp paste)

1/2 tsp tumeric powder

Method:

1.  Remove skin of  jackfruit leaving pith and pulp with seeds intact.  Cut into large chunks.  ( Rub jackfruit with a little oil as it is cut to prevent sap from oozing out).  Boil jackfruit in salted water for 10-15 minutes or until the fruit is tender.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

2.   Heat oil in wok over medium heat.  Fry blended ingredients till fragrant.  Add diluted coconut milk and jackfruit and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3.  Add prawns and simmer for 2 minutes.  Add in thick coconut milk and season with salt to taste.

Eggplant With Dried Prawn Sambal

Ingredients:

4 slender eggplants

5 tbsp cooking oil

juice of 1 lime

Ingredients to blend:

1 heaped tbsp dried prawns

2 tomatoes

4 fresh red chillies

5 chilli padi

5 shallots

1 clove garlic

1 tsp belachan, toasted

Seasoning:

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp light soya sauce

Method:

1.  Wash eggplants and cut each into 3 pieces across and half lengthwise.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok.  Put in the eggplants and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until they are cooked through.  

2.  Wash and toast dried prawns for 5 minutes.  Blend till fine and set aside.

3.  Blend the chillies, garlic, shallots, tomatoes and belachan to a fine paste.

4.  Heat 3 tbsp cooking oil in wok and stir-fry the blended ingredients over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Add the dried prawns and stir-fry till cooked and fragrant.  Add lime juice and adjust seasoning according to taste.  If mixture is dry, add a little water.

5.  When mixture is cooked, add in the fried eggplants and stir-fry for a while. 

Seafood Beancurd

Ingredients:

3 rolls Japanese beancurds

150g small shrimps, shelled

1 squid, cut into rings

meat of 1 steamed crab

50g mixed peas

1 red chilli, sliced

2 egg whites

Seasoning:

250ml chicken stock

2 tbsp chinese rice wine

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp oyster sauce

a dash of pepper

a pinch of salt

Thickening:

2 tsp cornflour

1 tbsp water

Method:

1.  Shell shrimps, devein and wash clean.  Wash sotong and cut into rings.

2.  Cut beancurds into 2cm pieces,  deep-fry till golden brown.  Remove and place them on a serving plate.

3.  Bring 250ml stock to a boil.  Add in the seasoning, shrimps, sotong rings and crab meat.  Add in the mixed peas and sliced red chillies.  Thicken with thickening solution.

4.  Turn off heat, pour in the egg whites.  Stir mixture briefly and pour over the fried beancurds.

Braised Sea Cucumber With Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 pre-soaked sea cucumber (approx 300g)

8 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked

1 small can button mushrooms

1 packet enoki mushrooms

200g broccoli, cut into florets

2 slices ginger

1 stalk spring onion

1 tbsp chinese rice wine

300ml water

Seasoning:

1 tbsp ginger wine

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

500ml water

Thickening:

2 tsp cornflour

1 tbsp water

Method:

1.  Place sea cucumber in a pot.  Add in the spring onion, ginger slices, rice wine and 300ml water.  Boil sea cucumber for 15-20 minutes to remove the fishy odour.  Remove sea cucumber and cut into pieces.

2.  Boil a pot of water with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp oil.  When water is boiling, blanch the mushrooms and broccoli separately.  Remove and drain well.

3.  Place the sea cucumber, shitake mushrooms and 500ml water in a pot.  Add in the seasoning and braise over low heat till gravy is quick dry.  Adjust seasoning according to taste and add in the blanched button mushrooms, enoki mushrooms and broccoli.

4.  Thicken with thickening solution.  Stir well and dish up.

Sambal Goreng Taugeh

Ingredients:

300g taugeh (bean sprouts)

1 piece taukwa (bean curd)

10 stalks chives (optional)

2 tomatoes, quartered

1 stalk serai, crushed

300 prawns

4 tbsp cooking oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp lime juice (optional)

Ingredients to blend:

10 dried chillies

10 shallots

1 clove garlic

1/2 tsp belachan

Method:

1.  Cut taukwa into cubes and fry till brown.  Cut chives (koo chai) into 2 cm lengths.

2.  Heat oil in wok and fry the blended ingredients till fragrant. 

3.  Add in the crushed serai, prawns and seasoning.  Fry until prawns are cooked.

4.  Add in fried taukwa, taugeh, tomatoes and koo chai.  Stir-fry for 3 minutes and dish up.

Crispy Fried Tofu

Ingredients:

300g fish paste

300g prawn paste

4 pieces firm toufu (400g)

1 piece sole fish, toasted

30g carrot

30g water chestnuts

2 stalks coriander

1 tbsp cornflour

For coating:

1 egg, beaten

some rice flour or cornflour

Seasoning:

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

few drops of sesame oil

Method:

1.  Mince carrots, water chestnuts and coriander.  Toast and pound sole fish till fine.

2.  Mix the fish paste and prawn paste together and smash till a sticky paste is formed.  Add in the smashed toufu, minced vegetables,  pounded sole fish, seasoning and cornflour and mix well.  (Add a bit more cornflour if mixture is too soft).

3.  Pour into a shallow square tray lined with foil or plastic and steam for about 15 minutes or until cooked.  Leave to cool and cut into finger length strips.

4.  Heat up enough oil in a wok, dip tofu strips into beaten eggs and coat with some rice flour or cornflour and deep-fry till crispy.

5.  Serve with Peanut Candy Chilli Sauce.

Ingredients for Chilli Sauce:

200ml Thai Sweet Chill Sauce

5 pieces peanut candy, crushed

Method:

1.  Combine chilli sauce with crushed peanut candy and mix well.

Fried Mushrooms With Oats

Ingredients A:

250g abalone mushrooms

Batter Ingredients:

180g plain flour

30g rice flour

2 tbsp custard powder

2 tsp baking powder

some water

Ingredients B:

50g butter

2 egg yolks

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

8 chilli padi

2 sprigs curry leaves

6 tbsp cooking oats

Method:

1. Wash mushrooms, pat dry and tear into small pieces.

2.  Sieve flour, rice flour, custard powder and baking powder together.  Add in enough water to form a batter of dropping consistency.

3.  Dip mushroom pieces into batter and deep-fry in hot oil till golden.  Drain off excess oil.

4.  Heat wok, add butter and heat over medium heat till butter dissolves.  Add curry leaves, chilli padi, sugar and salt and fry till fragrant.

5.  Lower heat, gradually pour in beaten egg yolks from a height.  Stir quickly with a pair of chopsticks till egg shreds are formed.  Add in fried mushroom fritters and oats. Stir well and dish up.

Fried Sugar Snap Peas with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

15 pieces sugar snap peas

5 babycorns

5 pieces fresh shitake mushrooms

1 bunch fresh enoki mushrooms

10 button mushrooms (canned)

10 straw mushrooms (canned)

1/2 small carrot (sliced)

20g abalone mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tbsp oil

Seasoning:

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

Thickening:

1 tsp cornflour

1 tbsp water

Method:

1.  Blanch all ingredients briefly in boiling water.  Remove and drain.

2.  Heat wok with oil and fry garlic till fragrant.  Add in all other ingredients and seasoning and stir-fry till well mixed.  Sprinkle with a little water and bring to a quick boil. Thicken with cornstarch solution.