Soy Bean Curd ( Tau Foo Fah ) 豆腐花

Soy Bean Curd ( Tau Foo Fah ) 豆腐花

Recipe source :  Adapted from Rasa Malaysia


"Tau foo fah" or soy bean curd is an all-time favourite in my family. We used to buy this sweet dessert from a hawker who goes around our housing estate in a tricycle. 

Made from soya bean, it is rich in protein. It is soft and silky smooth which is suitable for the old and the young as well. I like to eat this warm while the children like it cold. 

It is such a refreshing dessert to have on a hot day. 

Ingredients for Soy Bean Curd

500ml fresh soy milk
2 tsp gypsum powder (Available from Chinese medical shops, just tell them you want to buy 'sek koe fun' for making 'tau foo fah')
2 tsp cornflour
1/3 cup water

Note : You may refer to my post on how to make soy milk

Ginger Syrup

2-inch piece ginger - pounded
250g cane rock sugar
300ml water

Method to make ginger syrup

1.  Place cane rock sugar into a small pot. 
2.  Add in water and the pounded ginger.
3.  Boil until the mixture has thicken and look syrupy.   

 Ginger syrup

Method to make the bean curd

1.  In a bowl mix gypsum powder, corn flour and water until well combined. Ensure mixture is well blended.
2.  Bring fresh soy milk to a boil. Skim off the foam and bubbles.
3.. Turn off heat.
4.  Stir the gypsum mixture and pour it into a large pot with a fitting lid.
5.  Pour boiling soy milk into the gypsum mixture from a height of at least 1 foot from above. This is to ensure even distribution of the gypsum mixture. DO NOT STIR.
6. Cover the opening of the pot with a towel and place lid over it.
7.  Allow to set for at least 1 hour. 
8.  When it has set, remove the top layer which is foamy. 
9.  The layer below is firm and silky smooth bean curd.

Remove the topmost layer which is foamy. 

The layer beneath is firm and silky smooth tau foo fah

To serve

1.  Scoop a few spoonful of the bean curd into a bowl. 
2.  Add 1 to 2 tbsp ginger syrup, according to taste.

Mmmm...silky smooth soy bean curd

Soy Milk 豆浆水

Soy Milk 豆浆水

Recipe source :  Adapted from Puri Selera ( booklet distributed by Lever Brothers )


This is a familiar favourite among the local people. It is rich in protein and natural goodness. This drink is easily available in restaurants and food courts around town. However, it feels good to be able to prepare this nutritious drink at home from raw soya beans. And of course the taste is so different because it is so fresh and unadulterated when it is home-made. 

The taste is just fantastic !

Ingredients

300g soya beans - soaked overnight
3 litres water
2 pieces pandan leaves (screw-pine)

Soaked soya beans

For the syrup

150g cane rock  sugar
300ml water
2 pieces pandan leaves

Boil all ingredients together until it thickens and turn syrupy.

 Syrup from cane rock sugar

Method 

1.  Drain dry the soaked soya beans. 
2.  Place one quarter of the soaked soya beans into a blender and add in about 750ml of the water. Blend until fine.
3.  Use a sieve to drain the resulting mixture into another large container. Then transfer the pulp onto a piece of muslin cloth and squeeze out the soy milk. Repeat the process until all soya beans and water is used up.
4.  Use the muslin cloth to sieve the soy milk again.
5.  Boil the soy milk with 2 pieces of pandan leaves. Keep stirring until it boils.
6.  Sweeten with the syrup. 
7.  Can be served hot or chill. 

* Important note- While boiling please use slow fire and keep stirring otherwise once it is burnt, it will carry the burnt taste.

Hot soy milk

Home-made goodness. 

Tastes so good!

 

Savoury Vegetarian Rice 斋饭

  Savoury Vegetarian Rice 斋饭

Recipe source :  Doris @ Sumptuous Flavours

I adapted my recipe for long bean rice to make a vegetarian version of it.  

I cooked this to share with my fellow practitioners in a meditation group who are mostly vegetarians. We meet at least once a week and after group practice we share the different varieties of  food others have brought along as well. We enjoy the pot-luck and the camaraderie among friends.

My friends enjoyed this vegetarian rice and said it is very fragrant. I thought I would post it here to share as well.

Ingredients

500g rice
4 stalks of snake beans or long beans, cut into small pieces
100g mushrooms, soaked until soft and cut into small cubes
1 carrot, cut into small cubes
2 tsp salt
4 tsp vegetarian oyster sauce 
4 tbsp cooking oil
900ml water

 Carrots and snake beans

Marinated mushrooms cubes

Method

1.  Marinate mushrooms with 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp cooking oil. Set aside for later use.
2.  Wash rice and drain dry.
3.  Heat wok with 4 tbsp cooking oil until very hot.
4.  Add in the marinated mushrooms and stir-fry over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. 
5.  Add in snake beans and carrot. Stir-fry well.
6.  Add in rice and fry briskly for 1 minute to mix everything evenly.
7.  Scoop out all ingredients and transfer them into the inner pot of an electrical  rice cooker.
8.  Add in salt, oyster sauce and water. 
9.  Auto -cook until done. 
10.  Use a pair of wooden chopsticks to fluff out the rice grains.

Bamboo Leaf Vegetarian Dumpling 素粽子

Bamboo Leaf Vegetarian Dumpling 素粽子

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours


We had just celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival few weeks back. As usual,  I made Bak Chang or savoury bamboo leaf dumplings with meat and an assortment of ingredients.  Sometimes I make alkaline dumplings with red bean paste  fillings. My family likes the spicy dumplings with dried shrimps sambal. I still have some bamboo leaves left over and I thought of trying to make some vegetarian dumplings which I have never attempted before. 

The ingredients used and the method of making these vegetarian dumplings is the same as making my previous batches of savoury dumplings except that I omitted using meat and salted egg yolks. I used gingko nuts instead. I love to eat gingko nuts and the yellowish color of the gingko nuts make the dumplings look more colourful.
 

Ingredients for Glutinous Rice

500g glutinous rice
2 tsp salt
1 Chinese soup spoon cooking oil
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
1/2 tsp salt

1.  Wash glutinous rice and soaked in water overnight. 
2.  Next morning, drain away the water using a colander
3.  Then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Set aside.

Mushroom

100g, dried shitake mushrooms
3 tsp sugar
1/4 Chinese soup spoon soy sauce
1 Chinese soup spoon shao shing wine (optional )
1 1/2 Chinese soup spoon cooking oil

1.  Soak mushrooms in water until soft. 
2.  Slice the mushrooms and mix in all the ingredients to marinate for 5 hours or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
3.  Pan-fry the marinated mushrooms over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. 
4.  Remove and leave to cool. Set aside.

Chestnuts

75g dried chestnuts

1.  Soak chestnuts overnight. 
2.  Then boil chestnuts in water with 1/4 tsp lye water until soft. Take one between your fore finger and thumb and squeeze. If it breaks then it is ready.
3.  Remove the brownish membranes from the ridges of the chestnuts with a toothpick.

Black-eyed beans

75g black-eyed beans

1.  Soak in water overnight.
2.  Then boil in water with 1 tsp salt until soft.

Split mung beans

100g split mung beans

1.  Soak in water overnight.
2.  Drain away the water.  Boil the mung beans with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tsp sugar till soft.
3.  Drain dry. Set aside.

 Fresh gingko nuts

2 pre-packed packets, about 200g

1.  Cut into halves and remove the embryo as it is very bitter.
2.  Wash and drain. Then add in 1 tsp sugar.

Wrapping the dumpling

Please refer to my previous post Savoury Bamboo Leaf Dumpling for a step-by-step guide on wrapping the bamboo leaf dumplings. 

Makes 11 dumplings

Boiling the dumplings

1.  Bring 5 litres of water to a boil. Add in 3 tbsp salt to the boiling water.
2.  Put all the wrapped dumplings into the boiling water.
3.  Boil for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
4.  Drain away the water.

 

Mixed Vegetables Tofu

  Mixed Vegetables Tofu

Recipe source : Adapted from Maggi's advertisement from Pearl Magazine


The original recipe uses Maggi's 5-spice chicken-mix. I did not have have that spice mix handy at home so I just substituted the 5-spice mix with my own seasoning ingredients. It turned out fine. 

The hot chilli padi spiced up the sauce and lent a fiery flavour to the bland tofu. I like the crunchy bite of the french beans. It was very appetising to eat this with hot steaming rice. 

This is wholesome home-cooked vegetarian fare. Tasty and nutritious.

Ingredients

1 block soft tofu, cut into pieces
100g french beans, diced
2 dried mushrooms, soaked and diced
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tbsp cooking oil
3 chilli padi, sliced                      ( original recipe used capsicum )

Seasoning

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
a dash of pepper

Mix the seasoning with 1 cup of water.

Cornflour Solution

1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
 

Method

1.  Heat wok until hot and fry the chopped garlic in hot oil.
2.  Add in mushrooms and french beans. Fry for about 1 minute.
3.  Add in seasoning together with the water. Add in the tofu pieces. Allow to simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes.
4.  Thicken with cornflour solution. 

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Book #24

Hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Stir-fried Lotus Root With Julienned Cuttlefish 炒莲藕

Stir-fried Lotus Root With Julienned Cuttlefish 炒莲藕

Recipe source :  Adapted from Amy Beh

We love to order stir-fried lotus root when we eat out at a particular "tai-pai tong". That's because this dish is that particular outlet's specialty. 

Amy Beh's version is slightly different as this recipe uses nam-yee, a fermented red bean curd with a distinct flavour, whereas the "tai-pai tong's flavour was very light.

Both are lip-smacking good!

Ingredients

15g dried cuttlefish shreds
100g lotus root, cut into thin slices (use local lotus roots which are smaller in size and more succulent, whereas the China variety which is larger is not suitable for stir-frying)
75g snow peas
80g gingko nuts ( original recipe used carrot slices )
5g dried snow fungus, soaked until soft and shredded into small pieces  ( my own addition )
3 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp chopped garlic

Sauce Ingredients

1 tbsp abalone sauce
1/2 cube nam yee, mashed with 1 tsp shao hsing wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp water

Method

1.  Bring a pot of water with 1/2 tsp salt, sugar and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda and 1 tsp oil to a boil. Put in snow peas. Boil 30 seconds. Remove and immerse in cold water for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2.  Blanch lotus roots separately in another pot of boiling water with 1/2 tsp vinegar added to it for 1 minute. Remove and immerse in cold water for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3.  Heat oil in a wok and lightly brown cuttlefish shreds until crispy. Drain and set aside.
4.  Remove oil, leaving 1 tbsp oil in wok. Saute chopped garlic until slightly brown. Add in blanched vegetables, gingko nuts and snow fungus. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add in sauce ingredients.
5.  Return the pre-fried cuttlefish shreds to the wok. Toss briefly until sauce is well combined.
6.  Dish out and serve immediately.

Wong Tai Mee (King's Noodles) 皇帝面

Wong Tai Mee (King's Noodles) 皇帝面

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

Wong Tai Mee literally translates into King's noodles. They are dried egg noodles folded conveniently into a ball. I said it is very convenient because I  always estimate each ball of this wong tai mee for one person. 

 Dried wong tai mee

I stocked up on a fair amount of dried foodstuff including this dried wong tai mee in advance for the festive season knowing most eateries are closed during the first few days of the Chinese New Year.

I cooked this for brunch since everybody woke up late.

Ingredients

4 dried wong tai mee
2 shallots, sliced
20g dried shrimps
100g fresh shrimps, remove shells and tails
150g minced pork ( add 1 tsp soy sauce, a dash of sesame oil and a dash of pepper to marinate )
100g mustard green, or choy sam ( cut into lengths of 3 cm )
150g bean sprouts
5 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Chinese rice bowls water

Method

1.  Bring half a pot of water to the boil. When boiling add in the egg noodles and boil for 3 minutes or according to instructions on the package. Drain away the boiling water and rinse noodles with running water. Drain well and set aside.
2.  Heat wok until very hot. Add in 1 tbsp of the cooking oil and stir fry the bean sprouts for 1 minute. Dish up and set aside.
3.  In the same wok, add the remaining 4 tbsp cooking oil. Saute sliced shallots until lightly brown. Add in minced pork and stir-fry until the minced pork is broken into smaller pieces. Push this aside and add in dried shrimps and fresh shrimps. Continue to fry and add in mustard greens. Mix everything together and add sauce ingredients. Allow this to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
4.  Add in the par-boiled egg noodles. Use a pair of wooden chopsticks to toss the noodles to ensure they are well coated with sauce. Continue to toss and mix until noodles are dry.
5.  Dish up and serve with cut chilli padi in soy sauce.

Serve this with cut chilli padi in soy sauce. Yummy !!

Chinese New Year Dish: Scallop & Wong Ngah Pak In Superior Stock 干贝上汤奶白

Chinese New Year Dish: Scallop & Wong Ngah Pak In Superior Stock 干贝上汤奶白

Recipe source :  Y3K Magazine Issue No. 40, 1/2 - 2008

This beautiful serving of dried scallops and Chinese cabbage is super delicious! It is very light and refreshing. You just need dried scallops, Chinese cabbage and broccoli. 

The scallop sauce tasted great with just the right consistency to coat the steamed vegetables and the shredded scallops.

The whole combination was absolutely superb!

Gong Xi Fa Cai !

Ingredients

80g broccoli, cut into florets
5 leaves of Chinese cabbage or wong ngah pak in Cantonese
30g dried scallops, soaked until soft and shred them
300ml superior chicken stock

Seasoning

1/2 tbsp Chinese wine
1/2 tbsp abalone sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
dash of dark soya sauce

Thickening

2 tbsp tapioca flour
2 tbsp water

Mix well to dissolve the tapioca flour

Method

1.  Bring half a pot of water to the boil. Add in some salt and oil. Scald broccoli and Chinese cabbage.
2.. Arrange broccoli in the centre of a plate. Roll up the leaves of the Chinese cabbage and arrange  them around the broccoli.
3.  Steam the platter of vegetables for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
4.  Heat up stock. Add in dried scallops and seasoning. Thicken with the tapioca solution. 
5.  Pour this scallop sauce over the plate of vegetables.

Arrange the vegetables and scallop shreds before spooning the sauce over

I am linking this post to My Treasured Recipes #5 - Chinese New Year Goodies Jan/Feb 2015

Hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well In Flanders 

and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House

Please mention Cook and Celebrate: CNY 2015 in your post and link back to us, Yen from Eat your heart out, Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids. - See more at: http://www.bakeforhappykids.com/#sthash.GPYJr7yj.dpuf

I am also linking this post to Cook and Celebrate CNY : 2015
Orgainsed by Yen of Eat Your Heart Out , Zoe of Bake For happy Kids and 
Diana of Domestic Goddess Wannabe
  

Chinese New Year Dish: Beancurd Skin Steamed With A Few Varieties of Mushrooms 腐皮蒸杂菌

Chinese New Year Dish: Beancurd Skin Steamed With A Few Varieties of Mushrooms 腐皮蒸杂菌

Gong-Xi, Gong-Xi, A perfect vegetarian dish for the Chinese New Year!

Recipes source :  Y3K Magazine Issue No. 57 11/12 - 2010

I was very much taken in by this vegetarian dish when I saw this recipe in the Y3K magazine. In fact I was drooling over it! I just couldn't wait

It consists of five varieties of mushrooms and beancurd sheets, all of which are my family's favourite food items. The ingredients used were very basic and easily available. The resulting flavour was simply awesome! The whole ensemble looks so wondrously beautiful. It looked like a treasure chest encased by jade pieces !

I find the entire presentation so lovely and pleasing to the eyes and will definitely look grand and auspicious on any dining table!

This vegetarian dish is just sumptuous! 
  

Ingredients A

3 pips garlic, minced
3 large pieces of  foo pei  (beancurd sheets) 
oil for deep-frying foo pei

Ingredients B

1 can of straw mushrooms, cut them into halves
1 can of button mushrooms, cut them into halves
35g dried mushrooms (soaked, sliced and marinated with 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp shao hsing wine)
200g eryngii mushrooms ( Hong pau ku in Cantonese )
100g fresh inoki mushrooms

Ingredients C

150ml water
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp chicken stock granules
1 tbsp beaten egg (optional ) - alternatively use cornflour mixture to thicken

Seasonings

2 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp chicken stock granules (optional )

Garnishing

400 to 500g broccoli
500ml water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp oil

 Method

1. Cut broccoli into florets
2. Bring water to the boil. Pour in the broccoli florets and let boil for 2 to 3 minutes. 
3. Add in salt, sugar and oil. Drain and leave aside.

 Eryngii mushrooms

Top : Marinated dried mushrooms

Bottom left : Canned straw mushrooms.

Bottom right : Canned button mushrooms

 Inoki mushrooms

 Foo pei or beancurd sheets - use the square type which are much bigger

Method

1.  Spread out the foo pei ( beancurd ) sheets and fold over into half. Hold foo pei by both hands and carefully lower the centre portion into hot oil and deep fry until it has bubbles all over. Next, change direction for both ends so it gets even out.  Remove from hot oil, rinse and wipe dry before spreading it over a big bowl. Alternatively, use a pair of bamboo chopsticks or tongs to deep-fry the beancurd sheets.
2.  Heat wok with a drizzle of oil. Saute garlic. Add in all the 5 types of mushrooms. Mix well and lower heat to braise a while so that water will seep out from the mushrooms. Add seasonings.
3.  Scoop out the braised mushrooms into the big bowl which has been lined with the deep-fried foo pei or beancurd sheets. Fold up the edges to cover the mushrooms. Steam for 10 minutes. Remove and invert over a plate. Cut across the foo pei and pull apart the flaps to show the braised mushrooms.
4.  Heat water for ingredients C, add in oyster sauce and chicken stock granules and mix well. Add in beaten eggs in a drizzle to make egg strands. Or alternatively, use cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce. Pour this sauce over the braised mushrooms. 
5.  Garnish with boiled broccoli all round the inverted braised mushrooms.

The inverted bowl of mushrooms enclosed in foo pei

Garnished with boiled broccoli 

Make a cut  cross the inverted bowl of foo pei. 

Pull apart the flaps

Then drizzle the sauce over the braised mushrooms 

Oh Wow! This is truly awesome!

I am linking this post to My Treasured Recipes #5 - Chinese New Year Goodies Jan/Feb 2015

Hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well In Flanders 

and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House

I am also linking this post to Cook and Celebrate CNY : 2015

Organised by Yen of Eat Your Heart Out , Zoe of Bake For happy Kids and 

Diana of Domestic Goddess Wannabe

  

Chinese New Year Dish : Fatt Thieu Cheong/Monk Jumped Over The Wall 佛跳墙

Chinese New Year Dish : Fatt Thieu Cheong/Monk Jumped Over The Wall 佛跳墙

Recipe source :  Doris Choo of Sumptuous Flavours (after listening to narration of a shop proprietor's basic instructions)

Fables had it that this soup was so fragrant that a monk jumped over a wall to trace and followed the wonderful aroma of this soup. The fable became a reality today in my home! The aroma that wafted from the steam oven was truly delicious as the soup was stewing. We all knew it would be great without having to taste it!

Finally I get to taste my own home-styled version of this much fabled "fatt thieu cheong". Thanks to the shop proprietor who persuaded me to buy these mini abalone way before shops started stocking up Chinese New Year goodies. 

Anyway, one of my children was back early for Chinese New Year and has to work during the festive season. So, we decided to celebrate with him first before he goes back to work. My family finds this very delicious. The dried baby abalone which had been soaked for 5 days until soft and then steamed for 3 hours tasted succulent and juicy. In fact we preferred this dried variety to the canned ones. Each springy bite is filled with the rich aroma and wholesome goodness of authentic abalone. Good! Really good!

Truly awesome to the last drop!

Note : the instruction to soak the dried abalone for 5 days until soft was taught by the shop proprietor who sold these abalone.

Ingredients

5 mini dried abalone
1/2 old chicken, quartered
40g dried fish maw(optional)
3 big dried scallops
5 red dates, pitted
1 tbsp wolf berries
6 slices pau-sum
3 pieces wai-san
4 dried mushrooms, soaked until soft
800ml water
2 slices old ginger
1 tbsp rice wine
salt  (optional )

Dried mini abalone

Mini abalone - after soaking for 5 days in the fridge

Dried scallops

Dried mushrooms

From left to right : wolfberries, pau-sum, red dates, wai-san

Method

1.  Soak dried abalone for 5 days until soft. Leave them in the refrigerator. Clean them properly before use.
2.  Soak fish maw until soft. Add 1 tsp vinegar into about 500ml water. Bring to a boil and boil the soaked fish maw to remove the fishy smell and the oily odour. Repeat process if the fishy smell is not removed after the first boiling. Alternatively you can leave out the fish maw if you find preparing it too troublesome because fish maw by itself has little taste.
3.  Place chicken, Chinese herbs and all the ingredients into a ceramic pot. Add in water. 
4.  Steam over high heat for 3 to 4 hours until the old chicken is tender.

Simply irresistible!

The mini abalones were succulent and juicy !

This is absolutely delicious!

The taste is just out-of-this-world!

No wonder there is so much hype about the monk jumping over the wall !

I am linking this post to My Treasured Recipes #5 - Chinese New Year Goodies Jan/Feb 2015

Hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well In Flanders 

and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House

I am also linking this post to Cook and Celebrate CNY : 2015

Orgainsed by Yen of Eat Your Heart Out , Zoe of Bake For happy Kids and 

Diana of Domestic Goddess Wannabe