Wu Xi Spareribs

Ingredients:

600 g pork spareribs, cut into bite size

Marinate:

1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp shao xing wine
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp salt

Seasoning:

1 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 slices ginger
1/2 onion, sliced
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp shao xing wine
1 tbsp ketchup
2 cups water (320 mL)
2 stalk spring onion, chopped into 1 cm long (garnish)

Method:

In a bowl, mix all the marinate ingredients.

Marinate spareribs for at least 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator.

In a deep pan or wok, heat oil to medium high heat, fry garlic, ginger and onion till fragrant and golden yellow.

Add spareribs and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the remaining seasoning and bring to boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or till gravy is concentrated (stir occasionally for even-cooking).

Stir spareribs for another 1-2 minutes or till fully coated with sticky gravy.

Remove from heat and sprinkle-on spring onion.

Serve hot with rice.

Tandoori Potato Fingers

Ingredients:

10 small potato
2 cup water
3 tsp salt

Seasoning:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp tandoori masala
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 230 °C.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

In a bowl, dissolve 3 tsp salt with 2 cup water.

Peel potato, cut into finger size and immerse into the salt-water for 30 minutes.

Drain potato fingers on paper towel.

In a large bowl, mix together all the seasoning ingredients, add-in potato fingers and stir to evenly coated with seasoning.

Spread out potato fingers on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until softened and cooked-through (stir from time to time for even baking).

Stir-Fry Sambal Belacan Cuttlefish-Kangkung

Ingredients:

250 g sayur kangkung (water convolvulus/water spinach vegetable), cut stalks into 2 inch lengths
1/2 cuttlefish, scored and cut into bite size
4 tsp homemade dried shrimp sambal belacan paste
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp cooking oil
water for sprinkling

Method:

Heat oil in a wok or non-stick pan.

Stir-fry garlic and onion until fragrant and starting to brown (about 5 minutes).

Add homemade dried shrimp sambal belacan paste, stir-fry for another 1 minute.

Add cuttlefish, stir-fry till cook-through (about 3 minutes).

Add vegetable, stir-fry for another 1 minute.

Sprinkle with some water and continue stir-frying for 1 minute or until vegetable wilts.

Dish up and serve hot with rice.

Tofu Fah (Soya Bean Custard with Sweet Syrup)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened homemade soy milk
1/2 tsp Konnyaku jelly powder

Brown Sugar Syrup:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown cane sugar

Method:

In a pot, bring soy milk to boil.

Add Konnyaku jelly powder, keep stirring to dissolve the jelly powder (at least 8 minutes).

Remove from heat and pour into a stainless steel/heat resistance bowl.

Let cool to room temperature and keep in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to solidify.

With thin and almost flat tablespoon, scoop-up solidified soy milk jelly into thin layer pieces and place in container or dessert bowl.

To prepare the syrup, bring water to boil in a pot/pan, add sugar and keep stirring till sugar is fully dissolved.

Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Pour over prepared soy milk jelly pieces and serve warm directly or keep in refrigerator to serve cool.

Dried Shrimp Sambal Belacan (Dried Shrimp and Chili Paste)

Ingredients:

5 dried chili, soaked, drained and roughly chopped
5 shallot, roughly chopped
2 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried small shrimp, soaked and drained
1 tbsp soy bean paste
1 tbsp tamarind paste (assam jawa paste)
1/2 cup water
3 tsp toasted belacan powder (toasted dried shrimp paste)
1 tbsp light soy sauce or to taste
4 tsp sugar or to taste
2 tbsp oil

Method:

Dissolve tamarind paste in water, discard tamarind seed from the tamarind water (if any).

Dissolve belacan powder into tamarind water.

Blend chili, shallot, garlic, soy bean paste and half of dried small shrimp with tamarind water to form paste.

Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium heat, add the remaining dried small shrimp and stir-fry till fragrant.

Add blended paste and keep stirring all the time.

Seasoning with soy sauce and sugar (add more water into the tamarind residue and moist the chili paste if paste look like going to dry up before obtaining the desired taste with soy sauce and sugar).

Continue stirring till paste turns dark and almost dry (as shown in photo).

Remove from heat and let cool completely before storing in container.

Serve with raw vegetables like cucumber, noodles, rice or as seasoning for home cooking.