Stewed Sweet Tapioca Root

 My husband woke up early on Sunday morning and went jogging with my daughter. On his way home,  he went to the morning market to get some ingredients for spaghetti sauce for lunch. While walking in the market, he spotted a small stall selling fruits and tapioca root and he immediately bought some tapioca root home. Tapioca was his favourite since young.  
During our childhood days, rural folks will just grow some tapioca in the backyard and use tapioca to make nyonya cake (tapioca cake) or simply steamed and eat with castard sugar or freshly grated coconut. It is usually serve at tea time and goes well with black coffee. 

Ingredients:
Tapioca Root
Brown Sugar / Raw Sugar
Sea Salt
Coconut Milk / Double Cream (optional)
Pandan Leaf

Methods:
1.  Peel off tapioca skin.  Clean and cut into pieces of desire size.
2.  In a stew pot, pour in water, pandan leaf and tapioca pieces.  Stew tapioca until soft.
3.  Add raw sugar, salt and lastly coconut milk or cream.
4.  Serve hot or cold as afternoon tea break snack.

Points I followed:
-  Try to get young tapioca root, which has less hard root fibre.
-  Must stew until tapioca is soft before sugar is added.
-  Small amount of salt really enhance and balance the sweet creamy taste.

Braised Pork Belly with Salted & Sweetened Preserved Mustard Cabbages

I always wanted to prepare this dish... finally I made it!  
Invited my parents and sister over for dinner.  We have only this braised dish and steamed rice on the dinner table, nothing else.  A very down-to-earth dish but at the end of the dinner our guests left with satisfied face. 

What I used:
1kg Pork Belly
500g Salted Preserved Mustard Cabbage
250g Sweeted Preserved Mustard Cabbage
1/2 cup Cooking oil
1 bulb (medium) Garlic (with skin)
1500ml Water


Seasoning: 
2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce (for pork belly)
2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 Tbsp Sugar

How I made:

1. Boiled salted preserved mustard cabbage in water for ~ 10 minutes.  Pour away salted water and repeat this process (boiled twice - if necessary), to remove excess salt.  Pour away salted water, rinse, squeezed the mustard cabbage and cut coarsely.
2. Soaked the sweetened preserved mustard cabbage in water for ~ 30minutes.  Pour away water, rinse, squeezed the mustard cabbage and cut coarsely.
3. Boiled pork belly in water for ~ 20 minutes.  Removed and pat-dry.  Marinate with dark soy sauce evenly.
4. Deep-fry pork belly in hot oil until golden brown.  Dish up and soak into cold water immediately for ~ 20 minutes.
5. Heat up cooking oil in pot, saute cloves of garlic with skin until fragrance.
6. Then pour in water, seasoning, pork belly, salted & sweetened preserved mustard cabbage.  Covered and cooked until boiling.
7. Reduced heat and braised for ~ 1.5 hours or until pork belly is tender.
8. Remove pork belly and cut into slices.  Continue braise the mustard cabbage until gravy thickened.  
9. To serve, place slice pork belly back on mustard cabbage gravy.  Serve hot.

Points to hightlight:
Highly recommend to use both salted and sweetened preserved mustard cabbage together for this dish.
If possible, for braising, used a heavy base pot which comes with matching cover.  I used cast-iron pot.

Steamed Water Chestnut Yam Cake

Whenever I see yam in wet market, I can't resist not buying eventhough when I have tight lecturing schedule. I remembered having some dried shrimps at home (from Kuala Kurau), hence I chose 3 pieces of medium yam, for Steamed Yam Cake. At the same store, I picked some water chestnut to add different texture to the cake. Am going to make extra this round. At home, we take yam cake as a meal, both the old and young enjoy it so much!
Ingredients I used:

• 300g - 400g Yam (peeled, diced)


• 50g Dried Shrimp (soaked, blended)


• 10 Water Chestnut (peeled, diced)


• ~40g Shallot (chopped)


• ~20g Garlic (chopped)


• 1/2 cup Cooking Oil

Batter:

• 300g Rice Flour


• 50g Tapioca Flour


• 1Tbsp Wheat Starch


• 1Lit Water

Seasoning:

• 2tsp Salt


• 1Tbsp Sesame Oil


• 1tsp pepper


• 1/2tsp Five Spice Powder

For decoration:

• 80g Fried dried Shrimp (soaked, blended)


• some Fried Shallot Flakes


• some Spring Onion (finely cut)


• some Red Chilli (thinly sliced)

Method I used:

1. Combine batter ingredients, completely mixed well with water and strained.


2. Heat up oil to saute dried shrimps over medium high heat until fragrant.


3. Add shallot and garlic, stir-fry untill aromatic.


4. Add yam, water chestnut and seasoning, stir well.


5. Pour in batter, mix well. Stir over low heat until the mixture is thicker, remove from heat.


6. Transfer mixture into a greased 9 inches baking tin (square or round), level the surface.


7. Steam in a preheated steamer over high heat for 45 minutes. Remove from steamer. Leave to cool in the baking tin.


8. Cut into desire size. Serve hot or warm with topping.

Points to hightlight:

I must sprinkle lots of fried shallot flakes on top of cake. Always make extra, everyone in the family love the fried shallot.

Also, to complement the yam cake, eat with chilli sauce and sweet bean paste.

Stewed Minced Pork with Preserved Bean Curd

When my homemade preserved bean curd "matured", I used it in the pork stew. My niece was here for dinner the other day and she doesn't like stew minced pork so much, but this recipe with preserved bean curd, she ask for more!
I like this dish simply because it is suitable for the old and young at home. It goes well with a bowl of hot steam rice! Also, its very rewarding especially with homemade preserved bean curd add in to make the taste unique. What I used:

• 500g Minced Pork (pork belly)
• 200g Shallot (chopped)
• 100g Garlic (chopped)
• 20g Ginger (chopped)
• 1/2cup Cooking Oil
• 4 pieces Preserved Bean Curd
• 4 nos Chinese Black Mushroom (medium - diced)
• 2 Tbsp "Shao Xing" rice wine
• 700ml Water
• 1 Tbsp Light Soya Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Dark Soya Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
• 15g Rock Sugar
• 1 tsp Five Spices Powder

How I cooked:

1. Heat up oil, saute chopped shallot, garlic, ginger until fragrant and light golden brown.
2. Add minced pork, preserved bean curd and rice wine. Stir fry over high heat until pork is cooked and combined well with other ingredients.
3. Then, pour in water, add seasoning and bring to boil. Covered, simmer over low heat and stew for ~ 1 hour.

Points to highlight: 
I love to add hard-boiled egg while simmering. Stewed eggs is another flavored dish at home. If you like the stew to be sweet, add more rock sugar to desired sweetness.

Homemade Organic Fermented Soya Bean Curd 腐乳

I always make extra fermented soya bean curd 腐乳 to share with friends. Whenever I have very personal good occassion to celebrate (for myself), I would make fermented bean curd. Such as recently, my daughter can swim across the pool and the coach declared - "She can swim now!"; which took her some time to make it across.

To me, fermentation is a living process. Put in feeling while making would effect the process and taste of the entire fermentation process. I would try to be very peace and calm, happy, and think about those friends that I will share the fermented bean curd with.

It is a very personal gift, I believe, especially for friends who appreciate fermentation food and process...

We know humans have been consuming fermented foods for many thousand years and fermentation is the oldest known form of food biotechnology. It provides a means for producing safe and well preserved foods.

Especially in Asia, where soya has been a dietary staple for thousands of years, the traditional fermented soya foods are considered to have health promoting benefits. Through research, it is believed that consuming moderate amount of fermented soya products in the Asian populations play an important role in overall disease prevention and enhancement of well-being. Although researchers have not been able to identify all the responsible components in soya, it is increasingly recognized that fermented soya protein products such as fermented soya bean curd, miso, natto, tempeh (Indonesian), soy sauces, fermented soy milk and beverages have enhanced nutritive bioavailability while promoting heart and bone health, as well as alleviating menopausal symptoms. I hope the traditional fermented soya foods would become popular soon and more research would be done to proof its health benefits.

Ingredients I used:

• 8 pieces Orgaic Soya Bean Curd


• ~ 750g Organic Miso Paste Sea Salt

Tools I needed:

• Cleaned & dried chopping board, knife, plate, cloth, chopstick, spoon, and glass bottle

How I do:

1. Cut soya bean curd in smaller pieces.


2. Place bean curd on dry plate and sprinkle sea salt on bean curd surface evenly. This is to absorb water content in the bean curd. The entire excreting process takes about 4 - 6 hours, depending on the humidity condition.


3. Pour away the excretion (water).


4. Use clean cloth to wipe away the leftover salt and press the bean curd lightly to absorb water as much as possible. Line a thin layer of miso paste at the bottom of the glass bottle, place the dried bean curd on the miso paste. Then, scoop another layer of miso paste all over the 1st layer bean curd. Repeat the process until the last layer (cover the last layer with miso paste).


5. Cover the glass bottle and store at cool place. Open the cover everyday or when necessary to release "fermentation gas". The bean curd would be completely mature in ~ 2 weeks time.

Points to highlight:I sprinkle more sea salt on bean curd surface when notice the salt became wet and looks watery. Do not use air-tight container, as the "fermentation gas" needs to be released.

Nyonya Style Stir-fried Sour Cucumber (Timun Su-in)

This is a dish my mother will prepare for Chinese New Year meal and a dish all family members looking forward to! We enjoy chewing the crunchy cucumber and carrot. The crunchiness is the effect of marinated in salt, sugar and vinegar before cooking, vegetables such as cucumber and carrot remains crunchy even after cooking! It is very appertizing to go with other "rich and heavy" meat dishes.
Traditionally, chicken liver and chicken gizzard are added to the dish. These chicken organs are common in the old days when housewife slaughter chicken at home, preparing for Chinese New Year prayer.
Ingredient:

• 1 (large) Cucumber


• 1 (small) Carrot


• 1 (small) Onion


• 2 (small) Chillies


• 2 (large) Chinese Black Mushrooms (optional)


• 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil


• 3 cloves of Garlic (chopped)


• Small Prawn (optional)


• Salt


• Sugar


• Vinegar


• Pepper


• 1 Tbsp Cornstarch


• 2 Tbsp Water (for cornstarch)

Method:

1. Cut all vegetables (cucumber, carrot, onion, chilli, mushroom) into desired shape.


2. First, marinate all vegetables with salt for 5-10 minutes, rinse off lightly. Second, marinate with sugar then vinegar. Retained both "marinate" sugar and vinegar for cooking.


3. Heat wok with oil and saute chopped garlic until fragranced.


4. Add prawn (optional) and stir lightly.


5. Pour in all vegetables with the "marinate" sugar and vinegar. Stir-fried with high heat for ~ 2 minutes.


6. Reduce to medium heat and add seasoning*.


7. Lastly, thicken with cornstarch. Serve hot.

*Points to highlight: Taste before seasoning is added, as additional seasoning may not required. This is a very quick and easy to prepare dish. Taste good even when it's cold!

Fried Shallot & Oyster Sauce

Coming home with simple food ready on dinner table after a hectic work day is soo wonderful. I always prepared some "magic sauce" and stored in the fridge as an ingredient for quick dishes preparation.

Fried Shallot & Oyster Sauce goes well with simple Teochew porridge and as a topping for steamed fish or tofu.
Ingredient:

• 300g Shallot (thinly sliced)


• 1 cup Oil


• 3 Tbsp Oyster Sauce


• 3 Tbsp Light Soya Sauce


• 1/2tsp salt (optional)

Method:

1. Heat up oil, saute sliced shallot untill fragranced (but not brown).


2. Add Oyster sauce, light soya souce and salt and fried untill well mixed. Store well in the fridge.

Point to highlight:

• I don't add sugar and pepper to the sauce, as oyster sauce has everything that enhance the taste.

Minced Pork with Spicy Tauchu (豆酱) and Onion

Every family has their own home recipe. In our family, we love my mum's home reripe, especially her "Minced Pork with Spicy Tauchu (a paste made from
preserved soyabeans) and Onion". When she cooked, We would normally have a bigger portion of rice to go with it.
This dish is very appertizing. It is fragranced by tauchu, spiced up by chilli paste and with tamarind juice to make it more flavorful.
As a typical Nyonya, my mum love to spice up most of her cooking conveniently. Just like this one, for a normal mince pork with tauchu, she added in chilli paste, tamarind juice and plenty of onion...

Ingredient:

• 1 stalk Lemongrass (large)


• 6 nos Dried Chilli (seed removed)


• 8 nos Shallot


• 2 Tbsp Tauchu (pounded)


• 300g Minced Pork


• 1 no Onion (large) - sliced


• 1 no Tomato (large) - thick sliced


• 50g Tamarind Pulp / Juice


• Sugar (to taste)


• Salt (if required)

Method:

1. Pounced / blended lemongrass, dried chilli, and shallot together.


2. Saute lemongrass, dried chilli, shallot untill fragranced.


3. Add pounded tauchu. Fried until well mixed.


4. Pour in minced pork, mixed evently with other ingredients.


5. Add sliced onion and tomato. Cooked until onion and tomato are soft.


6. Lastly, add seasoning, sugar and salt (if required) and tamarind
   juice.

Point to highlight:

• Must taste before salt is added, as tauchu is saltly.


• Recommend amount of tamarind juice up to own taste.

Chives / Spring Onion Pancake 葱油饼

Its very rewarding to cook with the ingredient that grow in our own garden. My little chives pot progress very well. I took half of it to make pancake which I learnt from Taiwanese friends during my college years. I make extra and store some in the freezer. Like any frozen dough, just remove from the freezer and pan fried in medium heat, just a few minutes, a quick ready homemade breakfast or afternoon tea would be ready! Ingredient:

• 2 cups Plain Flour


• 1 cup Water


• 1/2 tsp Salt


• Salt (to sprinkle on pancake together with chives)


• 5 stalks Chives


• 5 Tbsp Oil (to brush/rub on pancake)


• Oil (frying)

Method:

1. Mixed flour, water, and salt together, knead to form a smooth dough. Cover with wet cloth and rest for ~30 minutes.


2. Clean and cut chives.


3. Devide dough into desire size, depends on the size of frying pan. Roll and flatten the dough, brush/rub a layer of oil and sprinkle some salt and a layer of finely cut chives evenly on the entire dough surface. Roll the dough to long strip and roll the strip from right to left to form a spiral. Flatten the entire spiral and roll into flat pancake.


4. Heat up frying pan with 1 Tbsp of oil and fry the pancake until both side turn golden brown. Serve hot.

Points to highlight:

• For frozen pancake, separate each piece with plastic paper, use a cake board as the base, wrap all pancakes well and store in freezer.


• Dry the "cut chives" and cut as fine as possible。