Ginger Bud Dipping Sauce For Blanched Meat

Torch ginger is a pink flower bud known to Malaysians as 'Bunga Kantan' and is a common herb in most Asian kitchens.  It is a member of the ginger family. The bud when cut gives an invigorating aroma and is used to flavour tangy curries/soups [Gulai Tumis, Assam Laksa etc.] and rice [Nasi Ulam and Nasi Kerabu].  Here, it is use as an aromatic ingredient for a nice dipping sauce.

A very easy, simple yet good dipping sauce for blanched meat fillet or steamed/boiled chicken meat.  Savoury, sourish and sweet taste with fragrant aroma of chopped coriander leaves and the wild ginger flower [bunga kantan] is really appetising.

 

Ingredients
[recipe adapted from Yum Yum magazine]

1 stalk wild ginger flower [bunga kantan] - finely chopped

1-2 stalks of coriander leaves - finely chopped

3 red chilli padi - chopped

50 ml light soy sauce

Juice of 3 limes

1-2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp fine preserved soya bean paste [taucheong]

•  Prepare and mix all ingredients together.
• Serve with blanched thinly sliced meat fillets or steamed chicken - chopped.

Steamed Chicken Whole Legs With Ginger Bud Dipping Sauce

2 chicken whole legs [with skin] - neatly trim off  sides and excess fats

-marinate for 30 minutes with 

1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper

2 tsp sesame oil - to brush on chicken skin after steaming

• steamed chicken over high heat for 20-30 minutes or until cooked and brush sesame oil over chicken skin OR
• boil in boiling water for 5 minutes, off heat, cover and soak chicken for 15 minutes.  Drain and brush with sesame oil.
• chopped into bite size pieces and serve with dipping sauce.

Notes: Visit this site for it's Nutritional Facts [here]

I'm linking this post to Cook Your Books #4 

 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

 

I'm also linking this post to September 2013 Cooking With Herbs Blog Challenge hosted by Lavender and Lovage

    

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Kuih Seri Muka

Very happy with the 'performance' of my electric steamer, I made this steamed Nyonya kuih as I have the pandan juice and blue pea flower [bunga telang] water  left over from making of the snowskin mooncakes.  If you don't have the indigo colour, it is alright to make it plain.  In fact, I shouldn't have mix the blue and plain colour rice together, then I would have a more distinct tri-colour kuih [white, blue and green].

Not too difficult to prepare yet the kuih is good and definitely worth the to make for the family and friends.   My friends told me this kuih is good.

Ingredients - original recipe from Home Cooking Magazine with slight modifications

[I used 15x23 cm oval shape steaming tray of my electric steamer]

Rice Layer

100 gm glutinous rice - washed and soaked for 4 hours

100 gm glutinous rice - washed and soaked with blue pea water [please refer here for preparation]

150 ml thin coconut milk

2-3 pandan leaves

1/2 tsp salt [use 1/4 tsp for each portion]

Top Pandan Layer

125 ml thick coconut milk

110 gm sugar

1.5 tbsp cornflour

50 ml pandan juice [blend 5 blades of pandan leaves with 50 ml water, strain to obtain the juice]

3 eggs

a drop of green colouring [optional]

1. Drain rice and combine the rest of ingredients.  Place in a steaming tray and steam for 40 minutes until rice is cooked.   Cool for a while and discard the pandan leaves.
2. Transfer rice to a lightly greased steaming tray.  Press rice gently to level out.  Steam for 10 minutes over high heat.
3. Mix all the topping ingredients well.  Strain into a double boiler with boiling water.  Stir mixture until it thickens.
4. Pour mixture over the steamed rice and continue to steam for another 25 minutes over low heat.
5. Cool thoroughly [several hours] before slicing.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Notes: Visit this site for it's Nutritional Facts [here]
   
   
   I'm linking this post to Little Thumbs Up - September 2013 Event  organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Joceline of Butter, Flour & Me

I'm also linking this post to September Cooking With Herbs Blog Challenge

 hosted by Lavender and Lovage

I'm  also linking this post to Cook Your Books #4 Event hosted by 

Joyce of  Kitchen Flavours

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Nourishing Chicken Soup

This herbal soup recipe  is from Agnes Chan's latest book 'Let's Eat'.  According to her, this nourishing soup is best served after menstruation and during confinement periods.  It helps to replenish blood lost and boost up energy.    I love herbal soup cooked this way as it is less oily and I get to enjoy the nourishing soup and all the ingredients including the herbs.

Looks like this soup is an all purpose soup that suits the whole family from young to old.  For the health benefits of some of these herbs, please see this post.

Ingredients - recipe slightly modified

[serves 3-4]

3 chicken thighs - skin removed and cut bite size pieces [about 600 gm]

10 red dates

1 tbsp Chinese wolfberries/kei chee

30 gm yuk chuk/solomon's seal

4 slices dang qui/angelica roots

800 ml water

salt to taste

1. Blanch chicken pieces in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drained  and rinse well.  
2. Bring water to boil in a pot [I used a claypot].  Add in all the herbs [except kei chi and red dates] for 10-15 minutes until the soup has the herbs' aroma.
3. Add in chicken and red dates.  Bring to boil again, reduce heat to simmer for about 40 minutes.
4. Lastly add in Chinese wolfberries/kei chee and salt to taste.  Boil for 1-2 minutes.
5. Serve hot.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Notes: Visit this site for it's Nutritional Facts [here]

I'm  linking this post to September 2013 Cooking With Herbs Blog Challenge

 hosted by Lavender and Lovage

I'm also linking this post to Cook Your Books #4 
 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

 

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Spicy Pandan Prawns

When I came across this recipe, I was wondering why on earth add pandan juice in a batter to fry prawns. The original recipe uses medium size big prawns shelled with tail intact.  Here, I used small white prawns and fry it, fritter style.

Ingredients

[original recipe from Home Cooking Magazine-with slight modifications]

300 gm small white prawns - shelled [or use 15 medium size prawns]

1/2-1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp white pepper

100 gm rice flour

30 gm cornflour

1/2 tbsp chilli powder

1 tsp tumeric powder

100 ml pandan juice

1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped

enough water to make a thick batter

1. Mix all the ingredients together into a batter.  Add in the prawns.  The consistency should be thick enough to coat the prawns.
2. Heat enough oil in a wok to pan fry or deep fry the prawn batter.  Scoop a spoonful of batter and fry until crispy and golden brown.
3. Dish out onto kitchen towel to drain off excess oil
4. Serve immediately with sweet chilli sauce if prefered.
   
   
   
   

Notes on Pandan Leaf/Screwpine Leaf

These leaves are native to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. Commonly known as Pandan Leaves in Malaysia and screwpine leaves in other countries.

Pandan Leaf/Screwpine Leaf:

• grows in clusters of long sword-like green leaves
• give off a sweet and pleasant fragrance [commonly used in desserts like Pulut Hitam, Bubur Gandum, Red Bean soups etc]
• are ground to extract the deep green coloured juice to be used in various recipes from savoury [such as Coconut milk rice/Nasi Lemak] to sweet ones
• Thais use this herb for Crispy deep-fried Pandan Chicken and Tako
• also used as insect repellent, warding off cockroaches in the home etc.

I'm linking this post to 

Little Thumbs Up - September 2013 Event  organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY 

and hosted by Joceline of Butter, Flour & Me

I'm also linking this post to Cook Your Books #4 Event
  hosted by Kitchen Flavours

 

I'm also linking this post to September 2013 Cooking With Herbs Blog Challenge

 hosted by Lavender and Lovage

I'm submitting this post to Asian Food Fest - November 2013  
hosted by Lena of Frozen Wings

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Pandan Coconut Kuih Lapis

The original recipe actually uses carrot juice but I changed it to pandan flavour and the recipe below is just half the portion.  It is actually a steamed layered cake with the nice aroma of pandan and coconut which definitely blends well.

This steamed kuih turns out well, chewy [QQ] and I was very happy that I can peel the layers while eating it.  Quite simple to make if you assemble all the dry ingredients in 2 bowls then mix in the liquid ingredients.  I used the steaming tray of my electric steamer and half this portion is enough for my family.  The steaming part is not difficult at all with the electric steamer.  It's light, easy and no water vapour condensation.

Ingredients

[recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 69 with some modifications]

Ingredients - A

200 gm rice flour [I used 100g]

200 gm tapioca flour [I used 100g]

1 tbsp sago flour [I used 1/2 tbsp]

270 castor sugar [I used 135g]

700 ml water [I used 350 ml]

300 ml coconut milk [I used 150 ml]

Ingredients - B

100 gm rice flour [I used 50g]

100 gm tapioca flour [I used 50g]

1/2 tbsp sago flour [I used 1/4 tbsp]

120 gm castor sugar [I used 60g]

500 ml carrot juice [I used 250 ml pandan juice]

For pandan juice - blend 5 blades of pandan leaves and add enough water, strain to obtain 250ml pandan juice.  Add a drop of green colouring - optional.

1.  In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients A, then stir in the liquid ingredients until well mix.  The mixture is about 700ml.  Divide into 6 even portions [125ml].
2. Put dry ingredients B into another mixing bowl, then stir in the liquid ingredients until well mix.  The mixture measures about 350ml.  Divide the mixture into 5 equal portions [70ml].
3. Heat up the steaming tray [lightly greased] for 5 minutes.
4. Pour 1 portion of the batter A into greased tray and steam over high heat for 4 minutes or until set.   Pour in 1 portion of the batter B over the white and steam for 4 minutes or until set.
5. Repeat alternating the white and green layer until the last layer which is white and steam for 10 minutes.
6. Remove and leave to cool completely.  Cut into pieces and serve.  [Useful tip - use a plastic serrated knife wrapped with cling film to cut the cake.  This is to prevent the cake from sticking to the knife and to get a neat edge]

I'm linking this post to 

Little Thumbs Up - September 2013 Event  organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY 
and hosted by Joceline of Butter, Flour & Me

I'm linking this post to September Cooking With Herbs Blog Challenge

 hosted by Lavender and Lovage

I'm  also linking this post to Cook Your Books #4 Event hosted by 

Joyce of  Kitchen Flavours

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