Singapore Style Hongkong Fried Beehoon

During my recent trip to Hongkong the weather has been cooling and at times when it drizzles along with the breeze it can be rather cold.  Throughout our 5D4N stay there we have to put on an extra jacket if we are out and not to mention, we haven't sweat a bit! The one and only time which both me and hubby feel the heat and slightly sweat is when we have our dinner of Singapore Style Hongkong Fried Beehoon.  Though it is just a simple stir-fried dish but the extra ingredients of curry powder makes the dish taste awesome. While I am enjoying the food I also gets to observe the ingredients used as well as making full use of my taste buds to try to get as close as possible to improvise this dish at my home kitchen.

Here's to share "from Hongkong to Kuching!"

This is what you need: (Serves 3)

• half onion (sliced)
• 5 pip garlic (coarsely chopped)

• 2 egg (lightly beaten)

• some sliced meat (I use pork tenderloin which is soft, so I cut it slightly thicker) marinate with 1/2 tbsp of light soy sauce and cornflour

• some prawns (shelled and deveined)

• some shredded red carrot
• shredded cabbage
• celery (young part, leaves with the stem)

• 1 1/2 piece of beehoon (soaked)

• 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp curry powder, depending on individual liking (I use the watch brand)
• 1 cup cooking oil (for frying the meat)
• water

Seasonings:

• 3 tbsp light soy sauce 
• chicken stock granules (to taste)
• dash of grounded pepper

Few simple steps:

1. In a heated wok add in cooking oil, fry the pork tenderloin using medium heat until almost cook, dish and drain.  
2. Discard oil, leave about 3 tbsp, fry the garlic and onion until fragrant.
3. Add in prawns, stir fry briefly, add in all the veggies and give it a quick fry.
4. Add in the curry powder and mix till well combined.
5. Move the fried ingredients to the side of the wok, add a tbsp oil then the beehoon and give it a quick fry. 
6. Mix in all the other ingredients, the fried pork, add in seasonings and water. Stir till all the ingredients are well combined. Taste for correct seasoning.
7. Make a well in the center, pour in the beaten egg and give it good mix to ensure that the eggs are evenly combined with the beehoon.
8. Drizzle dash of grounded pepper.
9. Off the heat, dish on serving platter and it's time to enjoy!

Notes:

1. The actual dish does not use celery but spring onions.  I am using it to cook this dish as I have leftover the tender leafy park of the celery from making my daily celery juice. However, it taste great on this dish.
2. If you are cooking for a bigger crowd I suggest dishing out the fried ingredients into a plate at Step 5 so that the ingredients won't have to be overcooked and the beehoon gets to be fried evenly.

Chinese New Year Ti Kuih

This sweet-sticky rice cake which is commonly called Ti Kuih in Hokkien dialect is also known as Nian Gao or Kuih Bakul.  Though it is commercially sold throughout the year but it is not commonly eaten.  However, during the Lunar New Year celebration it is a must-have food item to buy either as gifts for close relatives, for decorations on the table, for the Buddhist for offering to their God, and most importantly for the family's consumption, especially on the 20th day of the Lunar New Year.  

For my family there are 3 different methods of serving this sweet-sticky rice cake. Here's to share......

1.  Shallow pan-fried with beaten egg

This is the most simplest method which I get to learn from my mum since when I was young.  Few simple steps:

1. Slice the sweet cake into slices, thickness depends on individual liking, but not too thick as it might not be able to cook through before the egg coating is overcooked or burnt.
2. Break one or two egg in a bowl (depending on how much sweet cake you are going to cook) and beat with a fork.
3. In a medium heated wok, add in oil (just enough for shallow fry).
4. Dip the sliced sweet cake into the beaten egg and put in the medium heated oil for frying.  
5. Turn over once when the coated egg has browned.
6. When the sweet cake has soften and is golden in colour, dish out and serve.

2.  Fried with flour and egg batter

• In a bowl add in about 1 cup of sifted plain flour, 1 small size egg and gradually mix in water untill you get a batter with a consistency which is not too thin or too thick.

• slice the sweet cake into slices, not too thick or too thin

• Heat a wok with enough oil for medium fry.
• Dip the sliced sweet cake into the batter, drip off some excess, then put into the medium-low heated oil.
• Turn once and when both sides are golden brown dish and drain on a wire rack (do not use kitchen paper as it might stick onto the paper).
• Serve immediately if you prefer it crispy.

3.  Deep-fried sticky sweet cake with yam and sweet potato

• In a bowl mix 2 cups plain flour and 1 egg with enough water to get a consistency of not too thin or thick

• Slice the sweet cake, yam and sweet potato to almost even size, but for the thickness the yam must be slightly thinner than the sweet cake and sweet potato as yam is tougher to cook.  

• Heat enough oil in a deep wok.
• For each frying dip one each of the yam, sweet cake follow by the sweet potato into the batter, let excess batter drip off, then immediately put into the heated oil of medium heat for deep frying.  Fry them in batches and do not over-crowd the wok.
• Turn few times to ensure that the yam and sweet potato are properly cooked. I use a wooden skewer to prick and ensure that the yam is soft and cooked through.
• Dish and drain on a wire rack.

• It's ready to serve!  If you prefer it crispy consume it when hot, but it also taste equally yummy when cooled.

The first and second method of serving this Ti Kuih are the conventional method, which have been made popular and practiced since the days of my parents and grandparents.  I get to learn this third method from my late mother-in-law.  For those who loves both yam and sweet potato it is heavenly, but for those who doesn't eat yam like the case of my children, then I would normally use two pieces of sweet potato and omit the yam. It is a good combination of yam, sweet cake and sweet potato as it helps to balance up the sweetness of the Ti Kuih.  However, I should admit that the Ti Kuih today are not as sweet as those years back.  Most people are trying to stay healthy by reducing the intake of sugar or consuming less sugary or sweet food.  

Enjoy cooking!

Easy Pandan Kuih Bangkit

Kuih Bangkit has always been my favourite cookies since young.  During my young days we only get to eat this yummy cookies during Chinese New Year.  The recipe which I've previously used to bake this cookies is time consuming as the flour needs to be fried using low heat and cooled before we can start making them.  Besides, the outcome of the cookies are not as delicious as I expected.  I prefer Kuih Bangkit which is soft and 'melt-in-the-mouth' rather than crunchy or hard.

Just before the Lunar New Year I came across a recipe 'Easy Pandan Kuih Bangkit' which is so tempting to my taste buds, but due to time constrain I did not get to bake them for the new year festival.  Today, I've decided to try a hand on this deliciously-tempting recipe and the outcome is simply YUMMY, soft and melt-in-the-mouth!  Thank you Alice for sharing this great recipe at http://iloveicookibake.blogspot.com. This is one recipe which I will continue to bake share and enjoy.

Here's to share.....

Ingredients:
100g butter
80g icing sugar (sifted)
a pinch of salt
1 egg
50ml coconut milk
1 tbsp freshly squeezed pandan juice (or 3/4 tsp pandan paste)
2 cups cornflour 
1 cup tapioca flour 

Methods:

1. Sift both flours and put in a bowl for later use.
2. Mix the coconut milk together with the egg and pandan juice, leave aside.
3. Cream butter, icing sugar and salt till light and creamy.
4. Add in the egg mixture slowly and beat till well mixed.
5. Fold in the flour and mix till well combined.
6. Shape the dough using your preferred design and place them in a lined baking tray.
7. Bake in a preheated oven of 180 degree Celsius for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Note:  If pandan paste is used you will be getting a more greener cookies as compared to the extracted pandan juice.  I am satisfied with this lighter green colour of my favourite Kuih Bangkit.  It's "Simple Yet Yummylicious!"

Honey Baked Chicken Wings

Oven-baked chicken have always been my family's favourite dish as it is considered healthy as compared to deep-fried.  However, as and when my lazy-mode is being automated I will most probably opt for 'baked' than 'fried' or any other means of cooking method.

Recently, I came across a recipe from Noob Cook with few simple marinating ingredients which is almost similar to my recipe.  Temptation is so great and I just couldn't resist and here's the outcome.....

Ingredients:
9 chicken wings
2 1/2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

Methods:

1. Clean the chicken wings, cut into two portion - drummets and mid joint together with the tips, drip dry and put in a big bowl.
2. Marinade the chicken wings with the rest of the other ingredients for few hours or overnight.
3. Arrange chicken pieces on wire rack and place a tray beneath for the oil to drip during the process of baking.
4. Bake in an Aspen Convention Oven of 200 degree Celsius until golden brown, turn over and bast with the remaining marinade and continue to bake until golden brown.
5. Let the cooked chicken wings rest for a while on the rack.
6. Serve with sprinkle of lime and chilli sauce.

Here's a close-up view of the dish.....