Seafood or Pork Shumai (Siew Mai)

I always wanted to learn how to make Shumai (my favourite Dim Sum dish!) – I found one in “Joy of Cooking”:

Makes 32 dumplings

Put together into a large bowl and mix well:

• 1 pound sea bass or other mild white fish fillets, finely chopped, or a combination of fish, shrimp, and scallops, finely chopped, or ground pork
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger (about a 2-inch piece)
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 2 tablespoons minced scallion
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• salt and Black Pepper to taste

Have ready:
32 round wonton wrappers

Place a wonton wrapper on a work surface and place 1 tablespoon filling in the center. Pick the wrapper up so that it partially surrounds the filling, pleating the edges of the wrapper so that it resembles a cup, the filing should be exposed at the top and level with the wrapper. Tap the dumpling against the work surface to flatten the bottom. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. Place half the dumplings, without touching each other, in an oiled steamer basket. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large pot, put the basket on top, cover, and cook 10 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through. Remove to a plate and keep warm. Cook the remaining dumplings in the same way. Serve hot with:

• Soy sauce
• Thai Hot sauce
• Chilli Sauce

Kueh Sarlat

Ingredients for Pulut:

600g glutinous rice

300ml thin coconut milk

150ml thick coconut milk

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 pandan leaves

Method:

1.  Wash and soak glutinous rice overnight.  Drain and place rice in a steaming tray, top with pandan leaves and steam over high heat for 15 minutes.

2.  Add 300ml thin coconut milk  to steamed rice, mix well and steam for another 10 minutes.  Add the thick coconut milk, mix well then sprinkle rice with some blue colouring and steam for a further 5 minutes. 

3.  Line the bottom of a 28 cm round tray with banana leaf.  Transfer steamed rice to tray and press rice down firmly with a piece of banana leaf  or a plastic spatula.  Steam tray of glutinous rice over boiling water for 15 minutes before adding the custard topping. 

Custard Topping:

10 eggs

450g castor sugar

500ml thick coconut milk

6 level tbsp plain flour

1 level tbsp rice flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp pandan juice

1 tsp apple green colouring

Method:

1.  Stir eggs with sugar till sugar dissolves and strain into a double boiler. 

2.  Sift rice flour and plain flour into a big bowl, add coconut milk gradually and mix to a smooth batter then strain into the egg mixture.  Add salt, pandan juice and green colouring and stir well.

3.  Stir mixture over a pot of boiling water till it coats the back of a wooden spoon.  Pour custard onto steamed glutinous rice, cover and steam over moderately high heat for 15 minutes.

4.  Reduce heat to low and continue to steam for another 1/2 hour or till a small stick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the custard.  Remove and place tray on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting.

Red Bean With Sago Porridge

Ingredients:

250g red beans

100g sago, soaked

200g rock sugar

2 pieces dried tangerine peel

2 pandan leaves, knotted

2.5 litres water

Method:

1.  Wash red beans in several changes of water and remove any grit that rises to the surface.  Rinse and drain.  Rinse tangerine peel briefly.

2.  Bring 2.5 litres of water to a boil.  Add the red beans, pandan leaves and tangerine peel and boil over high heat for 15 minutes.  Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour till beans are softened.  Remove half of beans and blend till fine.  Pour blended bean paste back into pot.

3.  Add rock sugar and continue to simmer over low heat for another 1/2 hour.  Add sago and boil until sago turns translucent.   

Homemade Fish Ball Soup

Ingredients for Making Fish Balls:

1 Spanish Mackeral (about 600gm)

Solution A: 1 tbsp water + 1/2 tsp salt

Solution B:

100ml water

1 tsp salt

a dash of pepper

1 tbsp cornflour

Method:

1.  Clean fish, wipe dry and fillet with a sharp knife.

2.  Scrape out the flesh from the skin and bones with a metal spoon.

3.  Place the fish flesh on a wooden chopping board.  Pound the fish flesh with the back of a chopper until very fine, adding the salt solution A, a little at a time.

4.  Place the fish paste in a big bowl, stir in one direction under very sticky, adding Solution B while stirring.

5.  Take handfuls of the fish paste and throw it against the sides of the bowl till the paste becomes springy.

6.  Grease hands and fingers with a little oil.  Take a lump of fish paste and gently squeeze paste out between thumb and index finger to form small balls. 

7.  Scoop out the balls of fish paste with a spoon and drop them into a bowl of  water salted with 1 tsp salt.  Leave fish balls to soak in salt water for 1/2 hour. 

Ingredients For Soup:

Bones and skin of fish

Fish balls

1500ml water 

1 small head Iceburg lettuce

1 stalk spring onion, shredded

1 tbsp preserved radish ‘tong choi’

Seasoning:

1 tsp salt

2 tsp light soya sauce

Method:

1.  Pan-fry the fish bones and skin till golden brown.

2.  Bring 1500ml water to a boil, add the fried fish bones and skin and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. 

3.  Strain the fish stock into a pot and bring to a boil.  When boiling, add the fish balls and cook over a slow fire till they float to the top.  Add seasoning to taste. 

4.  Add ‘tong choi’ and shredded lettuce.  Sprinkle with shredded spring onions.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ingredients For Chicken:

1 chicken (about 1.8 kg)

1 large piece of ginger, smashed

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tbsp light soya sauce

Method:

1.  Wash chicken and remove excess fat.  Stuff chicken with salt, ginger and garlic.

2.  Fill a deep pot with water making sure water level  is enough to immerse chicken.  Bring to a boil, and when boiling put in chicken and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes till chicken is cooked.

3.  Remove chicken and drain liquid from the body cavity.  Retain chicken stock for cooking rice and soup.  Scoop out oil from stock and use for making chilli sauce.

4.  Add 2 tbsp salt to a big pot of water.  Dip chicken in and soak till it has cooled down.  Drain and brush with 1 tbsp sesame oil mixed with 1/2 tbsp light soya sauce. 

5.  Chop chicken into bite-size pieces and serve garnished with sliced cucumber, tomatoes and coriander leaves.

Ingredients For Chicken Rice:

600gm fragrant rice

700ml chicken stock

5 cloves garlic, minced

8 shallots, minced

1 small piece ginger, smashed

4 pandan leaves, knotted

4 tbsp corn oil

1 tsp salt

Method:

1.  Wash rice, drain in a colander and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

2.  Heat 4 tbsp corn oil over high heat in a wok.  Add minced shallots and garlic, ginger and pandan leaves and fry till fragrant.

3.  Add rice grains and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to a rice cooker and add chicken stock and salt.  When rice is cooked, remove ginger and pandan leaves. 

Ingredients For Chilli Sauce:

10 fresh red chillies

6 cloves garlic

5 shallots

2.5 cm piece young ginger

chicken oil

juice of 10 limes

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

Method:

1.  Blend chillies with garlics, shallots and ginger.  Add vinegar, lime juice and chicken oil.  Add salt and sugar to taste.

Hum Cheem Peang

Ingredients for Yeast Dough:

450gm plain flour

250ml water

Method:

1.  Sift flour onto table, add water gradually and knead into a smooth dough taking about 20 minutes.

2.  Place dough  into an oiled container, cover with  a piece of damp cloth and put on the container lid.

3.  Set aside for 48 hours for dough to ferment.  (Dough will take a longer or shorter time to ferment depending on weather conditions).  The dough is ready for use when it turns sourish.

Ingredients for Five-Spice Doughnuts:

450gm prepared yeast dough

250g sugar 

375gm plain flour

125ml water

1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp alkaline water

Filling Ingredients:

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp five-spice powder

a little water for brushing

Method:

1.  Dissolve bicarbonate of soda in 125ml water and add to yeast dough.  Add sugar and alkaline water and knead for 5 to 10 minutes.

2.  Add sifted flour and knead well.  Sprinkle top with some flour and cover with a piece of damp cloth.  Set aside to proof for one hour or longer.

3.  Sprinkle some flour on table top.  Roll out dough into a rectangular sheet.

4.  Sprinkle some five-spice powder and salt over dough.  Dip brush in some water and brush over mixture lightly.

5.  Roll dough up like swiss roll and cut into 2.5 cm slices.  Flatten each piece into a thin round shape with a wooden roller.

6.  Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown.  Drain off excess oil on absorbent paper.

Kueh Pie Tee Recipe

Ingredients:
85g plain flour
150 ml water
1 dessertsp melted butter
a pinch of salt
a dash of ground pepper
1 egg

Method:
1. Sift flour with salt and pepper.
2. Slowly mix in the water and melted butter and mix well into a smooth batter. Sieve batter and let stand for 1 hour before use.
3. Heat oil in a small deep pot for deep-frying.
4. Dip a medium-sized pie tee mould into the boiling oil, remove it and dip mould into the batter covering only about 3/4 length of the mould.
5. Deep fry the pie tee cases in the hot oil until set. Shake off the pie tee case from the mould and fry until light brown in colour.
6. Drain pie tee cases on absorbent paper and cool thoroughly before storing in an airtight container.
7. To serve, put a small piece of lettuce into a pie tee case. Add a tbsp of filling and top with coriander leaves, prawn, crab meat, egg shreds, sliced red chilli and pounded peanuts.
8. Serve with chilli sauce.

Ingredients for Fillings:
1 medium-sized turnip
1 small carrot, shredded
2 cloves garlic, ground
1 shallot, ground
1 tsp taucheo
1/2 tsp vetsin
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method:
1. Peel carrot and turnip and cut into thin strips.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil and fry the ground garlic and shallots. Add taucheo and stir-fry until fragrant.
3. Add shredded carrot and turnip and fry well, adding a little water. Simmer over low heat until cooked. Add seasoning and adjust according to taste.

Topping:
3 eggs
6 tbsp water
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp oil

1 crab (boiled, shelled and shredded)
300g shrimps (boiled and shelled)
butter lettuce
coriander leaves
shredded red chillies
pounded roasted peanuts

Method:
1. Beat eggs with water and a pinch of salt. Heat 2 tbsp oil in pan and fry beaten eggs to egg sheet and slice fine.

Chilliies Sauce:
20 fresh chillies, ground
2 cloves garlic, ground
Juice of 4 limes
1 tbsp sugar
salt to taste

Method:
Mix all ingredients together and add salt and sugar to taste.

Kai Choy Soup

Ingredients:

500g Kai Choy (Leaf Mustard)

500g pork ribs

8 red dates, stoned

3 dried scallops

2 litres water

Seasoning:

1 tsp salt

1 tsp light soya sauce

Method:

1.  Soak red dates till softened, wash and drain.  Wash dried scallops.

2.  Wash and cut leaf mustard into 3 sections.

3.  Blanch pork ribs in boiling water, wash and drain.

4.  Bring 2 litres of water to a boil.  Add pork ribs, red dates and dried scallops.  Cover pot and boil over high heat for 15 minutes. 

5.  Add leaf mustard, lower heat and simmer soup for 1 hour.  Add seasoning to taste.

Ayam Penyet

Ingredients:

6 large chicken legs, deboned

2 stalks lemon grass, crushed

2 bay leaves (daun salam)

1 tbsp coriander seeds (ketumbar)

1/2 tsp ground cumin (jintan manis)

2 tbsp thick coconut milk

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients to grind:

120g lengkuas, peeled and sliced

1 red chilli, seeded

2 cm knob tumeric

4 slices ginger

3 cloves garlic

3 candlenuts (bush keras)

Method:

1.  Fry coriander seeds over slow fire till fragrant then grind coarsely.

2.  Wash chicken and drain well.  Prick chicken all over with a fork.

3.  In a mixing bowl, combine ground spices with ground cumin, coriander, salt, sugar, coconut milk and crushed serai.  Add chicken and mix thoroughly.  Leave to marinade for 30 minutes.

4.  Grease base of cooking pot with some cooking oil.  Arrange chicken in pot, add crushed bay leaves.  Cover pot and cook over moderate heat for 8 minutes.  Turn chicken over, cover pot and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until almost dry.  Remove chicken and drain off excess liquid.

5.  Grill or roast chicken on high heat, 250 deg C until golden brown on both sides.

Claypot Chicken Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (300g)

2 cups water (350ml)

2 chicken drumsticks (300g)

5 dried Shitake mushrooms

2 dried Chinese sausages

2 stalks mustard greens

50g salted fish

Marinade for Chicken:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tbsp ginger juice

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

a dash of pepper

1 tsp cornflour

Method:

1.  Soak mushrooms in warm water till softened.  Cut off  stalks,  drain and squeeze dry.

2.  Wash sausages and cut each into 6 to 8 pieces.  Wash vegetables and cut into pieces.

3.  Fry salted fish in a little oil till crispy and crumble into small pieces.

4.  Wash and cut chicken drumsticks into pieces.  Mix with marinade and salted fish and set aside for 30 minutes.

5.  Wash rice, drain and put into the claypot with the water and 1 tbsp of Maggi concentrated chicken stock.  Bring to the boil over high heat.  When steam holes appear on rice, add the chicken, mushrooms and sausages.

6.  Cover claypot  and continue to cook over low heat for another 15 to 20 minutes till chicken is cooked.

7.  Add vegetables on top, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

8.  Mix well before serving and drizzle some dark soya sauce over the rice.