Peanut Filled Tang Yuan (Kuih Ee) in Pengat (Penang Style Bubur Cha Cha)

Ingredients:

Tang Yuan Filling:

1/2 cup skinless peanut, toasted and coarsely grounded
1 ½ tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp icing sugar

Tang Yuan Dough:

1 ½ cup glutinous rice flour
1 tbsp rice flour
1/2 tbsp wheat starch
small dust of pink food coloring
3/4 cup hot boiling water

Pengat Dessert Soup:

1 small yam/taro (prefer purple color yam), cut to bite size
1 small sweet potato (prefer orange color sweet potato), cut to bite size
1 (400 mL) canned thick coconut milk diluted in 1 cup water or dilute coconut milk, freshly pressed from fresh coconut for the second time
1/2 cup thick coconut milk/cream (canned or freshly pressed from fresh coconut for the first time)
2 ripe banana, cut to 2 cm lengthwise
1 ½ tbsp sugar or to taste
1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Note: Pre-cooked black eye beans and tapioca starch jelly can be added.

Method:

To prepare the filled tang yuan:

In a bowl, mix together all the filling ingredients till clump together, divide into 13 portions and shape into small balls; set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together 1 cup of glutinous flour, rice flour, wheat starch and food coloring.

Gradually, stir-in hot boiling water till sticky dough form.

Slowly, knead-in the remaining glutinous flour till smooth and elastic dough, divide into 13 portions and roll up to dough balls; set aside covered with wet kitchen towel.

Well flour hands with glutinous flour, flatten dough balls, place-in a portion of peanut filling, wrap up nicely and roll back to round shape, set filled rice balls aside covered.

Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat, drop in filled rice balls and cook till float (within a minute).

Drain well and immerse into ice cold water for about 3 minutes.

Drain well and set aside covered still serve.

Note: Traditionally tang yuan is serve in ginger syrup.

To prepare pengat:

Bring dilute coconut milk to boil over medium heat.

Add-in yam and sweet potato, and cook till just begin to soft (about 10 minutes).

Reduce heat to low, add-in thick coconut milk, banana, sugar and salt, cook till banana just begin to soft (about 5 minutes or less).

Remove from heat set aside to cool to room temperature.

Drop-in the prepared tang yuan and serve warm or cold.

Tang Yuan (Tong Yun/汤圆) in Mung Bean-Sago Dessert Soup

Tang Yuan is a dish of glutinous rice balls served in a sweet broth. In Southeast Asia Chinese culture, it is traditionally served on Dong Zhi or known as winter solstice. We welcome the winter by eating Tang Yuan and become one year older.



















Ingredients:

Mung Bean and Sago Dessert Soup:

1/2 cup mung bean
5 ½ cups water
1/2 cup brown sugar or to taste
1 ½ tbsp sago

Tang Yuan:

5 cups water
3/4 cup glutinous rice flour
1 ½ tbsp sugar
2 tbsp hot boiling water
1/3 cup water
dust of pink food coloring

Method:

Boil mung bean in water covered for about 40 minutes or till softened and cooked thoroughly (I use rice cooker).

Add-in sugar, stir to dissolve (adjust the taste accordingly).

Spread-in Sago and stir continuously for another 15 minutes or till sago is transparent.

Turn off the heat and set aside covered till cool completely.

To prepare the Tang Yuan, line a big tray with kitchen towel; set aside.

Bring 5 cups of water to boil (I use rice cooker again).

Dissolve sugar in 2 tbsp hot boiling water.

In a large bowl, mix flour with the prepared sugar syrup.

Gradually, pour-in 1/3 cup water while kneading till achieve soft and smooth dough (add more water if the dough become too dry to handle or continue the kneading process if the dough appears to be too wet).

Divide dough into two portions.

Dust-on food coloring powder to one portion, knead till the color is fully incorporated but remain it soft and smooth texture (sprinkle-on little bit water to ease the color spreading process).

With both hand palms, roll each dough to long strip shape (diameter about 1 ½ cm).

Divide strips into small cubes (length about 1 ½ cm).

With both clean hand palms, shape the cubes into Tang Yuan balls and drop on to the prepared tray (avoid balls from touching each other).

Drop all the Tang Yuan balls into boiling water.

Once Tang Yuan balls float up, drain well and run with cool water (best with ice cooling water) till completely cool down.

Add the drained Tang Yuan into mung bean-sago dessert soup and it is ready to serve.

Spicy Seafood Paella

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 red chili, chopped
2 tomato, peeled, cut in half and grated
1 ½ cup rice, best use with long-grain or parboiled type, washed and drained well
1/2 tsp ground turmeric powder or 1/4 tsp saffron with 300 mL white wine
1 ½ cup chicken/fish stock
400 g seafood mix
1/2 cup canned/frozen birds eyes peas
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1 lemon, finely grated the rind
1 ½ tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste

Method:

Dissolved turmeric powder in stock (if using turmeric powder) or alternatively toast saffron gently in a small pan till aroma, pour-in wine and bring to boil, remove from heat (if using saffron); set aside.

Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat, stir-fry garlic and onion till fragrant (about 2 minutes).

Add-in rice and chili, stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

Add-in grated tomato, stir for short while, remove from heat and transfer the rice mixture into rice cooker.

Pour-in stock and saffron solution (if using saffron), let simmer covered for about 10 minutes.

Stir-in seafood mix, peas, parley, lemon rind, salt and pepper.

Continue to simmer covered till rice is cooked (another 5-10 minutes), adjust the taste with salt and pepper when the rice still warm.

Serve warm.

Red Bean Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups dried red bean, soaked overnight in water
4 cups water
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup brown cane sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup cake flour (tipo 00)
2 tbsp corn flour
3 tsp baking powder

Method:

Boil soaked red bean with 4 cups water till soft and cooked thoroughly (I used rice cooker till almost dry but yet burn), allow to cool to handle-able temperature, mash; set aside.

Grease a cake pan (26 cm in diameter), dust bottom and side of pan with bread crumbs and tapping out the excess; set aside.

Preheat oven to 180 °C.

In a bowl, combine mashed red bean and sugars, beat to incorporate fully.

Add-in eggs and oil, beat till well blended.

In another bowl, combine flours and baking powder.

Add dry ingredients into the red bean batter, mix well.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of cake comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool thoroughly.

Sweet Potato-Red Bean Dessert Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup dried red bean, soaked overnight
1.6 L water
1 large sweet potato, cut into bite size
1/2 cup rock sugar or to taste

Method:

Boil red bean for about 2 hours or till softened and cooked thoroughly (I used rice cooker).

Add-in sweet potato and sugar, continue simmering for another 10 minutes (not to over cook the sweet potato).

Serve warm or chill.

Mung Bean Truffles

Ingredients:

1 cup mung bean, soaked overnight
2 cups water
20 mL milk
1 tbsp butter, softened
50 g dark chocolate (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown cane sugar

Coating:

1/2 cup desiccated coconut/freshly shredded coconut
40 mL milk/coconut milk (only if using desiccated coconut)

Method:

Batter:

With rice cooker, bring water to boil, add mung bean, continue the boiling till mung bean is softened, cooked thorough and became almost dry (not to burn).

With blender, blend together the cooked mung bean with milk.

With double boiler, melt chocolate, add into mung bean paste.

Mix-in butter and sugars, stir till sugars are dissolved and well-incorporated.

Keep in refrigerator to set for few hours or preferentially overnight.

Coating:

In a bowl, mix desiccated coconut with milk.

Toast in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 15 - 20 minutes or till fragrant and golden yellow (stir occasionally for homogeneous toasting).

Remove from oven, set aside to cool completely.

Forming Truffles:

With a teaspoon or two, scoop-up batter, form into even and round balls.

Dip each ball into toasted coconut flakes.

Roll and turn to coat evenly.

Keep covered in refrigerator till serves.

Sushi (Shari, Nigiri-Zushi, Maki-Zushi, Uramaki-Zushi)

Shari/Sushi Meshi (Sushi Rice)


Ingredients:

2 cup uncooked short grain white rice
2 cup water
2 tbsp sake
4 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt

Method:

2 hours before cooking rice, wash the rice thoroughly, allow cool water to drain till the washing water is clear.

Mix rice with measured water, sock for at least an hour or more.

Right before rice cooking, add sake (I used rice cooker).

When the rice is cooked, let it stand covered for about 10-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar and salt; set aside.

Remove cooked rice from rice cooker, pour into a large container.

Slowly, pour the vinegar mixture over the hot rice, one hand gently stir in a slicing motion to thoroughly incorporate it while the other hand manually fan the rice to remove any excess moisture.

Keep the shari in a covered thermal container to keep warm at body temperature till use.


Nigiri Zushi


Ingredients:

1 heap tbsp shari for each nigiri zushi

Neta (topping):

prawns (popular)
salmon (popular)
tuna (popular)
baby octopus (popular)
mackerel
eel
squid
clams
scallops
egg omelet
(note: the toppings can be served raw, cooked, smoked or cured, grilled or batter fried)

Method:

Clean prawns, remove head but keep the shell on, use bamboo skewer to straighten the prawns by inserting the skewer from down side of tail-end towards backside and all along the backside shell.

Boil or steam prawns for 5 minutes or till fairly pink and cooked through (optional, I did used seasoning for steaming: 1/4 tsp fish sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 1/2 tbsp shao xing wine, 1/8 tsp salt and dash of pepper).

Remove from heat, let it stand till hand able temperature, remove bamboo skewer and shell but keep the tail on.

Slice the prawns deeply from down part and remain intact at the backside.

Assembly:

Wet both hands well with vinegar, take shari with one hand, squeeze shari into oblong bite size.

Pick a neta with the other hand, brush a bit wasabi on a surface, then place-on shari.

Press on shari gently with the thumb of holding hand, at the same time, make dent on both sides with the other hand's thumb and index fingers (neta side down).

Wrap neta around shari with shari side down.

Hold sushi with holding hand's fingers in a box shape, press on neta with both index and middle fingers of the other hand.

Open the holding hand's fingers from box shape into flat surface, with the other hand's thumb and index fingers, gently press on both sides inwards to give the shape of bottom boat side up.


Maki Zushi


Ingredients:

10 x 19.5 cm yaki nori (roasted seaweed sheets)
2 1/2-3 tbsp shari for each roll
makisu (bamboo rolling mat)

Neta (filling):

prawns (popular)
salmon (popular)
tuna (popular)
crab (popular)
cucumber (popular)
avocado (popular)
toasted black/white sesame seed (popular)
carrot
asparagus
tofu
salad vegetables
(note: the fillings can be served raw, cooked, smoked or cured, grilled or batter fried)

Method:

Wrap makisu with a layer of plastic, place-on a sheet of nori at bottom side of makisu.

Wet both hands well with vinegar, spread a thin layer of shari on nori from one side to the others.

Empty about 2 cm of space on the top of nori while about 1 cm on the bottom without any shari.

Spread some wasabi on shari all along the center core of nori.

Sprinkles-on some sesame seed all over the shari.

Place-on a long, thin strip of neta (I used cucumber, avocado and/or deep-fried prawn wrapped with lettuce).

Slowly, lift the makisu to roll it upwards evenly all along the nori, from one side to the others.

With both hands' fingers in a box shape, gently press-on all over the roll into a square shape.

Unroll the makisu, cut the maki zushi in half with a very sharp knife.

Place them together paralellly and cut into 6 equal size pieces.


Uramaki Zushi


Ingredients:

10 x 19.5 cm yaki nori (roasted seaweed sheets)
2 1/2-3 tbsp shari for each roll
makisu (bamboo rolling mat)

Neta (filling):

prawns (popular)
salmon (popular)
tuna (popular)
crab (popular)
cucumber (popular)
avocado (popular)
carrot
asparagus
tofu
salad vegetables
(note: the fillings can be served raw, cooked, smoked or cured, grilled or batter fried)

Spinklings:

toasted black/white sesame seed
fish eggs
chili flakes

Method:

Wrap makisu with a layer of plastic, place-on a sheet of nori at bottom side of makisu.

Wet both hands well with vinegar, spread a thin layer of shari on nori from one side to the others.

Apply some Sprinklings all over on the shari.

Turn nori over with shari side down on makisu.

Spread some wasabi on nori all along the center core.

Place-on a long, thin strip of neta (I used cucumber, avocado and/or deep-fried prawn wrapped with lettuce).

Slowly, lift the makisu to roll it upwards evenly all along the nori, from one side to the others.

With both hands' fingers in a box shape, gently press-on all over the roll into a square shape.

Unroll the makisu, cut the uramaki zushi in half with a very sharp knife.

Place them together paralellly and cut into 6 equal size pieces.


Sushi Dipping Sauce


Ingredients:

1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp water
1/4 tsp wasabi

Method:

In a small dipping plate, stir to combine the light soy sauce, water and wasabi; ready to serve with sushi.

Chickpeas-Black Bean Salad

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dried chickpeas
1/4 cup dried black bean
3 cups water
1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt (optional)

Method:

Soak chickpeas and black bean overnight in water; drain.

Combine chickpeas, black bean and water in a rice cooker, cook till its automatically done.

In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, black bean with all the remaining ingredients and stir-well to mix.

Serve immediately.