Recipe: Kuih Bahulu

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup flour (sifted)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons cooking oil/butter (optional)

Method:

Beat the eggs with an electric hand-mixer until frothy and then add sugar. Continue to beat until the sugar is well dissolved and the mixture becomes sticky.

Add in the vanilla essence and fold in the flour gradually and then add in the cooking oil/butter. Continue to beat the batter with the hand-mixer until well-blended. Grease the kuih bahulu moulds and fill up to the surface level.

Bake in preheated oven at 375 degree Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove bahulu from the moulds and cool on wire racks. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Cook's Note:

The traditional kuih bahulu recipe doesn't call for cooking oil or butter, but I find them a tad too dry. Adding the cooking oil/butter makes the kuih bahulu comes off the mould easily. Also, as you can see, my kuih bahulu are over baked because I lost track of time. They should be light brown in color.

Recipe: Chicken Curry Kapitan

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb boneless chicken thigh and/or breast (cut into small cubes/pieces)
2 lemon grass (cut into 4-inch lengths, use only the white part, pounded)
1 1/2 inch galangal
1/2 lb red chili (seeded and sliced)
5 shallots (sliced)
1 inch ginger
6 candlenuts (soaked in warm water)
1/2 inch fresh turmeric
1/4 teaspoon belacan (fermented shrimp paste)
1 cup coconut milk
6-8 pieces kaffir lime leaves
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Blend all spices to a very fine paste.
2. Heat up some cooking oil in a work and stir-fry paste until aromatic or a thin layer of oil rises to the top.
3. Add chicken and continue stirring until it's almost cooked.
4. Add the coconut milk and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, over low heat.
5. Add salt to taste and serve hot.

Recipe: Baby Bok Choy with Garlic and Shrimp

Ingredients:

4 oz. bok choy mui/baby bok choi (cleaned and rinsed)
1/8 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup peeled baby shrimps
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

Method:

Heat up a wok with the cooking oil and saute the chopped garlic until light brown or aromatic. Add the baby shrimps and stir-fry until the shrimps are half-cooked. Add in a pinch of salt to the shrimp, and then follow by the baby bok choy. Quickly stir-fry the vegetables, dish out and serve hot.

Cook's Notes:

1. Do not overcook your vegetables. They should retain the vitality and crunchiness.
2. For Chinese greens with oyster sauce recipe, please click here.

Recipe: Chow Mein/Chinese Noodles Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. steamed chow mein (Chinese noodles)
2 oz. pork (cut into thin slices)
5 shrimp (shelled and deveined)
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Chinese dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 stalks scallions (cut into 2-inch length)
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the steamed chow mein in cold water for about 5 minutes. Rinse a few times until the water turns clear and the chow mein is soft. Drain the excess water and set aside. (Don't over soak the chow mein or the noodles will get limpy and soggy.)

In a small mixing bowl, mix all the seasoning ingredients. Set aside.

Heat up the wok with the cooking oil. Add in the chopped garlic and stir-fry until light brown or aromatic. Add the pork and shrimp and stir fry until they are half done. Add the shredded cabbage and carrot into the wok and do a few quick stirs. Add the noodles , the seasoning mixture and the water. Continue to stir until the noodles are well blended with the seasonings and completely cooked through. Add the chopped scallions, do a few final stirs, dish out and and serve hot.

Recipe: Sweet and Sour Pork (咕嚕肉)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. pork tenderloin (cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 green bell pepper (about 2 oz. and cut into pieces)
1/2 red bell pepper (about 2 oz. and cut into pieces)
2 stalks scallions (only the white part, cut into 2 inch length)
1 piece fresh/canned pineapple ring (cut into small pieces)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
Oil for frying

Marinate:

1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon corn flour
1/2 teaspoon rice wine

Frying Batter:

1/2 cup water
2 oz. all-purpose flour
1 oz. corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 egg
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 small pinch of salt

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 teaspoon plum sauce
1/8 teaspoon Chinese rice vinegar (transparent in color)
1/2 teaspoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons water

Method:

Cut the pork tenderloin into pieces and marinate with the ingredients for 15-20 minutes.

Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well and set aside.

Strain the dry ingredients of the frying batter and then add in the egg, water, and cooking oil to form a thick batter.

When the pork is well-marinated, transfer the pork pieces into the batter and make sure they are well coated. In a deep skillet, add in the cooking oil enough for deep-frying. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the pork pieces until they turn golden brown. Dish out and drain on paper towels.

Heat up a wok and add in some cooking oil. Add in the chopped garlic and stir fry until light brown, then follow by the bell peppers and pineapple pieces. Stir fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the peppers and then add in the sweet and sour sauce. As soon as the sauce thickenens, transfer the pork into the wok and stir well with the sauce. Add in the chopped scallions, do a few quick stirs, dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.

Recipe: Honey Walnut Shrimp/Walnut Prawn (核桃虾)

Ingredients:

1 lb. 31/40 count shrimp/prawn
1/2 cup Walnut halves (make sure you get the walnut halves)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon condensed milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg white
1/2 cup corn starch (for coating the prawn)
Oil for frying

For the Walnuts:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Method:

1. Peel and deveined the shrimp/prawn. Pat dry with paper towels, add the egg white, mix well with the shrimp and set aside.
2. Rinse the walnut halves with water, drain and set aside.
3. Heat up the water until it boils and add in the sugar.
4. Keep stirring until it turns thick and golden color and then add the walnut.
5. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain and place walnuts on a cookie sheet/parchment paper to dry. (Regular paper will not work as the walnut will stick to it).
6. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat.
7. Coat the shrimp with a thick layer of corn flour and then and then fry in the hot oil until golden brown. Remove the shrimps from the wok and drain on paper towels.
8. In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey, condensed milk and lemon juice.
9. Add shrimp and toss with the mayonnaise sauce.
10. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish the candied walnuts on top of the shrimp and serve immediately.

Cook's Note:

To get more bang for your buck, you can buy frozen shrimp in a pre-packed box. The frozen shrimp usually comes in a frozen block. During sales, a box of 31/40 count shrimp can be as low as US$15/box.

Recipe: Cashew Chicken (腰果鸡丁)

Ingredients:

1 boneless & skinless chicken breast, about 10 oz. (cut into small cubes)
1/2 cup cashew nuts
1 small green bell pepper, about 4 oz. (cut into small square pieces)
5 slices ginger
1/4 onion (cut into small square pieces)

Marinate:

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon rice wine

Sauce:

1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
3 dashes white pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken meat with the baking soda for 15-20 minutes and then rinse the chicken thoroughly. (Please make sure that the chicken is properly rinsed clean of the baking soda.)
2. Pat the chicken meat dry with paper towels and then marinate with the rest of the ingredients for 15 minutes.
3. Mix the sauce together and set aside.
4. Heat up a wok with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry the chicken meat until the color turns white or half-cooked. Dish out and set aside.
5. Add another 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into the wok and add in the ginger slices, bell peppers and onions.
6. Stir-fry until you smell the peppery aroma from the green peppers and add the chicken meat back in.
7. Add in the cashew nuts and do a few quick stirs.
8. Add in the sauce and stir continuously until the chicken meat is cooked and well coated with the sauce. Add salt to taste, dish out and serve the Cashew Chicken hot with steamed white rice.