Malaysian Steamed Cake - Mah Lai Goh (馬拉糕)

Here we go! I've been dying to make this post happen! Attempt after attempt, I've finally made a batch of Mah Lai Goh (馬拉糕) that I'm absolutely thrilled with (after gaining 5 pounds from eating all the failed cakes!) This dim sum classic is soft, light, spongy, and a tad sweet. I still can't believe it took me this long to try making it, and I'm just stoked that it turned out better than I anticipated.

Mah Lai Goh (馬拉糕) is also called Malay cake or Malaysian steamed cake. However, the cake wasn't originate in Malaysia. It's a Cantonese steamed cake that's often seen on the dim sum table. It's pretty much every kid's favorite at dim sum growing up because it's... cake. No child can turn down cake for breakfast on a Sunday morning when your whole family goes yum cha. So how did it get its name? I can't seem to find the absolute answer. Legend has it that Singaporeans with Malay descent are the ones who created Mah Lai Goh in the first place, then the cake was introduced to Canton (now known as Guangdong) and Hong Kong. This super moist cake get its tenderness from steaming instead of baking which uses dry heat. It's made with light brown sugar for its sweetness, and very little dairy as in only 4 tablespoons of butter. FOUR!

I swear pictures can't do this Mah Lai Goh justice of how amazingly tender this brown sugar cake is. When it's fresh out of the steamer, it smells incredible and the cake will just melt in your mouth. Part of what makes Mah Lai Goh so distinct from other cakes is the airiness and the texture (the little holes you see all over the cake).

Doesn't this look just like what you get at dim sum?!

Steaming

Now, let's go over steaming, and a little bit of "MacGyvering" when you don't have the proper equipment like a good size wok with a dome lid. It's totally possible but you just have to be a little bit creative. When you're steaming, you want to make sure the kitchenware you're using is big enough so that there's enough steam to go around inside the pot. And that there's enough space between the boiling water and the cake that's being steamed. You never want your cake touching the water because that'll just be boiling, not steaming. Think of double boiling, in a way. Also make sure there's enough water for the entire duration of the steaming process. If you see that it's running low, simply add more hot water to the pot or wok (never add cold water because that'll make a sudden change of cooking temperature).

Here's my setup since I do not own a wok (I know, why don't I have a wok? How do I not have one? I'm honest don't even know).

I used a stockpot, a big one. I added a Chinese steaming rack on the very bottom, filled about 2" of water in the pot (fully covering the steaming rack), and set my bamboo steamers on top of that (that's two, 8-inch steamers stacked on top of each other).

Don't have either a steaming rack or bamboo steamers, then you can try using a heat-resistant bowl (place it upside down inside the stockpot) and a standard cake pan. Again, you want to make sure that the cake pan isn't touching the boiling water. Look around your kitchen and see if there's anything else that you think might work and give it a try.

Steaming cake might sound a little weird but it really is unbelievably scrumptious.

Try it!

Malaysian Steamed Cake - Mah Lai Goh (馬拉糕)

Prep time: 10 mins  Cook time: 30 mins  Total time: 40 mins  

Serves: 1, 8-inch cake

You'll need:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 7 tbsp coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Approach:

  1. Prepare your steamer by setting up the wok/stockpot filled with water, and get it boiling on high heat.
  2. Mix together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
  3. Line your bamboo steamer or cake pan with parchment paper.
  4. While the water is still reaching for the boiling point, beat eggs and brown sugar together in a stand mixer on low for 2 minutes (setting 4 on a KitchenAid).
  5. Add coconut milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix on low for another 1 minute.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, parts at a time. Mix on low until batter is well-combined, about 1-2 minutes.
  7. Pour the batter into the lined bamboo steamer or cake pan. Then carefully place inside the wok or stockpot. Turn the heat down to medium and steam for 30 minutes.
  8. Remove bamboo steamer or cake pan, and let it cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
  9. Serve warm.

Notes:

The cake can be refrigerated and re-steamed the next day, and it will stay fresh for up to 4 days.

Recipe adapted from Cake on the Brain.

Chicken and Rice Soup with Choy Sum (菜心雞湯飯)

Guys. I'm obsessed. I don't use that word often but for today's post, I just think it's appropriate. Two things that I'm obsessed with for the past three months: A Chef's Life, and chicken and rice.

The PBS show A Chef's Life reminds me a ton of how I grew up in the countryside of Hong Kong. It also reminds me of how my mom used to run our family restaurant back when I was younger as I watched and helped her prep in the kitchen. By learning about the South from an agriculture and lifestyle perspective, I came to realize that the way of life of the Hakkas and people from the South share a lot of things in common. If you remember reading my Hakka heritage post a while back, I talked about the fact that many Hakka families, like mine, were raised around farming and the countryside. I think the South is beautiful and Southerners truly know how to appreciate food because they understand the work that goes into each grain of rice and each slice of meat.

The Hakka cuisine is also very similar to Southern cuisine with lots of fresh, seasonal, hearty, rustic, and flavorful meals. And it is, too, very regional. I've never lived in the South or know all that much about Southern cuisine other than what I've learned on A Chef's Life and Mind of a Chef with Sean Brock so I can't say that the typical ingredients found in Southern cooking are the ingredients used in Hakka cooking but basics are there. I was delighted to learn that many Southern dishes also celebrate pork as much as the Hakka cuisine does.

Lately, I've been taking Vivian's mom Scarlett's chicken and rice recipe and adapting it into a tong faan (湯飯), which means rice soup in Cantonese. When I used to live with my mom, we would have tong faan often because it's just so damn simple and it's so comforting on those cold winter nights. She would save the pot liquid from boiling choy sum (a leafy green in the mustard family), and we'd fill our bowls with rice then pour the hot vegetable broth into the bowls. It's really that simple. And, of course, dinner would be served with a few other dishes as usual. Tong faan isn't something you'd actually get at a restaurant but it's a comfort food that you'd enjoy at home. And don't mistake the Tong faan with congee or rice porridge (jook) which is much thicker and creamier and often eaten as breakfast in many Asian cultures.

Chicken and Rice Soup with Choy Sum (菜心雞湯飯)

Prep time: 30 mins  Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins  Total time: 2 hours

You'll need:

  • 1 organic whole chicken, about 4lbs
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 3 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
  • 1/2 bulk garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
  • 1 1/2 cups white rice
  • 1/2 lb chopped [i]Choy Sum[/i]
  • 3 stalks chopped scallion

Approach:

  1. In a large stock pot, put in the chicken, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and white pepper. Fill water up to one inch above the top of the bird. Cook on medium heat for about 1 hour or until the meat has started to fall off the bone. Turn off the heat and let the bird sit in the broth for another 30 minutes. Remove the whole chicken, and discard bay leaf and thyme.
  2. Debone the chicken and tear the meat into small pieces.
  3. Bring the broth back on medium heat, and add the chopped onion and rice. Let it cook for 8 minutes then add the chicken back in the pot along with the chopped choy sum and scallion. Let it all cook for 5 more minutes until the rice has cooked through but not broken. Stir and check the rice frequently.
  4. Serve immediately.

Notes:

Resist rinsing of the rice as the starch will make the soup richer.

Adapted from Scarlett's Chicken and Rice.

Ketchup Sriracha Shrimp

I love shrimp. And I love shell-on shrimp even more! Seafood is extremely easy to find in Hong Kong as it is surrounded by water. Did you know that there're actually 260 outlaying islands in Hong Kong? Islands like Cheung Chau, Peng Chau, Lamma Island, and Lantau Island are the most populated amongst them all. There're tons of fishing villages and historic sites that tourists often miss out on when they visit the Kong. The four major outlaying islands are pretty easy to get to by ferry which you can board from Central on Hong Kong Island. Plus, there are ferries that would take you from island to island. Sometimes I feel like even locals themselves don't realize just how amazing these outlaying islands are! Going to the islands is always an adventure for people who don't actually live there. After all, Hong Kong is not always about the hustle and bustle, especially when outdoor adventures are easily accessible within an hour or less. I'm talking about hiking, swimming, surfing, going to the beach, taking boat trips, eating fresh seafood, visiting fishing villages and old temples, etc. I can really go on and on about all the fun outdoorsy stuff in the Kong (as lately I'm doing some homework and begin to think about what kind of day trips I'd like to go on when I head back to Hong Kong NEXT MONTH!)

So, what brings me to this Ketchup Sriracha Shrimp? I think it's just the fact that it's another dish that reminds me of my mom's cooking. Her version, however, does not involve any sriracha or spiciness, just plain simple ketchup shrimp. But when I was putting this recipe together, adding sriracha just makes sense!

And you don't need a whole lot of sriracha either, 1/2 tablespoon is all you need to highlight the taste.

What else do you need other than ketchup to make this Ketchup Sriracha Shrimp? A tiny bit of rice vinegar, garlic, scallion, salt, and white pepper powder. My mom would often make her ketchup shrimp with whole shrimp, meaning with the heads and all. Fresh seafood, though, isn't always so easy find and widely available. I totally would have gone with fresh shrimp if it was easier and cheaper to get here! This time, I just settled on some good ol' frozen shrimp. Can you make this dish with shelled shrimp you may ask? You could... but I don't recommend it because it just won't give you the same flavor. Plus, how could you eat a Cantonese shellfish dish without the shells? It's like eating buffalo wings without bones. You just gotta stick with what's good here!

Tangy and sweet with a spicy kick. I just can't get enough of it!

Ketchup Sriracha Shrimp

Prep time: 10 mins  Cook time: 5 mins  Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 2

You'll need:

  • 1 lb frozen medium shrimp, shell-on and deveined
  • 2 stalks of scallion

Sauce:

  • 3 tbsp ketchup
  • 1/2 tbsp sriracha
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic

Approach:

  1. Thaw frozen shrimp by running it under tap water for 5 minutes, in a colander. Give it a toss half way through to make sure it's getting thawed thoroughly. Then pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Chop scallion into 2" stalks, discard the white end parts. Then mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.
  3. Set a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat, When the pan is hot, add some oil and twirl the pan to spread. Add shrimp to the pan. The shrimp should sizzle when it first come in contact with the pan. Saute the shrimp until it starts to turn pink on both sides. Cook until almost all the grey bits on the shrimp is gone but not totally, then add the sauce and scallion. Let it cook for another 20-30 seconds until the sauce has incorporated and shrimp has turn pink completely. It should take no more than 5 minutes to cook.
  4. Turn off the heat, plate, and serve hot.

Soy-glazed Black Pepper Chicken

THIS. This chicken dish will knock your socks off! It's Hakka recipe #2 I'm sharing with you this year and you're gonna LOVE it. You should already know by now that I adoreThe Hakka Cookbook by Linda Lau Anusasananan. This soy-glazed black pepper chicken recipe is what I'll be keeping for the rest of my life, and I'm not kidding here. It's one of the simplest chicken dishes you'll ever cook and it's got a big punch of flavors.

Linda had learned this chicken dish from a man named Ying Hsien who's father is a Hakka. Ying Hsien grew up in Northern India, and had moved to Toronto after the Sino-Indian war in the 60's because jobs became harder to find for the Chinese living in India. This soy-glazed black pepper chicken is what Ying Hsien learned from his mother in India, and I simply just can't believe that all it takes are four ingredients to produce such a distinct taste.

Don't let the color fool you! The chicken might look really really dark but it's not because the chicken is burnt. It's dark because of the use of dark soy sauce. I added water to the original recipe but if you're looking for a thicker, stickier sauce, adding less water to the pot will do the trick. The sauce will thicken up and reduce a bit as it cooks. I also deviated from the original cooking instructions and decided to sear the meat before braising which in my option makes a more tender bite. Searing will also change the overall texture by reducing fat from the chicken skin. And if you want to master this dish, use freshly cracked black pepper. It'll take you a few extra minutes of cranking on a black pepper mill but it'll enhance the spiciness of the dish by a mile.

Another tip when making this dish? Use a non-stick frying or saute pan. I love my Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick, and I don't think I can live without it. I've tried using my Lodge Dutch oven and another pan that wasn't non-stick, and the whole thing became a mess once the chicken and sauce started getting stuck to the bottom. It was not pretty and the sauce wasn't able to stick to the chicken as well as it could because it was mostly stuck on the pan. So I highly recommend using a non-stick!

And what's better to go with a super flavorful hunk of meat? WHITE RICE!

JUST LOOK AT THIS.

The outside is incredibly savory and aromatic while the inside is moist and tender. This is a dish I can devour everyday, hands down!

Soy-glazed Black Pepper Chicken

Prep time: 5 mins  Cook time: 50 mins  Total time: 55 mins

Serves: 2-3

You'll need:

  • 2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs with skin, about 6 pieces
  • 1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp water
  • chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • white rice, optional

Approach:

  1. Trim excess fat off the chicken.
  2. Set a deep frying pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add oil and twirl the pan to spread. Sear each side of the chicken tights for 5 minutes. Remove most of the oil/fat except 1-2 tablespoons. Add freshly cracked black pepper, dark soy sauce, and water. Twirl the pan a few times to incorporate all the ingredients together. Once the sauce starts to boil, turn down the heat to medium-low. Let chicken to cook for 20 minutes, then flip them and cook the other side for an additional 20 minutes.
  3. Remove chicken from the pan or dutch oven, serve hot over white rice, garnish with cilantro.

Notes:

Adapted from The Hakka Cookbook by Linda Lau Anusasananan.

Chinese Long Beans with Ground Pork (豆角炒肉碎)

Remember when I wrote that post a while ago about my Hakka heritage? Well, I kinda promise myself that I'd cook more Hakka dishes for the blog this year, and this Chinese long beans with ground pork is one of them. It's a stir-fry so it's really easy to prep, and you can have dinner on the table in a jiffy!

In Cantonese, we call Chinese long beans "dau gok" (豆角), and they are also known as Yardlong beans (but they're really not a whole yard long, more like half a yard). You can find them at most Asian grocery stores or markets. I've been eating dau gok since I was a kid, and can tell you that Chinese long beans are a little "chewier" and has a stronger green bean taste than regular green beans, they're usually skinnier in thickness, darker in color (although there are a handful of variety and I know there's even purple ones!).

There are a few ingredients that make this Chinese Long Beans with Ground Pork a Hakka dish. The use of pork, soy sauce, and fermented black soybeans called "dau si" (豆豉) in Cantonese. Fermented black soybeans are usually sold dried but sometimes you can also see them being sold in jars which the beans are soaked in liquid/oil. I'm used to the dried kind, and you'd just soak them in water for a few minutes then drain.

Fermented black soybeans are used in a lot of Hakka dishes as they carry a robust flavor that can be added to many hearty Hakka cooking. And if you grew up in a Cantonese household, you would know that a can of "dau si leng yu" (豆豉鯪魚), dace fish and fermented black soybeans, can go a long way with just a bowl of warm rice on those cold winter nights!

This Chinese long beans with ground pork dish, though, it's one of many Hakka dishes that my mom would serve on any given day. It just reminds me of her cooking and sitting at dinner with my family!

Chinese Long Beans with Ground Pork (豆角炒肉碎)

Prep time: 15 mins  Cook time: 15 mins  Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2-3

You'll need:

  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • dash of white pepper powder
  • 1/2 lb Chinese long beans
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp dried fermented black soybeans
  • Sauce:
  • 1/4 water
  • 1 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Approach:

  1. Season the ground pork with soy sauce and white pepper powder. Set aside and let it marinate while you continue prepping.
  2. Rinse, and cut Chinese long beans into 1 1/2" long.
  3. Soak the dried fermented black soybeans in 1/4 cup of water for 5 minutes, then drain.
  4. Mix the sauce ingredients together.
  5. Set a wok or pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add oil and twirl the pan to spread.
  6. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Then add chopped onion, and cook for 1 minute. Add the ground pork and cook for 3 minutes, then add the fermented black soybeans. Add Chinese long beans and sauce, cover, and let it cook/steam for 3 minutes. Uncover, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Notes:

Adapted from The Hakka Cookbook by Linda Lau Anusasananan.

Beef and Shredded Lettuce Fried Rice (生菜牛肉炒飯)

Hello! I know it's been a while since I've shared a recipe but I've just been super busy this holiday season! I'm currently sweating over my 2014 holiday project (check out what I did for the last three years!) Every year, I look forward to December to work on something special like this and I can't wait to share with you all the final product! So today I thought I'd share with you a quick recipe since everyone is spending most of their time prepping for the holidays, and would probably want to stir up dinner quickly! This dish is one of my favorites when it comes to Hong Kong style classics - the Beef and Shredded Lettuce Fried Rice (生菜牛肉炒飯).

Fried rice is one of my comfort foods. And I'm not taking about fried rice from your neighborhood Dragon Palace or Szechuan Garden. I wouldn't eat fried rice from those places even if it's free. It's not them. It's me. (well, it is kinda them a little.) I can't picture people visiting from Italy would want to eat at Olive Garden so forgive me if I'm picky about my fried rice!

I have a handful of favorite Hong Kong style fried rice - the Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice (鹹魚雞粒炒飯) is unique, the Yeung Chow Fried Rice (揚州炒飯) is one of the most basics. The Beef and Shredded Lettuce Fried Rice (生菜牛肉炒飯) which is usually made with ground beef but I went with thinly sliced flank steak instead for this recipe.

And I know what you're thinking - cooked lettuce? It's really not as bad as it sounds if you've only been eating raw lettuce all your life. Cooked lettuce with oyster sauce is quite common on the Cantonese dinner table, and one of my go-to veggie as a kid. The trick for cooking lettuce is not to cook it for too long - you want it to be still slightly crispy and definitely not mushy.

I folded in the shredded lettuce into the rice just a few minutes before I turned off the heat. And for the beef, I changed it up by using thinly cut flank steak instead of ground beef. Flank steak is an awesome cut of meat and it's great for marinating. For this recipe, you don't need a whole lot of beef so half of a pound is enough. And like any other fried rice, day-old rice is your best bet. Making fried rice with fresh made rice is sticky business and you don't want to go down that road of eating rice lumps.

So there you have it! An authentic Hong Kong style fried rice made with cooked lettuce which might just surprise ya!

Beef and Shredded Lettuce Fried Rice (生菜牛肉炒飯)

Prep time: 30 mins  Cook time: 15 mins  Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 2

You'll need:

  • 1/2 lb flank steak, cut into paper-thin slices
  • 5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp rice wine
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cups cooked, day-old rice
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 head of lettuce, shredded or sliced into 1/4 inch thick
  • Optional:
  • [url href="http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/garlic.htm" target="_blank"]Huy Fong chili garlic sauce[/url]

Approach:

  1. Remove day-old rice from the fridge and let it return to room temperature.
  2. Slice flank steak against the grain to paper-thin slices.
  3. Mix the beef with 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, minced garlic, brown sugar, white pepper powder, salt, and black pepper, and rice wine. Let it marinate for at least 20 minutes.
  4. In a heated skillet or wok over high heat, add beef and cook for 5 minutes. Remove beef and set aside.
  5. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, add rice and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir and break apart the bigger lumps. Add the eggs and stir them into the rice. Keep egg pieces small by stirring occasionally. Drizzle more olive oil if needed. Add the beef back into the pan and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper, and 2 tbsp of soy sauce.
  6. Lastly, fold in the shredded lettuce and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Serve hot with chili garlic sauce.

Chinese Broccoli with Chinese Sausage

Kai Lan (Chinese broccoli) is one of my favorite vegetables! It's a little like broccoli, a little like broccolini, a little like kale and mustard greens. If you were to combine all of the veggies above, you'd pretty much get Chinese broccoli. You've probably seen Kai/Gai Lan on the menu at Chinese restaurants or other Southeast Asian cuisine like Thai or Vietnamese. It's a cold-weather vegetable so fall and winter would be the best season to eat Chinese broccoli (although it's not hard to find year-around, it may be limited at the market during off-season). The literal translation of Chinese broccoli, Kai/Gai Lan, means "mustard orchid" so it is definitely in the mustard greens family. The leaves have a similar thickness and characteristic of kale but tougher. And the stem is a lot like the regular broccoli but bitter. How about broccolini? Part of the family? Yep! The broccolini is a hybrid of Kai Lan and broccoli that the Japanese had married together some years ago.

I remember my mom making this Chinese broccoli with Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong) dish often in the winter in my younger days. And as a picky-eater, this was one of the few dishes that I'd just gobble up along with a bowl of freshly made rice. The drizzle of soy sauce is key! This is definitely a dish that reminds me of those cold nights having dinner with my family.

Do you have a dish that reminds you of winter from childhood?

Chinese Broccoli with Chinese Sausage

Prep time: 15 mins  Cook time: 15 mins  Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

You'll need:

  • 1-2 Chinese sausage, sliced, about 4 tbsp
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1/2 lb Chinese broccoli (Kai Lan)
  • 3 tbsp chicken broth
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Approach:

  1. Rinse and drain Chinese broccoli thoroughly. Cut the leaves roughly, about 1/2". And slice the stems thinly on an angle, about 1/8".
  2. Slice the Chinese sausage on an angle, also about 1/8".
  3. Heat a skillet on medium-high and add olive oil. Twirl the pan around to spread the oil somewhat evenly on the pan. Add Chinese sausage and cook for 3 minutes, until it's turned slightly transparent. Remove from pan into a bowl.
  4. On the same skillet, add sesame oil and garlic. Let it cook until fragrant, about 12 seconds. Add Chinese broccoli and chicken broth, and let it cooking for 4 minutes, stir occasionally.
  5. Add Chinese sausage, sugar, and soy sauce and cook for another 4 minutes.
  6. Plate and serve with rice on the side.

Hong Kong Style French Toast

Helloooo Friday! Hope you guys had a good week, and have something awesome planned for the weekend! You know, I miss Hong Kong for many reasons and French toast sure is one of them. It's a typical item on the menu at cha chaan tengs and it is served all day but you'd really only get it for breakfast or afternoon tea which is around 3 to 4 p.m.

French toasts here in America is just not the same thing. The Hong Kong version is a simple tweak to the original that I think (oh I KNOW) most people would love it. I mean, we're talking about stuffing it with something delicious here! The original Hong Kong style French toast isn't something you would/should eat everyday though... butter, deep-fried, and syrup? Oh yea, it's a total guilty pleasure.

Since I can't get the kind of French toast that I love from a regular diner, I make them at home, my way! This is my take on how you'd eat French toast when you come have breakfast at my house. It might not an exact copycat of how a cha chaan teng would serve it but it's about the brilliant idea my friends (and a little healthier since it's not deep-fried)! Let's go over the simple ingredients real quick... sliced bread, butter, eggs, maple syrup, and peanut butter! Yep, PB is the secret ingredient. What's not to love about a PB sandwich dipped in eggs and pan-fried then drizzled with maple syrup?? Now that's what I call breakfast of champions!

I don't usually get sliced bread from Chinese bakeries but I happened to pass by one and since I was making Hong Kong style French toast, it just made sense. Use any kind of bread you'd like but maybe stay away from using the kinds that are too soft or too fresh, otherwise you'll end up having French toast that's a little too mushy. And peanut butter? I like the smooth kind, and Peanut Butter and Co. is a staple in my pantry (still need to make a trip to their sandwich shop at some point!)

Gosh. Is there more? I want another one!

Hong Kong style french toast

Prep time: 5 mins  Cook time: 6 mins  Total time: 11 mins

You'll need:

  • 2 slices of bread
  • 1 tbsp butter, divided
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • maple syrup

Approach:

  1. Make a simple peanut butter sandwich by spreading a thin layer of butter on both slices of bread, then spread about 1 tbsp of peanut butter on each side.
  2. Heat a skillet with ½ tbsp of butter.
  3. Dip the sandwich in egg. Let it soak for 6 seconds each side and run the edges too.
  4. Cook each side for about 3 minutes, until golden brown.
  5. Plate and top with a thin slice of butter and drizzle with maple syrup.

Chicken and Broccoli Baked Rice Hong Kong Style

As a former British colony, Hong Kong cafes or Cha Chaan Tengs have adapted many western ingredients such as cheese, milk, spaghetti, and tomato sauce. That's really how many iconic Hong Kong dishes were born. (Remember that Spaghetti Bolognese I made a while back?) Well today, I'm sending your way another popular dish (made with own my twist) that's fairly common in the Hong Kongese diet. I've been wanting to make a Hong Kong style "baked rice" with cream sauce for a long time but couldn't get pass the idea that I'd have to use cream soup that comes in a can. Until, earlier this week, I discovered how to make it from scratch and decided that it is time to tackle what I though was complicated but turned out to be untrue!

I grew up eating what people of Hong Kong often refer to it as "baked rice" (焗飯) which is kind of like a casserole or a gratin. See, the rice doesn't actually get cooked in the oven like you think it would judging by the name. Lost in translation perhaps?? What it really consists of are simple: meat or seafood on a bed of rice or spaghetti, topped with either tomato sauce or cream sauce, and a layer of cheese on top. You pop it in the oven until the cheese has melted to golden brown. Not feeling plain white rice? Many places would let you substitute it with a simple egg fried rice. And that's what a Hong Kong style "baked rice" is all about!

On one hand, the baked pork chop with rice (焗豬扒飯) is probably the most well-known in the baked rice arena which my friend over at The Missing Lokness had posted a recipe if you're ever interested in making an iconic Hong Kong dish. While the baked pork chop with rice is made with tomatoes and tomato sauce, I'll be sharing with you another kind of baked rice dish today that is made with a cream sauce!

Say hello to this Chicken and Broccoli Baked Rice. Perfect to make for dinner for two! Remember earlier I said the cream sauce is actually really easy to make? Well, get some chicken stock, heavy cream, a dab of butter mixed with flour, and a little white wine in a sauce pan! And don't forget a dash of salt and pep!

Baked rice with cream sauce in Hong Kong is often served with a seafood medley but considering that seafood is not always available to everyone, I thought using chicken and broccoli would be the perfect substitute! And the best part about this dish? It can be versatile so you can ditch the rice and go with pasta if you like!

So go cream that sauce and melt some cheese for dinner!

Chicken and Broccoli Baked Rice Hong Kong Style

Prep time: 25 mins  Cook time: 10 mins  Total time: 35 mins

You'll need:

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • ½ lb chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
  • ½ tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 cups of cooked white rice
  • 6 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tbsp dried basil
  • Sauce:
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ white wine
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter, soften
  • 1½ tbsp flour
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Approach:

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. In a sauce pan, add chicken stock, heavy cream, and white wine. Cook on medium heat until it starts to boil then turn the heat on low.
  3. Heat another sauce pan with 3 cups of water (for blanching the broccoli in the next steps).
  4. Mix butter and flour together to form a paste. Stir it into the sauce until the big lumps have melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Leave sauce cooking on low for 10 minutes while it reduces and thickens.
  6. Blanch the broccoli for a few minutes, then drain.
  7. In a heated skillet, add olive oil and minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chicken and cook for 4 minutes, then toss in broccoli and cook for another 6 minutes.
  8. To assemble each of the two dishes, brush the melted butter on the bottom of the gratin dish, add 1 cup of rice, half of the chicken and broccoli, 4 tbsp of cream sauce, and 3 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese.
  9. Put both gratin dishes on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until cheese has melted and turn golden brown.
  10. Garnish with a sprinkle of dried basil on top.

Steamed Egg Custard (臘腸蒸水蛋)

If you ask my mom today, she would probably agree that I was once a very picky eater. And not only I was picky, I was always the last one to finish at the dinner table. I was a fussy kid who didn't like much of anything. And now I blog about food? Who would have thought?! Since I only liked a handful of things at the dinner table growing up, steamed egg custard (蒸水蛋) and I bonded like how American kids fell in love with mac & cheese. A plate of hot steamed egg custard fresh out of the wok with soy sauce pour all over on top. It's a simple comfort home cooking I know many Cantonese and Hong Kongers can relate to. Taking a spoonful out of the soft egg custard immediately creates a dent where soy sauce would rush in and fill the hollow space.

Steamed egg custard is one those dishes that reminds me of home as soon as I put the silky and savory bite in my mouth. While there are a few different versions of steamed egg custard, this is how I like to enjoy mine - with crunchy Chinese sausage bits!

The dish is usually made plain with just eggs and water. It can also be made with with baby shrimp or ground pork, and even sliced preserved eggs (皮蛋) which never looks appetizing. However the custard is made, it's commonly served with a thin layer of soy sauce on top, and garnished with a sprinkle of chopped scallion.

Here's what I did with the Chinese sausage. I chopped it into small chunks then I threw them into a food processor for a few seconds.

You then toss them on a hot pan for a minute or so, and you'll get these crispy sausage bits. A lot like bacon bits that you put on a salad but 1,000 times better!

Next, the eggs. Like I mentioned earlier, steamed egg custard is usually made with just water which is good. What makes creamier and better custard is milk. And low-fat milk would do just fine. After beating the eggs and mixing in with other ingredients, you should either strain it or use a small sieve to remove any outstanding foam or bubbles so the surface of the custard remains smooth when steaming.

Set up your steaming wok or pan on low heat and set the timer for 18 minutes. And note that the higher the heat, the less smooth your custard will turn out. So if it is your first time making steamed egg custard, keep an extra eye on the money and observe the magic of steaming!

It's very common that you'll see little honeycomb-like texture in your steamed egg custard. And you'd see more of it if the heat was on too high while steaming. While some people like their steamed egg custard perfect with no honeycomb-like texture at all, to me, a little bit of it is the imperfection I look forward to when I make steamed egg custard. It's part of what makes it airy and a bit fluffy.

What's your steamed egg custard story? How does your family prepare this classic Cantonese dish at home? Share with us in the comments below!

Steamed Egg Custard (臘腸蒸水蛋)

Prep time: 10 mins  Cook time: 20 mins  Total time: 30 mins

You'll need:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup low-fat milk
  • ¼ salt
  • 4 drops sesame oil
  • 1 Chinese sausage
  • 1 stalk scallion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

Approach:

  1. Prepare a small skillet over medium heat.
  2. Cut Chinese sausage into small chucks, then throw them into a food processor and process for a few seconds, until finely chopped.
  3. Add 2 drops of sesame oil into the hot pan, then add chopped sausage. Cook for about 1 minute until it becomes slightly crispy. Then set aside.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 4 eggs, plus 1 cup of milk, salt and 2 drops of sesame oil, until well-combined.
  5. Using a small sieve, fish out any outstanding foam on top and on the side.
  6. Next, set up your wok with a steaming rack with 1" of standing water. Place an empty dish, that holds at least 2 cups of liquid, in the middle on top of the rack. Carefully pour eggs into the dish. Turn the heat on low, and set the timer for 18 minutes.
  7. When it is done, egg custard should be springy to the touch, and a bit jiggly.
  8. Let it rest for 1 minute, then top with 1 tbsp of soy sauce, crispy sausage bits, and chopped scallion.
  9. Serve hot.

Notes:

For your reference, this is what a steaming rack looks like.

Eggs to milk ratio should be 1:1. 

Fried Shrimp Dumplings (炸蝦角)

There are three things I love and consider comfort food: noodles, dumplings, and wontons. Eat them separately? Eat them together? Egg noodle? Rice noodle? Pan-fried dumplings? Boiled dumplings? Soup dumplings? Eat them plain? Dip in soy sauce? Vinegar? Chili oil? I'm ALL IN. And most of the above is pretty easy to make at home. Then, it comes the fried dumplings that you may see at dim sum.

It's not that deep-frying is hard to do at home but it's just kind of a pain in the butt. Agree? But I decided to do it anyway because I was craving these little fried shrimp dumplings like there was no tomorrow. The trick in making restaurant-quality shrimp dishes is the shrimp. (DUH). Just what do Chinese restaurants do to make shrimp taste so good? The answer is in the texture which is written all over Chinese food. It's all about 口感 (mouth feel) - crunchy, soft, "springy" (彈牙), chewy, smooth, tender, etc... If you've had shrimp from a Chinese restaurant before, you'd notice that the shrimp tastes somehow "crunchier" in an interesting way. I was curious in just how such thing is accomplished so I started poking around for answers. Then, I stumbled upon a post written by Bee over at Rasa Malaysia. To sum up her research, treating shrimp and achieving a pH8 to pH9, which is considered alkaline, will make a crunchier texture. Cold tap water is usually alkaline with close to pH9. And that's why restaurants run cold water on shrimp. "Sea water is pH8 and the reason why live/raw shrimps have firm and crunchy flesh". Bee went further to test another method, that's used at some restaurants, of adding egg white (ph8), tapioca starch, and baking soda (ph8). It turned out to be a success, and it has been her go-to technique for preparing shrimp for stir-fries and whatnot. The only thing about this technique is that it requires 5-6 hours to marinate so plan ahead.

Gosh! Don't you love knowing food science? Or is it just me? Thanks Bee for sharing your findings.

Now, if you want the end product of the shrimp dish to have whole shrimps, then I'd suggest that you give Bee's technique a try. However, for these Fried Shrimp Dumplings (炸蝦角), I was looking for another texture that fried shrimp rolls (炸蝦卷) at dim sums offer. For that, it requires a shrimp paste that's commonly referred to as Ha Kaw (蝦膠) which describes a shrimp paste that's springy or stretchy. But what the heck? How do you do that? Just hold on a second and let me explain before you decide to bail on me! What you really need is to get your hands dirty by mixing the ingredients by hand. If you can do that, you can make Ha Kaw (蝦膠). Yea, sure. You may try using a hand/stand mixer instead but you'll miss out on the fun! Besides, your hands are mandatory in the last step so you might as well get them dirty now. After mixing the shrimp paste together (stirring in one direction continuously), form it into a ball shape. Take it with one hand, then smack it back into the bowl. Repeat that 10 times then it's ready to be used as filling.

For deep-frying, it's handy to have a cooking thermometer so you can keep track of the oil temperature. Something like this from Sur la Table would be ideal because it's got a clip that holds it securely to the pan during frying.

Like spring rolls at dim sum, these fried shrimp dumplings are commonly served with worcestershire sauce (but sometimes served with mayonnaise instead). It's definitely one of my favorite dim sum dishes of all time!

Fried Shrimp Dumplings

Prep time: 35 mins  Cook time: 20 mins  Total time: 55 mins

Serves: about 24

You'll need:

  • 1 lb medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp white pepper powder
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 30 round wonton wrappers
  • 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Approach:

  1. After peeling and deveining the shrimp, raise it under cold water for a few minutes, then pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Using the blade of a chef knife, lay it flat and mash the shrimp one by one by putting force down. Then push it to the side of the chopping board. Once all the shrimp has been mashed, give it a few more chops to make sure the consistency is good. Place it all in a big mixing bowl.
  3. Add egg whites, olive oil, salt, white pepper powder, and sesame oil. Run your fingers clock or counter-clock wise until everything is well-blended together. Then form it into a ball shape. Take it with one hand, then smack it back into the bowl. Repeat that 10 times. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap, refrigerate for one hour.
  4. Damp a paper towel and cover wonton wrappers when not in use, and place a small bowl of water at your work station.
  5. Spoon about 1 tbsp of filling onto the middle of the wonton wrapper. Dip your finger in water and run it on the outskirt of half of the wrapper. Pinch the middle point on top, and make pleats on both sides. The tighter you can wrap a dumpling the better.
  6. In a 5-6 quart sauce pan, heat vegetable oil to 350°F over medium-high heat. Carefully monitor your oil temperature. Fry no more than 4 dumplings at a time. Fry each side for about a minute and a half, until golden brown. Place cooked dumplings on a plate lined with paper towels.
  7. Serve fried shrimp dumplings with worcestershire or mayonnaise as dipping sauce.

Hakka Stuffed Tofu (釀豆腐)

The fact that I am Hakka but have not yet featured a Hakka recipe on the blog is simply a crime. I can't say that I learned everything that I know about Hakka cooking from my Ah Gong (grandfather) who cooked and used the kitchen way more than my Po Po. But I can say that my desire to cook was partly influenced by him. And if you know me, you'd understand my craze for feeding a crowd. All that, was much influenced by my gigantic Hakka family. I mean, how can I not when I basically saw my entire extended family every, single, weekend growing up? A house full of 25-30 people? Checked. Food? DOUBLE CHECKED!

Being a Hakka in Hong Kong isn't all that out of the ordinary. There are many Hakka villages spread around the New Territories that are very much populated. People move around as lands develop so Hakkas living outside of villages are becoming very common these days. While a reasonable amount of Hong Kong-born-and-raised Hakkas had moved overseas, the Hakka tradition lives on with a handful of regular celebrations and gatherings throughout the year.

Have I bored you yet with my mumbo jumbo? Let's go back to the topic of today and talk food! You can certainly read more about my Hakka heritage in the Proud to be Hakka post I wrote a while back!

There are many classic Hakka dishes like the Stuffed Tofu (釀豆腐) that people would consider or have mistaken as Cantonese. The truth is, both cultures share a lot of similarities in cooking, and have been adapting and borrowing from each other for quite some time. With its rich migration history, dishes like Stuffed Tofu (釀豆腐) travels with the Hakka people wherever they land. To me, food is always about adapting and that's what makes food universal and interesting. When Hakkas take dishes with them to live somewhere else, they adapt local flavors, ingredients, and techniques. According to Linda Lau Anusasananan, when the Hakkas moved to southern China a long time ago, wheat wasn't widely available to make dumpling wrappers so they adapted by using tofu instead.

I don't expect Stuffed Tofu (釀豆腐) in other Hakka-influenced Chinese communities around the world to be all the same. The standard and common ingredients for Stuffed Tofu (釀豆腐) requires, of course, tofu. The filling is mostly pork but it can sometimes be mixed with fish or shrimp. The filling can also be used to stuff other vegetables like bell peppers and eggplant. While some people stuff the filling with tofu pockets, I always like to make the open-face version of Stuffed Tofu (釀豆腐). For sauces, soy sauce is used most of the time as well as oyster sauce, and fish sauce for Hakka Chinese who had migrated to South East Asia. Some like to steam, others prefer to deep-fry (I like to pan-fry), and each cooking method has its own beauty really. You could also choose to make a braised stuffed tofu dish after the tofu has been fried. Pan-frying, for me, produces the right balance of slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's really one of the perfect ways, one of my favorite ways, to eat tofu.

Learn more about Hakka cooking, culture and history from Linda Lau Anusasananan in The Hakka Cookbook. Available on Amazon.

Hakka Stuffed Tofu (釀豆腐)

Prep time: 35 mins  Cook time: 5 mins  Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 12 pieces, 2"x2"

You'll need:

  • 1 lb (1 block) firm tofu
  • ½ lb ground pork
  • 1½ tsp minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine
  • 3 dashes of white pepper powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 stalks scallions, finely chopped
  • ½ cup corn starch

Sauce:

  •  ½ cup chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp corn starch and 2 tbsp water, mixed

Garnish:

  •  1 stalk scallions, finely chopped

Approach:

  1.   
  2. Extract excess water from tofu by sandwiching it with few sheets of paper towels on a plate (underneath and on top of tofu). Using something considerably flat and heavy, gently place it on top and center of tofu for about 10 minutes.
  3. Mix ground pork with minced ginger, cooking wine, white pepper powder, salt, sesame oil, and scallion.
  4. Prepare, and set aside the ½ cup of corn starch in a medium size bowl (for coating tofu later before frying).
  5. Prepare the sauce by heating up sauce ingredients (minus the corn starch mixture). Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to simmer. Stir in corn starch mixture slowly which will start to thicken up the sauce. Continue stirring for another 30 seconds, then turn off the heat.
  6. Slice tofu into 12 pieces. Then make a cavity in each piece using a teaspoon as a scoop. Save tofu scraps for another use if you wish. Stuff each tofu with roughly 1 tbsp of pork filling.
  7. Heat up a cast iron pan with some oil. Carefully pick up stuffed tofu pieces, and coat them with corn starch on all sides (shake off the excess gently). Place them on the hot pan with filling side down. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip them over with a spatula and cook for 2 more minutes. Add more oil to the pan as needed.
  8. Plate, then sauce. Garnish with finely chopped scallion. Serve immediately.

Chinese Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)

Tea eggs (茶葉蛋), also known as marbled eggs, is such an iconic Chinese snack that's not only common in mainland China but also in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and pretty much most Chinese communities. Growing up, I would see them being sold in food storefronts, usually next to other street food like gai daan jai (鷄蛋仔 or egg waffles), curry fish balls, fish siu mai, and other fried goodies. Some restaurants in Chinatown would have tea eggs on the menu too, if you're in luck. While tea eggs are sold more commonly by street vendors in mainland China (and often eaten as breakfast), you can also see them sold in 7-elevens and night markets in Taiwan.

The flavor of tea eggs is quite unique built up by some really good spices like cinnamon, star anise, and dried orange peel, along with the infused liquid by soy sauce and tea. It sounds kind of fancy, doesn't it?

^ This is why they're also called "marbled eggs" because of the pattern it creates on the surface of the egg during the cooking process.

Get your liquid and spices going by heating it up in a pot. Bring it to a boil then leave it to simmer.

In another sauce pan, we're pre-boiling the eggs. Put your eggs in and fill water up to 1" over the surface of the eggs. Turn on the heat, add 1 tsp of salt, and let it cook until it's reached the boiling point. Once water starts to boil, turn off the heat, and let the eggs sit in the hot water. Cover with lid, and set your timer for 8 minutes. (A perfect hard-boiled takes 13 minutes, but we're PRE-boiling here.)

Drain them out of the hot water and put them in an ice bath for about 5 minutes (or run them under cold water).

Using the back of a butter knife, crack the egg all around but leave the shell on.

After you're done cracking all the eggs. Turn off the heat on the simmering liquid, place the eggs in the pot with the lid on. Let the eggs marinate overnight (transfer pot to the fridge once it has cooled down completely). When you're ready to serve them the next day, simply reheat (but not boil).

It's possible to leave the eggs to marinate for a shorter amount of time (at least 4 hours). However, eggs will not be as flavorful as they would being marinated overnight.

You can eat tea eggs plain or cut them in halves and serve them with a bowl of noodle soup!

Chinese Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)

Prep time: 20 mins  Cook time: 4 hours  Total time: 4 hours 20 mins

Serves: 9 eggs

You'll need:

  • Pre-boiling:
  • 9 eggs
  • Fill water up to 1″ above surface of eggs
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Liquid:
  • 6 cups water
  • 3 tbsp loose pu-erh tea leaves (普洱茶)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 star anise
  • 4 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorn
  • A couple pieces of dried orange peel (store-bought or homemade)

Approach:

  1. Get your liquid and spices going by heating it up in a pot or sauce pan. Bring it to a boil then leave it to simmer.
  2. Pre-boil the eggs in another pot by filling water up to 1″ over the surface of the eggs. Turn on the heat, add 1 tsp of salt, and let it cook until it’s reached the boiling point. Once water starts to boil, turn off the heat, and let the eggs sit in the hot water. Cover with lid, and set your timer for 8 minutes. (A perfect hard-boiled takes 13 minutes, but we’re PRE-boiling here.)
  3. Drain them out of the hot water and put them in an ice bath for about 5 minutes (or run them under cold water).
  4. Using the back of a butter knife, crack the egg all around but leave the shell on.
  5. Turn off the heat on the simmering liquid pot, place the eggs in the pot with the lid on. Let the eggs marinate overnight (transfer pot to the fridge once it has cooled down completely).
  6. When you‘re ready to serve them the next day, simply reheat (but not boil).

Notes:

It’s possible to leave the eggs to marinate for a shorter amount of time (at least 4 hours). However, eggs will not be as flavorful as they would being marinated overnight.

Pan-fried Noodles with Soy Sauce (豉油皇炒麵)

What is a classic dish? Something traditional? Something that has survived through time that this ever-changing culture does not get tired of? Something so good, and so true to an identity that it has been stamped with a "no further modification needed"? Classic dishes live among all cuisine, and for the Cantonese, this Pan-fried Noodles with Soy Sauce (豉油皇炒麵) is definitely one of them.

Noodle is everything in a lot of Asian people's diet. Okay, a majority if not everything. I had recently pointed out my love for noodles. And if you must know, I eat some sort of noodle at least once a week (twice, if you count pasta). Anyway. What I admire about dishes like the pan-fried noodles with soy sauce is that it holds the ability to keep its cool over the years, sort of like flying low under the radar. The dish has not changed and very rarely you'd get a modified version. Pan-fried noodles with soy sauce is as basic and simple as a stir-fried noodle dish can get. There're only four things you need to make this authentic dish: egg noodles (either dried or fresh), bean sprouts, scallions, and soy sauce. (Well, two kinds of soy sauce.) It's not a fancy dish, and it doesn't need to be. Ever.

If you're traveling to the "kong", you'll come across pan-fried noodles with soy sauce in a lot of places. Almost all jau lau 酒樓 (big restaurants that can hold lots of banquet-size tables and mainly serving Cantonese cuisine and Dim Sum), Da Pai Dong, Cha Chaan Teng, fast food places like Café de Coral (大家樂) or Fairwood (大快活), and congee shops. Congee is pretty much the partner in crime to pan-fried noodles with soy sauce. The perfect match for locals who prefer a Chinese breakfast today because a western style breakfast was eaten yestetday.

Many Asian cultures eat noodle or rice for breakfast. Singaporean has their bee hoon, and Vietnamese has their bun. In Cantonese, calling someone a "rice bucket" simply means that person eats a lot of rice. I'm definitely the noodle version. Does that make me a "noodle bucket"? That just sounds ridiculous.

Slurp. Slurp.

Pan-fried Noodles with Soy Sauce

You'll need:

  • ½ lb egg noodles, dried or fresh (pan-fried not wonton noodles)
  • 3 stalks of scallion, cut into 1" pieces
  • ½ cup bean sprouts, rinsed
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp regular soy sauce
  • Some oil

Approach:

  1. If using dried egg noodles, blanch them in hot water first until el a dante. It'll take about 3 mins after water has boiled. Drain, and set aside.
  2. In a hot pan, add 2 tbsp of oil. Rotate the pan to spread oil throughout the cooking surface. Add noodles and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring frequently with a pair of chopsticks or tongs. Then add scallion, bean sprouts, and both kind of soy sauce. Stir and cook for 4 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes:

If you encounter dryness while cooking the noodles, add water 1 tbsp at a time.

Iced Red Bean with Coconut Milk (椰汁紅豆冰)

Spring has finally arrived! In order to celebrate the return of warmth and the coming sweaty days, I decided to share with you an original Hong Kong summer dessert/drink - Iced Red Bean 紅豆冰 (with coconut milk). This is a drink that people usually don't make at home so you're in for a treat (no pun intended)! So if it's not made at home, then where do Hong Kongers go to get their Iced Red Bean?

Iced Red Bean was first created in a type of restaurants in Hong Kong known as Bing Sutt (冰室). The direct translation of the term is "ice room". Why "ice room" you may ask? Well, Hong Kong's climate is generally quite warm with summers that could be unbearable. Bing Sutts are places where people can pop in and out to get a cool drink in the 90°F summers (plus humidity)! So how do you know if you've walked into a Bing Sutt? Small tile floors, hanging fans, folding chairs, booth seatings are the characteristics of a typical Bing Sutt decor. Bing Sutts gained popularity in the 50's and 60's because they provided the working-class localized western meals at affordable prices, and they are mostly located in residential areas and neighborhoods making Bing Sutts great places for people of all social status to gather and to cool off! Bing Sutt eventually started serving food outside of their localized western menus to stay competitive with Cha Chaan Tengs (which I consider as the next generation of Bing Sutts). If you happen to pass by a Bing Sutt while visiting Hong Kong, I highly recommend that you pop in for a tea or coffee as there're not too many Bing Sutts left in the "kong" as real estate prices soar making mom-and-pop shops to fold one after another.

A traditional Ice Red Bean is made with three things: sweetened and cooked red beans, evaporated milk, and crushed ice. If you're not familiar with Asian or Chinese desserts, red or green beans are often made into sweets in various forms. Traditional Chinese pastries often use red bean paste as fillings, or an ABC (Air Batu Campur), which is a Malaysian dessert that is very popular in Southeast Asia, uses sweetened red beans on top of shaved ice. (Bee over at Rasa Malaysia has a Ice Kacang/ABC recipe for you if you're interested.) And you might also be wondering why evaporated milk? Evaporated milk is widely used in many Hong Kong style drinks and dessert. I think mainly it's because it's got a longer shelf life than regular milk, and it adds a certain flavor to tea and coffee. It could also because dairy is not consumed in most Hong Konger's daily diet (other than eggs), so regular milk is not very popular.

Besides the three key ingredients, I also added coconut milk which I was very happy with. The trickiest part of this whole operation is to get the ice crashed right. Even thought, I wasn't entirely happy with the consistency of the crushed ice my food processor was producing, I was happy that it was at least getting the job done (if that means processing the ice in batches, and scoop out any big stubborn pieces along the way). WELL. I guess that's why Ice Red Bean isn't usually made at home! It's easier for Hong Kongers to walk down the street from their apartments to get one rather than doing all the mumble jumble which no one ever has the time to.

So there you go. Treat yourself like a Hong Kong local on a hot summer day! (Want it to be more awesome? Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!)

Iced Red Bean with Coconut Milk (椰汁紅豆冰)

Prep time: 2 hrs 15 mins  Cook time: 5 mins  Total time: 2 hrs 20 mins

Serves: 4, 12oz-glass

You'll need:

  • ¾ cup red beans, raw
  • ½ cup plus 4 tbsp granulated sugar
  • ¾ water
  • 4 cups finely crushed ice (almost close to shaved ice)
  • 1½ cup coconut milk
  • 1½ cup evaporated milk

Approach:

  1. Cook raw red beans for an hour and a half until they become soft, and skin has started to fall apart from the beans. Keep enough water in the pot for at least 1" standing water on top for the entire duration of cooking the beans.*
  2. Drain, and return beans back to the pot. Add ¾ cup of water plus granulated sugar. Let sugar melt on very low heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Then pour beans on a baking sheet to cool completely, then stick the baking sheet in the freezer until the beans are chilled.**
  3. Mix coconut milk and evaporated milk together. Set aside.
  4. Using a food processor or blender, finely crush the ice.
  5. To assemble, fill ⅔ of the glass with chilled red beans, ⅓ of the glass with crushed ice, fill the glass with the milk mixture.
  6. (Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream!)

Notes:

You may choose to soak the beans overnight, that would cut down on cooking time.

You may choose to pour cooked beans into a big mixing bowl, and let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Singapore-Style Rice Vermicelli (星洲炒米)

I don't just like this dish, I LOVE this dish. In a way, Singapore-Style Rice Vermicelli (星洲炒米) (Singapore rice noodles or Singapore Mei Fun) is part of the identity of Hong Kong cuisine. It's a dish that every Hong Konger is familiar with growing up along with other east-meets-west fusion fairs that you can find in a Cha Chaan Teng. Now, listen, you can't find this dish in Singapore. It's not that they don't eat stir-fried rice vermicelli there (they DO!), it's just not the same thing with the same taste. So why is Singapore-Style Rice Vermicelli (星洲炒米) called Singapore-style rice vermicelli then?

Well, let me take a step back real quick and mention that an authentic Singapore fried rice vermicelli is actually called fried bee hoon which does not include curry, nor it is spicy. Fried bee hoon can be considered as "street food" because it's served in a lot of cooked food centre or food hawkers in Singapore, and it's fast, cheap, and filling (and often eaten as breakfast). Learn how to make economical fried bee hoon from Whisk and Knife.

So... where did the curry come from in most of the Singapore-style rice vermicelli dishes outside of Singapore? I have not been able to find the true answer but many seem to think that the curried rice vermicelli dish was born in Hong Kong's Cha Chaan Tengs. And because it's cooked with curry and it's very similar to fried bee hoon, "Singapore Noodle" was created.

The kind of rice noodle used in Singapore-style rice vermicelli (星洲炒米) should be very thin so Mei Fun (米粉) is used often. I found the Wai Wai brand to be the best when cooking stir-fry noodles because the soaking time is short, and the texture is just right.

I was soaking three pieces of rice vermicelli but two are actually enough for this recipe. Remember to use warm water. I've cut them into halves so they can all be submerged. Plus, it's easier to stir-fry noodles that have been broken up. To save time, soak the dried noodles while you prep for the other ingredients which takes about 15-20 minutes.

Here I have everything cut up and ready to go! Stir-fry happens quickly so you don't want to get held up while things are already getting cooked in the wok. When I was at the store, I saw these small bell peppers so I used them instead of just a red bell pepper. Here I also have half of an yellow onion, 2 cooked and sliced eggs, some char siu, and some minced garlic and grated ginger. If you like to eat spicy, some hot pepper slices would be good, too.

And what can I say? :) I just can't get enough of Huy Fong's chili garlic sauce! It's just the perfect condiment for this singapore style rice vermicelli!

Singapore-Style Rice Vermicelli (星洲炒米)

Prep time: 15 mins  Cook time: 15 mins  Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

You'll need:

  • 2 pieces of Wai Wai brand dried rice vermicelli
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
  • 8-10 medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 1/2 lb char siu, thinly sliced
  • 2 eggs, beaten, cooked, and sliced
  • 1 cup of red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • a few slices of long hot green peppers

    Sauce:
  • 5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp cooking wine
  • 2 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper powder

Approach:

  1. Start by soaking the dried rice vermicelli in a large mixing bowl with some warm water while prepping for other ingredients. You may choose to cut them down in halves, in order for them to be fully submerged.
  2. Mix the sauce together and set aside.
  3. In medium-high heat, drizzle some oil in the pan or wok. Cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes each side then set aside.
  4. Drain the rice vermicelli. (For easier stirring while cooking it with all the other ingredients, you may choose to cut the noodle down roughly. I like it this way also because it’s easier to eat, shorter noodles make better “bite sizes”. But that’s just a completely personal taste.)
  5. Drizzle some oil in the pan/wok. Cook the garlic and ginger until fragrant, then add all the vegetables. Cook for 3-4 minutes until soften or until onion is transparent in color. Set aside.
  6. Drizzle some more oil in the pan/wok. Cook the rice vermicelli until it turns soft, about 3 minutes, then add the vegetable, shrimp, char siu, and eggs. Give it a big stir while adding the sauce. Let it cook for another few minutes until the sauce is all mixed in. Stir frequently.
  7. Serve immediately (with some garlic chili sauce on the side).

Notes:

If char siu isn’t available, try ham, bacon, or shredded pork.[br][br]Here’s a tip I picked up when cooking shrimp: straight shrimp are undercooked, shrimp that have just curled into a C-shape are perfectly cooked, and shrimp that have twisted into an O-shape are overcooked.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Oi! Is spaghetti bolognese one of your favorite pasta dishes? It sure was my favorite growing up! "I mean, what's not to like?" (Yes, I'm quoting from Friends ;)) But seriously. Tomato sauce, good. Beef, good. Pasta, good! This particular spaghetti bolognese recipe is closer to what you'd be able to find at a cha chaan teng in Hong Kong. It's a pretty straightforward pasta dish that's quite simple to make.

3 small vine tomatoes, half of an onion, 5-6 cloves of garlic, half of a box of spaghetti. (A few other things: 1 small can of tomato paste, some worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper, and a little bit of flour.)

I've tried bolognese sauce with other kinds of pasta before but spaghetti is the perfect pair in my book. I love twirling the pasta and the sauce at once. It just feels more cohesive as a bite than eating bolognese sauce with small pieces of pasta.

If you got some grated parmesan (and a glass of wine), you're set! It's a perfect dinner to make during the week because it's super simple and doesn't take long.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Bolognese

Serves: 3-4

You'll need:

  • 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 small vine tomatoes, diced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 6-oz can of tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tbsp all-purposed flour
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1/2 lb of spaghetti

Approach:

  1. Prep your ingredients by mincing the garlic, and dicing the onion and tomatoes. In a medium bowl, mix together tomato paste and 1/2 cup of water, set aside. In another small bowl, mix flour and 1tbsp of water, set aside. Boil a pot of water for the spaghetti.

  2. In medium heat, cook minced garlic with 1 tbsp of olive oil until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Then add diced onion, and cook until onion becomes transparent. Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside.

  3. When hot water is ready, drop your spaghetti with some salt (I like to break the spaghetti in half). Let it cook until al dente, then drain.

  4. Brown the ground beef, and spoon out the excess fat so the sauce doesn’t get too greasy.

  5.  Return the onion mixture to the pan with the beef, and season with salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar.

  6. Add the diced tomatoes, and the water-downed tomato paste. Cook for another 5 minutes.

  7. Lastly, stir in the flour mixture which would act as a binder for the sauce. Toss in the spaghetti (after it’s drained) and give it a good stir using a pair of tongs.

  8. Plate, and sprinkle some grated parmesan if you have.